Time to get another mic

The thing in the top right of Reaper says 43/157ms. Now I wouldn't have thought 43 would be noticable but I bet 157 would be. In fact, I think it was a forum member who told me to expect latency if I monitored in Reaper, so when I tried it an found out I had a latency issue I didn't investigate further.
 
rob aylestone said:
When it's time to get another mic it's usually because your expectations or real needs have changed. The trouble is that a 57 is a great do almost anything mic, and when you buy mic 2, it is never as generic. Mic 3 is even worse.
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Basically, yes. I want to try singing into a condenser and getting better acoustic recordings - I usually only record acoustic with my nieces but I might use it a bit more, never know.
 
JDOD said:
The thing in the top right of Reaper says 43/157ms. Now I wouldn't have thought 43 would be noticable but I bet 157 would be. In fact, I think it was a forum member who told me to expect latency if I monitored in Reaper, so when I tried it an found out I had a latency issue I didn't investigate further.
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That is very high latency. What interface are you using?

What options do you have with the interface? For example, I have a Presonus whose control panel allows me to specify latency. It's set at 8ms, which is its default, but it gives me options to go as low as 2ms or as high as 40ms.
 
gecko zzed said:
That is very high latency. What interface are you using?

What options do you have with the interface? For example, I have a Presonus whose control panel allows me to specify latency. It's set at 8ms, which is its default, but it gives me options to go as low as 2ms or as high as 40ms.
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A TonePort UX2
 
Post something in the clinic when you have It. I wanna hear this mic and interface combo - though it's not like I'll be able to say "ah that's a focusrite, but you know what I mean. I thought about getting this mic before I decided on the at4040. So I wanna hear it!
 
andrushkiwt said:
Post something in the clinic when you have It. I wanna hear this mic and interface combo - though it's not like I'll be able to say "ah that's a focusrite, but you know what I mean. I thought about getting this mic before I decided on the at4040. So I wanna hear it!
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Yeah, its super cheap isn't it. I get paid at the end of the month so I'll probably get it then.
 
I have two Rode NT-1As and I was thinking of letting one go now I have the NT-5 matched pair, but now you're looking at that package I think I'll sit on it for a while.
 
I was in your position and I got the sE X1 and really like it. It was my first condenser. I got it after it was recommended to me to get a darker condenser to start. I was told that this allows easier layering of various elements in a mix recorded with the same mic.

I used mine with great success on male vocals. I also loved it as kick drum mic. I blend it with D112 but if I had to go with 1 kickdrum mic I would go with the X1 over the D112 which is a tailored kick drum mic. I have also used this mic a bit on acoustic guitar, but I got a pair of SDC that I generally use for acoustic. For electric guitar I never tried it, I like the SM57 tone and never tried anything else.
 
I just got that Focusrite with the cheap headphones and condenser. I needed another interface, needed a cheap pair of hardshell headphones for tracking and want to try singing with a condenser. I'll post up some thoughts over the next few weeks.
 
I've just acquired an AKG C1000S. Not gonna have a change to test it till the weekend, don't even know if it works. Anyone know what they're good for?
 
JDOD said:
I just got that Focusrite with the cheap headphones and condenser. I needed another interface, needed a cheap pair of hardshell headphones for tracking and want to try singing with a condenser. I'll post up some thoughts over the next few weeks.
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jdod, don't you record exclusively punk style?
i tried singing into a condenser for that style and didn't like it. i went to my re-11 and it sounds way better for that style.

sometimes i do mellow stuff, and on that i like the condenser. if you have any flaws in your voice, though, i find the condenser brings them out much more
 
No, not exclusively - I do record acoustic and stuff occasionally as well - for punk/grunge I'm happy singing into an SM57. But I needed a new interface and some cheap hardshell headphones for tracking anyway so thought I might as well try a condenser while I'm at it.

Will definitely try singing into it too and its always handy to have about the place. I have a few tracks ready for me to add the vocals too now.
 
JDOD said:
No, not exclusively - I do record acoustic and stuff occasionally as well - for punk/grunge I'm happy singing into an SM57. But I needed a new interface and some cheap hardshell headphones for tracking anyway so thought I might as well try a condenser while I'm at it.

Will definitely try singing into it too and its always handy to have about the place. I have a few tracks ready for me to add the vocals too now.
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oh okay yeah they sound pretty good on acoustics. especially dark acoustics, imo.
 
gecko zzed said:
That is very high latency. What interface are you using?

What options do you have with the interface? For example, I have a Presonus whose control panel allows me to specify latency. It's set at 8ms, which is its default, but it gives me options to go as low as 2ms or as high as 40ms.
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Gecko - I've started using the 2i2, no problems yet but I still get the same ~43/1987ms WaveOut display in the top right corner of Reaper. Is there something in Reaper I should be doing to alter this?
 
JDOD said:
Gecko - I've started using the 2i2, no problems yet but I still get the same ~43/1987ms WaveOut display in the top right corner of Reaper. Is there something in Reaper I should be doing to alter this?
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I don't understand why those figures are so high, specially the 1987ms. After that big number what does it say? are you using ASIO?


My interface is now rather ancient Firepod. This is what I see:
reaper latency.jpg


In Options/preferences/audio/ device, is your scarlet showing as ASIO? And what's the block size?

Is the USB going directly to the computer, or is it going via a hub?
 
gecko zzed said:
I don't understand why those figures are so high, specially the 1987ms. After that big number what does it say? are you using ASIO?


My interface is now rather ancient Firepod. This is what I see:
View attachment 96928


In Options/preferences/audio/ device, is your scarlet showing as ASIO? And what's the block size?

Is the USB going directly to the computer, or is it going via a hub?
Click to expand...

Cheers, Gecko. My block size is now 256 and I'm on 21/31ms ASIO.
 
JDOD said:
Cheers, Gecko. My block size is now 256 and I'm on 21/31ms ASIO.
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Those figures look much healthier, but I still think they should be, and could be, lower. My block size is 256 as well.

Frankly, I'm at a loss!

Maybe there is a 2i2 user who can help around somewhere.
 
gecko zzed said:
Those figures look much healthier, but I still think they should be, and could be, lower. My block size is 256 as well.

Frankly, I'm at a loss!

Maybe there is a 2i2 user who can help around somewhere.
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More fiddling done and its to do with my buffer size - its set at 10ms. I reduced this down to 1ms and ended up with ~2.3/3.3ms AISO
 
JDOD said:
More fiddling done and its to do with my buffer size - its set at 10ms. I reduced this down to 1ms and ended up with ~2.3/3.3ms AISO
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jdod, go into the focusrite 'mixcontrol' software and adjust the latency down to 1ms there. It's under "settings"--->"buffer size"...select 1ms.
then make sure in reaper you're using the focusrite asio driver not just any asio driver. this should give you sub 4ms latency.
 
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