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Author Topic: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking  (Read 5066 times)

Jeff W.

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Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« on: April 14, 2019, 06:46:36 pm »

Been fighting a clicking noise with my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II using ASIO drivers.  If I use WASAPI drivers it won't always switch the DAC to different settings as the songs change... 

It actually mimics tics that were common on vinyl!  I have the latest ASIO driver from Focusrite... should I dump this DAC?  Maybe a Topping D50 is in my future....

Running MC 25 although it has been a problem with previous versions.  Windows 10... fast machine and 16 Gigs of ram...
I do have my music on a NAS.
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JimH

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2019, 07:13:03 pm »

It's common for DAC's to make a little tick when you switch formats.  MC has a setting called "Play Leading Silence" that may let you work around the problem.

You could also use MC's DSP Studio > Output Settings to force conversion to a single format.
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Jeff W.

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2019, 08:00:12 pm »

Well the clicking is like surface noise on vinyl... all through the music... not specific to the transition.

Forced conversion is an option that I hope I never have to exercise... thanks... trying to move more to 96K/24.. for better sound... I really don't want to go that route...



Thanks,
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Awesome Donkey

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #3 on: April 15, 2019, 04:28:26 am »

trying to move more to 96K/24.. for better sound... I really don't want to go that route...

I hate to be that guy and burst your bubble, but because music is in 24/96 kHz doesn't mean it's going to sound better, especially if you're dependant on material purchased on sites like HDtracks. It's well known that a good portion of the material available on HDtracks and other websites are more-or-less the same masters used for the CD releases, meaning if you ripped a CD and upsampled the 16/44.1 kHz file to 24/96 kHz, you'd more-or-less have the same thing available on HDtracks (or other sites) offered for purchase. Honestly? buying "hi-res" for the sake of it is a waste of time and money. Don't believe me? Start doing a spectrum analysis for the "hi-res" material obtainable from sites like HDtracks and compare them to CD rips, for example. A lot of times you'll see that there's nothing above 20 kHz (and 20 kHz is around the limit of human hearing). To be perfectly blunt, "hi-res" music downloads are a scam, in my opinion.

There are rare exceptions where the material available on those websites is actually offering something that could be considered "hi-res", and even then I still would recommend not paying a premium for such questionable material.

However, the problem you describe (clicks/pops during playback, and not at the beginning/transition) suggest to me you might need to adjust buffer/latency settings, especially if you're using something like ASIO to output (which it looks like you are). I'd open the ASIO driver's control panel and increase the latency to like 20ms or 30ms and see if it improves. If not, keep increasing it.
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Jeff W.

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2019, 12:17:35 pm »

Thanks, I think,.... now to clean up the balloons .  I do buy some from HDtracks... but the majority of what I have in the 96/24 realm is Vinyl that I digitized... at least 400 albums...

My ASIO control panel is limited to two parameters! Sample rate and Buffer!  Sample, in the ASIO panel is defaulted to 44.1K and buffer is defaulted to 1024... the highest!

I wonder if anyone else is running the Focusrite DAC successfully?
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DarkPenguin

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2019, 03:04:24 pm »

Have you tried Brilliant Pebbles?

http://www.machinadynamica.com/machina17.htm

If that's a little too "audiophoolish" for you you could try the Baby Promethean Mini Isolators.
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JimH

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #6 on: April 16, 2019, 03:24:27 pm »

Tom, Tom, Tom ...
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DarkPenguin

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #7 on: April 16, 2019, 03:39:25 pm »

I may have been watching youtube videos on audiophile power cords again.

Speaking of which is the focusrite purely usb powered? I had tics with my HRT until I put it on a usb 3 port. It doesn't do usb 3 but the usb 3 can handle a higher power draw device. Tics solved.
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Jeff W.

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #8 on: April 17, 2019, 11:52:19 am »

Just tried 2 hubs instead of the internal port... no luck... I also had an issue years ago with a smaller DAC that I had purchased when my sound died on an older Dell... There were issues and low and behold... what you said was the fix... crap... no luck this time...

Looking at the field of DAC's out there makes me dizzy... too old for this. And you are right... some come with magic crystals and $200 power cords!

Thanks,
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JimH

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2019, 01:42:03 pm »

A hub might not have enough power.
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DarkPenguin

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #10 on: April 17, 2019, 04:16:33 pm »

USB hubs are not guaranteed to output more power than a PC's USB port. They usually do but not always.
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Jeff W.

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #11 on: April 18, 2019, 04:41:54 pm »

It was a "high Power" one with charger ports too... which i was not using... lightly loaded...

Even tried my older Focusrite Scarlett (pre series II) and it did the same thing so its not a hardware issue.
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JimH

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #12 on: April 18, 2019, 06:23:57 pm »

Did you try the 32 bit version of MC?
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JimH

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #13 on: April 18, 2019, 06:25:07 pm »

Forced conversion is an option that I hope I never have to exercise... thanks... trying to move more to 96K/24.. for better sound... I really don't want to go that route...
Force everything to 96/24 and use WASAPI, just to test.
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Jeff W.

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #14 on: April 18, 2019, 06:27:23 pm »

had to use the 32 bit as the 64 bit wouldn't "see" my scanner..
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JimH

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #15 on: April 18, 2019, 06:35:54 pm »

Did you try conversion to 96/24?

had to use the 32 bit as the 64 bit wouldn't "see" my scanner..
That probably just means the the driver for the scanner is 32 bit.
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JimH

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #16 on: April 18, 2019, 06:39:25 pm »

It looks like you solved this once before.

https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,117917.msg816066.html#msg816066

A Google search might find more.
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Jeff W.

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #17 on: April 18, 2019, 08:59:41 pm »

Solved not really... did use the windows drivers instead of ASIO but.... when the playlist switched between formats it would hang... not a fix.  If I just played an album or two I would fuss with the errors...
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JimH

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #18 on: April 18, 2019, 09:31:26 pm »

ASIO comes from the manufacturer of the DAC.  If it isn't working, you need to talk to them.
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madbrain

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #19 on: May 20, 2019, 07:27:49 pm »

Have you tried any other ASIO applications ? Does playback work there ?
foobar2000 supports ASIO for example (freeware).
So does Reaper (DAW app, but will play some audio formats).

If clicks are in every ASIO app, check if you have any power management features enabled in your computer. For example, power options in Windows. Turn those off.
Turn them off in the BIOS.

Update drivers on your USB DAC also, and firmware.
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madbrain

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #20 on: May 20, 2019, 07:30:33 pm »

Solved not really... did use the windows drivers instead of ASIO but.... when the playlist switched between formats it would hang... not a fix.  If I just played an album or two I would fuss with the errors...

Use DSP audio settings in JRiver MC to force output to a single format like 96/24/stereo and try again. At that point it shouldn't try switching the device's format anymore.
Also set the option to allow exclusive mode in Windows settings for the audio device.
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Zhillsguy

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Re: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Series II clicking
« Reply #21 on: August 27, 2019, 08:50:09 pm »

I have the same DAC and I had similar issues with it until Windows 10 USB Audio 2.0 drivers updated in fall of 2017, has worked flawlessly since. Did you try uninstalling all third party drivers and use native drivers?

Sorry....  I just realized this is an old thread..... mods may delete.
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