clipping sound on new iMac when Logix X is running

Good News: I can confirm that OS X 10.9.2 fixes the issue with the Fusion Drive and MBox Mini (and possibly other USB Audio devices).

My Hardware:

27" iMac, latest version, 3.5 GHz i7

3TB Fusion Drive

8 GB RAM

Drobo 5D hooked up via Thunderbolt

2 24" LED Cinema displays, one directly connected to Thunderbolt, one chained off the Drobo's second Thunderbolt port

MBox Mini connected via USB on Cinema Display that is chained off the Drobo

Logic Pro X 10.0.6

Previous symptoms:

Audio drop outs after a few minutes in all sound related applications

Audio degradation in Logic

Both iTunes and Spotify Apps could (and often) froze machine (no mouse or trackpad or keyboard input until hard restart)

None of these issues occured when switching all audio to go through iMac's built in speakers.

Last night I installed the Mavericks 10.9.2 Combo Update (13C32) available right now only to developers, but you can find it, it's out there.

Everything works just fine now.

Stress test:

Before I went to bed I put a large Spotify playlist on shuffle and repeat, did the same for an iTunes playlist, and looped a 32 track Logic project all at once (yes, this sounded horrible!) and turned the volume down on my MBox Pro. When I woke up and turned the volume up on my MBox Mini, all was still playing through my Event 20/20 speakers. I have worked all day today in Logic and it works great.

I thought I was going to have to send my iMac back for one with just an SSD or perform the Fusion Drive split that people were talking about, but all is well.

Hopefully this update will be released soon for everyone.

Hope this helps. I personally was heartbroken for a couple days as my new machine was pretty much useless and I had already given my awesome early 2011 quad-core MacBook Pro to my brother.

Keep the faith 🙂

My report is less positive.

First, the set-up:

27" iMac, 3.4 GHz i7

3TB Fusion Drive

16 GB RAM

Apogee FW Duet with Thunderbolt adapter

OS 10.9.2 beta.

Playing my bass using Amplitube along with songs through iTunes using headphones still produces occasional drop-outs and "hiccuping" distortion. The problem is much improved from what it was previously, and there is no "bitcrushed" metallic distortion, but the FD is obviously still being stressed.

I hope that the final release of 10.9.2 repairs the problem once and for all, but I have not had a magical result with the beta.

Hi

Could you send me a link to the beta?

I am having a hard time finding it through oogle.....

The only legal way to get the beta is to sign up for the Mac Developer program....

https://developer.apple.com/programs/mac/

There is a charge to join the program but it's only $99 a year in the US...

or...

Simply wait until 10.9.2 is released via software updates...

Please do not ask for other means of access to the beta here...

and again, for anyone out there....

Please do not post links to non legal ways of obtaining the beta...

Thanks..

I was just about to report the post, looks like you or someone else got to it first.

I had written a reply to L1.

------------------------------------------------------

No, for one, you agreed to abide by the rules of this forum, it is not your software you're posting a link to.

I am not a fan of Apple, not at all, in fact this last Mac and Logic 9 are probably the last purchases of an Apple product I will make. Love Logic, not so Apple.

What is right is to raise holy **** to Apple and complain about their (secretive) policies where ever you can, some of their policies are only concerned with Apple and preserving their "image".

But that does not give you or anyone else the right to post links to software that illegally obtained or distributed, you're no better than Apple then, worse actually.

Besides I will report the link and whomever posted it to the moderators and have both removed.

I worked for some of the early MIDI software companies that were destroyed by piracy, I don't condone it in any form.

-----------------------------------------------------

Thanks Pancenter.... and a big +1 to your comments...

So, to whomever reported the inappropriate posts.. a thank you to them too....

I guess some people just cant take a hint... or get a clue...

Ah well.....

AOS & Pancenter:

I don't relish being at odds with either of you guys because I genuinely appreciate the valuable information and assistance both of you provide.

However, please note that I neither posted a link -- nor instructions on how find unauthorized downloads -- I simply expressed my opinion on the subject and the ethical issues surrounding it.

I don't remember agreeing not to express my opinion when I signed up for this forum.

The definiton that I found for "forum" is: "a place, meeting or medium where ideas or views on a particular issue can be exchanged ."

Apparently the moderator -- who removed my post -- and you guys who support its removal have a different definiton of forum. Feel free to educate me if you're so inclined.

Hi Logic1

From my own perspective.. I didn't see your original post. I was simply agreeing with the basic principles and comments Pancenter made...

As for expressing an opinion... That is always welcome.. However, if the opinion expressed is contrary to or encouraging users to go against the terms and conditions you agreed to when using this community then, bearing in mind Apple isn't here in any real sense, the opinon will fall mainly on deaf ears of those that actually matter/could do anything about it and, as Pancenter said, you agreed to the T&C by using this community. If you don't agree with those T&C's don't use the community...

