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View Full Version : Are my plug-ins lying to me?

Naagzh
10-05-2004, 11:30 PM
This is about how you guys account for plug-in delay. For example, if you have three stock plugs on a track, do you nudge that audio back in time by 3 samples?

And what about inspecting the delay on a track? When I control-click that spot, no matter how many plugs I have on a track, the delay always reads zero. Except when I use a DUY plug, then I get a one sample delay. Are all my other plugs lying to me?

How are the pros going about this? What's the "standard" when compensating for plug-in delay? Do the stock Digi plugs introduce delay on an LE system? What about Focusrite D2/D3? Or Sansamp?

Thanks,
Naagzh
Rail Jon Rogut
10-05-2004, 11:46 PM
Most RTAS plug-ins don't have any delay.

Rail
albee1952
10-09-2004, 07:49 PM
In general, Rail is correct(as usual). Of the ones that do, the worst offenders seem to be Waves compressors and pitch shifters. Some are over 6000 samples late. Someone had a list of popular plugs and their latency. I have a list in a WORD document and will forward it if you drop me an email. [email protected]
CozmoXP
10-10-2004, 12:56 PM
I read something about the newer versions of PTLE supporting latency compensation and that the new Waves plugins contain that support.
SimpleNatureSpirit
10-10-2004, 01:08 PM
Rail, you can correct if I'm wrong here, but one thing to be aware of in plugin delays is that your automation is affected. Using some hi-latency plugins from Waves, I noted that the volume automation is Pre-plugin delay and the audio is post. What I am saying is that if you have your automation on your audio track with these plugins, the automation comes ahead of where you think it is. One way to correct for this is to put the plugs on an aux track and direct your audio w/ automation there.

Also, in reading the Waves Mastering book, they recommend putting in 'dummy' plugins equivalent to the ones you are using when you plan to submix several tracks to an Aux track. In this way you have the same latency on each of the audio tracks. I know this is not good for CPU usage, but it is a simple reliable way to deal with latency.