Turn Up - Volume Mixer

Turn Up - Volume Mixer

Last week my brother Kieran told me to expect a delivery, I love surprise gifts šŸ˜†, after opening the package I realised it was a volume mixer by TurnUp software, a Kickstarter project.

A volume mixer isnā€™t something I would have ever thought of purchasing, I didnā€™t see the appeal when the Windows Sound Mixer exists. However, it turns out that a physical volume mixer is one of those devices that when you get used to using it, itā€™s hard to imagine going back to not having one.

Normally when Iā€™m relaxing, Iā€™ll be playing video games, Iā€™ll have Discord, Spotify and ā€œinsert video game of monthā€ open. Iā€™ll then use Windows Sound Mixer to adjust the levels as the music changes/I move to a different game. Itā€™s workable, but a bit annoying, especially with games where you are heavily reliant on sounds (eg; Dead by Daylight). I also have some keyboard shortcuts bound to mute and deafen myself on Discord while in-game.

Iā€™ve now moved and centralised all the above functionality with the volume mixer. Itā€™s so much easier to quickly adjust the volume on a program now.

Image of TurnUp Device

My volume mixer setup (left to right):

  • Volume knobs: system, Spotify, Discord, active window, Microphone
  • Buttons: mute system, pause Spotify, deafen Discord, mute active window, mute microphone.

The device itself feels well-made and sturdy, the volume knobs are pretty much what youā€™d expect on an amplifier. The USB-C cable that came with mine was faulty, it was causing Windows to stop recognising the device randomly, but once I replaced the cable, Iā€™ve had no further issues.

The software for the device is okay, but I hope it will improve with time. It is functional currently, but it could do with further work, especially on the UI/UX side. Accidentally hitting the ā€œApply to Allā€ button (which is in a very odd place) during configuration makes for a frustrating experience.

Overall, for $69-$79, this device is great value for money, Iā€™d recommend it to anyone interested in getting a volume mixer.


Posted onĀ May 30, 2021