From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Sep 20 17:51:35 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C7D7F16A41F for ; Tue, 20 Sep 2005 17:51:35 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from freebsd-questions-local@be-well.ilk.org) Received: from mail26.sea5.speakeasy.net (mail26.sea5.speakeasy.net [69.17.117.28]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 74B6543D46 for ; Tue, 20 Sep 2005 17:51:35 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from freebsd-questions-local@be-well.ilk.org) Received: (qmail 3793 invoked from network); 20 Sep 2005 17:51:35 -0000 Received: from dsl092-078-145.bos1.dsl.speakeasy.net (HELO be-well.ilk.org) ([66.92.78.145]) (envelope-sender ) by mail26.sea5.speakeasy.net (qmail-ldap-1.03) with SMTP for ; 20 Sep 2005 17:51:34 -0000 Received: by be-well.ilk.org (Postfix, from userid 1147) id 0A6173E; Tue, 20 Sep 2005 13:51:34 -0400 (EDT) Sender: lowell@be-well.ilk.org To: hartzell@alerce.com References: <17196.47787.731732.312437@satchel.alerce.com> <44zmq9i1bo.fsf@be-well.ilk.org> <17199.7192.169898.491491@satchel.alerce.com> From: Lowell Gilbert Date: 20 Sep 2005 13:51:33 -0400 In-Reply-To: <17199.7192.169898.491491@satchel.alerce.com> Message-ID: <44d5n3tyoq.fsf@be-well.ilk.org> Lines: 55 User-Agent: Gnus/5.09 (Gnus v5.9.0) Emacs/21.3 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: hints for troubleshooting poor sound quality. X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2005 17:51:35 -0000 George Hartzell writes: > Lowell Gilbert writes: > > George Hartzell writes: > > > I've set up an ASUS small form factor machine based around an P4S8L > > > motherboard. It's running 6.0BETA4 and Gnome2.12 from the tinderbox > > > packages. > > > > > > I'm kldload'ing snd_ich and (after getting a helpful pointer to the > > > gnome FAQ) all of the sounds stuff is working. > > > > > > Here's my problem: > > > > > > The machine has two mini-jacks, one in the front and one in the > > > back. If I plug a set of headphones into the front jack I hear all > > > kinds of clicks and whirs and buzzing. They seem to correlate with > > > drive activity, cd activity, and maybe even the cpu fan. The > > > connector on the back seems quieter, but I still hear a bit of > > > noise. > > > > > > I hear less noise on a set of sony powerer-subwoofer-and-tweeter > > > speakers, but it's still noticable. > > > > > > I haven't been able to try another sound device, the only spare card > > > that I have doesn't fit into the space provided (riser card). > > > > > > I'd appreciate anythoughts about dealing with the noise. Is this > > > something electrical w/ the motherboard? Something about my Freebsd > > > setup? > > > > Well, yes, it *is* electrical interference on the motherboard. You > > may be able to reduce its impact, though. Reducing the amplifier gain > > (ogain in the mixer(8) output) may help, for example. Also, does > > playing digital audio see this effect, or only playing CDs? If the > > latter, you can switch to digital extraction for playing CDs (most > > software doesn't support it, but some does) and avoid the > > interference. > > Thanks for the feedback. The noise seems to be there when nothing's > happening, when I'm playing an mp3 from disk (that's what digital > audio, right?), and when I'm directly playing a CD. There may not be anything software can do, then. Although you still might want to try the earlier suggestion about reducing the amplifier gain. > Would a pci based sound card be immune from this? One would hope. But not necessarily. > Any recommendations > for one that's not as tall as a sound-blaster LIVE card (space > constraints in the case...). I have no idea; I haven't bought any for years...