Playing/Recording with SPIDF - Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 - I'm hearing popping. Anyone else?

guitarmanjack · January 15, 2013 at 8:45 PM

I am using a new Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 audio interface and when I play and record I am hearing a small popping every so often. Its pretty annoying as I have never heard any popping before when I had my monitors hooked directly into my KPA. Its only after I hooked up my new AI that I am hearing the popping so naturally I assume it's the Scarlett causing the popping. I downloaded the latest driver but still popping. I really like the Scarlett but if there is no fix to this popping issue it will have to be returned.

Does anyone else have a Focusrite Scarlett and have popping issues? Or any interface for that matter. Maybe I am not hooking stuff up correctly.

I am hooking the Scarlett into a usb hub which goes into my computer. Monitors are into the Scarlett. Kemper into interface with SPIDF.

Thanks for any help

skoczy · January 15, 2013 at 8:57 PM

I had Focusrite Saffire 6 USB interface and I had popping even watching youtube videos (Windows 7). What Focusrite recommended me was: turning off all devices. I had the latest drivers, nothing helped. I bought Focusrite Saffire 24 Pro (Firewire) - no problems at all.

Neonknight · January 15, 2013 at 11:05 PM

Popping is usually caused by drivers and programs that behave badly, here is a link to a program called DPC latency checker that can be used to indicate if there is a problem with drivers http://www.thesycon.de/eng/latency_check.shtml

For recording using monitoring through the computer which is dependent on not having drivers and antivirus programs and whatnot that causes problems i strongly recommend setting up a dual boot system on your computer with one boot option where you have no network connection (LAN or WLAN) or any other unnecessary connections, hardware and programs installed/running and also no anti-virus or firewall, also there is no need to make windows updates to this boot option since you have no network.

I have been using a separat boot option for years and to me it really is the only way, you can install your copy of windows to more than one boot option to run separate systems. I also recommend that you make a backup of that boot option as soon as you have your system in order with the DAW program installed etc.. so that you can restore it easily if you get problems further on.

skoczy · January 16, 2013 at 10:03 AM

Focusrite support also recommended me running latency checker, and in the response they said to turn off all devices in device manager. Buggy drivers. LIfe is too short to have separate boot instances

Neonknight · January 16, 2013 at 11:32 AM

Quote from skoczy

Focusrite support also recommended me running latency checker, and in the response they said to turn off all devices in device manager. Buggy drivers. LIfe is too short to have separate boot instances

I of course cant speak for the drivers in question, but you are likely to have have problems with any audio interface if you have windows drivers and programs that behave badly which the latency checker shows.

Personally i rather feel that life is to short to constantly have problems with recording and getting clicks and pops recorded instead of it just working as i should using a separate boot option.

Its your choice of course...

lightbox · January 16, 2013 at 2:14 PM

Have you tried to sync your Scarlett to the S/PDIF port?

Cheers,
Martin

guitarmanjack · January 16, 2013 at 11:54 PM

Great news! I got my Scarlett working and no popping at all so far!.

All I did was plug the USB cable from the Scarlett into a dedicated USB slot in my Mac pro. Before I was plugging into a usb hub so I think that may be the result of the popping. Tonight I will test it by plugging back into the hub and see if the popping comes back. I would have checked it last night but I got so caught up in playing I just couldnt stop.

Man I love my Kemper!

skoczy · January 17, 2013 at 9:38 AM

Quote from johntheguitarman

Great news! I got my Scarlett working and no popping at all so far!.

All I did was plug the USB cable from the Scarlett into a dedicated USB slot in my Mac pro. Before I was plugging into a usb hub so I think that may be the result of the popping. Tonight I will test it by plugging back into the hub and see if the popping comes back. I would have checked it last night but I got so caught up in playing I just couldnt stop.

Man I love my Kemper!

USB hubs are known to have weaker current that dedicated USB ports, It may not matter for simple pendrive but for external interface working on massive audio it may have an effect (as you learned).

Neonknight · January 17, 2013 at 10:43 AM

Quote from lightbox

Have you tried to sync your Scarlett to the S/PDIF port?

Cheers,
Martin

This is important if you havent already done this (which i assumed) otherwise you will get clicks/pops.

guitarmanjack · January 19, 2013 at 5:38 AM

Quote from Neonknight

This is important if you havent already done this (which i assumed) otherwise you will get clicks/pops.

No I did not. For reference, how exactly do I sync my scarlett to the S/PDIF port? Thanks!

Neonknight · January 19, 2013 at 12:05 PM

Quote from johntheguitarman

No I did not. For reference, how exactly do I sync my scarlett to the S/PDIF port? Thanks!

In the included program "Mixcontrol" choose SPDIF as sync source (Internal is default i think), that should do it.