I think Vista has improved greatly over XP with all of its subtle improvements. The change in how windows handles audio is one of these subtle improvements.
In this Vista tip, I will go over 2 things about audio: 1) how to change your audio source and 2) how to adjust the volume on a per application basis.
1) How to change your audio source:
You'll need to first open the "Sound" preference window. There are various ways to get to this window.
- Open the Control Panel, click "Hardware and Sound", click "Sound"
- Right Click on the desktop, click "Personalize" from the context menu, then click "Sounds"
- Click on the Start Orb, start type "Sound", as soon as it comes up click on "Sound".
- Right click on the Speaker icon in the task bar and select "Playback Devices". (This is how I usually get to the window.)
Make sure you have the "Playback" tab selected within the "Sound" Window.
One of the audio outputs will be selected as the default source. Select the audio output that you wish to become the new default and click on the "set default" button.
WARNING: Now you would think that setting the audio output would stop right there, and in most cases it will; however, at the time of this writing, Vista has a little big. If you have an application open while you change the default audio output source, the change will not take into affect for that particular application until AFTER you close down that application and restart it.
For example, if I have Window Media Player open before I change the default audio source, then after I change the output, any music I try playing within Windows Media Player will be heard over the previous default audio source. It is only after I close Windows Media Player and then reopen it, that any music will be heard through the correct set of speakers. (I can't tell you how long it took me to figure this out. Before which I thought I had to restart the computer in order for the change to take into effect.)
TIP: Now it would have been nice if Microsoft made Vista so you could use multiple audio outputs at the SAME time. Unfortunately it's an all or nothing scenario.
However, if you are aware of the above Vista bug (which you are now), you can now use 2 output sources at the same time. For example, let's say you want to output music to your speakers and your wife wants to listen and watch a TV program using the headphones. In a regular scenario, you could only do one or the other, not both. But with the above bug, you can do both. While your speakers are set as the default output, open Window Media Player and start playing music. Then change the default output to your headphones and open Media Center and start playing your wife's TV program. The music will still come out from your speakers and the TV program will be heard only thru the headphones.
2) How to adjust the volume on a per application basis
This is a huge welcome change to how windows handles audio. Now you can adjust the volume on a per application basis. For example, let's say you're watching a recorded TV program in Windows Media Player, but you don't wish to be disturbed by any windows system sounds or any instant messenger (IM) alert sounds. You can adjust the volume or even mute the audio of the windows and your IM application so you can enjoy your video with such audio annoyances.
To do this, you first need to open the "Volume Mixer" by clicking on the speaker icon in your task bar, and then clicking on the "Mixer" link. Alternatively, you can right click the speaker icon and choose "Open Volume Mixer".
Once in the Volume Mixer window, you'll see all the applications you can control. Adjust or mute the volume of the application you want.
Let's say you mute your IM program. Now, everytime you open your IM program, Vista will remember that you muted this application and you won't hear any sounds from it until you unmute it from the volume mixer.
NOTE: It's not very apparent within the volume mixer window, but if you
click the word "device" in this window, you can view which applications are
being used by which audio output device. (They really ought to make the
"device" button appear to be more like a button.) It would be nice if
you could use this mixer window to change the association of specific programs with
specific output devices like how I suggested you do so by taking advantage of the above mentioned Vista bug. Also, although you can right click on the speaker icon and select "Playback Devices" to get to the previously mentioned Sound preference window, it would have been nice if you were able change the default device directly from this
volume mixer window.