# Setting the Volume via mixer doesn't work...



## sharsch (Nov 25, 2011)

Hi!
I use 2 Soundcards for my System (Laptop) one internal which works, everything fine. For Recording I want to use an external one via USB which works but I can't adjust the Volume for the USB Card. If I do it is always directly resetted to the standard value. Here is an example:


```
$ mixer -f /dev/dsp4 pcm +10
Setting the mixer pcm from 45:45 to 55:55.
$ mixer -f /dev/dsp4 pcm +10
Setting the mixer pcm from 45:45 to 55:55.
```

The other device behaves like expected, I can increase the volume and it is stored...


```
$ mixer pcm +10
Setting the mixer pcm from 75:75 to 85:85.
$ mixer pcm +10
Setting the mixer pcm from 85:85 to 95:95.
```

Any ideas?


----------



## sharsch (Dec 5, 2011)

Nobody? Any info I can give you helping to solve the problem?


----------



## teckk (Dec 6, 2011)

Does user have permission for /dev/dsp4?
Can root set the mixer for the device?


----------



## sharsch (Dec 6, 2011)

Permissions should be ok they are the same as the permissions for dsp1 and mixer works as expected here.

```
$ sudo mixer -f /dev/dsp4 pcm 10
Setting the mixer pcm from 45:45 to 10:10.
$ sudo mixer -f /dev/dsp4 pcm 10
Setting the mixer pcm from 45:45 to 10:10.
```
As you can see the same behavior as with normal user as described above. The change has no affect, playing a mp3 and changing the value on the fly does nothing, even not for a second... The device in general works only that I can't set the volume...


----------



## sharsch (Dec 22, 2011)

I tried to figure out where to get further help - but without success. Does anybody know if there is a kind of a maintainer for snd_uaudio to write him an email? (I think this is not a problem of permissions etc. because I did a fresh install and have the same behavior out of the box).


----------



## Beastie (Dec 23, 2011)

sharsch said:
			
		

> Does anybody know if there is a kind of a maintainer for snd_uaudio to write him an email?


snd_uaudio(4) says:


> AUTHORS
> This manual page was adopted from NetBSD 1.6 and modified for FreeBSD by
> Hiten Pandya <hmp@FreeBSD.org>.


Maybe he can help you or point you in the right direction.


----------



## sharsch (Dec 23, 2011)

Thank you for your suggestion. I already saw that in the man page but thought that there would be a better address maybe because Hiten Pandya "only" did the modifications for the man page as it seems but it is probably my best option so I will try to get help from him. I will post the result here in case that anyone is curious about a solution if I find one.


----------



## aragon (Dec 25, 2011)

Which sound cards do you have?  Some sound cards only have mixers for certain inputs/outputs.


----------



## sharsch (Dec 26, 2011)

I have an internal card using the snd_hda module which works fine. The USB Card (Logitech A-5572A Headset) uses snd_uaudio and has the behavior described above. Even after a fresh install. You are right, it has less mixers, only 2. PCM and REC but I can't set both of them.


----------



## ssgriffonuser (Jan 10, 2012)

Try [cmd=]mixer -f /dev/mixer4[/cmd] and [cmd=]mixer -f /dev/mixer4 rec +10[/cmd] 

That works for me when I am playing around with more then one mixer.  If I use the dsp node then I get a similar problem as you.


----------



## sharsch (Jan 19, 2012)

Wow!

Thank you, that really did the trick. Just because I'm curious - can anybody explain me why it works this way or what is the difference between the two methods of setting the volume?


----------

