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User profile for user: pftodd
pftodd Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Static/white noise when recording real instrument

Hello,


I'm relatively new to Logic Pro X but not to recording per se.


I'm recording from an electric guitar with an amp mic'd up to a Presonus interface. My MacBook Pro is mid-2014 with 8GB RAM. Whenever I hit record, I hear the guitar fine through my headphones. But when I play it back, it is either laden with static or completely static.


I've done a lot of troubleshooting but haven't found the answer. It's not a problem with my hardware -- I fired up my old 2009 Macbook and recorded to Garageband and it worked fine.


On the other hand, recording to Logic via my built-in input works fine. Therefore I think the problem must lie in Logic's interaction with my Presonus interface. Although the problem persists in Garageband and Studio One 2 (the free software that accompanied my interface).


I read on another forum, where someone was experiencing a similar problem, that the answer lay in a bug caused by having both Logic and another DAW installed, if that helps.


Basically I've hit a brick wall and would appreciate any advice!!


Thanks,

Patrick

Airport Express-OTHER

Posted on Nov 15, 2014 2:45 PM

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14 replies
User profile for user: pftodd
pftodd Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Nov 15, 2014 3:36 PM in response to pftodd

P.S.: running Yosemite on my Pro, so technically the driver for my Audiobox is out of date. But, quoting from the Audiobox website: "AudioBox USB is a class compliant core audio device. No driver installation is necessary under OSX 10.4 or above. Simply plug in your AudioBox USB to a USB port on your Mac, then select it in your preferred DAW and record."

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User profile for user: The Art Of Sound
The Art Of Sound
User level: Level 6
12,202 points

Nov 15, 2014 5:05 PM in response to pftodd

Note: According to Presonus's Yosemite Compatibility Information web page...


http://support.presonus.com/entries/57764960-Mac-OSX-10-10-Yosemite-Compatibilit y-Statement-as-of-Oct-20-2014-


AudioBox USB, AudioBox 1818VSL, 44VSL, 22VSL, iOne and iTwo with AudioBox VSL 1.3 will not display or use control panel, until the device is hot-plugged. Hot plug means to pull the USB cable and then plug it back in. We do not recommend hot-plugging with your DAW (ie Studio One, etc) open.


and..... some very good advice that should always be followed... and echoes the User Tip here


Latest OS X & Logic Pro Compatibility Information


....on the very same subject....


**Please note: As a rule of thumb, especially when working in a recording studio environment or while in the middle of a digital audio recording project, it is never advised to make major changes to the recording environment. These changes include such things as updating your drivers, updating software versions, and especially updating your operating systems. One should never make such major changes to their recording environment until you have completed said projects. Once you have a gotten to a safe point, it would then be advisable to take the time to back up and/or make an image of your computer as a precautionary safeguard should anything bad occur during the update/upgrade process. Once this step is completed, it is a good time to do some intel gathering. Please take a moment and check in with us via http://support.presonus.com/forums/20979760-Announcements to see if there are known issues, issues currently being addressed and look for a comprehensive compatibility statement article released to inform everyone about how Yosemite interacts with our products. Once you have checked and double-checked that you are free and clear of known compatibility issues or bugs, it is fair to assess that you can update and upgrade your system.

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User profile for user: pftodd
pftodd Author
User level: Level 1
5 points

Nov 15, 2014 5:27 PM in response to The Art Of Sound

Thank you for your reply.


I understand from the Presonus statement that I shouldn't have upgraded to Yosemite, but on that same compatibility page they state that Audiobox USB (the model of interface I'm using) doesn't require a driver.


The hot-plugging issue is separate: it works fine when connected to the right-hand USB port but requires hot-plugging for the left USB port until it is recognised.


I should have clarified: my Pro is recognising the Audiobox USB, and it works fine as an output device. When I play audio through my DAW (and outside the DAW, e.g. iTunes), the sound comes through the monitors connected to my interface. The only issue is when I go to record through the interface. Could this still be a driver/compatibility issue?


Thanks again.

