Audio Player stopped supporting 8 KHz and few other frequencies after update to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

Hello all,

I was using MATLAB R2020a on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. After I upgraded to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, audio playback through MATLAB stopped supporting very common frequencies like 8 KHz, 8192 KHz, 32 KHz, and it throws following exception:

Error using sound (line 76)
Device Error: Invalid sample rate

Interestingly, 44.1 KHz works. I start MATLAB via terminal, and here are its console dumps (thought they are related). I can use aplay to play some random file at faulty frequencies.

cat ALSA lib pcm_dsnoop.c:641:(snd_pcm_dsnoop_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1089:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm.c:2642:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.rear
ALSA lib pcm.c:2642:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.center_lfe
ALSA lib pcm.c:2642:(snd_pcm_open_noupdate) Unknown PCM cards.pcm.side
Cannot connect to server socket err = No such file or directory
Cannot connect to server request channel
jack server is not running or cannot be started
JackShmReadWritePtr::~JackShmReadWritePtr - Init not done for -1, skipping unlock
JackShmReadWritePtr::~JackShmReadWritePtr - Init not done for -1, skipping unlock
Cannot connect to server socket err = No such file or directory
Cannot connect to server request channel
jack server is not running or cannot be started
JackShmReadWritePtr::~JackShmReadWritePtr - Init not done for -1, skipping unlock
JackShmReadWritePtr::~JackShmReadWritePtr - Init not done for -1, skipping unlock
ALSA lib pcm_oss.c:377:(_snd_pcm_oss_open) Unknown field port
ALSA lib pcm_oss.c:377:(_snd_pcm_oss_open) Unknown field port
ALSA lib pulse.c:242:(pulse_connect) PulseAudio: Unable to connect: Connection refused

ALSA lib pulse.c:242:(pulse_connect) PulseAudio: Unable to connect: Connection refused

ALSA lib pcm_usb_stream.c:486:(_snd_pcm_usb_stream_open) Invalid type for card
ALSA lib pcm_usb_stream.c:486:(_snd_pcm_usb_stream_open) Invalid type for card
ALSA lib pcm_dsnoop.c:641:(snd_pcm_dsnoop_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1089:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave
ALSA lib pcm_dmix.c:1089:(snd_pcm_dmix_open) unable to open slave

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Ünal Ege Gaznepoglu]

Important update:

1. Turns out "supported" frequencies do not initiate a playing too. It just passes the "sampling rate" check, but the sound never gets played. I didn't notice this because I was in library while testing and thus could not ensure that sound comes up.
2. Had a complete clean install of 20.04.1 LTS and afterwards I installed MATLAB. I still have the same problem.