Macbook Snap Crackle Pop and Distortion Audio

Macbook

2.2 GHZ
2.5 GB RAM
OS X 10.5.4

Using audio software like Guitar Rig 3 I get crazy high CPU levels on low settings(latency, sample rate etc). This leads to distorted, crackling audio. Any ideas on how to fix this? Driving me crazy.

Airport/Bluetooth: OFF

Energy Saving: OFF

HALP!

 

Yeah, well for that you'd need an external audio card. The integrated audio card in the Macbook can't keep up with what's required of it from Guitar Rig.

If you're looking for something cheap, try this card from M-Audio.

You can hook up your guitar and it even has pre-amped mic ins.

And with that, you'd get the proper audio processing power you need.

Integrated chips just won't do besides encoding mp3s and just your regular mp3 listening.

 

Thanks for the reply. I am using the Rig Kontrol 3 device to use Guitar Rig. I am still having these problems! Any ideas?

 

One more thing. I swapped out the HD for a 7200 RPM HD. I know its compatible. Everything seems to be OK with the OS install. Could this somehow funk things up? I want to eliminate any possible problems.

 

Right, didn't know you were using an audio interface. My bad.

As far as I can tell, from my own experience, when I switched to Leopard I had to wait a couple of weeks for M-Audio to spice up some 10.5 compatible drivers. The old Tiger ones would just sky rocket my latency and CPU load.

Are you positive you're using the latest Rig Kontrol drivers? Maybe there's something updated.

The HDD shouldn't be a problem.

edit: try switching Airport off. I've always had slightly lower performance with it on, especially with large multitrack projects.

 

Thanks again. I had problems on 10.5.2

Should be OK by now. I tried to update to 10.5.4. No dice.

Interesting you bring up the driver for Rig Kontrol. I DL'd and installed the latest driver tonight but it wont show up as being installed Any ideas why? It says it worked. But when I look at RK in USB devices it shows only the old driver..... This machine is becoming an enigma!!!

 

Yeah, with USB stuff like that you have to be careful about the smallest things, like:

- Make sure Guitar Rig is closed when you insert the Kontrol in the USB
- Don't insert it while the Rig Kontrol is on.
- Only after inserting it, and making sure Guitar Rig is closed, power the Kontrol up so the system will first recognize it, and then start up Guitar Rig.

Have you uninstalled the old drivers first? If there's no straight forward way to do it, I'm sure there's some kind of documentation maybe on their website, as how to uninstall old drivers.