By NaJade · DJ in Bangkok · Published October 20, 2026
This guide is part of DJ software: the complete guide.
A crackle in your headphones at home is a warning. The same crackle on a club system is the whole room hearing it.
Audio dropouts — clicks, pops, stutters or tiny gaps in the sound — happen when your laptop can’t feed audio to your controller or interface fast enough. They are almost never caused by a broken controller. In nearly every case the fix is a setting: buffer size, USB, power management or something running in the background. Here is the order I check things in, from the quickest wins to the deeper fixes.
To fix DJ audio dropouts: plug your laptop into power, connect the controller directly to the computer rather than through a hub, raise the buffer size in your DJ software’s audio settings, turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and sleep modes, close other apps, and update your software and drivers. Most crackles disappear after the first three steps.
Dropouts vs Distortion: Know Which One You Have
Before changing anything, work out what you’re hearing. The fixes are completely different.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Clicks, pops, tiny gaps | Computer can’t keep up (dropouts) | Buffer, USB, power, background apps |
| Harsh, crunchy sound on loud parts | Clipping — levels too hot | Gain staging and meters |
| Constant hum or buzz | Ground loop or bad cable | Cables and power |
| Sound cuts out completely | USB disconnect or loose cable | Port, cable, power saving |
If your channel meters are hitting red, read gain staging for DJs first. If you hear a hum, check DJ cables explained. The rest of this guide is about true dropouts.
Quick Fixes to Try First
- Plug in the charger. On battery, laptops throttle the processor and USB ports to save power. This alone fixes a surprising number of problems.
- Connect directly. Plug the controller straight into the laptop, not through a USB hub, dock or extension. Try each port — some share bandwidth with other devices.
- Swap the USB cable. Use the cable that came with the controller, or a short, good-quality replacement.
- Close everything else. Browsers, cloud sync, messaging apps and screen recorders all compete for the processor.
- Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Wireless drivers are a common cause of audio interruptions, especially on Windows.
These match Serato’s own dropout checklist, and they apply just as much to rekordbox, VirtualDJ and Traktor.
Set the Buffer Size Properly
The buffer is a small queue of audio your computer prepares in advance. A smaller buffer means lower latency — the jog wheel and pads respond instantly — but less safety margin. A larger buffer gives your laptop more breathing room at the cost of a slight delay.
- Serato DJ: open Setup, go to the Audio tab and raise the USB Buffer Size (Latency).
- rekordbox: open Preferences, then Audio, and raise the Buffer Size. On Windows, make sure the controller’s ASIO driver is selected.
- Where to land: increase in small steps until the dropouts stop, then leave a little headroom. For most mixing, around 5–10 ms feels fine; scratch DJs usually want it lower.
If you need a very high buffer to stop dropouts, that’s a sign something else is wrong — keep going through the steps below rather than living with the lag.
Power and System Settings
| Setting | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Power mode | Best performance / High performance plan | Turn off Low Power Mode |
| USB power saving | Disable USB selective suspend | Not usually needed |
| Sleep and screen saver | Disable while DJing | Disable while DJing |
| Background updates | Pause Windows Update during gigs | Turn off automatic updates during gigs |
| Drivers | Install the controller’s latest ASIO driver | Usually class-compliant; update the OS and software |
On Windows, if dropouts continue, run a free tool such as LatencyMon while playing. It shows which driver is interrupting audio — often Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or graphics. Serato’s guide to troubleshooting USB dropouts on Windows walks through it in detail.
Library and Hardware Causes
- Corrupt or unusual files. If dropouts happen on one track only, the file may be damaged. Re-download or re-encode it.
- Music on a slow external drive. Keep your library on the internal SSD, or a fast USB-C SSD.
- Too many effects or stems at once. Real-time stem separation is demanding; older laptops struggle.
- An underpowered laptop. If you’ve tried everything, the machine may simply be too slow. See the best laptop for DJing.
A Note From NaJade
I learned this one at a wedding in Bangkok. Everything was perfect at soundcheck. Two hours in, during the first dance, I heard a tiny click, then another. My laptop had quietly switched to battery after someone knocked the plug at the wall. Nobody noticed but me — but I’ve never forgotten how fast my heart was going. Now I have a pre-gig ritual: charger in and checked, Wi-Fi off, notifications off, one hour of playing at home with the exact setup. It takes ten minutes to set up and it has saved me more than once. Treat your laptop like an instrument you tune before every show.
Related: Serato DJ review, rekordbox review, connecting a DJ controller to speakers and how to record a DJ mix. Deeper reading: DJ TechTools on preventing dropouts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my DJ controller keep crackling?
What buffer size should I use for DJing?
How do I change the buffer size in rekordbox?
How do I fix audio dropouts in Serato DJ?
Can a USB hub cause DJ audio dropouts?
Do I need a new laptop to stop audio dropouts?
About the Author
NaJade is a Bangkok-based DJ playing progressive house, melodic EDM, pop, and Thai music across clubs, rooftops, and weddings in Thailand. He teaches beatmatching and mixing to beginners both in person in Bangkok and online over Zoom. When he’s not behind the decks, he’s documenting the journey on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.