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.
33 <img alt="create send" src="/images/foldbacksend.png">
36 A second method is to select all the source channels and then use the Foldback
37 bus sendbox context menu and select either <kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks</kbd>
38 or <kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks and Buses</kbd>.
41 The <kbd class="menu">View > Mixer: Show Foldback Strip</kbd> checkbox will determine if the
42 Foldback strip is visible. The Foldback strip appears Just to the left of the Master strip in the
43 Mixer window. It comprises:
46 <li>Previous and Next buttons</li>
47 <!--li>Detach/attach control. This separates the Foldback strip into its own floating window</li-->
49 <li>Foldback bus name button</li>
50 <li>Invert button</li>
51 <li>Show sends button</li>
52 <li>Send controls</li>
53 <li>Bus pan control</li>
54 <li>Processor box</li>
55 <li>Listen button</li>
56 <li>Foldback bus level control</li>
57 <li>Foldback bus output routing</li>
58 <li>Comments button</li>
61 <h2>Previous and Next</h2>
64 The Previous button shows the previous Foldback bus in the Foldback strip.
65 The Next button shows the next Foldback strip. The button will be disabled
66 if there are no more Foldback buses in that direction.
71 The hide button hides the Foldback strip when not being adjusted.
72 The Foldback strip can be shown again from the main menu
73 <kbd class="menu">View > Mixer: Show Foldback Strip</kbd> item.
78 The name button shows the name of the current Foldback bus. It has two
79 menus the Foldback bus selection menu, activated with a mouse button 1
80 click and the context menu, activated with a mouse button 3 click. The
81 context menu has these items in it:
84 <li><kbd class="menu">Comments</kbd> is the same as the Comments button
85 at the bottom of the strip</li>
86 <li><kbd class="menu">Outputs</kbd> shows the output routing grid</li>
87 <li><kbd class="menu">Save as a template</kbd> opens the template save
88 dialog. The template saved has the same number of channels and the same
89 processors but does not have any sends selected.</li>
90 <li><kbd class="menu">Rename</kbd> shows a rename dialog that allows the Foldback
91 bus name to be renamed</li>
92 <li><kbd class="menu">Active</kbd> toggles The active status of the current
94 <li><kbd class="menu">Protect Against Denormals</kbd> turns on denormal
95 protection for the current Foldback bus</li>
96 <li><kbd class="menu">Remove</kbd> will remove the current Foldback bus</li>
99 <h2>Invert Buttons</h2>
101 The invert buttons (one for each channel) invert the audio signal. This
102 may be useful in some situations for controlling feedback. However,
103 proper microphone and monitor placement or the use of head phones
104 or in ear monitoring will be more effective.
109 Show sends allows the send levels and pan to be controlled from the
110 originating track by using the main fader for the track. The fader and
111 pan controls will change color to indicate this mode and the show sends
112 button will flash to indicate this mode. Changing the current Foldback
113 bus will disable this mode.
116 <h2>The Send Box</h2>
118 The send box shows controls for each send. There is a context menu available
119 by clicking mouse button 3 anywhere in the send box.
122 <li><kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks</kbd> creates Foldback sends on each
123 selected track that feed the current Foldback bus</li>
124 <li><kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks and Buses</kbd> creates Foldback sends on each
125 selected track and bus that feed the current Foldback bus</li>
126 <li><kbd class="menu">Copy track/bus gains to sends</kbd> Sets the gain on the send to be the
127 same as the gain of the track or bus the send comes from for the current
129 <li><kbd class="menu">Set sends gain to -inf</kbd> sets the gain on all sends
130 for the current Foldback bus to −∞ (the lowest gain possible)</li>
131 <li><kbd class="menu">Set sends gain to 0dB</kbd> sets the gain on all sends
132 for the current Foldback bus to 0dB</li>
135 <h3>The Send Control Block</h3>
137 <img src="/images/foldback-send.png" alt="The Foldback send">
140 There is a send control block for every send to the current Foldback
141 bus. The Send control block features three controls:
144 <li>The button which shows the Foldback bus' name, has an active "LED"
145 indicator that can be clicked to enable or disable that send and has
146 a menu (mouse button 1) with items for that send:
148 <li><kbd class="menu">Copy track/bus gain to send</kbd> Sets the gain
149 on the send to be the same as the gain of the track or bus the send
150 comes from for the current Foldback bus</li>
151 <li><kbd class="menu">Set send gain to -inf</kbd> sets the send gain
152 for the current Foldback bus to −∞ (the lowest gain possible)</li>
153 <li><kbd class="menu">Set send gain to 0dB</kbd> sets the send gain
154 for the current Foldback bus to 0dB</li>
155 <li><kbd class="menu">Remove This Send</kbd> removes the send from the
156 sending track or bus.</li>
158 <li>The knob, only present on a stereo Foldback bus, which controls
160 <li>The horizontal slider which control the level input from that channel</li>
163 <h2>The Pan Control</h2>
165 This is just like every other track or bus strip and works the same way.
168 <h2>The Processor Box</h2>
170 This processor box is the same as on the other tracks and buses and allows
171 for adding things like reverb to the Foldback mix without writing it to the track.
172 It would also be possible to add in sound from a reverb bus instead.
175 <h2>The Listen Button</h2>
177 This is only available in PFL or AFL mode as it uses the same code as
178 the solo on other tracks and buses. It allows the control room monitor
179 or headphones to hear what the performer will hear in their monitor.
182 <h2>The Foldback Level Knob</h2>
184 This controls the output level being sent to the stage monitor.
187 <h2>The Output Port Selector</h2>
189 This is similar to the output selectors on the tracks and buses. It
190 differs in only a few ways. First it is never automatically connected.
191 A Foldback bus is always meant to be directly connected to an output
192 device and never to master or the monitor bus. The choices shown
193 Therefore reflect this.
195 <h2>The Comment Button</h2>
197 Just like the track and bus comment button, this allows opening a
198 window to type in notes about the current Foldback bus for future