Can you maybe try arecord -D hw:1 -f cd foo.wav and see if it makes any change?
I wouldn’t throw a full blown audio editor not knowing if the basic sound system works.
I have exactly the same behavior, contact noise seems at expected levels, while voice is really soft (need to shout to get something that gets over the way-louder-than-expected background noise).
In case anyone wants to compare, here’s a short recording made with audacity: http://www.stdout.nl/static/files/Framework%20broken%20microphone%20recording.ogg
I just tested this, this behavior is not happening for me (when the switch is off, no audio comes in, not even noise), so maybe you’re seeing a different problem than me (and maybe also @ProperGander). I tried comparing with your audio recording, but the links wouldn’t load for me.
In any case, before contacting support I did some testing based on what other people had said support would be asking (try Windows, Linux and live boot, upgrade to latest BIOS, reinstall Windows drivers, remove and reseat webcam module). Then I contacted support which asked me to check if a microphone did work, whether my speakers did work, whether the webcam was working, what my windows version was and if it was a clean install or restored from another system, to make a video showing the problem, make clear pictures of the webcam module connector and cable (with the cable removed), same for the mainboard connector and to send a recording using the broken microphone.
They reached the same conclusion I had - broken webcam/mic modul e and shipped me a new one (neatly in nearly all-cardboard packaging, including the outer envelope and padding, everything except for the anti-static bag). (which I haven’t installed yet - wanted to check the switch-off-behavior reported above first with the old module - next up is installing the new module).
Edit: I just installed the new module, and it works like a charm. For comparison, here is a recording made with exactly the same settings and just normal volume voice at about 1m distance (warning: it is loud, since I had apparently put the gain quite high before): http://www.stdout.nl/static/files/Framework%20fixed%20microphone%20recording.ogg
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@Anachron the arecord command threw up this message:
ALSA lib confmisc.c:165:(snd_config_get_card) Cannot get card index for 1
arecord: main:831: audio open error: No such file or directory
Sorry, I have no idea what this means.
I can record sound without any problems using my external sound card (USB interface) and a standard handheld microphone.
I also assume that my internal sound card is working correctly because it is capturing my bumps and thumps on the bezel in sufficient detail.
Here is an .ogg file of me turning on the mics with the hardware switch, talking with my mouth about 10 inches from the microphones, tapping the bezel six times, sliding my finger across the bezel, and then turning the mics off again with the hardware switch. Enjoy!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hjx4x7u9uhzy9se/Framework%20mic%20sample.ogg?dl=0
Just posting to confirm that I had the same issue and it was resolved when Framework sent a replacement.
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Hi everyone,
If you run into this issue, please contact Framework Support. We’ve resolved a number of these through troubleshooting (sometimes a Linux issue or missing drivers), but sometimes, it can be faulty hardware. The only way we can determine root cause is through said troubleshooting.
Thanks!
In the end, due to this issue as well as missing a lot of programs from Windows that I just couldn’t find Linux replacements for, I went back to Windows. Using ThisIsWin11 I’ve customized Windows 11 to be more like a mix of win 7 and win 10, and I’m pretty happy with it.
I had to disable “panel self refresh” as described here to fix some screen tearing/blanking, but other than that, it worked out of the box.
I plan to pick up a drive expansion when I have the funds and install Ubuntu on that. Linux can boot from USB, unlike Windows, so it will be great to have as a backup, for linux-only programs/raspi development/etc, and as an OS-on-the-go I can use on other computers.
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In the end I did the troubleshooting with the very helpful Framework support team, and when that failed to turn up any solutions they sent me a new module. I’ve just installed the new module and everything works perfectly now. Thank you!
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@Matt_Hartley while I use windows as primary OS, the problem was hardware and not specifically tied to the OS (strictly speaking of the initial problem that push me to start this thread).
Changing the camera/microphone module solved it, so why the windows tag?
Ah, appreciate the clarification - tag updated to hardware. We need to tag these so as we’re cruising through we know which is what. Thanks for the heads up.
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Running into this issue on a Framework ordered in September 2023 and manufactured in July of that year.
Another case here. Tested various apps, and 3 distros. In all:
localhost% arecord -D hw:1 -f cd foo.wav
ALSA lib confmisc.c:165:(snd_config_get_card) Cannot get card index for 1
arecord: main:834: audio open error: No such file or directory
Audio Settings see the mic, but cannot label or activate it, and the GUI is missing the respective parts:
I have contacted Support for a replacement.
