Hello

Just wanted to add some observations. Warning: I have a tendency to overexplain...

Yes, it is amazing, how subtle are the factors that can influence each of us, and how that *one particular thing* in the midst of hundreds of design features can just throw you completely off track sometimes...

This thread has made me realize that, similar to BenjaminKing, I've been thoroughly trained by experience to always-always-without-fail turn the volume down manually to a reasonable level as the final step just before hitting the power button (or power-down macro) on shutdown.

Of course, Miss Lena, with your current volume knob, even if you turned it down *every single time* at shutdown, someone could still come by and crank up the knob while the unit was turned off, and it would blast you as soon as you turned it on if you didn’t do the visual check. But check this out: because the Outlaw volume control has no effect when the power is off, there is *zero* chance of anyone turning it up to dangerous levels while the unit is turned off. In other words, if you lower the volume *every time* as the last step before you power down, it can *never* blast you when you first turn it on, even with no visual reference.

Which means: You could (as you mentioned) program a macro to drop the volume substantially as part of the shutdown procedure, BUT - this is the cool part - if you’ve already got ’em trained to *always* use the shutdown macros, and you include the volume drop *only in the shutdown macros*, you would *never* have to worry about the volume being too loud on startup, because it *cannot* move from where it was at shutdown. See?

Does that make sense? Or help at all? It sounds like this type of volume knob might even work out *better* for your situation. The “level check before un-muting” would still be an issue; perhaps you could do a volume-down-then-mute macro, though this kinda defeats the “instant off” nature of the mute button...

Also want to point out that my understanding of the Outlaw “linear volume” control is that it actually provides *much* finer control than a standard potentiometer, even if it doesn’t have a cool light. One reason is demonstrated in JeffLH’s post: it takes the Outlaw volume a full 2.5 revolutions to go from minimum to maximum volume, compared to much less than a full revolution of usable rotation for a fixed knob. Plus, the “linear volume” concept supposedly gives you a smooth volume increase through the full range of the knob (perhaps JeffLH can confirm this), as opposed to many other products where you get the majority of your usable volume - from where it’s just audible up until distortion kicks in - in the small space between maybe 7 o’clock and 3 o’clock on the knob. Add it up, and you’ve got 900 degrees of rotation to fine-tune the exact volume you desire, compared to maybe 240 degrees of usable rotation with a pot. That’s over three times the resolution: for each “unique volume position” on Matthew Hill’s knob, the Outlaw actually has a range of three+ positions (not pickin’ on ya, bro, just making the point). This should give us much more sensitive control over very small volume changes while completely avoiding the “oversteer” gonk mentions, where the inertia in the knob motor moves it farther than you’d like when trying to make subtle adjustments - happens on my Onkyo receiver all the time (not fer long, though, heh heh heh).

Just my $.02...I could be on crack tho...


Edit: Apparently I really am on crack, just noticed that you're not sure if you can make a volume adjustment part of the macros. Hey, if you can train them to use the macros, you can train them to lower the volume manually every time, as an integral part of the shutdown process. Do it a couple of times in a row, and it becomes a habit.

Hope I haven't totally wasted your time...



[This message has been edited by ampeg66 (edited March 01, 2002).]

Using the knob or the remote you can adjust in 1dB increments, so I'd say you've got dozens of usable volume points. Each time you press the volume up/down buttons on the remote, you get that minimum 1 dB increment. Very nice! Of course, when the wife says to lower it and I tap the remote once or twice, she's not amused. ;-)

I've never had a remote with macros - can you program a duration for the volume drop, or would you have it send multiple down commands at 1dB each?



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JeffLH

All input is always greatly appreciated! I prefer to ‘blank slate’ and ponder facets of all I view/hear/see.
The plus of having the knob inactive with power off, does not apply here, as we really never muck with it physically therefore in that scenario it is never accidentally spun up. I have run into over steer on many occasions trying to keep the TV audio low with too few incremental choices, but never thru my current receiver. Additional range in the dB’s would probably be appreciated once I had access but currently find no fault with my more limited range on the potentiometer.

Haven’t kept my promise to Sanjay yet to cover up the view, but that’s a needed experiment, as the visual ck. is an unconscious action. I was hoping not to drag out the dratted remote manual, (very obtuse), until new components needed to be added. After a first read went ‘huh’, and after second perusal just starting punching buttons and finally tamed it.

I did think about playing with it again, since the Sony is limited to 3 main system control macros, and someone (Owls W ,Sandman,or ?) gave me the idea that other source selection buttons might accept a whole chain of macros, for further tweaking. Although, it’s possible to lose memory of where selection’s live, if you don’t use them frequently. Since I never want to touch other remotes, I have all the DVD micro adjustments spread across the VCR2/VCR3/DVD source buttons now.
I know the Pronto seems popular, I have the Sony, which I picked up before I saw other choices available in a commander. I have that vague memory that the Sony would not incorporate mute, or vol. +/- in the macros. If it's doable, have no idea if it would take a 'duration' signal or incremental 'taps'. Possibly this weekend I can sort it out and post on abilities.

On the pronto in the macro you would likely just put 'volume down' a total of 10 times to get a 10 dB drop on the 1050. The only things I've noticed that use a time relation are the beeps and pauses you can implement, but I've not really messed with them that much.

S.

How long would it take the Pronto to transmit that macro?

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Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net