Database Users

How to prevent OS from muting audio output when making a phone call

I'm working with an app running at Windows Mobile 5.0 pocket pc. And I
use 'waveout' functions to play some audio file, sometimes my app need
to automatically make some phone call using TAPI. Here comes the OS
behavior which I don't want: the audio output is somehow muted. I want
the audio output keeps the same volume, is there any way do it? Thanks
a lot!

When call is in progress, audio path is changed. This is a hardware feature (you can read about it in many posts about answering machines).
Currently there is nothing that can be done about this.

I had not actually tested this so I gave it a go. No sound gets through when I programmatically play a sound or when I use the media player. I belive Levnum is correct because when I play a sound and hang up the phone during the play back, the sound returns but is choppy for an instant. That would be caused by the path of the audio being switched. When i programatically change volume it is normally very clean, eg loud to soft but with not noise between.
a bit off topic...
One thing that bothers me about this isolation of the phone audio hardware is the presence of the GSM 6.0 input properties for the microphone. If the hardware is truly isolated from the system then why have this sampling format? Wouldn't the phone be doing its own sampling and not need windows to have this capablity?

What a bad news! Thank you anyway.

experimenting with the volume during a call
In June played a lot with audio levels on my hp h6315 while using TAPI and recorded my results. The 6315 isn’t an HTC device but I think it probably works similarly. I have a wizard too, but haven’t experimented as much with it.
Here are my notes that I typed when I did it:
(perhaps they will be useful to someone)
[size=+2] Playing wave stream while establishing a GSM call using built-in phone software[/size]
Inbound GSM call with ear bud (speaker and phone volume low setting)
Sound continues through ringing
Sound cuts out for ~1 second after selecting answer
Sound continues mixed with call
After call hang-up sound still continues
Inbound GSM call without ear bud (speaker and phone volume highest setting)
Sound switches to a lower setting (front speaker?)
After selecting answer, sound changes momentarily to high
Then Sound cuts out for ~1 second
Sound then resumes at lower level
If phone is put on speakerphone the sound goes to high level
Sound continues mixed with call
After call hang-up, with call on speakerphone, sound continues after a brief interruption
After call hang-up, sound reverts to loud and continues. There is a gap as in Speakerphone case, but it isn’t as noticeable since the change in volume helps to mask it.
Outbound GSM call with ear bud (speaker and phone volume low setting)
Sound is interrupted for about 1-2 seconds after hitting talk
Sound then continues through answer and hang-up. (mixed with call)
Outbound GSM call without ear bud (speaker and phone volume highest setting)
Sound is interrupted for about 1 seconds after hitting talk
Sound resumes at lower volume through call
Sound has brief interruption at hang-up while on speakerphone.
Sound reverts to higher volume after small gap at hang-up while not on speakerphone
[size=+2]Recording while establishing a GSM call using built-in phone software[/size]
Inbound GSM call with ear bud (mic on gain 5)
Recording continues through ringing
Slight break while answering then resume for brief time then changes to much lower gain.
Remains at lower gain
Inbound GSM call with ear bud (mic on gain 1)
Same as mic gain on 5, didn’t seem any quiter, also same with mic on AGC
OutBound GSM call with ear bud (mic on gain 5)
Slight break after pressing talk then resume for brief time then changes to much lower gain.
Remains at lower gain
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think my largest problem was the microphone gain, but I don’t remember for sure. On my typical volume settings, the cases where the volume level lowers, it often lowered so much that I couldn’t hear it without listening very carefully. Originally, I thought it was totally muted.
To help minimize the change in volume level, try adjusting the regular system volume to a relatively low level and put the phone volume on max. This helps some, but to fix the problem try multiplied the audio samples by 2 or more before playing them to the speaker. Find the best multiplication factor by trial and error.
Of course, your’s may be different.
For the off topic part, I thought the audio path for the microphone always was available to windows mobile and only the audio to the “telephone receiver” wasn’t.. There is only one microphone, but two speakers. The main system speaker is the one that you use to play wave files. The “telephone receiver” is the one that as far as I now is only used for telephone calls. I expect that this telephone receiver speaker is connected directly to the GSM chipset. I think when put on speaker phone the sound goes out through the main speaker. (I don’t have my phone with me so I can’t check right now)

Yes that is what I think as well. So if the phone "chip" is recording/playing the sound using the same hardware why dose windows need to be able to sample at that rate? Its the phone that needs to do the smapling.
The drivers on individual devices can vary a lot when it comes to sound. For example, on some of my devices playback will comence as soon as I add buffers that are appropriately prepared. This is not correct behaviour - the driver should wait for the waveOutWrite before it starts. On other devices the driver continues playing until a buffer is finished even if the waveOutReset is called. When it comes to setting the volume with waveOutSetVolume I have has more varying results on just about every device. Because of this I think it is not very usefull to spend a lot of time perfecting code for this sort of thing. Even if as a programmer you do everything correct its going to sound wrong somewhere.

