Audio Interface Buffer Underrun Detected – Fix It Now

Quick answer for advanced users

Increase the buffer size in your DAW's ASIO settings. If that fails, check the sample rate match, update the interface driver, and disable USB selective suspend. Don't bother with Windows audio enhancements – they don't help here.

Why this happens

Buffer underrun means your computer's CPU couldn't process the audio data fast enough before the interface ran out of samples. The culprit is almost always a mismatch between the buffer size, CPU load, or a bad driver. Real-world trigger: you're recording a live guitar track, hit record, and after 10 seconds the DAW stops with a pop and a "Buffer underrun detected" message. Usually happens when you have too many plugins running or your USB controller is sharing bandwidth with a high-speed device like a webcam.

Step-by-step fix (start here)

1. Open your DAW's audio settings – Look for the ASIO driver control panel. In Reaper, it's under Options > Preferences > Audio > Device. In FL Studio, it's Options > Audio Settings. In Cubase, it's Studio > Studio Setup > Audio System.
2. Increase the buffer size – Start at 256 samples. If 256 still gives underruns, go to 512 or 1024. Higher buffer = more latency but stable playback. For recording, 128 or 256 is the sweet spot. For mixing, 512 is fine.
3. Match sample rates – Go to Windows Sound settings (right-click speaker icon > Sound > Playback tab > right-click your interface > Properties > Advanced) and set the sample rate to match your DAW (usually 44100 Hz or 48000 Hz). Mismatch causes dropouts.
4. Update the interface driver – Check the manufacturer's website (Focusrite, Behringer, PreSonus, etc.). Don't use Windows Update. Download the latest ASIO driver from the support page. Reboot after install.
5. Disable USB power saving – Go to Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus controllers > right-click each "USB Root Hub" > Properties > Power Management > uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". Reboot.
6. Check CPU load – Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) while your DAW is idle. If CPU usage is over 80%, close background apps like Chrome, Discord, or antivirus. If still high, you might need a CPU upgrade or fewer plugins.

When the main fix doesn't work

If the steps above don't fix it, try these:

• Switch USB ports – Plug the interface directly into a motherboard USB 2.0 port (not a front panel or USB 3.0 hub). USB 3.0 controllers often have higher latency.
• Disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – Wireless devices can cause DPC latency spikes. Turn them off in Windows settings or via hardware switch. Test with a wired network connection if needed.
• Run LatencyMon – Download LatencyMon (free). Run it for 5 minutes. If it shows high DPC latency (above 1000 microseconds), update the offending driver (often network drivers or NVidia audio drivers).
• Try a different buffer setting in the ASIO control panel – Some interfaces (like Focusrite) let you set buffer size directly in the driver's own panel, not the DAW. Open the ASIO panel from your DAW's audio device menu.
• Disable Windows audio enhancements – Right-click speaker icon > Sound > Playback tab > right-click interface > Properties > Enhancements > check "Disable all enhancements". This rarely helps but worth a shot.

Prevention tip

Once you fix it, keep your system lean. Close browsers when recording. Set Windows to High Performance power plan. Don't use USB hubs – plug the interface directly into the motherboard. Update your audio driver every 6 months. Also, avoid using the interface's USB cable longer than 3 meters – signal degrades quickly. If you get buffer underruns with a 256 buffer on a modern i5, something's wrong – check your USB controller with LatencyMon.

Pro tip: If you're on Windows 11, disable Memory Integrity in Windows Security > Device Security > Core Isolation. It adds latency. Only do this if you're not running sensitive apps.