studio display audio delay with logic

[monkey6]

I have a Mac Mini M4 Pro on the latest OS version. My new Apple Studio Display has a problem with audio repeating with a noticeable audio delay, when listening live, and using the built in mics.

So in Logic I created an audio track. When I record live, there is a very noticeable and annoying audio delay of a fraction of a second when recording live and playing thru headphones. When I play back the logic track, there is no delay. It's only when I'm listening and/or record live that it's audible. Happen in Garage Band too.

If I use my RME interface with a Shure SM81 there's no such delay listening live. Nor is there one if I use a Blue Yeti mic. it only occurs when I'm using the mics on the Studio display, so the Display is obviously the issue.

I called Apple Support and got a Logic specialist who went through all sorts of setting changes with no luck.

Maybe it's just this unit, but I've read people have a similar audio delay when conferencing on the receiving end using Studio Display.

Has any one else had this issue? And more importantly, found a solution?

 

[PaulD-UK]

Stephen Hawking proposed that some unknown physical principle, called the Chronology Protection Conjecture, might prevent time travel into the past.

Seems like Apple have run right into this CPC… 😉

If you put a microphone right next to the monitor speaker playing the mic’s output, the Laws of Physics say that for there not to be feedback you have to delay the mic amp’s output until the signal has gone through a DSP, to analyse what it’s output is, and to subtract the speaker’s signal from the mic output.

This takes a finite time, which is completely audible to our phase-sensitive ears.

This is what is happening with conferencing software on a Mac.

Presumably Apple’s DSP system isn’t sophisticated enough to know you are using headphones.

The DSP is still processing the ASD speakers output as the drivers are much too small to be capable of untreated audio output.

Apple has it’s Reality (no)Distortion Field to hide latency 100% of the time, so except in your use case - monitoring with the ASD - no latency is normally perceivable.
Because everything, audio and video is time-shifted until everything is in sync.

RME know all about low latency monitoring, and you aren't putting the Blue Yeti mic next to your monitor speakers…
So use proper audio mics and monitoring, and there will be no problem… 😉

 

[monkey6]

This explanation - unfortunately - sounds like it might be the reason this delay is happening. Too bad Apple just didn't put an option to cut off this process in the controls. This would have been incredibly simple to do.

I don't expect Apple to ever revisit i this issue, as they constant abandon their own software problems when the next shinny thing is dazzled in front of their eyes.

Which is a shame. This $1600 way over priced monitor's mic system can't even work properly with Apple's own Logic!