limit decibels coming out speakers?

  • Thread starter Thread starter russellmz
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russellmz

ihave two types of programs: ones that have the upper limit set too
low, or ones that have volume that can get incredibly loud.

is there a way to make it so that the decibel level coming out of my
speakers has an upper limit? there is one game i have where the intro
movie is incredibly loud and totally ignores the game volume setting
(and i don't know how to turn off the movie).

thanks,


russellmz
 
ihave two types of programs: ones that have the upper limit set too
low, or ones that have volume that can get incredibly loud.

is there a way to make it so that the decibel level coming out of my
speakers has an upper limit? there is one game i have where the intro
movie is incredibly loud and totally ignores the game volume setting
(and i don't know how to turn off the movie).
Click to expand...

When you start a program like a game it can do what it wants with the sound
system.

What you can do is to set your hardware so that "incredibly loud" sound
becomes tolerable. Then make the other programs loud enough to satisfy you.

You are probably using low settings in the mixer and in those low volume
programs, which makes it possible for that game program to suddenly raise
the volume very much.

You need to turn down the hardware volume of your loudspeakers and raise
the volume in your software mixer, and the software volume in the low
volume programs.
When the maximum volume in your hardware speakers is low the software
cannot raise the volume any more than the maximum you have allowed your
speakers to go.
 
(e-mail address removed) (russellmz) wrote in
is there a way to make it so that the decibel level coming out of my
speakers has an upper limit?
Click to expand...

Perhaps this can help out a bit.

http://www.reallyeffective.co.uk/

A real software tracking audio limiter probably will be payware, as I have
never seen one available yet as freeware, although I may be wrong.

Good luck.
 
Roger said:
When you start a program like a game it can do what it wants with the sound
system.

What you can do is to set your hardware so that "incredibly loud" sound
becomes tolerable. Then make the other programs loud enough to satisfy you.

You are probably using low settings in the mixer and in those low volume
programs, which makes it possible for that game program to suddenly raise
the volume very much.

You need to turn down the hardware volume of your loudspeakers and raise
the volume in your software mixer, and the software volume in the low
volume programs.
When the maximum volume in your hardware speakers is low the software
cannot raise the volume any more than the maximum you have allowed your
speakers to go.
Click to expand...

Some DOS games want to use the PC speaker, no option in the game to shut
off sound.

Is there a small executable that can shut the PC speaker off when
desired?

Mike Sa
 
Some DOS games want to use the PC speaker, no option in the game to
shut off sound.

Is there a small executable that can shut the PC speaker off when
desired?
Click to expand...

Don't know of an executable, but you can turn it off "manually" (at least
on XP and I think 2K) by going to the Device Manager (Control
Panel/System/Hardware Tab/Device Manager button), look under System
Devices (you might have to turn on Show Hidden Devices on the View menu)
for a device called "System speaker". Right-click on it and choose
Disable to turn it off, and when you want it back you just right-click
and choose Enable to turn it on.

HTH
 
ms said:
Some DOS games want to use the PC speaker, no option in the game to shut
off sound.
Is there a small executable that can shut the PC speaker off when
desired?
Click to expand...

Not in software that I know of.

The only reasonable way to stop software from turning up the volume is to
have the volume close to maximum all the time in the computer, and use the
hardware volume on your external amplifier to control the level you want to
have at the moment.

If you are using small computer speakers with built-in amplifier with no
volume control you can turn them off.
If there is no power off button either you must simply get some better
amplifier and speakers.

I use my home stereo as amplifier for the computer.
The volume control in the computer mixer is set close to maximum all the
time, and I use the volume control of my home stereo to set the volume I
want. No program in the computer can change that volume control.

All the settings in your computer mixer can be changed by software, like a
game.
 
Klaatu said:
Don't know of an executable, but you can turn it off "manually" (at least
on XP and I think 2K) by going to the Device Manager (Control
Panel/System/Hardware Tab/Device Manager button), look under System
Devices (you might have to turn on Show Hidden Devices on the View menu)
for a device called "System speaker". Right-click on it and choose
Disable to turn it off, and when you want it back you just right-click
and choose Enable to turn it on.

HTH
Click to expand...

I see a system speaker in W98 Device Manager, not clear how to cut off
sound. But wouldn't that cut off my normal sound properties?