If the phone can stream the call to and from a bluetooth headset then doesn't this mean the in call audio is accessible programmatically somehow?
Or am i missing something

Actually there was a theory floating around that if you could create a 'fake' / virtual BT driver you could capture and send sound from and to the phone.
As far as I know no one on this forum has done this.
It should be noted that some companies like gigabyte are producing phones with built in answering machines.
I think the hardware separation thing may just be an HTC thing and even then only for certain models.

reddreamster -
If you just want to play the audio to the user at the local end, and not down the phone line it is possible. As the others have said HTC keep the phone and local audio completely separate, so you can't play the audio down the phone.
Calling TerminateProcess to kill off cprog.exe can reduce the amount the system interferes in your TAPI calls ;-)
But to re-enable the local audio output this will probably not be enough. You need to call entry point 218 in \Windows\ossvcs.dll
This function takes 1 DWORD parameter, and you should pass the value 1.
I can't remember the return details, but it can be treated as a boolean:
if (return_code)
{ it succeeded }
Make this call AFTER you have made the TAPI connection, and it will re-enable the local audio output.
Hope that helps
Stuart

Solution
Microsoft published the anwser to this in Jan (2007). It's probably no longer of interest to reddreamster, but I thought I would publish a link to the answer in hopes that I might help the next person with the same question that manages to find this thread.
http://blogs.msdn.com/medmedia/archive/2007/01/04/the-wavedev2-gainclass-implementation.aspx
Also, you might be interested in this about the Mixers
http://blogs.msdn.com/medmedia/archive/2007/01/12/what-do-you-mean-by-mixer.aspx
Keywords that might have helped you find this:
mixer api mixerapi wave api waveapi tapi wavedev2 audio gain gainclass volume waveOutMessage waveOutSetVolume wave device

levenum said:
Actually there was a theory floating around that if you could create a 'fake' / virtual BT driver you could capture and send sound from and to the phone.
As far as I know no one on this forum has done this.
It should be noted that some companies like gigabyte are producing phones with built in answering machines.
I think the hardware separation thing may just be an HTC thing and even then only for certain models.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes there was a theory. And here is the final answer to that too:
http://teksoftco.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=34&start=15
We had another attempt of making PhoneREC possible - by intercepting the voice flowing through the BT driver when a Bluetooth headset is connected:
1) when a call is established, the software would have enabled voice routing to Bluetooth headset
2) if a headset was not present, it would have been emulated (to be able to use the device without headsets with phonerec too)
3) voice data over bluetooth would have been in the form of SCO packets
4) our software would have intercepted the SCO packets, extract the voice data, record it to a file, and play it on the device's speaker (so no need of using the headset to hear the other party in the call)
Unfortunatelly this failed too, as the SCO packets are handled in the hardware, so we found no way of capturing those from a software program.
The only remaining option is to use a custom made wired headset with PhoneREC. This works and assures high fidelity sound for both parties, but the phoneREC user can only record the phone call by using the special wired headset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So consider the subject closed, and sorry for the bad news,
Radu

sound problem

I used this rom for the last 2 days itis working nicely apart from the low sound volume .....Is there a solution for this?

?
low sound? mine sounds like always... it have good sound volume! But if you want you can control Bass & Trable with this program...
try to install the sound fixes.
I hope this help....

Still the sound is low

i noticed that sometimes sound becomes lower than usual if u talk and the phone and then hangup. i dont know why but it seems to work by holding the hangup button for ~ 5 secs or pressing it several times . maybe a Radio version issue ?

low sounds and music
or
phone sound?

hi... i have the same problem of the sound in the phone.
is anybody now if are a program to put the sound higher in de phone?
thans and sorry for the ingles..

