Nixpkgs: silent microphone

[lambdax-x]

Issue description

I am using pulseaudio, audio output works but input doesn't.
Microphones are detected (running as shown by pacmd list-source), source selected, channels aren't muted, volume up.
I don't really know how to check if it comes from pulseaudio or not actually and don't know what kind of information I should provide here.

Steps to reproduce

hardware.pulseaudio = {                                                        
  enable = true;
  support32Bit = true;
};

Technical details

• System: 17.03.1188.9fd6417e27 (Gorilla)
• Nix version: nix-env (Nix) 1.11.8
• Nixpkgs version: "17.03.1188.9fd6417e27"
• Sandboxing enabled: build-use-sandbox = false

[cillianderoiste]

@lambdax-x Have you also checked the settings in alsamixer?

[7c6f434c]

Also, there is sometimes a magic invocation with amixer sset [name] cap

[lambdax-x]

Everything seems okay in alsamixer (nothing muted, volumes up).
Also I found an option to enable the microphone in the bios but it's set up correctly.

[lambdax-x]

Sorry, closed the issue unintentionally...
I removed pulseaudio support and the issue exists without pulseaudio actually.

[lambdax-x]

It should be ok with amixer :

$ amixer
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 74
  Mono: Playback 67 [91%] [-7.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 74
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 74 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 74 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 74
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 65 [88%] [-9.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 65 [88%] [-9.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 255
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
  Front Right: Playback 255 [100%] [0.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 4
  Front Left: 4 [100%] [40.00dB]
  Front Right: 4 [100%] [40.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Beep',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 7
  Mono: Playback 1 [14%] [-24.00dB] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 80
  Front Left: Capture 80 [100%] [6.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 80 [100%] [6.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Auto-Mute Mode',0
  Capabilities: enum
  Items: 'Disabled' 'Enabled'
  Item0: 'Enabled'
Simple mixer control 'Digital',0
  Capabilities: cvolume
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 120
  Front Left: Capture 120 [100%] [30.00dB]
  Front Right: Capture 120 [100%] [30.00dB]
Simple mixer control 'Internal Mic Boost',0
  Capabilities: volume
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: 0 - 4
  Front Left: 4 [100%] [48.00dB]
  Front Right: 4 [100%] [48.00dB]

[7c6f434c]

Please run amixer sset Capture cap, from the output I see that you do need to run it.

[lambdax-x]

I don't think I need to:

Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 80
  Front Left: Capture 80 [100%] [6.00dB] [on]   # <-- is on
  Front Right: Capture 80 [100%] [6.00dB] [on]  # <-- also

[7c6f434c]

on/off, numeric scale and cap/nocap are three different dimensions, you
reference the lines showing the first two of them.

[lambdax-x]

Could you please elaborate on how you see that? Because I can't see and experience any difference after executing this command.

[7c6f434c]

cswitch + similarity to the layout of my card where I had a lot of headbanging with that.

Hm. Are there any hardware buttons that could be capture-related? Also, do you have a combined jack with headphones without microphone inserted? Also, what amixer contents say, it is more detailed than amixer…

[lambdax-x]

It's kind of obscure but after the night, the mic input is no longer muted...
Looks like there has been a sacrifice for the alsa devil.