Low Latency Monitoring Issues

[jeffn9]

I'm running PT 12.7 on a Mac Book Air OSX Yosemite v10.10.5 with an Avid MBox Mini. I'm trying to record guitar tracks and can only get sound when the track is record-enabled and low latency monitoring is off. I also get sound the same way when actually recording. In both of these situations, the signal I am hearing is delayed, as if I have a slapback delay on but am only hearing the delayed signal. If I turn on low latency monitoring, I get no sound or signal.

I'm very new to the recording/pro audio side of things so any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Darryl Ramm]

Low latency monitoring bypasses all software monitoring in Pro Tools and relies on the hardware monitoring in your interface. You need to turn that level up in the interface to hear it... but ....

...if you are recording an electric guitar and using an amp sim in Pro Tools then all you'll hear though hardware monitoring is the quiet dry guitar, and you will have to turn the hardware monitor level up really high to hear anything. But thats likely doing it wrong, you would normally either 1/ software monitor though an amp sim plugin, or 2/ mic a guitar cab, or 3/ use an Eleven Rack or similar outboard processor (that can let you track the dry and wet signals).

It would help a lot of you described what exact guitar etc. you are recoding, if micing an amp, DI input, amp sim plugins etc.

The delay you hear is the IO buffer caused latency. You reduce that delay by decreasing the IO buffer size (Setup>Playback Engine). But at too small an IO buffer Pro Tools will start crashing. You'll find out how good your computer is, and wether you set up and optimized it properly, by how reliable Pro Tools is at smaller Io buffer sizes.

All this is pretty basic stuff, you may get where you are trying to go faster by finding tutorials on YouTube or elsewhere that cover doing the type of things you want to do with Pro Tools. The Pro Tools Reference Guide is the place to search if you have questions like what does low latency monitoring do.

[jeffn9]

I appreciate that and will give it a shot. I'm using an '03 PRS Custom 22 with Dragon II pickups and am playing around with Guitar Rig 5-AAX plugin. Using Best Tronics Pro Audio balanced cables directly into the Mbox Mini. I'm using my pedalboard here and there too.

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by jeffn9

I appreciate that and will give it a shot. I'm using an '03 PRS Custom 22 with Dragon II pickups and am playing around with Guitar Rig 5-AAX plugin. Using Best Tronics Pro Audio balanced cables directly into the Mbox Mini. I'm using my pedalboard here and there too.

Right so you need to give up on low-latency monitoring.

I'd probably be looking for an Eleven Rack to use an an interface/processor. You just missed out on the $199 sales. Lots of other choices, but none so good at that price point.