Question about Lag when recording

[som3d3vil34]

Ok, I have a MXL mic, an M-audio interface, and I use the software that comes with the interface. The equipment is not top of the line by any means, but it's pretty good stuff.

So, I'll record the main riff or chords or whatever, and it'll sound fine. But, when I lay down another track (vocals or another guitar part) the timing is off by usually a couple beats. Maybe a second give or take.

How do I get around this? Do you think it's the software or the interface? I can go into the software and drag things around till it sounds better, but thats a huge hassle and its still not perfect.

Any help would be great. Thank you.

[som3d3vil34]

ps - the interface is the m-audio fast track pro.

[chr35919]

it could be your soundcard or it could be a settings issue. check to see if you have simultaneous playback while recording 'On' or whatever

[tdowe99]

som3d3vil34, how much RAM does your computer have?

[som3d3vil34]

Yea my soundcard is standard and came with the Dell, so it probably isn't great.

My PC has 384 MB of RAM.


The interface is a USB. Would that have anything to do with it?

[chr35919]

Yea my soundcard is standard and came with the Dell, so it probably isn't great.

My PC has 384 MB of RAM.


The interface is a USB. Would that have anything to do with it?when i used to use audacity...there was a settings issue that caused me to have exactly the same form of delay you're talking about...i was using a usb interface too.

what program are you using?


edit: for christmas, i got an 8 track recorder...sounds great and no lag

[som3d3vil34]

when i used to use audacity...there was a settings issue that caused me to have exactly the same form of delay you're talking about...i was using a usb interface too.

what program are you using?


edit: for christmas, i got an 8 track recorder...sounds great and no lag

The program I'm using is called Live 5.0.4 (I assume the 5.0.4 is the version). It came with the interface.

When I was at school I used audacity just if I had an idea that I wanted to get recorded. I just used a real crappy mic that connects right in the back of the PC tower. The sound quality suffered, but there was no lag at all with that.

[MGH4007]

when i used to use audacity...there was a settings issue that caused me to have exactly the same form of delay you're talking about...i was using a usb interface too.

what program are you using?


edit: for christmas, i got an 8 track recorder...sounds great and no lag

Yeah, my friend has this "portable studio" 4 track recorder. It works great. Like 80 gig hd and you can mix on there, it also has some effects. I would get one of those.

[jamjumpin]

Your computer sounds pretty old with that much ram, does it have USB2? If the m-audio is USB2 which it porbably is and your computer is USB1 it will not be able to stream teh data quick enough.
Or possibly, the computer cannot cope with playback and recording at the same time so you think you are playing in time but the backing track is actually behind/in front

[tdowe99]

possibly, the computer cannot cope with playback and recording at the same time

That happened on my friend's old computer.
We tried it on mine, with 624 mb of RAM, and it worked fine.

[unccrombie]

yeah, its not your interface or software. its either soundcard issues or ram

[som3d3vil34]

Thanks for all the responses.

Here's the thing. I tried using my interface with my Audacity program, and it seems to work fine. There's no lag with that.

[jamjumpin]

Audacity is open source, so it's probably better optimised, the people who developed your other program were having to be paid so they just set the recommended requirements higher to save time and money, possibly...

[unccrombie]

Audacity is open source, so it's probably better optimised, the people who developed your other program were having to be paid so they just set the recommended requirements higher to save time and money, possibly...
less ram requirements as well most likely

[onemanguitarban]

I'm 99% positive your problem lies with settings. You have penty of RAM for a couple of tracks. Check the latency settings within your program and adjust them, this should solve the problem..you have to find the sweet spot setting...not too high and not too low.

[som3d3vil34]

I'm 99% positive your problem lies with settings. You have penty of RAM for a couple of tracks. Check the latency settings within your program and adjust them, this should solve the problem..you have to find the sweet spot setting...not too high and not too low.


You might be right. Heres a pic of what my preferences look like:

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s109/som3d3vil34/lag.jpg


Should I try to get that 3.07 ms to 0?

ps - That number wasnt always 3.07. I think it goes up and down with each time I open the program:ugh

[onemanguitarban]

You might be right. Heres a pic of what my preferences look like:

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s109/som3d3vil34/lag.jpg


Should I try to get that 3.07 ms to 0?

ps - That number wasnt always 3.07. I think it goes up and down with each time I open the program:ugh

Your latency will never really be 0, that's impossible given the way technology works currently. How low you can go depends on many different factors. Basically you want to go as low as you can go without causing any breakups in playback and recording, it will take some experimenting.

Your latency may fluctuate, especially given different projects you open, etc.