Latency correction question!

[bouldersoundguy]

It seems to me that the OP is having a problem with record latency but everyone has offered advice about input monitoring latency. For input monitoring latency you decrease buffer size. For record latency you set the offset in the DAW to compensate. Two different problems, two different solutions.

 

[hansmoleman]

Follow these instructions HERE and let us know how you get on.

OK I had a go at most of these, a couple like the virus scan and the last one I didn't because I can't sacrifice my computer to audio recording as much as I'd like to! Initial tests are that it can now handle 10ms latency like magic but like before it might be a while before the cracks begin to show! Is 10ms an acceptable latency do you think? I guess I'll find out myself but just wondering what you think/have?

 

[hansmoleman]

It seems to me that the OP is having a problem with record latency but everyone has offered advice about input monitoring latency. For input monitoring latency you decrease buffer size. For record latency you set the offset in the DAW to compensate. Two different problems, two different solutions.

Sorry, I don't understand this!

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Sorry, I don't understand this!

Okay. Is the problem that you're hearing yourself delayed while recording, or is it that the track you record ends up misaligned to the previous tracks once you finished recording it?

 

[hansmoleman]

Okay. Is the problem that you're hearing yourself delayed while recording, or is it that the track you record ends up misaligned to the previous tracks once you finished recording it?

The track is misaligned to previous tracks. The Lexicon has analog "feedback" so what I play is sent to the computer and my speakers separately. I press a key and I hear it immediately. But in Cubase the track isn't quite on the drum beat where I thought I played it.

So what does this mean? Maybe it's all been in my head, but I don't think so. It didn't sound right.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

The track is misaligned to previous tracks.

So what does this mean?

It probably means all the advice, and all the stuff you did so far, has nothing to do with your problem. The solution is to adjust the record latency or record offset (whatever it's called in your DAW). I don't know the specifics of Cubase but it's got to be in there somewhere.

 

[hansmoleman]

It probably means all the advice, and all the stuff you did so far, has nothing to do with your problem. The solution is to adjust the record latency or record offset (whatever it's called in your DAW). I don't know the specifics of Cubase but it's got to be in there somewhere.

I've done a test, it isn't. If I change the latency setting that I have been adjusting forwards and backwards in Cubase it is definitely related to the positioning of the track and NOT the monitoring. Where we are up to now is that I am using ASIO drivers that I have already from somewhere (Lexicon Alpha I guess) and I've set it to 10ms which seems OK when I record. This setting used to introduce artifacts until I ran through that optimization (thanks!) and it seems to not do so now.

So now we are at can I get it even better? Is 10ms latency OK offset? Can I now correct that in Cubase because I have an exact number?

 

[jimmys69]

Cubase should automatically compensate for latency. Did you by chance accidentally bump the track delay on your recording track? It right below the pan slider.

 

[hansmoleman]

Cubase should automatically compensate for latency. Did you by chance accidentally bump the track delay on your recording track? It right below the pan slider.

Where do I find it? I can't find the pan slider

 

[bouldersoundguy]

I've done a test, it isn't. If I change the latency setting that I have been adjusting forwards and backwards in Cubase it is definitely related to the positioning of the track and NOT the monitoring. Where we are up to now is that I am using ASIO drivers that I have already from somewhere (Lexicon Alpha I guess) and I've set it to 10ms which seems OK when I record. This setting used to introduce artifacts until I ran through that optimization (thanks!) and it seems to not do so now.

So now we are at can I get it even better? Is 10ms latency OK offset? Can I now correct that in Cubase because I have an exact number?

Yes, adjusting buffers will affect the offset, but that's not really the way to solve it unless you can adjust your buffers to zero, which you can't. If the buffers aren't affecting your monitoring then leave them high enough to prevent glitches and find out how to get Cubase to compensate for the tracks being offset. I'll defer to Jimmy on the specifics of Cubase.

 

[Chili]

I press a key and I hear it immediately. But in Cubase the track isn't quite on the drum beat where I thought I played it.

Is this for MIDI or audio?? What EXACTLY isn't lining up? And can you post up a screenshot?

