SoundMixer

Multimedia has become an important part of computer use. Most applications and web pages you visit can emit sound, and your PC is able to help create a balance of volume through the built-in mixer. There are also third-party alternatives to provide more control over the situation, and SoundMixer is a suitable example in this regard.

One of its main advantages is that you can run it from the moment it got downloaded. You’re not taken through a setup process, and so you can use it directly from a thumb drive, without affecting the health status of the computer you run it on. It does rely on .NET Framework to function, so you need to check whether or not it’s on the target PC.

Accommodation is a walk in the park, mostly because of the familiar design which pretty much resembles the default system audio mixer, but split on two rows. This is because one row handles built-in or any connected devices capable of emitting sound, while the other does the same for active programs.

Multiple sliders are at your disposal, and they become active as soon as sound starts to be emitted. Controlling sliders is only done with the mouse, while feedback is done in real-time. To quickly cut audio from a device or program, you can toggle the mute function, and there’s one for each slider.

The application comes with a couple of log windows to show debug, and changes. These sets of information come in handy especially for analyzing hardware and software components behavior, being a neat data gathering tool for developers. Sadly, the application can’t be sent to the tray area, and always sits on the desktop or taskbar.

Bottom line is that you might have different sounds coming from a variety of sources on your computer. SoundMixer neatly gets the job done by letting you handle hardware and software components individually, and you can even carry it with you on a USB flash drive.