<s>
Softvol	B-Application
is	O
an	O
Advanced	B-Application
Linux	I-Application
Sound	I-Application
Architecture	I-Application
(	O
ALSA	B-Application
)	O
plugin	B-Application
that	O
adds	O
a	O
software	O
based	O
volume	B-Algorithm
control	O
to	O
the	O
ALSA	B-Application
audio	O
mixer	O
(	O
alsamixer	B-Device
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
helpful	O
when	O
a	O
sound	B-Device
card	I-Device
does	O
not	O
have	O
a	O
hardware	B-Architecture
volume	B-Algorithm
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
softvol	B-Application
plugin	B-Application
is	O
built	O
into	O
ALSA	B-Application
and	O
does	O
not	O
require	O
a	O
separate	O
installation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
use	O
case	O
of	O
the	O
softvol	B-Application
is	O
when	O
a	O
hardware	B-Architecture
volume	B-Algorithm
control	O
is	O
unable	O
to	O
amplify	O
the	O
sound	O
beyond	O
certain	O
threshold	O
and	O
thus	O
renders	O
an	O
audio	O
file	O
too	O
quiet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
case	O
software	O
amplifiers	O
can	O
be	O
created	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
boost	O
the	O
volume	B-Algorithm
level	O
at	O
the	O
price	O
of	O
sacrificing	O
some	O
quality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
modern	O
software	O
pieces	O
that	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
play	O
audio	O
files	O
have	O
their	O
own	O
,	O
ALSA(or any other sound system )	O
-independent	O
softvol	B-Application
controls	O
.	O
</s>
