USB recording = random pops in recorded take?

MaxStatic

MaxStatic

Inspired
Well guys, I've sorted many issues out getting my II up and running. None of them a FAS issue, more of my own ineptness in getting the setup right. I thought I remembed someone with an issue like this but couldn't find it in searching the forum and the net in general w/google.

I'm running Mac OSX.5.8 and Reaper 4.02 with Axe II 2.0c via USB.

So the deal is, when I record, I get random pops and clicks in the recorded track. It sounds fine when I'm recording, it's the playback and recorded part itself that has the noise in it. Almost like clipping but not necessarily directly related to the output of time of the pop. The levels are fine and no clipping is occurring, just the best explanation I can give as to what's it's like.

I opened up Garageband, as much as I hate it, and did some samples and the random pops are still there.

I can't help but thing there is a setting, system or otherwise, that I've missed somewhere. I've run the cable into a hub and straight into the computer, same pops. I used three different cables, all the same. It did it before I updated to 2 from 1.05 as well.

I thought it could be hard drive related i.e. not saving correctly so I saved tracks to both the internal HD, an external firewire drive, and two different USB 2.0 drives. No change with any of those. No system hogging going on either, Reaper and AxeEdit are only programs open when I'm recording. Tried with AxeEdit off, same result.

I've tried changing the file type that Reaper saves the media, no change. I thought maybe it was a playback vs rendered difference in the buffer size, no dice, rendered clips have the same pops as regular playback.

Anybody else with this issue? I know the thing is capable of whisper quiet recording via USB, I just haven't been able to get there yet. Buffer size somewhere maybe?

I feel like I've exhausted my efforts in things to check and I really don't want to take up any of Cliff and crews' time, especially if the mistake is DAW/system related given his VERY busy schedule. So recording gurus, what am I missing? Educate me in public and hopefully a few others can learn from my mistakes.




mods: I figured this was most appropriate forum for this, if not, apologies.
 
I went through some of the waveform tonight expecting to find little peaks and what not where the pops are....none found. Sometimes it will play two pops and then only one in the same location when I reply it multiple times. Rendered the pops are still there.

I plugged in my POD X3 to see if it's a straight up computer issue, no pops in the takes from that. Plugs in the same way, via USB and I selected it the same way in Reaper. Plugged the II back in, changed the device back and recorded a take. It was full of random pops.

So something is up with how the II interacts with my system. I went through all settings again, made sure everything is 4800Hrz/24bit. Can't think of what I would be missing here.

Anyone?
 
you may need to up your buffer values on the driver. i would have to look exactly were that is located on the mac. i only use it for testing.
 
I was thinking buffer too. The one I found isn't in size but in time i.e. ms. Any idea what I should change it to?

I scoured the Reaper forums today and the few folks that had "issues" like this in the last few years, not were resolved with a smoking gun.
 
I am getting the same thing on my mac lion ... I tried logic 9, reaper and audacity.

The one thing that seems to get around the problem for me is if I use the sound card on my mac as the output for monitoring.. If I try to monitor with the Axe-FX I get the clicks.

I changed the buffer settings in logic and it did not seem to make any difference 128, 256, 512, 1024... All do the same..

There has been reports of issues with aggregate devices, but I am not using this feature.
 
this sounds like latency...

edit: what other things are happening in logic whilst you are recording?
are you running other instruments like the EXS24, ES2 etc.. do you have multiple instances of Space Designer running?

are you running in low latency mode when recording?
 
Last edited:
I only had the Axe-FX II plugged into my Mac Book Pro, no other USB or Firewire devices. it has 8GB of RAM and a dual core 2 2.8GHZ processor.

I would have thought that would have been enough grunt to power it??

I will check free resources such as CPU and RAM....but I have loads of hard drive space free.

I was only trying to record 1 track from the Axe-FX, there were no backing tracks or other tracks in the project....odd.
 
on a PC at least, ASIO is a background service.
there is a tab where you can choose what has priority: applications or background services.
It is common practise on DAWs to choose the latter.
maybe there is a tab like this on a Mac, too?
 
yeah... very odd....
things normally get bad when you're working the mac really hard...

the pops that you hear, do they get recorded?
 
DonPetersen said:
on a PC at least, ASIO is a background service.
there is a tab where you can choose what has priority: applications or background services.
It is common practise on DAWs to choose the latter.
maybe there is a tab like this on a Mac, too?
Click to expand...

