Sound Artifacts Added To Final Voice Sound Files

Hello,

I am using AA_2018 for recording and processing audiobook narration.  I am now noticing that when I run my regular editing process on the waveform file, "noise artifacts" are being added to the final product that definitely were not there in the original file.  At the end of almost every sentence now, audible "clicks" are cropping up causing me to spend extra time and patience "healing" these artifacts to send to the client.  This has greatly reduced; significantly reduced; my workflow and is costing $ as it now takes double the time it previously did to process the file.  Prior to this version, I ran the same process below without the undesired effects I'm experiencing now.

Here is my process;

1.  Record as "clean" as possible the audio track (30min to 1 hour 20 minutes) in multitrack at 48000Hz/32bit.

2.  Export the multitrack file to a folder for processing in the waveform editor.

3.  Open the file in the waveform editor and apply; Room tone to the beginning and end of the file; "Declicker" - 2 passes on "Default" setting.

4.  Edit the file using headphones removing extraneous noises with "Healer brush", and add/delete room tone where needed, and attenuate breaths where needed.

5.  Save the final edited file in the same folder.

6.  Run "Sound Remover" with a "saved" background noise .fft (room tone/fan) file from my studio, with the "Speech Enhancer" box checked.

7.  Attenuate the 2db applied by the new "Sound Remover" by -2db.

8.  Run an "effects rack" consisting of "Parametric Equalizer, Dynamic Processor, and Tube Compressor" in that order.

9.  Run the "Loudness Match" batch process with the following parameters, ITU -3; -20.5 LUFS; Tolerance 2LU; Max True Peak -3.1; Look ahead 12ms; Release 200ms; converting the file from 48000Hz/32bit wave file to 44100Hz/16bit MP3.

10. Listen to final MP3, which now has the "noise artifacts" added.

I have provided a link Dropbox - Adobe Audition_Forum to six (6) screenshots of the issue I am facing.  Pictures 1 and 3 and 5 are of the "raw" unprocessed file.  Pictures 2 and 4 and 6 are of the processed finished MP3 file with the artifacts showing.  The screenshots are of the same time lines.

Any ideas on why this is now happening?  I love this program AA engineers, and I love to promote it to others; but with each new release I unfortunately grow more and more timid with my enthusiasm.

(No, the clicks are not happening because of a "clocking" issue.  They are too random for that.)

(Cables are shielded and are not crossing over power lines or other electrical sources.)

Ok, update.  Definitely CC_2018.  I just rolled back to 2017, applied the same effects as mentioned above, and "Voila!", no more sound artifacts!  This needs to be looked at with the new build coming for 2018.