Thanks for looking into my issue. The audio is embedded with a video file created with OBS.

Here is the MediaInfo result:
 

General
Complete name                            : F:\OBS_Captures\2022-11-11 11-43-53.mp4
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : Base Media
Codec ID                                 : isom (isom/iso2/avc1/mp41)
File size                                : 335 MiB
Duration                                 : 1 min 8 s
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 41.0 Mb/s
Writing application                      : Lavf58.29.100

Video
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AVC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile                           : High@L4.2
Format settings                          : CABAC / 1 Ref Frames
Format settings, CABAC                   : Yes
Format settings, Reference frames        : 1 frame
Format settings, GOP                     : M=1, N=120
Codec ID                                 : avc1
Codec ID/Info                            : Advanced Video Coding
Duration                                 : 1 min 8 s
Bit rate                                 : 40.8 Mb/s
Width                                    : 1 920 pixels
Height                                   : 1 080 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 60.000 FPS
Standard                                 : Component
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.328
Stream size                              : 334 MiB (100%)
Color range                              : Limited
Matrix coefficients                      : BT.709
Codec configuration box                  : avcC

Audio
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : AAC LC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID                                 : mp4a-40-2
Duration                                 : 1 min 8 s
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 192 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 2 channels
Channel layout                           : L R
Sampling rate                            : 48.0 kHz
Frame rate                               : 46.875 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 1.54 MiB (0%)
Title                                    : simple_aac_recording
Default                                  : Yes
Alternate group                          : 1

@FernandoBadler

Hi.

Your topic heading does not match your comment completely.

Is the thunder the only problem?

Have you added it to a separate audio track?

I ask because the title of the topic speaks of cross fades but you make it sound in the comment section that it already a part of the main sound track.

If the buffer settings are OK and you are not hearing crackling in the editor than the sound is OK within the editor but that is using a 32 bit sound engine and almost impossible to clip or distort the sound.

However on export, it could easily bang hard against the mixer limiter (assuming you have it activated in the output channel master effects section) causing distortion on the exported file.

Alternatively in your export settings you may not have the best quality audio sampling rate and thunder is a wide spectrum spread pink noise requiring as high a sampling and bit rate as the program will allow. (48kHz 192 kbs.) Even then you will lose a bit of quality as audio the file format used is not lossy. You may not hear much difference though.

Also to make doubly sure to prevent clipping, adjust the master volume channel down by just 0.02 to give a few bits of headroom. You will not hear a difference in the volume output doing this.

The problem is mainly in the rendering selections for export and not the sound within the program once sensible buffer and sample rates are set.

The amount of buffers used for audio beyond a certain point where it sounds OK in the editor will not give you any further benefit in regards to the rendered output. Nor will bringing the 'Preview size and 'Multitrack size' to maximum and increasing the parallel track optimization from 0 to 20 as that is there for another purpose entirely.

Ray.

@FernandoBadler

Hi

. . . . The audio is embedded with a video file created with OBS . . . .

Are you saying you have muxed an audio file of thunder with a video file from OBS, with or without audio, using a program such as Handbrake, FFMpeg or done this in OBS ?

John EB

Thank you for the replies. I made a video to fully demonstrate the issue, I think it is easier this way. As it turns out, the issue is still present on the editor, it is just less noticeable with increased buffer size.

You will see the sound playing slowly solo without any problems, then, in a crossfade with some crackling, and then the same audio playing together in 2 tracks, with the same issue. I've lowered the master volume considerably and lowered the volume of each track to around -5db. It really doesn't matter how much I lower it, I can always hear the cracklings.

@johnebaker
The audio is part of the video recording; I didn't add or change it; both video and audio were recorded by OBS.

What I find interesting is that this seems to happen with low frequencies, like explosions, thumping footsteps, or thunders, and they really don't need to be loud at all.

Also, the crackling is random. I don't get the same cracking sounds in the exact same spot whenever I playback it.
If needed, I could send the original footage.

