Audio crackles on buffer size settings it didn't crackle before
- PipeWire version (
pipewire --version
): 0.3.85 - Distribution and distribution version (
PRETTY_NAME
from/etc/os-release
): NixOS 23.11 - Desktop Environment: single window manager (dwm)
- Kernel version (
uname -r
): 6.1.64
Description of Problem:
I upgraded my system and with it pipewire, from 0.3.77 to 0.3.85. With the upgrade it started crackling where it didn't crackle before:
- Guitarix on buffer size 128 (my laptop's smallest stable value);
- Guitar Pro, via Wine (both v8.0.2 and v8.20), on default buffer size, 1024.
Firefox, Telegram and MPD output audio flawlessly.
For low latency I use limits.conf (rtprio 99
and memlock unlimited
) and no RTkit (which had no difference for me).
CPU governor is explicitly set to "powersave".
How Reproducible:
Highly (occurs on every launch of said programs)
Steps to Reproduce (for Guitarix):
- Launch Guitarix
- Change buffer size to 128 in internal settings (File > Buffer size)
Actual Results:
Crackling in Guitar Pro on 1024 samples/s and in Guitarix on 128 samples/s.
Expected Results:
Smooth sound in both cases. Guitar Pro never crackled before on default buffer size. Guitarix only crackled on 64 samples and lower, so 128 was my lowest value that I could play my guitar with smoothly (on 256 it's somewhat inconvenient already).