Latency and Buffers
What the toolbar latency number means, how buffer size trades latency against stability, and how FX plugins add delay.
Latency is the delay between audio entering Routling and leaving it. Lower is better for anything live; too low and you get dropouts.
The toolbar readout#
The toolbar shows one number: total latency through the longest path your audio actually takes.
512 smp │ 10.7 msWith no FX Modules on the canvas that is just the device buffer. Add one and the number grows to include it. Hover the readout for the breakdown:
Because it always describes the worst path in the graph, it is the number to judge whether a setup is usable live.
Buffer size#
Buffer size is how many samples the engine processes per callback. It is the main latency control, set from the toolbar.
Available sizes: 32, 48, 64, 96, 128, 192, 256, 384, 512, 768, 1024, 1536, 2048, 3072, 4096 samples.
At 48 kHz:
| Buffer | Latency | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| 32-64 | 0.7-1.3 ms | Live monitoring on strong hardware |
| 128-256 | 2.7-5.3 ms | General live use - a good default |
| 512-1024 | 10.7-21.3 ms | Streaming, playback, complex graphs |
| 2048+ | 42 ms+ | Troubleshooting dropouts only |
The arithmetic is buffer ÷ sample rate. At 48 kHz, 256 samples is 256 ÷ 48000 = 5.3 ms.
Choosing one#
Start at 256. If you hear crackling, pops or dropouts, go up one step. If you need tighter monitoring and your machine is coping, go down one step.
Higher buffer = more stable, more latency, less CPU load per second. Lower buffer = tighter timing, more CPU pressure, more risk of dropouts.
Sample rate#
Set from the device menu. The choices are 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz.
Higher rates lower latency slightly at the same buffer size but cost proportionally more CPU. 48 kHz is the right default - it matches what Windows, streaming platforms and most plugins expect.
Changing it reopens the device.
Secondary device buffering#
Secondary devices (WASAPI, MME, KS, App Capture) do not share the primary device's clock. They are buffered separately, and that buffer is set in Preferences → Devices:
| Setting | Added latency | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Unsafe | ~21 ms | Lowest latency, on stable devices |
| Safer | ~43 ms | A good balance |
| Safest | ~85 ms | Maximum stability, recommended for WDM. The default |
If a secondary device crackles while your ASIO path is clean, this is the setting to raise - not the main buffer.
FX Module latency#
Each FX Module adds:
- One processing block of structural delay - inherent to the module
- Each active plugin's own reported latency - linear-phase EQs and lookahead limiters can add tens of milliseconds
The FX Module shows its own IN→OUT latency in samples. Bypassing a plugin removes its contribution.
If your latency figure jumps after adding a plugin, that plugin is the cause. Lookahead and linear-phase processing are the usual suspects.
Reducing latency#
In order of effect:
- Lower the buffer size - the biggest single lever.
- Remove or bypass high-latency plugins - check each one's contribution.
- Use ASIO for everything you can - secondary devices always cost more.
- Lower the secondary device buffer - if secondaries are in your live path.
- Shorten the chain - each FX Module adds at least one block.
Related#
- Primary and Secondary Devices - why secondaries cost more
- FX Module - plugin chains
- Troubleshooting - dropouts and crackling