digital distortion on audio recording only

[ottestad]

I'm running PT 10.3.6.269 on an iMac 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7 (OSX 10.8.4), max'ed out on ram.

I can import audio, play it back, use software synths, all the bells and whistles, no problem.

But as soon as I put something in record (vocal or guitar) I get digital distortion (to tape). I've ditched all the prefs, done disk utility, upgraded both pro tools and Apogee Symphony. I've tried taking ALL my plug-ins out of its folders. No luck.

When I run the exact same system on my MacBook (with the symphony) I have no problems.

Has anyone come across this problem? I'm used to an overall digital distortion which I fix through switching from 128 to 256 etc. But this ONLY happens on the audio channel I'm trying to record on.

Thanks

[ottestad]

I forgot to mention that this happened overnight. My system has been running smoothly on the iMac for over a year.

[dr_daw]

Is the symphony clocked to anything? ADAT? W/C?

[ottestad]

No, within ProTools (command 2) it says "See Control Panel". On my Symphony it says "Internal" which I take it means within Protools itself.

[Rich Breen]

Are you certain the session sample rate and the hardware device's sample rate are the same?

[ottestad]

session is 44.1 and my Apogee is too.

[Darryl Ramm]

What exact model iMac (model number/date code), what are all the disk drives installed in it or external, what are their make/model/rpm specs (if not SSD) and for external drives how are they connected (USB, thunderbolt etc). Which of these drives is the dedicated audio/session drive required by Pro Tools? If external drives are daisy chained with each other or peripherals describe that.

Have you fully optimized this system? Including disabling spotlight indexing (do that on all drives for now, not just the audio/session drive), disabling WiFi and Bluetooth. Etc. etc. Make sure ecery last optimization is done. Make sure no third party antivirus crapware is running (if so fully uninstall it).

[ottestad]

Towards the end you can see two drives, "Machfive" which houses all external soft samplers (Kontakt, Omnisphere etc.) and then "Audio" to which I record audio from Pro Tools.

thanks
Kristian


Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac12,2
Processor Name: Intel Core i7
Processor Speed: 3.4 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 4
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 8 MB
Memory: 16 GB
Boot ROM Version: IM121.0047.B1F
SMC Version (system): 1.72f1

Intel 6 Series Chipset:

Vendor: Intel
Product: 6 Series Chipset
Link Speed: 6 Gigabit
Negotiated Link Speed: 3 Gigabit
Description: AHCI Version 1.30 Supported

WDC WD1001FALS-403AA0:

Capacity: 1 TB (1,000,204,886,016 bytes)
Model: WDC WD1001FALS-403AA0
Revision: 06.01D02
Serial Number:
Native Command Queuing: Yes
Queue Depth: 32
Removable Media: No
Detachable Drive: No
BSD Name: disk0
Rotational Rate: 7200
Medium Type: Rotational
Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified
Volumes:
disk0s1:
Capacity: 209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)
BSD Name: disk0s1
Content: EFI
Macintosh HD:
Capacity: 999.35 GB (999,345,127,424 bytes)
Available: 632.25 GB (632,245,686,272 bytes)
Writable: Yes
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk0s2
Mount Point: /
Content: Apple_HFS

Recovery HD:
Capacity: 650 MB (650,002,432 bytes)
BSD Name: disk0s3
Content: Apple_Boot

Macintosh HD:

Available: 632.25 GB (632,245,415,936 bytes)
Capacity: 999.35 GB (999,345,127,424 bytes)
Mount Point: /
File System: Journaled HFS+
Writable: Yes
Ignore Ownership: No
BSD Name: disk0s2
Volume UUID:
Physical Drive:
Media Name: WDC WD1001FALS-403AA0 Media
Medium Type: Rotational
Protocol: SATA
Internal: Yes
Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)
S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified


FireWire Bus:

Maximum Speed: Up to 800 Mb/sec

OXFORD IDE Device LUN 0:

