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Troubleshooting

This page covers the most common issues and how to fix them.

Audio & Recording

No sound during playback

  1. Check that no tracks are muted (M button on channel strips should be grey/off)
  2. Check that your audio output device is selected — go to iOS Settings → Homecrate → Audio to verify
  3. Check that the master volume fader (far-left M strip in the mixer) is not at zero
  4. If using an audio interface, check that it’s still connected and the iOS route hasn’t changed

No input signal — VU meter not moving when armed

  1. Tap the Input button on the armed track’s channel strip and make sure the correct input is selected
  2. Check your microphone or interface is connected and recognized by iOS
  3. Go to iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone and make sure Homecrate is permitted
  4. Disconnect and reconnect your audio interface

Recording plays back at the wrong pitch or speed (sounds slow/flat)

This can happen when an audio interface is connected at 48 kHz and monitoring through a plugin. The app compensates automatically, but if you encounter it:

  1. Stop playback
  2. Disarm the track
  3. Re-arm the track to re-initialize the monitoring session
  4. Try recording again

If the problem persists, check that your interface’s sample rate is set consistently (either 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz, not switching between sessions).

Audio crackles or dropouts during playback

  1. Increase the IO buffer size: tap ⋯ → Settings → Audio → IO Buffer Duration and select a higher value (10 ms or 20 ms)
  2. Close other audio apps running in the background
  3. If using multiple neural amp simulation plugins (NAM-style), try bypassing some during playback: long-press the plugin slot → “Disable Plugin Audio”
  4. Ensure your device is not in Low Power Mode (Settings → Battery)

Metronome click not audible

  1. Check that the ♩ button in the transport is lit (active)
  2. Verify your output volume — the metronome routes through the same output as playback
  3. If using an audio interface, make sure headphones are connected to the interface output, not the iPhone jack

Recording starts late or out of sync with backing tracks

The app measures hardware latency automatically. If alignment feels off:

  1. Make sure you’re using headphones or your audio interface’s direct monitoring — speaker monitoring introduces too much round-trip delay
  2. Check Latency & Compensation for more on how the automatic compensation works

MIDI

No MIDI notes triggering my hardware

  1. Check that the correct output device is selected in the MIDI channel strip (tap the device name under OUTPUT)
  2. Tap ↺ Scan again in the output device picker if the device is missing
  3. Check the MIDI channel — your hardware may be set to receive on channel 1, while the track is sending on channel 2
  4. Verify that the MIDI interface or Bluetooth MIDI connection is active in the iOS MIDI setup (Settings → Bluetooth for Bluetooth MIDI)

MIDI notes stuck on (continuous sound)

  1. Tap ⏹ Stop — the stop button sends All Notes Off and All Sound Off to all connected devices
  2. If notes are still stuck, power-cycle your hardware synthesizer
  3. This can happen after a force-quit or crash. Always use ⏹ Stop before closing the app

MIDI recording has timing offset

  1. Make sure count-in is enabled (the R button long-press counts in before starting recording — this is the normal workflow)
  2. Check that the MIDI track’s input channel is set correctly — “Omni” listens on all channels and is the safest setting for most setups

Instrument plugin not receiving MIDI from MIDI track

  1. In the MIDI channel strip, tap the AUv3 INSTRUMENT selector and confirm the right plugin is assigned
  2. Make sure the instrument plugin is loaded on an audio track (not just selected — it must be in a slot)
  3. Arm the MIDI track (R button in the MIDI channel strip) and play a note — the activity dot should flash
  4. Check the MIDI channel setting on the track’s instrument slot (long-press the plugin slot → MIDI Channel)

Plugins

Plugin not appearing in the Plugin Browser

  1. Make sure the plugin’s parent app is installed on your device
  2. Tap Refresh in the Plugin Browser
  3. Some plugins require you to open the parent app at least once after install to register the Audio Unit with iOS
  4. Older “AUv2” plugins are not compatible — look for the AUv3 badge to confirm compatibility

Plugin editor won’t open

  1. Make sure playback is stopped before opening a plugin editor
  2. Some plugins have a UI that requires the parent app to be installed — if the app was deleted, the editor cannot open
  3. Try removing the plugin and reloading it

Plugin causes audio dropouts or crashes

  1. Increase the IO buffer size (⋯ → Settings → Audio)
  2. Check for an update to the plugin’s parent app — many stability issues in AUv3 plugins are fixed in updates
  3. Try loading the plugin on a fresh project to isolate whether it’s the plugin itself or a combination with other plugins

Projects & Files

Project not loading / app stuck on “Loading project…”

  1. Force-quit the app and reopen — the last project auto-saves and will reload
  2. If it happens repeatedly, the project file may be corrupted. Create a new project from the ＋ button and re-import your audio files using the Load button on each track

Audio clips show in the timeline but won’t play (no sound, no waveform loading)

This usually means the audio file has a stale path — the iOS container UUID changed between sessions (this can happen after restoring a backup or reinstalling the app).

  1. Tap the Load button on the affected track
  2. Re-import the audio file from Files or your camera roll
  3. The new clip will be properly referenced going forward

Exported mixdown file is silent or very short

  1. Make sure at least one track has audio clips that are not muted
  2. Check that the clips exist within the exported time range — if all clips are pushed far out in time, the export may capture silence
  3. Verify the audio files haven’t been deleted from the Files app

General

App is slow or unresponsive

  1. Close the Lyrics panel if open
  2. Close the Camera overlay if active
  3. If many plugins are loaded, try bypassing some (long-press slot → Disable Plugin Audio)
  4. Restart the app

Can’t find a feature mentioned in these docs

Some features require specific hardware or iOS versions:

  • Music Chat requires iPhone 15 Pro / M-chip iPad, iOS 26+, Apple Intelligence enabled
  • Spatial audio (APAC export) requires iOS 26+
  • Camera overlay requires a device with a camera and sufficient storage
  • AUv3 plugins require a physical device (not a simulator)

Contacting Support

If you encounter a problem not covered here, tap ⋯ → Settings and scroll to the bottom for support contact information, or visit [your support URL].