When you add a real-time plug-in or hardware insert to a track, it takes Pro Tools a little bit of time to process the signal. That little bit of time can cause latency or delay when playing back and recording tracks in Pro Tools. Automatic Delay Compensation or ADC, helps to manage the delays created from plug-ins and hardware inserts, and keeps all the tracks in the session time aligned. How does it work? Pro Tools adds the exact amount of delay necessary to each track, so that they all have the same amount of delay, thus keeping them all time-aligned.
We can adjust the delay compensation within the playback engine, if we go to Setup > Playback Engine. We can see right here Delay Compensation Engine. We can choose from four different values. The Short ADC value uses less processing power than longer ADC values, and should be find for any session that only has a few plug-ins on it and that don't induce much delay. Note that the number of samples per channel of delay shown here depends on the session's sample rate.
At higher sampling rates, the number of samples of delay will be larger. But the same amount of delay compensation from the time perspective will be applied regardless of the sampling rate. For instance, on the short setting shown here, there are 1023 samples of delay. At a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz, which is what we have for our session. If we create a session with the sampling rate that's double that, at 88.2 kHz, the Short ADC setting will be 2047 samples.
Double the number of samples, but equal to the same length of time, because the sampling rate is also doubled. The Long ADC value allocates a larger amount of resources for delay compensation. You should use this in sessions where there are a lot of plug-ins causing a large amount of delay. The Maximum setting should be used when the long setting just isn't long enough. Note that Pro Tools HD systems do not have this setting due to limitations with the TDM hardware. When you activate Delay Compensation, Pro Tools needs to reset itself and will save and close your session.
Let's check it out, and choose the Maximum value, and we get this dialog, Selecting this playback engine will automatically save and close your session. The session will be reopened when you are done changing settings. Are you sure you want to proceed? Choose Yes, and if we want to change anything in here, we can, but we're happy with it, so I want to click OK, and Pro Tools will reopen. And now we can see the Delay Compensation is on, we can see it right here. With it on, now we can go to the Options menu, and choose whether we want to keep it on or turn it off.
So if I check this, now I have actually turned off the Delay Compensation. We don't see it here anymore. I can go back to the Options menu, click Delay Compensation, and it will turn it back on. Now you don't need to activate Delay Compensation when you're recording your first tracks in a session. However, once your session starts to become a little more complicated, when you've got a bunch of plug-ins, effects loops, virtual instruments, using ADC will become a necessity to keep all of your tracks time-aligned.
I recommend enabling Automatic Delay Compensation during most playback and mixing sessions, and also during many recording situations. I'll discuss much more about ADC in the recording and mixing chapters in this course.
Author
Released
1/20/2012- Exploring the Pro Tools interface
- Selecting inputs, outputs, and busses
- Understanding signal paths and gain stages
- Setting up Pro Tools hardware and software properly
- Importing audio from multiple sources
- Recording and editing audio and MIDI
- Adjusting time, tempo, meter, key, and chord in arrangements
- Mixing and mastering a session
- Setting up an effects loop
- Importing and displaying video
- Adding music, Foley, ADR, and FX
- Archiving a session
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
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Introduction
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Welcome1m 16s
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Troubleshooting2m 19s
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Using the exercise files2m 25s
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1. Getting Started
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Creating a Pro Tools session4m 31s
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Creating new tracks3m 58s
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2. Learning the Interface
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Exploring the Edit window6m 44s
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Exploring the Mix window3m 11s
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Investigating the menus3m 22s
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3. Importing
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Importing MIDI2m 48s
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Importing session data5m 34s
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Importing tracks from a CD2m 51s
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Importing video2m 44s
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4. Recording Audio
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Recording audio6m 13s
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Creating a click track5m 24s
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Dealing with latency and ADC4m 58s
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Creating a group6m 5s
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Assigning disk allocation2m 17s
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5. Editing Audio
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Using the Pencil tool3m 10s
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Using the Smart tool1m 27s
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Understanding the Edit modes5m 51s
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Arranging clips6m 40s
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Undoing an edit2m 44s
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Locking and muting clips2m 48s
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Special Edit window buttons7m 15s
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Creating an audio loop5m 19s
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Editing a voiceover9m 41s
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6. Arranging a Session
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Working with clip groups4m 33s
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Creating memory locations7m 11s
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7. Recording MIDI Data
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Setting up MIDI on a Mac4m 17s
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Setting up MIDI on a PC2m 14s
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Setting up MIDI in Pro Tools2m 44s
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Recording MIDI data3m 14s
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Recording options for MIDI6m 21s
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Using Step Input4m 35s
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8. Editing MIDI
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Quantizing MIDI tracks12m 16s
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Using MIDI Learn5m 4s
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9. Scoring
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Exploring the Score Editor5m 49s
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Using the Score Editor5m 5s
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Setting up a score4m 48s
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10. Automation
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11. Mixing and Mastering
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Setting up an effects loop9m 30s
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Working with plug-ins4m 33s
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Applying EQ12m 43s
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Adding compression and limiting14m 25s
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Using delay effects6m 52s
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Applying AudioSuite plug-ins6m 24s
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Adding reverb to your mix6m 50s
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Bouncing down a mix4m 15s
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Mastering a session10m 37s
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12. Working with Video
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13. Archiving
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Conclusion
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Video: Utilizing Automatic Delay Compensation (ADC)