Vocal recording latency in X2a SOLVED

Hi,
  Just wonding if anyone might have some suggestions on getting rid of the latency when recording vocals.  I have Sonar x2A.  My machine is a ci7 with a 3 ghz processor and 12 gigs of mem.  My audio interface is a MOTU 2408 mk3 using a pci 424 card.  I also have an original 2408 on the same card.  I use a focusrite octorpre dynamic for my mic pre.  I use the adat interface from the focusrite to the mk3.  I am using the asio drivers.  I have adjusted the buffers on the interface from 1024 to 64.  When I record I have the echo input initiated.  However, I still get a noticeable and very dristracting latency when I attempt to record my vocals. 
 
Any ideas?
 
Thanks
Dave

Hi - You may want to considering monitoring via the MOTU, so you wouldn't have to monitor via the echo input function within Sonar.

Here are a couple of thing I have done to reduce latency. If i am using lots of processing, reverbs, effect, compressors, guitar rig etc. I freeze the tracks. This will free up psome resources so I can reduce my ASIO buffers down to 256 or 128. Or I just simply turn off reverbs etc. on a couple of occassions, I have bounced a stereo mix, used in current project, or created a new project with the 2 tracks bounced and recorded vocals, and then imported them back into the main project. However, that was when I had a single core computer / sonar 5, a few years ago.  May not be ideal, but ut has gotten the job done.   There is probably better ways to do this, however I haven't figured them out yet. hopefully someone will post it.

Bristol_Jonesey


Whenever I record anything the first thing I do is to globally bypass all Effects.

 
 
 
See, i learn something eveytime I vist the forum. I did not know you could globally bypass effects. I need to figure out how to do that! Thanks Bristol!!

Bristol_Jonesey


Whenever I record anything the first thing I do is to globally bypass all Effects.

^^^^^
I sometimes do this, but usually if I bypass the effects in the master bus I can get latency down to 128 or 64.

Very few singers want to sing with all effects disabled, so I would use either an outboard reverb or an algorithmic reverb plug-in so the singer can monitor reverb in the headphones.  The point is that convolution reverbs are CPU hogs.

I very much appreciate all the helpful suggestions.  I do have perfect space running.  I will delete that during recording.
  My buffers right now are set on 64 on the MOTU audio panel.  I have tried everything above that.
   I have Cuemix FX, but am not sure exactly how to use it.  I will experiment more with that.
   As for my computer sound card, I do not have that enabled at all.  I only use the MOTU on this machine.

   I will take your suggestions and try each one.  What a great forum.   Thanks.

Dave

Bristol_Jonesey

TraceyStudios

Bristol_Jonesey


Whenever I record anything the first thing I do is to globally bypass all Effects.

 


See, i learn something eveytime I vist the forum. I did not know you could globally bypass effects. I need to figure out how to do that! Thanks Bristol!!

There's a button in the Control Bar, I forget which module, but it's Labelled Fx. Toggle it on/off here.

Or...... there's a keyboard shortcut, I think it's 'E'

You're right, Bristol Jonesey, the keyboard short cut is "E", right next to the "R" key for record.  I hit it by mistake ALL THE TIME.  The first time I did it really threw me - "Why does everything sound odd?"  Took me an age to suss it.