Waveform Lagging in Traktor Pro 3 When MacBook Air is Plugged In

Juanda
Juanda Member Posts: 2 Newcomer
in Traktor Software & Hardware

Hello community,

I'm experiencing an issue with Traktor Pro 3 on my MacBook Air (A1466, running Big Sur via OpenCore). When the laptop is running on battery, Traktor works perfectly fine. However, when I plug it into the power adapter, the waveform starts lagging or stuttering after a few minutes, even though the audio remains unaffected.

Interestingly, when I move the mouse cursor, the waveform returns to normal momentarily, but the issue reappears shortly after. This doesn’t seem to be a performance-related issue, as the Mac works flawlessly on battery, and the specifications handle Traktor well.

Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

  1. Adjusting latency settings in Traktor.
  2. Reinstalling Traktor and testing older versions.
  3. Reformatting and reinstalling macOS.
  4. Testing with different controllers and setups (same result).
  5. Checking for energy-saving settings on macOS.

I came across a similar case in a blog, where someone mentioned the issue occurred only when their Mac was plugged in, but not on battery. It seems to be a rare problem, and I'm wondering if anyone else has faced this and found a solution.

For reference, I’ve attached a video showing the issue. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

Answers

  • maniacintosh81
    maniacintosh81 Member Posts: 901 Expert

    Intel MacBook Air were not the most performant hardware on earth - even as brand new machines. You are already running a newer unsupported version of macOS on it. I expect the machine has reached its limits - as you need OCLP to run Big Sur it is at least 11 and a half year old.

  • Juanda
    Juanda Member Posts: 2 Newcomer

    Thank you for your insight!

    I’ve been closely monitoring this issue, and I believe it’s not a hardware limitation but rather how the system interprets Traktor’s activity. It seems that the MacBook reduces processor load as if Traktor is running in the background. I’ve noticed that the waveform issue is not only fixed by moving the mouse but also when I press any key, which suggests the system reallocates resources when it detects user activity.

    Trust me, my MacBook Air (A1466) is running Big Sur very smoothly—I’ve upgraded and optimized it, and temperatures during Traktor sessions stay between 70°C and 80°C. The performance is excellent. It appears that since I control everything via MIDI, the Mac might think the app is idle and deprioritize its resources.

    Could you share any insights or suggestions on how to prevent macOS from reducing resources in this scenario? I’m planning to test some ideas later, such as enabling fullscreen mode or using the performance tips option in Traktor’s top-left menu, to see if it ensures the system recognizes the program as active at all times.

    Thanks again for your time and help!

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