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[How To] Solutions for Audio Problems


Rammjet
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Audio

 

This is a compilation of many of the different audio solutions available. It is not exhaustive. If you don't find what you want, search for it.

 

Please do not post questions in this thread looking for a solution that is not listed. Use other threads for that.

 

Please do post other good known audio solutions in this thread. I will try to incorporate any posted solutions into the list. Otherwise, users can read the thread for any other solutions.

 

C-Media 8738
- Read
and
and 10.4.7

 

Realtek

ALC665 + VIA
- Read

 

ALC8xx
- Use this
. General purpose audio guide for AppleAzaliaAudio.kext on many different audio chipsets. Appendix helps you locate your vendor and device ids for your two audio chipsets.

 

ALC 850
- Use this

 

ALC 882
- If running the new 8.8.1 kernel, multichannel out and audio in using a Natit clone method

 

ALC 883
- If running the new 8.8.1 kernel, multichannel out and audio in using a Natit clone method

 

ALC 888
- If running the new 8.8.1 kernel, multichannel out and audio in using a Natit clone method

SB400
- Get driver

 

Sigmatel

9200
- No current solution

 

9220
- Use this

 

9221
- Go

 

9223
- Go
or if using new kernel 8.8.1, try
.

 

9750
- Maybe
will help.

 

9752/53
- Read
.

SiS 7012
- Read
and
.

 

Soundmax
- Review these:
,
,
. Note: Users with Soundmax 1981HD and 1986 have been successful using the ALC8xx method. Be sure to read the Appendix to the guide.

 

USB Soundsticks
- USB Soundblaster and others. Read
and see below.

 

Misc information

Other projects
AppleHDA project
- modifying AppleHDA.kext for hi-def sound. Read

 

ALCinject
- using a Titan/Natit approach to solving Realtek audio. Read

USB Soundsticks
- very
inexpensive
USB sticks can be purchased for less than $10(US) to provide
multichannel-sound out and microphone-sound in
. One place to find these is on the eBay site by searching for "usb 5.1 audio". A higher quality device is the "Turtle Beach Audio Advantage" available in stores for about $35(US). All of these devices work very well when you have no other sound-out or sound-in solutions.

Utilities

Audio MIDI Setup
- use this utility found in the Utilities folder to cofigure your input and ouput ports

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  • 3 weeks later...

This would not be a cheap stopgap but a possible complete solution to getting perfect sound with your Hackintosh. I would stress that I haven't tried it (though am keen to do so) but noted when surfing that it is slated as working with regular Macs, so why not Hackintoshes?

 

To quote from Creative:-

 

Sound Blaster® Extigy is the revolutionary external quality audio solution from Creative. Designed to provide stunning digital audio to notebook or desktop users who cannot open their PCs or would prefer not to, it installs quickly and easily by USB. A remote control is standard.

 

With 24-bit DACs and a 100dB signal-to-noise ratio, hardware Dolby Digital® decoding, multi-channel output and 24-bit/96kHz compatible connectivity, the Sound Blaster Extigy gives a powerful high-end audio and home theatre experience.

 

It also offers EAX® ADVANCED HD™ music features such as Audio Clean-Up, Time Scaling and DREAM, and can operate as a stand-alone Dolby® Digital decoder for use with DVD players or entertainment consoles.

Quick Installation with USB

Sound Blaster Extigy easily plugs into any available USB port on your PC or notebook. Connect your speakers, load the Sound Blaster Extigy's suite of software and elevate your music listening experience forever.

 

Connect Your Digital and Analog Devices

With an emphasis on versatility, you can now connect your PC or notebook to most digital entertainment devices such as DVD players, CD and MP3 players, MIDI devices, stereo and multi-channel speakers, headphones and more. Featured ports include Optical and MIDI In/Out, SPDIF-In, Line-In and Mic-In.

 

Tweak Your Sound from Across the Room

Convenient and fun, the front panel control knobs and wireless remote provide you with total control of your sound experience. If you own surround sound speakers, you will love the one-touch CMSS button that turns any stereo recording, including MP3 and WMA music files, into a surround sound masterpiece.

 

Be the first to benefit from the high-powered, easy-to-use Sound Blaster Extigy...the external Sound Blaster that adds stunning digital audio fidelity to your PC and notebook!

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This would not be a cheap stopgap but a possible complete solution to getting perfect sound with your Hackintosh. I would stress that I haven't tried it (though am keen to do so) but noted when surfing that it is slated as working with regular Macs, so why not Hackintoshes?

Quick price search revealed $130-170(US)

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  • 1 month later...

I can now report that the Sound Blaster Extigy USB works perfectly with my two Hackintosh computers. :hysterical:

 

The only problem I have encountered is the familiar USB one, where you have to unplug and plug back in in order for the USB device in question to be detected. In that I have to do that once a session at most, I'm not especially troubled by it. The signal to noise ratio is good and the sound quality is, as you would expect, very good. A simple solution to high quality sound, though of course there are cheaper ones but they doubtless sound somewhat cheaper too. I haven't had cause to try out the microphone input but I see no reason why it wouldn't work.

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Detox, which version of osx are you running and did you change any usb chipset drivers / hda drivers or core audio drivers?

 

Or are you using the digital output?

 

I still don't get audio out of my extigy

 

I am using JAS 10.4.8 Intel/AMD. You just plug it into your USB port and it works.

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I am using JAS 10.4.8 Intel/AMD. You just plug it into your USB port and it works.

