[Ekiga-list] Sound problems

[Linda Marsh]

Hi,

I followed your suggestions, the result I got was still jittery sound
when I was not using DMIX. I'm sure my sound card can be used for VoIP
because when I had Windows I used Yahoo voice to make calls with
acceptable sound quality. Do you have any further thoughts about this
problem because surely if I can use Windows to call people I can also
use Linux!


On Mon, 2006-09-18 at 18:47 +0200, yannick wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Le lundi 18 septembre 2006 à 14:36 +1000, Linda Marsh a écrit :
> > Now that I understand that I'm supposed to be using my microphone the
> > arecord |aplay works fine, my voice is very clear. 
> > 
> > I have been playing with the jitter buffer settings whilst on a
> > sip:500 at ekiga.net call. Setting it to 50 seems to give the worst
> > results. Setting it to about 500 is clearer but I still think people
> > would have trouble understanding me talk. Increasing it beyond this had
> > no further effect.
> > 
> > I don't have a camera so I have disabled video. This has had no effect.
> > 
> > 
> > My ALSA Driver version is 1.0.9rc2
> 
> Hum... Since this version ALSA uses the DMIX plugin as default. This
> software provides for direct mixing of multiple audio streams. This
> maybe the reason of your troubles.
> 
> > My Distribution is Fedora Core 4
> > My Sound card Intel 8280 ICH4 
> 
> Seems, this card can't do hardware channel mixing, DMIX is used.
> > 
> > Any more ideas about what I could try?
> 
> This is just a test process, not for everyday use as it will lock your
> sound card each time a program use it. And after it you'll have to
> reverse the changes you've made.
> 
> First disable any program using your sound card. (meaning : if you are
> using KDE, go to control panel-> sound system and disable the sound
> system, using gnome, go to System -> preferences -> Sounds and disable
> ESD and the system sounds). Be sur no other programs use your sound
> card ; Those 2 commands (respectively for OSS and ALSA) may help to
> track those programs :
> $ sudo lsof /dev/dsp
> $ sudo lsof /dev/snd/*
> (they require your root password, but will just return a list of programs using your sound car if any)
> This can include any audio playback (mp3, ogg ...) video players or
> sometimes volume control applet...
> 
> Once your system is clean, not using your sound card. Configure Ekiga
> like this :
> 
> Go to the menu Edition -> Preferences -> Devices -> Audio Devices
> - Select "ALSA" as the audio plugin
> - Select "Your_sound_card_name" as output (something like intel xxxx,
> NOT Default) 
> - Select "Your_sound_card_name" as input
> 
> 
> Then go to the menu Edition -> Preferences -> General -> Sound Events
> - Select "Your_sound_card_name" as alternate device output
> 
> Now try a call to 500 at ekiga.net. If Ekiga complains about not able to
> open audio device, it should remains at least one program using your
> sound card. If Ekiga do not complain, your now using your sound card
> without DMIX, if everything works OK, then i guess the problem is DMIX
> and we can go to configure ALSA to hopefully works properly. If you got
> the same result as before this process, then I guess the problem in not
> DMIX and I need to think more about it ;).
> 
> Regards,
> Yannick
> 
> 
> > 
> > On Sun, 2006-09-17 at 15:14 +0200, Damien Sandras wrote:
> > > Le dimanche 17 septembre 2006 à 08:41 +0200, yannick a écrit :
> > > > Hi,
> > > > 
> > > > Le dimanche 17 septembre 2006 à 15:28 +1000, Linda Marsh a écrit :
> > > > > Can you tell me how to reverse what I have done with this arecord
> > > > > command? 
> > > > 
> > > > Quote from 
> > > > $ man arecord
> > > > "arecord, aplay - command-line sound recorder and player for ALSA sound‐
> > > > card driver"
> > > > 
> > > > This as nothing to do with Ekiga, those programs (aplay and arecord) are
> > > > part of ALSA (the system wich provide drivers for sound-cards shipped
> > > > with the linux kernel). See http://www.alsa-project.org/
> > > > 
> > > > I guess Damien ask you to test this command to see if your ALSA
> > > > installation can support ekiga's requirement from ALSA. Seems your
> > > > driver fails to complete the job, meaning your ALSA installation (or
> > > > worst, your sound-card...) can't work with ekiga. 
> > > > 
> > > > What is your ALSA version ?
> > > > Try this in a shell :
> > > > $ cat /proc/asound/version
> > > > 
> > > > What is your distro ?
> > > > 
> > > > What is your sound card ?
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > To summarize what Yannick said, most probably your sound hardware setup
> > > is messed up. Suggestion: change your distribution and install one that
> > > comes with tested software.
> > > -- 
> > >  _      Damien Sandras
> > > (o-     
> > > //\     Ekiga Softphone: http://www.ekiga.org/
> > > v_/_    FOSDEM 2006    : http://www.fosdem.org/
> > >         SIP Phone      : sip:dsandras at ekiga.net
> > >                          sip:600000 at ekiga.net
> > > 
> > > _______________________________________________
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> -- 
> Me joindre en téléphonie IP / vidéoconférence ?
> sip:yannick at ekiga.net
> 
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