[pulseaudio-discuss] Volume problems in Pulse and alsamixer.

[Jud Craft]

Hmm.  I assume that when you say that ALSA gives no reference point
for 0dB on a card, this is because the cards themselves have no such
reference point, correct?

If every card had the same reference point, then ALSA could randomly
choose one (standard, "max" amplification), and thus it would choose
the same one for all cards -- you guys are pretty smart, you'd be able
to figure out which reference is really being used, and correct for
it.

Since that's apparently tough, I'm assuming it's a per-hardware
difference.  (There wouldn't be any reason for ALSA to pick
arbitrarily difference references for hardware that all worked the
same way.)

Next question, for the curious:  how does PA know how to shift the dB
scale to where 0dB matches maximum amplification, if ALSA itself
doesn't know?

I've noticed the "base volume", glad to know where that comes from.

So what you've said is basically -- "Yes, we know this is weird, but
we have a new volume scaling formula in the current tree that should
help balance out your volume control a little bit."  Right?