popping sound in mic'd audio tracks

[KeithJames]

The vocal tracks on my current project are popping, making sounds almost like a skip on a vinyl record. Some are very soft and some are louder. In other projects, sometimes I have gotten something similar if the volume automation brings a track from zero decibels to a full volume. But the weird thing is that the pops do not happen in the same place on any given track on replay. I mean on a single vocal track, the pops will happen at different times and volumes each time it's played. None of this is happening in the software instrument tracks. This is my first project using my iD14 audient interface. What could be causing this? I'm using all new wire connections also with good-quality connections.

[KeithJames]

I just found additional clues info on this. I played back a whole slew of vocal tracks simultaneously on the project that were rejected but still in the project and muted. These tracks do not have any of the plug-ins I used on the final vocal tracks. None of these rejected tracks had the popping. And some material that is popping now was copied from parts of the rejected tracks. So it seems it has to do with the effects and plug-ins that I added to the vocals. Most of the effects are on grouped busses for efficiency.

[danyg]

let's try step by step

 

1 Do you see any "pops" or "clicks" in the wav-form ?

2 What is your sample rate in Logic? Do you have other software in a different sample rate open?

[KeithJames]

Hi danyg: I'm not finding any visual pops in the wave forms. And the same pops don't happen every time in the same place. My sample rate when I checked when this project was open is: 44.1

[KeithJames]

I don't think there is any other software open. I don't know what other software uses sample rate, but I don't know much about this. Only other software open is browsers and also my Audient software for the iD14-lll interface.

[KeithJames]

posted shot from Logic preferences, audio

[triplets]

Did you try increasing the I/O buffer in Logic's preferences?

[KeithJames]

He triplets: I/O buffer was at the lowest setting of 32 and I changed it to 128 and this seems to have totally resolved the problem. Thanks! I opened two other older projects randomly and they were both set at 128 also. Is this setting specific to each project or does changing it change it for all projects? Thanks.

[triplets]

The buffer is general, not project-related.

The lower the buffer, the less latency for recording, but more work for the CPU, hence pops and clicks.

So if you're at the mixing stage, just increase the buffer.

[KeithJames]

Okay. This is very helpful. I've done a lot on Logic Pro with a lot of gaps in my understanding of a lot of things. But you've helped me move forward here. So, the buffer can be set back down for less latency after it's bounced into one track for mastering because a single bounced track is a great deal less work on the CPU than the whole opened project with tracks and effects, etc.

[triplets]

Generally, in the mixing process, you don't worry about latency. So if you get clicks and pops, you increase the I/O buffer.

Having a buffer at 32 samples for mixing is a perfect conduit for system overloads. But it's great for recording.

[KeithJames]

Thanks!