Audio Recording / Crackle and Pop / Focus Right Scarlet

Latest Davinci (Paid Version)
Hi there, my Windows upgraded to version 2004, not sure if that would contribute but it seems while recording myself talking in Davinci using a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 2nd gen and tested on 3rd gen the playback is good and clear at 48khz Buffer 256, then it begins to degrade over time, I just experimented now, it took 5 takes before the problem began kicking in.
When it started the snap crackle and pop recording I then began to experiment with the buffer, increasing the buffer makes it worse, I had to reduce the buffer down to 16 (lowest scarlet will go) which then allowed me to record with little to no crackle and pop, but there was the odd snap the more I recorded.
I booted up Cubase and Wavelab and can confirm the issue does not translate into these apps, it seems to be Davinci based, almost as if the latency or sync is de-syncing over time....
(And yes my mixer options for playback is set at 48k 24bit)

Thank you
Ryan

I have a similar problem; currently using the v3 of Resolve 17.

Scarlett 2i4 set to 48KHz, 24 bit - buffer set to 96.

I arm a mono channel for VO and not only is it way quieter than if I record in reaper, but there's also lots of dropout/clicks and the occasional echo cho when talking ing.

Driving me nuts. I can record fine from a headset in fairlight, I can record fine with the Focusrite in Reaper and other things flawlessly. It's set to 48KHz so it can't be the sample frequency *and* playback is fine on the other channels.

Slight update to previous post, also pending approval - I just updated to 17 beta 4 and the echo and stuff is gone - no echo/glitching in the 30 second test I just tried.
There *is* clicking in the first 10 seconds or so, which almost sounds like some kind of digital noise. Might have to track that down and work out what's going on there.

Hi there, thanks for responding, I was hoping the latest version of Davinci would have resolved it but the problem persists. Fine in Wavelab / Cubase, but pops clicks in Davinci when recording my voice, playback is fine, it's just when recording and obviously the recorded audio also has the clicks and pops.
It seems Blackmagic are not interested really, I think this is the second post on these forums asking for help and they don't bother answering, I guess there is some kind of clique you have to be in, a paying customer is not enough, but hey, thanks for responding to my post...

Further update, I plugged a lav mic into my Mac (M1) and tried to record audio into fairlight. Full of audio artefacts :/. Fairlight is still unusable for recording voiceovers.

2021 and i still have same problem - clicks and pops. Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 + XLR miс. DR 17 Beta 7

I have a similar issue when recording my voice in Resolve 17 beta 7 using a FIFINE K678 mic patched to a stereo track in Fairlight. The resulting audio is very crackly and unusable. It is also crackly when when I deliver the recorded audio to an output MP4 test.

This mic worked perfectly in Resolve 16 and it works perfectly in Audacity.

All the audio that is part of my video clip plays fine and I can import audio from Audacity recorded using this mic which sounds fine as well.

Please respond.

Thanks.

It seems related to what I found: you have to make sure all sampling frequency settings, USB microphone*, the soundsetting in W10 audio, and Resolve should be the same. Otherwise sound is distorted with cracks.

* I use a USB micro input, but it applies also using the analog input on the computer.

I also found that on 44.1 kHz, (all mentioned settings on 44.1) a feedback loop seems to be between Resolve and Windows, a continuous echo (continues without input) is heard, input device independent. Not on other sample frequencies. Can someone confirm this or is it related to my system?

I'm having the same problem with pops when trying to record voiceovers. I have had the problem with both 2nd and 3rd gen Scarlett 212's, both of which work perfectly in protools and audacity. I'm on beta 17 version 7, and have verified that the Scarlett, Davinci, and all windows mic settings are at 24 bit 48k. None of my machine's resources are above an idle at any time when tracking, and I am well below clipping. Changing the audio processing block size to anything other than auto results in no signal at the track input. The crazy thing is that if I change the block size back to auto and restart, I sometimes get 5-10 seconds of clean audio before the crackling starts again.

My last hope is to try a different audio interface, as it seems that are more than a few people with Focusrite gear that are having the same problems. I would be happy to be corrected if there's something I'm missing.

Mike

It's still there on Beta 8, with or without fixed bus mapping. Massive latency, too.
Seems to just be garbage.

Beta9, still audio clicks and dropping out. 48Khz, same setting on the Focusrite. Still a noticable delay, too.

Beta 10, Windows 10, ADR/ audio recording is still unusable; pops and clicks and digital warbles several times per second while recording; focusrite set to 48k
Audio latency is also unusable at around 200ms.

Haven't tested it on DR17, but it was a lot of same issues using DR16 with RME 9632 Audio Card.
Issue is related to DR software

I just bought the studio version of resolve 17; audio recording is still shafted. I did a recording with four vocal lines in fairlight and all of them have random clicking.

Focusrite set to 48, project set to 48. I'm really hoping to use the speed editor *and* be able to use ADR or just straight-out recording.

Same crackle here with MOTU M2.

EDIT: I now got audio again....I had to switch "audio processing block size" to Auto... weird thing is that in previous Beta's (and I believe in DR16 too) I had to set it to 2048 for it to work in a reliable manner.


I had the crackles & pops etc on Beta 9.... Now on Beta 10 and recording stopped working completely. I can patch the input OK to the audio track but no signal is coming in. All settings are as per previous and I double checked the 48Khz thing (suffice to say everything is working great in my various DAWs)...

It's a real shame, because I normally record audio for my tutorials within Resolve (so that I can edit the video if/when needed).... I'll need to go back to exporting the video and then recording the voice over in Reaper and then come back into Resolve if I notice a clip is too long/short vis-a-vis my VO...

Davinci Resolve Studio (I upgraded), 17.1.0.0024.

Audio still full of crackles and pops. Is anyone looking into this as an issue? Currently I'm having to record audio externally and import in for VO. :/

Same here - Resolve Studio 17.1 on win 10 with RTX 2080 and focusrite scarlett 2i2 and for the longest time Resolve wouldn't even recognize my device. Only after reading through the forums for setting a default output device did it start showing up in Resolve. But the quality is useless, as there are too many pops and cracks. Every other app records fine. I am defaulting to recording the audio separately in audacity and bringing the audio in, but that's an extra step in the workflow.

Have you found this helps with crackle and noise on your voiceover?:

Before adding any media to your project:

File/Project settings/Fairlight/Audio Sample rate set the same as audio interface.

File/Project settings/Fairlight/audio busing mode/check use fixed bus mapping

Settled the problem for me. Using Steinberg UR242 interface.

Rick

Using 17.1.1, it's less pronounced but you still hear the glitching. Plus the latency is still horrendous so you basically need to monitor with the Scarlett rather than listen to the audio from the mix.

I have Sample rate set to 48000 and block size set to 128.

Hi I've been in touch with the resolve support team (and continuing the discussion over the fact that I can't select multiple audio interfaces as inputs), and it seems that I've finally got my 2i2 3rd gen working properly with Resolve Studio 17.1.1 on windows

I did a fresh reinstall deleting all user prefs in the process as suggested by the support team, but I was still having crackle issues. Support made it sound like some of the bugs fixed in the latest version are around the audio issues we have all been reporting, so I did another set of tests:

• I plugged in ATR 2100 only, patched it, and audio was recording fine.
• I plugged the 2i2 with focusrite drivers installed, 48khz and 512 samples, and I was still having pops and cracks.
• Then, I decided to uninstall the focusrite drivers, restarted the PC, opened resolve, and did a stress test on a full edit with 9 video tracks and 7 audio tracks at full res HD, and I am happy to report that it's recording fine.

My conclusion then is that the focusrite control panel and Resolve can't work it out amongst themselves the proper samples, and maybe 17.1.1 also addressed some of the issues. I don't think the fresh install resolved anything.

Weird, I'll have a try with the focusrite stuff totally killed off. Is the latency still amazingly bad, though?

Focusrite Red 4 Pre user here. The same problem is present here too. Please BMD fix this ASAP! VO recording is impossible on almost all Focusrite hardware.

FIXED BUS MAPING does not solve the problem.

still here...

still a problem today.

[Shrinivas Ramani]

Hi all

Please try Davinci Resolve 17.2, released today. It has some fixes w.r.t recording and playback when using some external interfaces. If you sitll find an issue, please keep posting, with detail.

Thanks
Shrinivas

Hi all

Please try Davinci Resolve 17.2, released today. It has some fixes w.r.t recording and playback when using some external interfaces. If you sitll find an issue, please keep posting, with detail.

Thanks
Shrinivas

Hey Shrinivas, so it's actually worse.

If I record at 48KHz, I sound like a robot.
If I record at 96KHz it's clearer but with clicking every few seconds.
I did a clap test, the latency is 230ms. That's horrendous.

