My Ears are Bleeding...Where's System-Wide Normalization When You Need It?

[Jason Dunn]

I'm sitting here watching the Apple Expo 2004 keynote address, and the audio level is very low. So I turn up the audio on the Quicktime player all the way - still too quiet. Then I turn up my master system volume all the way - still too quiet. So I turn up my Logitech Z680's to get an acceptable level of audio...<i>and nearly get my head blown off when someone signs on to MSN Messenger and my system BINGS at me</i>. :evil: <br /><br />This has happened before, but the solution never occurred to me until now: Windows XP needs a <b>system-wide normalization function</b> so that audio triggers will not be painfully louder than the others. It should work on every type of audio that's being pumped through the system, and it should be capable of not only normalizing down, but also dynamically re-sampling audio to make it louder (which would have helped in the case of the Apple keynote).<br /><br />Good idea? Horrible idea?

[James Fee]

Same thing happened to me. I was watching it on my earphone, turned up all the way and then my email alert went off. My ears were ringing... :x

[emmfan]

Great idea. I keep waiting for the next Windows version to include a decent volume management per application, and system-wide normalization is at the top of that requirement. It's really confusing how some playback programs that have volume control affect only their own playback (such as winamp and WMP) but others control the master volume (like RealPlayer). And what about volume control / normalization for all other applications with audio feedback like Instant Messaging apps, mail clients, and browsers.

[Neil Enns]

Oh man, I hear ya (pun intended :)). What a nightmare. I remember when we were trying to sort all this out for one of our mobile device products and it made our heads hurt. It definitely isn't an easy one to solve :(

Neil

[that_kid]

Rather than a systemwide normilization function they should have it either on windows event sounds or have it selectable by source. Normalization is a bad thing when dealing with music and for those that use DAW's it would be bad,very bad to have you system decide what your volume level should be. Then again on all my DAW's I have system sounds turned off.

[Jason Dunn]

Same thing happened to me. I was watching it on my earphone...

You can WATCH things on your EARPHONE? That's SO cool!

Of course, I have no idea what an earphone is. :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

Normalization is a bad thing when dealing with music...

I hear ya, but I think there'd be a smart way to work around that - or to have an application by application exception, specifically around multimedia applications. And, ultimately, it's not that I want the music or video to be quiet - I just want the system sounds to not be louder than the audio level of the music or video.

for those that use DAW's it would be bad,very bad to have you system decide what your volume level should be. Then again on all my DAW's I have system sounds turned off.

You could turn it off. :-)

[Kent Pribbernow]

*chuckle*

Same here. But first my ear drums were shattered by the screeching and scratching sound of the QuickTime stream. 8O

[Jason Dunn]

Same here. But first my ear drums were shattered by the screeching and scratching sound of the QuickTime stream. 8O

Yeah, that was particularly painful for me because the screeches were so much louder than the rest of the audio. :roll:

[that_kid]

I just want the system sounds to not be louder than the audio level of the music or video.


I hear ya (pun intended), I too have been blasted by an IM alert on other computers while trying to listen to something else that had a lower volume. Needless to say that having an Im alert sound at 100db is very scary :crazyeyes: (we need a bleeding ear emoticon)

[JTWise]

I have been a victim to this many times, mainly when listening to audiobooks and getting an instant message. This problem is amplified by the fact that I have my computer playing sound through my stereo system.

Probably the worst instance for me was the "Find 3 Differences" thread over at PPCT. I think that people on the other side of the office heard that one!!


BTW, speaking of emoticons, when will we be seeing Mr. Drool, Mr. Google, and the rest of the gang that are over at PPCT?

[stevehiner]

Microsoft is actively soliciting suggestions for Windows Longhorn (the next version of Windows, due in 2006, for those of you living under a digital rock).

Go tell them you want this feature.

I don't know the URL for suggestions off hand but a good place to start looking would be Robert Scobles blog at http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/.

[Deemo]

I'm sitting here watching the Apple Expo 2004 keynote address,

OK....you have a little too much time on your hands :P
Sounds like time for a User Group meeting hehehehehe

[James Fee]

I don't know the URL for suggestions off hand but a good place to start looking would be Robert Scobles blog at http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/.
In the end he would just tell us to buy a Tablet PC... :lol: