See also following links for details. They are basically same function.
Activating Constrain Delay Compensation turns off VST plug-ins that are activated for VST instrument channels, audio track channels that are record-enabled, group channels, and output channels. VST plug-ins that are activated for FX channels are disregarded.
Delay Compensation Threshold (for Recording)
Only plug-ins with a delay higher than this threshold setting are affected by the Constrain Delay Compensation function. > By default, this is set to 0.0 ms, which means that all plug-ins will be affected. > If you feel that a little latency is acceptable, > you can raise this threshold value> .
Studio One’s threshold value is 3ms.
Only plug-ins that add less than 3ms latency to the audio path can be used in the software low-latency monitoring signal chain. Plug-ins with higher latency are no longer audible on the monitoring path.
Logic Pro X
Low Latency Mode bypasses plug-ins as needed, so the amount of latency doesn’t exceed the Limit setting in the Plug-in Latency section of the General Audio preferences of Logic Pro.
For those saying Cubase already has this feature - please tell me how to monitor a VST instrument at low latency while the project remains at a high buffer size? In Studio One I can run a full project at a low buffer size and it all runs as if the buffer is set at maximum (i.e lighter on the CPU), but if I record arm a VSTi track, or an audio track with plug-ins, it will run just the armed track at the lower set buffer size, so I can always arm and record at low latency. In Studio One the monitored track will automatically bypass latency inducing plugs in it’s chain when this setting is switched on. Haven’t used Logic much but it seems from what I’ve read that it’s using the same ‘dual buffer’ system.
If I reduce the buffer size to the same low setting in Cubase then the whole project shows it, obviously the Asio guard settings help things, but there’s no way I can run large projects at the very low buffer sizes, full stop. So if I need to record a new part in a large project here’s what I have to do -
device setup - change soundcard buffer size from high to low,
back into the project window - hit the ‘constrain delay compensation’ button to turn off all the latency inducing plugs in the whole project (entire mix/project sounds changes while I’m trying to record my new part),
get the part recorded, then switch everything back.
The video that someone posted just shows direct monitoring through the soundcard, with an additional FX send through Cubase, which is a helpful tip and something I do too, but that only works because it doesn’t matter if a reverb send has a bit of latency on it as long as the dry signal is direct. This would not work if you needed to hear the proper effected audio with all inserts.
Steve - you are a stalwart on this forum and you seem especially confident that Cubase already has this feature, so I’m hoping you’re going to tell me I’m missing something and I’m wrong.
That’s asio guard. The feature you’re asking for already exists in Cubase . I will say this though: asio guard is poorly documented. PreSonus does a good job of advertising low latency monitoring. By comparison, it seems like Steinberg wants asio guard to be a mystery.
How is it the same thing if it doesn’t provide the same function? Other DAW’s use the ‘dual buffer’ system to allow a different buffer size for monitoring than for the overall project… I can essentially set the ‘Project’ buffer size, and the ‘monitoring’ buffer size. These are two separate options, so I can monitor at very low latency whilst the project is running at a large buffer size.
If Asio Guard provided this same function, then I should be able to go from a large buffer size to a very low one, and as long as Asio Guard is on and set to maximum I should see no (or very little) difference in performance - this is not the case, not even close. Yes it helps a lot (in most usage scenarios I’ve tried), but it does NOT provide the same function. I understand what it’s doing, I know it is essentially a dual buffer buffer solution, but it’s not nearly as well implemented. If it doesn’t allow you to monitor at low buffer sizes with low latency, whilst still getting the advantages of running at a large buffer size, then what exactly is it’s purpose?
I’d like to point you back to my initial question regarding monitoring VSTi’s, because if it is truly the same function as you say, then that should be easily answerable…
Cubase already has the feature you are asking for. This is the same system employed in other DAWs. There is no magical fairy dust that some other DAW has that nobody else is aware of. Whether asio guard and CDC provides sufficient performance to make you happy depends on your expectations, what is in your project, and how your tracks are routed.
. I will say this though: asio guard is poorly documented. PreSonus does a good job of advertising low latency monitoring. By comparison, it seems like Steinberg wants asio guard to be a mystery.