unwanted slap-back echo/soundcraft signature 22 mtk

[gtr511]

I am having a weird multi-tracking problem that I've not had before. A USB connection with my laptop (Windows 10, 64 bit) from my interface (Soundcraft Signature 22 MTK w USB) and using ASIO drivers supplied by Soundcraft. I have been the sole supplier of tracks on a song via multitracking, and after abut 18 tracks, I now experience a slap-back echo effect as a new recording track has the expected initial signal but there is also a few millisecond delay repeat of that track making timing impossible. I can switch routing and the delay is gone but what is actually recorded is the delay heard earlier. I then have to manually determine the amount of delay(each attempted recording delay changes in length so not a constant amount) then left nudging over to try to line up the recording with the rest of the song.
I have reset Reaper to factory defaults, I have reinstalled Reaper and all the drivers that previously made it functional. I have used this setup previously for about 4 years and this is the first time this has happened. Anyone seen this or something like it before?

[McPBrain]

Do you have plugins inserted on the master track? I encounter this problem if I have Ozone inserted on my master buss. I just bypass the fx on the master when I'm tracking, and there is no longer an issue.....

[gtr511]

thanks for your reply...I did have two VST's on the master track. One was ReaFir and the other ReaComp. I had FX on the master track turned off, but the VST's were still in there. I will check to see if removing them makes a difference.

[McPBrain]

Originally Posted by gtr511

thanks for your reply...I did have two VST's on the master track. One was ReaFir and the other ReaComp. I had FX on the master track turned off, but the VST's were still in there. I will check to see if removing them makes a difference.

I doubt if those plugs would be the culprit......and if they were, simply bypassing them would have eliminated the problem, without having to delete them.....

Good luck figuring it out....

[MissChrissy]

I'm also having that issue of slapback while recording my vocals. My issue happened after I took a break from recording. This winter I tried to lay down a voice track (raw) no effects, I had that distracting echo in my ears. I resorted to taking a headphone off one ear and doing the best I could. To this day I've not figured it out, although I suspect that I did an upgrade and something went haywire. Fortunately, that echo is NOT present in the recording itself.
I use a focusrite 2i2. Windows 10 64 bit. I've not changed any settings so I am perplexed.

[JamesPeters]

See page 13 of the 2i2 user guide. You want to monitor your vocal mic direct, not though Reaper.

If you want some reverb (from Reaper) in the vocal, you can use monitoring fx. Use a reverb that has no latency. Even if the reverb has some latency though, at least it won't be as bad as hearing your vocals "doubled".

Also FYI: ReaFIR will almost certainly add latency. Don't use it for a monitoring effect while recording. Look at the fx browser's bottom left corner to see the "CPU %" and "spls" (samples). If you see anything other than "0" spls when you have the effect selected, it is adding latency (the more samples, the more latency).