Audio issues after latest Raspbian updates (June 2020)

Idelacio

Since updating my install sound has been working without changing options fine with one exception:
OMX player won't play sound.

No option corrects this and if I try and run a preview of a splash screen video it crashes the system. Video does play on startup though.

When going into the terminal I get the following errors depending on my settings:
Failed to find mixer elements (as above)
amixer: Unable to find simple control 'PCM' ,0 (get this twice)

This is using an updated official image on a Pi4 (4GB
5.4.51-v7+
RP - 4.6.6
ES - 2.9.3

I'm guessing this is part of the same problem though honestly not a massive issue, it's mainly presentation that's affected. If it is not sure there's anything that could be suggested for this other than wait for the general problem to be fixed?

Welp moot anyway because it won't boot into the OS now: rainbow screen of fail! You gotta love it when the raspi-config screws up... still useful to know when I load up the backup image as I believe that's pre update.

Idelacio

This post is deleted!

Idelacio

So after reloading the image and updating it (versions listed above) I now get new errors!

ALSA lib control .c:1375:(snd_ctl_open_noupdate) Invalid CTL hdmi
VolumeControl::init() - Failed to attach to default card!

I have sound across OMX, BG music and games but volume control does not work in the ES menu and the options in teh ES menu for Audio card/device etc are pre update style despite having updated everything.

Idelacio

Okay so started from SCRATCH, joys, and updated the system IMMEDIATELY (after applying wireless settings) and then applied audio settings. Did toss up the errors before setup but now it's working fine for all sound playing functions.

RussellB

Hi all,

I posted a new topic on this but this might be better here...

Can someone who has updated their configuration try lzdoom to see if it generates sound? It used to before; I must have updated something that updated my sound configuration and now that is the only program that doesn't output sound to the HDMI.

By the way, uname -r returns: 4.19.97-v8+

RussellB.

mitu

@RussellB said in Audio issues after latest Raspbian updates:

By the way, uname -r returns: 4.19.97-v8+

This topic is for the changes in the audio settings when using this kernel version 4.19.118 or later, so it doesn't really apply to your case.

RussellB

Sorry about that.

I updated to the latest kernel and I'm still having this problem. :-(

MISTERHOLLYW00D

I have some audio issues. Not sure if anyone here knows how to fix this.

I use this user created script that allows for a volume switch of off medium high.

This worked fine but since the update its ran to some issues. When system is rebooted the switch might not work anymore.

Plus on the Pi4 it won't work at all.

I think its the PCM not being located

Here is the script I'm using

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oy5WzMGDGdXXdjEkhYcXtn7YQCJzAdbb/view

https://icculus.org/~icculus/dotplan/arcade1up/arcade1up-volume-gpio.c

mitu

@MISTERHOLLYW00D said in Audio issues after latest Raspbian updates:

Here is the script I'm using...

You'll have to ask the user that created the script to amend it for the changes brought by the Raspbian Linux kernel updates. You can try replacing "PCM" in the source code with the correct mixer name (HDMI/Headphones, depending on what you use for audio output) and re-compile the .c file included in the instructions.

UberLumby · [Linux 5.10.103-v7+ armv7l GNU/Linux Retropie 4.8 Raspberry Pi 3B+]

Does this by chance effect the audio playing games? I've noticed some consoles have very low audio compared to others even when I have my sound settings at 100% but I don't see any errors I have BGM on emulation station that still works fine

mitu

@UberLumby No, the info in this topic applies to EmulationStation only.

Yobiwan

I had to revert to the previous Audio configuration in order to use 3.5mm output. It works now, but splashscreen's audio is distorted. Like metallic sound...
I downgraded firmware but same issue.

mitu

@Yobiwan Don't understand why, the headphone jack works fine in either configurations (upgraded kernel/firmware or not).

XEntombmentX

When I originally installed RetroPie, I had no audio whatsoever and this worked great for fixing both in-game and in the menu. However, I screwed something up somewhere along the line, so I reimaged my SD card and did a clean install. After that, and after going through all of these steps, I have sound in my ROMs, but not in EmulationStation menu itself.

I'm going through HDMI, which has been set in the Audio menu in RetroPie, in raspi-config, and retropie_setup (which has been updated). My EmulationStation core package is updated from source (for whatever reason, it's not giving me a version number). My sound in EmulationStation is set to Default, HDMI, ALSA.

Pi Model: 4B+
Power Supply: Pi Brand Supply
RetroPie Version: 4.6.7
Built From: RPi Imager to microSD
USB Devices: WD 2TB external HDD
Controller: Xbox One S controller, wired

mitu

Did you also update the kernel/firmware during the updates ? EmulationStation's version appears when you bring up the menu with Start in the main carousel.

XEntombmentX

@mitu said in Audio issues after latest Raspbian updates:

Did you also update the kernel/firmware during the updates ?

I thought I did, but I'll try it again.

EmulationStation's version appears when you bring up the menu with Start in the main carousel.

Ah okay, it's 2.9.3RP

XEntombmentX

Did you also update the kernel/firmware during the updates ?

@mitu I made sure to update the kernel and other underlying packages and the issue still persists.

mitu

@XEntombmentX If you run

uname -r && aplay -l

what's the output ?

XEntombmentX

@mitu

5.4.51-v7l+
**** 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

mitu

@XEntombmentX This looks ok. Are you able to set the volume in EmulationStation without the errors shown in the starting post ? Do you have sound enabled in EmulationStation ?