[PLUG] Audio Recording Problem(s)?

[Dick Steffens]

On 10/29/19 8:53 PM, tomas.kuchta.lists at gmail.com wrote:
> You do not say what distribution you are running on that Thinkpad.

Xubuntu 18.04.

> So, I am going to guess that you are using pulse audio and have pavucontrol, and
> pulseaudio-utils installed.
>
> If that is the case try this guide:
> https://ro-che.info/articles/2017-07-21-record-audio-linux

It recommends trying:

~$ pacmd list-sources | egrep '^\s+name: .*alsa_input'
     name: <alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo>

~$ pacmd list-sources | egrep '^\s+name:.*\.monitor'
     name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo.monitor>

> If you use pulse audio, alsa, ... just about anything and you are fan of ffmpeg
> - you could try:
> Check supported ffmpeg devices:
> ffmpeg -devices true -f dshow -i dummy

ffmpeg -devices true -f dshow -i dummy
ffmpeg version 3.4.6-0ubuntu0.18.04.1 Copyright (c) 2000-2019 the FFmpeg 
developers
   built with gcc 7 (Ubuntu 7.3.0-16ubuntu3)
   configuration: --prefix=/usr --extra-version=0ubuntu0.18.04.1 
--toolchain=hardened --libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu 
--incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --enable-gpl --disable-stripping 
--enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa 
--enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca 
--enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig 
--enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm 
--enable-libmp3lame --enable-libmysofa --enable-libopenjpeg 
--enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse 
--enable-librubberband --enable-librsvg --enable-libshine 
--enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh 
--enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis 
--enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 
--enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzmq --enable-libzvbi 
--enable-omx --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-sdl2 
--enable-libdc1394 --enable-libdrm --enable-libiec61883 
--enable-chromaprint --enable-frei0r --enable-libopencv --enable-libx264 
--enable-shared
   WARNING: library configuration mismatch
   avcodec     configuration: --prefix=/usr 
--extra-version=0ubuntu0.18.04.1 --toolchain=hardened 
--libdir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu 
--incdir=/usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu --enable-gpl --disable-stripping 
--enable-avresample --enable-avisynth --enable-gnutls --enable-ladspa 
--enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libbs2b --enable-libcaca 
--enable-libcdio --enable-libflite --enable-libfontconfig 
--enable-libfreetype --enable-libfribidi --enable-libgme --enable-libgsm 
--enable-libmp3lame --enable-libmysofa --enable-libopenjpeg 
--enable-libopenmpt --enable-libopus --enable-libpulse 
--enable-librubberband --enable-librsvg --enable-libshine 
--enable-libsnappy --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libssh 
--enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvorbis 
--enable-libvpx --enable-libwavpack --enable-libwebp --enable-libx265 
--enable-libxml2 --enable-libxvid --enable-libzmq --enable-libzvbi 
--enable-omx --enable-openal --enable-opengl --enable-sdl2 
--enable-libdc1394 --enable-libdrm --enable-libiec61883 
--enable-chromaprint --enable-frei0r --enable-libopencv --enable-libx264 
--enable-shared --enable-version3 --disable-doc --disable-programs 
--enable-libopencore_amrnb --enable-libopencore_amrwb 
--enable-libtesseract --enable-libvo_amrwbenc
   libavutil      55. 78.100 / 55. 78.100
   libavcodec     57.107.100 / 57.107.100
   libavformat    57. 83.100 / 57. 83.100
   libavdevice    57. 10.100 / 57. 10.100
   libavfilter     6.107.100 /  6.107.100
   libavresample   3.  7.  0 /  3.  7.  0
   libswscale      4.  8.100 /  4.  8.100
   libswresample   2.  9.100 /  2.  9.100
   libpostproc    54.  7.100 / 54.  7.100
Devices:
  D. = Demuxing supported
  .E = Muxing supported
  --
  DE alsa            ALSA audio output
   E caca            caca (color ASCII art) output device
  DE fbdev           Linux framebuffer
  D  iec61883        libiec61883 (new DV1394) A/V input device
  D  jack            JACK Audio Connection Kit
  D  lavfi           Libavfilter virtual input device
  D  libcdio
  D  libdc1394       dc1394 v.2 A/V grab
  D  openal          OpenAL audio capture device
   E opengl          OpenGL output
  DE oss             OSS (Open Sound System) playback
  DE pulse           Pulse audio output
   E sdl,sdl2        SDL2 output device
  DE sndio           sndio audio playback
   E v4l2            Video4Linux2 output device
  D  video4linux2,v4l2 Video4Linux2 device grab
  D  x11grab         X11 screen capture, using XCB
   E xv              XV (XVideo) output device

> if you use PA - use pavucontrol to select microphone and set its gain:
> ffmpeg -f pulse -i default output.mp3
> ffmpeg -f pulse -i default output.wav
>
> if you use alsa - use alsamixer to select microphone and set its gain:
> ffmpeg -f alsa -i default output.mp3
> ffmpeg -f alsa -i default output.wav
>
> If your distro is really old and still uses oss - just replace alsa/pulse with
> oss in ffmpeg options.
>
> Hope it helps,

I'll give those a try later on. I've also got another box that doesn't 
seem to have a problem recording with Audacity. It's a few more pieces 
to carry around, but I think it works right, so I'll be trying that, 
too. I've still got a few weeks before it needs to work.

Thanks for the advice.

-- 
Regards,

Dick Steffens