Clean cheap volume control?

Frijz

Frijz

Frijz

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Joined
30 Jan 2012
Posts
101
Currently have three sets of speakers/headphones on the one amp that switch between, all requiring different volumes, which is an annoying stretch above my screens to the amp to change or via windows volume control. Ideally what I want is a small clean volume control that could sit on my desk and control the windows volume so I can leave the amp on a set volume. Does such a thing exist? Googled and the only option I could find was upwards of £30 which is too much to me for a knob... If anyone knows of anything or a easy way of making one that would be helpful.
 
Alternative would be to buy a keyboard with volume controls but I do like the feeling of an actual dial instead of buttons
 
I have seen such a device, might have been the same one you found. Soundblaster Zx and Xonar Pheobus come with a similar ones, but they can't be bought on their own. Don't know of any others that aren't expensive for what they are. Keyboard is probably the cheapest way.
 
I too was looking for something similar but in the end thought about the mechanics around it.

Typically you'll find yourself having to lift off the keyboard or mouse and that action sort of put me off the idea. Yes a desktop volume knob would be great if you're not using the PC but otherwise seems like a hindrance.

I ended using Volume 2, this app is brilliant I use it on my laptop and workstation.

I have mine set up as win+mouse wheel up = Increase volume and win+arrow up does the same thing. Worth looking at
 
Hmm, seems I'll have to keep digging or just settle with a software alternative.. Cheapest thing I could find was a griffin powermate but still £25, has some more functions though as well as looking very neat.
 
At a last resort I searched Youtube to see if anyone had any videos, seems you can buy a diy usb board that you can solder a rotary encoder to, combined with the right software/code this will control the windows audio. Just depends on how nice of a case you could build to house it. Still would be around £15 for the components so not a cheap option. Other option is to pull the circuit board out of a keyboard and wire buttons up to that. But no cheap option really as I guess this is kind of a niche product with not much demand
 
After seeing the Volume2 program I reckon I could build something quite easily out of an old mouse and just use that software to control it, thanks guys!
 
Frijz said:
After seeing the Volume2 program I reckon I could build something quite easily out of an old mouse and just use that software to control it, thanks guys!
Click to expand...

Good luck..... Please post your results and remember to find a mouse with a rotary encoder. I didn't have one spare so canned the idea.

WAIT !!!!!

Just remembered I do have a spanking new mouse spare that I've not inspected.... Might give this project another go when I get time :cool:
 
Subliminal Aura said:
Good luck..... Please post your results and remember to find a mouse with a rotary encoder. I didn't have one spare so canned the idea.

WAIT !!!!!

Just remembered I do have a spanking new mouse spare that I've not inspected.... Might give this project another go when I get time :cool:
Click to expand...

Will be interesting!! Think I'd rather a DIY challenge than buying one new anyway :p
 
Well I am in luck, spare mouse has a rotary encoder :D

vytvup.jpg
 
Oh my, now that is interesting.. Would be lying if I said I didn't want one...
Do you know if there is any software to detect the mouse as a separate device so I can just have the scroll wheel for volume control and not having to press a button on the keyboard?
 
Frijz said:
Oh my, now that is interesting.. Would be lying if I said I didn't want one...
Do you know if there is any software to detect the mouse as a separate device so I can just have the scroll wheel for volume control and not having to press a button on the keyboard?
Click to expand...

Yeah essentially Volume2 is not good for our application .... There are are articles out there .... Google around " old mouse volume control lifehacker "

I think they mention using volumouse but I've not used it.... You're ahead of me in the game as I've not got that far but I'm sure there is a way to solve this problem
 
Yeah, Ideally I want it so I can program the scroll wheel for volume, the forward and back for say next track/previous, and then maybe other things such as mute. But it would mean making the computer recognise it as a device that does that not as a mouse...

Volumouse is the same as Volume2 unfortunately..
 
Must be some way of doing it as keyboards can have media controls etc, But i'm not to strong with code and stuff so I'll keep googling!!
 
Now I remember what stumped me before :) BUT

Actually volumouse 2 does allow you to set up controls independently of mouse

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/volumouse_beta.htm

Click on tab button 2 to set up the actions for mouse 2 .... worked for me on my laptop. Not tried it on the desktop though

So basically no button/key pressed is set on mouse 2.

Scroll up and down work as normal for mouse 1 and mouse 2 wheel controls the volume :)
 
Unfortunately I tried that and no luck

Needs to be some software so I can make the computer not recognise it as a mouse I guess
 
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