• Registered: 2011-12-16
  • Posts: 59

Topic: Low Latency Monitoring - Pro Tools 10

Just got myself an HDSPe AiO, thinking PCIe and a 32 sample buffer would get me a low enough latency to monitor through the software...Nope! Still that phasey, bucket sound in the cans when singing.

Routing the input directly to the output in the RME mixer sounds good, however it's a bit cumbersome to move back and forth with PT and the RME mixer. So, I thought "Low Latency Monitoring" in PT was supposed to control the RME mixer directly, no?

I'm on PT 10 and OSX Lion...I surely hope there's a way, and that I just haven't found out how yet? Reading PT help files tells me that I need to use outputs 1-2 on my card for LLM. But as soon as I activate LLM those outputs are muted...none of the other outputs get muted, but there's definitely no low latency in those :-)

If I get LLM to work on output 1-2....is it possible to route those to another output? I don't use outputs 1-2, and if there's one place I really need low latency, it is on the headphone outputs.

2 Reply by Randyman... (edited by Randyman... 2011-12-16 02:59:01)

  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2007-05-11
  • Posts: 1,191

Re: Low Latency Monitoring - Pro Tools 10

Runepune wrote:

Just got myself an HDSPe AiO, thinking PCIe and a 32 sample buffer would get me a low enough latency to monitor through the software...Nope! Still that phasey, bucket sound in the cans when singing.

This sounds more like a routing/configuration issue than the fact that you are hearing around 3-5ms of round-trip latency IMO.

While I understand certain people have different tolerances for latency while tracking, I have not had a single singer complain about latency using 32-Sample ASIO buffers with RME cards and Cubase/Nuendo - even when adding compression, EQ, EFX in the box and monitoring "wet" (this is the ONLY way I operate - rock solid and no noticeable latency).

Quick test - Let someone else wear the headphones as you sing - do they still hear it as "phasey, bucket sounding"?  If they do, then it's not your head voice combining with the headphones causing the issue - rather a routing type issue causing the phasing.

I guess PT could be doing something different from Cubase/Nuendo, but I'd assume PT's latency performance is on-par with Cubendo.

Lastly, do you have any plug-ins active on the PT Project when tracking?  What kind of latency are these plug-ins adding?  When I initially went "native" - I ran into a few of my standard "mix plug-ins" that were adding silly amounts of latency, and of course, PDC did its job, further delaying the monitored signal in the cans.  I nixed these highly latent plug-ins for similar versions that are no more than 32 samples latent (generally no delay or 1 sample delay, but a few are 32-Samples latent) - and all is well in Native Land at 32-Samples of ASIO.

Look out for any plugs that use linear phase or lookahead delays - these are generally the worst offenders with regard to latency...

cool

MADIface-XT+ARC / 3x HDSP MADI / ADI648
2x SSL Alphalink MADI AX
2x Multiface / 2x Digiface /2x ADI8
  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2007-05-11
  • Posts: 1,191

Re: Low Latency Monitoring - Pro Tools 10

RE - LLM and Routing - Yep - That's what Totalmix is for! :-)  Let PT send it to output 1/2 (middle row of TM - "Software Retuns").  Then, you can buss that middle row's 1/2 to whatever outputs on the bottom row your heart desires!

cool

MADIface-XT+ARC / 3x HDSP MADI / ADI648
2x SSL Alphalink MADI AX
2x Multiface / 2x Digiface /2x ADI8
  • Registered: 2011-12-16
  • Posts: 59

Re: Low Latency Monitoring - Pro Tools 10

Same thing in a session consisting of only one track routed directly to the headphone ouput. Yeah, I'm probably sensitive to it. It just gets phasey with the acoustic sound of my voice/head. Flipping polarity on the signal also makes a big difference to me. A pair of very isolating headphones would probably help a bit on these issues.

Those extra 1.5 ms through the software really makes a difference. Of course, with anything but my own voice it's surely good enough!

RE - LLM and Routing - Yep - That's what Totalmix is for! smile  Let PT send it to output 1/2 (middle row of TM - "Software Retuns").  Then, you can buss that middle row's 1/2 to whatever outputs on the bottom row your heart desires!

That's good to know! Problem is....as soon as I activate LLM, output 1/2 is silenced. So: without LLM all outputs work...and with LLM all outputs except output 1/2 work HeadScratch

5 Reply by Runepune (edited by Runepune 2011-12-17 03:21:25)

  • Registered: 2011-12-16
  • Posts: 59

Re: Low Latency Monitoring - Pro Tools 10

I've tried this on both OSX Lion and a Win 7 64 partition. Same thing happens: When I activate LLM, outputs 1/2 just go silent... They actually disappear from the I/O Setup in PT.

Anybody in here have LLM working in PT?