2 title: Introduction to Ardour
8 title: Welcome to Ardour
14 title: Welcome to Ardour!
19 <dfn>Ardour</dfn> is a professional digital workstation for working with audio and MIDI.
22 <h2>Ardour is meant for...</h2>
24 <h3>Audio Engineers</h3>
27 Ardour's core user group: people who want to record, edit, mix and master audio and MIDI projects. When you need complete control over your tools, when the limitations of other designs get in the way, when you plan to spend hours or days working on a session, Ardour is there to make things work the way you want them to.
33 Being the best tool to record talented performers on actual instruments has always been a top priority for Ardour. Rather than being focused on electronic and pop music idioms, Ardour steps out of the way to encourage the creative process to remain where it always has been: a musician playing a carefully designed and well built instrument.
36 <h3>Soundtrack Editors</h3>
39 Sample accurate sync and shared transport control with video playback tools allows Ardour to provide a fast and natural environment for creating and editing soundtracks for film and video projects.
45 Arrange audio and MIDI using the same tools and same workflow. Use external hardware synthesizers or software instruments as sound sources. From sound design to electro-acoustic composition to dense multitrack MIDI editing, Ardour can help.
48 <h2>Ardour features...</h2>
50 <h3>Audio and MIDI Multi-Track Recording and Editing</h3>
53 Any number of tracks and busses. Non-linear editing. Non-destructive (and destructive!) recording. Any bit depth, any sample rate. Dozens of file formats.
56 <h3>Plugins with Full Sample Accurate Automation</h3>
59 AudioUnit, LV2, LinuxVST and LADSPA formats. FX plugins. Software instruments. MIDI processors. Automate any parameters. Physically manipulate them via control surfaces. Distribute processing across as many (or as few) cores as you want.
62 <h3>Transport Sync and External Control Surfaces</h3>
65 Best-in-industry sync to MIDI timecode and LTC. Send and receive MIDI Machine Control. Sync with JACK transport and MIDI clock. Dedicated Mackie Control protocol support, pre-defined mappings for many MIDI controllers plus dynamic MIDI learn. Use OSC to drive almost any operation in Ardour.
68 <h3>Powerful Anywhere-to-Anywhere Signal Routing</h3>
71 Complex signal flows are simple and elegant. Inputs and outputs connect to your hardware and/or other applications. Use sends, inserts and returns freely. Connections can be one-to-many, many-to-one or many-to-many. Tap signal flows at any point. If you can't connect in the way you want with Ardour, it probably can't be done.
74 <h3>Video Timeline</h3>
77 Import a single video and optionally extract the soundtrack from it. Display a frame-by-frame (thumbnail) timeline of the video. Use a Video-monitor window, or full-screen display, of the imported video in sync with any of the available ardour timecode sources. Lock audio-regions to the video: Move audio-regions with the video at video-frame granularity. Export the video, cut start/end, add blank frames and/or mux it with the soundtrack of the current-session.
86 <dfn>Ardour</dfn> allows recording and editing both audio and MIDI data, addin of many different kinds of effects and mixing.
89 <p>Some things Ardour is used for include:</p>
92 <li>Digitally record acoustic/electric instruments or vocals</li>
93 <li>Compose and arrange audio and MIDI tracks</li>
94 <li>Edit live recordings</li>
95 <li>Mix and edit movie soundtracks and dialogue</li>
96 <li>Create sound designs for an arbitrary number of output channels</li>
100 title: Isn't This A Really Complicated Program?
105 There is no point in pretending that Ardour is a simple, easy to use program. The development group has worked hard to try to make simple things reasonably easy, common tasks quick, and hard and/or uncommon things possible. There is no doubt that there is more to do in this area, as well as polishing the user interface to improve its intuitiveness and work flow characteristics.
109 At the same time, multi-track, multi-channel, non-linear, non-destructive audio editing is a far from simple process. Doing it right requires not only a good ear, but a solid appreciation of basic audio concepts and a robust mental model/metaphor of what one is doing. Ardour is not a simple "audio recorder"—it can certainly be used to record stereo (or even mono) material in a single track, but the program has been designed around much richer capabilities than this.
113 Some people complain that Ardour is not "intuitive" to use—its lead developer has <a href="http://ardour.org/node/3322">some thoughts on that</a>.
117 title: Why Write a DAW for Linux?
122 It is fairly understandable that existing proprietary DAWs do not run on Linux, given the rather small (but growing) share of the desktop market that Linux has. However, when surveying the landscape of "popular operating systems", we find:
126 <li>older versions of Windows: plagued by abysmal stability and appalling security</li>
127 <li>newer versions of Windows seem stable but still suffer from security problems</li>
128 <li>OS X: an amazing piece of engineering that is excellent for audio work but only runs on proprietary hardware and still lacks the flexibility and adaptability of Linux.</li>
132 Security matters today, and will matter more in the future as more and more live or semi-live network based collaborations take place.
136 Let's contrast this with Linux, an operating system which:
140 <li>can stay up for months (or even years) without issues</li>
141 <li>is endlessly configurable down to the tiniest detail</li>
142 <li>is not owned by any single corporate entity, ensuring its life and direction are not intertwined with that of a company (for a contrary example, consider BeOS)</li>
143 <li>is fast and efficient</li>
144 <li>runs on almost any computing platform ever created, including old "slow" systems and new "tiny" systems (e.g. Raspberry Pi)</li>
145 <li>is one of the most secure operating systems "out of the box"</li>
149 More than anything, however, Ardour's primary author uses Linux and wanted a DAW that ran there.
153 Having written a DAW for Linux, it turned out to be relatively easy to port Ardour to OS X, mostly because of the excellent work done by the JACK OS X group that ported JACK to OS X.
157 Although OS X has a number of disadvantages compared to Linux, its ease of use and its presence in many studios already makes it a worthwhile platform.
161 title: Why is it called Ardour?
166 The name <dfn>"Ardour"</dfn> came from considerations of how to pronounce the acronym <abbr title="Hard Disk Recorder">HDR</abbr>. The most obvious attempt sounds like a vowelless "harder" and it then was then a short step to an unrelated but slightly homophonic word:
170 <dfn>ardour</dfn> n 1: a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of
171 a person or cause); "they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor"; "he
172 felt a kind of religious zeal" [syn: ardor, elan, zeal]<br />
173 2: intense feeling of love [syn: ardor]<br />
174 3: feelings of great warmth and intensity; "he spoke with great ardor"
175 [syn: ardor, fervor, fervour, fervency, fire, fervidness]
179 Given the work required to develop Ardour, and the personality of its primary author, the name seemed appropriate even without the vague relationship to HDR.
183 Years later, another interpretation of "Ardour" appeared, this time based on listening to non-native English speakers attempt to pronounce the word. Rather than "Ardour", it became "Our DAW", which seemed poetically fitting for a Digital Audio Workstation whose source code and design belongs to a group of collaborators.
187 title: Why write another DAW?
192 There are already a number of excellent digital audio workstations. To mention just a few: ProTools, Nuendo, Samplitude, Digital Performer, Logic, Cubase (SX), Sonar, along with several less well known systems such as SADIE, SAWStudio and others.
195 Each of these programs has its strengths and weaknesses, although over the last few years most of them have converged on a very similar set of core features. However, each of them suffers from two problems when seen from the perspective of Ardour's development group:
199 <li>they do not run natively on Linux</li>
200 <li>they are not available in source code form, making modifications, improvements, bugfixes by technically inclined users or their friends or consultants impossible.</li>
204 title: Creating Music with Ardour
209 Ardour can be used in many different ways, from extremely simple to
210 extremely complex. Many projects will be handled using the following
211 kind of <dfn>workflow</dfn>.
214 <h2>Stage 1: Creating Your Project</h2>
217 The first step is to create a new <dfn>session</dfn>, or open an
218 existing one. A session consists of a folder containing a session file
219 that defines all the information about the session. All media files used
220 by the session can be stored within the session folder.
224 More details on sessions can be found in
225 <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.
228 <h2>Stage 2: Creating and Importing Audio and MIDI data</h2>
231 Once you have a session, you will want to add some audio and/or MIDI
232 material to it, which can be done in one of 3 ways:
236 <li><dfn>Record</dfn> incoming audio or MIDI data, either via audio or MIDI hardware
237 connected to your computer, or from other applications.</li>
238 <li><dfn>Create</dfn> new MIDI data using the mouse and/or various dialogs</li>
239 <li><dfn>Import</dfn> existing media files into the session</li>
242 <dfn>MIDI recordings</dfn> consist of performance data ("play note X at
243 time T") rather than actual sound. As a result, they are more flexible
244 than actual audio, since the precise sound that they will generate when
245 played depends on where you send the MIDI to.<br />
246 Two different synthesizers may produce very different sound in response
247 to the same incoming MIDI data.
250 <dfn>Audio recordings</dfn> can be made from external instruments with
251 electrical outputs (keyboards, guitars etc.) or via microphones from
252 acoustic instruments.
255 Ardour uses the <dfn>JACK Audio Connection Kit</dfn> for all audio and
256 MIDI I/O, which means that recording audio/MIDI from other applications
257 is fundamentally identical to recording audio/MIDI from your audio/MIDI
261 <h2>Stage 3: Editing and Arranging</h2>
263 Once you have some material within the session, you can start to arrange
264 it in time. This is done in one of the two main windows of Ardour, the
265 <dfn>Editor</dfn> window.
268 Your audio/MIDI data appears in chunks called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which
269 are arranged into horizontal lanes called <dfn>tracks</dfn>. Tracks are
270 stacked vertically in the Editor window. You can copy, shorten, move,
271 and delete regions without changing the actual data stored in the session
272 at all—Ardour is a <dfn>non-destructive</dfn> editor. (Almost)
273 nothing that you do while editing will ever modify the files stored on
274 disk (except the session file itself).
277 You can also carry out many <dfn>transformations</dfn> to the contents
278 of regions, again without altering anything on disk. You can alter,
279 move, and delete MIDI notes, and remove silence from audio regions, for
283 <h2>Stage 4: Mixing and Adding Effects</h2>
285 Once you have the arrangement of your session mostly complete, you will
286 typically move on to the <dfn>mixing</dfn> phase. Mixing is a broad term
287 to cover the way the audio signals that your session generates during
288 playback and processed and added together into a final result that you
289 actually hear. It can involve altering the relative levels of various
290 parts of the session, adding effects that improve or transform certain
291 elements, and others that bring the sound of the whole session to a new
295 Ardour will allow you to <dfn>automate</dfn> changes to any mixing
296 parameters (such as volume, panning, and effects controls)—it will
297 record the changes you make over time, using a mouse or keyboard or some
298 external control device, and can play back those changes later. This is
299 very useful because often the settings you need will vary in one part of
300 a session compared to another—rather than using a single setting
301 for the volume, you may need increases followed by decreases (for example,
302 to track the changing volume of a singer). Using automation can make all
303 of this relatively simple.
306 <h2>Stage 5: Export</h2>
308 Once you are really satisfied with the arrangement and mix of your
309 session, you will typically want to produce a single audio file that
310 contains a ready-to-listen to version of the work. Ardour will allow you to
311 <dfn>export</dfn> audio files in a variety of formats (simultaneously in
312 some cases). This exported file would typically be used in creating a CD,
313 or be the basis for digital distribution of the work.
316 Of course sometimes you will want to do export material that isn't finished
317 yet, for example to give a copy to someone else to try to mix on their own
318 system. Ardour will allow you to export as much of a session as you want, at
319 any time, in any supported format.
324 title: Ardour Concepts
330 title: Understanding Basic Concepts and Terminology
335 This section will help you get acquainted with the basic terminology and
336 concepts associated with Ardour. More detailed information on each aspect
337 of the program is provided in later chapters.
342 An <dfn>Ardour session</dfn> is a container for an entire project. A
343 session may contain an arbitrary number of <dfn>tracks</dfn> and
344 <dfn>busses</dfn> consisting of audio and <abbr title="Musical Instrument
345 Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> data, along with
346 information on processing those tracks, a mix of levels, and everything
347 else related to the project. A session might typically contain a song, or
348 perhaps an entire album or a complete live recording.
351 Ardour sessions are held in directories; these directories contain one or
352 more <dfn>session files</dfn>, some or all of the audio and MIDI data and
353 a number of other state files that Ardour requires. The session file
354 describes the structure of the session, and holds automation data and
358 Ardour's session file is kept in
359 <abbr title="eXtensible Markup Language">XML</abbr> format, which is
360 advantageous as it is somewhat human-readable, and human-editable in a
361 crisis. Sound files are stored in one of a number of optional formats, and
362 MIDI files as <abbr title="Standard MIDI File">SMF</abbr>.
365 It is also possible for Ardour sessions to reference sound and MIDI files
366 outside the session directory, to conserve disk space and avoid
367 unnecessary copying if the data is available elsewhere on the disk.
370 Ardour has a single current session at all times; if Ardour is started
371 without specifying one, it will offer to load or create one.
374 More details can be found at
375 <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.
380 A <dfn>track</dfn> is a concept common to most
381 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAWs</abbr>, and also used in
382 Ardour. Tracks can record audio or MIDI data to disk, and then replay
383 it with processing. They also allow the audio or MIDI data to be edited
384 in a variety of different ways.
387 In a typical pop production, one might use a track each for the kick
388 drum, another for the snare, more perhaps for the drum overheads and
389 others for bass, guitars and vocals.
392 Ardour can record to any number of tracks at one time, and then play
393 those tracks back. On playback, a track's recordings may be processed by
394 any number of plugins, panned, and its level altered to achieve a
398 A track's type is really only related to the type of data that it stores
399 on disk. It is possible, for example, to have a MIDI track with a
400 synthesizer plugin which converts MIDI to audio. Even though the track
401 remains MIDI (in the sense that its on-disk recordings are MIDI), its
402 output may be audio-only.
405 More details can be found at
406 <a href="/working-with-tracks">Working With Tracks</a>.
409 <h2 id="busses">Busses</h2>
411 <dfn>Busses</dfn> are another common concept in both DAWs and hardware
412 mixers. They are similar in many ways to tracks; they process audio or
413 MIDI, and can run processing plugins. The only difference is that their
414 input is obtained from other tracks or busses, rather than from disk.
417 One might typically use a bus to collect together the outputs of related
418 tracks. Consider, for example, a 3-track recording of a drum-kit; given
419 kick, snare and overhead tracks, it may be helpful to connect the output
420 of each to a bus called "drums", so that the drum-kit's level can be set
421 as a unit, and processing (such as equalisation or compression) can be
422 applied to the mix of all tracks. Such buses are also called
428 A track may contain many segments of audio or MIDI. Ardour contains
429 these segments in things called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which are
430 self-contained snippets of audio or MIDI data. Any recording pass, for
431 example, generates a region on each track that is enabled for recording.
432 Regions can be subjected to many editing operations; they may be moved
433 around, split, trimmed, copied, and so on.
436 More details can be found at
437 <a href="/working-with-regions">Working With Regions</a>.
442 The details of what exactly each track should play back is described by a
443 <dfn>playlist</dfn>. A playlist is simply a list of regions; each track
444 always has an active playlist, and can have other playlists which can be
445 switched in and out as required.
448 More details can be found at
449 <a href="/working-with-playlists">Working With Playlists</a>.
