[USB-Audio - USB Audio CODEC, playback] Underruns, dropouts or crackling sound

[teak]

ubuntu 12.04

behringer uca222 usb audio device:
crackle in output. increases when watching flash video in fullscreen mode.

internal HDA Intel device:
works fine

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic i686
AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24.
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7
Architecture: i386
Card0.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:0 'Intel'/'HDA Intel at 0xac300000 irq 46'
   Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC883'
   Components : 'HDA:10ec0883,10711635,00100002 HDA:14f12c06,14f10000,00100000'
   Controls : 35
   Simple ctrls : 18
Card1.Amixer.info:
 Card hw:1 'CODEC'/'Burr-Brown from TI USB Audio CODEC at usb-0000:00:1d.0-2, full speed'
   Mixer name : 'USB Mixer'
   Components : 'USB08bb:2902'
   Controls : 2
   Simple ctrls : 1
Date: Sat May 5 16:02:24 2012
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: alsa-driver
Symptom: audio
Symptom_AlsaPlaybackTest: ALSA playback test through plughw:CODEC failed
Symptom_Card: PCM2902 Audio Codec - USB Audio CODEC
Symptom_Type: Underruns, dropouts, or "crackling" sound
Title: [USB-Audio - USB Audio CODEC, playback] Underruns, dropouts or crackling sound
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-04-28 (6 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 08/14/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: INSYDE
dmi.bios.version: R1.00
dmi.board.asset.tag: Base Board Asset Tag
dmi.board.name: MTC
dmi.board.vendor: MTC
dmi.board.version: Base Board Version
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Chassis Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 1
dmi.chassis.vendor: MTC
dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnINSYDE:bvrR1.00:bd08/14/2006:svnMTC:pnMTC:pvr1:rvnMTC:rnMTC:rvrBaseBoardVersion:cvnMTC:ct1:cvrChassisVersion:
dmi.product.name: MTC
dmi.product.version: 1
dmi.sys.vendor: MTC

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Daniel Ericsson (dae-home)]

A workaround that atleast helped for me is located at https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Advanced_Linux_Sound_Architecture#Crackling_sound_with_USB_devices

Add

options snd-usb-audio nrpacks=1

To the end of /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

Then reboot

[Daniel Ericsson (dae-home)]

I seem to been a bit hasty with my conclusion, I do get a little bit of stuttering again now... :( Post #3 might not be true.

[DJDB (djdb-a)]

Same problem here. This is the only workaround that works for me:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2292143&p=13345100#post13345100

[DJDB (djdb-a)]

Just in case someone stumbles on this, i now think that i have a better solution, thanks to Reddit user /u/solen-skiner.

You just have to

1) comment out the line load-module module-suspend-on-idle on /etc/pulse/default.pa

and

2) use exit-idle-time = -1 on /etc/pulse/daemon.conf

Original Reddit thread: http://l.djdb.me/1hj6IxR

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for alsa-driver (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]