Audacity Forum

If this was answered somewhere else I couldn't find it. The problem I've had with some recording software and now with Audacity after loading it is that when I am trying to record a track there is a delayed echo that is most annoying that throws me off while recording. Some people told me it is a 'latency' problem. Sure, big help there. Will somebody who knows what I'm talking about please walk me through setting up the system correctly? I have windows xp pro and an audigy 2 soundblaster card.
I only want to hear exactly what I play while I'm recording it, nothing less, nothing more.

If you're hearing an additional echo of the incoming sound then it's probably that you're hearing the signal from the soundcard and then, with a slight delay, the same signal via software. Check that the option Edit-Preferences-Audio IO-Software Playthrough is not ticked. This option is there for older or lower spec soundcards that can't natively handle simultaneously monitor playback and record at the same time.

If on the other hand you're only hearing the incoming signal once but with a delay, then it is indeed latency. This is a delay caused by the time it takes for the signal come through the soundcard hardware and is the bane of computer-based recording. So much so that if you look at ads for audio devices they make a point of mentioning low or zero latency as a selling point. You can experiment with the latency settings in Edit-Preferences-Audio IO to try and compensate for any latency you're experiencing. I've never had a latency problem with my audio device so maybe someone else can chip in with suggestions for tweaking the settings.

With an Audigy 2 the latency should be low enough to not cause a problem, so it is most likely the "software playthrough" that Locopomo mentioned.

Thanks for the info. I un-ticked the 'software playthrough' under the audio I/O and it worked fine after.