Robot Voice:

High latency + random dropout

Oh, and I started a new project, turned fixed bus mapping on, set 30fps, went to fairlight and my voice sounds about 4 octaves lower.



I just re-recorded at 48KHz and got the same result as at 96 earlier... I also got an image of the waveform when the clicking happens - it's a dropout alright, just a chunk missing from the waveform.

If I change my settings in the Focusrite, Resolve loses access to the playback device and you need to exit, then launch, then re-select the audio device, then restart *again*. And when you exit you have to wait 15-20 seconds before attempting to relaunch Resolve, so I guess some housekeeping is going on - that part's fine

Hi all

Please try Davinci Resolve 17.2, released today. It has some fixes w.r.t recording and playback when using some external interfaces. If you sitll find an issue, please keep posting, with detail.

Thanks
Shrinivas

Hey Shrinivas, so it's actually worse.

If I record at 48KHz, I sound like a robot.
If I record at 96KHz it's clearer but with clicking every few seconds.
I did a clap test, the latency is 230ms. That's horrendous.

Robot Voice:

High latency + random dropout

Same, 2i2 + windows 10. Tried 44.1 and 48.. both shi t

Hey Shrinivas,

I am also experiencing this issue on macOS Big Sur using Resolve Studio 17.2 when recording from a Behringer UMC404HD, with both the interface and Fairlight set to 48kH and the block size set to "Auto". I recorded at the same time using both Resolve and Adobe Audition, and the Resolve track demonstrates the "robot voice" glitch as discussed above, while the Audition recording does not.

Note: I was previously using 17.1 with the same UMC404HD without this issue, but there was a regular click/pop on track one (I was recording two tracks from the interface simultaneously, and the second track did not suffer from the noise.) Unfortunately, I updated to 17.2 just before heading out to do a recording and was unaware of this issue. Fortunately I had Audition on the laptop, too!

Please let me know any further information that would be of use.

All the best,
Samwise

I'm having the same problem with my laptop microphone (Dell Inspiron) and, though not as badly, my Blue Yeti. Is there some kind of fix for this or is it just going to stay broken?

I'm having the same problem with my laptop microphone (Dell Inspiron) and, though not as badly, my Blue Yeti. Is there some kind of fix for this or is it just going to stay broken?

We can but hope, but the audio has been totally unusable for me since 17.0 so I doubt it's a thing that can be fixed quickly.

By the way, here's the waveform when these little dropout clicks happen...

Dropout

dropout.JPG (32.78 KiB) Viewed 26361 times

Any update BM?

I would also be very keen to hear if this is something that is being actively worked on and any info on a possible update timescale. I have since acquired an EVO 8 (by Audient) interface, which does not seem to experience the robot voice I got on the Behringer but it does suffer from the regular dropout/pop. I attached a video showing the robot voice to my original post but it was removed. If it is useful for the developers please let me know and I can publish it elsewhere.

There is a lot to like about 17.2 (Studio version), but the audio recording issues unfortunately mean I have had to revert back to 16.2.8 for now.

I have a focusrite 18i20 rack unit (2nd Gen) And I can't even playback audio without digital noise or popping at any given tab. Edit page, cut page, color page, deliver whatever. And recording is even worse, constant noise and popping utterly useless. I have the Studio version btw, and it has been this way since the Beta. Hoped it would be fixed by now.. It is definitely Resolve based, none of my apps has a problem ever, and I am a professional producer for a living..

So a fix would be nice Blackmagic!

Has anybody tested recording using today's update 17.2.1 (which specifically addresses 192 kHz recording in FlexBus projects)? I don't have an interface available at the moment, but will check and report back when I do. There is no mention of addressing issues with 48 kHz recording that a few of us have been experiencing.

I've not tested 192khz testing, but I theoretically could with the Focusrite.

Tested it at 48KHz on 17.2.1:
Observations: in preferences I can pick the audio output from a list of my devices but no such thing exists for the input chain. Fairlight only ever shows the Windows Record Source device. Annoying, but only because I have to exit resolve, change the record source and then re-start resolve. Not the end of the world.

17.2.1 still has clicking/dropout (as in the above diagram for the previous version) every second or so. Sometimes faster.
The latency is still 200ms (whereas recording in Reaper has no discernible latency). Maybe it's using a windows driver instead of ASIO, who knows?

The upshot is that Fairlight is still totally useless for ADR / VO work.

