Change Default Master Volume Control to "PCM" in alsamixer on Linux Mint

Question

I am running Linux Mint and whenever I use my system's hardware volume controls (e.g., volume up/down buttons), it adjusts the "PCM 1" level in alsamixer. However, I want it to adjust the "PCM" level instead.

Here's the output from amixer -c 1 which shows the available controls:

Simple mixer control 'PCM',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 74
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 74 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 74 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'PCM',1
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 74
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 74 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 74 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Mic',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cvolume-joined cswitch cswitch-joined
  Capture channels: Mono
  Limits: Capture 0 - 74
  Mono: Capture 74 [100%] [0.00dB] [on]

I have tried modifying PulseAudio's default.pa configuration, but this resulted in loss of audio.

I am looking for a solution that doesn't involve custom scripts or keybindings. I'd prefer to have the standard master volume change "PCM" directly.

Any suggestions or insights would be greatly appreciated!

As requested, here is the output of cat ~/.xbindkeysrc:

## For the benefit of emacs users: -*- shell-script -*-
###########################
# xbindkeys configuration #
###########################
#
# Version: 1.8.7
#
# If you edit this file, do not forget to uncomment any lines
# that you change.
# The pound(#) symbol may be used anywhere for comments.
#
# To specify a key, you can use 'xbindkeys --key' or
# 'xbindkeys --multikey' and put one of the two lines in this file.
#
# The format of a command line is:
#    "command to start"
#       associated key
#
#
# A list of keys is in /usr/include/X11/keysym.h and in
# /usr/include/X11/keysymdef.h
# The XK_ is not needed.
#
# List of modifier:
#   Release, Control, Shift, Mod1 (Alt), Mod2 (NumLock),
#   Mod3 (CapsLock), Mod4, Mod5 (Scroll).
#

# The release modifier is not a standard X modifier, but you can
# use it if you want to catch release events instead of press events

# By defaults, xbindkeys does not pay attention with the modifiers
# NumLock, CapsLock and ScrollLock.
# Uncomment the lines above if you want to pay attention to them.

#keystate_numlock = enable
#keystate_capslock = enable
#keystate_scrolllock= enable

# Examples of commands:

"xbindkeys_show" 
  control+shift + q

# set directly keycode (here control + f with my keyboard)
#"xterm"
#  c:41 + m:0x4

# specify a mouse button
#"xterm"
#  control + b:2

#"xterm -geom 50x20+20+20"
#   Shift+Mod2+alt + s
#
## set directly keycode (here control+alt+mod2 + f with my keyboard)
#"xterm"
#  alt + c:0x29 + m:4 + mod2
#
## Control+Shift+a  release event starts rxvt
#"rxvt"
#  release+control+shift + a
#
## Control + mouse button 2 release event starts rxvt
#"rxvt"
#  Control + b:2 + Release

##################################
# End of xbindkeys configuration #
##################################

#"xdotool type 'r'"
#Control+Alt + Right

And the output of pacmd list-cards:

