Cubase LE4 and Lexicon Omega issues

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Novocaine Records Engineer
Member Since: Feb 21, 2009

I own a Lexicon Omega interface and run it into my laptop equipped with Cubase LE4. I've been recording my band at home and several other bands. I'm having issues while I record while listening to playback, there are all sorts of stalls, pops, glips, and stalls in my recording. Sometimes I get lucky and it doesn't happen. The more tracks I record at a time the worse off it is. I called bestbuy they said my computer needed more Ram, it only has 1 gig, I called guitar center, they said 1 gig of ram was plenty and it's probably my interface.
I visisted a studio that my band used to record at, and the engineer there said that its' a latency issue or a buffering speed issue. I'd lie to know if anyone's got any suggestions, before I got spend money on ram, or break my computer. I'm starting a small label, and I have bands waiting on me, I can't have to keep dealing with these issues when customers are paying buy the hour, please help!!
Thanks

-Daniel
(Anesthetic Frank)
Novocaine Records

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Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Feb 21, 2009 08:30 pm

First off, welcome to HRC.

Secondly, never, ever, ever believe what some idiot at GC tell's you. Unless you know for a fact he has been recording for 15 years and absolutely knows his stuff. The dude is dead wrong. While it is workable to be at 1 gig of ram, it is definitely not plenty or near it.

Here is the rundown on what you can do for starter's.

Add more ram, the more the better. If you are serious about recording and are being paid to do it, then add as much as it will hold. You don't want any issues arising at all and the cost is nothing if your serious about this.

I hate to put it bluntly but I will. Dump the Lexicon for a real reliable interface. If you run a search of the forum on Lexicon interfaces, especially the Omega you will see about a dozen folks with huge issues. Some have been fixed, but most have not without serious work. Again, this boils down to how serious you want to be with recording other bands and get paid for it. I'm not trying to be bummer here, but it is a simple fact. If I were recording in a studio and it wasn't running up to par I would be gone. A mistake or two can be forgiven. But huge delays due to issues that need not arise I would not tolerate at all.


Now, on the latency issue. He is absolutely correct on that. You need to learn how to set your buffer's and work within the equipments limits if you are going to go that route.

Buffers up will increase latency but allow playback of huge track counts without any added crap. For recording though you do not want the buffers way up or that will cause huge latency, which is a delay in what you hear as it is being recorded.

Hope you don't take this as a real bummer, but I'm just giving you the cold hard facts on what you are up against.

There are probably another 20 or so guys in your town doing exactly what you are and trying to do it. They are just waiting to swoop in and pick up anything that falls out of another studio or what have you. So you will need to be set up and problem free if you want to make it work.

Feel free to ask more question's or for deeper answers if there is anything that needs a better answer.

Novocaine Records Engineer
Member
Since: Feb 21, 2009


Feb 21, 2009 09:21 pm

sorry bout the double post, i'm new to forums, i just needed help

i do very much plan on upgrading my interface, but for the time being, my income is almost nothing, i have gear that i have to work with, i can barely change my bass strings for my band

so for now i think i'm going to try and work with the lexicon, its workable, i just have to keep re-recording the parts that get messed up, the biggest problem is when it just stops recording for like a half second hten starts up again, i think i read somewhere that it may have to do with the fact that i have my lexicon inputs for inputs, but my output goes to my headphone out on my laptop, would that affect anything? running two different drivers like that?

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Feb 21, 2009 09:38 pm

Dude, you eve started a third thread which jumped off the same subject you had in the second thread you have going here.

And yes, running two different audio drivers from one recording app is a bad thing. Especially when one of the driver set is a generic on board audio chip.

Why are you not running the output of the Lexicon?

producer
Member
Since: Dec 07, 2006


Feb 21, 2009 09:49 pm

I would say you probably want eveything to go through the Omega.

Noize brought up a great point about people looking to scoop up any residual business. Most of the home/private studios that I know of have AT LEAST 4 times the inputs as the Omega so make sure your cutting some quality recordings with no hassles - get to know your system front to back.

