Pipewire microphone issue

[bahtioraliev]

Distribution (run cat /etc/os-release):

 NAME="Pop!_OS"
VERSION="22.04 LTS"
ID=pop
ID_LIKE="ubuntu debian"
PRETTY_NAME="Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS"
VERSION_ID="22.04"
HOME_URL="https://pop.system76.com"
SUPPORT_URL="https://support.system76.com"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://github.com/pop-os/pop/issues"
PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://system76.com/privacy"
VERSION_CODENAME=jammy
UBUNTU_CODENAME=jammy
LOGO=distributor-logo-pop-os

Related Application and/or Package Version (run apt policy $PACKAGE NAME):

admin@tool:~$ apt policy pipewire
pipewire:
  Installed: 0.3.51-1~1652110702~22.04~fc77ff2
  Candidate: 0.3.51-1~1652110702~22.04~fc77ff2
  Version table:
     0.3.51-1~ubuntu22.04 500
        500 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/pipewire-debian/pipewire-upstream/ubuntu jammy/main amd64 Packages
 *** 0.3.51-1~1652110702~22.04~fc77ff2 1001
       1001 http://apt.pop-os.org/release jammy/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     0.3.48-1ubuntu1 500
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy/main amd64 Packages

Issue/Bug Description:
Microphone not working properly in zoom, and occasionally failed on slack.

● pipewire.service - PipeWire Multimedia Service
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Thu 2022-05-19 13:19:28 IDT; 23h ago
TriggeredBy: ● pipewire.socket
   Main PID: 1227 (pipewire)
      Tasks: 2 (limit: 46896)
     Memory: 13.9M
        CPU: 2min 41.355s
     CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/session.slice/pipewire.service
             └─1227 /usr/bin/pipewire

May 19 13:19:28 tool systemd[1165]: Started PipeWire Multimedia Service.
May 19 13:19:28 tool pipewire[1227]: mod.rt: RTKit error: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.AccessDenied
May 19 13:19:28 tool pipewire[1227]: mod.rt: could not set nice-level to -11: Permission denied
May 19 13:19:28 tool pipewire[1227]: mod.rt: RTKit error: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.AccessDenied
May 19 13:19:28 tool pipewire[1227]: mod.rt: could not make thread 1269 realtime using RTKit: Permission denied

Steps to reproduce (if you know):
Not that I'm aware of.
Update all packaged from 2 weeks ago.

Expected behavior:
Microphone to work properly.

Other Notes:

# systemctl --user status pipewire-session-manager
Warning: The unit file, source configuration file or drop-ins of pipewire-session-manager.service changed on disk. Run 'systemctl --user daemon-reload' to reload units.
○ pipewire-session-manager.service
     Loaded: error (Reason: Unit pipewire-session-manager.service failed to load properly, please adjust/correct and reload service manager: File exists)
     Active: inactive (dead)

May 19 13:19:28 tool systemd[1165]: pipewire-session-manager.service: Cannot add dependency job, ignoring: Unit pipewire-session-manager.service failed to load properly, please adjust/correct and reload ser>

[n3m0-22]

Is the microphone you are using connected through the Mic input, USB, Bluetooth, or an audio interface?

[bahtioraliev]

The behavior is the same with the mic connected via USB and from build in laptop mic. (Lenovo t14)

[bahtioraliev]

Can we focus on resolving those errors? Which might resolve the behavior.

[mmstick]

The problem is that you have a Pipewire PPA most likely. That session manager service isn't used on Pop. Only wireplumber, pipewire, and pipewire-pulse

[bahtioraliev]

Prior to current popos version, I followed the following guide https://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2021/05/install-latest-pipewire-ppa-ubuntu-20-04/
What I need to uninstall/reinstall to get rid of unnecessary packages?

[tivp]

I have a LENOVO Ideapad 330.
Install pavucontrol and run it. After running it you go to the input devices tab and select lock and go to ports. After you change the port from "Internal microphone" to "Headset microphone (disconnected)" you have to go to lower the left front 80% because if you lower it to the base you hear a loss.

Sorry my English is translator.

Here are the commands I used:

sudo apt install pavucontrol
pavucontrol

[ASSahasranamam]

@tivp I tried to do what you said but didn't work. Can you please post a screenshot of your final settings on pavucontrol ?

Thanks

I have a LENOVO Ideapad 330. Install pavucontrol and run it. After running it you go to the input devices tab and select lock and go to ports. After you change the port from "Internal microphone" to "Headset microphone (disconnected)" you have to go to lower the left front 80% because if you lower it to the base you hear a loss.

