Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with mute

I just want my stupid games to be silent

NoraReed — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:00:55 -0800

OSXFilter: Is there a way to mute individual programs in OS X? Vista allows you to adjust the volume of specific programs in its volume control. I switched to Mac but that's one of the features from Vista that I really miss. (If it matters, I'm using Leopard.) I want to listen to my music, not my games/browser, dang it!

How can I set my TV so that it's mute whenever I turn it on?

scazza — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:52:16 -0800

How can I set my TV so that it's mute whenever I turn it on? I have a Vizio EcoTV and a Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD cable box. I've looked in the settings for both and I can't find anything. There's a "Power-on Channel" but not a Power on Volume. Is there any way to hack this?

You're not the mute button! Stop it!

EarBucket — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:35:39 -0800

The left control key on my keyboard has suddenly started toggling the mute on my master volume. How do I make it stop? I'm running Windows XP on a Dell Dimension desktop, if it makes a difference.

Volume controlling Judas, why have you forsaken me?

phunniemee — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:50:06 -0800

Why would the mute button on my computer suddenly stop working? Sometime during the course of yesterday, the mute button on my computer stopped working. I have a ~6 month old Lenovo/ThinkPad T61 running Vista, and I have had zero problems with it until now. The up/down volume buttons still work fine, and I can mute and unmute using the volume control in the system tray, but the ever-so-useful external mute button has just...stopped.

The computer hasn't sustained any physical trauma lately, and the only unusual thing I did yesterday was to completely uninstall and reinstall iTunes. Windows last installed updates two or three days ago, so I don't think any of those are involved at all as the problem just started last night.

Does anyone know why this would happen and how I could go about fixing it? I poked around on google, and someone on some forum a while ago said it could be a driver problem, but said no more than that.

My MacBook's Internal Speakers Are Stuck on Mute

chinese_fashion — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:08:33 -0800

I can't get my Mac laptop's internal speakers to work -- they just stopped one day. When I press the volume adjust buttons, the little bars don't move, and the classic circle-with-bar-through-it appears. I've checked the volume in System Preferences, and the "mute" button is not selected by accident. When my headphones are plugged in, they sound fine, and I can adjust the volume under System Prefs. But when I unplug the headphones, the volume control greys out -- and the Selected Output switches to "Digital Out."

I have a slightly older Macbook Pro -- a 2.1, with Intel Core 2 Duo, if that matters.

I've checked AskMefi, searched around, and I know this is not a unique problem, but everyone on all the threads I've seen has just said "oh, figured it out, thanks," without offering any explanation!

Please -- if any of you know how I can fix this, I would greatly appreciate the help.

Thanks so much ...

Hush Puppy

owtytrof — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:17:54 -0800

Why doesn't my puppy make a sound? We just got a new puppy (about a year old) and he seems to not be able to bark. When he whines it sounds like a whisper. When he's playing with his toys and "play growls" you can barely hear him. I know he was checked out by the shelter and updated on his shots and they said he was healthy. He seems fine other than not being about to really bark.

I know you're not a vet and that you're not my vet but I'm just looking to see if anyone has had any similar situations.

What's the difference between a banjo and a chainsaw?

tmcw — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:39:49 -0800

Practicing & Playing Music in Washington DC: Learning the banjo without getting murdered So... I'm doing a (great) internship in Washington, DC this summer, and I'm currently buying a banjo. I know that opinions on the banjo vary, but I like the sound and the tonal possibilities, and I'm interested in learning another stringed instrument with different techniques than guitar & ukulele.

It's a Deering Goodtime w/ a resonator. I'm almost certainly removing the resonator to reduce the volume that much, but beyond that, what can I do as far as mutes? And how loud do these things really end up being? I'll be living in a subletted room or apt.

Bonus points for ideas on what to do with a banjo and some general knowledge (or a guitar and some advanced knowledge, and a ukulele and some novice knowledge) in the 'big city.'? Up till this point, it's been all dorm rooms, college shows, and once-in-a-blue-moon fantastic jam sessions. Are jams possible? Open mics stupid? Lessons expensive? Places to play nowhere?

Thanks for any information! I'm psyched to learn one of the most interesting/loved/hated/misunderstood instruments on the planet.

Need jokes about not being able to speak.

ElfWord — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 07:02:10 -0800

Tell me/help me find some jokes about/involving not being able to speak. One of my coworkers has a throat... thing, that is keeping her from speaking today(bare whisper if she must), and possibly will last until tomorrow. I'd love to brighten her day with some jokes, and you can help. I've tried some quick Google searches, but this isn't really a keyword situation. Searches for things like "mute jokes" turn up jokes about deaf/mutes, which really aren't applicable, or jokes about instrument mutes, which are even less applicable.

Bonus points for jokes(in good taste) about blondes or Germans, as my coworker is both. Points assigned on a "Whose Line is it Anyways?" scale.

speak no evil

stray — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 20:03:56 -0800

Can you think of a good monologue or short story that would translate well to being told/described using only body language, without words? I'm auditioning for the part of a mute woman in a play--part of the audition requires a one to two minute long monologue without words. I'm prepared to create something on my own that displays a range of emotion, but if the hive mind has any ideas, I'd love to hear them (both for this audition and future use).

Ah-hem?

lain — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 20:10:10 -0800

Can mute people clear their throats? I'm assuming all people who are mute lack any voicebox/vocal cords, so can they clear their throats? Or can they breathe through their mouths normally or do they do this regularly? I would assume they would rarely use their mouths except to eat food, but I have no clue.

How do I keep my speakers from muting when using headphones?

Stunt — Wed, 16 Mar 2005 00:24:03 -0800

How in the world can I keep Windows XP from automatically muting the speakers when headphones are plugged in? This has been bugging me for quite some time but I can't seem to find a way to alter this. I did quite a bit of searching on it tonight to help out a friend; she wants to use a headet for her PC but it's too difficult to get to the back of the computer whenever she uses it, but she can't leave it plugged in without killing her sound.

There has to be some way to do this, right? I figured the must be some sort of registry hack to do it, but I've had no luck searching for one. I'm astonished that I've never come across an answer to this; surely a wiser mefite at least have wondered the same things and might be able to assist.

Downloaded WMV files have video but no audio in Windows Media Player for OS X

Cryptical Envelopment — Sat, 11 Dec 2004 16:29:20 -0800

Problems with Windows Media and OS X. (more inside) When I download WMV files and view them using Windows Media Player 9 for OS X I can almost always see the picture but almost never hear the audio. Sometimes MPlayer works but I frequently get error messages and only hear the audio. The same thing happens with VLC and with both MPlayer and VLC I often get nothing.

Embedded WMVs are largely hit and miss: I either get both the audio and video or nothing, not even an error message, with the most recent versions of Safari and Firefox. Am I missing something here or is this just part of a Mac user's lot in life?

What's new and cool in jazz music?

Shane — Fri, 09 Jan 2004 08:50:46 -0800

Hey, youse Jazzholes: I'm in need of some cool jazz (not 'lite' jazz or muzak) with a muted trumpet; brushes on the snare are optional but nice. Something that feels Kind of Blue, maybe a sultry Near Myth (with a horn instead of Bill Smith.) What's cool and new with jazz anyway? Sure, I love the Bad Plus, but I keep going back to the old stuff...