Will buying an audio interface for my laptop remove Ableton output latency?

louisjamesbanks

New member
Hi,
Got a decent laptop with i7 47xx 2.5, 16gb, 120 m.2, 2tb, 960m
Sound card is pretty shoddy (obviously) and I'm thinking about getting one to eliminate the below problem:

When I use my Akai APC Key 25 MIDI controller in Ableton and monitor through either headphones or speakers- from the AUX out on the laptop, there is noticeable latency from each key stroke on the APC 25. I looked in the settings and input latency is zero but output latency is 92ms, obviously lowering the output buffer size makes it difficult to listen to the music and never truly gets rid of the latency.

My idea is to buy an external audio interface such as a focusrite one, but I would like to be sure as to whether this is the best solution?

Thanks

I've attached a print screen of the latency values as well.
Capture.jpg
 
I KNOW I keep banging on about it but!
The Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6 is the ONLY AI known to me to have seriously low latency sub £200 (no idea about $$s these days. Brexit has shafted us) .

Focusrite make excellent interfaces but low latency has never been a big feature* . They have a revamped range out now and CLAIM low latency but then so do many people but on test they are often found wanting.

Are you in UK mayhap?

*Sound on Sound forum have a sticky about latency testing run by a guy called VIN. Worth a varder.

Dave.
 
I can tell you this, it will help. I use Ableton and an interface. The interface works so well, I turn off delay compensation (it seems to add delay).

I am assuming when you say keystroke, you are referring to a plug in and you are playing the keyboard and the sound is delayed. Yes an interface will help. Since Dave raves about them, they must be awesome, so NI is probably really good and gives you a couple of line inputs, SPDIF (which I find not very useful) and MIDI DIN plugs and it looks like it can be powered straight from USB, which is good if you are mobile and using a laptop.

But, for the most part, it will help very much on latency. Whatever you choose, make sure it has its own ASIO drivers and not the ASIO4ALL stuff.
 
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