Trouble with skype (SOLVED)

[Jim Dandy]

I posted about this on another thread but was told that I needed to break my three issues down into separate threads. I can understand that, guess it is easier to deal with one at a time. With a lot of patient help I got some sound now when I play youtube videos and that is a big plus from where it was yesterday (no sound at all on anything).

But to the issue at hand, skype. I can log on to skype but when I try to test the sound I can hear their side of the recording with a lot of static and distortion but can't hear myself at all. I uninstalled static skype and installed regular skype but had to uninstall regular skype and go back to static skype (got an IO error message with regular skype). I would appreciate any help/suggestions anyone has.

[Just17]

There are a lot of things that can affect a VOIP connection, not least the quality and speed of your internet connection.

Have you used VOIP (Skype) on this connection previously?
If you have details please post the connection details.
You might also do a speedtest on line which will give some detailed results.
Please post the results from this or another site ......  http://www.speedtest.net/

***

Separately you need to know if your MIC is working.
What type of MIC is it?
How is it connected to the PC?
Does it work in any other application?

Does it show on in the PulseAudio Control tab when in use?
Do you see an indication of the MIC in use? (a varying horizontal line with MIC input)
Have you tried altering the MIC volume .....  up and down?

Is Skype set to adjust the MIC volume automatically?  Try changing this setting to see if it makes a difference to the test call.

***

Please try to answer each question above individually so we get as complete a picture as possible of what is happening.

[Jim Dandy]

Well, the speed (or lack thereof) is 2.86 Mbps (download) and .72 Mbps (upload). As for changing the configuration of anything on skype I don't see anything that would allow it.

The microphone I used is on a headset and I couldn't tell you to save my life what brand it is, probably some generic thing I bought cheap. But it has worked well in the past and it was working a few days ago when I did the skype test call. But as it was with their recording which I heard full of static and distortion so was my voice on the recording. Now it won't even record my voice, or if it does it doesn't play it back. I see no indication of the mic being in use but I have never seen that when it worked perfectly. And the volume on it is fine, at least when I am listening to something on youtube through it. Too loud sometimes and I have to turn it down. Sorry I couldn't give you more information than that.

[Just17]

You can get into the Skype settings by using the icon on the bottom left of the Skype window.

The 'volume' for the MIC is completely different to the volume control for the speakers/headphone.
One is input sensitivity and the other output.

Please use PulseAudio Volume Control to access the levels of MIC on input and speakers/headset on output.
Post pictures of what you see DURING a Skype test call on the various tabs of PA Vol Control.
Do repeat calls until you get them all. Thanks.

Please review the questions I asked earlier and try to address those that remain unanswered, thanks.

[Jim Dandy]

Here is the picture I just now got when I did the test call. I can report progress--don't know how or why it happened but there is no longer any static or distortion in the recording--still can't hear anything that I try to record on it and when I click on input devices it says there are none.




I will do it again and see if the volume thing Pulse Audio Volume Control is doing anything. The playback is like the picture above, it is working fine. Only problem now is that I can't hear what I try to record.

[Jim Dandy]

Oh, I forgot to say but I didn't see anything on the bottom left corner of my skype page/panel or whatever it's called that would allow me to change any settings on it. And I did look. Could it be because I am using static skype instead of the regular one? I deleted static skype and tried the regular one but it didn't work at all so I deleted it and got this one back.

I finally found it--please excuse me, I am a bit slow sometimes.

[Just17]

During the Skype test call, check the Recording tab of PA Vol Ctrl ......  at the time you are speaking ......  it should show a recording indicator at the bottom of the page, with the facility to change Input it is recording from.
Make sure it is recording from your MIC and not from the speakers output.

[Jim Dandy]

My Pulse Audio Volume Control doesn't recognize any input device so apparently it is not recognizing my headphone/mic. And I saw no other thing to change it to--it appears that it is trying to record from the built-in speakers on the monitor but I don't believe they even work.

[Just17]

My Pulse Audio Volume Control doesn't recognize any input device so apparently it is not recognizing my headphone/mic. And I saw no other thing to change it to--it appears that it is trying to record from the built-in speakers on the monitor but I don't believe they even work.

No, you misunderstand the input type.

It is recording (or trying to) from a tap-off (monitor) of the sound sent to Built-in Analogue Stereo sound card.

Solution I think:

Go to the Configuration Tab of PA Vol Ctrl ......  and on the sound card which is enabled  .....   use the drop-down box ........

You might presently have selected  "Analogue Stereo Output"

Change this to "Analogue Stereo Duplex"

Your names might be slightly different in the drop-down list, but the principle remains the same ......  change the selection from 'Output' to 'Duplex'

Your Microphone input on the sound card will now be enabled.

[Jim Dandy]

Thank you. I did as you suggested and hoped it would work but it is still dead silent, at least my recording is. I can hear skype's recording just fine and it is very clear now. It seems that it is not recognizing my headset.

[Jim Dandy]

My Pulse Audio Volume Control doesn't recognize any input device so apparently it is not recognizing my headphone/mic. And I saw no other thing to change it to--it appears that it is trying to record from the built-in speakers on the monitor but I don't believe they even work.

No, you misunderstand the input type.

It is recording (or trying to) from a tap-off (monitor) of the sound sent to Built-in Analogue Stereo sound card.

Solution I think:

Go to the Configuration Tab of PA Vol Ctrl ......  and on the sound card which is enabled  .....   use the drop-down box ........

You might presently have selected  "Analogue Stereo Output"

Change this to "Analogue Stereo Duplex"

Your names might be slightly different in the drop-down list, but the principle remains the same ......  change the selection from 'Output' to 'Duplex'

Your Microphone input on the sound card will now be enabled.

I fooled around with those settings some more and have it fixed now, or just about as close as I will probably get it anyway. Changed it to Analog Surround 4.1 Output + Analog Stereo Input. Has some static now but nothing like as bad as it was so I guess I should mark this solved.

[Jim Dandy]

Thank you so much for your patience and your help. I appreciate it very much. Two problems now solved and one to go! Hooray!

[Just17]

Glad you have it working 

I am surprised that the Analogue Stereo Duplex did not work .....  in my estimation it should have.

I think you should try that again a couple of times .....  checking the device it is recording from when testing a Skype call, as it is possible that using 4.1 with no speakers attached could be causing some interference.

[Jim Dandy]

I will try again. Now that I know where the things are I can experiment some. So far the one I set it to seemed to work the best even though it did have some static. It was clear as a bell when I could only hear the skype lady talking. Doh!

Tried the one you suggested again as well as some of the others but the one I mentioned earlier, the one that has just a little static, worked better than any of them. It is not so bad I can't use it now so that's great.

[Just17]

Play an audio file with VLC to see if the static is present at the beginning of play .....  if so there is possibly a fix for it