
If you can hear the source already without a need for monitoring (eg.If you're monitoring through an external mixing desk.Direct monitoring is a function of certain audio interfaces that allows you to monitor directly through the interface in order to reduce latency. If you have no other way to monitor (no interface with direct monitoring, no external mixing desk).If you want process the monitored signal with effects while playing back/recording.When should the monitor be set to "In" or "Auto"? When it's set to "Auto" you'll only hear play-through when the track is armed for recording.When the monitor is set to "In" you'll always hear play-through signal from your chosen source.Choose your input source in the dropdown: "Audio From" on audio tracks, "MIDI from" on MIDI tracks.Open Live's Preferences and enable the audio input (if it's audio device), or the MIDI port (if it's a MIDI device - make sure that "Track" is enabled for that input port).Connect an audio device or MIDI device to Live using the appropriate cables.Latency can be reduced as much as possible, but can't be eliminated entirely.

This latency is the time it takes for that signal to enter the computer, then travel through the software and back out through your speakers or headphones. Yes - any signal in a computer based environment is going to have a certain amount of latency. These are just some of the possible applications of monitoring. Connecting an electric guitar and using an amp simulation plug-in while playing.



Monitoring means that you're receiving a signal from an input source (which could be an audio input on audio tracks, or a MIDI input on MIDI tracks), processing it with effects (if required), then passing that signal to the track's output where you can listen to it on your speakers or headphones.
