Pops and Latency

[mnpress]

Using PT 12.7 on a new Windows 10 laptop.
I have a Scarlett 2i2

I have latency and little pops and clicks.

When I decrease the sample rate in Playback Engine to 64 samples, the latency goes away but the pops and clicks increase.

When I increase the sample rate to 512 or 1024, the pops and clicks go away but the latency is much worse. At 128 or 256 sample rate, I have both problems.

I use PT only for single track mono voice recordings.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[JoelG]

I'm using a 1st gen 2i2 myself currently.

Go through the Optimization Guides and use https://www.resplendence.com/latencymon to determine if there are any drivers that are causing greif.

Joel

[Darryl Ramm]

Make sure you have installed and are using the latest compatible 2i2 ASIO driver from Focusrite, and are *not* using ASIO4ALL junk. If you have ASIO4ALL installed it may be best to uninstall it.

Make sure Windows or any other applications are not also trying to use that interface.

What sample rate are you working at? Try 44.1 or 48 kHz if you are using faster.

Uncheck ignore errors and leave it unchecked... you want to see Pro Tools crash and the AAE error types while you are debugging problems.

*Always* start troubleshooting by trashing prefs, and continue to trash prefs frequently while you try different things. Get Trasher and use it frequently while debugging. https://www.pro-tools-pc.us/category-s/1514.htm

Follow what Joel suggested, if you try that and are still stuck and need more help here post a SiSoft Sandra report as described in those instructions. Unfortunately some Windows laptops are just not great at running Pro Tools.

As you go through troubleshooting, pay attention to the move all .aaxplugin files out of the plugin folder step. Plugin incompatibility/problems are a leading cause of the issues you are describing, seeing specific AAE CPU errors would make that even more likely. Luckily it is a very quick test to confirm... move out *all* those .aaxplugin files and restart Pro Tools. Yes even if you are not actually using any plugins in a session they can still cause CPU spiking problems (which are likely to cause pops and clicks if ignore errors is checked)

[mnpress]

Thanks guys... I will check all those things and report back

[SKI]

You guys also forgot to ask about his computer specs could be that the computer is just not up for the challenge.

I mention this because unlike Apple Win10 will install on machines with lesser capabilities.

Not trying to insult the OP just pointing out that's something you can't overlook, especially since he is running PT12 which ran pretty good for me back when I used it.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by SKI

You guys also forgot to ask about his computer specs could be that the computer is just not up for the challenge.

I mention this because unlike Apple Win10 will install on machines with lesser capabilities.

Not trying to insult the OP just pointing out that's something you can't overlook, especially since he is running PT12 which ran pretty good for me back when I used it.

I asking for a SiSoft Sandra report and pointed out it could be the laptop. I do not want folks, describing what they think they have, better to see a Sandra report.

[SKI]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Follow what Joel suggested, if you try that and are still stuck and need more help here post a SiSoft Sandra report as described in those instructions. Unfortunately some Windows laptops are just not great at running Pro Tools.

I honestly didn't see the mention of the report when I originally read the thread but good to know that you had covered that.

[mnpress]

Could it be this easy?? I was checking everything out and stumbled across "latency monitoring" in the options menu.

I turned it on, and pffff, latency was gun. And I was able to increase the sample rate, and now the pops are gone also!

I guess that must of been in one of the links you guys mentioned.

Thanks!!

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by mnpress

Could it be this easy?? I was checking everything out and stumbled across "latency monitoring" in the options menu.

I turned it on, and pffff, latency was gun. And I was able to increase the sample rate, and now the pops are gone also!

I guess that must of been in one of the links you guys mentioned.

Thanks!!

Big edit: my previous post sucked.

You mean "Low Latency Monitoring".

It may or may not be that easy. Mmm but depends on what you want to to do. I had to reread your first post, I missed that the clicks and pops went away at mid buffer sizes, and maybe just using hardware monitoring is fine for you and we should have pointed this out that option.

"Low latency monitoring" can be used to help reduce monitoring latency, it's just turning off software monitoring in the DAW (and defeating some plugins) but it won't affect clicks and pops if they are happening, if you can live with only using hardware monitoring then you can increase the IO Buffer size and fix both problems. But be aware with hardware monitoring/low latency monitoring enabled you can still be getting pops and clicks recorded and you just won't hear them while tracking. You also can't easily do punch ins and can't say do things like "sweeten" a vocalists headphone monitor mix with some EQ and reverb, or monitor a wet guitar or bass signal via an amp simulaortr plugin if using hardware monitoring (you can't monitor any signal though any plugin effect). Still hardware based monitoring with it's near-zero latency isa go-to for many many DAW users.

You should read up on the "direct monitor" feature in the 2i2 manual and read up on low latency monitoring in the Pro Tools reference guide. If Pro Tools was clicking and popping before, these same nosies likely are still being recorded by Pro Tools.

"Increase sample rate" you really mean that? or decrease the IO buffer size? Two totally separate things.

[mnpress]

Yes..low latency monitoring. And yes, this took away the latency, and increasing the H/W Buffer size to 1024 samples is what eliminated the pops and clicks.

As for doing punch-ins...hmmm. This is for my wife's voice-over business, and so I'll see what she says. Fingers crossed.

Again, thanks for everyone's help

Michael