Mic not working

Hi everybody, I hope someone can help me.
I have installed Manjaro Gnome for the first time on a new laptop: a ThinkPad x1 Carbon gen 8.
Everything worked fine apart from the microphone.
I tried to look around for some hint but nothing I tried worked.
Here is the output of a couple of commands that in general al useful for understanding the problem, I hope this can help you in helping me! :wink:
Thank you very much in advance!!

[user ~]$ pacmd list-sinks
2 sink(s) available.
    index: 0
	name: <alsa_output.usb-Lenovo_ThinkPad_USB-C_Dock_Gen2_USB_Audio_000000000000-00.analog-stereo>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: SUSPENDED
	suspend cause: IDLE
	priority: 9049
	volume: front-left: 50217 /  77% / -6,94 dB,   front-right: 50217 /  77% / -6,94 dB
	        balance 0,00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 0,00 ms
	max request: 0 KiB
	max rewind: 0 KiB
	monitor source: 1
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 0
	linked by: 0
	configured latency: 0,00 ms; range is 0,50 .. 2000,00 ms
	card: 0 <alsa_card.usb-Lenovo_ThinkPad_USB-C_Dock_Gen2_USB_Audio_000000000000-00>
	module: 7
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "USB Audio"
		alsa.id = "USB Audio"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Au"
		alsa.long_card_name = "Lenovo ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Au at usb-0000:00:14.0-2.3.3.2, full speed"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:14.0-usb-0:2.3.3.2:1.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-2/1-2.3/1-2.3.3/1-2.3.3.2/1-2.3.3.2:1.0/sound/card1"
		udev.id = "usb-Lenovo_ThinkPad_USB-C_Dock_Gen2_USB_Audio_000000000000-00"
		device.bus = "usb"
		device.vendor.id = "17ef"
		device.vendor.name = "Lenovo"
		device.product.id = "a396"
		device.product.name = "ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Audio"
		device.serial = "Lenovo_ThinkPad_USB-C_Dock_Gen2_USB_Audio_000000000000"
		device.string = "front:1"
		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 = "ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Audio Analog Stereo"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-usb"
	ports:
		analog-output: Analog Output (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				
	active port: <analog-output>
  * index: 1
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: IDLE
	suspend cause: (none)
	priority: 9039
	volume: front-left: 41944 /  64% / -11,63 dB,   front-right: 41944 /  64% / -11,63 dB
	        balance 0,00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 1249,93 ms
	max request: 375 KiB
	max rewind: 375 KiB
	monitor source: 3
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 48000Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 0
	linked by: 0
	configured latency: 2000,00 ms; range is 0,50 .. 2000,00 ms
	card: 1 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3>
	module: 25
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC285 Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC285 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 0xea23c000 irq 170"
		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 = "02c8"
		device.product.name = "Comet Lake PCH-LP cAVS"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "front:0"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "384000"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "192000"
		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 (priority 10000, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
	active port: <analog-output-speaker>
[user ~]$
[user ~]$ pacmd list-cards
2 card(s) available.
    index: 0
	name: <alsa_card.usb-Lenovo_ThinkPad_USB-C_Dock_Gen2_USB_Audio_000000000000-00>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 7
	properties:
		alsa.card = "1"
		alsa.card_name = "ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Au"
		alsa.long_card_name = "Lenovo ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Au at usb-0000:00:14.0-2.3.3.2, full speed"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:14.0-usb-0:2.3.3.2:1.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-2/1-2.3/1-2.3.3/1-2.3.3.2/1-2.3.3.2:1.0/sound/card1"
		udev.id = "usb-Lenovo_ThinkPad_USB-C_Dock_Gen2_USB_Audio_000000000000-00"
		device.bus = "usb"
		device.vendor.id = "17ef"
		device.vendor.name = "Lenovo"
		device.product.id = "a396"
		device.product.name = "ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Audio"
		device.serial = "Lenovo_ThinkPad_USB-C_Dock_Gen2_USB_Audio_000000000000"
		device.string = "1"
		device.description = "ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Audio"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-usb"
	profiles:
		input:mono-fallback: Mono Input (priority 1, available: unknown)
		input:multichannel-input: Multichannel Input (priority 1, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6500, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:mono-fallback: Analog Stereo Output + Mono Input (priority 6501, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:multichannel-input: Analog Stereo Output + Multichannel Input (priority 6501, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output (priority 5500, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo+input:mono-fallback: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output + Mono Input (priority 5501, available: unknown)
		output:iec958-stereo+input:multichannel-input: Digital Stereo (IEC958) Output + Multichannel Input (priority 5501, available: unknown)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:analog-stereo+input:mono-fallback>
	sinks:
		alsa_output.usb-Lenovo_ThinkPad_USB-C_Dock_Gen2_USB_Audio_000000000000-00.analog-stereo/#0: ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Audio Analog Stereo
	sources:
		alsa_output.usb-Lenovo_ThinkPad_USB-C_Dock_Gen2_USB_Audio_000000000000-00.analog-stereo.monitor/#1: Monitor of ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Audio Analog Stereo
		alsa_input.usb-Lenovo_ThinkPad_USB-C_Dock_Gen2_USB_Audio_000000000000-00.mono-fallback/#2: ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Audio Mono
	ports:
		analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-output: Analog Output (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				
		iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				
    index: 1
	name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	owner module: 25
	properties:
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xea23c000 irq 170"
		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 = "02c8"
		device.product.name = "Comet Lake PCH-LP 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 (priority 65, available: no)
		output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6500, available: unknown)
		output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6565, available: no)
		output:analog-surround-21: Analog Surround 2.1 Output (priority 1300, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-21+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 2.1 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 1365, available: no)
		output:analog-surround-40: Analog Surround 4.0 Output (priority 1200, available: unknown)
		output:analog-surround-40+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 4.0 Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 1265, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5900, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5965, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 865, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output (priority 800, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 865, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5765, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5765, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra2: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra2: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra3: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra3+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5765, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra3: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra3+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra3: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra3+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra4: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output (priority 5700, available: no)
		output:hdmi-stereo-extra4+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5765, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra4: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround-extra4+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra4: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 600, available: no)
		output:hdmi-surround71-extra4+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 665, available: no)
		off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
	active profile: <output:analog-stereo>
	sinks:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo/#1: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	sources:
		alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo.monitor/#3: Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
	ports:
		analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
		analog-output-speaker: Speakers (priority 10000, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
		analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
		hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (priority 5700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-3: HDMI / DisplayPort 4 (priority 5600, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
		hdmi-output-4: HDMI / DisplayPort 5 (priority 5500, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "video-display"
[user ~]$

