External Mixer: Are there existing solutions?

[thomas-mc-work]

Hello!

Regarding the option to use an external mixer: https://github.com/MusicPlayerDaemon/MPD/blob/master/doc/user.rst#external-mixer

Are there any existing solutions? Or can you give a hint on how to implement this? I was trying to get it working with the CLI client mpc. It has the idleloop and `status %volume' commands. But how to put that together?

[MaxKellermann]

What is it you want to put it together with? You get the volume each time it changes in MPD, and then you send it to wherever you want.

[thomas-mc-work]

The input command with the output command. I thought there is probably something that I can copy and adapt. What I've done now is a poor man's solution via bash:

volume=$(mpc status %volume% | tr -d '%')

mpc idleloop mixer | while read line; do
  volume_new=$(mpc status %volume%)
  
  if [[ $volume_new < $volume ]]; then
    volume_down
  else
    volume_up
  fi
  
  volume=$volume_new
done

Is there a way to disable the absolute volume level on the MPD side? In my setup I use this script to control my receiver via a IR connection which isn't aware of the current physical volume level. That means the receiver could be at 50% volume when MPD is already at 100%.

[MaxKellermann]

Shell is probably the worst possible choice (for everything), but if you insist...
No, MPD always maintains its volume level as an integer between 0 and 100.

[thomas-mc-work]

Shell is probably the worst possible choice (for everything), but if you insist...

😒

I'm not asking to learn how not to do it. But if there is nothing else then I'll have to start somewhere. That's why I was asking in the first place. What exactly do you think is so bad about the shell?

Maybe anybody else has created something useful to solve this problem slightly more elegant?