It's probably self-evident, but I don't quite get why my monitoring latency increases as a project gets bigger and more intensive. I start out with like 11ms latency, which is pretty much as good as zero. A fully loaded, straining project will have such high latency that vsti tracking becomes pretty much impossible.
If it matters, I'm using an RME card and SX3 & Samplitude. Reported latency is always 11ms, but actual latency is much greater.
Why does vsti monitoring latency increase as a project grows
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- KVRist
- 382 posts since 6 Apr, 2005 from Fair NJ, the Garden State, US
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- KVRist
- 284 posts since 9 Mar, 2004 from Richmond, VA
well, are you using effects that increase latency?
most convolution reverbs
and a variety of other vst effects add latency to the signal as the processing load increases,
I mean, as more and more DSP needs to happen to the recorded audio, it takes longer and longer,
and in SX3, your PDC kicks in to make sure that everything stays in sync...
most convolution reverbs
and a variety of other vst effects add latency to the signal as the processing load increases,
I mean, as more and more DSP needs to happen to the recorded audio, it takes longer and longer,
and in SX3, your PDC kicks in to make sure that everything stays in sync...
Antec P-case, Asus motherboard, AMD Phenom, 16gbRAM, 4 Hard drives, Windows 7 Ultimate, MOTU 828mkIII, Komplete 8, Maschine, Reason 6, Cubase 6, Blue Sky monitors(and a powerbook).
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- KVRian
- 773 posts since 23 Apr, 2002 from audio/hamburg/germany/earth/space/unkown!
have you got active plug-ins that couse extra latency?
many compressors do that. a linearphase EQ deos that, and the most convolution verbs/plugs too(many other too).
I one of these FX is in your signal chain, it increases the 11ms (512samples@44.1khz) by it's own "latency".
If you got a host like cubase or samplitude wich has plug in delay compansation, even signal chains parallel to those with "latency" causing FX will be (Automaticly) delayed.
this is why i avoid fully aumated compensation.
You can turn these compansation off in Samplitude.
Partial and complete i think.
I sugges to get the amount of samples the desired plug adds of latency, and then delay the rest by your self with voxengos sample delay for example.
DECK
many compressors do that. a linearphase EQ deos that, and the most convolution verbs/plugs too(many other too).
I one of these FX is in your signal chain, it increases the 11ms (512samples@44.1khz) by it's own "latency".
If you got a host like cubase or samplitude wich has plug in delay compansation, even signal chains parallel to those with "latency" causing FX will be (Automaticly) delayed.
this is why i avoid fully aumated compensation.
You can turn these compansation off in Samplitude.
Partial and complete i think.
I sugges to get the amount of samples the desired plug adds of latency, and then delay the rest by your self with voxengos sample delay for example.
DECK
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- KVRAF
- 2285 posts since 20 Dec, 2002 from The Benighted States of Trumpistan
11 ms at best? You have my deepest sympathy.
Anyway, the first step is to ferret out the culprit: the CPU, the card, the effects (as everybody else has discussed), and/or the instruments. If your computer was made in this century, it should be fine; just try to have as few things running as possible. Also, the card should be way fine. So I think it's either the effects or the instruments.
Try disabling/removing most/all the effects and add tracks, and see how that affects your latency. If adding a couple more tracks doesn't harm things, it's the effects. Conversely, if you can freely add effects to a small number of tracks, try using lighter instruments or get more power. Freezing tracks, if you can do it, will definitely help either way.
Anyway, the first step is to ferret out the culprit: the CPU, the card, the effects (as everybody else has discussed), and/or the instruments. If your computer was made in this century, it should be fine; just try to have as few things running as possible. Also, the card should be way fine. So I think it's either the effects or the instruments.
Try disabling/removing most/all the effects and add tracks, and see how that affects your latency. If adding a couple more tracks doesn't harm things, it's the effects. Conversely, if you can freely add effects to a small number of tracks, try using lighter instruments or get more power. Freezing tracks, if you can do it, will definitely help either way.
Wait... loot _then_ burn? D'oh!
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- KVRist
- 301 posts since 5 Jun, 2004
Plugin latency should be that of insert (or bus) with the highest latency number. E.g. channel 1 : 3 ms channel 2: 10 ms, channel 3: 1ms. Latency is 10 ms for the ADC/PDC engine. Yours is quite high and i think should mainly be caused by your audio card. What plugins are you using ?
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 382 posts since 6 Apr, 2005 from Fair NJ, the Garden State, US
Hey, thanks all. I suspected I was being stupid. Just disabling the convolution plugs basically solved the problem. Turns out, I'm using some kind of convolution most of the time, and that seems to be the big offender.
(11ms isn't my actual best, it's just what I've got using a reasonable buffer. As you might have guessed, I don't track a heck of a lot of midi, so latency generally isn't a big deal to me, and I have the idea the bigger buffer makes things more stable. I don't know.)
Oh, and it seems I can disable PDC in both Samp. and SX3. Nice.
Thanks a lot for the help.
(11ms isn't my actual best, it's just what I've got using a reasonable buffer. As you might have guessed, I don't track a heck of a lot of midi, so latency generally isn't a big deal to me, and I have the idea the bigger buffer makes things more stable. I don't know.)
Oh, and it seems I can disable PDC in both Samp. and SX3. Nice.
Thanks a lot for the help.
Grist for the glamour mill.
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- KVRist
- 301 posts since 5 Jun, 2004
Mind you PDC only matters when you are playing back or rendering. If you are monitoring through an effect with latency you will still hear the delayed signal.bobby yarrow wrote:Hey, thanks all. I suspected I was being stupid. Just disabling the convolution plugs basically solved the problem. Turns out, I'm using some kind of convolution most of the time, and that seems to be the big offender.
(11ms isn't my actual best, it's just what I've got using a reasonable buffer. As you might have guessed, I don't track a heck of a lot of midi, so latency generally isn't a big deal to me, and I have the idea the bigger buffer makes things more stable. I don't know.)
Oh, and it seems I can disable PDC in both Samp. and SX3. Nice.
Thanks a lot for the help.
Before asked for one
Solution : Switch to an equivalent plugin with no latency when tracking/monitoring - use the effect you want during mixdown/playback