FSX keeps muting sound from other applications

[pestilentcod]

Hey guys,

 

I've used FSX and FS 2004 a lot in the past, and I just bought the Steam version and have been starting to fly again. When I start up the game and I go to fly, I like to put some music on through rhapsody or I load up a podcast I listen to on youtube to give me something to listen to. However, when the game gets going, FSX automatically mutes the sound out of background applications by about 80%, leaving me unable to hear what I'm trying to listen to. Does anyone have any experience with how to get FSX to stop reducing the sound levels of other applications? Thanks for your help. Much appreciated.

[f16jockey_2]

Try this.

Windows Control Panel -> Sound -> "Communications" Tab

 

http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy176/buffalo2602/ScreenHunter_01Jan131447_zps2b3ea0c9.jpg

 

FSX ATC sound is considered by Windows as "Communication", therefore above action is automatically taken.

By default it's set to "Reduce by 80%" I think.

 

Wim

[pestilentcod]

Sorry, this week was really busy so I didn't get a chance to test this out until today. It worked perfectly. Thanks for the help!

[ScatterbrainKid]

Can I ask a related question?- Is there any way to make all sounds come out of our speakers at the same level?

For example some FSX engines are louder or quieter than others, so we have to twiddle the speaker volume knob.

Same with youtube videos outside FSX, we have to keep adjusting the volume manually as we move from a quiet vid to a loud vid and vice-versa.

So ideally there should be a Windows setting (or an app or whatever) that allows us to set the level at which we want all sounds to come out of our speakers, such as on a scale of 1 (soft) to 10 (loud).

A setting of '5' would therefore mean that everything automatically came out of our speakers at a medium loudness.

Is there any way to make that automatically happen?

[il88pp]

Satterbrainkid,

 

I don't think so. Imagine a piece of music. There will be constant variations in volume. The band plays parts of the song softly, then other parts a bit louder. With a buildup to the end. If every note had the same volume, it would sound really flat.

Some tunes are louder, and other songs are melodious, or sad. It would be really weird if a cd was played at the same volume all the time.

 

What is happening with your youtube vids, is that the volume of for example Internet Explorer is not being adjusted. It just plays each vid at the same volume. It is the volume at which the video's were recorded that is different.

 

If you want to create a situation where the volume in your room does not go to high (example). You would need to create a feedback loop of some kind.

Feedback loop:

You could attach a microphone that detects the sound in your room. then create software (maybe it is available) that detects the sound level in the room through the microphone, and adjusts the speaker volume accordingly.

 

(I would not be surprised if there are (expensive) speakers for sale that have a microphone-feedback-loop built in, to make sure the volume never gets to high. But i never saw those myself)

 

(this is not something I looked in to, mind. I just let my mind wander for a moment...)

 

 

A big issue is that when you record from the speaker and then send that to the speaker again it goes very wrong.

This is what causes that horrible high pitched screatching sound at live concerts sometimes. The music goes from the speaker into the singers microphone, starts to circulate and get ever louder and louder on each loop. This is a deafening sound and easily phisically destroys speakers. Sometimes speaker blow up in a sea of Sparks.

 

So, for a feedback loop, somehow you would need to record the sound with the microphone, without sending it back to the speaker.

[mrzippy]

Sort of along the line as to why TV commercials are way louder than your program was even though you didn't "touch that dial!"

[vanmulken]

Does anyone know a solution for this problem when running FSX onder Windows Xp? I have to go into [Controlpanel] [sounds] to raise the wave volume manually everytime i used FSX.

ThanKs a lot for any help!

 

Bruno

[ScatterbrainKid]

Does anyone know a solution for this problem when running FSX onder Windows Xp? I have to go into [Controlpanel] [sounds] to raise the wave volume manually everytime i used FSX.

ThanKs a lot for any help!

Bruno

 

Can't you just twiddle your speakers volume knob?

[vanmulken]

Thanks, but no.

The hardware and software volume kobs are not responding before I have raised the wave-volume-level in [Control panel] [sound] from 0 to 70 % or so.

 

Bruno

[mabe5454]

Sort of along the line as to why TV commercials are way louder than your program was even though you didn't "touch that dial!"

 

Except all TV stations (on the air/cable) do that on purpose since way back the 70's or even 60's, can't recall. Someone said that will get your attention. Which it did cause in my case ever since, I know TV is run by legalized Psychos. They are sick.

 

Cheers,

[rockinrobin]

Sounds like what you want is an "audio compressor" or "limiter". This is a piece of hardware that "compresses" the peaks of the loud sounds down to a level set by a control knob. (Sometimes, a "limiter" will simply clip off the peaks, creating distortion in the process.) Sounds which are below the control threshold are not affected. These are often used the recording industry to reduce audio peaks which can cause distortion during recording. They, too, have their issues (like delay and "breathing"), and they are not cheap...