What is the latency with internal built in Mac sound card?

valouzvalouz
edited December 2016 in General Questions
Hello,



I will dig up an old topic but since 8 years I think that may be some improvements happened.



I plan to buy in some months a new computer dedicated for music and certainly this time I will buy a Apple (I hate windows since version 8 and above, the reason why I didn't buy new computer since many years).

I don't know yet if I will buy an imac or a macbook Pro.



My question is simple :



with a now day macbook Pro does the latency still high with the internal sound card?



I know that asio4all exists only for Windows.

To work seriously at home it's not a problem (and mandatory) to plug an external card to record real instruments and/or voice but to play outside only vsti with a small USB midi keyboard it would be one less item to bring... ;)

I am not talking about playing live concert, but just playing let say at my job place on my lunch time for exemple.

Comments

  • leleswamleleswam
    edited 3:50PM
    Hi valouz,



    it depends what do you mean with "high" latency.

    I have a MacBook Pro early 2011 with the following setup:

    -Keyboard: Native Instruments Kontrol S61 connected through USB

    - Logic Pro X with audio buffer set to 128 samples @ 44100Hz



    The latency is negligible (probably under 5ms) even playing fast 32nd notes



    Best Regards,

    Emanuele
  • MSchnellMSchnell
    edited December 2016
    I have no knowledge about Apple latency.



    AFAIK, ASIO4ALL is not necessary with Apple, because it's functionality is built-in in the Apple OS, including the feature to aggregate multiple Audio Steam hardware devices.



    (With Windows, ASIO4ALL is known to introduce several problems rather likely, and with windows most internal audio interfaces introduce rather high latency.)



    For live playing with low latency, I bought a dedicated "live" USB Audio box by Native Instruments. Same worrks really well.



    -Michael
  • LHallLHall
    edited 3:50PM
    I use a 2013 Macbook Pro for live performance using MainStage. 2.6 GHz - Intel Core i7. I have almost no discernible latency. I literally take audio from the headphone jack into my key mixer and it sounds great. I play with a legendary country artist who's FOH engineer has super-sonic hearing. He's totally happy with my sounds. The Macbook Pro hasn't so much as glitched on me more than once or twice.
  • valouzvalouz
    edited 3:50PM
    by the way thanks for your answers.



    As with Windows 10 Microsoft came back to the old type of GUI (like windows 7) i don't have anymore reason to buy an Apple.



    If i would have a lot of money il will certainly buy the new MacPro but as for the price of a Mac Air i can have a PC laptop with 16 GB RAM, 256 SSD + 2 x 1 To HD + core i7 + 1 correct sound card (computer that will be my main computer) i think i will stay with Microsoft.



    For the moment...

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