4 card(s) available.
    index: 0
    name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_01_00.1>
    driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
    owner module: 7
    properties:
        alsa.card = "2"
        alsa.card_name = "HDA NVidia"
        alsa.long_card_name = "HDA NVidia at 0xdc080000 irq 17"
        alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
        device.bus_path = "pci-0000:01:00.1"
        sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:01.0/0000:01:00.1/sound/card2"
        device.bus = "pci"
        device.vendor.id = "10de"
        device.vendor.name = "NVIDIA Corporation"
        device.product.id = "10f0"
        device.product.name = "GP104 High Definition Audio Controller"
        device.string = "2"
        device.description = "GP104 High Definition Audio Controller"
        module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
        device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
    profiles:
        output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI)-Ausgabe (priority 38668, available: unknown)
        output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2)-Ausgabe (priority 38468, available: unknown)
        output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3)-Ausgabe (priority 38468, available: unknown)
        output:hdmi-stereo-extra3: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4)-Ausgabe (priority 5700, available: no)
        output:hdmi-surround-extra3: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4)-Ausgabe (priority 600, available: no)
        output:hdmi-surround71-extra3: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4)-Ausgabe (priority 600, available: no)
        off: Aus (priority 0, available: unknown)
    active profile: <output:hdmi-stereo>
    sinks:
        alsa_output.pci-0000_01_00.1.hdmi-stereo/#11: GP104 High Definition Audio Controller Digital Stereo (HDMI)
    sources:
        alsa_output.pci-0000_01_00.1.hdmi-stereo.monitor/#14: Monitor of GP104 High Definition Audio Controller Digital Stereo (HDMI)
    ports:
        hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
            properties:
                device.icon_name = "video-display"
                device.product.name = "LG HDR 4K
   "
        hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
            properties:
                device.icon_name = "video-display"
                device.product.name = "27GL650F
    "
        hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (priority 5700, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
            properties:
                device.icon_name = "video-display"
                device.product.name = "27GL650F
    "
        hdmi-output-3: HDMI / DisplayPort 4 (priority 5600, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
            properties:
                device.icon_name = "video-display"
    index: 1
    name: <alsa_card.usb-SteelSeries_SteelSeries_Arctis_9_000000000000-00>
    driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
    owner module: 8
    properties:
        alsa.card = "1"
        alsa.card_name = "SteelSeries Arctis 9"
        alsa.long_card_name = "SteelSeries SteelSeries Arctis 9 at usb-0000:00:14.0-3.1, full speed"
        alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
        device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:14.0-usb-0:3.1:1.0"
        sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-3/1-3.1/1-3.1:1.0/sound/card1"
        udev.id = "usb-SteelSeries_SteelSeries_Arctis_9_000000000000-00"
        device.bus = "usb"
        device.vendor.id = "1038"
        device.vendor.name = "SteelSeries ApS"
        device.product.id = "12c4"
        device.product.name = "SteelSeries Arctis 9"
        device.serial = "SteelSeries_SteelSeries_Arctis_9_000000000000"
        device.string = "1"
        device.description = "SteelSeries Arctis 9"
        module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
        device.icon_name = "audio-card-usb"
    profiles:
        output:stereo-game+output:stereo-chat+input:mono-chat: Spiel-Ausgabe + Chat-Ausgabe + Chat-Eingabe (priority 5100, available: unknown)
        input:mono-chat: Chat-Eingabe (priority 1, available: unknown)
        output:stereo-chat: Chat-Ausgabe (priority 5000, available: unknown)
        output:stereo-chat+input:mono-chat: Chat-Ausgabe + Chat-Eingabe (priority 5000, available: unknown)
        output:stereo-game: Spiel-Ausgabe (priority 5000, available: unknown)
        output:stereo-game+input:mono-chat: Spiel-Ausgabe + Chat-Eingabe (priority 5000, available: unknown)
        off: Aus (priority 0, available: unknown)
    active profile: <output:stereo-game+output:stereo-chat+input:mono-chat>
    sinks:
        alsa_output.usb-SteelSeries_SteelSeries_Arctis_9_000000000000-00.stereo-game/#1: SteelSeries Arctis 9 Spiel
        alsa_output.usb-SteelSeries_SteelSeries_Arctis_9_000000000000-00.stereo-chat/#2: SteelSeries Arctis 9 Chat
    sources:
        alsa_output.usb-SteelSeries_SteelSeries_Arctis_9_000000000000-00.stereo-game.monitor/#1: Monitor of SteelSeries Arctis 9 Spiel
        alsa_output.usb-SteelSeries_SteelSeries_Arctis_9_000000000000-00.stereo-chat.monitor/#2: Monitor of SteelSeries Arctis 9 Chat
        alsa_input.usb-SteelSeries_SteelSeries_Arctis_9_000000000000-00.mono-chat/#3: SteelSeries Arctis 9 Chat
    ports:
        usb-gaming-headset-output-stereo: Headphones (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
            properties:
                
        usb-gaming-headset-input: Headset Microphone (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
            properties:
                
