Severe Audio Performance Issues on M3 Pro MacBook Pro - Crackling at 32 Buffer Size

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Level 1

4 points

Severe Audio Performance Issues on M3 Pro MacBook Pro - Crackling at 32 Buffer Size

Hello,

I'm experiencing unacceptable audio performance issues with my new 16-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro that make music production nearly impossible.

The Problem:

I'm getting constant crackling,popping, and distortion in Logic Pro even at a 32 buffer size with a single instance of Kontakt. The CPU meter in Logic is not showing high usage, but the system is clearly struggling with real-time audio processing. This happens even with minimal plugin usage.

My Setup:

· MacBook Pro 16" M3 Pro

· macOS tahoe 26

· Logic Pro (latest version)

· Native Instruments Kontakt

· Audio Interface: [evo 4]

· Sample rate: 44.1kHz or 48kHz

What I've Tried:

· Different buffer sizes (32, 64, 128, 256)

· Process Buffer Range set to "Small"

· Different sample rates

· Fresh project with only Kontakt

· Different audio interfaces

· Resetting Logic Pro preferences

This performance is unacceptable for a machine of this caliber. Is this a known issue with M3 Pro chips? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Has anyone else experienced similar issues with M3 Pro and Logic Pro? Are there any known issues or workarounds for this?

Thank you for any help.

MacBook Pro 16″

Posted on Oct 19, 2025 12:33 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

yoyoBen

Level 4

3,403 points

Oct 19, 2025 4:03 PM in response to ozixx

Native Instruments software is not yet compatible to macos tahoe: https://support.native-instruments.com/hc/en-us/articles/30349331442717-macOS-26-Tahoe-Compatibility-Statement
Check the compatibility of your soundcard with tahoe.
The smaller the buffer size the more likely you get glitches
Don't use Migration Assistant.
Go back to Macos Sequoia or Sonoma.

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Answer 2

yoyoBen

Level 4

3,403 points

Oct 19, 2025 11:48 PM in response to ozixx

When playing live, you could de-activate Latency Compensation, unless you work with synced multi-track playback with different plugins inserted, which should be bounced anyway.

BTW: It seems your sound card is also not ready for tahoe:

https://support.audient.com/hc/en-us/articles/7956519800852-EVO-Range-Compatibility

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Answer 3

ozixx Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 20, 2025 12:02 AM in response to yoyoBen

Yeah, my audio interface turned out to be incompatible with Tahoe. I just downgraded to Sequoia 15.7, gonna reinstall everything and test again. Your help means a lot.

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Answer 4

Oct 20, 2025 12:11 PM in response to ozixx

Tahoe is most likely the main issue. But, also test all your cables. Also, if you dont have everything connected with a power conditioner, get one. Most people dont and then wonder why they get pops.

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Answer 5

Oct 20, 2025 12:39 PM in response to ozixx

That also has a lot to do with low latency mode. Always have that on while you record. Then turn it off for editing and mixing.

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Answer 6

Pancenter

Level 6

14,782 points

Oct 20, 2025 10:12 PM in response to ozixx

This sounds like the Mic/Mode problem. You should have an orange mic icon visible in the task bar or devices, make sure it's set to "Standard".

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Answer 7

ozixx Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 19, 2025 8:49 PM in response to yoyoBen

No matter how much I thank you, I've been

dealing with lags and bugs for days - I really hope this issue gets fixed in the next update. Yes, I know that lowering the buffer size increases the load, but when playing live, you can really feel the difference between 32 and 64, especially if you're playing rhythm. Even back on Sequoia, when I opened three channels using Logic's Session Player, I was getting crackling. I'm wondering if that's because the Session Player is new and not fully optimized yet, or if it just consumes that much power - because when three Session Player channels are open and I try to record live on top of that, it turns into torture. And

yeah, that was happening on Sequoia too.

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