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Playback lags

Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 11:25 pm
by tanquai
For some reason, whenever I playback something I recorded or imported (or anything), The track starts moving but the audio doesn't start playing until about 2 seconds later. I checked this with a pluck and the 2 green bars at the top move according to where the line on the track is, but the audio is delayed. Can someone help me figure out why? This hasn't happened before. I have reinstalled audacity, and it didn't work.

Thanks.

Re: Playback lags

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 6:26 am
by tanquai
Sorry for the horrible description, But I figured out that the track starts playing, but the audio doesn't start until exactly 1 second later. I am using the 1.3 beta, and have only experienced this problem recently.

Re: Playback lags

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 5:35 pm
by steve
That sounds very weird. Is there a discontinuity in the time-space continuum or other anomalies like birds flying backwards? :ugeek:

The movement of the playback meters would suggest that Audacity is playing the sound correctly, but there is some major delay occuring after the data has left Audacity. Do any other media players show similar problems?
Which version of Windows are you using?
What sort of sound card do you have?
Do you have any type of "virtual sound card" or "virtual audio cable" installed?

Re: Playback lags

Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 5:36 pm
by steve
tanquai wrote:I am using the 1.3 beta
I'd better move this to the 1.3.x part of the forum then (you posted in the 1.2.x section).

Re: Playback lags

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 7:16 am
by tanquai
stevethefiddle wrote:
tanquai wrote:I am using the 1.3 beta
I'd better move this to the 1.3.x part of the forum then (you posted in the 1.2.x section).
I didn't notice the sections, sorry.

Also, I'm using Vista, and Audacity is the only Audio source with the 1 second delay. I even went to the stable version and there was no delay. (I can't get used to that one though and I prefer using this one.)

Re: Playback lags

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:44 am
by steve
Do you know what sort of sound card you are using? Is the sound card inside your computer or is it an external USB or Firewire device? If it's internal, have a look in Windows Control Panel in the "Sounds" section and it should give some clue as to the type of sound card.

Exactly which version of Audacity? (look in Audacity Help menu > About Audacity).

Just so that I'm sure about what you are saying:
If you open Audacity, then generate a tone from the Generate menu, then press the Play button - you're saying that Audacity appears to play the file immediately, but the sound does not come out through your headphones until 2 seconds later? (correct me if any details are wrong).

Re: Playback lags

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 5:26 am
by tanquai
stevethefiddle wrote:Do you know what sort of sound card you are using? Is the sound card inside your computer or is it an external USB or Firewire device? If it's internal, have a look in Windows Control Panel in the "Sounds" section and it should give some clue as to the type of sound card.

Exactly which version of Audacity? (look in Audacity Help menu > About Audacity).

Just so that I'm sure about what you are saying:
If you open Audacity, then generate a tone from the Generate menu, then press the Play button - you're saying that Audacity appears to play the file immediately, but the sound does not come out through your headphones until 2 seconds later? (correct me if any details are wrong).
The only thing I have been able to find about my sound card is that it is a Realtek High Definition Audio Ver 6.0.1.5663. Also, the audio is delayed only 1 second, and it's just Version 1.3 of audacity that this happens to.

Re: Playback lags

Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:23 pm
by steve
Edit menu > Preferences > 1st tab (Devices or Audio I/O)
Set "Latency > Audio Buffers" to 100
"Latency > Latency Correction" to -130 (minus 130)

Re: Playback lags

Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 6:31 am
by tanquai
It worked! Originally it was 1000, thanks very much! :D