Let me get this straight... Low latency only important when recording?

Please correct me if I'm wrong. But from what I understand, low latency is only important while recording (whether MIDI or audio) right? Because you don't want that latency delay recorded into your project, and you don't want to hear the delay while monitoring your recordings.

So after you finish with all the recordings of a project, you can just kick up the latency for that project to something super high? Will high latency effect anything (i.e. plug-ins or effects) as long as you're not recording anything?

In other words, is there any benefit to keeping the latency in your project low if you know that you WON'T be recording anything anymore in that particular project?

vaultwit - depending on your audio interface latency may not be important at all for recording audio.  The audio devices I use have the ability to monitor the recorded instrument (with reverb and delay) while listening to the mix without worrying about latency.   All audio is recorded perfectly in synq.

For me the only thing where latency matters is recording midi using a softsynth inside Sonar.  In this case low latency is very important - especially when recording midi drums.

Jonbouy

SvenArne


Correct!

+1

In other words, is there any benefit to keeping the latency in your project low if you know that you WON'T be recording anything anymore in that particular project?

None.  If it makes your audio playback more stable and glitch free then in fact the benefit is in increasing your buffer size (and latency)

+2! 
 
I don't record monitoring thru the box, I monitor from my mixer outside the box and don't use softsynths for monitoring, I use only hardware for monitoring. 
 
for keyboard parts, I'll select a sound similar to what I want on my MO6 or Digital Piano, play the part listening to the output of that keyboard while recording the MIDI, then I will replace the sounds with softsynths usually from Kontakt.
 
for vocals, I run a dual path in the mixer so that I can add some reverb back into the headphone mix for the vocalists.
 
I don't record guitars much, so I don't have the problem of trying to record while monitoring with amp sims.  I do mix with them, tho, when others record the guitars for me and send me the stems.
 
so I usually run with my latency pretty high since I don't normally need low latency for recording.

Player


Low latency is necessary when playing though an amp simulator, Guitar Rig, Amplitube, Amp Farm, etc.

well even just a hand held microphone too,any overdub tracks,unless you want to hear your second track a second latter.

This is getting to be less and less of a problem.  Most interfaces have built-in 0 latency mixers, where you can tap the incoming signal and send it directly out for monitoring purposes.  So unless you are using guitar rig or other intense effects live during recording, or soft synths, you'll never notice any latency when recording.  Besides, most systems can do latency small enough so you don't notice itn anyway, until you start piling on the effects, synths and other CPU hungry processes which can introduce crackles and pops and other artifacts.

Better drivers and faster CPUs mean less latency.  But if you have latency, or use "look ahead" processes (like the 64 series in SONAR designed for mastering/mixing) or ones that introduce their own latency (like Perfect Space) you'll have a problem anyway. 

The general rules to follow are:
 
use your interface's built-in 0 latency.
If you must use effects (like guitar rig) during recording get the lowest latency you can.
Don't enable PS or look ahead processes until mix time.
At mix time you can raise the latency to a reasonable amount so as not to stress your system and introduce clicks and pops.  You won't hear the latency since you are recording to it.
Freeze synths.

@

I've never worried about low latency since switching to an external mixer as my interface. I monitor everything through that so latency becomes a non-issue at recording or playback.

As already pointed out it only matters if monitoring anything from within Sonar.

John


The bottom line is low latency is only important for monitoring, what ever it is one is monitoring. It is not important for playback, mixing or mastering.

This one says it all, most succinctly.