Vista sound problem

[TygrBright]

I have a new machine with Vista 64-bit (pre-loaded with Service Pack 1), and a Realtek High Definition Audio Controller.

I have a nice pair of Bose Companion 2 speakers, connected by an analog jack to the back panel.

Recently, an interesting problem has developed: My volume has gone way, way, down. Even when I have it set at max on the Windows Volume Control, I get just a tiny "ping." And this has now carried over into game sounds, application sounds, etc.

When I check the speakers using the Realtek HD Audio Manager, the test sound plays at full, beautiful volume-- not blast-the-roof level, but definitely startle-the-cat level.

Test in Realtek HD Audio Manager: Full sound, nice and loud, from each speaker.

Test in Windows Volume Control: Muffled, pathetic ping.

Sound in game applications: Unable to get much volume at all, regardless of how the audio is configured in the game controls.

I have run the standard fixes. Vista tells me all drivers are up to date and functioning normally. I have defaulted to factory settings, rebooted, reconfigured.

I haven't seen this precise problem in any of the forums I've searched.

Any ideas?

baffledly,
Bright

[RoyGBiv]

1. Did you check mixer settings?

Double-click the sound icon in the system tray.

Sometimes one of the wave channel can get set to very low (some programs do this without your realizing it), which may result in what you describe.

[TygrBright]

4. So far I have been unable to FIND the mixer.

The sound icon in the system tray brings up something labeled "volume mixer", but there is only ONE slider.

When I ping it, it flashes only a little at the bottom of the indicator, in spite of the fact that the slider is all the way at the top.

If you can point me in the direction of the mixer I'd be most appreciative.

gratefully,
Bright

[RoyGBiv]

6. Hrmmm ...

This may be a Vista specific thing. I don't use it regularly and don't currently have it installed to check.

To clarify, though, did you double-click the icon? In XP anyway, if you single-click it, it brings up that volume slider, but double-clicking brings up the expanded options.

[charlie]

7. Consistency?

That's the mindful foolishness of little hobgoblins. Or something.

Vista has a new-more-better way (teeny link down at the bottom of the applet):

[RoyGBiv]

8. Ah, yes ...

Everyone is used to it, so let's change it. I'm sure about the time I get accustomed to Office 2007, they'll change that too.

Thanks.

[charlie]

9. Keeps us on our toes

Like mixing hyperlinks with OS control buttons. Every click a surprise!

[TygrBright]

10. Unfortunately, that STILL doesn't bring up a mixer.

It brings up a slider for each application that is currently enabled for sound.

So (for example) what it brings up now, for me, is "Speakers" (set at 100), and "Windows Sounds" (set at 100.)

One slider for each.

No mixer.

Thanks, though.

Vista makes me feel like such a clueless twit.

I'm sure that's what they had in mind.

wryly,
Bright

[charlie]

13. Apparently, that's all you get

http://www.vista4beginners.com/Volume-Mixer

Unless there's a hidden sub-mode, of course. Have you tried clicking in time to Shave and a Haircut?

I'm sorry, I've little experience with Vista and I'm goofing on your thread. If I find something helpful I'll post :hi:

[TygrBright]

14. Appreciated!

[charlie]

15. There sure is a lot of complaining about RealTek

Apparently, their Vista drivers are still wonky. There isn't much in the way of solutions offered either, other than "update your drivers."

One guy did fix his problem by cutting out DSP filters on the audio:

I fiddled with the speaker volume by right clicking the speaker (easiest way to get there) and clicking playback devices. I selected speakers and then propoerties. Under enhancements was where I had to test things.

I started by unchecking the disable all sounds and the immediate mode boxes. That allowed me into the envorinment settings underneath. Now, that worked for my sound volume was:
check onlt the pitch select, equalizer, virtual surround and loudness equalization. Then apply.
This didn't improve the actual sound quality of my speakers, which is understandable as this is a laptop. But it did give me volume. Significantly higher volume.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=115959

The same thing worked for this guy:

The solution:
- Have song playing so you can here the difference.
- Right click on the speaker icon in the task bar and select Playback Devices (or find it in the Windows Control Panel) The Sound dialog box opens up.
- From the Playback tab select the Playback device being used, in my case Speakers Realtek High Definition Audio (marked with a green checkbox) and click the Properties button. A new dialog box - Speaker Properties - opens up.
- On the Enhancements tab make sure Disable All Sound Effects and Immediate Mode are both unchecked. Check Loudness Equalization (on my setup all other unchecked) and hit Apply.
- Bingo! Sound volume is up a lot, maybe 50%!

http://blog.tjitjing.com/index.php/2009/01/low-volume-on-my-realtek-acer-laptop.html

[TygrBright]

16. Cool. Will give that a try and let y'all know. Thanks for digging this out!

[MyNameGoesHere]

17. Hey psssstttt people did you ever consider going to control panel?

Amazingly the full sound controls are still located there.

[canetoad]

2. Do you use a particular program to play music?

I have a similar situation when I use the 1 by 1 music player and adjust the volume in-program. If I turn it down low, that volume setting carries over to all other things I do. I need to reopen 1by1 and crank up the volume again.

I have no idea why or how this happens. Have you adjusted volume in some other program?

[TygrBright]

3. I don't play music.

I have adjusted the volume in a couple of games, but it hasn't affected the Windows sound before.

I haven't used the media player at all.

Thanks for the response!

appreciatively,
Bright

[canetoad]

5. I have XP, not Vista, but

Have you gone to Control panel, sounds & Audio devices and trawled through all the options there? Made sure the correct sound device is selected and everything is turned on? If you click on the advanced tab under the volume control setting on Volume tab you will find the mixer.

[TygrBright]

11. Yup, that's where it used to be in XP.

See above.

They have cleverly hidden the REAL mixer somewhere, and substituted a bunch of individual sliders for each application currently enabled for sound. One slider per app. No mixer.

Thanks, though.

amiably,
Bright

[canetoad]

12. Googling produced this for location of Vista mixer

SndVol.exe (in the windows/system32 folder)