Manufacturer: Glyph Technologies
Model: 0x1
GUID: 0x94902E0512E41
Maximum Speed: Up to 400 Mb/sec
Connection Speed: Up to 400 Mb/sec
Sub-units:
OXFORD IDE Device LUN 0 Unit:
Unit Software Version: 0x10483
Unit Spec ID: 0x609E
Firmware Revision: 0x138
Product Revision Level: 3.AA
Sub-units:
OXFORD IDE Device LUN 0 SBP-LUN:
Capacity: 500.11 GB (500,107,862,016 bytes)
Removable Media: Yes
BSD Name: disk4
Partition Map Type: APM (Apple Partition Map)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported
Volumes:
disk4s1:
Capacity: 32 KB (32,256 bytes)
BSD Name: disk4s1
Content: Apple_partition_map
disk4s2:
Capacity: 29 KB (28,672 bytes)
BSD Name: disk4s2
Content: Apple_Driver43
disk4s3:
Capacity: 29 KB (28,672 bytes)
BSD Name: disk4s3
Content: Apple_Driver43
disk4s4:
Capacity: 29 KB (28,672 bytes)
BSD Name: disk4s4
Content: Apple_Driver_ATA
disk4s5:
Capacity: 29 KB (28,672 bytes)
BSD Name: disk4s5
Content: Apple_Driver_ATA
disk4s6:
Capacity: 262 KB (262,144 bytes)
BSD Name: disk4s6
Content: Apple_FWDriver
disk4s7:
Capacity: 262 KB (262,144 bytes)
BSD Name: disk4s7
Content: Apple_Driver_IOKit
disk4s8:
Capacity: 262 KB (262,144 bytes)
BSD Name: disk4s8
Content: Apple_Patches
500:
Capacity: 499.97 GB (499,972,702,208 bytes)
Available: 215.28 GB (215,275,474,944 bytes)
Writable: Yes
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk4s10
Mount Point: /Volumes/500
Content: Apple_HFS


ATA Device 00:

Manufacturer: Glyph Technologies
Model: 0x0
GUID: 0x94902E073149D
Maximum Speed: Up to 800 Mb/sec
Connection Speed: Up to 800 Mb/sec
Sub-units:
ATA Device 00 Unit:
Unit Software Version: 0x10483
Unit Spec ID: 0x609E
Firmware Revision: 0x103
Product Revision Level: LC11
Sub-units:
ATA Device 00 SBP-LUN:
Capacity: 750.16 GB (750,156,374,016 bytes)
Removable Media: Yes
BSD Name: disk1
Partition Map Type: APM (Apple Partition Map)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported
Volumes:
disk1s1:
Capacity: 32 KB (32,256 bytes)
BSD Name: disk1s1
Content: Apple_partition_map
MachFive BU:
Capacity: 750.02 GB (750,022,115,328 bytes)
Available: 221.46 GB (221,456,142,336 bytes)
Writable: Yes
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk1s3
Mount Point: /Volumes/MachFive BU
Content: Apple_HFS


Oxford ATA Device 00:

