diff --git a/media/libeffects/visualizer/aidl/VisualizerContext.cpp b/media/libeffects/visualizer/aidl/VisualizerContext.cpp
index 4405407..5bf22f2 100644
--- a/media/libeffects/visualizer/aidl/VisualizerContext.cpp
+++ b/media/libeffects/visualizer/aidl/VisualizerContext.cpp
@@ -191,9 +191,15 @@
 std::vector<uint8_t> VisualizerContext::capture() {
     std::vector<uint8_t> result;
     std::lock_guard lg(mMutex);
-    RETURN_VALUE_IF(mState != State::ACTIVE, result, "illegalState");
-    const uint32_t deltaMs = getDeltaTimeMsFromUpdatedTime_l();
+    // cts android.media.audio.cts.VisualizerTest expecting silence data when effect not running
+    // RETURN_VALUE_IF(mState != State::ACTIVE, result, "illegalState");
+    if (mState != State::ACTIVE) {
+        result.resize(mCaptureSamples);
+        memset(result.data(), 0x80, mCaptureSamples);
+        return result;
+    }
 
+    const uint32_t deltaMs = getDeltaTimeMsFromUpdatedTime_l();
     // if audio framework has stopped playing audio although the effect is still active we must
     // clear the capture buffer to return silence
     if ((mLastCaptureIdx == mCaptureIdx) && (mBufferUpdateTime.tv_sec != 0) &&
diff --git a/media/libeffects/visualizer/aidl/VisualizerContext.h b/media/libeffects/visualizer/aidl/VisualizerContext.h
index 3cb711e..958035f 100644
--- a/media/libeffects/visualizer/aidl/VisualizerContext.h
+++ b/media/libeffects/visualizer/aidl/VisualizerContext.h
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
     uint32_t mLastCaptureIdx GUARDED_BY(mMutex) = 0;
     Visualizer::ScalingMode mScalingMode GUARDED_BY(mMutex) = Visualizer::ScalingMode::NORMALIZED;
     struct timespec mBufferUpdateTime GUARDED_BY(mMutex);
-    // capture buf with 8 bits PCM
+    // capture buf with 8 bits mono PCM samples
     std::array<uint8_t, kMaxCaptureBufSize> mCaptureBuf GUARDED_BY(mMutex);
     uint32_t mDownstreamLatency GUARDED_BY(mMutex) = 0;
     uint32_t mCaptureSamples GUARDED_BY(mMutex) = kMaxCaptureBufSize;