Logic Users Group

What is Low Latency Mode?

As explained earlier, Logic can correct for recording offset created by your audio interface, Core Audio, and Logic‚ as own buffer. However, when you record through plug-ins that cause delay, that delay happens after Logic has internally compensated for record offset. In other words, your recording will be placed on the Arrange late and won't sync up with the rest of your audio.

However, when Low Latency mode is engaged, Logic creates an alternate signal path that completely ignores plug-ins that cause more than a user-defined amount of delay. In other words, if you manually set the delay limit for 5 milliseconds, if there are plug-ins that cause more than 5 ms of delay in the signal path, turning on Low Latency mode will create an alternate signal path without those plug-ins.

This guarantees that the total plug-in delay of the entire signal flow of the selected channel, including any aux channel strips or output channel strips, stays under this user-defined maximum value. To set the maximum plug-in delay for Low Latency mode, open the General tab of the Audio Preferences window and adjust the Limit value in the Plug-in Delay area of the General tab. In addition to using the Low Latency mode button, you can engage Low Latency mode by clicking the Low Latency Mode check box in the General tab of the Audio Preferences window.

With Low Latency mode engaged, your recording will be placed far closer to its 'correct' position when recording through delay-causing effects. We say 'closer' because depending on your latency threshold, there may still be some amount of offset, but not enough for you to notice.

You should be aware that engaging Low Latency mode will most likely change the sound of your track, perhaps drastically, since you are bypassing plug-ins that would otherwise be affecting the sound of your track. For this reason, you should only engage Low Latency mode very briefly, to specifically record tracks through delay-causing plug-ins when you have software monitoring turned on. If you are not using software monitoring, you will not need Low Latency mode. If you are not recording through effects that cause delay, you will not need Low Latency mode.