New Powerbook Audio Stutter / Looping / Echo problem

I tend to only get it with iChat conferences, but
then again I route the iTunes to Airport Express,

I'm exactly the same. Had it in iChat. Also had it several times in Skype.
Can't really comment on iTunes therefore because it doesn't come out via the headphone socket.

It's really annoying. It must be relatively straightforward to tell us a simple solution as to which files to delete/reinstall surely?

Ian


Powerbok 15 HiRes Mac OS X (10.4.3) Mac mini; iPod 60GB 5G, 4GB nano and shuffle

Powerbok 15 HiRes Mac OS X (10.4.3) Mac mini; iPod 60GB 5G, 4GB nano and shuffle

Have been having this problem w. a new 15" g4 powerbook (hi res) also.

Happens in almost any audio app - itunes, ichat, skype.

Am assuming there's a software bug (or h/w bug which needs a s/w workaround).

Come on apple, get on the ball.

I can almost guarantee it is a software (not hardware) issue.

Has anyone heard any hope about a resolution for this problem?

After reformatting and reinstalling everything, it happened four times in the course of about 80 minutes while recording a podcast.

As usual, it didn't show up in the recording, only in my headphones.

I spent some time with Apple Care who walked me through resetting my power management??

Also, they advised that it MUST be a hardware problem since it continues even after I reformat and reinstall the OS. I'm not convinced.

I've deleted "com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist" and restarted. And so far I've listened to about 2 hours of audio without problems (playing from the Finder preview). I'm playing large AIFF files that had previously had the stutter/echo problems.

It seems likely that some other audio app is writting errant data to the plist file, and after that happens, the stutter/echo returns. Do far, I have not started iTunes, AHP, Soundtrack Pro, or even the audio preferences.

Hope apple will come with a solution to solve this Echo problem, and FAST.
As a musician who is using the powerbook on stage it makes my new powerbook UNUSABLE
it randomly happen almost everyday, but today in less than an hour it hapened 3 times on itunes, yesterday it happened a couple of times with logic pro and VLC. I 've deleted the "com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist" file but this didn't help
i'm surpised that applecare is so inefficient

i'm surpised that applecare is so inefficient

Don't be. They (Apple) have a history of ignoring some serious issues that arise. The cruel reality is your issue may never be addressed and resolved by them.

If you can you should consider returning the PB if it is indeed UNUSABLE for the purpose you bought it for. You shouldn't have to live with that!

I 've deleted the
"com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist" file but this
didn't help

I'm having some success at nailing this.

I've deleted the plist file, and have not had the audio stutter in about 12 total hours of listening to various audio files and two Skype sessions.

I've retained one of the old plist files from when this last occurred, and there is a marked difference between the old one, and the current one:

This spec for my USB microphone is repeated twice in the plist file that was active during the stutter/echo problem:
<key>com.apple.audio.CoreAudio.DeviceSettings.AppleUSBAudioEngine:Samson Technologies :Samson C01U :15100000:1</key>

There are no other differences.

I wonder if others who are having this problem also have duplicate entries in the plist file?

I wonder if others who are having this problem also have duplicate entries in the plist file?

Hi SkepticGuy

That's pretty interesting. I've looked at mine and don't see anything obvious. I have just 2 main entries in the file which seem to deal with sound at 44100kHZ and 48000kHz respectively.

<key>com.apple.audio.CoreAudio.DeviceSettings.Apple03DBDMAAudio:i2s-a:0</key>

and
<key>com.apple.audio.CoreAudio.DeviceSettings.AppleDBDMAAudioDMAEngine:0</key>

I don't really know what these mean. I see nothing else to do with usb sound input or anything like that.

Wouldn't it be good to have something informative here from you know who? I took mine into the Apple Store London yesterday for the battery problem. That was replaced and it was a known issue. This is not considered a known issue according to the person I spoke with. He suggested looking at processor load when it happened, but other than that had no ideas.

Ian



Powerbok 15 HiRes Mac OS X (10.4.3) Mac mini; iPod 60GB 5G, 4GB nano and shuffle

I put the plist file with a duplicate entry for my USB Mic back into the Library/Preferences/ folder and within 20 minutes I had a stutter/echo. I took it back out, but back the plist file with one entry and have not yet had a stutter/echo in about 2 hours.

I just wanted to chime in as another concerned Powerbook owner having this problem. The audio loop occurs at random in just about any app playing audio (DVD, iTunes, iMovie, etc). It seems to occur more frequently the longer I have audio playing.

Where is our fix, Apple?

15" Powerbook Gee-Quad Mac OS X (10.4.3)

I'm ditto on both the sound issue and the airport disconnection problem with my brand new 17" Pbook. (I think the airport issue might be related to heat or multiple simultaneous downloads). An Aplcare rep suggested the sound stuttering could be an excess demand on the processor, but I don't think so - Activity Monitor indicates low demands.

In the course of fixing a separate problem, I have created an entirely new user account with brand new preferences, and the sound stuttering problem has re-occured in the new account, so that didn't fix it for me.

I have no duplicate entires in com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist. I'll be following up with Applecare and will try to get a 2nd-level "product specialist".

Hi,

I had the problem too. It got progressively worse (every 10 mins or so). Apple told me to re-install - this takes time - and I agree with the other comments - thats something you do with microsoft. Anyway, the reinstall has successfully got the problem down to once every few hours! (but its getting worse again)

No idea what this problem is, and neither do Apple. They have the same tactic as an old boss of mine who asked me what i thought the problem could be, then what I thought the solution could be, and then suggested that i try that and get back to him. I'm glad I didn't buy the Applecare package.

You would have though they would read these discussions and coment on how far they are with the issues.

Quiting this process in activity monitor does not work. I did it and about ten minutes after as i was watching the movie the stutter happened again.