7 Jul
2011
7 Jul
'11
12:25 p.m.
Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2011 12:17:02 +0200
From: sed(a)free.fr
To: dj_kaza(a)hotmail.com
CC: linux-audio-user(a)lists.linuxaudio.org; arve.barsnes(a)gmail.com
Subject: Re: [LAU] Applying effects when recording electric guitars: before or after
recording?
----- "Dale Powell" <dj_kaza(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
okay, I half-agree with that. The latency problem...
On one hand it is, indeed, a difference. The computer gets some data
in, in chunks, process it, and sends that back to physical world. All
is in the chunk's size, which introduces some delay. Right.
But! did you actually try to play the guitar and use a linux-based effects chain?
I tried guitarix. With 1024 samples of latency I notice some delay. Below I
don't notice anything. 256 is fine. Go down to 64 and it's psychologically
similar to no delay at all. There were links about latency issues on the
lists a few weeks ago. So yeah, latency. But below a given threshold you
don't feel latency at all.
So there again, just try and see/hear what happens. I am personally not
disturbed by a bit of latency (a bit being 256 samples at 44.1KHz).
OK I admit personally I don't play guitar but have done some recordings for people in
the past.
I can generally agree that with a reasonably modest computer (doesn't have to be the
fastest in the world) and a half decent soundcard, just using one or two not-too-intensive
effects you can usually get away with monitoring through the effected chain of the PC. If
you are going to do this I would suggest using a more simple chain to give the idea of the
sound you are after, record the dry (or both) signal(s) and then you have the option of
applying more CPU/latency intensive plugins once it is recorded, yet you can monitor with
at least an idea of what it will sound like, rather than monitoring dry.
I also have to admit so far I haven't played much with the effects available on Linux.
Still trying to get myself migrated from Windows but little niggles often pull me back to
the dark side...
The only difference is that you can push hard on the box with your
foot while you play live.
Disagree! Effects pedals and the like have almost no round-trip
latency (through soundcard, to the processor, and back for monitoring)
and usually a much lower processing time (especially if they are
analogue!) both of which are very important points when you are
listening to the effected path while playing.