half a second delay between the speakers and the mixer

[rhodesmi]

Hi
My turntables are connected via a mixer to my laptop and the sound is perfect

The speakers are around half a second behind what the record is playing.

i.e. if I listen to the music through the headphones connected to the mixer the sound coming out of the speakers is around half a second behind.

So is likley to be a problem with the line in on my dell laptop or have i missed a setting in Audacity?

[steve]

To avoid the delay:
If they are USB turntables, then you need to monitor the turntables directly from the turntable, not through Audacity.
If the turntables are connected to the computer through a conventional sound card, go to "Preferences" in the "Edit" menu, select the "Audio I/O" tab and de-select (un-check) "software playthrough".

[rhodesmi]

I dont have those settings though I do think it is caused by Audacity's Software Playthrough - Play new track while recording it.
If I disable that setting - so I no longer here sound through the speakers and just go by the level meter there doesn't appear to be a delay.
I'll keep looking.

[steve]

Software playthrough setting

Screenshot-4.png (8.18 KiB) Viewed 1251 times

[rhodesmi]

Yep thats the setting. With this unticked I dont seem to get a delay but I no longer here the sound through the speakers. I would like to here the sound through the speakers with no delay.
Cheers

[steve]

And you are using a USB turntable?

[rhodesmi]

No I am using Technics SL1200's

I think you have hit the nail on head, I think my problem is my sound card (built into my DELL) doesn;t support hardware playthrough, so I am using Audacity's software playthrough which has a cost - the delay.

Therefore I think I may need to buy a USB sound card which supports playthrough.

[steve]

I think my problem is my sound card (built into my DELL) doesn;t support hardware playthrough,

That will explain it.

Therefore I think I may need to buy a USB sound card which supports playthrough.

Yes - hardware playthrough.
Most USB audio devices, as long as they have both audio inputs and audio outputs, support hardware playthrough (even the very cheap Behringer4 UCA 202 that I use supports this).