---
title: "How to Fix Audio Distortion in DaVinci Resolve"
author: "Alex Johnson"
category: Troubleshooting
excerpt: "Direct solutions for fixing clipping, crackling, and distorted audio playback in DaVinci Resolve."
image: "/cutsio-thumbnail.svg"
tags: "DaVinci Resolve, Audio, Distortion, Troubleshooting, Fairlight"
---

Audio distortion in DaVinci Resolve is typically caused by volume clipping (levels exceeding 0dB), mismatched sample rates, or incorrect audio interface buffer sizes. 

Here are the direct methods to fix audio distortion and crackling in DaVinci Resolve.

## Why is the audio clipping and distorting?
Audio distorts when the volume level exceeds 0dB on the digital scale. This results in harsh crackling because the digital system cannot process audio peaks higher than 0dB.

To fix volume clipping:
1. Open the **Fairlight** page.
2. Locate the mixer panel on the right side.
3. Look at the main "Bus 1" output meter. If the meter is hitting the red zone at the top, the audio is clipping.
4. Lower the master fader on Bus 1 until the loudest peaks stay between -3dB and -6dB.

## How do you fix sample rate mismatch distortion?
If the audio sounds robotic, pitched down, or crackly despite the volume being low, there is a sample rate mismatch between your source audio and your timeline. 

To fix a sample rate mismatch:
1. Identify the sample rate of your source audio file (e.g., 44.1kHz or 48kHz) in the Media Pool inspector.
2. Go to **Project Settings > Fairlight > Audio Sample Rate**.
3. Ensure the timeline sample rate exactly matches your source file (usually 48000 Hz for professional video).
4. Restart DaVinci Resolve to apply the change.

## How do you fix audio interface buffer size crackling?
If your playback stutters and pops randomly, your CPU cannot process the audio fast enough, indicating an incorrect buffer size in your audio interface settings.

To fix audio interface buffer crackling:
1. Open **DaVinci Resolve > Preferences > System > Video and Audio I/O**.
2. Locate the **Audio I/O** section.
3. If using an external USB audio interface (like a Focusrite Scarlett), open the device's native control panel software.
4. Increase the **Buffer Size** to 512 or 1024 samples. This introduces slight latency but stops the CPU from dropping audio packets, eliminating the crackle.

## How do you fix corrupted audio cache?
If only a specific clip is distorting, the temporary audio waveform cache may be corrupted.

To clear the audio cache:
1. Go to the **Edit** page.
2. Right-click the distorted audio clip.
3. Select **Bounce Audio Effects**. This forces Resolve to recalculate the audio math and generate a clean playback file.