Clicks/pops using VCV Rack 2.1.0+ (EDIT: was "2.2.0")

VCV Rack
24

Here is a pair of scripts to help build Rack with and without my fix, into two separate directories, for A/B testing.

How to use them:

  1. From command prompt, create a new empty directory somewhere, e.g. $HOME/sandbox. Change into that directory.
  2. Save glitchfix.sh into your sandbox directory.
  3. (Please review glitchfix.sh in your favorite editor and make sure you are comfortable with it.)
  4. Run: bash glitchfix.sh and give it about half an hour to finish. It will clone and build Rack from source twice, one without my fix, one with my fix. The resulting builds end up in buildglitchfix/original and buildglitchfix/patched.
  5. Change into buildglitchfix/original, then run ./Rack -d.
  6. Clear out the template patch and add just two modules: VCV Audio and VCV VCO. Patch the VCO sine output to the VCV Audio left input.
  7. In VCV Audio, select PulseAudio, choose your output device, set block size to 256 and sampling rate to 44100 or 48000.
  8. It is helpful to set the VCO frequency to about 80 Hz to avoid ear fatigue.
  9. To reproduce the glitch, start switching between windows, open your browser and switch between browser tabs, etc. You should easily hear clicking and popping. I find YouTube especially makes it happen, even though no video is playing.
  10. Exit VCV Rack. Change into the directory buildglitchfix/patched. Run ./Rack -d.
  11. Repeat steps 6…9. Only this time you should not hear any glitching no matter what you do. (I hope.)

The other script, glitchinst.sh, will create “installs” of Rack, but I’m still having problems running Rack without using the -d option. So that script is just for reference for the time being.

I’m hoping I can get some independent confirmation that my fix solves the PulseAudio glitching before I contact Andrew.

Thanks in advance! Any help here will help lots of VCV Rackers running Linux.

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