Question USB transfer errors with max performance power settings

[rgames]

[Moderator Note: Moving post from Systems to Home Audio - more applicable.]

I’m using a new laptop as a digital audio workstation (DAW) and I have a USB audio interface for it (RME Babyface Pro FS). I keep getting crackles in the audio that are a result of USB CRC errors during audio playback. The RME Babyface has a readout that shows those errors. The audio interface works fine on other machines.

The crackles are not the result of the usual culprit: audio processing problems. My DAW software has a readout to show those problems and they never appear. The problem is definitely with the transfer over the USB connection, as the RME software shows. All the audio processing is done without issue; it is corrupted during the transfer. I can also confirm this fact because I can run the same projects with the onboard audio (which does not use the USB connection) and there are no issues with the audio.

I’ve determined that the PCI Express Link State Power Management setting in the power plan settings has a huge effect: I have to set that to "Maximum power savings" to reduce the number of USB CRC errors but they never go completely away. With that setting at "off" the CRC errors increase drastically. Other than that it appears the CRC errors get worse as other power saving features are disabled (i.e. as max performance features are enabled) but the effects are much less dramatic.

Has anyone run into this kind of issue and found a solution?

Thanks in advance

 

[Ralston18]

Are you able to try other known working USB cables for the transfer connections?

Any adapters of any sort being used?

 

[rgames]

Are you able to try other known working USB cables for the transfer connections?

Any adapters of any sort being used?

Yes - I tried other cables and all available USB ports, both Type A and Type C. The audio interface is plugged directly into the ports on the laptop; I am not using any adapters and the problem is the same with all of them.

Thanks

 

[rgames]

Also - since this was moved to home audio - it's not a home audio problem, it's a USB transfer problem. I happen to be using an audio interface but the USB device doesn't matter - it could be a hard drive.

Just so it's clear, the problem is not with the audio device. The problem is with the system that is transferring the audio over USB. It's a system-level USB problem.

Thanks

 

[Ralston18]

Update your post to include full system/laptop hardware specs and OS information.

What other USB devices are installed?

Overall, as I understand the problem, the problem is something more likely to have been encountered and perhaps solved by audiophiles and others with similar setups.

Someone who has also used the RME Babyface Pro FS.

This product (posted for reference and convenience)?

https://www.zzounds.com/item--RMEBA...MI3LLtuafn-gIVC7LICh2iNQ6NEAQYASABEgK2hvD_BwE

Lots of options and settings.

Manual:

https://c3.zzounds.com/media/bface_pro_fs_e-f837bce481614f3330b57fb7fc0e2810.pdf

I tend to associate crackles with plug and port issues. E.g., physically numbered page 86 of the manual. Connector inputs.

If the audio interface works without crackles on other known working computers (desktops and/or laptops) without any other changes then that would make the current host laptop suspect. Could well be a faulty USB port.

You might also try running "sfc /scannow" and "dism" on the laptop.

References:

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-use-sfc-scannow-to-repair-windows-system-files-2626161

How to use DISM command tool to repair Windows 10 image | Windows Central

Just as a matter of elimination.

 

[rgames]

Hi -thanks for the info. The laptop is a Lenovo P16 w/ 12950HX and Nvidia RTX A4500. It has 128 GB RAM and two WD SN850X drives. I'm running Win11 with all the latest updates. The only other USB device is an iLok.

The issue is definitely the laptop. In particular, it's the USB drivers/hardware. For some reason the USB transmission is being corrupted, as evidenced by the CRC error counts. All the audio processing is being done correctly, both in the DAW and in the audio hardware. As I noted above, the DAW software has an indicator that shows when there are buffer transfer problems within the laptop and it shows no issues. It's the transfer over USB that is the issue.

It seems there's some relationship between the power saving features and the USB drivers/hardware that is causing the issue but I can't nail it down. It might be that the drivers and/or hardware are just faulty but if so it's not a defect because I've had the exact same issue on two different Lenovo P16 laptops with the same specs.

Again, it's a USB transfer problem. The fact that it's an audio device doesn't matter. It could be a hard drive - it's the USB transfer process that is getting screwed up.

Thanks,

rgames

 

[hang-the-9]

Since you said the issue only happens on that one computer, did you check for a newer BIOS for it? Contact the laptop vendor support or support for the interface?