Always use microphone (even when "unplugged") instead of internal microphone

Support Sound
1

Hi! I’m using Manjaro KDE 21.05 and I have something weird with my laptop’s internal microphone, no matter if something is plugged on it or not.

In my audio settings, I have the choice between:

  • Internal Microphone
  • Microphone (unplugged)

And that’s true, I’ve got my laptop’s internal microphone and no external microphone plugged.

But when using Discord, the sound of the microphone is veeee…ry bad, like I’m on Mars, I don’t know :sweat_smile:.

And by magic, if I choose the option “Microphone (unplugged)”, my Internal Microphone starts working perfectly!

So that’s a workaround. But the problem is that I need to select this option every time my computer starts and it’s annoying.

Hence, my question(s):

  • Is it possible to always select the “Microphone (unplugged)” option?
  • Is it possible to disable the “Internal Microphone” option, so that only “Microphone (unplugged)” stays?
  • Is it possible to “rewire” the “Microphone (unplugged)” option to the “Internal Microphone”?

Here’s the result of running aplay -l:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC1220 Analog [ALC1220 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 1: ALC1220 Digital [ALC1220 Digital]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 7: HDMI 1 [HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 8: HDMI 2 [HDMI 2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 9: HDMI 3 [HDMI 3]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: NVidia [HDA NVidia], device 10: HDMI 4 [HDMI 4]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
2

Hi!

Please post the output of pactl list cards and pactl list sinks

You may set default card and profile by creating the file ~/.config/pulse/default.pa

Here is one example of it.

1 Like
3

If PulseAudio recognises the microphone is unplugged it will try to avoid using it for audio capture. The “unavailable” device can be manually set to be used , but some of the PulseAudio modules will try to switch audio to a device detected as available (plugged-in)
or a device without jack-detection and unknown availability like the Internal Microphone

Linux has a tool to retask audio connections and change jack-detection settings
You might need to install package alsa-tools if it is not already installed
Then run the retasking tool

sudo hdajackretask

I am on a desktop system so I can show how to disable my “Rear Mic” as you would want to disable your “Internal Mic”
And disable jack detection for “Front Mic” as you would adjust your external “Microphone”

Locate the Microphone pin to be disabled in hdajackretask
Click to enable the Override
Select Not Connected from the drop-down list

hdajackretaskDisableMic

Then click on the Option Advanced override on the right side of window

Locate the External Mic jack connection
Click to enable the Override
And change setting for Jack Detection to Not Present

hdajackretaskNoJackDetection
hdajackretaskNoJackDetection774×236 29.2 KB

Click Install boot override so the override settings are applied when system is booted and reboot system to check if the retasks have worked

If the retasked connections are effective only the “Microphone” port should be visible with no indication of it being unplugged or unavailable

hdaretaskPavucontrolMic

1 Like
4

I like your solution and thought it would work. But it does only graphically.

I indeed don’t have the choice between both microphones nor the indication of it being unplugged… BUT the microphone doesn’t work anymore. When I listen to it with Discord settings, I just hear a weird whistling. I think I’m just listening to my actually unplugged external microphone jack.

I tried to let my internal microphone connected (I removed its Not connected override) so that I still have the choice between the two in my audio settings (just for testing purpose). And… with this change, both microphones don’t work: the internal microphone still has the same sound as in my original question (“like I’m on Mars”) and the other microphone (the one I removed jack detection for) now has a whistling sound.

If it can help, what I call a “like I’m on Mars” sound is an alien-like sound but I can hear my voice a little. Whereas with the whistling sound, it is constant, I can’t hear my voice at all so I think it’s just an “unplugged sound”.

5

Sorry for the late answer, I’m used to having email notifications with GitHub.

Here’s pactl list cards:

Card #0
	Name: alsa_card.pci-0000_01_00.1
	Driver: module-alsa-card.c
	Owner Module: 6
	Properties:
		alsa.card = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA NVidia"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA NVidia at 0xa4080000 irq 17"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:01:00.1"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.1/sound/card1"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "10de"
		device.vendor.name = "NVIDIA Corporation"
		device.product.id = "10f1"
		device.product.name = "GP106 High Definition Audio Controller"
		device.string = "1"
		device.description = "GP106 High Definition Audio Controller"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	Profiles:
		output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 5900, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra2: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra2: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra3: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra3: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra3: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra4: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra4: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra4: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 600, available: no)
		off: Off (sinks: 0, sources: 0, priority: 0, available: yes)
	Active Profile: off
	Ports:
		hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (type: HDMI, priority: 5900, latency offset: 0 usec, not available)
			Properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
			Part of profile(s): output:hdmi-stereo, output:hdmi-surround, output:hdmi-surround71
		hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (type: HDMI, priority: 5800, latency offset: 0 usec, not available)
			Properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
			Part of profile(s): output:hdmi-stereo-extra1, output:hdmi-surround-extra1, output:hdmi-surround71-extra1
		hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (type: HDMI, priority: 5700, latency offset: 0 usec, not available)
			Properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
			Part of profile(s): output:hdmi-stereo-extra2, output:hdmi-surround-extra2, output:hdmi-surround71-extra2
		hdmi-output-3: HDMI / DisplayPort 4 (type: HDMI, priority: 5600, latency offset: 0 usec, not available)
			Properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
			Part of profile(s): output:hdmi-stereo-extra3, output:hdmi-surround-extra3, output:hdmi-surround71-extra3
		hdmi-output-4: HDMI / DisplayPort 5 (type: HDMI, priority: 5500, latency offset: 0 usec, not available)
			Properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
			Part of profile(s): output:hdmi-stereo-extra4, output:hdmi-surround-extra4, output:hdmi-surround71-extra4

