Ableton Forum

Hey everyone,

I am on a iMAC 27''. I got the machine 2 months ago. Lately, I am listening to a disturbing click every now and then. Its a mechanical and disturbing sound, imagine a bad quality interface that is clicking when you press play in a song or something like that.

I am trying to check what's happening and where the sound comes from but nothing. And it is very boring reading the apple forums...

Well, I just thought that this could be related to my monitor speakers and/or the cable which connects the computer's built in output with the speakers. I just disconnected them and I haven't heard the sound for more than 2 hours. It could be heard twice or 3 times during half an hour and then it disappears for 3-4 or maybe more hours.

MY QUESTIONS IS:

Do you think that this click may come from the monitors? Has anybody experienced something similar?

When I turn the monitors off I hear a similar but more thick click.. but I suppose this is a very common thing...

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated. I heard and read terrifying things and I am really worrying.

Thanks in advance.

Process of elimination, have you tried plugging in some headphones into the Headphone/optical digital audio output (minijack)to see if the clicking is present there?

it's Apple's cheapo audio cards. this happens on my unibody macbook pro and it used to happen on my old macbook.

All the usual advice applies here:

- Eliminate variables. Try different speakers, different interfaces, turn off things like wireless and bluetooth, don't run other programs at the same time, etc. See if the problem happens in several programs or just one.

Usually these kinds of things can be traced to one or two components.

- Check your buffer settings in Live (Preferences -> Audio). Does a higher buffer eliminate this problem at the expense of latency? Then you have a better idea where the problem is.

- Name your thread something more descriptive so more people will read it. "URGENT question!" isn't urgent to anyone else on the forum and looks like a million other threads. Something like "Hearing disturbing click sound on an iMac" at least describes the problem so knowledgable people might be more willing to read.

- Good luck! Let us know if you find a solution.

What version of the OS are you running?

Some people are reporting that OS X 10.6.5 causes audio problems with both built-in sound cards & external audio interfaces.

Symptoms being reported include popping speakers & headphones, & sound cards not being recognized. USB sound cards seems to be particularly vulnerable.

Thanks everyone for your help!

Well, here is the news: The last couple of days I connected my MOTU ultralite via firewire and I cannot here the disturbing click anymore.

I am on 10.6.5 and if I try to use the built in output I will have again the same problem.

What do you think I should do? is there any way to check if the problem comes form the built in sound card?

If this is happening, do you think that I should fix it or keep the machine working properly with the MOTU?

I am afraid [without having a confirmation for this] that it might be a serious problem...

Any thoughts would be warmly appreciated...

Thanks a lot!

It's not a chirp is it?

My mac used to do that and others do if you have an external USB drive plugged in that isn't getting enough power.

Just a thought

Its not. It happened without having anything connected in the computer, but the speakers.

The strange thing is that I cannot hear it from the internal imac speakers... Its only audible when the computer is connected directly to the speakers. I am not 100% sure for this though.

Anybody else please?

sadmac wrote: it is very boring reading the apple forums...

Seriously?

You expect us to help you out when you can't even be bothered to spend the necessary time at the very place that more than likely has the answer?

Kill yourself now.

Do you use Time Machine or other backup resource? If so, you could try rolling back to OS X 10.6.4

no i dont use time machine, i just did a back up to an external hard disk which I had to put it in mac format [transcend] and there is a chance that the problem started by then

i am now on headphones try to check if its still audible or not.

thank you

sadmac wrote: I am on 10.6.5

Do you use Time Machine or other backup resource? If so, you could consider rolling back to OS X 10.6.4

LoopStationZebra wrote:

sadmac wrote: it is very boring reading the apple forums...

Seriously?

You expect us to help you out when you can't even be bothered to spend the necessary time at the very place that more than likely has the answer?

The Apple forums can be a very difficult place to get a direct answer to a direct question. It's wise to try other sources of help too.

yes i know this, you should get lost there and be in a paranoid situation

well, i can hear the tick [the first one today] via headphone connected to the built in output.
that means that the problem is internal and has nothing to do with my monitors or the cable I am using to connect my computer to them.

x0b: what did you do to get rid of this problem you had with macbook and macbook pro?

when the 10.6.6 is out????

This probably isn't your issue but some aspects of it sound similar to something that was freaking me out until I figured out what it was. Basically I have a crappy cellphone which seems to cause interference with speakers of pretty much any type. It causes a stuttering chirp/click sound (hard to describe) that varies in tempo and intensity. It seems to appear randomly and not that often, but often enough to annoy.

Anyway, my KRKs are super sensitive to it. I can have my cellphone a floor above and it will cause the interference. I have to have it a floor above, and on the opposite side of the house, for it to not cause the issue.

(Yes, it's past time I get a new cellphone... but I only use it for emergencies and ordering pizza. )

I'm sure everyone recognises the cellphone noise now.

If it's only 2 months old it's covered by AppleCare, call them up.