3 <img src="/images/foldback-gui.png" alt="The Foldback strip">
10 The <dfn>Foldback section</dfn> is an optional feature that provides stage monitoring mixes.
11 Many times the main mix is used for this purpose is a setup with only the control room. However,
12 for a separate studio and multiple monitor mixes for in-ear use, a separate set of Foldback
13 buses provides that flexibility.
16 The Foldback bus was added in Ardour Version 6.0.
19 These foldback buses may be mono for a stage monitor wedge or stereo to allow
20 in-ear or headphones to have different mixes for each ear, such as one's self in one
21 ear and the rest of the music in the other.
24 A Foldback bus can be created in the same manner as any other bus is created, from the
25 <kbd class="menu">Track > Add Track, Bus or VCA</kbd> Window. Once at least one
26 Foldback bus has been created, the Foldback strip will appear in the mixer window.
29 Foldback sends can be created From the processor box context menu by selecting
30 <kbd class="menu">New Foldback Send</kbd> and then the Foldback bus desired.
31 <img alt="create send" src="/images/foldbacksend">
32 A second method is to select all the source channels and then use the Foldback
33 bus sendbox context menu and select either <kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks</kbd>
34 or <kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks and Buses</kbd>.
37 The <kbd class="menu">View > Mixer: Show Foldback Strip</kbd> checkbox will determine if the
38 Foldback strip is visible. The Foldback strip appears Just to the left of the Master strip in the
39 Mixer window. It comprises:
42 <li>Previous and Next buttons</li>
43 <!--li>Detach/attach control. This separates the Foldback strip into its own floating window</li-->
45 <li>Foldback bus name button</li>
46 <li>Invert button</li>
47 <li>Show sends button</li>
48 <li>Send controls</li>
49 <li>Bus pan control</li>
50 <li>Processor box</li>
51 <li>Listen button</li>
52 <li>Foldback bus level control</li>
53 <li>Foldback bus output routing</li>
54 <li>Comments button</li>
57 <h2>Previous and Next</h2>
60 The Previous button shows the previous Foldback bus in the Foldback strip.
61 The Next button shows the next Foldback strip. The button will be disabled
62 if there are no more Foldback buses in that direction.
67 The hide button hides the Foldback strip when not being adjusted.
68 The Foldback strip can be shown again from the main menu
69 <kbd class="menu">View > Mixer: Show Foldback Strip</kbd> item.
74 The name button shows the name of the current Foldback bus. It has two
75 menus the Foldback bus selection menu, activated with a mouse button 1
76 click and the context menu, activated with a mouse button 3 click. The
77 context menu has these items in it:
80 <li><kbd class="menu">Comments</kbd> is the same as the Comments button
81 at the bottom of the strip</li>
82 <li><kbd class="menu">Outputs</kbd> shows the output routing grid</li>
83 <li><kbd class="menu">Save as a template</kbd> opens the template save
84 dialog. The template saved has the same number of channels and the same
85 processors but does not have any sends selected.</li>
86 <li><kbd class="menu">Rename</kbd> shows a rename dialog that allows the Foldback
87 bus name to be renamed</li>
88 <li><kbd class="menu">Active</kbd> toggles The active status of the current
90 <li><kbd class="menu">Protect Against Denormals</kbd> turns on denormal
91 protection for the current Foldback bus</li>
92 <li><kbd class="menu">Remove</kbd> will remove the current Foldback bus</li>
95 <h2>Invert Buttons</h2>
97 The invert buttons (one for each channel) invert the audio signal. This
98 may be useful in some situations for controlling feedback. However,
99 proper microphone and monitor placement or the use of head phones
100 or in ear monitoring will be more effective.
105 Show sends allows the send levels and pan to be controlled from the
106 originating track by using the main fader for the track. The fader and
107 pan controls will change color to indicate this mode and the show sends
108 button will flash to indicate this mode. Changing the current Foldback
109 bus will disable this mode.
112 <h2>The Send Box</h2>
114 The send box shows controls for each send. There is a context menu available
115 by clicking mouse button 3 anywhere in the send box.
118 <li><kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks</kbd> creates Foldback sends on each
119 selected track that feed the current Foldback bus</li>
120 <li><kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks and Buses</kbd> creates Foldback sends on each
121 selected track and bus that feed the current Foldback bus</li>
122 <li><kbd class="menu">Copy track/bus gains to sends</kbd> Sets the gain on the send to be the
123 same as the gain of the track or bus the send comes from for the current
125 <li><kbd class="menu">Set sends gain to -inf</kbd> sets the gain on all sends
126 for the current Foldback bus to -inf (the lowest gain possible)</li>
127 <li><kbd class="menu">Set sends gain to 0dB</kbd> sets the gain on all sends
128 for the current Foldback bus to 0dB</li>
131 <h3>The Send Control Block</h3>
133 <img src="/images/foldback-send.png" alt="The Foldback send">
136 There is a send control block for every send to the current Foldback
137 bus. The Send control block features three controls:
140 <li>The button which shows the Foldback bus' name, has an active "LED"
141 indicator that can be clicked to enable or disable that send and has
142 a menu (mouse button 1) with items for that send:
144 <li><kbd class="menu">Copy track/bus gain to send</kbd> Sets the gain
145 on the send to be the same as the gain of the track or bus the send
146 comes from for the current Foldback bus</li>
147 <li><kbd class="menu">Set send gain to -inf</kbd> sets the send gain
148 for the current Foldback bus to -inf (the lowest gain possible)</li>
149 <li><kbd class="menu">Set send gain to 0dB</kbd> sets the send gain
150 for the current Foldback bus to 0dB</li>
151 <li><kbd class="menu">Remove This Send</kbd> removes the send from the
152 sending track or bus.</li>
154 <li>The knob, only present on a stereo Foldback bus, which controls
156 <li>The horizontal slider which control the level input from that channel</li>
159 <h2>The Pan Control</h2>
161 This is just like every other track or bus strip and works the same way.
164 <h2>The Processor Box</h2>
166 This processor box is the same as on the other tracks and buses and allows
167 for adding things like reverb to the Foldback mix without writing it to the track.
168 It would also be possible to add in sound from a reverb bus instead.
171 <h2>The Listen Button</h2>
173 This is only available in PFL or AFL mode as it uses the same code as
174 the solo on other tracks and buses. It allows the control room monitor
175 or headphones to hear what the performer will hear in their monitor.
178 <h2>The Foldback Level Knob</h2>
180 This controls the output level being sent to the stage monitor.
183 <h2>The Output Port Selector</h2>
185 This is similar to the output selectors on the tracks and buses. It
186 differs in only a few ways. First it is never automatically connected.
187 A Foldback bus is always meant to be directly connected to an output
188 device and never to master or the monitor bus. The choices shown
189 Therefore reflect this.
191 <h2>The Comment Button</h2>
193 Just like the track and bus comment button, this allows opening a
194 window to type in notes about the current Foldback bus for future