When i use a 128 frames buffer i have a latency of 5 ms. This looks enough for me for any applications. But i don't have any real-time kernel support.
At first i couldn't start jackd with realtime support. It did not start. Bu after changing my /etc/security/limits.conf file as:
@audio - rtprio 95
@audio - memlock 512000
@audio - nice -19

I could start jackd with realtime flag and now i have a 5 ms of latency.
How that can be without having a Realtime kernel ?

On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 8:33 PM, Mark Knecht <markknecht@gmail.com> wrote:
On Tue, Mar 18, 2008 at 11:25 AM, Arda Eden <ardaeden@gmail.com> wrote:
> So is it really necessary to have a realtime kernel in order to use linux
> audio applications without any latencies or xruns ?
>

It is not possible to use ANY kernel with NO latencies. EVERY kernel
has latencies. The question is how low do you want the latencies to
be? If you can exist with 50mS or higher you might get away with a
standard kernel. If you want to run with 1.2mS latency then you will
absolutely have to have a real-time enabled kernel.

xruns are just an indication of the system not meeting the latency
requirement you set in Jack, i.e. - a by product of how you answered
the question in the first paragraph.

- Mark



--
Arda EDEN
Cumhuriyet University
Faculty of Fine Arts
Department of Music Technology
Sivas/TURKEY