Swapping rear speaker with side speaker

[Leonardo]

I have 5.1 speakers. I use GNOME. I go through the Sound applet and set the configuration to 5.1. If I press the “Test” button and select the left rear speaker or the right rear speaker I hear no sound.
I choose from the same applet the configuration to be 7.1. Now two more speakers are added in the “test screen”. Side left and side right. If I press on side left or side right I hear the sound properly from the speakers that in 5.1 are considered rear speakers. The rear speakers in 7.1 configuration are not playing any sound as in 5.1 configuration. I want a way to tell to the sound subsystem of Manjaro that the rear speakers in 5.1 configuration are the side speakers that exist in 7.1 configuration. Can I do that?

[TheReaperUK]

How do the Speakers plug in to your Computer??

If it’s the 3.5 earphone type plugs on your motherboard make sure the rear plug is in the black colour and not the grey, or if it is the black connection then try Grey and see what happens.

[Leonardo]

Thanks for your answer.
Without trying your solution I conclude that this maybe a good solution but I was wondering if there is some kind of software that can do this without changing wires. Realtek has an application for Windows that does this.

[TheReaperUK]

You don’t say if your using Pulse-Audio or Pipewire, As for an app that can do this I’m guessing no, back when i used to use 5.1 i had to edit config files, etc, etc.

If your running Pipewire I’m not sure if easy effects has an option for channel swapping on 5.1/7.1, again an app i don’t use, Can be found in Add/Remove Software or type:

sudo pacman -S easyeffects

In a terminal, but only do this if your using Pipewire Audio.

[nikgnomic]

Suggestion in post #2 is a simple troubleshooting check for the audio channel map issue described in post #1

The simplest (but not very reliable in use) software workaround would be to add an additional module to remap the surround channels

pactl load-module module-remap-sink sink_name=Surround remix=no channels=6 master_channel_map=front-left,front-right,side-left,side-right,front-center,lfe channel_map=front-left,front-right,rear-left,rear-right,front-center,lfe

There is a tool to reconfigure jack connections in ALSA but it is more complex than the Realtek tools in proprietary OS:

1. Install package alsa-tools - pamac install alsa-tools

2. Run retasking tool with root privileges sudo hdajackretask

3. Reconfigure rear and side jack connections and click Install boot override

4. Reboot system to load boot override

[Leonardo]

I didn’t try the solution with pactl, I tried the hdajackretask and it played well.
Thanks for your reply.