Adjust Latency By Changing The Buffer Size; Choose A Buffer Mode - Alesis iO14 Reference Manual

Using the Control Panel
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3. Adjust latency by changing the buffer size

"Latency" refers to the amount of time it takes for audio to get
into and out of the computer. In the best of all possible worlds,
there would be no such thing as latency—we would hear audio the
moment it was created. However, computers have limited
processing power, and they can "choke"—cutting off recording or
crashing programs—if they are asked to handle too much data all
at once.
To minimize this risk, audio can be stored in a buffer for a certain
amount of time. This buffering helps smooth out the stream of
data that the computer needs to handle. In the end, all of the
audio is sorted out and played correctly, but with a delay.
Here are the basic considerations to consider when adjusting
buffer sizes:
Lower buffer size = less latency but higher risk of audio
problems
Higher buffer size = more latency but lower risk of audio
problems
Very high buffer size = possible system instability
For most systems, there is a "sweet spot" where latency is not too
high and system performance is stable. Experiment with raising or
lowering buffer sizes to hit this sweet spot.
As you begin adding plug-in EQ, compression, and so forth to
your project, your computer will need to work harder. Consider
increasing your buffer size at this time.

4. Choose a Buffer Mode

Three different modes allow you to customize the way that your
computer organizes and uses buffers.
- If you use your computer for all sorts of applications besides
music (Word Processing, email, etc.), choose "Norma"l
Buffer Mode.
- If your computer is relatively new and is used almost
exclusively for music applications and has very few other
processes running, choose "Fast" mode.
- Choose "High Performance" mode if you have an extremely
well specified computer, use few background tasks, and are
not shuttling very large amounts of data through the Firewire
bus.
Experiment with each of these settings in your first few weeks
using the IO14/26. Depending upon your computer
configuration and the types of audio projects you do, you may find
that one setting clearly outperforms the others.
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To counteract the delays you
hear when you are
monitoring incoming audio
through the computer and
your latency settings are
high, turn off your DAW's
input monitoring feature.
Use the included Alesis
Hardware Direct Monitoring
application instead.
Many people use two latency
settings—a lower one when
recording tracks and a higher
one when mixing.