In short: CHUCK's core signal path has a measured latency of just 0.86 milliseconds. Even with extra functions active, the total delay stays remarkably low. The result is a direct, connected and natural playing feel.
Measured internal latencies
- Core Signal Path: 0.86 ms
- IR Loader: +0.21 ms
- Wah: +0.08 ms
This gives the following total latencies:
- Core signal path: 0.86 ms
- With Wah: 0.94 ms
- With IR Loader: 1.07 ms
With both Wah and IR Loader, the calculated total internal latency is around 1.15 milliseconds.
What does latency mean?
Latency is the time between a signal going in and coming out: you play a note on the guitar, CHUCK processes it, and then outputs the processed signal.
Digital audio systems need a certain amount of time for conversion and processing. What matters is that this delay stays short enough that the instrument still responds immediately to your playing.
How short is 0.86 milliseconds?
In 0.86 milliseconds, sound travels about 30 centimeters. CHUCK's base latency is therefore roughly the difference between standing 30 centimeters closer to or farther from your speaker cabinet.
For comparison: at a distance of three meters, sound takes about nine milliseconds to travel from the cabinet to your ears. CHUCK's internal delay is very small compared with such normal acoustic travel times.
FX Loop and external effects units
The FX Loop itself adds practically no relevant delay to CHUCK's internal signal path. The actual total latency depends on the connected effects unit. That's why it isn't part of CHUCK's latency figure.
Effect of Wah and IR Loader
The Wah increases latency by 0.08 milliseconds. Together with the core signal path, that gives a total latency of around 0.94 milliseconds.
The IR Loader adds 0.21 milliseconds. With the IR Loader active, the total latency is around 1.07 milliseconds. This lets CHUCK provide a speaker simulation without the playing feel noticeably detaching from the instrument.
Latency during USB recording
The measured values describe CHUCK's internal signal processing. When monitoring through a computer, further delays are added — for example from USB transfer, audio drivers, input and output buffers, the DAW you use, software plug-ins and the performance of the computer.
If monitoring through a DAW feels delayed, the delay usually comes from the interplay of audio driver, buffer size and the plug-ins in use. Plug-ins with look-ahead, oversampling or heavy signal processing in particular can add latency.
Tips for low USB latency:
- On Windows, use the intended ASIO driver.
- Start with a buffer size of 64 or 128 samples.
- Disable high-latency plug-ins while recording.
- Use direct monitoring where possible.
- Only increase the buffer if dropouts or clicks occur.
Key takeaways
- Core Signal Path: 0.86 ms
- Wah: +0.08 ms
- IR Loader: +0.21 ms
- Wah and IR Loader together: around 1.15 ms
- External devices and computers can add latency.
- CHUCK stays immediate in its response — for a direct, connected and natural playing feel.