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Musings from Gudge » Volume fluctuations in Media Player

Volume fluctuations in Media Player

OK, this is beginning to drive me crazy… Every now and again, when I'm playing tracks in Media Player 10, the volume level varies *within* a single track. And it's completely random. If I play the same track again, the volume fluctuations will be in a different place (or may not occur at all).
 
I have Auto Volume Leveling turned *off* although I believe the ripped tracks do contain volume leveling information.
 
It's not specific to a given media format as it occurs with mp3 and wma files.
 
It doesn't seem to be affected by bit-rate either; it happens with 128Kbps, 160Kbps and VBR files.

Anyone else experienced this? If so, did you find a fix?
 
 
Posted Aug 04 2005, 01:41 AM by martin-gudgin

Comments

Sahil Malik wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 08-03-2005 9:30 PM
Yeah, then I went to the doctor and got my ears checked HEHE :P
Gudge wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 08-03-2005 9:32 PM
Yeah, I thought about doing that, but given that the rest of my family also experience the fluctuations I reckon that's not it

;-)

Gudge
James Kovacs wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 08-04-2005 12:35 AM
Does this happen on more than one computer? It sounds like a soundcard or speaker/headphone problem. I've been using Media Player 10 since it was released and haven't noticed any volume fluctuations. That could mean that I need my ears checked, though. :)
Gudge wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 08-04-2005 1:57 AM
James,

Yes, it does occur on more than one computer, although the actual physical files are the same in both cases. One computer is my wifes, where the files are located, the other is mine.

I wonder if adding the volume leveling info somehow messed things up...

Gudge
Michael Russell wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 08-04-2005 4:33 AM
If you have Creative soundcards, make sure that you don't have Creative's MP3 codec installed.

I've had these symptoms in the past, as well as speed fluctuations, and it was related to Windows Media Player using Creative's codec.

To check, go to Control Panel->Sounds and Audio Devices->Hardware.

Select "Audio Codecs" and click "Properties."

On the "Properties" tab, remove all MP3 codecs except "Fraunhofer IIS MPEG Layer-3 Codec."

Reboot and enjoy.
Webdroid wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 08-05-2005 8:52 AM
I've actually experienced this over the last three versions of WM and have come to the conclusion it is hardware related. Ihave a swapable drive system and all MS Operating versions suffer the same problem.

The effect is as if a compression or limiting effect is suddenly turn on!

Respectfully.
Gudge wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 08-05-2005 12:50 PM
Michael,

Thanks for the suggestion. I checked the list of codecs and it looks like the one you mention is the only MP3 codec I have. I moved it to the top of the list, just in case, but it didn't make any difference.

Thanks anyway!

Gudge
Gudge wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 08-05-2005 12:53 PM
Webdroid,

Are you using Creative hardware? Both my wife's machine and mine have Creative soundcards and the problem occurs on both machines.

I've not noticed whether it always starts by dropping the volume. I thought it sometimes manifested as an increase in volume, but perhaps in that case I'm just noticing it returning to normal.

Cheers

Gudge
Psycho wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 09-02-2005 2:38 AM
If you have AC3Filter installed, you need to disable the MP3 control (or whatever). Go to AC3Filter Config (in your Start Menu) and click on the System tab. On the upper left corner there's "Use AC3 Filter for...", unselect the MPEG Audio box click OK and your sound should fluctuate no more.

