Strange delay when changing volume

[danielquinn]

I've got a simple script that plays a sound, then mutes for a few seconds while I do a recording, then un-mutes, followed by playing a sound:

from alsaaudio import Mixer


mixer = Mixer()
play_sound()
mixer.setmute(1)
sleep(5)
mixer.setmute(0)
play_sound()

The first sound comes through just fine, but the second can't be heard. Strangely, if I change the sleep() value from 5 to 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 7, it works, but if we sleep for 5 seconds, the second play_sound() can't be heard. What's more, if I swap the sound file out for a very long audio file, the second play is still never heard, making me think that somehow play requests are going to /dev/null or something rather than being muted. It's all very strange.

Is there something magical happening here that I should know about? The output of the script is rather verbose too, though I can't make any sense of it:

ALSA lib pcm.c:2660:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.rear
ALSA lib pcm.c:2660:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.center_lfe
ALSA lib pcm.c:2660:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.side
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1281:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.USB-Audio.pcm.hdmi.0:CARD=0,AES0=4,AES1=130,AES2=0,AES3=2'
ALSA lib conf.c:4745:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib conf.c:5233:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2660:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM hdmi
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1281:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.USB-Audio.pcm.hdmi.0:CARD=0,AES0=4,AES1=130,AES2=0,AES3=2'
ALSA lib conf.c:4745:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib conf.c:5233:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2660:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM hdmi
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1281:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.USB-Audio.pcm.modem.0:CARD=0'
ALSA lib conf.c:4745:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib conf.c:5233:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2660:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.phoneline:CARD=0,DEV=0
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1281:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.USB-Audio.pcm.modem.0:CARD=0'
ALSA lib conf.c:4745:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib conf.c:5233:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2660:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.phoneline:CARD=0,DEV=0
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1281:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.USB-Audio.pcm.modem.0:CARD=0'
ALSA lib conf.c:4745:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib conf.c:5233:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2660:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM phoneline
ALSA lib confmisc.c:1281:(snd_func_refer) Unable to find definition 'cards.USB-Audio.pcm.modem.0:CARD=0'
ALSA lib conf.c:4745:(_snd_config_evaluate) function snd_func_refer returned error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib conf.c:5233:(snd_config_expand) Evaluate error: No such file or directory
ALSA lib pcm.c:2660:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM phoneline
connect(2) call to /dev/shm/jack-1000/default/jack_0 failed (err=No such file or directory)
attempt to connect to server failed
connect(2) call to /dev/shm/jack-1000/default/jack_0 failed (err=No such file or directory)
attempt to connect to server failed
ALSA lib pcm_oss.c:377:(_snd_pcm_oss_open) Unknown field port
ALSA lib pcm_oss.c:377:(_snd_pcm_oss_open) Unknown field port
ALSA lib pcm_usb_stream.c:486:(_snd_pcm_usb_stream_open) Invalid type for card
ALSA lib pcm_usb_stream.c:486:(_snd_pcm_usb_stream_open) Invalid type for card
connect(2) call to /dev/shm/jack-1000/default/jack_0 failed (err=No such file or directory)
attempt to connect to server failed

For what it's worth, this is on GNOME 40, Arch Linux.

[ossilator]

it's hard to say anything without knowing what is actually inside play_sound().

is the effect still observable when you leave off the mute/unmute, and only sleep?