Audio popping issue

[Grimno]

Hello, everyone.

Thank you very much for your feedback concerning audio issues you’ve been experiencing.

We understand that these issues have persisted for players after Patch 6.01. In order for us to get a better understanding of the cases that have yet to be resolved, we’d like to ask for those affected to try the following:

• Because resource requirements and other factors gradually increase with each update, reducing CPU performance load may improve the situation.
  
  • Reduce the number of characters and objects displayed through System Configuration > Other Settings > Character and Object Display, or change the Graphics Settings to Standard.
• Close any applications that are running in the background.
  
• For Windows users, open the Sound Control Panel, right-click your default device in the Playback tab and open Properties, then under the Advanced tab, configure the Default Format to a lower setting.

If the previous steps do not improve the situation, we ask that you confirm the following to help determine the issue and distinguish whether it is system-related.

• Does the problem still occur after disabling the DirectX 11 Support option in the launcher settings?
  
• For gamepad users, does the problem still persist after disconnecting or changing your gamepad device?

If the steps above do not resolve your situation, we ask that you create a post in the Bug Report section using the bug report template, along with your system information and the steps taken to troubleshoot. This will assist our support team when they gather the information to share with the development team for review and investigation.

We sincerely apologize for the frustration this has caused and appreciate your understanding.

Will give this a try when I can log in later once the queue's are down.
I'm curious if this may indeed be a bug that would have to be patched as the majority of folks, if not all, had no issues in Shadowbringers and only started having them in Endwalker, and the fact the hardware for people is so different, ranging from older hardware to even newer hardware, but still experiencing the same issues at the same frequency has me questioning things. Seeing example videos people posted, despite having different hardware, the crackling is the same amount in the same situations. Not better, not worst.

Like I told others, back when the game Halo had its Master Chief Collection released on PC it only had "Halo: Reach" available... but people experienced glitchy audio all over the place, even with top of the line computers.
This video really showcases it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_O0SsP0rik and I'm very much reminded of it here.
However, 343 didn't fix it until almost a year later... and so that is what has me worried. If it is indeed an issue with the new audio on some PCs, perhaps a compatibility issue, if a fix does occur... would it take months?
I did a trial where it was so bad it was physically hurting my ears to listen to and I had to pull my headphones off my head.

[Elliah-Seraheart]

Hello, everyone.

Thank you very much for your feedback concerning audio issues you’ve been experiencing.

We understand that these issues have persisted for players after Patch 6.01. In order for us to get a better understanding of the cases that have yet to be resolved, we’d like to ask for those affected to try the following:

• Because resource requirements and other factors gradually increase with each update, reducing CPU performance load may improve the situation.
  
  • Reduce the number of characters and objects displayed through System Configuration > Other Settings > Character and Object Display, or change the Graphics Settings to Standard.
• Close any applications that are running in the background.
  
• For Windows users, open the Sound Control Panel, right-click your default device in the Playback tab and open Properties, then under the Advanced tab, configure the Default Format to a lower setting.

If the previous steps do not improve the situation, we ask that you confirm the following to help determine the issue and distinguish whether it is system-related.

• Does the problem still occur after disabling the DirectX 11 Support option in the launcher settings?
  
• For gamepad users, does the problem still persist after disconnecting or changing your gamepad device?

If the steps above do not resolve your situation, we ask that you create a post in the Bug Report section using the bug report template, along with your system information and the steps taken to troubleshoot. This will assist our support team when they gather the information to share with the development team for review and investigation.

We sincerely apologize for the frustration this has caused and appreciate your understanding.

Hi. I've just send in an official bug report through the ingame feature - but I want to reinforce that these issues ARE NOT RELATED to CPU workload, FPS or heat for me. I, like many others here am using an FX8320. BUT I do not have any problems with the workload. In fact, I'm just about the only one here who's issues have been gradually getting better since 6.0.

There MAY BE increased workload to be done by the CPU in Endwalker- BUT it's not THE CAUSE of the audio issues experienced by most people here, I'm pretty sure. At least NOT THE ONLY CAUSE.

I made a video here demonstrating very clearly WHAT the issues is in 6.01, that it is ABSOLUTELY unrelated to FPS/CPU workload, and that it's VERY MUCH related to the ambient channel.
https://youtu.be/gYGu2rv3gbg?t=307

Heck, I made another video just to prove that it's NOT CPU STRAIN that is causing audio issues. If anything, it's the audio issues that are taxing the hardware. Not the other way around. And the only strain I experience is NOT on my much weaker, old FX 8320 CPU, but on my 2019, now like 800$ Nvidia GTX 1070 Ti. Though I suspect this is THE RESULT of the audio issues, not THE CAUSE. Even if it WAS the cause, it really shouldnt be on a 1070 Ti.
https://youtu.be/fX5gt0Dhwd4

Here's a demonstration done in 6.0 where it's very clear, that the original issues were very much related to camera position, and absolutely unrelated to FPS/CPU Workload.
https://youtu.be/sLQW6ShIkJY

CPU: AMD FX 8320
GPU Nvidia 1070 Ti (30.0.14.9709)
RAM: 32 GB RAM DDR3
Motherboard: ASRock 970 Pro3 V2.0
Stereo Headphones 41k Hz 16 Bit (Lowest setting!. All effects disabled - no but also happens on much lower settings on other headphones)
Realtek High Definition Audio 6.0.9132.1
Windows 10 Pro 64 bit (10.0.19042)

[Sylaria]

Think I had a more mild case of this issue on friday. My sound effects disappeared during a frontline match and after that the music would also start crackling and popping. Atleast mine appears to function normally after a reboot of the game till something breaks the sound effects again. I suspect frontlines, hunt trains and alliance raids would break the audio quicker since there's so much going on relatively to normal gameplay.

[IckeDerTyp]

Same here!

[Gayel]

Same issues... unfortunately

[vlokai]

Adding my voice to the chorus. I am experiencing all of these stuttering, popping, and cut-out symptoms. It actually began for me on the Endwalker loading screen on launch day with the music stuttering. AS everyone else had said it is reduced when not in combat and more frequent when casting.

I am once again in the Endwalker waiting room as I refuse to experience anymore of Endwalker in this broken state. I will not be so dramatic to say my initial experience was ruined in the first introductory quest, but the experience was certainly diminished as my focus was on my janky sound and not the carefully crafted intro to Endwalker experience. I wish I could reset my MSQ back to zero before the first trip out so I can get a clean experience when this is resolved.

[LobsterFusion]

Definitely hope this gets fixed. I play with my volume down now and check it here and there to see how it is but it's still the same.

[TojiSuzuhara]

https://twitter.com/SOKENsquareenix/...20178749845504

i took it upon myself to tweet at soken late last night since i saw he was promoting the new spatial audio thing and he did respond! looks like they are definitely aware of it and working on fixing it. hope this helps in some way to know theyre at least acknowledge it.

[TaleraRistain]

https://twitter.com/SOKENsquareenix/...20178749845504

i took it upon myself to tweet at soken late last night since i saw he was promoting the new spatial audio thing and he did respond! looks like they are definitely aware of it and working on fixing it. hope this helps in some way to know theyre at least acknowledge it.

That does help because it was rather demoralizing not seeing it on the known issues list so we had no idea if a fix was even being considered. Thanks for that.