latency?

Hello Steve,

If you are playing Pianoteq and the Roland's sound simultaneously, please make sure they are being played on different MIDI channels, such as Channel #1 vs. #2.  Why?  The midi protocol is a "serial" device, meaning that things "happen" in series, one right after another ... instead of in parallel, meaning one next to another in the same channel.

In the past, I have encountered this "midi echo" condition, and was able to solve the problem by assigning two different sound sources to two different midi channels.

Hope this helps.

Joe

Hi Guys,

thanks very much.

clarification:  the roland is feeding *analog audio* to the Audiobox, which is mixing that with the digital audio from laptop/pianoteq

             roland    -----------------analog audio------------->   audiobox ---> headphones
                 |                                                                                  |             
                 |  -- MIDI -->   laptop/pianoteq ----digital audio/usb-->|

i suppose it is possible the latency is from audiobox D->A converter?

steve200

Thanks guys.

the audiobox sample rate goes no higher than 48k.  its bit depth is 32.

I knocked the audiobox buffer size down from 860 to 256 and that fixed the latency, but....

now i am getting unacceptable crackling every once in a while.  back up to 800!  the latency is at least tolerable.

does this mean the Audiobox USB 96 is not up to the task??   

(i am not clear:  the buffer that i am changing the size of, is it in my computer, or in the audiobox?)

also, i noticed that if adjust the audiobox mixer so that it is mixing in its analog audio inputs (with no sound coming in), i hear a significant degradation of the pianoteq.  this really stinks.

i need an interface/mixer that can:
  1) play pianoteq with no latency and no dropouts or crackling
  2) mix in stereo audio backing tracks (produced by my roland fp-7f keyboard), with excellent sound quality in both the backing track and pianoteq

the pianoteq 6 steinway D is beautiful.  i just need to get the dumb electronics working.

thanks,
steve200

Thanks!

I dropped the buffer size to 256, and jammed around on the keyboard.  Latency gone.  I observed my computers's CPU monitor and PQ's perf monitor.

the CPU monitor never went above around 25%.  The Audio Load showed nasty red lines when i had severe crackling.  i also had less severe crackling with no red lines, just a rise in the meter.

here are screenshots of the PQ perf screen and the Audiobox settings screen:

Steve200

Hi EvilD,

Thanks!  I assume u say that about throttling because the reported frequency i show in that screenshot is less than 1.9GHz?

i changed to high performance, and now the freq monitor is pegged at about 1.85ghz

the performance index went up to 83 or so.

it did help... some.... now if i use 512 i only get occasional crackling.  the latency is fine for me, not noticeable.

steve200

Update...

Changing my laptop to High Performance power mode was a *big* help, but didn't completely solve my problem.  Thanks!

I posted my problem to the GearSlutz forum:
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/newbie-...st13033400

I upgraded the AudioBox USB 96 driver, and the latency problem went away!  I can run at 128 samples with no crackling.

They suggested a tool you guys probably know about: LatencyMon.  It tells you if your computer is up to the task of real time audio (mine is, whew).

I still have the problem of mixing in the backing tracks from the roland.

Best, and happy holidays,
Steve200