Greetings -
I have a Symetrix 302, which feeds a Delta 44 into my PC,
and record using Audacity.
I monitor via a mobilePre USB.
Like this:
http://www.oldwithoutmoney.com/images/currentSetup.jpg
I *don't* have Audacity play back the track I'm recording.
Am I introducing unnecessary latency by using the mobilePre
for monitoring and, if so, would it be preferable to have the Delta 44
feed a headphone amp, and monitor that way?
Thanks.
- Richard
Tags
Comments
apstrong, post: 297982 wrote: ... Actually, I have no idea how y
apstrong, post: 297982 wrote: ... Actually, I have no idea how you manage to get two interfaces working at the same time in the first place.
Ummm ... I just plugged 'em in.
Audacity & the Windoze XP Control Panel widget let one specify the input and output devices.
So I can specify the onboard audio, the Delta 44 or the mobilePre.
The reason I have this unusual setup is that when I started recording a couple years or so back,
I bought the mobilePre. But I found the mobilePre preamps wanting, so I bought the Symetrix 302
and the Delta 44 used on fleaBay. Much cleaner recording chain -- a well-spent ~$225.
But I don't (yet) own a headphone amp or a Y-cable, and I'm a cheap s.o.b., so (thus far)
I've been using the mobilePre to monitor output.
Live and learn. So the issue is monitoring latency. With analog
Live and learn. So the issue is monitoring latency. With analog outs on the breakout box, yes, you should get no latency if you monitor through those outs. I don't know exactly how you configure the analog outs so you can use 2 of them to monitor in stereo, but that's the general idea. Oh wait, I see in the delta manual that the Digital Monitor Mixer, presumably installed when you install the drivers for the unit, allows you to output a stereo signal to the first 2 outs, and there's apparently some sort of software patchbay in there too to control routing in general. The manual says that digital monitor mixer lives on a chip on the delta PCI card, so it probably does produce some very tiny amount of latency however. I couldn't say how much; if it's anything like the Firestudio I had, which had a software mixer that wrote settings to a chip on the hardware, the answer is none. I would plug headphones into one of the first two outs, configure the digital monitor mixer appropriately to output the stereo mix to outputs 1 and 2, and listen for latency (in one ear - stereo headphone plug in a mono output jack). Should be possible to test it without spending a dime.
The Delta 44 boasts zero latency monitoring according to the spe
The Delta 44 boasts zero latency monitoring according to the spec sheet, never used one myself, but yes, my guess is that it would be better to monitor through the same interface you're recording with, especially if it offers zero latency monitoring. Actually, I have no idea how you manage to get two interfaces working at the same time in the first place.