volume control extremely sensitive (kmix)

[Kanwar Ranbir Sandhu]

On Mon, 2004-09-13 at 12:42, Christopher J. Bottaro wrote:
> anyways, the problem is that tiny adjustments to volume slider create
> massive changes in volume.  also, if i bring the volume below about 60%, it
> becomes very very low, basically muted.  so all the volume control happens
> at the top 40% of the slider and each increment in that range is dramatic.
> 
> in kmix, all my output volume sliders are at about 66-75%.  the problem i
> describe above is when i'm moving the "master" slider.

I've been experiencing the same problem since RHL 7.3 and still do with
FC2, but with Gnome: it has been a irritation since the beginning.  I've
never been able to figure why it does that.

I've had to juggle the volume in Gnome and on my speakers, which is for
the most part ok.  But, it's never quite right.

The only "workaround" (in Gnome at least) that I've come up with is to
jack the master volume to max.  I then change the volume control
applet's properties to control the PCM channel, which doesn't suffer the
massive drop off that the master channel does.

In apps where I can choose which channel the volume should control, I
make sure to pick PCM (e.g. XMMS).

> a little off topic, but i've always wanted to know:  why does having the PCM
> volume turned all the way up distort the sound?

This one is a mystery to me.  Again, I've been experiencing this for a
long time as well.  I've just learned not to turn the PCM channel all
the way to its maximum.

HTH,

Ranbir

-- 
Ranbir
Systems Aligned Inc.
www.systemsaligned.com