Forum: MAC Version Technical Support - Topic: half second audio glitch when typing in the search box - Page: 1

Here's the issue. If had my new laptop for 2 weeks so I've gone back to VDJ for both of those weekends when Djing for the masses; prior to that it was Serato because my old Macbook couldn't do video in VDJ.

I'm hearing a fraction of a second audio glitch the second I start typing in the search box. There's no rhyme or reason to it. I could be playing an mp3 file that's stored on the Macbook hard drive or a video that's stored in an external drive.

Here are the details:
2 week old 17" Macbook pro with the 2.5ghz processor and I bought the external RAM kit to push it to 16gigs RAM.

I use a Nexstar external drive enclosure with 2 3gps SATA drives (I think they're both Western Digital); the external drive enclosure is connected by firewire 800.

All audio is on the Macbooks internal drive and all video are on the external drive(s).

I'm using this skin:
http://www.virtualdj.com/addons/8472/VirtualDJ_6_-_1920x1200.html

The highest resolution on my new Macbook is 1900x1200 and that skin is sized for that so there should be any issues.

I'm not sure why I would be hearing this but it makes me hesitant to search for something during a gig.

Please check your computer for performance/configuration issues:

http://www.virtualdj.com/wiki/Common%20Mac%20Performance%20Issues.html

The repair permissions utility did come back with some stuff that needed to be repaired so we'll see after this coming weekend.

Nope...still getting the glitch.

For the next gig, I'm going to try and use the default 2 deck skin at decent size resolution, one of the built in options that come with the software, and set my desktop resolution slightly higher and not expand virtual dj to full size; just going to run it in windowed mode.

I don't know what else to do. This is the current top of the line Macbook pro; I couldn't get a faster processor and I've maxed out the RAM.

I've run the verify permissions in the disk utility over and over. I've checked and rechecked everything on the FAQ page.

One thing about Serato Scratch Live, that software is freaking bullet proof when it comes to the searching capability. This is one area that Virtual Dj REALLY needs to improve.

This whole skin thing is a double edge sword, I like the option of all these different skins but then there's the problem of having issues if your desktop resolution is too high or too low.

If you have not already done so, please contact support: http://www.virtualdj.com/contact/index.html

With your permission, support staff can remotely connect to your computer to look at the problem directly.

Please note that for the majority of users, the software is very stable and performs reliably with no issues. Most problems are caused by configuration issues and can be resolved.

Will do.

Thanks.

And for the record, I've moved over from Serato and don't plan to go back. VDJ is pretty sweet; just have to get this audio glitch worked out.

Another thing to check is that your database itself does not have any corruption.

First, make a backup of your database. Please see: http://www.virtualdj.com/wiki/How%20do%20I%20backup%20my%20VirtualDJ%20database%20and%20settings.html

Then go to CONFIG -> Browser and choose the drive where your music is stored and click on CHECK, FIX then CLEAN.

If you have more than one drive where music is stored, repeat this procedure for each drive in turn.

Still had the glitch when Dj'ing this last weekend.

I think I even heard it a time or two just when a video from the external hard drive was playing and I wasn't even using the search box at the time.

I checked the internal drive on the macbook pro and the external drive inside VDJ in the config menu; no problems.

I am starting to wonder about the RAM upgrade kit I bought. It's Komputerbay and the more I search, the more negative reviews I find on that brand name.

If the laptop is brand new and perfect but you put sub-par RAM in there, could that cause the little audio glitch in VDJ when searching or in the middle of a video playing on one of the decks?

Macs are picky when it comes to ram. I would install your original memory if you still have it and try again

Yeah I was going to switch it back and try it with the original 4 gigs when I Dj this weekend.

What are you using for a sound card?

Denon 6000. It's definitely not the Denon.

This is a VDJ problem.

If you are talking about the Denon MC6000, i can agree with that.

BUT i'm not sure if VDJ is really the single point! ;-)

I have noticed this also on my side, but after the actual Firmware update and switching to Advanced Streching at VDJ Config - Perfromance side, it is gone on my side.

I downloaded the firmware update released in Jan 2012 by Denon but I'm VERY hesitant to mess with the 6000; it seems to work perfectly and it's maybe 6 months old if that.

I'm going to try swapping the RAM back to original first and Djing this weekend with that. If I still hear the issue then I'll consider updating the firmware on the 6000.

Update; just got home from Djing the weekly gig and I know I heard a glitch or two..didn't seem to be as many though.

This is with the original 4gigs that came with the laptop back in there in place of the 16 gig upgrade kit.

I would say it's most likely to happen if I have videos running on both decks and I'm typing in the search box while the videos are running. I like to do a lot of looping since video edits are so short. It's not uncommon for me to be playing a video for the audience and looping the first few bars of another video in the headphones while searching for the next video that will come up next in the list. That seems to be when I hear the glitch; two videos active and searching at the same time.

If just an audio or video track is playing and the other deck is paused with something already loaded, I don't think I hear the glitch if I type in the search box.

The only thing left that I haven't tried is upgrading the RAM on the Denon 6000; that's next. Beyond that, I'm out of things to try.

Just doesn't make sense that a brand new top of the line 17" Macbook Pro is having any problems at all playing videos and searching at the same time in VDJ.

Can you adjust the latency on the denon ?

it's set to Auto in VDJ; what should I set it too?

I wasnt sure if the Denon itself had a latency setting. In VDJ my latency is set to auto scratch optimized for quality master tempo set to fast skin fast resizing 48k fast resizing..

To me the next logical step would be to manually set the latency to either 512 or 1024 and see if that changes anything. When I use VDJ on the windows side I can set the latency for my sound card as it has its own asio adjustment and leave the setting in VDJ on auto. When running windows my latency is set at 15ms. If i run anything below that the longer I play through the night I would start to notice audio dropouts. However when i use it in the mac os i havent had any dropouts so I have never had to adjust any of the settings. I know this is a pain But I am curious to know what you finally do to solve it

J

will be a couple of days before I can work on this issue again; thanks for the tip. i'll try it thursday night and see how it works

Another random thought...... Is your laptop getting too hot. If it's getting above 160F that could also be a big reason for dropouts & glitches If you havent already, install smc fan control it will allow you to adjust the fans to higher rpm