Audio dropouts on MBP'18 + Ableton Live 10

[Deetr]

Hi there.

When I'm using my legal Ableton 10 (latest update) on my MBP'18 (6core-I7-16ram-512ssd), I get serious audio dropouts after a while..

It might take 1 hour or longer untill I get these dropouts. All legal software and updated. When I open the project on my desktop Imac, there's no poblem.

What I also notice is, that the audio interface won't get memorized by Ableton. I ALWAYS have to go to audio settings and select the internal audio interface + headphone outputs on an Ableton startup.

My CPU peaks in this project around 10-15% with no abnormal higher peaks.

No outboard stuff attached to the MBP.

Anyone with a new Apple MBP having these dropouts?

Help would be appreciated !!!

Thnks !!!!

[McAnix]

I too would like to know if there are any solutions for this. (I've been thinking about getting a new Mac) It seems it has something to do with the CPU not prioritising audio activity, some people say it has something to do with the T2 chip?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ma ... g.2128234/

On the macrumors forum people are complaining about even getting audio dropouts on itunes?

[Deetr]

Hi there again.

I've been fastforwarding the article you mentioned. Googled a bit on the T2 chip, causing problems with Apple's coreaudio.

https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments ... wer_sound/

It seems, there's a lot of awareness but no concrete solutions (yet).

My MBP 2010 was very stable with audioproduction (but it had a GPU fault making the mbp kernel panic'ing)..

Are there any good windows laptops for audioproduction? I'm almost done with these expensive no-use gadgets.. Ditched my Iphone for a Pocophone and it has been great so far (off-topic)

Now what? Waiting for a miracle?

Shame on you Apple...

[fishmonkey]

i have had a hexacore MBP for nearly six months now, and have not experienced any audio issues thus far—most of the time i am using an external audio interface though...

[[jur]]

Also take into account that L10 doesn't officially support the latest apple OS (can't remember its name, but sure it's the one pre-installed on your machine).

[fishmonkey]

good point. i've stayed on High Sierra.

[Deetr]

i have had a hexacore MBP for nearly six months now, and have not experienced any audio issues thus far—most of the time i am using an external audio interface though...

I'm on High Sierra (not Mojave). At home I use my 2017 Imac without troubles. Same Ableton, same plugins, identical.. (Steinberg UR28m as AI).

When away from home I use the MBP (without audio interface) and I run into troubling audio.. I tried the Steinberg interface but did not notice anything immediately, it sometimes happens after a longer period. Hard to test..

There are many posts going from august '18 up till now regarding the audio problem. Most of them users got the Macbook replaced by it's seller but came home and identified the same problem.

For sure is, it has something to do with security settings/T2 chip.. But what and how stays unsolved for the moment.

Hope I will get an update anytime soon.

[Deetr]

Was just working on a project. No issues whatsoever.

Left the mac (with screen on) about 15 minutes.

Came back to it, started playback and boom.. Distorted sound.

Went to activity monitor, killed coreaudiod (without restarting ableton), chose the interface again in ableton settings and we're good to go again.

PS: Traktor isn't running flawless either.

Great job, jobs. Seems like apple died with you.

Wrong forum I guess.

[McAnix]

There is something definitely wrong somewhere, when you search the mac forums there are a lot of people experiencing problems with audio (not only on DAW's, even simple audio tasks like streaming music) but I haven't seen one solution.

Things people have tried that didn't work: Loading older OS's, fresh installs of the OS's, loading time machine backups, using different browsers/media players, even returning the computer as mentioned.

What is most strange is that some people don't experience the issue at all. Could it be that Apple implemented some new piece of hard ware or something in the last couple of months that is causing this? Can that explain why some don't have the problem and that others even after replacing their machines still experience the exact same issue?

[[jur]]

Deetr, you should ask [email protected]

[Deetr]

All: thnx for thinking with me. I hope there will be a software solution soon cause this is out of bounds for a 'pro' laptop, imo.

Wifi probs, audio probs, Security probs.... what's next?

I'll get some words listed and contact Ableton support. Maybe they're up to date concerning this issue.

Thanks !!!

[Deetr]

I am working at 48000hz setting Ableton for two days. Haven't got a glitch 'till now.

So that's a good thing, but I want to be sure what's making the mac stuttering it's audio at lower/different sample rates.

From Ableton support I haven't received an answer yet. I hope there will be a clear answer concerning this issue.

Grtz,

[[jur]]

Please let us know when you get an answer.

[brobawesome]

Has an actual fix for this been found yet?

[TLW]

According to RME (on their forum, look for the threads concerning 2018 Macs, start at the end not the beginning) this T2 chip/whatever issue has caused them and other manufacturers a lot of problems with USB 2 interfaces. They've said a day or two ago that the latest Mojave beta from Apple seems to sort the problem out. When that beta becomes the latest version and gets rolled out by Apple is up to Apple. Maybe a few days, maybe a few weeks.

A work-around seems to be using a TB3 hub that provides USB ports, but not all will work - Caldigit are mentioned as one that generally seems to. The problem seems to be with how the Mac handles the USB2 stuff and a hub which avoided Apple's TB-USB conversion can get around the problem.

TB3->TB2->Firewire seems OK, but I've not tested it myself.