3 <img src="/images/session_properties.png" alt="The Session Properties window">
4 <figcaption>The Session Properties window</figcaption>
8 <dfn>Session properties</dfn> control aspects of the workflow or
9 configuration that pertain to the current session only; these settings are
10 initially set from the template used to create the session. They can be found
11 in <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>, and are stored in the
16 Preferences are grouped by category:
20 <li><a href="#properties-timecode">Timecode</a></li>
21 <li><a href="#properties-sync">Sync</a></li>
22 <li><a href="#properties-fade">Fades</a></li>
23 <li><a href="#properties-media">Media</a></li>
24 <li><a href="#properties-locations">Locations</a></li>
25 <li><a href="#properties-filenames">Filenames</a></li>
26 <li><a href="#properties-monitoring">Monitoring</a></li>
27 <li><a href="#properties-meterbridge">Meterbridge</a></li>
28 <li><a href="#properties-misc">Misc</a></li>
31 <h2 id="properties-timecode">Timecode</h2>
35 <dfn>Timecode Settings</dfn>
38 <dfn>Timecode frames-per-second:</dfn> defines how many frames of
39 timecode are in one second. This can differ from the actual frame rate
40 depending on the standard used.
43 <dfn>Pull-up / pull-down:</dfn> sets the speed correction to match one
44 actual second, e.g. a 4.1667 pull-up matches a 24fps cinema movie to a
45 25 fps PAL TV broadcast format.
50 <dfn>Ext Timecode Offsets</dfn>
53 <dfn>Slave Timecode offset:</dfn> when an external timecode source is used,
54 adds or substracts the specified offset to the received timecode (MTC or LTC).
57 <dfn>Timecode Generator offset:</dfn> adds the specified offset to
58 the timecode generated by Ardour (so far only LTC) before sending it to
59 the external synchronized system.
64 <dfn>JACK Transport/Time Settings</dfn>
67 <dfn>Ardour is JACK Time Master (provides Bar|Beat|Tick and other information
68 to JACK)</dfn> Aside from synchronizing any JACK slave, Ardour can also
69 provide musical time information (Bar/Beat/Tick) for the current absolute
70 position for all the JACK-aware clients (N.B. the first jack client that
77 <h2 id="properties-sync">Sync</h2>
81 <dfn>A/V Synchronization</dfn>
84 <dfn>Use Video File's FPS Instead of Timecode Value for Timeline and Video
85 Monitor</dfn> when checked, uses the timecode FPS value of the standard
86 used by the video file instead of forcing the FPS set in the <a href="#properties-timecode">
90 <dfn>Apply Pull-Up/Down to Video Timeline and Video Monitor (Unless using
91 JACK-sync)</dfn> allows to apply the pull-up/down as set in the <a href="#properties-timecode">
92 Timecode tab</a> to the <a href="@@video-timeline-and-monitoring">video
93 timeline</a> as displayed in the editor and to the Video Monitor, resulting
94 in a shorter/longer video in the editor and a speed-up/down in the Video
101 <h2 id="properties-fade">Fades</h2>
105 <dfn>Audio Fades</dfn>
108 <dfn>Destructive crossfade length:</dfn> sets the duration of the crossfade
109 Ardour automatically creates when an operation on a region is destructive,
110 such as when recording in a track in tape mode.<br>
111 This does not change the length of the crossfade Ardour automatically creates
112 at regions boundaries on non-destructive operations (recording, slicing etc...)
113 which is set to 1 ms.
116 <dfn>Declick when transport starts and stops</dfn> creates an artificial
117 fade in/out when starting or stopping playback, to avoid the 'click' sound
118 resulting in starting it at a non zero value.
121 <dfn>Declick when monitor state changes</dfn> also creates an artificial
122 fade in/out to avoid clicks when a parameter in the monitor changes.
125 <dfn>Region fades active</dfn> when checked, Ardour applies the region
126 <a href="@@create-region-fades-and-crossfades">crossfades</a> to each
127 region's start and end. When unchecked, no fades are applied, and clicks
128 may be heard at regions boundaries.
131 <dfn>Region fades visible</dfn> when checked, the region fades are visible
132 in the the Editor. Unchecking may increase readability for sessions made
133 of a lot of tiny regions.
139 <h2 id="properties-media">Media</h2>
142 Change how sound is stored on disk. These options do not change how sound is handled
148 <dfn>Audio File Format</dfn>
151 <dfn>Sample format:</dfn> defaults to 32-bit floating point, the same as
152 the internal representation. 24 and 16-bit integer representation are
153 also available, for more lightweight sessions at the cost of a reduced
157 <dfn>File type:</dfn> defines what format is used to store the audio
158 files. The default is WAVE, and can be changed to Broadcast Wave to
159 store metadata and timecodes, <abbr title="Core Audio
160 Format">CAF</abbr> to overcome WAVE's limitation to 4Gb in size, RF64
161 to add more channels, etc. The chosen format is usually very
168 <h2 id="properties-locations">Locations</h2>
171 These options add file locations that will be searched to find the audio and
172 midi files used by the session. This is useful when the files have been
173 imported into the session but not copied into the session.
