Instrument Latency Correction

Hello,

I’ve noted that your online manuals don’t post a mean buffer setting, or latency correction setting, as I wanted to set it back to it’s default before diving into more latency correction troubleshooting.
I’m using a Metawerks 14-track mixer which is accountable for allot of the latency I’m receiving while overdubbing instruments onto a single generated click track.
My recording procedure dictates that if I can’t keep time I won’t proceed to the next instrument. My question is quite simple. Does a standard default setting exist that isn’t zero?

However, it would be nice if I could get a little advice about feeding signals into my DAW, and whether just testing the mixer/DAW latency on a Microphone would standardize the anything feed from the mixer
or if It’s a bit more than that?

There are two latencies. Machine Latency is the time it takes your live music to go into the computer, Audacity, and come back out again. That one is not adjustable and that’s the reason you can’t listen to the computer when you perform for perfect overdubbing. You must listen to your external adapter, mixer, or microphone.

Recording Latency is the setting in Audacity. Create a click track. Set up for overdubbing. Record and you should have your click track playing in your headphones. Jam your headphones into your microphone so it picks up your headphone traffic.
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Your new latency setting is the difference between the two tracks, added to the setting already there.

Perform the test again with the revised settings and you should be perfectly in time and that’s the correct latency setting for your system.

I know. That’s a fairy tale. Your first correction always goes the wrong way and then you get closer but no cigar and by the fourth or fifth shot, you hit it close enough for Jazz. Literally.

Fair warning if your computer is right on the edge of not having enough zot (technical term) for overdubbing, these settings may drift or your may get holes or damage in the tracks. Overdubbing requires your computer to perfectly play the backing track at the exact time it records the new work. No option. If your machine is sloppy or slow, overdubbing may not be for you.


All that is for Perfect Overdubbing where you hear yourself at the exact time you hear the backing track. I call it a “theatrically correct” performance. If you don’t care about hearing yourself while you perform, then you can plug the headphones into the computer and set up for overdubbing that way.

That’s what Gary Owens is doing here.

Everybody thinks that’s a goof. It’s not. That’s how he sluices a little bit of his live voice up to his ear to hear is own performance. OK, this particular performance is a goof because his real microphone is that little black thing on his left lapel, but the technique is correct. I have a big microphone like that and if I did what he’s doing, it would work.

This is a little more modern. This is why Josh is only wearing one of the headphone muffs. He’s overdubbing all four parts of a song.
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I show Audio To Buffer at 100msec. I’ve never changed it.

Koz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrKpZAOCTjw

Koz