Pop's & Clicks for the first time ever!

[Terry Wetzel]

Good morning. I was finally able to solve the dreaded "Problem with Clock" and "Changes were made, etc", which required a restart of PT's. Well, I didn't. Focusrite tech support was able to solve the problem. Now I may have yet another problem that I have never had until now! Pops & clicks! I have yet to check my preferences to see if that box that every one blames for this problem is checked. What concerns me is I just read a post where Pop's & Clicks can be a clocking issue and I don't know how to set the Focusrite clock to internal to match PT's! The Focusrite interface I use is the 2i4 and there is no screen that shows this.

[Terry Wetzel]

Since my last post has gotten 0 results, I'll try again. As you probably know by now I'm still struggling along with Pro tools 9.0.6 and my I/O is the
Focusrite 2i4 which I purchased for budget reasons and because of all the posts here raving about the great pres! It has worked pretty good except for the problem when changing sample rate, (You Focusrite guys know what I'm talking about). Well that problem is cured thanks to e-mail instructions on how to stop it from happening from the Focusrite tech support team, Yeah!! I followed their instructions and that's not a problem anymore. However, I am getting Pops & Clicks for the first time ever! I'm being told it's a clocking problem but in order to correct it one needs to go SETUP>Hardware> to access the clock setting parameter. Guess what? The
2i4 doesn't have that parameter setting! It's not available! So, it's back to the Blame Game! Is it Pro Tools or is it Focusrite?? And before anyone jumps, the little box in preferences that supposedly causes Pops & clicks is not checked!
Please, someone, HELP!!!

[albee1952]

9.0.3 was the best version of PT9 for me. Maybe try that?

[Top Jimmy]

Don't see how it could be a clocking issue as the 2I4 doesn't even have digital or word I/O therefore it can't reference any other clock other than its own internal one.

The hardware setup in Pro Tools has only ever worked with Avid branded interfaces.

What Scarlett driver version are you using and have you tried the public betas? http://beta.focusrite.com

And then there's the age-old issue where Pro Tools wants exclusive control of the interface. If you are using the interface as your default Windows audio I/O, there will be problems. Windows should stay on the internal sound card.

[Terry Wetzel]

Thanks for your advice Top Jimmy. I'm pretty sure that the driver download from Focusrite was the beta version that you refer to. Can you please talk me through what I need to do to assure that Pro tools is on the Windows sound card. I don't fully understand the difference. Do you mean Windows sounds as in what you get if you don't have a DAW installed or do you mean the Sound card that I purchased from Sweetwater? forgive my slowness please. Thanks.

[The Weed]

Terry, go to Control Panel>Sound and make sure your onboard sound card is the default for Windows sounds/audio in the Playback and Record tabs. You want the interface you use for Pro Tools to be only for Pro Tools, nothing else.

[Terry Wetzel]

Thanks Bruce. I will try to do that today. I am in the middle of recoding a song. I hope this won't screw it up. I saved it when I shut down yesterday. Thanks again.

[Terry Wetzel]

Bruce. I know you guys are growing tired of my, for lack of a better term, stupidity! But, when I click on SOUNDS in Control panel I don't see a selection that indicates which of the 4 choices is my ON BOARD SOUND CARD. From top to bottom here are the choices:
1), SPEAKERS, (2 realtech hi definition audio).
2), REALTECH DIGITAL OUTPUT. 2 realtech hi definition audio.
3), SPEAKERS, 4 Scarlett 2i4 usb. This is the one that is checked as DEFAULT DEVICE.
4), DIGITAL AUDIO (HDMI). hi definition audio device. (not plugged in)
In fairness to me I know that the last one, number 4 is not the one I want, nor is number 3, (the one that specifies 4 Scarlett 2i4 usb). As the purpose is to eliminate the interface and have Pro tools be in control, if I choose this one, won't the Scarlett 2i4 still have control ? And if I pick one of the others how will I be able to record audio and play it back,(hear it), if I eliminate the Scarlett as the chosen device?
Thanks for any and all help, Thanks.

[JoelG]

It is probably the first one, unless you are using SPDIF out from your onboard soundcard. What I do is actually disable the Scarlett in that window. It completely prevents Windows from trying to use the Scarlett for anything, leaving it alone for Pro Tools. (Note, this is different then disabling it in Device Manager, you don't want to do that).

Joel

[Terry Wetzel]

Thanks JoelG. I've got it now. The first one was correct. Although I don't understand how I can still record through the 2i4 if it isn't recognized by Protools. I guess it's just using it as a preamp. Am I correct? And thanks for your help.