I'm looking for a real-time volume compressor not for any host, but for Windows itself.

Something like an audio plug-in, that affects each and every sound coming from my sound-card.

Anybody knows of such a thing?


Thanx in advance.

What you want can only be achieved with hardware, no software comes between what Windows sends to the soundcard and what really comes out. Only the driver of the soundcard sits in between.

Route the output of the soundcard through a compressor before it goes to the amp / speakers / monitors / phones. Any hardware compressor (Behringer has cheapo ones) will do.

By the way, in general this is a very bad idea. To me it sounds like you got difficulties with setting appropriate volume levels. I strongly suggest to attack that problem at the source.

C00kie,

Actually, my problem is watching streamed broadcasts on Windows Media Player.

No matter how much you try using the "Quiet Mode", you still get steep volume changes during TV commercials.

It's so damn irritating, not to say illogical, because this is computer environment, so there was supposed to be an easy fix for that!

Thanx for the suggestion, but I would really appreciate if someone could program a software solution for that.

Hello Microsoft...?

As said: correct the problem at the source. Complain to the broadcasters themselves about the adds being too loud (or the other stuff being too soft)

I'm not Hercules, C00kie !!

When everybody complains they might listen ...

I'd do a search for windows media player dsp plugin. They exist just as well as plugins for winamp, sonique etc.

Ive tried to find a DSP for that, but all you get is "sound-enhancing" stuff

I need to tame those peaks, just couldnt expect it too be so hard, even more in software environment.

You gotta hate those techniques advertisers use....Way down disrespectful.

only workaround which comes to my mind is to use winamp291 to display your (video?) stream and use dsp's for winamp - there's plenty of levellers and whatnot (not *enhancers*) for it. if you need to view windows media content you'll also need a input plug which unlocks windows media stream for dsp. it's free, but you'll have to search for it.

Thanx, mauseoleum, I'll try that.

I'm using the kx project drivers on an Audigy, and can route 'Windows' sounds to FLStudio via ASIO, and then apply any FX I want. It's also useful for recording too. I guess any ASIO card should be able to do this, and most ASIO hosts too.