Yet another "lvl0: VolumeControl::init() - Failed to find mixer elements" error help request (sorry; please read).

[psavas]

Hi,

I apologize for creating a new thread on this. I have spent the last few hours searching, reading, and trying all of the suggestions I could find on the "lvl0: VolumeControl::init() - Failed to find mixer elements" error message on Reddit, in this Forum (most recent post I found was from 2020), in the RetroPie docs, etc.

I have gone through the Audio configuration menu and set my audio device to HDMI. I have gone through the Raspi-Config and tried setting the audio device to HDMI, and default. I have checked the es_settings.cfg file and it shows the settings there match what is set through the menu (HDMI, default). I have updated the RetroPie packages/files. I have run "sudo apt update" and "sudo apt full-upgrade -y" as mentioned in the documents.

Again, nothing has worked, and I am out of options.

I get no sound. When I go into the Sound Settings in the pop-up Emulation Station menu, the volume always reverts to 0.

Here is the information on my hardware/software:
Pi Model or other hardware: Pi4B 4GB
Power Supply used: PiSugar 2 Pro Portable 5000 mAh UPS Lithium Battery
RetroPie Version Used : 4.8
Built From: Pre made SD Image on RetroPie website
USB Devices connected: None
Controller used: Identifies as "XB360 controller"
Error messages received: lvl0: VolumeControl::init() - Failed to find mixer elements

Here are the contents of my config.txt file:

# For more options and information see
# http://rpf.io/configtxt
# Some settings may impact device functionality. See link above for details

# uncomment if you get no picture on HDMI for a default "safe" mode
#hdmi_safe=1

# uncomment this if your display has a black border of unused pixels visible
# and your display can output without overscan
#disable_overscan=1

# uncomment the following to adjust overscan. Use positive numbers if console
# goes off screen, and negative if there is too much border
#overscan_left=16
#overscan_right=16
#overscan_top=16
#overscan_bottom=16

# uncomment to force a console size. By default it will be display's size minus
# overscan.
#framebuffer_width=1280
#framebuffer_height=720

# uncomment if hdmi display is not detected and composite is being output
#hdmi_force_hotplug=1

# uncomment to force a specific HDMI mode (this will force VGA)
#hdmi_group=1
#hdmi_mode=1

# uncomment to force a HDMI mode rather than DVI. This can make audio work in
# DMT (computer monitor) modes
#hdmi_drive=2

# uncomment to increase signal to HDMI, if you have interference, blanking, or
# no display
#config_hdmi_boost=4

# uncomment for composite PAL
#sdtv_mode=2

#uncomment to overclock the arm. 700 MHz is the default.
#over_voltage=6
#arm_freq=2147
#gpu_freq=750

# Uncomment some or all of these to enable the optional hardware interfaces
#dtparam=i2c_arm=on
#dtparam=i2s=on
#dtparam=spi=on

# Uncomment this to enable infrared communication.
#dtoverlay=gpio-ir,gpio_pin=17
#dtoverlay=gpio-ir-tx,gpio_pin=18

# Additional overlays and parameters are documented /boot/overlays/README

# Enable audio (loads snd_bcm2835)
dtparam=audio=on

[pi4]
# Enable DRM VC4 V3D driver on top of the dispmanx display stack
dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d
max_framebuffers=2

[all]
#dtoverlay=vc4-fkms-v3d
overscan_scale=1

Please can anyone help?

Thanks,
pete

[mitu]

Try setting Audio Card to default and the Audio Device to PCM in EmulationStation's audio settings.

[psavas]

@mitu That did not work. I made the changes, and when I went back in, the System Volume was back to 0. It did hold the Audio Card and Audio Device settings as default/PCM, though.

What next?

pete

[psavas]

@mitu I tried several of the other Audio Device settings; Master is the only one that sets the system volume to 100%, but I still am not getting any audio.

I am using a 7" display with built-in speakers connected over HDMI (using HDMI 0 on the Pi4).

pete

[mitu]

Post the output of the following commands:

aplay -l
amixer scontents -c 1
amixer scontents -c 0

[psavas]

@mitu
From aplay -l:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: b1 [bcm2835 HDMI 1], device 0: bcm2835 HDMI 1 [bcm2835 HDMI 1]
  Subdevices: 4/4
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
  Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
  Subdevice #3: subdevice #3
card 1: Headphones [bcm2835 Headphones], device 0: bcm2835 Headphones [bcm2835 Headphones]
  Subdevices: 4/4
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
  Subdevice #1: subdevice #1
  Subdevice #2: subdevice #2
  Subdevice #3: subdevice #3

From amixer contents -c 1:

Simple mixer control 'Headphone',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback -10239 - 400
  Mono: Playback 0 [96%] [0.00dB] [on]

From amixer contents -c 0:

Simple mixer control 'HDMI',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback -10239 - 400
  Mono: Playback 0 [96%] [0.00dB] [on]

Thanks,
pete

[mitu]

Looks like the usual Pi4 configuration. Make sure you don't have a $HOME/.asoundrc file (delete it if it's there) and try again with the default/HDMI Audio settings in EmulationStation.
Do you have PulseAudio installed/enabled by any chance ?

[psavas]

@mitu There was no .asoundrc file in the HOME directory. In fact, doing a search only turned up an asoundrc.txt.gz file in the ```
/usr/share/doc/libasound2/examples

I checked in the Audio settings in RetroPie and the PulseAudio is not enabled. On a lark, I tried to enable it and every time I went back into the menu, it still showed the "enable" option for PulseAudio.

pete

[mitu]

EmulationStation doesn't support PulseAudio and installing it will not help. I was just checking if your default sound card is not a PulseAudio, in which case using HDMI or PCM for the device name will not work.

Run alsamixer and note the name of the Item in the top left of the mixer - what does it say there ?

[psavas]

@mitu It's set for the bcm2835 HDMI 1:

[mitu]

Ok, so using default / HDMI in EmulationStation options should work.

[psavas]

@mitu Sadly, it doesn't. The moment I put it back to default/HDMI in the ES Sound Settings panel, the system volume slider goes right back to 0 and I get no sound.

What else can I try?

Thanks,
pete

[Ashpool]

@psavas
uncomment in /boot/config.txt the line: hdmi_drive=2
From your descriptions above, i don't thing this may be your solution, but just to be sure I would try that one (I have encountered some TVs where that is needed, even if they run a CEA mode and are turned on before the Raspi is, so the comment in config.txt about DMT modes is a bit misleading).

[psavas]

@Ashpool That made no difference either.