G-Series Gaming Keyboards

[Norswap]

I have two sounds devices: speakers and a G930 headset. I switch audio between them by setting one of them as the "default playback device" (right click on the volume icon in the tray > playback devices).

Unfortunately, the volume wheel and the mute button seem to work only on the headset, modifying its volume even if it is not the default playback device. Behaviour does not change if I shutdown/unplug the headset, or if I unplug and replug the keyboard.

Is there a way to fix this ?

[Norswap]

Bump.

I also did some more research, and please don't feed me bull**bleep** about it being a fault on Windows's part for not handling correctly the VOLUME_UP key: setting volume up/down shortcuts on my (logitech) mouse works perfectly fine.

[SpecialK]

Doesn't changing the volume on a keyboard change the master volume setting in Windows?

[Norswap]

As far as I know, there is no such thing as a master volume on windows 7. At least the volumes of my speakers and headset are stricly distinct. The headset is a Logitech G930 (wireless with a usb dongle) and has it's own audio card (controller ?) in the headset.

Here (http://imgur.com/1GhQc) is an image of what I get when I click on the volume icon in the tray. And here (http://imgur.com/hkHUd) is the configuration used for the display. On the right is the volume for the headset. This is what moves when I use the volume wheel on the keyboard.

Finally, here is the volume mixer: http://imgur.com/OCfvN As you can see, there is no master volume, you must choose the playback device to use.

[SpecialK]

I'm guessing that...

• If you assigned the Volume Up/Down macro to the G-Keys, it would work as expected (like the mouse)
• If you attached another keyboard w/ media keys, it would behave the same as the G110

[Norswap]

- No, it doesn't, tried that already.

I must perhaps add that when I change the volume using my mouse, it displays a volume bar that seems specific to the logitech mouse software. It is an optional thing tough. I Should also mention it's Performance Mouse MX, so not a gaming mouse and it uses SetPoint.

Note I tried the media > volume up, and keystroke > pressing the volume up key, and both have the same effect

- Indeed.

So it does seem the fault is with windows after all, and that SetPoint does something clever. The question is what that might be. I can also not fathom why Windows would have such a weird behaviour for handling that key.

Maybe a script could do what I wish ?

Edit: Browsing trough the API, there doesn't seem to be a way to detect that any key is pressed except the G and M keys (and the modifiers: alt, ctrl, shift, ...). Let me know if there is a way.

[SpecialK · Accepted solution]

If you go to Device manager, under "Human Interface Devices", you'll see these "HID-compliant consumer control device"s. Most USB keyboards have one (the G110 does). This is what Microsoft uses to retrieve media key events and handle them in a standard fashion.

• You could have a third party app that's 'hooking' into low level keyboard events (the media are sent out as keyboard events). The SetPoint one might work because it could be talking directly to the hardware/os. The third party app might be redirecting the volume events to a specific device rather than the 'default' device. The whole concept of a 'default' device is rather confusing in the first place frankly and I would wager most Windows users don't event understand how that works, For them, they plug in a USB headset and things come out of their headset. They unplug, and then things come out of their speakers. I'm not sure how to detect for apps that are hooking into your systen.

[Norswap]

Problem sovled !

The problem was indeed due to a program that captured keystrokes: slimKEYS, which I use as a program launcher. It apparently has a volume module which I was not aware of. I promptly turned it off and everything works as expected.

Thanks a lot