Reduce delay changing software volume?

[Tim Curtis]

Everything else works instantaneously. The GUI updates the instant the change is made, it just takes a bit to hear the volume change in the audio.

Isn't it the case that software volume is applied by mpd as the data is filling the input side of the FIFO, but we hear the output side of the FIFO some time later in the DAC, the time depending on buffer size and bit rate? This would explain the lag, no? I might try setting the buffer larger, see if it affects the lag. I guess it cant be set below 4MB, which would be interesting to see if reduced the lag issue.

If however you are saying that mpd applies software volume to the output side of the buffer, right before the DAC, then we have a different issue I guess.

Edit: just tested and found that bitrate and buffer size apparently have no effect on the lag.

The audio buffer exists in RAM and like any other buffer operates at CPU/RAM speeds. The only delays that could occur would be in an upstream process thats slow to deliver data to the buffer or in some down stream process thats slow in  doing something with the data after it's been read.

The audio buffer has nothing to do with laggy software volume.