How to get even higher volume!

[Kurdistan]

When I first moved to PCLinuxOS I noticed that the sound max is not good like the other distros I have tried before that used Gnome 2 Desktop Environment (DE). This problem is nothing to do with PCLinuxOS main  edition, it is KDE Desktop Environment fault. To be more correct kmix lack of function. Becuase most Gnome DE distros comes with pulseaudio enabled they can easy get higher sound max. So I installed pulseaudio on my PCLinuxOS machine. After the second time trying to install pulseaudio, it finally worked. Both time I followed Texstar guide to get pulseaudio working.

Here is Texstar great guide for pulseaudio:
http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,83740.0.html

Now to my guide to get higher sound:
1. I install gnome-media from synaptic.
2. Go to PCLinuxOS-Menu (Kickstart). Press “Sound” and finally Sound-recorder (gnome-media). Gnome-media will pop up.
3. Now press Archives/Files (Don’t remember the English name for it) and “Open the volume control”. Look now to “sound effects” and “outgoing sound”. If you have the highest sound in kmix it should be on 100 % level. You can now take it even further. It will give you about 50 % higher sound max then before. Everyone should notice higher volume.

Remenber when you are playing with kmix volume setting, you must redo step 2 and 3 every time. To get higher sound you most install pulseaudio. This is not the best solution, but a trick/tips that worked for me. 

Good luck!

[menotu]

To be more correct kmix lack of function. Becuase most Gnome DE distros comes with pulseaudio enabled they can easy get higher sound max.

That's odd - I use both pulse audio and alsa and don't see any difference in volume levels at all on KDE

[Kurdistan]

To be more correct kmix lack of function. Becuase most Gnome DE distros comes with pulseaudio enabled they can easy get higher sound max.

That's odd - I use both pulse audio and alsa and don't see any difference in volume levels at all on KDE

Hey menotu!

Install pavucontrol and you will se my tips will give 150 % in max volume level. Kmix with or without pulseaudio gives max 100 %. With this tips and pulseaudio enabled/installed I get 150 %. Same thing on my parents computer with different sound-card etc. So I have tested on two different computers. 

[Just17]

Unfortunately any attempt to adjust the volume from the 150% will result in a jump down to 100% .....  it does not drop gradually with a slider in mixer or in PA ......  at least not here .....  and as has been said, it will not go up again either unless the gnome volume slider is again adjusted ....

Just a thought .....  have you tried QasMixer from the repo?

You might be able to find what is holding your volume low ....

[Kurdistan]

Unfortunately any attempt to adjust the volume from the 150% will result in a jump down to 100% .....  it does not drop gradually with a slider in mixer or in PA ......  at least not here .....  and as has been said, it will not go up again either unless the gnome volume slider is again adjusted ....

Just a thought .....  have you tried QasMixer from the repo?

You might be able to find what is holding your volume low ....

Thanks for the tips! Qasmixer is great tool, like Gnome Alsa Mixer. None of them can get higher sound volume like gnome-volume-control does for me. For me pulseaudio-enabled/installed and using gnome-volume-control makes huge difference.

Open terminal and copy/paste:

Code: [Select]

gnome-volume-control
On both machines when using gnome-volume-control it stays in 150 %. It is only when I play with kmix, it drops to normal sound level.

[Just17]

On both machines when using gnome-volume-control it stays in 150 %. It is only when I play with kmix, it drops to normal sound level.

If you try to adjust with PA Vol Cntrl the same thing happens ... cannot make a small adjustment ...  drops from 150 to 100 immeditely 

[Kurdistan]

On both machines when using gnome-volume-control it stays in 150 %. It is only when I play with kmix, it drops to normal sound level.

If you try to adjust with PA Vol Cntrl the same thing happens ... cannot make a small adjustment ...  drops from 150 to 100 immeditely 

You have installed pulseaudio? Texstars guide is good for that purpose. Install pavucontrol now and after that open it. Go to out going device and look for left/right volume max. You can only get 100 %, but after doing the trick in gnome-volume-control you should se it will show you 150 % in out going device. If not, I will look if there is any solution for you. Like I pointed out before, 2 different machines and it works like a dream. That does not really help you. 

[AS]

On both machines when using gnome-volume-control it stays in 150 %. It is only when I play with kmix, it drops to normal sound level.

If you try to adjust with PA Vol Cntrl the same thing happens ... cannot make a small adjustment ...  drops from 150 to 100 immeditely  

You have installed pulseaudio? Texstars guide is good for that purpose. Install pavucontrol now and after that open it. Go to out going device and look for left/right volume max. You can only get 100 %, but after doing the trick in gnome-volume-control you should se it will show you 150 % in out going device. If not, I will look if there is any solution for you. Like I pointed out before, 2 different machines and it works like a dream. That does not really help you.  

 

If there is one member on this forum promoting pulseaudio all the way, that one is Just19!  

[YouCanToo]

On both machines when using gnome-volume-control it stays in 150 %. It is only when I play with kmix, it drops to normal sound level.

If you try to adjust with PA Vol Cntrl the same thing happens ... cannot make a small adjustment ...  drops from 150 to 100 immeditely 

You have installed pulseaudio? Texstars guide is good for that purpose. Install pavucontrol now and after that open it. Go to out going device and look for left/right volume max. You can only get 100 %, but after doing the trick in gnome-volume-control you should se it will show you 150 % in out going device. If not, I will look if there is any solution for you. Like I pointed out before, 2 different machines and it works like a dream. That does not really help you. 

