Midi Interface via USB = latency? :::

[Badtz]

I just bought myself a MOTU timepiece AV........

the interface itself connects to the computer [mac] via the USB port.........

i was wondering, by using the USB port to send/receive all of the MIDI signals, will this cause any latency between the recording and the playing of the midi instruments?

or is it better to use a different method to connect to the computer, like a dedicated pci card?

i guess the ultimate question is, can USB handle all of this information well, w/out mishandling the midi data?

*i want precise midi controlling* if this is a potential problem, then i'll get rid of the unit.........

thanks

[AlChuck]

Should be absolutely fine, but read this:

http://industryclick.com/magazineart...6628&siteid=15

and this

http://www.rme-audio.com/english/tec...a/usbkills.htm

That said, I have a USB MIDISport 2x2 from Midiman on my PC, and it works perfectly well. (But I am not a keyboardist so I might be a lot less discerning of timing imperfections that someone with real chops.)

If you are using software that supports the Timepiece's proprietary timestamping, it should be as rock-solid as is currently possible.

[Badtz]

thanks for the links, i'll check'em out!

but is "as fast as currently possible" the best/fastest way?

[TexRoadkill]

Turn off Local on your keyboard and play it when it is hooked up to your software sequencer. The notes being played are sent to your sequencer and back to the synth. That will tell you how much latency there is. If you dont hear any noticeable delay then you are all set to go.

Midi devices will have some latency when you start daisy chaining devices. A PCI card will give you the least possible latency and having a dedicated midi in/out on your interface for each component will minimize latency as well.

[Badtz]

so giving each module it's own midi in/out on the timepiece will be a good way to reduce overall latency?

[TexRoadkill]

That is correct but I would try your setup before buying a big interface. I have used up to 5 modules daisy chained with no noticeable latency. A 2x2 interface would probably be enough for most situations but if you want to go for more there is no real disadvantage except cost and configuration time.