Audio dropouts and latency are big issues in multi-track recording project. This post provides complete troubleshooting steps so that you can resolve these issues as simple as possible.
Audio dropout is defined as an intermittent drop in audio during playback or during tracking/recording session. Latency is defined as the lag between the reference recording or timing device such as a click track and the recorded track. Both are big issues and can severely affect the quality of the recording.
Possible cause of audio dropout and latency with possible solutions
1.) If you are experiencing latency or lag, then most likely you are using WDM drivers. If you are still using consumer audio interface such as those that are not designed for professional audio, it uses WDM type of audio drivers. However, these native Windows drivers in audio are not suitable for music production since it can cause higher latency and increase possibility of audio drop out during recording. Read this post for the detailed differences between ASIO vs. WDM in home recording.
Solution: To resolve this issue; use an audio interface that uses ASIO drivers; modern audio interface particularly external USB or Firewire audio interface are powered with ASIO drivers. So if you are still using the classic and old PCI soundcard for your music productions, it is a good time to replace them. For details about this topic, you can read this guide on buying an audio interface.
2.) If you are now using ASIO drivers for your USB or Firewire audio interface but still experiencing serious latency issues; then you might be using an old driver for your audio interface. A good example of this problem is the Focusrite Scarlett interfaces; the first version of the drivers receives a lot of negative feedback because of latency and other related issues such as drop out. Well the actual problems are in the drivers itself that comes with the audio interface (such as that installer CD that comes along with the package after purchase).
Solution: When there is a driver related issue, the manufacturer should fix and release an update. For example in the Scarlett issues above; Focusrite updated the drivers and any users experiencing issues would simply download the latest drivers and install it to solve the problem.
3.) You are running out of USB or Firewire bus bandwidth causing drop outs or latency issues. One thing that you should know is that USB or Firewire bus bandwidth is limited to a number of devices it can handle. If the USB or Firewire audio interface has been connected to an USB or Firewire port that is shared with a LOT of devices, then the bandwidth would suffer which can result to audio recording and play back issues.
Solution: The recommended solution is to buy a USB or Firewire PCI card and insert it to a vacant PCI slot in your computer. Finally connect your audio interface on that PCI card. This will enable a dedicated USB or Firewire audio processing for your audio device. Example screenshot below:
USB PCI Card
4.) You are using severely underpowered computer hardware specifications causing audio drop out and latency issues. Although ASIO handles the audio processing in a more dedicated manner than WDM; digital audio would still be stored in your RAM and these instructions would be executed by your CPU. So this implies that if you are using a 256MB RAM and Intel Celeron in a top end audio interface and modern digital audio workstation; then these specifications are not powerful enough to meet the needs of digital audio processing.
Solution: Get the most powerful hardware you can afford. Never cut corners in this aspect, it will only introduce a lot of problems in the long term.
5.) You have a corrupt OS and registry causing a lot of audios processing issues such as lag and intermittent drop out. Over time, the operating system and the registry would be subjected to a lot of changes (such as installation, un-installation, repair, virus attack, etc.); these changes can slow down your computer and corrupt your registry.
This will worsen if your computer is not only used in recording but for many applications like heavy surfing, heavy gaming, office work, etc. Then during audio playback and recording, you will experience a lot of clips, pops, drop outs or even latency despite using the correct hardware and drivers.
Solution: I experience this issue before. The only solution is to re-install the OS (Windows XP). Reinstallation would completely restore the registry changes back to their original settings. Then make sure this computer will be used for music production purposes only.
6.) USB audio interface is not connected to an USB 2.0 port or a Firewire port is not connected to an appropriate Firewire port speed. A mismatch in speed can introduce some issues such as dramatic slowdown in the performance of the audio interface.
Solution: Read the manual of the audio interface to make sure you are using the correct USB or Firewire specifications. If the audio interface requires a USB 2.0 port, then make sure it is connected to an USB 2.0 port. If it recommends a Firewire 800 port, then connect the Firewire audio interface to a Firewire 800 port. Then your audio interface would run at optimal speeds eliminating any possibilities of latency and audio drop out issues.
Content last updated on August 5, 2012