454 Ardour allows you to process audio and MIDI using any number of
455 <dfn>plugins</dfn>. These are external pieces of code, commonly seen as
456 VST plugins on Windows or AU plugins on Mac OS X. Ardour supports
457 the following plugin standards:
459 <dl class="wide-table">
460 <dt><abbr title="Linux Audio Developers' Simple Plugin API">LADSPA</abbr></dt>
461 <dd>the first major plugin standard for Linux. Many LADSPA plugins are
462 available, mostly free and open-source.</dd>
463 <dt><abbr title="LADSPA Version 2">LV2</abbr></dt>
464 <dd>the successor to LADSPA. Lots of plugins have been ported from
465 LADSPA to LV2, and also many new plugins written.</dd>
466 <dt><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr></dt>
467 <dd>Ardour supports VST plugins that have been compiled for Linux.</dd>
468 <dt><abbr title="Audio Units">AU</abbr></dt>
469 <dd>Mac OS X versions of Ardour support AudioUnit plugins.</dd>
472 Ardour has some support for running Windows VST plugins on Linux, but
473 this is rather complicated, extremely difficult for the Ardour
474 developers to debug, and generally unreliable, as it requires to run a
475 large amount of Windows code in an emulated environment.<br />
476 If it is at all possible, you are strongly advised to use native
477 LADSPA, LV2 or Linux VST plugins on Linux, or AU on Mac OS X.
480 More details can be found at
481 <a href="/working-with-plugins">Working With Plugins</a>.
486 title: Basic GUI Operations
491 Ardour offers a number of different ways for you to interact with it.
492 This chapter provides information on basic techniques for <dfn>entering
493 text</dfn>, <dfn>making selections</dfn>, and <dfn>using shortcuts</dfn>.
497 title: Interface Elements
503 <h2>Pull Down Menus</h2>
504 <h2>Pop Up Menus</h2>
505 <h2>Context Menus</h2>
508 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
516 Almost every available function in Ardour can be executed via a
517 <dfn>key binding</dfn> or <dfn><abbr title="Open Sound
518 Control">OSC</abbr></dfn> command. There are many more functions
519 available than there are keys on even the largest current computer
520 keyboards, so only a subset of them are bound to keys by default.
523 <h2>Key bindings for menu items</h2>
526 Existing key bindings in menus are listed on the right side of the
531 To create a custom key binding for a menu item quickly, navigate to
532 the relevant (sub-) menu, hover over the item with the mouse and press
533 the desired combination of modifiers and key.
537 Ardour will silently re-assign the binding if you use a key
538 combination that is already in use, possibly removing a standard
539 keyboard shortcut without warning you. That might lead to confusion
540 when you ask other users for help, and they explain something in terms
541 of a standard key binding, which will then have a completely
542 different effect on your system.
545 <h2>Key binding editor</h2>
548 For a complete overview of all existing keyboard bindings, go to
549 <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings</kbd>. This widget will let
550 you view and edit even those functions that are not available in the menu,
551 and even remove key bindings altogether.
555 title: Selection Techniques
560 Ardour follows the conventions used by most other computer software
561 (including other DAWs) for <dfn>selecting objects</dfn> in the
562 <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr>.
565 <h2>Selecting individual objects</h2>
568 Clicking on an object (sometimes on a particular part of its
569 on-screen representation) will select the object, and deselect other
573 <h2>Selecting multiple (similar) objects</h2>
576 A <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd> click on an object toggles its
577 <samp>selected</samp> status, so using <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd>
578 on a series of objects will select (or deselect) each one of them. You can
579 construct completely arbitrary selections with this technique.
582 <h2>Selecting a range of objects</h2>
585 In cases where the idea of "select all objects between this one and that
586 one" makes sense, you can select one object and then click
587 <kbd class="mod3 mouse">left</kbd> on another to select both of them as
588 well as all objects in between.
591 <h2>Time range selection</h2>
594 To select a time <dfn>range</dfn> in the Editor,
595 click <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> and drag the mouse.
596 A <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd> drag then lets you create other
597 ranges and a <kbd class="mod3 mouse">left</kbd> click extends a range
598 to cover a wider area.
601 <h2>Selection Undo</h2>
604 The set of objects (including time range) that are selected at any one
605 time is known as the selection.
606 Each time you select or deselect an object, the new selection is stored in an
608 This stack is cleared each time the content of the timeline changes.
609 If you have built up a complex selection and then accidentally cleared it,
610 choosing <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd> will restore your previous selection.
611 If you then decide that you had in fact made the correct change, choosing
612 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Redo Selection Change</kbd> will take you back
613 to where you were before you chose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd>.
622 By default, Ardour will show helpful <dfn>tooltips</dfn> about
623 the purpose and use of each <abbr title="Graphical User
624 Interface">GUI</abbr> element if you position the pointer
625 over it and hover there for a short while.
626 These little pop-up messages can be a good way to discover the
627 purpose of many aspects of the GUI.
631 Pop-ups can be distracting for experienced users, who may opt to
632 disable them via <kbd class="optoff">Edit > Preferences > GUI >
633 Show tooltip if mouse hovers over a control</kbd>.
637 title: Undo/Redo for Editing
642 While editing, it happens that you apply an unintended change, or make
643 a choice one that you later decide was wrong. All changes to the
644 arrangement of session components (regions, control points) along the
645 timeline can be <dfn>undone</dfn> (and <dfn>redone</dfn> if necessary).
649 The default keybindings are <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> for Undo and
650 <kbd class="mod1">R</kbd> for Redo. These match the conventions of most
651 other applications that provide undo/redo.
655 Changes are also saved to the <dfn>session history</dfn> file, so that
656 undo/redo is possible even if you close the session and reopen it later,
657 even if you quit Ardour in between.
661 The maximum number of changes that can be undone can be configured under
662 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Undo</kbd>.
663 The maximum number of changes stored in the history file is a separate
664 parameter, and can also be set in the same place.
668 In addition to the normal undo (which works only on actions that change
669 the timeline), there is a <dfn>visual undo</dfn> which will revert any
670 command that affects the display of the editor window. Its shortcut is
671 <kbd class="mod3">Z</kbd>.
672 There is also an undo for selection. See
673 <a href="/ardours-interface/basic-gui-operations/selection-techniques/">Selection Techniques</a> for more information.
677 Note that changes made to mixer strips, such as turning knobs or changing faders, cannot be undone.
681 title: Using the Mouse
688 Throughout this manual, the term <dfn>click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing
689 and releasing the <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> mouse button. This action is used to select objects, activate
690 buttons, turn choices on and off, pop up menus and so forth.<br />
691 On touch surfaces, it also corresponds to a single, one-finger tap on
695 <h2>Right Clicking</h2>
698 The term <dfn>right-click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing and releasing
699 the <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd> mouse button.
700 This action is used to pop up <dfn>context menus</dfn> (hence the term
701 "context click", which you will also see). It is also used by default in
702 combination with the shift key to delete objects within the editor
707 Some mice designed for use with Mac OS X may have only one button. By
708 convention, pressing and holding the Control key while clicking is
709 interpreted as a right-click by many application..
712 <h2>Middle Clicking</h2>
715 A <dfn>middle-click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing and releasing the
716 <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd> mouse button. Not all all mice have a middle click button
717 (see the <a href="/setting-up-your-system/mouse/">Mouse</a> chapter for
718 details). Sometimes the scroll wheel acts as a clickable middle button.
719 This action is used for time-constrained region copying and mapping MIDI
724 Internally, your operating system may identify the mouse buttons as
725 <kbd class="mouse">Button1</kbd>, <kbd class="mouse">Button2</kbd>, and
726 <kbd class="mouse">Button3</kbd>, respectively. It may be possible to
727 invert the order of buttons to accommodate left-handed users, or to re-assign
728 them arbitrarily. This manual assumes the canonical order.
731 <h2>Double Clicking</h2>
734 A <dfn>double click</dfn> refers to two rapid press/release cycles on the
735 leftmost mouse button. The time interval between the two actions that
736 determines whether this is seen as two clicks or one double click is
737 controlled by your system preferences, not by Ardour.
743 A <dfn>drag</dfn> primarily refers to the act of pressing the leftmost
744 mouse button, moving the mouse with the button held down, and then
745 releasing the button. On touch surfaces, this term also corresponds to
746 a single one-finger touch-move-release action.
750 Ardour also uses the middle mouse button for certain kinds of drags,
751 which will be referred to as <dfn>middle-drag</dfn>.
757 There are many actions in Ardour that can be carried out using a mouse
758 button in combination with a <dfn>modifier key</dfn>. When the manual
759 refers to <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd>, it means that you should first
760 press the <kbd class="mod1"></kbd> key, carry out a left click
761 while <kbd class="mod1"></kbd> is held down, and then finally release the key.
765 Available modifiers depend on your platform:
768 <h3>Linux Modifiers</h3>
771 <li><kbd>Ctrl</kbd> (Control)</li>
772 <li><kbd>Shift</kbd></li>
773 <li><kbd>Alt</kbd></li>
774 <li><kbd>Mod2</kbd></li>
775 <li><kbd>Mod3</kbd></li>
776 <li><kbd>Mod4</kbd></li>
777 <li><kbd>Mod5</kbd></li>
781 The following section is almost certainly wrong. Will need to be checked
786 Mod2 typically corresponds to the <kbd>NumLock</kbd> key on many systems.
787 On most Linux systems, there are no keys that will function as modifiers
788 Mod3, Mod4 or Mod5 by default, but they can be setup using
789 <dfn>xmodmap(1)</dfn>. This can be rather useful.
792 <h3>OS X Modifiers</h3>
795 <li><kbd>Cmd</kbd> (Command, "windmill")</li>
796 <li><kbd>Ctrl</kbd> (Control)</li>
797 <li><kbd>Alt</kbd> (Option)</li>
798 <li><kbd>Shift</kbd></li>
801 <h2>Scroll Wheel</h2>
804 Ardour can make good use of a <dfn>scroll wheel</dfn> on your mouse, which can be
805 utilized for a variety of purposes. Scroll wheels generate vertical
806 scroll events, <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> (ScrollUp) and
807 <kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> (ScrollDown). Some also emit horizontal
808 events, <kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd> (ScrollLeft) and
809 <kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd> (ScrollRight).
813 When appropriate, Ardour will differentiate between these two different
814 scroll axes. Otherwise it will interpret ScrollDown and ScrollLeft as
815 equivalent and similarly interpret ScrollUp and ScrollRight as equivalent.
819 Typically, scroll wheel input is used to adjust
820 <dfn>continuous controls</dfn> such as faders and knobs, or to scroll
821 vertically or horizontally inside a window.
824 <p class="fixme">Should add some mention of drag & drop operations; the "Dragging" section above doesn't mention it at all.</p>
827 title: Cut and Paste Operations
832 The <dfn>clipboard</dfn> is a holder for various kinds of objects (regions,
833 control events, plugins) that is used during <dfn>cut-and-paste
840 A <dfn>cut</dfn> operation removes selected objects and places them in the
841 clipboard. The existing contents of the clipboard are overwriten.<br />
842 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.
848 A <dfn>copy</dfn> of the selected objects are placed in clipboard. There is
849 no effect on the selected objects themselves. The existing contents of the
850 clipboard are overwritten. <br />
851 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">c</kbd>.
857 The current contents of the clipboard are <dfn>paste</dfn>d (inserted)
858 into the session, using the current <dfn>edit point</dfn> as the
859 destination. The contents of the clipboard remain unchanged—you
860 can paste the same item multiple times. <br />
861 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">v</kbd>.
865 title: Deleting Objects
870 Within the Editor window (and to some extent within the Mixer window too),
871 there are several techniques for <dfn>deleting</dfn> objects (regions,
872 control points, and more).
875 <h2>Using the mouse and keyboard</h2>
877 Select the object(s) and then press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key.
878 This does <strong>not</strong> put the deleted object(s) into the cut
879 buffer, so they cannot be pasted elsewhere.
882 <h2>Using normal cut and paste shortcuts</h2>
884 Select the object(s) and then press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>. This puts
885 the deleted object(s) into the cut buffer so that they could be pasted
889 <h2>Using just the mouse</h2>
891 By default, <kbd class="mouse">Shift Right</kbd> will delete the
892 clicked-upon object. Like the Del key, this does <strong>not</strong>
893 put the deleted object(s) into the cut buffer.
896 The modifier and mouse button used for this can be controlled via
897 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction >
898 Delete using ...</kbd>. Any modifier and mouse button combination can
903 title: Ardour's Interface
908 In Ardour, work is done in two main windows: the <dfn>Editor</dfn> and the
912 <p><img class="right" src="/images/editor-summary.png"
913 alt="Ardour's editor window" /></p>
916 The <dfn>Editor</dfn> window includes the editor track <dfn>canvas</dfn> where audio and MIDI data can be arranged along a timeline. This is the window used while <a href="/editing-and-arranging/">editing and arranging</a> a session. This window has a general <em>horizontal</em> sense to it: the timeline flows from left to right, and the playhead showing the current position in the session moves from left to right—the window represents <dfn>time</dfn> in a fairly literal way.
919 <p><img class="right" src="/images/mixer-summary.png"
920 alt="ardour's mixer window" /></p>
923 The <dfn>Mixer</dfn> window on the other hand represents signal flow and is the window likely used most when mixing a session. It includes <dfn>channel strips</dfn> for each track and bus in the session. It has a general <em>vertical</em> sense to it: signals flow from the top of each channel strip through the processing elements in the strip to reach the output listed at the bottom.
927 It is possible to show a single channel strip in the editor window, and this can be enough to work on mixing without actually opening the mixer window. Most of the time though, both of these windows will be needed at various stages of a session's lifetime—sometimes the focus is on editing, other times the focus is on mixing.
931 title: Starting Ardour
936 There are several ways of <dfn>starting Ardour</dfn>, which may vary
937 depending on which platform you are using it.
941 <li>double-click the Ardour icon in your platform's file manager (e.g.
942 Nautilus on Linux, Finder on OS X)</li>
943 <li>double click on an Ardour session file in your platform's file manager</li>
944 <li>on Linux, you can also start Ardour <a
945 href="/ardours-interface/starting-ardour/starting-ardour-from-the-command-line">on the command line</a></li>
949 When Ardour is run for the very first time, a special dialog is displayed
950 that will ask you several questions about your setup. You will not be asked
951 these questions again, but you can always modify your choices via the
952 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences</kbd> dialog.
955 <p class="fixme">This may have been true in the past, but now, considering that the startup dialog lets one tune JACK parameters up front, this is prety much bollocks. The rest is wrong as well</p>
957 In general, it is sensible to start JACK before you run Ardour. This is not
958 necessary, but will provide you with more control and options over JACK's
963 If you open Ardour without specifying an existing session it will display
964 the <kbd class="menu">Session > New...</kbd> dialog. If JACK is not already
965 running, there will be an extra <kbd class="menu">Audio Engine</kbd> tab in
966 that dialog to configure JACK, which Ardour will then start automatically.
970 If you did specify an existing session but JACK is not already running, the
971 <kbd class="menu">New Session</kbd> dialog will contain just the Audio Engine tab.
975 title: Starting Ardour From the Command Line (Linux)
976 menu_title: Starting from Linux Cmdline
981 Like (almost) any other program on Linux, Ardour can be started on the
982 command line. Type the following command in a terminal window:
984 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5</kbd>
986 To start Ardour with an existing session:
988 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5 <em>/path/to/session</em></kbd>
990 replacing /path/to/session with the actual path to your session. You can
991 specify either the session folder or any session file inside the folder,
995 To start Ardour with a new, named session:
997 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5 -N <em>/path/to/session</em></kbd>
999 <h3>Other Command Line Options</h3>
1003 title: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts
1009 title: Default Keyboard Bindings
1010 menu_title: Key Bindings
1015 Almost every available function in Ardour can be bound to a keyboard
1016 shortcut (and those few that cannot will usually respond to an <a
1017 href="/using-control-surfaces/controlling-ardour-with-osc/"><abbr
1018 title="Open Sound Control">OSC</abbr> command</a>). Ardour comes with a
1019 rich set of default <dfn>key bindings</dfn> for the most commonly used
1023 <p>These bindings strive to be <dfn>mnemonic</dfn>, that is, easy and intuitive
1024 to remember, and follow widely accepted conventions. As a general rule,
1025 the first letter of an operation will be used for as a shortcut, if
1026 available. This does not necessarily lead to the best ergonomics for
1027 rapid editing—there are alternative binding sets for that—but it does make it simpler for newcomers to remember some of the most
1028 useful ones, for example<br />
1029 <kbd>S</kbd> for <kbd class="menu">Region > Edit > Split"</kbd>
1031 <kbd>P</kbd> for <kbd class="menu">Transport > Playhead > Playhead to Mouse</kbd>.
