User guide

Pro Tools|HD Native User Guide32
In any session, if you want to maintain absolute
time alignment across all tracks you should al-
ways compensate for signal processing delays.
Using Delay Compensation
Pro Tools provides automatic Delay Compensa-
tion for managing delays from plug-in and hard-
ware inserts, and mixer routing (bussing and
sends). With Delay Compensation enabled,
Pro Tools maintains phase coherent time align-
ment between tracks that have plug-ins with dif-
fering DSP delays, tracks with different mixing
paths, tracks that are split off and recombined
within the mixer, and tracks with hardware in-
serts.
To maintain phase coherent time alignment,
Delay Compensation should always be enabled
during playback and mixing. Delay Compensa-
tion should also be used in most recording situ-
ations.
Enabling Delay Compensation
To enable Delay Compensation:
 Select Options > Delay Compensation.
When Delay Compensation is enabled, the De-
lay Compensation status indicator in the Edit
Window Toolbar is displayed.
Delay Factors
With Pro Tools, delay is incurred when you per-
form the following processes:
• Real-time processing with plug-in inserts.
• Mixing and routing with hardware I/O
(sends or inserts).
With HD OMNI, Delay Compensation is
not supported on Monitor output paths. De-
lay Compensation is only supported on
physical output paths (those not assigned
for the Monitor path).
For information on the delay amounts for
plug-ins, refer to the Audio Plug-Ins Guide
.
Delay Compensation indicator