Automatic volume control pre-amp
 

Hope someone can help with this query. I want to fit an automatic
volume control to my TV/DVD system to even out the loud and soft peaks
and troughs (when children are in bed we have to continually fiddle
with the voulme control so we don't (a) wake them up or (b) have it so
quiet we can't hear the dialogue). There are stereo phono outputs
which I can use to play the sound through a freestanding amplifier, so
some sort of preamp with phono input/output would do the job.
However, despite extensive Web searches I haven't found anything other
than new TV sets or amplifiers with built-in AVC which would be too
big an expense. If there is something available in kit form I'm
willing to build it myself but I'd prefer an off the shelf solution.

Does anyone have any suggestions and just out of interest, is anyone
else annoyed by wildly fluctuating TV volume? I can't believe I'm the
only one.

Many thanks.

Automatic volume control pre-amp
 

In article ,
Peter wrote:
Does anyone have any suggestions and just out of interest, is anyone
else annoyed by wildly fluctuating TV volume? I can't believe I'm the
only one.

You've not really thought this through. If everything was the same level,
there'd be no dynamic range.

If you're that worried about waking kids, use headphones.

--
*24 hours in a day ... 24 beers in a case ... coincidence? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Automatic volume control pre-amp
 

In article , Peter
wrote:
Hope someone can help with this query. I want to fit an automatic
volume control to my TV/DVD system to even out the loud and soft peaks
and troughs (when children are in bed we have to continually fiddle with
the voulme control so we don't (a) wake them up or (b) have it so quiet
we can't hear the dialogue).

Afraid I don't know of a unit that you can buy as an add-on to do this.

Also, you may find that if it simply compresses the signal level it may
still no do what you require. This is because some frequencies will pass
from room to room more easily than other and/or may be more noticable.

You may find it helps to reduce the bass level in some way, or experiment
with the tonal balance. If your TV does not do this, then a pre-amp or
equaliser may help.

Failing that, headphones should give good sound for you, and none for the
children. :-)


Does anyone have any suggestions and just out of interest, is anyone
else annoyed by wildly fluctuating TV volume? I can't believe I'm the
only one.

Yes. However my preferences might not agree with your requirements. My main
annoyances a

1) 'background music' being far too loud and common.

2) In contrast with (1), concerts where the announcers are - it would seem
- employed because they have a speaking voice as loud as an orchestra going
full-belt! - i.e. announcements that are far too loud compared with the
actual music.

3) Adverts being much louder than programs. (Fortunately, this is easily
fixed with a mute button on the remote control. :-) )

As shown by a recent AES report, though, I'm afraid that there are quite
marked differences from one TV channel to another as well.

Sorry I can't be more help. I have solved the problem by following the
excellent advice given on medicine packets - "Keep away from children".
;-

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

Automatic volume control pre-amp
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ...
You've not really thought this through. If everything was the same level,
there'd be no dynamic range.

If you're that worried about waking kids, use headphones.

Hmmm... me and the wife both wearing headphones... it's a thought, but
it might make "pass the biccies dear" a bit difficult.

I don't want to cut out the dynamic range altogether, but what I want
to do is automate what I do already i.e. turn the volume down for the
fights / arguments / car chases and turn it up again for the bit where
Hercule Poirot gathers all the usual suspects together in the drawing
room and explains (quietly) why he thinks Miss Scarlett did it with
the lead piping.

Automatic volume control pre-amp
 

"Peter" wrote in message
om
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
You've not really thought this through. If everything was the same
level, there'd be no dynamic range.

If you're that worried about waking kids, use headphones.

Hmmm... me and the wife both wearing headphones... it's a thought, but
it might make "pass the biccies dear" a bit difficult.

I don't want to cut out the dynamic range altogether, but what I want
to do is automate what I do already i.e. turn the volume down for the
fights / arguments / car chases and turn it up again for the bit where
Hercule Poirot gathers all the usual suspects together in the drawing
room and explains (quietly) why he thinks Miss Scarlett did it with
the lead piping.

A good inexpensive hardware tool for managing dynamic range that I've had
some experience is the Behringer 1424. I'm using it to front-end a cassette
machine that is being used for recording church services. It has four major
functions - a compressor with peak limiter, a noise gate, a sonic enhancer,
and a stereo enhancer. I have the last two functions completely turned off.

You can control the various functions independently with a dial and LED
display. You can have it memorize up to about 100 different sets of
parameters, and call them back by number.

The compressor can be adjusted to increase the level of soft passages by a
variable amount. You can set it to act slow or fast. Slow action tends to be
less intrusive. The limiter can be adjusted to sharply decrease further
level increases beyond a certain upper ceiling that you choose. The noise
gate provides a means to avoid further amplifying sounds that are already
very low, such as background noise. You get to choose how low.

