For several months now, I've been using my MacBook Pro (mid-2011 model, 13-inch, 2.7 GHz, Intel Core i7) to do some on-location recording with my Apogee Duet driving a pair of Neumann TLM-103 mics. I'm recording in the program DSP-Quattro v 3.5.1. The setup produces great sound, but I'm having trouble with momentary drop-outs and digital "blips" that mar otherwise beautiful recordings.
I had the same problem when I was using the same Duet, microphones, and software with my previous laptop (a 2009 MacBook Pro), so I know the problem isn't unique to my computer. Also, somewhere along the line, I had my Duet serviced when one channel died suddenly. I was having the problem before the servicing and I'm still having it afterwards, so I suspect it's not the Duet.
I only really hear the dropouts and blips when I'm recording from the microphones at 96kHz, 24-bit. Lower sampling rates and resolutions don't seem to have the problem, but I haven't spent much time recording at lower rates. Also, I have experimented with increasing the buffer size in my recording program with no luck.
I'd like to be able to go on recording at the higher resolutions to capture the very best sound I can. Is it possible that the blips and dropouts are related to the MacBook's original 5400 rpm hard drive? Would I be better off replacing it with an SSD? I realize there are dedicated audio hard drive recorders out there, but I don't have the money for one of those now. If replacing the HD with an SSD won't fix the problem, is there anything else I might try?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
I had the same problem when I was using the same Duet, microphones, and software with my previous laptop (a 2009 MacBook Pro), so I know the problem isn't unique to my computer. Also, somewhere along the line, I had my Duet serviced when one channel died suddenly. I was having the problem before the servicing and I'm still having it afterwards, so I suspect it's not the Duet.
I only really hear the dropouts and blips when I'm recording from the microphones at 96kHz, 24-bit. Lower sampling rates and resolutions don't seem to have the problem, but I haven't spent much time recording at lower rates. Also, I have experimented with increasing the buffer size in my recording program with no luck.
I'd like to be able to go on recording at the higher resolutions to capture the very best sound I can. Is it possible that the blips and dropouts are related to the MacBook's original 5400 rpm hard drive? Would I be better off replacing it with an SSD? I realize there are dedicated audio hard drive recorders out there, but I don't have the money for one of those now. If replacing the HD with an SSD won't fix the problem, is there anything else I might try?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
