Random crackles with Mackie Onyx820i Firewire mixer

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bengtfalke
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 5:10 pm

Random crackles with Mackie Onyx820i Firewire mixer

Post by bengtfalke » Tue Sep 11, 2012 1:19 pm

I am trying to set it up Live properly on the new MacBook Pro with the retina display with my new Firewire mixer but have some problems with random crackles in the recorded sound.

First my setup:
MacBook Pro (Retina display version) with Mountain Lion and 8 GB of Ram and 500 GB SSD and Thunderbolt.
Apples Thunderbolt to Firewire conversion cable
Conversion cable from FW800 to FW400
Mackie Onyx 820i Firewire equipped mixer
Roland UM-1 USB midi interface

I try to record one stereo track of audio, one mono track and one midi track at the same time as this is my normal workflow from using a midi equipped Godin XTSA guitar through a Roland GR55 and I would like to capture the stereo sounds from the GR55 + midi created + the pure guitar sound.

When I play songs in iTunes or Spotify they sound great going through the conversion cables to the mixer but when I record some tracks into Live I get these random crackle that spoils it totally.

I am hoping for some hints on how to setup Live in a way so this can be handled in a better way….

bengtfalke
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 5:10 pm

Re: Random crackles with Mackie Onyx820i Firewire mixer

Post by bengtfalke » Tue Sep 11, 2012 4:10 pm

OK.. problem is solved and it might be useful for some so I write down my experiences.

The Mackie Onyx820i was as default on 48000 Hz samplerate and my Live on 44000. So when I tried the test tone in the audiosettings in Live I could hear the crackles. Now they are both on 48000 Hz and I have a buffer of 230 samples and I can go up to 80% CPU usage simulator without any crackle.

I might reduce the buffer size a bit later but now all is well... :D

Frankie Insulina
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Apr 16, 2013 10:39 pm

Re: Random crackles with Mackie Onyx820i Firewire mixer

Post by Frankie Insulina » Tue Apr 16, 2013 11:03 pm

Hello Bengtfalke.

I'm experiencing the same issue here on a late 2012 MBP ... Jumping to different sample rates actually solved the problem briefly but eventually the craclke returned. I managed to remove the noise by going back to 44,1 kHz and then up to 48 kHz again and re-adjusting the buffer size... Anyway this is not supposed to happen, am I right? I noticed that after prolonged use of the mixer the crackle tends to return; up until now I always managed to put things back to normal through the Live audio preferences panel but I think something is definitely wrong with my onyx. Did the crackle ever came back after you discovered the fix? Listening to your feedback would help me a lot, because I cannot contact Mackie support since I bought the unit second hand...

Thanks in advance,

Francesco

bengtfalke
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 5:10 pm

Re: Random crackles with Mackie Onyx820i Firewire mixer

Post by bengtfalke » Wed Apr 17, 2013 9:08 am

This problem has something to do with Live. I use Presonious Studio One mostly now days.... and never had any problems like this.

Frankie Insulina
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Apr 16, 2013 10:39 pm

Re: Random crackles with Mackie Onyx820i Firewire mixer

Post by Frankie Insulina » Wed Apr 17, 2013 1:01 pm

so basically you got rid of your onyx... As some people on this thread did...

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/music-co ... oblem.html

It looks like it has something to do with core audio in os x lion

bengtfalke
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2011 5:10 pm

Re: Random crackles with Mackie Onyx820i Firewire mixer

Post by bengtfalke » Wed Apr 17, 2013 1:20 pm

No my Onyx works perfectly with Presonious Studio One... not just with Ableton Live for some reason...

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