MIDI to Audio Trigger Latency

[MetallyGuitarded]

So I bought a Korg PadKontrol with the intent that I'd use it to beat the drum tracks I want by hand. Yeah, I've done the piano-roll thing for years and F that. I hate it. Anyway, after reading a couple articles it would seem that there is an unavoidable latency usually double what the systems raw audio latency is when triggering a VSTi via MIDI. Anyone know any ways to shorten that or overcome it entirely? My issue is that when I'm trying to play a beat, especially anything fast, The delay between hit and sound is so awkward that I can't keep a beat. Now, I'm white so I know there's issues with that already but hearing what you're playing a note or two behind what you are actually playing is psychologically impossible for me. So how do y'all use MIDI triggering devices like eKits and such? If I plugged the PadKontrol into the MIDI port of say, an Alesis D4/D5, would it still have as severe of latency? I mean, I can handle the sounds being different but I'd like to be able to monitor myself.I may build a pad kit anyway over time so I'm not opposed to getting a trigger brain.

 

[Metaltastic]

Well one thing to realize is the latency is probably coming from your audio interface if you have it set too high; it's the same as if you were to try to play with an ampsim and had latency from your guitar (though not as bad, cuz with that your getting both input and output latency, whereas with the PadKontrol it's pretty much only output latency if you're running it via USB into your compy). The point of all this is see what the latency of your interface is, and that might be the issue, cuz I know I've used a MIDI keyboard (running into the MIDI input on a crappy M Audio Audiophile 2496 PCI card) to trigger samples on the computer in the past with zero perceptible latency.

 

[TheDude]

+1 it's the audio card latency settings.

 

[cobhc]

Yep, I have no problems triggering DFHS with my EKit through midi, check your settings.

 

[MetallyGuitarded]

Right on folks, I played with the latency settings and got it dead on.... with quantize that is. Now I'll have to see what that latency setting does to my recording audio.

 

[Metaltastic]

Well it'll make it more spot on with the click, but if your computer/interface can't handle it you'll get some nasty pops/clicks that'll probably be recorded - one thing that really helps is to disable wireless networking, or unplug the ethernet cable if your wired