volume too low on winamp

[howisya]

for the last few days, winamp volume has been very low. the winamp internal volume setting is at 100%, and the same files are at normal or loud volume played through other programs such as windows media player without any change to my external speakers volume settings. i have isolated the problem to winamp. i tried upgrading to the latest version, hoping it would fix itself, but have the same problem. audio just comes across softer than it ever did in years of use, and i didn't change anything within the program to make it this way. please advise.

[Norwood]

Here's what I would check:

First...any new video players, audio editors etc? Sometimes these things may fiddle with your speaker settings.

Check the software settings of your speakers. Makes sure they're 5.1 if you have a 5.1 system, or 7.1 if they're 7.1s etc.

[howisya]

hi, thanks for the reply. i haven't installed any new audio or video players or editors. i also haven't installed any new winamp plugins. i use winamp for audio and most video files. i upgraded quicktime the other week, but that's never changed my winamp volume settings. as previously mentioned, other programs will play the same audio files at the normal or loud volume i expect and usually get out of winamp. all of my hardware, operating system, and software volume settings are what they normally are, only winamp is quiet for an unknown reason. i'd like to get this fixed because winamp has been my go-to program for 14 years, and i've never had this problem. having to use windows media player for volume has been a drag.

[howisya]

help please. i know the easy answer is my speakers or the volume is set to low in winamp, but these aren't the case. i've been using winamp so long that it would be a shame to have to stop over this.

[C1Team]

Are you using Windows 7? If so look at your mixer and see if the line is down or up.

[howisya]

thank you. no, i am using vista. i checked volume mixer, and i have only 2 items: device "speakers" and applications "windows sounds," both at around 50%. winamp should therefore be the same volume as everything else, but it's significantly lower even after that upgrade to the latest version i mentioned.

[C1Team]

Under Options can you go into Preferences, under Plug-ins select Output and click Configure for the Nullsoft DirectSound Output

1. Is your soundcard selected under the Device tab?
2. Is Enable volume control checked on under the Other tab?
3. Does your Volume show 0.000000 dB on the Status tab when you have the Winamp volume slider all the way up?

Sometimes changes don't take effect right away so restart Winamp.

[howisya]

thanks again.

Device is "01: Primary Sound Driver"

volume control is indeed checked in the Other tab

with Winamp volume slider all the way up, "Volume: 0.000000 dB / 0.000000 dB"

i didn't change any settings. it still sounds the same. at least i am able to confirm the above so i can try other suggestions.

[C1Team]

yeah sorry idk, trying to think of settings that would change the output level.

Is the Winamp EQ enabled, has the preamp been lowered or running a bad preset?

[Jiijapoa]

i think there's no problem with winamp, try to check your system volume on control panel, hope this help.

[howisya]

Is the Winamp EQ enabled, has the preamp been lowered or running a bad preset?

i don't use EQ; it was not "On" or set to "Auto," and all slides were in the middle.

i think there's no problem with winamp, try to check your system volume on control panel, hope this help.

what, under "Sound"? i didn't see anything out of the ordinary there.

[SilverBird775]

howisya, try WASAPI output plugins. They bound the Winamp volume control to the one of Vista mixer and operate at kernel level. If the problem persist at least you may stop digging into Winamp settings.

[howisya]

howisya, try WASAPI output plugins. They bound the Winamp volume control to the one of Vista mixer and operate at kernel level. If the problem persist at least you may stop digging into Winamp settings.

i downloaded and installed your plugin. here's what's interesting. i tested a file with my current output settings and confirmed i still had the problem. then i changed the output to WASAPI and played the same file, and it was LOUD! that solved it. then i switched it back to Nullsoft DirectSound, and the volume was just as loud.

now that i know they both work, what is the advantage of using this plugin for output instead of the nullsoft one?

thank you for your help. i was getting sick of windows media player.

[SilverBird775]

howisya, at least you know one advantage already ))).

No, i had no plans to sell my work, really. Just to help.

I'll speak for WASAPI in general then. WASAPI plugins works at lower lever bypassing most upper level utility functions the system providing. It gives more flexibility and power to the developer and can probably bypass the problems of those upper level. Usually the windows tools are bit too much general and "commercial". This gives the third parties a lot of space for maneuvering in precision, better software role targetting, and general optimization.

Nullsoft's DirectSound is ok for WinXP but rendered legacy on Vista. There is a LOT of Microsoft code involved which could be easily bypassed by something based on native Vista standards (read less MS code), like WASAPI.

Most experienced users considered to substitute stock DirectSound plugin for a ones like WASAPI, ASIO, OpenAL. The google can share tons of user experience with all this.

In the very end believe your ears, experience and simply enjoy your life :-)

[howisya]

cool, thanks. i've been using WASAPI since yesterday and have had no problems playing mp3 files. however, i just played a small playlist of some short wav files, and the plugin created some insane echo effects, including echoing the previous wav while the current one was playing and also echoing. does this plugin not handle wav files? only one of them played without these strange echoes, and none echoed with the nullsoft plugin.