Hi there,

Let's say that I'm playing around Retrologue VSTi

When playing some presets, I get constant audio crackling/distortion.

Here is the detailed information : http://audiosex.pro/threads/audio-crackling-distortion-at-some-presets.78806/#post-824415



As seen up below the audio performance monitor doesn't even hit that high.

Buffer size : 512

Is it a driver/DAW related issues or the preset?

Thanks in advance.

 

Last edited: Jan 23, 2025 at 8:45 AM

Audio driver maybe asio/buffer or shit install .Try another

 

You need to provide more information. What audio interface, what driver are you using, other synth plugins which do the same thing, are you tracking anything in live? What is the maximum buffer size you can set in your DAW with the audio interface you are using? Any changes when higher # samples buffer?

You should include what DAW version and release you are using, cpu/ram, and anything else that might be needed.

 

Before answering all of your questions, I would like to tell the issue a bit more in detail. Thanks in advance. I really appreciate your time.

First of all it happens with any synth, but the issue depends on a preset in a VSTi.

When pressing one or three keys, I barely hear this cracking sound, but it stil kills my motivation. However, the more I press keys, the more this cracking sound becomes audible.

if I press 6-10 keys simultaneously, it gets worse and worse. it only happens with MIDI because I have tried two different headphones.

You can compare the same midi on two different presets from a same synth.

https://vocaroo.com/16mFv0pcKSfF

When playing the X preset, the cracking sound can be more audible, than when playing Y preset.

I just recently reinstalled Windows.

When I change the buffer size, ,I still hear this annoying cracking sound. 2048 is the max one.

32GB Ram,
Intel Core™ i9 14900HX.
Steinberg.Cubase.Pro.14.v14.0.10-R2R,
Audient id14, the latest driver.

 

Last edited: Jan 23, 2025 at 4:17 AM

Are you sure your gain staging is correct?

 

Do you have any standalone synths you can test so it is not even in your DAW? I do not think it is your DAW, necessarily. You could have any number of settings wrong though, especially when it is per preset. See if lowering the polyphony of the synth helps at all. Try various settings of unison/detune, poly, mono, whatever options you have. They are probably specific for each patch (preset or user). You can disable effects being used in the preset. Make sure you aren't clipping the levels.

 

Well, this could be due to that synth plugin's output simply being set too loud, which could in certain circumstances introduce unwanted digital artifacts, such as those evident in the first example of your audio clip.

If it's not that, then I recommend you read (and methodically follow) all the recommendations that Steinberg suggest in their well-written, concise guide to troubleshooting & optimizing cubase & audio under windows:

https://helpcenter.steinberg.de/hc/en-us/articles/360008589880-Windows-How-to-set-up-and-optimize-a-Digital-Audio-Workstation

 

If you have no other DAW, I would suggest FIRST (and even if one has no problems this is a GREAT tool) to get a small VST host.
I use SaviHost ( https://www.hermannseib.com/english/savihost.htm ).
There are VST hosts for VST2 & VST3 there.
I suggest getting both with keyboard.
You need to go to the menu to set audio device (& midi device if you want to use a controller)

Spoiler: VST2 version

You can make a folder in your VST2 directory for the "Savihost.exe" .
Perhaps name the folder something like [ SaviHost-Vst2-x64 ] to keep it at the top of the file list.
Then it is handy to copy and paste the "savihost.exe" next to any VST2.dll.
Then rename that copy from "Savihost.exe" it to "VST name.exe".
Then you have a stand-alone .exe for the plugin.
You can make a shortcut to it as with any .exe if you want.

Spoiler: Vst3 version

Vst3 version even better because you don't have to copy, paste & rename (although you CAN).
You can "associate" VST3 files with savihost by double-clicking and choosing Savihost to open it.
(Make a folder someplace safe to keep it. I made a folder for it in my Vst3 directory named "[ SaviHost.3.x64 ]".
Now, every VST3 shows the Savihost icon and I can just double-click to open for quick checking etc.

They are great to have on a DAW machine.
Not every plugin will work with these and some do not scale properly, but I find them very handy.

Another way, and maybe better (in that it is very compatible / stable) is to use a portable Reaper.
Fast download and easy setup for something like this to test, at the very least.

 

Looks like a gain issue based on your PC and interface, I have a 5600X and an ID24 and I never had similar issues. Are you setting up the ID Mixer correctly? You might be monitoring too high, the interface of the mixer is kinda shit and backwards in a lot of ways.

Check this:
- channel faders and/or master fader too high (channel meter does NOT reflect fader level, moving the fader will show the level change ONLY in the master mix meters - yes, it's dumb!)

I keep my faders at unity (zero), and the master volume knob at the penultimate tick. If your individual channels are clipping, but the master mix meter is not, it's better to turn the volume down from inside the DAW. If both are clipping, you can do the former AND lower the channel fader a bit. If that turns out to be your issue, doing proper gain staging will make this a lot less annoying. I never have to change my mixer settings after having learned how to use it.

Edit: just to be clear, the channel meters in the ID Mixer show INCOMING level instead of the level of the fader. If you are clipping the channel, pulling the fader down usually does nothing, because it's clipping BEFORE it reaches the faders. The master meters show the INCOMING level of the faders, so they show lower if you turn the faders down. The master volume will show clipping on the physical surface of the interface (the LED meters) instead of the interface.

The routing is: channel (meter) > channel (fader) > master (meter) > master (volume knob digital and physical) > physical LED (meter) > headphone knob (if used!)

 

Last edited: Jan 23, 2025 at 6:06 AM

BlueCat's Patchwork is also a good option for this. It is both a wrapper plugin, and a standalone application that can load plugins. It is great for testing like this, but you can also register plugins iin the standalone version if your DAW is already running.

 

Here is the another strange annoying problem related to the main topic.

As you hear the recorded midi in the following record, the second recorded midi doesn't have cracking sound unlike the first one.

https://vocaroo.com/16mFv0pcKSfF

But when I duplicate this second midi and the same four channel simultaneously splay , I already hear the same cracking sound.

Besides I don't see any settings on the ID Mixer. Playing with them doesn't change anything.

 

Last edited: Jan 23, 2025 at 4:57 PM