3 Global <dfn>preferences</dfn> control general workflow and system
4 configuration, and should apply to all sessions. They are located in <kbd
5 class="menu">Edit > Preferences</kbd> and stored in Ardour's <dfn>user
6 configuration file</dfn> in the user's home directory.
10 <img src="/images/preferences.png" alt="The Preferences window">
12 The Preferences window
17 Preferences are conveniently grouped by category:
21 <li><a href="#preferences-general">General</a></li>
22 <li><a href="#preferences-appearance">Appearance</a></li>
24 <li><a href="#preferences-appearance-recorder">Recorder</a></li>
25 <li><a href="#preferences-appearance-editor">Editor</a></li>
26 <li><a href="#preferences-appearance-mixer">Mixer</a></li>
27 <li><a href="#preferences-appearance-toolbar">Toolbar</a></li>
28 <li><a href="#preferences-appearance-size-and-scale">Size and Scale</a></li>
29 <li><a href="#preferences-appearance-colors">Colors</a></li>
30 <li><a href="#preferences-appearance-quirks">Quirks</a></li>
31 <li><a href="#preferences-appearance-translation">Translation</a></li>
33 <li><a href="#preferences-editor">Editor</a></li>
35 <li><a href="#preferences-editor-snap">Snap</a></li>
36 <li><a href="#preferences-editor-modifiers">Modifiers</a></li>
38 <li><a href="#preferences-midi">MIDI</a></li>
39 <li><a href="#preferences-transport">Transport</a></li>
41 <li><a href="#preferences-transport-chase">Chase</a></li>
42 <li><a href="#preferences-transport-generate">Generate</a></li>
44 <li><a href="#preferences-plugins">Plugins</a></li>
46 <li><a href="#preferences-plugins-vst">VST</a></li>
47 <li><a href="#preferences-plugins-audio_unit">Audio Unit</a></li>
49 <li><a href="#preferences-monitoring">Monitoring</a></li>
50 <li><a href="#preferences-signal_flow">Signal Flow</a></li>
51 <li><a href="#preferences-metronome">Metronome</a></li>
52 <li><a href="#preferences-control_surfaces">Control Surfaces</a></li>
53 <li><a href="#preferences-metering">Metering</a></li>
54 <li><a href="#preferences-performance">Performance</a></li>
55 <li><a href="#preferences-video">Video</a></li>
58 <h2 class="clear" id="preferences-general">General</h2>
62 <dfn>Audio/MIDI Setup</dfn>
65 <dfn>Show Audio/MIDI Setup window</dfn> Shows the
66 <a href="@@audio-midi-setup">Audio/MIDI Setup</a> dialog.
69 <dfn>Try to auto-launch audio/midi engine</dfn> allows Ardour to try to
70 automatically launch the audio and MIDI system, driver and device, thus not
71 showing the <a href="@@audio-midi-setup">Audio/MIDI Setup</a> dialog. This
72 can save a little time if the system is always used the same way.
77 <dfn>Editor Undo</dfn> defines the behaviour of the Undo operations:
80 <strong>Limit undo history</strong> sets how many commands can be
81 undone using <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> or <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo</kbd>.
82 Unchecking will keep an endless memory of operations to undo, at the
86 <strong>Save undo history</strong> sets how many commands are saved so
87 they are available to be undone after reopening the session. This can
88 also be unchecked to keep all actions undoable, at the cost of bigger
92 <strong>Verify removal of last capture</strong> when enabled prompts to
93 verify removal the last recording capture when
94 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Remove Last Capture</kbd> is executed.
99 <dfn>Session Management</dfn>:
102 <strong>Make periodic backups of the session file</strong> will create
103 a backup session file after changes to the timeline. The backup file is
104 the session name followed by <em>.ardour.bak</em>. The backup can be
105 used to recover from crashes when the session had not been explicitly
109 <strong>Default folder for new sessions:</strong> defaults the folder
110 where Ardour will create new session folders. This is used in the
111 <em>Session Setup</em> dialog displayed by
112 <kbd class="menu">Session > New</kbd>.
115 <strong>Maximum number of recent sessions:</strong> determines how
116 many of the last opened sessions shows in the <em>Recent Sessions</em>
117 dialog displayed by <kbd class="menu">Session > Recent</kbd>.
125 <strong>Drag and drop import always copies files to session</strong>
126 selects, and then disables changes to, the <em>Copy files to session</em>
127 option in the <a href="@@import-dialog">Add Existing Media</a> dialog.
135 <dfn>Save loudness analysis as image file after export</dfn> allows, when the
136 <kbd class="option">Analyze Exported Audio</kbd> is checked in the
137 <a href="@@export-dialog">Export dialog</a>, to save the analysis graph
138 as a file named <code>session.png</code> alongside the exported audio
139 file(s) (in the same folder).
142 <dfn>Save Mixer screenshot after export</dfn> creates and exports
143 a graphical image of the Mixer window as a file named
144 <code>session-mixer.png</code> alongside the exported audio file(s)
145 (in the same folder).
150 <dfn>New Version Check</dfn>
153 <dfn>Check for announcements at application start</dfn> sends an
154 anonymous request to Ardour's server to check for a new version.
160 <h2 id="preferences-appearance">Appearance</h2>
167 <dfn>Lock timeout (seconds)</dfn>: locks the <abbr title="Graphical User
168 Interface">GUI</abbr> after this many idle seconds (zero being 'never lock').
169 The GUI can also be locked with <kbd class="menu">Session > Lock</kbd>. When
170 locked, a dialog will display a "Click to unlock" button.
173 <dfn>System Screensaver Mode</dfn>: can be used to prevent the
174 screensaver to be launched by the system, either while recording
175 (e.g. for long and unattended recording session), when Ardour is
176 simply started, or never (the screensaver is then able to start).
184 <dfn>Draw "flat" buttons</dfn>: when enabled, button controls
185 in the user interface will be drawn with a flat look. When disabled button
186 controls will have a slight 3D appearance.
189 <dfn>Draw "boxy" buttons</dfn>: when enabled, button controls
190 in the user interface will have square corners instead of being slightly
194 <dfn>LED meter style</dfn> if checked, the bar meters in the editor and
195 mixer will be styled to look like if they were made of LEDs, with a dotted
196 bar. Unchecking this option makes the bars flat and continuous.
199 <dfn>Icon Set:</dfn> Changes the mouse cursor icons used to indicate
200 different tool modes in the editor. An example would be the icons used to
201 indicate whether the cursor will select a region or change the length of a
207 <dfn>Graphical User Interface</dfn>
210 <dfn>Highlight widgets on mouseover</dfn>, when checked, makes Ardour's
211 widgets (buttons, sliders, …) slightly change color when the mouse
212 hovers them, visually indicating what a mouse action would interact with.
215 <dfn>Show tooltips if mouse hovers over a control</dfn> when checked,
216 displays a little help bubble about the control the mouse hovers. The mouse
217 pointer needs to stay idle for about 1 sec for the tooltip to appear.
