Try a process of elimination.

Out of curiosity, what driver and interface are you using?

If you haven't tried these already -

1) Try adjusting the buffer settings for your audio interface. A buffer size set too low or on a wrong size can cause crackles and pops.

2) Try installing the ASIO4ALL driver found here http://www.asio4all.com/ and you should always use the latest version with any driver.

3) Try another USB cable to eliminate a fault with the current one.

4) Try another XLR cable if you have another.

5) Try unplugging the power supply from the MacBook Pro...some power supplies for laptops can cause issues when recording audio. If this is the problem replace the power supply.

My money is on 1)...the buffer size ;)

Hope this helps.

- Sean.

On hearing the noise from your sample, I too would have said a buffer or other driver problem. However, the waveforms tell a different story.

Before interpreting those, I have to ask: are the clicks you recorded absolutely raw, done with simple I/O and without any waveform processing or other manipulation in your DAW?

Please specify the make and model of your microphone and audio interface, and also the DAW you are using.

Sean G, post: 440185, member: 49362 wrote: My money is on 1)...the buffer size ;)

Same here. It's almost certainly something on the digital side of things.

Unfortunately, there is no luck... I've turned the buffer size from 32 to 1024, the noise still appeared and printed as attached picture!

Turned eveything OFF / Disconnected like devices, speakers, lights... Still the same!

Btw, I was using MacBook Pro with Earth/Grounded + USB audio interface.

p/s: just did a test -- Unplugged the power plug for recording, the Noise still there! o_O

Attached files

Try disabling the laptop's wifi.

bouldersound, post: 446462, member: 38959 wrote: Try disabling the laptop's wifi.

Unfortunately, TRIED and still the same! USB Device defeated? In fact, Strange, It'll only happens when Record Enable or during recording... Playback & Mixing with it, no issue at all!

That sort of narrows it to the input side of the interface, from the mix pre to the USB connection.

I'm going back on "certainly digital" and suggest re-reading Boswell's last two paragraphs.

Is your phone set to airplane mode? That's not what I'm used to hearing from phone interference but it's worth a shot.

bouldersound, post: 446465, member: 38959 wrote: That sort of narrows it to the input side of the interface, from the mix pre to the USB connection.

I'm going back on "certainly digital" and suggest re-reading Boswell's last two paragraphs.

Is your phone set to airplane mode? That's not what I'm used to hearing from phone interference but it's worth a shot.

Thanks for your efforts!
In fact, My phone was not in the room! Erm... Perhaps I have to switch OFF the WiFi System in the compound? :ROFLMAO:
I was just did another round of test... Turned OFF everything in the room + Nothing on the Mic Pre and Outputs from the Audio Interface + Only MacBook Pro without Power Cord, which means only hooked up with USB Cable... Guess What? Still got the Noise! :mad:

Oh Lord, what's wrong? Driver? (latest one from official site) Audio Interface hates MBP or Logic Pro (Bugs issue) ? :cool:

Please specify which audio interface and mic you are using.

pcrecord, post: 446474, member: 46460 wrote: Please specify which audio interface and mic you are using.

For this case:
Zoom R24
SM57A
Behringer C2

NOTE: in fact, the noise keep appearing Even Though Mics (and cables) were not hooked on!

Silly question but you've made no mention of what you are doing? Recording to the multitrack or using the multitrack as the A to D and then recording it's output via USB to your mac using software? Are you monitoring from the mac's output, and that is where the click comes from. I'm just wondering if despite changing the sample buffers, whatever you are recording on is taking charge, and applying it's sample settings rather than the generic ones in the mac sound options?

Ok without any mic or cable plugged in !
If you record in multi-channel, does all the channels get this click ?
What if you deactivate phantom power ?
What if you lower all the gains down ?
Could you bring it to a friend to eliminate the possibility it's something in the AC power of your house..
Or use a UPS and run it on the battery ?

In the end, the AC adapter or the zoom itself might be defective...

I once encountered a similar sounding click when the sample rate setting on my interface didn't match the setting in my DAW.
~Jeff

It really does sound a lot like a like a clocking error. Here's what one of those clicks looks like up close. The character of the spikes is to rise in one sample then fall at a decreasing rate over 5 or more samples.

Hm, I guess a 130k jpeg file is too much for the site to handle.

