2 <figure class="center">
3 <img style="width:50%;" src="/images/record_window.png" alt="The Recorder window">
5 The Recorder window. <i>(<a href="/images/record_window.png">full-size image</a>)</i>
10 Although all the process of recording an audio or MIDI performance can
11 be done in any mode, the <dfn>Recorder</dfn> provides a synoptic view of
12 most parameters and actions related to capturing this performance, hence
13 giving more confidence in the final result.
16 The Recorder is another view on settings, parameters, and actions
17 that can be set or called in other modes. Any change done in the Recorder
18 is instantly reflected in e.g. the Editor, and vice versa.
21 The Recorder, being a mode, sports the same <a href="@@main-menu">main
22 menu</a>, <a href="@@status-bar">status bar</a>, and <a href="@@transport-bar">
23 toolbar</a> as the Editor and Mixer. It adds a secondary toolbar, a
24 simplified session view, reminiscent of the Editor, and a global input
28 <h2>The Secondary Toolbar</h2>
31 The subsections below describe the secondary toolbar from left to right.
34 <h3>Last Take Manager</h3>
37 <img alt="The Last Take Manager" src="/images/recorder_last-take.png">
44 This manager displays information about the last (or current) take :
48 A <em>duration display</em>, that shows the duration of the last (or
49 current) recording. It is always displayed as <samp>hours:minutes:seconds:tenths</samp>,
50 regardless of the <a href="@@transport-clocks">Transport clocks</a>
54 An x-run counter, an x-run being a buffer under(or over)flow. Each
55 time such an x-run occurs, an artifact is recording, that can be
56 audible or not, but is a red flag for the recording quality.
59 A <kbd>Discard Last Take</kbd> button, that deletes the last
60 finished recording(s), effectively removing the audio file(s) from
61 the hard drive, hence destructive.
65 This last button cannot be used while recording, the transport must be
66 stopped. It also has no concept of history, and repeatedly
67 clicking it wont discard previous takes from last to first, in order to
68 prevent destroying good takes. Lastly, it does not reset the playhead
69 position, as the <kbd class="menu">Transport > Stop and Forget
70 Capture</kbd> menu would.
76 <img alt="The Global Arm options" src="/images/recorder_global-arm.png">
78 The Global Arm options
83 Like the <em>Monitor Options</em> below, these buttons apply to all
87 It is a convenient shortcut to arm (<kbd>All</kbd>)/disarm (<kbd>None</kbd>)
88 all the tracks for recording.
91 <h3 class="clear">Monitoring Options</h3>
94 <img alt="The Monitoring options" src="/images/input-mode-buttons.png">
96 The Monitoring options
101 These buttons allow switching the monitoring mode globally, for all the
102 tracks at once. The monitoring mode allows to decide what the user wants
103 to be listening to, between:
107 <dfn>All In</dfn>: all the tracks play what is on their <em>In</em>puts,
110 <dfn>All Disk</dfn>: all the tracks play the actual content of the
111 playlist on <em>Disk</em>,
114 or <dfn>both</dfn>: also called "cue monitoring" if both buttons are
115 engaged, a combination of the two modes above, where all the track
116 play existing data from disk while also listening to the input
117 signal. This is particularly useful for MIDI tracks, where one can
118 hear a performance/new material while listening to the playback of
119 existing material in the track.
123 The <kbd class="menu">Auto Input</kbd> switch allows Ardour to auto-select
124 what is played, which is:
127 <li>When not playing: all tracks are on <em>In</em> (to listen to any connected source)</li>
128 <li>When playing, all tracks are on <em>Disk</em> (to play whatever was recorded on those tracks)</li>
129 <li>When recording, on rec-enabled tracks: <em>In</em> and on non rec-enabled ones: <em>Disk</em></li>
132 If Auto Input is disabled, then you will hear the Input being
133 monitored whenever a track is armed, even if you aren't actually
134 recording. If Auto Input is _enabled_, then you will hear playback
135 when the transport is rolling, and the tracks will only switch to
136 Input when the master-record arm is engaged (so you are actually
139 <h3>'New Playlist' buttons</h3>
141 <figure class="left">
142 <img alt="The 'New Playlist' buttons" src="/images/recorder_new-playlist.png">
144 The 'New Playlist' buttons
149 Recording multiple takes can easily be done in Ardour by using
150 <a href="@@understanding-playlists">playlists</a>, as a track can have
151 multiple playlists and it is easy to <a href="@@playlist-operations">switch</a>
155 The two buttons create new, "blank", playlists to record on:
158 <li><kbd class="menu">New Playlist for All Tracks</kbd> creates a
159 new playlist for each visible track, while</li>
160 <li><kbd class="menu">New Playlist for Rec-Armed</kbd> uses the
161 <kbd style="color:red;">●</kbd> recording
162 status of each track to generate new playlists.</kbd></li>
165 Creating new playlists is both cheap in terms of CPU and memory, and easy
166 to revert by changing the track's playlist back to its previous one. Playlists
167 on different tracks can also share the same name, allowing for a better
168 workflow when recording: Ardour suggests <em>Take.<i>#n</i></em> as the
169 name for each playlist, so that they stay somewhat correlated.
