pulseaudio-equalizer is not working in Ubuntu 20.04

Solution 1:

Considering the comment of @mook765 above, I included the lines

### Modules for the Equalizer
load-module module-equalizer-sink
load-module module-dbus-protocol

in the end of the file /etc/pulse/default.pa. I checked the modules were not present and commented in the file originally.

I rebooted and I observed Gnome didn't "freeze" more after the login.

I ran qpaeq and the equalizer opened normally. I played an audio in the VLC and after in the Audacity to do some tests and the equalizer was not working.

I opened the Gnome Settings and I found a new device in Gnome Settings > Sound > Output > Output Device called FFT based equalizer on Built-in Audio Analog Stereo. When I selected this option the sound mute, so that, it didn't work. I pressed the Test button and there was no sound.

So, the pulseaudio-equalizer continue not working.

Highlighting, at last I guess there are two important points to be fixed in the Ubuntu 20.04 for pulseaudio-equalizer:

1. Include the qpaeq icon/shortcut in the Gnome Applications after the pulseaudio-equalizer installation.

2. Load the modules module-equalizer-sink and module-dbus-protocol and include than in the /etc/pulse/default.pa file after the pulseaudio-equalizer installation.

Beyond this, there is a third important point to be fixed: what is missing to the pulseaudio-equalizer to work? :)

Solution 2:

Problem symptom: I faced a similar problem - after upgrading from Ubuntu 18.04.5 to 20.04.1, pulseaudio-equalizer could not be enabled:

$ pulseaudio-equalizer enable

PulseAudio Equalizer/LADSPA Processor 4.0 (29.01.2017)

... (10 lines omitted)

Equalizer status: [disabled]
Equalizer configuration status: [enabled]
Equalizer plugin: [mbeq_1197/mbeq]

... (3 lines omitted)

(That is, I tried to enable pulseaudio-equalizer but it remained disabled)

Problem crux: When I upgraded from Ubuntu 18.04.5 to 20.04.1, /usr/lib/ladspa/lsp-plugins-ladspa.so seem to have disappeared.

I realized this after seeing this thread about the equalizer in pulseeffects being greyed-out, where it turns out the OP was missing LSP.

Solution: Similar to the workaround where you installed lsp-plugins, I went to the LSP website, downloaded the latest lsp-plugins-ladspa, extracted lsp-plugins-ladspa.so and placed it in /usr/lib/ladspa/.

Afterwards, $ pulseaudio-equalizer enable works as expected, and I don't need pulseeffects.