ANDREW jump in an correct.

I have to confess I never played with the offset becasue I have never needed to, still don’t. But here's what I've found (Andrew if he's still around can correct in PLAIN ENGLISH)

Frankly "offset" is not as well explained in the help file as it could have been "Offset," in the Help file says:

" Offset in MS

This is not a setting that gets set automatically. It defaults to zero. This allows you to adjust the timing that the sound card plays audio in relation to MIDI. Normally you'd leave this at zero, but if you need to fine tune the synchronization of audio to MIDI you could try changing this setting."


OK what is NOT explicitly stated, which I think would help clarify in the Help file, is that the "offset" can take on BOTH POSITIVE and NEGATIVE values.


Here's what I found

When using MME:

Using a negative values holds the sound card audio (e.g., a RD 'beat") back by that amount of milliseconds, while the MIDI note-on data leads. I used external MIDI module so as not to confuse/confound this with softsynth latency issues/topics.

using a a zero (0) value (which moves nothing in time) shows the built-in delta between ability to get wav data into the sound card and MIDI note-on data pulse out.

Using a positive values pushes the sound card audio (e.g., a RD 'beat') ahead of, it leads, the MIDI note-on. In my mind, this has to mean that a positive offset DELAYs the MIDI note-on data package from being sent, because you can't trigger the sound card audio any faster than the audio driver & electronics can "fire" irrespective of when sent.

Try it. Put a RD (audio) with just a MIDI BASS (to an external module) and set offset -500 then +500 so you can really hear time delta when setting it negative vice positive.


When using ASIO: It makes no difference (in my case - at least not when using an external audio card).

But there is no real point to retarding or advancing timing (funny - who remembers points, dwell meters, timing lights, timing marks, TDC - LOL) ASIO audio relative to MIDI data because the whole point of ASIO is to allow closer timing of MIDI note-on triggering sound (generating audio) compared to information that is already in audio form (e.g., playing along using MIDI keyboard triggering a soft synth while listing to an MP3 or DAW, already generated, audio in near sync/minimal delay) .


hot air off

Larry

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