Central Station DA Latency???

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theodd

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Has this happened to anyone else? I MUST be doing something wrong here. I have a digi 002 sending audio via SPDIF to the Central Station for DA conversion. It sounds GREAT!

But here's the thing. When I'm monitoring the an input of a live signal in pro tools there is a very noticable latency caused by the Central Station. If I use the central station's DA then a delay is there. But if I send the audio out the normal "Analog 1 & 2" (i.e. 002 converters) there is NO DELAY AT ALL.

Weird right?

Digi 002 Converters = NO Latancy.
Central Station Converters = DELAY/LATENCY/EVIL

Please tell me I'm doing something REALLY stupid or that I have a dud central station. Whatchyall think?

Thanks in advance!

wade
 
If you play back a recorded track from ProTools through the Central Station and there is no latency problem, then the issue is not with the CS. The Central Station doesn't know whether the signal is from a recorded track or live. So I would suspect the latency is coming from somewhere else within PT/002. The first thing I would check would be latency settings in PT, and the routings.
 
Hmmmm, maybe I'm not explaining it correctly. I hear what you're saying though.

If I take central station totally out of the chain and just use the 002 and set up a track to record, while I'm monitoring the signal (say myself playing guitar) I hear no latency whatsoever. The track is armed, I'm playing, and I hear no latency.

However.

If I put the central station back in the chain and go out the TOS out of the 002 into the central station to use the central station as the da converter, then arm the same track and play my guitar, there is a small delay that i hear.

Does that make sense. The issue is when we are tracking live. When the central station is in the chain being used as the DA converter, I can't monitor my signal from the armed track without hearing latency.

The only way to fix it is to use the central station analogly and use the 002 converters...SUCKY!

Does that make sense?

Anyone?
 
As far as I can see, there is absolutely nothing in the Central Station that would create latency. More likely the latency is coming from the s/c you're monitoring from......
 
When you take the Central station out of the picture, you are listening with the PT analog outs. When you use the central station you are using the PT spdif out. The spdif might not be compensated for in PT. For zero latency monitoring, you have to be monitoring the analog out of the PT rig.
 
A quick central question...
When i push the mono button, i just dim's the output.
So what im saying is the output is all but gone in mono mode.
Im running the Main outs via trs from the 002.
 
Hey Farview, I'm thinking that's the answer. Which sucks, because you can't use the SPDIF outs on the 002 to track because when by the time Central Station converts the audio I'm already hearing latency. Hmmmm...

Does anyone else track with the CS used as a DA Converter? Do you have the same problem?

thanks for your help guys!!!
 
xfinsterx, sounds like you might have a phase problem somewhere in your system. It's possible that you are getting cancellations, which is why the mix disappears. The mono switch on my CS doesn't change the level much, if at all. I'l double check that, but I haven't noticed a dramatic drop in level when using the mono button.
 
SonicAlbert said:
xfinsterx, sounds like you might have a phase problem somewhere in your system. It's possible that you are getting cancellations, which is why the mix disappears. The mono switch on my CS doesn't change the level much, if at all. I'l double check that, but I haven't noticed a dramatic drop in level when using the mono button.
Click to expand...

WTF!! that sounds drastic Al... :eek:
If that is indeed the case how am i gonna fix/troubleshoot it?? :confused:
 
The first thing you need to do is check all your cables to make sure they are wired correctly and are the correct wiring on both ends for the equipment you are using. I'd start backwards from the Central Station, since that is where you are noticing the issue.

Your equipment manuals are important for this, as you need to check what kinds of wiring each piece requires. A cable tester also comes in handy, as a way to quickly check that the cables are wired properly.

Needless to say, troubleshooting this is a *pain in the butt*. Unless you get lucky and find the problem right away. That's why it's good to check backwards, from the CS to the monitors, then the mix to the CS, then whatever cables you use in the mix, etc. If you do mix outboard processing like through a compressor or eq, you need to double check those cables as well.

Did you know that the original Mackie CR-1604 mixers had the main outputs wired out of phase? Little known pleasant fact. That's why I suggest checking the manual on all your gear, because you never know when something might be done just a little differently by the manufacturer on a particular unit.

Film and TV post production sound people *love* to catch composers with out of phase tracks. It's like a personal thrill or something. "You're out of phase, did you know that?" A rather embarassing question to get nailed with in front of producer/director types. That happened to me once, and ever since I've been kind of a maniac about it.

Not that I'm 100% sure this is what your issue is regarding the loss of level when summing to mono, but it's something to be aware of, at the very least.
 
Actually - do a search on Central Station here at this site -- I posted a couple of time about the mono-switch and dim-switch bugs in the early production runs of the Central Station.

You'll have to send the unit back to Presonus (call them for an RA) and they'll fix the dim and mono circuits for you.....
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
Actually - do a search on Central Station here at this site -- I posted a couple of time about the mono-switch and dim-switch bugs in the early production runs of the Central Station.

You'll have to send the unit back to Presonus (call them for an RA) and they'll fix the dim and mono circuits for you.....
Click to expand...

Yeah i did a diagnostic for phase. no issue that i saw.
so i gotta send it in huh? Damnit, that sucks. Thats probably the case though. I got one of the first models produced. Thanx Bruce.
 
So yeah, i just talked to Chad over at presonus.
Turns out im a dumbass! haha!
I wasnt running all balanced cables.
Thought i was....but 1 of them wasnt.
Anyways Im in buisness. SWEEET!
 
There you go--cables. It took me years to finally get in the habit that for practically any studio problem, check the cables first.
 
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