Manufacturer: Glyph Technologies
Model: 0x0
GUID: 0x94902E0740A31
Maximum Speed: Up to 800 Mb/sec
Connection Speed: Up to 800 Mb/sec
Sub-units:
Oxford ATA Device 00 Unit:
Unit Software Version: 0x10483
Unit Spec ID: 0x609E
Firmware Revision: 0x103
Product Revision Level: CC37
Sub-units:
Oxford ATA Device 00 SBP-LUN:
Capacity: 1 TB (1,000,204,886,016 bytes)
Removable Media: Yes
BSD Name: disk2
Partition Map Type: APM (Apple Partition Map)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported
Volumes:
disk2s1:
Capacity: 32 KB (32,256 bytes)
BSD Name: disk2s1
Content: Apple_partition_map
disk2s2:
Capacity: 29 KB (28,672 bytes)
BSD Name: disk2s2
Content: Apple_Driver43
disk2s3:
Capacity: 29 KB (28,672 bytes)
BSD Name: disk2s3
Content: Apple_Driver43
disk2s4:
Capacity: 29 KB (28,672 bytes)
BSD Name: disk2s4
Content: Apple_Driver_ATA
disk2s5:
Capacity: 29 KB (28,672 bytes)
BSD Name: disk2s5
Content: Apple_Driver_ATA
disk2s6:
Capacity: 262 KB (262,144 bytes)
BSD Name: disk2s6
Content: Apple_FWDriver
disk2s7:
Capacity: 262 KB (262,144 bytes)
BSD Name: disk2s7
Content: Apple_Driver_IOKit
disk2s8:
Capacity: 262 KB (262,144 bytes)
BSD Name: disk2s8
Content: Apple_Patches
Audio:
Capacity: 1 TB (1,000,069,726,208 bytes)
Available: 267.81 GB (267,813,990,400 bytes)
Writable: Yes
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk2s10
Mount Point: /Volumes/Audio
Content: Apple_HFS


Oxford ATA Device 00:

Manufacturer: Glyph Technologies
Model: 0x0
GUID: 0x94902E07403E7
Maximum Speed: Up to 800 Mb/sec
Connection Speed: Up to 800 Mb/sec
Sub-units:
Oxford ATA Device 00 Unit:
Unit Software Version: 0x10483
Unit Spec ID: 0x609E
Firmware Revision: 0x103
Product Revision Level: CC13
Sub-units:
Oxford ATA Device 00 SBP-LUN:
Capacity: 2 TB (2,000,398,934,016 bytes)
Removable Media: Yes
BSD Name: disk3
Partition Map Type: APM (Apple Partition Map)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported
Volumes:
disk3s1:
Capacity: 32 KB (32,256 bytes)
BSD Name: disk3s1
Content: Apple_partition_map
MachFive:
Capacity: 2 TB (2,000,264,675,328 bytes)
Available: 426.97 GB (426,972,729,344 bytes)
Writable: Yes
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk3s3
Mount Point: /Volumes/MachFive
Content: Apple_HFS

[Darryl Ramm]

What did you change recently on the iMac?

Is automatic updated disabled?

Are all those optimizations done? Things like having spotlight indexing turned on can appear to create sudden problems for things that otherwise seemed to work.

When you tried with plugins removed did you remove both the RTAS and AAX plugins from their two separate folders? If not try that again.

Also try disconnecting the sample drive and just run with the audio/session drive connected.

What are all the settings on your Pro Tools playback engine dialog panel? The Playback engine itself (want to make sure you are not trying to use aggregate IO) and all the others...

Scan your audio/session drive for permission and hard errors.

You are using the symphony over USB? The latest drivers are installed?

Darryl

[ottestad]

"What did you change recently on the iMac?"

Everything was working one day. Made no changes, next day the problem started.

"Is automatic updated disabled?"

What/where is this?

"Are all those optimizations done? Things like having spotlight indexing turned on can appear to create sudden problems for things that otherwise seemed to work."

Can't find the on/off for spotlight indexing

"When you tried with plugins removed did you remove both the RTAS and AAX plugins from their two separate folders? If not try that again."

Tried that without success

"Also try disconnecting the sample drive and just run with the audio/session drive connected."

Tried that without success

What are all the settings on your Pro Tools playback engine dialog panel? The Playback engine itself (want to make sure you are not trying to use aggregate IO) and all the others...

Symphony I/O engine chosen
H/W buffer 512 (have tried others)
Host proc: 7
CPU: 80 to 95%
Delay compensation: none
Plug-in streaming buffer Level 2

"Scan your audio/session drive for permission and hard errors."

I don't know how to look for them

You are using the symphony over USB? The latest drivers are installed?

Yes, latest drivers installed, plus, remember everything worked, then next day w no changes it suddenly stopped working.

Thanks for your help Darryl