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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109 additional answers

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-04-06T03:14:38+00:00

    Ive had this problem with my laptop (Compaq CQ60-615DX) for over a year now. It has been driving me insane trying to figure out what the culprit is and how to fix it. Ive done everything, even what bluto32 has suggested. But when I do that, the bass is completely dead. It does stop the fluctuation while playing music but the music sounds like ****. Their has to be a way to fix this.

    Here is what I have installed:

    Windows 7 Home Premium (64 Bit)

    Conexant Pebble High Definition SmartAudio Version 4.98.60.50

    (I think SmartAudio could be the culprit, but Ive tried everything within the program to stop it with no avail, cant even uninstall the program)

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-04-13T00:28:56+00:00

    Well, I found what was the problem with my system at least, don't know if it's the same as you guys, but very often windows would simply lower my winamp volume on the mixer for no apparent reason.

    There is a tab on the sound config window(right click on sound icon and chose playback for example) which is called communications, basically it says that when windows detects that you're making some kind of call it will reduce all other sounds, so I just set that to "do nothing"(it was in "reduce by 80%" by default) and now my problem is solved.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-04-18T03:07:38+00:00

    This was part of the solution for me as well as setting the default speakers to my installed sound card not the dumb MS speakers. It seems that MicroSquish has gotten everything screwed up as they can possibly make it.

    Another point to check is the Output selection of what ever software you use, check the settings there as well because they too might need to be changed to your sound card.

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-04-21T08:55:12+00:00

    Hi,

    You all are talking about windows 7 but no body is talking about windows XP.

    Is there any software of automatic volume control for loud volume.

    Thanks & Regards,

    Aman Garg

    Hope to get +ve ans.

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