Latency

Lynn Jackson · Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:09 am Post subject: Latency

I have just started using Cubase Ai. I'm using a Tascam Interface and have a PC dual quad Intel 1.6 GHz, 3 G Ram, 500 G hard drive computer. I had installed the ASIO4All driver but was told I had to use the Tascam US 144 driver. I recently recorded my first song with my guitar plugged directly into the Tascam - it recorded and played back fine. I left the computer for an hour and came back. I played the track back again and heard major latency, a good half second. When I created a new track to record along with the first, the latency is so I bad it's impossible to do. Any thoughts? Thanks.

celtsound · Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:23 am Post subject:

Open the Tascam Control panel, what is your latency set to??

When you say "I heard major latency" playing back one track only, how did you determine this, ie what did you hear???
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Cubase LE 1.0.8, Tascam US-144, Toshiba Satellite Celeron Dual 1.8GHz/2Gb (from 25/10/09), Vista Home Premium 32 bit
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Lynn Jackson · Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:38 am Post subject: Latency Repy

The Tascam is set to "Normal" latency. Sorry I wasn't clear on the latency. What I noticed first was the sounds of the playback were not lining up with the graphic dipiction of the sound waves as it scrolled along. When I tried to record a second track, even just monitoring through headphones before activating the record mode, I heard what was probably a good half second delay when I struck a note, like an echo. When I started the first track to monitor it while trying to play the second track I heard the first track plus the notes I was trying to record as a second track and the echo from the second track - pretty hard to keep your timing together no matter how good you think you are. Thanks for your quick reply.

celtsound · Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:50 am Post subject:

Have you tried adjusting the latency settings in the Tascam control panel to see if that makes any difference? If not, try setting latency to lowest to see what happens.
_________________
Cubase LE 1.0.8, Tascam US-144, Toshiba Satellite Celeron Dual 1.8GHz/2Gb (from 25/10/09), Vista Home Premium 32 bit
Please do not ask for my help using Personal Messages or via Myspace. Genuine MS friend requests welcome.

Lynn Jackson · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:34 am Post subject: Latency (Con't) for celtsound

celtsound - Thank you, it seems that setting the latency to "lowest" in the Tascam fixed that problem. I have, however managed to confuse and mystify myself again (You can tell I am very new at this). The echo is gone when I play the second track, but when I try to playback the two tracks together I can't hear the second one. I have experimented with changing the line in , both to "right" so they will record, and switching the stereo out to "right" and "left" and back to judt "stereo" etc. I've just managed to further confuse myself. I am assuming I just have the settings mixed up somehow.

Nate Wade · Guest

Did you dis-able the monitor button on the second track?

The echo you heard sounds like you're monitoring both through Cubase and directly through your interface at the same time. See if you can dis-able Direct Monitoring on the interface. Using the lowest latency is sure to cause issues as you add more tracks.

Lynn Jackson · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 2:56 am Post subject: Latency Repy

Sorry, I looked in the Tascam control panel and I don't see where to disable Direct Monitoring; probably looking in the wrong place. On playback I have the monitor buttons on both tracks de-selected. I'm not sure that I don't have my stereo in/out selections or some other setting mixed up; it doesn't matter which track I click on during playback, I only hear the first track I recorded, but I can see on the second track window where it did record.

Nate Wade · Guest

DM could be a setting on the unit itself. The tracks' outputs should be set to your main out.

Lynn Jackson · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 4:09 am Post subject: Latency Repy

I have read about DM being a setting within Device Setup in Cubase but I can't find it. When you say the Tracks output should be set to my main I don't know exactly what you mean-sorry. I'm also wondering what problems you are refering to with the latency being set to lowest??

celtsound · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:18 am Post subject:

For the record, Direct Monitoring is greyed out in my Device setting (in LE1.0. Cool

.

What Nate means is that as you add more audio tracks to your project, the latency setting of Lowest could cause issues. You'll have to try it to find out for sure.

If you open the mixer window (F3), check the stereo master fader which is on the far right of the mixer window. Under the fader you'll see a drop down list of the available outputs. Make sure they are set to US-144 Analog L and R.

I'm not sure about LE4 (the copy of the getting started PDF I have doesn't show this), but in the LE1 mixer window you can set the track output- in my case I can select Bus1 or Bus2.

Bus 1 is the US144 analog out, Bus 2 is the Digital outs. You can check this in LE4 Devices->VST Connections -> VST Outputs.
_________________
Cubase LE 1.0.8, Tascam US-144, Toshiba Satellite Celeron Dual 1.8GHz/2Gb (from 25/10/09), Vista Home Premium 32 bit
Please do not ask for my help using Personal Messages or via Myspace. Genuine MS friend requests welcome.

Lynn Jackson · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:34 am Post subject: Latency Repy

Thanks for your continued help. I also found the DM and mine is greyed out also. When I open the mixer there is no drop down under the right fader (I have Cubase Ai that came with my Yamaha Motif XS6). I do have Us 144 analog L & R set as my outputs in the VST Connections window. To make things even stranger, I set the latency in the Tascam back to normal and it didn't cause the problem I was having before. Just for fun I re-recorded my 2nd track and on playback, this time I could hear the second track but not the first track - wierd???
When I first started this process I couldn't even get Cubase to record, so I am making progress but it seems like every step forward is followed by a halt...I really appreciate your help.

Lynn Jackson · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:42 am Post subject: Latency (Con't) for celtsound

celtsound - A new development! I just got both tracks to play, but only one at a time. When I clicked on Audio 1 in the Project window and hit play I could hear it. When I clicked down on Audio 2 I could hear that track - just not both at the same time. I'm sure it's user error, but before when I tried this same thing I could only get one track to playback and when I clicked on the other one there was no sound. Is there a way to monitor the playback of both (Or multiple) tracks? Thanks.

Lynn Jackson · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:51 am Post subject: Latency (Con't) for celtsound

GENTLMEN, I GOT IT!

I kept experimenting with my playbacks and found the secret. You have to click the little box with the "s" in it on the Audio Track windows that you want to monitor - simple thing but frustrating if you're not aware.
Thanks to both of you. Lynn

celtsound · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:10 am Post subject:

The "S" button is the solo button, which will mute all other tracks on playback except the track you have selected. If you had the solo button selected for track 1 on playback, track 2 would not be heard, unless you selected the solo button on track 2 as well. Confused??
_________________
Cubase LE 1.0.8, Tascam US-144, Toshiba Satellite Celeron Dual 1.8GHz/2Gb (from 25/10/09), Vista Home Premium 32 bit
Please do not ask for my help using Personal Messages or via Myspace. Genuine MS friend requests welcome.

Lynn Jackson · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 4:51 pm Post subject: Latency

That makes sense - I just never knew what either of those buttons were for. I've clicked them on and off dozens of times over the course of trying to figure this all out. Thinking back to last night, I think I had the revealation of holding down the ctrl key on my keyboard and selecting both tracks - seemed to make sence in a Windows sort of way. For some(?) reason I then played with the "m" and "s" buttons (Probably noticed that one was lit and one was not). Anyway, I'm stoked at being closer to being able to realize some of arranging ideas. Now I just have to figure out how to make an imported drom loop actually loop, how to seemlessly swap in other loops at section changes, how to handle Rubato sections, how to get my Yamaha input to Cubase, how to line up all the tracks so they are in sync etc, etc, etc - should be a fun winter. Thanks again for your help.

Lynn