[j-n-m]

When I tap a smart button to start playing audio (.wav file), there is an unwanted click sound through my powered speaker.  When I tap again to stop the audio playing, there is the same click a few seconds later.  These clicks happen whether or not I'm using the advanced audio player.  Playing the files using the same hardware via e.g. the Microsoft player is click-free.
Now I suspect that this may not be a software problem.  It's as if the powering up/down of the audio player sends something along the cable that causes the click.  (If the powered speaker is on, then powering up/down something mains-powered in the signal chain can cause something much louder than just a click.)
Any ideas?  Apologies if this is off-topic.

[Zubersoft]

If you have "Use advanced audio player" unchecked, MobileSheets is just playing back the file using Microsoft's own audio engine. I'm really not sure why you would be hearing clicking like that, as it should be using the settings in Windows. Let me ask this - if this is on a tablet, if you just play the audio through the speakers of the device, do you hear the same click? Or is it only through the connected speaker?

Thanks,
Mike

[j-n-m]

Thanks.  It's on an HP Omnibook, an x360 device a few weeks old.  Playing through the laptop's speakers at max volume, the music is rather quiiet, but I hear no click.  Playing through headphones, it's a bit louder, but again I hear no click.  Puzzling.  I am a hearing-aod user; so I suppose there's a chance that the clicks are there but very soft.  When the clicks are heard, I'm using a Pro Audio cable from the laptop headphone socket (wired stereo into mono sum) into the XLR mic input socket on a Portico 5017 pre-amp that's connected to a Bergantino IP112 powered speaker.

[j-n-m]

I could mitigate the problem.  The audio files concerned are all fairly low-level (-21.0 dB).  i could recreate them at a higher level (-10 dB?), allowing me to turn down the gain, and so make the clicks much quieter.
I would prefer not to do that, as there are about 100 audio tracks involved.

[Lester]

... low-level (-21.0 dB) ... recreate them at a higher level (-10 dB?) ...

It would be a good habit to push those quiet files up to around -3dB. If you are feeling confident and brave, go for -1dB, but in all cases I would recimmend not letting them slip below -6dB.

This will not resolve your MobileSheets query but will give your audio files a level on a par with other audio files.

[j-n-m]

More info.
WIth the same set-up, except that the minijack goes into a Creative THX Sound Blaster that's in the USB port instead of into the headphone socket, then those clicks don't happen, but the first tap on the smart button causes a big noise.
Progress, I guess.

[j-n-m]

... low-level (-21.0 dB) ... recreate them at a higher level (-10 dB?) ...

It would be a good habit to push those quiet files up to around -3dB. If you are feeling confident and brave, go for -1dB, but in all cases I would recimmend not letting them slip below -6dB.

This will not resolve your MobileSheets query but will give your audio files a level on a par with other audio files.

Thanks for that advice.  I'll need to think about that.  I'm using electric guitar into the instrument input of the pre-amp (which also functions as a DI box).  So the -21 dB level has been good for that.

[j-n-m]

It looks like there's no more progress to be made on this for now.
Using the Sound Blaster device in the USB port will be a work-around.  I'll have to remember to start Mobilesheets and tap the audio-playing smart button on a piece before powering up the powered speaker - in order not to get the loud & potentially damaging thump.
Thanks for the replies, and to all who thought about this thread.

[Zubersoft]

Sorry there isn't more help I can offer - I'm not sure what to recommend. I'm glad you at least have a workaround. One thing I should mention is that I currenly fade in and fade out audio when playing/stopping the audio. It's actually possible these quick volume changes could be causing some kind of problem. I can consider adding an option to control this behavior so that we can see if this is responsible. I removed this fade in/fade out code on iOS as it was causing weird noises with the speakers, as Apple's audio framework didn't seem to like the rapid volume changes. So in theory it could be causing similar problems on Android and Windows in some setups.

Mike