

Low latencies are bullshit - morazyx
http://4front-tech.com/hannublog/?page_id=29

======
dkersten
I have two brothers - one is a DJ and the other a sound engineer. Both are
also into computer music production.

I know (because I've experienced it first hand) that when using software like
Reason, Cubase or Logic, the difference between a 2ms and, say, 8ms delay is
noticable when using MIDI keyboards. The time between hitting a key on the
MIDI keyboard and hearing the note is very noticable.

Then again, the issue here is that the time between hitting the key and sound
reaching your ear is too high, so theres obviously the added latency of the
sound travelling from your soundcard to your ear (since the quoted latencies
are those from when sound is generated until its processed by the soundcard).
So by minimizing the latency in the OS sound system, you have more time to
play with to generate the sound and still hear it before its noticable.

As I see it, there are 5 latencies involved:

    
    
      keyboard<-1->software<-2->sound system<-3->soundcard<-4->speakers<-5->ears
    

There is little that can be done about 1, 4 and 5 (at least, not by the
musician or programmer, this is up to the hardware guys - besides perhaps the
MIDI driver). We want to maximize how much can be done by the software, so by
minimizing 3, we have more time for use in 2 before its noticable.

So, yes, for musicians and sound engineers, low latency in the OS sound layer
can be important, in my opinion.

