Blu Ray MKV in stereo - quiet dialogue - any balance settings?

[WheresMyArtisan]

I've got a PC running Win7 Media Center, with a cable from its analogue stereo output to a stereo amp, then to two speakers. I like to keep things simple!

It sounds great on freeview TV and lossless CD rips, and it also sounds even better playing a blu-ray mkv file. However, the music and effects are really LOUD in comparison with the dialogue. If you turn it up loud enough to hear what they're saying, the music and effects blow your head off. If you get it right for the music and effects then you can't understand what they're saying.

I'm guessing that I need to somehow adjust some balance setting, but I can't find anything. I did keep the 2-channel soundtrack when I made the MKVs.

I've got a minimum of software installed. I set it up ages ago, and can't remember every detail, but there's a splitter program and the Shark007 codec pack. AFAIK Windows is set everywhere to say it's using stereo sound (the motherboard can also do surround). The HDMI audio output on the video card is disabled in Devices.

Does anyone know where to start looking? Many thanks...

 

[robbo100]

It sounds like your system is outputting multichannel audio to the analogue outputs. If this is the cause, the dialogue will be sent to the centre speaker (which you have not got installed). Look at your motherboard manual and see what connector on the back outputs the "centre" channel and try plugging you interconnect into that plug and you should suddenly get ONLY the dialogue.

If this is the case then you need to revert back to your previous interconnect plug and then look for an option with your audio codec that will "downmix" the audio to stereo. This will then compress the sound that is spread out over the 5 or 7 speakers and subwoofer to all come out of your two speakers.

 

[WheresMyArtisan]

Thanks, I'll give that a try. I wonder if the codecs are ignoring that it's not 5.1 sound, even though I've told Windows it is 2.0 sound.