# Compressor/Limiter for Win10 audio?



## Jimmy Hellfire

I'd like to control the loudness peaks of the Windows audio output.

For example, I often send the HDMI out from my graphics card to the big ass TV screen on the wall when watching Netflix/Amazon Prime on the computer, while the audio is coming from my audio interface/monitors. Due to the fact that audio decisions in TV and movies are made by complete and utter jackasses, watching stuff has increasingly become a very unpleasant experience for me. Either you can't hear the dialogue, or the SFX blow your head off (and your neighbor's too ...).

So my idea is basically to clamp down on the peaks by a good margin whenever stuff gets ridiculously loud, so that the volume is at a level where I can still understand what the mumbling and murmuring actors are saying before it all goes to pure insanity in the next scene.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any software that successfuly does the job so far. There have been some programs for this in the past - some of them even with VST support - but sadly different Win10 updates seem to have wrecked them. Does anybody know of any working solution for this - preferably in the software realm?


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## d.healey

Assuming you have a "smart" TV, perhaps you could install an app on it or adjust its EQ settings to solve the problem.


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## Jimmy Hellfire

d.healey said:


> Assuming you have a "smart" TV, perhaps you could install an app on it or adjust its EQ settings to solve the problem.


It's an older model, so unfortunately, it's a dumb TV. But the TV only does the image anyway - the sound is coming from my PC audio interface/emonitors, and having gotten used to that I can now never go back to TV speakers anymore.


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## MartinH.

Jimmy Hellfire said:


> I'd like to control the loudness peaks of the Windows audio output.
> 
> For example, I often send the HDMI out from my graphics card to the big ass TV screen on the wall when watching Netflix/Amazon Prime on the computer, while the audio is coming from my audio interface/monitors. Due to the fact that audio decisions in TV and movies are made by complete and utter jackasses, watching stuff has increasingly become a very unpleasant experience for me. Either you can't hear the dialogue, or the SFX blow your head off (and your neighbor's too ...).
> 
> So my idea is basically to clamp down on the peaks by a good margin whenever stuff gets ridiculously loud, so that the volume is at a level where I can still understand what the mumbling and murmuring actors are saying before it all goes to pure insanity in the next scene.
> 
> Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any software that successfuly does the job so far. There have been some programs for this in the past - some of them even with VST support - but sadly different Win10 updates seem to have wrecked them. Does anybody know of any working solution for this - preferably in the software realm?



I'd be interested as well, for the reasons you mention. But I'm still on win 7. I think I've seen an option in a codec pack that sounded like it might do something like this for website embedded streams, but I haven't messed around with it, as I don't fully understand the implications. It probably was something from the klite codec pack.


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## method1

I know some people are using these as systemwide hosts, I'm not on Win though so can't confirm:









Equalizer APO


Download Equalizer APO for free. A system-wide equalizer for Windows 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 / 11. Equalizer APO is a parametric / graphic equalizer for Windows. It is implemented as an Audio Processing Object (APO) for the system effect infrastructure introduced with Windows Vista.




sourceforge.net










VB-Audio VoiceMeeter


VoiceMeeter Virtual Audio Device Mixer by V.Burel




vb-audio.com


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## Collywobbles

I can think of one way to do this, but it might be more trouble than it's worth... 

Set your windows sound output to your motherboard's built in soundcard, probably called realtek hd audio or something similar.

Route your windows audio from your motherboard back into your interface with a 1/8" stereo jack to 2x 1/4" cable (or whatever makes sense in your setup) - essentially as if you're trying to record your pc audio. Pan the two channels you're using hard L/R and mute those channels on your interface's software mixer. 

Open your daw, add a stereo audio track and select those 2 channels as the input and turn on input monitoring (might be called something else in your daw). You can now add whatever comp/limiter/eq you want as if it's a track inside your daw (because it is). It will obviously be subject to whatever latency you're system is running, but if it's low enough it shouldn't affect the sync in a noticeable way... in theory 

Super simple thing, really hard to explain via text though... Hope that makes sense.


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## Stringtree

Alright Mr. Hellfire, this may be of interest to you:









How to normalize sound volume on Windows 10 - Pureinfotech


Loud commercials watching TV shows online or music at different sound volume levels? Use these steps to normalize sound volume on Windows 10.




pureinfotech.com


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## Joakim

I route my Windows 10 audio through Reaper with the help of Voicemeeter, to apply system wide EQ and Compression.


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## Wedge

Breakaway Audio Enhancer, it's a compressor/ limiter for Win10. I use it for the HDMI connection to my TV. https://www.claessonedwards.com/ you can download the trial, I think it's about $30.


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