• Registered: 2024-05-08
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Topic: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

Hello everybody. I am thinking about how to connect my Mac M1 to x32 with the minimum possible latency. Now it looks like the best option is to use RME digiface USB card and the adat expansion card for x32. Maybe someone has such a setup and you measured the roundtrip latency (analog input x32 -> adat expansion card -> RME digiface -> DAW -> RME digiface -> adat expansion card -> analog out x32)?
Or have any other thoughts on how to connect x32\AES50 to RME interfaces?

2 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-05-08 14:57:47)

  • waedi
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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

Instead of Adat card I would fit a Dante card and use it directly connected to the Mac via RJ45 ethernet cable and use it as audio network device. No further drivers involved, MacOS has built-in AVB network part of core-audio. This would be the lowest latency.
Also the X32 is a 32 I/O channel USB interface itself, why not connect directly with an USB cable to the Mac ?

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

waedi wrote:

Instead of Adat card I would fit a Dante card and use it directly connected to the Mac via RJ45 ethernet cable and use it as audio network device. No further drivers involved, MacOS has built-in AVB network part of core-audio. This would be the lowest latency.
Also the X32 is a 32 I/O channel USB interface itself, why not connect directly with an USB cable to the Mac ?

X32 usb gives me about 8ms latency. Dante virtual sound card also gives about the same. At the same time, babyface pro fs gives 4.4ms. Which is much better for my live sound tasks. Didn’t know about AVB - core audio “bridge” before. I will research this topic. Thank you

  • waedi
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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

no need for Dante virtual soundcard.
connect the ethernet cable and open the Audio-Midi-Setup.
Menu window command 3 - Network devices overview

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

waedi wrote:

no need for Dante virtual soundcard.
connect the ethernet cable and open the Audio-Midi-Setup.
Menu window command 3 - Network devices overview

I'll research more.
But that what they say: "A Dante device receiving audio from Dante Virtual Soundcard will use this value (unless the receiving device only supports higher latencies). The latency compensates primarily for computer scheduling jitter, as well as delay variations encountered in the network.
Supported values are:
4ms
6ms
10ms"
It looks like 4 ms in + 4 ms out is lowest posible latency for Dante - computer - Dante setup

6 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2024-05-09 01:47:23)

  • waedi
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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

Are you mixing up buffer setting with latency ?

A latency is not something that an audio device does support in different value steps.

The latency is a result of handling that the device can not compensate, there are no value steps.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

waedi wrote:

Are you mixing up buffer setting with latency ?

A latency is not something that an audio device does support in different value steps.

The latency is a result of handling that the device can not compensate, there are no value steps.

I am interested in dcecrising what is called round trip latency (rtl). That is, the latency from analog input to analog output through a DAW. As I understand it, it depends on AD\DA latency, buffer size, sample rate and "audio driver latency" (maybe it's not called that way). With the same values of sample rate and buffer, Logic Pro shows that the value of RTL with the RME card is less than with the use of X32 USB. And according to forums, it seems that RME is "faster" than connecting dante directly to the Mac

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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

I have already decressed my buffer size to 64 samples (48khz sample rate). My Mac can't go lower without dropouts. And it gives me RTL of 4.4ms with Babyface Pro FS, and 8.9ms with X32. And my forum research shows me that there is no faster way going into DAW and back then using RME

  • vinark
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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

Please explain... why have a X32 and then monitor through your DAW? The whole point of having a mixer is to set up a monitor mix on the mixer with near zero latency,is it not? All IMHO of course! Most of us use totalmix for the same purpose.

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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

vinark wrote:

Please explain... why have a X32 and then monitor through your DAW? The whole point of having a mixer is to set up a monitor mix on the mixer with near zero latency,is it not? All IMHO of course! Most of us use totalmix for the same purpose.

I would like to insert plugins in my mixer chanels to use it live (for FOH mix, and sometimes even for monitor mixes). I've tried different setups with monitor mixes especialy, and find out that latencies less then 5 ms is small enough so it's not disturb my musicians. So i try to find the most cheap solution to do this

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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

With 96k and buffer of 32 samples i can do even 2.2 ms RTL with my RME BF Pro FS, and that is great. It's like sitting aproximately 60 cm from drums, so it's extremely fast even for live monitor mix. But this needs powerful Mac to use enough plugins

12 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-05-10 06:03:23)

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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

r.kharchenko145 wrote:

With 96k and buffer of 32 samples i can do even 2.2 ms RTL with my RME BF Pro FS, and that is great. It's like sitting aproximately 60 cm from drums, so it's extremely fast even for live monitor mix. But this needs powerful Mac to use enough plugins

75,5 cm wink

343,2 m (at 20° C) * 0,0022 s

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14

13 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

Funny. When I was young I learned 330 meters per second. That must have changed at some point,  I stumbled over the 343 meters last year as well.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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  • cyrano
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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

It's 330 m/sec at 0°C and 343 at 21°C. Humidity also plays a role.

That's global warming for you ;-)

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15 Reply by Kubrak (edited by Kubrak 2024-05-10 09:37:24)

  • Kubrak
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Re: Another Latency Question (RME - X32)

@MC
It is not fixed value......
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound

With Green Deal it will return back to 330 m/s in winters. There will be no heating in concert halls. ;-)