How to verify if my microphone input is dead or ubuntu not detected it yet? I can hear music but i cant record audio

Question

I have installed 11.04 Ubuntu. I can play music i can listen. But i cant use the microphone input, i tried with alsamixer + pavucontrol+(arecord -d 10 /tmp/test.wav), pavumeter (apt-get install pavumeter), also tried with all related settings. But microphone audio does not get captured.

What can be the issue, it was a new PC just installed Ubuntu 11.04

*** Note:

• laurent advised, i see a noise in equalizer as following: (but real microphone is not getting captured)**

• Enabled one capture only

• Device detection approval

Solution 1

To test the microphone, you can plug the speaker in the mic input, maximize the input volume and see if you get something with audio preferences on the input tab (input level bar). Most speaker will work as a very bad microphone. If you don't get anything, probably your input is not working or ubuntu didn't recognize it. If you get some input, the microphone is dead (usually the case).

(obs: you can also test your mic on another machine or device if available)

Solution 2

Parts of this answer comes from: Sound doesn't work with Intel 5 Series/3400 chipset

Maybe you are experiencing an issue with your sound engine. Make sure you are using the appropriate sound profile for your case.

In this image we are choosing the appropriate sound device. Which will offer several sound profiles, based on the abilities of the sound device itself. Of those, we should at least choose one of those that mentions a sound input: "Analog Stereo Output + Analog Mono Input" is working for this case but you may have 4.0, 5.1 Sound profiles plus Analog Mono Input. Any of these that features a Mono Input will do the trick.

In this window we are going to choose the right place from where the computer is going to gather sound. Let's say: the place where the microphone is plugged in.

You can enter the sound preferences by clicking the Main Menu, then hit "System", "Preferences" and finally choose "Sound"

Give this a try and please inform if you face additional issues (like: having not "plus Analog Mono Input" sound profile).

Good luck!

Solution 3

You must mute one of the audio channels for the microphone, either the left or right one. Afterwards it should work perfectly. Cheers :)

Comments

[Admin]

Is this a laptop?

[Admin]

@Roland Taylor: No, its a desktop PC.

[Admin]

What application are you using to record the audio?

[Admin]

@Roland Taylor: Please see above, audacity. When i press record and talk/shout. Equalizer shows none no capturing. When i play it, i hear nothing "silence"

[Admin]

i am also getting this same problem in 11.10 on my laptop. I have tried all the steps listed in the answers here. Btw, my mic was working perfectly earlier in Lucid on the same laptop.

[Admin]

I have side by side PC1 (other linux), PC2 (Ubuntu 11.04). PC1 same microphone works with micin and audio out. PC2 same microphone in microphone input if i connect i do not see any audio gets in. I also tried to track with Audacity (Equalizer), nothing gets in. Tried with alsamixer and device properties it shows Ubuntu 11.04 has detected my motherboard sound device too.

[AS Chandrashekaran]

please see above my post update, i have tried those, still when i talk, you can see no audio is getting captured. My microphone is connected.

[Geppettvs D'Constanzo]

Show me the input tab, please.

[Geppettvs D'Constanzo]

The suggestion from @Dominic Jordan Hasford sounds logic, disengaging the stereo from the mic's input may do the trick, nevertheless, I can't see your sound device's connector combo box, as shown in the screenshot provided in my answer. Which -considering that you have an Intel Sound Card, may lead that you are not using an analog sound input but a digital one. I can't say it for sure but may be a problem with sound drivers? Sorry if my answer wasn't helpful for you.

[Soren Mogensen]

OK, that also tried. But same result, does not work either.

[Soren Mogensen]

Please see my above main post, showing you the screen shot.

[Admin]

I did your tricks. I connected my headphone speaker jack into Microphone input. And then i hit my speaker while recording, and then i see it detects noise.

[Admin]

Same microphone, is working in my other Linux PC (Fedora).

[Admin]

I purchased a new MICROPHONE TO TEST. Its same issue, some its somewhere with Ubuntu sound drivers for microphone capture.