The KMix Handbook
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The KMix Handbook

Gaurav Chaturvedi

Developer: Christian Esken
Developer: Helio Chissini de Castro
Developer: Brian Hanson
Revision 4.5 (KDE
 4.13) (2013-12-21)

Copyright © 1996, 2005 Christian Esken & Matt Johnston

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

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Main Window
File Options
Settings
Select Master Channel
Configure KMix
3. Advanced usage
Remote controlling and scripting via D-Bus
4. Credits and License
Chapter 1. Introduction
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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.

Screenshot of KMix

Chapter 2. Main Window
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Chapter 2. Main Window

Overview of KMix Main Window

Screenshot of KMix

File Options

KMix File options
File → Hide Mixer Window (Esc)

Hide Mixer Window

Settings
PrevMain WindowNext

Settings

KMix 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

KMix Master Channel

Select your KMix master channel.

Configure KMix

General configuration

General configuration of KMix

Configure general KMix parameters.

Behavior → Volume Feedback

Check this box to enable audible feedback on volume change.

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.

Visual → Show tickmarks

Check this box to show tickmarks on controls.

Visual → Show 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 → Horizontal

Check this radio button to orientate the control slider horizontally.

Slider orientation → Vertical

Check this radio button to orientate the control slider vertically.

Slider orientation (System tray volume control) → 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

Start configuration of KMix

This page allows you to configure various KMix start parameters.

Startup → Restore volumes on login

Check this box to enable volume restoration on login.

Warning

Dynamic controls from PulseAudio and MPRIS2 will not be restored.

Startup → Autostart

Check this box to enable KMix autostart with desktop environment.

Sound menu configuration

Sound menu configuration of KMix

This page allows you to configure various KMix sound menu 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 sound menu using the corresponding list on this page.

Chapter 3. Advanced usage
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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
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Chapter 4. Credits and License

KMix

Documentation copyright (c) 2010 Gaurav Chaturvedi

Thanks to:

Matt Johnston (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.