Can't Hear when Software Playthrough is turned off

[smwoodard]

I'm sure there is a setting or something that I don't have set properly. I am trying to record from my Yamaha keyboard onto my computer (running Vista) using Audacity. I am running audio out through the headphone port on the back of the keyboard into a USB device. It records just fine if I have software playthrough turned off but I cannot hear what I am playing while I'm recording. If I turn software playthrough on I get terrible echos and distortions. I looked at the FAQ and it told me to make sure the microphone isn't muted and it doesn't seem to be. Has anyone else had this problem and found a fix to it?

Thanks.

[steve]

Does the USB device have a headphone socket? If it does, you can plug your headphones into that for monitoring the recording. If not, your best option may be to get a headphone splitter lead so that you can have both the computer and your headphones plugged into the keyboard at the same time.

[smwoodard]

It does have a headphone jack in it. When I plug in my headphones I still have to have the software playthrough on. Though this takes care of the echo there is a significant amount of Lag. I've tried adjusting the buffer settings but that doesn't seem to solve that either.

[kozikowski]

We tell people that Software Playthrough is the worst of the bunch for reasons you are experiencing. Hardware Playthrough is much better with much shorter echos, but not all machines support it. Much better is not get the monitor audio from the computer at all. Plug the headphones into the mixer or the USB sound adapter if your adapter has one.

If you don't have any of those options, then that's the end of the story. Not all computers can become Digital Audio Workstations.

Koz

[smwoodard]

My adapter has a plug for headphpones but I still can't hear out of it when I am playing.

[steve]

The "headphone splitter" idea is probably going to be your best option.
http://www.dv247.com/cables/proel-1-5m- ... able--8293

Note that the plugs and sockets may be 3.5mm or 1/4" (6.35mm) so make sure you get the right one to fit your equipment.