Bug 89158 - When testing a Skype installation (using Skype's Test Call), there is no pavucontrol facility to specify "Use webcam microphone". (default is 'builtin mic')
Summary: When testing a Skype installation (using Skype's Test Call), there is no pavu...
Status: RESOLVED MOVED
Alias: None
Product: PulseAudio
Classification: Unclassified
Component: pavucontrol (show other bugs)
Version: unspecified
Hardware: x86-64 (AMD64) Linux (All)
: medium normal
Assignee: pulseaudio-bugs
QA Contact: pulseaudio-bugs
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2015-02-15 18:19 UTC by maurice
Modified: 2018-07-30 09:27 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
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Attachments

Description maurice 2015-02-15 18:19:22 UTC 
Using:	pulseaudio-5.0-6    skype-4.3.0.37     on 64-bit Mageia-4 & -5

When testing a Skype installation (using Skype's Test Call) using a USB webcam, there is no GUI facility to specify "Use webcam microphone". (Default is 'builtin mic')

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Install Skype. Connect. Select Menu/Options/Audio

2. Note that audio option 'Microphone' has only 1 option ("Pulseaudio")

3. In Pulseaudio Control (a.k.a. 'pavucontrol') note that webcam is shown 2nd in 'Input Devices' list, but no means of specifying 'Use webcam mic' (although if its volume button is moved to the right, any use of the webcam mic is reflected in the 'blue line' meter.

4. Select 'Test Call' and speak into webcam mic.

5. Note that Skype plays back no audio.

N.B. The only way to select webcam mic seems to be to select it in the 
"Recording" section of pavucontrol, BUT if no recording is in progress 
then nothing appears in that section!   So must proceed as follows:

   (a) Open the pavucontrol 'Recording' section

   (b) Start a Test Call

   (c) In 'Recording' the default input source (builtin mic line) is now 
       shown.
          Click on that and a line appears showing the webcam info.

   (d) Click on the webcam info to set 'webcam mic' as the default input 
for Skype. (This appears to persist across later startups of Skype from 
then on.)

All that seems a bizarre hoop to have to jump through, and I have seen 
reports on the web of others who failed to find that clumsy workaround and so 
ditched pavucontrol altogether in favour of e.g. ALSA.

Suggested solutions:

   - In Audio options, allow 'webcam' to be selected in the Microphone line
    
OR:

 - In pavucontrol 'Input Devices' provide an option to select webcam mic.
Comment 1 David Henningsson 2015-02-16 08:56:15 UTC 
Well, Gnome and Ubuntu/Unity both have another GUI application (gnome-control-center) which reorganises things in a (IMO) more straight forward way.

Pavucontrol more reflects PulseAudio's internal organisation of objects.

Maybe gnome-control-center is installable in Mageia?
Comment 2 maurice 2015-02-16 11:19:16 UTC 
> Pavucontrol more reflects PulseAudio's internal organisation of objects.

   It's its internal organisation of objects that I was referring to, wasn't it?!

> Maybe gnome-control-center is installable in Mageia?

  It is, but how would that help in this case, as pulseaudio is mandated in Mageia.

The question remains: 
  In a situation when it has found the USB webcam's microphone (it shows its input strength in Input Devices's 'blue-line' meter), why does pulseaudio persist in using the PC's unplugged mic input line instead of the webcam's (or at least offering the choice in a civilised way)?
  That's what is wrong here.
Comment 3 maurice 2015-02-16 11:49:30 UTC 
P.S. 
I see here that Mageia's Skype is not the only one affected by pulseaudio's bizarre handling of webcam microphone input (UBUNTU report):

http://askubuntu.com/questions/33392/how-to-use-the-webcams-microphone-in-skype

"...click tab Input devices and check, if microphone is functioning (it is visible on the horizontal scale).

Than click tab Recording. The page should be empty (no another device is recording). In Skype call Echo/Sound test service, or call somebody, who is able to endure on line. 
  This is only that way, how to set up microphone! During the session in Volume Control is visible what is recording. Push button in upper right corner and choose your web camera microphone input from list."

I.e. same bizarre hoop to jump through as in Mageia...
Comment 4 David Henningsson 2015-02-17 09:27:45 UTC 
> I see here that Mageia's Skype is not the only one affected by pulseaudio's 
> bizarre handling of webcam microphone input (UBUNTU report):

The link you posted is from 2011. The unity-control-center sound rework was released in 2012 (for Ubuntu 12.04).

>  In a situation when it has found the USB webcam's microphone (it shows its 
> input strength in Input Devices's 'blue-line' meter), why does pulseaudio 
> persist in using the PC's unplugged mic input line instead of the webcam's (or 
> at least offering the choice in a civilised way)?
> That's what is wrong here.

Yeah. I'm sometimes working on improving the routing so that this (and other problems) would be fixed, but progress is slow as PulseAudio's internal objects aren't really organised in a good way for this type of routing to be easy to do.
Comment 5 Arun Raghavan 2015-02-17 11:02:27 UTC 
Would it not work to set the default source in pavucontrol (green check box in the input devices tab)?
Comment 6 maurice 2015-02-17 12:36:37 UTC 
> Would it not work to set the default source in pavucontrol (green check box in > the input devices tab)?

  You mean the green circle top right? (Hovering mouse shows "Set as fallback".)

It is ticked in both builtin mic & webcam mic sections, and does not seem to offer any choice of setting.
Comment 7 maurice 2015-02-17 12:38:23 UTC 
> I'm sometimes working on improving the routing so that this (and other 
> problems) would be fixed,

Glad to hear that, David!

Good hunting...

Regards,
Comment 8 GitLab Migration User 2018-07-30 09:27:40 UTC 
-- GitLab Migration Automatic Message --

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