DP4/G4 Latency Problem

[dbbubba]

I am running DP4.12 on a 450 mhz G4 with 896MB of SDRAM.
I am running OSX 10.3.
I use a PCI 324 interface card and two MOTU 2408 mkII interfaces.

Although I have not measured it, I have WAY more thru-put latency than I should when running my present rig.
I think that there may be as much as 60 msec. delay from input to output!
I can work around it, but it SUXXX!!!!!!
I have used the same software/interface config. on a beige G3 233 mhz and didn't have anywhere near this degree of latency.

I did have to download the software patch to run the PCI324 card and I suspect the problem lies with the PCI card.

Anyone else have any ideas?

DB

[Geert van den Berg]

Probably you had the buffers on the G3 set to a smaller number.

In DP you have to go to: setup-->configure audio system-->configure hardware driver

Look at the buffersizes, to lower the latency choose a smaller buffer, but this will also increase the load on your processor. So there's a limit as how low you can go before you get glitches in your audio.

Your machine isn't really fast. The problem with the 324 card is, that it doesn't have a dedicated DSP mixer chip on board. The newer 424 has such a chip (as do other new cards from other manufacturers). Your recording latency is always dependant on your computer. Luckily MOTU still supports the use of their older interfaces on the new card, if you are a registered owner you could upgrade the card. Mind you that the newer card doesn't solve latency issues within DP or any other recording software. Plugins still have the latency determined on the buffersize. A fix for this would be using DP4.5 or higher, these versions has latency compensation for the plugins/mixer, but I think your computer will not run that version without a big compromize in trackcount.

[dbbubba]

Setting the buffer size was the first thing that I tried.
It is set at 512, but I guess it could be set lower.
I'll try that.

The surprising thing is that everything performed better on the 233 mhz G3!!!!
I guess it was designed for that era computer?

I am a registered MOTU user, so maybe I can upgrtade to a 424 card easily.

I expected somewhat better results from this computer because I was able to handle up to 32 tracks of audio on my G3 running DP3.

I'm not worried about plug ins really because they all pretty much suck... period.
This is why I went from Dallas to my friend's studio in Hollywood to master with a Neve 1073, a Massenburg EQ and a Neve 33609.
I want outboard EQ and compression that helps the sound instead of ruining it.
Plug ins are just a way for companies to make money by marketing facsimiles of vintage gear.
What ever piece comes into vogue will soon have a plug in version.
Now that Larry Devivio wrote the srticle on Electrodyne, QuadEight and Sphere stuff I am certian that a plug in will become available soon.

Thanks for the help though.
I guess that going lower than 512 might help.
It worked fine on the G3 at 512.
Strange.

Danny Brown

[Geert van den Berg]

It's a bit strange that it's running less with the same settings than on your G3, but you have to admit that your computer is a bit outdated.

Besides 4.12 you are also running Mac OS X, which also causes a larger hit on the CPU. Your Mac was designed to run OS9.

If you would use the same install, OS 9 and DP3 you would probably see the increase in performance. However the latency should be around the same...