latency problems

[themusicato]

Hi...
I am running cakewalk 2xl on a dell laptop until I am able to complete my new computer in about 3 1/2 months. Since I am using the dell sound card ( unfortunately very cheesy) I have a dreadful latency problem, like 1 to 1 1/2 seconds from when I strike the key until I hear the sound. I have already changed to a different driver and even downloaded a new and updated driver without success. Can anyone suggest a solution?

Thank You!
THEMUSICATO

 

[AlChuck]

Have you let SONAR profile the sound hardwrae again after changing drivers?

What OS are you running on the laptop?

Is it possible thre is a WDM driver for your card but you are using the MME driver?

Might there be an ASIO driver for the card/chip that your laptop has? (Wishful thinking, I know.)

Otherwise, if the driver doesn't cut it, there is no solution.

 

[themusicato]

Thanks, I had not considered having the wave profiler reexamine the new driver, I will try that whan I get home today. The os I am using is windows XP. Thanks again for the suggestion!

THEMUSICATO

 

[cstockdale]

May be a very obvious response, but have you changed the settings on teh latency slider?

 

[themusicato]

Hi,

No, it is not obvious, I wasn't even aware there is such a thing on this program. PLEASE tell me where it is and what I do with it.

Thank You !!!
THEMUSICATO

 

[cstockdale]

I am not in front of my PC right now (at work), but I believe it is under Options-->Audio, and it should be sitting right there, a slider at the bottom that you move. If you make your latency really low, you may get dropouts, then you have to increase it.

First, profile the soundcard as was already suggested, then try adjusting the latency slider. Anything under 10ms becomes pretty much unnoticeable. I can get down to 2.6ms, but I am using an Audiophile soundcard.

Check under "help" for profiling the soundcard and reducing latency.

 

[moskus]

You won't be able to push latency much with that Dell Soundcard...