clipping sound on new iMac when Logix X is running

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for your comments and discussions on this issue. I recently (this week) just got a new imac with fusion drive and have the exact same crackle, snap, pop issues using Logic Pro. I thought at first it was my Oynx blackjack and replaced it with an Apogee Duo...still the same issues. At first it sounds great but within 10 mins it starts crackling. It have been a very frustrating 2 days of debugging so I am glad others are having this issue.

I am sorry to see Apple take so long to resolve such an important issue.

It appears this has been going on for atleast a month with new fix from Apple yet. Have they given a timeline of a fix or do I just need to go get a refund on my mac? Reverting to my old mac for now...

Apple is starting to feel like my old PC days!

I think it is probably worth pointing out that many of the support staff/techs at Apple will still be unaware of the 2013 iMac and FD issue because the Engineering Team haven't yet issued a report on the problem. They haven't done so apparently, because at this time they are investigating the issue and trying to determine exactly what is the cause/fix and if it is, indeed, only limited to 2013 iMac's with Fusion Drives fitted. Initially they issued a report regarding driver issues with certain 3rd party Audio Interfaces... and that is the report that most of the CS/tech Depts are refering to when asked about an issue with audio and OS X and new iMacs..

The reason, as far as i understand, for the delay in issuing the updated report... (That the various CS/Tech departments rely on for info..) is apparently because, as I mentioned earlier, there are two issues that the end result is very similar but the cause is entirely different...

#1) 2013 iMac with FD causing "crackles and pops"

#2) Driver issues relating to USB3 and/or Driver issues relating to changes in Mavericks.. that also cause "crackles and pops"

(and, for the record, there is the third issue of Audio cutting out entirely after a period of time which seems to be limited to only certain 3rd party Audio Interfaces and 2013 iMacs with FDs fitted but is in addition to or instead of issue #1)

Initially the Engineering team were investigating this issue with the basic premise it was an Audio Interface/Drive/Firmware/hardware related problem... which indeed it is for some of the people reporting the sound issue... and would be extremely typical when a new major version of OS X is released.

It's only later on they began to get reports from people with 2013 iMacs with FDs who were having the same sounding issue but without any 3rd party Audio Interfaces installed/used... and only then they apparently realised there were indeed two/three different issues and of course some people who had 2013 iMacs with FDs also were using Audio Interfaces that needed driver/firmware updates too... so that added to the initial confusion and delays!

Needless to say, its going to take a little time for;

A) The Engineering team to work out whats going with Problems #1 & #3 and how to fix it successfully without causing issues elsewhere in the system.

B) The 3rd Party Devs to identify, correct, rewrite, test and then issue driver/firmware updates to fix issue #2

I would expect an updated report to be issued to the CS/Tech Depts once the Engineering Team have finished their initial "look/see' at issues #1 & #3... and then the CS/Techs will be more "up to date" with what's going on.

I will add that one of my clients called Apple reference issue #1 and the Tier 2/3 Tech he spoke to, was aware of both issue #1 and issue #2 though he had little info relating to #1... which was understandable.. given no reports have been issued yet from the Engineering Team.

I guess in summary, what i am saying is... patience people..(Though I completely understand the level of frustration being felt..)

These things dont get fixed over night... and it may be some time until they are fixed.. Maybe as quickly as a few days.. maybe as long as a couple of months.. No one knows yet... Things are still in the early stages of the process.

This is why the suggestion/workaround is being made to disable the FD for the time being..so you can carry on working with Audio... and when the fix is issued then enable the FD again... Its not a complex proceedure and so long as you make good backups it's pretty easy to re enable again later.

Some people are also reporting simply booting from an external drive and not using the FD at all, fixes the issue for them.. again as a temp workaround until such time as a fix is issued.

Disclaimer: I do not work for Apple in any sense.. I am simply relaying information that has been either provided to me from some of my clients who are having these issues and have spoken with Apple.. .. from discussions I have had with people at Apple myself in regards to these issues.. or from communications received from trusted 3rd party sources. As always,unless/until Apple release a formal notice/report regarding these issues, nothing is confirmed and anything related back by me, may contain inaccuracies for obvious reasons.

Cheers..

calle100 as you know from my post above, I got a refund on my 2013 27" iMac last week within the 14 day no-questions-asked return period. I'm looking forward to learning about how your situation turns out. Interesting that they perked up for you when the problem suddenly appeared to be moving a little too close to home.

To the newly enlightened late 2013 iMac owners, apparently, based on countless posts from users around the globe, Apple needs even more of a critical mass of users experiencing these audio problems in order to help us, or at least admit their issues. Please contact AppleCare with your issues and report back to us with your experiences. Let us know how they react to your description of the problem.

Here's an update on my situation.

Currently I am getting drop-outs with my Apogee Duet 2. Basically I will just get no sound at all.

If I go into System preferences, and click on Sound, it takes a little while longer to open than usual... and then once it does open, I notice that my computer no longer recognizes the Duet. It labels the device as 'unknown.'

And if I go into Audio MIDI setup, I get a rainbow wheel spinning forever until I have to unplug my duet, which stops the rainbow wheel from spinning. When I plug my Duet back in, everything is back to normal.

