Playback Control Latency With External Player

[FrozenAssets]

Some of the controls are immediately responsive for me (pause, replay after pause, and stop) and others (initial play, volume) have latency. I think this makes sense in that the immediately responsive controls are probably only involving the machine that MMW is running on, and the controls showing latency probably involve some back and forth communication with the player rendering the music.

I had an experience with the volume control that still has my ears ringing. I was trying to turn down the volume to take a phone call and somehow ended up at FULL volume. I now know that my stereo can be very, very loud. This was definitely user error, something I did. Is anyone else having difficulty with the volume control and the external player, or is it just me and my environment?

Maybe I should try a skin that has a different volume control? I enabled skinning when I did the install, but have not changed from the default.

[Lowlander]

Right click on the MediaMonkey tray icon and use Volume, it gives you 10% increment options. I've personally only tested playback and not volume.

[FrozenAssets]

I don't see any volume control when I right click on the MediaMonkey tray icon.

I just did a test with the MetroMonkey skin. Tried it playing to the internal player first. Nice smooth control. Then tried to the stereo. Carefully position cursor over volume control, gently scrolled down one click, and FULL volume. Ouch. Done trying that.

[Lowlander]

Right click on the MediaMonkey tray icon should give you a context menu with items like Restore, My Rating, Now Playing as well as Volume.

[FrozenAssets]

OK, I see it now. Feeling a little gun shy on trying it though.

[Lowlander]

I'd presume that 10% should not be a problem, however stay close to control stereo manually (and capture it in a debug log) in case it is too loud. I would say if 10% blows your ears off that there might be a bug.

[FrozenAssets]

Thank you Lowlander. Indeed, using the control through the tray icon appears to work as it should.

Now I will go see if I can get the cat off of the ceiling.

[Lowlander]

It seems to me that Volume control of External Player works like expected on 1615. They're gradual increases as to be expected.

Note. Tested 1 floor away from client thus not aware what actual volume on client was (can hear it though).

[FrozenAssets]

Were you using the volume control within the main window or from the control you directed me to in the tray? The tray control has worked for me in both 1614 and 1615. I have not tried the volume control in the main window with 1615, and I am not inclined to. Given the experience I had, I avoid that volume control in the interface like it is the trigger of a loaded gun. Maybe it is something specific to my setup. I do like the positive stops of the tray controller, even if it only provides 10% increments. Again, thanks for steering me to the controls in the tray. That bit of knowledge has made the external player workable for me (and scored big points with my wife).

[Lowlander]

I've used both on build 1615. I used the mouse scroll on the volume button (skin I use has volume button, instead of slider) in the Player and it worked well for me.

For testing purposed you could connect some old headphones (if possible) which will allow you to test without scaring the cat.

[FrozenAssets]

I tested the volume control with build 1615 in the MetroMonkey skin and it worked well. There was latency (I think that is probably expected), but it gave smooth control.

I don't know what my second experience with the volume going full in the previous build was about. I was very deliberate and had made a single micro adjustment, so I don't think that was something easily attributable to me. But if no one else had this experience it may be something peculiar to my setup. I still think I will gravitate to the volume control in the tray.

[bobbylangs]

I too would have a cat on the ceiling if I had a cat (dog instead). Build 1616, MM player started with its volume slider at the top and the remote player (Onkyo TX-NR609) set by me at 40%, sounding great. I slid MM's control DOWN to about 80% (absently thinking PC volume) and my Onkyo went to max or near max. Thought I'd lose my speakers but they seem ok.

Is it possible, when MM first selects a remote player, to READ its volume setting and draw the MM player slider to match? Because when playing local, I usually want the PC's volume on max. When playing to the Onkyo, NEVER!

[mcow]

Assuming by "external player" we mean a UPnP renderer, then yes, reading the volume setting on the remote device is possible; it's part of the API.

[Lowlander]

http://www.ventismedia.com/mantis/view.php?id=10302

[bobbylangs]

Bullseye! Thank you mcow & LowLander. I can't tell if that helps FrozenAssets or not.