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Please do not post a support request without first reading and following the advice in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

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

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audiovolumecontrol
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  • P
    psavas
    last edited by 22 May 2022, 06:41

    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

    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
    • M
      mitu Global Moderator
      last edited by 22 May 2022, 06:44

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

      P 2 Replies Last reply 22 May 2022, 06:51 Reply Quote 0
      • P
        psavas @mitu
        last edited by 22 May 2022, 06:51

        @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

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • P
          psavas @mitu
          last edited by 22 May 2022, 06:55

          @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

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • M
            mitu Global Moderator
            last edited by 22 May 2022, 07:01

            Post the output of the following commands:

            aplay -l
            amixer scontents -c 1
            amixer scontents -c 0
            
            P 1 Reply Last reply 22 May 2022, 07:04 Reply Quote 0
            • P
              psavas @mitu
              last edited by 22 May 2022, 07:04

              @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

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • M
                mitu Global Moderator
                last edited by mitu 22 May 2022, 07:27

                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 ?

                P 1 Reply Last reply 22 May 2022, 07:35 Reply Quote 0
                • P
                  psavas @mitu
                  last edited by 22 May 2022, 07:35

                  @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
                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • M
                    mitu Global Moderator
                    last edited by 22 May 2022, 08:02

                    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 ?

                    P 1 Reply Last reply 22 May 2022, 21:37 Reply Quote 0
                    • P
                      psavas @mitu
                      last edited by 22 May 2022, 21:37

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

                      6537697d-a35d-4708-8438-3d3f2875fc84-image.png

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • M
                        mitu Global Moderator
                        last edited by 23 May 2022, 02:39

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

                        P 1 Reply Last reply 23 May 2022, 06:02 Reply Quote 0
                        • P
                          psavas @mitu
                          last edited by 23 May 2022, 06:02

                          @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

                          A 1 Reply Last reply 23 May 2022, 09:53 Reply Quote 0
                          • A
                            Ashpool @psavas
                            last edited by 23 May 2022, 09:53

                            @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).

                            P 1 Reply Last reply 24 May 2022, 00:17 Reply Quote 0
                            • P
                              psavas @Ashpool
                              last edited by 24 May 2022, 00:17

                              @Ashpool That made no difference either.

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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