Guitar + Reaktor

Hi all,

I have made a very basic ensemble consisting of an L (audio input) some effects and an R (audio output) in order to manipulate the sound of my guitar. I encountered two problems:

1) There is a distracting latency. I can hear the guitar sound processed through Reaktor distractingly later than my amp. How can I avoid that? Is it because I plug the guitar through line-in via a very simple converter (only a plastic with a jack input ) ? I have checked out the latency value from the Audio+MIDI settings, it says there is a lantency of 16 ms. What can I do?

2) This is not related to Reaktor, but, how can I make the sound coming out of Reaktor much bigger? By buying a bigger sound system ? ( Maybe I am asking too much; I am only using a pair of Creative loudspeakers and expecting a big sound)

Thanks.

 

yes, you'll need better loudspeakers - proper studio monitors (brands like Mackie, Tapco, KRK, Tannoy, Samson, plenty of others). Also... with your guitar you'll be hearing both input latency - the time it takes your computer to encode audio and pass it on to Reaktor - and output latency, which is the time it takes to send the audio from Reaktor to your speakers. It might be that 16ms is just the input or the output latency but not both, maybe?

I tried to make a live FX ensemble for a percussionist working with a DJ, and 20ms (input and output) was enough to annoy us.

D

 

btw, are you using Reaktor's L and R Audio output?

1) are you using a Mac or PC? how (and what are you using) to connect your guitar to your computer?

2) Creative Loudspeakers won't give you a big sound.

sowari

 

Reaktor's latency settings only give you output latency. Your thru latency (in>processing time>out) will be at least double that.

ew

 

I am using a PC and I'm plugging the guitar using the line-in port. I use a simple jack-converter. Maybe I should use a mixer or box. What box would you recommend?

How about M-Audio Studiophile AV 20 speakers? I am considering to get a pair of these.

 

btw, are you using any sort of soundcard with your PC?

ok, i am on a Mac where latency acts in a different way, meaning that a latency of 16 ms sounds and feels fine.

anyway, when i plug my guitar into my computer, i use my MBox2 Mini which came with my copy of Pro Tools. i have used this with Pro Tools, Guitar Rig (inside Kore2), and Reaktor with no problems.

i would suggest your jack converter is not really doing that much for the sound of the guitar. and that you need to spend some money on a decent sound card for your computer that has an input that can be used for a guitar.

some other people will be better placed to recommend sound card, but i would suggest this is more of an immediate priority than the speakers.

btw, i also have a Creative system with 2 satellite speakers and sub-woofer and my guitar can sound pretty good through that with the Mbox2 Mini.

i also have no opinion on those M-Audio Speakers.

oh yes, when you put your guitar through your computer you should not also monitoring it through your guitar amp.

sowari

 

Latency is good. Just pretend you are a big rock star playing in a big stadium. Use the latency to give you feedback delay like playing off a Marshall stack. 16msec is about 18 feet.