Bad delay through midi keyboard?

[Trifid]

Hello.

I have recently purchased a M-Audio Sono 61 keyboard which I am planning to use with a notation program such as Sibelius. However I have a problem where there is a really bad delay when using midi. The below video shows you what I mean:

When I first load up Finale and play there is minimal delay, I then select VST and select the piano stave and get next to no delay. I then go back to midi and the latency is unplayable (can play 2 notes before the first sounds). This is the same in Sibelius (although I haven't worked out how to switch between midi and VST like the above video).

My soundcard is a M-audio 2496 and I'm connecting the keyboard through USB and using the latest drivers.

I've tried the keyboard on another computer for the same result. I've not tried listening to just the keyboard as I don't have suitable headphones (need 1/4" jacks). Ultimately I will be using VSTs with Garritan Personal Orchestra but don't wish to spend a fortune on software and risk getting the same result.


Has anyone else had this problem?

Thanks.

 

[Trifid]

My soundcard comes with proper ASIOv2 drivers (which I was using). However I tried asio4all and it is still the same.

 

[Trifid]

CPU is an Intel i7 920, HDD is a Samsung 1TB 7200rpm, and it is the VST instruments that are builtm into the demo vesions of both Sibelius and Finale, installed on C.


The buffer size makes no noticeable difference compared when on the lowest setting.


I thought VST was OK based on my video (well it sounds horrid but the response from pressing a note is instantaneous)?

 

[Trifid]

Would using a midi cable instead of USB solve the problem? I have midi IO on my PCI soundcard.

 

[Trifid]

I'll see if I can pick up a MIDI cable today.

# Have you got latest drivers for both the Sono 61 and 2496?

Yes, there is only one set of drivers for the sound card. but latest keyboard drivers from the website.

# Changing the ASIO buffer size in the M-Audio control panel should make a noticeable difference (certainly been the case with everything from Soundblaster cards to Protools HD/Prism rigs i've used) to the latency; i'm guessing it's set fairly low (128/256ms etc) though?

I've tried the lowest and highest and everything between, they are all unplayable.

# When you tried it on another computer, were you using Sibelius/Finale again? Did you use the same audio interface as well?

I was using Sibelius but it was using the integrated soundcard in the laptop.

# Have you tried other software (perhaps a DAW like Cubase/Live/Protools, even FLStudio) outside of Finale and Sibelius? Or even standlone plugins like Akoustik/N.I Komplete package etc?

I've tried Ableton Live Lite 7 and the drum beats when using ASIO are instantaneous. These are obviously VSTs being played back to me through the computer, which I'd have thought would be more demanding than inbuilt midi sounds from the keyboard?

# Open up Resource Monitor and see if the CPU/Disk IO/Memory is being heavily taxed, although usually it'd result it 'stuttering' sound rather than delayed latency.

They barely registering any load.

I'd also have a quick scout in your device manager and just make sure everything is installed correctly.

Just some VMware network adapters saying they have been disabled (which I did).

Edit - It's been a while since i've used Sibelius but i'm sure there is an auto latency correction option in one of the menus, make sure that is disabled.

I can't find anything about this?


Thanks.