Pro Tools Free OS 9 monitoring latency - help!!

[sunlikeblood]

I'm using a G4 dual processor 533 with an iMic to record into Pro Tools Free 5.0.1 as there's no in built microphone input. I have no problems recording and getting the signal in, but there is a large (almost a second?) amount of latency when I'm recording bass and guitar parts over a rhythm track, making it nearly impossible to record in time with the rhythm track.

I am running OS 9.2.2 with 896mb of RAM and I have assigned 550mb of RAM to Pro Tools and 200mb to DAE. I'm not recording with any plug-ins enabled and I have assigned the CPU usage to the maximum allowable - 85%.

Any ideas on how I can eliminate the latency problem, or am I stuck with it? A friend of mine has a G4 450 with an inbuilt mic and similar amount of RAM and doesn't have this problem even with plug-ins on several tracks.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[M.Brane]

After launching PTF go to the Finder and select DAE. Go to File and select Hardware(Playback?) buffer (it's the only choice besides Quit). Set it at the lowest numerical setting. Go back to PTF, and quit. The next time you launch PTF the latency should be less. You can't eliminate it. If it's still too much you'll have to monitor what you're recording before it goes to the input, and nudge the tracks into place in the edit window after recording.

If you're mixing something with a lot of tracks/plugs/automation you may have to reset the buffer higher if you run into performance issues at mix time. Shouldn't be a problem with your setup though since you have reasonably fast CPU, and plenty of RAM.

It's also best to leave plug-ins out until after tracking is done as they sometimes can add their own latency.

[sunlikeblood]

After I posted this plea for help I actually found a comment on the forum after doing a search on latency which suggested trying using the iMic for input but then setting the built-in speaker for output rather than going back through the iMic. Thinking this was worth a try I ran a lead direct from the back of the mac speaker output to my stereo... and it worked!!! I can't hear any latency any more, monitoring is instantaneous and recording is so bloody easy now it's amazing. I guess the iMic USB output adds the latency. I was using an old TASCAM four track to lay down ideas (which I use now only as a mixer) so finally being able to work in Pro Tools is fantastic - hence my disappointment when I was was having the latency problem.

I have also adjusted the DAE settings as you suggested and I'll keep the plug-ins to a minimum if the problem rears its ugly head again. As I'm only tracking ideas before presenting them to the rest of my band I don't think there'll be too many problems from here on. I wouldn't even use all of the eight tracks most of the time and I usually try to get a reasonably good raw sound by EQing the instruments through the mixer beforehand so I won't be using that many plug-ins.

Thanks for replying, I have read a lot of interesting posts here and I will be sure to continue checking out the forum - hopefully for news of Pro Tools Free being released on OS X!