delay when recording please help

[TunaTheFish]

basically when we try and record there is always a delay. This happens on both keyboard and guitar after playing it takes some time before cubase picks the signal up and records it, it is not much, maybe a few milliseconds but it sounds out of sync when you play it back after recording on top of something. What can we do to solve this problem. The souncard we have atm is crap, could this be the cause of the problem. Is this a common problem or is it normally related to hardware? Thanks

 

[Ronan]

This is most likely digital latency when using a host based system. Its the amount of time your computer takes to process the sound while you are playing and spit it back out your speakers.

 

[treymonfauntre]

soundcard latency. unfortunately its normal for cheaper soundcards.

 

[TunaTheFish]

Ok thanks, so the problem should be solved when i put my better sound card in (as soon as i re order a driver CD off the website)
Or is there wa way of downloading the drivers??????
The sound card i have is an Sound blaster audigy platinum eX
Thanks.

 

[crankz1]

If you really want to use a Soundblaster card .... You may wish to try the kX drivers.
Better yet, you might want to think about a better soundcard. An Audiophile 24/96 would be much better than your Audigy. If you stick with the Soundblaster, you should keep your sample rate at 48kHz until you master for CD.

 

[Ronan]

Its not really a matter of cheap versus not so cheap sound cards, it has to do with the sound card using the host computer for processing the audio, unlike something like a Pro Tools TDM system wich does its own processing. TDM systems have latency but its small enough that you would not notice it.

There are some new interfaces that have monitoring schemes that let you work around this problem.