Level 1

5 points

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

998 replies

shipsupt

Level 1

4 points

Nov 28, 2013 2:52 PM in response to shipsupt

After returning from work today I woke the iMac and proceeded to play as much music as I could from several different programs. Not a single hiccup, pop, or click.

I'm stumped... 😕

My listening time was a bit limited, but consdiering it would typically take less than a single track for me to experience the problem in the past, I am growing more confident in the machines performance as I've been listening for hours with no issues.

Tonight I plan to try a completely different approach. I'm going to disable sleep and let iTunes play on shuffle throughout the night. When I did this test in the past it would eventually lock up audio. I'll let everyone know the results tommorow.

Pancenter

Level 6

14,840 points

Nov 28, 2013 5:20 PM in response to shipsupt

How about shutting the computer down and then trying it, (after your iTunes/night test). Turn it off for 30 minutes, then back on and check for noise.

Wound

Level 1

0 points

Nov 29, 2013 2:19 AM in response to Deadphish42

I returned for refund :(

Assuming this Audio Interface-Core Audio- Fusion Drive iMac dropout/crash gets fixed (if even possible) I'll rebuy later.

Really frustrating...hello again G5 and logic 7.1.1 :/

shipsupt

Level 1

4 points

Nov 29, 2013 2:30 AM in response to Pancenter

Great idea. I did check the status this morning and it was noise free and still playing after a night of continuous output. When I get home from work tonight I'll do a shut down and then test again.

shipsupt

Level 1

4 points

Nov 29, 2013 12:30 PM in response to shipsupt

Good call Pancenter... but sad outcome. I did the shut down test and after starting back up I had noise/popping/distortion on playback almost immediately.

I'm calling my Apple guy now to see what's next.

If I'm still in 14 days on this second machine I very well may turn it in for a machine without the fusion drive...

More later.

Deadphish42 Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 29, 2013 12:51 PM in response to shipsupt

Hi Guy's

I'm on my third late 2013 3TB fusion drive. I have a call set up for Sunday with my senior technical advisor to discuss my options (i guess once you have 3 identicle machines fail for the same reason it gets escilated). One of my options will be to go to a 1TB SSD(not for free). What does everybody think of that option. I know it has been discussed in the thread. I just don't remember exactly what the determination was.

Am I correct in assuming that by going from a 3TB fusion drive to a 1TBSSD I would eliminate the Rice Crispie effect compltly. I understand I could still be subject to USB 2 compatability issues with the new iMac. I am using a Presonus Fire Wire AI and dont anticipate any problems but if I do I will look at it as an oppertunitity to upgrade my interface.

Art of Sound you have got me really starting to like the Motu line. Do you have any experience with or opinions for the Motu 16.

Thank you so much everybody on this thread and I will keep you updated on how my phone call with Apple on Sunday,

DeadPhish

Nov 29, 2013 1:12 PM in response to Deadphish42

Hey Deadphish,

Firstly, thanks for the update, as always, it is much appreciated...

The 1TB SSD is a good option though, as you probably know, Im still not totally sold on SSDs at the moment as a primary drive simply because of the cost to GB ratio compared to a fast Mech drive...but I will admit I have been looking into upgrading one of my Mac Minis to SSD just for the heck of it... so I can truly put one through it's paces over a period of time.. and there are some great deals at the moment that I have been keeping my eye out for this 'Black Friday' and "Cyber Monday' so I might just take the plunge.....

I have never used or tried a Track16 myself... but one of my clients has two of them (for both his laptops) and he swears by them (He connects them via Firewire) when he is out on the road recording small, 'coffee shop' type gigs... with LPX. He says they have proven to be stable, driver wise, which doesn't surprise me.... and he has been really happy with the sound quality via the Mic inputs which is what he tends to rely on/use more than anything else... so, that's his take. He also has an Ultralite Mk3 and an 896 Mk3 in his main studio... so that is what he is comparing the Track 16 to....

