System Mixer Contents
System Mixer User Guide Contents

System Mixer Overview

The System Mixer Controls

Setting Recording & Playback Levels

Using Hotkey Output Level Controls

Using System Mixer Presets


System Mixer Overview

System Mixer lets you control all audio output and input levels.


System Mixer Controls
The System Mixer Controls

System Mixer displays the volume controls that your audio drivers make available.  The names for these controls may vary.

Note:	A choice of mixer control styles may be available through the Choose Style menu item of the Mixer menu.

Click on the picture below for more information.


Volume Control
Volume Control: Clicking on this button shows and lets you use the output level controls..


Recording Control
Recording Control:   Clicking on this button shows and lets you use the input level controls.  (Note:  many voice recognition applications use the Voice Commands input levels instead.)


Voice Commands
Voice Commands:   Clicking on this button displays and lets you use the input level controls reserved for voice recognition programs.


Input and Output Level Sliders and Buttons
Input and Output Level Sliders and Buttons:  For each input or output, a control (for example, a vertical slider, or fader) controls the loudness, a horizontal slider controls balance between the two speakers, and the mute button temporarily stops input or output without changing slider positions.

Control types and names vary.  Some common types are listed below:

Wave:  Controls digital audio (wave) playback or record levels.

Synth:  Controls the MIDI music (music synthesis) play level.

Line:  Controls the audio hardware Line In or Line Out levels.  Line levels might be for an externally attached cassette player, e.g.

CD:  Controls the CD drive output level, for CD drives configured to play their audio output through the PC audio hardware.

Vol:  The master control for all outputs.  The strength of an output signal is determined by both the Vol slider and the slider for the individual output.  To affect all outputs, move the Vol slider.  To change the output of an individual output type, move its slider.

Mic:  Controls the microphone input level.


Mute Buttons
Mute Buttons:  Toggles between muting and enabling the signal.  A button with a lit LED is enabled, while one with its LED not lit is muted.  Several output signals can usually be enabled at once, while input signal types are often limited to a single active input.


Settings Presets
Settings Presets:  Clicking on a Preset button loads an previously saved set of mixer settings.  Presets buttons are numbered 1 to 5.

Note:	Preset buttons and the Current Settings Display may not be shown on systems with a lot of controls, due to lack of space.


Memory Button
Memory Button:  To save the current settings as a Preset configuration, press the memory button and then a Preset button.

Note:	Preset buttons and the Current Settings Display may not be shown on systems with a lot of controls, due to lack of space.


Current Settings Display
Current Settings Display:  Shows the name of the current Settings Preset, if any, along with the Settings Preset button number.

Note:	Preset buttons and the Current Settings Display may not be shown on systems with a lot of controls, due to lack of space.


Help
Help: Shows the On-line User Guide.


Power
Power: Stops play, and hides the selected component from display.


Setting Recording & Playback Levels

The controls for each signal type set that signal level relative to others.  The master Vol level affects all output signal types equally, and sets the overall output level.  If, for example, the Wave and Vol levels are at half strength, wave audio output will be at one quarter strength.

To change signal levels for output and input:

1.	Click on the Volume Control (for output levels), Recording Control (for most input levels), or Voice Commands (for some voice recognition program input levels) button at the left side of System Mixer to display the level controls.

2.	Use your mouse or keyboard arrow keys to move each control to adjust the signal level.  If you are playing or recording audio of that type, you should hear the volume level change as you move the control.  You can also use keyboard hotkeys to control audio output volume at any time. To enable and select hotkeys, use the Hotkeys menu item from the Mixer menu.

3.	Use your mouse or keyboard arrow keys to move the balance controls horizontally, left or right, to set relative level between the left and right channels.

4.	To turn off (mute) a signal, click on its mute button.  Muted controls do not display a lit LED light.  To enable an input signal on systems that allow only a single input at once, click on the button beneath the input type so that its LED lights.

Notes:	If you click on a control movement track, the control moves immediately to that point.  To move the keyboard focus to a control, either click on it or use the Tab key.  To move a control, use your mouse or your keyboard arrow keys.  To center a control, press the spacebar.


Using Hotkeys
Using Hotkey Output Level Controls

You can use keyboard key combinations to adjust the master output level, without using on-screen mixer controls.  This lets you adjust output while keeping Media Rack minimized, e.g.

Using hotkeys, you can raise, lower, or mute the master output level.  Each of these actions requires a combination of three keyboard keys pressed simultaneously.  In each case, you hold down the [Ctrl] and [Alt] keys while pressing a third key.  You can select the keys to represent these actions, and enable or disable the hotkey function, using the Hotkeys menu item from the Mixer menu.


Using System Mixer Presets

System Mixer stores up to five Preset configurations.  Presets allow you to switch instantly to settings you have saved, appropriate for different purposes.  For example, you might save one configuration for quietly recording reminders to yourself and another louder configuration for multimedia presentations.

Note:	Preset buttons and the Current Settings Display may not be shown on systems with a lot of controls, due to lack of space.  You can choose whether to display the preset controls with the Show Mixer Presets menu item from the Mixer menu. You can also choose the color for the Current Settings Display with the Color menu item from the Mixer menu.

To create a mixer configuration and assign it to one of the Presets:

1.	Adjust the mixer settings, both input and output, as desired.

2.	Click on the Memory button.  You will see its LED lit, meaning it is ready to store your settings.

3.	Click on one of the five Preset buttons.

4.	System Mixer will ask you to name the Preset configuration.  The configuration name can be up to 10 characters in length.

To restore a settings configuration, just click on the desired Preset button.  You should see the sliders move to the appropriate levels.