MOTU Traveler-mk3 User Manual page 71

Reducing Monitoring Latency
CHAPTER 10
OVERVIEW
Monitoring latency is that slight delay you hear
when you run an input signal through your host
audio software. For example, you might hear it
when you drive a live guitar input signal through
an amp modeling plug-in running in your audio
sequencer.
This delay is caused by the amount of time it takes
for audio to make the entire round trip through
your computer, from when it first enters an
Traveler-mk3 input, passes through the
Traveler-mk3 hardware into the computer, through
your host audio software, and then back out to an
Traveler-mk3 output.
If you don't need to process a live input with
plug-ins, the easiest way to avoid monitoring
latency is to use the Traveler-mk3's CueMix FX
digital mixer to patch the input directly to your
monitor outs via the Traveler-mk3 audio hardware.
The Traveler-mk3 even provides effects processing
(EQ, compression and reverb), which can be
applied on input, output, or even at the bussing
stage, just like a conventional mixer. For details, see
"CueMix FX hardware monitoring" on page 74.
If you do need to process a live input with host
software plug-ins, or if you are playing virtual
instruments live through your Traveler-mk3 audio
hardware, you can significantly reduce latency —
and even make it completely inaudible, regardless
of what host audio application software you use.
This chapter explains how.
It is important to note that monitoring delay has no
effect on when audio data is recorded to disk or
played back from disk. Actual recording and
playback is extremely precise.
Monitoring live input. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Adjusting the audio I/O buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Lower latency versus higher CPU overhead . . . . . . . . . . 73
Transport responsiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Effects processing and automated mixing . . . . . . . . . . . 74
CueMix FX hardware monitoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Two methods for controlling CueMix FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Using CueMix FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Controlling CueMix FX from your audio software . . . . 75
MONITORING LIVE INPUT
There are two ways to monitor live audio input
with an Traveler-mk3: 1) through the computer or
2) via the Traveler-mk3 CueMix FX hardware
mixer. Figure 10-1 on page 72 shows method 1,
which allows you to apply host-based effects
processing via plug-ins in your audio software. See
the next section, "Adjusting the audio I/O buffer"
for details about how to reduce or eliminate the
audible monitoring delay that the computer
introduces.
Figure 10-5 on page 73 shows how to use
CueMix FX hardware-based monitoring, which
lets you hear what you are recording with no
monitoring delay and no computer-based effects
processing. Instead, input is routed directly to an
output, either with or without Traveler-mk3-based
effects processing (EQ, compression or reverb).
See "CueMix FX hardware monitoring" later in this
chapter for details on how to use CueMix FX with
your audio software, or with CueMix FX.
If the material you are recording is suitable, there is
a third way to monitor live input: use both methods
(Figure 10-1 and Figure 10-5) at the same time. For
example, you could route guitar to both the
computer (for an amp model effect) and mix that
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