Just tap on the speaker ikon in the title bar and pull both sliders at max. Worked for me.

robertut said:
Just tap on the speaker ikon in the title bar and pull both sliders at max. Worked for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe someppl should try this first

ozmanic said:
maybe someppl should try this first
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
v

ramdacBlueAngel said:
low sounds and music
or
phone sound?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
low music sound and phone!!!!

Notebook can please check ur inbox ? thanks

lollll the both things are on top loll...
you must now that tcmp have in equalizer a pre amplifier that give a litel more son, is threre a pre amplifier to phone?

If the low volume problem is while you're talking on the phone, there is a separate volume control for "in call". Pushing both sliders in the speaker control to the top won't change the "in call" setting. You have to push the sound control rocker on the side of the case while you're actually on the phone to access that one.

My XDA IIs also hv the same problem.
Before I flash the rom it's work fine.
But now the sound, ringtone and even on phone call also very low. But if use headset then it's working fine. Why?

Ringtones and media Volume more LOUD

does anyone know how can get the volume more loud for ringtones and media player? thanks

I want to know this too, as well how to get the vibrate to be more noticable. lol

a device cant play louder then it was ment to do
so the only path would be to use a audio editor on a
computer to inc the vol on the file itself
of cause inc vol have a limit as inc higher then
the bit res would just result in overload and poor degration
of the sound

There are several .csv files in /windows, these dictate the sound model used on the phone.
I've been playing with one, but can't get any boost that sounds okay, you can try changing the reg key from the operator assigned one (if europe then theres a 100db limit imposed I think) to the standard HTC one.
Have a look to HKLM\Drivers\BuiltIn\WaveDev\AcousticFile in the registry
mine comes as AudioPara3-XC-Vodafone_V5.csv
The standard HTC is AudioPara3.csv but theres also a AudioPara3-XC.csv in windows.
Try them out if you really want to, but don't blame me if it makes things worse, blows your speakers or causes pixies to come around and eat your brickwork!
you may have to hard_reset..

teomito said:
does anyone know how can get the volume more loud for ringtones and media player? thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if you're having the same problem that i'm having...
Whilst the phone lying open on a desk seems quite loud, the moment you put it into your pocket you keep missing calls as you don't hear it ring.
I couldn't figure it out until i accidently put my thumb over the bottom left side of the phone where the speaker hole is. if you do this it loses all of it's volume and becomes barely audible.
Now with my old K800 the sound kinda 'leaked' out. and was fine when in my pocket, but with the X1 it's becoming annoying that i keep missing phone calls

I know for playing media if you use core player or tcpmp it will amplify ur volume but it will most likely get more distorted as u increase the amplification

Any idea to get loud the volume?

Would this help with the volume issue...???
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=2879456#post2879456
Cheers

I've tried them, they mess up the sound, the csv aren't right for the x1, the internal speaker gets dominated by far too much reverb.
see my post above
I've tried all three csv files that came with my VF X1 and the VF one is the best sounding, so I'll try and tweak the gain levels some more to get a bit more volume out of it.

OK all values in HEX.
Music playback through the speaker is virtually full strength in the VF csv, at FEC9 so there's no way that can go louder.
Audio during call using earpiece and through headset* is at 4000, changing it to 4800 gives very slight boost without distortion, anymore and I found I've turned the volume down during a call.
Same with music playback through headset * and standard system volume.
* I'm presuming headset is wired headset as it makes a difference when you try it!
vodafone csv attached.
If you dont have a VF X1 then you'll need to extract and rename this to what ever you registry points to at HKLM\Drivers\BuiltIn\WaveDev\AcousticFile in the registry
PLEASE BACK UP THE ORIGINAL FILE IN WINDOWS FIRST!

i've tried the diamond tweak, but it doesn't work, someone can write a registry key to upload? thanks

fards said:
OK all values in HEX.
Music playback through the speaker is virtually full strength in the VF csv, at FEC9 so there's no way that can go louder.
Audio during call using earpiece and through headset* is at 4000, changing it to 4800 gives very slight boost without distortion, anymore and I found I've turned the volume down during a call.
Same with music playback through headset * and standard system volume.
* I'm presuming headset is wired headset as it makes a difference when you try it!
vodafone csv attached.
If you dont have a VF X1 then you'll need to extract and rename this to what ever you registry points to at HKLM\Drivers\BuiltIn\WaveDev\AcousticFile in the registry
PLEASE BACK UP THE ORIGINAL FILE IN WINDOWS FIRST!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've done what you told but nothing seems to be changed, is that file to be modified? can you boost it a little more?

