Default volume for all soundcards (-20dB by default?)

Default volume for all soundcards (-20dB by default?)

[Jo]

Hi,

It seems that the default volume for any new soundcard is set by
default to -20dB.
Do you know where is it hardcoded ? In which source file (I used
package "alsa-utils" in Debian)  or which configuration file?

Thanks,
Jo

PS: here's the context :

I woud like to set up the default sound volume once for all, for all
ALSA devices that will be connected ever.
Of course, I could do "amixer ..." or even "alsamixer" to modify the
volume of _currently available_ soundcards.
But I really want to modify the default volume even for future
soundcards that will be added later.
I've seen /var/lib/alsa/asound.state but the content is specific to
_currently connected_ soundcards. What I want is a solution that will
apply to any soundcard that will be connected in the future.

Why do I want this? I'm providing a ready-to-use Debian image for my
project http://www.samplerbox.org.
User #1 might use the computer's built-in-soundcard, User #2 might
have a USB DAC, User #3 might have another soundcard...
I would like to provide a default -3dB volume that will work for any
ALSA soundcard people could have...

Re: Default volume for all soundcards (-20dB by default?)

[David Henningsson]

On 2015-06-17 14:53, Jo wrote:
> Hi,
>
> It seems that the default volume for any new soundcard is set by
> default to -20dB.
> Do you know where is it hardcoded ? In which source file (I used
> package "alsa-utils" in Debian)  or which configuration file?

It's in /usr/share/alsa/init/default

>
> Thanks,
> Jo
>
> PS: here's the context :
>
> I woud like to set up the default sound volume once for all, for all
> ALSA devices that will be connected ever.
> Of course, I could do "amixer ..." or even "alsamixer" to modify the
> volume of _currently available_ soundcards.
> But I really want to modify the default volume even for future
> soundcards that will be added later.
> I've seen /var/lib/alsa/asound.state but the content is specific to
> _currently connected_ soundcards. What I want is a solution that will
> apply to any soundcard that will be connected in the future.
>
> Why do I want this? I'm providing a ready-to-use Debian image for my
> project http://www.samplerbox.org.
> User #1 might use the computer's built-in-soundcard, User #2 might
> have a USB DAC, User #3 might have another soundcard...
> I would like to provide a default -3dB volume that will work for any
> ALSA soundcard people could have...
> _______________________________________________
> Alsa-devel mailing list
> Alsa-devel@alsa-project.org
> http://mailman.alsa-project.org/mailman/listinfo/alsa-devel
>

-- 
David Henningsson, Canonical Ltd.
https://launchpad.net/~diwic

Re: Default volume for all soundcards (-20dB by default?)

[Jo]

Thanks David for your answer !

I tried this in /usr/share/alsa/init/default  but it doesn't change
anything (-20dB again on next reboot) :

# Default ALSA volume levels and setting when initialization database fails.
# [...]
#
# **************************************************************************
# playback
# **************************************************************************

ENV{ppercent}:="75%"
ENV{cpercent}:="75%"
ENV{pvolume}:="-3dB"



This sentence

# Default ALSA volume levels and setting when initialization database fails.

seems to show there is another database elsewhere, where should I try to
set -3 dB ?



Jo







On Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 4:21 PM, David Henningsson <
david.henningsson@canonical.com> wrote:

>
>
> On 2015-06-17 14:53, Jo wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> It seems that the default volume for any new soundcard is set by
>> default to -20dB.
>> Do you know where is it hardcoded ? In which source file (I used
>> package "alsa-utils" in Debian)  or which configuration file?
>>
>
> It's in /usr/share/alsa/init/default
>
>
>> Thanks,
>> Jo
>>
>> PS: here's the context :
>>
>> I woud like to set up the default sound volume once for all, for all
>> ALSA devices that will be connected ever.
>> Of course, I could do "amixer ..." or even "alsamixer" to modify the
>> volume of _currently available_ soundcards.
>> But I really want to modify the default volume even for future
>> soundcards that will be added later.
>> I've seen /var/lib/alsa/asound.state but the content is specific to
>> _currently connected_ soundcards. What I want is a solution that will
>> apply to any soundcard that will be connected in the future.
>>
>> Why do I want this? I'm providing a ready-to-use Debian image for my
>> project http://www.samplerbox.org.
>> User #1 might use the computer's built-in-soundcard, User #2 might
>> have a USB DAC, User #3 might have another soundcard...
>> I would like to provide a default -3dB volume that will work for any
>> ALSA soundcard people could have...
>> _______________________________________________
>> Alsa-devel mailing list
>> Alsa-devel@alsa-project.org
>> http://mailman.alsa-project.org/mailman/listinfo/alsa-devel
>>
>>
> --
> David Henningsson, Canonical Ltd.
> https://launchpad.net/~diwic
> _______________________________________________
> Alsa-devel mailing list
> Alsa-devel@alsa-project.org
> http://mailman.alsa-project.org/mailman/listinfo/alsa-devel
>

Re: Default volume for all soundcards (-20dB by default?)

[David Henningsson]

On 2015-06-17 17:56, Jo wrote:
> Thanks David for your answer !
>
> I tried this in /usr/share/alsa/init/default  but it doesn't change
> anything (-20dB again on next reboot) :
>
> # Default ALSA volume levels and setting when initialization database fails.
> # [...]
> #
> # **************************************************************************
> # playback
> # **************************************************************************
>
> ENV{ppercent}:="75%"
> ENV{cpercent}:="75%"
> ENV{pvolume}:="-3dB"
>
>
>
> This sentence
>
> # Default ALSA volume levels and setting when initialization database fails.
>
> seems to show there is another database elsewhere, where should I try to
> set -3 dB ?

The database referred to is /var/lib/alsa/asound.state - this only 
applies to sound cards never seen before. And potentially other files in 
/usr/share/alsa/init that could override the default, but I suspect that 
is not the case here.

-- 
David Henningsson, Canonical Ltd.
https://launchpad.net/~diwic