The speaker I mean is the tiny one on the motherboard, that beeps on
bootup, etc. The Sound icon has no effect on it, and that speaker is the
one used by some DOS games. That's the one I want to cut off by
software.

Mike Sa
 
I see a system speaker in W98 Device Manager, not clear how to cut off
sound. But wouldn't that cut off my normal sound properties?
Click to expand...

That's the one. No, it doesn't do a thing to the normal sounds produced
by your sound card.
The speaker I mean is the tiny one on the motherboard, that beeps on
bootup, etc. The Sound icon has no effect on it, and that speaker is
the one used by some DOS games. That's the one I want to cut off by
software.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's the speaker. It is controlled in Windows (at least XP and
2K, and I would assume 98 as well) by the System speaker device. In XP
it can be disabled and enabled as I described in my earlier post.
 
ms said:
Some DOS games want to use the PC speaker, no option in the game to shut
off sound.

Is there a small executable that can shut the PC speaker off when
desired?
Click to expand...

There often is a BIOS setting for that.
 
Klaatu said:
That's the one. No, it doesn't do a thing to the normal sounds produced
by your sound card.


Yes, that's the speaker. It is controlled in Windows (at least XP and
2K, and I would assume 98 as well) by the System speaker device. In XP
it can be disabled and enabled as I described in my earlier post.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll give it a try with the next DOS game.

Mike Sa
 
I see a system speaker in W98 Device Manager, not clear how to cut off
sound. But wouldn't that cut off my normal sound properties?

The speaker I mean is the tiny one on the motherboard, that beeps on
bootup, etc. The Sound icon has no effect on it, and that speaker is the
one used by some DOS games. That's the one I want to cut off by
software.

Mike Sa
Click to expand...

I do not think it can be done. You can install a volume control by
cutting one of the leads and using a pot across the broken lead. You
would have to get expert advice as to the correct value or you can
disable it completely by disconnecting the lead. Careful though as
this speaker is the first warning if hardware errors occur on boot. It
should normally emit one beep on boot. Any more indicate errors.
 
I do not think it can be done. You can install a volume control by
cutting one of the leads and using a pot across the broken lead. You
would have to get expert advice as to the correct value or you can
disable it completely by disconnecting the lead. Careful though as
this speaker is the first warning if hardware errors occur on boot. It
should normally emit one beep on boot. Any more indicate errors.
Click to expand...

While I can't speak for Windows 98, under NT/2K/XP, if a program is
causing the speaker to make noise then it must be the operating system
that is allowing that program to manipulate that device through a driver.
Under these operating systems all programs have to go through the OS to
access hardware devices such as the speaker. Disabling the device through
Device Manager should stop the noise created by the program.

While the BIOS may make use of this same speaker during boot, it should
have no bearing on what the OS does with it.
 
Okay, now I understand what speaker you are talking about.
I do not think it can be done. You can install a volume control by
cutting one of the leads and using a pot across the broken lead. You
would have to get expert advice as to the correct value or you can
Click to expand...

The speaker is something like 8 Ohm, so the pot must be significantly
higher value, say 500-5000 Ohm.
disable it completely by disconnecting the lead. Careful though as
this speaker is the first warning if hardware errors occur on boot. It
should normally emit one beep on boot. Any more indicate errors.
Click to expand...

I haven't had such a speaker in my computer for the last 10 years, they are
much more trouble than useful.
Simply disconnect it.

If something goes wrong in the hardware at boot time you see that anyway,
in that nothing happens.

You can always re-connect it if you need to do some real hardware fault
finding of your motherboard later. If something causes the computer to not
even start it is time to open it up and start disconnecting things until it
starts again, in that process that speaker can be useful.
 
ms said:
I see a system speaker in W98 Device Manager, not clear how to cut off
sound. But wouldn't that cut off my normal sound properties?

The speaker I mean is the tiny one on the motherboard, that beeps on
bootup, etc. The Sound icon has no effect on it, and that speaker is the
one used by some DOS games. That's the one I want to cut off by
software.

Mike Sa
Click to expand...

Thanks to all, food for thought. I just wish some of the game
programmers in the 80's didn't feel they had to jazz up their programs
with irritating sounds.

Mike Sa
 
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