Lowest Latency Audio Interface

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

I’ve had a nice long experience with Elektron gear and Hardware only up to this point and I’m getting ready to bring the computer back into the mix.

I have an ERM multiclock which will handle MIDI and clocking but I’m looking to upgrade my audio interface.

Most important features for me:

•Audio Quality
•Lowest Latency

I’m not concerned with input or output counts, just at least stereo of each.

I have a 2016 MacBook Pro 15”

Apogee Element (46 maybe) is my main contender right now.
Anybody have any experience with one?

I’ve been out of the computer music world for a bit so I’m looking for input or any other suggestions I may be unaware of.

Just looking for lowest latency possible with good quality A/D - D/A

#2

According to SOS, the PreSonus Quantum’s latency spec is unrivaled by any other non pci-e audio interface.

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/presonus-quantum

“The lowest available buffer size is still 32 samples, but when I chose this setting at 44.1kHz, Reaper reported that the input latency was 0.9ms and the output latency 1.0ms, giving a reported round-trip latency of just 1.9ms. I tested this figure by looping an output back to an input, and found that a re-recorded audio file lined up perfectly with the original, confirming that it is accurate. Even raising the buffer size to 64 samples yields a round-trip latency of just 3.4ms, which is better than any other Thunderbolt interface I’ve tested can manage at 32 samples”

_

I imagine the “Quantum 2” with less i/o would work with the same performance.

3 Likes
#3

Very interesting. Nice to finally see interfaces starting to support the extremely low latency that was promised when Thunderbolt first arrived!

Any others you’re aware of?

#4

I don’t have a number but it has less latency than my Apollo solo

https://us.focusrite.com/thunderbolt-audio-interfaces/clarett-8pre

#6

It’s almost impossible to go wrong with RME. Best drivers in the business and they support their products for a very long time. I don’t know if they have the lowest latency, but they are very solid, stable and sound fantastic. I’ve had a couple of their products over the years and was never disappointed.

I have a UAD Apollo Twin now, but will be making the switch back over to RME at some point. I do like the Twin and will keep it as a portable recording solution, but will have to get a PCI-e or external unit for the studio. All in all very expensive swap around, so I’m in no hurry.

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#7

RME is the only brand I would recommend.

Most stable drivers.

I have a 10+ years old FF400 and a recent Babyface Pro.

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#9

Any of the big names with Thunderbolt will give you tiny latency and great quality I expect, the problem comes when how you intend to use it. I use UAD Apollo stuff (8 and 16mk2) and this has the ability to have zero latency if you use the plugins in the UAD console (ie not ‘software monitoring’ in Logic). However if you want to insert plugins in the DAW and monitor through those then you’re into software monitoring in the DAW and that can be a bit laggy (as you are then using your computer handle small latency, not the interface)- Logic has a ‘low latency’ button which works for tracking by disabling latency inducing plugins, but there can be other issues.

#10

Thanks for the recommendations guys, I’ll look into all of these.

Apogee Element claims 1.41ms round trip latency.

They also talk about a special DMA use in their drivers which prevent heavy load on the cpu at extremely low buffer settings. I’d like feedback from someone with actual experience to see if their claims are real.

RME is definitely on my radar too. I’ve performed at many shows where a lot of the bigger acts (and friends) were using RME interfaces, so I know they are solid.

I never considered Presonus but I’ll look into those.

I had a Motu which was a workhorse but I’m wanting to take another step up in Audio quality and especially latency.

#11

The first post has lots of info. RME gets lots of praise for stable drivers.

im
im.jpg783×1057 261 KB

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#12

the cryo master 2000…

Quantum mechanics work differently at - 273 Celsius

pain in the ass to keep the truck deliveries coming with all that liquid nitro

yeah

but I love myself some nice zero latency

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#14

I rock an apogee ensemble thunderbolt and it’s excellent. As a guitar player running through software lowest possible latency is super important for me.

My old interface was giving me over 10ms and would increase with some plugins. I literally spent a fortune which I don’t usually have just to shave down that latency, but also was a pretty great improvement with fidelity. Best move I could have done for a software guitar player, I pretty much bought my “feeling right in the groove” back…

I’ve been running it at 96k and have something like 1.8ms using a 64 buffer, I believe it’s 1.1 at 32…
Even at 128 or 256 at 96k it’s pretty low, I can check in a bit when I power up for the day…

The dma engine does something but I don’t know how dramatic a difference it is. Since I moved to this interface I’ve also moved to mostly using hardware, so my cpu load is in general much less than it was before. In this light it’s hard to give a comparison of cpu performance because I’m not taxing the cpu while using this unit like I was when I had my other interface…

I’ve not had it glitch at 96k 32 buffer recording maybe 4 audio tracks, alchemy, retro synth, using effectrix and tornado, and some compressors, delays, and reverbs… But I’m not doing much more than that lately. I vaguely remmember testing the logic demo at 96/32 when I got it, and it played fine…
Running a 2012 macbook pro i7…

I can’t recommend this interface enough, the sound quality is stellar…
I believe the elements use the same hardware but I might be wrong. There’s great integration with logic, the preamp controls and things show up right in logics audio tracks. Pretty soon there is going to be a major upgrade and we’ll actually get dsp dynamic effects, and a whole new flexible control software with iOS remote and all sorts of new goodies, for elements too…

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#15

That latency number is for real just make sure you are doing 96k sessions. 44.1 the latency is much higher for some reason. Now if you add plugins that require some CPU that number goes up, but still the latency is lower than my Apollo solo.

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#16

lol my friend/bandmate did a goofy promo vid for the clarett

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#17

It’s hard to not recommend RME

1 Like
#18

Thanks for this detailed response! I know you have a higher end Apogee interface but the way the I perceive it you get the same thing in Hardware and drivers with the Element interfaces. I think the in/out count, display, and controls bring up the price on the Symphony and others.

I definitely have to look very hard at RME, constantly praised it seems.

#19

Interesting that the latency for this interface is higher for Ableton Live than Cubase or Logic (according to the chart on that page)

#20

Too bad this list doesn’t include the Apogee interfaces… I know being Mac only puts them off a lot of people’s radar.

And just so you know my MOTU interface is a Ultralite MK3 but pre-usb/FireWire so FireWire only. Just time to upgrade…it’s really beat up :face_with_head_bandage:

1 Like
#21

Yes, I think the elements have the same converters and latency, I’ll look later, it might be the case that the ensemble is a hair faster, it’s faster than the symphony even… If it is I doubt it’s by much…

Having this low latency has opened up all sorts of doors for me, I can send signals through the computer, back out to other stuff, and back in, and it’s still playable…
I seem to be able to trick my Iconnect and overbridge by using an aggregate with the apogee at 96k, and having the others set to resample. Roundtrip with IPad included in aggregate was like 4 or 5ms, when it was much higher in aggregate with a FireWire device, and I believe faster than just using the iconnect by itself because of something to do with it being resampled by aggregate driver at 96k…

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#22

I’m sure with high sierra the numbers could be better for non apple daws. No one has done a more cent shootout. Still it’s nice to have a low latency card to finger drum and record to. :slight_smile:

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#23

That’s what I’m looking for. I want the computer to feel like a piece of hardware and I have no issues limiting my virtual instruments/plugins to keep the latency low.

I started on garbage computers so committing to audio is second nature for me. But it’s nice to be able to keep a few plugins live while everything is being gelled together.

1 Like