bitflipper
40-50 ms is huge. I can't imagine any equalizer having such latency. Makes me wonder if this has anything at all to do with PDC. I'll bet if you froze the two synth tracks (leaving the fx bin active) they'd be in perfect sync.
 
Do you just notice this effect when playing the synths live, or do you also hear the lag during playback?

I didn't record the tracks, because it was hard enough to play the part properly with one track so far off from the other. (And yes, I could simply apply the same ProChannel settings to the second synth, but that doesn't "solve" the problem; it only masks it.)
 
The original track was recorded, and seemed to be in time with the other recorded tracks. But when I also played that synth live with the new one, it was delayed.
 
I really hadn't noticed anything this bad in any other project I've ever done. I've had some latency when tracking, but I adjust it using the ASIO settings. This isn't about that, though--this is just from running the synth's output through Sonar's own compressor and EQ.
 
I'll try freezing the tracks to see if they line up. And you're right, they probably will. But that doesn't help me the next time I want to record two synths at the same time, where one has some compression and EQ applied and the other doesn't.
 
Steve

agreeing bitflipper that should not be PDC related (and the PDC toggle is there to bypass the compensation on live inputs, If I'm correct).
I thought the same like you on the Pro Channel and Pre/post button fe, but I tested it, and also imo sends don't add latency (exported a song with/without sends and then imported into new project, flip phase button then and silence...so they're the same).
I found sometimes I heard a latency that was not when I export/bounced, maybe I'm just thinking I hear latency or it's just there in realtime monitoring, don't know.
A high-end bounce/export option with measured (not reported) actual latency compensation in Sonar would be great I think, but then still I'm not sure if compensating latency is something you'd always want.
Maybe in a project with 15 tracks without latency, 1 track with fe a background sound has latency effect..it would sound better to leave the latency just on the 1 background sound and not put it on all tracks....I just don't know.
I just don't know if alligning everything 100% erases the latency effect to your ears, probably not.

Here's what I found:
In a new file, added the second instance of the same synth, but with no ProChannel effects. Same problem as I described earlier, and this is with ASIO set to 4ms.
 
I hit the "PDC" button, which did line up the synths, and did remove the delay from the "processed" synth. (I hadn't hit the "PDC" button before this, because I have never noticed the issue to be this bad.)

However, disabling PDC had no effect: the synths were still locked together and playing at the same time, just as if PDC was still enabled! Toggling PDC on or off after the first time I enable it seems to make no difference.

But the bottom line is that after I enable PDC once, I can play the two synths together with no audible delay on the processed one. I have no idea why disabling it doesn't seem to alter "delay compensation", but at this point, I don't really care.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!
 
Steve
 

Did you turn it off on purpose? It has always been on by default for me.

Glad it's working for you now!

Sanderxpander
Did you turn it off on purpose? It has always been on by default for me.

Glad it's working for you now!

I never changed it from X3e's default settings. Up until this issue, I didn't even know where to find the button!
 
So it's supposed to be enabled (and lit up) by default?
 
Steve

From what I've read, the PDC is there for bypassing latency compensation on Live Inputs.
It affects only the monitoring while delay on recording/bouncing/export still is compensated.
I don't know if it bypasses delay compensation on VST recording.
But either way, if it helps you can turn it on because what you record is not changed/moved, that's how I understand it.

Wouter Schijns
From what I've read, the PDC is there for bypassing latency compensation on Live Inputs.
It affects only the monitoring while delay on recording/bouncing/export still is compensated.
I don't know if it bypasses delay compensation on VST recording.
But either way, if it helps you can turn it on because what you record is not changed/moved, that's how I understand it.

That was my understanding too. But all I know is that if I enable it at least once, it doesn't seem to matter what I do with it after that--the latency induced by Sonar's own effects is compensated for, and I can at least play the synth!
 
Steve

Sorry, I mistook what the button was for, as Wouter said, it is only for live inputs. Plugin Delay Compensation is on by default on all plugins is what I meant. You can turn it off per plugin in the plugin manager.

I guess toggling the button makes Sonar recalculate the correct value for the plug you're using? Glad you got it working now!

Yes, Sonar messes up the delay compensation sometimes when settings change during playback. I posted about this last year sometime, but because this forum software is shocking and/or old posts have been deleted, I can't point you at the thread, sorry.
 
Generally speaking, stopping playback and resuming it fixes the problem, as it is able to recalculate the plugin delay compensation. But a send or plugin enabled during playback may end up slightly out of sync with other plugins.

That helps, thanks. I thought it was just me, or that I was doing something wrong. Glad to see it's just another bug in Sonar!
 
Steve