The KMix Handbook

# The KMix Handbook

Gaurav Chaturvedi

Developer: Christian Esken
Developer: Helio Chissini de Castro
Developer: Brian Hanson
Revision Applications 20.12 (2020-10-04)

Copyright © 1996, 2005 Christian Esken & Matt Johnston

Legal Notice

KMix is an application that allows you to change the volume of your sound card.

Chapter 1. Introduction
Introduction

# Chapter 1. Introduction

KMix supports several platforms and sound drivers.

If you have both ALSA and Open Sound System drivers installed, KMix will use the ALSA driver.

Chapter 2. Main Window
Main Window

# Chapter 2. Main Window

Overview of KMix Main Window

## File Options

File → Hide Mixer Window (Esc)

  Hide Mixer Window

Settings
Settings

## Settings

Settings → Audio Setup

  Open Phonon System Settings module to configure the sound and video device preference and the backends used by KDE multimedia API, Phonon.

### Select Master Channel

Select your KMix master channel.

### Configure KMix

#### General configuration

Configure general KMix parameters.

Behavior → Volume Overdrive

  Check this box to allow volume to be more than recommended value (sometimes PulseAudio maximal volume exceeds the normal value). KMix restart is needed for this setting to take effect.

  ### Warning

  Uncheck this item if there are audible sound distortions at the maximal volume.

Behavior → Volume Feedback

  Check this box to enable audible feedback on volume change.

Behavior → Volume step

  Set the volume step as a percentage of the volume range.

  This affects changing the volume via hot keys, with the mouse wheel over the system tray icon, or moving sliders by a page step.

  KMix must be restarted for this change to take effect.

Visual → Show slider tickmarks

  Check this box to show tickmarks on the sliders.

Visual → Show control labels

  Check this box to show labels of controls.

Visual → Show On Screen Display (OSD)

  Check this box to enable OSD show on hovering KMix tray widget.

Slider orientation (main window) → Horizontal

  Check this radio button to orientate the control slider horizontally.

Slider orientation (main window) → Vertical

  Check this radio button to orientate the control slider vertically.

Slider orientation (system tray popup) → Horizontal/Vertical

  Same as the previous two radio buttons but for the system tray volume control (the panel that is shown after left mouse button click on KMix tray icon).

#### Start configuration

This page allows you to configure various KMix start parameters.

Startup → Start KMix on desktop startup

  Check this box to enable KMix autostart with desktop environment.

Startup → Restore previous volume settings on desktop startup

  Check this box to enable volume levels and switches restoration to their last used settings on desktop start.

  ### Warning

  The volume of PulseAudio or MPRIS2 dynamic controls will not be restored.

#### Volume control configuration

This page allows you to configure various KMix popup volume control parameters.

Dock in system tray

  Check this box to dock KMix in system tray.

It is possible to select mixers that will be shown in the volume control using the corresponding list on this page.

Chapter 3. Advanced usage
Advanced usage

# Chapter 3. Advanced usage

## Remote controlling and scripting via D-Bus

You can control KMix via D-Bus. This is for advanced users who want to achieve special tasks, like muting the PC every day at 10 pm, or for any other scripting task.

List all KMix related D-Bus methods and properties

    qdbus org.kde.kmix

Getting volume level (0-100%):

    qdbus org.kde.kmix /Mixers/0/Master_0 org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties.Get org.kde.KMix.Control volume

Setting volume level (0-100%):

    qdbus org.kde.kmix /Mixers/0/Master_0 org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties.Set org.kde.KMix.Control volume 70

Chapter 4. Credits and License
Credits and License

# Chapter 4. Credits and License

KMix

Documentation copyright (c) 2010 Gaurav Chaturvedi `(gaurav.p.chaturvedi AT gmail.com )`

Thanks to:

Matt Johnston `(mattj AT flashmail.com)` (copy and pasted a lot of things from his old KMix documentation)

This documentation is licensed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

This program is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License.