Loud popping noise while playing/mixing down long sessions
 

I record a weekly podcast and use Pro Tools to mix down/edit the show. The show can run as long as almost three hours. Usually it's about one hour and forty five minutes.

Anyways, no matter the length of my podcast I have this same problem. While editing the show, and when I hit play, I get this really loud POP sound. It seems to happen randomly and is not part of the recorded audio. I can never recreate the POP sound in the same spot. Pro Tools is adding it in. And, then, when I bounce the show to a file I then get these pop sounds all over my podcast. It's really annoying and my listeners are starting to complain about it. What is causing this??

I have my playback engine set to 2 processors, 75% CPU, 1024 samples (I think, it's the highest setting) and then Level 8 on that bottom setting.

BTW -- This never seems to happen when I record 3 or 4 minute songs. Only when I mix down my podcast.

What is causing this and how can I get rid of it?? HELP!

I have a Macbook Pro 2.0ghz Dual Core and 1GB ram, and the latest version of Pro Tools 7.3.1 with the latest CS updates.

Re: Loud popping noise while playing/mixing down long sessions
 

First, change that level 8 back to level 2.

Second - what type of drive are you using for recording and playback and how many tracks do you have in your session? My guess is you're wither using the internal drive (a big no-no) or that you're trying to play to many tracks from a single drive (a firewire drive is qualified up to 24 tracks, though YMMV).

Re: Loud popping noise while playing/mixing down long sessio
 

I am using an external firewire Lacie hard drive. The long podcast sessions only have about 3-5 tracks and I get the pops.

And, I have tried level 2 as well and it still happens. Any ideas??