Audio SUTTERING. drives me nuts.

[SergeiFranco]

Please help!
While listening to Amarok audio stutters, just like watching youtube on slow internet connection.
This drives me nuts!
I am using Kubuntu 9.10, Phonon->Pulse->Alsa->ICH8 ALC888 dig. out.

The reason why I am using Pulse audio is because I am using ALC888 digital out, and there is no way I can control volume (or play multiple streams at same time) with default configuration (using plain alsa).
Since intruduction of phonon, my custom tailored asound.conf stopped working (it had softvol+dmix). It is not "hint" issue, more of phonon does not respect softvol.
Since fiddling asuond.conf I get this error: ALSA lib simple_none.c:1543simple_add1) helem (MIXER,'SoftMaster',0,1,0) appears twice or more, so alsamix is kaput (and kmix is not working at all now). I have no idea how to reset mixers in alsa (it is persistent with reboot).
So I decided to give a go to pulsaudio. Now I can use pavucontrol to control my volume (and set the right output). It does everything I need. Except one problem friggin audio stuttering.

I am going insane!!!

Here is the error that makes me concerned:

ALSA lib simple_none.c:1543simple_add1) helem (MIXER,'SoftMaster',0,1,0) appears twice or more
amixer: Mixer hw:0 load error: Invalid argument

Does anybody knows how to reset alsa mixers?

Anyway, I would be happy if some one tells me how to fix stuttering?

[SergeiFranco]

Re: Audio SUTTERING. drives me nuts.

I fixed the ALSA lib simple_none.c:1543simple_add1) helem (MIXER,'SoftMaster',0,1,0) appears twice or more error message by deleting the offending entries in the asound.state and force reset.

kmix is still useless, the "Master" does nothing. None of the volume control do anything (except the mute button), on other hand alsamixer now is working (although I only have 1 volume control in there but at least it is having an effect).

Is there any kde integrated versions of pavucontrol?

[SergeiFranco]

Re: Audio SUTTERING. drives me nuts.

Another question, how does one force output to 48kHz with phonon?

[SergeiFranco]

Re: Audio SUTTERING. drives me nuts.

Another question, how does one force output to 48kHz with phonon?

With pulseaudio it turned out to be simple:
add this line to /etc/pulse/daemon.conf
default-sample-rate = 48000
and killall pulseaudio; pulseaudio &

...

[spottedhog]

Re: Audio SUTTERING. drives me nuts.

I do not know if this is related or not, but I also have the "audio stuttering in flash" problem. Thus far, it only happens in Firefox after my laptop has "hybernated". It does not happen in other browsers.

A quick fix for me is in Firefox go to Tools->Addons-> and Disable Shockwave flash. Sometimes I need to wait up to 30 seconds, but finally I am able to "Enable" it. Then all is fine again until I walk away and hybernation sets in.

I have recently filed bugs at Adobe and Mozilla, but there has been no response to date.