issue with low latency monitoring

[jimbo-baby]

i have been using pro tools in studios since version 5, and have owned it since version 6. having made the transition to version 9 a few months ago, i found i had the same issue with low latency monitoring not working as described in this post:

http://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?t...ncy+monitoring

basically this meant when a client wanted to put down a new vocal or any kind of part after some mixing had already been done, they heard a very noticeable delay from the latency. when they asked me what the hell was going on, i had to apologize while i switched the h/w buffer from 512 to 32, and then made all the power hungry plugins inactive so the program didn't crash.

This meant not only was i interrupting the client's creative flow, but they also had to track to a mix that was messed up by missing verbs etc. as well as levels being all over the place from the missing gain stages of the now inactive plugins... or they had to wait even LONGER while i continued to apologize and fiddle with levels.

clients tracking new parts to their mixes is something i have to deal with on a regular basis, so to have a bug like this after paying for an upgrade was irritating to say the least. however, i kept calm as i assumed there would be an upgrade around the corner that would get this bug under control.

NOPE - after regularly checking for updates, now i find out i have the latest and final version of pro tools 9, and apparently now must fork out more money for pro tools 10 if i want to get back an essential function that was working fine before i paid for the upgrade in the first place. i can't even call and speak to anyone from AVID about this without paying even MORE due to their customer support policy.

i feel like after spending money on an upgrade i've been left high and dry. is there someone from AVID there who can help me out here?

simon

[DigiTechSupt]

Hi Jimbo,


Sorry to hear about your frustrations. It is of course hard to judge on your latency issues / LLM situation without exactly knowing how you are using it. Everything in native land depends on your CPU configuration and how much you are asking that CPU to do for you. Which is quite a different situation in TDM land but you being a user since PT 5 I expect you to know and understand these differences all to well and judge for yourself when you are pushing the limits of your host computer.

FWIW ... Pro Tools 10 does not change this difference and if your sessions is too heavy to allow for LLM without de-activating some plugins in PT 9, it will very likely be too heavy for PT 10 as well.

Maybe you can try it and see if it does make a difference first :

http://www.avid.com/specialoffers/product-trials

[RegenerationMix]

not a fix for sure , but i would have printed the mix (or section of the mix where the overdub or new vocal track would be) and then muted everything else or made inactive) and let the client sing to the dummy mix track. Then when finished, delete the dummy track and unmute/ activate everything and you're back with all your levels.

that way your client can track with no latency and hear all the reverbs and gain stages you have worked so hard on in the real mix. And this is easier than undoing alot of gain stages and plugs and having to revert to a ragged mix.

Chris

[jimbo-baby]

thanks for the replies guys.

this isn't about overloading my system, it's a bug where regardless of the plugins, bussing any track causes low latency monitoring to stop working. it could be a mix with nothing but one eq on a kick drum - if anything is bussed to an aux, the LLM won't work. i can deselect and reselect LLM mode, but it won't work again until i remove the bussing. i never had any problems doing this on a seven year old mac with PTLE6, now on a brand new macbook and PT9 bussing kills LLM.

i can generally get a rough plugin free mix together in a little less time than printing a mix, but that's not really the point. the point is i'm frustrated that i've paid for an upgrade to lose an essential function. i can't continue working like this - i'd rather get version 6 back than continue this way. can someone from AVID please throw me a bone here?

[jimbo-baby]

if avid aren't going to reply here, could anyone please suggest how i might be able to contact them to complain about this?

[nerd513]

ummmm LLM has has always deactivated plugins on the track ur recording to and also has always been deactivated if u are running thru a buss... i dont know what ur smoking but pass it this way

[YYR123]

Jim - are u using ADC ? In the short or long version?

I just used LLM last night to put GtR and bass to a drum track, and I am a plugin whore....!!!

No time lag - no delay

[jimbo-baby]

nerd513 - maybe i wasn't clear enough. LLM is deactivated when ANY channel in the session is running through a bus, even when there's NO bussing or plugins on the channel i'm recording to. in fact, this happens even with no plugins in the session at all.

here's the reason i mention plugins -

my only workaround to avoid the latency is to set the h/w buffer size to 32 samples. this means i have to disable many plugins that are in the session, as my computer (2011 15" macbook pro with 8GB of RAM and a 7200RPM hard drive) struggles like any computer would with a big session and a 32 sample h/w buffer size.


YYR123 - this happens with short, long, or no ADC. it doesn't seem to be a problem related to plugin latency, as it still happens in sessions with no plugins whatsoever. it's also a problem that didn't exist before i upgraded to PT9.

i'd really just like to talk to someone from AVID about this - does anyone know how i might be able to contact them?

[nerd513]

Originally Posted by jimbo-baby

nerd513 - maybe i wasn't clear enough. LLM is deactivated when ANY channel in the session is running through a bus, even when there's NO bussing or plugins on the channel i'm recording to. in fact, this happens even with no plugins in the session at all.

here's the reason i mention plugins -

my only workaround to avoid the latency is to set the h/w buffer size to 32 samples. this means i have to disable many plugins that are in the session, as my computer (2011 15" macbook pro with 8GB of RAM and a 7200RPM hard drive) struggles like any computer would with a big session and a 32 sample h/w buffer size.


YYR123 - this happens with short, long, or no ADC. it doesn't seem to be a problem related to plugin latency, as it still happens in sessions with no plugins whatsoever. it's also a problem that didn't exist before i upgraded to PT9.

i'd really just like to talk to someone from AVID about this - does anyone know how i might be able to contact them?

that is odd

[Larue]

Are these sessions that were created prior to PT9, then opened in 9? That's where I seem to have a problem, which also doesn't seem unique to me, from what I've read.

I do think it's a bug, and I do think it is related to the buses.

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Edit: I just checked the release notes for 9.06 and I think this may be fixed. Have you tried updating to 9.06? I just did and it seems to have fixed the problem.