I've discovered a small 'almost fix' (I say almost fix because it doesn't really solve my problem, but almost does...).

I route all my audio through Soundflower and that seems to limit the problems I've been having. The problem is NOT fixed yet.

Is there a fix coming? Well, let's look at the facts and then my guesses:

Fact:

I have confirmed through Apogee:

- The audio drop out problem is a problem with many USB interfaces, not just Apogee. The representative said Apogee & Apple are in talks now trying to fix this problem, which Apogee says, is a hardware problem on Apple's side. Here is the exact email I was sent from Apogee: "Thanks for your email. From what I understand, there seems to be some sort of hardware issue with the very newest iMac (released 35 days ago) that is affecting many brands and models of USB interfaces, not just the Duet. We are in testing and talks with Apple to address this issue as soon as possible."

Guess:

I am guessing that the audio drop out problem is different than the audio distortion problem. I think that the audio drop out problem is related to the Audio Interface companies being taken by surprise by some weird new hardware from Apple, and have to adapt their drivers to this problem. Hopefully that will be updated, and MY problems go away.

I am guessing that the audio distortion problems are related to Apple's software which manages the fusion drive. Hopefully they fix that and YOUR problems will go away!

It would be nice if there were a list of people who had all these problems, their specs, description of issues, which was constantly updated and all in one easy place. If anyone can think of a way to do this, perhaps we would make progress sooner!

Yes, I am within my 14 day return window. I am considering returning the computer after I talk with Apple, which I plan on doing tomorrow. I might go with a Mac Pro. Or... *now wait for this* I might go PC. Yup, if the premium we pay for Apple is no loner worth it, then why buy Apple products anymore? I paid this premium to *not* have these kind of "PC-esque" problems.

I cannot be hassled having to connect/reconnect my audio interface constantly. A 3.5Ghz i7 with 16BG RAM made in 2013 which costs over $3,000 should NOT have this problem. It's a joke. I can't stress enough how this whole thing is making me think again about paying the 'premium' price to own a Mac computer. I pay this premium to have no hassles or problems. But this is *not* the case anymore. Apple being silent and not even coming on this board to say "hey people, don't worry, we're taking care of things" kind of ****** me off. And then there are the members here who go through the whole long process of Apple trying to troubleshoot on the phone, the Apple tech not being aware of the problem (when others seem to be). Annoying... At least Apogee is replying back with emails within hours, and even going on message boards to tell people that they are working on the problem. *That* is cool. Apple is not being cool here. The silent treatment to their customers is starting to look weak to me...

I mean, we could go out, buy a PC, save 50% of our money, and be in the same (or better) position as we are in now. The premium we pay to use Apple products just isn't seeming so worth it... I am sitting next to my trusty 2009 iMac (which is unfortunately not powerful enough for my projects anymore) and considering using it again in the meantime, and postponing selling it (may have to cancel on the lady coming to pick it up).

I have to reasses my plan here. Maybe the new iMacs are not cut out for audio. Which also makes me wonder about the Mac Pro. Will it, too, have these problems? Can we not just buy a computer anymore that *just works* as Apple's former slogan used to be?

So yeah, if this problem is not cleared up, I may have to say goodbye to my new iMac. A shame, because it's perfect in every other way. It just doesn't do the ONE thing I NEED it to do: work with audio.

P.S. I work in video games (doing sound design) and seriously, my job/life is on the line with computers. This is why I paid the 'premium' for a 'superior' computer. I am truly hoping that Apple can stay 'premium' and 'superior'... if not, dunno what I'll do. :/

Beefus, we are having the exact same problem.

Just a quick heads up about return policy. I've just been on the phone with Apple Support.

As long as you open a case with them within the 14 days they say there's no issue. If they don't provide a solution you can always return the iMac, no questions asked.

I did that. Opened a case with them. They sent me a system data collector "Capture Data.app" (gathers all sorts of logs and system info profile while running garageband and experiencing the noise distortion). This will be sent back to their engineering.

I suggest everyone does that. The more we do, the quicker the fix will come hopefully.

From what I understand, there seems to be some sort of hardware issue with the very newest iMac (released 35 days ago) that is affecting many brands and models of USB interfaces, not just the Duet.

A harware issue ?? Until now I've always read on this thread that it could only be a software issue, and that all we have to do is wait for an update, right ?

But if it is a harware issue, it could mean we will all have to return our iMac ?

i can't quite work out if everyone of you that contacted support did so via phone? or are you logging issues somewhere else for apple to review? i can't seem to find any email options, is it really phonecall only for things like this?

Sebastienka wrote:

From what I understand, there seems to be some sort of hardware issue with the very newest iMac (released 35 days ago) that is affecting many brands and models of USB interfaces, not just the Duet.

A harware issue ?? Until now I've always read on this thread that it could only be a software issue, and that all we have to do is wait for an update, right ?

But if it is a harware issue, it could mean we will all have to return our iMac ?

This is what i mean by confusing information being spread... and the fact that there are three different issues that are being 'mixed' together... because they have similar outcomes....

