Pops and crackles with a twist

I know all too well about pops a crackles during playback, and how to tweak latency etc. to avoid this issue.  But I have a new twist I never experienced.  Since I installed X3d I have some pops and crackles in some larger projects that occur not only when I playback, but also when I export audio and make any changes to my preferences (even non-audio ones like key bindings).  This is new and not something I experienced with X3c.  Any idea why these non-playback actions would result in pops and crackles?  I did also recently get a new monitor with higher resolution, so I suppose this could be related.
 
I am running an RME UFX with ASIO drivers, with settings that I have found to result in a very stable system - latency around 11 ms, 520 meg read cache.  I rescanned all my plugins after installing X3d.  
 
Thanks

Neirbod,
 
I don't have the exact same scenario, but I use an RME too with the latest driver driver_usb_win_1038 using USB.
 
When I bounce to tracks, I'm getting a CRACK when it finishes. ?? no idea. I haven't tried bypassing FX b/c, well I want FX on when I bounce! haha
 
Ok tried it. I didn't get the CRACK with FX bypassed and using bounce to track. BTW, the CRACK is only audible, it doesn't write to the bounced track and it's the only audible thing during the bounce and it comes right at the end.
 
FX in use are PC EQs, Console Emulator (S-Type), MAutoAlign, BlueVerb, Concrete Limiter, PC4K-SType Bus compressor. That's it. Nothing else. 7 tracks recorded at 88.2. No midi.

getting crackles and clicks on X3D too. No issue with X3C.
 
I am wondering if there are initialization file changes that differ between X3C and X3D. I think that may be part of the issue. It seems that X3D repersonalized my settings. I don't remember if X3C did that or not.

CakeAlexS
Rename AUD.INI and see what happens I suggest (you can always put it back). Thanks..

Good idea.  I will try that when I get back to the studio tonight. 

neirbod
More info.  I did some troubleshooting and in my case there is some problem with the combination of X3, and a UFX over firewire.  I am using the latest drivers and firmware.  I tried two different FW cables with the same crackles and pops, plus another symptom I did not notice initially - a delay of 1-2 seconds when clicking the record arm button. With USB everything work great.  I then tried testing with Sonar 8.5.  No problems there at all using FW or USB.
 
I have been using USB for years and only tried FW in the past few days so I can try using a Unibrain 10m cable.  So, I can't say of this issue is new to X3d.  It could have started with X1 as far as I know.
 
Strange that Gswitz seems to have similar symptoms using USB.  
 
Anyone else using a UFX (or other RME unit) with FW and X3d?  I am curious if this is a common problem.

Get a TI Firewire chipset card. allot of fire wire (FW) cards that come stock inside PC's are crap and will cause artifacts. This is why you do not hear it using a USB hub. Gwitz problem is something else, not due to a firewire card, like an IRQ conflict.
 
CJ

I have to say I've experiencing a big jump in latency in my Saffire Pro 40 firewire interface since the patches. This shouldn't be regarded as a smoking gun however, the issue could be at my end. The only issue I have is crackling the first time I play a project for mixing or whatever. Second time the cracking etc is gone. ASIO buffer size is turned right up.
 
I haven't tried this yet, but I was thinking of temporarily disabling Melodyne.

It is not clipping. I am not hearing it in the rendered wave file.  The pops and clicks happen as the audio is being mixed down, or during the other times I mentioned already.  
 
CakeAlexs - Your experience is interesting.  No smoking gun perhaps, but it does suggest that the patch resulted in reduced performance on at least some systems.

I had a crackling problem that drove me crazy with a FireWire interface. The solution was creating a power plan where the processor minimum and maximum state percentages were the same. Every time there was a state switch, there was a pop. Might be worth checking.

Guitarmech111
I deleted it and it got replaced with a default AUD.INI dated 10/7/2013
 
Still getting pops and clicks. I guess they don't test patches during the holidays...
  ;)

I tried this too. Still getting pops and clicks.  

> It may be a situation where they need to be "refreshed."
 
Exactly...

Follow my steps to the letter I suggest.... The standing on one leg bit is especially important ;).

Well what I'm writing here is hearsay, wish I could prove it. Maybe it's in my tiny little mind...

Hi everybody, over here I am lucky that I can still use WMD.
Once in a while, I just do a rescan via Wave Profiler, and all crackles and pops will be gone.
Also with WMD, I can change latency so quickly, like between 2.7ms when playing softsynth, and 12 ms during mixing.
But some day, when I changed interface, I won't be able to do that with Asio. since the newer interfaces usually work with ASIO only.
best.
 
 

Guitarmech111
Craig, I am not the only one that seems to be having performance issues.

Agreed, but most are different, and not being experienced by the majority of users. This makes it harder to quantify and track down.
 
For example, I had performance issues with X2, but it was the processor changing state with Firewire (not USB) interfaces. Anyone who didn't use Firewire or had the processor states set to the same amount would not have encountered this problem and would not have been able to help me find a solution.
 
With X3d, I had performance issues but they were fixed simply by altering one of the cache settings.
 
If there was a truly systemic problem with the software, everyone would experience it. That would be a drag, but that would also make it really easy to narrow down the source of the problem. When only a handful of people experience a particular problem, and different handfuls experience different problems, it's much harder.