workspace stereo audio misaligned during preview

[NickFLZ]

I am running ProTools 8.0.1 on a quad core Intel Mac with Leopard 10.5.6

When I audition a file in the workspace the playback is misaligned - as if I had shifted the right channel forward by about 30ms. This happens on split stereo pairs AND on stereo interleaved files (happens to WAV, AIFF and SD2). The meters in the workspace even visually show the delay. When I drag the file in, it's fine - just weird during audition from the workspace. No issues when auditioning an interleaved file from the import window.

If I reboot the problem goes away -- but this eventually happens every day and has been since I first upgraded to 8.0 - it's persisted through two CS updates and into 8.0.1 (just a note, when I moved to Leopard, I did a clean install of the OS and ProTools to keep any weirdness from happening).

Has this happened to anyone else? It's not a mission-critical bug but annoying since all my stereo samples sound like they're flamming.

Any help would be appreciated.

Nick

[NickFLZ]

Is anyone else having this issue? It still persists through upgrades to CS versions of ProTools. I am downloading 8.0.4 HD right now and HOPEFULLY this goes away. It's really annoying, I don't understand why the channels would be delayed while the import window is open or during playback from the workspace but then be fine as soon as I bring it into the session. I could see if it only happened on files that needed to be converted (though that would be still be a bug) but it happens to split stereo WAV, interleaved WAV of matched bit depth/sample rate to my session as well as interleaved files of other formats with various bit/sample qualities. Makes it VERY difficult to audition a loop out of the workspace in time with my session.

Digi? Err... Avid?

Thanks,
Nick

[SessionKat]

Quick questions:
Are you previewing with "Preview in Context" enabled? (Thus syncing to session tempo?)

If yes, then have you tried the different EA algorithms?

What types of files? WAV? AIF? other?

-tv

[NickFLZ]

Nope, happens whether the tempo sync icon is selected or not. Also happens inside the import audio window where elastic time is totally out of the equation. It occurs with AIF, WAV and MP3 -- oddly enough it even happens with mono files. Never happens when I first start protools but seems to happen sometime into the session regardless of track count. Mostly happens after I have processed at least once using audio suite.
I have not gone as far as trying one plug-in at a time to see if there's a specific plug that does it. I checked all versions of my plugins, though and they are all up to date and ProTools 8 compatible.

[SessionKat]

Hey Nick,

Sorry your encountering this junk...

Tell me how a mono file sounds "misaligned?"
Also, wondering if auditioning files in the Region Bin give you the same problem.

(I'm scratching my head trying to pinpoint the culprit here...)

-tv

[NickFLZ]

Hey Tim,

Thanks for the replies. Ha, I know - right? It seems to me that the playback engine is not so much misaligning the file as it is the signal to the output. When this happens, even the level meters in the import window reflect a slight offset of the right output hitting first, even if the file is a mono file containing spoken voice only.
To answer your other question, it does not happen when previewing from the regions bin. Once the focus is gone from the workspace and playback happens from anywhere in the edit window everything is fine. It's bazaar. One plug-in that may be causing this to happen is Speakerphone. I have mostly noticed the delay after processing a file using the audiosuite version of speakerphone but cannot reliably reproduce this every time. I trashed my digisetup prefs recently just to be thorough (though I've done that in the past along with all my other prefs).... but having just upgraded to 8.0.4 it seemed like a good fresh start.
If you have any ideas I'd be interested to hear them and, who knows, maybe 8.0.4 will be the resolution. I'll keep you updated on my results with this version.

Thanks!
Nick

[SmithLeeProductions]

Thought I'd resurrect this old thread. I just upgraded my MacPro from Tiger PT 7.4 to SnowLeopard PT 9.0.

I just started encountering this issue. The stereo image is skewed to the right in the workspace. Everything else plays back just fine in Pro Tools. It's just the workspace window that has this issue.

[NickFLZ]

I narrowed mine down to the delay compensation engine. Don't know how to fix it or why it's happening... but if I go to Options and UNCHECK "delay compensation" the samples tend to play back from the import window and the workspace correctly... when I turn it back on, the delay comes back. Kind of ironic, isn't it? The tool designed to reduce the effect of latency is the one responsible for creating it.
On that note, Delay Compensation also causes some software instruments to float off beat. Happens to Battery and Stylus most notably... but as soon as I turn DC off the plugin is back in sync and I hear no negative effects on the rest of my session, latency-wise.

[SmithLeeProductions]

Hmm....I'll have to try that tomorrow. Thanks Nick!