MIDI Guitar/DIGI002 Latency?

[halipino]

Hey guys I am just entering the world of MIDI Guitar and I am testing out the AXON AX100 MKII into my DIGI002/PT8 setup (windows) and I detect a slight amount of latency.

I am using a Godin MultiAC guitar with built in Piezo MIDI pickup and when I run through softsynths like the new Mini Grand, DB-33 organ, Hybrid2 and XPAND2 the notes are just behind my playing? I have tried lowering the buffer size in PT but that does not really help and yes I have gone through just about every parameter in the AXON unit...

Is this issue inherit in the LE/host based architecture and is there another way of circumventing the DIGI002 and hooking up the AXON through a FW/MIDI interface and still access all the softsynths?

Eventually I would like to take this into live performance and use a laptop and be able to access all the sounds available through PT, is this possible???

Thank you

[flommer]

I've never had a chance to play around with a MIDI guitar (would like to, though )

But this is what I would do to isolate the problem..

If you have a hardware synth, try plugging into that and see if you still get the same perceivable latency..

If yes, then it is possibly the Axon (could still be the synth)

If no then it is the MIDI/audio processing going on in the computer. If that's the case then there can be a number of ways to reduce the latency. I doubt it would be a hardware issue related to the 002 (meaning that a separate MIDI interface wouldn't help)

[halipino]

Hi flommer, the only other MIDI instrument that I have is a 49key EMU controller with no sounds built in, when that is hooked up to the DIGI002 it is flawless and no latency using all the same VI's.

Perhaps there is some settings to help reduce latency, the AXON is promised to have no latency. a few weeks ago at a Digi clinic I talked to the clinician and he said that the LE systems will give a bit of trouble as it is host based whereas the HD would be fine as they have their own cards.

[halipino]

btw my PC is pretty fast, Dual core Athlon 6000+ - 4GB Ram
Not really sure what to do?

[DigiTechSupt]

Lowering the Hardware Buffer size in the Playback Engine didn't help at all?

[halipino]

Hi I think it did a little bit but not 100% perfectly, I brought it down from 512 to 128 and I noticed a small difference but the notes are still a fraction behind my playing...

Any ideas?

Thanks

[DigiTechSupt]

Originally Posted by halipino

Hi I think it did a little bit but not 100% perfectly, I brought it down from 512 to 128 and I noticed a small difference but the notes are still a fraction behind my playing...

Any ideas?

Thanks

That could be a number of things, such as the latency from the pickup to the AXON or from the AXON to the MIDI input on the 002. There will always be a bit of latency, but you should be able to get it down to 3-5 milliseconds - at least that's about what we get with a friend who uses a Roland VG series unit.

It sounds like you're doing everything right - without being in front of your system, it's difficult to say what it could be. One test you could do is simultaneously record both the audio output of your guitar AND the MIDI data coming from the Axon on different tracks and compare their timing - how close are they?

[halipino]

I can try doing that...
so what you are saying is the latency does not reside in Digi hardware and getting some kind of a FW/MIDI box would no matter so much?

RE: "without being in front of your system, it's difficult to say what it could be."

Well I could send you a plane ticket and buy a pizza for helping me... LOL
yes I would love to get this MIDI thing tightened up and feel a bit more responsive.

[halipino]

What are most of the touring guys doing with their rigs, do they rely on rack mount modules for their sounds or do they run a laptop and access there sounds through PT the Virtual Instruments???

What other tweaks can I do to my PC to reduce the latency besides lowering buffer size?