Internal Device Error when playing sound after plugging/unplugging headphones - (R2018b 9.5.0.944444)

Device used: Macbook Pro 2018 10.14.3

Matlab version: R2018b 9.5.0.944444

I am encoutering an error when using the sound/soundsc functions in Matlab, after plugging in (or unplugging) headphones. Matlab properly plays sound prior to plugging/unplugging them, but will throw the following error after, even if I began with them unplugged, and later plug them back in. Restarting Matlab fixes the issue with headphones in OR out, until plugging/unplugging headphones again.

My code:

fsamp = 11025;
dt = 1/fsamp;
dur = 1.8;
tt = 0:dt:dur;
psi = 2*pi*(500*tt.*tt + 200*tt);
xx = real(7.7*exp(1j*psi));

soundsc(xx,fsamp);

Error:

Error using sound (line 76)
Device Error: Internal Device Error

Error in soundsc (line 55)
sound(varargin{:});

Debugging the sound function shows me that the exception is thrown from line 74 in sound:

play(playerObj(end));

But I am unable to figure it out beyond this. I have checked the audioplayer and audioDeviceWriter objects, and they properly update when the headphones are plugged/unplugged. I'm not sure how related they are to this issue, and am wondering if this could be a Mac issue?

Any help or direction is appreciated,

E Blagg

[Walter Roberson]

Are those regular headphones or are they USB headphones ?

[Ethan Blagg]

Regular 3.5mm Headphones

[ed]

I have the same probblem in Matlab 2019a, update5, running in OS X Mojave.

[Steven Fenton]

I have the same issue. In 2019b, running OS X Mojave.

If you restart Matlab, with your Headphones plugged into the 3.5mm Jack, this will fix the issue in that Matlab will play to the Headphones rather than the internal speakers.

This must be something to do with the change in enumeration of playback hardware introduced in Mojave. Pretty easy to sort by Mathworks I'd think.

[Tom Shlomo]

I also have the same issue, 2019b update 3, macOS Mojave.

I also have a simmilar issue described here.

[Fred Wagen]

I also have the same issue, 2020b (9.9.0.1467703), macOS Mojave.

[Michael Rarela]

I have the same issue too with "9.10.0.1649659 (R2021a) Update 1" on macOS Catalina, when I unplugged my headphones. Replugging my headphones in again did not help.

[Luis Eduardo Cofré Lizama]

Same here, have you got any answer/ solution?

[Ji hoon Han]

Yeah need help on this one macOS BigSur

[Jimmy Eadie]

I am getting same error:

Error using sound (line 79)

Device Error: Internal Device error

play(playerObj(end));

catch exception

throw(exception);

end

[Walter Roberson]

@Jimmy Eadie

Is this only associated with having unplugged headphones?

[Jimmy Eadie]

I am not using headphones, only speakers, have never used the 3.5 input/outout for headphones.

[Sishi Liao]

Same here: MATLAB 2021b on MacOS Monterey 12.1.

Seems like a problem with MacOS 😂

[lu xin jie]

Same. MATLAB 2021b MacOS Big Sur 11.6.4

[Sarah Mann]

also battling with this! MacOS Monterey 12.4 :(

[Hugo Hugo]

Why is this issue still present in 2022a after 4 years? MacOS Ventura 13.0.1

The only workaround I have so far is to get the first device that's not bugged via audiodevinfo(0, 44100, 24, 1)

Answer 1

[Jon Nissenbaum]

I don't know if others are still facing this issue. Previously I was plagued by it all the time and the only recourse was to quit and restart Matlab. More recently (version R2022a, MacOS 12.4), I no longer seem to get the error, but Matlab still does not recognize when I plug in headphones. In case this is happening to anyone else, I am now able to solve this problem by typing audiodevreset

[Hugo Hugo]

Interesting, I’m still getting it with 2022a and MacOS 13.0.1. I’ll see if audiodevreset solves the bug.

[Emily King]

Thank you! This is still an issue with 2023b and MacOS 14.1.1, but your solution fixes it.

Answer 2

[Rishabh Gupta]

Hi Ethan,

I think the issue requires some detail investigation. I would suggest you to contact MathWorks Technical Support.

https://www.mathworks.com/support/contact_us.html

Thanks