Having to set audio interface buffer to 2048!
Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2022 6:22 pm
I have just returned to making music after a 12 year break... and got everything all updated and bought a new Komplete Audio 6 Mk2.
The problem is, I am having to set my buffer in both Ableton and Audition to the max at 2048 sometimes or else I get crazy glitching/stuttering.
I know my MacBook Pro is "old," (Mid 2015), but surely it's specs (listed below) can handle this. Each project I'm testing is super minimal. Literally only playing a single AIF file within Audition, and the Ableton set has absolutely nothing complex going on. Ableton project CPU meter says it's only using 3%, and in the main Mac activity monitor there is nothing else significant going on, total CPU load is something like 10% while testing.
The Ableton tone test generator will only go "clean" when the buffer is set to 2048, sometimes 1024 if I'm lucky.
The odd thing is: If I load up a Reason project that has a LOT going on (multiple FX, loads of samplers and synths all firing at once) - Reason has no problem handling it. I can set the card buffer down to down much lower with no issues.
The other odd thing: if I unplug the NI Komplete Audio 6 and just go default Mac Core Audio out of my 1/8" jack, it can run any of these projects in all three apps all the way down at 64 buffer size. (Ableton test tone runs clean at buffer 64 too)
SO. Is this a bad NI interface? Or is there perhaps an issue with my aging USB 3 ports on the MacBook Pro? (is there any way to do a diagnostic on the ports?)
______
NI Komplete Audio 6 Mk2
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
Processor: 2.5 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
Mem: 6 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
GPU: AMD Radeon R9 M370X 2 GB
Ableton Live 10 (Latest update)
Adobe Audition 2022
Reason 10.4.1d4 (build 10,700)(Stable channel)
The problem is, I am having to set my buffer in both Ableton and Audition to the max at 2048 sometimes or else I get crazy glitching/stuttering.
I know my MacBook Pro is "old," (Mid 2015), but surely it's specs (listed below) can handle this. Each project I'm testing is super minimal. Literally only playing a single AIF file within Audition, and the Ableton set has absolutely nothing complex going on. Ableton project CPU meter says it's only using 3%, and in the main Mac activity monitor there is nothing else significant going on, total CPU load is something like 10% while testing.
The Ableton tone test generator will only go "clean" when the buffer is set to 2048, sometimes 1024 if I'm lucky.
The odd thing is: If I load up a Reason project that has a LOT going on (multiple FX, loads of samplers and synths all firing at once) - Reason has no problem handling it. I can set the card buffer down to down much lower with no issues.
The other odd thing: if I unplug the NI Komplete Audio 6 and just go default Mac Core Audio out of my 1/8" jack, it can run any of these projects in all three apps all the way down at 64 buffer size. (Ableton test tone runs clean at buffer 64 too)
SO. Is this a bad NI interface? Or is there perhaps an issue with my aging USB 3 ports on the MacBook Pro? (is there any way to do a diagnostic on the ports?)
______
NI Komplete Audio 6 Mk2
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
Processor: 2.5 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
Mem: 6 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
GPU: AMD Radeon R9 M370X 2 GB
Ableton Live 10 (Latest update)
Adobe Audition 2022
Reason 10.4.1d4 (build 10,700)(Stable channel)