Linux @lemmy.ml FUsername @feddit.de 11mo ago

How to use a analog microphone plugged into Realtek ALC1220 chip in PipeWire

I got a microphone connected via a XLR adapter to the rear mic jack of my mainboard. The audio dialog of KDE seems to detect that, as does not mark it as not connected (which it does for the front mic and line in). But selecting the audio device as source does not produce any useful sound. What makes you sure that the mic work, you may ask? If I enable the loopback in alsamixer (and pump up the boost), it works. Unfortunately, that is the only way I can get sound out of that.

It seems, as if the system realizes two possible sources from the audio device. But there is no option GUI wise where I can select the second input to test if that helps.

alsactl info
#
# Sound card
#
- card: 0
[....]
#
# Sound card
#
- card: 1
  id: Generic
  name: HD-Audio Generic
  longname: HD-Audio Generic at 0xba600000 irq 68
  driver_name: HDA-Intel
  mixer_name: Realtek ALC1220
  components: HDA:10ec1168,10438724,00100003
  controls_count: 47
  pcm:
    - stream: PLAYBACK
      devices:
        - device: 0
          id: ALC1220 Analog
          name: ALC1220 Analog
          subdevices:
            - subdevice: 0
              name: subdevice #0
        - device: 1
          id: ALC1220 Digital
          name: ALC1220 Digital
          subdevices:
            - subdevice: 0
              name: subdevice #0
    - stream: CAPTURE
      devices:
        - device: 0
          id: ALC1220 Analog
          name: ALC1220 Analog
          subdevices:
            - subdevice: 0
              name: subdevice #0
        - device: 2
          id: ALC1220 Alt Analog
          name: ALC1220 Alt Analog
          subdevices:
            - subdevice: 0
              name: subdevice #0
  hwdep:
    - device: 0
      id: HDA Codec 0
      name: HDA Codec 0
      iface: 16
[...]

arecord -l                                            Do 14 Dez 2023 14:53:16 CET
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
[...]
card 1: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], device 0: ALC1220 Analog [ALC1220 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], device 2: ALC1220 Alt Analog [ALC1220 Alt Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
[...]

Does anyone have any clue what I could do to use that mic?

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9 comments

depending on the mic you might need https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_power

the yamaha cm500 headsets come with a dongle to supply dc.

what type of mic?
- It's a dynamic mic. I feared the same, but the fact that I can hear something using the loopback suggests that phantom power isn't the cause, right?
  
  https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/support/what-is-bias-voltage/
  
  i think you need some voltage because you can only hear it with the gain cranked up.
  
  Thank you for pointing me at bias voltage, I've never heard of that. The text explicitly mentions condenser mics requiring that voltage. Does this also apply to dynamic mics?
  
  Besides, even if the signal is nasty, I would like to receive that in the system. So if this is an issue, it's currently rather a side quest.
- https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/support/what-is-bias-voltage/

9 comments