DP 8 and 4800 latency with FireWire card

[Hans Christian]

Hi esteemed forum members,
I have a question about latency issues with the IF FW/DM MK II card in my 4800, using DP 8 as a host platform. I can only monitor the FireWire card in a latency- intensive "monitor through effects..." Setting in DP, not in the preferred "Direct Audio monitoring...". Even very low buffer settings are not as good as the latter setting, which is available through the TDIF connections between my MOTU 2408s and the 4800.

Actually, what would be really great is to get rid of the two 2408s and just use the FireWire connection but this latency issue prevents me from doing so.

Thanks for your insights...

 

[Gravity Jim]

I run the Tascam FireWire card with DP8, and avoid latency issues by monitoring inputs through the console. I just don't monitor through DP at all.

 

[TascMan]

We just had this discussion, ad nauseam!
OP, please read this thread in it's entirety.....

http://www.tascamforums.com/threads/how-to-avoid-delay-or-latency-in-headphones-when-tracking.1159/

 

[jamsire]

I always say - never monitor through the software unless you just wanna use the latency as a natural echo!!

 

[captdan]

Software monitoring is a lot like having a nagging spouse: the moment you realize what they're saying, they're saying it again.

And again.

CaptDan

 

[jamsire]

Hahaha - Funnae.

 

[Hans Christian]

Thanks for the responses. I am using a MOTU HD192 (Black Lion modified) as my front end converter for the various external preamps (Avalon, UA 610, DTC, etc) to avoid the 4800 preamps and A/D converters. That's why I am not monitoring through the inputs of the console. If this topic is too annoying or below your standards, just don't respond. Thanks!

 

[TascMan]

Definitely NOT below any standards here or annoying. I was merely pointing out that we recently went through a long thread that is relevant to your question and I wanted to point you in that direction for help.

A Black Lion 192 is a pretty sweet unit. I think I would use hook it up this way...

Assuming you are using the 192's Firewire into your computer for recording directly from your external pres, you could connect your AES/EBU to the Digital Input on the DM to monitor that way. Since the AES is probably a summed 2 channel send, and the conversion is already done at this point, I would mix this AES signal from the 192 with the 2 channel buss playback from DAW through the DM (making sure that the tracks you are recording into are auto muted when armed). This would give you latency free monitoring.

 

[Arjan P]

If this topic is too annoying or below your standards, just don't respond. Thanks!

You obviously haven't grasped the general atmosphere in this forum yet. Give it some time and hold your annoyances for a while. Your answers will come anyway.

 

[Hans Christian]

Do you guys have a clue as to why the routing through TDIF has less latency than the routing through the Firewire card? I guess that is the core of the question... Thanks for the AES monitoring suggestion. I will look at it for sure.

 

[TascMan]

That depends on how you have it routed. If you are referring to plugging your external pres into the 192, then going out of that via TDIF (not sure if you can) and directly into the DM via TDIF and monitoring that, then yes, that would be close to 0 latency since you are bypassing any computer or DAW track monitoring. This is a good way to do it. Whereas, if you are comparing this to routing in and out with a firewire card, which would only go into and out of your computer, and probably your DAW as well, then yes, you would hear latency. Latency is a function of your computer settings/setup/ and DAW settings. Things like RAM/Processing power/buffersize/harddrive speed and interaction/page file size, and others are all contributors of latency delay.

 

[Hans Christian]

Thanks TascMan.