Audio Amplification in XFCE

orentsur · 2021-09-08 18:05:36

Hi all, new to the forum but not to Linux or XFCE. XFCE is my favorite desktop.
One issue which is bugging me is volume level which is always quite low, unless using an app like VLC where it is possible to increase volume within the app.
I noticed that in Cinnamon and Gnome (under audio settings) it is possible to raise volume level above 100%, essentially amplifying system audio.
Unfortunately when using pavucontrol, although it is possible to increase system audio beyond 100%, as soon as I reduce volume with my keyboard, the system volume level reduces and I need to 'slide' the volume up with my mouse to go beyond 100%.

Is there a way to set system 'master' volume beyond 100% as done in, for example, Cinnamon?

ToZ · 2021-09-08 19:04:39

Hello and welcome.

Are you using the xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin? It has the capability to increase the volume to 150% (and manage levels between 100 and 150). The one caveat here is that you have to use the slider in the plugin's popup to do that (scrolling on the plugin is still limited to 100%). For more info on this limitation, see: https://gitlab.xfce.org/panel-plugins/x … /issues/12:

For the record, I've implemented it this way on purpose, to prevent accidental increase of volume beyond 100%. Volumes above 100% are accessible via volume slider only. Whilst at >100% volume it is possible to use keyboard shortcuts to decrease the volume, though.
Maximum volume is somewhat arbitrarily set to 150% (afair). There is nothing special about this value other than the fact that higher volume range would make the sliders difficult to use precisely. Also, pulseaudio-mixer is using a similar maximum volume level (153%?).
If other devs have different preferences I'm fine with changing this behaviour. The above is to explain the reasons behind the current implementation.

orentsur · 2021-09-08 19:26:14

ToZ wrote:

Hello and welcome.
Are you using the xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin? It has the capability to increase the volume to 150% (and manage levels between 100 and 150). The one caveat here is that you have to use the slider in the plugin's popup to do that (scrolling on the plugin is still limited to 100%). For more info on this limitation, see: https://gitlab.xfce.org/panel-plugins/x … /issues/12:
For the record, I've implemented it this way on purpose, to prevent accidental increase of volume beyond 100%. Volumes above 100% are accessible via volume slider only. Whilst at >100% volume it is possible to use keyboard shortcuts to decrease the volume, though.
Maximum volume is somewhat arbitrarily set to 150% (afair). There is nothing special about this value other than the fact that higher volume range would make the sliders difficult to use precisely. Also, pulseaudio-mixer is using a similar maximum volume level (153%?).
If other devs have different preferences I'm fine with changing this behaviour. The above is to explain the reasons behind the current implementation.

Thanks ToZ! Yes I am. I was hoping to find a solution which will allow me to do one of two - a) set a 'master' volume level of, let's say, 150% so in essence audio is amplified (as don in Cinnamon and Gnome) or b) ability to increase volume, using the keyboard, beyond 100%.

ToZ · 2021-09-08 22:20:38

Using the keyboard, you can do something like:
Raise the volume by 5%:

pactl set-sink-volume 0 +5%

Lower the volume by 5%:

pactl set-sink-volume 0 +5%

Assign those commands to keyboard shortcuts and it will let you exceed 100%.

Note: you might have to change the sink number (0 from above) to the correct sink from your system. You can also change the increment/decrement amount (5% above) to whatever suits. Available sinks can be viewed with:

pactl list sinks

orentsur · 2021-09-09 22:32:44

UPDATE - so, I managed to find a crude but effective workaround. I am not about to embark on a scripting adventure so I simply combined ToZ's code snippets with an available functionality - Keyboard shortcuts. I got the idea from another page I visited.

Setting --> Keyboard. Under Keyboard shortcuts, create a new entry. When prompted type in the following command - pactl set-sink-volume 0 +5%. 0 represents the sink ID. In my case it is 0. Then assign any keyboard key or combination. I chose 'Ctrl' + 'Vol Up'. This now allows me to raise the volume level, well, as high as I chose really. Obviously one has to be mindful of one's speakers limitations.... ;-).

I hope this proves useful for someone, until the guys at XFCE decide to implement something more elegant...

Thanks again ToZ!

MountainDewManiac · 2021-11-05 00:51:15

I sincerely wish linux developers would learn to use numbers correctly, like the rest of the inhabitants in the universe. This specific developer mental issue is not as bad as their version numbering (e.g., version .4 is older than version .10... in linux roll ) - but it's still completely wrong. 100% is, by traditionally accepted definition since our species began using the concept of percentage, all of the thing.

In other words: Set your computer's audio output to as loud as it will go - THAT'S 100%!

Is there any way to fix this? The faulty "percentage" value, I mean, not the piss-poor treatment of numbers by the developers; I've more or less given up on the latter. But is there a way to fix our Xfce install so that it stops showing 66.6% audio volume to be "100%?" I will happily accept the responsibility of not tapping my "increase volume" button so many times that the audio starts clipping. . . .

Last edited by MountainDewManiac (2021-11-05 00:53:23)

CwF · 2021-11-05 01:48:01

I like the 100+ ability. With many sinks and multiple outs, I never ever ever never want anything through the electrostatics's above 50-60%. So when I do want serious output, I need to go above 100% on the source sink, yielding 60+. This way no accidental full volume stupidity ever happens. As it so happens, podcast and rude web pages often set full volume and it pisses me off, so they stay on hdmi output with yet another volume control...

I have other mismatches in the other direct, where the effective range is 0-5%, source way way way to hot...

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#1 2021-09-08 18:05:36

Audio Amplification in XFCE

#2 2021-09-08 19:04:39

Re: Audio Amplification in XFCE

#3 2021-09-08 19:26:14

Re: Audio Amplification in XFCE

#4 2021-09-08 22:20:38

Re: Audio Amplification in XFCE

#5 2021-09-09 22:32:44

Re: Audio Amplification in XFCE

#6 2021-11-05 00:51:15

Re: Audio Amplification in XFCE

#7 2021-11-05 01:48:01

Re: Audio Amplification in XFCE

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