Re: measuring output volume from headphones -- follow-up

["Freed, Dan" <DFreed@xxxxxxx>]

I don't know of any way that you can check and adjust numerical volume
settings through the Windows UI.  I have found it necessary to write a
Windows application to accomplish this, using the "audio mixer"
functions in the Windows Multimedia library.  It's a pain in the neck.

An alternative is to set the Windows volume control to maximum, then use
an external headphone amplifier to control the volume.  This takes the
Windows slider out of the picture and gives you a physical knob to work
with.  We sometimes use an audiometer as the external amplifier, which
gives us a nicely calibrated volume control.

Dan Freed
Senior Engineer, Hearing Aid Research Lab
House Ear Institute
2100 W. Third St.
Los Angeles, CA  90057  USA
Phone: +1-213-353-7084
Fax: +1-213-413-0950
Email: dfreed@xxxxxxx


-----Original Message-----
From: AUDITORY Research in Auditory Perception
[mailto:AUDITORY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Robbin Miranda
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 8:50 AM
To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: measuring output volume from headphones -- follow-up

Thank you to those of you who responded to my previous question.  Your
comments were extremely helpful!  Using a dummy head or coupler seems
like a feasible option for the initial set-up of our two testing
locations (we will be using the same type of headphones at each
location).  However, I would also like to be able to quickly check the
volume just prior to testing each participant (in case another user
adjusts the computer's volume settings).  On my computer (Windows XP),
all I have been able to find, even in the advanced settings, are
scrollbars indicating the volume level.  Is there any way to
check/adjust numerical values of the volume setting?

Thanks again,
Robbin

Robbin Miranda
Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience
Georgetown University
3900 Reservoir Rd., NW
Washington DC 20007
(202) 687-8449