Topic: Hear DAW after plugins in real time

I get 'double audio' on my mic in my DAW when I'm monitoring record in real time.

I can turn it off in the DAW (Reaper) but then I don't get to hear my audio with the effects on.

Any way to monitor my DAW while it's recording WITHOUT the double audio/echo?
https://i.imgur.com/WzbQtLq.png

M1 Mac Mini (2020)
Fireface UCX 2

Re: Hear DAW after plugins in real time

Hi
Two solutions:
A) in Totalmix (in submix mode) click on the hardware output with your monitor signal (main output or whatever) to show its submix. Then close the fader of the hardware input used for the mic = No more direct signal.
B) set your DAW reverb plugin to fully wet signal. Now you have a mix from the direct monitor signal in Totalmix and the reverb only coming from the DAW (software playback channel in Totalmix).

FF 400 - Babyface pro - Digiface USB - ADI-2 (original)
Mac mini M1 - Macbook pro - iPad Air2

3 (edited by gharatzoglou 2024-04-27 08:03:16)

Re: Hear DAW after plugins in real time

What you describe here happens because you are doing software monitoring and hardware(direct) monitoring at the same time.
Either choose hardware(direct) monitoring and close the monitor button(little speaker) from your DAW to listen directly from input to output, or mute the input channel you are using in the TotalMix mixer.
Hardware(direct) monitoring gives you the benefit of having practically zero latency, but has the disadvantage of not hearing any plugins.
Software monitoring on the otther hand gives you the ability to listen through plugins, but with some unavoidable roundtrip latency, so you need a very low buffer to work this way, 128 and even lower.
RME audio interfaces have probably the best drivers to work great with very low latencies(buffers), but that also depends on your CPU power.
It is not suggested to use software AND hardware monitoring at the same time.

Re: Hear DAW after plugins in real time

gharatzoglou wrote:

What you describe here happens because you are doing software monitoring and hardware(direct) monitoring at the same time.
Either choose hardware(direct) monitoring and close the monitor button(little speaker) from your DAW to listen directly from input to output, or mute the input channel you are using in the TotalMix mixer.
Hardware(direct) monitoring gives you the benefit of having practically zero latency, but has the disadvantage of not hearing any plugins.
Software monitoring on the otther hand gives you the ability to listen through plugins, but with some unavoidable roundtrip latency, so you need a very low buffer to work this way, 128 and even lower.
RME audio interfaces have probably the best drivers to work great with very low latencies(buffers), but that also depends on your CPU power.
It is not suggested to use software AND hardware monitoring at the same time.

Perfect. How do I find my buffer size?

M1 Mac Mini (2020)
Fireface UCX 2

5 (edited by waedi 2024-04-27 19:26:29)

Re: Hear DAW after plugins in real time

On Mac the buffer setting is part of the DAW, in Windows ASIO driver setting.
Start with 128 and decrease step by step until you are happy. Too small buffer can create crackeling sound. Get back one step bigger and you are fine.

M1-Sonoma, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

Re: Hear DAW after plugins in real time

moose wrote:
gharatzoglou wrote:

What you describe here happens because you are doing software monitoring and hardware(direct) monitoring at the same time.
Either choose hardware(direct) monitoring and close the monitor button(little speaker) from your DAW to listen directly from input to output, or mute the input channel you are using in the TotalMix mixer.
Hardware(direct) monitoring gives you the benefit of having practically zero latency, but has the disadvantage of not hearing any plugins.
Software monitoring on the otther hand gives you the ability to listen through plugins, but with some unavoidable roundtrip latency, so you need a very low buffer to work this way, 128 and even lower.
RME audio interfaces have probably the best drivers to work great with very low latencies(buffers), but that also depends on your CPU power.
It is not suggested to use software AND hardware monitoring at the same time.

Perfect. How do I find my buffer size?

Your buffer settings are on the control panel of your audio interface.You can open that up from your DAW in your audio settings menu, or independetly from the icon/shortcut in your taskbar.You should see settings in numbers like 64, 128, 256, 512 and so on.The bigger the number the more latency you get, but your CPU load will be less and on the contrary the smaller the buffer number the less latency you get, but more load on your CPU.You need low latency only during recording while monitoring through software, but not when mixing, or recording while monitoring through hardware/direct.