PDC override full explanation?

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EtherealEntity
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2012/05/20 02:31:14 (permalink)

PDC override full explanation?

Hey all. I'd like a full explanation of what's going on with PDC override if possible. I read the small explanation but it left me a bit baffled. I had two guitar tracks going to a stereo bus with a stereo amp sim on it..the latency started getting a bit unplayable in this project so I tried tracking the second guitar with PDC override enabled. It sounded fine during tracking but on playback the two guitars were very out of sync. Is this because one was being adjusted in some way but one wasn't, and they are going through the same stereo plugin? I also can't understand why, if PDC override is able to get rid of latency on the Echo'd track, why you wouldn't leave it turned on all the time with all your tracks Echo'd to create a latency free tracking situation whilst still hearing all your plugins. I know I'm getting something confused! Thanks for any help
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    John
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    Re:PDC override full explanation? 2012/05/20 02:53:47 (permalink)
    PDC reads the delay of a plugin that it imposes on a signal and delays all other audio to keep everything in sync. I have never turned it off.  CW was one of the very first to have PDC. For other DAWs one had to manually figure it out and input it.

    It doesn't surprise me that after you turned it off while tracking your track is now out of sync with the others. What is happening is that you were playing to an already delayed audio and thus Sonar had no idea where in the time line the new audio should go and placed it as it came in. Sonar is not like a human that actually hears a beat and can sync to it. All it knows is start and stop. PDC is there to check the inherent delay in all plugins and apply it as needed holding back audio that would otherwise be ahead of the new audio.  

    Best
    John
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    EtherealEntity
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    Re:PDC override full explanation? 2012/05/20 11:38:47 (permalink)
    But the PDC Overide is intended for this purpose - I've used it in the past to dub one line it, it disables PDC on monitored tracks and then I'm guessing shifts it by the correct time. I just can't see why if that works, why you wouldn't use it on all tracks all the time.
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    FastBikerBoy
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    Re:PDC override full explanation? 2012/05/20 12:26:12 (permalink)
    Check the manual. From pages 279/280

    Note: If the live track being monitored also contains track data (or MIDI data in the case of a synth track), the streamed track data will not be delay compensated. As a result the recorded track data will not be in sync with other tracks. You should either mute any clips on the live tracks, work with an empty region of the track, or use an entirely new track while recording.

    &


    Some signal routings can cause tracks to be out of sync when Live Input PDC Override is enabled.
    To prevent any potential sync problems, follow these suggestions:
    • Output the live input tracks directly to the final bus in the signal flow.
    • Send live tracks directly to a hardware main.

    Could either of those be an issue for you?

    The reason to not use it, is there's no need to unless the latency is bothering you.
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    EtherealEntity
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    Re:PDC override full explanation? 2012/05/20 13:10:11 (permalink)
    Containing other data explains why the stereo guitars were going wrong. The actual track I was monitoring didn't, but they were going to the same bus with the latency inducing plugins on. I understand it now. It has always been useful for me for dubbing in during a mix, I was just wondering if it could be even more useful. For example, it's my desire to run an incredibly powerful system with a high sample rate to run very high projects on a low buffer and hopefully retain trackability all the way throughout. Latency inducing plugins are the only setback there.
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