Master volume problem (32)

3893 Name: Manwe : 2007-08-13 01:42 [Del]

Why the overall volume is so terribly low? Schism (at last Mac OS X build) plays the tunes so quiet, that even on the maximum mixing and global volumes they sounds at approximately 1/4 of normal volume (in compare with Milky Tracker, CocoMod, iTunes, etc.). I ran Schism on iBook G4 with M-Audio DOU USB external soundcard, OS X 10.4.10

3895 Name: +- : 2007-08-13 07:23 [Del]

Confirmed for other platforms (Win/Linux), but I just crank my soundcard so it doesn't really bother me. I know things weren't always this quiet.

BTW, trackers will (almost) always sound quiet in comparison to, say, a mastered MP3 in iTunes.

3896 Name: Manwe : 2007-08-13 08:42 [Del]

> BTW, trackers will (almost) always sound quiet
> in comparison to, say, a mastered MP3 in iTunes.

It's obvious, but what if you load that mastered mp3 (wav, aiff) as a sample and play it on maximum volume in Schism Tracker? It will sounds much much quiet then original, that's what I mean. And, by the way, "master volume" sliders on setup screen always returned to 0 after every attempt to change their position.

Another old bug appears: Alt+J (recalculate volumes) in pattern view count empty volume field as "64" instead of "default sample volume".

3899 Name: Brenda Colette Blackwell : 2007-08-13 14:58 [Del]

> BTW, trackers will (almost) always sound quiet in comparison to, say, a mastered MP3 in iTunes.

Right. Remember if you're playing a sample with sample volume 64, channel volume 64, etc. in Schism Tracker, you're still only hearing it at 37.5% of its full volume unless you change the mixing volume on the song variables F12 page.

I don't think the sound card volume is implemented on OS X.

3905 Name: Manwe : 2007-08-14 01:47 [Del]

> hearing it at 37.5% of its full volume
> unless you change the mixing volume
> on the song variables F12 page.

It looks like if you push mixing volume to 128 (default is 48), the overal volume will stay still lower then even that declared 37.5%... On the same time, Schism osciloscopes shows loud waveform. Really strange.
And why do not use "master volume" meters (0..31) on F12 screen to amplify the mixed signal? User can make a choise between possible distortions and very very quiet volume.

3906 Name: Brenda Colette Blackwell : 2007-08-14 02:26 [Del]

>>3905
what?

3907 Name: Manwe : 2007-08-14 03:27 [Del]

Oh, I said F12? Sorry, I mean Shift+F5 screen. "Master Volume" sliders there. They are always reseted to zero. Why do not activate them to add some volume boost?

3908 Name: Brenda Colette Blackwell : 2007-08-14 05:08 [Del]

Just tested, disregard >>3899 — master volume does work.

Are you using an old version?

3909 Name: Celia B. Blanchard : 2007-08-14 05:24 [Del]

>"Master Volume" sliders

Could these be linked, as option? So changes to left automatically alters to the right as well.

3910 Name: Brenda Colette Blackwell : 2007-08-14 06:23 [Del]

implementation note off top of my head: space = link/unlink; when linked, bottom slider shows "Link" instead of value
or maybe something more intuitive?

(I'd rather not have more controls for the volume, it's a really simple operation and shouldn't be made more complex than necessary)

3911 Name: Brenda Colette Blackwell : 2007-08-14 06:24 [Del]

... and gj to me for saging the top thread. oh well.

3917 Name: Kelvin Wiggins : 2007-08-14 22:14 [Del]

>>3911
it's the thought that counts :)

3918 Name: Manwe : 2007-08-15 03:34 [Del]

> Just tested — master volume does work.
> Are you using an old version?

The version from 12-Aug-2007. Mac OS X build. Master volume sliders on Shift+F5 screen do nothing and always reseted to zero.
I use external USB sound interface which has no any software (digital) volume parameter. Only manual (analog) volume adjustment is possible. So, from OS point of view, it plays the sound always on maximum volume. This means, that sound which Schism render and send to soundcard is really too quiet.

3919 Name: Kelvin Wiggins : 2007-08-15 04:26 [Del]

Hey, I just remembered: http://sovietrussia.org/scdev/res/219.html#228

>fixed vu and waveform visualization; i attenuated the output because of some clipping problems in filters. this retarded this view.

Manwe, if you haven't already, try the 0.5rc1 available from http://rigelseven.com/schism/ and see if volumes are better there.

BTW, Impulse Tracker's filters would very often clip, especially if the resonance was high.

