Static/distortion on recording in Yosemite

[cmac185]

Latest test: I found a download of Audacity version 2.0.5. I recorded over 2 1/2 hours of audio. I saved the file, no problems. Checked the audio and there is no clicking at all on the recording. Sounds fine.

Interesting. Did you have the buffer setting at 100?

If you get a chance try Audacity 2.0.6. I was using that version when I had the original popping problem. If that one has a problem then maybe the issue is some change that occurred between 2.0.5 and 2.0.6. I'm sure that would help the developers track down the issue.

Cliff

[Scott549]

Buffer setting was pre-set to 100 milliseconds. I did not change it.

What practical effect does this setting have?

[cmac185]

My understanding is that it determines how often Audacity has to grab the audio data. Apparently on the Mac some have had better results with smaller numbers. I've experimented on mine all the way down to 15 and don't know for sure if that is what got mine to work right on 2.1.0 or not. I'm still tracking the reason down by the process of elimination since I have a setup that works and also a for sure setup that fails so one item at a time I'm eliminating the differences. It takes a long time as it happens in only one set of recording conditions which occur once a week.

Cliff

[Scott549]

I recorded a few seconds with the buffer at 10, 20, 30 and 500 and it didn't make any difference. Maybe it would with a longer recording but I don't have the patience to do that.

Have you ever gotten the popping noise or crashing with any version other than 2.1.0?

[Gale Andrews]

I recorded a few seconds with the buffer at 10, 20, 30 and 500 and it didn't make any difference. Maybe it would with a longer recording but I don't have the patience to do that.

Have you ever gotten the popping noise or crashing with any version other than 2.1.0?

Yes Cmac185 had the "popping" in 2.0.6.

Can you recall with that crash whether you were saving a project or exporting and whether you had opened "About Audacity"?

If you can take the buffer down to 10 and still record in 2.1.0, I would try that. What device are you recording with?


Gale

[Scott549]

With the recent crash, I was saving the project. I had not opened "About Audacity." I am recording with a cheap mixer running into a Mac desktop.

I will try a sample recording with Audacity 2.1.0 and the buffer at 10.

[Scott549]

OK, just did the test with Audacity 2.1.0 and buffer at 10. About an hour and a half recording. No problems.

I really can't afford this to keep happening. Three people are committing over an hour of their time and the whole thing getting lost or corrupted with the popping sound. Any idea which is safer, using 2.0.5 or using 2.1.0 with buffer at 10? Is there any potential problem with the lower buffer size? I still don't understand what it does and why it's adjustable.

[cmac185]

OK, just did the test with Audacity 2.1.0 and buffer at 10. About an hour and a half recording. No problems.

Just a word of caution. Be sure that your tests are an exact duplication of the problem recording conditions. I can record all day from a tape player or other prerecorded source and have zero problems. It is only when doing a live recording that it messes up. It still boggles my mind as to what makes it different, but it is consistently the live recording using a microphone that creates the problem and nothing else will.

Also, I found that the buffer size of 10 on my 2009 MacBook Pro was marginal for recording and 15 seems solid. I hope you can try 2.0.6 sometime, but I realize the importance of getting a good recording also. I was able to experiment by using two computers and recording in parallel with one using 2.0.5 on Mavericks for the good recording and then experimenting with settings on my machine.

Cliff

[Scott549]

OK, just did the test with Audacity 2.1.0 and buffer at 10. About an hour and a half recording. No problems.

Just a word of caution. Be sure that your tests are an exact duplication of the problem recording conditions. I can record all day from a tape player or other prerecorded source and have zero problems. It is only when doing a live recording that it messes up. It still boggles my mind as to what makes it different, but it is consistently the live recording using a microphone that creates the problem and nothing else will.

Also, I found that the buffer size of 10 on my 2009 MacBook Pro was marginal for recording and 15 seems solid. I hope you can try 2.0.6 sometime, but I realize the importance of getting a good recording also. I was able to experiment by using two computers and recording in parallel with one using 2.0.5 on Mavericks for the good recording and then experimenting with settings on my machine.

Cliff

What is the problem if the buffer size is too low? What happens?
My test recordings referenced in this thread were all with my mixer going into the computer.

[cmac185]

Too low resulted in drop outs and eventually Audacity stopped saving data and I had to close Audacity and restart it and raise the buffer size to get it functioning again as. That happened to me, if I recall correctly, somewhere under 10. If 10 works for you then great, but I didn't feel comfortable that close to failure so I've gone to 15 and used it successfully. If you look back a few weeks on this thread you'll see what I did to get a working system including booting just before recording, WiFi off, all unnecessary apps closed etc. I'm sure all of that isn't necessary, but what is and what isn't is what I'm experimenting with these days.

My setup was a wireless mic into a receiver into the Line-in in the computer. Functionally the same as you running your mixer into the Line-in.

Cliff