Can you compensate for latency with outboard send effects?

[bukman]

Hi all,

I am trying to hook up some external reverb units to create send effect options for my 003.
I am using sends on the tracks I want to apply the verb to and routing these out to the device and back in via an Aux return as per how I would do it for a plug in send effect.

Problem is that when the effect is returned it has some noticeable delay which adds to the external reverb effect to create a return that is basically not what I want (I only want reverb and not reverb AND delay).

I understand why external effects cause latency but have no clue as to how I could compensate the send delay so the effect does not noticebly colour any of the tracks I send to it other than adding reverb.

Can you compensate for this external send device latency in any way like you can for plug ins or do I need to forget using sends and add the reverb as an insert only and adjust delay on all the other tracks not using the device?

Cheers
Bukman

[albee1952]

When you use an outboard verb like this, you should set its mix control to 100% effect(no dry signal coming back). 2 ideas to compensate are; 1-record the returning signal and shift it earlier in the timeline, and 2-reduce the predelay setting on the reverb as the signal already is delayed by the conversion latency and buffer setting(a lower buffer setting will lessen the latency as well).

[bukman]

Thanks Albee,

I guess without going the effect record and manual adjust option I will always face some latency.

Makes me I wonder how many people in the LE forum are using outboard gear for send effects or stick with plugins for this reason.

Cheers
BM

[albee1952]

That is a great reason to stay IN THE BOX and it works for me(although I have used an outboard verb on occaision). Plugins really can sound great and are generally much better than any low budget outboard stuff(you'd be surprised how many actualloy want to try using their cheapo DBX and Behringer compressors and such....). Now of you're talking about a Lexicon 480L or some LA2A compressors or vintage Pultecs, that's another story...

[leadsticks]

You guys surely know this already but just incase someone new with DAWs reads this, perhaps this could be useful info for them:

This can't be done in real time, but record the "wet" sound as an audio track and then nudge the resulted region and you're done.

Here's a good chart with which you can determine the required nudge value with different buffer settings (samples=ms*samplerate):
http://music-production-school.com/i...ls_Latency.jpg

The whole latency chain is explained here:
http://music-production-school.com/p..._article.shtml

This excel sheet could be useful when determining the correct nudge value in samples:
http://www.harmony-central.com/artic...d_vs_Tempo.xls

Sample accuracy in general is handled on this page:
http://www.harmony-central.com/artic...mple_accuracy/