1035 Almost every key binding in Ardour can be changed in <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings</kbd>.
1039 The conventions for using modifier keys (<kbd class="mod1">‌</kbd>, <kbd
1040 class="mod2">‌</kbd>, <kbd class="mod3">‌</kbd> etc.) differ among platforms, so we provide different default bindings for each.
1044 title: Mnemonic Bindings for Linux
1050 A printable cheat-sheet with the mnemonic bindings for <dfn>Linux</dfn>
1051 is available for download in
1052 <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheatsheet.pdf">US Letter</a> and
1053 <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheatsheet-a4.pdf">A4</a> paper format.
1057 This set of bindings assumes an en_US keyboard. However, most if not all
1058 bindings will also work on other keyboards when you use the
1059 <kbd>AltGr</kbd> to compose those glyphs that are not directly accessible.
1062 <h2>Transport & Recording Control</h2>
1064 <dl class="bindings">
1065 <dt>destroy last recording</dt>
1066 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Del</kbd></dd>
1067 <dt>engage record</dt>
1068 <dd><kbd class="mod3">r</kbd></dd>
1069 <dt>fast forward</dt>
1070 <dd><kbd class="mod3">→</kbd></dd>
1071 <dt>loop play (the loop range)</dt>
1072 <dd><kbd class="">l</kbd></dd>
1074 <dd><kbd class="mod3">←</kbd></dd>
1075 <dt>set playhead position</dt>
1076 <dd><kbd class="">p</kbd></dd>
1077 <dt>start recording</dt>
1078 <dd><kbd class="mod3">Space</kbd></dd>
1079 <dt>stop (keep loop/range play)</dt>
1080 <dd><kbd class="mod12">Space</kbd></dd>
1081 <dt>stop and destroy</dt>
1082 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Space</kbd></dd>
1083 <dt>toggle auto play</dt>
1084 <dd><kbd class="">5</kbd></dd>
1085 <dt>toggle auto return</dt>
1086 <dd><kbd class="">6</kbd></dd>
1087 <dt>toggle click (metronome)</dt>
1088 <dd><kbd class="">7</kbd></dd>
1089 <dt>toggle playhead follows edits</dt>
1090 <dd><kbd class="mod3">F</kbd></dd>
1091 <dt>toggle playhead tracking</dt>
1092 <dd><kbd class="mod1">F</kbd></dd>
1093 <dt>toggle roll</dt>
1094 <dd><kbd class="">Space</kbd></dd>
1095 <dt>toggle selected track rec-enable </dt>
1096 <dd><kbd class="mod3">b</kbd></dd>
1097 <dt>toggle selected track solo status</dt>
1098 <dd><kbd class="mod2">s</kbd></dd>
1099 <dt>transition to reverse</dt>
1100 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↓</kbd></dd>
1101 <dt>transition to roll</dt>
1102 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↑</kbd></dd>
1105 <h2>Session & File Handling</h2>
1107 <dl class="bindings">
1108 <dt>add track(s) or bus(ses)</dt>
1109 <dd><kbd class="mod13">n</kbd></dd>
1110 <dt>export session</dt>
1111 <dd><kbd class="mod4">e</kbd></dd>
1112 <dt>import audio files</dt>
1113 <dd><kbd class="mod1">i</kbd></dd>
1114 <dt>open a new session</dt>
1115 <dd><kbd class="mod1">n</kbd></dd>
1116 <dt>open a recent session</dt>
1117 <dd><kbd class="mod13">o</kbd></dd>
1118 <dt>open an existing session</dt>
1119 <dd><kbd class="mod1">o</kbd></dd>
1121 <dd><kbd class="mod1">q</kbd></dd>
1122 <dt>save session</dt>
1123 <dd><kbd class="mod1">s</kbd></dd>
1124 <dt>snapshot session</dt>
1125 <dd><kbd class="mod13">s</kbd></dd>
1126 <dt>toggle selected track MIDI input</dt>
1127 <dd><kbd class="mod2">i</kbd></dd>
1130 <h2>Changing What's Visible</h2>
1132 <dl class="bindings">
1133 <dt>fit tracks vertically</dt>
1134 <dd><kbd class="">f</kbd></dd>
1135 <dt>move selected tracks down</dt>
1136 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dd>
1137 <dt>move selected tracks up</dt>
1138 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dd>
1139 <dt>scroll down (page)</dt>
1140 <dd><kbd class="">PgDn</kbd></dd>
1141 <dt>scroll down (step)</dt>
1142 <dd><kbd class="">↓</kbd></dd>
1143 <dt>scroll up (page)</dt>
1144 <dd><kbd class="">PgUp</kbd></dd>
1145 <dt>scroll up (step)</dt>
1146 <dd><kbd class="">↑</kbd></dd>
1147 <dt>toggle editor window mixer</dt>
1148 <dd><kbd class="mod3">e</kbd></dd>
1149 <dt>visual undo</dt>
1150 <dd><kbd class="mod3">z</kbd></dd>
1151 <dt>zoom height to selected region(s)</dt>
1152 <dd><kbd class="mod12">z</kbd></dd>
1153 <dt>zoom height and time to selected region</dt>
1154 <dd><kbd class="mod2">z</kbd></dd>
1156 <dd><kbd class="">=</kbd></dd>
1158 <dd><kbd class="">-</kbd></dd>
1161 <h2>Window Visibility</h2>
1163 <dl class="bindings">
1164 <dt>toggle locations dialog</dt>
1165 <dd><kbd class="mod2">l</kbd>(ell)</dd>
1166 <dt>focus on main clock</dt>
1167 <dd><kbd class="kp">÷</kbd></dd>
1168 <dt>maximise editor space</dt>
1169 <dd><kbd class="mod12">f</kbd></dd>
1170 <dt>switch between editor & mixer window</dt>
1171 <dd><kbd class="mod2">m</kbd></dd>
1172 <dt>show rhythm ferret window </dt>
1173 <dd><kbd class="mod2">f</kbd></dd>
1174 <dt>toggle big clock</dt>
1175 <dd><kbd class="mod2">b</kbd></dd>
1176 <dt>toggle color manager</dt>
1177 <dd><kbd class="mod2">c</kbd></dd>
1178 <dt>toggle editor window</dt>
1179 <dd><kbd class="mod2">e</kbd></dd>
1180 <dt>toggle global audio patchbay</dt>
1181 <dd><kbd class="mod2">p</kbd></dd>
1182 <dt>toggle global midi patchbay</dt>
1183 <dd><kbd class="mod23">p</kbd></dd>
1184 <dt>toggle key bindings editor</dt>
1185 <dd><kbd class="mod2">k</kbd></dd>
1186 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1187 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1188 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1189 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1192 <h2>Editing with Edit Point</h2>
1195 Most edit functions operate on a single <dfn>Edit Point</dfn> (EP). The edit
1196 point can be any of: playhead (default), the mouse or an active marker.
1197 The choice of edit point (by default) also sets the <dfn>Zoom Focus</dfn>.
1200 <dl class="bindings">
1201 <dt>EP to next region sync</dt>
1202 <dd><kbd class="">;</kbd></dd>
1203 <dt>EP to prev region sync</dt>
1204 <dd><kbd class="">'</kbd></dd>
1205 <dt>cycle to next grid snap mode</dt>
1206 <dd><kbd class="">2</kbd></dd>
1207 <dt>cycle to next zoom focus</dt>
1208 <dd><kbd class="">1</kbd></dd>
1209 <dt>insert from region list</dt>
1210 <dd><kbd class="">i</kbd></dd>
1211 <dt>insert time</dt>
1212 <dd><kbd class="mod1">t</kbd></dd>
1213 <dt>move EP to playhead</dt>
1214 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↵</kbd></dd>
1215 <dt>next EP w/marker</dt>
1216 <dd><kbd class="mod1">`</kbd></dd>
1217 <dt>next EP w/o marker</dt>
1218 <dd><kbd class="">`</kbd></dd>
1220 <dd><kbd class="">k</kbd></dd>
1222 <dd><kbd class="">j</kbd></dd>
1223 <dt>trim region end to edit point</dt>
1224 <dd><kbd class="mod3">}</kbd></dd>
1225 <dt>trim region start to edit point</dt>
1226 <dd><kbd class="mod3">{</kbd></dd>
1227 <dt>trim region to end of prev region</dt>
1228 <dd><kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dd>
1229 <dt>trim region to start of next region</dt>
1230 <dd><kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dd>
1231 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1232 <dd><kbd class="">3</kbd></dd>
1233 <dt>use next grid unit</dt>
1234 <dd><kbd class="">4</kbd></dd>
1235 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1236 <dd><kbd class="mod1">3</kbd></dd>
1237 <dt>use next musical grid unit</dt>
1238 <dd><kbd class="mod1">4</kbd></dd>
1241 <h2>Aligning with the Edit Point</h2>
1244 <dfn>Align operations</dfn> move regions so that their start/end/sync
1245 point is at the edit point. <dfn>Relative</dfn> operations just align the first
1246 region and moves other selected regions to maintain relative positioning.
1249 <dl class="bindings">
1250 <dt>align end(s)</dt>
1251 <dd><kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dd>
1252 <dt>align start(s)</dt>
1253 <dd><kbd class="mod14">a</kbd></dd>
1254 <dt>align start(s) relative</dt>
1255 <dd><kbd class="mod4">a</kbd></dd>
1256 <dt>align sync points</dt>
1257 <dd><kbd class="mod3">a</kbd></dd>
1258 <dt>align sync points (relative)</dt>
1259 <dd><kbd class="">a</kbd></dd>
1260 <dt>range end to next prev edge</dt>
1261 <dd><kbd class="mod1">></kbd></dd>
1262 <dt>range end to next region edge</dt>
1263 <dd><kbd class="">></kbd></dd>
1264 <dt>range start to next region edge</dt>
1265 <dd><kbd class="mod1"><</kbd></dd>
1266 <dt>range start to prev region edge</dt>
1267 <dd><kbd class=""><</kbd></dd>
1270 <h2>Edit Point Playback</h2>
1272 <dl class="bindings">
1273 <dt>play edit range</dt>
1274 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Space</kbd></dd>
1275 <dt>play from EP & return</dt>
1276 <dd><kbd class="mod4">Space</kbd></dd>
1277 <dt>play selected region(s)</dt>
1278 <dd><kbd class="">h</kbd></dd>
1280 <h2>Region Operations</h2>
1282 <dl class="bindings">
1283 <dt>duplicate region (multi)</dt>
1284 <dd><kbd class="mod3">d</kbd></dd>
1285 <dt>duplicate region (once)</dt>
1286 <dd><kbd class="mod2">d</kbd></dd>
1287 <dt>export selected region(s)</dt>
1288 <dd><kbd class="mod14">e</kbd></dd>
1289 <dt>increase region gain</dt>
1290 <dd><kbd class="">^</kbd></dd>
1291 <dt>move to original position</dt>
1292 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1293 <dt>mute/unmute</dt>
1294 <dd><kbd class="mod1">m</kbd></dd>
1296 <dd><kbd class="">n</kbd></dd>
1297 <dt>nudge backward</dt>
1298 <dd><kbd class="kp">–</kbd></dd>
1299 <dt>nudge forward</dt>
1300 <dd><kbd class="kp">+</kbd></dd>
1301 <dt>quantize MIDI notes </dt>
1302 <dd><kbd class="">q</kbd></dd>
1303 <dt>reduce region gain</dt>
1304 <dd><kbd class="">&</kbd></dd>
1306 <dd><kbd class="mod2">r</kbd></dd>
1307 <dt>set fade in length</dt>
1308 <dd><kbd class="">/</kbd></dd>
1309 <dt>set fade out length</dt>
1310 <dd><kbd class="">\</kbd></dd>
1311 <dt>set region sync point</dt>
1312 <dd><kbd class="">v</kbd></dd>
1314 <dd><kbd class="">s</kbd></dd>
1315 <dt>toggle fade in active</dt>
1316 <dd><kbd class="mod1">/</kbd></dd>
1317 <dt>toggle fade out active</dt>
1318 <dd><kbd class="mod1">\</kbd></dd>
1320 <dd><kbd class="mod2">t</kbd></dd>
1323 <h2>Generic Editing</h2>
1325 <dl class="bindings">
1327 <dd><kbd class="mod1">c</kbd></dd>
1329 <dd><kbd class="mod1">x</kbd></dd>
1331 <dd><kbd class="">Del</kbd></dd>
1333 <dd><kbd class="mod1">v</kbd></dd>
1335 <dd><kbd class="mod1">r</kbd></dd>
1337 <dd><kbd class="mod1">z</kbd></dd>
1343 There are a few functions that refer to an <dfn>Edit Range</dfn>. The
1344 current edit range is defined using combinations of the possible edit
1345 points: <dfn>playhead</dfn>, <dfn>active marker</dfn>, or <dfn>mouse</dfn>.
1348 <dl class="bindings">
1349 <dt>all after playhead</dt>
1350 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1351 <dt>all before playhead</dt>
1352 <dd><kbd class="mod1">p</kbd></dd>
1353 <dt>all enclosed by edit range</dt>
1354 <dd><kbd class="mod1">u</kbd></dd>
1355 <dt>all present in edit range</dt>
1356 <dd><kbd class="">u</kbd></dd>
1357 <dt>convert edit range to range</dt>
1358 <dd><kbd class="">F6</kbd></dd>
1359 <dt>invert selection</dt>
1360 <dd><kbd class="mod3">i</kbd></dd>
1361 <dt>select all after EP</dt>
1362 <dd><kbd class="mod13">e</kbd></dd>
1363 <dt>select all before EP</dt>
1364 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1365 <dt>select all in loop range</dt>
1366 <dd><kbd class="mod1">l</kbd></dd>
1367 <dt>select all in punch range</dt>
1368 <dd><kbd class="mod1">d</kbd></dd>
1369 <dt>select everything</dt>
1370 <dd><kbd class="mod1">a</kbd></dd>
1371 <dt>select next track/bus</dt>
1372 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↓</kbd></dd>
1373 <dt>select previous track/bus</dt>
1374 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dd>
1377 <h2>Defining Loop, Punch Range and Tempo Changes</h2>
1379 <dl class="bindings">
1380 <dt>set loop range from edit range</dt>
1381 <dd><kbd class="">]</kbd></dd>
1382 <dt>set loop range from region(s)</dt>
1383 <dd><kbd class="mod2">]</kbd></dd>
1384 <dt>set punch range from edit range</dt>
1385 <dd><kbd class="">[</kbd></dd>
1386 <dt>set punch range from region(s)</dt>
1387 <dd><kbd class="mod2">[</kbd></dd>
1388 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from edit range</dt>
1389 <dd><kbd class="">0</kbd></dd>
1390 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from region(s)</dt>
1391 <dd><kbd class="">9</kbd></dd>
1395 title: Mnemonic Bindings for OS X
1400 A <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheat_sheet_osx.pdf">printable cheat sheet</a>
1401 for these bindings is available for download.
