No sound

Casbalti · 2019-05-24T05:55:10+00:00

Hello all, I am new to Batocera and Linux in general but am trying to setup a retro gaming box for my little boy. Batocera looks amazing and is simple for...

Cemi70

Hello.

First of all, you are right when you say batocera is easy to use for your little boy. My sons are fine with batocera too 🙂

I have an AMD card, but everytime i install batocera for the first time, i first have to go into kodi and select my correct audio output in the Kodi audio settings. Something like "HDMI0 on Panasonic...blabla" by me.

That unmutes my HDMI sound.
After that i have to quit Kodi and choose the correct HDMI in the Batocera sound options.
The correct HDMI is that you have selected in Kodi.

The audio level is at 0% by me too and wont save, but that doesnt matter. Sound is working.

Eventually thats the trick for you too. HDMI sound seems to be a little tricky.

joinski

Casbalti

I would try following method (because this worked for me almost every time, when using different PC-Hardware):
If you are using a nvidia graphics card, then activate nvidia-drivers by editing the file recalbox-boot.conf (just open it with Notepad++ for example) located in the root of your usb-drive, where you installed batocera on and remove the # in front of the line #nvidia-driver=true.
Then boot the system and change Audio Output device to AUTO (not necessary, if you booted a fresh new install).
Reboot and then start Kodi.
Within Kodi you go to System Settings, Audio, Audio Output Device and select the appropriate HDMI-Output device (you can tell if it is the right one by the fact that possibly the monitor or TV name is included, otherwise just test all available output devices within kodi by e.g. using FilmOn or Youtube Addon, to see, if you get sound there).
When you have found the right output device, remember the number of the working audio output device (for example "HDA NVidia, SAM SyncMaster on HDMI #1").
Then exit kodi, go to ES Menu, Sound Settings, Output Device and select the same number (in my example HDMI1).
Then go back and you should hear a "jingle-sound" and a message appears, that you need to reboot the system.
But you do not have to reboot. The sound should already work (except the background music of ES Menu, if you set it to enabled, you will hear this music after reboot).
So just start a game and check if you have sound.
If the sound bar is at 0% just ignore it. Sound should work anyway.

There is another method, involving alsamixer. Somewhere in the forum someone posted a step by step guide how to use it. Just use search function in the forum or via google.
Otherwise, if i have some time later, i will try to find it and post it here.

Casbalti

Thanks guys,
I have tried applying this:
nvidia-driver=true

Which greatly improved emulation performance, but had no effect on the sound, so also tried this:

radeon.audio=1

But without any effect, whilst I haven’t tried it in Kodi (will do tonight) I did try both HDMI0 and HDMI 1 even with a reboot there was no sound :-(

I also looked at the audio mixes (Carl +Shift + F4/6) and it shows my Nvidia cards sound as OFF. But I have no clue how to make it work....

Thanks in advance!

Cemi70

Check Kodi tonight. I think, that could be your solution.

When i install Batocera for the first time Alsamixer shows my Sound-Device as muted, too.

After i get into Kodi and select the correct Audio Device for Kodi, Alsamixer shows it unmuted and the only thing to do then, is to select the same audio device in Batocera sound options too.

Kodi does something that Batocera does not.

To unmute devices in Alsamixer you should press "," on the device as far as i remember. But since i know these Kodi-trick i have never used alsamixer again.

Casbalti

Thankyou! Will try tonight 😁

Casbalti

Guys can I just say: THANK YOU!!!

Working with sound! OMG my boy will be chuffed as anything now he can play these games easily!

Last night I was about to give up after DAYS of tweaking!

Thanks!

Casbalti

Hmm now I’m confused. No sound in games but music in the menu!?

Cemi70

I had a similar problem with the sound. Do you want to play NTSC, the Batocera included games, handheld or arcade games and your TV is working at 50Hz?
If so, i had to change my Video mode to one with 60 Hz in the "Games/advanced/Emulator" menu and that fixed it for me. The problem is that in menu there are only resolutions listed, no refresh rates. 1280x720 did 60Hz for my TV and then i had audio in every game.

