# Engineers of the world, YOU DON"T NEED TO FUCK WITH THE VOULME KNOB!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 13, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-of-the-world-you-don-t-need-to-fuck-with-the-voulme-knob/148404 "2003-01-13T23:35:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-of-the-world-you-don-t-need-to-fuck-with-the-voulme-knob/148404/1 "2003-01-13T23:35:56Z")
AAARRRGGGGHHH!!! Who was the idiot that thought the volume control knob was just too, too difficult to use? “Oh, we can’t let them turn the knob all of the way to the end! Why, they may be forced to remove and reapply their fingers to a knob for further twisting!” Case in point: My Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 THX certified speakers. Overall, they are the finest magical voice boxes I have ever owned. EXCEPT FOR THE VOLUME CONTROLL!!! It is so finicky, suppose that at one moment you are at a 14 level volume, but while trying to turn it up to 20, or so, it may suddenly then jump up to 57, 63, or even a full 80. Also, if you try to quickly turn down the volume, it will keep jumping back up, so that you are forced to slowly and carefully turn the knob to get it to work correctly. But even that does not really help! Like I said, there have been times where I have tried to turn the volume up or down just a few notches and it will jump all of the way. Let’s try an experiment. Right now the volume is at 44. I quickly turn the knob as fast and as far down as I can (this will be counter-clockwise, and a little more than a half rotation), and the volume actually jumps _up_ to 46. I try again and this time it goes down, but only to 39. Again, 35. Again, 34. Again, 21. Again, 11. Again, 7. Again, 4. Again, 3. Again, 1. So it took me 10 tries to get the volume all of the way down. If I had a regular old rheostat on there it would have likely only have taken one, possibly two, turns. I think that it works like a computer mouse and tries to sense the acceleration of your turning the knob, thus changing the volume really fast if it thinks you have turned the knob fast although you may have only turned the knob slightly. But it is wacky. It also seems to try and discriminate between constant acceleration and sudden “jerking” acceleration. What is especially annoying is that this stupid type of volume knob is spreading! It is in my mothers car stereo (where I first encountered it) and can be found many new home and car stereos. The device reminds me of the radio Zaphod was using in the _Heart of Gold_. It was so convenient that a slight wave of the hand or wink of the eye and the machine would change stations, volume, or other settings. Of course the result was that you had to stay frozen in some stupid position that was likely causing a cramp, but it was very modern and very convenient! ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-of-the-world-you-don-t-need-to-fuck-with-the-voulme-knob/148404/2 "2003-01-14T01:15:16Z")
Once our family rented a GM car with knobs like this. We tried to adjust the volume on the radio and it got blaringly loud. The kids in the backseat screamed “Turn it off! Turn if off!” as Dad frantically tried to re-adjust the volume to a non-deafening level. Finally he slammed the off button, plunging us back into blessed silence. We never did figure how to turn the volume back down though. I bet the next person to rent that car got a nasty surprise. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![loinburger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/db5fbb/32.png) [@loinburger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loinburger)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-of-the-world-you-don-t-need-to-fuck-with-the-voulme-knob/148404/3 "2003-01-14T01:24:13Z")
I don’t think it’s concidental that my grandfather, father, brother, and three uncles (all engineers) turn the volume up too damn high. ---
**Author:** ![Hauky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/0ea827/32.png) [@Hauky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hauky)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-of-the-world-you-don-t-need-to-fuck-with-the-voulme-knob/148404/4 "2003-01-14T02:32:46Z")
Yeah, acceleration = rate of change on these things. Of course, the one on my Kenwood receiver actually, you know, works. The best part is using the volume controls on the remote and watching the little light on the knob spin around all by itself. Whoo, good times. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-of-the-world-you-don-t-need-to-fuck-with-the-voulme-knob/148404/5 "2003-01-14T03:12:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \* > **suppose that at one moment you are at a 14 level volume, but while trying to turn it up to 20, or so, it may suddenly then jump up to 57, 63, or even a full 80.** Wow! Your volume control goes all the way up to 80? And to think, the Spinal Tap guys were boasting about how their volume control could go up to 11! ---
**Author:** ![KP235](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@KP235](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP235)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-of-the-world-you-don-t-need-to-fuck-with-the-voulme-knob/148404/6 "2003-01-14T04:11:02Z")
We used to use potentiometers to control such things. A tried and true technology, just give it a squirt of Blue Stuff every now and then, and life was good. Then digital came along. Digital controls could be made cheaper than the old pots, plus it was a hi-tech selling point. Only thing was the Up/Down button didn’t have the same ‘feel’ as the old pots which someone in marketing decided the customer demanded. So a rotary control needed to be designed. At first, it was fine, turn right, up, turn left, down, but then someone noticed that the rotary switches cost more than the old pots. So it had to be that these were made as cheaply as possible because we certainly cannot return to the old technology, and we certainly cannot bear to increase the cost of any consumer electronic product, it’s just not the way. So even though computer mice have been designed for dirt cheep that can handle rotary switching, that’s a different group who designs the front controls, so don’t mention that, m’kay? The later group put forth a design that was rotary, was dirt cheep, and worked(as long as you didn’t spin it too fast or too slow) They presented this and management, management didn’t see or ignored the flaws, but they saw that the price point was good. So it was written, so shall it be done. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-of-the-world-you-don-t-need-to-fuck-with-the-voulme-knob/148404/7 "2003-01-14T05:58:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KP235 \* > **Only thing was the Up/Down button didn’t have the same ‘feel’ as the old pots which someone in marketing decided the customer demanded.** This customer DID demand it. I double-dog dare you to hit a itty bitty “up” button while bouncing along the freeway at 80 MPH. -lv ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-of-the-world-you-don-t-need-to-fuck-with-the-voulme-knob/148404/8 "2003-01-14T06:07:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muad’Dib \* > \*\*The device reminds me of the radio Zaphod was using in the _Heart of Gold_. It was so convenient that a slight wave of the hand or wink of the eye and the machine would change stations, volume, or other settings. Of course the result was that you had to stay frozen in some stupid position that was likely causing a cramp, but it was very modern and very convenient! \*\* “The machine was rather difficult to operate. For years radios had been operated by means of pressing buttons and turning dials; then as the technology became more sophisticated the controls were made touch-sensitive — you merely had to brush the panels with your fingers; now all you had to do was wave your hand in the general direction of the components and hope. It saved a lot of muscular expenditure of course, but meant that you had to sit infuriatingly still if you wanted to keep listening to the same programme.” – HHGTTG, Ch 12; DNA ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-of-the-world-you-don-t-need-to-fuck-with-the-voulme-knob/148404/9 "2003-01-14T08:19:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KP235 \* > \*\*They presented this and management, management didn’t see or ignored the flaws, but they saw that the price point was good. So it was written, so shall it be done. \*\* Yeah, but expect better of my $500 computer speakers!!! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2003, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineers-of-the-world-you-don-t-need-to-fuck-with-the-voulme-knob/148404/10 "2003-01-14T10:41:49Z")
Each mouse axis has two IR sensors, meaning that, if you position them correctly (around the spokes attached to the axis spindle), you could get OnOn, OnOff, OffOff OffOn, and thusly determine the direction of the spindle. Google won’t tell me if this is the real way it happens… can’t get info on potentiometers either… I imagine if you had three circular connectors, and spaced them in an alternating pattern 123123123 around a central rotating connector, you would have something that could exhibit the same flaws as your cheap volume control. Spin it fast enough to skip a connection, and it’ll think it’s going backwards. This is interesting… anyone know different?