AlsaTune

A simple GUI to control ALSA mixer and equalizer on pure ALSA-only systems.

AlsaTune provides an easy-to-use graphical interface for adjusting sound levels, managing the ALSA equalizer, saving and loading custom EQ presets, and toggling hardware controls — all without PulseAudio, PipeWire, or other sound servers.

Note: This application is designed exclusively for systems running pure ALSA. It will not function correctly if PulseAudio, PipeWire, or similar sound servers are active.

Features

• Real-time ALSA mixer control with volume sliders
• Full ALSA equalizer support with user-defined presets
• Save, load, edit, and apply EQ presets instantly (even while media is playing)
• Dual left/right balance sliders for supported channels
• Mute/unmute support (right-click sliders that support it)
• Sound card switcher with automatic .asoundrc handling
• Test tone generator
• Flatten EQ button (resets all bands to 50%)
• AlsaToggle — separate GUI for on/off hardware switches (Auto-Mute, Loopback, etc.)
• Automatic detection of available mixer channels and scrollable interface
• Clean, lightweight GTK3 interface

Dependencies

Runtime Dependencies

libgtk-3-0
libasound2-plugin-equal
alsa-utils
yad

Build Dependencies

libgtk-3-dev
libasound2-dev
build-essential
pkg-config

Building from Source

alsatune (main GUI)

gcc -o alsatune alsatune.c $(pkg-config --cflags --libs gtk+-3.0 alsa glib-2.0) -Wall

alsatoggle (for pure toggles on the backend)

gcc alsatoggle.c -o alsatoggle $(pkg-config --cflags --libs gtk+-3.0) -lasound

Downloads

Deb packages: https://sourceforge.net/projects/vuu-do/files/Miscellaneous/apps/AlsaTune/

Usage

1. Make sure your system is configured for pure ALSA (no PulseAudio/PipeWire running).
2. Launch alsatune.
3. The app will automatically read current mixer and EQ settings.
4. Adjust volumes and EQ bands with sliders.
5. Save Preset: Set EQ > enter name > click Save/Edit.
6. Load Preset: Choose from the dropdown menu (applies instantly).
7. Edit Presets: Right-click Save/Edit button.
8. Mute: Right-click supported volume sliders.
9. Balance: Use the link/unlink button under dual sliders.
10. AlsaToggle: Click the AlsaToggle button for additional hardware switches.

Presets are stored in: ~/.local/share/alsatune/presets.csv

Important Notes

• Works best on laptops and simple desktop setups. Complex multi-card systems may require manual .asoundrc tuning.
• Built and tested on Daedalus/Bookworm (GCC 12) and Excalibur/Trixie (GCC 14). Minor compiler warnings may appear on newer GCC until rebuilt.

Sample ~/.asoundrc

The following working sample .asoundrc is included in /usr/share/alsatune/, for most single-card systems, it works really well:

# Vuu-do default .asoundrc
# Default: route through dmix > plug > equalizer > hardware

pcm.!default {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmixed_equal"
}

ctl.!default {
    type hw
    card 0
}

# Equalizer control (for AlsaTune GUI)
ctl.equal {
    type equal
}

# Final EQ stage: applies to mixed output
pcm.dmixed_equal {
    type equal
    slave.pcm "dmixed_plug"
}

# Plug wrapper for format/rate conversion after dmix
pcm.dmixed_plug {
    type plug
    slave.pcm "dmixed"
}

# dmix: allows multiple playback streams > direct to hardware
pcm.dmixed {
    type dmix
    ipc_key 1024
    ipc_key_add_uid false   # safer than 0
    slave {
        pcm "hw:0,0"
        period_time 0
        period_size 1024
        buffer_size 4096
        rate 44100          # optional: lock rate if needed
    }
    bindings {
        0 0
        1 1
    }
}

# Optional: dsnoop for multiple capture (mic) apps
pcm.dsnooped {
    type dsnoop
    ipc_key 1025
    slave.pcm "hw:0,0"
}

# Optional: full duplex (for simultaneous play+capture)
pcm.duplex {
    type asym
    playback.pcm "dmixed_plug"
    capture.pcm "dsnooped"
}

Disclaimer

This is free software with NO WARRANTY. Use at your own risk.

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Made for the ALSA purist. Enjoy!