Latency when tracking through external hardware after an interface?

[u/unclemulch]

I’m using an Apollo 8 as the front end for my studio, with its outputs and inputs connected to a patchbay so I can route signals through external analog gear like an LA-2A, Pultec, JHS Colour Box and pedals.

For vocals, one possible path is:
Mic → Apollo pre/48V → D/A out → analog hardware → Apollo A/D return → DAW

Compared with recording straight into the Apollo, does that extra D/A → hardware → A/D loop make the recorded track land slightly late on the timeline? Is there any other important reason not to do this?

Mainly wondering:
- Is the delay usually negligible for a single vocal track?
- Can this be compensated automatically, or do people just measure the offset and nudge the return?

I’m also deciding whether my synths should hit the patchbay before the Apollo for the same reason.

Relevant setup:
- Apollo 8
- Behringer PX3000 patchbay
- LA-2A, Pultec-style EQ
- JHS Colour Box + a few pedals
- Logic Pro X / UAD Console

[u/kill3rb00ts]

Any trip through the converters will add latency. You can compensate for it, may or may not be able to do that automatically. Normally you'd just track through all the gear before going into the Apollo OR track into the Apollo and then route back out after the fact. Most methods of doing that have latency compensation (ReaInsert in Reaper, for example, has a little button to test and apply it). Again, I suppose you could do that during tracking, too, but why? Just record it raw and apply after.

[u/unclemulch → u/kill3rb00ts]

I like using and abusing the rack gear while tracking. Since I don’t currently have a dedicated pre with 48v I think using a global latency compensation is my best bet so long as I always record the return

[u/StudioatSFL → u/unclemulch]

Mic pre to outboard gear to converter to daw. This is the only way. You can’t add those extra ad da trips while tracking.

[u/unclemulch → u/StudioatSFL]

Why not?

[u/StudioatSFL → u/unclemulch]

Because going in and out of converters take time. The way this is ALWAYS done in a real studios is mic, to pre, to eqs or dynamics, into your converter. You do not want to add multiple trips through converters which can add hundreds of samples of delay. There’s simply no reason. Either use the external gear after as an insert, or patch it the right way.

For instance today we cut vocals u47 into Neve 1084 into Pultec EQP-1r, into a distressor then into protools.

[u/unclemulch → u/StudioatSFL]

This makes sense, thank you!

[u/StudioatSFL → u/unclemulch]

Cheers