User Manual

CONFIGURING HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE
58
REDUCING LATENCY
On Windows, audio I/O buffer size is handled by
the audio driver rather than the host audio
application.
In the MOTU Audio Console, Samples Per Buffer
provides an adjustable audio buffer setting that lets
you control the amount of delay you’ll hear when
monitoring live inputs through your host audio
software or processing them with software
plug-ins.
For information, see the “Adjusting the audio I/O
buffer” section of chapter 8, “Reducing Monitoring
Latency” (page 61).
WORKING WITH 828X INPUTS AND
OUTPUTS
Once you’ve enabled the 828x’s driver, 828x audio
inputs and outputs will appear in your host
software wherever audio inputs and outputs are
listed. If you don’t see the optical inputs and/or
outputs, check MOTU Audio Console to make sure
they are enabled. If you don’t plan to use either
optical bank, turn it off to conserve computer
bandwidth.
Remember that the main outs and headphone
output can be configured in MOTU Audio Console
to mirror other outputs. In addition, the 828x
optical banks can be disabled or configured as
either ADAT optical or TOSLink. This will affect
how they appear (and if they appear at all) in your
host software’s audio input lists. See “Optical input/
output” on page 41, “Phones Assign” on page 41
and “Main Out Assign” on page 41.
Number of channels
If your host audio software requires that you
specify the number of audio voices or channels you
will be using, be sure to choose enough channels to
cover the 16 inputs and 16 outputs provided by
your 828x.
Mix1 1-2 return bus
In your host audio software audio input menus,
you’ll see an 828x input called Mix1 Return 1-2.
This is a stereo feed from the 828x that matches its
main outs (Mix 1). This can be used, for example,
to record a final stereo mix for reference and
archiving purposes.
☛ Warning: the Mix1 Return 1-2 return inputs
can cause feedback loops! DO NOT assign this
input to a track assigned to the 828x main outs.
For Mix1 Return 1-2, you can choose whether or
not to include audio being sent to the main outs
from the computer. See “Mix1 Return Includes
Computer” on page 92.
The “Phones 1-2” output
Host audio tracks assigned to the Phones 1-2
output pair will be heard on the headphone jack
only. If the Phones are set to mirror another output
(such as the main outs), the mirrored audio stream
is mixed with the phones audio output. For further
explanation, see “Phones Assign” on page 41.
Audio Input and output names
The 828x audio driver supplies text string labels for
its inputs and outputs to clearly identify each one,
but some applications do not display these labels.
For information on how you can identify each
input and output in a numbered list like this, see
Appendix B, “Audio I/O reference” page (121).
PROCESSING LIVE INPUTS WITH HOST
PLUG-INS
If you patch a live input (such as a MIDI
synthesizer) through a plug-in effect in your host
software, you might hear a slight delay. There are
several ways to reduce this delay. For details, see
chapter 8, “Reducing Monitoring Latency”
(page 61).