Understanding "monitor" settings on usb soundcard?

[BrokenTrance]

Hay.

So i bought this one: https://kurzweil.com/unite-2/

So far so good. In the manual it says: "The MONITOR switch controls the real time input monitoring. When it is set to OFF, you cannot hear any input signals but you can still record them."


Am i correct in thinking that when this setting is set to "off" then it should never play back for example a guitar in one of the inputs through my daw(Ableton in this case)??? I really don't understand this.

Because as it is now.... it does play my guitar whatever setting i choose... "off, stereo or mono"!

Please clarify this for me please if you can?

I am sure there is something i am missing here......

[BertKoor]

That switch operates "hardware monitoring". With the switch engaged, the input signal is directly routed to the output.

I guess what you hear from the DAW is "software monitoring". Input signal goes through Analog-Digital converter, through an ASIO buffer that causes a small delay, into the DAW. There it may go through any effects you have on the track, and routed back to an output. Again passing a buffer which adds some latency.

So with hardware monitoring you hear your guitar as is. Software monitoring allows amp sims etc to be inserted, at the cost of a small delay.

[BrokenTrance]

Hay BertKoor. I almost knew you would answer, you seems like a very likable, knowledgeable person and active in this subforum. Much thanks for the feedback. I will try to understand what you wrote tomorrow

[BrokenTrance]

Ok. I think i understand. I found out when i don't run Ableton there is no sound out from the guitar in Windows when monitoring is set to "off". But there is sound out when set to "stereo" or "mono". So from what i can gather the monitor switch is working ok and is as should be... which was my main concern actually

Thanks BertKoor.

Best regards.

/BrokenTrance

[vurt]

it's very useful if you have a noticeable latency through ableton, use hw monitoring, then it's as if you are playing through an amp. helps you stay in time, just mute the channel in ableton, or you will get both.

[BrokenTrance]

Ok, thanks