- Introduction
- Understanding System Preferences
- Viewing System Preferences
- Locking and Unlocking Preference Settings
- Changing Appearance Options
- Setting Up the Desktop
- Setting Up Screen Savers
- Setting the Date and Time
- Changing Language Options
- Changing Text Substitution Options
- Saving Energy and Managing Power
- Selecting a Startup Disk
- Changing the Way a CD or DVD Starts
- Controlling Sound
- Dictating Your Speech
- Letting Mac Do the Talking
- Setting Accessibility Options
- Having VoiceOver Read from the Screen
- Setting VoiceOver Preferences
- Using VoiceOver Commands
- Setting Ink Preferences
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Controlling Sound
The Sound pane in System Preferences allows you to adjust input, output and alert volumes, change input and output sound devices, change alert sounds, and play Front Row, an entertainment system, and user interface sound effects, such as when you drag an icon to the Trash. You can use an input device, such as a microphone, to record your voice or give spoken commands on an output device, such as built-in or external speakers, to play music, words, and other sounds. If your computer has two stereo speakers, you can adjust the sound balance between them. If you don’t want to hear sound from your speakers, you can turn on Mute, just like on your TV or stereo. If you use applications with volume controls, such as iTunes, the volume can only be equal to or less than the computer’s output volume. To make volume control easier, you can add output volume to the menu bar.
Change Sound Effects
Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Sound icon.
Click the Sound Effects tab.
To change an alert sound, click a sound from the list.
Drag the Alert volume slider to adjust the alert volume, which is relative to the output volume.
To play Finder related sounds, select the Play user interface sound effects check box.
If you have volume keys on your keyboard, clear the Play feedback when volume keys is changed check box to disable the feedback option and use the volume keys.
To change output volume from the menu bar, select the Show volume in menu bar check box.
Click the Close button.
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Set Sound Output Options
- Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Sound icon.
- Click the Output tab.
- Select a device for sound output.
- Options vary depending on the output sound device.
- Drag the Balance slider to adjust the sound for the left and right speakers.
- Drag the Output volume slider to increase or decrease the volume, or select the Mute check box to turn speaker sound off.
- Click the Close button.
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Set Sound Input Options
- Click the System Preferences icon in the Dock, and then click the Sound icon.
- Click the Input tab.
- Select a device for sound input.
- Options vary depending on the input sound device.
- Drag the Input volume slider to increase or decrease the volume.
- The Input level meter displays the sound level coming from the selected sound device.
- Click the Close button.
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