Popping sounds

[go2ldook]

I am not sure I can even track this issue to Bandhelper, I am just reaching out for ideas.

I have been using a set-up on my iPad for well over a year now with BH as my control board, Loopy HD as my software looper (controlled by MIDI files that run in parallel as Recording 2 with BH backing tracks), and Audiobus to help with the audio channeling of my guitar input (from my RME Babyface and using their TotalMix Fx app on the iPad) into Loopy HD. All of the settings have been saved and used the same over that time, but recently I have had increasing issues with popping and crackling sounds from my iPad with the sound output.

The only thing changed has been app and iOs updates. I tried increasing latency but helped minimally and increasing it more would create too much delay. My iPad is not overloaded with apps. I have minimized apps that do any updates unless open, and even put the iPad in Airplane mode but still happens.

Why would my iPad Pro suddenly start doing this???

[arlo]

Sounds like a cool setup. First to test the Lightning (?) jack and cable, what happens if you just play a recording from the Music app?

If that's good, can you remove/simplify elements one at a time until the problem stops, to identify the source of the problem?

[go2ldook]

No lighting and cables I believe are fine. The popping only starts later during use and disappears with app restart. Appears to be consistent with buffer over-run, but why happening now? Never a problem before. Restarting Audiobus can fix it. Maybe Audiobus is the issue? But I need it to route the sound into Loopy HD.

[arlo]

I think identifying the app where the problem originates is the next step. If restarting Audiobus fixes it, that makes Audiobus a likely candidate.

[go2ldook]

Maybe so. But on that note, my MIDI issues have returned and restarting Bandhelper corrects that, so...

I am beyond frustrated at this point. I have worked on this for hours. For the MIDI issues I have tried creating new bindings in Loopy HD using "Virtual MIDI" as well as using the MIDI features of Audiobus, but I still get MIDI crashes. I never had this problem before...I played live with this set-up for months with no issues. Now I have MIDI Crashes and audio popping, both of which make live performance with this otherwise amazing set-up impossible. Last night I realized my RME Babyface did not have the latest firmware update, so I took care of that, hoping all would resolve. Instead the popping was even WORSE.

So I am going to break out my old iPad and see if it has enough horsepower to run these programs and use it without doing any app or iOs updates. Will see what happens. Arlo, if I want to update it to the first version of Bandhelper that has the audio delay in settings, is that possible, and when did that update roll out? (If it was last fall when my problems started, doubt I would try it).

[go2ldook]

All apps installed on my older model iPad, on which I originally was using Bandhelper. The Loopy HD, Audiobus and Totalmix apps are all updated versions, since I just installed them, but Bandhelper is an old version 4.0.8, and iOS is 12.4.2

So far no issues. No popping and no MIDI crashes, though will have to play a while to see as the MIDI crashes were intermittent. If this remains stable I may just leave this old iPad as my live rig gear and just never update anything. I would love to have the "Delay Audio" feature, but I am sort of afraid to try it.

I may delete all apps from my iPad Pro and reinstall them and see if that fixes the issues. Maybe something corrupted in memory...this is beyond my pay grade. Possible it has to do with iOS updates though, as I have read some aspects of audio handling that Audiobus and Loopy use have changed.

[go2ldook]

Deleted and reinstalled Audiobus and poping now all gone on my iPad Pro set-up. Fingers crossed that this was the whole issue including the MIDI crashes. I was not using Audiobus to route MIDI, but still possible I guess that running a glitchy program would do this

[go2ldook]

Popping still gone, but unfortunately the MIDI crashed. I guess I will delete and reinstall all the programs. Pain due to the need to re-download all the Bandhelper files and I also will have to retrain the Loopy HD app's MIDI bindings, but I am at least encouraged by the fact the popping noises were solved with the Audiobus reinstall. This may have also been the cause of unexplained volume drop-outs on one of the guitar channels I kept having for the past few months, since it routes my guitar signal.

[go2ldook]

So reinstalled all apps. Popping has resolved, but still getting MIDI crashes.

Arlo, I am going to play a while with my old iPAD tonight and see what happens, but I have to think this must be coming from Bandhelper. If I get no MIDI crashes using the old iPad (which has new versions of all my apps EXCEPT Bandhelper, that means Bandhelper is likely the culprit. Will post a new thread on this issue if that is the case, in hopes that you can help me

[arlo]

If you're seeing a crash, please submit a help ticket:

https://helpdesk.arlomedia.com/arlomedia/add.html