7 Many sessions will require the use of <dfn>existing material</dfn>,
8 whether it consists of audio and/or MIDI data. Using existing samples,
9 loops and riffs from files stored on your system can be the basis for
10 a new session, or a way to deepen and improve one that is already
14 You can import audio and MIDI data into your session with the
15 <dfn>Add Existing Media</dfn> dialog.
17 <img src="/files/reference/images/209-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
19 <h2>The Soundfile Information Box</h2>
21 This box will display information about the currently selected file:
24 <li>number of channels,</li>
28 <li>embedded timestamp (applies to some professional formats such as
29 Broadcast WAVE), and</li>
30 <li>tags (attached metadata to help categorize files in a library).</li>
33 If the sample rate differs from the current session rate, it is displayed
34 in red, which indicates that the file must be resampled before importing,
35 which is controlled by the <kbd class="menu">Conversion quality</kbd>
36 option described below.
41 Files can be auditioned before importing. The slider under the play and
42 stop buttons allows you to scrub around, a fader on the right side allows
43 you to control the playback volume.
46 <h2>Importing options</h2>
48 You can import files into new, automatically created tracks, to the region
49 list (from where you can manually drag them into a track), or as new
50 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">Tape tracks</a> with the
51 <kbd class="menu">Add new files as...</kbd> option.
54 New files will be inserted at either the file timestamp (if available,
55 zero by default), at the <a href="/missing">edit point</a>, at the
56 playhead, or at the start of the session, as specified in <kbd
57 class="menu">Insert at...</kbd>.
60 The Channel <kbd class="menu">mapping</kbd> is either "one track/region per
61 file", or "one track/region per channel". The latter splits multichannel
62 source files into mono regions.<br />
63 If you have selected multiple files and are importing them into a track,
64 you can also choose whether to sequence all files into a single track in
65 the order of selection, or to create as many tracks as there are files to
69 The <kbd class="menu">Conversion quality</kbd> drop-down controls the
70 quality of the resampling process, if the sampling rate of the source file
71 differs from the session rate.
74 Finally, and most importantly, you can decide whether to <kbd
75 class="option">Copy files to session</kbd>, or to link them. Please read
76 <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/copying-versus-linking/">Copying
77 versus Linking</a> for details.