DAW computer for playing DFH S2.2 w. edrums

[Frankzappa]

What's up guys!

I'm planning on building a dedicated computer for my edrums. Right now I'm running them on my regular computer using a USB soundcard, the latency is noticable, I'm getting around 5ms in, and 5ms output. I could just get a PCI-card to get lower latency but I would like something that's next to the drumkit so I don't have to run cables all over my living room. I thought of a laptop but firewire cards have more latency than PCI.

The most important thing is latency, I want to get as low as possible. It has to be able to run DFH Superior 2.2 at that low latency. Roland drum modules have 2.5 ms of latency. I would like to do it as cheap as possible.

Here is what I was thinking:

Soundcard: M-audio audiophile 192
Processor: Intel i7 quadcore, 3.0 GHz
Mobo: Asus P6T SE (cheapest mobo with X58 chipset)
RAM: 6gigs of DDR3
Harddrive: cheapest 500gig, 7200rpm, 32megs cache I can find.

The rest I will get free from a friend who has stuff lying around. Is there anything else I need to think about? What version of windows should I install? XP, Vista, Win7?

Is this hardware enough for 1.5ms of latency? Is it overkill for what I'm going to use it for?

 

[guitarguru777]

How are you running it that you are getting that much latency?

 

[Frankzappa]

What do you mean how I'm running it? I've tried Toontrack Solo, Cubase 5 and Reaper to run DFH. I connect the midi out of my module to the midi in of my soundcard (Tascam US122L). I have set the lowest buffer setting in the control panel @44100Hz. I've tried 96000Hz but I'm still getting 10ms. The thing that's weird is that the input latency goes down to 2,5 ms but the output latency increases to 7,5 ms when I run @ 96000Hz. Isn't the latency suppose to go down when I raise the frequency?

USB soundcards are generally slower than Firewire and firewire is slower than PCI, I don't think it's possible to go under 6ms with USB.

 

[guitarguru777]

I would say shoot for the PCI card. Its just odd to me you are getting that much latency on the output. The latency when using triggers on my system is under 5ms round trip with a USB Midi dongle. Its even less if I use the MIDI in on my Saffire which is Firewire.

 

[Frankzappa]

I would say shoot for the PCI card. Its just odd to me you are getting that much latency on the output. The latency when using triggers on my system is under 5ms round trip with a USB Midi dongle. Its even less if I use the MIDI in on my Saffire which is Firewire.

I don't know if I should count the input latency because I'm inputting midi. I guess I'm getting like 5ms of output latency but it's not good enough, I can feel it. I can play no problem but I can tell the sound is not coming exactly when I strike the mesh. I don't notice it when playing guitar with a VST amp but it's not good enough for drumming. The recommendations for drumming is below 3-4 ms.