Apple Logic Pro /LogicExpress Discussion

Hello all,
I think I have become confused by the discussion of latency, and  
wonder whether we have different concepts of it?

If you are recording using soft synths (virtual instruments) there is  
definitely a delay between pressing a key on your keyboard, and  
hearing the synth generate a sound. This delay is proportionate to the  
buffer setting on your audio interface, and with my MOTU, if I take  
the buffer setting below 128, or get the latency below 5mS, then this  
has minimal impact on my playing. (That might be a comment on my  
playing, but lets put that to one side for a moment!) However even  
with a large buffer setting on recording or replay, the recorded MIDI  
from the keyboard is NOT delayed, and on replay, should be in time  
with your playing?

Similarly with audio, if you monitor your audio from the output of  
Logic, there will be a noticeable delay, (which I believe is due to  
delay via buffers on the way into Logic, any processing delay caused  
by compression, EQ, gating etc, and another buffer on the way out?)  
but if you track listening to the Logic click, your audio should be in  
sync with existing tracks on playback, regardless of the audio  
interface buffer settings?

True zero latency monitoring seems to be only possible via external  
hardware (mixing desk, hardware synth etc) and almost zero latency  
monitoring via dedicated software like MOTU's CueMix, and some systems  
built into audio interfaces directly?
My understanding is Logic compensates for the buffers whilst recording  
MIDI and Audio, so both Audio and MIDI input should remain pretty much  
in time on replay regardless of how much latency is in the system  
whilst recording?

Am I right?
-- 
Best Wishes

Steve Coates




On 29 Mar 2010, at 16:59, GAmoore@... wrote:

> Yes that makes sense. I am working with a songwriter far away, and  
> when
> she sings new lyrics, over a backing track I ask her to clap the first
> few beats so I can line up her vocal with the song in Logic. I have  
> not
> noticed huge latency issues in recording audio in logic directly but
> midi through a USB Keyboard - directly plugged into the Mac Pro has  
> too
> much latency. I usually go in and move everything to the left about 30
> ticks or whatever. To get a good feel to record midi, I found its
> better to use a real keyboard which makes sounds immediately, then you
> can hear yourself playing along fine - and then go and adjust all the
> notes to the left the latency factor. However, I was reading somewhere
> that these "highly accurate" midi systems are more marketing than  
> true,
> and actually there is a fair amount of jitter - so I dont know.
>
>
> 



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