I have it!
The base key is
HKCU\ControlPanel\SoundCategories\Attenuation
There are three values below that 0, 1 and 2. General sound is associated with category 2 and this is probably set to 1 at the moment. I have changed the value associated with category 2 to 3 for the moment. I have heard that it can be changed to as high as 5 but I don't want to damage the speaker.
So in short change the HKCU\ControlPanel\SoundCategories\Attenuation\2 registry setting from the default 1 to a higher value (between 1 and 5) and this will factor up the volume for most phone functions. Once you've done that power cycle the phone for the change to take effect.

I do not have this key in my device.

teomito said:
The base key is
HKCU\ControlPanel\SoundCategories\Attenuation
There are three values below that 0, 1 and 2. General sound is associated with category 2 and this is probably set to 1 at the moment. I have changed the value associated with category 2 to 3 for the moment. I have heard that it can be changed to as high as 5 but I don't want to damage the speaker.
So in short change the HKCU\ControlPanel\SoundCategories\Attenuation\2 registry setting from the default 1 to a higher value (between 1 and 5) and this will factor up the volume for most phone functions. Once you've done that power cycle the phone for the change to take effect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im afraid that made no difference my ringtone when I tried it, went from 1 to all the different values up to 5 with a soft reboot inbetween, but the ringtone remained the same level.
I also tried this one.
http://discussion.wmexperts.com/showpost.php?p=1474659&postcount=252
which caused the ringtone to go silent.
then there's this which explains it a bit.
Audio Categories and Handlers – Source: Microsoft.com and HTC
HKCU\controlpanel\soundcategories\attenuation\
0 =0 Default=0 Muted During Call
1 =1 Default=1 Attenuated During Call – Affected by system volume
2 =2 Default=2 Attenuated During Call – Unaffected by system volume
Add the following to \Attenuation\ (d-word)
3 =3 Create Muted During Call
5 =5 Create NOT Attenuated During Call – Affected by system volume
6 =6 Create NOT Attenuated During Call – Unaffected by system volume
So if those is true all those people claiming it makes their music louder are hearing a placebo effect.

I'm having exactly the same problem.
However when I play the mp3 that I've set as my ringtone in the music player either the system one or the Touchflow 3D one then the music is very loud.
To give you a reference the music is played almost twice as loud at full volume.
So I how do I make the settings that the music player uses work for my ringtone settings.
Ed

I've just checked my settings.
I don't have the HKLM\Drivers\BuiltIn\WaveDev\AcousticFile in the registry.
Under WaveDev I only have the following options:
Dll, Flags, IClass, Index, Order, Prefix, Priority256
On the phone in the Windows directory I have the Audiopara3.csv and Audiopara3_XC.csv files.
Can you tell me if I need to add the AcousticFile key and if so what the value is for the key. If not then which one of the CSV files do I replace.
Will a soft reset be needed afterwards.
Thanks
Ed

try calling it Audiopara3.csv but make sure you back up the original first.
Soft reset to test it, if it makes no difference try calling it the XC one. If sound ringtone disappears then restore the original!

I think this is more a mechanical (acoustic) issue than a digital one.
I've noticed that while just sitting on the desk the volume is quite loud for both music and ringtones. However the speaker's sound is released only through this tiny gap on the lower left side of the housing, which is easily covered when the phone is put into a bag or pocket.
Once that hole is covered the speaker becomes almost inaudible because the sound waves created by the tiny speaker simply have no way of leaving the phone's housing.
It's a bit like sealing the resonance tubes of a subwoofer with a pair of socks, except that a 600W-Subwoofer will most likely punch it's way through the obstacle, while the sound wave generated by a 0.1W phone speaker just flatlines upon impact.
To me this is a fundamental mechanical design flaw, I don't think it can be corrected by software.
The "right" solution would be to drill a larger hole into the housing next to the speaker, so the sound waves can spread more easily, but that's probably not an option for most people.
Of course one can try to increase the software amplification factor limits, but since these limits are generally set according to hardware limitations you will very likely not get the desired results, just blow out the speaker or overload the driving transistor...

