Hello folks. I am a long time midi studio recording guy and just recently got interested in doing some song composition on the PC using a Alesis Vi49 controller keyboard which has USB only outs. No matter what DAW I try (Ableton, Pro Tools, Cubase, Reaper) I get extreme latency between the time I strike the key and the time that I actually hear the sound. It is driving me insane because for 4 months now I have been on a love hate relationship with PC recording because I can not find the answer and the problem will not go away. I don't really care if there is any latency in playback, I only care that the timing between the time I hit the keys and hear the sound are correct. My PC specs are as follows:
Processor: Intel i7 Quad Core 4790K
Memory: GSkill 16GB (8X2) 2300Mhz
Video Card: EVGA Geforce GTX 970 4Gb
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H
Power Supply: NZXT Pro Series 850 W
I do have a soundcard hard wired to the motherboard but I never use it, because as stated, the video and sound get sent via HDMI from the Geforce video card. I have tried following every tutorial, advice forum regarding this topic, etc, every setting under the sun from the buffers to changing the samples, and asio drivers etc. No matter what I do I can not get rid of this latency. It seems almost a 1.5 sec delay. Some people suggest an audio interface, sound card change, and some suggest a USB interface. I am not interested in any audio recording as I have a hardware multi track that I use for reliable recording with zero latency issues. I only want to use the DAW and a couple VST packages that I bought to do some song sketches and when I get something I want to keep, I will play everything on my hardware synths and record to my hardware multi track. If I need an audio interface, how would this connect to my PC so I would get low latency, and also circumvent my HDMI out issue with my video card? Do I need a dedicated audio input to use an audio interface? Should I buy a PCi sound card or a better sound card? Which sound card would be the best for low latency? Correct me if I am wrong but I get the impression that the latency is coming from my sound card because of the time it takes to process the key press and convert it to actual sound. I am so frustrated with this PC recording that I am ready to give it up and go back to all hardware work. This has been the most teeth clenching, frustrating experience, and I am determined to find an answer but so far none have come. I just don't think its ok to spend thousands of dollars trying to find the device that will work the best. Thank you kindly for any input or advice anyone can offer.
Processor: Intel i7 Quad Core 4790K
Memory: GSkill 16GB (8X2) 2300Mhz
Video Card: EVGA Geforce GTX 970 4Gb
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H
Power Supply: NZXT Pro Series 850 W
I do have a soundcard hard wired to the motherboard but I never use it, because as stated, the video and sound get sent via HDMI from the Geforce video card. I have tried following every tutorial, advice forum regarding this topic, etc, every setting under the sun from the buffers to changing the samples, and asio drivers etc. No matter what I do I can not get rid of this latency. It seems almost a 1.5 sec delay. Some people suggest an audio interface, sound card change, and some suggest a USB interface. I am not interested in any audio recording as I have a hardware multi track that I use for reliable recording with zero latency issues. I only want to use the DAW and a couple VST packages that I bought to do some song sketches and when I get something I want to keep, I will play everything on my hardware synths and record to my hardware multi track. If I need an audio interface, how would this connect to my PC so I would get low latency, and also circumvent my HDMI out issue with my video card? Do I need a dedicated audio input to use an audio interface? Should I buy a PCi sound card or a better sound card? Which sound card would be the best for low latency? Correct me if I am wrong but I get the impression that the latency is coming from my sound card because of the time it takes to process the key press and convert it to actual sound. I am so frustrated with this PC recording that I am ready to give it up and go back to all hardware work. This has been the most teeth clenching, frustrating experience, and I am determined to find an answer but so far none have come. I just don't think its ok to spend thousands of dollars trying to find the device that will work the best. Thank you kindly for any input or advice anyone can offer.