Cool Mixer 99

Needless to say that Windows comes with a basic set of functions to handle most default system configurations, including sound. This can easily be accomplished through the built-in mixer, but there are also third-party alternatives to rely on. It’s also the case with Cool Mixer 99, letting you cleverly switch between Wave and Auxiliary input.

Possibility to carry it with you on a thumb drive

First thing you notice is the lack of an installer, meaning you can see what it’s all about right after setup is done. Note, however, that the application completely relies on .NET Framework to function, so it’s recommended to make sure it’s installed on your computer before trying it out, or deciding to carry it on a thumb drive.
All it has to offer can be found in quite a compact window, which minimizes to the taskbar when not used. Sadly, there’s no possibility to send it to the tray area, but a neat trick is to assign a hotkey command to its shortcut to have it launched from any explorer location, so that it doesn’t always take up taskbar space.

Easily set default audio devices

It comes with a set of sliders to handle volume. Make sure you run it with administrator privileges to prevent running into any issues because of changes in modern Windows iterations. The application is capable of handling two separate audio channels, namely wave and auxiliary.
You’re allowed to individually manage sliders for volumes of each of the two channels. There’s a third mixer slider which creates a balance between the two. Additionally, you can access the settings panel to choose the default playback devices for wave and auxiliary channels.

On an ending note

Taking everything into consideration, we can state that Cool Mixer 99 comes with good intentions, but isn’t really prepared with a set of options to fully replace, or even assist the default audio mixer. Accessing it takes a bit of time, since you can’t bring it up from the tray area or via hotkey commands, leaving much to be desired overall.