This is why I do everything I can to reduce my buffers when recording MIDI. Even if it involves switching off all other synths in the project (and maybe all FX too). If I can get the buffers down to 96 I don't feel any latency at all. There is nothing worse than a slow response. I hate it when playing MIDI keyboards and I hate it when drawing on touchscreens.

With regard to "humanizing" MIDI performances or notes drawn into a piano roll, I have two little techniques which aren't perfect but do give good results in some situations.

1) I tap out the timing of the passage or chords on the keyboard with one or two fingers, not caring what notes I play. I'm just looking to record timing and velocity. When I've nailed the feel, I then drag the notes into their correct pitches (holding down shift to preserve the timing)

2) This one is a little more whacky. I record the MIDI output of Jamstix, setting the brain up to give the feel I want (in the pocket, behind the pocket, how much dynamic variation etc - all tweakable in Jamstix) and then I edit the resulting MIDI into pitches. Obviously no good if you have a very specific part written with lots of rhythmic variation, but if say you're looking for a stream of straight 8th or 16th notes (or with some swing) then Jamstix will output said notes with a very human feel. Of course if you're clever and have time you can edit that Jamstix MIDI into anything you like. I've even output Jamstix MIDI directly to a synth and recorded the mayhem with great results. It can be a very interesting creative stimulus.

sharke
This is why I do everything I can to reduce my buffers when recording MIDI. Even if it involves switching off all other synths in the project (and maybe all FX too). If I can get the buffers down to 96 I don't feel any latency at all. There is nothing worse than a slow response. I hate it when playing MIDI keyboards and I hate it when drawing on touchscreens.

That's a good one to point out ... freeze, archive, disable FX, whatever, to get the latency down
 
that BTW is why I still believe in owing also some really good hardware synths ... WYPIWYG

RehabRob
That's a good one to point out ... freeze, archive, disable FX, whatever, to get the latency down

 
+1
 

brundlefly
Yes, synth Recording is a good way to check for sync. I was going to suggest simultaneous MIDI-Audio recording from a keyboard synth if you have one (which will also reveal actual audio input latency), but internal Synth Recording is a good alternative. If the MIDI is very early relative to the synth audio, you know something is not right, and interface latency (both MIDI and Audio) is out of the picture.
 
Keep us posted.
 
I have suggested this (often to no avail, unfortunately) in the past, but you might want to try setting IgnoreMIDIInTimeStamps=1 in TTSSEQ.INI
 
P.S. Below is one ancient reference to the functionality of this parameter from a Baker; personally I've never found that it had any effect one way or the other with any of several MIDI interfaces, but then I've never had the kind of timing discrepancy you're encountering, either:
 
     http://forum.cakewalk.com/FindPost/1161

That's something I must try. Will let you know soon. Thanks.

brundlefly
 
I don't know that anyone has ever gotten to the bottom of it other than by deliberately setting a Timing Offset to compensate, but this is to be avoided if possible because it gives different results for hardware and software synths, and alters the relationship the wrong way for playback when set to compensate for recording offset.

Setting a timing offset may help. Not exactly sure how to do it. And yes that might bring further more complications as the latency seem to occur only while recording. Can the offset be set only while recording? Another thing is that the offset will have to be changed everytime the buffer size is changed. Will try editing the TTSSEQ.INI first. If no avail will try setting the offset. ThankYou for the suggestions.

I have come across the same problem while recording for my projects in college studio and other places as well. After years of daw innovations its a pity there is no easy fix to override this. The only fix everyone suggest is 'QUANTIZE' :O. When I started using daw's I had no idea even about changing buffer size. Latency was way too much that I thought quantize is the only fix.

sonarman1
 The only fix everyone suggest is 'QUANTIZE' :O. When I started using daw's I had no idea even about changing buffer size. Latency was way too much that I thought quantize is the only fix.

Quantize is ok if you want to print staff view ... but musically speaking, quantize is never a fix, it's the worst you could do to your recording. Just look at MIDI drum patches you can buy these days, the ones that really sound good are the ones recorded by real drummers and they are not lining up with the grid if you look at them in the piano roll ...
 
 

Yes I can totally say how lifeless the track becomes when quantize is used. Even if it takes a day I sit and record till i get it right, and also edit the MIDI with snap turned off. Quantize might not sound bad in some electro trance tracks but generally its a bad idea for me. I have never tried humanising the drum patterns or the step sequencer patterns I build. That's something. Sometimes I add some swing and offset to overlapping sounds. I always quantize drum tracks though. Liked them that way. Specially the kick and snare.

My friend came up with a project totally quantised and I ran the humanise CAL in sonar. The whole project sounded much better and natural.

I think I spoke too soon when I said synth recording takes latency out of the equation. I now recall that I reported early on that synth recording wasn't being compensated for input latency like external audio recordings. The reply I got was essentially that since a soft synth might be driven by live MIDI input and existing MIDI playback at the same time, it's not possible to apply latency compensation to synth recording because of the way the output of existing MIDI is buffered in advance so that synth audio behaves like recorded audio with regard to playback latency.
 
But I think this is a little beside the point because the original screenshot showed MIDI being early vs. the timeline, and by much more than 10ms, which wouldn't be visible at that zoom level. Since synth audio isn't compensated for input latency, we know that synth audio is going to be very late when the buffer is large. But that's a different issue from the relationship of recorded MIDI to the timeline, and this timing isn't evident from your latest screenshots because your timeline is showing milliseconds instead of M:B:T.
 
Since it's impossible to perform normally with a very high buffer, I recommend you go back to the 10ms RTL, and re-check the timing vs. the timeline and metronome, ignoring the slight discrepancy between the MIDI and Audio due to the lack of audio latency compensation.

sonarman1
Even if it takes a day I sit and record till i get it right...

That is a very sound mindset. In the world of DAWs it is a easy to fall into the opposite mindset (i.e., record a few takes then edit them for days).

@brundlefly
 
The screenshots I posted of PRV at starting are not recorded in 10ms latency. I don't remember exactly. But its should be 40-60ms somewhere in between.
If req I can post screenshots with M:B:T. Or better I can send you the project itself. I have saved it. 

I don't have an external synth with me now. What I understood from the soft synth audio recording is that. Yes they are not compensated. But the latency seems to occur only while we play from the keyboard controller or rec from the keyboard controller. Not when we playback the recorded midi notes. We tend to play the notes ahead so that the delayed audio sounds in time with the metronome or other ins. But when we playback the recorded midi notes the audio is not delayed(as there is no latency) and we end up hearing the audio ahead as well during playback. So the notes end up sounding ahead of the beat. And we have to move the recorded notes later to fix it.