Mic not working in skype

[maiqiang]

I am using a mic integrated with my webcam. The webcam works, but the mic doesn't. Grateful for any help!

[dibl]

Re: Mic not working in skype

Yeah, I've seen that movie! :P

First, need more info about your webcam. Can you give the make and model? Also, open a terminal, run "lsusb", and paste the line that shows the webcam in your reply.

[maiqiang]

Re: Mic not working in skype

Thanks for the reply! Here is the line from lsusb: Bus 001 Device 007: ID 1cac:a332 Kinstone C8 Webcam

[arochester]

Re: Mic not working in skype

Have you configured the sound in Skype?

Skype> S Button (bottom left)>Options>Sound Devices.

Usually "Microphone" will say "Default Device (default)". Use the pull down menu and look for a USB device. You might have to experiment a bit...

[dibl]

Re: Mic not working in skype

I would advise installing the following packages if you have not done so already:

alsamixergui padevchooser pavucontrol paman


The other thing to look for is the snd_usb_audio module, in the output of "lsmod". If you don't see it, then try a

 sudo modprobe snd_usb_audio

in a terminal window. Then try Skype again.

Another thing to bear in mind is that a web browser running a flash video, even when the video is finished, may have grabbed the sound system. Same with a multimedia player. So make sure nothing else is running that might have temporary ownership of the sound system.

[maiqiang]

Re: Mic not working in skype

Thanks to both of you for your help. Let's see: Everything you suggest is installed. After modprobe etc. I tried skype again, but no success. I've tried to configure the sound in skype. the microphone says "PulseAudio server (local)" with no other choices available.

How do I make sure no other program has ownership of the sound system?

[dibl]

Re: Mic not working in skype

If you don't have a browser tab that recently played a video, and you don't have a multimedia package running (amarok on the panel, for example), then you're probably OK.

Alt-F2 "pavucontrol" to open the pulseaudio volume control, and click the "Configuration" tab. Does your webcam show up there?

[maiqiang]

Re: Mic not working in skype

Sound system should be free then. Yes, the webcam is there. When i used ubuntu before this, I would have the same problem, but there I could go to Administration>Preferences>Sound and select the webcam as the input device. I'm new to kubuntu and haven't seen a way to do this.

[josefko]

Re: Mic not working in skype

Maybe would be easier, just as a workaround to use external mic

[maiqiang]

Re: Mic not working in skype

Ultimately that might be my solution.

[dibl]

Re: Mic not working in skype

I have both a webcam and a conventional audio mic plugged in to my debian/KDE system, and they are more-or-less controllable with pavucontrol and (for the conventional mic) alsamixergui. So, don't give up yet.

If you see both your webcam and your audio mic on the Configuration tab of pavucontrol, and neither of them is set to "off", then go to the "Input Devices" tab. There, you should also see both mics. To use the webcam, you need to mute the audio mic, and you need to push the "set as fallback" button on the webcam mic.

If that doesn't work, on the Configuration tab, try setting your internal audio channel to "analog stereo output" (I assume you're listening to skype through your speakers). After doing that, you should not see the internal mic on the Input Devices tab.

Also, open Systemsettings > Multimedia > Phonon. Under "Music", the pulseaudio device should be on top, and if you push the "Test" button in the lower right you should hear the tones. Under "Communication", you also want the pulseaudio device on top (there's no mic test, unfortunately).

[maiqiang]

Re: Mic not working in skype

Tried all this and still no mic. Also, at the moment, no video either. It's late here so I'm off to bed and will approach this again with a clearer head tomorrow.

Thanks again for all your help. If you have any new thoughts, let me know.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Mic not working in skype

Just for grins tomorrow, open a Konsole and issue
sudo alsamixer

Not all the columns show on the screen. Moving the right-arrow to the right, and keep going, will show more... usually. Look for one with a label of "Digital". Use the up-arrow to raise it level to just before the red occurs. If the little box at the bottom of a column has "MM" in it that means it is muted. Press the "M" key to change the contents of the box to "OO" (On). Also, make sure PCM is up and on. You can also check the Mic level and the Mic boost. Some devices have more than one "Mic". Make sure both are on and up in level.
Hit the ESC key to close alsamixer.

[arochester]

Re: Mic not working in skype

the microphone says "PulseAudio server (local)"

Skype+PulseAudio=Not Good

[dibl]

Re: Mic not working in skype

the microphone says "PulseAudio server (local)"

Skype+PulseAudio=Not Good

For the first couple of iterations of KDE 4 that was true for me too, but since KDE 4.5 or so, I have been doing OK with Pulseaudio. It can be a little "fiddly" sometimes, like when I grab the sound chip or the webcam with VMware, and then try to give it back to Linux. But I can use either my webcam as a mic, or a plugged in audio mic, and choose the device in pavucontrol (and mute the other), and it works. With the audio mic, I have a further necessary step to open alsamixergui and lock the "front mic" and "front mic boost" channels, and push up the volume. After that, pavucontrol controls it.