Firewire Solo latency issues...help please

[OfW0lfandRaven]

Ok,

So my amateur understanding off all this is going to become blatantly obvious in but a few moments. So if you could all speak in terms I could understand I would appreciate it.

I am currently using Cakewalk Guitar tracks pro 3 and my recently installed Firewire solo. I had latency issues before and I told the guy at guitar center I thought it might be my crappy onboard sound card. He proceeded to tell me that the firewire solo acts as its own sound card and I should be running all my inputs and outputs through that. So I came home and set it up that way and the hissing and popping and about half the latency is gone. So the signal is clear, but I am still getting about a half second of latency from when I speak into the microphone or strike a cord and when I hear it. I disabled the onboard sound card, muted all the PC sound, turned off the antivirus so it would not lag the system, and lowered the buffer in guitar tracks pro all the way and I still have that little bit of latency that still makes it impossible to properly monitor my recordings as I am recording them.

Any thoughts or advice? I am about at my wits end...

[Reegs]

Under Options>Audio, what driver type is set? (ASIO, MME, WDM?). I would guess that you're likely set to MME or WDM with a high buffer setting. The FW solo will be able to handle a lower buffer. My recommendation is to set the driver mode to WDM with the FW Solo and start with a buffer size of around 20msec, adjusting upwards or downwards as latency/pops and clicks demand.

[TimOBrien]

An education:

Living With Latency
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun07/articles/latency_0607.htm

[MP Magnum]

Most multiple input sound cards include a direct input monitoring switch, that allows the input signal to go directly to the outputs, as well as the recorder, for zero latency. If your card is equipped with this feature, switch it on. That should take care of the problem.

Website:http://MusicProMag.com