Audible noise when hitting play

Hello
 
Just lately, I have been picking up an audible "spike" in sound at certain times e.g. hitting play or stop, there is a brief blurt of noise, sort of a click. I began to first notice this the past month when playing my YouTube subscriptions on audio.
 
Now over the past week, I have moved from outside work to inside and began working again on Sonar projects (I own X1 - X3 but use 8.5). I have noticed that when I hit play on a region with audio, there is an immediate jump in the meters, sometimes huge and peaking the meters. This is not a reverb tail although it is similar to that. It's like it doesn't let go of the previous sound completely.
 
I found I could resolve this by playing a region with no audio, then I get the spike when I hit play. Then I play the same region and there will be no spike. Then I can now hit play for a region with audio and not get the spike. If I then stop and play the same region, I will get the spike again.
 
This occurs across projects and is intermittent, but seems to be increasing. As mentioned, it happens on YouTube. Also on YouTube, videos sometimes default to all sounds muted on launching if that has any bearing on anything, but also recent.
 
This pc is devoted to Sonar, Sony Vegas, Gmail, YouTube, Groove 3 and purchasing and authenticating plugins, etc. That's about it
 
This wreaks havoc on the metering and workflow, especially during mixing.
 
This is very recent as I mentioned and has never occurred before. Any ideas on what is causing this? Could this be an electrical thing?
 
Much appreciated.
 

robbyk
This pc is devoted to Sonar... ...Gmail, YouTube, Groove 3...

Not that it will help you, but the above seems somewhat incongruous to me. I don't let generic multimedia apps like my browser or video players use my dedicated DAW interface. I keep my onboard sound enabled and set as the default playback and record device in Windows to be used by all apps that I don't specifically set up to use my interface. I have an external mixer so the onboard sound can be heard through my studio monitors.
 
If you are going to let different apps use your audio interface, and potentially have them running at the same time, you might want to at least make sure that Share Drivers with Other Programs is unchecked in Audio > Playback and Recording, and see if that helps with the SONAR side of the problem.
 
But it does sound like more of a hardware/driver problem, especially if it's only started occurring recently and affects all your audio applications. The big question would be what's changed since it was last working as expected?

brundlefly
If you are going to let different apps use your audio interface, and potentially have them running at the same time, you might want to at least make sure that Share Drivers with Other Programs is unchecked in Audio > Playback and Recording, and see if that helps with the SONAR side of the problem.
 

Yes I just went into Audio and the Share drivers box is unchecked.
 
And yes, I am worried it is a hardware issue, somehow, although, again, it is just intermittent when clicking play. Strange to me. UX1 is USB 1.1 plugged into the back of my aging pc. Perhaps, get a new cord?
 
And finally yes again, I do have this pc on the internet to watch groove 3 videos and my youtube subscriptions e.g. Craig Anderton videos and other audio training sites. Gmail is for my plugin purchases and authentication, newsletters, etc and client correspondence. No personal activity on this pc, it is all audio and ultimately Sonar based. That's how it goes here, you may be right, if I had the $$$ for a separate pc, it would be best.
 
Thanks!

Doktor Avalanche
Otherwise (very last thing to do) I think there is a setting in prefs that will do a partial mute every time you press play.

I can't find any such setting in 8.5.

After working the same project today in Sonar, the problem was far less intensified but still intermittent. Not a huge problem like last night.
 
 I bounced the track for the client, closed out of Sonar and noticed, with headphones on, when I brought up Windows media player to check on it, there was an audible click at the onset when the song auto played.
 
I closed out of media player and reopened Sonar, As Sonar opened there was a click. When I clicked play on the project, no click. I closed out and reopened Media Player. Playing the file produced a click, on replay another click, on repeated replays, no click.
 
Very hard to understand why this is. Next I'll check the USB cable. Thankfully, I have a Scarlett 2i4 I picked up on a great sale last year but have been too busy to install. It is there should the UX1 go bad.

lorneyb2
I seem to recall a problem with my son's cell phone when he came in the room that was activated through my wireless keyboard/mouse that would trigger a interference in my system.  If you have any new wireless devices added or in the room try removing them from the room to see if it resolves problem.

That is a great idea, but unfortunately, no, my keyboard and mouse are USB and there is nothing else new around. Still the suggestion makes me think deeper on this.
 
I was so happy the client liked his song today and there were no starting clicks on his version :)