[BUG] Internal Mic not working - Dell Precision

[gravit8n]

Describe the bug
After upgrading to the Linux image 6.11.0-17 from 6.8.0.52 on Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS, the microphone on my DELL Precision 5690 stopped working. The microphone appears to receive a wrong signal in the audio settings (or pavucontrol), and the signal fluctuates continuously. When I attempt to record, a crackling sound is heard.

Capture : https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/6a08441d-7fdc-42d2-b2df-3c9f438da9ea

This issue is not new; it has been happening with some kernel since at least 6.8.0.3x. Multiple users have reported similar issues for Dell Precision in various forums: link to forum post or [here](https://github.com/intel/ipu6-drivers/
issues/228#issuecomment-2673246547).

==========

Update 2025/02/25: The issue seems to come from the microphone with the F4 key on the keyboard (mute/unmute) When I switch from secondary to primary F keys, the microphone behavior changes and the microphone works, even if the microphone is not working before...

==========

To Reproduce
Can not reproduce, it depends of the kernel and packages.

Reproduction Rate
All the time.
It worked sometimes with the kernel 6.8.0.48, 6.8.0.52, but never with 6.11.0-17 .

Expected behavior
The microphone should work correctly, and audio sinks should be active and capable of outputting sound. No problem on Windows.

Impact
It's not possible to hold a conference or a remote meeting.

Environment

• Kernel: 6.11.0-17
• SOF firmware version: 2.11.1.1
• SOF topology : ABI 3:29:1
• Kernel ABI 3:23:1
• Firmware file: intel/sof-ipc4/mtl/sof-mtl.ri
• Firmware lib path: intel/sof-ipc4-lib/mtl
• Topology file: intel/sof-ace-tplg/sof-mtl-rt713-l0-rt1316-l12-rt1713-l3.tplg
• Distribution: Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS
• PulseAudio : 16.1
• PipeWire version: 1.0.5
• pipewire-pulse : 1.0.5-1ubuntu2
• Hardware: DELL Precision 5690 with Meteor Lake-P HD Audio Controller

What I’ve tried so far:

• Purging and reinstalling pulseaudio, pipeWire, pipewire-pulse, linux-firmware, ubuntu-drivers-common, firmware-sof-signed, alsa-utils, linux-image-6.11.0-17-generic, linux-image-generic-hwe-24.04, ...
• Resetting ~/.config/pulse and ~/.config/pipewire directories.
• Installing BIOS and firmware updates and experimenting with older kernel versions ( linux-image-6.8.0-52-generic - but not working)

Screenshots or console output
```
$ lspci | grep -i audio
00:1f.3 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation Meteor Lake-P HD Audio Controller (rev 20)
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation Device 22be (rev a1)
```

```
$ cat /proc/asound/cards
0 [NVidia ]: HDA-Intel - HDA NVidia
HDA NVidia at 0x7d000000 irq 17
1 [sofsoundwire ]: sof-soundwire - sof-soundwire
DellInc.-Precision5690--02RYDD
```

```
$ arecord -l
**** Liste des périphériques matériels CAPTURE ****
carte 1 : sofsoundwire [sof-soundwire], périphérique 1 : Jack In () []
Sous-périphériques : 1/1
Sous-périphérique #0 : subdevice #0
carte 1 : sofsoundwire [sof-soundwire], périphérique 3 : Amp feedback () []
Sous-périphériques : 1/1
Sous-périphérique #0 : subdevice #0
carte 1 : sofsoundwire [sof-soundwire], périphérique 4 : Microphone (*) []
Sous-périphériques : 1/1
Sous-périphérique #0 : subdevice #0
```

```
$ pactl list short sources
48 alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-sof_sdw.HiFi__hw_sofsoundwire_7__sink.monitor PipeWire s32le 2ch 48000Hz SUSPENDED
49 alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-sof_sdw.HiFi__hw_sofsoundwire_6__sink.monitor PipeWire s32le 2ch 48000Hz SUSPENDED
50 alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-sof_sdw.HiFi__hw_sofsoundwire_5__sink.monitor PipeWire s32le 2ch 48000Hz SUSPENDED
51 alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-sof_sdw.HiFi__hw_sofsoundwire__sink.monitor PipeWire s32le 2ch 48000Hz SUSPENDED
52 alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-sof_sdw.HiFi__hw_sofsoundwire_2__sink.monitor PipeWire s32le 2ch 48000Hz SUSPENDED
53 alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-sof_sdw.HiFi__hw_sofsoundwire_1__source PipeWire s32le 2ch 48000Hz SUSPENDED
54 alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3-platform-sof_sdw.HiFi__hw_sofsoundwire_4__source PipeWire s32le 2ch 48000Hz SUSPENDED
```

```
$ systemctl --user unmask pipewire.service
systemctl --user unmask pipewire-pulse.service
systemctl --user enable --now pipewire pipewire-pulse
(base) glion@chronop5690:~$ systemctl --user status pipewire pipewire-pulse
● pipewire.service - PipeWire Multimedia Service
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Fri 2025-02-21 21:55:16 CET; 13h ago
TriggeredBy: ● pipewire.socket
Main PID: 19441 (pipewire)
Tasks: 3 (limit: 76244)
Memory: 9.8M (peak: 10.8M)
CPU: 1.209s
CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/[email protected]/session.slice/pipewire.service
└─19441 /usr/bin/pipewire

févr. 21 21:55:16 chronop5690 systemd[3113]: Started pipewire.service - PipeWire Multimedia Service.
févr. 21 21:55:16 chronop5690 pipewire[19441]: mod.jackdbus-detect: Failed to receive jackdbus reply: org.freedesktop.>

● pipewire-pulse.service - PipeWire PulseAudio
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/user/pipewire-pulse.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Fri 2025-02-21 21:50:39 CET; 13h ago
TriggeredBy: ● pipewire-pulse.socket
Main PID: 19047 (pipewire-pulse)
Tasks: 3 (limit: 76244)
Memory: 14.1M (peak: 15.5M)
CPU: 870ms
CGroup: /user.slice/user-1000.slice/[email protected]/session.slice/pipewire-pulse.service
└─19047 /usr/bin/pipewire-pulse

févr. 21 21:50:39 chronop5690 systemd[3113]: Started pipewire-pulse.service - PipeWire PulseAudio.
```

log.mic.debug.txt

[lgirdwood]

Update 2025/02/25: The issue seems to come from the microphone with the F4 key on the keyboard (mute/unmute) When I switch from secondary to primary F keys, the microphone behavior changes and the microphone works, even if the microphone is not working before...

This could be a HW configured Microphone mute, it may be routed to the soundiwre codec directly (where the SDW codec will mute/unmute in HW) .

[abonislawski]

@gravit8n looks like we can close it?