• Registered: 2012-08-30
  • Posts: 2

Topic: Latency question

Hi all,

We are considering the configuration below and have a couple of latency questions:

Fireface UFX going into DAW via firewire (Pyramix native on laptop; laptop has been running Pyramix fine for several years from another firewire interface that has had too many driver problems to suit us, thus the change.)

Going into the UFX we would like to have:
8 channels of Lavry blue A/Ds going out AES into an ADI-4DD, then ADAT into the UFX (these are the main 8)
8 channels of Octopre going ADAT into the UFX (used only on larger sessions for the less important spots)
4 channels using the UFX pres (rarely--would be nice to have the extra 4 channels in reserve without hauling the Octopre along though)

We do only classical and don't use any plug-ins or effects while recording. We would like to continue using the Lavrys if possible but they have only AES outputs.

Question #1: Latency issues between the three A/Ds?
Question #2: Latency issues as a result of the format conversion, with some but not all the tracks going through the ADI-4DD?

The USB backup recording feature of the UFX sounds fantastic and would be of great use to us if we can get this chain working.

Many thanks in advance,

Richard

  • Registered: 2008-01-01
  • Posts: 3,025

Re: Latency question

#1 If the different converters come with different latencies themselves then they will not line up perfectly well on a sample-basis. But of course you can easily fix that later by shifting the recorded tracks accordingly.

#2 As far as I know the format conversion does not add latency, but going through TotalMix FX adds 1-3 samples (don't remember exactly and may be subject to change, so best to check the latest downloadable manual).

3 Reply by MatsHelgesson (edited by MatsHelgesson 2012-09-01 06:41:35)

  • From: Stockholm, Sweden
  • Registered: 2007-10-22
  • Posts: 84

Re: Latency question

Motown Dicky P wrote:

Hi all,

Question #1: Latency issues between the three A/Ds?
Question #2: Latency issues as a result of the format conversion, with some but not all the tracks going through the ADI-4DD?

Richard

Yeah, there will be latency issues. I have a similar setup with a UFX, 8 channels of Lavry Blue and an additional Audient ASP008 preamp. In practice it's not much of an issue, I use the Lavry for main arrays and a bank of channels that belong to the same converter for mic techniques where the timing is important between mics.

I didn't experience any latency with the ADI 4 DD.

I believe that the Lavry has an AD Latency of 1,65 ms @48KHz, while the UFX has 0,29 ms. I invested in a Mutec MC4 as I couldn't get the rig click free with my former ADI 4 DD, so now both converters are on internal clock, asynchronously converting between AES and ADAT. Hence I can use the Lavry at 96k, which means the latency is 0,8 ms... but the Mutec device adds about a ms of delay.

Btw wanna buy my old ADI 4 DD?

Mats Helgesson
http://www.livingsound.se

MatsHelgesson's Website

  • Registered: 2012-08-30
  • Posts: 2

Re: Latency question

Dear Mats, Dear Timur,

Many thanks for your replies, which are enormously helpful. It looks like we will be getting a Merging Horus in for a test run--if it works out, that may be our best solution, albeit a more expensive one...

All best regards,

Richard