Shamusworld >> Repos - ardour-manual/blob - include/about-ardours-interface.html

   1
   2 <p>
   3   In Ardour, work is done in two main windows: the <dfn>Editor</dfn> and the
   4   <dfn>Mixer</dfn>.
   5 </p>
   6
   7 <figure style="width:100%;">
   8         <img src="/images/editor_map.png" alt="The Editor window" usemap="#editor_map" width="600" height="325">
   9         <map name="editor_map">
  10                 <area shape="rect" coords="0,0,336,8" href="@@main-menu" />
  11                 <area shape="rect" coords="336,0,600,8" href="@@status-bar" />
  12                 <area shape="rect" coords="0,8,68,28" href="@@transport-bar" />
  13                 <area shape="rect" coords="68,8,108,28" href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks" />
  14                 <area shape="rect" coords="108,8,144,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#monitor-options" />
  15                 <area shape="rect" coords="144,8,196,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#latency-compensation-info" />
  16                 <area shape="rect" coords="196,8,228,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#playhead_options" />
  17                 <area shape="rect" coords="228,8,348,28" href="@@transport-clocks" />
  18                 <area shape="rect" coords="348,8,368,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#status_indicators" />
  19                 <area shape="rect" coords="368,8,384,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#monitor_section_info" />
  20                 <area shape="rect" coords="384,8,428,28" href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks" />
  21                 <area shape="rect" coords="428,8,552,28" href="@@mini-timeline" />
  22                 <area shape="rect" coords="552,8,600,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#mode_selector" />
  23                 <area shape="rect" coords="0,28,36,324" href="@@audiomidi-mixer-strips" />
  24                 <area shape="rect" coords="36,28,144,36" href="@@toolbox" />
  25                 <area shape="rect" coords="144,28,188,36" href="@@grid-controls" />
  26                 <area shape="rect" coords="188,28,240,36" href="@@nudge-controls" />
  27                 <area shape="rect" coords="516,28,600,36" href="@@zoom-controls" />
  28                 <area shape="rect" coords="476,36,600,60" href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks" />
  29                 <area shape="rect" coords="476,60,600,324" href="@@editor-lists" />
  30                 <area shape="rect" coords="36,36,476,76" href="@@ruler" />
  31                 <area shape="rect" coords="36,296,476,324" href="@@summary" />
  32                 <area shape="rect" coords="36,76,44,296" href="@@track-and-bus-groups" />
  33                 <area shape="rect" coords="44,136,476,156" href="@@audio-track-controls" />
  34                 <area shape="rect" coords="44,96,476,136" href="@@midi-track-controls" />
  35                 <area shape="rect" coords="44,156,476,176" href="@@automation" />
  36                 <area shape="rect" coords="44,176,476,196" href="@@audio-track-controls" />
  37                 <area shape="rect" coords="44,196,476,236" href="@@bus-controls" />
  38                 <area shape="rect" coords="44,236,476,296" href="@@control-masters-mixer-strips" />
  39         </map>
  40
  41         <img src="/images/mixer_map.png" alt="The Mixer window" usemap="#mixer_map" width="600" height="325">
  42         <map name="mixer_map">
  43                 <area shape="rect" coords="0,0,336,8" href="@@main-menu" />
  44                 <area shape="rect" coords="336,0,600,8" href="@@status-bar" />
  45                 <area shape="rect" coords="0,8,68,28" href="@@transport-bar" />
  46                 <area shape="rect" coords="68,8,108,28" href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks" />
  47                 <area shape="rect" coords="108,8,144,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#monitor-options" />
  48                 <area shape="rect" coords="144,8,196,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#latency-compensation-info" />
  49                 <area shape="rect" coords="196,8,228,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#playhead_options" />
