(Problem Solved - I think) Was: Latency When Monitoring With Reverb - HELP!!

[KenElevenShadows]

I cannot monitor with reverb when recording. Hardware reverb, software reverb, doesn't matter. For the tracks that need hardware reverb, I send it out via the SEND (Interface > S/PDIF) to the hardware reverb. I then have an auxiliary send channel that receives the incoming S/PDIF. However, this creates latency. I shut off the SEND, and the latency disappears.

 

Then, I've tried routing everything through an external mixer (which is my preferred method of monitoring). I route all the tracks except the vocals through ANALOG OUTPUTS 1-2. I route the vocals through OUTPUT 3 with no reverb on in Pro Tools LE 5.1. However, there is a small amount of latency on OUTPUT 3 for the vocals, just enough to be irritating. When I route the vocals back through ANALOG OUTPUTS 1-2, the latency in the vocals disappears. Why is that?

 

Now, even if I'm NOT using reverb, I should be able to use this method to be able to easily control the volume of the vocals relative to the rest of the tracks. But I cannot because of latency on ANALOG OUTPUT 3. And yes, I tried ANALOG OUTPUTS 4-8, just to cover my butt. Same thing. Latency until I bring the vocal track being recorded back to OUTPUT 1-2. Then, the latency disappears.

 

Why is there latency on OUTPUT 3, but not OUTPUTS 1-2? How can I fix this? Please, I do not need a lecture on whether vocalists should record with reverb or not - the thing is that I *should* be able to do this without latency and cannot.

 

And yes, I have the settings on Low-Latency Monitoring.

 

Someone pleeeeeease helppppp....

[not Cereal]

i use a hardware reverb and a hardware mixer for this purpose.

 

i aint gonna fool around with that internal mixing/tracking bullshit. been there done that.

[KenElevenShadows]

Originally posted by Mr. Nice Crass Coaster Guy:

i use a hardware reverb and a hardware mixer for this purpose.

 

i aint gonna fool around with that internal mixing/tracking bullshit. been there done that.

But that's just it - I am TRYING to use a hardware reverb and a hardware mixer!! But when I output the vocals through another channel, I get latency. When I return the vocals so they are outputting through ANALOG OUTPUTS 1-2 (the same as the rest of the tracks), then there's no latency. Why is this happening? That makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

 

[not Cereal]

i've never heard of that particular problem, but i again wonder if its an auto input setting or input only setting.

 

see the way i do it is this,

 

run the headphone mix from the hardware mixer only. i mute the channel in protools that is recieving the vocals.

 

i guess this is because i started with tapes instead of a daw and thats the way i worked then. the tape machines have issues when you monitor the track your recording so i never did. i used the hardware mixer for that.

 

so, if i had the vox coming into a channel on the mixer and then routed into pro tools, i would mute the protools vox track and use an aux on the mixer to send reverb to the phones. no latency.

 

the rest of the mix will line up perfectly if you return it on another channel on the hardware mixer, you can even use the aux to send the main mix to the verb in the cans.

 

i know SO MANY people who insist on doing things so weird, like setting up a headphone mix INSIDE pt. to me thats just WRONG and i would never do it. i know thats not what your doing but the fact that your monitoring vox off of a PT track instead of your mixer just seems wrong to me.

 

do it old school, and youll reduce your problems.

 

use PT like a tape machine during tracking.

[KenElevenShadows]

Hey, I believe I just solved this problem. I forgot what it's called, but I adjusted the samples from 1024 to 512 - dang, what's this called? I must have mistakenly bumped this to 1024 samples before, so even with Low Latency Monitoring, it doesn't matter...there's a delay no matter what, apparently. With 512 samples and Low Latency Monitoring, there's a really miniscule delay, but it's no sweat for vocals, although I don't think I'd do it with percussion.

 

This is in the Settings Menu, I believe, and is located just above the area in the same dialogue box where you adjust CPU Usage %.

 

I'm a little calmer now.

 

Really.

[aliengroover]

It's the Hardware Buffer. I reduced mine to 128 to avoid those problems as much as possible when tracking.

Peace

[Curve Dominant]

posted by Aliengroover:

It's the Hardware Buffer. I reduced mine to 128 to avoid those problems as much as possible when tracking.

That's a great idea.

 

Ken, you know what you can do? Bounce an instrumental mix to a stereo file, and dub your vocals onto that. This keeps the processor from getting clogged on that ultra-low buffer setting with lots of tracks and plugins going.

 

Then simply import the final vocal take(s) back into the original session.

 

Does that make sense?

[KenElevenShadows]

Originally posted by Studio Curve Dominant:

posted by Aliengroover:

It's the Hardware Buffer. I reduced mine to 128 to avoid those problems as much as possible when tracking.

That's a great idea.

 

Ken, you know what you can do? Bounce an instrumental mix to a stereo file, and dub your vocals onto that. This keeps the processor from getting clogged on that ultra-low buffer setting with lots of tracks and plugins going.

 

Then simply import the final vocal take(s) back into the original session.

 

Does that make sense?

It makes total sense. I have actually tried to do this in the past, but got nailed with my inappropriate buffer setting. I was actually doing it to open up more tracks, comp the vocals on to one track, and then simply import that one track back into the mix.

[KenElevenShadows]

Aliengroover: Yes, thet hardware buffer. That's exactly it. I was completely drawing a blank when posting this last evening, but really wanted to post the solution. Couldn't think of the phrase, but remembered it, of course, right after I shut down the computer for the evening. I was really quite frazzled last night after all these stupid little problems, and ate dinner and tried to relax....

 

I want so badly to be a calm person....

[Curve Dominant]

I want so badly to be a calm person...

Deep breaths...