Massive problem with audio interface

RayNL wrote:

Edit: at least some of my current problems seem to be in iTunes itself, as I can hear the same "digital clipping" over the internal speakers too.

It sounds to me as if you have the EQ of iTunes activated. The iTunes EQ is very bad, always has been. Your iTunes problem should go away as soon as you deactivate your EQ.

I agree that is something to check. When I discovered the latest OSX fixed my USB recording problems I did get a little clipping on playback in Logic. It turned out I had to pull down the master volume sliders some because even though the recording didn't clip the playback was set too loud and was tickling the red a little too much.

27" iMac with fusion drive. So far with 10.9.3 the jittering problems I had with my Apogee Ensemble via firewire have been resolved. Not mentioned in the release notes, perhaps Apple were too embarassed to admit it.

Stil pops and clicks for me tho this is just sooooooooooo anoying!! Cant even watch a movie or play music with the audio going crazy! Such a shame apple

Nope EQ is "flat". Volume control is also not maxed out. In any case a pre-encoded file should not clip.

iTunes just crashed and auto-restarted with a protection fault.

And now in the System preferences there's no built in speakers showing up: just USB, but the audio is routed to the internal speakers. Screwed up.

As I write I see there's iTunes 11.2.1. Updates coming thick and fast. 11.2 seemed to last just a couple of days.

Generally speaking, there seems to be some very odd occasional artifacts in playback: almost like mp3 encoding, but these are apple lossless files encoded in iTunes. It isn't on every tune but I can hear it. BTW I have a very good hi fi to compare with. Pro quality gear like a Meridian 800 series CD player. Casual users may find this acceptable, but I want to be able to use this iMac set up for monitoring. I could do that with my old 2008 iMac + Snow Leopard. But I don't yet trust Mavericks + iMac late 2013 + fusion drive. Too unreliable for anything like pro use IMHO. Shame.

I have noted over the months since this audio issue started up that not one person working in an Apple Store had the slightest clue that anything was going on with iMac fusion drives and USB audio input. I keep telling them that there is an Apple Forums discussion thread over 40 pages long about the issue and they promise to check it out.

This has been kept under wraps. The tech blogs don't ever mention it. Here it is rampant.

I am sure Apple is sitting knowing and quiet. I will say that one by one our issues are getting resolved and finally mine are with the equipment I am using. I am grateful for their efforts even while I am still sympathetic to those who still suffer along with it all.

Apple needs to put out better core audio standards once they lick this. Do it this way and it will work. That should be the strategy going forward.

This is truly terrible. 10.9.3 did not address the issue at all. BTW after hours waisted trying to figure out what is wrong you will realize it has nothing to do with external devices or third-party drivers. It may even work ok for a half an hour or less after you restart your mac (and you may leave the comment the issue had been resolved) but the truth is it will start again. What a shame.

I am at a loss of what to say. I had to swap out my fusion iMac for an SSD iMac. That fixed the issue. If you cannot do this you may also use an external boot drive. I am thinking about getting a ssd thunderbolt dock. Sonnet's Echo 15 Thunderbolt Dock looks like it would fit the bill in more ways than one. Albeit a bit pricey, it probably is the most versitile.

Best,

Peter

I have an Edirol FA-66 audio interface, which is FireWire and CoreAudio compliant.

Terrible cracking and popping. If you look at Audio MIDI Setup preferences, you'll see that much of the Audio frameworks have not been altered at all in 10.9.3.

I have a Fusion Drive, but I get exactly the same problems running the OS from an External.

Audio from QuickTime Player 7 is perfect, with no static, so it HAS to be a software issue.

I Think it is a software Issue and I'm sure it's Mavericks. I was running Mountain Lion with no problems and then this. There someting inherently unstabe about core audio on Mavericks and I say this because numerous people have posted problems with a wide variety of audio interfaces since Mavericks release and these problems are rarely consistant. On my machine everything woks fine except playback of movie and TV shows on iTunes, These are full of static yet iTunes music playback and Logic and Garabeband are fine. I have an Apogee duet, firewire, by the way. Other report widely different problems including music professionals whose incomes are being seriously compromised. Apple's reputation as professional platform is going to be tarnished if they don't deal with this soon.

I think everybody with a fusion drive should be replaced by apple at no extra cost, I was lucky to send mine back before time ran out and got mine exchanged for an SSD which works great with my Safire pro 40.

It's a shame though, since Steve jobs demise it's all gone to ****......apple that is

It does appear to be the Fusion Drive: an audio file on the Fusion drive plays back through external audio hardware with crackles.

If the file is on another drive -- FireWire, USB, whatever -- the playback is fine.

If I run the system from an external drive, but play files from the Fusion drive, I get crackles.

I spoke to an AppleCare Senior Adviser today, who told me that issues with Fusion Drive and audio were fixed in earlier updates to Mavericks. I beg to differ.

Gentlemen: start your engines. If you have AppleCare, start calling in. Send Feedback through the website.

Tell Apple that this is not fixed.

However, I will say that there is much that is good about Apple today, and that there were bugs -- big ones -- on 'you know who"'s watch.

Hello all,

I like many have tried countless things and updated to every new version of Mavericks hoping my issue would be resolved. Ever since I updated my 2012 Fusion Drive 27" iMac to Mavericks audio output has been flaky. This ranged from bad stutters and skips in itunes audio after prolonged play to crackling over video playback. It's gotten mildy better with each update but not solved as video was always 100% broken.

So far 10.9.3 did not solve the stuttering audio when playing videos with my Edirol FA-66 in iTunes or in Quicktime.

Today I started to run my device at different sample rates. 44.1k (which I always use) outputs bad quality, the same is true of 48k.

******When I switch to 96k I can definately notice with multiple videos that iTunes and Quicktime are behaving properly! Fingers crossed guys.

Is there any downside to running all my music and videos which are 44.1/48k through my soundcard upsampled to 96l???

Scratch my previous comment that all was fine. For some reason my 27" iMac with fusion drive was fine all night long the other night and then tonight the jittering problems return. Come on Apple !!!

Hello,

I find it interesting that the initial solution of cohenmatt's, that of increasing to 96k, is exactly what works on my machine when dealing with playback of video on iTunes, but I have a Apogee Duet Firewire so if the Edirol FA-66 is behaving exactly the same way then this is not a problem with individual interface makers but rather with Mavericks. No more hiding behind a bush Apple!