Latency Problems

[sammyman]

Ok. I am sick and tired of dealing with latency. I want a setup with ZERO latency. I.E. I want to hear what I am playing and singing WITHOUT ANY DELAY! My current setup is:

iMac G5 1.9Ghz
External firewire hard drive
Firebox
Cubase LE or Logic Express

What will it take to get rid of my latency? A faster computer (Mac Pro w/ fast hard drive or Mac Book Pro with fast hard drive)? Or a better interface?

I have the buffer set to 512, and have played with different settings and have never been happy.

 

[zimv20]

the only way to get rid of latency is to grab the signal for monitoring before it hits the converters. you do this with some implementation of a y-cable, such as:

1. using a mixer's channel send
2. using a mic pre w/ an extra (usually unbalanced) out
3. using a half-normalled patchbay
4. using a y-cable

 

[sammyman]

Would something like :

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/PreSonus-TUBEPre-Microphone-Preamp?sku=184125V

Work ok?

 

[zimv20]

that's the idea, yes.

i haven't used that pre, but i'm always wary of tube pre's that cost less than, say, $1k/channel. maybe look around for something solid state?

 

[CanadaRAM]

Ok. I am sick and tired of dealing with latency. I want a setup with ZERO latency. I.E. I want to hear what I am playing and singing WITHOUT ANY DELAY! My current setup is:

Go analog then, my man. I hear you can get some good deals on Tascam and Fostex multitrackers these days.

Yes, you can monitor pre-convertor. But if you are using amp modelling, or computer-based effects or EQ or whatever you will not hear them on your live input. So you'll have to do your effects in hardware pre-input.

That is part of the idea of some of the interfaces with built in DSP like the TC Electronics and (the Saffire? the Omega? there is another brand that has onboard DSP in the interface) -- a limited number of effects can be processed before the computer's input. Although any DSP involves A/D D/A conversion (including your Line6 Pod) , and will have SOME latency, a dedicated DSP is independent of the computer's latency.

 

[sammyman]

the only way to get rid of latency is to grab the signal for monitoring before it hits the converters. you do this with some implementation of a y-cable, such as:

1. using a mixer's channel send
2. using a mic pre w/ an extra (usually unbalanced) out
3. using a half-normalled patchbay
4. using a y-cable

If you are using a Y-cable, does this prevent you from hearing the already recorded music, or playback? Can you only hear the imputs that you are recording at the time?

 

[zimv20]

If you are using a Y-cable, does this prevent you from hearing the already recorded music, or playback? Can you only hear the imputs that you are recording at the time?

it depends on how your monitoring is set up. you'll need some kind of device, like a mixer, that'll allow you to mix the signals coming from "tape" and what you're recording.