Control audio on external monitor

[Sverkel]

Hi.

I just got my brand new Dell P2715Q 4K monitor for when Apple ship the new MacBook Pro. Until now I have connected my MacBook Air to the monitor and it works perfect (at 2K res), but I have a little issue with my sound, I have connected my Logitech speakers directly to the monitor and this prevents me from controlling the audio from my Apple Wireless Keyboard via F10, F11, F12. Is there some kind of workaround? I got the same problem with the brightness controls but those I have fixed with some software. I cloud always just connect the speakers to my MacBook Air but it would be easier to just let it stay in the monitor. Also when I got the speakers connected to my MacBook Air and I wake it up from screensaver the audio controls won't work before I remove the cable to the speakers and back in.

Can anyone help me?

 

[CoastalOR]

Check your monitor manual for instructions. I had to use a male to male mini plug audio cable. Connect the monitor mini plug sound input to the Mac via the headphone port then change a setting in the monitor to use the external mini plug input for the audio signal.

Without the audio cable the only way to change the volume of the monitor was to bring up the monitor volume controls then change the volume with the monitor buttons.

 

[JTToft]

You're not completely clear on how you've connected things. I'm going to assume the speakers are connected to the monitor's 3.5mm audio jack output, and that your MacBook Air is delivering sound to the monitor via DisplayPort.

If this is correct, you cannot control audio volume in OS X as the DisplayPort output is a pure digital output that can't be turned up or down. It just is. Volume control will have to happen either on the monitor, on your speakers, or via some sort of fancy software I don't know about.

I'd be really interested to hear how you've handled the brightness control that you mention, though.

Connect the monitor mini plug sound input to the Mac via the headphone port then change a setting in the monitor to use the external mini plug input for the audio signal.

- I'm not sure the monitor in question has any 3.5mm audio inputs. It only has an output according to the specs, and no internal speakers, so I don't think your method would accomplish anything.

 

[Sverkel]

You're not completely clear on how you've connected things. I'm going to assume the speakers are connected to the monitor's 3.5mm audio jack output, and that your MacBook Air is delivering sound to the monitor via DisplayPort.

If this is correct, you cannot control audio volume in OS X as the DisplayPort output is a pure digital output that can't be turned up or down. It just is. Volume control will have to happen either on the monitor, on your speakers, or via some sort of fancy software I don't know about.

I'd be really interested to hear how you've handled the brightness control that you mention, though.


- I'm not sure the monitor in question has any 3.5mm audio inputs. It only has an output according to the specs, and no internal speakers, so I don't think your method would accomplish anything.

Yes that is correct. I found that the best way was just to live with connecting the speakers to the MacBook Air.

The brightness issue I solved by 2 programs called Brightness Slider from ACT Productions and the other called FunctionFlip

 

[JTToft]

The brightness issue I solved by 2 programs called Brightness Slider from ACT Productions and the other called FunctionFlip

- FunctionFlip is cool. I use that too for other purposes.
That Brightness Slider, though, is a hack job. Just puts a more or less transparent black field over the interface via software. Curiously, the cursor remains unaffected. And as a result, screenshots also appear dark.

Won't be using that. Thanks, though.