My Echo ASIO driver window allows me to choose a variety of sample rates. How does choosing a smaller or larger sample rate affect buffering and latency?
Also, I assume that whae using ASIO drivers, the changes I make in n-tracks buffer settings have no effect whatsoever, correct?
Thanks in advance!!
please…?
Generally, increasing sampling rate increases latency because of the need to buffer larger amounts of information. Most folks seem to be able to run at 48k sample rate with no problem IF they have their systems configured properly otherwise. Also, Flavio has recently tweaked N-tracks’ audio engine, and performance has been improved considerably.
You are correct about N-track buffer settings.
T
EDIT: Unless you are using VSTi plugins with with a midi keyboard and you need to hear the VSTi output in realtime, you probably don’t need to worry about latency. If you are just tracking, and you want to monitor the input live it often works best to monitor the live input via the headphones output from your soundcard.
Thank you!
I realize my posts are simplistic. I love reading the posts here to gain info, but most are beyond my understanding. I use n-track as if it were my old fostex cassette recorder. I’m not computer illiterate, but the configuring confuses me (less and less).
I finally got ASIO to work (I’ve been using WDM), but it won’t record past 1 minute using anything under 1024k. I should probably leave well enough alone, but where’s the fun in that!
TomS - I know you have the same laptop card as I. I’d like to find out how you are configured.
I appreciate all of the help I’ve received from y’all.
Thank you
There is nothing wrong with the questions that you are asking. Go for it.
But give us a few more details. Exactly what do you mean when you say that N-track won’t record past a minute…
T
I appreciate your interest tspringer. I had a heck of a time trying to get 24bit going on my laptop a while back and this forum was a great help.
I was using v4.1 and WDM, but for reasons I won’t bore you with, I’m at v3.3 and ASIO on my laptop. If I try to record at anything less than 1024k setting on my Echo Indigo IO soundcard, n-track stops recording around 1 minute @ 512k and sooner the lower my settings. It stops recording @ 1min 30 sec. if I have “process in driver’s thread” checked @ 1024k. 1024k and “process…” unchecked allows for a “full time” recording.
I’ve messed with REAPER to see if there was an incompatability issue and it allows me to record down to my card’s lowest setting - 64k- but with crackle. It cleans up at 512k.
I can, and have, recorded with n-track WDM with success (except for crashing using plug-ins and clicking too quickly in v4.1), but am trying to get the most out of what I have. Again, I like messing so that I can learn what all of the settings do.
Thanks
If you use N-track like you say in a substitute for analog recorder there’s no need whatsoever to get lowest possible latency. Latency is you friend in this case.
Therefore the way to go is to increase buffers (and the latency) to get the work done with no clicks or pops.
There’s also no need to use ASIO drivers if you don’t need low latency. If WMD works, use wdm. It’s good.
| Quote (varakeef @ Jan. 15 2007,09:06) |
| If you use N-track like you say in a substitute for analog recorder there’s no need whatsoever to get lowest possible latency. Latency is you friend in this case. Therefore the way to go is to increase buffers (and the latency) to get the work done with no clicks or pops. There’s also no need to use ASIO drivers if you don’t need low latency. If WMD works, use wdm. It’s good. |
Yes. I was going to say exactly the same thing.
You only need to get lower latency when using n-track in “Live” mode using plugins on instruments or using VSTi controlled from a MIDI keyboard (or the like).
If you are having to use n-track in “Live” mode to hear what you are playing, then there is a simple soundcard config change to make so that you can turn off “Live” and monitor your instrument through the soundcard rather than through the software.
One thing to bear in mind though is that with bigger buffer sizes n-track’s output will take longer to respond to changes. Eg if you raise the volume of a track while playing back a tune, it may take a second or so for the output to respond. So don’t whack the buffers up to mix - try to find a happy balance.
X
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| Quote (XonXoff @ Jan. 15 2007,07:24) |
| One thing to bear in mind though is that with bigger buffer sizes n-track's output will take longer to respond to changes. Eg if you raise the volume of a track while playing back a tune, it may take a second or so for the output to respond. So don't whack the buffers up to mix - try to find a happy balance. |
I'd add that the bigger buffers don't bother me even when I'm mixing down the songs. I always mix off-line and make volume envelopes and such by drawing, not moving sliders on the fly.
| Quote (varakeef @ Jan. 15 2007,12:56) | ||
I'd add that the bigger buffers don't bother me even when I'm mixing down the songs. I always mix off-line and make volume envelopes and such by drawing, not moving sliders on the fly. |
Yes, I tend to agree with you. I was thinking back to the days of a PII 500 with 64Mb RAM and 10 tracks.... buffers so high that even running a quick mix with the sliders meant you had to think ahead. I never mixdown in realtime - everything is automated but I always get the basic mix running with the mixer first.
Let's hope that harphunt can get his probs sorted and get on with the primary purpose of n-track - making music.
Thank you gentlemen.
When I don’t have anything to record I start messin’. I read the forum, see the performance others are getting, and the question becomes, “Why can’t I do that?” Perhaps its the limitations of my laptop. Maybe ignorance is bliss.
One last question to avoid, or encourage, version change. Does v3.3 use less system resources than v4.x?
One day I’ll be answering questions and not just asking them.
I do notice that the buffer setting I was using with WDM was the default of 5120. That’s high!
PEACE