Tested it at 48KHz on 17.2.1:
Observations: in preferences I can pick the audio output from a list of my devices but no such thing exists for the input chain. Fairlight only ever shows the Windows Record Source device. Annoying, but only because I have to exit resolve, change the record source and then re-start resolve. Not the end of the world.

17.2.1 still has clicking/dropout (as in the above diagram for the previous version) every second or so. Sometimes faster. The latency is still 200ms (whereas recording in Reaper has no discernible latency). Maybe it's using a windows driver instead of ASIO, who knows?

Thanks a lot for your update, that's a shame that it is still not usable. Is there a difference if you use fixed bus mapping rather than FlexBus? From your previous post (4th Feb 2021) I'm not expecting that to make a difference.

I've not tested 192khz testing, but I theoretically could with the Focusrite.

I'll try with both 48kHz and 192kHz when I get my interface (EVO 8) back tomorrow.

The upshot is that Fairlight is still totally useless for ADR / VO work.

Sad face

Thanks a lot for your update, that's a shame that it is still not usable. Is there a difference if you use fixed bus mapping rather than FlexBus? From your previous post (4th Feb 2021) I'm not expecting that to make a difference.

I have a feeling my test project might already have FBM turned on, I can't recall 100%.

I'm not sure which is worse - the drop out or the high latency. At least it doesn't make me sound like a robot anymore.

I'm not sure which is worse - the drop out or the high latency. At least it doesn't make me sound like a robot anymore.

Haha that is an improvement! I won't be able to do any tests at 48kHz or 192kHz until Sunday at the earliest now, but will update in due course.

I'm not sure which is worse - the drop out or the high latency. At least it doesn't make me sound like a robot anymore.

Haha that is an improvement! I won't be able to do any tests at 48kHz or 192kHz until Sunday at the earliest now, but will update in due course.

Update: initial testing with the most recent version (17.2.1 build 12) and my Audient EVO 8 interface, I didn't experience any robot voice at 48 or 96 kHz. However, I did have a very occasional pop/dropout, but lots of periodic crackle. Definitely an improvement, so thank you to the developers that are working on it, but there are still issues there and I won't yet use or recommend version 17.2.1 for VO or ADR recording. Latency at block size 128 is noticeably longer than Audition at the same block size.

What was your latency like? When doing a clap test with a block size of 96 I get about 200ms. I should test with clapping to a pre-recorded click track so I can compare the offset in case there's a second piece of lag with the monitor path.

Sorry, it doesn't seem to matter how many times I tell my mail service that forum updates are not spam it doesn't seem to listen!

What was your latency like? When doing a clap test with a block size of 96 I get about 200ms. I should test with clapping to a pre-recorded click track so I can compare the offset in case there's a second piece of lag with the monitor path.

I haven't measured the latency, but it was enough that it causes you to slow your speech down when monitoring, which needs a reasonable fraction of a second - something around 200ms seems about right. I am monitoring on headphones connected to audio output on my MacBook itself, not back through the interface.

I thought I'd knock a quick (very short) video together this morning to highlight that the nvidia 3070Ti FE finally exists in this country - I gave fairlight a try at recording just 9 seconds of VO.

So much dropout. Are we any closer to this being resolved (let alone the latency or selecting an input instead of using windows' default device?)

Is there anything I can do to assist in debugging this issue? Or is an overhaul of the input selection side and configuration of Fairlight underway?

It's the only application I have where a) I'm forced to use the default recording source and b) it's filled with popping and dropout.

Hey wut up boiz, I've resolved this issue it seems using brute force.
I started a completely brand new project forfeiting the template I usually use for all my projects basically forcing myself to setup all my audio channels/folders/settings again from scratch.
Worth it however as it's completely fixed any of the popping sounds and drop outs on audio.
This must be caused by continuous build up of random bits of cache that just caused my base template to overload over time (bare in mind it's taken my template 8+ months to get in this state) But it got there non the less.
Maybe this information can give blackmagic something to look into for their future updates but if not, I hope it has at least helped you guys with this issue.

So you just started a new project and it's fine for you?

Odd. I make new projects all the time and they're still unusable due to dropout.

Update for 17.2.2 with the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 Gen 2

The pop still happens, but a lot more infrequently.
Audio latency is still very high - 250-300ms.

Shrinivas, Black Magic really needs to adopt Steinberg ASIO I/O and VST3 to bring Fairlight into the modern world. Pretty sure most of these issues would be solved in the process.

Direct question: does BM have any plans to to this, or not?