Sorry my English is translator.

Here are the commands I used:

sudo apt install pavucontrol
pavucontrol

[tivp]

Yes, of course @ASSahasranamam.
The method mentioned above I consider obsolete. Here I bring you a new method.

MOD to fix internal microphone

Step 1 - Install QasMixer
It has a graphical interface that facilitates the manipulation of AlsaMixer.

This is the command for the installation:

sudo apt install qasmixer

Step 2 - Run QasMixer

This is the command to execute it:

qasmixer

Step 3 - Select in the box ""Mixer device" -> hw"

Step 4 - Press the [R] key and set all settings of the mixer as shown in the following picture

Step 5 - Select "Capture" and press the [S] key

Step 6 - Configure the panels as best suits your hearing
The rule is: L and R panels should not be at the same dB level.
I chose 18.75 dB and 21.75 dB since for me that configuration sounds better.

TIPS: You can test the microphone on Discord or somewhere where you can listen to it live.

Step 7 - Store the AlsaMixer configuration

This is the command:

alsactl --file ~/.config/asound.state store

Step 8 - The creation of a .desktop for the autostart restore command

This is the command to create the .desktop:

nano ~/.config/autostart/alsarestore.desktop

The contents of the .desktop file should be the following:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Terminal=true
Name=alsarestore
Exec=bash -c "sleep 10 && alsactl --file ~/.config/asound.state restore"

Step 9 - Turn off or restart the computer to see that our configuration still remains.
If everything goes as described. CONGRATULATIONS! you have got your internal microphone working.

TIPS: You can see in the sound settings that the microphone is low if you have followed my settings. This happens because it gets louder when you modify the dB of "Internal Mic Boost". I do not recommend turning this panel up as in my case it sounds saturated.

[brenobaptista]

THANK YOU, @tivp! I've been spending a huge amount of time trying to fix my internal microphone, now it finally works. I would just set Terminal=false in the alsarestore.desktop file to remove the annoying terminal popping up every restart.

[naveen433]

@tivp quasmixer is also not work me. I am using Lenovo yoga slim7 audio card is Realtek alc-287. any another solution. I had spend lot of time still I didn't find the solution.

[ilseroster]

Microphone not working here too - after upgrading to Pop-OS 22.04. I have tried all of the above, numerous time, but to no avail...

[OmarMahmoud10]

@vargastomas I did all the steps and the mic is working but when I restart it doesn't restore the settings
I don't know why, please if you can help me with this issue

[tivp]

Of course @OmarMahmoud10.

The procedure is as follows:

Step 1 - Install ExifTool.
ExifTool, allows us to see the date of last modification and see if the file was updated by reading the metadata.

Here is the command to install it:

sudo apt install libimage-exiftool-perl

Step 2 - Run ExifTool over "asound.state" file.

This is the command to run it:

exiftool ~/.config/asound.state

Step 3 - Store AlsaMixer settings

This is the command:

alsactl --file ~/.config/asound.state store

Step 4 - Run ExifTool over "asound.state" file again
We will analyze if there was a change in file "asound.state"

This is the command:

exiftool ~/.config/asound.state

You compare if there was a change in the modification date in the metadata of the "asound.state" file.

NOTE: If you notice as in the following example that the file was modified you can proceed to the next step. If this is not the case you run sudo alsactl --file ~/.config/asound.state store and try this step again.

Step 5 - The creation of a .desktop for the autostart restore command

This is the command to create the .desktop:

gedit ~/.config/autostart/alsarestore.desktop

If the file cannot be saved you perform the following command:
mkdir ~/.config/autostart/

The contents of the .desktop file should be the following:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Name=alsarestore
Exec=bash -c "sleep 10 && alsactl --file ~/.config/asound.state restore"

Alternative Step 5 - Create a startup task in the Gnome interface.

This is the command to run the Gnome application "applications at startup":

gnome-session-properties

NOTE: You can use this interface to see if step 5 above was successful by viewing your configuration.

Select add and type the command text box bash -c command area "sleep 10 && alsactl --file ~/.config/asound.state restore"

NOTE: In the name text box you are free to put whatever you want. In my case I name it as alsarestore

Here's what the "Edit Startup Program" setting should look like.

Select save once we have everything configured.

Then try restarting the computer. If your microphone is working properly as it did the last time you set it up, it is something to celebrate. Congratulations!