My state of audio on Linux

Sunday, 14 September 2003

I finally got the nerve to install Redhat 9 again. I have in the past found it impossible to get my AC’97 soundcard to work, so haven’t regularly used the -only- version of Linux I have ever paid for.

Recently I discovered that this soundcard is backwards from most and only had drivers for Windows—or so I thought… So I plugged the speakers in the pink jack (normally reserved for microphone use… because that’s what the pink jack is for) and… IT WORKS!!! SOUND!

Okay, but this was undesirable, because when I plugged my mic into the speaker jack (green), it would create some sort of digital reverberation… ??? When I turned the microphone volume up (which oddly enough the mic wouldn’t work) it would scream digital madness out of the speakers.

So I returned to configuring ALSA and lo and behold… I’m finally able to REALLY use my soundcard now. Like I was hoping to a few months ago. I guess I shouldn’t complain seeing how this is free software. Yeah, my sound works now, and I am happy to report that I am typing this on Redhat 9.