1404 <h2>Transport & Recording Control</h2>
1405 <dl class="bindings">
1406 <dt>destroy last recording</dt>
1407 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Del</kbd></dd>
1408 <dt>engage record</dt>
1409 <dd><kbd class="mod3">r</kbd></dd>
1410 <dt>fast forward</dt>
1411 <dd><kbd class="mod3">→</kbd></dd>
1412 <dt>loop play (the loop range)</dt>
1413 <dd><kbd class="">l</kbd></dd>
1415 <dd><kbd class="mod3">←</kbd></dd>
1416 <dt>set playhead position</dt>
1417 <dd><kbd class="">p</kbd></dd>
1418 <dt>start recording</dt>
1419 <dd><kbd class="mod3">space</kbd></dd>
1420 <dt>stop (keep loop/range play)</dt>
1421 <dd><kbd class="mod12">space</kbd></dd>
1422 <dt>stop and destroy</dt>
1423 <dd><kbd class="mod1">space</kbd></dd>
1424 <dt>toggle auto play</dt>
1425 <dd><kbd class="">5</kbd></dd>
1426 <dt>toggle auto return</dt>
1427 <dd><kbd class="">6</kbd></dd>
1428 <dt>toggle click (metronome)</dt>
1429 <dd><kbd class="">7</kbd></dd>
1430 <dt>toggle playhead follows edits</dt>
1431 <dd><kbd class="mod3">f</kbd></dd>
1432 <dt>toggle playhead tracking</dt>
1433 <dd><kbd class="mod1">f</kbd></dd>
1434 <dt>toggle roll</dt>
1435 <dd><kbd class="">space</kbd></dd>
1436 <dt>toggle track rec-enable </dt>
1437 <dd><kbd class="mod3">b</kbd></dd>
1438 <dt>toggle track solo status</dt>
1439 <dd><kbd class="mod2">s</kbd></dd>
1440 <dt>transition to reverse</dt>
1441 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↓</kbd></dd>
1442 <dt>transition to roll</dt>
1443 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↑</kbd></dd>
1445 <h2>Session & File Handling</h2>
1446 <dl class="bindings">
1447 <dt>add track(s) or bus(ses)</dt>
1448 <dd><kbd class="mod13">n</kbd></dd>
1449 <dt>export session</dt>
1450 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1451 <dt>import audio files</dt>
1452 <dd><kbd class="mod1">i</kbd></dd>
1453 <dt>open a new session</dt>
1454 <dd><kbd class="mod1">n</kbd></dd>
1455 <dt>open a recent session</dt>
1456 <dd><kbd class="mod13">o</kbd></dd>
1457 <dt>open an existing session</dt>
1458 <dd><kbd class="mod1">o</kbd></dd>
1460 <dd><kbd class="mod1">q</kbd></dd>
1461 <dt>save session</dt>
1462 <dd><kbd class="mod1">s</kbd></dd>
1463 <dt>snapshot session</dt>
1464 <dd><kbd class="mod13">s</kbd></dd>
1465 <dt>toggle sel. track MIDI input</dt>
1466 <dd><kbd class="mod2">i</kbd></dd>
1468 <h2>Changing What's Visible</h2>
1469 <dl class="bindings">
1470 <dt>fit tracks vertically</dt>
1471 <dd><kbd class="">f</kbd></dd>
1472 <dt>move selected tracks down</dt>
1473 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dd>
1474 <dt>move selected tracks up</dt>
1475 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dd>
1476 <dt>scroll down (page)</dt>
1477 <dd><kbd class="">PgDn</kbd></dd>
1478 <dt>scroll down (step)</dt>
1479 <dd><kbd class="">↓</kbd></dd>
1480 <dt>scroll up (page)</dt>
1481 <dd><kbd class="">PageUp</kbd></dd>
1482 <dt>scroll up (step)</dt>
1483 <dd><kbd class="">↑</kbd></dd>
1484 <dt>toggle editor window mixer</dt>
1485 <dd><kbd class="mod3">e</kbd></dd>
1486 <dt>toggle last 2 zoom states</dt>
1487 <dd><kbd class="mod3">z</kbd></dd>
1488 <dt>zoom height to selected region(s)</dt>
1489 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Control+z</kbd></dd>
1490 <dt>zoom height and time to selected region</dt>
1491 <dd><kbd class="mod2">z</kbd></dd>
1493 <dd><kbd class="">=</kbd></dd>
1495 <dd><kbd class="">-</kbd></dd>
1497 <h2>Window Visibility</h2>
1498 <dl class="bindings">
1499 <dt>toggle locations dialog</dt>
1500 <dd><kbd class="mod2">l</kbd></dd>
1501 <dt>focus on main clock</dt>
1502 <dd><kbd class="kp">÷</kbd></dd>
1503 <dt>maximise editor space</dt>
1504 <dd><kbd class="mod12">f</kbd></dd>
1505 <dt>rotate editor & mixer window</dt>
1506 <dd><kbd class="mod2">m</kbd></dd>
1507 <dt>show rhythm ferret window </dt>
1508 <dd><kbd class="mod2">f</kbd></dd>
1509 <dt>toggle big clock</dt>
1510 <dd><kbd class="mod2">b</kbd></dd>
1511 <dt>toggle color manager</dt>
1512 <dd><kbd class="mod2">c</kbd></dd>
1513 <dt>toggle editor window</dt>
1514 <dd><kbd class="mod2">e</kbd></dd>
1515 <dt>toggle global audio patchbay</dt>
1516 <dd><kbd class="mod2">p</kbd></dd>
1517 <dt>toggle global midi patchbay</dt>
1518 <dd><kbd class="mod23">p</kbd></dd>
1519 <dt>toggle key bindings editor</dt>
1520 <dd><kbd class="mod2">k</kbd></dd>
1521 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1522 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1523 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1524 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1527 <h2>Editing with Edit Point</h2>
1529 Most edit functions operate on a single <dfn>Edit Point</dfn> (EP). The
1531 point can be any of: playhead (default), the mouse or an active marker.
1532 The choice of edit point (by default) also sets the <dfn>Zoom Focus</dfn>.
1535 <dl class="bindings">
1536 <dt>EP to next region sync</dt>
1537 <dd><kbd class="">;</kbd></dd>
1538 <dt>EP to prev region sync</dt>
1539 <dd><kbd class="">'</kbd></dd>
1540 <dt>cycle to next grid snap mode</dt>
1541 <dd><kbd class="">2</kbd></dd>
1542 <dt>cycle to next zoom focus</dt>
1543 <dd><kbd class="">1</kbd></dd>
1544 <dt>insert from region list</dt>
1545 <dd><kbd class="">i</kbd></dd>
1546 <dt>insert time</dt>
1547 <dd><kbd class="mod1">t</kbd></dd>
1548 <dt>move EP to playhead</dt>
1549 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Return</kbd></dd>
1550 <dt>next EP w/marker</dt>
1551 <dd><kbd class="mod1">^</kbd></dd>
1552 <dt>next EP w/o marker</dt>
1553 <dd><kbd class="">`</kbd></dd>
1555 <dd><kbd class="">k</kbd></dd>
1557 <dd><kbd class="">j</kbd></dd>
1558 <dt>trim region end to edit point</dt>
1559 <dd><kbd class="mod3">}</kbd></dd>
1560 <dt>trim region start to edit point</dt>
1561 <dd><kbd class="mod3">{</kbd></dd>
1562 <dt>trim region to end of prev region</dt>
1563 <dd><kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dd>
1564 <dt>trim region to start of next region</dt>
1565 <dd><kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dd>
1566 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1567 <dd><kbd class="">3</kbd></dd>
1568 <dt>use next grid unit</dt>
1569 <dd><kbd class="">4</kbd></dd>
1570 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1571 <dd><kbd class="mod1">3</kbd></dd>
1572 <dt>use next musical grid unit</dt>
1573 <dd><kbd class="mod1">4</kbd></dd>
1576 <h2>Aligning with the Edit Point</h2>
1578 <dfn>Align operations</dfn> move regions so that their start/end/sync
1579 point is at the edit point. <dfn>Relative</dfn> operations just align
1580 the first region and moves other selected regions to maintain relative
1584 <dl class="bindings">
1585 <dt>align end(s)</dt>
1586 <dd><kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dd>
1587 <dt>align start(s)</dt>
1589 <dt>align start(s) relative</dt>
1590 <dd><kbd class=""></kbd></dd>
1591 <dt>align sync points</dt>
1592 <dd><kbd class="mod3">a</kbd></dd>
1593 <dt>align sync points (relative)</dt>
1594 <dd><kbd class="">a</kbd></dd>
1595 <dt>range end to next prev edge</dt>
1596 <dd><kbd class="mod1">></kbd></dd>
1597 <dt>range end to next region edge</dt>
1598 <dd><kbd class="">></kbd></dd>
1599 <dt>range start to next region edge</dt>
1600 <dd><kbd class="mod1"><</kbd></dd>
1601 <dt>range start to prev region edge</dt>
1602 <dd><kbd class=""><</kbd></dd>
1605 <h2>Edit Point Playback</h2>
1607 <dl class="bindings">
1608 <dt>play edit range</dt>
1609 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Space</kbd></dd>
1610 <dt>play from EP & return</dt>
1611 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Space</kbd></dd>
1612 <dt>play selected region(s)</dt>
1613 <dd><kbd class="">h</kbd></dd>
1615 <h2>Region Operations</h2>
1616 <dl class="bindings">
1617 <dt>duplicate region (multi)</dt>
1618 <dd><kbd class="mod3">d</kbd></dd>
1619 <dt>duplicate region (once)</dt>
1620 <dd><kbd class="mod2">d</kbd></dd>
1621 <dt>export selected region(s)</dt>
1623 <dt>increase region gain</dt>
1624 <dd><kbd class="">^</kbd></dd>
1625 <dt>move to original position</dt>
1626 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1627 <dt>mute/unmute</dt>
1628 <dd><kbd class="mod1">m</kbd></dd>
1630 <dd><kbd class="">n</kbd></dd>
1631 <dt>nudge backward</dt>
1632 <dd><kbd class="kp">–</kbd></dd>
1633 <dt>nudge forward</dt>
1634 <dd><kbd class="kp">+</kbd></dd>
1635 <dt>quantize MIDI notes </dt>
1636 <dd><kbd class="">q</kbd></dd>
1637 <dt>reduce region gain</dt>
1638 <dd><kbd class="">&</kbd></dd>
1640 <dd><kbd class="mod2">r</kbd></dd>
1641 <dt>set fade in length</dt>
1642 <dd><kbd class="">/</kbd></dd>
1643 <dt>set fade out length</dt>
1644 <dd><kbd class="">\</kbd></dd>
1645 <dt>set region sync point</dt>
1646 <dd><kbd class="">v</kbd></dd>
1648 <dd><kbd class="">s</kbd></dd>
1649 <dt>toggle fade in active</dt>
1650 <dd><kbd class="mod1">/</kbd></dd>
1651 <dt>toggle fade out active</dt>
1652 <dd><kbd class="mod1">\</kbd></dd>
1654 <dd><kbd class="mod2">t</kbd></dd>
1657 <h2>Generic Editing</h2>
1659 <dl class="bindings">
1661 <dd><kbd class="mod1">c</kbd></dd>
1663 <dd><kbd class="mod1">x</kbd></dd>
1665 <dd><kbd class="">Del</kbd></dd>
1667 <dd><kbd class="mod1">v</kbd></dd>
1669 <dd><kbd class="mod1">r</kbd></dd>
1671 <dd><kbd class="mod1">z</kbd></dd>
1676 There are a few functions that refer to an <dfn>Edit Range</dfn>. The
1677 current edit range is defined using combinations of the possible edit
1678 points: <dfn>playhead</dfn>, <dfn>active marker</dfn>, or<dfn>mouse</dfn>.
1681 <dl class="bindings">
1682 <dt>all after playhead</dt>
1683 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1684 <dt>all before playhead</dt>
1685 <dd><kbd class="mod1">p</kbd></dd>
1686 <dt>all enclosed by edit range</dt>
1687 <dd><kbd class="mod1">u</kbd></dd>
1688 <dt>all present in edit range</dt>
1689 <dd><kbd class="">u</kbd></dd>
1690 <dt>convert edit range to range</dt>
1691 <dd><kbd class="">F6</kbd></dd>
1692 <dt>invert selection</dt>
1693 <dd><kbd class="mod3">i</kbd></dd>
1694 <dt>select all after EP</dt>
1695 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Shift+e</kbd></dd>
1696 <dt>select all before EP</dt>
1697 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1698 <dt>select all in loop range</dt>
1699 <dd><kbd class="mod1">l</kbd></dd>
1700 <dt>select all in punch range</dt>
1701 <dd><kbd class="mod1">d</kbd></dd>
1702 <dt>select everything</dt>
1703 <dd><kbd class="mod1">a</kbd></dd>
1704 <dt>select next track/bus</dt>
1705 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↓</kbd></dd>
1706 <dt>select previous track/bus</dt>
1707 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dd>
1709 <h2>Defining Loop, Punch Range and Tempo Changes</h2>
1710 <dl class="bindings">
1711 <dt>set loop range from edit range</dt>
1712 <dd><kbd class="">]</kbd></dd>
1713 <dt>set loop range from region(s)</dt>
1714 <dd><kbd class="mod2">]</kbd></dd>
1715 <dt>set punch range from edit range</dt>
1716 <dd><kbd class="">[</kbd></dd>
1717 <dt>set punch range from region(s)</dt>
1718 <dd><kbd class="mod2">[</kbd></dd>
1719 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from edit range</dt>
1720 <dd><kbd class="">0</kbd></dd>
1721 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from region(s)</dt>
1722 <dd><kbd class="">9</kbd></dd>
1727 title: Using This Documentation
1733 title: About Ardour documentation
1737 <h2>Conventions Used In This Manual</h2>
1740 This section covers some of the typographical and language conventions used in this manual.
1743 <h3>Keyboards and Modifiers</h3>
1746 <dfn>Keyboard bindings</dfn> are shown like this: <kbd>s</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.
1750 <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd> means "press the <kbd class="mod1"> </kbd> key, keep it pressed and then also press the <kbd>x</kbd> key.
1754 You may also see key combinations such as <kbd class="mod12">e</kbd>, which mean that you should hold down the <kbd class="mod1"> </kbd> key <em>and</em> the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> key, and then, while keeping them both down, press the <kbd>e</kbd> key.
1758 Note that different platforms have different conventions for which modifier key (Control or Command) to use as the primary or most common modifier. When viewing this manual from a machine identifying itself as running OS X, you will see <kbd>Cmd </kbd> where appropriate (for instance in the first example above). On other machines you will see <kbd>Ctrl </kbd> instead.
1761 <h3>Mouse Buttons</h3>
1764 We refer to <a href="/setting-up-your-system/the-mouse">mouse buttons</a> as <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>, <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd> and <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>. Ardour can use additional buttons, but they have no default behaviour in the program.
1767 <h4>Mouse click modifiers</h4>
1770 Many editing functions are performed by clicking the mouse while holding a modifier key, for example <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>.
1773 <h4>Mouse wheel</h4>
1776 Some GUI elements can optionally be controlled with the mouse wheel when the pointer is hovering over them. The notation for mouse wheel action is <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd>.
1779 <h4>Context-click</h4>
1782 The term <dfn>context-click</dfn> is used to indicate that you should (typically) <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-click on a particular element of the graphical user interface. Although right-click is the common, default way to do this, there are other ways to accomplish the same thing—this term refers to any of them, and the result is always that a menu specific to the item you clicked on will be displayed.