Casbalti

Right gotcha! I was using the demo games but all my rims are PAL asp will use them.

For some reason batocera is often booting to a blank screen now so will look at it again when the kids are in bed (don’t want them to see it until it’s “working”).

Thanks again for all your help you’ve been amazing!

Cemi70

Casbalti Have you testet it then with a PAL game and sound worked?

@joinski Könnte der nächste Fall dieser Art sein, wie ich es mit HDMI Ton hatte.

Casbalti

Thanks, I’ve tested a PAL game and have sound!

The black screen thing is a bit weird... when I connect an internal disk with ROM’s (configured by Batocera) it boots to a black screen every time. If I remove the drive then it boots as normal!?

Wanted to use an internal drive to make the most of the performance speed over USB (not to mention my kids pulling USB cables out!) but will try putting games on a stick instead next...

Cemi70

Casbalti You can install batocera on the internal disc. Start from USB Stick and boot Batocera from that stick.
Then go to the menu, "system settings" and then "install batocera on a new disk".
That is the way i use it, too.

If you want to play PAL and NTSC games with sound, you have to choose an 60Hz video mode.
For me the 1280x720 Video mode did 60Hz.
You can choose it for specific emulators when you go to menu, "games settings", "advanced", then the emulator you want to change the video mode and then "video mode"

NTSC only systems like PC Engine or Arcade like FBA need 60Hz to get audio. With a 50Hz Video mode you get silence.

Keep in mind, that PAL games with a 60Hz video mode judder when the game scrolls fast. NTSC games with 50Hz video mode judder too.
With some games that is noticable, with some you wont notice it.

But if you only want to play PAL games on your 50Hz TV, you have nothing to do.

Casbalti

After I get that working I just have to configure Dolphin so it works with Uber shaders and I am good to go!

Casbalti

Ok blank screen issue continues. I have determined that if I have more than one internal or external device connected (regardless of its content) Batocera will load to a blank screen.

So if I boot Batocera from internal then insert a usb and tell it to use this for games it will reboot to a blank screen

If I boot Batocera from usb and tell it to use an internal disk for games it will reboot to a blank screen

If I boot Batocera from internal and tell it to use another internal for games. Yeah you guessed it...

Guess I’m going to have to find one really big HDD for everything...
Had planned on an ssd for the OS and hdd for the games

Any thoughts?

Cemi70

Casbalti I use an 2TB internal SSHD Drive. Thats OK to me.
A normal HDD should be OK for Batocera too.

PS, Saturn,Mega CD, and PCE CD can be compressed to V5 .chd format to use less space.
Dreamcast can be compressed to V4 .chd format.

For Gamecube i use the new .nkit.gcz format. That compresses a lot depending on the game.
nkit.gcz for Wii will follow.

Casbalti

Thanks Cemi!
Well I configured batocera to use its own USB stick which it loads from and out a number of Megadrive and SNES Roma plus a GameCube one. Rebooted... nothing...

Performed a game update. Nothing...
Starting to reconsider Windows 😭

Cemi70

Casbalti I would copy a new image on the USB stick with Edger and begin from start.

Then copy games to \batocera\share and update the gamelist.

When this does not work i would consult a developer of batocera.

I had used Emulationstation and Retroarch on Windows before. The config marathon was one reason why i changed to batocera. And Batocera is easier to use for the kids because you can control it with a controller like a gaming console with no need for keyboard and mouse.

Casbalti

Thanks, yes that’s a good point.

I will start again, and this time I won’t make the Radeon change as it didn’t seem to make a difference anyway.

Thanks bud!

Casbalti

Same problem (blank screen after loading) tried an earlier version of Batocera and it just angers stuck on Batocera.linux at the top left of the screen.

Sigh windows here I come, with BigBox I should be able to make a nice setup but it’s not what I wanted 😭