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[marcusturle]

I use MC20 installed on a MacMini to push music from a Synology 713+ to a Denon Ceol Piccolo in our kitchen.  All connections are wired.

I use MC20 on a MacBook Pro for music in my home office.  Connections are also wired.

We also use the Denon in the kitchen to listen to the radio, but not via MC (we use the Denon's own settings for the radio).  However, adjusting the volume for music playback on the MacBook Pro seems to cause the Denon volume to increase.  Most mornings, I turn the radio on and the volume is up at 40 when it was set at 14 the day before.

Any idea why this is?

[blgentry]

Are you using the Denon as a DAC with a USB connection?  Sounds like you probably are.

MC has several volume modes and defaults to System Volume.  I'm not sure of all the details, but system volume normally adjusts the output volume of the *computer*.  Maybe with some DACs System Volume actually instructs the DAC to turn volume up or down.  As a test you should try Internal Volume instead.  Well... I'm actually assuming that you are changing the volume settings on JRiver MC at some point.  Do you use JRiver's volume controls?  That would include using the keyboard volume keys on the Mac, as they keyboard volume keys map directly to controlling JRiver's volume when JRiver is open and playing.  So, assuming that you are using volume controls on JRiver, here's how to change it to use Internal Volume instead:

Tools > Options > Audio > Volume > Volume Mode > Internal Volume

That will make JRiver use it's own volume controls inside the program and not change the computer or DAC volumes at all.  Hopefully that will solve your issue.

Brian.

[marcusturle]

Everything is connected with Cat 6 ethernet rather than USB.  However, I've changed the volume setting from System Volume to Internal Volume.  Will see whether that fixes the issue. Thanks.

[marcusturle]

Update.  Using Internal Volume has made the volume on my MacBook Pro very quiet indeed.  In fact I have to have the volume turned up to maximum to playback at a level approaching normal listening levels.  Below 75% and I can barely hear anything at all.

[marcusturle]

Second update.

I have also noticed that switching between different devices (top left of the MC20 display, under Playing Now) does not retain separate volume settings.

Currently I have "Laptop" set to max (see previous post).  If I click on Denon Piccolo underneath and set the volume at 30%, then click back to Laptop and then back again to the Denon, the volume defaults back to max.  That seems odd.

 

[blgentry]

Update.  Using Internal Volume has made the volume on my MacBook Pro very quiet indeed.  In fact I have to have the volume turned up to maximum to playback at a level approaching normal listening levels.  Below 75% and I can barely hear anything at all.

Check your system volume control on the Mac.  Go to System Preferences (on the Mac Dock at the bottom), then go to Sound and then the Output tab.  Check the volume control.  You should probably set it to maximum if you're going to use JRiver's internal volume control.  The two volume controls run in series.  So they both influence the volume level.  It's normal to keep one at max and the other is used to actually vary the volume.  Either one is fine.

Brian.

[blgentry]

I have also noticed that switching between different devices (top left of the MC20 display, under Playing Now) does not retain separate volume settings.

It sounds like you are using the Denon through the network via DLNA.  If it appears under Playing Now in the left hand Navigation Pane, then that's a network device.  Network players each have their own zone.  Have you noticed that you can have two totally different songs playing on each?  In fact you can have two completely different Playing Now lists; one for each.  Since they are independent zones, their volume controls are independent too.  You can link the zones so they play the same thing, but there are some gotchas associated with that.  Just know that every device that appears under Playing Now is an independent playback zone.

Brian.

[marcusturle]

Thanks.

The Mac Output volume was already set at close to max, and increasing it to max hasn't changed the fact MC20 is only audible for normal listening at max volume.  That surely can't be right?

I understand the point about zones - my issue is that the volume control on MC doesn't seem to be zone-specific.  The same volume seems to apply across all zones which is a problem because the Denon is obviously much louder than my Mac.

[marcusturle]

Another related issue is that pressing play on JRiver to run music through the Mac (my 'laptop' zone) causes the radio on the Denon (the 'kitchen' zone) to stop playing (even though the radio is run natively on the Denon, so nothing to do with MC20). 

[blgentry]

The Mac Output volume was already set at close to max, and increasing it to max hasn't changed the fact MC20 is only audible for normal listening at max volume.  That surely can't be right?

That definitely doesn't sound right to me.  I've used MC with a mac laptop's built in sound and it had plenty of range on the volume control.  My best guess is that the Mac's system volume is still set low, but you haven't seen it somehow in the interface.  I'm just guessing.  Did you go to the OUTPUT tab in the Sound section of System Preferences?  I ask about Output because by that tab will show you all of your audio devices and let you select the one you want.  The slider there is the master volume for that sound device.

I understand the point about zones - my issue is that the volume control on MC doesn't seem to be zone-specific.  The same volume seems to apply across all zones which is a problem because the Denon is obviously much louder than my Mac.

I'm no expert, but that's counter to my experience with MC on Mac.  Each zone I've set up and used has independent volume.  Hopefully someone else will read this and have some good input.

Did you have both of these issues before you switched to Internal Volume?  Have you tried switching back?  Are you sure you didn't change another setting like "volume protection" or "Maximum Volume" ?  (All 3 settings are in the same place).

Brian.

[marcusturle]

I haven't changed anything.  It's been an issue for a while.  Essentially, MC20 seems to interfere with the Denon even when I'm using MC for a different zone.  It affects both the volume and also causes the radio on the Denon (which is native, nothing to do with MC) to stop playing when I press play on MC for music playback on my Mac.

Any help from the JRiver team on this would be appreciated.

[marcusturle]

Any insight on this please from the JRiver team?

[JimH]

No idea.  Sorry.

[blgentry]

I hope someone who knows more about the volume and DLNA and mac will step in here.

Until then, Marc, what did you do to configure the Denon to work with MC?  Did you install a driver or companion software or anything?  Or did it just automatically appear when you plugged it in?

Brian.

[marcusturle]

No configuration needed for JRiver - the Denon appears automatically. 

When the Denon is rebooted there is a short process for picking up the ethernet connection, but that's not related to MC.

[w9gjenn]

Just installed MC 20.0.126 on MacBook Yosemite OS.   Volume does not adjust correctly.  Use of Player>Volume>Volume-UP increases by 1% per click.  The keyboard F12 key does not increase volume, nor does Cmd +.  Internal or System volume options make no difference.  How does one fix volume control??

"Internal Volume"  once set fixed the problem.  Odd behavior behavior between System Volume and Internal: System would still allow 1% volume increase for each mouse click on the Volume menu item, after which the menu would have to be invoked again, and again.  Also selecting "Internal Volume" may require restart, because I think I tried before, and it did not work?

Solved

[narkotic]

This is super frustrating.

JRiver is minimized, out of site, and I hit the volume keys on my keyboard (Macbook Air) and it adjusts the volume in JRiver! Need to be able to detach volume control completely.

[blgentry]

How about disabling Volume Adjustment in MC?  Tools > Options > Audio > Volume > Volume Mode:  Disabled

Or you can tell OSX to use the keyboard volume keys as function keys instead.  System Preferences > Keyboard > checkbox "use F1, F2 as standard function keys".

Brian.

[narkotic]

I said this in my other thread but you cannot disable volume for a rendering device.

Not on the client or the server.

It's a bug that needs to be resolved with no workaround available. Not going to remap my keys... But I do appreciate the thought.