 

[hansmoleman]

Yes, adjusting buffers will affect the offset, but that's not really the way to solve it unless you can adjust your buffers to zero, which you can't. If the buffers aren't affecting your monitoring then leave them high enough to prevent glitches and find out how to get Cubase to compensate for the tracks being offset. I'll defer to Jimmy on the specifics of Cubase.

Yes OK, this is starting to make sense now. I did wonder why you would want that low as it could reduce performance when in theory the software could exactly compensate the latency anyway.

 

[hansmoleman]

Audio, I have my keyboard lined in (like a guitar I think, it's so old it's pre-MIDI I think!). What would you like a screenshot of? I can show you audacity latency as I understand the program better and that'll give you an idea of what's also happening in Cubase.

 

[hansmoleman]

No latency correction, consistently off. I'm attempting to play in time with the click. I can't use this to measure it though because my playing won't be dead on anyway, but it isn't also consistently off.

 

[Chili]

Okay, the description of the problem resembled a MIDI latency problem, but I understand now.

So, Cubase should automatically adjust the track for latency as it is reported by the ASIO driver. I wonder why it isn't.

Try this:
Go to Devices>Device Setup> VST Audio System and look at the Adjust for Record Latency. I believe it should be checked and the Record Shift set to zero.

Here's an excerpt from the manual:

Adjust for Record Latency and Record Shift
You may experience that audio material you record end up in a displaced position, too early or too late. The reason for this happening is often one of the following:

• Your audio hardware reports an incorrect Input latency value in its communication with Cubase.

• Your system has a high Output latency and you’re recording with input monitoring through an effect plug-in, which in itself has an inherent latency.

This means there will be a delay between when you play something and when you actually hear it. In such a situation, you may often instinctively play “ahead of time”, in an attempt to compensate for the perceived delay. However, because Cubase features automatic plug-in compensation, meaning that plug-in delays are compensated for to maintain sync and timing, the audio you record will end up in the wrong position (too early).

You can compensate for the above by adjusting these two parameters.

• By deactivating “Adjust for Record Latency”, you instruct Cubase not to use its plug-in delay compensation feature.

• If you change the Record Shift value, the position of recorded audio will automatically be shifted by the corresponding number of samples (up to 100000).

Positive values shift the position forward, and negative values shift the position backward.

 

[rob aylestone]

My friends system was the same - his playing was offset to the click just like yours. If you look at the inspector box, to the left of the main screen (assuming it's open) then you can adjust the offset there, just under the pan, as said.

However - it won't work reliably until you adjust it by trial and error, and then save the setup as the default template. The only snag is that whenever he sent me his tracks to work on, I had to pull out his delay to use on my system. He bought a new computer, the problem went away.

 

[DM60]

I know in Ableton (I am sure all DAWs have this), you can calibrate your latency by using a drum beat or quick response sound, have it on panned on one side, do a loop back output (left out to say channel 2 in) play the track and record channel 2 and look at the difference between the original and the recording and set the compensation offset with the deference.

I am sure there is some video or help section that would help you calibrate your DAWs latency offset. Most do some latency offset automatic, but this method can improve it most of the time.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

View attachment 88321

No latency correction, consistently off. I'm attempting to play in time with the click. I can't use this to measure it though because my playing won't be dead on anyway, but it isn't also consistently off.

You could try a loopback test. Connect an output of your interface to an input and record a few seconds of the click to a new track. (You may want to turn off input monitoring for this.) They should line up almost perfectly. If not then you definitely have a record latency problem.

 

[Chili]

Also I when I search ASIO in start menu I get:
ASIO Direct X Full Duplex Set up - I opened this and changed the buffer size from 2048 to 512 (which is the lowest it will let me go).That's for both input and output.
AND
ASIO Generic Lower Latency Driver Setup - this used to give me an option to change buffer size (I think I didn't know what it was when I first got it) but now it won't even open. I reinstalled the drivers that came with the Lexicon and its made no difference so I have no idea where it came from.

Just to be clear, you shouldn't be using either of these.

 

[hansmoleman]

You could try a loopback test. Connect an output of your interface to an input and record a few seconds of the click to a new track. (You may want to turn off input monitoring for this.) They should line up almost perfectly. If not then you definitely have a record latency problem.

Loopback test shows they DON'T line up perfectly.