Latency

Latency remains the curse of software-based recording, but what causes it and what technologies have been developed to combat it? Mark Cousins gets delayed...

Sixty milliseconds might not seem like a long time, but in the world of software recording it can mean the difference between a workable system (one on which you can play virtual instruments and record in real time), and one that is almost useless. What we’re talking about is latency – the delay generated by most native computer workstations as an audio event is processed through its circuitry to be monitored at its output. But what are the reasons for this significant flaw in software-based recording and what are the realistic ways of reducing latency’s effect on the recording process?

This feature first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 34
Filed under Ten Minute Masters

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