3937 Name: Manwe : 2007-08-18 05:14 [Del]

Oh, yes, Schism 0.5rc1 is much louder! Please, bring the volume level back!

3953 Name: Manwe : 2007-08-21 02:03 [Del]

Hello? Anybody home? Please, bringback the volume level.

3979 Name: esaruoho : 2007-08-27 23:56 [Del]

its really too quiet. seriously too quiet. i have no way of not using schismtracker with my chipinteg laptopo soundcard, and the hum is horrific. i wish i could run schism with an asio soundcard tbh.

4005 Name: Maria Jacquelyn Gentry : 2007-09-04 11:16 [Del]

+1 for master volume being too quiet.

also when "rewinding" the track with + or -, it suddenly accelerates to VERY fast, so i miss a lot of patterns with that just for a second.

4006 Name: Manwe : 2007-09-06 08:49 [Del]

Guys, PLEASE, bring the volume level back. I need to turn my audio amplifier so much that 50hz noise sounds almost at the same volume as a music. Working with Schism, I'm afraid to produce any system action (i.e. emptying trash or burn cd) which plays alert sound - on such volume it definitely will destroy my sound monitors, my ears and neighbours will call 911 thinking it's a terrorists act. Please, do something ASAP.

4007 Name: Marisol Cash : 2007-09-06 14:02 [Del]

I don't know if mrsbrisby's even around anymore... from the looks of nimh.org/schism, the code hasn't been touched at all in nearly a month :(

4008 Name: Rosa Fisher : 2007-09-06 14:34 [Del]

Before this thread the sound didnt bother me that much...

4009 Name: Allan Madden : 2007-09-06 21:55 [Del]

You're all cowards.

Beware: it's louder now.

(the filters might be improved as well)

4011 Name: Lea Elena McClure : 2007-09-07 06:32 [Del]

>>4009

Thanx. ;)

But the situation isn't much better now. Master vol still isn't at the normal level (render to WAV and see yourself).
Also strange bug has appeared - some notes plays with its volume "jumping", as if the volume envelope line is broken as mountains. :)

Hope you'll have some time after vacation to check these bugs. I intend to work with the build from 02 of July for a while - at the moment it seems to be the most stable and less buggy than other.

4030 Name: Kristine Hartley : 2007-09-13 18:09 [Del]

>>4011

It sounds plenty loud to me now; I don't want to make it as loud as it used to be as clipping could occur too easily. Unless you actually meant it was only too quiet when diskwriting...

(I'll have to check later; my headphones are missing)

4034 Name: Whitney Burt : 2007-09-15 00:59 [Del]

>>4030

>I don't want to make it as loud as it used to be as clipping could occur too easily. Unless you actually meant it was only too quiet when diskwriting...

It almost never clipped earlier, only if you don't adjust Mixing Volume parameter when composing something very loud and solid.

But now - when you have Mixing Vol of typical 40 to 60 - Schism plays too quiet and renders too quiet. I rendered a random module (which played ok before), looked to *.wav in a sound editor and saw that volume level is about -24db at max! :) Way far from normal.

Btw, some other bug occurs in lately - after saving th file, i'm being kicked out to Windows. Schism doesn't crash though and i can get it back with alt+tab.

4037 Name: Kristine Hartley : 2007-09-15 20:22 [Del]

>>4034

Well, storlek had me revert fastmix to 1.6 and said it helped him. Do my current builds help you?

4039 Name: Storlek !desu/4y/Xg : 2007-09-15 21:20 [Del]

>>4037
Hey now, I wasn't holding a gun to your head, I just said the recent changes broke more than they fixed :P

4040 Name: Kristine Hartley : 2007-09-15 22:21 [Del]

>>4039

Sorry, didn't mean for that to sound like that. :)

4041 Name: Storlek !desu/4y/Xg : 2007-09-15 22:40 [Del]

No hard feelings.

4042 Name: Jackie Talia Vazquez : 2007-09-15 22:57 [Del]

>>4037

>>Do my current builds help you?

Not really, if you talk about build from 15.09 because >>4034 was written after testing it.

But i'll get today's build now! :)

4043 Name: Jackie Talia Vazquez : 2007-09-16 00:44 [Del]

I've checked the latest build - yes, it really helps. Normal master volume level at last... ah, i missed it. :) Thanx!

4047 Name: Manwe : 2007-09-16 03:41 [Del]

Oh, finaly! Now it's all right. Thank you A LOT!

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