Audio crackling in FL Studio is almost always caused by the buffer size being too small, the wrong audio driver, or a Windows driver causing DPC latency. Fix in this order.
Fix 1 — fastest
Increase buffer size in ASIO
Open FL Studio → Options → Audio Settings → click the ASIO panel button → increase buffer size:
| Buffer size | Crackling? | Latency |
|---|---|---|
| 128 samples | Likely on slower PCs | ~3ms |
| 256 samples | Sometimes | ~6ms |
| 512 samples | Usually stable | ~12ms |
| 1024 samples | Very stable | ~23ms |
For mixing and mastering (not recording), use 1024 samples for maximum stability. Only use small buffers when you need low-latency monitoring while recording.
Fix 2
Set Windows power plan to High Performance
C:\> powercfg /setactive 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c
# Or: Control Panel > Power Options > High Performance
Windows Balanced power plan throttles the CPU, causing audio buffer underruns. High Performance keeps the CPU at full speed for consistent audio processing.
Fix 3
Check DPC latency with LatencyMon
High DPC latency from Windows drivers causes audio dropouts regardless of buffer size. Download the free LatencyMon tool:
- Run LatencyMon while FL Studio plays audio
- If it shows HIGH latency: find the driver listed as the worst offender
- Common culprits:
RTKVHD64.sys(Realtek),nvlddmkm.sys(NVIDIA),intelppm.sys(Intel power) - Fix: update or disable the offending driver
Fix 4
Disable Wi-Fi during sessions
Wi-Fi driver interrupts are a common cause of DPC latency. Try:
- Plug in Ethernet and disable Wi-Fi in Device Manager while producing
- Or: Device Manager → Network Adapters → right-click Wi-Fi adapter → Disable
- Re-enable after your session
Many producers report Wi-Fi as the cause of audio crackling. This is a quick test — if crackling stops without Wi-Fi, update the Wi-Fi driver.
FAQ
Crackling questions
Crackling only happens with many plugins loaded
Your CPU cannot process all plugins within the buffer period. Solutions: increase buffer size to 512-1024 samples, enable Smart Disable (Options → Audio Settings), freeze CPU-heavy channels with Smart Disable per-channel, or upgrade your CPU/RAM.
Crackling after upgrading to Windows 11
Windows 11 changed some power management behaviour. Set power plan to High Performance, update all drivers (especially GPU, audio, and chipset), and check LatencyMon for the specific driver causing issues.
Audio sounds fine but there are occasional pops
Occasional pops (not constant crackling) are usually caused by background Windows processes interrupting audio. Set FL Studio process priority: Task Manager → Details → fl.exe → right-click → Set priority → High.