Need help to get rid of random clicks and pops!

[Helge Krabye]

I am using the Mbox2Pro with ProTools 7.4cs5 on a MacBookPro 17" 2,4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 Gbyte RAM, MacOS 10.4.11. Both the PT Sessions and audio files on a LaCie Rugges 16Gbyte Firewire drive with more than 60 Gbyte empty space. No other applications are open or running.

The last few weeks, all my mixes have been ruined by this problem:

Small random clicks and pops occur when I play back the Session or bounce it to disk. These distortions are highly visible on the actual waveform, and they look like deep and short cuts or simply that the line in the round shape of a waveform is suddenly doing a vertical jump in it's level (resulting in high frequency pops or clicks). It is possible to edit (with pen) some of these clicks, but it's a tiresome job that I really don't want to do.

The Session has only two single stereo tracks (and a Master track) playing back in 16 bit and 44,1kHz. I have inserted the T-RackS 1.3 eq-plugin on the audio channels, and as far as I have been informed, this plugin is safe. No audio is clipping (going above 0dbfs). At first, I couldn't even play back a second before PT warned me that I needed to adjust the settings in the Playback Engine. Since this had almost no effect, I searched the knowledge base and found out that I should turn off both the Airport and also the Nework output connection (in System Settings), which I did. The Session then seemed to play back ok. However, I discovered these small clicks and pops...

As I said, I have experimented with different settings for the playback engine in ProTools, both high buffers and low buffers, but that doesn't have any effect.

This is a big problem for me, because I have a tight schedule and need to finish several mixes (doing Mastering for CD release) within the next couple of days... I really need to find the reason behind this problem. and I hope somebody can help!

Helge Krabye


MacBookPro 2,4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 GB RAM.
ProTools 7.4 (latest cs update)
Mbox2 Pro with the LaCie rugged Firewire 160 Gbyte disk plugged into the Firewire 400 port on the Mbox2 Pro
MacOS 10.4.11

[albee1952]

If you have "Ignore RTAS errors" checked, you should uncheck it. If you are using an external preamp via SPDIF or lightpipe, you must tell protools to clock to the external device. If none of this applies, I have no idea.

[Helge Krabye]

I finally found out that by changing the Firewire cables, the random clicks and pops disappeard. There are no physical damages on these cables, and work perfectly well connected to other drives and Mac's.

[andrewSF]

Out of curiosity have you tried switching the bad cables back to make sure the problem re-appears? It's very odd (in fact disturbing) that cables would work well on one system but not on another, I'm just wondering if it might be something else that coincided with the cable swap (maybe even just the unplugging and replugging of the cables, for instance). If you're on a deadline and the system is working, I wouldn't suggest changing anything right away, but the scientist in me wants to know if you can reproduce the problem by using the old cables.

[albee1952]

Interesting discovery on the cable. It reminds me that I tell everyone to always have a spare firewire cable on hand as they can fail for no particular reason. My original setup with a DIGI002 and the original "under $600 computer" worked fine for months and then just stopped. A new cable fixed it. Kind of odd when you consider the old cable was attached and detached maybe 3 times.

[Helge Krabye]

Well, a couple of days after I connected the harddrive and Mbox2Pro with a different Firewire cable, I discovered that there are still clicks and pops on my bounces! They are just happening more seldom. - I will try to test with the previous cable again, like you suggest.

[Helge Krabye]

Did some more testing. Doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Firewire cables! Could it be any of my plugins??? The pops and clicks are sometimes all over the place, and my bounced files are now literally useless. I have tried every possible settings in the Playback engine, turned off network, Bluetooth and airport. PT is the only app running etc. I simply don't have any answer...

[Sparky1]

Hi there.

You realize that the Lacie Rugged 160 Gig drive only spins up to 5400 rpm..

I wonder if this is the source of your problems...?

I think I read that a 7200 rpm drive is better...

Sparky1

[Helge Krabye]

Since my problem has nothing to do with the amount of tracks or plugins, I doubt that the LaCie 160G drive is the problem. However... after testing more, I discovered that the clicks and pops come from the T-RackS EQ RTAS-plugin I was using. At least, when removing this and using a different eq on my tracks, the clicks disappeared. - The plugin is fully authorized, and it's the latest version, so this was a surprise. I thoght this plugin to be robust and safe to use. I'll send a note to support at ik-multimedia.

By the way, I have now decided to switch to LogicPro and Live for good. With a little more practice (and patience...), I'll be able to do the same type of work there. And, both LogicPro and Live are fully compatible with MacOS 10.5 (Leopard), which I really do need because of my other software.

[joerusi]

>Digi..digi...my norwegian fellow just gave yo on you That can't be good. Realease the Leopard and give some good plugins or you are on a losing track.