allochthon

Yes, internal... this is a laptop with four usb ports.. kinda sounds like a nightmare, but it already is a nightmare. Going to try rolling back every driver i can - something happened, and it must be reversible.

Just to clarify, you mean an external usb sound card? Can you give me a link to the hardware that you picked up? I have tried my Steinberg UR22, and M-Audio Mobilepre and they are both affected. From what I gather, it's a USB issue.

I have tried the latency checker - when it peaks, the sound drops out. What is causing it, however, is still a mystery. It's not a Line 6 problem, and I've learned that this is a common occurrence with Win7 and there is no surefire solution, and possibly no solution. I have tried dozens of tricks and not one has made the slightest difference. Huge bummer to happen on a really powerful laptop..

Gave slimdriver a spin.. no dice.

I have used the PodXT for years to record audio via USB into Audition and Fruity Loops on a Windows 7. After a break of a few months, I loaded up a work-inprogress into Audition and fired up my PodXT to do some overdubs. It was instant headache, with drop-outs and random added pops / glitch freak-outs. I went through every conceavable combination of latency settings and reinstalled all line 6 software with updated drivers. Next I went through every single step of the optimization in the Line 6 videos. Read through the troubleshooting for Windows and short of reformatting, which is not an option, tried everything... The problem has not changed at all. This is something that occurred in the last five months, as I used the Pod in december with no problem at all. The only change I have made since then was to install an old version of Reason. I have uninstalled it and nothing changed. In all the reading about this issue, I get the jist that it's a USB / Windows issue, but how on earth would the problem just arise out of nowhere?? Something changed, so it's reversible... right? Please, please, please... it's 2013.. we have the technology and know-how to solve this problem. :(