• Hardware
  • Does using a Bluetooth interface affect system latency the same way WIFI interfaces do??
2018/11/26 17:25:11
kzmaier
I've always avoided both but would like the mobility of a wireless keyboard for sending transport commands to my Daw on occasion.
 
Thanks,
2018/11/26 19:04:31
Jim Roseberry
As long as the driver is well behaved, it won't significantly raise the machine's DPC Latency.
BTW, you can get WiFi adapters with well behaved drivers (don't significantly raise DPC Latency).
If you're trying to run heavy loads at a 32-sample ASIO buffer size, I'd still disable WiFi.
2018/11/26 19:43:41
fret_man
Thanks, Jim. If I go to Newegg what do I look for to find a WiFI adaptor with "well behaved drivers"? Or, where would I go to find reviews that discuss for this feature.?
 
Thanks, Paul
2018/11/26 19:45:06
kzmaier
Thanks Jim!  Your expertise is greatly appreciated!!
2018/11/27 15:15:50
Jim Roseberry
There's no real way to know other than to test the specific WiFi adapter.
Linksys and Asus typically have well-behaved drivers.
 
2018/11/27 16:21:57
mettelus
Another point with Wi-Fi is that the dominant latency issue is in Windows itself... "Auto Network Discovery" is enabled by default on machines, and pings every 3-4 seconds. That process should be disabled on machines (even non-DAWs) and if you connect to another machine, it should be a manual process, not automatic. I have not used BT enough to know if a similar "auto detect" function exists, my experience has always been to manually pair things.
 
Another latency issue is any program with an "auto-update" embedded into it... these should be set to manual start for similar reasons. Any open connection will prompt these to also ping in the background, which is another reason why "internet connection" gets a bad rap. I am not sure if such programs would try to use a BT connection, but is another thing to keep in mind.
 
Both of the above relate to machine setup rather than the connection itself.
2018/11/27 17:06:01
abacab
If in doubt about wi-fi, or any other network adapter, I would go with disabling it during a session.
 
At least if you do that, nothing can "auto-update" in the background while you are working.
 
Following the same principle, I would disable Bluetooth discovery if that is on-board, not so much for networks, but the search for additional nearby devices should be unnecessary. https://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/set-bluetooth-device-discoverability-in-windows-10/
2018/11/28 13:10:16
Starise
I hate to be the bearer of less than stellar news here. If I were going into wireless big time I would be looking at a Mac. Actually for large midi stage presence I would do that even if not using bluetooth. I'm not impressed with windows wireless midi solutions. Apple's midi protocol works better than Windows presently. Lower latencies, more reliable hookups. 
2018/11/28 13:15:35
pwalpwal
yeah, apple still benefit from the closed shop hardware support
2018/11/28 15:45:49
Jim Roseberry
If you're talking about Apple WiFi:
When pushing the heaviest of loads at the smallest audio buffer sizes, you still want to disable it.  
 
We have the top end MacBook Pro here (to support Mac clients who use VE Pro).
Apple WiFi isn't any different than WiFi on a PC (where the drivers are well-behaved).
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