latency, keylab 61 MK 2

[john irrgang]

Hi,  I have a Keylab 61  MK2, plugged into a 2019 iMac i7 6 core computer., via USB. The software and sounds all work and sound great. This a nice MIDI controller. My problem is latency. It's around 1 beat at 200-240 BPM. I can't play anything but maybe slow string pads,  but that's about it. The latency is there with all the software sounds I have from Arturia.  I don't believe it's the keyboard because I've seen many videos using my setup, with no apparent problems. The player was playing as they would be a full synth or sample type keyboard with no noticeable latency. Does anyone here have a possible solution? Now maybe my expectations are too great? Ought or can a computer like mine act like a sound module?.  I used to record on a Fostex 16 track digital recorder with no problems with my keyboard setup, no noticeable latency..  .I hope I wasn't confusing.  Am I expecting too much from my Mac? Thanks in advance. John

[vangamut]

Try installing Asio4All drivers. Download, install and then run Analog Lab or Ableton, in preferences, choose Asio as your device. There is a control panel that allows you to choose different buffer sizes, usually it identifies the best one on the sliding bar by showing a blue square you can drag the slider to. Or you can try your luck with the preset options, aiming at a lower buffer value for added speed. Try pressing multiple keys at once and if you hear any crackling noise, increase the size a bit until you figure out the best latency/sound quality ratio. Also, if you have bluetooth speakers or USB speakers, that can cause added latency. Try wired speakers of headphones that you can connect to the audio jack connection of your computer directly.

[john irrgang]

Hi, thanks. I'll try these things. As a stickly midi board this works fine, I'm using a old korg m1r to test and works good. I'm not sure where these setting are on a mac,but I'll keep looking.    thanks,  john

[MajorFubar]

Mac doesn't need ASIO4ALL drivers. I'm not even sure such drivers are available.
ASIO4ALL is third party audio driver for Windows, to compensate for the fact that prior to W10, Windows was sh-t for audio creators.
Check what your buffer size is set to.
Check if you get latency to your mac's built in speaker.
Could simply be an incompatibility with your chosen audio device, which you haven't specified and is probably the missing link.

[john irrgang]

I'm dealing with 300ms latency. 200 bpm = 300ms.  As a strictly midi controller  have no problem. When plugged into my Mac, this is unplayable. I've asked many questions to folks I see on youtube and FB who use what appears to be my setup, with no response, even from folks who's video's appear to be from Arturia, and again no answers. I now realized I should have returned this soon after I bought it and will continue to feel this way until this issue is resolved. I need to see a video of someone plugging this into an iMac, registering the board, downloading the needed software and then playing this board like it's hooked to a midi sound module. I mean being able play as if it's a true synth.  Now, if my expectation is too high, then the videos I see are doctored thus making them lies.  Sorry, the frustration has gotten to me. Man oh man, over $500 for a board that doesn't seem to work. I'm not even getting feedback, meaning an answer from Arturia.  Oh well, all I can do is keep asking.    thanks for reading, john irrgang   

[MajorFubar]

Maybe actually try some of the suggestions I responded with.
Or don't. It depends whether you want to fix it or whether you are just here to vent.

On any Mac made within the last, I dunno, ten years, you should have zero perceptible latency if you are running just analog lab + the keylab. I even have it installed on a 2010 Mac Mini with probably less processing power than your phone, and providing I don't go crazy with complicated patches, I have no issues. So the problem is with your setup, somehow. Probably whatever audio interface you are using, which you still haven't told us what it is.

Approach the issue slowly and methodically, by removing all the variables: plug the controller directly into the computer's USB socket, start Analog Lab, set the default audio output as the computer's speaker, set the default midi device as your keylab. Still getting latency? No? So next, by process of elimination, work through your usual setup to determine what is giving you latency.

(This is where you tell us you are listening via some kind of BlueTooth / wireless headphones..)

[john irrgang]

Hi,  Thanks for all your help but yeah, it was the bluetooth headphone. I'm embarrassed,  but thanks.

john

[MajorFubar]

That's ok. We sometimes get two or three pages into threads like this before OP casually mentions he's using bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth headphones are simultaneously one of the best inventions ever made for audio, while also being one of the absolute worst because they are used inappropriately.

[john irrgang]

Yeah it's weird. When I use my bluetooth speaker for TV the delay is obvious, but still varies, sometimes not so obvious. . When I use a bluetooth headphone on the mac for videos and similar content, the delay is almost nonexistent, from what I see and hear. I refused to believe the headphones were the problem, because of that,  and now really understand. But again, thanks. Now I need to figure out to download a template for garageband.

john

[MajorFubar]

When I use a bluetooth headphone on the mac for videos and similar content, the delay is almost nonexistent, from what I see and hear. I refused to believe the headphones were the problem, because of that,  and now really understand. But again, thanks. Now I need to figure out to download a template for garageband.

john

Your computer knows how much to delay the video so it syncs with the delayed audio. It even accomplishes the same trick if you cast your audio to an AirPlay device, which has an even longer delay of about 1 second because AirPlay is lossless while BlueTooth is lossy.

There aren't to my knowledge any templates for GarageBand. On my mk1 KeyLab 88, the knobs automatically match to GarageBand's smart controls, but I haven't ever found anything to customize it.

[john irrgang]

Hi, Not here, but I did google, "template for arturia 61mk2 for garageband" and found one. but haven't really gotten into it yet. Thanks, did't know that about video and the audio delay.  thanks,

john