However, as these tracks build up, so does the overall latency. I will freeze tracks to save CPU, which lets me lower my buffer size to the lowest possible without experiencing audio droputs and crackles. But, even with frozen tracks, the overall set latency is still too big for real-time, timing-sensitive recording. So, when I want to record something very timing-sensitive recording, like drums, I can:
- Turn off Delay Compensation entirely. I can "monitor" my playing in near real-time. But tracks, frozen or not, play all out of whack/out of time, according to their individual latencies, so I can't record in time with them.
- Use Delay Compensation, with Reduced Latency When Monitoring. I can hear all tracks, frozen or not, playing as expected all in time together. But overall latency is too high to actually play and "monitor" in near real-time.
- Flatten tracks. This is undesirable to me, because I'm "losing" my effects chains and devices. But it would allow me to use Delay Compensation (or not) because I'd effectively be getting rid of the latency caused by my plugins. And it would allow me to record/play in time with near real-time monitoring.
I suppose my dream would be some way to functionally temporarily freeze and flatten high-latency tracks, for the purpose of low-latency real-time recording, then restore them when I need them. (Also, it should be clear that I am aware that plugins need to be deleted from tracks in order to remove the latency they introduce. Which is, as indicated by my dislike of flattening, not desirable.)