#Crackling with FL ASIO 48000 Hz and Max buffer

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

brazen rune
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I am admittedly still rather new to FL and my master's degree is in a visual field rather than audio, but even after scouring through forums, Reddit, Youtube, and even trying to lurk and find answers here in the help threads, I'm still finding a dead end to my question.

I am using Producer Edition v21.0.3 [build 3517] 64Bit, on Windows 10 with an MSI laptop. I have Realtek drivers, although I cannot update them through the console (the realtek console doesn't seem to be compatible with my computer) and when I look for any upgrades/updates to the driver I currently have from the MSI site or the Realtek site, there aren't any even though it's a 2019 driver.

I am trying to hear the song I wrote so I can do final mixing and re-record a MIDI segment if needed, but all I get is crackling. This happens whether I hit play, or use the scrubber in the playlist, and this happens both in pattern and song modes.

I'm using FL ASIO to hear it, and I've set the buffer to 2048smp. Whenever I am playing it, the maximum CPU load that FL shows is 3%. I haven't checked task manager for any numbers just yet from its end. I have made sure that the Windows power settings are set at 99% for the min/max processor. Pictured is my FL Audio settings. If needed, I will also upload Windows power settings, Playlist, and Channel rack.

Additionally, I have tried hitting the "smart switch disable for all plugins" in the macros. Most of what I now have in my playlist are Wavs from the mixer.

Is there anything else I might be missing?

FLSettingsAudio.PNG
ancient hamlet
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When you play the song and check the audio settings, does it show any underruns? it would show on the same page in the screenshot you provided

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If so, check this video to optimize FL and CPU usage https://youtu.be/OWYmqwb7b4k?si=SxyP49mxi01YQQ8F

YouTube
FireWalk
How To Get Better CPU performance In FL Studio - Fix High CPU Usage!

This FL Studio 20 Tutorial will show you how to fix CPU overload in 10 easy steps. By choosing the right settings, you can optimize performance and minimize CPU consumption in FL Studio. Typical signs of CPU overload in FL Studio is sound crackling and distorted sound.
CPU optimization is also important in FL Studio because it allows you to make...

▶ Play video
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You can also try switching your input/output device on that page to see if it helps. If you use an audio interface, definitely select that as your audio driver for FL

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Lastly, if none of that helps. Then try disabling effects on all your mixer channels. It's the button circled in the picture below. Then you can re-enable effects on each channel to see if one 3rd party plugin is causing the issue

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One last thing, it may not hurt to try 44.1 khz as the sample rate to see if it helps

brazen rune
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Okay, going through the video:

  • FL is high priority

  • Computer is set to high performance (not ultimate)

  • Core parking manually disabled

  • ASIO being used.

  • Buffer is max

  • Multithreaded Generator and multithreaded processing both are on

  • Mix in buffer and triple buffer both on.

  • Multithreaded processing enabled on both Kontakt and Omnisphere before doing anything.

  • My heaviest plugins (Kontakt 7 session horns) are all being routed to track 7.

  • I have now lowered PPQ to 48

  • I have hit "Switch smart disable for all plugins"

  • All plugins are either 64-bit or FL native plugins.

  • Froze tracks to the playlist from the mixer in both tracks where Kontakt and Omnisphere are being used (this is where I'm playing from, mostly)

Okay, all these are checked off. Let's see how it sounds now.

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Yep, still sounds like it went through a blender with serrated blades. I'll try 44.1 KHz

brazen rune
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Oh, and just to be sure, I did a reboot after turning off the core parking. Still has crackling and stuttering.

brazen rune
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A couple things I am noticing:
First off from the task manager end of things, when FL is open, CPU runs about 10-11% without me doing anything.
When I hit play in FL, it jumps to 34, then drops to 16% and stays there.

Memory runs at 95%. I'm starting to wonder if that is my real issue. Keep in mind my C drive where FL is running from has 1.5 TB left of space. So I think I might be looking at a RAM issue.

D drive disk (the project file location) is also running 97%. Correlation, I can see. Cause, I'm not sure.

FLTask_Manager.PNG
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The second thing I notice is that the bass is completly clear. The horns, the drums, the keys are all crackly. I'm really not sure why this exactly is happening, as I also froze the bass into the playlist.

ancient hamlet
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Can you send a video of the issue?

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Do audio issues happen outside of FL?

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Does the issue occur when a track is soloed? (i.e. try soloing guitar, solo keys, etc)

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Are the horns, drums and keys all from Kontakt? Or all from Omnisphere?

brazen rune
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No audio issues outside of FL. Issue happens when tracks are soloed.
Drums are recorded through a Presonus mixer (the mixer isn't connected anymore, but I do know the audio from those tracks still works)
Horns are Kontakt.
Omnisphere has keys and one part of the bass.

I'll try and get you a video.

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@ancient hamlet

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You'll have to turn the volume up on the video.

brazen rune
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We found that the master track was muted. Turning that on brought things much clearer, but still with some crackling.

Exporting the drums by themselves produces a crystal clear WAV when played in Media Player. Going to try the horns now.

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Kontakt horns exported into a separate wav file are also crystal clear.

warm pewter
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it seems buffering is completely destroyed

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check ur audio settings idk, make sure theyre put on the right thing

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sample rate 44.1, 16 bit

brazen rune
warm pewter
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fixed?

