Thread: Volume Control Solution, a good one too

Originally Posted by clean customs

Alright, from what I undersand now, I would use this to plug directly into the cable that comes from my steering wheel controls. Kind of like I would get an adapter for an aftermarket radio to the stock plug. But I can plug this into my computer and tell it what I want it to control? Or am I am way off. But then I also understood to where I would need something with a remote, which my sound blaster does, along with the TV tuner card, so I have a few options. But nsmoller you say you use it to switch between programs which I am sure is not on a remote. Someone better help quick before I mind starts to hurt. I have been absorbing way too much lately on all these subjects and having nightmares about my trunk being too small.
Kenny

You're going to need one of the OEM steering wheel button adapters. PAC is a company that makes one of these units and there is another company (but I forgot their name - I think there is a link somewhere on this thread). These units read the button presses from your steering wheel and output it in a format readable by your computer or other devices.

The OP was suggesting you could hook up the Volume control pins to any sort of switch (steering wheel or not). Good luck.

-HD

Originally Posted by bry21317

Dang Viguera,
Beat me to this. lol I was just about to post that link also, as I had read about it before with some of the Bose controllers that I had to get from PAC.

I have a PAC AAI-NIS on its way to me right now. I already have a changer and the radio plus presets are controllable from the steering wheel and I didn't wanna lose that and the volume control. I'm plugging the adapter into the back of my Bose HU on the SAT input, and then hooking up the computer to that. The only reason I didn't think of this earlier was because I didn't wanna lose the SAT input in case I wanted XM later, but now I can run that from the PC...

I've never messed with the SWI-X myself, but I assume it works fairly well... they seem to support just about any head unit/steering wheel combination there is.

Originally Posted by hd54321

These units read the button presses from your steering wheel and output it in a format readable by your computer or other devices.

Now that I like. I still don't know if its worth the money or time though for what I am doing. When I get everything going, I am sure I will be wanting more and more, Im oing that already

Originally Posted by hd54321

The OP was suggesting you could hook up the Volume control pins to any sort of switch (steering wheel or not)

Yea I got that, which is nice because I am going to hook it up to the volume buttons on my lilliput as well.

The only function I wanted off screen was the volume, everything else I want to keep on screen. I do have one other button on my steering wheel control, but I can run that straight to the serial port when I figure out what I want to do with it. I like nsmoller's idea of navigating playlists, FM channels, or switching through functions.

haha....

:everyone takes apart their pc and cheks their card:

on a side note, does anone know if its possible to hack into the cruise control buttons on an integra and use those? My car is too old to have volume on the steering wheel...

Originally Posted by integramodder

haha....

:everyone takes apart their pc and cheks their card:

on a side note, does anone know if its possible to hack into the cruise control buttons on an integra and use those? My car is too old to have volume on the steering wheel...

Actually it is. One way is to take it apart, and run two wires from little button directly to the VOL_CNRL on the Sound Blaster card, or I am assuming using the swi-x controller. All you need is button, and like most cruise controls, there is an accelerate and descend, so you can have a up and down volume control.

swi-x is a learning remote... you do a alittle dance with it and it does what you tell it to!

Basically it connects into your steering wheel, then converts the button presses into an IR signal that goes to an ir reciever on ur computer, then you use a program like GIRDER to tell it what that is supposed to do... so the combo is limiteless

your volume can restart windows, your track seek could switch between debbie does dallas and tera tera tera

Originally Posted by nsmoller

swi-x is a learning remote... you do a alittle dance with it and it does what you tell it to!

Basically it connects into your steering wheel, then converts the button presses into an IR signal that goes to an ir reciever on ur computer, then you use a program like GIRDER to tell it what that is supposed to do... so the combo is limiteless

your volume can restart windows, your track seek could switch between debbie does dallas and tera tera tera

Can you make your own set of buttons and have swi-x to do what you want those buttons to do, or is there something simpler for that. What I need to do with the buttons on the steering wheel can be done much cheaper and easier with what my sound car has.
k

Originally Posted by integramodder

haha....

:everyone takes apart their pc and cheks their card:

on a side note, does anone know if its possible to hack into the cruise control buttons on an integra and use those? My car is too old to have volume on the steering wheel...

Just make sure to unhook the cruise control itself... you don't want to turn the volume up and all of the sudden you're doing 100mph.

I found out the name of the cheap surround sound card that has the pins for your own master volume control. the model number is CT4760, and also the Audigy (1) sound card. Those are the only two with surround that have it.
Hope this helps