| # AutoVol (Tray) WORK IN PROGRESS |
| WIP think of this more as a concept not a finished thing |
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| AutoVol is a zero-config Windows tray app that **learns when you turn volume down** and then **automatically ducks volume** when the system audio gets louder than your learned “too loud” levels. |
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| It’s designed to be: |
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| * **Zero-touch**: run it and forget it |
| * **Self-healing**: tries multiple ways to measure system loudness (loopback audio → peak meter fallbacks) |
| * **Non-destructive**: stores its data in your local profile folder, not in system locations |
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| ## What it does |
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| * Monitors “how loud the system output is” (best effort loopback capture; fallback peak meters). |
| * When you manually turn volume **down**, AutoVol records the loudness level at that moment. |
| * Later, if it detects loudness above your learned threshold, it gently reduces volume. |
| * Optional speech gating (if available) can reduce ducking during speech-like audio. |
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| ## Requirements |
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| * Windows 10/11 (Windows 11 recommended) |
| * No admin required (for normal use) |
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| ## Install / Run (Release) |
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| AutoVol is typically shipped as a **folder** (PyInstaller *onedir* build). |
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| 1. Download the release zip. |
| 2. Extract it anywhere (ex: `C:\Apps\AutoVol\`). |
| 3. Run: `AutoVol.exe` |
| 4. Look for the **tray icon** (system tray / “hidden icons” area). |
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| > **Important:** If the release contains a folder like `AutoVol\AutoVol.exe`, you must keep the **whole folder** together. Do not move only the `.exe` out by itself. |
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| ## Tray Menu |
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| Right-click the tray icon for: |
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| * **Observe only (no changes)** — AutoVol will monitor/learn but won’t set volume |
| * **Pause / Resume** — stops AutoVol from making adjustments (can restore to your resting volume) |
| * **Reset learning** — clears learned “turn-down” history |
| * **Open data folder** — opens the app’s local data folder |
| * **Quit** — exits cleanly |
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| ## Data / Logs Location |
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| AutoVol stores its runtime data under: |
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| `%LOCALAPPDATA%\AutoVol` |
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| You’ll typically see: |
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| * `autovol.log` — rotating logs |
| * `autovol_learn.json` — learned “turn-down” samples |
| * `autovol_events.jsonl` — event stream (volume changes, sampler changes, etc.) |
| * `autovol_crash.txt` — created only if a crash occurs |
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| ## Command-line Options |
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| You can run the exe with options (useful for debugging): |
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| * `--observe` |
| Start in observe-only mode (no volume changes). |
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| * `--force-dryvol` |
| Don’t touch system volume (debug mode; logs/stats still run). |
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| * `--reset` |
| Reset learning before starting. |
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| * `--no-autoinstall` |
| Disable auto-install of missing Python dependencies (mostly relevant when running from source). |
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| Example: |
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| ```bash |
| AutoVol.exe --observe |
| ``` |
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| ## Building from Source (Developer) |
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| Basic steps (example): |
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| 1. Create/activate a venv |
| 2. Install requirements |
| 3. Run: |
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| ```bash |
| python autovol_tray.py |
| ``` |
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| If you package with PyInstaller, you’ll usually distribute the **onedir** output: `dist\AutoVol\` |
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| ## Troubleshooting |
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| * **No tray icon:** Check the Windows tray “hidden icons” area. |
| * **No loudness detection / stuck on fallback:** Some machines/drivers don’t support loopback capture; AutoVol will fall back to peak meters. Check `%LOCALAPPDATA%\AutoVol\autovol.log`. |
| * **It’s too aggressive:** Use *Observe only* while it learns more “turn-down” events, or reset learning and re-train. |
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| ## License |
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| MIT License. |
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