Question for the nerds

Mlange2000 · Post by **Mlange2000** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 5:11 pm

Hi,
I am about to build a DJ/Live setup with Live 4.
So here is what I´m doing:

I have two decks, a DJ Mixer (with effect inserts), an audiointerface (4 in, 4out/MIDI I/O), a redsound microsync, a Powerbook, some midicontrollers.

I have the Powerbook inserted in master inserts of the Mixer, so the whole audio is going through the Soundcard/Powerbook( input/output 1/2) running Live (Like a big FX Rack).
The mycrosync is connected to the mixer, auto BPMing the running music and sending MIDI Clock to the Powerbook (so all fx are tempo synced).
The Outputs 3/4 from the audiointerface is connected to the Mixer, so I can play clips.
I created a Track in Live with assigned input and output 1/2 which is rec armed the whole time.
The other tracks (containing clips) are assigned to indv. out 3/4.
The tempo is MIDI-synced to the microsync -> to the music thats playing.
I have assigned Fx like delays to the sends.Autophilter, supatrigga I have assigned directly to the track where the whole audio is running through.

All is working perfectly!!

Instead of one thing...

When prehearing a record on the dj-mixer, the sound coming from the headphones has a prdelay, compared to the sound that is coming from the speakers.
That is because of the latency of the audiointerface.

So here is finally my question:

Does somebody know of a headphoneamp that has an adjustable delay?
Or can somebody recomment a delaymachine, that has a headphone output?

Michael ,

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 8:52 pm

not sure I understand 100%--are you saying that while cueing/prelistening on the dj mixer totally independant of Live, you are hearing the prelistening material too early, right? This makes sense to me (and to you it seems), as the audio coming out of Live has to go into and out of Live to get back to the effects return on your mixer. If you had a really low latency soundcard (RME multiface) this might not be a problem--I can run loads of track and effects at 4 ms latency total (2 ms in, 2 ms out)--no noticable.

If you can't get your latency that low, I would basically try to set it up so that you can somehow send your sound from your record to an armed session track in Live with a prelisten instead of a solo button. Not sure of your dj mixer or if it would be flexible enough to do this, as you would want to be able to send the audio from the dj mixer input you're using from your turntable to Live independantly of the fader level on the dj mixer (i.e. you would want the record muted or the fader all the way down so that it doesn't come out the PA, but still makes it to Live). If you can route it like this, you would then be able to monitor on your prelisten outs in Live--shit, you've already used up all of your outputs on your soundcard--are you able to monitor prelisten stuff in Live with phones off your dj mixer or soundcard--if not, my whole plan is worthless. Sorry, I tried, but I guess I'm not nerd enough. What type of soundcard do you have exactly? Maybe there's some sort of way to make it work. My idea was basically that if monitor your turntable through Live, you won't have to worry about latency issues and will be getting the same latency off your record as the rest of the stuff coming out of Live.

Ryan

Mlange2000 · Post by **Mlange2000** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 9:41 pm

thanks Ryan for your reply,
as you can read in my profile, I am using a M-Audio Qattro USB.
I get to 9-10 ms without crackling.
I even tried with the M-Audio Firewire 410 which gets it down to 5 ms.
That is, I think, very little latency. But still it is strange to mix.
Hm...
"My idea was basically that if monitor your turntable through Live, you won't have to worry about latency issues and will be getting the same latency off your record as the rest of the stuff coming out of Live."

Good point. But as you said: My soundcard has only 4 ins and my Mixer has just one FX insert on the master Fader.

So I decided just do give my headphone the same delay as my soundcard. That´s why I asked if there is a hardware delay that has
a headphone output. All my delays in the studio have no headphone outs and if I use the line outs, the level is not loud enough for headphones.
Or maybe there is a headphone preamp with adjustable output delay?