Hello DG and thank you for your reply.  Please let me reformulate some elements of my post:

1) I do not experience latency problems on either machine taken individually. It is only present when I use VEP5 to play instruments remotely on the slave computer.  I especially tested fast attack instruments and went down to 1 and even 0 buffer in VEP5 to no avail.  Audio is Mackie Onyx Blackbird.

What does VSL mean by "plugin latency compensation".  Is it just sending latency information (in samples) to the DAW so it delays other tracks appropriately?

2) I am trying to see my slave VEP5 and its VST instruments from my main/DAW computer, not the other way around. The main (DAW) computer already has 4x30" monitors so currently I dedicated one of them to see & control my slave through VNC (similar to RDP) as a workaround but I think that the "Raise" function of VEP5 should normally alow me to do just that but it doesn't do anything (but it works locally on my DAW computer).

1.  Assuming that there is no problem with your setup, a buffer of 0 should mean that you experience virtually no extra latency at all. Are you sure you aren't using any extra plugs, including audio input? You're just inserting PLAY in VE Pro?
2. Yes, I know. You have to use your Remote Desktop software. If the GUI of VEP is on the slave, you have to view it on the slave. It doesn't magically appear hovering over your sequencer. [;)]

DG

1. Exactly.  Just one EWSO instrument (solo horn) in PLAY with nothing else (no plugs, no audio IN).  I did it with other VSTis.  Is there a problem with PLAY 64b and VEP5?  I thought this had been solved before.

2. Yes DG, I am also not a big fan of magic [:)] but with other VSTis on my slave (e.g. Miroslav Philharmonik) I can see and control their GUI and the slave VEP5 from my main/daw computer just using the Raise function in VEP5 without any need for RDP/VNC. I just have to set up both computers in advance.

It again might be a problem with PLAY within VEP5. I am now using all 64bit versions.  When it worked I was using a slave 32bit VEP5 server to host Miro (also only 32bit).

1. I think that this must be a question for EW support. If it works properly with all your other VSTi, then there may be something with PLAY. I can't help you with that,. because I deleted PLAY from my system.
2. All I can tell you is that if the GUI of VE Pro resides on the slave machine (i.e. you're not using a local connection), that is where it pops up. It has nothing to do with what's loaded in it. Without using Remote Desktop, how do you even see the GUI? Is it possible for you to explain what "setting up in advance" means, so that I can understand what's going on? Thanks.

DG 

I an only tell you that I am running a lot of Play (3.0.32) stuff in VE Pro 5 on a slave PC connected to Logic on my Mac and using ethernet, not  a second audio interface or MOL, and latency is not a problem at all, so I do not believe it to be a Play issue.

Just did a few more tests.  BTW my version of PLAY is also 3.0.32 (64b) and samples are 24bit (Platinum edition of EWSO).

I loaded in my slave VEP5 two VST instruments:

1. EWSO PLAY with one instrument: Steinway B
2. Pianoteq v4: C3 piano

@iamnemo said:

2) I am trying to see my slave VEP5 and its VST instruments from my main/DAW computer, not the other way around. The main (DAW) computer already has 4x30" monitors so currently I dedicated one of them to see & control my slave through VNC (similar to RDP) as a workaround but I think that the "Raise" function of VEP5 should normally alow me to do just that but it doesn't do anything (but it works locally on my DAW computer).

I should eschew anecdotes about Play here that are probably not going to help; but if you're having that bad a performance per se out of VEP 5, something is wrong on your end. Dynamic IP? Don't know that audio card. Could be a loser as far as drivers. Not enough information.

VSL recommends getting the latency as low as possible on the DAW host and setting VEP latency to x2, NB.

edit: as far as Play, it does not have any sync issue here.

edit 2: I hadn't noticed that with VEP, I reckon owing to MIR Pro there is the possiblity of x3 and x4 buffers. I am citing the recommendation per VEP 4. VEP is supposed to pretty much obviate its own added latency I think, hence get it down as far as you can on the DAW end.

No, nothing special. Most of my Play stufff is in VE Pro 5 on my PC with some loaded directly in Logic Pro, while my Kontakt stuff is mostly in VE Pro 5 on my Mac, with some loaded directly in Logic Pro.

About the Raise function: my bad.  I'm so used to use VNC remote control that I confused the local and remote VEP5 on adjacent screens. [:$]

Tried again and again: remote PLAY is out of sync regardless of the number of buffers in DAW and/or VEP5.  Same track plays the remote Pianoteq (or Kontakt instruments) without any problem.

IP is static. not even DHCP. The Mackie Onyx Brackbird audio interface never caused me any problem. Always worked without an itch using the latest drivers.

Are you guys using the 64 bit version of EW PLAY or the 32 bit? Are there any settings in PLAY that could cause this out-of-sync problem I'm experiencing?  Thanks again for any help!

I'm using the 64-bit Play.

@civilization 3 said:

I'm using the 64-bit Play.