Panning question

FoxyMopHandleDaddy

I picked up a new set of speakers for my computer... sweet set with a good sub-woofer, real loud, big and nasty.
Anyway, I've noticed this on other peoples speakers before but never bothered to mention it as the problem wasn't my own. It always seems to be on big speakers... and now I have the problem with my new ones.
It seems that some of the most dominant parts of the songs are really quiet and the regularly 'quieter' parts are louder. This is most notable with the guitar tracks, the rythm is louder then the lead... you can really notice it on louder songs. Anybody know what is causing this or how I might be able to fix it? I thought it might be a panning problem, but the speakers don't have a knob for adjusting the pan, so I dunno what to do.

Thorns2010

Are you playing back CD's on your computer? If so, I'd say its the compression on the CD. Nothing you can do about it though. And with CD's in the last couple of years, they've been mixed in a way that the dynamic range of the music so close, that everything is pretty much the same level.

FoxyMopHandleDaddy

not playing cd's.... mp3's that have all been ripped from cd's, so I guess the compression would be the same as the cd. But everywhere else I've listened to them they've sounded fine... the best example I can give is when I listen to DTE.... I can only hear the first guitar very very quietly in the background... then the second guitar kicks in and it sounds REALLY different. Then the rest of hte band kicks in and it sounds thin because the lead guitar is almost completely inaudible.. and the lead carries that song.
On the positive side, I'm hearing A LOT of little noodles and riffs in the background I never knew existed in PJ songs. Interesting, but I miss the old sound.

Thorns2010

Ok, yeah, I was going out on a limb with that one.

Did you check the volume control on your computer panning? And are all the cables plugged in all the way? You never know, could be something simple like that.

mccreadyisgod

It sounds like you're only getting one side of the audio... either just the right side or just the left side. Like Thorns2010 said, make sure all the cables are plugged in all the way (especially the one coming out of your soundcard on the computer). It could be that it's only partially plugged, which would give you only one side.

Another possibility is the EQ settings of your system. It could be that you've got too much low and low-mid, and that's drowning out the balance with the hi-mids and highs. Especially with a subwoofer. If the subwoofer has a separate level control, try turning that up and down, see if that makes for better balance.

Beyond that, it's hard to say... make sure whatever media player you use is stereo-enabled, and that the files you're playing are stereo files (you might've gotten or ripped mono mp3's by accident). It could even be an equipment malfunction... try plugging a set of headphones into your soundcard and see if they sound more balanced than the speakers. It's most likely not the speakers themselves, but you could've gotten the one set where a connection got broke in mfg'ing or shipping.

Good luck...

FoxyMopHandleDaddy

Thanks for your help guys... I plugged in an old set of shitty speakers I had and the sound was normal, so I guess it's the actual speakers... so then I fucked with the settings on my computer, and I found that if I fuck with the panning on the software I use, the sound gets better... funny because I have to shift the pan about three quarters to the left to get a 'normal' sound. It was the pan after all... I guess these speakers were fucked up when the were manufactured maybe? I thought I got a good deal on them.....:)

KillerIsMe

you also might have it set to a asurround sound (5.1, 7.1 or soemthing setup) when you just have a 2.1 setup, though i doubt it, you might want to check that out

FoxyMopHandleDaddy

How do I switch it to a surround sound? Is there a setting somewhere on my computer I can do that?

KillerIsMe

actually rereading what you said, if your old speakers worked fine, then thats not a problem. try plugging on speaker into both the left adn right channel of your sub. and if that doesnt show a problem try the other one.

that will let you be able to see if there is a dead jack or speaker.