Recording sync Issues after Upgrading from i7 to M1

Question

Recording sync Issues after Upgrading from i7 to M1

Recently upgraded from a mid-2014 15" Retina MBP i7 to a 16" MBP with M1 Pro.
OS went from Catalina (10.15) to Monterey (12.4).
Running latest Logic Pro X (10.7.4) in native mode
Audio Interface: Allen & Heath QU-32 Digital Mixer over USB v1.97 firmware

I've been running my setup for about 8 years now and it's been flawless with the old laptop. After upgrading to the new laptop, OS, and Logic, my old project plays back perfectly but when I record, the recording is not in sync with the rest of the tracks. I've never had this issue before. Logic always handled this kind of basic syncing ever since I started using it back in 2007, but now it's like it's not compensating anymore. Everything else otherwise performs flawlessly.

Plugin latency compensation is set to 'ALL'
Buffer is 128
Resulting latency is 11.7ms roundtrip, 5.6ms out
Recording delay is 0 seconds
Project sample rate is 48Khz (mixer native)
Works fine when I switch to older i7 MBP (Catalina)
Mixer connected directly to USB-C port via adapter or via USB-C to USB-A Hub. No difference either way.
Tried a number of reboots and reinitialization steps but no difference.

My project has a Drummer track and three audio tracks. There aren't many plugins in use. When I record a lead guitar part, the project plays back through my mixer via stereo output (channels 1 and 2). My guitar FX board connects stereo XLR into the mixer on channels 3 & 4. I monitor the guitar directly from the mixer rather than input monitoring from Logic so I get <1ms latency. After recording, playback should sound exactly the same as when I was recording. On my old laptop, this setup works fine and Logic adjusts the recording to account for any playback delay. On the M1 Pro, it doesn't and appears to be off around 30 ticks or so, but it could be variable.

At first I thought I was playing really bad, but I'm actually pretty ok. Honestly. I did a test recording in Logic while doing a parallel recording on my phone and the phone recording has me playing perfectly in time, while the logic recording is off to an embarassing degree.

Is this a known issue with any of the upgrades I've made? Having to micro realign every take is a real productivity killer and it's never quite right. As it stands I can't record on my shiny new laptop.

Thanks

MacBook Pro

Posted on Jul 3, 2022 9:16 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Pancenter

Level 6

14,788 points

Jul 5, 2022 11:22 AM in response to BlinkingFinger

Before following the procedure below. Try recording with Low Latency mode enabled on recording, and off on playback.

If that fails try the following:

Upper left Logic pro menu Preferences/Reset All Preferences Except Key Commands. Reboot machine, boot Logic, reset Preferences to your previous settings Except for these in Preferences/Audio....set process buffer range to Low, set Multithreading to "Playback Tracks".

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Answer 2

Jul 6, 2022 9:30 AM in response to BlinkingFinger

Update:

Today I wiped my SSD and reinstalled a fresh copy of Monterey 12.4. From this bone stock install, I logged into iCloud and installed Logic, then conducted the same test above with a new blank project using default Logic settings.

No difference. Still an ~80tick offset in recordings.

Out of curiosity, I tested again on my 2014 MBP with Catalina 10.15.17 and Logic Pro 10.6.2. The recording appears to be aligned perfectly, but when I zoom in, there's an offset of about 14 ticks. There, but almost imperceptible.

Using the formula 60000/tempo/960*nTicks to derive the offset in milliseconds...

2014 MBP 15" - 60000/120/960*14 = 7.29ms

2021 MBP 16" - 60000/120/960*80 = 41.66ms

So I guess there's always some offset, but it'd been so small over the last 14 years I never noticed.

Here's hoping Monterey 12.5 fixes this unacceptable offset for newer laptops.

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Answer 3

Jul 5, 2022 12:56 PM in response to kerochan

Yes, I tried everything you suggested.

I even tried in GarageBand and it has the same delay issue.

The only thing I can think of is migrating from my old MBP's time machine backup caused some issue--how I'm not sure. I found a reddit thread that alluded to this causing similar delay issues--although they said low-latency mode helped, which isn't the case for me.

Maybe later I'll dive into a factory reset tonight and manually transfer my data over. But I'm surprised so many people are having crippling bugs using Logic on M1 Macs. I'm testing in empty projects with zero plugins and a single audio track--I really can't imagine what the issue is.

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Answer 4

Jul 5, 2022 5:23 PM in response to BlinkingFinger

i have the same problem. i’ve been using Logic since before apple bought it and never encountered a latency problem that wasn’t resolved in minutes.

but i did find a solution to the off-synch recorded track, though the monitor latency persists even with all the how-to’s, though i haven’t trashed the prefs yet.

Logic: • i ran a test. the file is on the internal drive

• No MIDI • no plug-ins • buffer 32 • latency set to zero

• live track is muted while recording

• i have to use headphones on one ear so i can hear the live stuff on my focusrite audio interface.

result: there’s still monitor latency but the recorded track is is out of synch w/ the mix - it’s late by 20 to 40 ticks

Logic: • i disabled software monitoring (menu: file > project settings)

result: there’s still monitor latency but the recorded track is now in synch w/ the mix track

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Answer 5

Jul 12, 2022 11:06 PM in response to kerochan

My MBP model is a 2021 16" MBP M1 Pro, model #A2485

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I decided to run some more tests with different output chains to see how it differs between them. Ideally, Logic/CoreAudio compensates for any output delay, but it seems to be missing this step altogether, allowing for very different offsets to be observed between each output type.

