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Better DAW latency without Helix Mac Driver


godoq
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Please check attached Logic Pro X screen shots. 
 
It shows better roundtrip latency when Helix Mac Driver NOT installed (using Helix as USB class compliant mode)
Yes I know that with Helix Mac driver, i can change sampling rate and control system volume in OS. 
But Is it ok to understand that Helix Mac Driver still not well implemented for recording performance as an audio interface?

 

 
*  Without Helix Mac Driver (Class Compliant)  
  Device Name : HELIX Audio
  Roundtrip : 7.9ms
  Output : 3.4ms
  Buffer size :  64 
 
* With Helix Mac Driver (1.0.4)
  Device Name : Line 6 Helix
  Roundtrip : 16.9ms
  Output : 9.4 ms
  Buffer size : 64
 
EDIT : data fixed :)

post-505880-0-00365500-1496548598_thumb.jpeg

post-505880-0-61280200-1496548604_thumb.jpeg

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Class compliant driver only allows 2in 2out does it not? (might be off on that of course) The Helix driver allows 8in 8out and midi functions.

 

Even without Helix Mac Driver 1.0.4 (in Class compliant mode), I can use all 8 I/O (incl. re-amp) as well as MIDI functions via command center. 

I think one of important feature of Helix Mac driver is solution for USB audio problems in some OS X versions. 

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Device-specific drivers are *not* always better than Class Compliant drivers. It's very possible that, for Mac system versions that *do* work properly with the Helix, the Class Compliant drivers really do have better performance and lower latency.

 

The Helix Mac driver was only created because some specific versions of OSX / macOS didn't interact properly with the Helix. If those versions of OSX didn't have this incompatibility problem, Line 6 would never have even created a Mac driver, because the Helix is a Class Compliant device and is intended to work with the built-in CC drivers.

 

I haven't kept up with the latest macOS versions, but I believe that these issues were resolved on the Apple side in recent macOS updates, so Helix should now work well in Class Compliant mode.

 

Apple has a much larger driver development team than Line 6 and would have had the resources to put many more person-hours into testing and refining the CC drivers than Line 6 would have for the device-specific driver. If your version of macOS is not showing any major problems with them, I would suggest using the Class Compliant drivers.

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