Latency
Delay between an input and the sound you hear.
Detailed explanation
Latency is the delay between the moment a DJ presses something and the moment the result is audible. It comes from the audio buffer processing inside the computer. Buffer size determines the latency: 256 samples at 44.1 kHz works out to roughly 6 ms — barely noticeable for DJing and still stable. Buffers that are too small cause dropouts and clicks. Buffers that are too large cause noticeable delay.
Sources (1)
- DDJ-FLX2 — Bedienungsanleitung (User manuals & documentation)Primary sourceAlphaTheta Corporation·Manufacturer·2024-11-14·retrieved 03.08.2026
German edition, 156 pages. The dates contradict each other: 14.11.2024 on the documentation page, 29.10.2024 in the German support article. To be resolved at the next re-check.
In practice
You hit a pad and hear the cue a blink later. Over time that destroys any sense of timing, because you unconsciously start pressing earlier. The cause is almost never the controller, it is the buffer settings in the software or the driver. The important thing is to sort it out before the first gig: in a club you notice latency exactly when you can least use it.
Assessment by the DJLearn editorial team — experience, not a sourced factual claim.
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