How do I troubleshoot latency?

Latency is the time your device takes to process sound from your microphone, and send it back to your speakers. The length of this delay depends on your device and any other hardware you use such as headphones or external microphones. Although there’s no way to completely fix latency, we can help you work around it.

Note: There is not currently a fix for latency on iOS as it is automatically compensated. Latency should be minimal, but you may experience some delay when using Bluetooth.

Below are some common issues related to latency and the solution:

Audio recordings are lagging behind, even though I performed it in time

Retry the latency test
The latency test helps measure how much BandLab should realign your recordings. Make sure the microphone can clearly hear the sound from your speakers

Try the latency test with your actual recording setup
If you’re still facing issues, the headphones or external microphone you’re using to record may be changing the overall latency. Try performing latency test with your recording hardware all connected:

  • Plug in your headphones and anything else you use during recording

  • Put your headphones/speakers right up to your microphone (do not wear your headphones!)

  • Turn the volume up until the microphone can clearly pick up the speaker sound

  • Run the test

We don’t recommend this by default because it can be a little awkward to do correctly. But for certain setups, this can make a big difference.

Manually adjust latency compensation (Android only)
If the problem persists, you can manually adjust the compensation amount in the advanced settings: Studio Editor Settings > Latency Fix > Advanced Settings.

Use the Shift feature for existing regions. (Android & iOS only)
If you’ve already recorded a section you want to keep, you can select the region and use the Shift feature to line it back up.

I sound delayed in my microphone when using real-time monitoring

Avoid using Bluetooth devices
Bluetooth connection has a natural latency that can’t be removed, so we do not recommend using Bluetooth devices for recording. If you still want to use Bluetooth, you can reduce the latency by making sure the Bluetooth device is fully charged and held close to your device, but there's nothing you can do to get rid of it for good.

Try another pair of headphones
For specific Android devices, some headphones will communicate faster to the device than others. We’ve seen examples of reducing up to around 30ms of latency with different sets of headphones.

I’ve tried the above steps. Anything else I can do?
Unfortunately, there’s not much to be done for real-time monitoring. Latency is introduced by your device when it processes audio and communicates with hardware such as speakers and microphones. Some devices and setups have lower latency than others, but even the world’s best recording studio has to deal with latency somehow.

If it’s still an issue, we do not recommend using real-time monitoring on your device. However, our latency test will still help you align your new recordings, so you can still get great results.

The latency test is giving strange or unreliable results

Retry the latency test
Results over 250ms may just be from poor test conditions. Make sure the microphone can clearly pick up the sound from your speakers

Manually adjust latency compensation (Android only)
Open the Studio Settings > Latency Fix > Advanced Settings to manually adjusting the compensation amount under Advanced Settings if things still aren’t lining up.

Use the Shift feature for existing regions. (Android & iOS only)
If you’ve already recorded a section you want to keep, you can select the region, tap on the Triple-dot Icon, and use the Shift feature to line it back up.

The latency gets worse as I add more parts

If your revision starts to require more processing than your device can handle, you may hear glitches and blips during playback, but latency is usually consistent regardless of revision size.

Retry the latency test
Latency usually doesn’t change noticeably within a session. But if Latency Fix was not precise enough, that small difference may accumulate as you continue to record with parts that are out of sync, and it may seem like latency is getting progressively worse. Make sure the microphone can clearly hear the sound from your speakers

Turn off effects while recording
Audio effects
and AutoPitch can also add latency. You can try removing these just when you record and monitor a track

My audio gets slow or glitchy during playback

Your device may be having a hard time keeping up with the needed processing during playback. You can use these methods to free up some processing power.

Turn off effects
FX and AutoPitch can also add latency. You can try removing these just when you record and monitor a track.

Freeze your track
Freezing a track will pre-render the track so it doesn’t need to process all the effects during playback. While a track is frozen, you can’t edit it. But you can always unfreeze, make edits, and freeze again if needed. Here's how:

Web Mobile
  1. In the Studio, click on the Triple-Dot Icon on your track
  2. Click Freeze
  3. To un-freeze, click on the Triple-Dot Icon again, and click Unfreeze


My latency issue isn’t listed here

These few tips solve most issues that we hear about:

Avoid using Bluetooth devices
Bluetooth devices will add even more latency. Try to use wired headphones and microphones in the headphone jack rather than Bluetooth headphones. External audio interfaces may also add another layer of latency.

Retake the test
Make sure the microphone can clearly hear the sound from your speakers

Update BandLab to the latest version
We’re constantly adding improvements. If we introduce any fixes, they’ll definitely be in the latest version.


If the latency test isn’t working as it should, feel free to try these:

Manually adjust latency compensation (Android only)
Manually adjust the compensation amount in the advanced settings: Studio Settings > Latency Fix > Advanced Settings.

Use the Shift feature for existing regions
If you’ve already recorded a section you want to keep, you can select the region and use the Shift feature to align it again.

If you’re still facing any issues, feel free to contact us , and our team will be happy to assist.

Here's a step-by-step guide to resolving latency for Web and Android:

WebAndroid
  1. Click on the Tools menu at the top left of the Studio
  2. Select the Latency Test
  3. Unplug your headphones
  4. Click Start Test

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