1785 <h4>"The Pointer"</h4>
1788 When the manual refers to the "pointer", it means the on-screen representation of the mouse position or the location of a touch action if you are using a touch interface.
1791 <h3>Other user input</h3>
1794 Ardour supports hardware controllers, such as banks of <kbd class="fader">faders</kbd>, <kbd class="knob">knobs</kbd>, or <kbd class="button">buttons</kbd>.
1800 Menu items are indicated like this:<br />
1801 <kbd class="menu">Top > Next > Deeper</kbd>.<br />
1802 Each ">"-separated item indicates one level of a nested (sub-)menu.
1805 <h3>Preference/Dialog Options</h3>
1808 Choices in various dialogs, notably the Preferences and Properties dialog, are
1809 indicated like this:<br />
1810 <kbd class="option">Edit > Preferences > Audio > Some
1812 Each successive item indicates either a (sub-) menu or a tabbed dialog
1813 navigation. The final item is the one to choose or select.
1817 If you are requested to deselect an option, you will see something like
1819 <kbd class="optoff">Edit > Preferences > Audio > Some other
1826 Some dialogs or features may require you to type in some <kbd class="input">data such as this</kbd>. In rare cases, you will be required to perform certain operations at the command line of your operating system:
1829 <kbd class="cmd lin">cat /proc/cpuinfo</kbd>
1830 <kbd class="cmd mac">sleep 3600</kbd>
1831 <kbd class="cmd win">ping www.google.com</kbd>
1833 <h3>Program Output</h3>
1836 Important messages from Ardour or other programs will be displayed <samp>like this</samp>.
1842 Important notes about things that might not otherwise be obvious are shown in this format.
1848 Hairy issues that might cause things to go wrong, lose data, impair sound quality, or eat your proverbial goldfish, are displayed in this way.
1852 title: Additional Resources
1857 In addition to this documentation, you may check a variety of other <dfn>resources</dfn>:
1861 <li>the <a href="https://ardour.org/whatsnew.html">Ardour release
1863 <li>the <a href="https://community.ardour.org/forums">Ardour
1865 <li>information about <a href="https://community.ardour.org/community">Ardour
1866 Support</a> via mailing lists and IRC (chat)</li>
1870 The <dfn>IRC channels</dfn> in particular are where most of the day-to-day development and debugging is done, and there are plenty of experienced users to help you if you run into problems.
1874 Please be prepared to hang around for a few hours, the chat is usually busiest from 19:00 UTC to 04:00 UTC. If you can, keep your chat window open, so that you don't miss a belated answer. Also, don't ask for permission to ask a question, just ask your question with the understanding that the answer (from the "right" people or not) could come seconds, minutes, hours, or never.
1879 title: System Configuration
1885 title: Ardour Systems
1891 title: The Right Computer System for Digital Audio
1892 menu_title: The Right Computer System
1897 It would be nice to think that you could just go and buy any computer,
1898 install a bit of software on it and start using it to record and create
1899 music. This idea isn't wrong, but there some important details that it
1903 Any computer that you can buy today (since somewhere around the end of
1904 2012) is capable of recording and processing a lot of audio data. It
1905 will come with a builtin audio interface that can accept inputs from
1906 microphones or electrical instruments. It will have a disk with a huge
1907 amount of space for storing audio files.
1910 When you are recording, editing and mixing music, you generally want to
1911 work with very little <dfn>latency</dfn> between the time that
1912 a sound is generated and when you can hear it. When the audio signal
1913 flows through a computer, that means that the computer has to be able to
1914 receive the signal, process it and send it back out again as fast as
1916 And that is where it becomes very important <em>what</em> computer system
1917 you have, because it is <strong>absolutely not</strong> the case that any
1918 computer can do this job well.
1921 Routing audio through a computer will always cause some delay, but if it
1922 is small, you will generally never notice it. There are also ways to work
1923 in which the delay does not matter at all (for example, not sending the
1924 output from the computer to speakers).
1927 The latency that you want for working with digital audio is typically in
1928 the 1–5 ms range. For comparison, if you are sitting 1 m
1929 (3 ft) from your speakers, the time the sound takes to reach your
1930 ears is about 3 ms. Any modern computer can limit the delay to
1931 100 ms. Most can keep it under 50 ms. Many will be able to get
1932 down to 10 ms without too much effort. If you try to reduce the delay
1933 on a computer that cannot meet your goal, you will get clicks and
1934 glitches in the audio, which is clearly extremely undesirable.
1937 <h2>Hardware-related Considerations</h2>
1938 <dl class="wide-table">
1939 <dt>Video interface</dt>
1940 <dd>Poorly engineered video interfaces (and/or their device drivers) can
1941 "steal" computer resources for a long time, preventing the audio interface
1942 from keeping up with the flow of data</dd>
1943 <dt>Wireless interface</dt>
1944 <dd>Poorly engineered wireless networking interfaces (and/or their device
1945 drivers) can also block the audio interface from keeping up with the flow
1947 <dt><abbr title="Universal Serial Bus">USB</abbr> ports</dt>
1948 <dd>If you are using an audio interface connected via USB, and sometimes
1949 even if you are not, the precise configuration of your system's USB ports
1950 can make a big difference. There are many cases where plugging the
1951 interface into one port will work, but using different USB port results
1952 in much worse performance. This has been seen even on Apple systems.
1954 <dt>Internal USB Hubs</dt>
1955 <dd>Ideally, you'd like your USB ports to all connect directly to the
1956 main bus inside the computer. Some laptops (and possibly some
1957 desktop systems) come wired with an internal USB hub between the
1958 ports and the system bus, which can then cause problems for various
1959 kinds of external USB devices, including some models of audio
1960 interfaces. It is very difficult to discover whether this is true or
1961 not, without simplying trying it out.</dd>
1962 <dt><abbr title="Central Processing Unit">CPU</abbr> speed control</dt>
1963 <dd>Handling audio with low latency requires that your processor keeps
1964 running at its highest speed at all times. Many portable systems try to
1965 regulate processor speed in order to save power—for low latency
1966 audio, you want this totally disabled, either in the BIOS or at the OS
1968 <dt>Excessive Interrupt Sharing</dt>
1969 <dd>If your audio interface is forced by your computer to share an
1970 interrupt line (basically a way to tell the CPU that something needs
1971 its attention) with too many, or the wrong, other devices, this can also
1972 prevent the audio interface from keeping up with the flow of data. In
1973 laptops it is generally impossible to do anything about this. In many
1974 desktop systems, it is possible at the BIOS level to reassign interrupts
1975 to work around the problem.</dd>
1976 <dt><abbr title="System Management Interrupt">SMI</abbr>s</dt>
1977 <dd>SMIs are interrupts sent by the motherboard to tell the computer
1978 about the state of various hardware. They cannot safely be disabled,
1979 but they can also take a relatively long time to process. It is better
1980 to have a motherboard which never sends SMIs at all— this is
1981 also a requirement for realtime stock trading systems, which have
1982 similar issues with latency.</dd>
1983 <dt>Hyperthreading</dt>
1984 <dd>This technology is becoming less common as actual multi-core CPUs
1985 become the norm, but it still exists and is generally not good for
1986 realtime performance. Sometimes you can disable this in the BIOS,
1987 sometimes you cannot. A processor that uses hyperthreading will be
1988 less stable in very low latency situations than one without.</dd>
1989 <dt>Excessive vibration</dt>
1990 <dd>This doesn't affect the flow of data to/from the audio interface,
1991 but it can cause the flow of data to/from your disk storage to become
1992 <em>much</em> slower. If you are going to use a computer in an
1993 environment with loud live sound (specifically, high bass volume),
1994 make sure to place it so that the disk is not subject to noticeable
1995 vibration. The vibrations will physically displace the head-write
1996 heads of disk, and the resulting errors will force a retry of the
1997 reading from the disk. Retrying over and over massively reduces the
1998 rate at which data can be read from the disk. Avoid this.</dd>
2007 Ardour is designed to work best with a <dfn>three button mouse</dfn>
2008 equipped with a <dfn>scroll wheel</dfn>.
2012 It can be used with a two button mouse or touchpad, but at least two key
2013 operations will not (easily) be available to you:
2017 <li>time-constrained region copying</li>
2018 <li><a href="/using-control-surfaces/midi-learn/"><abbr title="Musical
2019 Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> bindings</a>
2020 created by "learning" them from incoming MIDI data</li>
2024 You are strongly encouraged to invest in a three-button mouse. You will
2025 find that a good quality mouse (especially one with a weighted,
2026 latchable scroll wheel) will make your use of Ardour vastly more
2027 efficient. They are cheap, and time is not.
2031 For more detailed instructions, see
2032 <a href="/ardours-interface/basic-gui-operations/using-the-mouse/">Using the mouse</a>.
2043 title: Setting Up Your System
2048 Using a general purpose computer for recording digital audio is not
2049 trivial. This chapter will guide you through the basic steps and help
2050 you with some of the most common pitfalls on the way to a reliable and
2051 powerful audio workstation.
2055 title: Platform Specifics
2059 <h2>Platform Specifics</h2>
2062 This section of the manual collects together the collective wisdom
2063 of the user community regarding details of using Ardour on various
2073 <dfn>Ubuntu Linux</dfn> is the most popular variety of Linux in use on desktop
2074 and laptop systems. It has the backing of a for-profit corporation
2075 (Canonical Inc.), a defined philosophy and a huge and
2076 worldwide user base. As a result, it is a common platform for people
2077 who want to use Ardour and other tools for music creation and
2081 <h2>High Level Recommendations for Ubuntu Users</h2>
2083 Currently, installing pro audio applications on vanilla Ubuntu requires
2084 some configuration, in order for the user to gain realtime privilege
2086 Ubuntu Studio, which is an official flavor of Ubuntu, and thus shares
2087 the repositories with Ubuntu, has this already configured.
2088 Other distributions, such as KXStudio, and Dreamstudio are largely based
2089 on Ubuntu, and like Ubuntu Studio, has these settings preconfigured, while
2090 also containing customized versions of Ubuntu packages, which often are
2094 <h2>Installing Ardour</h2>
2096 There may be unintended differences, and even bugs in Ubuntu native
2097 packages, as a result of a different building method. For this reason,
2098 Ardour developers highly recommend you to install the official
2099 ready-to-run version of the program that you can get from <a
2100 href="http://ardour.org/download">ardour.org</a>, as Ubuntu native
2101 packages are not supported in official Ardour forums or other
2105 Follow these steps to install the latest version of Ardour.
2107 <li>Download the latest release from <a href="http://ardour.org/download">
2108 ardour.org</a>.</li>
2109 <li><kbd class="mouse">Right+Click</kbd> the downloaded file and choose
2111 <li>Click the Permissions tab and check the option "Allow this file to
2112 run as a program"</li>
2113 <li>Close the dialog and double-click the file.</li>
2114 <li>Follow the prompts.</li>
2118 <h2>Problems with the interaction between PulseAudio and JACK</h2>
2120 <h3>Background Info</h3>
2122 Like many distributions, Ubuntu has decided to use <dfn>PulseAudio</dfn> as the
2123 default audio system. PulseAudio is a rich and capable system that
2124 provides excellent services for typical users of Linux on the
2125 desktop. However, it is not capable of the type of performance that
2126 tools like Ardour require and in particular does not offer the
2127 possibility of sending audio between applications that can make the
2128 Linux audio environment a very interesting one.
2131 This would not be a problem if it were not for the fact that JACK
2132 will not run correctly (if at all) if it needs to use the same
2133 soundcard/audio interface that PulseAudio is using. And since on
2134 Ubuntu, PulseAudio is configured by default to always use the
2135 (typically single) audio interface on your computer, this is a bit
2139 The developers of JACK and PulseAudio got together in 2009 and
2140 agreed upon a mechanism by which PulseAudio and JACK could cooperate
2141 in their use of a single soundcard. Whether or not PulseAudio is running by
2142 default, when JACK starts up it sends out a request to use the
2143 soundcard. If PulseAudio is running, it will give up its use of the
2144 soundcard to allow JACK to take over (and can optionally be told to
2145 route its own audio through JACK). When JACK finishes, it sends out
2146 another message, and PulseAudio can once again use the soundcard
2149 <h3>What is the problem?</h3>
2151 The specific issues known at this time for all flavors of Ubuntu
2152 12.04 and 12.10 are:
2155 <li>a bug in PulseAudio that causes it not to give up the
2156 soundcard when JACK asks
2157 (<a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/1163638">LP:
2159 fixed in Ubuntu 13.04).</li>
2164 <samp>Cannot start JACK</samp> (though see the next section for other
2170 These bugs do not affect releases from 13.04, and earlier releases
2171 (12.04 and 12.10) are in the process of being fixed.
2174 <h2>Problems with JACK configuration</h2>
2176 <h3>What is the problem?</h3>
2178 To function as intended, JACK needs to run with access to two
2179 operating system facilities called <dfn>realtime scheduling</dfn> and
2180 <dfn>memory locking</dfn>. This means that you, the user who starts JACK, must be
2181 allowed access to these facilities. By default, Ubuntu does create a
2182 user group that has this permission but—it does not put new
2183 users into this group by default. Read more about why <a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Audio/TheAudioGroup">here</a>.
2184 Consequently, you will not have permission to run JACK in the way you should.
2188 A message like <samp>Cannot lock down memory</samp> in the output from JACK as
2189 it starts up. This output may be hidden in the Messages window of
2190 QJackctrl (aka JACK Control), so you should check there.
2195 Make sure the file /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf exists. If it is
2196 named /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf.disabled, rename it to the former.
2199 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo usermod -a -G audio
2200 <em>YOUR-LOGIN-NAME</em></kbd>
2202 Then log out and log in again. On Ubuntu Studio the user is a member of audio
2203 group by default, but not on other official flavors.
2206 <h2>Reporting Issues</h2>
2209 Given the difficulties in supporting Ubuntu and the limited time/resources
2210 of the Ardour team, the <dfn>Ubuntu Studio Project</dfn> has requested that
2211 issues and bug reports related to Ubuntu, Ubuntu Studio and other
2212 derivitives be directed to them.
2215 <h3>Contact Information for Ubuntu Studio</h3>
2217 <p><a href="http://ubuntustudio.org">The Ubuntu Studio Homepage</a></p>
2219 <p><a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=335">The Ubuntu Studio Forums.</a></p>
2221 <p><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/MailLists">Information on the Ubuntu Studio Mailing Lists.</a></p>
2223 <p><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/IRC">Information on the Ubuntu Studio IRC channel.</a> #ubuntustudio on irc.freenode.net</p>
2226 title: Microsoft Windows
2231 <dfn>Microsoft Windows</dfn> is not currently officially supported. If you are
2232 willing to live with bugs and <b>help to test</b> this platform, read on.
2235 <h2>Installing Ardour</h2>
2239 <li>Download the latest windows build from <a href="http://nightly.ardour.org/">
2240 the nightly build page</a>.</li>
2241 <li>Run the installer and follow the prompts.</li>
2245 <h2>How to help</h2>
2249 <li>Hang out in #ardour-windows on irc.freenode.net. You may ask questions
2250 there and if you can, answer questions that others have.</li>
2251 <li>Keep an eye on the <a href="https://community.ardour.org/forum/27"> Windows
2252 forum</a> and contribute to the discussions there.</li>
2253 <li>Update this manual via pull requests on <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/manual">github<a/>.</li>
2263 Under <dfn>KDE Plasma 5</dfn>, plugin and various other windows will not stay
2264 on top of any main window; therefore a workaround is required.