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User profile for user: Pancenter
Pancenter
User level: Level 6
14,632 points

Nov 17, 2014 8:56 AM in response to pftodd

Even though Presonus says the AudioBox doesn't require a driver, it does use Apple's USB audio driver (system compliant) and therein lies the problem, the Apple driver changes from OS to OS.


Few things to try: (one at a time)

Doubtful if they will help but definitely worth a try, especially disabling Internet access, both wireless or wired.


-In the Computer's Audio-MIDI Setup & System Preferences/Sound..... make sure the built-in audio is used for both default Input and Output. Leave the AudioBox to be used by Logic alone.


-Disable Airport Express (or any Wireless connection you're using)


-Restart the computer, do not run any other applications before running Logic.


-For testing, In Logic's Preferences/Audio set the I/O Buffer to 256 and leave it.


-If the Audibox can run off an external power supply use the power adapter.

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User profile for user: The Art Of Sound
The Art Of Sound
User level: Level 6
12,202 points

Nov 21, 2014 4:22 PM in response to pftodd

This could be related to the old USB2/3 compatibility issue which haunts many USB2 audio related devices...... when using a USB2 device via a USB3 port...


As Pancenter said earlier.. some of these issues are caused by changes made by Apple to provide for better compatibility with older USB2 devices and USB3 ports.. but unfortunately, in my experience... when something is tweaked that fixes things for some devices, other devices that worked ok.. now cease working reliably....


So........


One possible fix is as follows..


Note: Please follow each step exactly in order.... This fix requires the use of a Powered USB2 Hub..... No hub... no fix!


Shut down your Mac


Unplug your USB2 Audio interface..


Reset SMC....


Resetting the SMC on portables with a battery you should not remove on your own

Note: Portable computers that have a battery you should not remove on your own include MacBook Pro (Early 2009) and later, all models of MacBook Air, and MacBook (Late 2009).

  1. Shut down the computer.
  2. Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected.
  3. On the built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time.
  4. Release all the keys and the power button at the same time.
  5. Press the power button to turn on the computer.
    Note: The LED on the MagSafe power adapter may change states or temporarily turn off when you reset the SMC.


Now reset PRAM....



A small amount of your computer’s memory, called “parameter random-access memory” or PRAM, stores certain settings in a location that OS X can access quickly. The particular settings that are stored depend on your type of Mac and the types of devices connected to it. The settings include your designated startup disk, display resolution, speaker volume, and other information.

Note: To print these instructions, open Help Viewer’s Action pop-up menu (looks like a gear), then choose Print.


  1. Shut down your Mac.
  2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Option, Command (⌘), P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
  3. Turn on your Mac.
  4. Immediately press and hold the Option-Command-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.Continue holding the keys down until your Mac restarts, and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
  5. Release the keys.
  6. Resetting PRAM may change some system settings and preferences. Use System Preferences to restore your settings.


Now... shut down the Mac one last time...

Connect the USB2 device to a powered USB2 hub and then connect the hub to the USB3 port...

Restart Mac

Delete both the Logic Pro X User and CS prefs

Delete the user preferences

You can resolve many issues by restoring Logic Pro X back to its original settings. This will not impact your media files. To reset your Logic Pro X user preference settings to their original state, do the following:

  1. In the Finder, choose Go to Folder from the Go menu.
  2. Type ~/Library/Preferences in the "Go to the folder" field.
  3. Press the Go button.
  4. Remove the com.apple.logic10.plist file from the Preferences folder. Note that if you have programmed any custom key commands, this will reset them to the defaults. You may wish to export your custom key command as a preset before performing this step. See the Logic Pro X User Manual for details on how to do this. If you are having trouble with a control surface in Logic Pro X, then you may also wish to delete the com.apple.logic.pro.cs file from the preferences folder.
  5. If you have upgraded from an earlier version of Logic Pro, you should also remove ~/Library/Preferences/Logic/com.apple.logic.pro.
  6. Restart the computer.

Now launch Logic Pro X and test.... (and pray!)

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Static/white noise when recording real instrument

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