[fust]

I've searched but not found anything relevant because the search for my issue is too overwhelmingly "polluted" to find relevant threads.

Here's the scenario:

I have an A/V system that includes a satellite TV receiver, a DVD player, my Yamaha tuner, and my HTPC that runs Kodi.

I am not the only user of the system, and my age 70s parents who use the system are not tech savvy and "just want it to work" without having to learn something new, i.e. they don't want to become Kodi experts, they just want to press play on a selected movie and have it work. There's a universal Harmony remote that works pretty well, and learning that was enough of a challenge for them... but I digress...

We are having audio issues. They were getting volume blasted from time to time switching between DVD or TV or Kodi.  I'd look into the setup, and it was always that they had turned the receiver up really really loud for some reason, and when they switched to the satellite BLAAAMMOOO super loud audio!  So I set Kodi's average audio level output during video playback to match the DVD player audio level output by playing the same movie on both and adjusting both the volume and volume amplification (for explosion-proofing the audio) in Kodi until I was satisfied they were about equal.  Then I checked the "default for all media" box in Kodi. 

The problem persisted.  What I found out was that a good percentage of the time (can't say it's 100%, but can't say it isn't), when we play a video in Kodi, it plays really quiet.  But if I go into the audio settings and just barely adjust the volume amplification level, suddenly the movie is perfectly loud enough.  I mean, I adjust it, and even if I put it back exactly where it was, it stays loud.  So it's like something isn't staying switched on when I choose a new movie, but it gets switched on when I fiddle with the settings.

Any ideas to stop this annoying (likely unintended) Kodi behaviour and save my parents from ripping their hair out and killing me??

[fust]

Not sure how to edit a post, but I somehow I used satellite in "and when they switched to the satellite BLAAAMMOOO super loud audio!"  when I meant to use DVD.  Should have been "and when they switched to the DVD BLAAAMMOOO super loud audio!" which is more clear since I used the DVD to calibrate the audio level.

[fust]

Aack, this "can't edit posts until you've been granted upgraded privz" thing is pretty annoying.  It means I can't fix clarity issues I see after I've posted.

I also said  "I mean, I adjust it, and even if I put it back exactly where it was, it stays loud." but that should have been " I mean, I adjust it, and even if I put it back exactly where it was, it stays appropriately loud instead of being way too quiet."

[Klojum]

Aack, this "can't edit posts until you've been granted upgraded privz" thing is pretty annoying

Yeah... Receiving unsolicited spam from mindless doorknobs (not you, of course) is also pretty annoying.
So you will have to get through that minor yet necessary inconvenience. It will get better for you after some more posts.

What I found out was that a good percentage of the time (can't say it's 100%, but can't say it isn't), when we play a video in Kodi, it plays really quiet.

What is Kodi's own volume level at that moment? Is the Windows Mixer perhaps holding something back? Get Kodi to work properly on its own (no AVR attached, but connected directly to the TV) is a good first step.

I don't do any satellite stuff myself, so no idea what goes on there.

[black_eagle]

@fust If your AVR has dynamic volume control it might be worth turning it on and seeing if it helps.  It's supposed to be for amplifying quiet parts of movies and compressing the loud parts so the listening experience is more 'even' but it might help with your source switching issues as well.  For best results, I'd suggest you set Kodi's volume to maximum and the AVR to a sensible listening level and then switch it to DVD or satellite and see if it's able to keep the output volume reasonably the same without you actually having to adjust it.

Also, depending on your AVR's capabilities, dynamic volume may be remembered for each input (mine does this) so you may find that enabling it for some inputs and disabling for others helps 'flatten' the overall volume somewhat.  Dynamic volume control may be called something different on your AVR but most modern kit is capable of it.  On my old Pioneer AVR it was called night mode.

[fust]

Aack, this "can't edit posts until you've been granted upgraded privz" thing is pretty annoying

Yeah... Receiving unsolicited spam from mindless doorknobs (not you, of course) is also pretty annoying.
So you will have to get through that minor yet necessary inconvenience. It will get better for you after some more posts.

What I found out was that a good percentage of the time (can't say it's 100%, but can't say it isn't), when we play a video in Kodi, it plays really quiet.

What is Kodi's own volume level at that moment? Is the Windows Mixer perhaps holding something back? Get Kodi to work properly on its own (no AVR attached, but connected directly to the TV) is a good first step.

I don't do any satellite stuff myself, so no idea what goes on there. 

Thanks for the quick reply!  I should specify that I have extensive tech knowledge, have been using Kodi since it was XBMC, and I'm a live sound engineer by trade. 

I'm 100% certain this is a Kodi only issue.  Volume levels for other sources (satellite, DVD) are wrong (too loud) because people turn up the receiver to hear Kodi, which is inexplicably too quiet.

Answering your specific questions:

Kodi's volume level is -15.2 dB, volume amplification is at 24 dB.

Windows Mixer is not a factor.  I keep Windows (and all the sub-mix items in Windows Volume Mixer) at 100% volume, 24 bit, 48Khz, at all times with no "enhancements" applied or anything, to eliminate it as a problem.

