Logic Pro: Recording Delay Setting

Maybe we can continue to speak about this in the other thread:
https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...-used-as-interface.167563/page-2#post-2056120
Anyway I was not aware of the fact that some Audio Interfaces have drivers who report latency to Logic and Logic automatically compensates with no need to touch the Recording Delay in Logic. I hope that Fractal Audio can maybe one day develop such a driver for the AxeFX3 because it's a blessing if you don't have to dive into buffer sizes and latency compensation settings too much.
 
I've been questioning myself if this has been accentuated by my Macbook Pro being almost 11 years old, running High Sierra. Actually, for it's age it still works pretty good, but I've been telling myself this latency issue is the perfect excuse for upgrading to the new M1 Mac Mini, but I'll be keeping an eye on this issue and the M1's SSD problem before commiting to the upgrade.
 
AJ Vargas said:
I've been questioning myself if this has been accentuated by my Macbook Pro being almost 11 years old, running High Sierra. Actually, for it's age it still works pretty good, but I've been telling myself this latency issue is the perfect excuse for upgrading to the new M1 Mac Mini, but I'll be keeping an eye on this issue and the M1's SSD problem before commiting to the upgrade.
Click to expand...
My 2013 MacBook Pro w intel I7 requires me to set a recording offset, and then everything’s fine. Interestingly enough, my son has a 2019 Macbook running Logic and hasn’t touched the recording offset setting Lol. My nephew, same thing. It’s definately not a fractal or driver issue, but a computer issue. I’m guessing that the new Macs are so fast, that there’s no need for a recording offset. Time for dad Here to get a new Mac anyway. It’s on the obsolete list. I’ll wait for the Second iteration of the M1 though
 
I haven’t had any recording latency issues on my six core i5 2018 Mac Mini. In the Firmware 16 Cygnus Beta I actually noticed the direct recording and direct monitoring latency has seemed to go down. I typically direct monitor the Axe when recording though.
 
what latency are you guys talking about? latency when recording (hearing you play a little bit later than it should) or on playback (the just recorded track)?

I wish this video existed when I started with logic. . Explains it pretty well what should and should not be done and what are the outcomes of messing with setting you should not use unless in an extreme situation (which I guess this is not)

When recording I set my FM3 as audio input in logic. Also, plug the headphones in the FM3 to hear the reference signal and my playing. Buffer size to 128 and low-latency-mode on. Don't mess with any other options.

And don't use the monitor feature on the armed track. listen through the headphones plugged in the unit itself

Only time I had issues with latency was with Cubase on Windows and that was because I didn't had enough memory on the laptop I was using at the time, and the disk was pretty slow...
 
Vio said:
what latency are you guys talking about? latency when recording (hearing you play a little bit later than it should) or on playback (the just recorded track)?

I wish this video existed when I started with logic. . Explains it pretty well what should and should not be done and what are the outcomes of messing with setting you should not use unless in an extreme situation (which I guess this is not)

When recording I set my FM3 as audio input in logic. Also, plug the headphones in the FM3 to hear the reference signal and my playing. Buffer size to 128 and low-latency-mode on. Don't mess with any other options.

And don't use the monitor feature on the armed track. listen through the headphones plugged in the unit itself

Only time I had issues with latency was with Cubase on Windows and that was because I didn't had enough memory on the laptop I was using at the time, and the disk was pretty slow...
Click to expand...


It's both playback and recording (not playback of the recorded track, but what you are tracking against), I elaborate here:
https://forum.fractalaudio.com/thre...cy-troubleshooting.139828/page-3#post-1658325
 
Vio said:
Explains it pretty well what should and should not be done and what are the outcomes of messing with setting you should not use unless in an extreme situation (which I guess this is not)
Click to expand...
Yes, you should use the recording delay preference when working with an AxeFX. As AJ Vargas explained, the problem is only with the alignment of the recorded track, not latency.
 
Got it. :neutral:
The signal past the a/d converter at the input, becomes digital. I can't see how what the FXIII sends through the USB can be slower that what exits the analog out (where there's another converter d/a this time) so the problem must reside either on how it talks to coreaudio or if the coreaudio needs to resample everything before giving it to Logic.
Is this specific to FXIII? It hasn't happened to me in FM3. yet?
so 1. different sampling rate for the project or 2. really slow disk... (low space - fragmented, etc)
just my 2¢
 
Did a quick test between USB direct and S/PDIF into a Scarlett 18i20. Using the Axe's metronome to send a click through the digital outputs, doesn't matter Logic Pro's i/o buffer setup (32 samples in my example), the S/PDIF signal always gets recorded first, before the USB one. Between 90-100 [Edit] SAMPLES of difference in my measurements.

(Edit: The Axe FX buffer setting was at 8, the lowest possible)

Captura de pantalla 2021-03-07 a la(s) 16.19.49.png

I'm working on trying to sync tempo between Logic and the axe so I can setup the recording delay, but even subtracting the ping given by the I/O plugin, still can't get the recorded audio to fall in time into the grid.
 
Last edited:
The additional latency is contributed by the USB Buffer size in the Axe-FX itself. The bigger the setting the bigger the USB latency.
 
GlennO said:
That would suggest you’re getting latency over usb of at least 90 msec! Is that right? If so, what buffer size are you using in Logic?
Click to expand...

Oh, sorry... I mean SAMPLES!!! My bad... its between 90-100 samples between the USB direct and S/PDIF signals. Logic Pro's buffer was at 32 & Axe FX's buffer at 8.
 
Ok that makes more sense :). You’re right, this is surprising. That makes the Scarlett usb processing look pretty impressive compared to the AxeFX.
 
AJ Vargas said:
Did a quick test between USB direct and S/PDIF into a Scarlett 18i20. Using the Axe's metronome to send a click through the digital outputs, doesn't matter Logic Pro's i/o buffer setup (32 samples in my example), the S/PDIF signal always gets recorded first, before the USB one. Between 90-100 [Edit] SAMPLES of difference in my measurements.

(Edit: The Axe FX buffer setting was at 8, the lowest possible)

View attachment 79681

I'm working on trying to sync tempo between Logic and the axe so I can setup the recording delay, but even subtracting the ping given by the I/O plugin, still can't get the recorded audio to fall in time into the grid.
Click to expand...
 
Hey AJ.
Just try switching the beats, measures to samples.
After that move the second track to perfectly align with the first by zooming in.
The difference in samples between its original position, and correct position, is the exact number you need for “recording delay” setting
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rex
I did a ping test with the I/O Plugin which gave me today 645 samples. The other day the value was higher. I used always the same buffer settings in Logic and in the AxeFX3. Logic 32, Axe 256. Then I did a loopback test and switched from beats to samples. The recorded track was about 630 samples too late. I messed around with the Recording Delay Slider until I reached pretty good results with a Recording Delay of -620 samples. I am telling you this because I learned from this experiment that it seems to be a good idea to do first a ping test and then confirm the results with a loopback test. Maybe this has all been said before, so this is just a confirmation and for those who don't know how to do a loopback test this video is helpful:
https://ask.video/video/logic9207/19-19-measuring-recording-delay-with-the-loopback-test
In the meantime I have ordered a Clarett 8 Pre USB because I like the AxeFX3, but for several reasons I need another Audiointerface. This does not mean that I don't trust anymore the Axe as an Audiointerface. Then Thomann said that I will have to wait for the Clarett untill June. After a sleepless night ;-) I ordered now an Apogee Ensemble...
 
So the accepted solution to this is to do a ping test literally every day...?
:|
Having the same problem here, never had any issues with recording latency (not input monitoring latency, different thing all together) before I got an AxeFX 3.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom