Understanding Latency and Direct Monitoring
Audio · September 30, 2026 · 4 min read
What causes latency
Audio travels into your computer, is processed, and returns to your headphones. That round trip takes time, and you hear it as a delay.
Direct monitoring
Interfaces with direct monitoring send your microphone to the headphones before it reaches the computer, which removes the delay.
Buffer settings
If you monitor through software, smaller buffer sizes reduce delay but make the computer work harder.