Pro Tools: Working with Delay Compensation

Learn how to use the Time Adjuster Plugin within Pro Tools 8 to compensate for delays due to plugin use.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• winksound
• digidesign
• protools
• delay
• compensation
• buffer
• cpu
• plugin
• time
• adjuster

[GI0PRODUCTIONS]

So what do you do when you have everything delayed to 10 samples and then you want to record a new track over it all?  And do you ever use the sample delay number to move the wave form instead of using those plugins??

[WiNKsound]

@GI0PRODUCTIONS Hello I would create the new track and add the delay plug in on it to make sure everything syncs up. As for you other question use the plug in. What the plug in does is delay the track with out actually moving the physical file. The delay is meant for your computers processing so it can process all the plug ins you are using and sync them up so all the aspects of your session play in time together.

I hope that cleared things up. talk to you soon

Justin

winksound

[GI0PRODUCTIONS]

@WiNKsound I knew the plug-in never moves files but in the past I had moved the physical file slight amounts to avoid use of the plug-in because it seemed easier at the time. Looking back I see your way is probably better because if you remove or make every plugin inactive, then everything should still be synced up. And that would really help a producer remaster your sessions later on different rigs with different plug-ins. Thank you for sharing your approach and the reply!

[WiNKsound]

@GI0PRODUCTIONS Well for working with other producers/engineers etc if you have any plug ins for instance any VI's I would bounce those as audio because you never know if that producer/engineer has those plug ins. Of course checking with that person you can aviod the bouncing.

Thanks for the feedback and support

Talk to you soon

justin

winksound

[TheTVoc]

Seems a simple task... until you start bussing and sending audio to various auxs

It really messes my head up eg when trying to parallel compress via an aux or simply add reverb. Because the audio track goes directly to the master with no delay but goes through the FX with delay - which you can't then delay the audio track otherwise when it goes through the FX it gets delayed twice. So I have to end up setting up more busses and AUXs to delay for dry, not helpful in M-Powered with ltd bus no.

[WiNKsound]

@TheTVoc Yeah it is a bit of a hassle. Other DAW's do this almost automatically. The only option is to upgrade to Pro Tools HD.

Hope to hear fro you soon,

Justin

winksound

[Yogurines]

Well, I think you need to do a different treatment if the delay is produced in an midi, instrument, audio o aux track. You need to find the maximum delay of each of these type tracks, and applicate it to each one.

[kevvcop]

@detroitMC313 you can fix that in the playback hardware buffer settings, set its low for recording, and high for playback!

[matkogrgas]

so, why are you also putting the time adj plug in on the master buss? totally unnecessary man....

[tylersnelling]

@detroitMC313 Delay from plugins has nothing to do with the interface. It has to do with the delay needed for the computer to process the plugins. The interface would have an effect on latency when recording, but with a non-HD system you would have too much latency to monitor through protools anyways.

[tylersnelling]

You shouldn't put delay on the master fader or that aux channel you made, since you're already delaying the input to the aux channel, and the master fader can have 10 million samples of delay and it wouldn't matter.

[Raindarsus]

Putting the delay compensation plugin on your master fader when one of your channel is already delayed? Won't it delay it again compared to the other channels that you just compensated for?

[vonvlad67]

@vonvlad67 excuse me, command+option. Option is a global command.

[vonvlad67]

You can pull up delay times across the whole session by holding down command, instead of doing each one at a time.