Here are my audio device settings. Buffer options are all at their lowest setting. Output latency is detected as 3.9ms. It's about 5.2ms with my USB mixer attached.

Here I did four separate tests. The tracks are labeled according to the output method.

Here are the results in a spreadsheet indicating the offset point for each track.

The AV Receiver being dead last is no surprise; it goes from MBP to USB to DAC to ADC, processed in the receiver, then to another DAC before coming out the speakers.

What surprised me was the difference between the MBP speakers and attached headphones. Same sound hardware but different offsets. This got me thinking about the AV Receiver test and Apple's marketing for the 16" MBP. They mention use of Dolby Atmos and a 6 speaker arrangement. Could the Atmos implementation be imparting some kind of quirk here?

For the meantime, I've adjusted recording delay as best I could for my USB Mixer. I just hope I don't have to change the delay every time I start a new session.

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Answer 6

kerochan

Level 4

1,071 points

Jul 3, 2022 11:09 PM in response to BlinkingFinger

Try this, a similar thing happened to me a couple of times in the past and this simple thing fixed it.

Go in to Logic Preferences, Audio, devices, then where it is checked enable core audio, uncheck it, and click apply changes.

Then, check enable core audio again and click apply changes.

This worked for me. Though I am not on an M1 Computer. Fingers crosses it will do the trick. I thought I was playing out of time also.

Keep us posted and good luck

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Answer 7

Pancenter

Level 6

14,788 points

Jul 5, 2022 3:36 PM in response to BlinkingFinger

One last... Have you tried your test at 44.1, and........

Are you running 100% Native Apple Silicon Plugins or are you in Rosetta2 compatibility mode?

Are any plugins installed that are not M1 compatible and require Rosetta2?

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Answer 8

Jul 6, 2022 10:46 PM in response to BlinkingFinger

i'm running a late 2015 iMac. i also ran a test on Audacity. the recorded track was out of synch (late) by 73 millisec. then i enabled Software playthrough of input in the prefs. the latency was so deep - around a half beat - recording was impossible.

back in Logic i went back to the prefs: audio > general - and disabled software monitoring. it didn't effect the monitor latency but the recorded track was now in synch. half the prob solved.

i've followed pretty much all the online advice but nothing is getting rid of the latency. i have to record with the headset on only one ear with no live monitoring. it destroys the recording experience.

why are we yakking to each other?? where the **** is apple. i think they can afford to make themselves available and fix the **** thing.

i can't even get a Logic upgrade because the appStore apparently isn't tech-savvy enough to notice that i have Logic on my drive and i've been a registered user for over fifteen years. so i have to buy it new for the third time.

i'm generally diplomatic about tech probs but my current project is on hold and i'm wasting weeks on this latency thing.

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Answer 9

Jul 5, 2022 10:48 AM in response to BlinkingFinger

I just created a new project, set it to 48Khz, created a default drummer track and an audio track, then recorded myself tapping the mic to the beat.

While recording, I was right on the beat, but on the recording, it's visibly and audibly off--and consistently so (no drift). I promise I'm not bad at matching a beat.

Something is screwy here. I'm gonna try removing logic, wiping all cache and settings, and reinstalling.

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Answer 10

Jul 9, 2022 11:38 AM in response to BlinkingFinger

Found this thread with the same issue: https://www.logicprohelp.com/forums/topic/141341-recording-delay-on-new-macbook-m1-solved/

It's not just me. They even have the same ~40ms recording offset on their M1 hardware.

I filed a bug report but I have no way of knowing what becomes of it.

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Answer 11

Jul 5, 2022 10:22 AM in response to kerochan

Thank you. I tried your suggestion and the issue remained.

I tried a few more tests:

Record using internal mic + external USB mixer monitoring = same significant delay on playback

Record using internal mic + bluetooth earphone monitoring = same significant delay on playback

Record using internal mic + built-in speaker monitoring = smaller delay but still present on playback

Disable all plugins = No change

Low latency mode = No change

Another observation, and I could be wrong, but it almost seems like there's a continuous drift rather than a fixed offset. The longer I let the recording playback, the more off it sounds. This might just be in my head, but it sounds somewhat in sync in the first few measures, but by 18 measures, it sounds much worse.

Based on my tests, it really seems that playback delay is not being compensated for anymore. I wonder if it's an issue with running an old project in the latest, native M1 build. I didn't have much luck finding info my specific issue online. Maybe I'll create a new project and see if I get the same problem.

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Answer 12

kerochan

Level 4

1,071 points

Jul 5, 2022 1:25 PM in response to BlinkingFinger

I see. nightmare.

Is it possible to update your OS to Monterey 12.5?

Apparently this fixes lots of Logic/M1 related bugs I read,

Not sure how you go about getting 12.5 however.

Meantime I think theres a free version of Studio One you can download, this is meant to be working with Monterey 12.4 and M1 without problems.

Not an answer I know, but at least you would have some kind of working DAW to record with.

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Answer 13

kerochan

Level 4

1,071 points

Jul 12, 2022 11:17 PM in response to BlinkingFinger

Crazy, I only once had that problem on an intel computer a few years back in Logic, unchecked and re checked enable core audio, sorted, been fine since.

I was considering the same macbook pro 16 m1 Pro also, I have decided to stick with my 2015 Macbook Pro, with no such problems.

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