#1 Audio Crackles and Pops on a 2013 iMac with a FD fitted with or without an Audio Interface used = OS X Software issue related to the Fusion Drive that will require either a software fix and/or a firmware update by Apple to resolve this.

#2 Audio Crackles and Pops on any Mac after installing Mavericks - This will require updated drivers and/or a firmware update from the Audio Interface Developers....

#3 Audio dies/cuts off = Audio Interface driver issue because of changes made to USB3 handling routines.. that will require updated drivers and/or a firmware update from the Audio Interface Developers... and possibly a similar fix from Apple...(Though I believe this is much less likely) in conjuction with or instead of.. the Audio Interface Devs updates

Some people may a combination of all three if they have a 2013 iMac with a Fusion Drive fitted.

For those that have any other Mac... apart from the 2013 iMac with Fusion Drive fitted... they may have issue #2 and possibly #3 but they wont have issue #1 because that is only related to 2013 iMacs with Fusion Drives fitted.

Note: Mac Minis with Fusion Drives fitted have not exhibited issue #1 either.

People refer to Issue #1 being a 'Hardware Issue' simply because it revolves around a certain hardware configuration but the fix will be either firmware/software or a combination of both...

Finally, Issue #1 is not reliant on having an Audio interface connected to your Mac as the issue can be heard via the onboard Audio only.

Issues #2 and #3 only affect some Audio Interfacess and not all of them.. Recent Motu models for example, using the most recent Motu drivers, do not appear to have any issues in regards to #2 or #3.

I hope this clarifies things...

One last thing..

Users of PCs with USB3 ports and Windows 7/8.x installed have reported the same #2 and #3 issues with the same USB2 Audio Interfaces that have this issue with Macs......

As an example of what I mean....

From M-Audio Support, 2 months ago...

M-Audio USB devices are not qualified for use on USB 3.0 ports at this time. If you are experiencing problems such as pops, clicks, crackles, dropouts, and distortion, or if your device is not recognized or drops offline, make sure your device is connected to a USB 2.0 (or USB 1.1) port. This issue applies to both Windows and OS X based computers.

brentonius I am in music and post production. Funny, a composer friend of mine just yesterday was telling me to go PC. I doubt I ever would, but he made some strong points as you have re costs, and just simply being able to work. In 25 years I never even considered that kinda move, until this situation. The folks who handled post on the latest Linkin Park video switched from Mac to PC for similar reasons. A ton of cgi and special fx companies I know use PCs. These are smart people.

I'm limping along now and back on my older Mac until the new Mac Pro hits. But like you pointed out, we have no idea if that will have the same issues. I would think not due to the testing they've apparently done in post and music studios. We'll see.

The thing that gets me the most about the new 2013 iMac is the amount of sheer speculation I was going through and time trying to find a solution, and trying all suggested solutions. That plus Zero word from Apple. Not one single post from them. Now I'm watching so many others go through it and it *****. My time, just like yours is more valuable than this problem, which is why I returned my iMac. Frankly, it was a huge relief to do it.

kennlovrin try some of the supposed fixes described in the posts above. If or when those attempts fail and you've had enough, call AppleCare: 800-MY-APPLE

Apple will fix this. It's more a question of how long you are willing to deal with this waiting game in the dark.

That plus Zero word from Apple. Not one single post from them.

Apple do not post information like that here.. because this is a User led forum and not an Apple led Forum...

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5671

Once the issue has been properly identified, researched and hopefully fixed, Apple will release a support note much like one of these....

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4602

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4627

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4628

Hello everybody.

I seem to have the same problem with my new iMac 27, late 2013, Fusion Drive 1GB, 3.2 i5, 16 GB RAM, OS X 10.9, Logic X 10.0.4, Roland Octa Capture interface driver 1.5.1. (Mavericks installer)

It's impossible to playback audio in Logic X. It's interrupted all the time. After a few seconds I get the "Error while trying to synchronise Audio and Midi"-Message. It says : "Sample Rate 41765 (or other) recognises. Check conflict between Logic Pro X an external device." Logic and my interface are synchronised to the same 44.1k internal rate. I experience the same problem in finder playback, but less.

Like all you guys out there, I have tons of work, and I am blocked right now. Logic X was running perfectly on my old iMac (2008), even with Mavericks.

Does anyone experience the same problem, with his Roland Octa Capture? Is there anyone who has a solution? I've uploaded some screenshots.

Thank you in advance,

fishmax,

This is a known issue with the USB2 Octa and USB3 ports on your new Mac.

Roland have stated the Octa may not work correctly when plugged into a USB3 port

* If this product does not work correctly when connected to a USB 3.0 port, you will need to connect it to a USB 2.0 port.

* Even if connected to a USB 3.0 port, this product will operate as a USB 2.0 device; the performance of the product will not change.

This issue applies to both Macs and PCs that have USB3 ports only.

However, test the new 10.9/Mavericks drivers found here...

http://www.roland.com/support/article/?q=downloads&p=UA%2D1010&id=62226871

You may find success....

Note: read the updated notes on the 'sleep' issue with the Octa...