Help!!! Sound drops in and out on playback

At first I thought it was iTunes because the problem first reared it's ugly head after I exported a song and tried to play it back there; then I thought it was Garageband, but whatever this problem is seems to be affecting both applications.

When I playback a song, it'll play for about 5 seconds and then the sound cuts out with an audible blip, and I can hear nothing.

In Garageband, the volume level drops to zero even though the song is playing. In iTunes, the playback head keeps chugging along through a track but no sound is audible.

If I click on the GarageBand window and stop play, then start again, the sound blips in again for five or six seconds and then blips back out. I tried working with a song with minimal tracks to see if it was just processer overload (per GarageBand Help), but alas no- same problem occurs. Though the playback head does turn red during the song that originally was open when the problem started, it doesn't turn red when I'm working on a different song with only a couple tracks and the same problem occurs.

My own diagnostic wares do not indicate processor overload, either.

I did not install any new hardware or software or any updates before this problem began. I did not connect any new external devices (MIDI, etc.) before this problem began. It was completely spontaneous as far as I can see. I did try rebooting, to no avail.

I am at a complete loss about what this could be. Anybody have some ideas?

Posted on Oct 14, 2005 5:36 AM

Reply
9 replies

Oct 15, 2005 6:04 AM in response to AppleGuy2005

Hi there,

I do have external speakers but the problem occurs both through them and through headphones, and GarageBand doesn't even export sound when you Export To iTunes- it'll just export dead air for the duration of the recording. So to me, that points to something with the G4 :0) The question is, how can I determine if it's a hardware or software issue? My gut is telling me a software issue, as the sound IS at least intermittently audible and when it is the fidelity doesn't sound reduced. Of course, it could still be a short somewhere.

Do you think reinstalling Garageband or the OS might fix the problem? Or downloading any available updates?

Oct 16, 2005 6:56 AM in response to Drioux

and GarageBand doesn't even export sound when you Export To iTunes- it'll just export dead air for the duration of the recording.


I have had something similar happen, sometimes a track or two would not export. I have had locked tracks not playback upon re-opening a song file also and wonder if there is something related there.

These things happened when I had a 933 GHz. I have had my dual for about a month now and haven't seen either of these things happen so far. I can't say it has anything to do with it. I see you have a dual too, so that may be an indication the 933 wasn't a factor.

Anyway, did you lock the tracks at anytime? Has anyone else had tracks or song files export silence?

Oct 16, 2005 9:16 AM in response to Brian Battles

I had the problem yesterday: We did rehearsal recordings, only vocals, of several songs. I recorded a stereo signal from the mixer, so it was one track for each song. Afterwards I muted the track and created the next track for the next song, eight tracks alltogether.

In the evening I wanted to export the individual songs to iTunes by soloing the respective tracks. Only the problem was that some of the tracks just didn't play (and produced silence when exported.) This happened although they had a recorded audio region in them and all tracks had the same settings (basic real track, no effects). What helped: Create a new track and move over the audio regions (or importing the aifs from the file packet).

No idea why that happened.

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Help!!! Sound drops in and out on playback

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