Audio interface volume control in OSX? Please help!

[happygodavid]

For anyone who is a Mac guru, here's a potential stumper for ya:

I have a MBP w/ an Edirol FA-66 firewire audio interface. Studio monitors are connected to the interface outputs.

I want to use the volume keys (or the Apple Remote) to control volume output through the FA66. All I can do now is use the volume knob on the interface. Is volume control through OSX even possible (when audio output is set to a firewire port)?

Troubleshooting I've done/things I know:
First of all, I have everything set up perfectly to allow for playback of any software (Itunes, QT, etc, plus all recording software/MIDI sftwr I have).
Within Audio MIDI Setup Preferences, Default Output and System Output are set to the FA66.
In Sound Preferences, the FA66 is selected for Output. Right beneath this portion of the screen under "Settings for the selected device:", it says, "The selected device has no output controls." (I'm thinking this may be an indication that what I'm wanting to do cannot be done.

I called AppleCare, and they were little help. They said, "Contact Edirol; it should have something to do with drivers on their end."
Contacted Edirol, and they didn't quite understand my question and gave me an answer about monitoring the input signal (c'mon! That wasn't my question!!).

So I'm hoping someone on Macrumors has the knowledge to help here.

And feel free to get as technical as you want; if I don't know what you're talking about, I'll learn.

Thanks!

 

[netcastle]

I am going to awaken this post because I have seen many users who feel frustrated by the fact that system volume control is disabled by firewire devices, therby rendering the volume capabilities of the @remote useless. I have been using firewire interfaces for several years and until now I haven't had any reason to control the volume of a firewire interface with a remote, but now that I have discovered how useful these interfaces are for home theater use I would love it if Apple (or someone) would make a patch that would allow control of multichannel output with the @remote (much in the same way that the volume control on a HT receiver controls the volume on all eight channels at once). At the very least, some guidance on how I can do it myself.

 

[hyddan]

+1 To the frustrated people who want this. I have a home studio and occasionally watch a movie using my studio monitors for audio. This would be awesome because the tv is at the other side of the room and I have to get up and sprint back and fourth to adjust the volume. Ofcourse I could plug the tv into the mixer and mute the monitors but that would require an extra remote when I have to perfect Apple one already.

But hey I watch less movies this way, more time for music

 

[rhoydotp]

did the Edirol came with a software that you can control the volume remotely via the mac? i would not say just use it. the reason why i am asking is that if the device itself does not have the capabilty to do it on its own, any amount of coding from apple developers or any os for that matter won't help.

but obviously, this will be very beneficial. i also have tascam which i want to control like this (unfortunately its not working with leopard, which is another story).

 

[hyddan]

.. any amount of coding from apple developers or any os for that matter won't help.

The other 'W' -word OS can do this perfectly.

The only difference here is that my mac is sending 100% of the volume to my device, which also is letting 100% through to my monitors which I've hooked up with a logarithmic control knob to reduce the volume. I'm guessing though that the audio-signal isn't generated until the last minute.

I can imagine the underlaying architecture, it's very apple-like not to tamper with things it doesn't need to, hence its letting the audio interface do 100% of the work and making sure it simply doesn't fail. Nice, but the feature would come in handy sometimes