    index: 2
    name: <alsa_card.usb-046d_081b_61151E20-02>
    driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
    owner module: 9
    properties:
        alsa.card = "3"
        alsa.card_name = "USB Device 0x46d:0x81b"
        alsa.long_card_name = "USB Device 0x46d:0x81b at usb-0000:00:14.0-6, high speed"
        alsa.driver_name = "snd_usb_audio"
        device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:14.0-usb-0:6:1.2"
        sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-6/1-6:1.2/sound/card3"
        udev.id = "usb-046d_081b_61151E20-02"
        device.bus = "usb"
        device.vendor.id = "046d"
        device.vendor.name = "Logitech, Inc."
        device.product.id = "081b"
        device.product.name = "Webcam C310"
        device.serial = "046d_081b_61151E20"
        device.form_factor = "webcam"
        device.string = "3"
        device.description = "Webcam C310"
        module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
        device.icon_name = "camera-web-usb"
    profiles:
        input:mono-fallback: Mono-Eingabe (priority 1, available: unknown)
        off: Aus (priority 0, available: unknown)
    active profile: <input:mono-fallback>
    sources:
        alsa_input.usb-046d_081b_61151E20-02.mono-fallback/#4: Webcam C310 Mono
    ports:
        analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
            properties:
                device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
    index: 3
    name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3>
    driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
    owner module: 10
    properties:
        alsa.card = "0"
        alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
        alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0x2ffff20000 irq 139"
        alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
        device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
        sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
        device.bus = "pci"
        device.vendor.id = "8086"
        device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
        device.product.id = "a2f0"
        device.product.name = "200 Series PCH HD Audio"
        device.form_factor = "internal"
        device.string = "0"
        device.description = "Eingebautes Tongerät"
        module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
        device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
    profiles:
        input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo-Eingabe (priority 32833, available: unknown)
        output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo-Ausgabe (priority 6500, available: no)
        output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6565, available: unknown)
        output:analog-surround-21: Analog Surround 2.1-Ausgabe (priority 1300, available: no)
        output:analog-surround-21+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 2.1-Ausgabe + Analog Stereo-Eingabe (priority 1365, available: unknown)
        output:analog-surround-40: Analog Surround 4.0-Ausgabe (priority 1200, available: no)
        output:analog-surround-40+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 4.0-Ausgabe + Analog Stereo-Eingabe (priority 1265, available: unknown)
        output:analog-surround-41: Analog Surround 4.1-Ausgabe (priority 1300, available: no)
        output:analog-surround-41+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 4.1-Ausgabe + Analog Stereo-Eingabe (priority 1365, available: unknown)
        output:analog-surround-50: Analog Surround 5.0-Ausgabe (priority 1200, available: no)
        output:analog-surround-50+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 5.0-Ausgabe + Analog Stereo-Eingabe (priority 1265, available: unknown)
        output:analog-surround-51: Analog Surround 5.1-Ausgabe (priority 1300, available: no)
        output:analog-surround-51+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 5.1-Ausgabe + Analog Stereo-Eingabe (priority 1365, available: unknown)
        output:analog-surround-71: Analog Surround 7.1-Ausgabe (priority 1200, available: no)
        output:analog-surround-71+input:analog-stereo: Analog Surround 7.1-Ausgabe + Analog Stereo-Eingabe (priority 1265, available: unknown)
        output:iec958-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958)-Ausgabe (priority 38268, available: unknown)
        output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (IEC958)-Ausgabe + Analog Stereo-Eingabe (priority 38333, available: unknown)
        off: Aus (priority 0, available: unknown)
    active profile: <output:iec958-stereo+input:analog-stereo>
    sinks:
        alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.iec958-stereo/#3: Eingebautes Tongerät Digital Stereo (IEC958)
    sources:
        alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.iec958-stereo.monitor/#5: Monitor of Eingebautes Tongerät Digital Stereo (IEC958)
        alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo/#6: Eingebautes Tongerät Analog Stereo
    ports:
        analog-input-front-mic: Front Microphone (priority 8500, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
            properties:
                device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
        analog-input-rear-mic: Rear Microphone (priority 8200, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
            properties:
                device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
        analog-input-linein: Line In (priority 8100, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
            properties:
                
        analog-output-lineout: Line Out (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
            properties:
                
        analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
            properties:
                device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
        iec958-stereo-output: Digital Output (S/PDIF) (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
            properties:

Answer 1

If you don't mind changing the file every time after you have pulseaudio updated (or reinstalled), or, just as a preliminary test, you may change this file directly:

/usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/usb-gaming-headset-output-stereo.conf

In the file remove ,1 after Element PCM. (I don't think you need something like ,0.) After changing the file, restart the pulseaudio server with:

systemctl --user restart pulseaudio

---

To avoid having to keep changing the file, you'll need to copy the following files:

/usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/usb-gaming-headset-output-stereo.conf
/usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/profile-sets/usb-gaming-headset.conf

to whatever name your like (which doesn't conflict with / replace other existing file) under the same respective directory, e.g.:

/usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/paths/usb-gaming-headset-output-stereo-0.conf
/usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/profile-sets/usb-gaming-headset-0.conf

Then, inside the new profile set file (usb-gaming-headset-0.conf), replace all the instances of usb-gaming-headset-output-stereo with the name (without .conf) of the copy of the mixer path file (usb-gaming-headset-output-stereo-0).

Don't forget to remove ,1 in the copy of the mixer path file (usb-gaming-headset-output-stereo-0.conf) if you didn't make or have reverted the change in the original.

Finally, create a udev rules file with the prefix 91- (so that it overrides the relevant effect of 90-pulseaudio.rules), e.g.:

/etc/udev/rules.d/91-pulse-pcm.rules

(Make sure it has the extension name .rules)

with the following line of content (the value for ENV{PULSE_PROFILE_SET} should be the name chosen for the copy of the profile set file):

SUBSYSTEM=="sound", ACTION=="change", KERNEL=="card*", SUBSYSTEMS=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="1038", ATTRS{idProduct}=="12c4", ENV{PULSE_PROFILE_SET}="usb-gaming-headset-0.conf"

(Make sure you don't mix up SUBSYSTEM and SUBSYSTEMS. Don't miss the S in ATTRS. Also don't mix up == and =.)

After all the work, run the following or reboot to get them applied:

sudo systemctl restart systemd-udevd
sudo systemctl restart systemd-udev-trigger
systemctl --user restart pulseaudio

P.S. Your distro might somewhat implicitly make your system use pipewire instead at some point, e.g. after a certain system update / upgrade. I don't know if pipewire has the problem as well, but if someday the hack is no longer in effect, the switch is probably the cause. (By then pacmd list-sinks will say pulseaudio is not running while pactl list sinks will list the available sinks provided by "pipewire-pulse").