When you say "choppy" do you mean it's full of drop outs and freezes? If so, there are some things you should do. First off, reboot before starting any recording/mixing session. Make sure there's NOTHING else running on your computer while you're working...this particularly includes internet, wifi and anti virus software. Make sure system sounds are completely turned off. If at all possible use a proper audio interface with a dedicated ASIO driver. If you must use your onboard sound card, (bad idea, their quality sucks) try downloading and using ASIO4ALL as the driver. Adjust the latency/buffer settings to as high a number as you can get away with without getting unacceptable latency. If you're using your onboard sound card and MME drivers, this'll be in Audition on the Edit/Preferences/Audio Hardware menu. If you're using a proper sound card, it'll likely be in the set up menu for the sound card itself. Finally, go through and set up your computer to optimise it for sound work. This site is by Alesis but has some good advice that applies to any system: Tips and tricks for music and computers
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