220 <dfn>Update clocks at TC Frame rate</dfn>: Ardour updates its clocks every
221 100 ms. Checking this will make the clock refresh at every TimeCode
222 frame which is more responsive, at the cost of a bit more system stress.
225 <dfn>Blink Rec-Arm buttons</dfn>: when enabled, the record-armed
226 buttons on tracks will blink when they are armed but not currently recording.
227 When disabled, the record-armed buttons on tracks will be outlined in red
228 instead of blinking. The global record-arm button in the
229 <a href="@@transport-bar">Transport bar</a> is unaffected.
232 <dfn>Blink Alert indicators</dfn>: when enabled, the Alert indicators (like
233 the <kbd class="menu">Error Log</kbd> or the <kbd class="menu">Feedback</kbd>
234 button) will blink when they are active (when an error or feedback
235 has been detected, respectively). When disabled, the indicators will turn red instead of
241 <dfn>Graphics Acceleration</dfn>
244 <dfn>Disable Graphics Hardware Acceleration (requires restart)</dfn>:
245 Ardour uses hardware accelerated UI rendering by default for speed.
246 Sometimes though, a buggy driver can cause this to make the system slow or
247 unstable. Checking this will make Ardour draw its UI without
248 hardware acceleration, in software, improving stability and responsiveness
249 on those buggy systems at the expense of speed.
252 <dfn>Possibly improve slow graphical performance (requires restart)</dfn>:
253 Wherever gradients appear in the UI, Ardour uses hardware accelerated
254 gradients creation. Checking this will make Ardour draw its own gradients without
255 hardware acceleration for stability on systems with buggy drivers.
261 <h3 id="preferences-appearance-recorder">Recorder</h2>
265 <dfn>Input Meter Layout</dfn>
268 <dfn>Input Meter Layout</dfn>: in Recorder mode, determines if audio
269 inputs are displayed horizontally or vertically.
275 <h3 id="preferences-appearance-editor">Editor</h2>
282 <dfn>Use name highlight bars in region displays (requires a restart)</dfn>:
283 when enabled, the region name is displayed, in the editor, in its own opaque bar
284 at the bottom of the region. When disabled, the region name is overlaid
285 at the top of the region, possibly over audio waveforms or MIDI notes.
288 <dfn>Region color follows track color</dfn>: when enabled,
289 the background color of regions in the editor will be displayed using
290 the color assigned to the track. When disabled the default region
291 background color will be used.
294 <dfn>Show Region Names</dfn>: when enabled, overlays the name of
295 the region over its waveform representation, in the top-left.
298 <dfn>Waveforms color gradient depth:</dfn> determines how much gradient
299 effect is applied to the inner of audio waveforms displayed in the editor.
300 Values range from 0.0, no gradient effect, to 1.0, maximum effect.
303 <dfn>Timeline item gradient depth:</dfn> Determines how much
304 gradient effect is applied to the backgrounds of regions displayed in the
305 editor. Values range from 0.0, no gradient effect, to 1.0, maximum effect.
308 <dfn>Track name ellipsis mode:</dfn> when the track header is not
309 wide enough to display the track's name in full, selects how the
310 name will be shorten between:
312 <li><em>Ellipsize start of name</em> will show only the end of the name</li>
313 <li><em>Ellipsize middle of name</em> will show only the start and end of the name</li>
314 <li><em>Ellipsize end of name</em> will show only the start of the name</li>
318 <dfn>Add a visual gap below Audio Regions:</dfn> selects whether or
319 not the audio regions fit the height of the track or leave a gap at
320 the bottom, either small or large.
328 <dfn>Show waveforms in regions</dfn>: when enabled, shows a visual
329 representation of the region's audio waveform.
332 <dfn>Show waveforms while recording</dfn>: when enabled, will draw
333 the audio waveform in regions being recorded, in near real time.
334 When disabled, only a region block will be drawn while recording,
335 reducing CPU requirements.
338 <dfn>Show waveform clipping</dfn>: when enabled, the waveform
339 displayed will show peaks marked in red if they exceed the clip level.
342 <dfn>Waveform Clip Level (dBFS)</dfn>: sets the level at which the
343 waveform shown in an audio region will be drawn in red to indicate
344 clipping. Setting lower than 0.0 dBFS can be useful if any tool in
345 the audio chain has problems near 0.0 dBFS.
348 <dfn>Waveform scale</dfn>: when waveforms are shown in audio regions,
349 they can be displayed using a <em>linear</em> or a <em>logarithmic</em>
350 scale. See <a href="@@waveform-display">Waveform display</a>.
353 <dfn>Waveform shape</dfn>: when waveforms are shown in audio regions,
354 they can be displayed using a <em>traditional</em> or a <em>rectified</em>
355 shape. See <a href="@@waveform-display">Waveform display</a>.
360 <dfn>Editor Meters</dfn>
363 <dfn>Show meters in track headers</dfn>: when enabled, shows
364 a small meter in the Editor's <a href="@@audio-track-controls">track headers</a>.
365 The meter is shown on the right side area of the header and provides an
366 instant, if unprecise, view of the levels on this track/bus.
369 <dfn>Limit track header meters to stereo</dfn>: if a track has more than
370 two outputs (e.g. with a drum plugin), limits the number of meters in the
371 track header to the first two ones. Only affects audio meters, not MIDI.
376 <dfn>MIDI Regions</dfn>
379 <dfn>Display first MIDI bank/program as 0</dfn>: when patches and bank changes
380 are displayed in the editor, if this option is checked, the numbering will
381 be zero-based instead of one-based, i.e. banks/programs will be numbered
382 O, 1 ,2… instead of 1, 2, 3…
385 <dfn>Don't display periodic (MTC, MMC) SysEx messages in MIDI Regions</dfn>:
386 if checked, will hide these control messages from the MIDI regions for better
390 <dfn>Show velocity horizontally inside notes</dfn>: when on, each note
391 of a MIDI region (in <em>Sustained</em> mode) displays its velocity
392 (0-127) with a darker fill proportional to its value.
395 <dfn>Use colors to show note velocity</dfn>: if checked, makes the
396 saturation of the notes color proportional to its velocity, hence making
397 a more veloce note more intense in color.
403 <h3 id="preferences-appearance-mixer">Mixer</h3>
407 <dfn>Mixer Strip</dfn>
410 This table enables (checked) or disables (unchecked) the display of controls
411 in the <a href="@@audiomidi-mixer-strips">mixer strip</a>. Controls whose
412 display can be toggled are:
413 <strong>Input</strong>, <strong>Phase Invert</strong>,
414 <strong>Record & Monitor</strong>, <strong>Solo Iso/Lock</strong>,
415 <strong>Output</strong>, <strong>Comments</strong> and VCA Assigns.
418 <dfn>Use narrow strips in the mixer for new strips by default</dfn> When
419 enabled, new mixer strips are created in narrow format. When disabled,
420 they are created in wide format. Existing mixer strips width can be toggled
421 with the width control at the top left of the mixer strip.
