volume control via mpc not working with SoftMixer

Volumio Development Bug reports
1

Hi,

I run Volumio 2.348 on a Pi 2.
My DAC is Sabaj A3 - sabaj.com.cn/en/productshow.asp?id=71

I don’t know whether this DAC has a hardware volume control. How can I clarify this on the linux-console?
Volumio doesn’t provide me a hardware volume control, so I set up software volume control and also enabled mpc volume control.

I think the resulting relevant part, due to this setup is in /etc/mpd.conf

audio_output { type "alsa" name "alsa" device "softvolume" dop "no" mixer_device "SoftMaster" mixer_control "SoftMaster" mixer_type "hardware" }
My /etc/asound.conf is

[code]pcm.softvolume {
type plug
slave.pcm “softvol”
}

pcm.softvol {
type softvol
slave {
pcm “plughw:5,0”
}
control {
name “SoftMaster”
card 5
device 0
}
max_dB 0.0
min_dB -50.0
resolution 100
}[/code]

This is my problem:
“mpc volume” commands don’t work - my volume is n/a.
Starting mpd manually with mpd -v --stderr --no-daemon gives

After modifying in mpd.conf
from

to

mixer_device    "hw:5"

mpc volume control works for me.

I’m not experienced with linux-sound-handling - would you please review this issue.

Thanks
Alex

2

I wonder - now all mpc volume command (e.g. 40, -10, +5) work.
The Android Apps M.I.L.P and MPD Remote both now

  • immidiatly recognize volume changes done by any other frontend-device
  • can increase volume
  • but cannot decrease volume.
3

I had a closer look the my volume-control problem wth M.I.L.P and MPD Remote and I wonder.
Both apps have the same behaviour:

  • volume setting to any value is always possible
  • volume increase is always possible
  • volume decrease is only possible if current volume is <50

So I sniffed the network traffic between my android and mpd on volumio.
I realized the apps never send increase or decrease command. Instead, the always send command to set the volume to an absolute value.
But this commands are not send when volume should be decreased and current volume is >=50.

This means that the problem is in the app. The same falls behaviour in both apps. I can’t beleave it, but I think my wireshark measures are correct.
Could anybody verify this?

Any comment concerning the SoftMaster-issue?

4

I solved the app-issue.
In MPD Remote you can change the volume-steps from 1 (=default) to anything <=5.
After that, volume decrease is always possible.
Seems like the increase is done in steps%, the decrease is done in (steps-1)%

Editing the volume-control-step in M.I.L.P. seems not be be possible.

I contacted both developers and await their response.

Any suggestions for alternative mpc-apps?

e.g.
I’m so interessted in this mpc-stuff because volume-control via smartphone-volume-buttons is very important for me. I don’t wan’t to always ahve to look on the webgui to change volume.