User Manual

WORKING WITH HOST AUDIO SOFTWARE

Monitoring through your host audio software

If you do need to process a live input with host

software plug-ins, or if you are playing virtual

instruments live through your MOTU audio

hardware, you can signiﬁcantly reduce latency by

adjusting the audio buffer setting in your host

audio software, as explained in the next section.

☛ It is important to note that monitoring delay

has no effect on the recording, or playback, of

audio data from disk. The actual recording and

playback is extremely precise, it is only the

monitoring of your live input signal which may be

delayed.

Adjusting your host software audio buffer

Buffers are small bundles of audio data. Your

interface “speaks” to your computer in buffers,

rather than one sample at a time. The size of these

buffers determine how much delay you hear when

monitoring live inputs through your audio

software: larger buffers produce more delay;

smaller buffers produce less.

Under Mac OS X, audio I/O buffer size is handled

by the host audio application (not by your MOTU

interface’s Core Audio driver). Most audio software

applications provide an adjustable audio buffer

setting that lets you control the amount of delay

you’ll hear when monitoring live inputs or

processing them with software plug-ins. Here are a

few examples.

Figure 7-3: In Digital Performer and AudioDesk, choose Setup menu>

Conﬁgure Audio System> Conﬁgure Hardware Driver to open the

dialog shown above and access the Buffer Size setting. Refer to your

Digital Performer or AudioDesk manual for information about the

Host Buffer Multiplier setting.

Figure 7-4: In Cubase or Nuendo, choose Devices menu > Device

Setup. Select your interface (Monitor 8), then click the Control Panel

button to access the window above and the Buffer Size setting.