Slackware Sound Distortion

[johntramp]

Hi, in slackware when listening to mp3's through xmms, or even when starting a programme and kde sounds are on the sound distorts when I do anything from opening a web page to launching an app. I have no idea what this is from, but it is not isolated to xmms or mp3.
It is not the computer's lack of power either.

Any ideas?
-Thanks

[hard candy]

In Settings-->Control Center-->Sound and Multmedia--> Sound System, on the second tab "Hardware" check "Full Duplex" to be enabled and see if that helps.

[johntramp]

no that did not work, il will boot to icewm and see if it is kde specific.

[johntramp]

yea, playing in mpg321 thru a different tty (what is that called?) it runs fine.

I could probably get by with that fine if i cant get it going.
Just if it doesnt work in games it would be annoying :(]\
thanks

[hard candy]

Try changing some of the settings in that sound control module if this is KDE specific.

[MMYoung]

Run alsamixer (as root) and turn the AC97 volume down to 0 and see if that helps. If it does run alsactl store (also as root) to save your volume settings.

When I started KDE the startup sound was all screeching and crap and I could hear a "thumping" sound in the backgroud. I turned down the AC97 and got rid of it.


BTW, as far as I can tell it's just a KDE thing. I don't have that problem with Dropline GNOME.


HTH,
MMYoung

[mdwatts]

Do your speakers have their own volume controls? If so, make sure they are not set too high and the same for the volume settings in the soundcard mixer.

You can find troubleshooting suggestions in the audio quality how to at

http://www.linuxdj.com/audio/quality/

[johntramp]

that is not the problem mdwatts, it sounds almost asif the computer is struggeling to handle playing music and whatever else it is doing.

MMyoung: I can't find AC97 volume, but there were 4 bars set to full on the far right hand side. Are those AC97 ??

[mdwatts]

See if you have any sound/soundcard related problems (errors etc.) in your system logfiles (/var/log) that could possibly be the cause.

[hard candy]

Also, try this, "modprobe ac97_codec". Sometimes this does not get loaded and some cards need it for duplex sound.

[johntramp]

there seems to be nothing in /var/log , and i ran that modprobe and there was no output, but it seems to possibly have fixed it... it is intermitantly bad but seems to be alright at the moment... will that be needed to be typed each time i reboot?

thanks

[dboyer]

Go into alsamixer, and make sure that PCM is not at 100%... i would put master at 100, pcm at like 70... that might help...

Recently I developed some distortion with BMP (i think its just a fancier XMMS) so i opened preferences, on the output box at the bottom, i went to preferences, went to advanced, and then moved the buffer time from 500 to 900 ms....

[hard candy]

will that be needed to be typed each time i reboot?
Add "snd-ac97_codec" to the /etc/modules.conf file.

[johntramp]

well it seems to be running fine now :)
the xmms buffer was at 3000ms, so i put that down too, mabye that was causing problems too..

thanks for your help:)