Grain crackling FIXED!

[bpmorton]

Hello all

When using grain in spectral grain mode I get audio crackling. It gets worse with more voices (7 or more). I'm running an AMD Ryzen 1600x and Behringer UMC 1820 as my audio interface. Anybody else having this specific problem?

[GRIFTY]

Turn up your audio buffer?

[EnochLight]

Hello all

When using grain in spectral grain mode I get audio crackling. It gets worse with more voices (7 or more). I'm running an AMD Ryzen 1600x and Behringer UMC 1820 as my audio interface. Anybody else having this specific problem?

Can you do a screen cap with audio to demonstrate? As suggested, I'd also try increasing your audio buffer samples and see if that helps. Ryzen is know to have trouble with low audio buffer settings.

[bpmorton]

Yes, I had to turn up my buffer size to 1024 to totally get rid of the crackling. I was using 256 which is a nice size for playing keyboard sounds without much lag. I'm stuck with the Ryzen for the next few years so unless they change something that I can update MB firmware I have to live with the crackling I guess. Bummer.

[EnochLight]

Yes, I had to turn up my buffer size to 1024 to totally get rid of the crackling. I was using 256 which is a nice size for playing keyboard sounds without much lag. I'm stuck with the Ryzen for the next few years so unless they change something that I can update MB firmware I have to live with the crackling I guess. Bummer.

Or try another audio interface... I haven't read exactly stellar reviews on that Behringer offering reliable low latency.

[etyrnal]

Yes, I had to turn up my buffer size to 1024 to totally get rid of the crackling. I was using 256 which is a nice size for playing keyboard sounds without much lag. I'm stuck with the Ryzen for the next few years so unless they change something that I can update MB firmware I have to live with the crackling I guess. Bummer.

Or try another audio interface... I haven't read exactly stellar reviews on that Behringer offering reliable low latency.

Behringer is garbage. How many times did that company go out of business?

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[LudvigC]

Try lowering the FFT size. If this is at its maximum value, it can cause crackles in some situations. (And often, there is very little audible difference between max size and one step down).

/ LudvigC

[EnochLight]

Behringer is garbage. How many times did that company go out of business?

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I dunno.. it seems hit or miss. Their Midas preamps are pretty damn decent, but the again, Midas had been making decent consoles since the 1970's before Behringer bought them.

[bpmorton]

thankfully I was only a couple of days past my 30 day return window at Sweetwater for the UMC 1820. I'm going to shell out the extra $200 and get the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20. I was getting a bit of crackling playing back my reason files as well so hopefully this will solve my problem.

turning down the FFT seemed to help a little. I'll have to experiment with that.

[bxbrkrz]

Or try another audio interface... I haven't read exactly stellar reviews on that Behringer offering reliable low latency.

Behringer is garbage. How many times did that company go out of business?

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Out of business? http://www.music-group.com/brands?active=Brands is huge.

[sublunar]

I'm going to shell out the extra $200 and get the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20.

Good luck. I returned two of those. Couldn't handle what I was throwing at it.

[bpmorton]

I'm going to shell out the extra $200 and get the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20.

Good luck. I returned two of those. Couldn't handle what I was throwing at it.

So weird. I had zero problems with my old 2 channel M-Audio mobile pre-usb. Must be that I'm now running at 24 bit or that the interface has 8 ins and outs?

[sublunar]

I don't think the ins/outs matter. 24 bit does. The higher the resolution, the more strain on your equipment.

I was trying to go with a low enough latency to record Arturia standalone Synths into reason (pre VST) and couldn't get it to go low enough without crackles and pops. I tried two of em updated firmware and all. Brand new computer, new everything. Maybe it just didn't like my chipset or something? I don't know. But I tried everything.

I went with a lower end model by M-Audio and have had ZERO problems. I also had nothing but good stuff outta my old Delta 1010LT. So at this point, for fairly low budget audio interfaces, I recommend M-Audio.

But I know lots of people use Focusrite, so YMMV. It's a very sexy interface on paper and in person. Until I tried using it.

[normen]

Out of business? http://www.music-group.com/brands?active=Brands is huge.

People are stuck in the 2000s with that "Behringer is crap" nonsense. As I always say, people like to talk negatively about stuff because it makes them sound smarter.

[bxbrkrz]

Out of business? http://www.music-group.com/brands?active=Brands is huge.

People are stuck in the 2000s with that "Behringer is crap" nonsense. As I always say, people like to talk negatively about stuff because it makes them sound smarter.

Sadly true. Never had a problem with any Behringer products. Also I kinda like the dude Uli. iPhones are made in China that's fine, but Uli should not do the same? Some of his products get a 3 year support.

[orangefunk]

I had crackling with Grain (I'm just using a Macbook with no audio interface and the lowest latency settings) and it was just an artefact of the sound .. solved it by using the grain crossfade...

[bpmorton]

Update: Exchanged the Behringer UMC1820 for a Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 (second gen)

The Focusrite box is substantially larger and heavier than the Behringer. More electronics inside and proper internal power supply.
No more crackling of song playback and no crackling while playing Grain from a controller keyboard (Bee String patch, 12 voices, 256 sample buffer) I'll test the mic pre's later.