2267 <h2>Workaround for ancillary windows not staying on top in KDE Plasma 5</h2>
2270 In order to force ancillary windows in Ardour to stay on top, the following
2271 steps are necessary:
2275 <li>Launch the <kbd class="menu">System Settings</kbd> application.</li>
2276 <li>Open <kbd class="menu">Workspace > Window Managment</kbd>.</li>
2277 <li>Select <kbd class="menu">Window Rules</kbd> in the left-hand sidebar. It
2278 should default to the <kbd class="menu">Window matching</kbd> tab.</li>
2279 <li>Click on the <kbd class="button">New...</kbd> button.</li>
2280 <li>On the line that says <kbd class="menu">Window class (application)</kbd>,
2281 set the combo box to <kbd class="menu">Substring Match</kbd> and type <kbd
2282 class="user">ardour</kbd> in the text entry field.</li>
2283 <li>In the list box that is labeled <kbd class="menu">Window types:</kbd>,
2284 click on the option <kbd class="menu">Dialog Window</kbd>, then press and
2285 hold <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> while clicking on the second option <kbd
2286 class="menu">Utility Window</kbd>.</li>
2287 <li>Select the <kbd class="menu">Arrangement & Access</kbd> tab.</li>
2288 <li>Check the box next to the <kbd class="menu">Keep above</kbd> option. On
2289 the same line, select <kbd class="menu">Force</kbd> from the combo box, then
2290 click on the <kbd class="menu">Yes</kbd> radio button for that line.</li>
2291 <li>Click on the <kbd class="button">OK</kbd> button to dismiss the dialog.
2296 At this point you can close the <kbd class="menu">System Settings</kbd>
2300 <h3>Background Info</h3>
2303 <a href="https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=172615#c26">According to one of
2304 the lead KDE developers</a>, they are not willing to follow the <abbr
2305 title="Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual">ICCCM</abbr> standard
2306 for utility windows. Apparently they are alone in this understanding, as
2307 plugin windows on Ardour under Linux work out of the box on every other <abbr
2308 title="Window Manager">WM</abbr> out there.
2312 Under KDE 4, there was a workaround in Ardour (<kbd class="menu">Preferences
2313 > Theme > All floating windows are dialogs</kbd>) that would "trick"
2314 KDE into forcing certain window types to be on top of their parent windows,
2315 but this no longer works under KDE Plasma 5.
2326 title: Connecting Audio and MIDI Devices
2330 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
2333 title: Using More Than One Audio Device
2338 Ardour will only ever deal with a single <dfn>audio device</dfn>. If you
2339 want to use more than one, you have two choices:
2344 If you want to use Ardour to start JACK (which handles all
2345 audio I/O) you will need to create a "fake" audio device on your
2346 computer the represents all the multiple devices you wish to
2347 use. How to do this is platform dependent and described below.
2350 Use a different tool to start JACK and manage all the devices.
2355 Ardour is fundamentally designed to be a component in a
2356 pro-audio/music creation environment. Standard operating practice
2357 for such setups involves using only a single digital <dfn>sample
2358 clock</dfn> (something counting off the time between audio samples).
2359 This means that trying to use multiple independent soundcards is
2360 problematic, because each soundcard has its own sample clock, running
2361 independently from the others. Over time, these different clocks
2363 out of sync with each other, which causes glitches in the audio. You
2364 cannot stop this drift, although in some cases the effects may be
2365 insignificant enough that some people might not care about them.
2369 Thus in an ideal world you should not use multiple independent
2370 soundcards but instead use a single device with a single clock and all
2371 the inputs, outputs and other features that you need.
2375 Of course, a lot of people don't live in an ideal world, and believe
2376 that software should make up for this.
2381 In CoreAudio, <dfn>aggregate devices</dfn> provide a method to use
2382 multiple soundcards as a single device. For example, you can
2383 aggregate two 8-channel devices so that you can record 16 channels
2388 If you are using a <em>single</em> typical 3rd party
2389 audio interface (such as those from Apogee, RME, Presonus, and many
2390 others), <em>or</em> you are using JackPilot or a similar
2391 application to start JACK, you do not need to worry about this.<br />
2392 You will need to set up an aggregate device only if either
2393 of the following conditions are true:
2396 <li>You want to use two entirely separate
2397 devices <em>and</em> want to start JACK using Ardour.</li>
2398 <li>You want to use your <dfn>builtin audio device</dfn> <em>and</em>
2399 want to start JACK using Ardour.</li>
2400 <li>You want to use more than two entirely separate devices</li>
2404 In the case of your builtin audio device, you will need to create
2405 an aggregate device that combines "Builtin Input" and "Builtin
2406 Output" into one device.
2409 The precise instructions for creating an aggregate device on OS X
2410 have varied from one released to another.
2412 <dl class="wide-label">
2414 <dd>Please read <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1215">http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1215</a></dd>
2415 <dt>OS X 10.6 or later</dt>
2416 <dd>Please read <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3956">http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3956</a></dd>
2421 Please see the instructions at <a href="http://jackaudio.org/faq"
2422 title="http://jackaudio.org/faq">http://jackaudio.org/faq</a>
2433 title: Preferences and Session Properties
2438 Ardour splits its configuration options into two categories:
2442 Global <dfn>preferences</dfn> control general workflow and system
2443 configuration, and should apply to all sessions. They are located in
2444 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences</kbd> and stored in
2445 Ardour's <dfn>user configuration file</dfn> in your home directory.
2447 <li><dfn>Session properties</dfn> control aspects of the workflow or
2448 configuration that pertain to the current session only. You can find them
2449 in <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>, and they will be stored
2450 in the session file.
2455 title: Global Preferences Dialog
2456 menu_title: Global Preferences
2461 These preferences apply to all Ardour sessions.
2464 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_misc.png" alt="ardour preferences
2469 menu_title: Misc Tab
2474 This tab contains settings that do not belong on the other tabs.
2477 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_misc.png" alt="preferences
2483 <strong>DSP CPU Utilization</strong> sets how many cpu processors can be
2484 used to do signal processing. It can be set to use one up to all
2496 <strong>Limit undo history</strong> sets how many commands can be
2497 undone using <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> or
2498 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo</kbd>.
2504 <strong>Save undo history</strong> sets how many commands are saved so
2505 they are available to be undone after reopening the session.
2511 <strong>Verify removal of last capture</strong> when enabled prompts to
2512 verify removal the last recording capture when
2513 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Remove Last Capture</kbd> is executed.
2519 <strong>Make periodic backups of the session file</strong> will create
2520 a backup session file after changes to the timeline. The backup file is
2521 the session name followed by <em>.ardour.bak</em>. The backup can be
2522 used to recover from crashes when the session had not been explicitly
2531 <dfn>Session Management</dfn>
2536 <strong>Always copy imported files</strong> selects, and then disables
2537 changes to, the <em>Copy files to session</em> option in the
2538 <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/import-dialog/">
2539 Add Existing Media</a> dialog.
2545 <strong>Default folder for new sessions:</strong> defalts the folder
2546 where Ardour will create new session folders. This is used in the
2547 <em>Session Setup</em> dialog displayed by
2548 <kbd class="menu">Session > New</kbd>.
2554 <strong>Maximum number of recent sessions:</strong> determines how many
2555 of the last opened sessions shows in the
2556 <em>Recent Sessions</em> dialog displayed by
2557 <kbd class="menu">Session > Recent</kbd>.
2570 <strong>Click audio file:</strong> sets a user defined sound to be
2571 played when Ardour's metronome is enabled in the
2572 <a href="/controlling-playback/using-the-transport-bar/">
2578 <strong>Click emphasis audio file:</strong> sets an optional different
2579 metronome sound to be played on the downbeat.
2584 <strong>Click gain level:</strong> allows the metronome's click sounds
2585 to be boosted or attenuated.
2593 <dfn>Automation</dfn>
2598 <strong>Thinning factor</strong> ranges from 0 to 1000 with larger
2599 values sending fewer automation changes. Thinning is like lossy
2600 audio compression, removing data that is less likely to be noticed,
2601 although the more you remove the more likely the loss will be noticed.
2602 The advantage to thinning is reduced CPU usage.
2607 <strong>Automation sampling interval</strong> ranges from 1 to
2608 1000 ms. Determines how frequently the automation input is
2609 sampled. The shorter the interval the higher the accuracy but also
2610 the higher the CPU requirements.
2618 title: Transport Tab
2619 menu_title: Transport Tab
2624 This tab contains settings that relate to the behavior of the
2625 <a href="/controlling-playback/using-the-transport-bar">Transport Bar</a>
2626 and <a href="/synchronization/">Synchronization</a>.
2629 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_transport.png" alt="preferences
2635 <strong>Keep record-enable engaged on stop</strong> leaves the global
2636 record-enable engaged after transport is stopped. Does not affect track
2637 level record-enable which is never changed on stop.
2643 <strong>Play loop is a transport mode</strong> changes the behavior of the
2644 loop button, turning it into a toggle. When enabled, the loop button does
2645 not start playback but forces playback to always play the loop. Looping
2646 stays engaged when the transport is stopped. Playback continues where the
2647 transport stopped and continues to loop.
2650 When disabled, the loop button starts playing the loop but stop then
2651 cancels loop playback.
2656 <strong>Stop recording when an xrun occurs</strong> will stop the transport
2657 when an xrun occurs during recording, ensuring no audible glitches are
2663 <strong>Create markers where xruns occur</strong> will create a new
2664 <a href="/working-with-markers/">marker</a> when an xrun occurs during
2665 recording at the location of the xrun. This marks where possible xruns
2666 might produce audible glitches when stopping on xruns is disabled.
2671 <strong>Stop at the end of the session</strong> causes the transport to
2672 stop during playback when it reaches the end marker. Behavior during
2673 recording is not changed.
2678 <strong>Do seamless looping</strong> removes any clicks that might
2679 otherwise be audible when the transport moves from the end of the loop
2680 range back to the beginning.
2685 <strong>Disable per-track record disarm while rolling</strong>, when
2686 enabled, will not allow the any track's record-enable to be disarmed
2687 during record, preventing accidentally stopping the recording of a take.
2692 <strong>12dB gain reduction during fast-forward and fast-rewind</strong>
2693 when enabled will reduce the unpleasant increase in perceived volume
2694 that occurs when fast-forwarding or rewinding through some kinds of audio.
2699 <strong>Sync/Slave</strong>
2703 <strong>External timecode source</strong> determines which external
2704 source to use when Ardour is using an external
2705 <a href="/synchronization/">synchronization</a> source. Depending
2706 on the timecode source chosen, additional preference options are
2712 <strong>Match session video frame rate to external timecode</strong>
2713 controls the value of the video frame rate <em>while chasing</em>
2714 an external timecode source.
2717 When enabled, the session video frame rate will be changed to match
2718 that of the selected external timecode source.
2721 When disabled, the session video frame rate will not be changed to
2722 match that of the selected external timecode source. Instead, the
2723 frame rate indication in the main clock will flash red and Ardour
2724 will convert between the external timecode standard and the session
2730 <strong>Sync-lock timecode to clock</strong> can disable drift
2734 When enabled, Ardour will never varispeed when slaved to external
2735 timecode. Sync Lock indicates that the selected external timecode
2736 source shares clock-sync (Black & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with
2737 the audio interface. This options disables drift compensation.
2738 The transport speed is fixed at 1.0. Vari-speed LTC will be ignored
2742 When disabled, Ardour will compensate for potential drift regardless
2743 if the timecode sources shares clock sync.
2748 <strong>Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</strong>, when
2749 enabled, will force Ardour to assume the external timecode source
2750 uses 29.97 fps instead of 30000/1001.
2751 SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97 df as 30000/1001. The spec
2752 further mentions that drop-frame timecode has an accumulated error
2753 of -86 ms over a 24 hour period. Drop-frame timecode would
2754 compensate exactly for an NTSC color frame rate of 30 * 0.9990 (i.e.
2755 29.970000). That is not the actual rate. However, some vendors use
2756 that rate—despite it being against the specs—because the
2757 variant of using exactly 29.97 fps has zero timecode drift.
2764 <strong>LTC Reader</strong> specifies which incoming port will provide
2769 <strong>LTC Generator</strong>
2773 <strong>Enable LTC generator</strong>, when enabled Ardour will
2774 output an LTC timecode signal on it's <em>LTC-out</em> port.
2779 <strong>Send LTC while stopped</strong>, when enabled Ardour will
2780 continue to send LTC information even while the transport (playhed) is
2786 <strong>LTC generator level:</strong> specifies the peak volume of
2787 the generated LTC signal in dbFS. A good value is 0dBu^=-18dbFS in an
2788 EBU calibrated system.
2797 menu_title: Editor Tab
2802 This tab contains settings that affect behavior in the <dfn>Editor</dfn>
2803 window when <a href="/editing-and-arranging">Editing and Arranging</a>.
2806 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_editor.png" alt="preferences
2812 <strong>Allow dragging of the playhead</strong>, when enabled, allows
2813 dragging the playhead with the mouse in the <strong>Editor</strong> window.
2818 <strong>Move relevant automation when audio regions are moved</strong>,
2819 when enabled, causes automation data to stay with a region when the
2820 region is moved inside the playlist. When disabled, the automation is
2821 not affected by movement of regions.
2826 <strong>Show meters on tracks in the editor</strong>, when enabled, shows
2827 a small meter in the <strong>Editor</strong> window with each track. The
2828 meter is shown in the left side area along with the track name and buttons.
2833 <strong>Display master-meter in the toolbar</strong> when enabled displays
2834 a small copy of the master bus meter in the toolbar.
2839 <strong>Default fade shape:</strong> sets which
2840 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/create-region-fades-and-crossfades/">
2841 fade shape</a> is the default.
2846 <strong>Regions in active edit groups are edited together:</strong> sets
2847 the criteria to see if editing actions apply to tracks grouped together
2853 <strong>Make rubberband selection rectangle snap to the grid</strong> when
2854 enabled uses the grid when
2855 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/select-regions/">selecting regions</a>
2856 with a rubberband rectangle.
2861 <strong>Show waveforms in regions</strong> when enabled shows a visual
2862 representation of the region's audio waveform. Changes to this setting
2863 take affect after restarting Ardour.
2868 <strong>Show gain envelopes in audio regions:</strong> sets the criteria
2869 for displaying the gain envelope in audio regions.
2874 <strong>Waveform scale:</strong> when waveforms are shown in audio region
2875 they can be displayed using a <em>linear</em> or a <em>logarithmic</em>
2877 See <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/waveform-display/">
2878 Waveform disply</a>.
2883 <strong>Waveform shape:</strong> when waveforms are shown in audio region
2884 they can be displayed using a <em>traditional</em> or a <em>rectified</em>
2886 See <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/waveform-display/">
2887 Waveform disply</a>.
2892 <strong>Waveform Clip Level (dBFS):</strong> sets the level at which the
2893 waveform shown in an audio region will be drawn in red to indicate
2894 clipping. Setting lower than 0.0 dBFS can be useful if any tool in
2895 the audio chain has problems near 0.0 dBFS.
2900 <strong>Show waveform for audio while it is being recorded</strong> when
2901 enabled, will draw the audio waveform in regions being recorded. When
2902 disabled only a region block will be drawn while recording reducing CPU
2908 <strong>Show zoom toolbar</strong> when enabled shows a toolbar for
2909 zoom functions. When disabled the zoom commands are still available
2910 with keyboard short-cuts and the View menu. Changes to this setting
2911 take affect after restarting Ardour.
2916 <strong>Update editor window during drags of the summary</strong> when
2917 enabled the contents of the editor window will redraw the tracks area
2918 as the selection rectangle in the summary area is moved or resized. The
2919 summary area is at the bottom of the editor and shows an overview of all
2920 regions on the timelime.
