VideoStudio Clicking, Ticking & Popping Noises: my Solution

[JEB]

I have had this clicking issue with VideoStudio over at least the last 2 or 3 versions. I do know that it is being generated by the program. When I load up an old project, say from 2018 and preview it, there are clicks that were not there when I first rendered the movie. The other frustration is that once a click or pop or hiccough shows up you can't get rid of it. I often get these right at the end of a sound file, when it normally plays, it now has a small brief snippet of sound appearing at the end. I have tried trimming the last fraction of a second off a sound file, which sometimes helps but often just moves the click deeper into the file.
I keep forgetting that if you TURN OFF SMART RENDER it does seem to help, but I believe it is on by default with a new video file and, like I said, after a click shows up it is there for the duration. The only fixes I have found so far are:
1. Remove the entire file and reinsert a not corrupted or the original sound file back in. (sometimes not practical)
2. Turn off SMART RENDER before you start populating a project (often not possible unless you remember every time) Also slows one down.
3. Don't use mp4 (however I think I've still generated the issue with other formatting, surprisingly with .wav and audio coming from .mov)
4. Don't use any filters within VideoStudio and do all the audio adjustments and editing in other programs then bring the modified file into VS.

I continue to mess around to see if there is a simple fix.
I've noticed over the years that the clicks/bobbles are consistent in that:
a. They are always at or very near the end of the sound file. (at least for me, very rarely will they show up elsewhere)
b. Almost never occur if there are overlapping sounds, like narration over music. (but not 100%, especially if the click appears prior to adding the overlap)
c. Do seem to show up if there is a great meany modifications to related video on the timeline, even if nothing is done to the sound file itself.
d. Have never appeared (been created) when I knew to have Smart Render turned off.
e. Can sometimes be removed if you trim off a good chunk of the sound file, otherwise the same sound pop simply moves with the trim.
f. Will occur even if you use "Fade Out".
g. Will occur even if the file volume is set to 0 at the end.

It also shows up on audio files that I have created on the same hardware, such as narration .wav files. The issue really does appear to be in the way that VideoStudio handles sound files. One of the reasons I upgraded to 2022 is that it had an improved sound edit interface, which it does... somewhat. But it seems like the core program is still introducing these clicks and hiccoughs in around 50% of my videos.

Not really a fix or anything new, but I wanted to share with anyone else still dealing with this long-running issue.