Quick Mixer

Every major Windows function needs to be quickly accessible, and most of them can be managed through corresponding tray icons, just like overall sound. In case you find it difficult to work with the slider Windows puts at your disposal, you can try out some alternatives like Quick Mixer.

It takes only a little while before you get the application to work. The default mixer is not replaced, so you might want to access system settings and disable the default icon in case this new one tickles your fancy. It too adds a tray icon to access volume controls with ease.

Unlike the default system volume controls, this one doesn’t just pop up a slider to adjust volume, but several more in a floating box on your desktop. This can be rather inconvenient, and time consuming, but there’s the possibility to make the box automatically disappear when you’re done adjusting.

You only work with master sound, and CD audio. As you probably know, the Windows audio mixer lets you adjust sound for all apps, and devices that emit sound, with no option to do so here.

In case the default style isn’t quite appealing, you can use several customization options in order to change the background color, make the slider knob pointy, show graduations, display tooltips, or adjust the box for larger view of volume sliders.

What does differ from the default audio mixer are two additional tools. One of them allows you to automatically mute sound between two specific time intervals, so you don’t end up with your neighbors knocking at your door to turn down the sound.

The other tool you benefit from is the profile editor. It’s not fitted with too many options, and is merely a place to store up to ten different volume positions, which can be quickly toggled through hotkeys. What’s more, general sound adjustment can also be done through hotkeys, but these can’t be changed, and the main window has to be up.

Bottom line is that a Windows computer can be thoroughly customized, and altered with third-party alternatives to default features. Not all of them are better though, and Quick Mixer can leave you with mixed feelings, since it can be rather difficult to get used to in time, even if it’s fitted with hotkey commands, and a few visual customization options.