Crackle when using kontakt VST, not with Ableton instruments
Posted: Mon May 04, 2020 6:24 am
Hey there,
So I recently purchased an NI KK61.
I'm running Ableton live 10 intro, when I load the KK VST in to a track I hear a tiny crackle through my speakers when I play single lower notes or multiple notes.
I have updated everything, KK, Ableton, the Presonus studio24c audio interface firmware and software and my OS (Catalina 10.15.4).
My Mac's specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports), 2.9 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5, 8 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3.
Observations:
Using computers core audio as output still produces crackles.
CPU Load meter in Live isnt going past 10% and there will be crackles.
When i load an Ableton piano I can play 5 low notes simultaneously and there will be no crackle, if I mash the keyboard to play about 10 low notes then there is a barely perceptible amount of crackle.
Certain KK instruments like the Una Chorda instruments produce crackle way easier (just two notes) than others like the massive pianos -e.g with 'love letter' i can play 3 low notes simultaneously and there is no crackle, 4 notes and there's a tiny bit.
In/out sample rate is: 44100Hz
Changing buffer size has no effect.
At a buffer size of 1024 input latency = 0 , output =26.3ms
At a buffer size of 256 input latency = 0, output = 8.9ms
Ableton uses 20% CPU according to the Mac's activity monitor when i mash the keys.
Turning wifi off had no effect.
The number of programs I'm running (CPU load) has no effect. Crackles with just live, crackles with: Traktor DJ playing tracks with FX on, itunes playing songs, komplete kontrol open, and youtube playing vids.
The Mac is running cool.
Changing audio cables to a brand new cable made no difference.
Switching USB-C ports made no difference.
Arbitrarily changing DEC made no difference.
The 500GB SSD is only half full.
RAM use is at 6-6.5GB out of 8 with lots of programs running, then at 5.0-5.5 if I quit everything besides a few Abe forum chrome tabs.
Am I right in thinking I can't fiddle with enabling/disabling mutlicore processor support in Live 10? If I can, tell me how please.
Any suggestions on what to do/test now?
What settings to change and where?
Is it something to do with where the VST/KK files are being stored (I'd think not, in that it's all default and I can still make Abelton instruments crackle ever so slightly if I play like 15+ notes at once)?
Many thanks!
So I recently purchased an NI KK61.
I'm running Ableton live 10 intro, when I load the KK VST in to a track I hear a tiny crackle through my speakers when I play single lower notes or multiple notes.
I have updated everything, KK, Ableton, the Presonus studio24c audio interface firmware and software and my OS (Catalina 10.15.4).
My Mac's specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports), 2.9 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5, 8 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3.
Observations:
Using computers core audio as output still produces crackles.
CPU Load meter in Live isnt going past 10% and there will be crackles.
When i load an Ableton piano I can play 5 low notes simultaneously and there will be no crackle, if I mash the keyboard to play about 10 low notes then there is a barely perceptible amount of crackle.
Certain KK instruments like the Una Chorda instruments produce crackle way easier (just two notes) than others like the massive pianos -e.g with 'love letter' i can play 3 low notes simultaneously and there is no crackle, 4 notes and there's a tiny bit.
In/out sample rate is: 44100Hz
Changing buffer size has no effect.
At a buffer size of 1024 input latency = 0 , output =26.3ms
At a buffer size of 256 input latency = 0, output = 8.9ms
Ableton uses 20% CPU according to the Mac's activity monitor when i mash the keys.
Turning wifi off had no effect.
The number of programs I'm running (CPU load) has no effect. Crackles with just live, crackles with: Traktor DJ playing tracks with FX on, itunes playing songs, komplete kontrol open, and youtube playing vids.
The Mac is running cool.
Changing audio cables to a brand new cable made no difference.
Switching USB-C ports made no difference.
Arbitrarily changing DEC made no difference.
The 500GB SSD is only half full.
RAM use is at 6-6.5GB out of 8 with lots of programs running, then at 5.0-5.5 if I quit everything besides a few Abe forum chrome tabs.
Am I right in thinking I can't fiddle with enabling/disabling mutlicore processor support in Live 10? If I can, tell me how please.
Any suggestions on what to do/test now?
What settings to change and where?
Is it something to do with where the VST/KK files are being stored (I'd think not, in that it's all default and I can still make Abelton instruments crackle ever so slightly if I play like 15+ notes at once)?
Many thanks!