Continued Sound Issues After Clean Install - Some kind of bug?

[jernserval]

I figured I'd progressed at trying to figure this out enough to start a new thread. I had also screwed around too much with configs and options to be certain if I hadn't caused more issues than I had solved.

This has been next to impossible to get working reliably... days and days spent on this. Has me thinking about a usb-dac even though my case won't accept it and I'll have to rehouse everything.

The basics are:

Pi4 with 4A switched supply
Running RetroPie Version 4.8, fresh flash from RaspberryPi Imager
RetroPie-Setup script and Raspi-config were purposefully not updated (due to issues I ran into before with lvl0 mixer issues that weren't being solved by the traditional help articles) see below.

Guides used / References:
The initial error after updating retropie_setup script and my attempted fix
Mitu's guide to resolving lvl0 mixer error (not currently experiencing this error but may be related)

Error Messages / Behavior Observed: Loss of audio, sometimes lvl0 volume mixer errors

How to replicate the problem:

• Clean install of stock Retropie 4.8 off Raspberry Pi Imager
• No script updates, no package installations, no sudo apt update or upgrade. (That causes new problems like lvl0 issue)
• Basic configuration to get things loaded properly / navigation / wifi.
• Configured audio in both raspi-config and retropie-setup to output audio from HDMI.
• First boot: Sound is working in splash and in ES (navigation clicks) through BOTH the HDMI and analogue jacks, even after selecting HDMI in both raspi-config and retropie-setup.
• ES Settings shows Default / HDMI / Both (not my selection, autoconfigured).
• Options for output device: PCM / HDMI / Headphone (no s) / Master / Speaker / Digital / Analogue
• Enabling OMX Player kills volume in ES and retroarch. Sound never returns. Can't be rolled back- disabling omx player doesn't help, even after reboots etc.
• Attempting any other es_settings sound changes, even device= headphone results in lvl0 volume mixer error, which I'm trying to avoid resurgence of like the plague.
• Loss of sound never occurs in splashscreen.
• The HDMI is indeed outputting sound to the TV, the 3.5mm analogue jack works. This isn't hardware related.

[mitu]

I can't replicate the issue and some of your notes/observations are - let's just say - wrong.

• Just updating RetroPie-Setup will not modify any of your audio settings. I cannot see how this kind update can break your audio setup.

• Enabling OMX Player doesn't affect RetroArch, it's purely a configuration used by EmulationStation to start omxplayer with the right parameters and it's used just by the video playback of video previews.

• my 'guide' is not really a guide and was meant - at the time - as a workaround for the lack of configuration options in EmulationStation. This is not needed now (3 years later) - as you noticed HDMI is now an option in EmulationStation. You can ignore it.

Some advice:

• use either raspi-config or the Audio settings in RetroPie-Setup, there's no need to use both. The latter has a bug currently and doesn't correctly create the .conf file for ALSA, but the former will write $HOME/.asoundrc which should be enough. As an alternative, use none of the above and by default RetroPie will output via HDMI and you're only have to check the ES settings to have audio for navigation sounds.

• omxplayer is useful mainly for older boards, on the Pi4 you can use the default video player (based on libvlc). This option will disappear in future versions of EmulationStation since RaspiOS (starting with the current version) has deprecated the OMX/DispmanX APIs.

• ES Audio settings only affect EmulationStation, it doesn't have any effect on RetroArch or other emulators as far as audio is concerned.

[jernserval]

I can't replicate the issue and some of your notes/observations are - let's just say - wrong.

@mitu said in Continued Sound Issues After Clean Install - Some kind of bug?:

Just updating RetroPie-Setup will not modify any of your audio settings. I cannot see how this kind update can break your audio setup.

This was not my assertion, it was yours which I took on good faith:

@mitu said in LVL0 Volume Mixer Continued Issues:

It may be a bug in the Audio settings script. Run from a command line: sudo mkdir /etc/alsa/conf.d, then configure again the Audio - see if after this change you get back the audio.

@mitu said in Continued Sound Issues After Clean Install - Some kind of bug?:

omxplayer is useful mainly for older boards, on the Pi4 you can use the default video player (based on libvlc). This option will disappear in future versions of EmulationStation since RaspiOS (starting with the current version) has deprecated the OMX/DispmanX APIs.