How about writing a howto and sticking it up on the Knowledge Base here at http://pclinuxoshelp.com/index.php/Category:HowTo

[Just17]

On both machines when using gnome-volume-control it stays in 150 %. It is only when I play with kmix, it drops to normal sound level.

If you try to adjust with PA Vol Cntrl the same thing happens ... cannot make a small adjustment ...  drops from 150 to 100 immeditely 

You have installed pulseaudio? Texstars guide is good for that purpose. Install pavucontrol now and after that open it. Go to out going device and look for left/right volume max. You can only get 100 %, but after doing the trick in gnome-volume-control you should se it will show you 150 % in out going device. If not, I will look if there is any solution for you. Like I pointed out before, 2 different machines and it works like a dream. That does not really help you. 

You misunderstand .....

Do the adjustment with gnome vol cntrl ....  raising the top level to 150%

Now try to adjust that vol level with anything else .....  mixer, PA vol ctrl or other.

It invariably fails to allow any adjustment .....  it will drop immediately to 100% and can then be adjusted from 0 to 100 only.

Because of this, your solution is not easily applied to other situations .....  I use PA and Kmix for instance .....  although I have used gnome-media for years as it was the only reliable 'simple' way to record since krec always seemed to be messed up.

Now if your solution could have a volume control in the tray associated with it, that allowed adjustment, then it would be extremely useful for many people.

Have you found any such vol control that will allow this adjustment?
It would be great if you did.

If there is one member on this forum promoting pulseaudio all the way, that one is Just19! 

     Yeah, I have been a bit of a 'fan-boy' since I first got to grips with it ....  and the later 'task' package etc has made it very easy now to install correctly. Thankfully the days of creating and editing config files for it are gone for the most part.   

Being a bit of a 'gadget freak' PA is marvellous at allowing the various audio devices to be finely controlled .... I have played with usb speakers, wireless headset+MIC, bluetooth earphone+MIC, on board audio and PCI audio card .....  all working and controllable in the one PC at the same time - different applications using the different devices for source and sink.  .....  see I said I was a 'fan-boy' 

[Kurdistan]

I will come back one day with a answer. There is a easy solution for that, gnome-volume-control can be enabled at boot-up. Then you will have both kmix and gnome-volume-control from start. It is also easy to place gnome-volume-control in kickstart (PCLinuxOS menu). I have done that.

If you like pulseaudio, you can always try out one Gnome based linux distro from there livecd example:
Buntu/Linuxmint

They have pulseaudio enabled/installed and uses gnome-volume-control by default. It is much better then kmix, if you ask me.  

You can then compare volume-max in PCLinuxOS with the given example. But if you want to wait, it is up to you. My answer can take time.

Have a nice day girls/guys!

[Vorteggs]

"How to get even higher volume"?
I think you have to dig to CLI or ask Texstar himself.

[Just17]

I will come back one day with a answer. There is a easy solution for that, gnome-volume-control can be enabled at boot-up. Then you will have both kmix and gnome-volume-control from start. It is also easy to place gnome-volume-control in kickstart (PCLinuxOS menu). I have done that.

Is the volume adjustable on the gnome-volume-control icon in the tray by using the mouse wheel over it? ......  just wondering if it behaves like other volume controls.

Strangely ....  on the sliders of the volume control page (Sound Preferences) hovering over a slider and moving the mouse wheel - in either direction - causes the slider to reduce .....  there is no way to increase the slider level with the wheel.   *  That of course is here on KDE - I don't know if this is with all installations *

BTW ....  while testing the 64bit ISO on a machine here I have hit this volume problem.
I have yet to see what might help ....  will report back if I find anything.


regards.

[Kurdistan]

"How to get even higher volume"?
I think you have to dig to CLI or ask Texstar himself.

That is a good idea! I will PM Texstar if he can add gnome-volume-control when a person is installing task-pulseaudio. When I mean add, I mean so a users can find gnome-volume-control in kickstart-menu and volume-icon/applet.

[Kurdistan]

I will come back one day with a answer. There is a easy solution for that, gnome-volume-control can be enabled at boot-up. Then you will have both kmix and gnome-volume-control from start. It is also easy to place gnome-volume-control in kickstart (PCLinuxOS menu). I have done that.

Is the volume adjustable on the gnome-volume-control icon in the tray by using the mouse wheel over it? ......  just wondering if it behaves like other volume controls.

Strangely ....  on the sliders of the volume control page (Sound Preferences) hovering over a slider and moving the mouse wheel - in either direction - causes the slider to reduce .....  there is no way to increase the slider level with the wheel.   *  That of course is here on KDE - I don't know if this is with all installations *

BTW ....  while testing the 64bit ISO on a machine here I have hit this volume problem.
I have yet to see what might help ....  will report back if I find anything.


regards.

You can test that by doing following:
1. go to:  /usr/bin
2. search for: gnome-volume-control-applet and click on it. I have set it on double click.

You will now have the applet for it. If you want to have it on boot every time.
http://linux-blog.org/autostart-apps-in-pclinuxos-2007-kde/

remenber instead of kde you willl have kde4.

It should be an easier way, but that should work. Easiest would be if texstar put it to taks-pulseaudio.  

Edit:
There is a easier way of doing it:
1. Configure your desktop
2. Start and finish (I am using Swedish so I am not sure what it is in English).
3. Automatic start
4. Add a script
5. /usr/bin/gnome-volume-control-applet
6. Reboot

Done.