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I’ll need some additional details.
- Which distros and which kernels?
- Which Framework 13 (11th, 12th, 13th gen or AMD Ryzen)?
- When troubleshooting audio, please disable Easy Effects as it adds an additional layer that we will need to bypass in troubleshooting.
- Since we’re looking at this from the ALSA layer, what is the output of
arecord -l
I tested this on my Ryzen 7 Framework, note the difference in the commands?
Note hw:1,0 vs hw:1 - subdevice is needed to record based on my own arecord -l output for device and sub device.
I tested this on Fedora 39, with the mic input set entirely too high on my end (I adjusted this later), worked great.
Thanks for the offered help. I don’t need it, though, the mic has worked with a Ubuntu live (that I had not tested before).
Support was quick and helpful. :-)))
My response there may be of interest, I’ll copy it here.
The microphone works under Ubuntu live, and that kills all hope of a
broader choice of distros. That is a very disappointing realization, and
having to face the VM hassle […] is not nice either.I thus retract the request for a microphone replacement.
I FW only had up front stated in their marketing that /only two /of the
plethora of Linux distros were supported… Yes, I understand: young
company, likely understaffed, still major kinks in the supply chain,
need to grow fast, and whathaveyou. But for every disappointed customer
you lose prospective buyers. It might be wise at this point to hire
someone to take the existing drivers from Ubuntu and/or Fedora and feed
them upstream into other distros, or better, the kernel. Heck, it’s a
one-shot job you could get done cheaply via Mechanical Turk.
Adding a data point that it worked on my 11th gen running arch. I did have to run the command with sudo, and the device was 0. The command that I ran was: sudo arecord -D hw:0,0 -f cd foo.wav
I appreciate your feedback. For others reading this, I will take a moment to point out that we are clear about which distros we support and which are tested with which configurations: Framework | Linux Compatibility on the Framework Laptop
When purchasing said laptop.
-
AMD for example: Framework | Choose Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition (AMD Ryzen™ 7040
-
Intel 13th gen: Framework | Choose Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition (13th Gen Intel®
If you have a suggestion how we can be more clear for our customers, I would welcome the feedback and suggestions.
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Maybe be more clear up-front that there may be issues with other distros. I understand “We support” as “We try to help with”, and not as “other distros may not fully work”.
You could point potential customers here, to check for themselves, with some statement like “Our users also use our laptops running , please consult <page(*)>. Some extra installation work may be needed – you will find experiences and help in our lively support community forum.” Or so, you will find better wording.
(*) A page to see at a glance whether intended projects may run into issues or can be expected go smoothly or with minor extra work.
I have not found the time recently to follow current activity here so this may be moot alread: if there is none yet, maybe create (and keep updated) a single page that lists the state of the art. Start with a poll among the linux users: what distro (and version), what works, what tricks/what drivers were needed,…plus date of info and, of course, FW model. A sortable table would be great: some prospective customers want to filter by hardware, others by distro, the third by how smooth everything will go.
HTH
I’m also having the same issue in Windows. I have submitted a support ticket. What I don’t understand is why they keep going through the same troubleshooting motions if most of these seem to be related to hardware. Why do I have to record the microphone and send in the recording? Why do I have to show pictures of the motherboard? I stepped away from other manufacturers because I wanted a better experience. If this is what support is made of then I can just stick with HP or Dell. In the end I’m skipping support and just ordered the webcam/sound board on my own dime. I can’t miss any more Zoom meetings without a microphone.
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Presumably Support has a process and a tree that they need to work through, it is unlikely that it is arbitrary. If you do find that the replacement resolves the issue I would let them know, and maybe they will issue a refund for it. Best of luck.
I didn’t say that it was arbitrary but if they have had more than a few of these issues, maybe it’s time to revise the steps. Even if it was revised temporarily. Uploading an audio file seems a bit much. Anyway, as I suspected, I replaced it on my own dime and it works perfectly. I DO like the DIY approach and fully support this project. This is yet another reason why you should expect a different brand of customers.
My apologies, I didn’t intend to put words in your mouth regarding the arbitrary comment. Mostly was noting that I assume that there is a method and a process that they are following, although that sometimes isn’t clear to us on the other side. I am glad that you got it working, and definitely reach out to Support and advocate for a refund. Have a great day.