I’m trying to edit some voice recording from a Zoom H2 recorder. When playing back in Audacity, there’s a slight crackling static in the background. However, if I play the files in GarageBand or QuickTime, they play back perfectly. And if I listen through the H2 with headphones, they are perfect. So it’s something about opening them in Audacity that’s causing the issue.
I’ve tried opening from within Audacity, and also using “open with” by right clicking the file - same problem.
Any ideas?
Are you able to play other files in Audacity without crackling?
Just tried it - same problem. So it’s not my recorder, it’s Audacity.
I trashed the setting files and restarted Audacity. It helped a lot - in the very quiet segments there’s no static. But when a car goes by or someone talks (this is an outdoor recording), there’s still a little static/crackling that Audacity is apparently adding.
Now what?
When Audacity opens up a sound file, the first thing it does is convert it to Audacity’s own super-high quality, internal sound format. So the work inside Audacity is much larger and more complicated than you think or the other programs have to deal with.
How many different apps do you have running in the dock at the bottom of the screen? Lots of little icons with lights under them?
Does it change if you restart the Mac? Not even get better, any change should be noted.
Are you using iCloud or other internet storage? Audacity doesn’t like that very much. Can you disconnect it and see what happens?
I trashed the setting files … It helped a lot
there’s still a little static/crackling that Audacity is apparently adding.
That’s two different problems. The first one is attention sharing problems and the second is overload distortion. You can have more than one problem. That’s not normal,but it does happen.
Restart and try not to let anything else start when it comes up. Kill your mail, browser, game, Zoom, Twitter, etc.
Koz