Sample Rate; Buffer Size & Latency - Audient iD4 Manual

This next section will give some insight on
how to get the most out of iD4, and some of
the different settings and options you have
available to you when using it.

Sample Rate

When starting a new project, it is important to
consider the sample rate you are using. The
sample rate dicates how many times a second
the level of the incoming audio is measured
(sampled), which allows continuous analogue
audio to be represented digitally as a series
of 0s and 1s.
44.1kHz is the standard sample rate for all CDs
and most downloadable music, while 48kHz
is the standard for people working with film.
Higher sample rates can have their benefits
but it is worth noting that as you increase the
sample rate, you increase the file size of the
audio and CPU resources required.
Buffer Size and Latency
Buffer size is a very important setting that
will ensure that your projects are running
smoothly and efficiently. A wrongly selected
buffer size can result in hearing pops, clicks
and stuttering audio. Buffer size dictates how
many "samples" of audio are stored before
being sent to the output.
A buffer adds a delay to the signal (known as
latency), however it is essential for giving the
computer some time to do other processing.
If you are monitoring iD4's inputs directly using
the Monitor Mix knob, you can keep the buffer
size relatively high to reduce the strain on
your computer. If you are wanting to monitor
through your DAW with effects, for example
being able to hear your electric guitar with an
amp simulator on it, you will want the lowest
buffer size your computer can handle. The
buffer size you can get down to before you
get audio issues is hugely dependant on your
computer power, as well as the processing
requirements of your session. Some DAWs
allow you to "Freeze" tracks which reduces
the CPU load, allowing you to choose lower
buffer sizes.
For mixing, you can set the buffer size much
higher, to allow your computer to process the
audio in time. Increasing the latency does
not really matter in this situation because you
aren't trying to do anything live. For larger
sessions, you might find that you need a
larger buffer size than normal.
You may need to adjust buffer sizes when
working at different sample rates to account
for the difference in CPU requirements of
different sample rates.
22
macOS
The buffer size is selected from within your
DAW, most likely in an audio settings or
preferences menu.
iOS
The location of the buffer size setting (or
having a setting at all) is dependant on the
app that you are using. Generally it will be
found in the app's preferences/settings menu,
or alternatively by finding the app, in the iOS
settings app.
Windows
On Windows, the buffer size needs to be
selected in the iD app before the DAW. A
buffer size of 32 samples to 4096 samples
can be selected.
* Setting buffer size on macOS in
Logic Pro X
* Setting buffer size on iOS in Auria Pro
23