Mac iOS 11.5.2
Still using Audacity 3.1.3
I am using a 2nd hand Rode NT1A and a 2nd hand Scarlett 2i2. My Mac has no USB ports so I plug my Scarlett 2i2 into a USB hub thing which has an adapter to fit my laptop.
Screenshot is here: https://imgur.com/a/tIXamJW
This happened several times in 1 hour the first time I used my new equipment (back in January), so I assumed I had set something up incorrectly. It hasn’t happened again until this week. I’m a bit rattled because this obviously affects my productivity.
My proofer has found a few more of these errors this week. They all seem to be 0.1 seconds. There’s another 3.5 second dropout.
I have fiddled with the Label Sounds function to find the error.
there’s also a weird blip a few seconds later but it’s not long enough to register as audio cutting out.
Anyone got any insights? or even what this is called so I know what to google?
Could this be RAM related?
Not a Mac person but this could be one of two general issues:
-
insufficient USB power - especially as you are going through a hub. Does the hub have its own mains power? Can you get hold of one to try?
-
competition from other apps (for CPU or internal bus) - this is more likely as you have only seen this problem intermittently. Can you close all other apps especially browsers and anything else that might have audio settings? Or even do a clean restart and only open Audacity?
So the first thing I would try is eliminating the hub and just using a straight adapter cable.
But jademan
Wait, I guess you mean a (lightning or whatever Macs have) to USB adapter cable
Ummmm sorry I really don’t know. It’s a 2019 MacBook Air. The USB port is small, so isn’t the standard “USB stick” size. I could try buying a cable that goes directly from my computer to the 2i2.
I DO have a lot of tabs open 
so perhaps that’s more likely to be the culprit. It’s weird that it happens so rarely?
…probably Thunderbolt 3 which I understand is roughly the equivalent of USB-C.
Yes. I would avoid using a USB hub - especially if you are having recording issues. This eliminates a potential source of trouble. 
Could be…
Ideally you want to be recording from a dedicated stand-alone recorder. Almost as good - a PC with nothing else at all running on it.
What do you mean by a dedicated standalone recorder?
I hate buying wires, cos I just don’t know the right search times. But thanks for naming half of it for me, appreciated!
So, since you asked, and since you already have XLR microphones, here is one: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PodTrakP4--zoom-podtrak-p4-4-input-ultimate-recorder-for-podcasting. I try to avoid giving specific recommendations. Google search “XLR Recorders”.
But you already have a nice interface, so the easiest way to save money is to not spend it in the first place.
Me, too! I think I have a collection of over a hundred different cables, adapters and converters. And people just charge what they can for these, even though they make them for only a buck or so. I remember years ago, when I bought a color printer. The salesman suggested my old B/W cable wouldn’t work and wanted to sell me a new cable to go with it for only about half the price of the printer!
So I believe the Focurite 2i2 USB connector may have undergone some revisions, so I’ll leave that part of it up to you. If you can get the recording to work by simply rebooting your machine, killing the internet, and not starting up any other programs, I would say you can save $money$ and you have a winner!