178 <dfn>File Locations</dfn>
181 <dfn>Search for audio files in:</dfn> allows to add a location to look
182 for audio files. Adding a location is done by navigating to the
183 directory where the files are stored, selecting it and clicking <kbd
184 class="menu">Open</kbd>. The directory will show up in the dialog. The
185 <kbd class="menu">Remove</kbd> button next to the added directory can
186 be used to remove it from the search path. Multiple paths can be added
190 <dfn>Search for MIDI files in:</dfn> is exactly the same, but for MIDI files.
196 <h2 id="properties-filenames">Filenames</h2>
199 This tab is used to change how Ardour names recorded regions.
204 <dfn>File Naming</dfn>
207 <dfn>Prefix Track number</dfn> when checked, a unique number will
208 appear on each track in the Editor window and will prefix the region
209 name. If the track number is <samp>2</samp> and the region would have
210 been named <samp>Gtr-1.1</samp>, with track number prefix turned on the
211 region will be named <samp>2_Gtr-1.1</samp> instead. See <a
212 href="@@region-naming">Region Naming</a>.
215 <dfn>Prefix Take Name</dfn> when enabled, the first time a track is
216 recorded it will have the specified take name. When recording is
217 stopped, any trailing number on the end of the take name will be
218 incremented by 1. If the specified track name doesn't have a number on
219 the end, the number <samp>1</samp> will be suffixed.
222 <dfn>Take name</dfn> specifies what name is prefixed if <kbd
223 class="option">Prefix Take Name</kbd> is checked.
230 <h2 id="properties-monitoring">Monitoring</h2>
233 Provides options affecting monitoring.
238 <dfn>Monitoring</dfn>
241 <dfn>Track Input Monitoring automatically follows transport state
242 ("auto-input")</dfn> affects how input monitoring is handling. See <a
243 href="@@monitor-setup-in-ardour">Monitor Setup in Ardour</a>
246 <dfn>Use monitor section in this session</dfn> when enabled, displays
247 an extra section in the Mixer window that is modelled on the similarly
248 named section on large analog consoles. More information can be found
249 on the <a href="@@monitor-section">Monitor Section</a> page.
256 <h2 id="properties-meterbridge">Meterbridge</h2>
259 This tab changes what controls are displayed in the Meterbridge that is
260 available in the <kbd class="menu">Window > Meterbridge</kbd> menu.
265 <dfn>Route Display</dfn>
268 <dfn>Show Midi Tracks</dfn> displays/hides MIDI tracks (even when no
269 synth, hence no audio output exists)
272 <dfn>Show Busses</dfn> displays/hides <a
273 href="@@track-types">Busses</a> tracks
276 <dfn>Include Master Bus</dfn> displays/hides the <a
277 href="@@master-bus-strip">Master Bus</a>
282 <dfn>Button Area</dfn>
285 <dfn>Rec-enable Button</dfn> displays/hides the record arm button (for audio
286 and MIDI tracks only)
289 <dfn>Mute Button</dfn> displays/hides the mute button (for all
293 <dfn>Solo Button</dfn> same for solo
296 <dfn>Monitor Buttons</dfn> displays/hides the two (input and playback)<a
297 href="@@monitoring">monitoring</a> buttons, selecting what is played at
298 record and playback time.
303 <dfn>Name Labels</dfn>
306 <dfn>Track Name</dfn> adds the tracks' names bellow the buttons.
312 <h2 id="properties-misc">Misc</h2>
315 This tab has several things that don't fit on the other tabs.
320 <dfn>MIDI Options</dfn>
323 <dfn>MIDI region copies are independent</dfn> if selected, when a MIDI
324 region is copied or duplicated, the new region is not linked to the
325 region it was copied from. If it is not selected, the copied regions
326 are linked and any editing done on one of the linked regions changes
327 all of the linked regions.
330 <dfn>Policy for handling overlapping notes on the same MIDI channel:</dfn>
331 Selects how Ardour reacts to possibly conflicting MIDI notes:
333 <li>never allow them</li>
334 <li>don't do anything in particular</li>
335 <li>replace any overlapped existing notes</li>
336 <li>shorten the overlapped existing note</li>
337 <li>shorten the overlapping new note</li>
338 <li>replace both overlapping notes with a single note</li>
344 <dfn>Glue to Bars and Beats</dfn>
347 <dfn>Glue new markers to bars and beats</dfn> if checked, a newly
348 created marker will always be placed at the nearest musical time
349 instead of right where the mouse pointer is.
352 <dfn>Glue new regions to bars and beats</dfn> same as above, for regions.
360 <dfn>Always count-in when recording</dfn> when checked, waits for two
361 bars before the actual recording begins. The Metronome will tick (even if
362 disabled) during the count-in. Same as recording with <kbd
363 class="menu">Transport > Record w/Count-In</kbd>.
371 <dfn>Use these settings as defaults</dfn> clicking this buttons makes all
372 the present Session Properties default, by recording them in the
373 default session template.