How can I find the correct name for my microphone and sound output using aplay or pacmd or something else, to apply in asound.conf?

Question

I need to write a default mic and default speaker output in the asound.conf config file. But I don't know exactly how I can find my external sound card or microphone device's name, so that on reboot or unplug/plug I don't have to reconfigure it again.

I tried to find them by using:

sun@sun-To-be-filled-by-O-E-M:/tmp$ pacmd dump | grep alsa_input
set-source-volume alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo 0xddb
set-source-mute alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo no
suspend-source alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo yes
set-source-volume alsa_input.usb-0d8c_C-Media_USB_Audio_Device-00-Device.analog-mono 0x9091
set-source-mute alsa_input.usb-0d8c_C-Media_USB_Audio_Device-00-Device.analog-mono no
suspend-source alsa_input.usb-0d8c_C-Media_USB_Audio_Device-00-Device.analog-mono yes
set-source-volume alsa_input.usb-046d_HD_Pro_Webcam_C920_8E9E4FCF-02-C920.analog-stereo 0xfffe
set-source-mute alsa_input.usb-046d_HD_Pro_Webcam_C920_8E9E4FCF-02-C920.analog-stereo no
suspend-source alsa_input.usb-046d_HD_Pro_Webcam_C920_8E9E4FCF-02-C920.analog-stereo yes
set-default-source alsa_input.usb-046d_HD_Pro_Webcam_C920_8E9E4FCF-02-C920.analog-stereo

or:

sun@sun-To-be-filled-by-O-E-M:/tmp$ aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC892 Analog [ALC892 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC892 Digital [ALC892 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: Device [C-Media USB Audio Device], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

But it confused me. Which one is the name that I have to use when doing sudo vim /etc/asound.conf?

From the information given above this device is my microphone:

card 2: Device [C-Media USB Audio Device], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

And from the above information this device is my audio output:

card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

How can I tell this in my /etc/asound.conf? I tried the following but it does not work:

pcm.usb
{
    type hw
    card C-Media USB Audio Device
}
pcm.!default
{
    type asym
    playback.pcm
    {
        type plug
        slave.pcm "dmix"
    }
    capture.pcm
    {
        type plug
        slave.pcm "usb"
    }
}

Solution

If I understand correctly, you want playback on your build in sondcard and capture (microphone) from external USB device.

Your external device is listed as card 2: device 0 and your build in soundcard as card 0: device 0

I think your asound.conf should look something like this:

pcm.!default
{
  playback.pcm
  {
    type hw
    card 0
    device 0
  }

  playback.capture
  {
    type hw
    card 2
    device 0
  }
}

Comments

[AcId]

Did some Googleing and found this page on alsa-project.org. Try something like plug:default:C-Media USB Audio Device for the USB device and plug:default:HDA Intel PCH for the build in device.

[Admin]

in that case card and device lines should be removed by adding those lines right?

[AcId]

@YumYumYum I think so, but I'm not entirely sure.

[Admin]

It says invalid file: sun@sun-To-be-filled-by-O-E-M:~$ alsamixer ALSA lib conf.c:1686:(snd_config_load1) toplevel:24:4:Unexpected char ALSA lib conf.c:3406:(config_file_open) /etc/asound.conf may be old or corrupted: consider to remove or fix it

[AcId]

Maybe this could be of some help. It talks about asound.conf and naming of devices.