Fun with sound. (cable/computer audio question.)

[Arugela]

Probably an odd place to ask this but you never know. I'm figuring there's a good chance someone will know this. 8)

I have a cable box with various audio outputs.

I have an RCA white/red male to 3.5mm jack female and a male to male normal fairly long 3.5mm cord.

I have a computer.

I have an asus monitor with picture i picture, but no way to make both the computers hdmi/displayport sound and the pip input give sound to the in monitor speakers because asus is a bunch of cheapasses. You can get sound to both but must manually change the sound input/output direction and it mutes one to play the other. So I can mute PIP and listen to the computer or listen to the computer and mute the pip. Oh joy!! technology at it's finest.

BTW, the sound works. Just not at the same time.(IE no simultaneous sources on the monitors end.)

What I'm trying to do i use the RCA jack to get sound into the computer then send it through the display port in the same cord so the problem goes away in essence.. Aside from muting the sound.. (this obviously might be easier to just send the output from the cable box to another speaker source in the end.) Either way, I'm using an RCA male to 3.5mm female jack to send it to the normal 3.5mm sound sources. I have lots of them. My problem is trying to recognize it and then get it through the speakers like other sound. Is there a lack of ability by default in a pc. Has anyone tried this. I'm probably missing something simple.

(this is just dawning on me) I've was sticking into the green jack but I keep having trouble thinking if it's input or output.

I'm using linux with mate desktop. I have the pulse audio software stuff and whatever mate has to control the hardware inputs and outputs. I think I don't even have the correct connection atm.. I keep thinking the normal green jack is input when I think it's output as the box is going to the computer... I'm a bit curious though if anyone has dealt with this as a  heads up type of thing and knows if there is some type of bock that ultimately stops this. I basically just need the sound to go out the display port with the normal sound from my video card.

trying to get the right source and software settings make my head spin. 8)

 

I think I have to attach to a line in.. But can it send out after through another source like the display port sound? Do I need special software to spit the line input out another source?

 

Edit: I got it plugged into the line input correctly in the back of my computer. It says in the settings it's plugged in.(thank god.) My output is set to my display port like it normally is. I'm assuming i need software to control the sound and there is no dead capabilities in normal sound software as it's not auto giving me a source and the volume that should be comming from my cable box sound.

Is there some nice tv software for linux with a gui that can control sound inputs and send it to the display port? I only need the sound controls at this point. The video goes to the hdmi source in the monitor. I can go full screen and the sound changes. But the PIP never carries sound under any circumstances.

Or do I need to use microphone instead of line input...

Edit: I got it to work to some degree. Apparently you need to activate loopback in the alsamixer(mine was disabled.). Then set the auto in alsamixer input to the correct volume. Now I just need to figure out how to control the sound indepenently. 8)

I currently have it hooked into my microphone in. I may move it to my line input and see if that works. Then I can leave the microphone line free. I also have this weird 2.5mm jack that looks like the other end is an rf receiver... I wonder if I could make it work with the univeral remote and make it control the volume for the line input or something. Or anything that gives easy control of the tv volume independent of the other sound.

Edit: I have it working and the sound is set to the base volume I want. Now I am trying to figure out how to set a keybind for the audio. Trying this: Xbindkeys

I have three virtually unused buttons for, Internet, Email, and Search I can bind the volume up, down, and mute too if I can get it to work. It will control the Line input in alsamixer if it works correctly.

I found this but I'm not sure if it will allow control with different keys than the normal master volume. Let alone setting it to line input or microphone etc. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/ALSA#Keyboard_volume_control

I can control the master volume with it but it doesn't seem to work with Line or other volumes. That or I haven't found a way to make it reference the other channels correctly.

Working code:

"amixer set Master toggle"
   Mod2 + XF86HomePage

Not working code:

"amixer set Line toggle"
   Mod2 + XF86HomePage

I've been playing with this more and I get the feeling it's a limitation in amixer or pactl. It seems to only allow control of the Master atm. I'm not sure why though. All information seems to indicate I should be able to use Amixer to control the other channels like surround and front. Not sure what it is about my system that doesn't allow this.

Edited May 29, 2018 by Arugela