# M1210 Internal Mic Popping noise every 3 seconds.



## freebsdinator (Jun 8, 2018)

Hello,

I'm using an old M1210 XPS and the sound microphone work, but the microphone will record a 'pop' every 3 seconds. I've done direct output to a file as well as audacity and was able to validate this.

If anyone has any ideas for me to troubleshoot or even a good usb or analog mic (are these even still common?) recommendation, please let me know. Below is some additional context as to what I'm working with here.

`$ cat /dev/sndstat
Installed devices:
pcm0: <Sigmatel STAC9221 (Analog 2.0+HP/2.0)> (play/rec) default
pcm1: <Sigmatel STAC9221 (Front Analog Line-out)> (play)
pcm2: <Sigmatel STAC9221 (Left Digital)> (play)
pcm3: <USB audio> (rec) <- [B]Internal Microphone being used.[/B]`

`$ mixer -f /dev/mixer3
Mixer vol      is currently set to  75:75
Mixer pcm      is currently set to  75:75
Mixer mic      is currently set to  75:75`

`$ pciconf -lv
hostb0@pci0:0:0:0:    class=0x060000 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27a08086 rev=0x03 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS, 943/940GML and 945GT Express Memory Controller Hub'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = HOST-PCI
pcib1@pci0:0:1:0:    class=0x060400 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27a18086 rev=0x03 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS, 943/940GML and 945GT Express PCI Express Root Port'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
hdac0@pci0:0:27:0:    class=0x040300 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27d88086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'NM10/ICH7 Family High Definition Audio Controller'
    class      = multimedia
    subclass   = HDA
pcib2@pci0:0:28:0:    class=0x060400 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27d08086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'NM10/ICH7 Family PCI Express Port 1'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
pcib3@pci0:0:28:1:    class=0x060400 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27d28086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'NM10/ICH7 Family PCI Express Port 2'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
pcib4@pci0:0:28:3:    class=0x060400 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27d68086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'NM10/ICH7 Family PCI Express Port 4'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
uhci0@pci0:0:29:0:    class=0x0c0300 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27c88086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller'
    class      = serial bus
    subclass   = USB
uhci1@pci0:0:29:1:    class=0x0c0300 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27c98086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller'
    class      = serial bus
    subclass   = USB
uhci2@pci0:0:29:2:    class=0x0c0300 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27ca8086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller'
    class      = serial bus
    subclass   = USB
uhci3@pci0:0:29:3:    class=0x0c0300 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27cb8086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'NM10/ICH7 Family USB UHCI Controller'
    class      = serial bus
    subclass   = USB
ehci0@pci0:0:29:7:    class=0x0c0320 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27cc8086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'NM10/ICH7 Family USB2 EHCI Controller'
    class      = serial bus
    subclass   = USB
pcib5@pci0:0:30:0:    class=0x060401 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x24488086 rev=0xe1 hdr=0x01
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = '82801 Mobile PCI Bridge'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-PCI
isab0@pci0:0:31:0:    class=0x060100 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27b98086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = '82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bridge'
    class      = bridge
    subclass   = PCI-ISA
atapci0@pci0:0:31:2:    class=0x010180 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27c48086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = '82801GBM/GHM (ICH7-M Family) SATA Controller [IDE mode]'
    class      = mass storage
    subclass   = ATA
none0@pci0:0:31:3:    class=0x0c0500 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x27da8086 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Intel Corporation'
    device     = 'NM10/ICH7 Family SMBus Controller'
    class      = serial bus
    subclass   = SMBus
vgapci0@pci0:1:0:0:    class=0x030000 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x01d810de rev=0xa1 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'NVIDIA Corporation'
    device     = 'G72M [GeForce Go 7400]'
    class      = display
    subclass   = VGA
siba_bwn0@pci0:12:0:0:    class=0x028000 card=0x000a1028 chip=0x432814e4 rev=0x03 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Broadcom Limited'
    device     = 'BCM4321 802.11a/b/g/n'
    class      = network
bfe0@pci0:3:0:0:    class=0x020000 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x170c14e4 rev=0x02 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Broadcom Limited'
    device     = 'BCM4401-B0 100Base-TX'
    class      = network
    subclass   = ethernet
none1@pci0:3:1:0:    class=0x0c0010 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x08321180 rev=0x00 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Ricoh Co Ltd'
    device     = 'R5C832 IEEE 1394 Controller'
    class      = serial bus
    subclass   = FireWire
sdhci_pci0@pci0:3:1:1:    class=0x080501 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x08221180 rev=0x19 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Ricoh Co Ltd'
    device     = 'R5C822 SD/SDIO/MMC/MS/MSPro Host Adapter'
    class      = base peripheral
    subclass   = SD host controller
none2@pci0:3:1:2:    class=0x088000 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x08431180 rev=0x01 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Ricoh Co Ltd'
    device     = 'R5C843 MMC Host Controller'
    class      = base peripheral
none3@pci0:3:1:3:    class=0x088000 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x05921180 rev=0x0a hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Ricoh Co Ltd'
    device     = 'R5C592 Memory Stick Bus Host Adapter'
    class      = base peripheral
none4@pci0:3:1:4:    class=0x088000 card=0x01d71028 chip=0x08521180 rev=0x05 hdr=0x00
    vendor     = 'Ricoh Co Ltd'
    device     = 'xD-Picture Card Controller'
    class      = base peripheral`


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## Deleted member 54719 (Jun 8, 2018)

It could be a delay in buffer allocation/reuse while recording.  Change the recording sample rate or sample size and see if the 3 second inteval changes.

I just noticed you are using a USB mic.  That in itself bothers my sensibilities.  I'd ditch the USB mic in favour of one attached directly to a PCI souncard.


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## freebsdinator (Jun 8, 2018)

tempest766 said:


> It could be a delay in buffer allocation/reuse while recording.  Change the recording sample rate or sample size and see if the 3 second inteval changes.
> 
> I just noticed you are using a USB mic.  That in itself bothers my sensibilities.  I'd ditch the USB mic in favour of one attached directly to a PCI souncard.



Do you have a sample command (or a man page) for me to reference? It says USB mic, but it's integrated into the built-in webcam. I also have a port for an analog mic which I may end up using. My intent is to force myself to get better at FreeBSD systems as I use it for all of my servers and now this spare machine.


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## Deleted member 54719 (Jun 8, 2018)

I think you can define the track format in audacity and then record directly in the application.  You do also want to try a generic analog mic plugged into the pci soundcard,


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## freebsdinator (Jun 8, 2018)

tempest766 said:


> I think you can define the track format in audacity and then record directly in the application.  You do also want to try a generic analog mic plugged into the pci soundcard,



I set the mic to mono and the clicks immediately stopped. Apparently it lessoned, similar to reducing the sample rate. With stereo, when I changed the sample rate to 1/2, the clicks took twice as long to occur. Do you know of any way to force the mic to be mono for the system? (The app I'm using doesn't have that option.) Or do you have an idea of how I could fix the stereo recording? Any ideas would be appreciated.


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## unitrunker (Jun 9, 2018)

Some of these drivers offer lots of options.

Example: the Intel HDA sound driver has a force stereo option (opposite of what you want). You are probably using this driver the USB audio.

# man snd_uaudio

The man page did not reveal any hints. 

One drastic option is force the internal mixer to mono. I can't claim this will work. If I read the man page right, this forces everything to 16 bit mono:

dev.pcm.3.rec.vchanformat="s16le:1.0"

See ..

# man sound

You would lose stereo while this is set. 

Good luck.


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