Card #1
	Name: alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3
	Driver: module-alsa-card.c
	Owner Module: 7
	Properties:
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xa4310000 irq 136"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "a348"
		device.product.name = "Cannon Lake PCH cAVS"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "0"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	Profiles:
		input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (sinks: 0, sources: 1, priority: 65, available: yes)
		output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 6500, available: yes)
		output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (sinks: 1, sources: 1, priority: 6565, available: yes)
		output:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output (sinks: 1, sources: 0, priority: 5500, available: yes)
		output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output + Analog Stereo Input (sinks: 1, sources: 1, priority: 5565, available: yes)
		off: Off (sinks: 0, sources: 0, priority: 0, available: yes)
	Active Profile: output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo
	Ports:
		analog-input-internal-mic: Internal Microphone (type: Mic, priority: 8900, latency offset: 0 usec, availability unknown)
			Properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
			Part of profile(s): input:analog-stereo, output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo, output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo
		analog-input-mic: Microphone (type: Mic, priority: 8700, latency offset: 0 usec, not available)
			Properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
			Part of profile(s): input:analog-stereo, output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo, output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo
		analog-output-speaker: Speakers (type: Speaker, priority: 10000, latency offset: 0 usec, availability unknown)
			Properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
			Part of profile(s): output:analog-stereo, output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (type: Headphones, priority: 9900, latency offset: 0 usec, not available)
			Properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
			Part of profile(s): output:analog-stereo, output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo
		iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (type: SPDIF, priority: 0, latency offset: 0 usec, availability unknown)
			Part of profile(s): output:iec958-stereo, output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo

Here’s pactl list sinks:

Sink #0
	State: SUSPENDED
	Name: alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo
	Description: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	Driver: module-alsa-card.c
	Sample Specification: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	Channel Map: front-left,front-right
	Owner Module: 7
	Mute: no
	Volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB
	        balance 0,00
	Base Volume: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB
	Monitor Source: alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo.monitor
	Latency: 0 usec, configured 0 usec
	Flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY 
	Properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC1220 Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC1220 Analog"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xa4310000 irq 136"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "a348"
		device.product.name = "Cannon Lake PCH cAVS"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "front:0"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "352800"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "176400"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "analog-stereo"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Stereo"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	Ports:
		analog-output-speaker: Speakers (type: Speaker, priority: 10000, availability unknown)
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (type: Headphones, priority: 9900, not available)
	Active Port: analog-output-speaker
	Formats:
		pcm

I’m going to test with ~/.config/pulse/default.pa, thanks :grin:

6

Okay, it works!

I figured out my problem wasn’t a sink to set as default or a profile to set, but a source port to set. There is no default source port though.

From pactl's manual, we can set-card-profile, set-default-sink, set-default-source, set-sink-port and set-source-port.

What I want is setting a port automatically, from the ~/.config/pulse/default.pa. So I have the choice between set-sink-port and set-source-port.

Sinks are output I think but I need to configure a microphone, which is a source/input.

Hence, I listed my sources with pactl list sources:

Source #0
	State: SUSPENDED
	Name: alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo.monitor
	Description: Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	Driver: module-alsa-card.c
	Sample Specification: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	Channel Map: front-left,front-right
	Owner Module: 7
	Mute: no
	Volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB
	        balance 0,00
	Base Volume: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB
	Monitor of Sink: alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo
	Latency: 0 usec, configured 0 usec
	Flags: DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY 
	Properties:
		device.description = "Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
		device.class = "monitor"
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xa4310000 irq 136"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "a348"
		device.product.name = "Cannon Lake PCH cAVS"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "0"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	Formats:
		pcm

Source #1
	State: SUSPENDED
	Name: alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo
	Description: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	Driver: module-alsa-card.c
	Sample Specification: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	Channel Map: front-left,front-right
	Owner Module: 7
	Mute: no
	Volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB
	        balance 0,00
	Base Volume: 6554 /  10% / -60,00 dB
	Monitor of Sink: n/a
	Latency: 0 usec, configured 0 usec
	Flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY 
	Properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC1220 Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC1220 Analog"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xa4310000 irq 136"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "a348"
		device.product.name = "Cannon Lake PCH cAVS"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "front:0"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "352800"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "176400"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "analog-stereo"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Stereo"
		device.description = "Built-in Audio Analog Stereo"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	Ports:
		analog-input-internal-mic: Internal Microphone (type: Mic, priority: 8900, availability unknown)
		analog-input-mic: Microphone (type: Mic, priority: 8700, not available)
	Active Port: analog-input-mic
	Formats:
		pcm

In this output, I can find the source I want to configure and the port I want to set:

  • Source: alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo (the second one)
  • Port: analog-input-mic (because that’s the port I need to choose in the audio settings to make the microphone work)

So the resulting command is: pactl set-source-port alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo analog-input-mic

It works via the command line: it changes the port as I would do in the audio settings.

Nice. Now I need to persist this in the config file (~/.config/pulse/default.pa):

.include /etc/pulse/default.pa

# Set my microphone to "Microphone (unplugged)" instead of "Internal Microphone"
set-source-port alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo analog-input-mic

And it works after rebooting, voilà!

Thank you for your time @nikgnomic and @mbb :innocent:

1 Like
7

Yes, I know. I asked the list commands to tell you the right one to set, but you figured it out yourself. I’m glad it worked :+1:

8

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