Automatic volume leveling during audio playback

Anonymous
2009-11-05T13:16:13+00:00

This is really annoying:

Quiet sound is amplified to sound at a reasonable level. Then when a loud part of the song comes on the level automatically drops making the quiet parts sound annoyingly loud & the loud part annoyingly quiet... Sorry that's the best way I can describe this... again:

Only happens when its had a few seconds on silent (eg. pause) - at that point the system starts to "think" for itself creeping the base volumes up. Then when the song begins again you are treated to loudness that is quickly quietened when the system realises there is a higher level of sound coming through...

This is very frustrating because I use my computer to record & as such need to have the audio playing at its proper level - not the level the computer thinks it should be playing at...

I have combed through the settings looking for an "auto off" option, and have spent a long time searching for an answer online. 

Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Music, photos, and video

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Anonymous
2009-11-05T22:23:05+00:00

Hi pablo647,

Welcome to Microsoft Windows 7 Answers Forum!

We would like to get a little more information from you to help troubleshoot your issue.

Are you using any Sound Card on the machine?

You can try playing the same song to a differnet Headphone or the Speakers.

I suspect it could be a problem with the sound card drivers.

You can update the drivers for the sound devices and try after that.

  1. Click Start and then click Control Panel.
  2. Click System and Maintenance, click System, and then click Device Manager.

Note If Control Panel is in Classic View, double-click System, and then click Device Manager.

  1. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
  2. In Device Manager, expland "Sound Video and Game controllers", right-click the "Sound Video and Game controllers" and go to properties.
  3. Browse to the Update tab and then click on update driver.

You may also check on the Sound card manufacturers web site and verify if they have any updated drivers for Windows 7 and try to install it.   

Hope it helps.  

Thanks and Regards:

Shekhar S - Microsoft Support.

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-11-15T15:52:23+00:00

    I've got windows 7 (64-bit) with and without service packs (variations for custom purposes, ie a DAW, general workhorse, DEV Studio...) and none of them exhibit this problematic behaviour. I'm blaming your "sound manufacturer" / windows settings...

    running dell xps l502x, powered by realtek.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-11-15T15:45:19+00:00

    thanks for interjecting with a sanity check!

    re your desire, did you try vlc's normalisation

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-03-23T16:21:38+00:00

    If you have THX TruStudio than none of this advice about choosing "disable sound effects" will work.

    I tried a million things but finally took a chance and disabled THX TruStudio.  and wow, now my sound is rock steady.

    I've had this problem with the sound getting louder and quieter since I got my computer years ago-it came with nice Creative Sound speakers and THX TruStudio, so I always figured it was my computer settings causing the problem. Then when I got a new computer but kept the same speakers and installed THX TruStudio (that came with the speakers) I continued to have the problem with the sound getting louder and quieter on its own.

    I thought I needed THX Trustudio to take full advantage of my Creative speakers, but now I know I don't need it and it was the cause of the problem all along-and yes, I over theyears I did adjust every setting of THX with nothing helping. 

    You cannot imagine the thrill I got when I disabled the THX and got smooth sound that I control all by myself.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-10-27T00:55:44+00:00

    i have this problem also, but i'm using ab SB recon 3D sound card

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