Lag Problems

Just got my Sonar X1 and unfortunately im not that impressed due to the fact that when I record my instrument (tried using bass) it has a noticeable lag. Im using M-Audio FastTrack USB and asio4all since when Im using WDM, I get a really crackling sound when Im recording with my bass which is really really bad. I'm also sure that my M-Audio FastTrack USB aint a prob since I've been using this with my Mac's Garageband and have no lag issues whatsoever. Also tried playing with asio4all's buffer size, still no luck.

Any help is needed.

Install the latest Fasttrack drivers and get rid of the generic ASIO4all drivers.

Use the drivers that are written for your Fastrack...

Cj

I use the M Audio fastrack usb on my humble spec'd 2.1 ghz core duo laptop, 3 gB ram with X1. It works fine using the M Audio asio driver with live monitoring using Guitar rig 5. Overhaul I'm impressed with performance over Sonar 8.5.
John

Thanks vlab :^)

So, basically, if you are using an M-Audio, Roland, or whatever device, you shouldn't need to use asio4all... I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on something...

vlab: Thanks for the explanation with the asio4all. Also, I already have tried using ASIO with recording for the M-Audio. But like what I said I've been using asio4all because the main reason im using asio4all is that when I use ASIO setting, Sonar does not recognize my SB Audigy Sound Card which my speakers are connected to. Thus I can not hear my own playback/monitor/echo of my instrument along with the drums loops if I did not use asio4all. Any thoughts?

CJaysMusic: My M-Audio FastTrack are updated to its latest drivers. Also, I can not get rid of asio4all, kindly check my reply to vlab.

synkrotron: It's okay im glad that your expressing your thoughts regarding this. Kindly check my reply to vlab as well.

jadonx: Good for you. May i know how are you able to monitor your outputs when your using ASIO solely for you M-Audio hardware?

skylightron: I have an SB Audigy Card, also I'm using M-audio FastTrack. I have a desktop PC which I'm using right now with the M-Audio FastTrack. While I have a Macbook Pro and I tried using M-Audio FastTrack in that Garageband and it's working well. And no, Im not using Sonar through Bootcamp, Im using it at my desktop PC.

I dont want to uninstall asio4all, I wont be able to use my SB Audigy as an output with ASIO setting

vlab: Thanks for the explanation with the asio4all. Also, I already have tried using ASIO with recording for the M-Audio. But like what I said I've been using asio4all because the main reason im using asio4all is that when I use ASIO setting, Sonar does not recognize my SB Audigy Sound Card which my speakers are connected to. Thus I can not hear my own playback/monitor/echo of my instrument along with the drums loops if I did not use asio4all. Any thoughts?

If I understand correctly, you want to keep on using the SB audigy for Sonar? If so, using ASIO4ALL, wrapping your SB drivers should work.. however, I've seen some situations where it's a bit tricky with sound cards inputs, where it might distort audio and adds clicks and pops... but it might work. I would leave the bugger (read: buffer) to 512 (default value), as on my laptop, any other value gives me clicks all over. 


As for monitoring, I don't think you have "direct monitoring" via ASIO4ALL nor soundblaster, so you have no choice
of passing through your soundcard's latency in order to monitor yourself (which should work if you have the ECHO button ON: the blue one beside the RECORD button). I'm sure your Maudio card does allow you to directly monitor your sound latency-free, before entering SONAR. you might prefer that. 


the thing to avoid, is to use ASIO4ALL to wrap your Maudio drivers, that is rather pointless, and will lead you to some troubles... 


but as some other people have insisted here ... better would be that you use your Maudio, along with it's ASIO driver ;) 


Hope that helps ! 


V

ASIO only supports one sound card at a time. Get rid of that piece of crap sound blaster dude!!!!! REALLY!!!!

You have an M-audio. Use it!!!!

I just do not understand.. Whats the world coming too??
 
If you do things the wrong way, it will never work.

CJ

LOL, i just have a hate hate relationship with sound blasters (gaiming cards) Its nothing personal

Hi Userman777, I'm glad to hear that you are getting there.

One thing for sure, latency settings will not affect, or cause any hissing sounds as such, and you set latency such that it best suits your workstation spec. The more powerful your workstation, the lower the latency can be, and visa versa.

As for the hiss, it could be any number of things, from the quality of your speakers, to the quality of your recording. Could you tell us a bit more about your full set-up, including the speaker monitors you are using.

By the way, just because you can hear a hiss from your speakers, it doesn't mean that there is a hiss in your song as such. Have you tried headphones? Still get the hiss with them?

What are your songs made up of? Oh, strike that, I've just read your posts fully, and I see now.

Are you DI-ing your guitar (direct input > guitar straight into the M-Audio)?

Well, the fact that the FastTrack device is a so called "budget" device, one could be tempted to blame that. But I would be surprised if M-Audio would market something that was so cheap that it compromised their brand.

So, I'm really not sure to be honest. It might be worth searching google to try and determine if anyone else is experiencing the same issues with their FastTrack.

Tell me, when you have recorded something in X1, through the FastTrack, have you tried opening the WAV file in Windows Media Payer? I'm just trying to establish if the hiss sound was recorded along with the guitar. If the WAV file is clean, then I honestly would not worry about it too much.

Regarding your signal path... I'm not saying that this is a problem as such, but I am wondering why you are leaving so many components in-line up to the FastTrack. You will find that the general consensus nowadays that you are better recording a clean guitar signal to you DAW. This then allows you to add effects after the fact, and give you more scope to develop your sound. It would be worth checking out the ability for using external devices in X1 (there is a topic going on right now about that here).

In particular, I am wondering why you are using SansAmp in your path. As far as I can tell, you can DI the guitar straight into the FastTrack unit.

Each one of the units in the signal path can impart some undesired sounds into your recording...

synkrotron: I have looked it up in google and only got results regarding the latency, but I doubt since if I change the latency there wont be any difference. Also when I do play the exported wav file, there's no hiss sound. I think the hiss is from the playback of the guitar and the echo/monitoring of the guitar from Sonar X1. Since it's outputting twice, do you think this might cause the hiss sound? Also, i'm sure it's not from my guitar rig since if I unplug my guitar, the hiss is still there and when I do play with my amp there's no hiss at all. And my SansAmp is used for my bass :) anyway like what you said I shouldn't worry too much since the output doesnt have the hiss sound, Im just wondering still why the hiss is present there. Does Sonar X1 echo/monitor while I record? If yea, can I turn this off?

daveny5: Im sure its not since the output from my rig to my amp does not give a hiss sound at all, and even though I dont connect any device at my FastTrack USB it's still causing a hiss sound.