Thank you.

@FernandoBadler

Hi

Can you post a still image of the timeline with it zoomed in both vertically and horizontally to show about 10 secs of the video where the transition occurs with the waveform showing on the audio, as shown in the example below

John EB

Sure thing:

@FernandoBadler

Hi.

I notice two things.

First your clip ends with a click. It's is also possible the clip has a click in it at the start as well but is masked by the higher volume at the start.

Second you have copied and pasted the same clip to overlap each other.

I am not completely sure how how the program handles audio but it is more important to the program that it be accurate to the frame than cutting the audio wave at a zero crossover point, volume wise, so could be the result of the click,

I suggest try making two wave file copies with the front and end volume faded by a couple of frames. Use the Export as wav file option (16 bit 48kHz) and label them Thunder one and thunder two (or whatever). That way there is no really sudden volume change at either end of the files and the files have separate memory addresses to be read from when loaded to ram for use. That should alleviate any possible problems with the file being misread from the project drive ans any possible problems caused by not having a zero volume crossover point.

It may not work but worth seeing if it does. Video editors don't always handle sound the same way dedicated audio editors do and I have sometimes found the differences to be problematic. The method I have outlined has worked for me in the past with similar sounds but I do the sound editing preparation of the sound clips in a dedicated DAW first to allow me to work at higher bit depths, then import the files into the editing program, sometimes doing the mixing back and forth between the programs to reduce the amount of sound files in use.

Funnily enough my latest project has thunder used multiple times at various speeds and altered frequencies to produce wand sounds. Initially I had the same crackling problems.

The files in the image above do not have the volume handles moved inward as that was done when I blended the original files together and remixed them for the initial timings. Neither the beginning or end of the file ends in a loud volume as the volume curve was adjusted in a prior mix-down when the files were separate.. The cut in the middle was done after to alter the speed and frequency of the last wand as I wanted to slow down that last burst of energy coming from the wand tip.

Ray.

@FernandoBadler

Hi

Thanks for the image that appears to rule a line of thought I had.

. . . . I could send the original footage. . . .

Yes please and a copy of the project MVP file if possible, then we can test it on our systems, in my case I can test in both MEP 2016 and 2023.

Use Google Drive, One Drive, Dropbox or other file sharing so so we get the original file.

A longshot to test if the issue is in the project:

1. Select File, Manage project, Export Movie file, Magix movie file (*.mvd) and save the file
    
2. Restart MEP/MMS and create a new project and delete the empty Timeline (Movie)
   
   
    
3. Select File, Manage project, Import Movie file, Magix movie file (*.mvd) and load the MVD file saved in step 1.
    
4. Save the project with a new name and try the export again

John EB

@johnebaker
Hello again,
Here is a demo project with the original file, showing the problematic crossfading section.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i31cxfIh6TbSGCQHT0Y4pf30usvKclge/view?usp=share_link

@CubeAce
Yes, it has clipping at the end because I cropped the media in Movie Editor for demonstration purposes without caring how it would end. Regardless, the crackling happens multiple times throughout the crossfading/playback of the 2 files together, as heard in the video.

@FernandoBadler

Hi.

If you want anyone to have access to download your files then you will have to change the permissions in Google drive to 'Anyone can edit'.

Ray.

@FernandoBadler

In Gooooogle Drive, right-click on the file>Get Link>set the General Access drop-down to "Anyone with the link".

@CubeAce @johnebaker My bad. Forgot to change that setting.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i31cxfIh6TbSGCQHT0Y4pf30usvKclge/view?usp=share_link
It should be fixed now.

Thanks!

@FernandoBadler

Hi.

Yes had exactly the same problems as yourself but fixed it using the method I gave you above because of the problems I mentioned, but only used the video program to export the sound as two separated wav files (16 bit 48kHz) and replaced them in the timeline. There was actually no need to adjust the volume handles either side.

