Local volume adjustment

[ElGoog]

Since my (simple) suggestion still doesnt seem to have made its way into Audacity 2.1.1, i'm going to ask: is it ever going to be implemented?
It cant be that hard to make a simple checkbox in the options menu to choose wether or not the Audacity's volume slider also changes the volume of Windows, since it had been this way in 2.0.5.
I'd appreciate if the devs or someone who knows could tell me if this is going to be implemented.

Thank you.

[Gale Andrews]

Since my (simple) suggestion still doesnt seem to have made its way into Audacity 2.1.1, i'm going to ask: is it ever going to be implemented?

Highly unlikely, because at least some of the developers are opposed to it.

It cant be that hard to make a simple checkbox in the options menu to choose wether or not the Audacity's volume slider also changes the volume of Windows

That being the case, you could make this change yourself.

However assuming you are still on Windows 7 or later, you could use the Audacity volume slider in the Windows Volume Mixer instead of Audacity's Mixer Toolbar volume slider. Play some audio in Audacity then left-click the speaker icon by the system clock, then click the "Mixer" link. On Windows 10, you must right-click the speaker icon and choose "Open Volume Mixer".

You can then move the Audacity slider in Volume Mixer up or down at any level below the Master volume level without affecting the Master volume.


Gale

[ElGoog]

Since my (simple) suggestion still doesnt seem to have made its way into Audacity 2.1.1, i'm going to ask: is it ever going to be implemented?

Highly unlikely, because at least some of the developers are opposed to it.

Why would they be against adding a simple checkbox into the settings to toggle this feature on/off? I refuse to believe that i'm the only one who doesnt like this feature.

It cant be that hard to make a simple checkbox in the options menu to choose wether or not the Audacity's volume slider also changes the volume of Windows

That being the case, you could make this change yourself.

I'd be happy to try atleast, if you point out to me where in the source code this feature is.

[Gale Andrews]

Since my (simple) suggestion still doesnt seem to have made its way into Audacity 2.1.1, i'm going to ask: is it ever going to be implemented?

Highly unlikely, because at least some of the developers are opposed to it.

Why would they be against adding a simple checkbox into the settings to toggle this feature on/off?

Some developers are against because applying negative gain to the same master level has a less good signal-to-noise ratio than reducing the master level. Some users believe Audacity sounds better as a "player" than other media players. Syncing the Audacity playback volume slider to the system output slider could well be the reason.

Also what you want is inconsistent with the behaviour of the recording volume slider which does control the master level.

I am not opposed to an option, myself, but there are many competing demands for more options.

I refuse to believe that i'm the only one who doesnt like this feature.

I just checked and there are 19 votes counted including yours to decouple the Audacity Mixer Toolbar output slider from the system output slider.

Did you try Windows Volume Mixer? You could tile its window next to Audacity, or add a utility to keep it always on top.

It cant be that hard to make a simple checkbox in the options menu to choose wether or not the Audacity's volume slider also changes the volume of Windows

That being the case, you could make this change yourself.

I'd be happy to try atleast, if you point out to me where in the source code this feature is.

Have you ever compiled Audacity? That is the first step.


Gale

[ElGoog]

Some developers are against because applying negative gain to the same master level has a less good signal-to-noise ratio than reducing the master level. Some users believe Audacity sounds better as a "player" than other media players. Syncing the Audacity playback volume slider to the system output slider could well be the reason.

Now that i know the proper reason, i can better understand why it was changed like this.

Have you ever compiled Audacity? That is the first step.

I haven't, but by looking at the compiling guide it seems pretty straigthforward. So i'd appreciate if you could tell me where in the code i could find this feature and see if i can change it to my liking and if not, i just have to learn to use the volume mixer.

[Gale Andrews]

Have you ever compiled Audacity? That is the first step.

I haven't, but by looking at the compiling guide it seems pretty straigthforward. So i'd appreciate if you could tell me where in the code i could find this feature and see if i can change it to my liking and if not, i just have to learn to use the volume mixer.

I am not a programmer, but I imagine you would have to create a new function in src/AudioIO.cpp and add it to the Playback Preferences (src/prefs/PlaybackPrefs.cpp). It might be something that user Edgar would be interested in doing as a paid project. You would have to send him a PM and ask him.

Although you said this would not be difficult, AudioIO.cpp is very "fragile" and this does not strike me as a trivial change.


Gale

[steve]

I'm trying to understand how this proposal would work, and I have a question.
If the proposal was implemented and you try playing something in Audacity and the playback level is too quiet, and the level is turned up full in Audacity, how would you make it louder?

[ElGoog]

I'm trying to understand how this proposal would work, and I have a question.
If the proposal was implemented and you try playing something in Audacity and the playback level is too quiet, and the level is turned up full in Audacity, how would you make it louder?

First i would try turning up the master volume of Windows and if thats not enough, i'd use the "amplify" effect in audacity. But usually i keep windows at 50% volume and change it as needed in Audacity.

[steve]

Do you normally work with multi-track projects, or single track projects in Audacity?

[ElGoog]

Do you normally work with multi-track projects, or single track projects in Audacity?

9 out of 10 times its a single track project i work on.