Hi

I have a MacBook Pro 14 M1 MAX with 64 GIG and 2T SSD and external SSD Drive. I use logic and Kontakt AU.
I really don't understand because with just 1 instance of Kontakt (7.1 for M1) with Lores library or
Spitfire Audio Albion Solstice or another big library I notice that the logic CPU is at maximum which is manifested by crackles in the sound!
My Settings for logic is for buffer : 64 (I try 128 but with almost the same result) and I set the audio proc to 10 core
I really don't understand , because
MacBook Pro M1 max is supposed to be a powerful Mac and with just 1 instance of Kontakt I ear crackles ...
Does someone has the same experience ?
Could someone help me ?
many thanks !!
Best reagards

 

since you didn't mention using any dedicated audio interface, you'll need to stick with buffer of 512 (MacOS CoreAudio default) or higher;
also check some optimization guides on Logic on M1, your M1 Max has only 8 performance cores, and they may be thermally throttled already,
speaking of cores, one Kontakt instance effectively uses only one cpu core, and M1 still runs only at 3.2GHz so don't expect any superior magic...

 

That seems rather odd,
I don’t think you will need to stick to 512 buffer size, even if you don’t use an audio interface, this is Mac… not some ASIO4All on Windows… you’ll be fine with lower buffers fine for sure, and I’m speaking from plenty hands on experience.

I have an M1 MacBook Air and I’m running sessions at 64 buffer with multiple kontakt instances and mixer fx, and that MacBook does not even have fans so there’s also no way your Mac is overheating, it’s not an intel processor. These M1’s don’t heat up so fast at all

First thing:
Are you running logic via Rosetta? If not, is your kontakt native to arm64? Which release of kontakt did you install from sister site I assume? (Don’t post link to warez tho)

Second thing:
Are your libraries on an external SSD? If so you have to make sure it’s formatted to APFS, and not it’s default exFAT, that definitely might cause dropouts and crackles.. if it’s exFAT you will pretty much have to format the drive to APFS and then download and install the libraries again

Thirds thing:
Do you have any garbage cleaning/anti virus software? Check the Activity Monitor to make sure you don’t have anything fishy going on

 

I'd like to see a couple screenshots of your Activity Monitor and so on, before typing a lot of guessing. Although I do already have one or two.

Is it normal, or even advisable to work in 7.1/spatial audio? I'm still on Logic 10.5. By "work", I mean creating the music inside your project; not Mixing.

 

Last edited: Jun 13, 2022

I’m pretty sure it’s a typo and he means version 6.7.1 of Kontakt?
I also wouldn’t recommend using a MORiA release, sometimes he’s stuff works but a lot of other times it doesn’t, I’d stick to 6.7.0 by TRAZOR

 

Last edited: Jun 13, 2022

Ive never had a moria issue, I see it on sister site all the time that people will have issues, then I try it and everything is fine... Most of his "issues" seems very user related. I was able to grab his united audio release awhile back only to find out it got removed like 5 mins after i snagged it... dont know why it got removed, if it "didnt work", but it works fine on my M1.... Trazor helped me release some zplane stuff for mac and I know he is real good at what hes doing. He may be better than moria, but I cannot agree with the statement that "alot of moria's releases dont work"... which ones did you have problems with?

I have this crackle thing happen all the time. More recently I listened to something I was working on before heading out for work one morning, I come back home to listen to it/work on it more and it is glitchy as shit sounding and having a sample rate/midi sync issue. Another time I wasnt able to preview audio or play back any music thru apple music (like the app, not online) so I actually think what you are experiencing is not just related to logic, or your set up, but may actually be some type of software (OS) bug

 

I've had it be an issue in finder recently... have you had it happen not in logic?

 

I can’t say exactly because it’s been a long time since I tried one of his releases (I only try it when there’s no other updated version available) I just find his stuff more of a hit and miss where it’s mostly misses… and just overall clumsy packed (for example the RX 9 release, it works great but for some reason he split the intel binaries and arm64 for the .bundles, so if you’re on M1 you have to pick only one, and have it not working if you need to use Rosetta at times.. I had to manually lipo merge the binaries to create U2B executables to fix that..)
I’m not talking about user error stuff like xattr and codesign or permission, but actual badly patched spots and clumsy hex replaces.
If it works for you that’s great, for me I usually don’t risk it..
For the OP - I would still recommend trying TRAZOR release of 6.7.0 just in case

 

"7.1 surround sound is the common name for an eight-channel surround audio system commonly used in home theatre configurations. It adds two additional speakers to the more conventional six-channel (5.1) audio configuration."

So like I mentioned, 5.1 is kind of standard to work in Logic 10.5; which is what I use. If when starting a new session, Logic presents the option for 7.1 also, I would switch it to 5.1 and check the differences. Obv could be a typo also ;)

But you are right, and I am unconvinced this is not a typical 1 Post 5 years after registration date; a 4000$ MacBook, and "Isn't this so-called powerful Macbook not good enough for my usually super-advanced Windows based musical stylings?" style of trolling attempt.

Maybe when I see some screenshots, I'll think about it some more. One way or another, the problem is still In The Chair.

 

Many Thanks for all your answer :
For reply :
I Have a M1 max (10 core) + 64 GIG RAM and + 2 Tera HD with universal Audio Appolo Twin Quad + Logic Pro 10.7.4 UB + arm64 Native Instruments Kontakt 6 v6.7.1 M1.
I put some picture of the problem : I have crackle with one instance of Kontakt with Lores native instruments (I try with this instrument installed on external ssd pro Hd and with the internal HD (APFS)...
I don't know how ....I need help !!
Thanks

Thanks for help !

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jun 16, 2022

hmmm just to be clear, so you do have crackling problem if the library is on external HDD, but also same problem if the library is on internal SSD ?

 

Exactly !

 

hmm can you try different M1 native DAW (Reaper for ex.) to determine if Logic (or its settings) are wrong somehow?
I assume you don't have another audio interface to exclude Appolo being the potential culprit?

 

Buffer too small. If you've tried higher and maxed cpu core count in settings then not sure what else you can try. I had similar issues same setup and solved with above adjustments.

 

Do the crackles go away after a fresh reboot of your machine? That's what works here.

 

Has anybody solved this?

I'm running Kontakt 7 on a M1 Max 64 ram 4tb ssd 10core cpu and 32 gpu, and getting the same issue.

WITHOUT audio interface (so just external headphones): there is crackling on cubase 12. today I tried Kontakt 7 with session guitar, and after that nothing worked, not even serum, which is weird because I opened an old project yesterday and it worked perfectly.
another very odd thing is that without headphones I don't hear crackling. if I plug them in, on audio connections I can't see and device port for right and left channel. if I plug them out, I can select them for the speakers. I already restarted the Mac, the problem remains. what is happening?

no issue at all on pro tools, though.

WITH audio interface (Focusrite 4i4): works fine both on cubase and pro tools.


BUT, here's the thing: I did not buy this almost fully specced MacBook to always have to bring an audio interface around. how is that a MacBook Air m1 can run multiple instances of serum (tested myself), and this one cannot?

 

Last edited: Jan 1, 2023