Hello,
It seems like I have latency issues when playing my midi board. Is this because my Native Instruments files are on an external SSD drive via USB? Is the only way to fix this is to have them on an internal SSD?
Latency is almost always related to your audio interface. Some details on it would help.
VP
Tascam US 4x4, set at 512 samples. But would what you're saying still be the case if I'm bypassing the interface and going USB to the PC from the Midi Controller?
Probably be worse going direct to the PC. The build in sound chip (usually appears as Windows Audio) for any PC is brutal for latency.
That is why you need to have you audio interface (ideally ASIO based) acting as the sole audio interface for everything on the DAW PC.
On my custom workstations here - onboard audio is disabled in the BIOS on day 1 so there is no possibility of it ever interfering with anything.
Everything goes thru my RME UCX-II here.
I'm on Windows 10 as well and I rarely encounter any noticeable latency. But also I don't use the audio card that came with my PC, only my external audio device. One other thing that can be a factor on Windows depending on your memory and processor is Kontakt's use of Antimalware monitoring in Windows security which can steal significant processing time. Whenever I'm using Kontakt, Komplete Kontrol alone or in my DAW I always disable real time virus and threat protection as it really improves responsiveness and turn it back on when I'm done.
classic windows defender behaviour will auto re enable real-time protection after a couple of hs. Isn't making exclusions for processes/files/folders a better solution?
Not if you turn off Tamper Protection.
My Real Time is permanently disabled here.
had no idea TY @Vocalpoint
With latency, we should start with very basic questions before anything else.
Your buffer size is 512. At a 44.1kHz sample rate, this would introduce 11 milliseconds of latency. A competent musician would begin to notice any latency north of 3-5 milliseconds. And almost anyone will sense a disturbance in the force north of 10 milliseconds.
Before anything else, try reducing your buffer size to 256 or 128 and see if things improve for you. If so, that's a clue as to the source of your issue.
You haven't mentioned if you've any plug-ins in your DAW. Any plug-in on any track could introduce latency. A plug-in like Ozone could introduce latency far above any acceptable level of input.
Before anything else, try removing any plug-ins in your DAW one by one until the latency changes. If so, that's a clue as to the source of your issue. Not that disabling them may not cause a latency change depending on the DAW or plug-in settings (e.g. non True Bypass will maintain sync to avoid clicks).
I genuinely appreciate everyone jumping in and trying to help, but there are some pretty basic troubleshooting steps worth ruling out before we're talking anti-virus or such things.
@Matthew_NI
Do remember - the OP is simply stating he is "having issues playing his midi board".
No details on what that looks like. No mention of a DAW. Or plugins or anything.
And - he is using a long since discontinued audio interface that does not appear to have any ASIO or any other modern assist to get the latency in check.
On the surface - I can't really tell what he is doing. But without a reasonable ASIO based interface in play - nasty latency is a way of life on Windows.
