robaroberts
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MIDI/USB Latency
Hi, I'm new to the Forum and appreciate that this subject may have been covered already. I am having extreme frustration at the latency I have using MIDI, either through my M-Audio FW1814 for Midi, or through USB connection straight to my PC.
Essentially I am trying to use VST plug ins, soft-synths etc. in addition to recording audio direct. I have no problem with recording audio - in fact some great results. But the time delay when recording soft synths is excruciating.
My PC is a well-spec'd machine made for audio recording - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4 GHz, with 4 GB RAM and 1 TB of hard disc space on 2 drives. I use Windows 7 64bit.
My interface is a M-Audio FW1814. I use a Yamaha Motif 8. All drivers are up to date.
I've played around with buffer size but it appears to make no difference.
Any ideas?
R
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Kalle Rantaaho
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Re:MIDI/USB Latency
2011/05/23 05:32:37
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Welcome to the forum!
Drivers are up to date, but what are they? Are you using ASIO for your M-Audio? If so, what is the latency setting in ASIO-panel (milliseconds)?
One possible culprit is the PCs Firewire chipset. If it's not by Texas Instruments, it might be the problem.
Have you checked in the Options dialogue that the right MIDI-devices are selected (so you're not using, say, the wavetable synth)?
SONAR PE 8.5.3, Asus P5B, 2,4 Ghz Dual Core, 4 Gb RAM, GF 7300, EMU 1820, Bluetube Pre - Kontakt4, Ozone, Addictive Drums, PSP Mixpack2, Melda Creative Pack, Melodyne Plugin etc. The benefit of being a middle aged amateur is the low number of years of frustration ahead of you.
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robaroberts
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Re:MIDI/USB Latency
2011/05/23 05:48:50
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Kalle Rantaaho
Welcome to the forum!
Drivers are up to date, but what are they? Are you using ASIO for your M-Audio? If so, what is the latency setting in ASIO-panel (milliseconds)?
One possible culprit is the PCs Firewire chipset. If it's not by Texas Instruments, it might be the problem.
Have you checked in the Options dialogue that the right MIDI-devices are selected (so you're not using, say, the wavetable synth)?
Hi, so from the bottom. Yes - USB Yam Motif and FW1814 are selected and moved to the top (there are no other options in any case). Firewire chipset is texas instruments - I read up about that before getting one. Now in terms of drivers, I have the latest driver from M-Audio, but the control panel (under Sample Settings) lists the sample rate (44.1KHz) and ASIO/WDM Buffer Size - which is defaulted at 256 samples. Now I have played around with this - taking it down to as little as 32 with no discernible impact. But if, like now, I use USB direct to the PC then this bypasses the M_Audio device and so that shouldnt make any difference, should it? R
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Beagle
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Re:MIDI/USB Latency
2011/05/23 07:22:52
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no - the soundcard and its drivers have everything to do with the round trip latency. you're not "bypassing" the soundcard if you're using it to hear the softsynths, right? the MIDI data goes from the motif to sonar using USB, but that's not where the biggest part of latency is - the latency comes into play when the MIDI data triggers the softsynth then the softsynth sends the sound out to the soundcard, gets converted to analog in the converters and then to the speakers.
when you sai the ASIO/WDM buffer size is defaulted at 256 samples - that doesn't make sense. you can only use ASIO or WDM not both at the same time. which driver mode are you using? OPTIONS>AUDIO and what is the reported latency in millesecs at the bottom of that window?
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bvideo
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Re:MIDI/USB Latency
2011/05/23 10:12:24
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It's possible you have inserted a VST effect that requires additional latency (for example LP64 or perfect space). That would be compensated properly in audio recording, but live midi performing/recording can't avoid it. Muting effects won't work; you would have to remove them or temporarily disable all effects.
Bill
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Kalle Rantaaho
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Re:MIDI/USB Latency
2011/05/23 17:01:11
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Yep, +1 to what Beagle said, and give a simple answer to my simple question, that's the easiest way to proceed:
What drivers are you using?
SONAR PE 8.5.3, Asus P5B, 2,4 Ghz Dual Core, 4 Gb RAM, GF 7300, EMU 1820, Bluetube Pre - Kontakt4, Ozone, Addictive Drums, PSP Mixpack2, Melda Creative Pack, Melodyne Plugin etc. The benefit of being a middle aged amateur is the low number of years of frustration ahead of you.
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johnnyV
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Re:MIDI/USB Latency
2011/05/24 11:34:36
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Also check the "echo" button, I will get terrible delay if that is pressed.
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robaroberts
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Re:MIDI/USB Latency
2011/05/27 05:30:20
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Beagle
no - the soundcard and its drivers have everything to do with the round trip latency. you're not "bypassing" the soundcard if you're using it to hear the softsynths, right? the MIDI data goes from the motif to sonar using USB, but that's not where the biggest part of latency is - the latency comes into play when the MIDI data triggers the softsynth then the softsynth sends the sound out to the soundcard, gets converted to analog in the converters and then to the speakers.
when you sai the ASIO/WDM buffer size is defaulted at 256 samples - that doesn't make sense. you can only use ASIO or WDM not both at the same time. which driver mode are you using? OPTIONS>AUDIO and what is the reported latency in millesecs at the bottom of that window?
FireWire_6.0.1_5.10.0.5058.exe is the latest driver available and installed for the M_Audio FW1814. When I say the ASIO/WDM buffer - that is what it is called in the M-Audio control panel.
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Beagle
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Re:MIDI/USB Latency
2011/05/27 07:58:10
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ok, but you say you're getting latency from the keyboard even at 32 samples? what is your MIDI output sent to? a softsynth? which one? or are you routing back to the motif?
what is listed for OPTIONS>AUDIO>PLAYBACK and RECORDING DEVICE(S)?
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