Zero Latency Preamp Plugins

[pabloaldunate]

Hi,
I am searching for zero-latency Preamp plugins to use in Studio One input channels.
They need to be latency free as Studio One does not compensate for the latency on the inputs.
Thanks!

[Razzia]

You're gonna have to help me understand your needs here. Does Studio One have specific input plugin slots? Is it a proprietary format like UAD's unison preamp plugins, or just VST? I haven't used S1 since version 3.5 or something so I'm not up on the feature set.

What do you want it for: just a bit of saturation/color, or a specific type of preamp?

If the former, I'd suggest Kazrog True Iron: less a preamp and more just transformer modeling but it accomplishes the same thing. One of a small number who rival UAD for sound yet are affordable and consumer friendly. They have an Avalon EQ/preamp plugin too, which by all accounts is very good, but I don't know if it has a zero latency mode.

Beyond that, honestly I'm not sure. My kneejerk reaction was to recommend Fuse Audio Labs or Black Rooster Audio as they are quite resource friendly, especially relative to how they sound, but apparently even without oversampling they introduce a small amount of latency.

[zerocrossing]

Try the Arturia ones. I think they sound pretty good and I've not noticed them adding any latency. In all honestly though, I'd move to another DAW that does latency compensation.

[whassup]

If you wanna spend lotsa money (for whatever reason) then go with the typical good stuff, of which some might bind you to their online activation, software center, "we don't trust you and therefor potentially cripple your future experience" solutions.
If you just want plugins that sound good and even look good: Analog Obsession.
If you you don't mind the missing eye candy of nice GUIs: Airwindows Consolidated.
Those 2 solutions are free and great sounding. Even some are giving you colours that you won't get elsewhere.

[electro]

Good question. PSP BinAmp has latency?
https://www.pspaudioware.com/products/psp-binamp

[Niowiad]

Audiority Pre X7
https://www.audiority.com/shop/pre-x7

Klanghelm SDRR
https://klanghelm.com/contents/products/SDRR

Fuse Audio Flywheel (not a "preamp", but still interesting for zero-latency sound coloration)
https://fuseaudiolabs.com/#/pages/product?id=300989942

You're gonna have to help me understand your needs here. Does Studio One have specific input plugin slots? Is it a proprietary format like UAD's unison preamp plugins, or just VST? I haven't used S1 since version 3.5 or something so I'm not up on the feature set.

I don't use S1, but it sounds like the Input-FX feature in REAPER.
It just uses your regular plugins, recording the incoming signal with whatever plugin processing baked in the audio file, therefore committing to the sound choice, rather than using fx plugin inserts later in a non-destructive way (and constantly running on the CPU, unless you freeze the track at some point).

[db3]

I checked all my plugs and everything pre-amp-like reports some latency. The plugins I have which could be used to add a bit of drive without latency are Process Audio Spicerack, SSL X-Saturator, Moog MF-109S Saturator, Kiive Audio Distinct, and iZotope Trash.

[martinjuenke]

I'm looking for a saturator with negative latency, something that produces a presignal halo.
Does such a thing exist?

[Danilo Villanova]

I would not use input FX for this. Just put it in the normal chain and freeze/render later.

[yzcoruhT]

Save your money: Analog Obsession PREDD. VST3, 0CPU usage (4% with oversampling), fully gain compensated. IMO hidden gem for vocal and acoustic guitar recording.

[Ah_Dziz]

Use whatever in a post A/D insert. I generally use a couple waves plugins ( they add 64 samples of latency) which are fine at 48k sample rate. I can change them after the fact. There are plenty of decent sounding eqs and compressors that you can slap on an input.

[Ah_Dziz]

Many "preamp" plugins will have various stages of waveshaping onboard and will use oversamlpling to try and compensate for the added aliasing (siblance is a big source of this on vocals for example). The aliasing will add somewhere in The neighborhood of one buffer length to a live signal. I'd definitely recommend using a nice simple compressor into a waveshaper into an EQ while tracking. You can do this a jillion ways with zero added latency and then add oversamlpling later or just swap things out for something "better" when you start mixing.

[Sekops]

FrontDAW without oversampling turned on…designed for what you have in mind.

[loctune]

The best preamp plugin currently available imo is the PA silver bullet. Adds 32 samples pdc latency (0.7ms) so not strictly zero but most likely negligible.

[J Veronica]

I quite liked SSL X Saturator, but it has no oversampling. So I might swap it for the Transformer from the Fusion series.

Also gonna test Kazrog True Iron this weekend.