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Random Static - Help!

I recently started recording our podcast (Manic Mommies) using my new MacBook Pro. After 30ish minutes, a line of static appears in the audio stream (I can hear it when monitoring the recording and GarageBand records it). The static is really terrible and makes the recording unusable. I figured out that if I quit GarageBand the static would stop. I can then restart GB and record for another 15 minutes (give or take) before it starts again.

The first time it happened I was using an older version of GB. The second time I had upgraded to the latest and greatest version.

The static can also be heard by others (say we're recording a Skype call). I don't think it's the microphones, because they are working fine on my co-hosts machine. I'm just not sure what is causing the static - is it related to GarageBand or the laptop.

Help! I'm so frustrated, I have to go use my old laptop to record this week's show since I can't be sure of the content!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Sep 13, 2007 7:08 AM

138 replies

Feb 12, 2008 9:13 PM in response to ManicMommies

I think we have a fix guys!!!!!

I e-mailed Alesis after the 10.5.2 update had no effect on the "random static" issue and received the following response today:

Hello Jason,

There have been reports like this from 10.4.10 to the present Mac OS as
Apple made a critical change in its Core Audio drivers with the Leopard
architecture. The way that we have found out to bypass this until Apple
addresses this in a fix is to change the Audio Midi Setup menu options for
input and output to 48k. I have attached a document showing how this can be
done.

Best Regards,
Justin Baro
Alesis Technical Support

In the limited testing I've done, the above solution has worked for me. Just open up the audio midi setup in your applications/utilities folder and change the default input and output to USB AUDIO CODEC and make sure that format on the input and output side is set to 48000.0 Hz.

Let me know if this works for all of you.

cheers!!!!!

Feb 12, 2008 11:31 PM in response to Jason Cohen

I installed 10.4.11 update and tried the 48 k in and out. After 28 min. the recording had major static. I do not know if it will make a difference on 10.5.2. I am trying a work around found on Home recording connection. http://www.homerecordingconnection.com/forum.php?action=view_thread&id=14657&frm =1#147072

So far no error messages in the terminal on dmesg. Read the posts before trying this.
If this does not work I will have to go back to 10.4.10 back up again.

Feb 13, 2008 12:11 AM in response to rgsproductions

So far the above work around works for me. Tested for 39 min. No static.

*Again read the post and use at your own risk.*
Running Behringer UCA202 and Peavey PV10 interfaces into Garage band 08 and Logic Express 7.2.3 Tiger 10.4.11 Im broke , Can' afford new software, starving podcaster. I do hope Apple fixes this by the time I can afford Leopard.

Doc11

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Feb 13, 2008 7:20 AM in response to rgsproductions

I tried following the above recommendations and cannot seem to change the setting above 44.1k. 48 appears in the pull down menu but I cannot seem to change the setting at all. I have a 2.4 GHz Macbook Pro Santa Rosa, 4 Gigs of RAM running 10.5.2. My mixer is an Aleseis USB Multimix 8.

Any suggestions?

Doc11

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Feb 13, 2008 7:30 AM in response to Doc11

Just noticed that Garage Band is the app that is changing the midi settings from 48k to 44.1k on launch. Does this mean that I cannot use this work around with Garage Band?

Feb 13, 2008 3:16 PM in response to Jason Cohen

Well, I jumped the gun. The tests yesterday with 10.5.2 were successful, but today the problem started back up again.

I'm going to try the recommended Audio/MIDI setup change, and see if that makes a difference. Thanks for tracking that down.

yattaman

Level 1

97 points

Feb 13, 2008 9:22 PM in response to Jason Cohen

Jason Cohen wrote:

Just open up the audio midi setup in your applications/utilities folder and change the default input and output to USB AUDIO CODEC and make sure that format on the input and output side is set to 48000.0 Hz.{quote}

I followed these easy steps, and it is working so far. Two hours, no static. Questions: How does that change affect the audio? What's the difference in quality?

Feb 14, 2008 7:08 AM in response to yattaman

44.1 kHz and 48 kHz are sample rates....48k should theoretically sound better than 44k however I'm not sure if it's perceptible to the human ear. Here's a link re: sample rates for more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_rate

cheers,
Jason

Feb 16, 2008 5:50 AM in response to Jason Cohen

I've had the same problem when using a Behringer Xenyx1222fx mixer. Mr. Cohen's solution has worked for me as well. Thank you!!! This is not to say Team Apple shouldn't look into it...

Feb 21, 2008 6:34 AM in response to Jason Cohen

I tried to do this but everytime I select 48Khz in the audio midi set up it just goes back to 44.1khz.. Is there a reason for this? I'm doing this under the CODEC setting for my Alesis Multimix.

Feb 23, 2008 8:27 PM in response to Doc11

I noticed that as well: if I keep audio midi setup open I can see the settings revert to 44.1 as soon as I launch Garage Band

Mar 4, 2008 11:00 PM in response to The Recognitions

Has anyone updated Garage band with the latest update. It states that there were fixes in FireWire and USB based audio devices. I am wondering if this would be system fixes or just general fixes in Garage band?

Doc11

Level 1

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Mar 5, 2008 12:13 PM in response to rgsproductions

I am sorry to report that the static still persists even after the Garage Band update. Here is my setup:

Alesis USB 8 Multimix,
MacBook Pro Santa Rosa using Garage Band for Podcasting

Apple, can you PLEASE address this problem.

Message was edited by: Doc11

yattaman

Level 1

97 points

Mar 6, 2008 12:02 AM in response to Doc11

Same here. The trouble still persists with the update.

So you still have to do this:

"Just open up the audio midi setup in your applications/utilities folder and change the default input and output to USB AUDIO CODEC and make sure that format on the input and output side is set to 48000.0 Hz.{quote}"

But, if you quit GB, +the next time you launch+, those settings will have reset.
So you have to repeat the change of settings with every launch of GB.

Doc11

Level 1

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Mar 6, 2008 4:46 AM in response to yattaman

I would actually love to do this simple workaround however, every time I try to change the setting from 44Hz to 48Hz, it just resets the setting back to 44 no matter what I do. I think others are having this problem as well. I see the 48Hz listed in the pulldown menu but cannot get it to change even after clicking on it.

Any suggestions?

Random Static - Help!