[ale] Let's discuss audio settings - why all the volume controls?!

[Calvin Harrigan]

On 8/12/2021 15:19, Allen Beddingfield via Ale wrote:
> Something that drives me crazy is the number of places for adjusting the volume on a PC.
> For example, I'm currently listening to MP3s with Clementine player.
>
> 1.  There is a volume control in the player
> 2.  There is a volume control on the audio applet at the bottom of the screen
> 3.  My speakers have a volume knob
> 4.  If I click the "mixer" button on the audio applet, there is an individual volume level for each running application, and "system sounds"
>
> That makes FOUR places to change the volume.  What do you do?
> Crank all the software volume controls to 100%, and change the volume with the mechanical knob?  Set them all at 50% and use the mechanical knob?  Set the mechanical knob to some sane midpoint, and control the volume with a software control (which one?)
> Is there an officially recommended procedure?
> What's the purpose of all of these?
>
> Allen B.
>
> --
> Allen Beddingfield
> Systems Engineer
> Office of Information Technology
> The University of Alabama
> Office 205-348-2251
> allen at ua.edu
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I usually set the mechanical volume to ~50% and use the applet to 
control the master volume for apps.  I usually let the apps default or 
set them to 75% if the default is too low.