Latency in PT10, can you find the trick?

Heabow

More cowbell!
Aug 24, 2011
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France
Hey

I recently did a clean install of PT10.3.9 and since then I have latency issues. Even with only a few tracks with some plugins in a session, buffer at 64 or 128, compensation delay at max, set on input auto monitoring, there is latency and it's such that I cannot record anything seriously. I've never encountered this before, it was always fine. Apparently, there is no issue in 'monitoring only' mode but I 've never had to set PT like this. So what I have to do is to bounce and create a new session to record with an acceptable latency.

I checked the preferences and did not notice anything wrong to me. I run PT pref and database helper with all boxes checked, I doubt anything is wrong with that but I precise just in case...

Hint?

PT10.3.9 / iMac 3.7gHz - 32Go RAM / Digi003 (firewire)
 
Nobody has an idea? Damn, I get more issues and crashes with now PT than ever. And at this price, it makes me crazy!
 
Wifi off, always. In fact, I follow pretty much everything Avid advices. My computer is new, SSD for OS and a good drive for audio. It used to work nice then I am tired to try things to fix issues and it fails each time. I have a band here to record soon and it'll just be impossible to work with a such crap.
 
Why are you tracking with delay compensation on? Do you have any plugins active that have a high processing delay?

Maybe the 003? You can try turning it off and on. I run 10.3.9 with an iMac and an apogee symphony thunderbolt and have zero issues.
 
I reckon I know what it is...

Do you have any plugins on the master/Mix-Bus?

Master Faders are NOT delay compensated.
 
Somewhere in the View-menu (View > Mix Window > Delay Compensation) is a setting where you can switch on the display of the current delay compensation. It then shows a number below each channel strip in the mixer view that shows the number of samples that the signal is delayed because of plugins inducing extra delay (look for "dly" or "cmp" right below the track name). If this is >0, then you have a plugin inducing extra delay. Everything above 100 should be very noticable.
The master bus should show the total amount of delay that you're getting.

Mind that this delay is ON TOP of the latency that you're getting due to your buffer size.

Deactivate (not bypass, deactivate!) the plugin while tracking to get a latency according to your buffer size.
 
The compensation delay is always set on max. What I don't understand is that I have never had this problem before or at least not that badly because I've never notice anything. FWIW I did a test by printing a MIDI drumstick on each beat with the PT click on.
First without any plugin - monitoring: no latency / record: no latency / result: no latency
Second one with tons of plugins (about 450 samples delay on the 'instrument' track) - playback: big latency / record: no latency at all (because the source is internal, MIDI?) / result: no latency

When I do the same test only with me and a microphone, with all the plugins, I get a big latency while monitoring, big latency when recording and the transients are always a bit sooner than I actually played. I checked all my PT settings and everything is fine to me... so.... well, I don't know what's going on. I have a band in two weeks and PT is fucked up again. I feel quite unconfident now.

Edit - Oh and no plugin on the master buss
 
I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. So you are recording with a bunch of plugins, which cause latency in order to function, and you're using plugin delay compensation, which matches the longest amount of plugin delay through all tracks, and you're wondering why there's latency???

You just said that you're recording with an instrument track that's causing 450ms delay. DONT USE IT. Do you understand what the delay compensation does?

We may need you to post screenshots of your playback engine setting and your mixer window with all your plugins. If you can record fine without them, then you add a bunch of plugins and you get latency, then THAT's your problem.

Unless you're using PTHD and TDM plugins it's always just been standard practice to simply NOT track with high latency plugins. Only mix with them.
 
Well, I know some plugins add a lot of latency and I don't use them when tracking. But I used to record wthout any latency problem even with some plugins on the recording track(s). What I don't understand now is why I get latency issues with, let's say, PSA1, SSL channel and a limiter. Buffer at 128 or 64 and delay compensation at max. I will upgrade to PT11 soon with another interface, I hope this going to fix that.
 
I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be using delay compensation when recording, if you've got say a instrument plugin that's got 450 samples of latency then every other track will be delayed by 450ms to compensate and make them all as late as the instrument. Hence the latency you're experiencing.
 
That shouldnt be a problem in input monitoring mode,
Or have i been using HD for too long?
 
The problem is that the instrument track will then be off time with the rest of your music. If you don't have HD, and need to use high latency plugins, just print them or turn them off while tracking and turn off delay comp. You should be fine.