Bug#575013: Gstreamer cannot read from some ALSA microphones

[Ben Wong]

I can confirm that Debian's current gstreamer-0.10 has a problem
recording from some microphones.  I have an Ensoniq 5880B PCI audio
card which records fine with ALSA but does not work with gstreamer
when specified as "hw:1,0".  Oddly, it  *does* work with gstreamer
when specified as "default:CARD=AudioPCI".   Note that I have three
other microphones on my computer, hw:0,0, hw:2,0, and hw:3,0 and
gstreamer is able to record from them without error.

Here are further details,

### I have gstreamer-0.10.30-1 installed
gstreamer0.10-alsa:
  Installed: 0.10.30-1
  Candidate: 0.10.30-1
  Version table:
 *** 0.10.30-1 0
        500 http://mirrors2.kernel.org/debian/ testing/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

###  Reading from hw:1,0 fails in getalsasrc.c
$ gst-launch-0.10 alsasrc device=hw:1,0 ! fakesink
Setting pipeline to PAUSED ...
ERROR: Pipeline doesn't want to pause.
ERROR: from element /GstPipeline:pipeline0/GstAlsaSrc:alsasrc0: Could
not get/set settings from/on resource.
Additional debug info:
gstalsasrc.c(433): set_hwparams (): /GstPipeline:pipeline0/GstAlsaSrc:alsasrc0:
Rate doesn't match (requested 44100Hz, get 0Hz)
Setting pipeline to NULL ...
Freeing pipeline ...

### But reading from default:CARD=AudioPCI works
$ gst-launch-0.10 alsasrc device=default:CARD=AudioPCI ! fakesink
Setting pipeline to PAUSED ...
Pipeline is live and does not need PREROLL ...
Setting pipeline to PLAYING ...
New clock: GstAudioSrcClock
^C

### Recording using alsa works fine at 44100Hz
$ arecord -D hw:1,0 -f cd foo.wav
Recording WAVE 'foo.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo
^C

### Here is the list of ALSA PCM sources available on my computer
$ arecord -L
null
    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)
default:CARD=I82801DBICH4
    Intel 82801DB-ICH4, Intel 82801DB-ICH4
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=I82801DBICH4,DEV=0
    Intel 82801DB-ICH4, Intel 82801DB-ICH4
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=I82801DBICH4,DEV=0
    Intel 82801DB-ICH4, Intel 82801DB-ICH4
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=I82801DBICH4,DEV=0
    Intel 82801DB-ICH4, Intel 82801DB-ICH4
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=I82801DBICH4,DEV=0
    Intel 82801DB-ICH4, Intel 82801DB-ICH4
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=I82801DBICH4,DEV=0
    Intel 82801DB-ICH4, Intel 82801DB-ICH4
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
default:CARD=AudioPCI
    Ensoniq AudioPCI, ES1371 DAC2/ADC
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=AudioPCI,DEV=0
    Ensoniq AudioPCI, ES1371 DAC2/ADC
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=AudioPCI,DEV=0
    Ensoniq AudioPCI, ES1371 DAC2/ADC
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
iec958:CARD=AudioPCI,DEV=0
    Ensoniq AudioPCI, ES1371 DAC2/ADC
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
default:CARD=U0x46d0x8b1
    USB Device 0x46d:0x8b1, USB Audio
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=U0x46d0x8b1,DEV=0
    USB Device 0x46d:0x8b1, USB Audio
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=U0x46d0x8b1,DEV=0
    USB Device 0x46d:0x8b1, USB Audio
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=U0x46d0x8b1,DEV=0
    USB Device 0x46d:0x8b1, USB Audio
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=U0x46d0x8b1,DEV=0
    USB Device 0x46d:0x8b1, USB Audio
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=U0x46d0x8b1,DEV=0
    USB Device 0x46d:0x8b1, USB Audio
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=U0x46d0x8b1,DEV=0
    USB Device 0x46d:0x8b1, USB Audio
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=U0x46d0x8b1,DEV=0
    USB Device 0x46d:0x8b1, USB Audio
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output
default:CARD=system
    iMic USB audio system, USB Audio
    Default Audio Device
front:CARD=system,DEV=0
    iMic USB audio system, USB Audio
    Front speakers
surround40:CARD=system,DEV=0
    iMic USB audio system, USB Audio
    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers
surround41:CARD=system,DEV=0
    iMic USB audio system, USB Audio
    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround50:CARD=system,DEV=0
    iMic USB audio system, USB Audio
    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers
surround51:CARD=system,DEV=0
    iMic USB audio system, USB Audio
    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers
surround71:CARD=system,DEV=0
    iMic USB audio system, USB Audio
    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers
iec958:CARD=system,DEV=0
    iMic USB audio system, USB Audio
    IEC958 (S/PDIF) Digital Audio Output

$ arecord -l
**** List of CAPTURE Hardware Devices ****
card 0: I82801DBICH4 [Intel 82801DB-ICH4], device 0: Intel ICH [Intel
82801DB-ICH4]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: I82801DBICH4 [Intel 82801DB-ICH4], device 1: Intel ICH - MIC
ADC [Intel 82801DB-ICH4 - MIC ADC]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: I82801DBICH4 [Intel 82801DB-ICH4], device 2: Intel ICH - MIC2
ADC [Intel 82801DB-ICH4 - MIC2 ADC]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 0: I82801DBICH4 [Intel 82801DB-ICH4], device 3: Intel ICH - ADC2
[Intel 82801DB-ICH4 - ADC2]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: AudioPCI [Ensoniq AudioPCI], device 0: ES1371/1 [ES1371 DAC2/ADC]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: U0x46d0x8b1 [USB Device 0x46d:0x8b1], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 3: system [iMic USB audio system], device 0: USB Audio [USB Audio]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

### It is only alsasrc that is broken; Gstreamer's alsasink works fine
for playing to hw:1,0
$ gst-launch-0.10 filesrc location=/home/ben/share/music/Mistabishi\
-\ Printer\ Jam.ogg ! oggdemux ! vorbisdec ! audioconvert ! alsasink
device=hw:1,0