Multiple Volume Controls

[retexan599]

A very elementary layman's question:

With computer sound, there are multiple and apparently independent volume controls: For example: Windows Media Player has a volume control, the computer sound card has a sound control, and my external speakers have their own volume control. Do these work in series and are they really independent of each other? Is it better to have a high volume setting inside the computer with low volume externally, or vice versa? I am a little naive about this. Would appreciate some learning about this. Thanks.

 

[PC eye]

The answer to that is quick and easy there. Windows itself also has a volume control and sound mixer in the Accessories>Entertainment section and the volume control icon can be made visible in the system tray on the Start menu's task bar along others like Quicktime. The Windows should be up so you don't have to go back and forth but simply use the speaker or player volume control there.

For wav files f you have any assigned to Windows functions the sound mixer would be turned down until running WMP or the sound card's mixer for line in from an external source where it gets turned up there for playback. You generally go by what settings offer the best sound for the type you are listening to.