Volume suggestion? Anywhere near max clips.

[blessingx]

Usually when using audio progs (under any OS), I max player and master (platform) controls and handle the levels through my headphone amp or receiver. This setup has worked fine, however it isn't possible with VLC (under at least OS X and with 0.6.1, 0.6.2 and 0.7 beta) as it clips severely as you move up the volume slider. I'm using VLC almost entirely for FLAC playback, and the advantage of the codec is mostly lost if I can't find a proper level. I think I find it, but then clipping shows up again on the X song. Could anyone explain how volume is implemented in VLC?

Output is through Xitel Hi-Fi for receiver and M-Audio Audiophile USB for headphones (routed thru amp). Both are USB, however just did a short test with built-in audio "card" and the same happened. This isn't a problem I experience with iTunes, Audion, Whamb, Quicktime, MacAmp Lite X or XMMS (under Fink). I've used VLC with OS X 10.2 and 10.3 with the same results.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone for a great app. While I may be in the minority using it as an audio only prog, VLC really does fill a void for FLAC playback on OS X.

[BigBen]

Well, due to its multiplatform nature, VLC doesn't set the audio volume by modifing the OS mixer's settings (would need a different implementenation for every OS), but by applying a filter, that will change the value of each numeric sample after decoding (somebody corrects me if I'm wrong).

You've pointed out the major drawback of this : sound can peak easily... The only think I could advise you at this time would be to let volume at a quite low level in VLC, and play with the mixer settings of your OS by hand...

[The DJ]

correct. it may also be that some soundformats (like FLAC) might be more sensative to this than others.

Try http://www.videolan.org/pub/testing/vlc ... st1/macosx