Solving Logic Pro Dropouts for a Singer Using Scarlett Solo and Rode NT1-A

Diagnosis

Once we were connected and I was inside my client’s Mac I investigated the situation. At first glance, the system looked fine — nothing unusual in Logic or the Focusrite configuration.
But after digging deeper, I noticed something subtle:

• Logic’s input device was set to the Focusrite.
• Logic’s output device was set to the Mac’s system default output (which, in this case, was the 3.5 mm headphone jack).

This mismatch meant Logic was sending playback through the Mac’s internal hardware, while recording through the Focusrite. This configuration can work, but is not how the Scarlett Solo is designed to be used. With this setup, the client is unable to use the Focusrite’s direct monitoring feature and there will be more latency introduced into the system than necessary. 

As we were moving the headphones from the Mac to the Scarlett, the client told me that sound was only coming from the left-hand headphone. Also, moving and wiggling the cable was causing crackling sounds. 

This was the crucial piece of information that told us the reason for Logic’s dropouts. 

My client’s damaged headphone lead was causing occasional momentary disconnects. This caused the Mac to switch output devices on the fly. Logic interpreted these as hardware changes and stopped recording instantly.

Result

The dropouts disappeared. The client was relieved — they’d spent hours updating software and swapping microphones, but the root cause turned out to be a simple physical connection issue that only surfaced through careful observation.

Reflection