Hi,
I recently purchased Cubase Essential 5 and I want to record guitar directly. The guitar plugs in okay, and it all sounds good, however when I play it, I get a bit of latency which is very off putting. I’m inputting via the M-Audio Audiophile Delta 2496 sound card due to its MIDI input/output and using the Creative SoundBlaster Audigy [CC80] sound card as an output because for some reason when I take out the SB Audigy sound card, the computer refuses to turn on.
I’m using the ASIO Full Duplex driver (as this is the only driver which will include both sound cards) and my buffer size on both input and output is on 550 (on these settings, the input latency is 87.302 ms and the output latency is 3.968 ms) If I put it down to 512 (which is the lowest it will possibly go) all I can hear is snapping and crackling and popping, even when playing back what I’ve recorded via a keyboard connected with MIDI. I have the guitar connected to the M-Audio sound card into the M-Audio Delta AP 1/2 - 1 and M-Audio Delta AP 1/2 - 2. I notice that the crackling and popping vanishes slightly when turning off the Wi-Fi etc, but it’s still slightly annoying. One more thing, I’m recording analog with it, just to clear that up.
I’m using a Line 6 POD 2.0 as the amp sim I think it’s called, just to get a good tone directly. The PC I’m using is a Dell 8400 with Windows XP professional 32 bit, etc. All in my signature.
Any help would be appreciated! How can I get a high quality very low latency guitar recording with this equipment? And if not, what other equipment will I need? I have a low budget (being how generous mama is feeling). I bought it all in the “knowledge” that it was very low latency, but so far it’s only been so generous. If you need any more info in order to help, I’m, er … happy to help.
Cheers,
Tom
If you’ve got an input latency of 87ms, it sounds like the ASIO driver is not quite working… In and out should be in the 5ms area (as they are with my project mix board, and it was with my m-audio delta 66 card)… 87ms sounds like old fashioned directX or other latency (it can’t possibly be what the 2496 expect you to run at in or out)…
I’m a little confused about your setup, though… Are you recoding analog via your 2496 ? (I personally wouldn’t even both with the soundblaster if you have a nice 2496)… And the soundblaster is there mainly because the machine won’t boot without it - which is a pretty good reason 
It might be safer to “disable” your soundblaster via the device manager rather than remove it (so the OS knows it’s there, but just not to use it)… Here’s a link to the XP version (vista, 7 are very similar): How Do I Disable a Device in Device Manager in Windows?
Strange one this… have you tried uninstalling the SB drivers first before you physically remove it?
Also i used to have a delta 1010… same family same drivers… Are you using your pod with the pod ASIO i.e. physically switching the ASIO driver over and using the pod as an actual interface or just connecting the pod to your Audiophile?
You would do well to DUMP the SB ASAP mate… they are dreadful! the Audiophile is a pretty decent card for the money!
Avoid using the pod as an actual interface too… they are hopeless as interfaces! i have an X3Pro and it is useless as an interface, quite comical to watch though lol. If you have SP/dif out on your pod i would connect it to your Audiophile that way… is the way i do it here and it works beautifully!
That interface should run at 128 samples standing on it’s head! I think the latency you were getting sounds like as has been suggested using the wrong ASIO driver OR possibly the latency you could expect from the pod if using it as your ASIO interface… they really are hopeless as an interface… brilliant as an amp/fx sim which is what their main function is.