Having said that, I think you should be fine with your Presonus via FW anyhow...

Pancenter

Level 6

14,840 points

Nov 29, 2013 1:29 PM in response to shipsupt

shipsupt wrote:

Good call Pancenter... but sad outcome. I did the shut down test and after starting back up I had noise/popping/distortion on playback almost immediately.

Yes, I thought this might happen as OSX will be writing/reading and buffering memory to swap files for some time. Eventually the OS will finish the continuous FD access and the clicks and pops will start to taper off, however... if you do a lot of audio recording I'm pretty sure they will return. OSX is a busy operating system.

Deadphish42 Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 29, 2013 1:38 PM in response to The Art Of Sound

Thank you.

Dav3038

Level 1

5 points

Nov 30, 2013 2:50 AM in response to Deadphish42

Hello everybody,

I just read the last pages of this thread : I returned my late 2013 27' iMac with FD last month for the same problem. Sound distorsion and pop / clicks, sound cutting off with Apogee Firewire.

If I understand correctly, there is a lot of audio issues with this iMac including FD and/or USB 3

What about thunderbolt ? I ask myself to buy a 27' iMac with SSD. Will my Apogee Duet Firewire works plugged into thunderbolt port ?

Does anyone have the same configuration ?

Thanks

Nov 30, 2013 2:46 PM in response to Dav3038

I'm using the 27" 3TB FD iMac with a Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 via FireWire/TB adapter, it's useless at this point. Luckily for me, this is my video editing machine, not my studio computer, so I just have my monitors connected via a 1/8 stereo to dual 1/4" connector while I wait for Apple to hopefully solve this problem. Point being, I am sure you are out of luck with your Apogee too. FireWire & USB3 both have the same issue, it's the Mac itself not having enough bandwidth to process the audio, not the connection.

Jason

Nov 30, 2013 3:07 PM in response to Philoking

Jason,

Dav is talking about a non FD iMac... and the issue you are referring to, only occurs with FD'd 2013 iMacs....

i believe the FW version of the Duet works fine currently using the lastest drivers, with Mavericks... on any Mac other than the 2013 iMac with FD

Dav,

Yes you can use the FW to TBolt adaptor... One of my clients has the same setup as yourself (Duet Mk1 and 2013 iMac with SSD) and is reporting no issues now he has exchanged his 2013 iMac for one without FD

danriko

Level 1

0 points

Nov 30, 2013 6:12 PM in response to The Art Of Sound

Tonight I was getting ready to pull the trigger and order a new 27" 3TB FD iMac to run Logic X, to replace an aging 2006 iMac Logic 9 setup. Then for some reason I thought to check this community support board to see if there were any 'issues' with my proposed purchase, and I am very glad I did. Now I am in wait and see mode, and hopefully Apple fixes this soon. Thanks to everyone for raising the issue with Apple tech support.

Dav3038

Level 1

5 points

Dec 1, 2013 1:40 AM in response to The Art Of Sound

Hello,

Thanks for your message ! It's a very good news for me, I'm going to buy an iMac with SSD. I will say to you how it works !

Thanks again for your help

Dav

ajc1961

Level 1

0 points

Dec 1, 2013 6:56 AM in response to Søren Hoff

I am in the same Boat as you guys. I also just bought the sparkling new imac icore7 "3TB Fusion Drive".

I am running logic 10 and mavericks.

My trusty old motu 896HD is dropping out after only a few minutes every time i use it so it forced me to rush out and buy a apogee Quartet which sounds great when i'm not trying to record anything.

All i get is a crackling distortion noise.

So i decided to google this issue and here i am.

Come on apple please fix this quick before our NEW Imacs become old before they even work !!!

Lucky for me I still have my motu hooked up to my old imac and i can keep my recording studio open for business.

These fusion drives are a great idea but they just dont work, YET!!!

I've been married to apple for 20 years, don't drop the ball now.

Andy

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clipping sound on new iMac when Logix X is running