New RME UFX Crackling Audio [SOLVED]

[The Weed]

I installed an RME UFX to work with Pro Tools 12.4. Unfortunately, if I was playing down or recording into Pro Tools and had RME’s TotalMix or any other window open on the computer, there would be crackling in the audio as long as that window or any other windows remained open. This crackling would also be in any audio being recorded. And when resizing the TotalMix Window that was quite jittery. Here’s what I did to stop all that from happening:

• Had already done all the Avid recommended optimizations for my OS (Windows 8.1) after the computer was built.
• Rolled back to an image before any RME Drivers were installed.
• Disabled Application Experience in Services.
• Uninstalled all NVidia Drivers except the NVidia Graphics Driver and NVidia PhysX System Software.
• Updated only the NVidia Graphics Driver and NVidia PhysX System Software.
• Reset the RME UFX back to Factory Settings using the front controls on the RME interface.
• Put the RME interface’s USB cable on a USB 2.0 port (can’t get it on it’s own USB bus).
• Uninstalled Pro Tools 12.4, the HD Driver, Preferences, etc. and the 003 Rack Driver I had been using with my 002 Rack.
• Installed the RME USB Drivers.
• Installed the RME interface (turned it on and let Windows find/install the drivers) then rebooted the computer.
• Set my onboard soundcard as the default for Windows sounds/audio, leaving my RME UFX for Pro tools only.
• In Control Panel>System>Advanced System Settings>Advanced>Performance/Settings>Visual Effects used Custom and only turned on/check marked Enable Peek, Show Translucent Selection Rectangle, Smooth Edges Of Screen Fonts and Smooth-Scroll List Boxes.
• Then under the Advance Tab beside the Visual Effects Tab made sure Adjust for best performance of: is set to Background services and turned off Virtual Memory (Page File) for all drives (I have 16 gb of RAM).
• Installed Pro Tools 12.4 and Avid App Manager, rebuilt Preferences (not copied in as by Trasher) and turned off Clip Transparency in the View>Clip Menu.
• Using Task Manager I Disabled a number of Start-Up Items, for me specifically: Skype, SuperAntiSpyware, Bing Desktop, Sun Java Update Schedule, Avid Application Manager and AppManHelper (Avid Application Manager Helper).

I rebooted the computer and then ran CCleaner’s Registry Cleaner in between each of the above steps, making sure to fix the issues CCleaner found and then immediately ran CCLeaner’s Registry Cleaner again, rinse and repeat until there were no issues found as not all issues are dealt with on the first run or even subsequent runs.

I also copied my Pro Tools sessions off my Audio Drive, formatted my Audio Drive and then copied my Pro Tools sessions back to my Audio Drive (Avid recommends doing this rather than Defragmenting the Audio Drive).

Not only has the crackling in the audio, whether playing back or being recorded, been stopped with any additional window or windows besides pro Tools being open, but also Pro Tools itself is now very stable and seems “snappier”. As well, sessions open and close (quite a bit) faster than before. Indeed the computer is faster outside of Pro Tools too. And now resizing the TotalMix Window is quite smooth.

Hopefully some/all of the above may help someone else with the same or similar issues and/or graphic issues.

As always, YMMV.

[digi98]

Which of these fixes do you think fixed the crackling?

[mjslakeridge]

The Weed said: "I also copied my Pro Tools sessions off my Audio Drive, formatted my Audio Drive and then copied my Pro Tools sessions back to my Audio Drive (Avid recommends doing this rather than Defragmenting the Audio Drive)."

I have never heard about not defragmenting the audio drive, and in fact have done so quite a few times with my rig (of course many of you guys keep up with the technical stuff more than I do). What are the potential pitfalls with defragging? With the method you described, wouldn't the fragmented files just be copied back to the formated drive?

To answer digi98's question, I don't think it would be possible to know which step fixed the problem, unless a test of pro tools was done after each and every step.

[The Weed]

Originally Posted by mjslakeridge

The Weed said: "I also copied my Pro Tools sessions off my Audio Drive, formatted my Audio Drive and then copied my Pro Tools sessions back to my Audio Drive (Avid recommends doing this rather than Defragmenting the Audio Drive)."

I have never heard about not defragmenting the audio drive, and in fact have done so quite a few times with my rig (of course many of you guys keep up with the technical stuff more than I do). What are the potential pitfalls with defragging? With the method you described, wouldn't the fragmented files just be copied back to the formated drive?.

Digidesign recommended this way back. AFAIK, when you copy back, the files are copied back in sequence.

Originally Posted by mjslakeridge

To answer digi98's question, I don't think it would be possible to know which step fixed the problem, unless a test of pro tools was done after each and every step.

What he said, although I suspect it was the graphic card and Windows tweaks. In addition to the Avid Optimizations you also need to be sure your interface is for Pro Tools only NOT for Windows sounds/audio and disable any audio capabilities that your graphic card may have (if it's HDMI capable, then it's audio capable).

Cheers,

[mesaone]

I know the conventional wisdom is to dedicate your soundcard to PT and not for windows, and I know that usually fixes "sample rate unavailable" issues with a lot of interfaces... But I encounter no such issue with my Babyface and UCX. I suspect the UFX will allow this with no issue as well, since it's the same driver.

[digi98]

I've been trying to play Windows sound ( iTunes, YouTube tutorials) through a focusrite. Do all you Guys just give up on that or hang a 2nd pair of speakers off internal cards?

[The Weed]

Definitely depends on the interface's driver and Focusrite's Windows drivers apparently, given some of the posts on the Forum, aren't spectacular. When I needed to replace my 002 Rack, I chose RME because of their rock solid drivers, both Mac and PC. I haven't tested whether I can use my UFX for Windows sounds/audio - and don't intend to. I have a Mackie Big Knob and route my onboard Realtek to it. This way I can use my mains for other sounds while still using Pro Tools and can record from my onboard Realtek into Pro Tools. And yes, AFAIK a lot of people use their onboard soundcard for Windows sounds/audio, either with a monitor controller or separate speakers.

YMMV

Cheers,

BTW, mesaone, I'm very happy with my UFX - clean and clear audio. The onboard Pres are, to my and other ears, an exact match for my Grace m101. Still updating the "home studio". Waiting for my TLM 49, changing a bit of the acoustic treatment in my DIY booth, will be getting some Primacoustic panels shortly and, when my current large project is completed, SourceConnect. Thanks for your recommendation for RME, much appreciated.

[mesaone]

Focusrite interfaces hate that.

[RiF]

Originally Posted by The Weed

[*]Set my onboard soundcard as the default for Windows sounds/audio, leaving my RME UFX for Pro tools only.

I don't remember what the exact issue was, but I disabled the internal soundcard completely (in the BIOS) to fix it.