Soundcard/DAC with ZLM ?

ttaskmaster

ttaskmaster

ttaskmaster

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Are there any soundcards or DAC-type things out there that have either Zero Latency Monitoring, or at least monitoring latency so short it's imperceptible?

Hoping desperately that I don't have to go back to USB 7.1 sound...
 
You can't have zero latency, but you can get low latency devices.

What exactly are you trying to do that you are having latency issues with?
 
For some reason the 'listen to this device' option in Windows recording option seems to introduce delay, which didn't happen with XP. A result of Microsoft screwing around with the way sound works since Vista I guess.

I've seen someone mention about another way of doing it, but looking in my sound settings, those options are not there. Have a look at method 2, on this website. You may have those options available. If not there might be an option in the sound card you are using. I've seen that on the Xonar cards I've used, but whether it works better than 'listen to this device' I don't know.

If you get no joy there, then you'll probably have to get an audio interface. Possibly something from Focusrite. If you need more than stereo though, whether it 5.1/7.1 output, or surround sound effect over headphones be, then you'll be stuck to using a sound card.
 
I never had delay with in-Windows monitoring (Listen To This Device) until I switched from USB headsets - Obviously there is some delay due to the processing on a soundcard, but this was even using the on-board sound, too.
I'm talking ¼ to ½ a second delay, perhaps a bit more. I could deal with a few ms, but this is way too long and more like a full-on echo.

I know pro audio devices do have a 'ZLM mode' or socket which bridges the mic straight to the output. I was just wondering if there was a fairly straightforward, less über-pro solution for us basic users.
 
No delay when using USB headset? Interesting.

USB headsets essentially have a sound card built in, so really there should be little difference between a USB sound card and a USB headset. Both process the sound.

I wonder if when using a USB headset, there is an additional layer that it doesn't have to go through, that is happening with a sound card, whether it be internal or USB?

I suppose drivers could be a factor, but surely USB headsets have additional drivers and software that has to be installed?
 
Marsman said:
No delay when using USB headset? Interesting.
Click to expand...
Well, no perceptible delay, at any rate...

Marsman said:
USB headsets essentially have a sound card built in, so really there should be little difference between a USB sound card and a USB headset.
Click to expand...
No no, my USB headsets were fine, even with LTTD enabled. Pretty great, in fact.
No, I had to switch to a 3.5mm jacked headset and, because the on-board was naff, ended up getting a Xonar DX2.

Marsman said:
I suppose drivers could be a factor, but surely USB headsets have additional drivers and software that has to be installed?
Click to expand...
There are software suites, but I never bothered. Just stuck with the generic Windows whatever from when I first plugged the USB ones in. Sound was good, performance was fine, ZLM effect exactly what I wanted.
Just wanted to get that same experience from this more in-depth kit, too... not that a Steelseries Siberia V2 is particularly advanced, or anything...!!
 
Have you tried looking in the recording section in the Xonar CP (assuming you still have it) and enabling monitoring for the microphone?
 
I expect so, although it was a while back that I even bothered fiddling and I don't recall it helping. I've ended up either hanging one earcup off the side of my head, or just not playing at all.

I'm using UNi Xonar drivers/CP, if that helps?
 
I wonder whether the ASIO drivers would make any difference. Been a while since I installed Uni for Xonar drivers, but I seem to recall there was an ASIO option.
 
Checked again last night - UNi Xonar does have monitoring and it's better than most other options... but the delay is still long enough to create an echo effect.
I recall several mentions of ASIO on the UNi forums and I know my system has it installed in some capacity, but I don't believe it was of any use.
 
I don't mean separate ASIO software installation, I mean there were options when installing Uni drivers, one was for an ASIO installation. How that differs I'm not sure. Whether it just installs ASIO as well as the drivers, rather than having to install ASIO separately, or whether the drivers work differently in some way, I don't know.

The idea though, is that ASIO allows software to directly take control of the device, which removes other processing by Windows, which may be the cause of the added delay. Whether that would solve the problem though, I don't know.

For some reason using a USB headset must be free of this extra processing which is adding to the delay. Really a USB headset should be no different to a sound card. The microphone and headphone parts of any headset are both analogue, so both have to be converted to and from digital, which has to add some delay, even if it's not perceivable. That's either done within the headset in the case of USB, as it's a digital connection, or the sound card does it if the headset just has analogue jacks.

There might be a solution, but I'm stumped as to what it is, other than buying an audio interface which is designed for this kind of thing.
 
Marsman said:
I don't mean separate ASIO software installation, I mean there were options when installing Uni drivers, one was for an ASIO installation.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's where mine would have come from.
I don't even know what ASIO really is, especially. I just got the drivers everyone recommended, which looks to include this ASIO.

Marsman said:
The idea though, is that ASIO allows software to directly take control of the device, which removes other processing by Windows, which may be the cause of the added delay.
Click to expand...
I recall seeing that as a settings option, but IIRC it's selected and doesn't seem to make any difference.
I've also disabled all sound features on everything in the BIOS and removed all the Nvidia stuff, leaving just the Xonar options in the Control Panel sound options.
 
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