[fuzzfactor]

For me real-time means analog-like.

One of the common features of analog is no storage of data, simply passing it on at the speed it comes in.

Once you start buffering or storing the data that's when artificial delays can be introduced that can be so much different than analog that you perceptibly lose an element of continuity.

Electronically, to retard analog signals very much there were integrated circuits like delay lines, where the incoming signal was passed from silicon cell to cell an excessive number of times simply to achieve a desired latency from the output pins.

This is almost the equivalent of a FIFO buffer so often used in handling digital signals.