Why do programs change the volume of main channels?

josh000 · 2010-05-02 01:41:09

Why do programs modify the volume of the system themselves and not just of their own "channel" similar to in windows? The only programs I found that do this are quakelive and the flash plugin.

The fact these programs do do this means it it possible, so why is it not the standard?

It is quite annoying to have to raise the volume of my system just because I turned down the sound in mplayer or mp3blaster or some other application. Is there any easy fix for this?

Berticus · 2010-05-02 04:33:54

In mplayer, have it use software volume.

I suspect you're using ALSA, so if you want per application volume, then use PulseAudio. You can also give OSSv4 a try, which does per application volume.

josh000 · 2010-05-02 05:44:38

I'm not asking for assistance, but rather an explanation.

I am quite happy with using ALSA, and have software mixing and everything is fine.

My question is that since some applications already implement per application volume under ALSA such as quakelive and flashplayer, then why don't all applications do this?

Why is it not the standard? ALSA was designed from the ground up to be better than OSS, so why did it not incorporate such a basic and needed feature?

alexandrite · 2010-05-02 15:40:12

I'd imagine it's just easier to do. Why implement some kind of amplifier in DSP just to control the volume when ALSA or whatever can do it for you? If a person wanted per-application volume control, they could indeed just use pulseaudio.

Not that I defend or deplore that approach, just that I'm sure people think along those lines.

josh000 · 2010-05-02 19:34:51

pulseaudio is relativley new though. WHy hasn't ALSA had this from the start? I don't want to draw comparisons, but windows and mac have had this basic ability for at least the last 10 years. It's kind of unthiunkable that Linux only just got ir recently with pulseaudio, and that it is not standard.

Aye, it is what is is.

lucke · 2010-05-02 20:30:24

josh000 wrote:

I don't want to draw comparisons, but windows and mac have had this basic ability for at least the last 10 years.

Didn't system per-app volume control, akin to the one provided by pulseaudio, appear only in Vista?

For whatever it is worth, I use pulseaudio only for that functionality.

josh000 · 2010-05-02 23:21:19

lucke wrote:

josh000 wrote:
I don't want to draw comparisons, but windows and mac have had this basic ability for at least the last 10 years.
Didn't system per-app volume control, akin to the one provided by pulseaudio, appear only in Vista?
For whatever it is worth, I use pulseaudio only for that functionality.

No, Vista included separate mixers for each application.

Programs have had independent volume control since 95, and quite possible since 3.1

You could make a movie player have lower volume than say, a game or song playing, while having one volume control for the system. In vista beyond you have separate volume controls for each application, regardless of if the application allows it or not.

ngoonee · 2010-05-03 02:14:47

Software gain is inferior (albeit only slightly so) to hardware gain.

Its also more work on the dev side, and on most apps not necessary at all. Multi-monitor support a-la the GIMP is possible, but 99.9% of apps don't have it simply because the devs don't think it necessary and so won't spend the time on it.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-05-02 01:41:09

Why do programs change the volume of main channels?

#2 2010-05-02 04:33:54

Re: Why do programs change the volume of main channels?

#3 2010-05-02 05:44:38

Re: Why do programs change the volume of main channels?

#4 2010-05-02 15:40:12

Re: Why do programs change the volume of main channels?

#5 2010-05-02 19:34:51

Re: Why do programs change the volume of main channels?

#6 2010-05-02 20:30:24

Re: Why do programs change the volume of main channels?

#7 2010-05-02 23:21:19

Re: Why do programs change the volume of main channels?

#8 2010-05-03 02:14:47

Re: Why do programs change the volume of main channels?

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