I agree with Boulder. This looks like a clocking error in the digital domain rather than a buffer overflow effect. Digital words are being assembled incorrectly, probably when going from serial to parallel, and these create sudden huge single-sample values of both polarities. When these are passed through the a.c. coupled circuits in the interface, you see a capacitor-discharge return from the large wrong value to the next small correct value.

Edit: I've just checked, and this is more-or-less what I said in July last year.

paulears, post: 446478, member: 47782 wrote: Silly question but you've made no mention of what you are doing? Recording to the multitrack or using the multitrack as the A to D and then recording it's output via USB to your mac using software? Are you monitoring from the mac's output, and that is where the click comes from. I'm just wondering if despite changing the sample buffers, whatever you are recording on is taking charge, and applying it's sample settings rather than the generic ones in the mac sound options?

As USB Audio Interface deals with Logic Pro 9
Monitoring Output from R24
Sample Buffer Size, from lowest to highest, Issue is remaining

pcrecord, post: 446479, member: 46460 wrote: Ok without any mic or cable plugged in !
If you record in multi-channel, does all the channels get this click ?
What if you deactivate phantom power ?
What if you lower all the gains down ?
Could you bring it to a friend to eliminate the possibility it's something in the AC power of your house..
Or use a UPS and run it on the battery ?

In the end, the AC adapter or the zoom itself might be defective...

Multitrack Recording, as the attached file below, not every track every time
Phantom Power switched OFF all though
Gain all the way down to the LEFT which is no amount applied at all though
AC Power, Crackling Noise still there even I recorded without POWER plug for MacBook Pro (Battery) & Zoom R24 (powered by USB from Mac)

Attached files

thatjeffguy, post: 446480, member: 38103 wrote: I once encountered a similar sounding click when the sample rate setting on my interface didn't match the setting in my DAW.
~Jeff

As mentioned, tried all buffer size, no luck at all

bouldersound, post: 446481, member: 38959 wrote: It really does sound a lot like a like a clocking error. Here's what one of those clicks looks like up close. The character of the spikes is to rise in one sample then fall at a decreasing rate over 5 or more samples.

Hm, I guess a 130k jpeg file is too much for the site to handle.

Agree, It seems Clocking Issue. In fact, I've try to route the Output Clock to Mac's Output (Headphone) and resampled for R24 (https://support.apple.com/en-my/HT202000), result never changed :(

Boswell, post: 446482, member: 29034 wrote: I agree with Boulder. This looks like a clocking error in the digital domain rather than a buffer overflow effect. Digital words are being assembled incorrectly, probably when going from serial to parallel, and these create sudden huge single-sample values of both polarities. When these are passed through the a.c. coupled circuits in the interface, you see a capacitor-discharge return from the large wrong value to the next small correct value.

Edit: I've just checked, and this is more-or-less what I said in July last year.

So, what should I do to avoid the Clock Issue?

Did you download and install the last driver and firmware ?
R16/R24 Audio Drivers

Ver. 2.1.0 for Windows 7/8.1/10 (64 bit/32 bit)

Version 2.0.0 for Windows XP/Vista (64-bit)

Version 2.0.0 for WindowsXP/Vista (32-bit)

Macintosh OS X 10.9 - 10.11
Firmware

Zoom R24 Recorder : Interface : Controller : Sampler - v1.12 update

I looked around and found many complains about the R24 Clock generator, but often synced with another unit (camera or other..)
Here is an answer Zoom sent after one of those complaints :
"Thank you for your inquiry.
I'm sorry for the delay. We consulted to our engineer, and received reply from them. As a conclusion, it is a spec for the R24. It is concern with accuracy of crystal oscillator. Usually, acceptable range of the crystal oscillator is +/- 50ppm. Maybe we think that it is acceptable range, but we think that it is bad result. As the reason, the R24 is using chip of clock generator. And, the accuracy of the clock generator has brought this result. We adopted it for supporting standalone recorder and USB audio interface. In short, it is concern with hardware. Therefore, it can't fix with firmware updates. Then, the R16 is using same chip.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation."

pcrecord, post: 446517, member: 46460 wrote: Did you download and install the last driver and firmware ?
R16/R24 Audio Drivers

Ver. 2.1.0 for Windows 7/8.1/10 (64 bit/32 bit)

Version 2.0.0 for Windows XP/Vista (64-bit)

Version 2.0.0 for WindowsXP/Vista (32-bit)

