Cumulative Headphone Mixes Causing Mounting Latency???

[MasonHamlinCC2]

Hey LPH,

I was helping out with a live session at a studio on Friday that consisted of 8 musicians and 17 active mic inputs; no MIDI. We were running 7 headphone mixes and the problem was that as we incorporated the headphone mixes the latency kept increasing to the point of making recording impossible. If we just tested the setup with 1 active headphone mix there was no latency (or at least a very minuscule and acceptable level) for that headphone mix. As we started adding the other 6 headphone mixes the latency started mounting with each addition and ultimately we had to suspend the session. We tried all levels of of I/O Buffer settings and were utilizing Low Latency Monitoring. When LLM was active I of course had to Low Latency Safe all of the headphone bus sends. 

 

The session specs were as follows:

Computer: MacMini 2018 3.2 Ghz. 6-core Intel i7 - 32 GB's RAM

Main Interface: Focusrite Red 8 Pre

Auxiliary Interfaces Connected via DANTE Ethernet: Focusrite MP8R and two Focusrite X2P units

Session Drive: OWC USB-C Mercury Elite Pro Dual Mini Enclosure w/two 1 TB Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD's in a RAID 0 configuration

 

Any feedback or comments on what the cause of our issue might have been or how to rectify it will be greatly appreciated. This was the inaugural recording for a newly built studio and the musicians all drove over 3 hours for what was supposed to be a 3-day recording project. It was quite a letdown to say the least when we finally had to throw in the towel. Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

Dave

[scg]

That's unfortunate 🙁 Sorry that happened at such an inopportune time.

I'm not currently working with a setup like this, so I hope someone who is will weigh in. Meanwhile, 'low-latency monitoring' mode aside, were there any plugins at all in the project? Were you monitoring through any effects at all?

Also, can you describe the setup in any more detail? Maybe post a screenshot of the mixer? (Which I realize may be difficult if you don't have easy access to the studio.)

[MasonHamlinCC2]

No plugins being used on any channels. Seven sends per channel for the headphone mixes. I could get a screenshot of the mixer window but not sure it would be much help. 17 mic inputs, no MIDI/Software Instruments, no plugins on any channel, 7 bus sends on each channel for the headphone mixes. The 7 sends for the headphone mixes were sent not to Aux Channels but to regular Tracks with different output assignments in order to control level for each headphone mix. Used regular tracks and not Aux Channels because Aux Channels get disabled in Low Latency Monitoring mode.

[fuzzfilth]

If there *really* aren't any plugins on any Tracks, Channels, Auxes or Outputs, then I have no idea. The mere act of routing should not induce any latency. Here's what happens if you route Sends through Busses and regular Auxes to Outputs:

Here's what happens if you route Sends through Busses and Tracks to Outputs:

Here's what happens if you route Sends directly to Outputs:

In no case is there any latency, visibly or audibly.

 

Edited May 22, 2023 by fuzzfilth