Someone please show some mercy! Need help with latency...

[modestmouse]

I bought the usb tascam us-144 interface for my new hp laptop. It came with Cubase LE and it's supposed to be low latency but it's VERY noticeable. I've got the "tascam control panel" set to "low latency" and set buffer size to 32 within Cubase but it doesn't help. I don't get it!
Here's the weird part... I was using Cool Edit 2.1 and it as barely any latency issue.
I just bought the Tascam so if it is going to work like this I'd like to return it, especially if any of you think I should go the firewire route. If you think this, let me know your opinions there. All I need it is to record two tracks at a time.
Thanks for any advice!
Todd

[wedge]

I've had good results with ASIO... I have PTs LE, and I struggle with latency, but if I use the Digidesign ASIO driver, and another app to record with, it's much, much better... I'm sure there are other ASIO drivers out there to use, as well-diddly...

[Mradyfist]

It sounds to me like you're not using the right ASIO driver in Cubase. If it says MME or DirectX in it, it's the wrong driver.

[japmn]

I second the ASIO driver. You need to select your Tascam ASIO driver in the preferences for Cubase. You are probably using the drivers for your defalt internal audio card and that will always suck. Off the top of my head, I think it is under "Preferences / VST / Audio Driver" or something like that. then just choose the driver you want to use.

[Wilkesin]

Yes, check those settings and make sure Cubase is using the Tascam drivers. Also 32 is a super low buffer. Mine wont go below 128 and I get around 5ms of latency at worst.

[modestmouse]

Thanks for the replies!
Today I worked with it again and for some reason the latency is better but not perfect. The only thing I think could have improved it was I shut down the computer last night and restarted today. Maybe there was something running, slowing it down. ???
And I am using the ASIO drivers that came with the software, cubase le. One thought is that maybe the version of ASIO that came with the software isn't the most recent. ???
Here are some questions:
1. Is it common for people to re-align tracks after they record? I can see the signals aren't totally aligned. For example, when I record two of the same progressions.
2. How do you measure the latency? You mentioned your's is about 5ms. Is this a guess or do you view the mis-aligned files and guess what it is?
3. Why don't I have this problem while using Cool Edit? Do some programs have more latency than others or is it all in the hardware. I don't believe Cool Edit uses ASIO.

I really wish I could have continued using my Echo Indigo Cardbus card but this laptop only accepts Expresscards. With the Echo, latency was never an issue.

Thanks for any further info!
Todd

[wedge]

Maybe the tascam interface is known for high latency? There might be other ASIO drivers that are better than what you're using... You might want to even try sourceforge.net and see what you find... It's filled with open source software. Probably some good ASIO drivers there...

You should be able to use the timeline of your software to see directly the delay...

[vvv]

As a humorous aside, I read "Post subject: Someone please show some mercy! Need help with latency..." as a cry for help of a more personal nature.

[Mradyfist]

Now it definitely sounds like you're using the wrong driver. Cubase only comes with two drivers, the ASIO MME and ASIO Directx drivers. These are generic drivers that are intended to be used with consumer soundcards, and the MME and Directx parts of their names indicate that they have to go through Windows' sound APIs to function, which adds a lot of latency. From what I recall Directx doesn't allow recording, so you've probably got it set to ASIO MME.

You need to be using the drivers that come with your interface, and generally they're not on the same CD as Cubase LE. Here's a link to Tascam's driver page for that model: http://tascam.com/products/us-144;9,15,70,19.html.

Install those drivers, and then go into the VST Devices control panel in Cubase and make sure that you have them selected and not ASIO MME or ASIO Directx.