Using Amp Sims

Hi,
 
A while back I posted an issue with a Lexicon Alpha and MC4.  I was getting severe latency, and I could only use the device as the recording device and had to use my built in sound card for playback.  Well, I changed computers, and although MC4 won't allow me to run in ASIO mode, I can now use the lexicon for both recording and playback, and I have the latency down to around 10 ms.  Still drives me nuts, but I can nudge the track left 10 ms and it locks in.
 
Anyway, my next question is, do any of you use any guitar amp simulators?  I downloaded the free version of amplitube, and there are some decent sounds that I wanted to experiment with.  The problem I'm having now is while recording, I'm only hearing the clean, direct sound of the guitar in my monitors, not the sound of the guitar going through the amplitube VST.  When I playback the track,  I can hear the effect.  Is there a part of the process that I'm missing?  Thanks!

yeah that would do it.

I have a few amp sims but don't use them much.... maybe I should since I have 3 or 4 of them....

Acmebar gig is the latest one I got, and it's free.

The sims tend to have more latency than the VST's in my system.

10ms isn't a big latency, actually most people can not hear it. It's about equivalent to standing 10 feet in front of your guitar amp. You shouldn't need to nudge for that... but... if it works for you, let it roll.

57Gregy


I've played with them in already-recorded tracks.
To hear any soft synth or effect while recording, I believe you need to turn on Input Echo.

Input Echo worked, thanks!  Unfortutately, while I was able to dial in a great sound, the latency made it impossible to record using the VST.  I guess this lexicon unit needs to go.  There's a delay between when I strike the string and when I hear the sound through the speakers.  It's unbearable! 

Well, when I use the ASIO driver in MC, I get an error about a microsoft wavetable needs to be disabled (Im at work now and not seeing the error so I'm not sure if that's exactly it).  Then, I get no sound at all.  If I change to the WDM driver, everything works and I can drag the latency slider to 10 ms and it works perfectly. 
 
All that said, if I open amplitube as a stand alone application, I can use ASIO and get it to 5 ms, but even then, there's a delay between when I play anything on the guitar and the audio is produced through my monitors.  It's expecially apparant when playing anything fast. 

Thanks Beagle...
It only gives me that message when trying to use ASIO in MC.  Regardless of whether I enable or disable the MS GS Wavetable, I get no sound from MC when using ASIO.  When I change to WDM, everything works fine, except for the fact that I get a huge delay when using and guitar modeler (VST).  I pick a note on the guitar, and it take a fraction of a second to hear it through the monitors.  Originally the thought was it was latency due to not using ASIO in MC, but I've found that even using Amplitube as a standalone app using the ASIO driver, I get the same delay.  I'm thinking the Lexicon is just not up to the task.

Beagle


that really doesn't make sense at all.  the MS GS Wavetable has nothing to do with audio output - only MIDI output.

regardless there's something wrong if you are hearing a bad delay if you have your amplitube in stand alone mode, the lexicon set to 5msec or even 10 and are still hearing a long delay (unless of course you have a delay FX in Amplitube! )

one thing I can think of that might cause this problem would be if you are trying to use the onboard soundcard AND the lexicon at the same time.  you should not be doing that or it will cause delay (and other) problems.  do you have speakers or headphones connected to the lexicon and that's where you're hearing the delay?  or are you listening to your computer speakers connected to the onboard soundcard?

Very Funny!!
 
I am hearing the delay from the speakers that are directly connected to the lexicon.  I am not using the computer's sound card at all.  Should I check to see if the onboard sound is disabled?  Would it need to be if I'm not using it at all?

This gets weirder....
So I recorded last night using a mic'd up amp into the lexicon alpha.  I noticed more stability if I slid the latency slider to 20 ms, so I recroded my first rhythm guitar to a drum track that was an imported MP3 file from a drummers electronic kit.  Upon playback of the 2 tracks, there was noticable latency on the rhythm guitar track, so I nudged the track 20 ms left, and it sounded perfectly in time.  I proceeded to record a second rhythm track, a guitar melody, guitar harmonies, bass, and guitar solo, filling up 8 more tracks, and none of them needed nudging!  Only the first track was out of time, all tracks recorded after were fine. 

Beagle


sure - check and see, though it should be a problem unless you're using it.

OPTIONS>AUDIO
check to make sure ONLY the lexicon is listed as the RECORDING and PLAYBACK DEVICES

did you do this?