424 <dfn>Limit inline-mixer-strip controls per plugin :</dfn> Whether or
425 not, and how many, controls each plugin can show in the mixer strip.
426 These mixer-strip controls are added by checking <em>plugin context-menu
427 > Controls > □ control parameter</em>.
433 <h3 id="preferences-appearance-toolbar">Toolbar</h3>
437 <dfn>Main Transport Toolbar Items</dfn>: this section allows to toggle the
438 visibility of some elements of the main toolbar:
441 <dfn>Display Record/Punch Options</dfn> toggles the visibility of the
442 <a href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks#punch_controls">punch and record</a> slice of
446 <dfn>Display Latency Compensation Info</dfn> toggles the visibility of the
447 Latency Compensation slice of the main toolbar.
450 <dfn>Display Secondary Clock</dfn> toggles the visibility of the
451 <a href="@@transport-clocks">secondary clocks</a> slice of
455 <dfn>Display Selection Clock</dfn> toggles the visibility of the
456 <a href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks#selection_clocks">selection clocks</a> slice of
460 <dfn>Display Monitor Section Info</dfn> toggles the visibility of the
461 Monitor Info slice of the main toolbar.
464 <dfn>Display Navigation Timeline</dfn> toggles the visibility of the
465 <a href="@@mini-timeline">navigation/mini timeline</a> slice of
469 <dfn>Display Master Level Meter</dfn> toggles the visibility of the
470 <a href="@@other-toolbar-items#mode_selector">selection clocks</a> slice of
476 <dfn>Display Action-Buttons</dfn>
479 <dfn>Column <em>n</em></dfn> enables or disables the visibility
480 of the six possible columns of <a href="@@other-toolbar-items#mode_selector">Lua script buttons</a>.
481 Each columns contains two user-assignable buttons.
487 <h3 id="preferences-appearance-size-and-scale">Size and Scale</h3>
491 <dfn>User Interface Size and Scale</dfn>
494 <dfn>GUI and Font scaling:</dfn> allows the display size of most of the
495 text and buttons in the user interface to be scaled up or down. May
496 require a restart to take effect.
502 <h3 id="preferences-appearance-colors">Colors</h3>
509 <dfn>Color Theme</dfn> allows to switch between some presets bundled with
510 Ardour, changing both the palette and items colors, hence styling Ardour
514 The table allows to change the color settings in Ardour by acting on three
518 <dfn>Items</dfn> that allow to choose any color from the palette (see below)
519 to color a UI element. Clicking on a color sample in the <strong>Color</strong>
520 column bring up the Palette, to choose from.
523 <dfn>Palette</dfn> that allows to create a set of colors that will be used
524 in the UI. Using a palette allows for better consistency, instead of
525 picking "free" colors for each UI element. Clicking on a color patch brings
526 up a full color selector, to assign this color to this patch of the palette.
529 <dfn>Transparency</dfn> where possible, allows to select, with a slider,
530 the transparency of the UI element, with 0 (slider to the left) being
536 <dfn>Restore Defaults</dfn> turns all the palette, item colors and transparency
537 back to Ardour's default base setting, in case Ardour's appearance has turned
538 into a toddler's toy.
544 <h3 id="preferences-appearance-quirks">Quirks</h3>
548 <dfn>Various Workarounds for Windowing Systems</dfn>: As Ardour is available
549 on a number of platforms and windowing systems, some specific workarounds are
550 sometimes required to provide a smooth experience to the user.
553 <dfn>Use visibility information provided by your Window Manager/Desktop</dfn>
554 allows the system window manager's rules for the windows visibility to
558 <dfn>Show/Hide splash screen instead of setting z-axis stack order</dfn>:
559 Hides the splash instead of re-layering it. This setting requires a restart
560 of Ardour to take effect.
563 <dfn>All floating windows are dialogs</dfn>: when enabled, Ardour will
564 use type "Dialog" for all floating windows instead of using type
565 "Utility" for some of them. This may help usability with some
566 window managers. This setting requires a restart of Ardour to take effect.
569 <dfn>Transient windows follow front window.</dfn>: when enabled,
570 transient windows will follow the front window when toggling between the
571 editor and mixer. This setting requires a restart of Ardour to take effect.
574 <dfn>Float detached monitor-section window</dfn>: as the <a href="@@monitor-section">
575 monitor section</a> can be detached from the mixer, this option makes it a
576 floating window, which may be handled differently by the windowing system
577 and easier to access.
583 <h3 id="preferences-appearance-translation">Translation</h3>
587 <dfn>Internationalization</dfn>
590 <dfn>Use translations</dfn> sets if Ardour should use a translated
591 version of all the messages. The default (unchecked) is English (US). When
592 checked, and if a language file exists for the system language, this file
593 will be used to translate Ardour.
599 <h2 id="preferences-editor">Editor</h2>
603 <dfn>Region Information</dfn>
606 <dfn>Show xrun markers in regions</dfn> puts a marker on the region(s)
607 while recording, when a buffer over/underflow happens.
610 <dfn>Show cue markers in regions</dfn> determines if cue markers,
611 that are bounded to regions, are displayed or not.
614 <dfn>Show gain envelopes in audio regions:</dfn> sets in which
615 <a href="@@toolbox">modes</a> the gain envelope is displayed in audio regions.
616 The gain envelope is superimposed over the region in the selected modes, and
617 hidden otherwise for a better legibility.
622 <dfn>Scroll and Zoom Behaviors</dfn>
625 <dfn>Zoom to mouse position when zooming with scroll wheel</dfn>: by default,
626 Ardour zooms to the <a href="@@edit-point-control">edit point</a>. When this
627 option is checked, and the zoom is done with <kbd class="mod1n"></kbd> + mousewheel,
628 the zoom will happen at the mouse cursor position regardless of the edit point
632 <dfn>Zoom with vertical drag in rulers</dfn> allows, when checked, to click
633 anywhere in an empty zone of the <a href="@@ruler">ruler</a> zone and drag
634 up to zoom in or down to zoom out.
637 <dfn>Double click zooms to selection</dfn> allows by double clicking, to zoom
638 on the selection, both on the time and tracks axes. If the selection has been
639 done with <kbd class="mod1n"></kbd> or <kbd class="mod3n"></kbd>, then this
640 key should still be pressed when double clicking for this to work, otherwise
641 the first click breaks the group selection.
644 <dfn>Update editor window during drags of the summary</dfn>: when
645 enabled the contents of the editor window will redraw the tracks area
646 as the selection rectangle in the <a href="@@summary">summary</a> area is
650 <dfn>Auto-scroll editor window when dragging near its edges</dfn>
651 when enabled will scroll the editor window automatically when dragging a
652 region. This can make it easier to see where to position the region.
655 <dfn>Auto-scroll speed when dragging playhead:</dfn> chooses how fast the canvas
656 scrolls when dragging the playhead outside of the visible canvas.
659 <dfn>Limit zoom & summary view beyond session extents to:</dfn>
660 prevents the zoom out both in the editor and the summary, to show anything past
661 the chosen time after the end marker, restraining the vision to only useful
667 <dfn>Editor Behaviour</dfn>
670 <dfn>Move relevant automation when audio regions are moved</dfn>,
671 when enabled, causes automation data to stay with a region when the
672 region is moved inside the playlist. When disabled, the automation is
673 not affected by movement of regions.
676 <dfn>Ignore Y-axis click position when adding new automation-points</dfn>
677 allows to create new automation points at the x-position of the mouse, without
678 using the Y-position as the value, hence creating a new automation point at
682 <dfn>Automation edit cancels auto hide</dfn> determines wether automation
683 lanes that have been automatically shown because of the
684 <kbd class="option">Edit > Show Automation Lane on Touch</kbd>
685 option should be kept visible if the automation has been touched.
688 <dfn>Default fade shape:</dfn> sets which <a href="@@create-region-fades-and-crossfades">
689 fade shape</a> is the default.
692 <dfn>Regions in edit groups are edited together:</dfn> sets
693 the criteria to see if editing actions apply to tracks grouped together
697 <dfn>Layering model:</dfn> Ardour allows <a href="@@layering-display">layering</a>
698 multiple regions in the same track. This selector defines how these layers are
699 managed, either manually or by placing the latest on top.
704 <dfn>Split/Separate</dfn>
707 <dfn>After a Separate operation, in Range mode:</dfn> determines what
708 should become of the Range selection after a Separate operations:
710 <li>Clear the Range Selection: nothing is selected anymore</li>
711 <li>Preserve the Range Selection: the range selection is kept</li>
712 <li>Force-Select the regions under the range: the regions that
713 were in the range selection are selected in Grab/Object mode</li>
717 <dfn>After a Split operation, in Object mode:</dfn> determines which,
718 if any, regions are selected after a split operation. The options are:
720 <li>Clear the Region Selection: nothing is selected anymore</li>
721 <li>Select only the newly-created regions BEFORE the split point:
722 </li>if regions have been affected by the split, then the regions
723 created by the split before the split point is selected
724 <li>Select only the newly-created regions BEFORE the split point:
725 same as above, for the regions created after the split point</li>
726 <li>Select the newly-created regions: sum of the two above, i.e. all
727 the regions that are created as a result of the split are selected.</li>
728 <li>Preserve the existing selection, AND select all newly-created regions:
729 same as above (all the parts that have been created by the split) plus
730 the unaffected regions that were selected before the split.</li>
737 <h3 id="preferences-editor-snap">Snap</h3>
741 <dfn>General Snap options:</dfn>
744 <dfn>Snap Threshold (pixels):</dfn> is the maximum distance between
745 a snap anchor and an object for Ardour to force the object to be
746 placed precisely at that anchor.
749 <dfn>Approximate Grid/Ruler granularity (pixels):</dfn> Ardour tries
750 to show a reasonable number of grid lines at the current zoom level
751 and in the available screen estate. This value tells Ardour what the
752 approximate absolute distance between two closest grid lines should
753 be, so that it displays the most relevant grid scale to approximately
757 <dfn>Show "snapped cursor"</dfn> If the Edit point is not the playhead,
758 shows the currently selected Edit point as a blue line, to indicate
759 where the next editing operation will occur.
762 <dfn>Snap rubberband selection to grid</dfn> makes the highlighted
763 zone created by an area selection also snap to grid, i.e. the beginning
764 and end of the resulting selecting box will both be grid anchors.
767 <dfn>Grid switches to alternate selection for Internal Edit Tools</dfn>
768 Two levels of grid mode can coexist in Ardour, one for global regions
769 manipulations, and one for finer, in-region editing (e.g. for placing
770 MIDI events in a MIDI region). When this option is checked, entering
771 Internal Edit mode makes the grid mode switch from one mode to the other.
774 <dfn>Rulers automatically change to follow the Grid mode selection</dfn>
775 If enabled, changing the Grid mode also makes the relevant
776 <a href="@@ruler">ruler</a> visible, while hiding the other ones.
781 <dfn>When "Snap" is enabled, snap to:</dfn>
782 Lists the different possible anchors to which an object should snap to, among:
785 <li>Region Sync points</li>
786 <li>Region Starts</li>
793 <h3 id="preferences-editor-modifiers">Modifiers</h3>
796 This page allows to choose how things are done in the editor. This is a very
797 flexible way for Ardour to match an existing workflow, or speed up the editing
798 process based on the user's most used actions.
801 The <kbd class="menu">Reset to recommended defaults</kbd> button at the bottom
802 provides a way to revert any user made change to its default value.
805 <h2 id="preferences-midi">MIDI</h2>
812 <dfn>Allow non quarter-note pulse</dfn>: by default, Ardour understands the <a
813 href="@@tempo-and-meter">tempo</a> as the number of quarter notes in a minute.
814 Checking this option allows to set the tempo based on any division of the note,
815 from whole to 1/128th. This is reflected in the <kbd class="menu">Edit
816 Tempo</kbd> window (accessed by double clicking a tempo marker) that shows a
817 "Pulse" menu when this option is checked.
820 <dfn>Initial program change:</dfn> Ardour will send a MIDI program
821 change message on the <code>ardour:MMC out</code> MIDI port when a session
822 is loaded and whenever this field is changed. A value of -1 means don't
823 send any program change message.
831 <dfn>Sound MIDI notes as they are selected in the editor</dfn> will play
832 any selected or added MIDI note when in Draw or Internal Edit modes. The
833 note is sent as MIDI as if Ardour was playing it withe the session, so the
834 processors and signal routing will be applied.
839 <dfn>Virtual Keyboard</dfn>
842 <dfn>Virtual Keyboard Layout:</dfn> selects which (if any) computer
843 keyboard layout is used to be mapped on the keys of the musical
844 keyboard of the Virtual Keyboard (<kbd class="menu">Window > Virtual Keyboard</kbd>).
850 <dfn>MIDI Port Options</dfn>
853 <dfn>MIDI input follows MIDI track selection</dfn> allows Ardour to automatically
854 connect the MIDI input to the selected track. Selecting a different MIDI
855 track results in Ardour disconnecting the MIDI device from the former track
856 and connecting it to the newly selected one, so that the MIDI device is
857 always connected to the selected track. Which MIDI device will follow
858 selection can be chosen below.
864 <h3 id="preferences-midi-port-config">Modifiers</h3>
867 This page allows to set options for input and output MIDI devices, such as:
871 <li><kbd class="menu">Music Data</kbd>: whether Ardour should accept/send note events from/to selected MIDI device</li>
872 <li><kbd class="menu">Control Data</kbd>: whether Ardour should accept/send control events (Control Change, or CC) from/to selected MIDI device</li>
873 <li><kbd class="menu">Follow Selection</kbd>: whether Ardour should connect this device only to a selected track (only applicable to input devices)</li>
877 You can also give a more meaningful name to any input and output MIDI device
878 here. Double-click the name of the device, enter a new name, then press
879 <kbd>Enter</kbd> to confirm.