My understanding is that this is required to play snaps video previews with sound? Is this not correct?

my 'guide' is not really a guide and was meant - at the time - as a workaround for the lack of configuration options in EmulationStation. This is not needed now (3 years later) - as you noticed HDMI is now an option in EmulationStation. You can ignore it.

Apologies I was referring to your recommendations from here: https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/26628/audio-issues-after-latest-raspbian-updates-june-2020

After the update:
HDMI
Audio Card: Default
Audio Device: HDMI
OMX Audio Device: ALSA

This configuration does not work for me with fresh install of 4.8. OMX Player must be set to HDMI to function with my TV. Even without omx, ALSA does not work- however “Both” is what was autoconfigured / present when I installed.

use either raspi-config or the Audio settings in RetroPie-Setup, there's no need to use both. The latter has a bug currently and doesn't correctly create the .conf file for ALSA, but the former will write $HOME/.asoundrc which should be enough. As an alternative, use none of the above and by default RetroPie will output via HDMI and you're only have to check the ES settings to have audio for navigation sounds.

This is likely part of my confusion: When I turn on HDMI as the OMX Audio Device, it gives me the impression that sound has been killed off, as all of a sudden the menu navigation click volume becomes incredibly soft- so it did not disappear, just became almost inaudible. If I turn my speakers all the way up, I can hear the clicks, but the snaps video and retroarch gameplay becomes insanely loud.

• You did not experience the same effect?
• Were you not listening for clicks?
• Were you using a smart TV?

You ask for a lot of data in the Read Me support thread, but have provided no information as to what was involved in your attempt to reproduce. I am not imagining the effects here and took pains to make sure my system was a clean install. Something that differs between your setup and my own is possibly the culprit.

Anyway, this was giving me the false presumption that the audio had kicked out, as I was using the emulation station "menu clicks" as an indicator- and so I would try another option and reboot.

This may be another factor as to why you are unable to replicate: I have a Samsung Smart TV, it has some kind of "Intelligence Mode" in which it attempts to autoconfigure sound and HDMI devices as well as "fix" or "optimize" what it believes are subpar connections. This may have something to do with it. Changing some of the Retropie / ES / Retroarch settings may influence this behavior. I've noticed that turning off or on various of these settings, like adaptive sound, influences my outcomes.

Gratefully, after a fresh install and Default / HDMI / HDMI in ES, I seem to have just about everything except for audible click noises in the menu, which I was never really dead set on having- it was just a convenient way to test for sound in ES, until I realized the issue above. Not sure why this is happening, if it's my TV or what, but I don't care enough about it to explore further.

All that's left is to make an image of my build as it is and cross my fingers.

[windg]

I can't reproduce the issue either, tested in Rpi4 and Rpi3. Try to change the Hdmi cable or test to another monitor/Tv.

[jernserval]

@windg

What is your configuration in ES?

Default / HDMI / ALSA?

What monitor / TV are you using?

What HDMI mode/group/drive?

Force Edid audio?

HDMI cable already swapped.

No easy option for another TV.

Like I said default / hdmi / hdmi works.

[windg]

@jernserval I am using the default settings

Audio card : default
Audio Device : HDMI
Alsa mixer card : bcm2835 HDMI1
Tv: LG smart Tv
Hdmi cable is connected to the port near the power port.

Did you try to change the audio fmodes from TV ? Choose something simple, for example, stereo. If you can, try to reset your TV to factory setting. My TV, after an update, made everything to look Blur. it take me a while to find the fix.

[jernserval]

@windg

I figured this out after wrangling with my Samsung firmware.

It was trying to automatically adjust the signal.

In my TV settings it had to be set to PCM. In ES default / hdmi / hdmi worked.

It happened after a background firmware update I wasn’t informed of, hence my utter confusion over cause.

The clue was that after switching to my Apple TV, same issue presented itself.

I take back any suggestion it was a Retropie issue.

The thing that really sent me for a loop was that for some reason the emulation station navigation clicks immediately became inaudible (but if you crank the volume you can hear it).

This is still an issue, and I’m unsure if it’s TV/ Retropie or combination of issues. The games, playback of snaps, etc. still sound fine / normal volume.

It is not significant enough to take much of my attention.