Popping whenever pulseaudio wakes up --F11

[emc986]

After much stubbornness I've finally decided that pulseaudio does, in fact, rock. Bluetooth seems in a lot better shape and the user interface is much simplified. However much it rocks, though, there is one nagging issue:

Whenever pulseaudio is started or awakened it pops a couple of times (crackles a little).

Integrated device:

(4098:17264:4219:768) pci, ATI IXP AC97 controller, AUDIO, IXP SB400 AC'97 Audio Controller

Excerpt from output of pulseaudio -vvv taken from a point where pulseaudio has suspended and then resumes after something (in this case PulseAudio Volume Control) is started.

I: client.c: Freed 2 "PulseAudio Volume Control"
I: protocol-native.c: Connection died.
I: module-suspend-on-idle.c: Source alsa_input.pci_1002_4370_sound_card_0 idle for too long, suspending ...
I: alsa-source.c: Device suspended...
I: module-suspend-on-idle.c: Sink alsa_output.pci_1002_4370_sound_card_0 idle for too long, suspending ...
I: alsa-sink.c: Device suspended...
I: client.c: Created 3 "Native client (UNIX socket client)"
D: protocol-native.c: Protocol version: remote 15, local 15
I: protocol-native.c: Got credentials: uid=500 gid=500 success=1
D: protocol-native.c: SHM possible: yes
D: protocol-native.c: Negotiated SHM: yes
D: module-augment-properties.c: Looking for .desktop file for pavucontrol
D: reserve-wrap.c: Successfully acquired reservation lock on device 'Audio0'
I: alsa-sink.c: Trying resume...
D: alsa-util.c: Maximum hw buffer size is 341 ms
D: alsa-sink.c: hwbuf_unused=0
D: alsa-sink.c: setting avail_min=15904
I: alsa-sink.c: Resumed successfully...
I: alsa-sink.c: Starting playback.
D: alsa-sink.c: Cutting sleep time for the initial iterations by half.
D: module-suspend-on-idle.c: Sink alsa_output.pci_1002_4370_sound_card_0 becomes idle.
D: alsa-sink.c: Cutting sleep time for the initial iterations by half.
D: module-suspend-on-idle.c: Sink alsa_output.pci_1002_4370_sound_card_0 becomes busy.
D: resampler.c: Channel matrix:
D: resampler.c: I00 I01
D: resampler.c: +------------
D: resampler.c: O00 | 1.000 1.000
I: resampler.c: Using resampler 'peaks'
I: resampler.c: Using float32le as working format.
D: memblockq.c: memblockq requested: maxlength=33554432, tlength=0, base=4, prebuf=0, minreq=1 maxrewind=0
D: memblockq.c: memblockq sanitized: maxlength=33554432, tlength=33554432, base=4, prebuf=0, minreq=4 maxrewind=0
I: source-output.c: Created output 4 "Peak detect" on alsa_output.pci_1002_4370_sound_card_0.monitor with sample spec float32le 1ch 25Hz and channel map mono
D: alsa-sink.c: Cutting sleep time for the initial iterations by half.
D: alsa-sink.c: Cutting sleep time for the initial iterations by half.
D: memblockq.c: memblockq requested: maxlength=4194304, tlength=0, base=4, prebuf=1, minreq=0 maxrewind=0
D: memblockq.c: memblockq sanitized: maxlength=4194304, tlength=4194304, base=4, prebuf=4, minreq=4 maxrewind=0
I: protocol-native.c: Final latency 66.00 ms = 40.00 ms + 26.00 ms
D: alsa-sink.c: Cutting sleep time for the initial iterations by half.
D: alsa-sink.c: Latency set to 26.00ms
D: alsa-sink.c: hwbuf_unused=60544
D: alsa-sink.c: setting avail_min=15905
D: alsa-sink.c: Requesting rewind due to latency change.
D: alsa-sink.c: Latency set to 26.00ms
D: alsa-sink.c: hwbuf_unused=60544
D: alsa-sink.c: setting avail_min=15905
D: alsa-sink.c: Requested to rewind 65536 bytes.
D: alsa-sink.c: Limited to 63068 bytes.
D: alsa-sink.c: before: 15767
D: alsa-sink.c: after: 15767
D: alsa-sink.c: Rewound 63068 bytes.
D: sink.c: Processing rewind...
D: source.c: Processing rewind...
D: core-subscribe.c: Dropped redundant event due to change event.
I: alsa-source.c: Trying resume...
D: alsa-util.c: Maximum hw buffer size is 341 ms
D: alsa-source.c: hwbuf_unused=0
D: alsa-source.c: setting avail_min=15904
I: alsa-source.c: Resumed successfully...
D: module-suspend-on-idle.c: Source alsa_input.pci_1002_4370_sound_card_0 becomes idle.
D: module-suspend-on-idle.c: Source alsa_input.pci_1002_4370_sound_card_0 becomes busy.
D: resampler.c: Channel matrix:
D: resampler.c: I00 I01
D: resampler.c: +------------
D: resampler.c: O00 | 1.000 1.000
I: resampler.c: Using resampler 'peaks'
I: resampler.c: Using float32le as working format.
D: memblockq.c: memblockq requested: maxlength=33554432, tlength=0, base=4, prebuf=0, minreq=1 maxrewind=0
D: memblockq.c: memblockq sanitized: maxlength=33554432, tlength=33554432, base=4, prebuf=0, minreq=4 maxrewind=0
I: source-output.c: Created output 5 "Peak detect" on alsa_input.pci_1002_4370_sound_card_0 with sample spec float32le 1ch 25Hz and channel map mono
D: memblockq.c: memblockq requested: maxlength=4194304, tlength=0, base=4, prebuf=1, minreq=0 maxrewind=0
D: memblockq.c: memblockq sanitized: maxlength=4194304, tlength=4194304, base=4, prebuf=4, minreq=4 maxrewind=0
I: protocol-native.c: Final latency 60.00 ms = 40.00 ms + 20.00 ms
D: alsa-source.c: latency set to 20.00ms
D: alsa-source.c: hwbuf_unused=61696
D: alsa-source.c: setting avail_min=481
D: alsa-source.c: latency set to 20.00ms
D: alsa-source.c: hwbuf_unused=61696
D: alsa-source.c: setting avail_min=481
D: core-subscribe.c: Dropped redundant event due to change event.
D: module-hal-detect.c: dbus: interface=org.freedesktop.Hal.Device, path=/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer_power_supply_battery_BAT1, member=PropertyModified
D: bluetooth-util.c: dbus: interface=org.freedesktop.Hal.Device, path=/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer_power_supply_battery_BAT1, member=PropertyModified
D: module-console-kit.c: dbus: interface=org.freedesktop.Hal.Device, path=/org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/computer_power_supply_battery_BAT1, member=PropertyModified

