Track Delay vs. Driver Error Compensation? Differences?

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
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fhill2
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:53 am

Track Delay vs. Driver Error Compensation? Differences?

Post by fhill2 » Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:47 am

I am wondering about what the difference is between Track Delay compensation and Driver Error compensation.

As far as my knowledge goes Driver Error compensation is pushing back or forward all the pre recorded audio that's going to your interface, right?
Isn't this just the same as setting the track delays for each track?

Also regarding the 'Input Latency' in the Audio preferences, what exactly does it tell you? Is it the latency between the audio leaving the interface and it ending up at Ableton, or is it that combined with how long it takes for the interface to digitalise the signal?

It doesn't tell you anything about it in the user manual and i can't find any info on the internet. :(

fishmonkey
Posts: 4479
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 4:50 am

Re: Track Delay vs. Driver Error Compensation? Differences?

Post by fishmonkey » Tue Dec 27, 2011 3:25 am

fhill2 wrote:I am wondering about what the difference is between Track Delay compensation and Driver Error compensation.

As far as my knowledge goes Driver Error compensation is pushing back or forward all the pre recorded audio that's going to your interface, right?
Isn't this just the same as setting the track delays for each track?

Also regarding the 'Input Latency' in the Audio preferences, what exactly does it tell you? Is it the latency between the audio leaving the interface and it ending up at Ableton, or is it that combined with how long it takes for the interface to digitalise the signal?

It doesn't tell you anything about it in the user manual and i can't find any info on the internet. :(
Driver Error Compensation is a global setting that is used to account for the time it takes for a signal to be processed by your audio interface and transmitted to Live (including AD/DA conversion).

Track Delay allows you to fine-tune delays per-track to account for other latencies that are not global for all tracks. for example, if you are recording audio from an electronic drum kit there will be an extra bit of latency caused by the drum kit itself (the time taken for the hit to trigger the drum module and be output as audio).

the input and output latencies shown in the preferences are dependent on the audio buffer size and sample rate that you have chosen. the input value tells you how long it takes Live to fill the audio buffer before it is sent to your audio interface.

the overall latency is the sum of the input and output latencies and driver error compensation.

fhill2
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:53 am

Re: Track Delay vs. Driver Error Compensation? Differences?

Post by fhill2 » Tue Dec 27, 2011 4:02 am

Hey fishmonkey. Thanks for your reply and helping me out here.
fishmonkey wrote:Driver Error Compensation is a global setting that is used to account for the time it takes for a signal to be processed by your audio interface and transmitted to Live (including AD/DA conversion).
When you mention 'transmitted to live' do you mean the audio is playing from live, goes through the audio interface, back round into the input and 'transmitted to live'?
This only works with audio that STARTS at live right?

Also if i have two tracks, both playing the same audio and going to the interface. One is going out of the output and back into the input into Ableton. The other is going through another output and to the speakers, will the one going straight to the speakers be affected/shifted at all by Driver Compensation?
fishmonkey wrote:the input and output latencies shown in the preferences are dependent on the audio buffer size and sample rate that you have chosen. the input value tells you how long it takes Live to fill the audio buffer before it is sent to your audio interface.
To clear things in my brain :D My audio interface will have no influence on the input and output latencies values?

And would you happen to know what the 'output latency' is referencing. I thought it was referencing what you said the input latency is referencing.

fishmonkey
Posts: 4479
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 4:50 am

Re: Track Delay vs. Driver Error Compensation? Differences?

Post by fishmonkey » Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:13 am

fhill2 wrote:Hey fishmonkey. Thanks for your reply and helping me out here.
fishmonkey wrote:Driver Error Compensation is a global setting that is used to account for the time it takes for a signal to be processed by your audio interface and transmitted to Live (including AD/DA conversion).
When you mention 'transmitted to live' do you mean the audio is playing from live, goes through the audio interface, back round into the input and 'transmitted to live'?
This only works with audio that STARTS at live right?

Also if i have two tracks, both playing the same audio and going to the interface. One is going out of the output and back into the input into Ableton. The other is going through another output and to the speakers, will the one going straight to the speakers be affected/shifted at all by Driver Compensation?
i suggest you read and perform the Driver Error Compensation lesson in the Live help...
fhill2 wrote:
fishmonkey wrote:the input and output latencies shown in the preferences are dependent on the audio buffer size and sample rate that you have chosen. the input value tells you how long it takes Live to fill the audio buffer before it is sent to your audio interface.
To clear things in my brain :D My audio interface will have no influence on the input and output latencies values?

And would you happen to know what the 'output latency' is referencing. I thought it was referencing what you said the input latency is referencing.
sorry, a typo there, that is indeed the output value i described. i assume the input and output values are what the device driver is reporting back to Live based on the chosen sample rate and buffer size. the Driver Error Compensation step is done to account for the fact that the values reported back by the driver may not be quite right.

yes your audio interface will have an influence on the input and output latencies, and this is a combination of the hardware design and the quality of the drivers (and your computer system of course).

fhill2
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:53 am

Re: Track Delay vs. Driver Error Compensation? Differences?

Post by fhill2 » Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:33 am

Got it :wink:
Thank you.

fhill2
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:53 am

Re: Track Delay vs. Driver Error Compensation? Differences?

Post by fhill2 » Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:52 am

Ok I have done the test. That cleared things up.
In conclusion, the driver error compensation is just nudging back or forward the prerecorded audio in all the clips/in the arrangement window right??

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