Pulseaudio Volume Control Ubuntu

General troubleshooting from here:

1. Open pavucontrol.
2. Click the Configuration tab.
3. Locate the correct sound card (just one in your case, probably).
4. Select the appropriate profile. For regular analogue sound, you should select something like Analogue Stereo Duplex. Options depend on the capabilities of your sound card.
   Screenshot (KDE, but looks similar in Unity):
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

"Waiting for sound system to respond" problem, Ubuntu 10.04

When you have Ubuntu 10.04, and you login as root, you cannot change the sound volume or settings with the sound applet in the gnome-panel.

The solution:

Go to System->Preferences -> Startup Applications

Make sure you're in the tab 'Startup programs'
-> Click on 'Add'

Name: Pulseaudio daemon
Command:/usr/bin/pulseaudio
Comment: Start the sound daemon

Now logout, then login again

->Fixed