Latancy problems looking for external Soundcard?

Hey,

I'm new to all of this midi controller interface keyboard stuff and I've never done anything with music connected to my laptop/notebook. I have no knowledge of audio equipment what so ever.

My problem is: I got a gift from my dad a few weeks ago. It's a Cakewalk A-500S, wonderfull thing, love playing it. The problem is I got latency and can't get rid of it.

What's my set-up?
- Cakewalk A-500S
- Sonar 8.5 LE
- Asus N61JV-JX002V - i5-430M: (Specifications)
- Windows 7 64bit

I've read that this is a common problem with windows based computers (not with Mac) and trying to find a solution to get rid of my latency. I'm thinking of buying an external audio card and connecting this to my amplifier (Roland Cube 30) that I use to play electric guitar with. Or connecting this to my notebook/laptop.
Since I have no idea what to buy, I'm asking you guys what to do.

Questions:
- Is this a good solution? (keyboard to external audio card to amp/notebook)
- Which audio card should I buy or be looking for?
- any other solutions?
- is my problem going to be gone?
- Should I be looking for something else?

I'm a bit hopeless at the moment. I was planning to start playing piano, but didn't want to spent much cash. My plan was to buy a snyth. but my dad suddenly comes with this. And I love it! It's just a bit on the down side that i got problems and not much cash to fix it. But if I know what to do I can save money. My only concern is that if I buy an external audio card or something similar, is the latency going to be fixed or did I just buy an expensive thing?

Cheers
Bert

Ps: I'm from Belgium

And as we just found on another thread, make sure it has a blend knob on the front to monitor the input with the output, Looks like some use internal software control which to me would be a PITA.
As GH said , determine your needs.
If you would like to use real time EFX then make sure it has low Round trip latency, a specification never posted by the manufactures. Look on the forums for that info. Sonar automatically adjusts this so it's not an issue otherwise but some people like to hear what's coming out the back end and you will hear the latency your talking about. Best to monitor on the front end and then you blend the playback tracks with your live performance.
How many live inputs you need? Most of us can get by with just 2.
Of course you'll need MIDI in and out. Some don't have this as now they sell USB controllers. 
If you have a mixer with good pre amps then the pre amps are not as critical.
All those details will  drive the price up.

Since you are using a laptop. Stay with USB.
The new drivers for the Cakewalk V100 and new Roland Octa-capture can get a round trip latency of around 7ms. Which is still good. With the old drivers it was over 10m. So you could add them to your shopping list as well.

Quoting Jim Roseberry again:

"Round-trip latency is the sum of the following:

• ASIO input buffer
• ASIO output buffer
• A/D and D/A coverter latency
• The driver's hidden safety buffer

Many typical USB and Firewire units use a large hidden safety-buffer to prevent glitches on playback. 
That assures most users experience glitch-free playback (even under less than ideal circumstances)... 
But that comes at the expense of high round-trip latency... and the bad part is that you usually have no control over the hidden safety buffer (so there's no means of adjusting/lowering it)".

Hey hey,

Good news and bad news,

Good news first, I guess:

• I got a midi interface. Yeey! It's a UA-25 EX (Cakewalk Roland). Seems to be working. Drivers have been installed correctly. I can hear the sound of my music playing on my computer through the headphones (K 141 Studio AKG) connected to the UA-25 EX.
• Got a AC adaptor PSA-230S (BOSS Roland) for my keyboard (A-500S)
• Got a midi cable

Bad news, I can't hear my keyboard (or guitar)
I connected the keyboard (A-500S) with midi out to the UA-25 EX midi in. Connected the UA-25 EX with the USB cable to my notebook/laptop. Switched on Sonar 8.5 LE, went to Options -> Midi Devices and selected UA-25 EX as both in and out going. When I play something with my keyboard I can see it's transmitting sound (sound indicator going up and down) but can't hear a thing, not with the headphones, not even through the speakers of my notebook/laptop.

Any help?

I've tried my guitar with a Jack cable in Input 2/R and Hi-Z on. Same thing, no sound.

I have read the Owner's manual but can't seem to find a solution.

Thanks for reading


Greetings
Bert

Or direct your MIDI out to Mircosoft Wavetable which will play your on board synths. No piont directing the MIDI out to the interface if there's no outboard MIDI sound source. Here's a screen shot of where you select your input, yours will say UA 25 ASIO line in or something like it.

JohnnyV - no, that doesn't work most of the time.  MS GS Wavetable is not an option 95% of the time when you're using WDM or ASIO driver modes, only when you're using MME.

I understand that the controller (A-500S) has no sounds of it's own. But it does make midi, which is to be transported via wires (usb or midi) to a laptop or midi/audio interface. From there on it's translated into sound coming out of my speakers or headphone.

ok - but what is that "something" that translates it into sound?  it's NOT the soundcard (interface).

answer:  a softsynth translates MIDI into sound (as I said above).

I don't think anyone told you that buying an audio interface would make sound for you from MIDI data - they said it would fix your LATENCY problem, which it will.  but without a softsynth you have no way for the MIDI to be "translated" into sound.

before you hooked up the UA25EX you probably were using the MS GS Wavetable synth as your MIDI output in Sonar 8.5 LE.  that's because the MS GS Wavetable (which is actually a softsynth that comes with Microsoft (MS) windows) is available to you when you're using MME driver mode which you probably were using for the onboard soundcard because it probably didn't have WDM drivers.

the audio interface does not translate midi, it's just a soundcard.  you need a softsynth to translate midi.

you can try downloading some free ones to use like you can find by searching on KVR Audio (google it) and that will help some, but I doubt you'll find a GM softsynth there for free.

or, as I said above, you could upgrade to Sonar X1 Essentials and that will give you several softsynths to use.

Ok, I think I got that.

I'm using Ableton live 8 at the moment. He seems to recognise my audio interface (UA-25 EX). I even got it to work with my guitar, yeey. But i can't seem to get it working with my midi controller (A-500S). I think the problem is with the settings with the audio interface and the connection with the midi controller. I haven't found a solution of setting up all of this, so it's still vague what to do.
 
My midi controller itself works via USB in Ableton, but with latency. And since I bought the audio interface I want to use it.

I am easily confused, but aren't all of the listed components Cakewalk? Why would he have to use Ableton? I'm not the best person to give advice, but have you tried headphones in the interface? or messing with the input monitoring? I assume you probably have this taken care of by now, and I'm sorry for inquiring, but why would Cake bundle all these together, and it not work? Just genuinely asking! Hope you got it going.