• Registered: 2009-12-06
  • Posts: 1

Topic: DA Output Latency

Hey there,

I?ve got a question regarding DA Output latency. I?ve got a Motu 896 and an ADI-8 DS.  When I route signals to the different DACs I?ve got differing output times. The latency between the 2 units is rather big. The whole setup is synced by a Big Ben WC. (although I don?t think that this matters)

Is there a convienient professional and stable solution to this problem or does it have to be fixed with a plug in?

Thanks and merry christmas

Tobias

  • Max
  • Max
  • Moderator
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  • Registered: 2007-05-09
  • Posts: 317

Re: DA Output Latency

Hi Tobias,
are you connecting the ADAT-out of MOTU to the ADI-8DS? Anyway, yes, it is necessary to do this manually. Even if the second DA was from another manufacturer.

To measure the latency, loop an analog out of 896 back to an analog in of the 896. Connect a second cable from ADI-8DS analog out to a second analog input of the 896. Using your software, play back sound on the two DA-channels and record the result in your software. A good test signal are short impulses, noise or sine won't help you a lot. Zoom in the waveform and compare the two recorded tracks. Put a marker on each track on the same sample, e.g. one sample before the impulse reaches its peak. Now, using your software, read out the distance of the two markers in samples. Since the 8DS will be most likely the "slower" one (alone from the fact, that it is connected to an output of the 896), you have to set this delay on the omni outputs of your mixer in the channels that go to your 896 (to make it "slower"). Your mixer, hard or software, should be capable of doing this without installation of further plugins.

And, by the way - there is a convenient and stable solution. Use two ADI-8QS (12 samples for D/A conversion!) and a Fireface :-D. Merry Christmas!

Max