882 <h2 id="preferences-transport">Transport</h2>
889 <dfn>Prompt for new marker names</dfn> when enabled, popup a dialog
890 when a new <a href="@@working-with-markers">marker</a> is created. This allows
891 markers to be named as they are created.
894 <dfn>Stop at the end of the session</dfn> causes the transport to
895 stop during playback when it reaches the end marker. Behavior during
896 recording is not changed.
899 <dfn>Keep record-enable engaged on stop</dfn> leaves the global
900 record-enable engaged after transport is stopped. Does not affect track
901 level record-enable which is never changed on stop.
904 <dfn>Reset default speed on stop</dfn> when the
905 <a href="@@transport-bar">Shuttle speed control</a> is in <em>wheel</em>
906 mode, i.e. the transport speed can be constantly changed, enabling this
907 option makes these changes temporary, and the transport speed reset
908 each time the transport is stopped.
911 <dfn>Disable per-track record disarm while rolling</dfn>, when
912 enabled, will not allow the any track's record-enable to be disarmed
913 during record, preventing accidentally stopping the recording of a take.
916 <dfn>12dB gain reduction during fast-forward and fast-rewind</dfn>
917 when enabled will reduce the unpleasant increase in perceived volume
918 that occurs when fast-forwarding or rewinding through some kinds of audio.
921 <dfn>Rewind/Fast-forward buttons change direction immediately</dfn>
922 sets wether Rewind and Fast-forward transport operations
923 (<kbd class="menu">Transport > Forward/Rewind</kbd>) changes the
924 playback direction and speed abruptly, or gradually.
927 <dfn>Allow auto-return after rewind/ffwd operations</dfn>
928 if <a href="@@other-toolbar-items#playhead_options">Auto return</a>is engaged, sets wether
929 it applies to rewind and fast-forward operations.
932 <dfn>Preroll:</dfn> sets the duration of the preroll for playing and
933 recording when using a preroll. Can be a musical duration (in bars) or a
942 <dfn>Play loop is a transport mode</dfn> changes the behavior of the
943 loop button, turning it into a toggle. When enabled, the loop button does
944 not start playback but forces playback to always play the loop. Looping
945 stays engaged when the transport is stopped. Playback continues where the
946 transport stopped and continues to loop. When disabled, the loop button
947 starts playing the loop but stop then cancels loop playback.
950 <dfn>Loop Fades:</dfn> when the transport moves from the end of the loop
951 range back to the beginning, clicks might be audible. This parameter
952 allows for adding fades (in, out or cross-) to prevent those clicks.
957 <dfn>Dropout (xrun) Handling</dfn>
960 <dfn>Stop recording when an xrun occurs</dfn> will stop the transport
961 when an xrun occurs during recording, ensuring no audible glitches are
965 <dfn>Create markers where xruns occur</dfn> will create a new
966 <a href="@@working-with-markers">marker</a> when an xrun occurs during
967 recording at the location of the xrun. This marks where possible xruns
968 might produce audible glitches.
971 <dfn>Reset x-runs counter when starting to record</dfn>, when enabled,
972 sets the x-run counter in the <a href="@@status-bar">Status bar</a>
973 to 0 each time a recording is started, hence showing only the relevant
974 number of x-run while recording.
982 <dfn>Silence plugins when the transport is stopped</dfn> when stopping
983 playback or recording, if this option is checked, the plugins that still
984 emit sound (reverbs, etc…) will be stopped. If unchecked, the plugins
985 will continue playing after the transport stop.
991 <h3 id="preferences-transport-chase">Chase</h3>
995 <dfn>MIDI Machine Control (MMC)</dfn>
998 <dfn>Respond to MMC commands</dfn> when enabled Ardour will respond
999 to MIDI Machine Control commands received on the <code>ardour:MMC in</code>
1003 <dfn>Inbound MMC device ID:</dfn> is the only device ID Ardour will
1004 respond to when an MMC command is received on the <code>ardour:MMC in</code>
1010 <dfn>Transport Masters</dfn>
1013 <dfn>Show Transport Master Window</dfn> Opens the Transport masters
1014 window, where all the timecode sources are shown to be selected
1015 and/or synchronized; same as clicking <kbd class="menu">Window >
1016 Transport Masters</kbd>
1019 <dfn>Match session video frame rate to external timecode</dfn>
1020 controls the value of the video frame rate <em>while chasing</em>
1021 an external timecode source. When enabled, the session video frame rate will be
1022 changed to match that of the selected external timecode source. When disabled,
1023 the session video frame rate will not be changed to match that of the selected
1024 external timecode source. Instead, the frame rate indication in the main clock
1025 will flash red and Ardour will convert between the external timecode standard
1026 and the session standard.
1032 <h3 id="preferences-transport-generate">Generate</h3>
1036 <dfn>Linear Timecode (LTC) Generator</dfn>
1039 <dfn>Enable LTC generator</dfn> when enabled Ardour will
1040 output an LTC timecode signal on its <em>LTC-out</em> port.
1041 If this option is checked, the two options below are active:
1044 <dfn>Send LTC while stopped</dfn>, (only available when the previous
1045 <em>Enable LTC generator</em> is on) when enabled Ardour will
1046 continue to send LTC information even while the transport (playhead)
1050 <dfn>LTC generator level [dBFS]:</dfn> specifies the peak volume of
1051 the generated LTC signal in dbFS. A good value is 0dBu=−18dbFS
1052 in an EBU calibrated system.
1055 <dfn>LTC Output Port:</dfn> selects to which port (if any) the
1056 LTC generator will be connected by default.
1061 <dfn>MIDI Time Code (MTC) Generator</dfn>
1064 <dfn>Enable MTC Generator</dfn> when enabled Ardour will generate MIDI
1065 time code on the <code>ardour:MTC out</code> MIDI port.
1068 <dfn>Max MTC varispeed (%):</dfn>
1069 MIDI time code generation will be disabled when the transport speed is
1070 greater than normal speed plus this percentage or less than normal minus
1076 <dfn>MIDI Machine Control (MMC)</dfn>
1079 <dfn>Send MMC commands</dfn> when enabled Ardour will send MIDI Machine
1080 Control commands on the <code>ardour:MMC out</code>
1084 <dfn>Outbound MMC device ID:</dfn> is the MIDI device ID Ardour will
1085 use when it sends MMC commands.
1090 <dfn>MIDI Beat Clock (Mclk) Generator</dfn>
1093 <dfn>Enable Mclk generator</dfn> when enabled Ardour will generate a
1094 (tempo dependant) beat clock at a rate of 24 pulses per quarter note on
1095 the <code>ardour:MIDI clock out</code> port.