2925 <strong>Name new markers</strong> when enabled, popup a dialog when a new
2926 <a href="/working-with-markers/">marker</a> is created. This allows
2927 markers to be named as they are created.
2932 <strong>Auto-scroll editor window when dragging near its edges</strong>
2933 when enabled will scroll the editor window automatically when dragging a
2934 region. This can make it easier to see where to position the region.
2939 <strong>After splitting selected regions, select</strong> determines which,
2940 if any, regions are selected after a split operation. The options are no
2941 regions, the regions created by the split, and if more than one region
2942 was selected to start with, the existing selection and the new regions.
2943 Changes to this setting take affect after restarting Ardour.
2950 menu_title: Audio Tab
2955 This tab contains settings for handling audio.
2958 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_audio.png" alt="preferences
2964 <strong>Buffering</strong> settings determine how many seconds of audio
2965 off of disk will be buffered in memory. Longer settings reduce the risk
2966 of buffer under-runs but consume more memory. The default value is
2973 <strong>Playback</strong> sets how many seconds of audio Ardour will
2974 buffer during playback.
2979 <strong>Recording</strong> sets how many seconds of audio Ardour will
2980 buffer during recording.
2988 <strong>Monitoring</strong>
2993 <strong>Record monitoring handled by:</strong> determines whether
2994 Ardour provides monitoring of incoming audio or whether
2995 monitoring is provided by hardware. See
2996 <a href="/recording/monitoring/">Monitoring</a> for more information.
3001 <strong>Tape machine mode</strong> when enabled defaults new audio
3002 tracks to tape machine mode. See
3003 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">Track Types</a>
3004 for more information.
3012 <strong>Conection of tracks and busses</strong>
3017 <strong>Auto-connect master/monitor busses</strong>
3022 <strong>Connect track inputs:</strong>
3027 <strong>Connect track and bus outputs:</strong>
3035 <strong>Denormals</strong> are a specific type of very small numbers that
3036 can cause issues with CPU consumption when using some plugins in some
3040 Ardour provides two methods of handling the issue. Try different
3041 combinations of these settings to to find the setting that minimizes CPU
3047 <strong>Use DC bias to protect against denormals</strong> adds a small
3048 constant value to numbers to move the numbers away from zero.
3053 <strong>Processor handling</strong>, if the computer's hardware
3054 supports it, offers two methods that can be used individually or
3055 combined. Flush to zero and denormals are zero.
3063 <strong>Plugins</strong>
3068 <strong>Silence plugins when the transport is stopped</strong>
3073 <strong>Make new plugins active</strong> when enabled, will activate
3074 a plugin when it is added to a track or bus
3075 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">Processor Box</a>.
3083 <strong>Regions</strong>
3088 <strong>Enable automatic analysis of audio</strong>
3093 <strong>Replicate missing region channels</strong>
3101 title: Solo/Mute Tab
3102 menu_title: Solo/Mute Tab
3107 This tab contains settings that affect the use of
3108 <a href="/mixing/muting-and-soloing/">solo, muting</a>, and
3109 <a href="/mixing/panning/">panning</a>.
3112 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_solomute.png" alt="preferences
3118 <strong>Solo</strong>
3123 <strong>Solo-in-place mute cut</strong> sets the attenuation of the
3124 the other tracks when another track is soloed in place. This setting
3125 is also available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor section.
3130 <strong>Solo controls are Listen controls</strong> when enabled the
3131 soloed track is soloed only on the monitor bus, the master fader mix
3132 is not affected by the solo. This option can also be set by enabling
3133 pre-fader listen or after-fader listen in the <strong>Mixer</strong>
3139 <strong>Listen Position:</strong> determines what is listened to when
3140 the solo controls are used as listen controls. The options are
3141 after-fader or pre-fader.
3146 <strong>PFL signals come from:</strong> determines whether the
3147 pre-fader listen position is before or after the pre-fader processors.
3152 <strong>AFL signals come from:</strong> determines whether the
3153 after-fader listen position is before or after the after-fader
3159 <strong>Exclusive solo</strong> when enabled will only solo that last
3160 track selected for solo. Previously soloed tracks will be un-soloed.
3161 This setting is also available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor
3167 <strong>Show solo muting</strong> when enabled outlines the mute
3168 button on tracks and busses when another track is soloed.
3173 <strong>Soloing overrides muting</strong> when enabled allows a track
3174 to be heard when it is soloed while muted. This setting is also
3175 available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor section.
3183 <strong>Default track/bus muting options</strong> sets the muting options
3184 for a newly created tracks or bus. The mute options for an existing track
3185 or bus are changed by the right-click context menu on a mute button.
3190 <strong>Mute affects pre-fader sends</strong> when enabled pre-fader
3191 sends will be muted by default.
3196 <strong>Mute affects post-fader sends</strong> when enabled post-fader
3197 sends will be muted by default.
3202 <strong>Mute affects control outputs</strong> when enabled control
3203 outputs are muted by default.
3208 <strong>Mute affects main outputs</strong> when enabled main outputs
3209 are muted by default.
3217 <strong>Send Routing</strong> affects
3218 <a href="/signal-routing/aux-sends/">aux and external sends</a>.
3223 <strong>Link panners of Aux and External Sends with main panner by
3224 default</strong> When enabled, sends follow the channel panner.
3227 When disabled, sends can panned independently of the channel panner
3228 and fader. Double clicking the send in the processor box toggles
3229 the main panner and fader between the aux send and the channel.
3238 menu_title: MIDI Tab
3243 This tab contains settings related to the use of MIDI inside Ardour.
3246 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_midi.png" alt="preferences
3252 <strong>MIDI read-ahead time</strong>
3258 <strong>Send MIDI Clock</strong> when enabled Ardour will generate MIDI
3259 clock on the <code>ardour:MIDI clock out</code> JACK port.
3265 <strong>Send MIDI Time Code</strong> when enabled Ardour will generate MIDI
3266 time code on the <code>ardour:MTC out</code> JACK port.
3272 <strong>Percentage either side of normal transport speed to transmit MTC:</strong> MIDI time code generation will be disabled when the transport speed is
3273 greater than normal sped plus this percentage or less than normal minus
3280 <strong>Obey MIDI Machine Control commands</strong> when enabled Ardour
3281 will respond to MIDI Machine Control commands received on the
3282 <code>ardour:MMC in</code> JACK port.
3288 <strong>Send MIDI Machine Control commands</strong> when enabled Ardour
3289 will send MIDI Machine Control commands on the <code>ardour:MMC out</code>
3296 <strong>Send MIDI control feedback</strong>
3302 <strong>Inbound MMC device ID:</strong> is the only device ID Ardour will
3303 respond to when an MMC command is received on the
3304 <code>ardour:MMC in</code> JACK port.
3310 <strong>Outbound MMC device ID:</strong> is the MIDI device ID Ardour will
3311 use when it sends MMC commands.
3317 <strong>Initial program change:</strong> Ardour will send a MIDI program
3318 change message on the <code>ardour:MMC out</code> JACK port when a session
3319 is loaded and whenever this field is changed. A value of -1 is for don't
3320 send any program change message.
3326 <strong>Display first MIDI bank/program as 0</strong>
3332 <strong>Never display periodic MIDI messages</strong>
3338 <strong>Sound MIDI notes as they are selected</strong>
3344 <strong>Midi Audition Synth</strong>
3350 title: User Interaction Tab
3351 menu_title: User Interaction Tab
3356 This tab contains settings that affect the user's interaction with
3357 <a href="/ardours-interface">Ardours interface</a>.
3360 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_interaction.png" alt="preferences
3361 user interaction tab"/>
3366 <strong>Use translations</strong>
3371 <strong>Keyboard</strong>
3376 <strong>Edit using:</strong> Use this keyboard and mouse combination
3377 to edit a region's name, and for audio, the region gain.
3382 <strong>Delete using:</strong>
3387 <strong>Insert note using</strong> Using this mouse and keyboard
3388 combination allows MIDI note drawing while the <strong>Editor</strong>
3394 <strong>Ignore snap using:</strong> This mouse and keyboard combination
3395 temporarily changes the
3396 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid/">snap mode</a> to
3397 <strong>No Grid</strong>.
3402 <strong>Keyboard layout:</strong>
3410 title: Control Surfaces Tab
3411 menu_title: Control Surfaces Tab
3416 This tab contains settings for control surfaces. Also see
3417 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/">Using Control Surfaces</a>.
3420 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_control_surfaces.png" alt="preferences
3421 control surfaces tab"/>
3424 Enable a <dfn>Control Surface Protocol</dfn> and double-click on it to edit
3425 protocol specific settings. Enable feedback to allow Ardour to send position
3426 information back to a control surface.
3430 <strong>Control surface remote ID:</strong> can follow the order of the mixer
3431 or be user assigned.
3436 menu_title: Video Tab
3441 This tab contains settings related to handling of Video.
3444 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_video.png" alt="preferences
3450 <strong>Advanced Setup (remote video server)</strong>
3455 <strong>Video Server URL:</strong>
3460 <strong>Video Folder:</strong>
3467 <strong>Show Video Export Info before export</strong>
3472 <strong>Show Video Server Startup Dialog</strong>
3479 menu_title: Plugins Tab
3484 This tab contains settings that control the discovery and availability of
3488 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_plugins.png" alt="preferences
3494 <strong>General</strong>
3499 <strong>Scan for Plugins</strong> will initiate an immediate scan of
3500 the system for available plugins.
3505 <strong>Always Display Plugin Scan Progress</strong> When enabled a
3506 popup window showing plugin scan progress is displayed for indexing
3507 (cache load) and discovery (detect new plugins).
3512 <strong>Scan Time Out</strong> Specify the default timeout for plugin
3513 instantiation in 1/10 seconds. Plugins that require more time to load
3514 will be blacklisted. A value of 0 disables the timeout.
3522 <strong>VST</strong>
3527 <strong>Clear VST Cache</strong> Remove all VST plugins from the list
3528 of plugins available to be inserted into the processor box.
3533 <strong>Clear VST Blacklist</strong> Make blacklisted VST plugins
3534 available to be added to the processor box.
3539 <strong>Scan for [new] VST Plugins on Application Start</strong> When
3540 enabled new VST plugins are searched, tested and added to the cache
3541 index on application start. When disabled new plugins will only be
3542 available after triggering a 'Scan' manually.
3547 <strong>Linux VST Path:</strong> Launch a dialog to manage the
3548 directories that will be searched for Linux VST plugins.
3562 This tab contains settings that affect
3563 <a href="/ardours-interface/">Ardour's Interface</a>.
3566 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_gui.png" alt="preferences
3572 <strong>Graphically indicate mouse pointer hovering</strong>
3577 <strong>Use name highlight bars in region display</strong> When enabled the
3578 region name is displayed, in the editor, in it's own bar at the bottom of
3579 the region. When disabled, the region name is display at the top of the
3580 region, possibly over audio waveforms or MIDI notes.
3585 <strong>Font scaling</strong> allows the display size of some text in the
3586 user interface to be scaled up or down. May require a restart to take
3592 <strong>Update transport clock display at FPS</strong> when enabled the transport clock
3593 will update at the synchronization framerate instead of the default 100 ms rate.
3598 <strong>Lock timeout</strong> Lock GUI after this many idle seconds (zero to never
3599 lock). GUI may also be locked with <kbd class="menu">Session > Lock</kbd>. When
3600 locked a dialog will display a "Click to unlock" button.
3605 <strong>Mixer Strip</strong> Enable (checked) or disable (unchecked) display of
3606 controls in the mixer strip. Controls whose display can be toggled are
3607 <strong>Input</strong>, <strong>Phase Invert</strong>,
3608 <strong>Record & Monitor</strong>, <strong>Solo Iso/Lock</strong>,
3609 <strong>Output</strong>, and <strong>Comments</strong>.
3614 <strong>Use narrow strips in the mixer by default</strong> When enabled, new mixer
3615 strips are created in narrow format. When disabled, they are created in wide format.
3616 Existing mixer strips width can be toggled with the width control at the top left of
3624 menu_title: Metering Tab
3629 This tab contains settings that affect <a href="/ardours-interface/meters/">
3630 Metering</a> in Ardour.
3633 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_metering.png" alt="preferences
3639 <strong>Peak hold time:</strong> Some meter types that have a peak
3640 indicator that has a user controlled hold time. The options are off, short,
3646 <strong>DPM fall-off:</strong>
3651 <strong>Meter line-up level; 0 dBu:</strong>
3656 <strong>IEC1/DIN Meter line-up level; 0 dBu:</strong>
3661 <strong>VU Meter standard:</strong>
3666 <strong>Peak threshold[dBFS]:</strong>
3671 <strong>LED meter style</strong>
3678 menu_title: Theme Tab
3683 This tab contains settings that change the visual appearence of Ardour.
3686 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_theme.png" alt="preferences
3692 <strong>Restore Defaults</strong> When clicked will change all settings
3693 on the Theme tab back to Ardour's default values.
3698 <strong>All floating windows are dialogs</strong> When enabled Ardour will
3699 use type "Dialog" for all floating windows instead of using type
3700 "Utility" for some of them. This may help usability with some
3701 window managers. This setting requires a restart of Ardour to take effect.
3706 <strong>Transient windows follow front window</strong> When enabled
3707 transient windows will follow the front window when toggling between the
3708 editor and mixer. This setting requires a restart of Ardour to take effect.
3713 <strong>Draw "flat" buttons</strong> When enabled button controls
3714 in the user interface will be drawn with a flat look. When disabled button
3715 controls will have a slight 3D appearence.
3720 <strong>Blink Rec-Arm buttons</strong> When enabled the record-armed
3721 buttons on tracks will blink when they are armed but not currently
3722 recording. When disabled the record-armed buttons on tracks will be
3723 outlined in red instead of blinking.
3728 <strong>Color regions using their track's color</strong> When enabled
3729 the background color of regions in the editor will be displayed using the
3730 the color assigned to the track. When disabled the default region
3731 background color will be used.
3736 <strong>Show waveform clipping</strong> When enalbled the waveform
3737 displayed will show peaks marked in red if they exceed the clip level. The
3738 Waveform Clip Level is set with a slider on the Preferences
3739 <a href="/preferences-and-session-properties/preferences-dialog/editor/">
3745 <strong>Icon Set</strong> Changes the mouse cursor icons used to indicate
3746 different tool modes in the editor. An example would be the icons used to
3747 indicate whether the cursor will select a region or change the length of a
3753 <strong>Waveforms color gradient depth</strong> Determines how much
3754 gradient effect is applied to audio waveforms displayed in the editor.
3755 Values range from 0.00, no graident effect, to 0.95, maximum effect.
3760 <strong>Timeline item gradient depth</strong> Determines how much
3761 gradient effect is applied to the backgrounds of regions displayed in the
3762 editor. Values range from 0.00, no graident effect, to 0.95, maximum
3768 <strong>Colors</strong> The color of an item in the user interface is
3769 determined by which named color is assigned to it, the color displayed for
3770 each named color in the palette, and in some cases, the transparency of
3776 <strong>Items</strong> Each display item has a named color assigned to
3777 it from the palette. Example color names are
3778 "meter color9" and "color 4".
3781 Click on an item's color example to change the named color choice.
3786 <strong>Palette</strong> Hover over a color to display it's name. Click
3787 on a color to open a color chooser dialog.
3792 <strong>Transparency</strong> Some items have a transparency value.
