# Audio Interface Latency Situation



## Moquan (Jun 6, 2018)

Currently, I have a Gen 1 Scarlett 2i4. I feel that it has a rather high latency in Cubase:

Buffer: in / out latency
256: 14.2/14.2
512: 24.6/24.6
1024: 46.2/46.2

I've done some reading online and it appears it MIGHT be an issue with the Scarlett line in general. I see a lot of people recommend RME and UAD interfaces with ridiculously (comparatively) low latency at these buffer settings.

Could I possibly have an option set weird or is this just the nature of this interface?

Thank you in advance!

i5 6600K - 32GB Memory - Windows 10 - Cubase 9.5.3 - No TB


----------



## will_m (Jun 6, 2018)

Moquan said:


> Currently, I have a Gen 1 Scarlett 2i4. I feel that it has a rather high latency in Cubase:
> 
> Buffer: in / out latency
> 256: 14.2/14.2
> ...



I feel like its only really half the story with latency but just for comparison my 512 buffer setting in Cubase 9.5 reads as:

512: 11.2 / 11.1

This is at 48Khz using TB on Win with an RME UFX+.


----------



## Moquan (Jun 7, 2018)

Thank you! I appreciate your response!


----------



## dzilizzi (Jun 7, 2018)

Check out this thread over on Gearslutz. This guy has run tests on multiple audio interfaces. There might be some info there. 

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/mus...erface-low-latency-performance-data-base.html


----------



## Moquan (Jun 8, 2018)

dzilizzi said:


> Check out this thread over on Gearslutz. This guy has run tests on multiple audio interfaces. There might be some info there.
> 
> https://www.gearslutz.com/board/mus...erface-low-latency-performance-data-base.html



Interesting. Based on the new set of testing, the G2 6i6 (closest Focusrite match on the list) has results of almost half my numbers.


----------



## Bender-offender (Jun 8, 2018)

I have a Steinberg MR816 Cxs and it surprisingly has good low latency. Plus it intergrates with Cubase. I also have a RME Fireface 800 and the MR816 has slightly lower latency.


----------



## Symfoniq (Jun 8, 2018)

RME Babyface Pro, Cubase 9.5, Windows 10:

256: 6.327/6.712
512: 12.132/12.517
1024: 23.741/24.127


----------



## Ronny D. Ana (Jun 14, 2018)

Steinberg ur242, Cubase 9.5, Windows 10, Intel Core i7-7700 3.6GHz
44.1 kHz

256: 9.456/11.429
512: 16.259/19.229
1024: 27.868/31.837


----------



## Divico (Jun 14, 2018)

Saffire Pro 40, Windows 7, i7-4790, 4,0 GHz.
512: 11/13 ms

Are you using the newest drivers/ firmware?
Disabled power saving on your USB Hubs ? (more of a popping noise issue but worth noting if you havent disabled this)

The 2Gen has really low latencies indeed though I´ve read about a lot of people have had with them.

Have you optimized your PC for working with audio ?


----------



## toowrongfoo (Jun 28, 2018)

n/m, I did read correctly.

Babyface pro/Cubase 9.5/doze 10

I get somewhere around 6.5 RT at 96 buffer and 44.1k. Reason say 7 (which isn't correct because I get the same reading on 128 buffer)


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 28, 2018)

Do you actually feel that latency when you're playing?

Recording audio, of course, but I mean sequencing?


----------



## toowrongfoo (Jun 28, 2018)

I do. My timing isn't really what I'd call great in the first place. But having the low latency I do have really helps a lot with putting down ideas.


----------



## thevisi0nary (Jun 28, 2018)

If you end up upgrading, keep in mind the Apollo only has zero latency when you use their plugins, otherwise there are better options. This is because you monitor their plugins through the dsp on the interface. Have you tried going down to 128 buffer to see how your cpu responds? Are you recording audio or midi input? If you decide to upgrade, an Rme babyface is worth the price of admission because you will buy once and never need to again (Unless you need more I/O). However if you are not looking to spend a lot of money, there are certainly options in the sub $200 range that will get you more than workable latency, just not quite as stable as the RME.


----------



## Ronny D. Ana (Jun 28, 2018)

[QUOTE="If you decide to upgrade, an Rme babyface is worth the price of admission because you will buy once and never need to again[/QUOTE]
I used to have a RME DIGI 96/8 PST a couple of years until RME stopped providing drivers for the next Windows OS . So I am sorry but I disagree!


----------



## thevisi0nary (Jun 29, 2018)

Ronny D. Ana said:


> [QUOTE="If you decide to upgrade, an Rme babyface is worth the price of admission because you will buy once and never need to again


I used to have a RME DIGI 96/8 PST a couple of years until RME stopped providing drivers for the next Windows OS . So I am sorry but I disagree![/QUOTE]

I ament my statement, you won’t need to replace due to stability or failure most likely. That’s a shame about the drivers, it doesn’t look like it’s a trend with them but still not cool. How old is the unit?


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 29, 2018)

toowrongfoo said:


> I do. My timing isn't really what I'd call great in the first place. But having the low latency I do have really helps a lot with putting down ideas.



Well, a lot of the latency is MIDI rather than audio, and of course you're going to notice it on a sampled piano more than on a slow-attack string patch. So I'd be wary of obsessing over different audio drivers and interfaces.

For me in the real world, I can tell the difference between playing with a 128-sample and 256-sample buffer if I really focus on it, I don't have a problem playing with 256. And 512 is definitely too high. With SSDs I'm usually able to leave Logic at 128, and that's 4.7ms output (9ms round trip).

4.7ms is pretty hard to detect as an isolated spec (sound travels about 4' in that time, digital mixers have about a 3ms through latency at 44.1/48), but as I said, there are other things that add up.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Jun 29, 2018)

^ Metric Halo 2882 FireWire interface at 44.1 or 48, by the way.

(They have a new Ethernet-based I/O card, which may be the way to go for a variety of reasons. Looking into it...)


----------