Macintosh OS X 10.9 - 10.11
Firmware

Zoom R24 Recorder : Interface : Controller : Sampler - v1.12 update

I looked around and found many complains about the R24 Clock generator, but often synced with another unit (camera or other..)
Here is an answer Zoom sent after one of those complaints :
"Thank you for your inquiry.
I'm sorry for the delay. We consulted to our engineer, and received reply from them. As a conclusion, it is a spec for the R24. It is concern with accuracy of crystal oscillator. Usually, acceptable range of the crystal oscillator is +/- 50ppm. Maybe we think that it is acceptable range, but we think that it is bad result. As the reason, the R24 is using chip of clock generator. And, the accuracy of the clock generator has brought this result. We adopted it for supporting standalone recorder and USB audio interface. In short, it is concern with hardware. Therefore, it can't fix with firmware updates. Then, the R16 is using same chip.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation."

So much appreciate for your kindness out there! (y);)
Unfortunately, I'm still with OS 10.6.8. As for the R24 firmware, mine is updated V1.12
From the reply, it seemed No Hope to resolve that issue :cry::cry::cry:
So, what is your best advice? Grab another Audio Interface? (n)
Just wondering, whether OS Upgrade will solve that issue?:eek:

pcrecord, post: 446517, member: 46460 wrote: I looked around and found many complains about the R24 Clock generator, but often synced with another unit (camera or other..). Here is an answer Zoom sent after one of those complaints :
"Thank you for your inquiry. I'm sorry for the delay. We consulted to our engineer, and received reply from them. As a conclusion, it is a spec for the R24. It is concern with accuracy of crystal oscillator. Usually, acceptable range of the crystal oscillator is +/- 50ppm. Maybe we think that it is acceptable range, but we think that it is bad result. As the reason, the R24 is using chip of clock generator. And, the accuracy of the clock generator has brought this result. We adopted it for supporting standalone recorder and USB audio interface. In short, it is concern with hardware. Therefore, it can't fix with firmware updates. Then, the R16 is using same chip. Thank you for your patience and cooperation."

I think we have to be careful not to get side-tracked into a different issue. The whole problem with clock inaccuracy and drift is indeed a difficulty with a lot of Zoom devices, and it appears simply to be down to the specification level of crystals that they use. This has no bearing on the corruption of digital words sent or received via USB.

I was called in some time ago by a friend to comment on a similar corruption issue between an audio interface and a desktop computer. Having fairly quickly found that the problem was not in the audio interface, I cured the trouble by plugging in a PCIe USB card so the transfers went through a different type of USB device rather than the manufacturer's one fitted on the motherboard. Whether the trouble was down to the quality of the silicon device on the motherboard or the integrity of the drivers I never found out.

In your case, it's much less likely to be a USB device or driver issue on a MacBook Pro, and you don't have the option of plugging in a separate USB card. However, I do think it's worth taking your Zoom device and plugging it into a different computer (e.g. one running Windows) to see if the problem is still there on that system. By the way, I trust you have tried a different USB cable, as some cables are rubbish.

Boswell, post: 446528, member: 29034 wrote: I think we have to be careful not to get side-tracked into a different issue. The whole problem with clock inaccuracy and drift is indeed a difficulty with a lot of Zoom devices, and it appears simply to be down to the specification level of crystals that they use. This has no bearing on the corruption of digital words sent or received via USB.

I was called in some time ago by a friend to comment on a similar corruption issue between an audio interface and a desktop computer. Having fairly quickly found that the problem was not in the audio interface, I cured the trouble by plugging in a PCIe USB card so the transfers went through a different type of USB device rather than the manufacturer's one fitted on the motherboard. Whether the trouble was down to the quality of the silicon device on the motherboard or the integrity of the drivers I never found out.

In your case, it's much less likely to be a USB device or driver issue on a MacBook Pro, and you don't have the option of plugging in a separate USB card, However, I do think it's worth taking your Zoom device and plugging it into a different computer (e.g. one running Windows) to see if the problem is still there on that system. By the way, I trust you have tried a different USB cable, as some cables are rubbish.

You're right Bos... my intention was simply to let know that does clocks aren't perfect.

Normally this type of clocking error is seen when two devices are connected digitally but both running on their internal clocks. But the Zoom device isn't connected digitally to something with its own clock so there's no standard explanation for the clocking issue. Definitely try it on a different computer. A USB incompatibility seems like a promising explanation.