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gotta change the inline audio interface settings as well not only in fl

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afaik

brazen rune
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Right. I'll check that too. Maybe that's the remainder of the crackling.

warm pewter
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bottlenecking

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that thing probably 1.1 usb?

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maybe u got the wrong drivers idk

brazen rune
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Hold on, audio interface? I don't have any audio usb connected at the moment.

I'll check the windows audio and realtek audio settings, just to be sure on that though.

warm pewter
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oh

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huh

brazen rune
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Were you thinking of the presonus mixer I mentioned earlier for the drums?

warm pewter
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idk

ancient hamlet
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One other thing I noticed in the video, is that the bass is being sent to the output twice. Essentially doubling the volume. See the screenshot. The channel output for bass can be set to "none" in the bottom right (since the bass track is already routed to the master)

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Maybe check if this is happening on other mixer channels too

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Or technically I guess you could have each mixer channel output set to "Out1 - Out2". Then you wouldn't need to route each track to the master (REC) bus. Either way could work

brazen rune
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I did have all of them set to Out1-2. That was because the master was off and I hadn't realized it, and if I set anything to none, I wouldn't get anything.

Making them all none and routed to the master did bring the crackle to zero, but it did seem to have the CPU load jump around quite a bit at first.

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@ancient hamlet

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This has helped me rather immensely, though. I've since rewritten a small piano segment and started putting effects on drums.

stiff stag
ancient hamlet
brazen rune
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After restarting, it looks like my computer is at about 75% for RAM without FL running.

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Checking how much RAM I do have, it's 8GB.

stiff stag
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Does the crackling still happen when you run it from C:?

brazen rune
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When I put things back to how I had them before, the crackling does happen (Master track off, individual tracks going to outputs 1-2, effects off). That seems to be just me mis-routing things. The difference now is that I see the CPU load jumping around regardless.

When I properly route things to the master track, the song will load the CPU quite a bit at first, but after a playthrough, it'll all be fine.

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@stiff stag

stiff stag
brazen rune
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The crackling will happen on either C or D drives when the individual tracks have effects off, and are being routed to outputs 1-2 rather than the master track.

The crackling stops if it's all routed to a master track, and the master track is on. Again, for both C and D drives.

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As for the load from Task Manager, if FL is run from D drive, then D drive will be running very high. If it's run from C drive, then both drives are low.

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As of this current post, I don't have FL open at all. C and D drives are listing 0% from Task Manager.

stiff stag
brazen rune
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It is, yes

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I'm guessing this is a no-no?

stiff stag
# brazen rune I'm guessing this is a no-no?

I mean you can use it how you like, I was just asking as a troubleshooting step. If they were routed to different outputs, it could explain it maybe. Normally, every track is routed to the master, and then the master is routed to the outputs

brazen rune
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I do have to wonder if I'm overloading those outputs, but most of the crackle happens when the master is off

stiff stag
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Why are you routing tracks out to the outputs instead of doing it the normal way?

brazen rune
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I had them routed directly to the output rather than the master before, because I hadn't realized the master was off, and unless they were routed to something, I'd be getting no sound from them at all. Especially while troubleshooting and turning effects off.

stiff stag
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Right, I got you. I would recommend setting it back up the correct way. Maybe save a new version of the project, then route all tracks back to master and remove the output on all tracks except the master and then try again

brazen rune
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Then you chimed in with the Task Manager question, and I knew things weren't completely 100% answered for, but I still wanted to try out your idea.

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Which still does help. Memory is certainly playing some sort of role in this.

stiff stag
brazen rune
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Mhmm. I'm not entirely sure how much of the pie each of them is accountable for, I guess that's the real question we're left with.

stiff stag
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I would check your startup programs and disable everything from starting up automatically that you don;t need, that will give you some RAM back

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So when you turn on your PC, it is only running minimal applications, then you can open what you need manually

brazen rune
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8GB RAM also doesn't help much. But I'm definitely considering just that.

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I open most of those programs manually anyway

stiff stag
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8GB should be enough, 16GB ideally would be best. Check the startup programs, I bet you have a few apps running on startup that you don;t need every time

brazen rune
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Yeah, I'll do that for sure. But I also know this laptop has upgradeable RAM. I'll certainly be looking at that, as FL isn't the only RAM heavy program I use.

stiff stag
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Fair enough, try to get the fastest clock speed RAM that your board supports and get a matching pair of sticks

ancient hamlet
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Chiming in again here. If your RAM is getting maxed out or close to maxed out, it could definitely help to upgrade to 16GB RAM

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Also - I had some crackling issues a few days ago on my laptop when using FL. FL didn't show any underruns though. My laptop is a gaming laptop. It has 3 different modes. Once I plugged the charger* cable in and switched to "high performance mode" the crackling stopped. So if your computer has a button for switching performance modes, make sure it is set to "high performance" when using FL

vast jacinth
brazen rune
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2x16 RAM sticks purchased. These should be the exact model needed.

brazen rune
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I have updated my RAM to 32GB now.

Using the proper routing, there is no crackle whatsoever.

However, when I put it back to the routing I had before when I drew up this ticket, the crackle came from the bass and from the keys, both of which were frozen tracks that utilized third-party plugins. Omnisphere might be the common denominator between the two of them.

The horns had no crackle, and the drums didn't either.

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I should also mention the bass at least doesn't have any FL effects on it.

vast jacinth
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Where did you install your 3rd party plugins? On your SSD or your HDD?