<Fixed>Sound Recorder: Which Input

[Ray2047]

When making a recording in Sound Recorder which input is normally the rear mic. Is it Capture? My microphone has again stopped working and I'm trying to use Sound Recorder to test if the mic is working. Is there a better way to test if a mic is working?

[rubentje1991]

Are you using PCLinuxOS KDE fully up to date?
=> if yes, are all channels "open" in KMix (speaker icon in task bar)?

[ternor]

I don't know about better but I used Audacity Sound Editor.  I discovered that I needed PulseAudio volume control.  I also used Skye's test call.

[Ray2047]

Are you using PCLinuxOS KDE fully up to date?
=> if yes, are all channels "open" in KMix (speaker icon in task bar)?

Not sure what you mean. I have Mic Boost and Digital at max but how does that relate to my original question on which input to use for the read mike? Are you say all connect to the rear mike.

Ternor asked:

I don't know about better but I used Audacity Sound Editor.

I have tried it in the past but it wasn't obvious to me how to record. Since I need an app just for testing Sound Recorder with its obvious record button seemed easier.

All I'm trying to do is to get the mic to work so I can use Google call. The recording is just a way to test. Doesn't seem to be Gcall because I can call out and I can hear the person on the other end they just can't hear me. I did a complete reinstall to get it to work a couple of weeks ago and that fixed it but now it's stopped again. This happens on a regular basis and I'd really like to know why it stops and how to fix it.  Trying another mic doesn't help. Fully updated KDE. I did not install Pulse audio this time because it didn't help the last time I had this problem.

[Just17]

Do you have a HDMI connection for video in that PC?

[kjpetrie]

Click the loudspeaker icon in the system tray and then click mixer. Open Settings->Configure channels and make sure all microphone channels in Available are also in Visible. Click OK. Then adjust your Mic channels to see which one your microphone is on.

You might also have to play with the input settings of Sound Recorder (I'm not familiar with it) to ensure it is listening to the mic.

[Ray2047]

No HDMI  connection.

Then adjust your Mic channels to see which one your microphone is on.

I have been but adjusting doesn't seem to help. Guess I need to take a deep breath and start from scratch adjusting all to zero and testing just one at a time.

You might also have to play with the input settings of Sound Recorder (I'm not familiar with it) to ensure it is listening to the mic.

Yes that is providing an uncertainty factor that makes this more frustrating. I don't know if I'm using the correct input so each  change has to be tested on each input.

Thank you all for your help so far.

[Just17]

'arecord' in a terminal is probably the handiest way to sort out what you have and where it is at.

Other than that I would have to say PulseAudio gives the user the best control.

[btrussell]

Click the loudspeaker icon in the system tray and then click mixer. Open Settings->Configure channels and make sure all microphone channels in Available are also in Visible. Click OK. Then adjust your Mic channels to see which one your microphone is on.

You might also have to play with the input settings of Sound Recorder (I'm not familiar with it) to ensure it is listening to the mic.

I, too, was having a problem with talking on google. Could hear them, they couldn't hear me.

I believe the change that I made that got it going was selecting the correct input in the mixer window.


"Input Source>

Front Mic
Rear Mic
Line"




"arecord" without the quotes, output in konsole resembled ASCII art. Finally closed its' window when scroll bar was this ( - ) thick and going strong still.

[Ray2047]

I believe the change that I made that got it going was selecting the correct input in the mixer window.

I don't see that setting in Kmix or Alsamix but do have it set in Quasmix.

[Just17]

arecord -l      will give a list .....  for other options see       arecord --help

[Ray2047]

arecord -l      will give a list .....  for other options see       arecord --help

Would  someone  please translate for me:

$ arecord -l
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 0: VT1708S Analog [VT1708S Analog]
  Subdevices: 2/2
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1

TIA

[Just17]

arecord -l      will give a list .....  for other options see       arecord --help

Would  someone  please translate for me:

$ arecord -l
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 0: VT1708S Analog [VT1708S Analog]
  Subdevices: 2/2
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1

TIA

From the man page ....

arecord -t wav -max-file_time 30 mon.wav
Record from the default audio source in monaural, 8,000 samples per second, 8 bits per sample. Start a new file every 30 seconds. File names are mon-nn.wav, where nn increases from 01. The file after mon-99.wav is mon-100.wav.

You can specify the hardware used by using the info from the arecord -l command.

To get back to the original question:

When making a recording in Sound Recorder which input is normally the rear mic. Is it Capture? My microphone has again stopped working and I'm trying to use Sound Recorder to test if the mic is working. Is there a better way to test if a mic is working?

Launch Volume control from the File menu .......  go to the Hardware and Input tabs and select the location of the MIC and test it there. You must have your sound card set for Duplex to enable the inputs.

[Ray2047]

Launch Volume control from the File menu .

Volume control never launches. I get:

Waiting for sound system to respond

and it does nothing.

[btrussell]

I believe the change that I made that got it going was selecting the correct input in the mixer window.

I don't see that setting in Kmix or Alsamix but do have it set in Quasmix.

Open mixer after clicking volume icon
Settings>Configure channels
Drag "Input Source" from "Available Channels" window to "Visible Channels" window. Apply/OK

Input Source should now be available in mixer window.

Edit:
I believe I also dragged over F-R Mic as well as Line to the visible window in mixer settings.