172 <h3>Disk space and Reset Peaks</h3>
174 <figure class="left">
175 <img alt="Disk space & Reset Peaks" src="/images/recorder_disk-and-reset.png">
177 Disk space & Reset Peaks
183 <em>Disk space</em> shows how many time or recoding is available on
184 the current hard drive (i.e. the hard drive where the session is
185 located), by accounting the bit depth, sampling rate, and number of
186 armed tracks. The result is either an duration, or
187 <samp>>24h</samp> if it exceeds 24 hours.
190 <em>Reset Peak Hold</em> clears the memory of the highest recording level
191 in the meters located in the bottom input panel, and displayed with a
199 The Simplified Session View is a view of the session, specifically
200 tailored for the purpose of recording, that is similar to the Editor
201 (or the <a href="@@summary">Summary</a>) with notable differences,
206 it always encompasses the whole session in the time axis,
209 the regions are displayed as blocks, not waveforms,
212 no editing, like moving or resizing regions, is possible
215 each track (or lane) has a fixed and narrow height
219 All those differences are consequences of the aim of this view, which
220 is to keep thing not too busy and clear in a recording context. The
221 most important settings related to the recording process are easily
222 available and to facilitate the work of the operator.
225 <h3>Simplified Session View</h3>
228 <img alt="A track in the Recorder" src="/images/recorder_lane.png">
230 A track in the Recorder
235 Each lane is made of (from left to right):
239 A zone showing <a href="@@track-and-bus-groups">grouping</a>, as in the
240 Editor, with the same functions and menus.
243 A <kbd style="color:red;">●</kbd> rec-arm button. When armed,
244 the entire button will turn pink, and change to bright red as soon
245 as the transport is rolling and the track is recording. <kbd
246 class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking will allow to en/disable
247 <em>Rec-safe</em>, protecting the track against accidental
251 An <kbd>Input</kbd> button displaying the connected input(s) of the
252 track. It is the same button as the <em>Input</em> button shown in
253 the <a href="@@audiomidi-mixer-strips">Mixer strip</a>, and behaves
254 exactly the same way (<kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-clicking to
255 show the input menu, <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking shows
256 the input connection matrix).
259 A <kbd>P</kbd> playlist button displaying the connected input(s) of
260 the track. Again, it is the same button as the one shown in the <a
261 href="@@audio-track-controls">Editor's track header</a>, and
262 behaves exactly the same way (<kbd
263 class="mouse">Left</kbd>-clicking to show the playlist menu).
266 A <kbd>Track Name</kbd> label, displaying the track's name.<kbd
267 class="mouse">Double</kbd>-clicking allows to edit (rename) the
271 Two <kbd>In</kbd> and <kbd>Disk</kbd> buttons allowing to set this
272 particular track's monitoring option, as described above.
275 <em>N</em> level meters showing the input level of the track, as in
276 the <a href="@@audio-track-controls">Editor's track header</a>,
277 <em>N</em> being the number of input channels of the track.
280 A <kbd style="background:yellow;"><em>n</em></kbd> numbered
281 button, using the <a href="@@track-color">track's color</a> as
282 background color. Numbering can be useful when using OSC, a MIDI
283 controller, or when recording multiple performances at once.
286 An overview of the track's content, with solid blocks representing
287 regions. The region's color is the track color, except while
288 recording where the recorded regions are displayed in red.
292 Like in the Editor or Mixer, a <a
293 href="@@adding-tracks-busses-and-vcas">new track, bus or VCA</a> can
294 be created by either <kbd class="mouse">double</kbd> or <kbd
295 class="mouse">right</kbd>-clicking on an empty place in the track
299 <h3>The Global Input Panel</h3>
302 This panel lists all the audio and MIDI system inputs.
306 <img alt="An audio input" src="/images/recorder_input-panel.png">
313 The inputs are displayed either vertically or horizontally based on the
314 <a href="@@preferences#preferences-appearance-recorder">Preferences</a>.
317 If an input is used by a track that is armed for recording, it sports
321 The controls on each input are:
325 a <kbd>(1)</kbd> button indicating how many tracks are fed by this
326 input. Clicking this button will show only those tracks.
329 a <kbd>+</kbd> button, allowing to create a track that will be
330 automatically connected to this input. The type of track (MIDI or
331 aurio) depends on the input type.
334 a <kbd>PFL</kbd> button, or <em>Pre-Fader Listen</em>, active only
335 if <kbd class="option">Use monitor section in this session</kbd> is
337 href="@@session-properties#properties-monitoring">Session
338 Properties</a>. When active, sends the soloed signal to the <a
339 href="@@monitor-section">Monitor</a>.
342 a <kbd>Input's Name</kbd> button. Inputs can be named or renamed at
343 will, to ease the recognition of e.g. one microphone in a
344 multi-track recording, like a multi-instrumentalist performance, by
345 clicking the button. Ardour stores this name for the device, so any
346 later session using this input will show this label.
351 The right hand side of the input depends on the kind of input, either
352 audio or MIDI. For an audio track:
356 a live level-meter for this input that shows the current level of
357 the audio signal. A green line marks the <em>Peak Hold</em>, i.e.
358 the maximum level reached on this input.
361 a continuous waveform, showing the input state during the last 5 seconds.
368 a channel indicator, the channel numbers lighting up as events come
369 in to show channel activity.
372 a MIDI monitor, showing the last four MIDI events.