Question about latency

Tom-eg

Maybe this is a stupid question but why would you monitor using your DAW and get latency when you can monitor using hardware and not be affected by it? Is there a reason for monitoring using your DAW?

ogy

two reasons off the top of my head
- not all intefaces have direct monitoring
- if you were using a plugin like a distorted effect on a dry guitar input, the performance would probably be better monitoring the effected signal, obviously you'd need very low latency for this to work.

but obviously direct monitoring is better if available

trackmixstudio

As ogy says.
If you are using PTHD or something like an RME PCIe interface the latency is negligible. my RME digiface is so fast that a drummer will hear a snare back through logic and his phones before the direct sound from the snare reaches him through the air.
This allows you to monitor with effects.

Another huge plus for monitoring through your DAW is for drop ins so you can hear the recorded track to the point where you drop in then hear your live performance in place of it seamlessly with effects. monitoring direct for this is a problem because you would hear the pre recorded track plus your live overdub unless the engineer jumps for the mute button when you start singing/playing.

studiorat

If you are not listening through the DAW you cannot be positive the signal is going to the DAW properly. If you are only listening to the input stage you have no confirmation it's getting to the DAW in the same manner.

Confidence Monitoring
Listening directly from a recording medium while recording to ensure the
program material is being recorded correctly. Many analog recorders have a playback head trailing the record head, allowing you to hear the material directly after it has been recorded. Professional DAT recorders usually have four heads for confidence monitoring (it takes two to record and two more to play back at the same time), as do a number of the modular digital multitrack (MDM) recorders.

dav nagle

Tom-eg wrote: »

Maybe this is a stupid question but why would you monitor using your DAW and get latency when you can monitor using hardware and not be affected by it? Is there a reason for monitoring using your DAW?

On both Logic and Pro Tools there is low latency mode, always should be switched on while tracking, just takes a click of a button. You will not notice any latency in low latency mode.

ZV Yoda

dav nagle wrote: »

On both Logic and Pro Tools there is low latency mode, always should be switched on while tracking, just takes a click of a button. You will not notice any latency in low latency mode.

Dav… so you mean I don't need to keep changing my playback engine settings (i.e. increase/decrease buffer/cache/latency settings... I'm on PTLE 7.4) when I switch between tracking & editing?

And there was me thinking "if only Digi developed a button that just allowed you to switch between track mode & edit mode depending on what's needed... but without having to go into playback engine settings every time".

Talk about a brainfart... this is why I love this forum!

Oh, and yes, I did RTFM, but that subtle point obviously passed me by!

dav nagle

ZV Yoda wrote: »

Dav… so you mean I don't need to keep changing my playback engine settings (i.e. increase/decrease buffer/cache/latency settings... I'm on PTLE 7.4) when I switch between tracking & editing?

And there was me thinking "if only Digi developed a button that just allowed you to switch between track mode & edit mode depending on what's needed... but without having to go into playback engine settings every time".

Talk about a brainfart... this is why I love this forum!

Oh, and yes, I did RTFM, but that subtle point obviously passed me by!

Give it a shot!
I am glad you are having a good day at least your painter didn't ask you to pay for three clamping bills like mine did today!:eek: Just stick LE on a buffer rate of 256 all the time and hit that low latency mode when you need it. Another surprising thing about pro tools is that it often runs more stable when set it to just 1 core as opposed to 4 or 8. The Pro Tools system has a multiple core issue when running certain plugin types and you may even get less stability when using too many cores, I am doing all my beef flawlessly with just 2 cores on a 4 core.

ZV Yoda

dav nagle wrote: »

... at least your painter didn't ask you to pay for three clamping bills like mine did today

If he wants you to pay for his parking, you should charge him rent based on how long it takes him to finish the job

dav nagle wrote: »

Just stick LE on a buffer rate of 256 all the time and hit that low latency mode when you need it.

Hmm... less hassle - I like it!... will try that tonight when I get home...

dav nagle wrote: »

Another surprising thing about pro tools is that it often runs more stable when set it to just 1 core as opposed to 4 or 8. The Pro Tools system has a multiple core issue when running certain plugin types and you may even get less stability when using too many cores, I am doing all my beef flawlessly with just 2 cores on a 4 core.

I have a dual core iMac, so not sure what mine's set to... will check that out too - thanks!

dav nagle

ZV Yoda wrote: »

If he wants you to pay for his parking, you should charge him rent based on how long it takes him to finish the job

He has 2 options

1. Finish the job
2. Get out