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Question: What does latency mean when working with audio?

Answer:

In working with audio, latency is the delay between the sound input and that sound’s output from an audio card. Most audio software allows the user to monitor the output of the program, which allows you to add software effects like reverb, etc. If the latency is too high, the user will find it very difficult to play with that time delay. If the latency is able to be set around 11 ms or lower, then the computer will not introduce any perceptible delay when monitoring through a program, or while recording with prerecorded tracks. If you try to set the latency too low, it may put too much strain on the computer, which may result in crackled or distorted audio. Typically, latency is reduced by adjusting the buffer size and minimizing the number of audio tracks. A faster computer, and a well written driver will also help achieve lower latencies.