1101 <h2 id="preferences-plugins">Plugins</h2>
1104 The content of this preference page varies heavily between versions or Ardour:
1105 both the platform and the build-time options can make Ardour support some types
1106 of plugins and not others. While this documentation tries to show all possible
1107 options, most systems will only show a subset of the options hereunder, e.g.
1108 AudioUnits are macOS only…
1113 <dfn>Scan/Discover</dfn>
1116 <dfn>Scan for Plugins</dfn> will initiate an immediate scan of the system
1117 for available plugins. Useful to get a newly installed plugin recognised
1121 <dfn>Scan Time Out</dfn> sets the time that Ardour will try to find
1122 any plugins in known paths until it gives up.
1130 <dfn>Scan for [new] Plugins on Application Start</dfn> When
1131 enabled new plugins are searched, tested and added to the cache
1132 index on application start. When disabled new plugins will only be
1133 available after triggering a 'Scan' manually.
1136 <dfn>Always Display Plugin Scan Progress</dfn> When enabled a
1137 popup window showing plugin scan progress is displayed for indexing
1138 (cache load) and discovery (detect new plugins).
1141 <dfn>Verbose Plugin Scan</dfn>: adds information about the plugin in the
1142 <a href="@@status-bar">Log window</a>.
1145 <dfn>Make new plugins active</dfn> when enabled, any plugin added to a track
1146 will be in active mode. If unchecked, the plugins will be added in inactive
1147 mode by default, hence have no processing effect on the track/bus.
1155 <dfn>Conceal LADSPA (LV1) Plugins if matching LV2 exists</dfn> When
1156 enabled, gives precedence to the LV2 (more up-to-date) version of
1157 a plugin over its LV1 version, if both exists.
1162 <dfn>Plugin GUI</dfn>
1165 <dfn>Automatically open the plugin GUI when adding a new plugin</dfn>
1166 shows the plugins GUI as soon as it is added to the processing box. If
1167 unchecked, the plugin will be added in the processor box but the GUI will
1168 only be shown when <kbd class="mouse">double clicking</kbd> it.
1171 <dfn>Show Plugin Inline Display on Mixer strip by default</dfn> allows Ardour
1172 to show, in the <a href="@@audiomidi-mixer-strips">mixer strips</a>, a
1173 visual rendering of the effect. These Inline Display are a special feature
1174 of Ardour, so not all plugins are able to show this display. Most of Ardour's
1175 <a href="@@plugins-bundled-with-ardour">own plugins</a> have an Inline Display.
1176 At any time, the plugin's Inline Display can be toggled on or off by
1177 <kbd class="mod3n"></kbd>double-clicking it.
1180 <dfn>Don't automatically open the plugin GUI when the plugin has an inline
1181 display mode</dfn>: this option, available only if
1182 <kbd class="option">Automatically open the plugin GUI when adding a new plugin</kbd>
1183 is checked, supercedes it and hides the plugin GUI at creation if it has an
1184 Inline Display, like Ardour's own <code>ACE *</code> plugins.
1189 <dfn>Instrument</dfn>
1192 <dfn>Ask to replace existing instrument plugin</dfn>: if a MIDI track already
1193 has an instrument (i.e. MIDI to audio converter of some sort) and this
1194 option is checked, Ardour will detect it and offer to replace the existing
1195 instrument with the newly added one, avoiding a possible conflict.
1198 <dfn>Interactively configure instrument plugins on insert</dfn>: when inserting
1199 a multichannel instrument plugin, if this option is checked, prompts the
1200 user for the channel configuration for this plugin.
1205 <dfn>Statistics</dfn>
1208 <dfn>Reset Statistics</dfn>: clears the statistics used to determine
1209 the most used and most recently used plugins.
1212 <dfn>Plugin chart (use-count) length:</dfn> In the Mixer view's
1213 <a href="@@favorite-plugins-window">favorite plugins</a> section,
1214 determines how many plugins are displayed when in <em>Top-10 Plugins</em>
1218 <dfn>Plugin recent list length:</dfn> Same as above,
1219 when in <em>Recent Plugins</em> mode.
1225 <h3 id="preferences-plugins-vst">VST</h3>
1232 <dfn>Enable Mac VST2 support (requires restart or re-scan)</dfn> makes a
1233 MacOs system able to run VST-Mac plugins. As stated, a new scan for plugins
1234 is required, be it manually or by restarting Ardour.
1237 <dfn>Enable Linux VST2 support (requires restart or re-scan)</dfn> makes a
1238 Linux system able to run VST2 plugins.
1241 <dfn>Enable VST3 support (requires restart or re-scan)</dfn> makes any
1242 system able to run VST3 plugins.
1250 <dfn>VST 2 Cache:</dfn> Clicking the <kbd class="menu">Clear</kbd> button
1251 removes all VST plugins from the list of plugins available to be
1252 inserted into the processor box. A new VST plugin scan is then required.
1255 <dfn>VST 2 Ignorelist:</dfn> Clicking the <kbd class="menu">Clear</kbd>
1256 button makes ignored VST plugins available to be added to the processor
1260 <dfn>Linux VST2 Path:</dfn> Clicking the <kbd class="menu">Edit</kbd> button
1261 pops up a dialog to manage the directories that will be searched for Linux
1262 VST plugins. When modified, Ardour will offer to scan those paths for plugins.
1265 <dfn>Path:</dfn> are the paths chosen above.
1268 <dfn>Windows VST Path:</dfn> Clicking the <kbd class="menu">Edit</kbd> button
1269 pops up a dialog to manage the directories that will be searched for Windows
1270 VST plugins. When modified, Ardour will offer to scan those paths for plugins.
1273 <dfn>Path:</dfn> are the paths chosen above.
1281 <dfn>VST 3 Cache:</dfn> Same as above, for VST 3
1284 <dfn>VST 3 Ignorelist:</dfn> Same as above, for VST 3
1287 <dfn>Additional VST3 Path:</dfn> The VST 3 specs clearly define where
1288 the host application should look for plugins. Although Ardour provides a
1289 way to search other directories for plugin, it is out of spec and not
1293 <dfn>Automatically show 'Micro Edit' tagged controls on the mixer-strip:</dfn>
1294 displays the plugin's UI directly inside each mixer strip (inline), if the plugin
1295 has a 'Micro Edit' <a hreg="@@plugin-selector">tag</a>.
1300 <dfn>VST2/VST3</dfn>
1303 <dfn>Conceal VST2 Plugin if matching LV3 exists</dfn> When
1304 enabled, gives precedence to the VST3 (more up-to-date) version of
1305 a plugin over its VST2 version, if both exists.
1311 <h3 id="preferences-plugins-audio_unit">Audio Unit</h3>
1315 <dfn>Audio Unit</dfn>
1318 <dfn>Enable Audio Unit support (requires restart or re-scan)</dfn> When
1319 enabled, new AU plugins are searched, tested and added to the cache
1320 index on application start. When disabled, new plugins will only be
1321 available after triggering a 'Scan' manually.
