Low volume output on TB Santa Cruz

[Salvador]

Hi,

I just installed my TB Santa Cruz sound card and I can't seem to get much output out of it. I have to nearly max the volume on my speakers to get it to normal listening volumes (which is not loud at all for me). I tried adjusting the sound in Windows and that's nearly maxed out as well. The volume output is much lower than my MX300 Aureal card or any of my Creative cards.

Is there a fix for this? Am I not adjusting the correct volume control?

TIA,

Sal

 

[Adul]

really? i find that it is a lot louder then any other card i have own. even drives my headphones just fine. what port do u have the speakers plugged into? check the TB software and see if you dont havce it mapped differently

 

[Salvador]

Yeah.. It has less output than anything I've ever tried. I'm using the Windows Media Player at the moment becuase this is a system that I'm going to be selling (don't want to bother installing Winamp). I have the volume maxed out in Windows and on the Windows Media Player and I need to have the volume knob set to 3 O'Clock to get a satisfying volume level. I never have it much past 12 O'Clock with any other sound card and this is with the Windows Volume controls set lower as well.

I have my front speakers connected to the green output for front and I have the black on the black rear output (thought I don't have the rears connected right now). I even tried unplugging the rear output and nothing is different.

I used the drivers that are supplied with the card mainly out of convenience and primarily because I'm using Windows ME on this system. This shouldn't matter anyway IMO if the drivers are designed for Win9.x/ME.

Do you think I got a defective card?

Thanks again.

Sal

PS.. With the volume up like this and the music off, the mouse clicks are really loud..

 

[gf4200isdabest]

is your volume control in the taskbar set to max or near max? I've never had a sound card that had enough output unless windows volume was up at least 4/5 or maybe even closer to 9/10 of the way up...I then raise/lower volume by adjusting it on the speakers

 

[Salvador]

It's maxed right now. The volume on the Windows task bar as well as the Windows Media Player is maxed and I still need to have my Logitech Z560's at about 2 O'Clock for a normal volume.

Sal

 

[Adul]

have you tried intalling newer drivers? i would.

 

[Goi]

Hmmn, weird problem. Did you try the other output plugs and/or the VersaJack? Also, is 3D Stereo Enhancement enabled? If all else fails, I'd reinstall the drivers or try another, preferably newer set of drivers. I've had both the MX300 and Santa Cruz and IMO they're comparable in output volume.

 

[Salvador]

I've got the newest set of drivers installed right now (4161s) and it's pretty much the same. I have the master volume for the Santa Cruz controller maxed as well as the Windows Media Player volume maxed and I have to have the volume turned up to 2 or 3 O'Clock with the Logitech Z560's.

I don't know what's up. I don't have any conflicts and the TB SC has its own IRQ. I'm going to try exchanging this card for a different one and see what happens.

Thanks again.

Sal

 

[Adul]

yeah sounds like it might be defective

 

[jt63]

Have you checked the Wave Balance slider next to the Volume slider? It should be up there as well.

 

[Salvador]

Yeah.. This can't be right. I just hooked up my other system with the Creative Audigy and WMP is at half volume and the master volume is at 3/4 and the Logitech's are loud at 11 O'Clock on the volume control.

I'm just going to exchange this card and see if a different one is any different. If it's the same, I'll play with drivers and settings more becuase it's unlikely that two cards in a row could have the same problem.

Anyway.. Thanks again and I'll keep everyone updated on what I find.

Sal

 

[Salvador]

Well.. Another card, same problem. I even tried moving the card around and removing other PCI devices and the card still has low output.

I just put in a call for TB SC tech support to see if they can think of anything. I did have a Creative card installed on this OS prior, so I wonder if the Creative drivers are causing any problems?

Thanks again.

Sal

 

[iluvdeal]

I'd try putting the TBSC in another computer if you can, that way you can isolate the problem to your computer. Make sure you have DirectX 8.1 installed. Also if you got the time, just try and reinstalled your OS. Better yet, get rid of WinME and get 2000 or XP.