Sound level during calls

I dont know what I am doing wrong but I find the sound level extremely poor for calls
I tried with a bluetooth headset, the outside speaker and the jack with my mp3 headset
it's pretty weird since when I play videos or music I am impressed by how loud I can push the Tab...
I am on AT&T with JMC (but was the same on JM6). And I set the sound at max
anybody has the same issue? Am I doing something wrong? Or is there any sound booster app for calls? (and is it necessary?)
Thanks for your help

My Tab isn't phone-enabled, but since you're new to Android, I thought I should point out that there are multiple volume settings, and in-call volume is one of them. Menu Key -> Settings -> Sound Settings -> Volume should give you all the sliders (Ringtone, Media, Alarm, System, Notification...). There are apps/widgets too that let you get to/change these settings without having to go into the settings menu every time (audio manager has been a decent widget for me). Until you're actually in the call the hardware rocker is usually doing the ringtone or media volume.
When I use mine with Skype 60% is usually blaringly loud for me, and I don't even have the system or media volume maxed out.
Sorry if it's something you know you've done, but thought it might help. If not, maybe someone else has had the same issue and solved it.

BuglessFan said:
My Tab isn't phone-enabled, but since you're new to Android, I thought I should point out that there are multiple volume settings, and in-call volume is one of them. Menu Key -> Settings -> Sound Settings -> Volume should give you all the sliders (Ringtone, Media, Alarm, System, Notification...). There are apps/widgets too that let you get to/change these settings without having to go into the settings menu every time (audio manager has been a decent widget for me). Until you're actually in the call the hardware rocker is usually doing the ringtone or media volume.
When I use mine with Skype 60% is usually blaringly loud for me, and I don't even have the system or media volume maxed out.
Sorry if it's something you know you've done, but thought it might help. If not, maybe someone else has had the same issue and solved it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes this I had figured out and set at the maximum
Everything non call related is really strong... It's conversation from normal calls that is ridiculously low

Am I the only one ?? What's wrong with my tab ?

Anyone with an opinion about this ?

Voice-enabled on AT&T with JM6. Have good results with the built-in speakers and cheap Nokia BH-214 stereo Bluetooth earbuds. I ordered the OEM earbuds, but I do understand that the 3.5mm jack port in finicky. Is your Bluetooth 2.1 or newer? Do you have many open applications when trying to place or receive calls? I've notice the sound stutter a bit on the speakers when I've got several apps open.

Here's something I noticed, when in call using my BT Headset, the volume slider sometimes says its on max but the output isnt. Try to lower or increase your volume. Once you hear the max level beep, it gets louder.
Im on a SingTel Tab by the way.

ishtangli said:
Here's something I noticed, when in call using my BT Headset, the volume slider sometimes says its on max but the output isnt. Try to lower or increase your volume. Once you hear the max level beep, it gets louder.
Im on a SingTel Tab by the way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, will try right away
Edit: yeah I can definitely reduce the volume but my max was my actual max. As anybody tried to compare the volume on the speaker when playing music whith the volume on the speaker when on a call... It's like 5 to 10 times higher volume on a call !! And then same issue on a headset

DonDerham said:
Voice-enabled on AT&T with JM6. Have good results with the built-in speakers and cheap Nokia BH-214 stereo Bluetooth earbuds. I ordered the OEM earbuds, but I do understand that the 3.5mm jack port in finicky. Is your Bluetooth 2.1 or newer? Do you have many open applications when trying to place or receive calls? I've notice the sound stutter a bit on the speakers when I've got several apps open.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As mentioned I tried it with everything I could... The default external speaker, a simple stereo headset (Not bluetooth), a bluetooth headset. They all give the same. Low volume

If you don't like volume in speaker, headset, bluetooth....You can change settings in "hidden" Audio menu. There you can change volume of individual ouput, but be careful!!!!!
Before change anything, make sure you can put it back the same number if you are not satisfied or have problem ..so wright it somewhere anything you wish to change.
Good Luck with experiment. If I remember correctly(from my old Samsung i780-Windows phone) "TX" settings is for output and "RX" for imput, but I can be wrong, so be careful.

Alcibiade said:
Thank you, will try right away
Edit: yeah I can definitely reduce the volume but my max was my actual max. As anybody tried to compare the volume on the speaker when playing music whith the volume on the speaker when on a call... It's like 5 to 10 times higher volume on a call !! And then same issue on a headset
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what I do is, when in a call, I lower the volume by about 2, then increase it until i hear the max volume beep. The moment i hear it, the volume on my headset usually jumps up.

I have the same problem with the speaker volume. At maximum you cannot hear it. The bluetooth seems to work OK. IIRC JK5 software seemed to work correctly.