 

Hi DETOSX did you try the JAS version with the "soundblaster usb package" during the installation of OSX?

 

Because when I try to load the "soundblaster usb package1046" the whole usb-bus stops working so no mouse / keyboard and ofcourse no Extigy, even after replugging.

 

Btw did you do a firmware upgrade of the extigy for windows? or did you use the plain old drivers from the cd in windowsXP?

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Hi DETOSX did you try the JAS version with the "soundblaster usb package" during the installation of OSX?

 

Because when I try to load the "soundblaster usb package1046" the whole usb-bus stops working so no mouse / keyboard and ofcourse no Extigy, even after replugging.

 

Btw did you do a firmware upgrade of the extigy for windows? or did you use the plain old drivers from the cd in windowsXP?

Avoid the Soundblaster USB package, would be my advice; it causes USB shut outs on so many systems. If you need to fix what the USB package broke, go to the apple developer site and download the USB driver for 10.4.8. If I remember the wording correctly you install the non logged version of the two options available.

No, I didn't need any drivers. I just plugged it in and it worked. I can't begin to tell you how wonderful that moment was. I haven't tried it from an XP boot up, for which perhaps there would be some benefit installing drivers. With OS X it - as Apple like to say of themselves - 'just works'. I have detected some hum which wasn't there when I plugged it in that first day. I will investigate. All in all I have been very happy. I would be interested to hear what the battery drain is like on laptops, though. Any takers like to report on that?

Edited by Detosx
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Well than it might be my hardware revision of the extigy...

I did however do a firmware upgrade a couple of years ago...

I'm not using the original usb cable...

 

The numbers on my extigy are:

SB0130

3902D023

AM01302370001882

 

My last questions to detosx ;-) are:

Which kernel did you use SSE2/SSE3?

Which USB chipset do you have?

What do you mean by:

non logged version of the two options available.
is this the usb fix?

 

Thanks for informing me this far already.

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I have a question .. My soundblaster live! 24 give-me some very anoing pops and sound cracks from time to time ... and is very annoing .. First I was thinking that is the fault of my soundcard .. so I have go ahead , broke my heart and installed winxp ... well, the sound is loud and clear, no stops and no noise .. Back on osx, the nightmare started again .. can be a solution for this ?!

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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Could the author update the first post for the Sigmatel 9200?

 

I have a Dell Inspiron E1405 which has a built-in sound card, namely the Sigmatel 9200.

 

I used AppleHDA Patcher 1.15 by Taruga, here.

 

I also used the text file, Sigmatel9200.txt, found here.

 

It should be noted that the first times I ran AppleHDA Patcher 1.15, in two separate OS X installations, it crashed. First time I was running 10.4.8 and the second 10.4.9. However, my second times running it, both in 10.4.9, succeed in getting the sound to work. However, the sound card information is still not available in System Profiler.

 

I'm sure this is a well-known fact to most people, but having it in this post really helps first-time OSx86ers.

 

Thanks.

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All has been well with my Creative X-FI USB soundcard/stick, up until now when I tried to use a microphone. No joy. The USB-card shows up as Creative xmod microphone but no matter where I put the slider, there is no sound coming in. Most frustrating. I will try in Vista and make sure I don't have a duff card but I doubt it. The sound is lovely.

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RELATED TO MIDI PROBLEMS

 

Hi,

 

as mentioned in this forum some people, maybe the most, have problems with randomly not working Apple MIDI server. I had the same problem. MIDI just worked nearly every 4th reboot. But now all midi server problems are gone SINCE I DO NOT USE ANY PCI CARDS ANYMORE! It sounds strange, but it seems the midi server does not work because of wrong PCI drivers. I had a audio PCI card, which wasn't usable in the pci slot. Now everything removed, the midi server always runs well.

 

I would like to know:

 

1. Is the pci extension developed by Apple or a free developer?

 

2. What extension is responsible for pci action?

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

:thumbsup_anim:

 

Hi All!

 

Well after building my 3rd Hackintosh, i've managed to fix the audio for the BIOSTAR 945GZ ALC655 audio.

 

The easiest way I have found of finding what the Vendor/device/class numbers are is to disbale the hardrives/cdrom frtom booting in the bios and to read the allocation report on the screen. This shows you what hardware has been dectected and PnP set by the bios. If ound mine that way, no need to boot into WINDOWS at all!

 

Anyway to the driver....

 

I can confirm that the driver will give you:

 

Stereo OUT

LINE/MIC IN

Volume contriol from within OSX.

 

ALL TEST FULLY WORKING WITH LOGIC EXPRESS!!

 

 

Spec of the iHack is:

 

E4300 Core 2 Duo

BIOSTAR 945GZ 775 onbaord ALC655 (AC97) and GMA950

2 x 1GB 533 OCZ VALUE RAM

DVDRW/IDE HDD

 

xbench ~132

 

n.b.

 

as far as the BIOSTAR M/B goes all working haven't tested the SATA yet though

AppleAC97Audio.kext.zip

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  • 1 month later...

I have thinkpad x31 with AD1981 sound. Tried all the tutorials and hints, patching etc., but it didn't work. Finally I found out it was all a permissions problem. I don't know too much about all this stuff but I just tried to fix the permissions from hand. A kextload brought no change.

 

But, when I booted into OS X again, I was very surprised to find the sound device working.

 

Fantastic! Now I can finally quit using XP!

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  • 3 weeks later...
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