Low audio volume [SOLVED]

[Alexa Reizla]

For some reason Skyrim is playing all audio extremely sofr. Heck, I can't even hear the dialogues spoken and have to read the subitles to see what they're talking about. This while all other games I play on the same volume level are just fine.

Any work around for this low audio volume Skyrim gives me?

[Tristan]

TURN UP YOUR VOLUME!

[Alexa Reizla]

Originally posted by Tristan:

TURN UP YOUR VOLUME!

volume in Skyrim is set to the max and it's at only 10% of what other games give me. Problem is in SKyrim, not my speakers (or hearing :p)

Also when I turn up the volume, there's a lot of static noise added to the sound still making it hard to hear what they're talking about.

[FFGF]

Originally posted by demigoth:

Originally posted by Tristan:

TURN UP YOUR VOLUME!

volume in Skyrim is set to the max and it's at only 10% of what other games give me. Problem is in SKyrim, not my speakers (or hearing :p)

Also when I turn up the volume, there's a lot of static noise added to the sound still making it hard to hear what they're talking about.

I've noticed this too, I can play Skyrim at 100% volume and have it at the perfect volume. Then I can listen/watch youtube at a 10% volume and it be perfect. It's really odd, and yes i've already checked my volume mixer, i'm not an idiot.

[White Knight]

There are volume settings in game and there are volume settings on your desk top. On my computer, I set the volume very low so I'm not blasted out of my chair by annoying advertising. Lots of games play with volume settings, either maxing them out or minimizing them.

Your system is the base, the in-game settings let you tweak it from there.

The first response is the answer to your "problem".

[Ne-ON]

Try left clicking on your speake in the task bar and selecting 'Playback devices' Click on the device you are using IE 'speakers@ (Normally there is a gree default tick next to them) Select 'properties' (At the bottom). Now depending on your device you might have a variety of options.... Look for 'Enhancements' and activate 'Loudness Equalization' And click 'Apply'....

This should boost levels a bit, Failing that/you don't have that option/ or as well as option one you could try using the 'Equalizer' option to boost levels further, but this can cause distortion.

Also if sound stops working in any of your other games then just disable / reverse the procedure.

[Alexa Reizla]

TY all for those odd and total newbee solutions *NOT*

I have found the solution to the problem. Somehow my mic was on and bugging the soundcard and causing the low volume. Having removed the mic (not using it anyway) the volume of Skyrim is much lauder now.

[ReignDownMe]

Necro post I know but in case anyone comes across this for the 'same reason' (aka mic) that isn't the solution. Please right click the 'speaker' icon in the systray, select Recording Devices, and you will now see your microphones. Click on Communications tab at the top and by default Windows will 'reduce the volume of sound by 50%' when it "detects communication" which is to say 'when the microphone picks up sound'. So unless you have ON /OFF switch on the mic, it will automatically pick up sound! OH! Windows now needs to reduce sound 50%.

Simple stupid little setting that causes this (happened to me in Skyrim as well).

[Cow Obliterated by Train]

Originally posted by White Knight:

There are volume settings in game and there are volume settings on your desk top. On my computer, I set the volume very low so I'm not blasted out of my chair by annoying advertising. Lots of games play with volume settings, either maxing them out or minimizing them.

Your system is the base, the in-game settings let you tweak it from there.

The first response is the answer to your "problem".

No.
Its not.

[Cow Obliterated by Train]

Originally posted by Nero_(C@su@£):

Necro post I know but in case anyone comes across this for the 'same reason' (aka mic) that isn't the solution. Please right click the 'speaker' icon in the systray, select Recording Devices, and you will now see your microphones. Click on Communications tab at the top and by default Windows will 'reduce the volume of sound by 50%' when it "detects communication" which is to say 'when the microphone picks up sound'. So unless you have ON /OFF switch on the mic, it will automatically pick up sound! OH! Windows now needs to reduce sound 50%.

Simple stupid little setting that causes this (happened to me in Skyrim as well).

No dice.

[Fenix]

Originally posted by Tristan:

TURN UP YOUR VOLUME!

Are you mad? If I did this than ANYTHING that is not Skyrim would explode my ears.

Originally posted by TayLOR:

Try right clicking on your speake in the task bar and selecting 'Playback devices' Click on the device you are using IE 'speakers@ (Normally there is a gree default tick next to them) Select 'properties' (At the bottom). Now depending on your device you might have a variety of options.... Look for 'Enhancements' and activate 'Loudness Equalization' And click 'Apply'....

I found this to be the best solution. Activating 'Loudness Equalization' made Skyrim's volume skyrocket up to where it should've been this whole time.

[cwsumner]

If Loudness Equalization works, then there could be another thing wrong.

If your headphone wire is partly broken and the right and left channels short together, they can cancel out, resulting in severly reduced sound levels. Particularly with things that you are looking directly at. If turning to the side (in game) helps, that's a give-away. Wierd! 8-}

I had to get new headphones. But if you know how, you might be able to fix the wires.

This doesn't seem to happen in other games, the short just causes mono sound. Skyrim seems to drive the speakers "out of phase". No idea why.

[Syndicake ☠]

Make sure your headphones are plugged into the correct jack. It should give a boost to audio. If you have an onboard sound card it will probably be a rear panel jack. I had best results using stereo speaker setup, with virtualization disabled. 24 bits 96,000hz. And installed this mod http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/79879/?

I had loudness equalization off and just turned up the equalizer manually by 1 point on each frequency.

If this doesn't work the other solution is to set 16 bit sound 44100hz and on your speaker settings change it to 5.1 and untick the rear and side speakers.

[Milky Coffee]

As a proud laptop user (or at least I suppose this is the reason), I don't have the option to choose a 5.1 setting in my Realtek HD driver settings (there's only the option for virtual sound but it does nothing). I have already tried everything mentioned in this topic and others, but to no avail. I have to turn up my laptop volume to the max and turn up the speakers up so much that if I play ANYTHING beside Skyrim, like if I accidentally FORGET to turn it all down, the entire block will hear me. Last time it was SO loud my speakers actually began to crackle as if they were about to die on me. This is some serious ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ if there's no one clear solution to it yet...

[Reckless]

Originally posted by Fenix:

I found this to be the best solution. Activating 'Loudness Equalization' made Skyrim's volume skyrocket up to where it should've been this whole time.

FINALLY!!!! This worked like a charm, haven't tested it in other games to see if it messed any other ones up but Thank you:) Cheers~~~~~

[M E G A D E T H]

Originally posted by TayLOR:

Try left clicking on your speake in the task bar and selecting 'Playback devices' Click on the device you are using IE 'speakers@ (Normally there is a gree default tick next to them) Select 'properties' (At the bottom). Now depending on your device you might have a variety of options.... Look for 'Enhancements' and activate 'Loudness Equalization' And click 'Apply'....

This should boost levels a bit, Failing that/you don't have that option/ or as well as option one you could try using the 'Equalizer' option to boost levels further, but this can cause distortion.

Also if sound stops working in any of your other games then just disable / reverse the procedure.

i know its an oldthread. but. this worked for skyrim perfectly for me. TYVM!!!!