09CarreraS said:
I have the same problem with the speaker volume. At maximum you cannot hear it. The bluetooth seems to work OK. IIRC JK5 software seemed to work correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I guess for you too, music or movies play with a high volume on the speakers whereas for calls it's rather low volume ?
Yes bluetooth or headset I can hear but still quite low volume compared with music...

stefanopolis said:
If you don't like volume in speaker, headset, bluetooth....You can change settings in "hidden" Audio menu. There you can change volume of individual ouput, but be careful!!!!!
Before change anything, make sure you can put it back the same number if you are not satisfied or have problem ..so wright it somewhere anything you wish to change.
Good Luck with experiment. If I remember correctly(from my old Samsung i780-Windows phone) "TX" settings is for output and "RX" for imput, but I can be wrong, so be careful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My problem is specifically for calls. Anything else is fine and working well. That's the weird issue... I dont want to boost the volume for anything else!

That's pretty weird... I have been playing with the tab and I found out that for calls, the highest level I can have (by hear) is two notches below the highest. That's by far the loudest I get (If I push higher the sound decreases)
Am I the only one ? It really pisses me off.... I don't know how it can be like that (I am on JMC ROM after flashing a JM6 ROM over the JK5 from Russia (I am on an AT&T Tab flashed to get phone working)
Someone else get the same experience ?

I can confirm that the max 'in call' volume is two notch below the max !!! And I have the same tab/setting of the OP.

Aren't there some codes you can enter to adjust the volume level on calls and music, etc.?? like the Galaxy S?

pakalrtb said:
I can confirm that the max 'in call' volume is two notch below the max !!! And I have the same tab/setting of the OP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks ! Ina sense I am a littel bit relieved to see I am not the only one !
Such a stupid bug. Come on Samsung...

FYI it is fixed with the firmware JME
Sound level is much more acceptable and the highest level is not anymore two notched below the max

Call sound too high HTC HD2, various android ROMs

I remember the boards on a mall when i get a call from someone. The upper floor had the body modifications shop named "Ear piercing" and the lower floor had a music shop named "Dolby music". It just happened that their boards were one above the other.
I am listening to some music on headphones, i get a call, answer it with the headset button, and YIKES!! the volume is maximum. even if the volume controller shows minimum, the sound is practically maximum.
it happens so that whenever i make a call, its at its maximum volume. even when not playing music.
over the past years i have used many android ROMs and have faced the same problem with many of them. few didnt.
and with years, comes wisdom (not blowing my own trumpet). I got a workaround for it on any ROM! if i change the volume level (increase or decrease) during a call, the phone then realises its mistake and goes down to the level in the volume controller.
my phone's in call volume is always set at its minimum. i get a call, pierce my ears, and turn the volume one step UP, and the volume level is acceptably low. (when the volume is minimum, lowering it doesnt work!)
i ask help to automate this workaround (a fix would be welcome, but i havent seen any coming around these past years)
could some tasker expert provide an xml or anything for this workaround to be performed automatically? (non tasker workarounds would be welcome as well)
the works to be done are:
1. when a phone call (incoming, or outgoing) is CONNECTED (not the ringing part on outgoing calls) turn the volume one step up. some milliseconds delay would ascertain that the volume goes up AFTER the call is actually connected, which is a must.
2. within the smallest fraction of time allowable (so that we dont notice it) turn the volume one step down.
results: the volume will not pierce our ears anymore, even if the volume level was minimum at call start, this trick would work.
Please throw some light, some expert.

bump!

Bump.
I have a similar problem with my vzw gnex running poweramp and etymotic headphones with microphone.
If I answer an incoming call it is at complete max volume, if I long press the button on the headphones to get to "voice command" the normally pleasant android voice lady comes in at a blaring max volume as well.
Now running Jellybean OTA strait from vzw.

This issue seems to be caused by the audio firmware in use. I found a firmware blob that defaults to an in-call volume about half-way through. It doesn't remember the last volume you set, but at least you won't go deaf if you forget to press Vol Up after initiating the call.
Grab the htcleo.zip file from this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=860850 and either replace the htcleo.acdb file in your rom or delete the one in your rom and use the downloaded file to replace the default.acdb file (the files are located in /system/etc/firmware/). I'm currently using NexusHD2-JellyBean from this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1930240 and this trick seems to work.
I noticed the same firmware blob is used this rom http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=933951 which I used previously and didn't have this high in-call volume issue.