Hello there Ian, welcome to the forum.
The delay you're experiencing is called 'latency'. It's basically the time it takes for your guitar signal to be converted into digital, processing (if any), and then converted back into analogue for your speakers.
Usually, the most important factor in causing long and unacceptable latency times is having the signal processed at some stage inside your computer. For the signal processing to be effected by a VST plug-in in GTPro4 so you can hear it, you have to turn on
Input Echo (often referred to as Input Monitoring) in the track the VST has been placed in.
If you're not sure, the Input Echo button looks like this:
If you have this turned on, then you will probably notice a significant decrease in your latency if you turn it off. The only downside to this is that you will no longer be able to hear whatever effect/s the VST plug-in is adding. However - and this is quite an important thing to remember - whether you record with Input Echo on or off, GTPro4 will only record the unprocessed 'dry' guitar signal anyway. After recording, you will hear the processing again as the dry signal flows through the VST plug-in/s in the effects bin, and the effect will be included when you eventually mix down your project. On the plus side, this method means you are not permanently tied in to whatever effects the VST is providing - so you can, at any time, alter the VST's parameters, turn it off, or even delete it and replace it with others.
Another way to reduce latency (whether you wish to record while listening to effects with Input Echo switched on or not) is to select the most efficient driver mode for your soundcard/interface and recording software combination - in your case, your UA-1G and GTPro4.
In most cases, the default option (and incidentally usually the
worst option) that GTPro4 will use when the Wave Profiler initially runs are the standard 32bit MME drivers. These drivers maybe fine for playback, but for high speed conversions when recording and playing back they really aren't very good at all.
Far better options are available in GTPro4, namely WDM/KS drivers and ASIO drivers.
Some system configurations will run better with ASIO rather that WDM, and some will run better with WDM rather than ASIO. What is certain though, is that either will run faster and more efficiently than MME drivers.
You'll need to perform a few experiments with your set-up to try and decide which drivers give you the lowest latency.
To change from any other driver mode to WDM/KS:
- Select Options > Audio from GTPro4's menu bar, then click on the Advanced tab
- In the Playback and Recording area, open the Driver Mode drop-down list
- Click on WDM/KS and then OK
- You will be prompted that the Wave Profile needs to run - click on Apply/Yes
- You will have to close and restart GTPro4 to effect the changes
- Now you can try to gradually lower the latency:
- Select Options > Audio and this time, click on the General tab
- In the Mixing Latency area, drag the Buffer Size slider in small increments to the left (toward Fast, away from Safe). Each time, play and record your guitar - you should notice the echo becoming shorter each time.
- Keep repeating this process until eventually your project 'freezes' or a drop-out occurs - this is the point at which your UA-1G can no longer process the signal in time to keep up with the project. Drag the slider slightly back to the right and you will have found the ideal buffer setting for the driver in use.
To change from any other driver mode to ASIO:
- Select Options > Audio from GTPro4's menu bar, then click on the Advanced tab
- In the Playback and Recording area, open the Driver Mode drop-down list
- Click on ASIO and then OK
- This time, the Wave Profiler prompt will not appear - just click on Apply/Yes
- You will have to close and restart GTPro4 to effect the changes
- Now you can try to gradually lower the latency:
- Select Options > Audio and this time, click on the General tab
- In the Mixing Latency area, you'll notice that the Buffer Size slider doesn't work, or is greyed out. This is because in ASIO driver mode, the settings are made directly inside your soundcard or interface. To access the controls, click on the ASIO Panel button
- In the window that opens, drag the Buffer Size slider in small increments to the left (toward Fast, away from Safe). Each time, play and record your guitar - you should notice the echo becoming shorter each time.
- Keep repeating this process until eventually your project 'freezes' or a drop-out occurs - this is the point at which your UA-1G can no longer process the signal in time to keep up with the project. Drag the slider slightly back to the right and you will have found the ideal buffer setting for the driver in use.
It's important to note that in both scenarios, the lowest latency settings you can achieve will be when Input Echo is turned off.
When you've finished recording all your parts and you begin mixing your project, don't forget that you can always increase the latency buffer across towards Safe to prevent any drop-outs occuring, especially if you start loading more VST plug-ins into your project.
Hopefully that will greatly improve the latency you are experiencing Ian, just shoot back if you need any more assistance.
Steve