The compressor and the noise gate work well together, because left to its
own devices the compressor would bring the noise floor up to the point where
it would be intrusive.

Finally, the whole box is stereo and split-spectrum. It acts on the 2
channels separately or with the dynamics processing for each channel tied
together. It acts on high frequency sounds and low frequency sounds
separately, which tends to minimize the extent to which low frequency sounds
modulate high frequency sounds. You can pick the point where the frequencies
are separated.

Automatic volume control pre-amp
 

In article ,
Peter wrote:
You've not really thought this through. If everything was the same
level, there'd be no dynamic range.

If you're that worried about waking kids, use headphones.

Hmmm... me and the wife both wearing headphones... it's a thought, but
it might make "pass the biccies dear" a bit difficult.

You'd just need to shout as most people do when wearing headphones...

I don't want to cut out the dynamic range altogether, but what I want
to do is automate what I do already i.e. turn the volume down for the
fights / arguments / car chases and turn it up again for the bit where
Hercule Poirot gathers all the usual suspects together in the drawing
room and explains (quietly) why he thinks Miss Scarlett did it with
the lead piping.

Thing is that the dynamic range is already minimal. It's more the
preception of someone shouting that makes it seem louder - or things like
police sirens designed to be heard above all general noise. The prog
you're listening to has already gone through a compressor to reduce the
dynamic range - and an expensive one at that. The trouble with all these
machines is that they can't second guess what is loud to every individual,
so work, more or less, just on the actual electrical level.

I'm surprised your kids are woken up by the TV, though. Do you live in a
quiet part of the country?

--
*Real men don't waste their hormones growing hair

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Automatic volume control pre-amp
 

In article ,
Arny Krueger wrote:
A good inexpensive hardware tool for managing dynamic range that I've
had some experience is the Behringer 1424. I'm using it to front-end a
cassette machine that is being used for recording church services. It
has four major functions - a compressor with peak limiter, a noise gate,
a sonic enhancer, and a stereo enhancer.

I'm not convinced it will do the required job for the OP, Arny. I'd hire
one before buying.

Anyone who finally comes up with a mechanical method of subjective level
matching will make a fortune - and put me out of a job.

--
*Rehab is for quitters

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Automatic volume control pre-amp
 

"Peter" wrote
Hercule Poirot gathers all the usual suspects together in the drawing
room and explains (quietly) why he thinks Miss Scarlett did it with
the lead piping.

Presumably because she didn't have a dildo handy.


Martin
--
M.A.Poyser Tel.: 07967 110890
Manchester, U.K. http://www.fleetie.demon.co.uk

Automatic volume control pre-amp
 

Peter wrote:

Hope someone can help with this query. I want to fit an automatic
volume control to my TV/DVD system to even out the loud and soft peaks
and troughs (when children are in bed we have to continually fiddle
with the voulme control so we don't (a) wake them up or (b) have it so
quiet we can't hear the dialogue). There are stereo phono outputs
which I can use to play the sound through a freestanding amplifier, so
some sort of preamp with phono input/output would do the job.
However, despite extensive Web searches I haven't found anything other
than new TV sets or amplifiers with built-in AVC which would be too
big an expense. If there is something available in kit form I'm
willing to build it myself but I'd prefer an off the shelf solution.

Does anyone have any suggestions and just out of interest, is anyone
else annoyed by wildly fluctuating TV volume?

On the simplistic side, a light bulb in series with the speakers would
do the trick.

At line level, a bead thermistor and resistor would do the same thing,
either in series or in the feedback loop of an opamp.

The above might give problems with balance as tolerances on thermistors
are quite loose, so there may be some voltage controlled amplifier
ICs available. I feel a browse through the RS catalogue coming on.

Automatic volume control pre-amp
 

Peter wrote:
Hope someone can help with this query. I want to fit an automatic
volume control to my TV/DVD system to even out the loud and soft peaks
and troughs (when children are in bed we have to continually fiddle
with the voulme control so we don't (a) wake them up or (b) have it so
quiet we can't hear the dialogue). There are stereo phono outputs
which I can use to play the sound through a freestanding amplifier, so
some sort of preamp with phono input/output would do the job.
However, despite extensive Web searches I haven't found anything other
than new TV sets or amplifiers with built-in AVC which would be too
big an expense. If there is something available in kit form I'm
willing to build it myself but I'd prefer an off the shelf solution.

Does anyone have any suggestions and just out of interest, is anyone
else annoyed by wildly fluctuating TV volume? I can't believe I'm the
only one.

Many thanks.

Most DVD players I've seen (old and new) have a neighbour friendly mode that
does exactly what you want. This obviously doesnt help with other sources
though.