1324 <dfn>AU Cache:</dfn> Clicking the <kbd class="menu">Clear</kbd> button
1325 removes all AU plugins from the list of plugins available to be
1326 inserted into the processor box. A new AU plugins scan is then required.
1329 <dfn>AU Ignorelist:</dfn> Clicking the <kbd class="menu">Clear</kbd>
1330 button makes ignored AU plugins available to be added to the processor
1337 <h2 id="preferences-monitoring">Monitoring</h2>
1341 <dfn>Monitoring</dfn>
1344 <dfn>Record monitoring handled by:</dfn> determines whether Ardour provides
1345 monitoring of incoming audio or whether monitoring is provided by hardware.
1346 See <a href="@@monitoring">Monitoring</a> for more information.
1349 <dfn>Auto Input does 'Talkback'</dfn> when enabled, the
1350 <kbd class="option">Transport > Auto Input</kbd> option also sets
1351 the tracks to monitor its audio input when transport is not rolling.
1356 <dfn>Solo</dfn> contains settings that affect the use of
1357 <a href="@@muting-and-soloing">solo, muting</a>, and
1358 <a href="@@panning">panning</a>.
1361 <dfn>Solo controls are Listen controls</dfn>: when enabled, the
1362 soloed track is soloed only on the monitor bus, the master fader mix
1363 is not affected by the solo. This option can also be set by enabling
1364 pre-fader listen or after-fader listen in the <strong>Mixer</strong>
1368 <dfn>Exclusive solo</dfn> when enabled will only solo the last
1369 track selected for solo. Previously soloed tracks will be un-soloed.
1370 This setting is also available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor
1374 <dfn>Show solo muting</dfn> when enabled outlines the mute
1375 button on tracks and busses when another track is soloed.
1378 <dfn>Soloing overrides muting</dfn> when enabled allows a track
1379 to be heard when it is soloed while muted. This setting is also
1380 available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor section.
1383 <dfn>Solo-in-place mute cut (dB):</dfn> sets the attenuation of
1384 the other tracks when another track is soloed in place. This setting
1385 is also available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor section. The
1386 default is "−inf" for −∞, meaning the other tracks are
1390 <dfn>Listen Position:</dfn> determines what is listened to when
1391 the solo controls are used as listen controls. The options are
1392 after-fader or pre-fader.
1395 <dfn>PFL signals come from:</dfn> determines whether the
1396 pre-fader listen position is before or after the pre-fader processors.
1399 <dfn>AFL signals come from:</dfn> determines whether the
1400 after-fader listen position is before or after the after-fader
1407 <h2 id="preferences-signal_flow">Signal Flow</h2>
1414 <dfn>Enable master-bus output gain control</dfn> adds a gain-stage to
1415 the master-bus and a Loudness Analyzer & Normalizer button that
1416 calculates the Loudness (LUFS) of the session (or a range selection),
1417 and normalizes the loudness according to various standards.
1422 <dfn>Default Track / Bus Muting Options</dfn> sets the muting options
1423 for a newly created tracks or bus. The mute options for an existing track
1424 or bus are changed by the right-click context menu on a mute button.
1427 <dfn>Mute affects pre-fader sends</dfn> when enabled pre-fader
1428 sends will be muted by default.
1431 <dfn>Mute affects post-fader sends</dfn> when enabled post-fader
1432 sends will be muted by default.
1435 <dfn>Mute affects control outputs</dfn> when enabled control
1436 outputs are muted by default.
1439 <dfn>Mute affects main outputs</dfn> when enabled main outputs
1440 are muted by default.
1445 <dfn>Send Routing</dfn> affects <a href="@@aux-sends">aux and external sends</a>.
1448 <dfn>Link panners of Aux and External Sends with main panner by default</dfn>
1449 when enabled, sends follow the channel panner. When disabled, sends can panned
1450 independently of the channel panner and fader. Double clicking the send in the
1451 processor box toggles the main panner and fader between the aux send and the
1457 <dfn>Audio Regions</dfn>
1460 <dfn>Replicate missing region channels</dfn>: if a track is N-channel,
1461 and the region has fewer channels, this option copies the existing
1462 channel's data for this non-existent one. If left unchecked, the missing
1463 channels will stay silent.
1468 <dfn>Track and Bus Connections</dfn>
1471 <dfn>Auto-connect main output (master or monitor) bus to physical ports</dfn>
1472 auto-connects the outputs to the first N physical ports. In a session without a
1473 <a href="@@monitor-section">monitor section</a>, the master-bus is
1474 connected to the system's playback ports, and if a monitor section exists,
1475 the monitor-bus' output are connected.
1478 <dfn>Connect track inputs:</dfn> allows to choose when a new track is
1479 created whether its inputs will be automatically connected to the physical
1480 inputs of the system or not (hence the user has to manually connect it).
1483 <dfn>Connect track and bus outputs:</dfn> allows to choose, for any new
1484 track or bus created, whether its output will automatically be connected
1485 to the master bus, directly to the physical outputs or to nothing (the
1486 user has to manually connect it).
1489 <dfn>Use 'Strict-I/O' for new tracks or busses</dfn> determines the default
1490 choice for the <a href="@@trackbus-signal-flow">signal flow</a> of a newly created track or bus.
1491 This can be overridden in the <a href="@@adding-tracks-busses-and-vcas">
1492 Add Track/Bus/VCA</a> dialog
1498 <h2 id="preferences-metronome">Metronome</h2>
1502 <dfn>Metronome</dfn> handles the way Ardour's metronome is played when
1503 enabled in the <a href="@@transport-bar">Transport Bar</a>.
1506 <dfn>Emphasis on first beat</dfn> plays a different sound when the first
1507 beat is played (e.g. 1/4 in 4/4, 1/3 in 3/4,…). When unchecked, all
1508 the beats are indistinguishable.
1511 <dfn>Use built-in default sounds</dfn> when checked, uses Ardour's own
1512 sounds for the metronome click. Unchecking this allows to set some custom
1516 <dfn>Audio file:</dfn> selects an audio file for the beats, in any
1517 <a href="@@supported-file-formats">format</a> Ardour supports.
1520 <dfn>Emphasis audio file:</dfn> in conjunction with
1521 <kbd class="option">Emphasis on first beat</kbd>, selects an audio file
1522 for the first beats of each bar.
1525 <dfn>Gain level:</dfn> allows the metronome's click sounds to be boosted
1534 <dfn>Enable Metronome only while recording</dfn>: when enabled, the
1535 metronome will remain silent unless Ardour is recording.
1542 <h2 id="preferences-control_surfaces">Control Surfaces</h2>
1545 This tab contains settings for <a href="@@control-surfaces">control surfaces</a>.
1548 It lists all the Control Surface protocols Ardour knows. To enable a
1549 <dfn>Control Surface Protocol</dfn>, the <kbd class="option">Enable</kbd> checkbox
1550 next to its name should be ticked. Editing the settings related to this protocol
1551 can be done by double-clicking its name or clicking the <kbd class="menu">Show
1552 protocol settings</kbd> (only for Generic MIDI and Open Sound Control).
