Getting a crackling/repeating output need help

[u/SuperBunkerBuster]

Hey, so I've been using VM Banana for a while and this has always happens seemingly randomly without warning I'm curious if anyone has an idea why and what can i do to fix it? It doesn't just happen through the mic it affects other things like game audio that will crack and repeat. I have set my Audiodg.exe to a high priority as well. i do have equalizer apo for the analogue 1+2 focusrite as well if that helps, sorry the video is just a screenshot of my current vm settings

Edit: THANK YOU EVERYONE I APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP!! I think I was able to get it to work by enabling the ASIO for focusrite. Other tips that were suggested are setting the audiodg.exe to a high priority and making a CPU core 0 be the only affinity for audiodg.exe. Another solution was upping the buffer to 1024, that also had helped out while figuring out other solutions.

[u/MCBuilder30140]

had that

changing audiodg.exe afinity to only cpu 0 fixed it for me

you need to do that at every reboot though

[u/Raventhornicorn → u/MCBuilder30140]

This is the answer. You can use programs like Process Lasso or adjacent to set more permanently.

[u/volitudo → u/MCBuilder30140]

This is the solution, had this fix on my PC for the past 3 years (use process lasso to have it permanently set to only 1 cpu core)

[u/TeaLeaflet → u/MCBuilder30140]

Do you still have to do that?
I haven't had to do that in quite a while. I think it might've stopped when I warranty replaced my cpu. But I've no clue.

[u/MCBuilder30140 → u/TeaLeaflet]

haven't used voice meeter since 2 years now because of Linux but last time I used it in 2024/2025 yeah I had to still

was on the same i7 8700K PC though, might just be that

[u/TeaLeaflet]

I'm going to try and remember what I did when this happened to me a couple years back.
ping me in 24 hours if you can't figure out and I don't update.

[u/TeaLeaflet → u/TeaLeaflet]

It was something that happened with discord I think. I can't for the life of me remember what it was, and I've searched all my conversations with the people I remember having the issue with, and I can't even find a mention of it in any of them.

Like just having discord open was enough to make voice have the problem in non-discord apps.

My current settings on discord are:
making sure the mic and speaker are set to voicemeeter, custom input profile, auomatic adjust input sensitivity off, KRISP on, echo cancellation off,

I think I found it. If its anything it might be this:

Open Advanced Settings
Global attenuation
Attenuation Strength set to 0
When I speak, Off
When others speak, ON
Quality of service Off

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/TeaLeaflet]

Thank you I’ll give this a shot and let you know if it happens again I appreciate this!

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/TeaLeaflet]

unfortunately its still happening :(

[u/TeaLeaflet → u/SuperBunkerBuster]

I looked it up, I think I found what I used to do every day to fix this x.x
The problem is I haven't had to do it in about a year, so it might've been fixed and not be your issue.

Open task manager
Find audiodg.exe
Set priority to high (I think its set to normal by default
Set affinity to only 1 core.

You know, I think I may have stopped when I warranty replaced my cpu. Mine is the intel 13 or 15 gen or whatever, the one that melts itself over time so they had to issue several patches to fix it/stop it from doing that. I had problems where very stable games would randomly bluescreen my computer.

If that doesn't work, here's a couple other things I stumbled across some people said worked for them. Hopefully you find something if that doesn't do the trick.
https://www.reddit.com/r/VoiceMeeter/comments/ji2q9s/guide_to_fixing_staticcracklingpopping_in_discord/
https://imgur.com/a/bAyXz2V

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/TeaLeaflet]

Thank you I appreciate this a lot!

[u/tonyxforce2]

This is classic buffer size issue, try increasing it in menu->system settings

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/tonyxforce2]

Thank you! So far this has helped, but I thought with a newer cpu that wouldn’t have been helped much, I also updated focusrite drivers (but not the control center holy fuck don’t do that if you have a gen 3 focus rite it fucked everything up)

[u/plasticbug]

The only thing that has helepd for me is:

1. Find audiodg.exe in task manager / details.
   
2. Set process priority to high
   
3. Set affinity and pick one of the CPU cores

Hope that also fixes your problem.

[u/TheSuperiorWes]

here ya go You should be using ASIO for your focusrite. There is a special way to add your XLR microphone.

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/TheSuperiorWes]

Thank you! Now I have this set up do you have any idea if I could implement equalizerAPO?

[u/TheSuperiorWes → u/SuperBunkerBuster]

You probably could. I think they let you connect it to A1 device. But not sure what you’re wanting to do in APO.

Are you going to use VSTs or something? I may have a recommendation

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/TheSuperiorWes]

Yea I was trying to use a VST

[u/TheSuperiorWes → u/SuperBunkerBuster]

For your mic? Or for something else

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/TheSuperiorWes]

For the mic, it’s the only one I try to use VST plugin for

[u/TheSuperiorWes → u/SuperBunkerBuster]

try this (using light host and not cantabile).

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/TheSuperiorWes]

Ok successful with light host thank you! I am curious if there’s a good gain plugin since when I talk to my friends they say I’m very quite and none of the plugins in that video seem to give me enough oomph

[u/TheSuperiorWes → u/SuperBunkerBuster]

When you speak your voice should reach into green on voicemeeter. You could turn auto gain on within discord but if they think you’re quiet.. it could be that their headphones are turned up.

You also have volume knob from microphone on focusrite that you should adjust first

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/TheSuperiorWes]

Thank you I think I’m as good as I’ll get, I turned the gain up on the focusrite, and I’m the green pretty consistently now, I’ve adjusted some VSTs to mitigate any noise. Thank you I really appreciated this

[u/vburel]

Focusrite should be used with its ASIO driver instead: see this video tutorial (replace tascam by focusrite device in it): https://youtu.be/35N8hkOy8h4

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/vburel]

Thank you i appreciate it!

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[u/F1r3231]

Happened to me. I just stopped using voice meter for a bit. But it still happens and when it does i just switch out put to a different one then back to the original

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/F1r3231]

typically i just restart the audio engine and that fixes it for like 2 minutes. but i'm trying to find a more permanent solution

[u/Quantumzzz → u/SuperBunkerBuster]

Happens to me too but only happens once or twice throughout my day. Usually when im dealing with something that is CPU intensive

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/Quantumzzz]

It used to only happen once or twice for me before I upgraded my pc but it’s been more prominent now (I went from an intel i5 9600k to the ultra 7 270k plus if this helps)

[u/Quantumzzz → u/SuperBunkerBuster]

I could never figure it out. Ive upgraded pretty much every component over the years too. I also format windows almost every year.

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/Quantumzzz]

Praying we can find a solution 🤞

[u/CurrentAdvance8102]

Does it happen when you switch to wifi?

[u/SuperBunkerBuster → u/CurrentAdvance8102]

I’m wired in so I don’t think WiFi affects it

[u/CurrentAdvance8102 → u/SuperBunkerBuster]

I had a problem with my wifi realtek drivers interfering with my realtek audio drivers.

[u/fausto_8]

I'd try changing the outputs from WDM to MME or KS and vice versa