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geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: aref on Fri, 06 March 2015, 17:02:21
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I'm looking for device like a Griffen PowerMate that will work with Windows 8/8.1. The device will be used mainly as a volume controller. Can you recommend a product? Thanks.
I have a mouse with assigned buttons for volume, but I don't care for the feel of the mouse. And the mouse I like doesn't have additional controls. So, if I can find a device that I can use primarily to control volume, I'd be grateful. I've read that Griffin's PowerMate has difficulty with Windows 8/8.1. Perhaps it's better suited to a Mac than a PC.
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I used to have issues with my powermate, update the drivers not only for the powermate but for the USB controllers and whatnot as well. That solved a lot of issues for me until i ended up losing it :'(
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I used to have issues with my powermate, update the drivers not only for the powermate but for the USB controllers and whatnot as well. That solved a lot of issues for me until i ended up losing it :'(
I may be better off just getting another mouse. I like the idea of a controller. Many have reported problems with their PowerMates.
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I used to have issues with my powermate, update the drivers not only for the powermate but for the USB controllers and whatnot as well. That solved a lot of issues for me until i ended up losing it :'(
I may be better off just getting another mouse. I like the idea of a controller. Many have reported problems with their PowerMates.
Sorry to hear that man let me know what you get either way
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Will do. I found one mouse, Logitech 560; but some of the company's newer pointing devices track with too much sensitivity. Perhaps a gaming mouse might track more efficiently. I don't game, but if it works, I'll find applications for the additional buttons.
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Someone good in electronics design should run a GB for a DIY variant... >.>
A programmable USB controller + a potentiometer + a PCB with some parts, a off the shelf knob, and some nice CNC'ed aluminum housing.
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Someone good in electronics design should run a GB for a DIY variant... >.>
A programmable USB controller + a potentiometer + a PCB with some parts, a off the shelf knob, and some nice CNC'ed aluminum housing.
This would be great. A simple controller would be nice to have. I don't like having to go to my on-screen audio control. A simple device, similar to Griffin's PowerMate, would be ideal. If it were nothing more than a dedicated audio controller, I'd get one.
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Small Google search...
http://runawaybrainz.blogspot.de/2013/08/avr-attiny-2313-v-usb-media-volume.html#more
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Small Google search...
http://runawaybrainz.blogspot.de/2013/08/avr-attiny-2313-v-usb-media-volume.html#more
If Hirst Audio Labs sold this controller, I'd get one. For now I'm using a pair of speakers within reach so I can easily reach the volume control.
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Man, powermate is cool. Too bad there are problems.
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Man, powermate is cool. Too bad there are problems.
PowerMate is really nice; but it's made for Macs rather than PCs, which takes me out of the running.
I turned a too-sensitive and erratic mouse I have into a dedicated audio controller; I have the base taped to the top of my monitor stand so I can get to it quickly. Nonetheless, this is less than ideal, so I ordered a new Logitech 560 mouse. It has two extra controls on the left side that I'll use for volume up/down. I tried the mouse at Staples and it felt nice, a bit smaller than an M510 I have, but the 510 has too much bulk. The 560 is more contoured and the front is sloped like an old Porsche. I'll have to see it tracks when I receive it next week. Staples was $40; but I ordered one from Amazon for $29.
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I suppose it depends a lot on what your set up is... I have an audioengine N22 desktop amp, so I use it's volume knob most of the time. I also have volume up/down/mute keys on the Fn layer of my GH60 though I don't use anything there but the mute key very much.
I wonder how easy it would be to hook up a potentiometer to one of those techkeys cards and program it for that functionality? That could be pretty ideal if you wanted a small dedicated device with volume, and use the MX switches for multimedia controller keys (forward, back, play/pause, etc). I wonder too if it would be possible to program it's led array to act like a vu meter type thing?
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If you can't find something with a dial similar to the powernmate, you could always use something like the techkeys business card if you don't mind doing some programming. They look pretty awesome as well.
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Since I tend to have my left hand always on the keyboard, I have an Autohotkey script that maps shift + mouse scroll as volume control.
Shift & WheelDown::
SendInput, {Volume_Down}
return
Shift & WheelUp::
SendInput, {Volume_Up}
return
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I scroll above the Windows taskbar to adjust volume using 7+ Taskbar Tweaker, or use hotkeys. Physical controls can be nice though :)
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I have a powermate and use it on Windows 8.1. I wish the software was more robust but it works. I use another tiny app to change audio sources and I have that bound to long press on the powermate. Short press mutes, and spin for volume obviously. That's all I do with it though. I just use the newest release, I'm pretty sure it's for Vista but it still installs fine on 8.1. I've had mine since 2012.
All of that said I wont be surprised when it stops working with Windows 10 or something. I do wish there was another elegant solution. I will probably make my own and harvest the knob from this one eventually.
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I have a powermate and use it on Windows 8.1. I wish the software was more robust but it works. I use another tiny app to change audio sources and I have that bound to long press on the powermate. Short press mutes, and spin for volume obviously. That's all I do with it though. I just use the newest release, I'm pretty sure it's for Vista but it still installs fine on 8.1. I've had mine since 2012.
All of that said I wont be surprised when it stops working with Windows 10 or something. I do wish there was another elegant solution. I will probably make my own and harvest the knob from this one eventually.
I just won a powermate off ebay before realizing there were issues with newer versions of windows. I see you are using one with Windows 8.1. Are you using 64-bit? I can't for the life of me get it working on Windows 8.1 or 7 for that matter. All it does is act like a mouse. Scrolls slowly side to side, and when pushed emulates a left click. :-/ Software normally just crashes out on me too. lol. Can you check which drivers yours is using, mine shows up as both a HID-compliant mouse and HID-compliant device using microsoft drivers. I tried switching the mouse driver to a HID-compliant input device but then the powermate won't do anything, but this does allow the software to load properly which then does nothing to help the powermate to work. All I want is volume control. lol
Kevin
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I have a powermate and use it on Windows 8.1. I wish the software was more robust but it works. I use another tiny app to change audio sources and I have that bound to long press on the powermate. Short press mutes, and spin for volume obviously. That's all I do with it though. I just use the newest release, I'm pretty sure it's for Vista but it still installs fine on 8.1. I've had mine since 2012.
All of that said I wont be surprised when it stops working with Windows 10 or something. I do wish there was another elegant solution. I will probably make my own and harvest the knob from this one eventually.
I just won a powermate off ebay before realizing there were issues with newer versions of windows. I see you are using one with Windows 8.1. Are you using 64-bit? I can't for the life of me get it working on Windows 8.1 or 7 for that matter. All it does is act like a mouse. Scrolls slowly side to side, and when pushed emulates a left click. :-/ Software normally just crashes out on me too. lol. Can you check which drivers yours is using, mine shows up as both a HID-compliant mouse and HID-compliant device using microsoft drivers. I tried switching the mouse driver to a HID-compliant input device but then the powermate won't do anything, but this does allow the software to load properly which then does nothing to help the powermate to work. All I want is volume control. lol
Kevin
I'm currently back on Windows 7 Pro x64 so I can't check those things for you on Windows 8.1 sorry. But I have used it on 8.0 Pro and 8.1 Pro(both 64 bit, haven't run a 32 bit OS since XP). I didn't have to do anything special to get it to work. I plugged it in and installed the software from their site. Every now and again(including on Win7) I have had it not respond but simply re-seating the USB cable fixed that, happens maybe once a month. Software never crashes on me. I use it for simple volume control and I also have long press bound to a keyboard shortcut to change audio devices.