User`s guide

Maestro Low Latency Mixing
A bit of background information concerning latency and computer-based digital recording setups will help you better
understand these functions.
When recording with most computer-based digital audio applications, the delay between the input and output of the
recording system often disturbs the timing of the musicians performing. This delay, known as latency, means that the
musician hears the notes played a few milliseconds after having actually played them. As anyone who has spoken on a
phone call with echo knows, relatively short delays can confuse the timing of any conversation, spoken or musical.
Figure A
To illustrate the effect of latency, Figure A depicts the typical signal path of a vocal overdub session. A vocalist sings
into a microphone, which is routed to an analog to digital converter, then to the audio software application for
recording. In the software application, the vocalist’s live signal is mixed with the playback of previously recorded
tracks, routed to a digital to analog converter, and nally to the vocalist’s headphones. A slight delay accumulates at
each conversion stage, while a much greater amount of delay occurs through the software application, resulting in
the vocalist hearing his performance in headphones delayed by several milliseconds.
Software Setup - Apogee Duet User’s Guide
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