No, Wavelab has the same amount of lag every time for me here. I did try loading the same files into a Pro Tools session, setting up the exact same plugin chain. In Pro Tools there’s no lag at all even with the same plugins, same Mac Pro, same DA converters etc. The only difference is Pro Tools uses AAX not VST.
So there’s something about how Wavelab works with these plugins (DMG, UAD) that makes for a lag when the amount of plugins start to build up, and even more so with a high samplerate as 96k.
When you start playback in WaveLab, WaveLab sends a “start” command to the plugins. While in pro tools, playback never stops, because silence is sent through the plugins, while in stop mode.
The problem is that you are using plugins that are not well optimized from the performance POV.
If that is the solution in Pro Tools, wouldn’t one answer be for Wavelab to have the option to send silence through the plugins? The plugin makers are not going to change anything, and if Pro Tools deals with it that way, couldn’t Wavelab deal with it that way?.
wouldn’t one answer be for Wavelab to have the option to send silence through the plugins?
I never adhered to this solution for the following reason: when playback happens (even “silently”), CPU is eaten. Which means, if you render, that is that much CPU bandwidth that is not available for rendering.
As you know, you can still playback and render in WaveLab in the same time, which can be a productivity gain, but in that case, you are conscious that playback is actually occurring.
When using plugins such as UAD, this even becomes a problem has only a certain number of plugin instances are available. If the plugins are kept “opened”, they take resources.
Plus, it’s not like we all have this problem. The OP has an 8 and a half year old Mac - there will be a time when hardware cannot keep up anymore with high demands in software.
George are you using clip plugins in Pro Tools like you are in Wavelab? I still wasn’t sure if Pro Tools had clip plugins. Seems like it could make a difference. Maybe Reaper VST with clip and track plugins might be more directly comparable. Than Pro Tools, aax, rtas.
I thought about the clip plugin thing too. Pro Tools recently added clip plugins but I think it’s still only for their native plugins and not all 3rd party plugins.
To me it sounds like the way the plugins and WaveLab interact with an older CPU, it just can’t handle the high latency of UAD and DMG. DMG can be very CPU demanding.
With my iMac that is newer/faster than georget, I had some delay but much less with the same test montage.
Thanks Justin. Georget, if you do try Reaper, try with and without “disable media buffering for tracks that are selected” in the Reaper buffering preferences. Maybe it’s unusable, I don’t know, but it made a huge difference in first Play on a very heavy test project I made. Much more than reducing buffering to minimum in Wavelab.
Yeah. I think I always have that setting on in REAPER. Other than a dither on the main track output, I only use item FX in REAPER including UAD, DMG, and many other big ones and there isn’t a lag.
Did anyone find a solution to this problem?
I am having similar issues,when i add a DMG/ fabfilter /Sonnox plugg whilst the audio is playing. I get a break in the audio. This did not happen with similar pluggs on a xp pc in Wavelab 7.
Thanks in advance.
Jason.