1555 <h2 id="preferences-metering">Metering</h2>
1562 <dfn>Peak hold time:</dfn> allows the meter to keep displaying the highest
1563 signal level for a period of time before reverting to showing the actual
1564 instantaneous value (unless an even higher peak occurs). The longer this
1565 time is, the easier it is to spot peaks, at the expense of instantaneous
1569 <dfn>DPM fall-off:</dfn> describes how fast the Digital Peak Meters can
1570 go from a high value to a lower one. Faster values are more accurate but
1574 <dfn>Meter line-up level; 0 dBu:</dfn> chooses a standard for the
1575 conversion between dBFS (Full Scale) which represent the numeric signal
1576 level, and dBu which represents the analog signal level. This value is used
1577 to configure meter-marks and color knee-points, or set the reference levels
1578 for various meter-types.
1581 <dfn>IEC1/DIN Meter line-up level; 0 dBu:</dfn> sets the reference
1582 level for the IEC1/DIN Meter
1585 <dfn>VU Meter standard:</dfn> selects which standard to use for the zero
1586 value of the vu-meters, i.e. the analog dBu value that will show as 0 on the
1590 <dfn>Peak indicator threshold [dBFS]:</dfn> at that value and over, the
1591 signal will make the peak meter to turn red, indicating a level too high.
1596 <dfn>Default Meter Types</dfn> sets the default meters when creating a session
1597 or track. These meters can be changed afterwards by
1598 <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd>-clicking a meter.
1601 <dfn>Default Meter Type for Master Bus:</dfn> defines which kind of
1602 <a href="@@metering-in-ardour">meter</a> will be used when creating a new
1603 session (does not apply to the current session).
1606 <dfn>Default Meter Type for busses:</dfn> defines which kind of
1607 meter will be used when creating a new bus (applies to the bus created
1608 after changing the value).
1611 <dfn>Default Meter Type for tracks:</dfn> same as above, for tracks.
1616 <dfn>Region Analysis</dfn>
1619 <dfn>Enable automatic analysis of audio</dfn> generates the transient
1620 values (used in e.g. the <a href="@@rhythm-ferret">Rhythm Ferret</a>)
1621 automatically. When unchecked, the transient values will be generated
1628 <h2 id="preferences-performance">Performance</h2>
1632 <dfn>DSP CPU Utilization</dfn>
1635 <dfn>Signal processing uses:</dfn> sets how many cpu processors can be
1636 used to do signal processing. It can be set to use one up to all
1640 <dfn>Power Management, CPU DMA latency: </dfn> modern processors try
1641 to aggressively transition to power saving when idle, even for a few
1642 microseconds, hurting realtime performance by needing to wake to a
1643 more active state. This setting counters this behaviour by setting
1644 a maximum response time while low latency operation is desired.
1645 <kbd class="menu">0</em> is the fastest response time.
1650 <dfn>CPU/FPU Denormals</dfn> are a specific type of very small numbers that
1651 can cause issues with CPU consumption when using some plugins in some
1652 circumstances. Ardour provides two methods of handling the issue.
1653 Trying different combinations of these settings may minimize CPU consumption.
1656 <dfn>Use DC bias to protect against denormals</dfn> adds a small
1657 constant value to numbers to move the numbers away from zero.
1660 <dfn>Processor handling:</dfn>, if the computer's hardware
1661 supports it, offers two methods that can be used individually or
1662 combined. Flush to zero and denormals are zero.
1667 <dfn>Disk I/O Buffering</dfn> settings determine how many seconds of
1668 audio off of disk will be buffered in memory. Longer settings reduce
1669 the risk of buffer under-runs but consume more memory.
1672 <dfn>Preset:</dfn> will automatically choose the values for the playback
1673 and recording buffer based on the chosen size of the session. The
1674 <strong>Custom</strong> option allows to manually select the buffers with
1675 the two sliders below.
1678 <dfn>Playback (seconds of buffering):</dfn> sets how many seconds of
1679 audio Ardour will buffer during playback.
1682 <dfn>Recording (seconds of buffering):</dfn> sets how many seconds of
1683 audio Ardour will buffer during recording.
1688 <dfn>Memory Usage</dfn>
1691 <dfn>Waveform image cache (megabytes):</dfn> sets the maximum amount of ram that
1692 can be used to store the images representing the waveforms in the editor. Past
1693 this amount, the images will be regenerated when needed, which can significantly
1694 decrease the system's performance.
1699 <dfn>Automation</dfn>
1702 <strong>Thinning factor</strong> ranges from 0 to 1000 with larger
1703 values sending fewer automation changes. Thinning is like lossy
1704 audio compression, removing data that is less likely to be noticed,
1705 although the more is removed, the more likely the loss will be noticed.
1706 The advantage to thinning is reduced CPU usage.
1709 <strong>Automation sampling interval</strong> ranges from 1 to
1710 1000 ms. Determines how frequently the automation input is
1711 sampled. The shorter the interval the higher the accuracy but also
1712 the higher the CPU requirements.
1717 <dfn>Automatables</dfn>
1720 <dfn>Limit automatable parameters per plugin</dfn>: as some plugins
1721 (synthesizers, …) have a lot of parameters, and those parameters
1722 can be automated by Ardour, checking this will limit the number of parameters
1723 that are listed as automatable, hence making the lists shorter and the GUI
1730 <h2 id="preferences-video">Video</h2>
1734 <dfn>Video Server</dfn>
1737 <dfn>Show Video Export Info before export</dfn> Shows a warning message
1738 when exporting a video about licensing and offers to open the
1739 <a href="@@workflow-amp-operations#export">export video</a> section of
1743 <dfn>Show Video Server Startup Dialog</dfn>: when using video inside Ardour,
1744 this video is accessed via Xjadeo from a source file through a Video Server.
1745 This options shows the server's startup dialog (useful for debugging a
1746 malfunctioning video).
1749 <dfn>Advanced Setup (remote video server)</dfn> can be used when the setup
1750 is more complex than opening a local file with Ardour. The tools used behind
1751 the scene by Ardour allow a lot of flexibility, so for a competent user,
1752 the options below are provided to access a distant file (i.e. on another
1753 machine). The default options for the two following fields ("http://localhost:1554"
1754 and "/") are suitable for local files.
1757 <dfn>Video Server URL:</dfn> Base URL of the video server delivering the video
1758 through the network (<code>http://IP-or-address:port</code>).
1761 <dfn>Video folder</dfn> is the server's local path to the document-root,
1762 i.e. the files that can be delivered by the server.
1767 <dfn>Video Monitor</dfn>
1770 <dfn>Custom Path to Video Monitor (xjadeo) - leave empty for default:</dfn>
1771 Ardour bundles offer xjadeo bundled, so it should run flawlessly. Though,
1772 for custom builds or if a newer version of xjadeo is available, one can
1773 specify a path to the wanted version of xjadeo.