Latency, Help clear the confusion Options

[DEVIOUS]

Hi everyone!

I know this topic has been allegedly done a thousand times, yet I have been scanning the pages and am still unclear on an important issue. As far I understand it, latency occurs when you are recording a new track and listening post processing through the computer. Many people have commented on how this can pose a problem, especially to USB audio interfaces. I have been told about direct monitoring- ie listening to the new track before it is processed but this has left me with some confusion.

If I buy a USB interface and record a track, then record another and use direct monitoring, I should be able to play in time yes? Does latency become more of a problem when you start laying down 20 or 30 audio tracks? I don't intend to record more than 2 simultaneously but do want to layer complex songs. Basically, I am intending to tip toe into the shallow end of computer production with a Tascam Us122 and Tracktion. However, I am starting to consider (if this will inhibit me recording more than a couple of tracks without the computer screwing around) investing in a s/h motu 428 and start with Tracktion, maybe moving to logic. I also will want to have a go with some soft synths and I know these are a potential problem for recording.

Please help us out!

D.

[kolo]

There are two kinds of latency. ONE: The track you are recording at the moment is sounding delayed because of the time it takes the computer and audio interface to take the sound you input in, turn it into digital information and then turn that back to sound so you can hear it. The US-122 will simply split up the audio signal you are putting into it and send it to your headphones as well as to the computer. Your software should sync everything up because it "knows" how long it takes to turn the sound into bits and places them in sync with the tracks already there for future playback. The number of tracks you have , 10 -20 -100, will either ALL play back or ALL will start to sputter and not sound if you have more than your computer can play back with it's processing power. It's not like tracks 1-10 will play in time and 11 on up will be struggling to keep up... But this is not latency, it's just reaching the limit of what your computer can process at once.
TWO: Latency playing soft synths or sample based computer instruments. You play a key on your midi keyboard and it takes time for the message to go into the computer, tell the computer to sound a certain sound on a soft synth. The computer actually has to create this sound at the same time as it is playing back a backing track, possibly recording audio, and playing back other synths. the faster your processor on your computer the less of a lag you'll get. On most new computers you probably won't even notice any delay. But start layering lots of these and your computer will crap out. Don't forget, your computer's processor is also drawing images on the monitor, controlling the spinning drives, keeping time, checking your email, what ever .. too.
Just do it.