Apple MacBook Audio Pops & Clicks Horror

[TS-12]

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Thought like everyone says that Mac is better for audio especially in regards with pops and clicks exactly what I’m experiencing, what an irony.

Was PC DAW user for more than 20 years,
recently decided to try Mac,
before getting tan expensive Mac, got 2012 MacBook Pro.


High Sieera. Mackie Onyx Producer 2ch interface.


pops and clicks apparently happen not just at outputs but also get recorded on input tracks.
I also found on recorded tracks where the pop occurs there’s a break in a waveform (see attached image)

I tried:
aggregate device: built in audio for out and onyx for input,
Just built in audio,
Just mackie onyx,

Is there a way to optimize Mac for audio ?
Or how to fix this annoying pops and clicks ?

[Jace-BeOS]

Where is it occurring? Is it in every app that uses audio? Is it only on recording or also in playback of existing sounds? How is playback of soft synths?

My audio experience hasn’t been 100% flawless on my Macs, but it has been much more consistent and has had fewer glitches than my Windows experiences (part of why I changed platforms). I currently use a FireWire audio interface by tc electronic. I’m on an iMac 12,2 and a MacBook Pro 5,5; both are years older than your Mac and are running Sierra.

[jancivil]

There's no way to get even a clue what this is from the post. For all we know it's a used broken computer you bought. The tone of the OP compounds the absence of information, so good luck.

I bought one of a bad batch from 2010 {2011, in fact} off of craigslist. It was a nice new-looking computer but this batch had a major, basic botch in the video card connection, so any time I would try to render a video in FCP X I got a kernel panic. Who knows, shit happens.

But you really want to tell the group more. It could be a bad audio connection, something wrong with your audio interface, faulty cables, no way to know or even guess at this point.

[TS-12]

It’s mid 2012 mbp retina.
8GB ram, 2TB ssd, i7 2.5ghz

When listening to YouTube or iTunes it seems ok.

But when working in logic or cubase these pops and crackles happen.

[TS-12]

Is there a way to look if my mbp was part of bad batch ??

[legendCNCD]

Have you tried without WIFI? That was the culprit back in the day on one mac laptop for audio...

[Tj Shredder]

I think it doesn't do that anymore, but some years ago I had a glitch every minute when WIFI was on and not connected. Elsewise your MBP should be perfect for the task. You can watch in system monitor what might cause the interruption. Get rid of any anti virus or software which claims to "optimize" the mac (they usually do the opposite and spy on you...)

Actually, the aggregate device might cause it if the two devices are not synced properly. Or if onyx only runs on 48 kHz just don't combine it with the built-in which is only good for 44.1 kHz...

[Deep Purple]

Have you considered whether your Onyx could be the issue, or if you are getting any interference from your AC power?

[jancivil]

Actually, the aggregate device might cause it if the two devices are not synced properly. Or if onyx only runs on 48 kHz just don't combine it with the built-in which is only good for 44.1 kHz...

this is true

[TS-12]

Did pretty much every single possible optimization suggested by you good people and from other online sources.
Also disabled WiFi and Bluetooth and uninstalled malwarebytes.

The big spikes - clicks on recorded waveforms seems to have disappeared, only quiet 1 second crackles get recorded sometimes like every 5 minutes,

But clicks on audio outs happened both with internal and external sound card , clicks are sometimes in left or right or in both channels randomly.

Idk maybe this MacBook is too old for high Sierra , but I don’t have the time right now to spend 2 weeks reinstalling all audio software on fresh install older OS..

I don’t know what else to do,

I’m thinking of getting a new MacBook form the store, reinstall OS and everything form time machine backup and see how the new MBP will behave.
But I don’t wanna be stuck with 2 MacBooks both glitching, especially with super expensive new one

[Etienne1973]

Do you have a dual-GPU 15-17" MacBook Pro 2012? If yes then does the issue still occur in discrete graphics mode? Disable 'Automatic graphics switching' in System Preferences > Energy Saver

[Jace-BeOS]

Is the driver mode set to “Core Audio” from within Logic and Cubase audio settings? I don’t know if there’s any other driver model on Mac OS, but since there’s a selector for this in settings panels, I guess there could be. I only ever see or use Core Audio myself.

[TS-12]

Do you have a dual-GPU 15-17" MacBook Pro 2012? If yes then does the issue still occur in discrete graphics mode? Disable 'Automatic graphics switching' in System Preferences > Energy Saver

I don’t know about gpu, but I have disabled auto graphics switching earlier today when was optimizing it according to various articles, still no luck.

[TS-12]

Is the driver mode set to “Core Audio” from within Logic and Cubase audio settings? I don’t know if there’s any other driver model on Mac OS, but since there’s a selector for this in settings panels, I guess there could be. I only ever see or use Core Audio myself.

Yes when I tried thru it’s internal audio,
and was setting to mackie driver, when was trying thru mackie sound card.

[TS-12]

Was working on a project today, about 5 soft synths, total about 10 tracks, cubase average cpu load around 30% and cpu started spiking and audio stopping and computer almost frozen , misuse cursor could barely move, restarted continued working same thing started happening.

The only thing I haven’t tried is disabling JbridgeM , I’m using refs vanguard and few other old 32bit vst plugins,
maybe jbrdidge is causing all these issues

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