souncard advice needed please

[matmonkfish]

hello,

 

i am learning to play the keyboard and am using an m-audio USB keyboard and playing through my laptop. (intel Core 2 2ghz, 2gb ram, 'sigmatel' audio)

 

At the moment i am using fruity loops and play using the mda piano vsti.

 

Originally despite the default soundcard the latency want too bad for me, about 15ms. I have since reinstalled windows and now cannot get below 40ms without bad distortion, (though i have installed all the relevant drivers, and also using asio)

 

So i think i should buy a decent soundcard but don't know too much about it. All i really require is low latency, 5ms or something, for playing my USB keyboard direct.

 

Is something such as the

[philbo]

If you are using a VSTi, then you are dealling with Midi going from your keyboard and into your computer, rather than audio. And so your latency problem MIGHT be a MIDI latency problem; if so, messing with your ASIO & soundcard setting won't do any good.

 

I've frequently had issues with MIDI latency in WinXP, and there aren't very many good handles with which to tweak it. You could try re-installing the midi-USB driver(s). Another option, which sometimes has helped for me, is to install a software virtual midi patch bay, such as MidiOx, then run the Midi thru that. I don't know why it helped sometimes, but I do remember that it did.

 

It is also possible that there is still an audio latency problem in the software sampler (the VSTi or it's hooks to & from FruityLoops).

[Alndln2]

If you are using a VSTi, then you are dealling with Midi going from your keyboard and into your computer, rather than audio.

Not true, VSTi's rely on audio for latencey.

messing with your ASIO & soundcard setting won't do any good.

He doesn't have ASIO drivers in his on board sound device, only high latencey MME and consumer WDM.

[Alndln2]

Is something such as the

[TimOBrien]

Good soundcard guide and suggestions:

 

http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_for_the_home_studio.htm

[Gus Lozada]

Just as a side note: You won't really notice 15 real ms of latency.

It is more likely that his system is telling him lies regarding the overall calculated latency.

 

I have alwas have about 13ms on all my computers. They breath normally and I can play everything tightly.

[philbo]

 

Not true, VSTi's rely on audio for latencey. He doesn't have ASIO drivers in his on board sound device, only high latencey MME and consumer WDM.

 

 

I think I mentioned one of those:

"It is also possible that there is still an audio latency problem in the software sampler (the VSTi or it's hooks to & from FruityLoops)."

 

Anyway, sorry, slight hangover + adult ADHD = oops!

[John Sayers]

 

you might want to try the ASIO 4-All drivers

 

 

I have sigmatel audio on my puter and asio4all fixes the latency when playing a keyboard.

 

http://www.asio4all.com/

 

Install it and then select it as your asio driver.