I think what's happening is the compressor (called "volume amplification" in Kodi) is not engaging when I play a video, even though the default setting is 24 dB.  Adjusting the slider in the volume amplification setting "wakes up" the volume amplification, even though the slider was already where I wanted it.

I think I'm honing in on a better description of the real issue: volume amplification isn't engaging at the default level I previously set when I start a movie, so it's often too quiet.

[fust]

@fust If your AVR has dynamic volume control it might be worth turning it on and seeing if it helps.  It's supposed to be for amplifying quiet parts of movies and compressing the loud parts so the listening experience is more 'even' but it might help with your source switching issues as well.  For best results, I'd suggest you set Kodi's volume to maximum and the AVR to a sensible listening level and then switch it to DVD or satellite and see if it's able to keep the output volume reasonably the same without you actually having to adjust it.

Also, depending on your AVR's capabilities, dynamic volume may be remembered for each input (mine does this) so you may find that enabling it for some inputs and disabling for others helps 'flatten' the overall volume somewhat.  Dynamic volume control may be called something different on your AVR but most modern kit is capable of it.  On my old Pioneer AVR it was called night mode.

Similarly to how I run my windows audio levels, I have all effects or filters turned off on my receiver.  I'm using Kodi for the only audio compression.  The AVR is an older Yamaha and I doubt it even has compression, but it is a surround system (currently running in stereo), so I'll have a look at the manual.  If it does, maybe using the AVR's system instead of Kodi's to normalize audio would yield the results I want!  I'll report back, thanks for the suggestion!

[fust]

Hmm.  Combed the manual but couldn't find any useful settings.  It has DSP settings, but none of the settings is designed to normalize audio, and all are for surround.  We are using stereo audio.

So back to the Kodi question, how can I make Kodi automatically apply the volume amplification default I have set when a video is played?

[Klojum]

how can I make Kodi automatically apply the volume amplification default I have set when a video is played?

There is no automatic setting, Kodi normally remembers the (previous) setting.
Pressing the +/= button increases the current audio output volume.

[fust]

how can I make Kodi automatically apply the volume amplification default I have set when a video is played?

There is no automatic setting, Kodi normally remembers the (previous) setting.
Pressing the +/= button increases the current audio output volume. 

What I mean is, I set the value myself to 24 dB for volume amplification in Kodi.  Then I check the "default for all media" box.  Correct operation would be that now, when I open a video, the volume amplification setting for that video should be automatically set at 24 dB.  But it's not.  Only by opening the audio setting and "touching" the volume amplification setting is it then applied.

[fust]

...and the + and - keys control volume, not volume amplification.

[black_eagle]

Hmm.  Combed the manual but couldn't find any useful settings.  It has DSP settings, but none of the settings is designed to normalize audio, and all are for surround.  We are using stereo audio.

Shouldn't matter whether it's stereo or not. If you don't mind me asking, what make & model of AVR have you got ?

[jjd-uk]

Kodi's volume level is -15.2 dB, volume amplification is at 24 dB.

The more you boost volume amplification the more you will increase the volume for quieter material, as it acts as sort of a crude DRC and acts to reduce the difference between the bottom and top end volume. So you may need to increase volume amplification further then reduce the main volumes down further.

[fust]

@black_eagle The AVR is a Yamaha HTR-5460, but this issue is only remedied when I open audio settings in Kodi and nudge the volume amplification ("vol amp") slider up or down.  When I do that, the audio suddenly jumps to the volume I was expecting it to be.  So it really can't be the AVR.  The reason the fact that I run the system in stereo matters is because the DSP settings for this AVR are all about mimicking spatial specifics, so involve how the front, rear, center and sub interact with each other.  I've tried the various settings, and they almost sound like reverb is being applied (which it may be).  Horrible.  So much better with it off.

@jjd-uk  I understand how the volume amplification works, and with the settings like I have them, the level is appropriate for my setup (when the vol amp is actually applied correctly).  If I slide the vol amp setting all the way down, it's too low, exactly like the problem condition when I play a new video.  So that's why I believe what is happening is that my vol amp setting of 24 dB is not being applied to videos when I first start them, even though I've set 24 dB to be the default level.

[black_eagle]

So it really can't be the AVR. 

I'm not suggesting that the issue lies with the AVR.  I'm suggesting that the AVR settings can be used to compensate for different reference volumes between various inputs.

The reason the fact that I run the system in stereo matters is because the DSP settings for this AVR are all about mimicking spatial specifics

Dynamic range is about increasing low level volume and decreasing high level volume to give a 'flatter' overall volume.  This works regardless of if you have 2 speakers, 4 speakers or a 5.1 setup.  It also has nothing to do with mimicking missing speakers.  Still, you know best, it's your amp after all.  I only mention it because the settings in Kodi that you mention have worked the way you describe for at least the past 5 years.  So, you either need to get the other kit to output in line with Kodi (not always possible) or try and get your AVR to level it's output across different inputs.