I have this recurring problem ever since I had my first laptop. The speakers on laptops are usually quiet but usable, however there are some sound sources that are even quieter than normal, be it Youtube videos, movie files or mp3, some are unbearably quiet.
I realize that programatically boosting all computer sounds would result in terrible crackling etc, but I only need it rarely and on demand, when listening to a weak sound source. Is there an application for that.
This is one of those problems that shouldn't even exist...
If you are on Windows 7, the best solution I know of is to use Volume Normalization. Shockingly, I can't find a step-by-step guide online for how to turn it on, so here it goes:
Click the volume icon in the taskbar (blue arrow), then the speaker button (red arrow), which some UI genius made look like an unclickable decorative image:
You will get the following dialog. Click the Enhancements tab (blue arrow), then tick the Volume Normalization (red arrow) and Apply (green arrow). You're done!
(optional) Click the Settings button to tweak the release time (i.e. how long the volume stays low after very loud sounds).
Unfortunately there is no easier way to turn this on/off.
