Skip to content
Notifications
Clear all

Audio output switch and volume controller

4 Posts
3 Users
2 Likes
730 Views
(@mikethelion)
Posts: 3
New Member
Topic starter
 

Hello,

I have this project in mind but i need a little bit of guidance as where to get the resources and knowledge to pull this project off.

So recently i was at friend's place and he has a cool USB volume knob for his PC setup, and i was surprised on how much natural i felt using it (we were trying stuff with FL studio), which made me say "I want this!". However my use case is a bit different: i have an USB external audio card (u-phoria umc22) which has only 1 output, and i solved that issue just buying a splitter.

the idea is to build a little unit with 2 knobs, one is for volume control and the other is for output switch so i can choose between speakers or headphones, but i don't really know the know-how of building electronics, can someone share their knowledge or direct me to some youtuber who goes deep into circuit design?

I also have access to a 3d printer so i can design a case for it.

thank you in advance.

This topic was modified 2 years ago by MikeTheLion
 
Posted : 12/05/2022 1:55 pm
J1dlg and J1dlg reacted
Tim
 Tim
(@tim)
Posts: 35
Eminent Member
 

if your friend's knob is USB, it is adjusting volume settings in Windows(or perhaps mac), which is scaling your volume digitally. Does your soundcard not have its own volume knob? I guess that thing scales the analogue signal, which is better. For the switching devices part, I don't know how it works, is there a switch on the soundcard or is it in software

 
Posted : 14/05/2022 6:29 am
(@mikethelion)
Posts: 3
New Member
Topic starter
 

@tim yeah my sound card have a volume knob but is small and uncomfortable, i would like to build a little box with two knobs, one for volume and another for output switch between headphones and speakers

 
Posted : 14/05/2022 8:55 am
Sandy
(@sandy)
Posts: 29
Eminent Member
 

Going by the Behringer site the u-phoria umc22 is an audio interface with pre-amp and headphone amp rather than a sound card. It's for recording input and monitoring and only has headphone level amplification so needs to be passed through an amplifier before going to speakers or the speakers need to be active.

In terms of making a dual knob device you'll need 2 x potentiomters, a microcontroller and a USB HID library for whatever language / microcontroller combo you choose. The easiest ways to do this with the most support would be either by using a raspberry pi pico or arduino. At a guess it'll be no problem getting windows to just accept a volume control instruction directly from a USB device, I'd image that getting it to switch inputs might not be as easy without drivers. My option would be to write a very basic python script that changes outputs based on your dials input. I've never done this but I'm sure someone has written a guide for it somewhere on the internet 😊 

 
Posted : 14/05/2022 12:45 pm