  50                 <area shape="rect" coords="228,8,348,28" href="@@transport-clocks" />
  51                 <area shape="rect" coords="348,8,368,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#status_indicators" />
  52                 <area shape="rect" coords="368,8,384,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#monitor_section_info" />
  53                 <area shape="rect" coords="384,8,428,28" href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks" />
  54                 <area shape="rect" coords="428,8,552,28" href="@@mini-timeline" />
  55                 <area shape="rect" coords="552,8,600,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#mode_selector" />
  56                 <area shape="rect" coords="0,28,121,154" href="@@favorite-plugins-window" />
  57                 <area shape="rect" coords="0,154,121,237" href="@@strips-list" />
  58                 <area shape="rect" coords="0,237,121,324" href="@@groups-list" />
  59                 <area shape="rect" coords="121,28,432,33" href="@@track-and-bus-groups" />
  60                 <area shape="rect" coords="514,28,548,324" href="@@master-bus-strip" />
  61                 <area shape="rect" coords="548,28,599,324" href="@@monitor-section" />
  62                 <area shape="rect" coords="432,28,474,324" href="@@control-masters-mixer-strips" />
  63                 <area shape="rect" coords="263,33,333,324" href="@@audiomidi-busses-mixer-strips" />
  64                 <area shape="rect" coords="121,33,263,324" href="@@audiomidi-mixer-strips" />
  65                 <area shape="rect" coords="474,28,514,324" href="foldback-strip" />
  66                 <area shape="rect" coords="333,33,343,324" href="adding-tracks-busses-and-vcas" />
  67         </map>
  68
  69   <figcaption>
  70                 The Editor and Mixer windows. Click on a section to access its description.
  71         </figcaption>
  72 </figure>
  73
  74 <p>
  75   The Editor and the Mixer share the same toolbar (the top of the window). The sections displayed in this toolbar can be customized to the user's workflow, by checking options in <kbd class="menu">Preferences &gt; Appearance &gt; Toolbar</kbd>.
  76 </p>
  77
  78 <p>
  79   Switching between the Editor and the Mixer windows is done:
  80 </p>
  81 <ul>
  82         <li>with the <a href="@@other-toolbar-items#mode_selector">Mode Selector buttons</a> in the upper right</li>
  83         <li>with the <kbd class="mod2">M</kbd> shortcut</li>
  84         <li>with the menu <kbd class="menu">Window &gt; Editor <em>(or Mixer)</em> &gt; Show</kbd>.</li>
  85 </ul>
  86
  87 <p>
  88   Both windows can be visible at the same time (e.g. for a multi-monitor
  89   setup) using <kbd class="menu">Window &gt; Editor <em>(or Mixer)</em> &gt; Detach</kbd> option in the same submenu.
  90 </p>
  91
  92 <h2>The Editor</h2>
  93
  94 <p>
  95   The <dfn>Editor</dfn> window includes the editor track <dfn>canvas</dfn>
  96   where audio and MIDI data can be arranged along a timeline. This is the
  97   window where editing and arranging a project is done. The window
  98   has a general "horizontal" sense to it: the timeline flows from left to
  99   right, the playhead showing the current position in the session moves
 100   from left to right&mdash;the window really represents <dfn>time</dfn>
 101   in a fairly literal way.
 102 </p>
 103 <p>
 104   It is possible to show a single channel strip in the editor window, and
 105   some people find this enough to work on mixing without actually opening
 106   the mixer window. Most of the time though, both of these windows will be
 107   needed at various stages of a session's lifetime.
 108 </p>
 109
 110 <h2>The Mixer</h2>
 111
 112 <p>
 113   The <dfn>Mixer</dfn> window represents signal flow and is the window that will
 114   probably be used most when mixing a session. It
 115   includes <dfn>channel strips</dfn> for each track and bus in the session.
 116   It has a general "vertical" sense to it: signals flow from the top of each
 117   channel strip through the processing elements in the strip to reach the
 118   output listed at the bottom.
 119 </p>
 120 <p>
 121   To learn more about the process of mixing, see <a href="@@basic-mixing">Mixing</a>.
 122 </p>
 123