---
name: "alsactl-0.9"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "alsa-utils"
version: "0.9.0beta12-1"
release: "Debian 3.0 (Woody)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/alsactl-0.9"
---

# alsactl-0.9(1)

advanced controls for ALSA soundcard driver

## NAME

alsactl - advanced controls for ALSA soundcard driver

## SYNOPSIS

**alsactl** \[*options*\] \[*store*\|*restore*\] \<card # or id\>

## DESCRIPTION

**alsactl** is used to control advanced settings for the ALSA soundcard drivers. It supports multiple soundcards. If your card has features that you can't seem to control from a mixer application, you have come to the right place.

## INVOKING

**alsactl** \[*options*\] \[*store*\|*restore*\] \<card # or id\>

### Commands

*store* saves the current driver state for the selected soundcard to the configuration file.

*restore* loads driver state for the selected soundcard from the configuration file.

If no soundcards are specified, setup for all cards will be saved or loaded.

### Options

- *-h, --help*

  Help: show available flags and commands.

- *-f, --f* file

  Select the configuration file to use. The default is /etc/asound.state

- *-d, --debug*

  Use debug mode: a bit more verbose.

- *-v, --version*

  Print alsactl version number.

## FILES

*/etc/asound.state* (or whatever file you specify with the **-f** flag) is used to store current settings for your soundcards. The settings include all the usual soundcard mixer settings.  More importantly, alsactl is capable of controlling other card-specific features that mixer apps usually don't know about.

The configuration file is generated automatically by running **alsactl store**. Editing the configuration file by hand may be necessary for some soundcard features (e.g. enabling/disabling automatic mic gain, digital output, joystick/game ports, some future MIDI routing options, etc).

## SEE ALSO

**[amixer(1)](/amixer/1.md),** **[alsamixer(1)](/alsamixer/1.md),** **[aplay(1)](/aplay/1.md)**

## BUGS

None known.

## AUTHOR

**alsactl** is by Jaroslav Kysela \<perex@suse.cz\> and Abramo Bagnara \<abramo@alsa-project.org\>. This document is by Paul Winkler \<zarmzarm@erols.com\>.