Or you could try to learn how to use the filter. I didn't.:)
wilymofo wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 11-09-2005 10:26 AM
Just wanted to say thanks. I've been having a similar problem with my computer since day one. Bought it primarily for doing audio work and this is starting to drive me mad. At least now I have some direction. BTW mine manifests in all audio software I use including Sound Forge, Fruity Loops, Windows Media...for what its worth. Cheers
Josh wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 01-28-2006 8:48 AM
I was looking for an answer on this, and i came across this board, and when i went to look for a solution that someone on here posted, i found that my settings were set for regular desktop speakers, and i have 5.1 surround speakers... i have set them to this before when i first got them, but the setting must have went back some how. i just set them back to 5.1 under the sound setting and then speaker settings. i imagine that in the mp3 file its telling it to send it to particular speakers and if you have just desktop speakers it might loose some of it and then come back.. dont know if that is the real answer, but it seamed to work for me...
STEVEN CAUTHEN wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 03-08-2006 4:12 PM
MY COMPUTER HAS NO SOUND CAN YOU TELL ME WHY ? AND HOW TO FIX IT
STEVEN CAUTHEN wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 03-08-2006 4:15 PM
WHERE DO I LOOK TO SEE WAT IT'S SET ON
GR wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 04-24-2007 11:12 AM
This may be a slightly different problem, but when playing either audio or video in windows media player the volume is stable, when i skip ahead or jump back on the progress bar, the volume automatically blares out at full blast, I have to press pause and play again to get the volume back down to a normal level. This doesnt happen in other programs such as winamp. Any ideas how to sort this out with windows media player?
Gudge wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 04-24-2007 1:42 PM
GR,

Not experienced that particular issue. The machine I was having trouble with no longer has a sound card in it (it's about to become a server) so I'm not seeing the original problem any more either.

Sorry,

Gudge
seanp wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 05-17-2007 6:45 AM
GR -- that is exactly the problem I have, and is especially annoying when using MovieMaker; whilst skipping through clips, volume is apparently 'maximized'; even if the sliders in Surround Mixer are at their lowest :( Have to constantly re-adjust, which resets it till the next time I skip etc.
Jay wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 05-29-2007 10:11 AM
Strangely enough I was having the same problem with Vista and windows media player 11, and the answer was to change the speaker type (as suggested above). I went into the speaker configuration part of the control panel, chose my speakers and clicked configure. It seems to be the only place to tell my compter that I have a subwoofer hooked up (like, 2.1? or something?) I had to tell it that my sattelite speakers were not full range, and the problem seems to have dissapeared.
RamiS wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 10-29-2007 3:36 AM
For me, during Vista media player
playing songs or after skipping ahead caused change in volume level.Very annoying....
Well, it was Tunebite running in background.
When it's not running, sounds are normal, no change at all...

Rami
Tom wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 11-09-2007 11:35 AM
I am having the same trouble, but I have a dual boot system with Media Player 9 on both Win ME and Win XP. The fluctuations only occur on the XP OS. The problem does not happen with WinAmp only with Media Player. I didn't see a solution to this in the posts, and I am still looking for an answer.
Mr. Anonymous wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 11-11-2007 7:57 AM
U can try to disable Quiet Mode in Windows Media Player.
noone wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 11-12-2007 6:41 PM
I have a slightly different problem - it's always trying to keep the sound at the same volume. So it plays softer parts of songs louder than it should be and louder parts softer than should be. Any solutions?
Joel wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 11-18-2007 12:40 AM
I have the same problem. In WMP the sound volume level lowers sporadically within a song, which can be really frustrating at times. Played in another software player on the same machine everything sound nice. Would like to use WMP though.
Joel wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 11-19-2007 5:33 PM
And Quiet Mode if off. Tried enabling and disabling it again but nothing helps.
Davood wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 12-30-2007 6:10 PM
If you have a microphone plugged in, try to remove that and see what happens. I removed mine and it is ok now.
teh master wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 01-08-2008 3:57 AM
In AC3 Filter, change the default audio renderer from direct sound to wave out. Also if you have ventrilo installed, it changes the default audio renderer.

gl
moffstarr wrote re: Volume fluctuations in Media Player
on 05-17-2008 5:49 AM
* In AC3 Filter, change the default audio renderer from direct sound to wave out *

This worked for me. I had the problem of the volume getting louder when i skipped the playing music track foward or backwards a bit.


Thankies ;)

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