Garageband Latency, Guitar Monitioring Options

[roders]

I've been playing about with Garage band & my guitar, plugging my guitar directly into my Mac (with a 1/4 Cinch jack to mini jack lead to plug in) in Audio midi setup I've changed the input (and output) sampling rate to 24Bit, but when I change the input as well as output smalping rate to 96000 Khz (to reduce latency) I get problems.
I can only set either the input or the output to this resolution (not both at the same time, which ever I set first seems to stick, and then whichever I set second doesn't) or I get a click and the resolution immediately sets back. If for some reason the resolution change does stick in Audio Midi setup. As soon as I open Garageband I hear a click, and if I check Audio Midi setup, the resolution has gone back down again.

What I want to know is, is they're a workaround in the OS? Is it a bug in the OS? Is it a limitation of Garageband? Or do I need a separate Audio interface?

P.S Garageband is set to low latency in the prefs and only one audio channel is active/monitored.

Hardware/Software versions

Macmini Core Duo 1.66Ghz 2GB ram, upgraded 7200 rpm internal laptop drive.
Mac OSX 10.5.4 Leopard, Garageband v3

[mortalengines]

Ok...plugging your guitar into the 1/8" jack to get it into the computer is a TERRIBLE way to do it. For something like 49 dollars US you can buy the Line 6 Silver bundle that comes with a USB interface and it offers direct/latency free monitoring. It will sound a whole lot better too.


www.myspace.com/mortal_engines

[mortalengines]

Ok...plugging your guitar into the 1/8" jack to get it into the computer is a TERRIBLE way to do it. For something like 49 dollars US you can buy the Line 6 Silver bundle that comes with a USB interface and it offers direct/latency free monitoring. It will sound a whole lot better too.


www.myspace.com/mortal_engines

[deaconblue]

It is not a bug, but Garage Band doesn't support that resolution. Try backing it down to either 44.1 or 48Khz to be able to use GarageBand. If you want to work at that resolution, you'll need at least Logic Express if not Logic Pro.

And, as mortalengines pointed out, the solution you are using is ok, but not great. If you use a breakout box (M-Box, Presonus FireBox, MOTU [traveller, 828, Line 6 Silver, etc.]) you'll be able to adjust latency in the interface settings.

peace.

[houstonmusic]

I've done the 1/4 to 1/8 thing too, and i've never been able to get the latency to a low enough level that i was very happy with it. okay, but not really good enough. i do show my students how to do it though, just for the giggles of all those amp models and the ease of importing 3rd party midi tracks and playing along for study. (just drag a standard midi blues file, say, into the track window of GB and watch the tracks and correct instruments populate...)

that said, i've been using the line 6 tone port/gear box gold bundle for a while, and it's a much better solution. highly recommended.

[FastEddy]

" ... For something like 49 dollars US you can buy the Line 6 Silver bundle that comes with a USB interface ..."

This will still have a significant latency problem ... mostly because that USB interface is really just 16 bit.

" ... Garage Band doesn't support that resolution ..."

I believe it can if you have true 24bit / 96k input/output hardware connected. Even 24bit/48k (DVD / Dolby 5.1 audio track quality) would still show a latency problem if you go "straight in" through the Apple DAC/ADC.

" ... If you use a breakout box (M-Box, Presonus FireBox, MOTU [traveller, 828, Line 6 Silver, etc.]) you'll be able to adjust latency in the interface settings. ..."

Now That would fix it jus' fine ... MOTU (via FireWire hardware) or the Presonus FireBox = good stuff ...

" ... using the line 6 tone port/gear box gold bundle for a while, and it's a much better solution. ... recommended."

And that's a real good idea, too, although the 24bit is limited to 48K for the "low latency" advertised. Nothing wrong with that at all as one or even two channels of guitar get squirted into your Mac with enough bandwidth to do a really fine job, almost indistinguishable from 24bit/96k. I would recommend this as well.

This post has been edited by FastEddy: Mon 18 Aug 2008, 16:54