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Should I be concerned about the lag between my MIDI input and the output in my headphones? It seems like the input is being recording "on time," despite the MIDI output lagging behind. But that could mess me up when recording... :-/
Any ideas on how to eliminate the lag?
BIAB Audiophile 2016 for Windows, Cubase LE AI Elements, Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit, Axium Mini-Air 32, UR22, Alesis Monitors, AT2020
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What's the midi being outputed to ?
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RealBand
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Are you using ASIO drivers?
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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RealBand
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MIDI out is to MS GS Wavetable Synth, and I'm using the MIDI driver for my M-Audio Axiom AIR-32 Mini.
BIAB Audiophile 2016 for Windows, Cubase LE AI Elements, Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit, Axium Mini-Air 32, UR22, Alesis Monitors, AT2020
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RealBand
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You can adjust the GS Wavetable here: 
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RealBand
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While SR's suggestion does work, I don't think it accounts for realtime input/output response, which I think was the original issue. There are ways to adjust this using MME, but usually changing to ASIO drivers makes the most difference. Should I be concerned about the lag between my MIDI input and the output in my headphones? It seems like the input is being recording "on time," despite the MIDI output lagging behind.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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RealBand
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While SR's suggestion does work, I don't think it accounts for realtime input/output response, which I think was the original issue.
There are ways to adjust this using MME, but usually changing to ASIO drivers makes the most difference. I didn't think the ASIO drivers mattered when it came to MIDI. My ASIO drivers are for my audio interface, which isn't connected to my MIDI device.  When I select the ASIO driver ("2- Steinberg UR22-1"), the MIDI keyboard no longer generates any sound. Only the "Axiom AIR Mini 32 MIDI In" driver works to generate sound from my MIDI keyboard. Thanks, guys!
BIAB Audiophile 2016 for Windows, Cubase LE AI Elements, Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit, Axium Mini-Air 32, UR22, Alesis Monitors, AT2020
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RealBand
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Un-check Re-Route Midi like the pic I put up and try it.
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RealBand
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Try SolidRocks suggestion.
What you aren't grasping is the computer is indeed generating the audio for your synth.
So yes, ASIO is for audio but can affect MIDI playback, especially in real time and using a softsynth. Hardware synths don't have this issue.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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RealBand
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Un-check Re-Route Midi like the pic I put up and try it. Did that and it seems to have helped a little. There still seems to be a very small lag. Now, it's probably not so bad that it would interfere with my input, but still seems there is a teensy-weensy lag. Thank you!
BIAB Audiophile 2016 for Windows, Cubase LE AI Elements, Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit, Axium Mini-Air 32, UR22, Alesis Monitors, AT2020
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RealBand
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Now click the Latency Adjustment button.
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RealBand
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Try SolidRocks suggestion.
What you aren't grasping is the computer is indeed generating the audio for your synth.
So yes, ASIO is for audio but can affect MIDI playback, especially in real time and using a softsynth. Hardware synths don't have this issue. Still hearing latency? Go back and fix your ASIO drivers.
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RealBand
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MIDI is definitely affected by the audio drivers, if you want to get sound.
The MS GS WaveTable is a software synth that when used to play real time MIDI input is slow to respond.
The Coyote WS is a DXi wrapper for the MS GS WaveTable. So if you want to reduce your latency, and assuming you have ASIO drivers for your sound card, or if you don't you could try using ASIO4ALL), I would set the audio drivers to ASIO and reroute MIDI to the Coyote synth (or any other general MIDI DXi/VSTi softsynth you may have).
This is really important mainly for live input or playback. If you are just playing already recorded MIDI data, the latency is still there, but you just don't notice it because once the song starts playing, everything is delayed by that same amount, so it sounds fine (who cares if the song didn't actually start until a few milliseconds after hitting "play").
Anyway, that's my suggestion for live MIDI input.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Latency is most common with MIDI and when using non-ASIO drivers. Processing the midi data in the synth and getting the audio to the speakers in a timely manner takes time. You want that time lag or latency to be as short as possible without affecting the playback in other ways.
If the sound card supports ASIO... and that means native ASIO and not the codecs and wrappers like ASIO4ALL, it's always best to use it.
Wave table is probably the worst thing you can use when recording and playing back music that has synths and needs to be synced. Wavetable is good for playing mp3 files by themselves and that's about it.
It's best to have ALL the inputs and outputs for midi and audio running through ONE interface/soundcard that uses ASIO drivers. When the latency settings and buffers are adjusted properly, that sound card will give you latency that is under 10ms easily and that essentially equates to no audible latency in the speakers and headphones. Many interfaces are capable of much lower latency than 10ms.... some are easily under 5ms.
Using an interface that's USB connected and has ASIO drivers properly adjusted is the best way to get this done.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Should I be concerned about the lag between my MIDI input and the output in my headphones? It seems like the input is being recording "on time," despite the MIDI output lagging behind. But that could mess me up when recording... Again, the MIDI input and what you are calling the "Midi Output" have a delay. It is not really the "MIDI Output" that is lagging. The MIDI is getting output to the (soft) synth almost instantaneously. What is causing the lag is the computer taking that MIDI signal and generating a sound to match. A hardware synth would have no problem doing it without you noticing any lag, but your computer is taking a second or two (or a half, or a quarter) to generate the actual sound. I think this is the lag you hear and it is caused by inputting LIVE MIDI and expecting the sound to be generated instantly from the computer. This is why ASIO makes such a huge difference; it is the generation of the AUDIO sound that is the actual issue, not the MIDI path at all. The reason it seems the MIDI is being recorded 'on time' is because IT IS. The lag happens afterwards when the MIDI is required to generate audio .. MIDI is a trigger. Your synth creates audio from the trigger. Hardware and ASIO synths handle this trigger very quickly and generate sound. MME has a buffer (lag) and generates it slower. NOTE: this is only for real time MIDI input. In other words, as you noticed; the actual MIDI data is recorded accurately. The next time you play it back, everything gets buffered and the 'recorded' MIDI is suddenly in time again. This is by design. It is only when sending MIDI to your computer and trying to make it generate the synth sound in real time that this is a problem .. it adds extra load/response requirements that most basic setups are not ready for. If the system can buffer everything (and not need 'instant' response) ASIO/MME doesn't really matter too much. The buffers line everything up. But when playing along with a song (or recording alongside to existing tracks) you want 'instant response' from MIDI IN to AUDIO Out .. and ASIO is the most likely solution.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Rharv is right on the money. I do a lot of MIDI recording. With ASIO drivers and the driver buffers set correctly I get zero latency when recording. I could have 5-20 MIDI tracks playing while recording another MIDI track again with zero latency. I have recorded three MIDI tracks simultaneously with no latency.
If you do not have a sound card with native ASIO drivers then getting one will solve your problem. ASIO4ALL drivers is a hit or miss situation as some people have had some success with them while others were not so lucky. But if your sound card does not have ASIO drivers you way want to try the free ASIO4ALL but a sound card with native ASIO drivers is your best choice.
Good luck.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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