I seem to be stepping into all the weird stuff here...
For the past few hours, I can't seem to get any input via adc~, in places where it worked before and in test patches. The input works OK in the GNOME sound recorder (and I've also booted into Windoze and confirmed that it works there), but nothing seems to come in via adc~ objects in PD. Hooking it through snapshot~ into a VU meter and number box (adapting the test patch in 5.reference/snapshot~.pd ) I get no result from input, just the same low-level noise that I see when I'm not sounding.
I may have missed something again...
(The more I work with PD and like it, the more I wish there was a solid manual for it. If I could afford it, I'd immerse myself in the software and write one from the existing sources and what I learn...)