VLC playback volume really low

jones · 2017-03-19 14:11:37

Hi everyone,

somehow my VLC's volume is relatively low. If I turn it up to a good level to understand spoken words and switch to Rhythmbox or ... say, a song or video on youtube / soundcloud right afterwards, it is clearly too loud and actually quite uncomfortable. Does anyone have any idea what is causing to have VLC that relatively low audio volume?

The problems remains, regardless if either ALSA or Pulseaudio is selected in VLC's sound options.

Some information bits:

$ sudo pacman -Qi vlc | grep Version
Version                  : 2.2.4-7

$ sudo pacman -Qi pulseaudio | grep Version
Version                  : 10.0-2

$ amixer
Simple mixer control 'Master',0
  Capabilities: pvolume pswitch pswitch-joined
  Playback channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Playback 0 - 65536
  Mono:
  Front Left: Playback 36235 [55%] [on]
  Front Right: Playback 36235 [55%] [on]
Simple mixer control 'Capture',0
  Capabilities: cvolume cswitch cswitch-joined
  Capture channels: Front Left - Front Right
  Limits: Capture 0 - 65536
  Front Left: Capture 9620 [15%] [on]
  Front Right: Capture 9620 [15%] [on]

V1del · 2017-03-19 14:38:38

Are you using the same source material? Switching to a completely different file isn't really indicative of anything. What's the output of

pacmd list-sinks
pacmd list-sink-inputs

while playing something in VLC

jones · 2017-03-19 15:43:09

That's ... actually very obvious. But does the output tell you something?

$ pacmd list-sinks
1 sink(s) available.
  * index: 0
	name: <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo>
	driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
	flags: HARDWARE HW_MUTE_CTRL HW_VOLUME_CTRL DECIBEL_VOLUME LATENCY DYNAMIC_LATENCY
	state: RUNNING
	suspend cause: 
	priority: 9959
	volume: front-left: 23119 /  35% / -27,15 dB,   front-right: 23119 /  35% / -27,15 dB
	        balance 0,00
	base volume: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB
	volume steps: 65537
	muted: no
	current latency: 34,27 ms
	max request: 6 KiB
	max rewind: 344 KiB
	monitor source: 0
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	used by: 1
	linked by: 2
	configured latency: 40,00 ms; range is 0,50 .. 2000,00 ms
	card: 0 <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1b.0>
	module: 6
	properties:
		alsa.resolution_bits = "16"
		device.api = "alsa"
		device.class = "sound"
		alsa.class = "generic"
		alsa.subclass = "generic-mix"
		alsa.name = "ALC892 Analog"
		alsa.id = "ALC892 Analog"
		alsa.subdevice = "0"
		alsa.subdevice_name = "subdevice #0"
		alsa.device = "0"
		alsa.card = "0"
		alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
		alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xf7d00000 irq 29"
		alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
		device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1b.0"
		sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1b.0/sound/card0"
		device.bus = "pci"
		device.vendor.id = "8086"
		device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
		device.product.id = "1c20"
		device.product.name = "6 Series/C200 Series Chipset Family High Definition Audio Controller"
		device.form_factor = "internal"
		device.string = "front:0"
		device.buffering.buffer_size = "352800"
		device.buffering.fragment_size = "176400"
		device.access_mode = "mmap+timer"
		device.profile.name = "analog-stereo"
		device.profile.description = "Analog Stereo"
		device.description = "Internes Audio Analog Stereo"
		alsa.mixer_name = "Realtek ALC892"
		alsa.components = "HDA:10ec0892,18491892,00100302"
		module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
		device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
	ports:
		analog-output-lineout: Line-Ausgang (priority 9900, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
			properties:
				
		analog-output-headphones: Kopfhörer (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
			properties:
				device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
	active port: <analog-output-headphones>

$ pacmd list-sink-inputs

2 sink input(s) available.
    index: 444
	driver: <protocol-native.c>
	flags: START_CORKED 
	state: RUNNING
	sink: 0 <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo>
	volume: front-left: 98304 / 150% / 10,57 dB,   front-right: 98304 / 150% / 10,57 dB,   rear-left: 98304 / 150% / 10,57 dB,   rear-right: 98304 / 150% / 10,57 dB,   front-center: 98304 / 150% / 10,57 dB,   lfe: 98304 / 150% / 10,57 dB
	        balance 0,00
	muted: no
	current latency: 1047,39 ms
	requested latency: 40,00 ms
	sample spec: float32le 6ch 48000Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right,rear-left,rear-right,front-center,lfe
	             Surround 5.1
	resample method: speex-float-1
	module: 11
	client: 203 <VLC media player (LibVLC 2.2.4)>
	properties:
		media.role = "video"
		media.name = "audio stream"
		application.name = "VLC media player (LibVLC 2.2.4)"
		native-protocol.peer = "UNIX socket client"
		native-protocol.version = "32"
		application.id = "org.VideoLAN.VLC"
		application.version = "2.2.4"
		application.icon_name = "vlc"
		application.language = "de_DE.utf8"
		application.process.id = "26196"
		application.process.user = "john"
		application.process.host = "myarch"
		application.process.binary = "vlc"
		window.x11.display = ":0.0"
		application.process.machine_id = "1d78a45f0a6f43c396acb56d977db58b"
		application.process.session_id = "c2"
		module-stream-restore.id = "sink-input-by-media-role:video"
    index: 446
	driver: <protocol-native.c>
	flags: START_CORKED 
	state: RUNNING
	sink: 0 <alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo>
	volume: front-left: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB,   front-right: 65536 / 100% / 0,00 dB
	        balance 0,00
	muted: no
	current latency: 88,41 ms
	requested latency: 90,00 ms
	sample spec: s16le 2ch 44100Hz
	channel map: front-left,front-right
	             Stereo
	resample method: (null)
	module: 11
	client: 204 <Rhythmbox>
	properties:
		media.name = "»Breathe On Me (James Holden Vocal Mix)« durch »Britney Spears«"
		application.name = "Rhythmbox"
		native-protocol.peer = "UNIX socket client"
		native-protocol.version = "32"
		media.role = "music"
		application.process.id = "26224"
		application.process.user = "john"
		application.process.host = "myarch"
		application.process.binary = "rhythmbox"
		application.icon_name = "rhythmbox"
		application.language = "de_DE.utf8"
		window.x11.display = ":0.0"
		application.process.machine_id = "1d78a45f0a6f43c396acb56d977db58b"
		application.process.session_id = "c2"
		module-stream-restore.id = "sink-input-by-media-role:music"
		media.title = "Breathe On Me (James Holden Vocal Mix)"
		media.artist = "Britney Spears"

Last edited by jones (2017-03-19 16:20:23)

V1del · 2017-03-19 18:10:06

Not much other than that the base sink volume is at a very low 35% and if whatever you are playing back in VLC is quiet you might want to up the volume of your sink (the "Kopfhörer" control in the Output devices tab in pavucontrol) and instead tone down the rhythmbox sink so that the levels are fine again for whatever you are watching/listening to

Arch Linux

#1 2017-03-19 14:11:37

VLC playback volume really low

#2 2017-03-19 14:38:38

Re: VLC playback volume really low

#3 2017-03-19 15:43:09

Re: VLC playback volume really low

#4 2017-03-19 18:10:06

Re: VLC playback volume really low

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