Use the manufacturer’s driver
On Windows, install the driver the interface maker supplies rather than relying on the operating system’s generic one. This single step is the difference between usable and unusable round-trip latency.
Then set the buffer
A smaller buffer means less delay and more strain; too small produces clicks and dropouts. Start in the middle, reduce until it crackles, then go back one step.
Or sidestep it entirely
Direct monitoring on the interface lets you hear yourself with no delay at all, regardless of the buffer. Record with it on and the delay stops being your problem.
What not to do
Do not compensate by playing early. The recording is time-aligned by the software; what you hear late was recorded on time.
The questions players ask
What is direct monitoring?
Hearing your input straight from the interface rather than after a round trip through the computer. It removes the delay entirely for the performer, and every interface on this site has it.
Does a faster computer fix latency?
Only partly. The dominant factor is the driver and the buffer size, not the processor. A generic driver on a fast machine still produces audible delay.
Last reviewed 2026-08-18
