[linux-audio-user] Recording Problem - Intel Corporation 82801CA/CAM AC'97

[Dave Price]

Greetings,

I have a dell Latitude 600 with internal Intel Corporation 82801CA/CAM AC'97

Output is fine with Alsa applications

I have listed the AMIXER output below - in practice, most of the 
controls do not appear to be functional.

I tried recording with audacity, and at first could not get any signal - 
by playing with alsamixer, I could get some very low distorted sound to  
record.

I am trying to patch into the mic input from a headphone out - I can 
hear the sound in the PC Speakers, but not record at any acceptable quality.

Any advice on how to get something to record on this laptop would be 
appreciated.

aloha,
dave

AMIXER reports:
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 29 [94%] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 29 [94%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Master Mono',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono: Playback 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Bass',0
  Capabilities: volume volume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: 0 - 15
  Mono: 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control 'Treble',0
  Capabilities: volume volume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: 0 - 15
  Mono: 0 [0%]
Simple mixer control '3D Control - Center',0
  Capabilities: volume volume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: 0 - 15
  Mono: 15 [100%]
Simple mixer control '3D Control - Depth',0
  Capabilities: volume volume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: 0 - 15
  Mono: 12 [80%]
Simple mixer control '3D Control - Switch',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 30 [97%] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 30 [97%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM Out Path & Mute',0
  Capabilities:
  Mono:
Simple mixer control 'Line',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined 
cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 23 [74%] [on] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 23 [74%] [on] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'CD',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined 
cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 28 [90%] [on] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 28 [90%] [on] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined cvolume pswitch pswitch-joined 
cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31 Capture 0 - 15
  Mono: Playback 23 [74%] [off]
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Boost (+20dB)',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic Select',0
  Capabilities:
  Mono:
Simple mixer control 'Video',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined 
cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Phone',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch 
cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Mono
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Mono: Playback 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Left: Capture [off]
  Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'IEC958 Playback AC97-SPSA',0
  Capabilities: volume volume-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: 0 - 3
  Mono: 2 [67%]
Simple mixer control 'PC Speaker',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pvolume-joined pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Limits: Playback 0 - 15
  Mono: Playback 11 [73%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Aux',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined cswitch cswitch-joined 
cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 31
  Front Left: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
  Front Right: Playback 0 [0%] [off] Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mono Output Select',0
  Capabilities:
  Mono:
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch cswitch-joined
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 15
  Front Left: Capture 0 [0%] [off]
  Front Right: Capture 0 [0%] [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mix',0
  Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: Capture [off]
  Front Right: Capture [off]
Simple mixer control 'Mix Mono',0
  Capabilities: cswitch cswitch-joined cswitch-exclusive
  Capture exclusive group: 0
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Front Left: Capture [on]
  Front Right: Capture [on]
Simple mixer control 'External Amplifier',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [on]
Simple mixer control 'Loudness (bass boost)',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
Simple mixer control 'Simulated Stereo Enhancement',0
  Capabilities: pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Mono
  Mono: Playback [off]
.....................