Signal path, headphones or record first

[maximumimpactmedia]

My question is to avoid latency in the headphone monitoring during recording.

I have an Allen and Heath ZED428 board for headphone monitoring since a client said that he had a slight latency in his head phone mix which came from the Command8 interface attached to the hd/tdm computer.*
https://www.allen-heath.com/ahproducts/zed-428/

I had two 96x16 io interfaces which were stolen so I bought two 192 8x16x8 io interfaces on Reverb.

Now that I am rebuilding my system, which option would you recommend? I would to get an opinion.

Do I record to PT first or get the headphone mix and then record?

Option1: record to pt then out to headphone
16ch Mics to
16 mic pres to
192interface-16ch in to
protools software to
192 16ch out to
ZED428 line in ch 1-16 to
furman 5 station (via ethernet cables) personal headphone monitoring system via aux send on ZED428

​​​​​​​Option 2: headphone first then out to 192 interface via inserts on ZED428
Mics to
mic pres to
ZED428 line in to
furman 5 station (via ethernet cables) personal headphone monitoring system via aux send on ZED428
ZED428 direct out channels 1-16 to
192 ch1-16 interface in to
protools software to
192 ch 1-16 interface out to
Mackie 1604 mixer to CR monitors (if necessary since I have a command8 console to connect to monitors. Otherwise IDK what to do with any outs)

the ZED 428 has
Direct Output Socket
Standard 1/4” (6.25mm) Jack socket. Wired Tip=Hot(+),
Ring=cold (-), Sleeve=Chassis. For recording individual channels,
factory default is prefade signal (post mute).
The nominal level is 0dBu and the output is impedance balanced.

[Darryl Ramm]

Hi Welcome to DUC.

Do you mean an 8 fader D-Command or a Command 8? An XMon with a D-Command sometimes gets called an "interface" but a Command 8 is not an interface, yes I know Digidesign in a moment of silliness labeled the rear panel MIDI connections "interface".

And not wanting to start yet another silly thread argument about motioning latency. But you were sure there was no native plugins following TDM plugins or TDM plugins with high latency on that talent's headphone signal path?

I don't understand what you are trying to achieve with Option 1. If you have too much monitoring latency in Pro Tools, running all that in front of the mixer is going to deliver the same problematic latency you are trying to remove.

And Option 2. If you use the channel inserts to feed the 192 inputs you are going to have to use a TRS insert wired to bridge the insert and then see how the that sounds, and you are also unbalanced analog to your 192 inputs so wire that correctly and hopefully you don't have noise or grounding problems. You also might be better off using the direct channel outptus not the inserts (but.. (looking at the mixer schematic), then the channel EQ is in the path if you engage it).

You don't mention what preamps you have, but assume you will want to go thought them and not have what you are recording colored by the A&H Console. So you'll need to do some listening tests to see how all this sounds.

I'm old fashioned, and like stuff simple, and think splitting a mic signal with a quality transformer splitter ahead of a console like this (i.e. not with a preamp out you want to record and no built-in DAW/tape signal flow) can be a nice way to go. Kinda unfortunate if you really need 16 feeds though this mixer just to get a console based headphone mix for a single vocalist?

[albee1952]

I would take a slightly different route here and drop the mixer and get a modest monitor controller and headphone amp. With a 64 buffer setting and careful choices of plugins, tracking should be a breeze with no latency issues.

[Darryl Ramm]

How about we find out if TDM was being used correctly to avoid additional latency?

It the talent is already complaining about latency or comb filtering. Maybe they are a singer hyper-sensitve to comb filtering, if so the wrong answer is a bunch of dudes on a forum telling you they think what you are complaining about is not a problem.

[maximumimpactmedia]

1. I would actually use direct outs from the board instead of inserts to go to HD interfaces
2. I don't use plugins during recording
3. Ignore the Command8 console info for the headphone monitoring issue

[maximumimpactmedia]

My headphone has multiple stations each with its own mix