This laptop has a digital microphone array

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 | Our Best Business Laptop | Lenovo US
4 x 360-degree far-field microphones

but PulseAudio data is showing legacy driver snd_hda_intel in use that does not support digital array microphones

You may need to install package sof-firmware to get the Sound Open Firmware driver to support the microphone array

pamac install sof-firmware
1 Like

Hi!
Thank you for the explanation!
I tried to execute your command but it says the new software is already installed:

[user ~]$ pamac install sof-firmware
Preparing...
Warning: sof-firmware-1.8-1 is up to date -- skipping
Nothing to do.
Transaction successfully finished.
[user ~]$

So what should I do now?

System is using driver snd_hda_intel for onboard audio that does not support internal digital array microphone
The digital microphone requires driver sof-audio-pci provided by package sof-firmware

Linux hardware scans often do not show much information about audio devices
but most other users with X1 Carbon 8th gen laptops appear to have the correct driver
https://linux-hardware.org/?id=pci:8086-02c8-17aa-22be

I suggest you run a full ALSA diagnostic to see if there are any error messages for hardware or drivers

sudo alsa-info.sh --upload

Thanks for the reply!
The output of the full ALSA diagnostic is at the following link:
http://alsa-project.org/db/?f=7a70dd50bffa0563fe9d6ea3f74527e71d6d2cbd

Do you see anything strange/problematic?

ALSA data is showing a modprobe option to force use of the snd_hda_intel driver

!!Modprobe options (Sound related)

snd_intel_dspcfg: dsp_driver=1

so ALSA only detects the headset microphone jack

**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC285 Analog [ALC285 Analog]

If the system was using the sof-firmware driver the digital capture devices should be detected like this

https://linux-hardware.org/?probe=81b4d6916d&log=arecord

**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: sofhdadsp [sof-hda-dsp], device 0: HDA Analog (*) []
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: sofhdadsp [sof-hda-dsp], device 1: HDA Digital (*) []
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: sofhdadsp [sof-hda-dsp], device 6: DMIC (*) []
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: sofhdadsp [sof-hda-dsp], device 7: DMIC16kHz (*) []
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: Au [ThinkPad USB-C Dock Gen2 USB Au], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

I suggest you try changing the modprobe option in /etc/modprobe.d/ to autodetect the driver instead of forcing use of the β€˜legacy’ driver

options snd-intel-dspcfg dsp_driver=0