Crackles Three Seconds Into Any MP3/AAC Played in iTunes?

May 4, 2004 3:53 PM

Crackling MP3s/AACs. I'm encoding with iTunes, and a lot of my tracks have a noticeable crackle about three seconds in. It's regardless of choosing AAC or MP3 as my format. What's causing it and how can I fix it?
posted by bonaldi to Computers & Internet (7 answers total)

I've found that as well with itunes. My computer (iMac) is old and it seems to happen with greater frequency if I am running lots of other apps at the same time.

There is an option in the pref's to use slower, better importing, and this helped me out.
posted by shotsy at 4:49 PM on May 4, 2004

i've gotten too, sometimes. Itunes is a memory (and processor?) hog, so maybe shotsy's right.
posted by amberglow at 5:00 PM on May 4, 2004

Response by poster: Is that the "use error correction" checkbox, shotsy? That's the only one I can see in my importing tab that looks likely. Could be right though, I'm generally doing lots of other things when I'm ripping. Hmm.
posted by bonaldi at 5:34 PM on May 4, 2004

If the crackle is at the same place in each song, it sounds to me like a hardware issue with the drive or a hardware/software interaction problem.
posted by Fupped Duck at 6:45 PM on May 4, 2004

Are you on an iMac? Since iMacs have only one CD drive, your drive might be dirty/dusty and need to be cleaned up a bit. You might try a laser cleaner.
posted by modofo at 10:28 PM on May 4, 2004

bonaldi - yeah, i wasn't on my home computer and forgot the exact title, but that is what i mean.
posted by shotsy at 10:55 PM on May 4, 2004

Basic troubleshooting -- try encoding with a different program on the same machine and see if you get the same result. (No, I can't suggest any, I use Windows.)
posted by pmurray63 at 9:43 AM on May 5, 2004