My own comment about not posting links here to illegally obtain the beta.. was simply to remind people of the T&C's agreed to, by them when they use this community and at the same time help prevent any possible issues with such users and the moderators here. You may not be aware but it is not unknown for users to have their accounts suspended or even 'banned' for posting such links after being repeatedly warned.... and thats the very last thing I would wish, given how useful this community can be at times, bearing in mind it's inherrent limitations... etc

One other issue with illegally accessing the beta. is that the user doesn't have access to... or the support from, the Dev forums.. and being a beta release, there can be all sorts of odd issues that can arise from installing it/using it/removing it/overwriting it later when the full release comes out. Bear in mind the beta versions have, in the past, caused some major, hidden or unexpected problems later on... and also that it has occured when after installing a beta, the tester has had to wipe their system clean and install OS X from scratch to fix certain issues found. While the current beta may prove to fix the current FD issue... there are risks inherrent in using such a beta without proper support/fallback/awareness ... and thats why I recommend joining the Developer's Program because in doing so, many users become more aware of any current issues that are found with the beta releases and don't just install it without thought or backup! 🙂

So.. in essence my comment wasn't directly at you personally, as i never saw your post before it was removed... but in support of Pancenter's comments... taken in general terms.

Cheers..

Nigel

L1,

No problem with opinion.. however, the link had been posted earlier and there's many here who don't need encouragement to do it again.

Plus, I agree in one sense, at least with the part about Apple's secrecy and also, from my own perspective, the lack of decent beta testing. There's been a couple of major flaws exposed the last few weeks, the Fusion Drive audio issue and for many users, not being able to record even though their audio interface was selected in Logic's preferences. That should never happen with software that has the "Pro" preface.

New version of 10.9.2 beta has been released in the last 24 hours.

Any developers care to share if this fixes the problem? (Not sure if being part of the program is confidentiality though.... 🙂 )

This is a good question, Simon!

Any news about 10.9.2 beta 2 and Fusion Drive bug?

+1 to Simon's and quattroquarti's questions, and thanks to them for keeping to the topic of the thread.

I've exactly the same thing with my new imac 27, logic X and my octa-capture.

I can't even play music from itunes or youtube without hearing awful noises.

My imac has been change and it is the same thing with the new one. I still have my 2007 imac and it works great on it ! ...

Sadly I still have no solution. Did you tried with another soundcard ?

I just posted the below in another thread dealing with the exact same audio issues, but it is equally pertinent to this discussion so I'll repost it here:

To answer your question ... yes, those of us with FD and firewire interfaces also have the dreaded audio issues. I have a RME UFX which has both USB2 and Firewire connections. The pops, clicks and distortions are awful whether I use the USB or Firewire connections .. and equally bad with firewire via the apple firewire-to-thunderbolt adapter or firewire into the belkin thunderbolt hub. Using the UFX as both audio input and output the audio problem was constant and rendered the computer useless for all audio. Setting the UFX as the audio input and the built-in Mac audio as the output was much better for listening to iTunes and internet audio but recording into Logic is still fraught with regular pops and clicks. I assume all of the above problems are related to the 3TB FD in my new fully spec'd iMac. Incidentally I have used the UFX with my 13" MBP Retina via USB with absolutely no problems at all so I can't blame any of this on RME or its drivers.

I finally got around to cloning the iMac hard drive with Carbon Copy Cloner to an external WD USB3 drive. I booted off that drive and the audio problems are completely gone. In fact I was a bit taken aback at how good my system sounded .. after 2 months of incessant audio issues I had forgotten what a normal system sounded like. I realized that in addition to the overtly obvious loud pops, clicks and dropouts there was also a more constant low grade buzz/humm and much more subtle, but more frequent, low-grade clicks and pops. Running off the cloned drive the audio background was dead silent.

I'm relieved that I can now reliably work on audio projects again with this setup but it doesn't excuse Apple for this egregious nightmare they have put us through. And it doesn't excuse them from fixing it asap. After reading all the various threads on the internet I'm not convinced 10.9.2 will fully fix the problem so I'm not even going to bother installing in it in advance of the public version. Maybe it fixes a few of the issues but it sounds like most people are still having problems, albeit less severe .. which is simply unacceptable for an over $3000 new machine.

Foveus, are you running your OS and APPS on that external USB drive - specifically - are you running Logic on that External drive? or only the OS?

I have been going through the same troubles as all of you on this thread - i bought a brand new i7 iMAC, 32GB RAM - and the Fusion Drive - and had the "snap crackle pop" - problems (using FOCUS RITE USB and Firewire flavors) - I now just bought another i7 - same specs, but with the SSD drive (NOT THE FUSION DRIVE), and have similar HISS/POPS/CRACKLE/ and delay of incomming audio signal - same type of shiz for the most part.

I'll try anything at this point - been down for going on 60 days now... I'll go get an external USB drive, install the OS on it, and boot from that I guess. Would restoring my "Time Machine" to this new USB drive do it? or did you use a clean OS install? sorry for the hassle but if you could detail your steps - i'd love to follow them.

Thx.