Automatic volume leveling during audio playback

Anonymous

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!

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

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.

Click Start and then click Control Panel.
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.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
In Device Manager, expland "Sound Video and Game controllers", right-click the "Sound Video and Game controllers" and go to properties.
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

Anonymous

2010-11-20T06:49:19+00:00

I haven't encountered this issue, my issue is that trying to run speakers and headphones at the same time. I normally want to have my headphones on if I'm playing a game so I can hear things clearly, but when I remove my headphones my speakers seem quieter than they should. When I turn the volume down on my headphones the sound on the speakers go up, headphones go down, speakers go up. I don't like this. I play with friends and family watching me occasionally and I don't want them to miss out on any noise because of this. And before someone tries telling me it's something I've installed. I haven't messed with any of the audio settings or anything. Before you say it's an issue with a player I'm using, it just so happens to happen when I'm using Youtube or sound through games. Win7 is the issue here. Not anything else. I used to do this with WinXP and never had an issue doing this.
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Anonymous

2010-11-01T12:31:24+00:00

Found a way to solve this for all of you that have installed codecs like "ffdshow audio decoder"

And I know, maaaaaaaany people install these drivers cause they simply HAVE TO!

Anyway let's go...

Step 1: If you used the equalizer of your sound card driver, simply turn it to "none" (means OFF)

          I know you'll all say: "but, the sound is bad without adding some bass 'n stuff.." but that option automatically turns on a loudness equalization.

Step 2: If you have "FFa" written icon on taskbar while listening to music/watching a video, double click on it.

        If you don't have that icon and you (like me) installed "K-Lite Codec Pack"

                    Click on Start > All Programs > Codec Pack ("K-Lite Codec Pack" for me) > Configuration > ffdshow audio decoder

            If anyone knows how to open it in any other way, tell it please.

Step 3: Check Equalizer case and click on it to see panel, there you can have some fun with your equalizer that will NOT get an automatic loudness equalization..

If some are having that issue without any installed codec, simply Download/Install "K-Lite Codec Pack" (If someone knows any other or maybe better codec pack, tell it) and follow my steps :)

Just figured out a minute ago, it's all due to equalizer in the sound driver program ("Realtek HD Audio Manager" for me)

Hope this will help some of you that had that problem :)

BTW: Every option in the audio manager thing, must be turned off, like loudness equalization, environment & equalizer..

HF & GL
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Anonymous

2010-10-15T17:04:03+00:00

This is a nice workaround.

Thank you.
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Anonymous

2010-09-20T02:34:52+00:00

You Rock Reineshadow, that finally put that automatic leveling ^*&^$# to bed!

DCA

Hey all, I'm glad I found this topic because I've been having this problem for a while - even on a completely brand new, built-from-scratch computer! All the volume settings I've checked show no fluctuation in sound levels at all...but of course, my ears aren't lying.

I've tried using different audio drivers, disabling all other sound sources, and adjusting the microphone/phone call settings. Nothing seems to work! :(

Any suggestions?
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