[Ashari]

When I got my G5 back in October, I went to Radio Shack and bought a TOSLINK cable and hooked my G5 up to my Midiland S/8200 control module. Sweet sound!

Here's my problem though -- I can't control any kind of "master volume" with my Mac now -- the only volume control that I have is in each individual application (QuickTime, iTunes, etc) or the volume control of my control unit for my speaker system.

The problem is with applications that don't feature a volume control, like Java applets in web pages. They come in very loud, forcing me to adjust the volume with my remote, which I constantly misplace. I'd very much like to be able to adjust a master volume using my Logitech keyboard wheel control, which I could do on my old Mac (which had a standard analog interface).

Is there something that I can do to get my master volume control back, without sacrificing the aural goodness of a digital link to my speaker system?

Thanks for any help,
Ashari

[zigzag]

The optical out is a line-level output, not controlled by any amps or volume pots. That's desirable because if you're recording or using an outboard amp, you want the signal to be as pure as it can be - you don't want any unnecessary noise or distortion added before it gets to your outboard amp or recording device. There wouldn't be much point in using an optical signal if it were crapped up by extra volume controls, etc.

In other words, there's probably nothing more you can do, but there's a good reason for it.

[tooki]

I thought I heard that the 10.3.2 or 10.3.3 update to Panther offered such a feature.

Even if that's just a hallucination, all is not lost: a little program called Audio Hijack might do the trick. It lets you put your audio through effects filters, and of course, one of the basic ones it includes is a level control.

tooki

[RayX]

All I'd suggest is, set all the volumes in applications to their optimal levels, then just control the volume with your amp. It's easier and sounds better.

[Ashari]

Thanks for the help -- I will just use the remote control. That's what it's for anyways

[Waragainstsleep]

Is there any way to get an optical input or output for a Powerbook (G3)?

[PacHead]

Originally posted by Waragainstsleep:
Is there any way to get an optical input or output for a Powerbook (G3)?

Yep, sure there is. Theres a number of choices out there.

Basically, you have three methods to choose between.

(1) FIREWIRE
(2) USB
(3) PCMCIA SLOT

Theres a whole bunch of interfaces available for each of these options, that have digital inputs-outputs on them.

Theres so many different ones available from various companies, that I wouldnt even be able to list them all off the top of my head right now, and theres new ones coming out all of the time.

[rambo47]

To control master volume, how about something like the Griffin Technologies PowerMate.

[tooki]

That just tells the OS to lower the system volume setting which, as Ashari discovered, does not affect the digital output, which always outputs at full volume since it is not governed by the hardware volume control, which is in, or somewhere past, the DAC chip.

tooki

[RayX]

Originally posted by Waragainstsleep:
Is there any way to get an optical input or output for a Powerbook (G3)?

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