Seeking Software Audio Amplification.

[Geolingo]

Ok, Sometimes when playing a DVD or MP3 the sound level is unusually low. Back in the day if i were using "Media Player Classic" there was a plugin that could boost sound up to 400% the level the file was encoded to play. Im sick of turning the volume up all the way on some video/audio and hunting for the ear buds to be able to understand whats being said, so im looking for software that can do this amplification system-wide. Im not sure what it would be considered, Audio Normalization perhaps? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

[Waldo2k2]

get a better sound card, that's about all you can do short of installing linux (most distros come with a utility much like windows volume control except it's much more robust and can do things like you want)....but I'm betting your sound card is just junk.

[Geolingo]

Most media plays fine. Same programs, same hardware, sounds great. Certain media files dont have the audio levels necessary to hear it, and im not talking about cheap pirated DVDs either, im talking ones rented from blockbuster that are barely audiable.

[Waldo2k2]

hmm...I've never had that problem...what software are you using to play the dvd's in?

[Geolingo]

Various, I tried the DRM ridden WINDVD player they come with, I also tried the less legal but more effective MPLAYER windows port. Its not just dvds though, i have several songs in mp3 format i have run through audio editors to bring them up to acceptable levels. Im more interested in covering up the problem with an audio amplification application than trying to fight with the underlying causes.

[Waldo2k2]

well if you do that, you'll still have the same problem, I know you should be able to find software to do that...but I doubt you'll find software to normalize all the audio to the level you want. There's no reason that the dvd's should be playing quietly unless the dvd player's sound options are misconfigured.
I'd try powerdvd, I use it and don't have any trouble, or if you like nero products and feel like buying the latest nero suite that has nero showtime which also works nicely.

[VirtualAce]

Sony' Sound Forge or Sony's Sound Forge Audio Studio.

Both of these will allow you to normalize the file. Audio Studio is available at Circuit City for about 60 bucks (I paid 80 direct from Sony) and Sound Forge is about 400 bucks from Sony.

Audio Studio is probably all you need. Think of it as Sound Forge Lite.

[Waldo2k2]

But then he'd have to rip the entire dvd just so he could normalize the audio...I don't think that's neccessary, it'd have to be either a windows setting or a dvd player setting don't you think?


::edit::
to normalize the crappy mp3's, just use eac and the lame mp3 codec