Also tested the Focusright with Media Monkey (worked) and browser (worked). The UMC1820 was unable to play back sound from multiple sources at once (Reason and Youtube at same time) while the Focusrite played audio from multiple sources at one time without problems.

All is good. I think Behringer makes some decent stuff but their 8-in interface can't handle basic DAW chores.

[MirEko]

Update: Exchanged the Behringer UMC1820 for a Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 (second gen)

The Focusrite box is substantially larger and heavier than the Behringer. More electronics inside and proper internal power supply.
No more crackling of song playback and no crackling while playing Grain from a controller keyboard (Bee String patch, 12 voices, 256 sample buffer) I'll test the mic pre's later.

Also tested the Focusright with Media Monkey (worked) and browser (worked). The UMC1820 was unable to play back sound from multiple sources at once (Reason and Youtube at same time) while the Focusrite played audio from multiple sources at one time without problems.

All is good. I think Behringer makes some decent stuff but their 8-in interface can't handle basic DAW chores.

Those focusrites are nice interfaces

[EnochLight]

Update: Exchanged the Behringer UMC1820 for a Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 (second gen)

The Focusrite box is substantially larger and heavier than the Behringer. More electronics inside and proper internal power supply.
No more crackling of song playback and no crackling while playing Grain from a controller keyboard (Bee String patch, 12 voices, 256 sample buffer) I'll test the mic pre's later.

Also tested the Focusright with Media Monkey (worked) and browser (worked). The UMC1820 was unable to play back sound from multiple sources at once (Reason and Youtube at same time) while the Focusrite played audio from multiple sources at one time without problems.

All is good. I think Behringer makes some decent stuff but their 8-in interface can't handle basic DAW chores.

Great to hear; congrats on the new interface! Perhaps consider changing your threads title to “FIXED”? It may help other users in the future.

[chimp_spanner]

Yeah ya know, I wonder how many people are having issues not because of their system specs but because of their interface? I mean obviously not in all instances but like...so recently I "upgraded" from a Steinberg UR-44 to a Roland Studiocapture. Reputable brand, three times the price, surely no problems right? Wrong. Audio dropouts and pauses at the *exact* same project settings my old 200 buck UR-44 could handle. Sent it straight back, plugged my old soundcard back in and haven't looked back.

Point being, not all interfaces (or audio drivers) are created equal. Some just straight up suck!

Now that said, I realise some people are just having legit problems. So I'm not suggesting this is the case for everyone!

[stevan]

Same here ! Using a Mackie Big Knob Studio, brand new ... so , should not the problem . If I lower the Grain amount, it's getting better ...

iMac 2011 , OS HighSierra - btw, since I upgraded on HighSierra, I experience very often single "crackling attacks" , not only in Reason

[etyrnal]

Same here ! Using a Mackie Big Knob Studio, brand new ... so , should not the problem . If I lower the Grain amount, it's getting better ...

iMac 2011 , OS HighSierra - btw, since I upgraded on HighSierra, I experience very often single "crackling attacks" , not only in Reason

This right here is one of the biggest reasons I never get into all the compulsory upgrading. It's called, if it ain't broken don't fix it. When my setup is working great, I hold all versions for as long as possible. I hate being forced to upgrade. It always breaks something. And sometimes the thing that it breaks is the worst thing that could break, even though it's just a tiny thing. Other times when you're forced to upgrade, five gold pieces of software that you heavily relied on are suddenly no longer compatible with the new upgrade.

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[EnochLight]

Well, in this case - upgrading fixed the OP's issue. It all depends on the situation. That said, I don't know if I would consider this "upgrading hardware" as opposed to just buying "the right hardware".

[etyrnal]

Well, in this case - upgrading fixed the OP's issue. It all depends on the situation. That said, I don't know if I would consider this "upgrading hardware" as opposed to just buying "the right hardware".

You're making it sound like the upgrade fixed the problem, but you're sort of ignoring the fact that previously an upgrade is what caused the problem. If you work in a recording studio or production environment or any environment where you heavily depend on your software, upgrading could be one of the biggest mistakes you ever make, especially if it's in the middle of her project. Operating system upgrades are not an easily reversible step. If there were 6 months or a year between upgrades, or longer, you could be sitting with that problem for a long long time.

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[EnochLight]

Well, in this case - upgrading fixed the OP's issue. It all depends on the situation. That said, I don't know if I would consider this "upgrading hardware" as opposed to just buying "the right hardware".

You're making it sound like the upgrade fixed the problem, but you're sort of ignoring the fact that previously an upgrade is what caused the problem.

An upgrade - to the right hardware - did fix the problem. The OP's original M-Audio interface worked fine, they bought the Behringer, it introduced the problem. They replaced it with another audio card, and the problem went away.

If you work in a recording studio or production environment or any environment where you heavily depend on your software, upgrading could be one of the biggest mistakes you ever make, especially if it's in the middle of her project. Operating system upgrades are not an easily reversible step. If there were 6 months or a year between upgrades, or longer, you could be sitting with that problem for a long long time.

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Clearly, but if you actually work in a recording studio or professional production environment, there are usually safeguards in place to test the hardware prior to introducing it into that environment. If there isn't, then the studio is being managed poorly, IMHO.