any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[emc986]

just a bump.

So nobody gets crackling with PulseAudio when it starts up/wakes up?

[NoSkill]

Originally Posted by emc986

just a bump.

So nobody gets crackling with PulseAudio when it starts up/wakes up?

I get this on my Home Theatre Amplifier. PulseAudio always switches off the pre-amplifier to my audio amplifier when there is no sound. Then when a signal arrives, the pre-amplifier switches back on (or should I say "it comes off stand-by") and I miss the first part of the audio (about 1 second).

I'm guessing that the amplifier you are sending the audio to is doing the same thing. Except I'm thinking that if your amplifier is switching on quickly then you will hear a "switch-on" pop (or thump). Or else you are hearing the crackling as the power is being applied to the amplifier (usually for the first time after switching it on).

Sound cards (or motherboards ones) might do the same thing, but I've never seen one that actually has a "stand-by" mode.

A cure? Dunno mate I guess you might be able to test my "theory" if you hook up a set of headphones directly to the headphone jack of your soundcard or motherboard (whatever the case may be). If it doesn't pop/crackle there, then it is your amplifier that is doing it.

Good luck

(edit: Oh yeah... By the way, I'm using the digital (optical) connection to my amplifier.)

[TheIcebreaker]

ya at the start of every video you get a pop for like 2 seconds the its fine.

[emc986]

NoSkill, that's a great thought. I hadn't considered hardware downstream of the sound card. You're right though: When you switch on an amplifier and a signal is already being pushed into it the amp will pop. Which is why the amp should already be on when the line signal is sent.

It's something to ponder. What wakes up pulseaudio, the client or the actual audio being sent from the client?

Appreciate the thoughts. Unfortunately, listening on headphones produced the same crackle (evenly in both channels).

[jpgr87]

I'm experiencing a similar issue, it's popping because pulseaudio is muting and unmuting itself. It seems to do it when i shift focus from one application to another, and I can see the tray icon muting and unmuting. I try to leave everything muted until i want to hear something, but it's kind of annoying.

[emc986]

What's your sound card?

[jpgr87]

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 04)

It's an integrated card on the old Sonoma Centrino platform (Pentium M, 533mhz fsb). I'm going to monitor pulseaudio -vvv and see if I can find anything