Latency

[TelePaul]

3 basic questions...im so slow.

With my Tascam US 122:

1) should Direct Monitoring give me practically zero latency?

2) Which driver of the following would minimise latency if i were to avoid direct monitoring?

ASIO multimedia
16 bit ASIO
24 Bit ASIO

3) Are audio pops and drop outs a result of me setting my latency too low?

Thanks guys

 

[ssscientist]

1) I have a US-122, and direct monitoring mode means you are monitoring directly thru the interface. The theory is that what is recorded to the computer can be as delay and latency-ridden as it needs to be, but what you're recording will stay in time with it because you hear both the previously recorded tracks and the part that you are laying down delayed by the same amount.

2) I always go 16 bit. But that's just me.

3) Probably. There may be other causes, but try increasing your latency buffer size first and see if it doesn't solve the problem.

 

[skibummer]

the pops sound cool. leave em.

 

[TelePaul]

hahah...no, no they dont sound cool!

 

[NYMorningstar]

3 basic questions...im so slow.

With my Tascam US 122:

1) should Direct Monitoring give me practically zero latency?

2) Which driver of the following would minimise latency if i were to avoid direct monitoring?

ASIO multimedia
16 bit ASIO
24 Bit ASIO

3) Are audio pops and drop outs a result of me setting my latency too low?

Thanks guys

1) yes

2) Latency is determined by the buffer and sample size not the word length. e.g 256(buffer)/96000(kHz) = 0.00266ms. The higher the sample rate the less latency you have for any given buffer size which also means the CPU has less time to process the info.

3) If you decrease the latency too far and your computer can't process it in time, that is when you get the pops and drop outs.
Solutions are to maximize your computer for music, increase the buffer, decrease the sample rate, drop some plugins or as you said Direct monitoring.

 

[TelePaul]

1) yes

2) Latency is determined by the buffer and sample size not the word length. e.g 256(buffer)/96000(kHz) = 0.00266ms. The higher the sample rate the less latency you have for any given buffer size which also means the CPU has less time to process the info.

3) If you decrease the latency too far and your computer can't process it in time, that is when you get the pops and drop outs.
Solutions are to maximize your computer for music, increase the buffer, decrease the sample rate, drop some plugins or as you said Direct monitoring.

Thanks man youve been great....increasing he buffer is fine, but how do i lower the sample rate? is bit rate the same as sample rate?

 

[NYMorningstar]

Thanks man youve been great....increasing he buffer is fine, but how do i lower the sample rate? is bit rate the same as sample rate?

Somewhere in your Asio panel you should have options to choose the sample rate e.g 44.100kHz, 48.000kHz or 96.000kHz. A pretty decent choice is 44.1/24.

When you're talking about 16 or 24 bit you are talking about the word length(the size) not the bit rate, that is something all together different.

 

[TelePaul]

A pretty decent choice is 44.1/24.

i really appreciate this, but in the above sentence, what does the 24 refer to? And is there a definitive advantage in choosing 16 bit over 24 as in 16 bit ASIO driver versus 24 bit ASIO driver?

 

[drstawl]

i really appreciate this, but in the above sentence, what does the 24 refer to? And is there a definitive advantage in choosing 16 bit over 24 as in 16 bit ASIO driver versus 24 bit ASIO driver?

24 refers to the number of bits that comprise each sample.

The advantage of 16 over 24 is less data to move around in the same amount of time. Any modern computer should be able to handle at least 2 channels of 24bit/96KHz audio (a stereo pair) so the roadblock must lie elsewhere unless your computer is an old turd.

 

[TelePaul]

24 refers to the number of bits that comprise each sample.

The advantage of 16 over 24 is less data to move around in the same amount of time. Any modern computer should be able to handle at least 2 channels of 24bit/96KHz audio (a stereo pair) so the roadblock must lie elsewhere unless your computer is an old turd.

Old turd? could you define that? Im 2.8 Ghz Processor and 512 MB of ram..

 

[Farview]

Old turd? could you define that? Im 2.8 Ghz Processor and 512 MB of ram..

You are more than fine. An old turd would be a 386 running DOS 3.0.

 

[NYMorningstar]

Old turd? could you define that? Im 2.8 Ghz Processor and 512 MB of ram..

Get yourself another 512mb, only about $80 and well worth it.

 

[TelePaul]

okay guys im still getting drop outs, ive increased the buffers and im not even recording two mono tracks; we're talking stereo track, 24 bit, buffer at 2048....this is beyond a joke, even my ancient version of Cubasis let me record a stereo track without this hassle. Any ideas why its popping? Im going through my tascams left and right, no external mixer.

 

[NYMorningstar]

Your computer is not keeping up to the processing. Why is a crap shoot but you should try cleaning all the crap off it that accumulates from surfing the web.
go to start/run and type in msconfig and uncheck all the programs you don't need to start your computer with. You can google each item before you uncheck it. Uninstall all the programs you don't need. All the magor software writers want to control your computer, take the control back from them.

Use "ad aware" to quarentine all your data miners, it's free:
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

then follow all the tips at:
http://musicxp.net/tuning_tips.php

also free, and then DEFRAG your hard drive.

If you have an old computer take out the hard drive and add a second one the computer you're using now. If not, buy another hard drive and use it just to record music too, no programming on it. That will make a huge difference.

While your at it, buy another 512mb of RAM because you have only the minimum amount to get by with now and you always want to have more than you need.

 

[TelePaul]

Hey bud, thanks for the tips and the RAM is something I'll have to sort. As for spyware, amlware, trojans, pop ups, my computer is pretty clean; i have some nice programs to kill that stuff and am always firewalled, also i dont file-share. I do have one more idea about whats causing the problem; though im almost afraid to try it if it doesnt work.

 

[NYMorningstar]

i have some nice programs to kill that stuff and am always firewalled, also i dont file-share.

That's the type of stuff you need to turn off when recording. Anything that is real time monitoring and/or firewalls, virus detection etc. Just make sure you disconnect your internet access when you do that.

 

[breeeeza]

http://www.musicxp.net/tuning_tips.php
Go onto that mate.
Do what it says. And getting more RAM will only increase the performance of your programmes and not stop pops, clicks, dropouts etc...

Dont have any other programmes running when you do this, also are you using a reasonably good firewire card or one on your motherboard (motherboard is preferred) i read somewhere.

 

[TelePaul]

I had a slight tear in my usb cable that id completely forgotten about. i got a new usb cable so im gonna try that today

 

[NYMorningstar]

And getting more RAM will only increase the performance of your programmes and not stop pops, clicks, dropouts etc...

Where did you read that?