Low Latency Monitoring in Standard Pro Tools 9?

[Dizzi45Z]

I'm an Pro Tools 8 HD TDM user and so I am struggling with helping out a friend of mine with dealing with latency issues in Pro Tools 9. I know that Pro Tools 9 HD Native has Low Latency Monitoring. Does the standard Pro Tools 9 come with Low Latency Monitoring option? Also, does anyone know if the auto-input monitoring works while Low Latency Monitoring is engaged? Thanks.

[Dism]

LLM is a hardware feature, not a software feature.

It's available on HD Native systems, 002/003, both MBox Pros, as well as the MBox 3. (But not the Mini)

What interface is your friend using?

[spatulamaan]

You will find that low latency monitoring is a feature of your interface.
Next you will find that Pro Tools 9 does not allow you to properly exploit
that feature.

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=285447

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=289485

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=286342

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t=286140

http://protools.ideascale.com/a/dtd/...OFF/27200-3779

[Dizzi45Z]

Thanks guys. I know about the mix controls on the mbox and etc for no latency monitoring, but I thought that Low Latency monitoring mode, where plug-ins bypass when you record enable tracks and etc was a software thing.

My friend is running Pro Tools with the firewire card in his DM3200 mixer. So does that mean the Low Latency Monitoring mode wouldn't even show up in the menu of his Pro Tools 9?

[nst7]

If I'm not mistaken, it was a specific feature of Digi LE hardware specifically when used with Protools. Other manufacturers accomplish a similar thing with their Low Latency Mixing software, such as Apogee's Maestro, Focusrite's Mix Control, etc.

I'm not sure if the new Mboxes have the LLM feature built into Protools, or if now it's done with their Mix Control software equivalent.

[Dism]

Originally Posted by nst7

If I'm not mistaken, it was a specific feature of Digi LE hardware specifically when used with Protools. Other manufacturers accomplish a similar thing with their Low Latency Mixing software, such as Apogee's Maestro, Focusrite's Mix Control, etc.

Originally Posted by Dism

LLM is a hardware feature, not a software feature.

Originally Posted by nst7

I'm not sure if the new Mboxes have the LLM feature built into Protools, or if now it's done with their Mix Control software equivalent.

Originally Posted by Dism

It's available on HD Native systems, 002/003, both MBox Pros, as well as the MBox 3. (But not the Mini)

Originally Posted by Dizzi45Z

So does that mean the Low Latency Monitoring mode wouldn't even show up in the menu of his Pro Tools 9?

Correct. The best solution for achieving low latency in his situation would be to lower the buffer as far as it will go. Usually, 64 is low enough to not be heard.

[Dizzi45Z]

Well, I definitely see everyone's frustration with no option to turn off software monitoring. I see that as a bigger issue than delay compensation was. A true deal breaker. What's the use of having the ability to do more than 16 tracks if your computer can't play back that many without a higher buffer setting. Sure, the latest mac pro's could handle bigger track counts, but good luck on a laptop.

I am continuously glad that I'm on a TDM system and I don't understand the Pro Tools Native hype. I love the fact that I get no noticeable delay tracking through plug-ins no matter what the buffer setting is.

The only other option for everyone is the option to turn off software monitoring so that they can use higher buffer settings when their projects get huge.

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by Dism

Correct. The best solution for achieving low latency in his situation would be to lower the buffer as far as it will go. Usually, 64 is low enough to not be heard.

Actually there are not many individuals that can hear 128 latency (@44100), most will be fine with 256 and almost every artist has trouble with 512 setting. If you can do 64 setting it's as good as HD.

Even if you had HD and "zero" latency, it would in reality most likely be in the ballpark of 64-128 samples because we almost always use some extra processing while tracking (and it builds up very fast).

As a rule of thumb, people cannot tell if something is 10ms off. Give or take a few milliseconds, but that's it. Even most digital keyboards have about 5ms latency from keypress to sound output and no artist complains that their device has "+200 sample latency". And digital reverbs too, ever heard of anyone complaining that their reverb has too much delay? Just don't tell people there is a latency and they're fine with it

[Dism]

Using a DM3200 with a laptop seems counter productive to me. If you want high track counts with low buffers... you need a powerful computer.

Just like you invested in a TDM setup, those expecting to have low latency recording setups have to make a significant investment if they hope to have low latency with FW devices.

There are also plenty of interfaces with their own hardware monitoring such as Focusrite's MixControl. Hardware monitoring is typically a feature of the hardware you're using, rather than the software.

[Dizzi45Z]

Dism,

I'm sorry, I'm kind of skipping around. My laptop comment was not suppose to be connected to the DM3200 scenario.

My friend with the DM3200 has a Mac Pro, but likely a few years old.

It still is a major flaw that Pro Tools currently does not allow you to turn off software monitoring. Even if you have an interface that allows you to use it's hardware monitoring, you still deal with the issue of hearing your delayed recorded signal coming back to you. The only other option is to mute the track, but that becomes useless for punch-ins. All other workarounds I hear people talk about are clunky and require additional tracks and etc. How hard can it really be for Pro Tools to have the option to turn of software monitoring? Every DAW I know has that option.