# [Solved] Select Default ALSA Sound Card

## solamour

I'm sure this has been asked multiple times in the past, so if I look hard enough, I should be able to figure it out on my own. But I haven't had much luck, so I'm going to shamelessly ask for your help.

My laptop has (I think) 2 sound cards, and the default is set to HDMI instead of the tiny speakers on the laptop. Thus I'm not getting any sound. How do I set the default sound card? Here is relevant info. 

```
# lspci | grep -i audio

00:01.1 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD/ATI] Device 9840

00:14.2 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. [AMD] FCH Azalia Controller (rev 02)

```

```
# aplay -l

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****

card 0: Generic [HD-Audio Generic], device 3: HDMI 0 [HDMI 0]

  Subdevices: 1/1

  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

card 1: Generic_1 [HD-Audio Generic], device 0: ALC282 Analog [ALC282 Analog]

  Subdevices: 1/1

  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

```

```
# aplay -L

null

    Discard all samples (playback) or generate zero samples (capture)

hdmi:CARD=Generic,DEV=0

    HD-Audio Generic, HDMI 0

    HDMI Audio Output

default:CARD=Generic_1

    HD-Audio Generic, ALC282 Analog

    Default Audio Device

sysdefault:CARD=Generic_1

    HD-Audio Generic, ALC282 Analog

    Default Audio Device

front:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0

    HD-Audio Generic, ALC282 Analog

    Front speakers

surround40:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0

    HD-Audio Generic, ALC282 Analog

    4.0 Surround output to Front and Rear speakers

surround41:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0

    HD-Audio Generic, ALC282 Analog

    4.1 Surround output to Front, Rear and Subwoofer speakers

surround50:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0

    HD-Audio Generic, ALC282 Analog

    5.0 Surround output to Front, Center and Rear speakers

surround51:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0

    HD-Audio Generic, ALC282 Analog

    5.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Rear and Subwoofer speakers

surround71:CARD=Generic_1,DEV=0

    HD-Audio Generic, ALC282 Analog

    7.1 Surround output to Front, Center, Side, Rear and Woofer speakers

```

```
# cat /proc/asound/cards 

 0 [Generic        ]: HDA-Intel - HD-Audio Generic

                      HD-Audio Generic at 0xf0340000 irq 73

 1 [Generic_1      ]: HDA-Intel - HD-Audio Generic

                      HD-Audio Generic at 0xf0344000 irq 74

```

When I start "alsamixer" and press F6, I see the following list. I need to select "1" to see the usual Master, Headphone, Speaker, etc, controls.

```
Sound Card

- (default)

0 HD-Audio Generic

1 HD-Audio Generic

```

I remember there used to be a command called "alsaconf", but it doesn't seem to be included in alsa-utils anymore. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

__

solLast edited by solamour on Sun Aug 17, 2014 5:27 am; edited 1 time in total

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## The Doctor

I assume this is pure alsa? If not, then this might not work.

What you need is an .asoundrc file. This should probably work.

```
defaults.pcm.!card 1
```

More detail about using this file can be found here

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## solamour

Works perfectly now. Thank you for your help.

__

sol

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