Annoying clicks during mixdown

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WarmJetGuitar

New member
Hello fellow tapeheads...

I've got a really annoying issue that have been going on for quite a while. When mixing down from tape to 2-track digital (M Audio Fast Track in lack of better) I often discover small clicks that ain't on the recording and is only audible on headphones or on earth shattering volumes on speakers. Wish I could find the reason for it. The channels on the desk (Fostex Model 820) seems rarely if ever to be overloading and the levels on the soundcard rarely exceeds minus tree. Neither is the preamps clipping. Its really frustrating and wanna sort this, any ideas how to fix this would be of great value to me.
 
WarmJetGuitar said:
Its really frustrating and wanna sort this...
Click to expand...

Well...start by confirming if the clicks are there before or after the conversion....I'm thinking it's most likely after, but check real good with your headphones if there's anything coming off the analog/tape side.

So then...is it the converter itself...or something to do with your digital settings (sample rates matched up on converter and DAW, I/O buffers too low, etc).

Without another converter, it's hard to say for sure if there's something wrong with it....but I'm betting it's not the converter, and that it's most likely settings and/or your computer is hiccuping because of the settings.

Also....maybe it's electrical...something with the way you have everything audio connected AND power connected....but again, I'm going to lean toward the settings, especially if the clicks just happen continuously, but at random intervals. The audio may fill up the buffers and then click...and then again...etc.

Yeah...a lot of checking to do, but just start with the most obvious stuff, and get that out of the way, then see about the settings...and don't change 5 things and then check....just do one change at a time, and then check if the clicks have gone away or if they are happening in some different manner or time frequency. IOW....if the buffers are increased, they may not happen as often, but still at some point...which would tell you you are on the right path.

All that said...if you're talking about a stereo pair of tracks....mmmm....it shouldn't overload your buffers unless they are way, way low, or you're trying to do 192kHz sampling .....know what I mean. :)
 
Thanks for the advice, sounds very reasonable.

First step I've replaced the old hifi amp we used as a monitoring system as it's notorious for going crazy with pops, clicks and even squeels at time. It might be interacting with the soundcard somehow.

How important is the distance between the soundcard on other electronic compononents? Mind you it's all unbalanced after it hit tape.

What latency settings would you recommend for a shitty old laptop when mixing down at 48 KHZ/32 bit float?
 
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