Volume Limiter

[gevaerts]

I think there is one case where a configurable limit would be useful : if you increase the volume without looking at it, and you are in a quiet part, it's easy to set it higher than you would if you look at the screen at the same time.

[yapper]

With targets that support gain settings above 0dB, it would be nice to cap the gain at 0dB.

[soap]

With targets that support gain settings above 0dB, it would be nice to cap the gain at 0dB.

I think there is one case where a configurable limit would be useful : if you increase the volume without looking at it, and you are in a quiet part, it's easy to set it higher than you would if you look at the screen at the same time.

How does setting the EQ preamp to a negative value not address these two issues?

[yapper]

Neat - if I hadn't mistakenly set precut to -3dB instead of -6dB it would have worked the first time I tried it 

The only slightly confusing thing is that the WPS volume display still shows the gain setting without taking into account the precut (e.g. on my 2G ipod at full gain, it shows +6dB, despite the precut of -6dB). Ditto for the Sound Settings->Volume menu. However I can live with that.

[shoe]

There was an earlier thread I read in the forums about volume limiting.  After reading it, I created a fixed.cfg folder in the .rockbox directory, with the following text:
    eq enabled: on
    eq precut: 240
This guarantees the player will be volume limited every time it is powered on.  I also put:
    volume: -30
in the file, so that it always powers on at the same volume (does not remember volume when turned it off).

[zuvembi]

I think there is one case where a configurable limit would be useful : if you increase the volume without looking at it, and you are in a quiet part, it's easy to set it higher than you would if you look at the screen at the same time.

This is precisely the reason I'd like to have it.  I have podcasts I listen to on my e250 on the way to work (while I'm on my bicycle).  Sometimes I turn it up (through my vest), so I can't pull it out and look to see how high it is.  I'd like to limit the amount I can raise it. 

I mean, if it's a setting, I can always go back and change it if I need to.

[shoe]

Sometimes I turn it up (through my vest), so I can't pull it out and look to see how high it is.  I'd like to limit the amount I can raise it.  I mean, if it's a setting, I can always go back and change it if I need to.

There is already a setting for this, as mentioned above, it is the equalizer precut.

[NorTheBear]

What about this real world scenario:
- In the evening you connect your DAP to your stereo receiver or active loudspeakers and set the volume on your DAP at highest level
- Next morning you forget to rule down the volume before you put on your earphones and then it will really hurt (believe me or try it out yourself :-)

I am throwing this into discussion because I see at least three aspects of controlling the volume:
First, set the volume to a configurable maximum level so that you can't exceed that value by mistake if you are playing around with the volume control buttons (original poster's inquiry)
Second, allowing me to have a kind of "LINE OUT" mode that supplies a strong signal (max volume) to the amplifier of my stereo device.
Third, avoiding any physiological ear damages even if you have forgotten to reset the volume to a 'normal' level. I can think of a configurable start level after booting the firmware.

Just my 20 cents.

Cheers, Norbert.

[Febs]

What about this real world scenario:
- In the evening you connect your DAP to your stereo receiver or active loudspeakers and set the volume on your DAP at highest level
- Next morning you forget to rule down the volume before you put on your earphones and then it will really hurt (believe me or try it out yourself :-)

I am throwing this into discussion because I see at least three aspects of controlling the volume:
First, set the volume to a configurable maximum level so that you can't exceed that value by mistake if you are playing around with the volume control buttons (original poster's inquiry)

You can do this by using the equalizer pre-cut.  Shoe's post three above yours explains how to put these settings into the fixed.cfg file if you want this to be the default whenever you start Rockbox.

Second, allowing me to have a kind of "LINE OUT" mode that supplies a strong signal (max volume) to the amplifier of my stereo device.

You can do this by creating a .cfg file with whatever settings you want to use when you connect via line out and then simply loading that .cfg file when you use the line out.

Third, avoiding any physiological ear damages even if you have forgotten to reset the volume to a 'normal' level. I can think of a configurable start level after booting the firmware.

Again, you can do this by putting a volume setting into your fixed.cfg file.

[nloewen]

When I bought my headphones, in the manual it had a maximum number of Hertz (mabey something else) that they could handle. could you set a limmit on that?

[saratoga]

When I bought my headphones, in the manual it had a maximum number of Hertz (mabey something else) that they could handle. could you set a limmit on that?

You can use the EQ to adjust the frequency response in rockbox.  That said, the number that came with your headphones is meaningless.

[NorTheBear]

NorTheBear:

Third, avoiding any physiological ear damages even if you have forgotten to reset the volume to a 'normal' level. I can think of a configurable start level after booting the firmware.

Febs:

Again, you can do this by putting a volume setting into your fixed.cfg file.

Febs, many thanks for your suggestions but I am not too sure how a .cfg file would help if I completely forgot that the volume level is at maximum. I don't want to run a .cfg file each time I use the DAP. Am I missing something?

Again: A moderate volume start level (let's say 20 on a range from 0-40) can easily be adjusted when hearing the first tunes of a song. But from a hearing damage you'd suffer a life time. And for those who just doesn't mind the start level can be set to "last used".

Best, Norbert.

[GodEater]

fixed.cfg is run everytime you start your DAP whether you like it or not - so having the setting in there acheives precisely what you want from what I can see.

[NorTheBear]

Dear Feb & GodEater: You are absolutely right! The default fixed.cfg satisfies my needs. Mea culpa! I should have read the manual more carefully next time. Please accept my apologies.

[GodEater]

No problem - glad you've seen the light now