Latency question

[xtaftx]

So I use a Boss 4-track to record usually, and record the recording to my computer using the line out into my microphone in on my computer to record on adobe audition to get the recording onto my computer. I was thinking I could just bypass the middleman at this point and record to the computer. Whenever I record through the 4-track to Audition, there's latency when recording multiple tracks. Would the problem be solved if I used something like a mic preamp instead of the 4-track, or is the 4 track probably not the problem?

[Charling]

its not a problem as such, more a setting. Converting audio to digital takes some time and will always incur latency.

You need to work out where the latency is happening, and then adjust a setting on that device. i assume the boss is a digital 4 track? If you are going direct into the boss using it as a recorder then recording the result out to a computer (in real time) then the boss' A/D and D/A will be adding to the inherant latency of your computers soundcard. A mic or instrument preamp has no direct effect on latency, they are just analog amps. but if you are fundmentally just using the boss as a gain stage then be aware that to do so it may be converting to digital and back, which will add a lot of latency. in that case a more standard gain stage may be needed.

Fundamentally you want to make sure your setup only has one digital conversion. Thats the point where latency occurs and any more than one conversion on the way to a recording is unnecessary, degrading to the signal and latency inducing. I'm not sure how you are using the boss exactly, if you are using some kind of direct i/o instrument preamp then it may be that the latency is coming soley from your computer soundcard (common on stock soundcard default settings) in which case you have to delve into the control panel and change the 'buffer size' setting to something lower, which will reduce the time it takes the soundcard to process the audio, at the cost of greater computer power requirements! If it will not let you then a driver upgrade or ideally a soundcard upgrade (to a firewire or usb interface) may be the way to go.