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ADJUSTING THE BUFFER SETTINGS
Audio latency is the minimum time required for a computer to store recorded audio
from an audio interface into the recording application memory and playback that
same recorded audio back out of the audio interface output.
After the audio has been converted to the digital domain, it is passed to a buffer before
it is processed by the driver and then passed to the audio application. An audio buffer
is a reserved segment of memory used to hold this audio data to compensate for
momentary delays in processing. The size of an audio buffer is the maximum number
of samples the buffer can hold. For sound coming from the computer, there is an
output buffer before the digital to analog conversion. "Buffering" introduces latency,
since a buffer needs to fill up by a certain amount before the data can continue along
the chain.
The buffers in Cubase
®
LE were automatically set at a safe setting for your computer
when you installed the software. If you are using Cubase LE's input monitoring, you
may wish to reduce the buffer size to reduce latency. Lowering the buffer size will
lower the amount of latency when using input monitoring. Setting the buffers too low
will result in unwanted digital artifacts, such as popping or crackling and possibly
audio dropout. The faster the computer (Hard Disk and CPU), the lower you will be
able to adjust the buffer setting without negatively impacting the audio. For more
information, consult the Cubase LE documentation.
ADJUSTING THE BUFFERS IN WINDOWS
1. Open Cubase LE and go to
Devices>Device Setup
.
2. Click on
VST Multitrack
.
3. Click the
Control Panel
button. You will now see the ASIO control panel. Moving
the
Audio Buffering
slider toward Low Latency will decrease any monitoring
latency. If audio playback has artifacts (clicking, popping), move this slider
further toward the High Stability side.
4. When you are finished, click the
OK
button and return to your project to test the
results.
5. Repeat this process as many times as necessary until you find a buffer setting that
provides the lowest possible latency without digital artifacts.
Using the Lambda Studio – Adjusting the Buffer Settings
