Latency on inputs only during playback or record

[Martin Vigesaa]

I have a project that is getting fairly large with many channels of audio (no virtual instruments). 
Before I click play or record I can play bass for example and there very little latency (delay).   
As soon as playback or record is in progress the latency appears and it is too much delay to even play along with (Around 100ms).   
After stopping record or playback, the latency remains until I click the "FX" (Bypass all effects) button off then back on. 
Since the issue is only triggered by playback or record, could this mean it is related to the number of audio files, number of sends, channels.

Even if I disable all plug-ins (aside from the default pro-channel Eq, compressor, etc)  The latency still appears.
If I enable a powerful plugin, then it will add latency even before playback or record.  I expect this.

I could do some clean up and delete some unused Sends, etc, but I would like to get an idea of the cause first. 

 

I just switched from a ~ 10 year old Windows pc to a new PC  (Intel i7-10700F, 2.9GHz, 16GB RAM, NVIDIE GTX 1660 Ti. 
The "Performance" monitor appears much lower, I can set the buffer size to 256 samples (5.8ms) and even a step or 2 less,  however it sounds like more that 5.8 mS.  
Disk Load = ~6%,  Memory = 39%,.  Basically it appears there should be no problem, but there is.

I'm Hoping there is some clean up work I can do, maybe use the "Flatten Comp" feature...  other, but not sure where to start. 

   

 

[Martin Vigesaa]

Solution:  

I found a "Hidden" effect on 1 small audio clip buried in the song.    It seemed to work well to Archive every track, then 1 by 1 de-Archive testing the latency each time.  

Finally found it was related to 1 track, the found the "FX" indicator on 1 clip.    The effect was the "Acon digital de-clip"

Is there a search function to speed the process of finding which clips has FX applied? 

[John Vere]

There should be no latency while recording when you use the direct monitoring of your audio interface. 

[Martin Vigesaa]

Correct.  I have tried that but found issues implementing that option when recording drums for example.  The drummer is in the drum room, ~8 microphones and multiple tracks playing back.  If I route a direct, no latency signal to the drummers headphones during recording, when I go to play back the tracks just recorded I have to unmute the just recorded tracks on the headphone monitor bus/mix.  Then we go back to punch in I can't find a way to play the previous recording, automatically mute those channels and divert back to the no latency mix...     I do full band recordings and a lot of punch ins, switching tracks and repeating..   so I would like a solution where the no latency audio can be somehow directed through the Cakewalk mixer and not have to use the monitoring interface software.   Is something like this possible?

Edited December 12, 2020 by Martin Vigesaa