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5. Low-Latency Recording and Monitoring
The SoundGrid infrastructure enables DAW systems using the Waves
SoundGrid driver and StudioRack to offload plugins processing to
SoundGrid DSP servers. This makes it possible to experience low-latency
monitoring while recording. This is accomplished by sending the input
signal from the I/O directly to a SoundGrid DSP server. When StudioRack
monitor status switches to input, the I/O input signal is split to two paths.
One path goes to the DAW and the second goes directly to the inserted
StudioRack, bypassing the DAW buffering latency. The StudioRack then
appears on the StudioRack layer of the eMotion ST mixer.
During recording, the DAW output is muted and only the direct sound from the SoundGrid DSP server is heard
in the control room or headphone monitor mixes. This prevents “double monitoring”—the phase error or
audible doubling that would result from combining both signals due to the greater latency of the DAW output.
When recording is finished, the monitor path switches back to the output of the DAW—with StudioRacks in playback mode—for normal
playback. You hear the same processing during recording and playback without having to commit to specific mixes or processing.
Low-latency monitoring requires at least one SoundGrid DSP server and one I/O. It requires no special setup—it’s the same as for
any server-based SoundGrid network. StudioRack must be in SoundGrid DSP Processing mode.
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