Hi, Be, I am sure your sound-card does the volume control just right. I think all serious soundcards (and even onboard types) have a hardware volume solution, that is of cause controlled by a digital signal.
It will most likely look like Figure 1: http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/pga2320.pdf#page=7 Where the gain of an analog op-amp is controlled by an 8 bit signal. This circuit is lowers the input signal INCLUDING the quantization noise. Mixxx cannot lower the quantization noise of its ouput signal, it is just there. The Mixxx master gain is actually just a bit crusher. For example, if you lower the master gain to -20 dB Mixxx's 24 bit output signal is reduced to ~20 bit. The Signal to noise ration goes down from 144 dB to 124 dB (The noise is amplified by 20 dB relative to the full scale) However in this case, we are still better than the 96 dB of 16 bit CD rips. A ultimate solution would be to allow to map the soundcards volume slider to the controller and Mixxx GUI. This might be possible by "libportmixer" Kind regards, Daniel 2016-04-07 0:45 GMT+02:00 Ferran Pujol Camins <ferranpujolcam...@gmail.com>: > I see, thank you for explaining! > > > 2016-04-07 0:43 GMT+02:00 Be <b...@gmx.com>: > >> All sound cards work differently, but I don't think it matters whether >> the sound card has digital or analog gain. Either works better with a >> stronger signal coming in. >> >> My sound card has digital gains and meters on the device, so I can >> actually see whether the signal is at the same level to confirm this. I >> just experimented turning the main gain in Mixxx down with the sound card >> all the way up versus leaving the main gain knob at unity in Mixxx and >> turning down the sound card. The former definitely sounded worse than the >> latter. >> >> On 04/06/2016 05:19 PM, Ferran Pujol Camins wrote: >> >>> I understand, but isn't the OS mixer just decreasing or increasing the >>> volume digitally? In that case, if the OS mixer volume is 100% (no >>> volume modification) and mixxx gain is 30% is the same than Os mixer 30% >>> and mixxx 100%, am I wrong? >>> >>> 2016-04-07 0:13 GMT+02:00 Be <b...@gmx.com <mailto:b...@gmx.com>>: >>> >>> It's better to have Mixxx sending the sound card a signal with a >>> high signal-to-noise ratio than turn the gain down in Mixxx and send >>> a signal with a lower S/N ratio to the sound card. To reach a >>> comparable volume, the signal would have to be amplified somewhere >>> down the line (sound card, mixer, amplifier, or whatever), which >>> would amplify more noise. Or to turn the volume down, it would still >>> sound better to send a strong signal out of Mixxx and attenuate it >>> further down the signal chain. >>> >>> >>> http://mixxx.org/manual/latest/chapters/djing_with_mixxx.html#djing-gain-staging >>> >>> On 04/06/2016 05:02 PM, Ferran Pujol Camins wrote: >>> >>> But why is it better? >>> >>> 2016-04-06 23:59 GMT+02:00 Be <b...@gmx.com >>> <mailto:b...@gmx.com> <mailto:b...@gmx.com <mailto:b...@gmx.com >>> >>>: >>> >>> >>> The gain in Mixxx controls the signal that is sent to the >>> sound >>> card. The OS mixer controls the sound card. >>> >>> On 04/06/2016 04:57 PM, Ferran Pujol Camins wrote: >>> >>> What's the difference between lowering the volume in >>> mixxx and >>> in the OS >>> mixer? >>> >>> 2016-04-06 23:43 GMT+02:00 Be <b...@gmx.com >>> <mailto:b...@gmx.com> >>> <mailto:b...@gmx.com <mailto:b...@gmx.com>> >>> <mailto:b...@gmx.com <mailto:b...@gmx.com> <mailto:b...@gmx.com >>> <mailto:b...@gmx.com>>>>: >>> >>> >>> >>> I've been working on the wiki and reviewing >>> controller >>> mappings lately. >>> I did a little editing to the language of the DJ >>> Hardware Guide >>> >>> (http://mixxx.org/wiki/doku.php/hardware_compatibility ), >>> split the >>> custom caps section to its own page, and revived >>> the old >>> headphones >>> section on its own page. >>> >>> In reviewing mappings, it has become apparent that >>> there >>> should be >>> guidelines on how to handle main & headphone gain >>> knobs on >>> controllers. >>> I added a section to the Contributing Mappings page >>> >>> >>> ( >>> http://mixxx.org/wiki/doku.php/contributing_mappings#main_headphone_gain_knobs >>> ) with some guidelines and started a new page >>> >>> (http://mixxx.org/wiki/doku.php/operating_system_mixer ) with >>> information about adjusting sound card levels. It >>> would be >>> great if >>> others could contribute details and screenshots to >>> the new >>> Operating >>> System Mixer page. >>> >>> Two cases that I'd like to ask about is when a >>> controller >>> has a sound >>> card without any gain controls or doesn't have a >>> sound card >>> but does >>> have main & headphone gain controls. In these >>> cases, should >>> the controls >>> be mapped to the software gains in Mixxx or not? >>> If they >>> should be >>> mapped, then I think the controller's wiki page >>> should >>> advise users not >>> to use them in most cases and link to the OS Mixer >>> page. >>> >>> I also split the Contributing Mappings page into >>> smaller >>> sections and >>> put a bit more context in the introduction. I >>> added a >>> little section on >>> documenting how microphone inputs work too. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Get Mixxx, the #1 Free MP3 DJ Mixing software Today >>> http://mixxx.org >>> >>> >>> Mixxx-devel mailing list >>> Mixxx-devel@lists.sourceforge.net >>> <mailto:Mixxx-devel@lists.sourceforge.net> >>> <mailto:Mixxx-devel@lists.sourceforge.net >>> <mailto:Mixxx-devel@lists.sourceforge.net>> >>> <mailto:Mixxx-devel@lists.sourceforge.net >>> <mailto:Mixxx-devel@lists.sourceforge.net> >>> <mailto:Mixxx-devel@lists.sourceforge.net >>> <mailto:Mixxx-devel@lists.sourceforge.net>>> >>> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/mixxx-devel >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Get Mixxx, the #1 Free MP3 DJ Mixing software Today > http://mixxx.org > > > Mixxx-devel mailing list > Mixxx-devel@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/mixxx-devel >
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