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 -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org