 

[NesuD]

I had this same problem with my santa cruz. In win xp go to the control panel and in sounds and audio devices under the volume tab adjust the device volume slider to your liking. I found that for some reason this particular adjustment is only found in this one location. It apparently is not the same as the master volume. Must be the master master volume. Let us know if this fixes you up. it took care of my problem.

 

[Salvador]

Yeah.. I'm going to install it into the system that I'm building. I was just trying it out in this system considering that I was getting this system ready anyway to sell. That's why I'm using WinME because this system is being sold with WinME.

My main system is running WinXP Pro with a fresh install, so I shouldn't have a problem there.

I'll try the other settings as well, but I don't think I've missed anything adjustment wise.

One interesting thing to note. I talked to tech support today and they said that Creative cards use amps on their cards to boost the output. The tech guy said that this creates noise in the system and that's why they are against this. That makes sense.

What makes me more comfortable now is that both cards were identicle output wise. This leads me to believe that I either haven't found the correct adjustment or I just have to get used to using more volume with my speakers with this card. It would be a strange coincidence if both cards were defective in this way.

What I'm wondering is what others with Logitech Z560's and the TBSC usually have their volume knob set to. I find that 12 O'Clock to 1 O'Clock is a very comfortable volume settings with the other volume controls maxed out on the system. I just didn't think I would have to turn the Logitech's up so high though. What do others have their volumes set to normally?

Thanks again.

Sal

 

[Pariah]

That is an odd problem, not one I have experienced with the card. I do have a different volume problem that anything played in Winamp is considerably louder than audio played in other applications. It's odd because I have the volume slider almost all the way down in Winamp to get reasonable levels, then when I use something else I have to turn the volume up to more typical levels.

None of the SB Audigy or Live! cards have on board amplifiers. The tech guy at TB was incorrect. I don't know about the Live Drive which may have an amp for the headphone jack, but there is no amp on the card itself.

 

[mastertech01]

I have similar results from my Santa Cruz as well. SB Live was much louder at lower settings. Ive made adjustments in control panel that helped but its still substantially lower for what ever reason. This is the second Turtle Beach card Ive owned and I had similar results with the other as well.

 

[kgraeme]

You say you don't have the rear speakers connected. Have you checked that the front/rear faders are set correctly? I know with the Cambridge speakers, they have a volume knob that includes a fader and many people have accedentally set their fader to all front or rear.

 

[Salvador]

Well.. I found a new volume control in the TBSC control panel. I went to the mixer tab on the top and raised the first slider bar and the volume increased. I'm running the 4161s drivers, so I don't know if the control panel is any different than with any other drivers.

So many damn volume controls.. Heh

Sal

 

[WyteWatt]

My santa cruz is low at first too but i can make it super loud easily!!!!!!!!! Like for my Indiana Jones movies, games, etc. I mean loud as in where you can have your speaker controls only turned up a little and its still loud!

 

[Salvador]

My santa cruz is low at first too but i can make it super loud easily!!!!!!!!! Like for my Indiana Jones movies, games, etc. I mean loud as in where you can have your speaker controls only turned up a little and its still loud!

What do you mean exactly? How to you make it super loud easily?

Sal

 

[socketman]

I have the TB Santa Cruz and the Logitech Z-560's too. Running them on WinXP Pro. I agree there are WAY too many volume controls. Master, control panel, task bar, in settings etc etc etc. Then theres the one in Win Amp too.
So i turned all the software ones to at least 3/4. For good headache inducing volume my master volume on the Z-560 speakers is at about 3 o'clock. Anything higher and pictures start falling off the walls and neighbors start calling.

 

[WyteWatt]

Salvador you have to raise all the little volumes some or all the way to get it very loud! Plus they have presets which you can go into games then choose Games bass boost,etc. You don't have to use the presets you can do it all yourself. In EQ tab you can choose like these buttons like rock, jazz, bass boast and those make it louder too. When you set all of those all the way up yourself instead of using those buttons the sound does get a lot louder.In effects you can raise volumes by pressing that small little three dot gray button. Whichever way you want. In EQ you can choose the kind of room you are in or any of them. Just like test all the volume controls out so you can get it as loud as you want!