How to avoid crackles and audio dropouts
This troubleshooting guide offers the most common solutions for crackles, dropouts, and audio playback issues in Ableton Live. Here are the recommended steps to fix crackles and dropouts:
- Update everything
- Adjust audio preferences
- Update and test your audio interface
- Reduce the CPU Load
- Minimize hard disk overload
- Optimize Windows for audio
- Rule out cloud storage, anti-virus, and automatic backup software
- Upgrade and maintain your computer
1. Check that all of the following are updated to the latest version supported on your computer:
- Ableton Live
- Audio interface drivers and firmware
- All plug-ins used in the affected Set
- Third-party Max for Live devices in the affected Set
- Operating system and security updates
2. Adjust audio preferences
Increase buffer size
A low Buffer Size setting can reduce latency, but a size that's too low can lead to crackles, static noise, pops, or dropouts, if audio data isn't processed fast enough for error-free playback. Experiment to find the right balance for your needs by adjusting this in Live's audio preferences:
- Open Live's Preferences/Settings → Audio.
- Increase the Buffer Size setting incrementally, and test playback in your project at each value. Choose the lowest setting at which dropouts and crackles stop, as increasing buffer size also increases latency. Learn more in this guide: How Latency Works.
Note: On Windows, many ASIO audio interfaces only allow the buffer size to be changed via their own control panels. Learn more about changing the buffer size/sample rate of an ASIO Audio Interface.
- On Windows, though other values may be available, only choose a value expressed as a power of two: 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, or 2048 Samples.
- To reduce processing demand, lower the In/Out Sample Rate to 44100.
You can learn more about buffer size and CPU in our guide to Live's CPU Meter, and in the video tutorial Learn Live 11: Computer Performance.
Use ASIO as the driver type (Windows)
For the best audio performance, we recommend using ASIO rather than MME/Direct X as the driver type. If there's no native ASIO driver available for your interface, you can use ASIO4ALL.
Reset Driver Error Compensation to 0.00
Adding driver error compensation may cause audio issues, so reset this value to 0.00 unless you've determined this is needed on your system and measured a specific value. To find out whether you should change this setting, visit the guide to Driver Error Compensation.
3. Update and test your audio interface
- Update your audio interface drivers and firmware. If your interface has been discontinued or current drivers are not available, consider upgrading to a currently supported device.
- To rule out whether your audio interface is the root of the audio issues, test Live using the computer's built in sound card instead.
- On macOS, open Live's Settings → Audio and select your computer's built-in speakers as the Audio Output Device.
- On Windows, to select an ASIO driver for your built-in sound card, you may need to install a generic ASIO driver such as ASIO4ALL. - If using your computer's built-in sound card solves the audio issues, contact the manufacturer of your audio interface for support with settings and troubleshooting.
Check cables, adapters and hubs
- USB, Firewire and Thunderbolt cables and adapters can cause crackles and dropouts if not fully inserted, or if a cable or adapter is faulty or damaged. Test each of your connections and replace any faulty cables or adapters if needed.
- Try connecting to a different port on your computer.
- If possible, connect your interface directly to your computer, rather than using a USB hub. If a hub is needed, use a quality, powered hub.
- Check that the computer's USB port is free of dust and lint.
4. Reduce the CPU load
If the CPU load on your computer rises too high, you might hear gaps, clicks or other audio issues. How you configure your Live Sets can greatly affect CPU load and Live's performance. In addition to the tips linked below, start with these steps:
- Take care when selecting the warping mode used for audio material. Complex and Complex Pro can be very demanding even without any actual warping applied.
- Make sure third-party plug-ins are up to date, correctly installed, and only inserted as needed. More info: macOS / Windows. To rule out plug-ins as a source of crackles or dropouts, go to Live's Preferences/Settings → Plug-Ins and disable the relevant plug-in folder(s). Or, try disabling individual plug-ins that display high impact using Live's Performance Impact meter.
- Quit other programs and processes on your computer while running Live.
For more on how to reduce the CPU load in Live, visit these guides:
5. Minimize hard disk overload
If the hard disk can't read or write audio quickly enough, you may hear dropouts. In this case, the Disk Overload (D symbol) indicator will flash.
To avoid disk overload, take the steps listed in our guide to avoiding disk overload.
6. Optimize Windows for audio
For optimal performance with Ableton Live, audio preferences on Windows require several adjustments from the default settings. When installing and setting up Live on Windows, please see our guide to optimizing Windows for audio.
Disable power throttling
Power throttling is a feature in Windows that extends laptop battery charge. This can limit the resources available to Live, resulting in audio crackles, dropouts or other adverse performance issues. To adjust this setting, see our dedicated article on how to disable power throttling on Windows. To avoid battery-related issues, plug in your laptop while running Live.
7. Rule out cloud storage, automatic backup, and anti-virus software
Cloud backup synchronisation may cause audio dropouts during recording or playback. If storing files in a cloud-synced folder, make sure the files themselves are available locally (on your computer) at all times. You can also try pausing or turning off file syncing while running Live. For more on this, see our guide to Cloud Storage Best Practices.
Anti-virus and security software, or other applications that have permission to manage, move, or block data on your computer can also interfere with Live. Add Ableton Live to the safe list for your ant-virus software, and/or try pausing or disabling any security processes while running Live.
To avoid interruptions or lost data, pause automatic backup processes while running Live.
8. Upgrade and maintain your computer
Computers meeting the published minimum system requirements for Ableton Live may still run into to issues under a heavy processing load. For audio recording and mixing, a more powerful computer may be warranted if you consistently experience audio issues, or it may be possible to upgrade individual components such as RAM, CPU, and hard disk capacity. For more recommendations, visit our guide to which computer to buy.
In addition, keep your computer regularly maintained and in good condition, as recommended here:
- Make sure you have adequate free space on your computer. A minimum of 10-20% free space is a good rule of thumb. For example, if your hard drive holds 1TB of storage, keep at least 100GB of free space. To check the free space on your drive:
- on macOS go to Apple Menu → About This Mac → More Info → Storage
- on Windows 11, open Settings, on the System tab choose Storage → Show more categories - For tips on how to organize your data to save space on your local drive, visit External Storage and Backup.
- If fans and vents are full of dust or lint, they need to spin harder and longer to keep the computer cool. This results in thermal throttling, as the systems resources are increasingly reduced the hotter the computer gets. We recommend having your computer's fans and vents cleaned annually.
- Uninstall any software and delete files you don't use to keep your computer as efficient as possible.
Disclaimer: Ableton cannot be held responsible for any computer damage or loss of data arising from the above maintenance. Make sure that this work is carried out by a professional computer technician.