Not that I am aware of, there probably is somewhere under the hood.... But not in the GUI that I am aware of.
 
clarky said:
.... what other things are happening in logic whilst you are recording?
are you running other instruments like the EXS24, ES2 etc.. do you have multiple instances of Space Designer running?

are you running in low latency mode when recording?
Click to expand...

No nothing else is running in Logic, new project...new stereo track, no plugins, not other tracks.

Same thing in Audacity.

If I have the Input as Axe-FX II and the output as "Built in"- it is fine
If I have the Input as Axe-FX II and the output as Axe-FX II- problems

I will have another play, make sure I clear everything as in running apps etc....I will also try recording onto a firewire connected external drive.
 
jeez this don't make sense...
you got more CPU and RAM than you need and Logic is doing nothing but record you
buffer size makes no difference and there are no agg interfaces

something ain't right here

in the Mac: Audio MIDI setup, what are your input and output interfaces?
in Logic:
what audio interface is selected?
what is the current buffer size set to?
how are your channel strips configured with respect to?
- input
- inserts
- send [if you're sending to an aux via a bus, and what's in that aux]
- output

are you running anything else in the background or just logic?

EDIT: I'm not professing to be some kind of expert here. Just trying to get you to list out all of the things that some smarty in here may spot and say "bingo... that's what's wrong.. trying doing this instead"
 
Last edited:
I know...it does not make sense to me either.

I do have an aggregate interface configured....but not using it in logic, in fact I have not even added the Axe-FX II to the agregate....it was configured when I used to use an M-Box II Pro

not sure of the Audio MIDI setup of the mac off the top of my head

Channel strips would be left as default.

I will go through the steps again this eveing and document it, but I try to keep things as simple as possible so most of the settings in Logic will be defaults, the only things I know I have chenged would be..

1. Input - Axe-FX II
2. Output - Axe-FX II or Built-in
3. New Stereo Track - input Axe-FX II
4. I/O labels ...Input 3-4 and Input 1-2 labeled as Axe-FX II Wet and Axe-FX II Dry

I think the default buffer size is set to 128 or 256 .... but I did try all of them.

thats about it.

But as I said, it happens in Audacity as well as Logic

running apps, I might have had email running and probably Axe-Edit.

I will give it another go and report back
 
I'm running close to the same as BMF and getting the same result. Tried in Reaper, GarbageBand, and Audacity. Random pops present in all. I don't hear it when monitoring, its only after I listen back to the recorded take.

I watched the system resource window in Reaper last night while doing a take....it showed like 4-5% resources being used while recording and only 2% during playback. Not even enough to get the ticker to jump up.

This has to be a clock/samplel/setting problem somewhere. I just don't get it.
 
MaxStatic said:
I'm running close to the same as BMF and getting the same result. Tried in Reaper, GarbageBand, and Audacity. Random pops present in all. I don't hear it when monitoring, its only after I listen back to the recorded take.

I watched the system resource window in Reaper last night while doing a take....it showed like 4-5% resources being used while recording and only 2% during playback. Not even enough to get the ticker to jump up.

This has to be a clock/samplel/setting problem somewhere. I just don't get it.
Click to expand...

That looks like the OS X bug Cliff mentioned.
 
MaxStatic said:
I went through some of the waveform tonight expecting to find little peaks and what not where the pops are....none found. Sometimes it will play two pops and then only one in the same location when I reply it multiple times. Rendered the pops are still there.

I plugged in my POD X3 to see if it's a straight up computer issue, no pops in the takes from that. Plugs in the same way, via USB and I selected it the same way in Reaper. Plugged the II back in, changed the device back and recorded a take. It was full of random pops.

So something is up with how the II interacts with my system. I went through all settings again, made sure everything is 4800Hrz/24bit. Can't think of what I would be missing here.

Anyone?
Click to expand...

If the pops are not exactly the same (2 vs 1, etc.) and doesn't show up in the waveform then it probably isn't "In the take" but has to do with the playback on the track. That is consistent with the bug Cliff mentioned.
 
Does anyone have any specific information on this OS X bug?

I've been recording for 10+ years on Macs and have never encountered this unless there was a sample rate mismatch somewhere. I use aggregate devices as well.

I do not have an Axe II at this point and this issue would certainly give me second thoughts about purchasing one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom