My 2019 iMac has developed a problem with audio during FaceTime video calls. The audio is distorted with participants sounding like Donald Duck and all words incomprehensible. Audio is normal on this iMac when using Skype and Zoom video calls. I am able to make FaceTime calls using the same Apple ID from a 2013 iMac, a 2020 M1MacBook Air, 2 iPads and an iPhone 13. How should I set about fixing this problem?
iMac Line (2012 and Later)
I've just noticed that when making or receiving a Face Time call on my iMac (Retina 5k 27inch 2017) the audio that I hear and the audio the person I'm speaking to hears at the other end of the call, is very distorted. If I change my iMac's internal speaker format from 44100Hz to 48000Hz (in the Audio MIDI SetUp) that fixes the audio problem at both ends of the call. However if I make another new Face Time call the loudspeaker settings revert back to 44100Hz and with the audio distortion so I have to go back to the Audio MIDI set up and change the setting to get rid of the distortion.
I do not get this problem on my other devices, a MacBook Pro M1, iPad Pro 2020 and and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Both my iMac and MacBook Pro are running Monterey 12.2.1 and I think this problem started with that update or the one before but I cannot be sure as I don't often use my iMac for Face Time calls.
I've just noticed that when making or receiving a Face Time call on my iMac (Retina 5k 27inch 2017) the audio that I hear and the audio the person I'm speaking to hears at the other end of the call, is very distorted. If I change my iMac's internal speaker format from 44100Hz to 48000Hz (in the Audio MIDI SetUp) that fixes the audio problem at both ends of the call. However if I make another new Face Time call the loudspeaker settings revert back to 44100Hz and with the audio distortion so I have to go back to the Audio MIDI set up and change the setting to get rid of the distortion.
I do not get this problem on my other devices, a MacBook Pro M1, iPad Pro 2020 and and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Both my iMac and MacBook Pro are running Monterey 12.2.1 and I think this problem started with that update or the one before but I cannot be sure as I don't often use my iMac for Face Time calls.
Deleting the files in /Library/Preferences/Audio/ did nothing. Restarting, PRAM, NVARAM resets--nothing. Going into the Audio MIDI Setup and changing the output to 44kHz worked! Now I just need to go in there every time anyone uses Facetime...
I can't believe that Apple is struggling so hard with this. I hope they fix it soon.
Hey, I had the exact same issue. I was on the MacOS Beta, so I removed the beta profile and downgraded to Monterey 12.1, and it fixed my problem. If you are on a beta program, that might be your problem!
Here is the fix:
Go to Library>Preferences>Audio and delete all files in the Audio folder. You must have quit Facetime before you do this. Then start FaceTime and the problem will be fixed.
I've still got the problem despite my original post showing as solved.
I deleted the 2 files, both were regenerated and the problem of distorted audio still exists. The only solution I have is to open the Audio Midi Set Up after starting the Face Time call and changing the speaker format back to 48,000 from 44,100Hz. My OS is 12.3.1 and as I already wrote I think this problem started with a recent update to MacOS.
You have identified the problem, and the solution, very precisely. It's exactly the same for me on my iMac Retina 5K 2019. The need to reset the internal speaker format from 44.1kHz to 48kHz on every call is annoying but workable. Let's hope that this is sorted out properly and permanently with a future update.
This fixed it for me too, thanks! The actual culprit file is this one: com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist.
After deleting all the files (just two), one was re-generated when FaceTime launched, but com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist was NOT regenerated. And now FaceTime calls sound right to the party on the other end.
I also deleted all of the files in the library Audio folder and it did not fix the problem.
The tedious workaround of resetting the sample rate for the iMac internal speakers from 44.1k to 48k continues to work - it's just a pain to have to do it at the beginning of every FaceTime call.
Thanks for that suggestion. I'm not on the beta program and I'm running Monterey 12.1. I can add that I have restarted my iMac and signed out and back into FaceTime; neither of those actions has helped.
Facetime on my mac is OK, but is crazy distorted on my dad's mac mini. Not like donald duck , more like super slowed down whale talk! I've facetimed him from multiple devices and it is always like this, though when I set it up last month it was working fine. I of course have no suggestions, I'm just keeping this thread going!
My problem still exists after the latest Monterey 12.2 update on 2017 iMac.
Either Apple is not fully aware of problems or that they just couldn't be bothered.
IOS or macOS yearly new versions have been getting from bad to worse with stability issues of sorts.
I did this (deleted files from the Audio folder) and the sound distortion went away! Hooray! Unfortunately, now I hear a terrible echo of my own voice when I am on a facetime call. My father (who is on a mac mini) does not hear distortion or echo, but I hear an echo on my side. Dang! Anyone know how to eliminate the echo?
I deleted two files and it did not fix the distorted audio in Facetime:
/Library/Preferences/Audio/com.apple.audio.DeviceSettings.plist
/Library/Preferences/Audio/com.apple.audio.SystemSettings.plist
OS: 12.3 (21E230)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)
The issue came together with Monterey.
I have the same prob with calls on mac mini ... so relative to deleting the files in the audio folder .. there are several .. Apple Loops; Impulse Responses; MIDI Configurations, MIDI Devices, MIDI Drivers, MIDI Patch Names, Plug-Ins and Sounds. Do you mean all of these, and their underlying files? If not what?
I have exactly the same problem after the latest update to Monterey 12.1.
More like macOS or IOS associated problems.
Answering calls on the iMac has the same distorted audio.
Facetime Distorted Audio
