Performance Aspects

Tracks and Effects

The faster your computer, the more tracks, effects, and EQs you are able to play. An accurate definition of what constitutes a fast computer is almost a science in itself, but some hints are given below.

Short Response Times (Latency)

One important aspect of performance is response time. The term “latency” refers to the buffering, that is, the temporary storing of small chunks of audio data at various stages of the recording and playback processes on a computer. The larger those chunks, and the more there are, the higher the latency.

High latency is most irritating when playing VST instruments and when monitoring through the computer, that is, when listening to a live audio source via the Cubase MixConsole and effects. However, very long latency times (several hundred milliseconds) can also affect other processes like mixing, for example, when the effect of a fader movement is only heard after a noticeable delay.

While Direct Monitoring and other techniques reduce the problems associated with very long latency times, a system that responds fast will always be more convenient to work with.

  • Depending on your audio hardware, it may be possible to trim your latency times, usually by lowering the size and the number of buffers.

  • For details, refer to the audio hardware documentation.

Audio Hardware and Driver

The hardware and its driver can affect regular performance. A badly written driver can reduce the performance of your computer. However, when it comes to latency, the choice of a suitable hardware driver can make all the difference.

Note

We recommend that you use audio hardware for which there is a specific ASIO driver.

This is especially true when using Cubase for Windows:

  • Under Windows, ASIO drivers written specifically for the hardware are more efficient than the Generic Low Latency ASIO Driver and produce shorter latency times.

  • Under macOS, audio hardware with properly written macOS (Core Audio) drivers can be very efficient and produces very low latency times.

However, there are additional features only available with ASIO drivers, such as the ASIO Positioning Protocol.