I think the problem is using the same file twice in close proximity to each other in the timeline. For some reason using one file twice within a short space causes problems with the data being read in the correct order (or maybe quickly enough for the audio buffer transfer to ram). Using two separate files cures that. I use the wav option to retain as much audio detail as possible.

Worked OK anyway without additional steps. Took me about four minutes. Used the export settings you see in the second image.

I can upload the altered project back to you via Google drive if you wish.

Ray.

@CubeAce Thanks for looking into the issue. That implies there is an issue with Movie Edit itself. I don't want to create separate files whenever I want to cross-fade a video on itself, because I've noticed more occasional crackling sounds in other videos as well, now that I'm aware of the issue. Imagine a promo video for a game with crossfading happening every 2 seconds.

I'm just waiting for @johnebaker input on this problem because I cannot use the software as it currently stands. I need to know if I have to find an alternative.

@FernandoBadler @johnebaker @AAProds

Hi.

The crackling doesn't happen to all cross-fades. Only those with extremely low frequencies that are dominant such as thunder or explosions. I don't know if that would be consistent across all video editors or just a quirk of the Magix editor. There is a consistent one click at every crossover point of every audio cross-fade edit though which occurs at the very center of the crossover. It is normally very low in volume (barely audible -60db or lower) and often masked by the volume of the cross-fade if the volume is loud enough. I have noticed this for a long time now. I don't know if that is a programming error or a lack of processing power. If john doesn't have either problem I will put it down to processing power or if he does as I said in my first post it could be that with video editors, keeping the sound in sync with the audio has priority over where the physical cut or crossover happens in the audio data. I really don't know the cause, just my solution that works for me.

As you say, once aware of a problem it gets very annoying. Normally to the person editing but not always to those just browsing a video if it's a subtle problem such as the one click I describe. The crackle on the other hand would be noticed.

Ray.

I've had occasional clicking crossfades for years with MEP. I normally just chop off a bit of the clip and it goes away. It is obviously a long-standing ie > 10 years program error and yes, when it happens, it is a real nuisance.

@CubeAce Yap, I can confirm that it happens mostly with low frequencies, which will be a major problem for the nature of the videos I'll be doing. Thanks for the additional input.

@AAProds That's what I feared. I've also reported a problem with the text element in the timeline disappearing when removing all the text in the text box on the right panel. This was like 2 years ago and the problem still persists. I guess it is time for me to step out and find another solution. Thanks for the feedback.

@FernandoBadler

Format settings, GOP                     : M=1, N=120 <---- GOP = 120

I don't work with OBS. But can't you set the GROUP OF PICTURE to 15 or 30 in OBS?

Magix always causes problems when the GOP is greater than 60.

I converted the sound into MP3 from your sample files and then superimposed them. After that the disturbances were gone.

The files can be downloaded here.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jPok7jCU1cSOIW1lshXhO9dfdyhvhpjE/view?usp=share_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MMYxDZApryJbmTUWtR20qOuMzuf8Byly/view?usp=share_link

@Marc-Goder @FernandoBadler @AAProds @johnebaker

Hi Mark.

That was an interesting and possible solution, So i just tried with a 25 GOP structure from my normal OBS use of 50 (for 50fps) and it made no difference at all on my system.

Good idea though and was worth trying but I don't think in this instance it makes a difference as the program will cut to the frame selected regardless. An almost impossibly task to do manually at any other point as well.

Ray

The problems usually start with recordings that have a GOP greater than 60 and much larger.

So in the area from GOP = 100 and greater.

Incidentally, in the German Magix Forum, problems with sound when using Windows 11 are increasing, especially after the last update.

@Marc-Goder

problems with sound when using Windows 11 are increasing, especially after the last update.

That would not surprise me in the least. There have been a lot of base code alterations going on in Win11 and Win10 as well as Direct X 12.1 ultimate over the last few months. Or do you mean the last Magix update?

Ray.