Guide
Why your guitar sounds delayed (and how to fix latency)
Does your guitar sound late when you play through a computer, as if each note arrives after you pick it? That gap is called latency. Most of it comes from a few settings you can change. Here's what latency is, what usually causes it, and how to fix it in order.
What latency is
Plug into an amp and the sound comes out almost at once. Through a computer, the sound takes a round trip. The audio interface turns your guitar signal into digital audio, the computer works out the amp sound, and the interface turns it back into sound for your headphones. The time all this takes is latency.
You can't remove latency completely, but the right settings cut it down a lot. For scale, sound travels about 34 cm (just over a foot) through the air in one millisecond. Standing 3 m (10 feet) from an amp already puts you about 9 ms behind it, so a few milliseconds of delay is normal even with a real amp.
Common causes, most likely first
These are listed roughly from most to least likely. Check them from the top.
- 1.
Bluetooth or other wireless headphones
A wireless link holds the sound in its own buffer before sending it, which often adds a delay you can clearly hear. No audio setting can remove it. For playing, use wired headphones or earbuds plugged into the audio interface.
- 2.
A generic driver instead of the interface's own
A driver is the software that lets the computer talk to a device. On Windows, running the interface through the generic system driver usually adds a lot of delay. Install the audio interface's own driver from the maker's website and pick it in your app's driver list. Choosing different devices for input and output, such as the interface in and laptop speakers out, can also add delay or dropouts.
- 3.
A buffer size set too high
The buffer size is how much audio the computer collects before processing it. A bigger buffer gives the computer more breathing room, but you hear the sound later. A big buffer suits mixing a recording; a small one suits playing in real time.
- 4.
Hearing direct monitoring on top
Direct monitoring sends your guitar straight from the interface to your headphones, skipping the computer. If it's on while you also hear the amp sound, the plain guitar arrives first and the amp sound follows, so it sounds doubled or echoey. Turn it off when you play through amp software.
- 5.
Heavy effects or a high sample rate
Lots of effects, or a sample rate (how many times per second the sound is measured) of 96 kHz or more, give the computer more work. Then small buffers start to crackle and you end up raising the buffer. Some effects also add a delay of their own while they process. For practice, 44.1 or 48 kHz is plenty.
- 6.
Laptop power saving
On battery or in a power-saving mode, a laptop slows itself down, so small buffers start to drop out and you end up raising the buffer. Plug in the charger and set the power mode toward performance while you play.
- 7.
Other apps running
Browser tabs playing video, video calls, and file syncing all keep the computer busy in the background. Close what you don't need while you play.
How to reduce latency, step by step
- 1
Use wired headphones on the interface
Disconnect any wireless earbuds and plug wired headphones into the audio interface's headphone jack. A 3.5 mm plug needs a 1/4-inch adapter.
- 2
Check the driver and devices
In the audio settings of your amp app or DAW (recording software), set both input and output to the audio interface. On Windows, also switch the driver to the audio interface's own driver.
- 3
Set the sample rate to 44.1 or 48 kHz
A higher sample rate rarely fixes latency on its own. Each buffer gets shorter in time, but the computer has more to do, so you often end up needing a bigger buffer. 44.1 or 48 kHz is a safe choice.
- 4
Lower the buffer size one step at a time
Go from 256 to 128, then from 128 to 64, and play for about a minute after each change. Crackles or dropouts mean the computer can't keep up. When that happens, go back up one step and keep the smallest size that stays clean.
- 5
Turn off direct monitoring
If your interface has a direct monitor button, switch it off. If it has a mix knob instead, turn it toward playback (computer). The doubled, echoey sound of plain guitar plus amp goes away.
- 6
Give the computer some room
Plug a laptop into its charger and turn off power saving. Close unused apps and browser tabs, and remove effects you aren't using. Connect the interface straight to the computer, not through a USB hub. All of this helps a smaller buffer run without crackles.
Buffer size and latency, in numbers
Buffer size is counted in samples, the tiny slices that digital audio is cut into. To get the time of one buffer, divide the buffer size by the sample rate. At 48 kHz, 128 samples is 128 ÷ 48,000 ≈ 2.7 ms.
| Buffer size (samples) | 44.1 kHz | 48 kHz |
|---|---|---|
| 64 | 1.5 ms | 1.3 ms |
| 128 | 2.9 ms | 2.7 ms |
| 256 | 5.8 ms | 5.3 ms |
| 512 | 11.6 ms | 10.7 ms |
The table shows one buffer. What you hear is longer: the sound passes through an input buffer and an output buffer, plus the time the interface takes to convert it to digital and back. So the real round trip is usually more than double the number in the table. If your app shows a latency figure, use that as your guide.
A smaller buffer means less delay, but the computer has to finish each chunk faster. When it can't, you hear crackles or dropouts. If that happens, go back up one step. A clean sound a few milliseconds later is better to practice with than a crackling one.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my guitar sound a second or more late?
- Buffer size alone rarely causes a delay that long. Even a large buffer is tens of milliseconds, not whole seconds. Check the path the sound takes instead: wireless headphones, an output device that isn't the audio interface, a generic driver on Windows, or your guitar being heard through another app such as a call or streaming program.
- What buffer size should I use?
- Start at 128 samples. If it stays clean for a minute of playing, try 64; if it crackles, move up to 256. The right number depends on the computer, so the smallest size that stays clean is the one for yours.
- Can I play with Bluetooth earbuds?
- They're fine for listening to music, but not for playing. The delay from the wireless link stays no matter how low you set the buffer, so the sound lags behind your picking. Use wired headphones or earbuds plugged into the interface.
- Doesn't direct monitoring get rid of the delay?
- The direct monitor sound skips the computer, so you hear it almost at once. But it's your plain guitar, with no amp or effects on it. To practice with the amp sound, turn direct monitoring off and set the driver and buffer as above. With both on, the two sounds overlap and it sounds echoey.
Setting this up in EG Tone
These steps work the same in any amp software. EG Tone is one option: an electric guitar amp and effects plugin made for beginners.
- In the standalone app, the built-in audio settings panel lets you pick the device, input and output, sample rate, and buffer size, and shows a latency readout.
- The recommended sample rate is 44.1 or 48 kHz.
- Every knob and button has help text. Hover over one to see what it does.
- A tuner and a metronome are built into the same program.
- It runs as a VST3 plugin and a standalone app on macOS and Windows, and as an AU plugin on macOS.
EG Tone is a one-time purchase, not a subscription.
Explore EG ToneConnecting a guitar for the first time? Start with the setup guide. For tuning and timing practice, the tuner and metronome on this site are free to use, with no signup.