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clipping sound on new iMac when Logix X is running

I just got the new iMac that was released two weeks ago yesterday. All I did was set it up with Logic X, Main Stage, and Aperture all from the app store. nothing else was put on it. I opened up logic just to check it out and see how much faster the performance would be. I just wanted to give it a quick test and played some apple loops I immideatly noticed it was making a clipping sound randomly. The meters were not peaking everything was in the green and if you turned down the gain the clipping just got quiteter. I called apple support thinking it was a hardware issue. They had me do some trouble shooting like playing the same loops through quicktime and the clipping persisted. they also had me play a youtube video to see if I could hear the clipping. It wasn't as noticible but it was there. Apple decided that it would be a good idea to reformat the computer tomorrow and start over. Sounded fine to me seeing how I didn't have much installed yet. I did a little more trouble shooting on my own after I got off the phone with apple. First I made a copy of three apple loops and put them on my desktop then restarted the computer. Then after a fresh restart and nothing running I opened one of the apple loops off the desktop with quicktime player and it sounded great no clipping. Same with You Tube. I then opened Logic Pro X. Did nothing with it but minimize it. I then went back to quick time player and tried to play the loop again. This time the clipping was back. Same with You Tube.

My conclusion for some reason when logic is running the audio makes a random clipping sound no matter what audio program you play the audio through. (Clipping sound comes out of the internal speakers as well as headphones)

All of my software is up to date.


I am running:


27" iMac

3.5GHz Intel Core i7

16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3


If anybody has experienced this same problem or has any recomendations they would be greatly appreciated.

I am going to reformat in the morning and try and start again.

I will post my results


Thank you,


Aaron

iMac (27-inch, Late 2013), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Oct 8, 2013 11:22 PM

Reply
998 replies

Oct 13, 2013 11:38 PM in response to Deadphish42

Having exactly the same issue on a 5 day old 21" 2.7GHz i5.


Did a complete erase and install, installed logic and played back a few projects.


It pops and clips in Logic X and iTunes through the internal speakers. No audio interface attached or even installed. Even when iMac speakers are at "one" bar.


May ring apple care later to get a replacment. Or its a software thing and hopefully they will update at some point. 🙂

Oct 14, 2013 1:11 AM in response to RobboHuddo

I know this will probably not make any difference...but if you find the time could you open Audio-MIDI Setup, select the AUDIO tab and send a screen shot.


Ages ago in PC land the sound both posters are describing was related to having the Audio device share an IRQ with something like USB of some other device. These machines may need a firmware update if it's not a hardware fault.

Oct 14, 2013 10:45 AM in response to RobboHuddo

VERY Long shot this - But the default track that's loading on logic isn't set to the microphone as it's input, and it's causing some kind of feedback of the main sound via monitoring is it?!


Also, if any of you with the problem run activity monitor and sort the CPU column (Click on it) to show the highest cpu usage (Remember to show all processes first)- Is anything going mental on there in the 80-90% + range?

Oct 14, 2013 11:18 AM in response to skijumptoes

skijumptoes wrote:


VERY Long shot this - But the default track that's loading on logic isn't set to the microphone as it's input, and it's causing some kind of feedback of the main sound via monitoring is it?!




Not a longshot at all... it sounds to me like it's a combination of the Mic feeding back and the auto-level control cutting it off.


I was hoping Deadfish would post the Input audio screen not the output... If anything it's the Input that's causing the problem.


So, select built-in microphone and paste that screen. I find it unbelieveable these machines don't have a line input, how cheap can you get.


Be nice if these forums were fixed, how else will Apple provide support. :-/

Oct 14, 2013 12:03 PM in response to Pancenter

Be nice if these forums were fixed, how else will Apple provide support. :-/


Oh.. the cynicism....... and so well deserved.... 😀


I find it unbelieveable these machines don't have a line input, how cheap can you get.


I made the same point during an online 'meeting' with a Dev and Design team a few weeks ago related to an entirely different matter (The USB2/3 hardware design change issue) and the responses I got back, all basically stated the same thing...


"Very few people had ever or were actually using, the Audio Input but instead they were using an Audio Interface...or a USB device of some kind be it an actual Mic or a Webcam with built in Mic"


After this 'meeting' I was curious as to if that was accurate so I asked each of my clients as and when I spoke to them next... and they confirmed this... as none of them had ever recently used the Audio Input port on a Mac...but instead had bought Audio Interfaces... which was my own experience too. I was a bit surprised intiially but it kind of makes sense for that to be the case these days.


Whether or not that is why Apple left off this port on recent Macs... is an entirely different story of course...

Oct 14, 2013 12:44 PM in response to The Art Of Sound

The Art Of Sound wrote:





I made the same point during an online 'meeting' with a Dev and Design team a few weeks ago related to an entirely different matter (The USB2/3 hardware design change issue) and the responses I got back, all basically stated the same thing...


"Very few people had ever or were actually using, the Audio Input but instead they were using an Audio Interface...or a USB device of some kind be it an actual Mic or a Webcam with built in Mic"


Whether or not that is why Apple left off this port on recent Macs... is an entirely different story of course...


Sounds like a partial justification + a dash of truth.

Apple has always been quick to remove what they deem unnecessary, whether it is or not.


However, if you sample this forum roughly 8 out of 10 new Garageband switchers are using internal audio and more than a few were using Line-In on their machines.


Any (new) news on the USB 2/3 design change?


Re: (healthy) cynicism. :-) Don't get me wrong, I've been a Logic fan since day one, Apple not so much, I never bought into the pseudo cool b.s. like the dolt they used on TV (may be a nice guy in real life) or the general holier than thou attitude that many users display only to find out that they really know nearly as much as they think they do. Posers!


Thankfully the audio and graphics people who are serious know their stuff aren't like that. Personally I'd rather see the focus on knowledge and music rather than what's used to get there. I always loved the Miles Davis quote... "An artist never questions his/her tools" I understand that and in many years of traveling and playing I've seen it proven over and over. Ten years ago while driving through the southern US (to get a blues experience) I saw many poor young musicians with terrible equipment (and no computers) who were focused on the heart of music, the hardware mattered little, the expression and execution were everthing.

Oct 14, 2013 4:40 PM in response to RobboHuddo

Hey RobboHuddo,


Yep sounds like you have the same thing I do for sure. Please let me know if you get a solution. I can hear it in my headphones if I plug them in too.

What do you think is causing it? Hardware or Software?

When I talked to the Senior Technician for Pro Apps at Apple he seemed to think it was hardware.


Hi Pancenter,


If you can turn off Airplay I don't know how. I havent tried yet but I was going to play the sound throught the Airplay to see if I get the same clipping and poping. I'm pretty sure I will but I'll let you know for sure.

Also when I had Logic open the only track in the session was a software instrument. So no issues with a live mic.


Once again thank you everybody for all the input and sugestions,


DeadPhish42

clipping sound on new iMac when Logix X is running

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