Novocaine Records Engineer
Member
Since: Feb 21, 2009


Feb 22, 2009 12:45 am

the way i have my station set up is there is a splitter comin from my headphone jack, one to a pair of headphones the other to a PA i have, i do this because, i listen to music through my PA, when my interface is off,
if i switch both drivers to the lexicon, should that clear up some stuff, or do you think ram still has somethin do with it?

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Feb 22, 2009 12:52 pm

That may help clear up some stuff. But as has been stated already there are many other issues you need to deal with as well. Ram, yes that is almost a must have to get things stable. Adjusting the latency buffer's is a must do, no question there at all.

So get your driver situation set first. Try it out, then work on the latency buffer's to try and get that figured out. Then if you are still suffering and can't get good playback with a low latency setting, then head out for a RAM upgrade.

Try it in that order and you'll be on your way.

Novocaine Records Engineer
Member
Since: Feb 21, 2009


Feb 24, 2009 12:04 am

i switched the divers all over to the lexicon for ins and outs, but i can't figure out how to manipulate the buffer and latency stuff...

Prince CZAR-ming
Member
Since: Apr 08, 2004


Feb 24, 2009 06:03 am

I wouldn't be saying it's the ram unless you see the ram being used up. I have 1g ram on my rig, and running 6 instances of Garritan, plus other audio tracks still only used like 450meg. That's total, including windows in memory.

So, i'd say to open your perf mon, or whatever and watch your memory. If it's staying under 500 meg (which i think it will) then i wouldn't rush towards more memory just yet.

Also, you don't specify what type of laptop. Normally, laptops aren't known for great hard drive speed. The HD certainly can affect performance, if you're tracking more than 2 channels.

Like said above, I would not take on any new projects / clients until you are very stable. Nobody wants to re-record a great take because it glitched halfway through. Better to not work at all with people, than to work with them and make a bad name for yourself.

are you using ASIO for interface driver? there should be an asio control panel, or something similar. Also, if lexicon doesn't offer asio drivers, then asio4all can probably be used.

Do you have memory cleaned out for recording? for instance, all non-necessary programs removed from memory, all un-needed services stopped, the pc basically tweaked for clean and fast running. These all can affect perf, and give you hiccups.

Novocaine Records Engineer
Member
Since: Feb 21, 2009


Feb 24, 2009 11:35 am

what's asio4all, and where can i get it?

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Feb 24, 2009 11:35 am

ever used Google

www.asio4all.com

:-)

Novocaine Records Engineer
Member
Since: Feb 21, 2009


Feb 24, 2009 08:04 pm

i downloaded and installed the asio4all drivers, how do i get my computer and/or cubase to recognize it now?

Novocaine Records Engineer
Member
Since: Feb 21, 2009


Feb 24, 2009 10:09 pm

okay, so i got cubase to recognize the asio4all, now i'm stuck on my input/output set up, the asio control panel shows my inputs from the my lexicon interface, but it wont let me activate them, or maybe it will, i just don't know how...

Inactive
Since: Nov 16, 2008


Feb 26, 2009 08:46 pm

hi goodnigh
after been a pain in the neck for so long i decided to jump on this thread cause it have what i wanted ask.
Ok this is my delema
the lexicon omega have to much issues so im trying to get rid of and try my hands on presonus but i dont have no idea about the presonus so all i need is your input if the presonus is the same as the omega or is it better and if i can get better result from it thank you in advance

http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member
Since: Nov 27, 2007


Feb 26, 2009 10:36 pm

dunno bout the presonus. but,

how in the hell are they allowed to sell these Omega's????

do any of them work??

they should be dragged thru the courts about it, and the money raised should go to some musicians type fund!

Member
Since: Oct 16, 2007


Feb 26, 2009 11:01 pm

If you can give me any detail of a good working mixer hardware i dont even know what they call them but you can tell me wich one is better i would gladly buy one cause im tired of the omega i really need something after all the computer problem i had now to have the omega working bad too is to much.
i will be waiting for your reply
thank you

I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003


Feb 27, 2009 11:07 am

There are tons of factors that go into choosing an interface. You might want to start a new thread and detail what your goals are for your home studio, how many instruments you'll be recording at one time, etc. It'd be better than hijacking this guy's thread, and much more polite.

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