Laptop plays too quietly

shortwave · Post by **shortwave** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 6:31 pm

I have an Edirol UA-20 USB, my friend has an Egosys U24 USB soundcard.
They are both meant to give -10 unbalanced line level outputs, but when I plug them up to my Allen + Heath DJ mixer, the Edirol reads over 12db lower (using the same laptop playing the same thing).
I have found this makes it difficult to use live, because the DJ before has always turned everything up to 11, and I'll come on and sound really quiet.
Has anyone else noticed that some soundcards are quieter than others?
Does anyone have an explanation?

Cheers now,
Shortwave.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 1:44 am

many soundcards have software mixers that control the output of the speakers. this software is entirely seperate from Live and other audio apps--i.e. the volume set it other apps doesn't effect the settings of you soundcard software "mixer", and vice versa. Thus, try to find your software mixer that came with your soundcard, and turn it up to eleven (I don't have that soundcard, so maybe this won't help, but in general its true).

Ryan

shortwave · Post by **shortwave** » Fri Sep 26, 2003 3:58 pm

Thanks for the advice. Yet another volume control is often easy to miss!
Sadly in this case, its not the answer, I've just re-checked it all and theres nothing left to turn up!
Sticking a multiband compressor over the master helps keep it all as loud as it can be, but its not really a solution.