3793 Transparency can be changed from opaque to totally transparent.
3801 title: Session Properties Dialog
3802 menu_title: Session Properties
3806 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_timecode.png" alt="session properties dialog"/>
3809 This dialog allows you to change settings for the current session. These
3810 settings are initially set from the template used to create the session. To
3811 open the dialog use <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>
3816 menu_title: Timecode Tab
3820 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_timecode.png" alt="session properties timecode tab"/>
3823 This tab is used to change how Ardour interprets and manipulates timecode.
3828 Timecode Settings lets you set the number of frames per second
3829 and pull up/down to match the timecode used other synchronized systems.
3832 External Timecode Offsets allows Ardour to a fixed offset from other
3833 synchronized systems. <dfn>Slave Timecode offset</dfn> adds the
3834 specified offset to the recieved timecode (MTC or LTC).
3835 <dfn>Timecode Generator offset</dfn> adds the specified offset to
3836 the timecode generated by Ardour (so far only LTC).
3839 Jack Transport / Time Settings determines whether Ardour controls
3840 Bar|Beat|Tick and other information for Jack.
3846 menu_title: Sync Tab
3850 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_sync.png" alt="session properties sync tab"/>
3853 This tab is used to modify the timecode settings when working with video to
3854 use the imported video's timecode settings instead of the session defaults.
3859 menu_title: Fades Tab
3863 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_fades.png" alt="session properties fades tab"/>
3866 Change how Ardour works with region crossfades.
3871 <dfn>Destructive crossfade length</dfn> is used when an operation on a
3872 region is destructive, such as when recording in a track is in tape mode.
3875 When <dfn>Region fades</dfn> <strong>active</strong> is checked, the
3876 region fades set up in the mixer are used during playback. When unchecked,
3877 the fades are ignored.
3880 When <strong>Region fades visible</strong> is checked the region fades are visible
3881 in the the <strong>Editor</strong>.
3887 menu_title: Media Tab
3891 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_media.png" alt="session properties media tab"/>
3894 Change how sound is stored on disk. These options do not change how sound is handled
3900 <dfn>Sample format</dfn> defaults to 32-bit floating point, the same as
3901 the internal representation. 24 and 16-bit integer representation are
3905 <strong>File type</strong> options are WAVE, WAVE-64, and CAF.
3910 title: Locations Tab
3911 menu_title: Locations Tab
3915 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_locations.png" alt="session properties locations tab"/>
3918 These options add file locations that will be searched to find the audio and
3919 midi files used by the session. This is useful when the files have been
3920 imported into the session but not copied into the session.
3924 To add a location, navigate to the directory where the files are stored.
3925 Drill down into the directory and then click open. The directory will
3926 show up in the dialog. The remove button next to the added directory can be used
3927 to remove it from the search path.
3931 title: Filenames Tab
3932 menu_title: Filenames Tab
3936 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_filenames.png" alt="session properties filenames tab"/>
3939 This tab is used to change how Ardour names recorded regions.
3940 If <dfn>Prefix track number</dfn> is selected a unique number will appear on each track
3941 in the <dfn>Editor</dfn> window and will prefix the region name. If the track number
3942 is 2 and the region would have been Gtr-1.1 with track number prefix turned on the region
3943 will be named 2_Gtr-1.1 instead. See XX for base of the region name.
3947 If <dfn>Prefix take name</dfn> is selected and the <dfn>Take name</dfn> has Take1 the region
3948 will have the name Take1_Gtr-1.1 instead. If both boxes are checked the name will be
3949 Take1_2_Gtr-1.1 instead.
3953 When <dfn>Prefix take name</dfn> is enabled, the first time a track is recorded it will
3954 have the specified take name. When recording is stopped, any trailing number on the
3955 end of the take name will incremented by 1. If the track name specified doen't have
3956 a number on the end, the number 1 will be suffixed.
3960 title: Monitoring Tab
3961 menu_title: Monitoring Tab
3966 Provides options affecting monitoring.
3969 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_monitoring.png" alt="session properties monitoring tab"/>
3972 The <strong>Track Input Monitoring automatically follows transport state</strong>
3973 affects how input monitoring is handling. See
3974 <a href="/recording/monitoring/monitor-setup-in-ardour/">Monitor Setup in Ardour</a>.
3977 <img class="left" src="/images/a4_monitoring_section.png" alt="monitoring section"/>
3980 The 'Use monitor section' displays an extra section in the <strong>Mixer</strong>
3981 window that is modelled on the similiarly named section on large analog consoles.
3985 title: Meterbridge Tab
3986 menu_title: Meterbridge Tab
3991 The meters from audio tracks always display in the <dfn>Meterbridge</dfn>.
3992 This tab changes what additional controls are also displayed.
3995 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_meterbridge.png" alt="session properties meterbridge tab"/>
3999 <dfn>Route Display</dfn> has options for showing midi tracks, busses, and the master bus.
4002 <dfn>Button Area</dfn> has options for adding record enable, mute, solo, and input monitor buttons.
4005 <dfn>Name Labels</dfn> adds the track name and, if numbers are enabled on the filenames tab, the number.
4009 <img src="/images/a4_meterbridge_full.png" alt="image of meterbidge with all options on"/>
4013 menu_title: Misc Tab
4018 This tab has several things that don't fit on the other tabs.
4021 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_misc.png" alt="session properties misc tab"/>
4025 <dfn>MIDI Options</dfn>
4028 If <dfn>MIDI region copies are independent</dfn> is selected, when a
4029 MIDI region is copied or duplicated, the new region is not linked to
4030 the region it was copied from. If it is not selected, the copied regions
4031 are linked and any editing of one of the linked regions changes all
4032 of the linked regions.
4035 The <dfn>Editor</dfn> can be configured to handle overlapping MIDI notes
4038 <li>never allow them</li>
4039 <li>don't do anything in particular</li>
4040 <li>replace any overlapped existing notes</li>
4041 <li>shorten the overlapped existing note</li>
4042 <li>shorten the overlapped new note</li>
4043 <li>replace both overlapping notes with a single note</li>
4049 <dfn>Glue to bars and beats</dfn>
4051 <li>New markers can be glued to bars and beats</li>
4052 <li>New regions can be glued to bars and beats</li>
4056 Settings from the session properties dialogs can be saved to the
4057 default session template.
4069 title: Controlling Ardour with OSC
4071 include: controlling-ardour-with-osc.html
4075 title: Controlling Ardour with OSC (Ardour 4.7 and Prior)
4077 include: controlling-ardour-with-osc-4.7-and-prior.html
4081 title: OSC Feedback With Ardour
4086 Feedback from the Ardour to the the control surface is very useful for
4087 a number of things. Motor faders need to know where the the track
4088 they have been attached to is at before they were assigned otherwise
4089 the DAW fader will jump to where the controller fader is. Likewise,
4090 the buttons on each strip need to know what their value is so they can
4091 light their LED correctly. Transport controls should let you know if
4092 they are active too. This is what feedback is all about.
4096 Ardour does feedback by sending the same path back that is used to
4097 control the same function. As such any controls that have feedback
4098 have a parameter that is the value of the control or it's state
4099 (on or off). In the case of OSC paths listed on the main OSC page
4100 as having no parameter, if they have feedback, they will also work
4101 with a 1 for button press and 0 for button release. This is because
4102 many OSC controllers will only use exactly the same path for feedback
4103 as for control. For example:
4106 <dl class="bindings">
4107 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop</kbd></dt>
4111 <p>can be used also in the form:</p>
4113 <dl class="bindings">
4114 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop <em>press</em></kbd></dt>
4115 <dd>where <em>press</em> is an int/bool indicating if the button is pressed or not.</dd>
4119 The feedback does not have the same meaning as the control message.
4120 Where the button release sent to Ardour will be ignored and has no
4121 meaning. Both states have meaning in feedback to the controller.
4122 The feedback will be:
4125 <dl class="bindings">
4126 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4127 <dd>where <em>state</em> is an int/bool indicating if the transport is stopped or not.</dd>
4130 With feedback turned on, OSC control commands that try to change a
4131 control that does not exist will get feedback that resets that control
4132 to off. For example, sending a /strip/recenable to a buss will not work
4133 and Ardour will try to turn the controller LED off in that case. Also
4134 note that Pan operation may be limited by pan width in some cases.
4135 That is with pan width at 100% (or -100%) there is no pan position
4139 It may come as a surprise, but feedback often generates more network
4140 traffic than control itself does. Some things are more obvious like
4141 head position or meters. But even a simple button push like transport
4142 start sends not only a signal to turn on the play LED, but also one to
4143 turn off the stop LED, the Rewind LED, the Fast Forward LED and the
4144 Loop LED. That is still minor, think instead of a surface refresh
4145 such as happens when the surface is first connected and then most of
4146 that happens every time the fader strips are banked. This is why
4147 feedback is enabled in sections so that as little feedback as is
4148 actually needed is sent. This is also a consideration if the surface
4149 is connected via wifi.
4151 <h2>List of OSC feedback messages</h2>
4153 <h3>Feedback only</h3>
4155 These messages are feedback only. They are sent as status from Ardour
4156 and some of them may be enabled separately from other feedback. See:
4157 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/controlling-ardour-with-osc/calculating-feedback-and-strip-types-values/">
4158 Calculating Feedback and Strip-types Values.</a>
4161 See strip section below for info about ssid and wrapping it into the
4162 path. Also /master and /monitor support what the /strip does.
4165 In the case where Gainmode is set to position, the track name will
4166 show the dB value while values are changing.
4168 <dl class="bindings">
4169 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/name <em>ssid</em> <em>track_name</em></kbd></dt>
4170 <dd>where <em>track_name</em> is a string representing the name of the track</dd>
4171 <dt><kbd class="osc">/session_name <em>session_name</em></kbd></dt>
4172 <dd>where <em>session_name</em> is a string representing the name of the session</dd>
4173 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/meter <em>ssid</em> <em>meter</em></kbd></dt>
4174 <dd>where <em>meter</em> is a value repesenting the current audio level.
4175 (the exact math used is determined by the feedback bits set)</dd>
4176 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/signal <em>ssid</em> <em>signal</em></kbd></dt>
4177 <dd>where <em>signal</em> is a float indicating the instantaneous
4178 audio level is -40dB or higher.</dd>
4179 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/smpte <em>time</em></kbd></dt>
4180 <dd>where <em>time</em> is a string with the current play head time. Seconds as per smpte.</dd>
4181 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/bbt <em>beat</em></kbd></dt>
4182 <dd>where <em>beat</em> is a string with the current play head bar/beat.</dd>
4183 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/time <em>time</em></kbd></dt>
4184 <dd>where <em>time</em> is a string with the current play head time. Seconds are in milliseconds</dd>
4185 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/samples <em>samples</em></kbd></dt>
4186 <dd>where <em>samples</em> is a string with the current play head position in samples.</dd>
4187 <dt><kbd class="osc">/heartbeat <em>LED</em></kbd></dt>
4188 <dd>where <em>LED</em> is a float that cycles 1/0 at 1 second intervals.</dd>
4189 <dt><kbd class="osc">/record_tally <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4190 <dd>Some record enable is true or "ready to record". For a "Recording" sign at studio door.</dd>
4193 <h3>Transport Control</h3>
4194 <dl class="bindings">
4195 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4196 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport is stopped</dd>
4197 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_play <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4198 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport speed is 1.0</dd>
4199 <dt><kbd class="osc">/ffwd <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4200 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport is moving forward but not at speed 1.0</dd>
4201 <dt><kbd class="osc">/rewind <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4202 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport speed is less than 0.0</dd>
4203 <dt><kbd class="osc">/loop_toggle <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4204 <dd><em>state</em> is true when loop mode is true</dd>
4205 <dt><kbd class="osc">/cancel_all_solos <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4206 <dd>Where <em>state</em> true indicates there are active solos that can be canceled.</dd>
4209 <h3>Recording control</h3>
4210 <dl class="bindings">
4211 <!--dt><kbd class="osc">/toggle_punch_in</kbd></dt>
4213 <dt><kbd class="osc">/toggle_punch_out</kbd></dt>
4215 <dt><kbd class="osc">/rec_enable_toggle <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4216 <dd>Master record enabled.</dd>
4219 <h3>Master and monitor strips</h3>
4221 Master and monitor strips are similar to track strips but do not use
4222 the SSID. Rather they use their name as part of the path:
4224 <dl class="bindings">
4225 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/gain <em>dB</em></kbd></dt>
4226 <dd>where <em>dB</em> is a float ranging from -193 to +6 representing the actual gain of master in dB</dd>
4227 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/fader <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4228 <dd>where <em>position</em> is an int ranging from 0 to 1023 representing the fader control position</dd>
4229 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/trimdB <em>dB</em></kbd></dt>
4230 <dd>where <em>dB</em> is a float ranging from -20 to +20 representing the actual trim for master in dB</dd>
4231 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/pan_stereo_position <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4232 <dd>where <em>position</em> is a float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual pan position for master</dd>
4233 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/mute <em>yn</em></kbd></dt>
4234 <dd>where <em>yn</em> is a bool/int representing the actual mute state of the Master strip</dd>
4235 <dt><kbd class="osc">/monitor/gain <em>dB</em></kbd></dt>
4236 <dd>where <em>dB</em> is a float ranging from -193 to 6 representing the actual gain of monitor in dB</dd>
4237 <dt><kbd class="osc">/monitor/fader <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4238 <dd>where <em>position</em> is an int ranging from 0 to 1023 representing the fader control position</dd>
4241 <h3>Track specific operations</h3>
4243 For each of the following, <em>ssid</em> is the surface strip ID for the track
4246 Some Surfaces (many Android applets) are not able to deal with more
4247 than one parameter in a command. However, the two parameter commands
4248 below can also be sent as /strip/command/ssid param. Feedback can be
4249 set to match this with the /set_surface/feedback <em>state</em>
4251 href="/using-control-surfaces/controlling-ardour-with-osc/calculating-feedback-and-strip-types-values/">
4252 Calculating Feedback and Strip-types Values.</a>
4255 <dl class="bindings">
4256 <dt><kbd class="osc">/bank_up <em>LED</em></kbd></dt>
4257 <dd>where <em>LED</em> is a bool that indicates another bank_up operation is possible.</dd>
4258 <dt><kbd class="osc">/bank_down <em>LED</em></kbd></dt>
4259 <dd>where <em>LED</em> is a bool that indicates another bank_down operation is possible.</dd>
4260 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/name <em>ssid</em> <em>track_name</em></kbd></dt>
4261 <dd>where <em>track_name</em> is a string representing the name of the track
4262 (note there is no coresponding command to set the track name)</dd>
4263 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/mute <em>ssid</em> <em>mute_st</em></kbd></dt>
4264 <dd>where <em>mute_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual mute state of the track</dd>
4265 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/solo <em>ssid</em> <em>solo_st</em></kbd></dt>
4266 <dd>where <em>solo_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual solo state of the track</dd>
4267 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/monitor_input <em>ssid</em> <em>monitor_st</em></kbd></dt>
4268 <dd>where <em>monitor_st</em> is a bool/int. True/1 meaning the track is force to monitor input</dd>
4269 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/monitor_disk <em>ssid</em> <em>monitor_st</em></kbd></dt>
4270 <dd>where <em>monitor_st</em> is a bool/int. True/1 meaning the track is force to monitor disk,
4271 where both disk and input are false/0, auto monitoring is used.</dd>
4272 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/recenable <em>ssid</em> <em>rec_st</em></kbd></dt>
4273 <dd>where <em>rec_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual rec state of the track</dd>
4274 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/record_safe <em>ssid</em> <em>rec_st</em></kbd></dt>
4275 <dd>where <em>rec_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual record safe state of the track</dd>
4276 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/gain <em>ssid</em> <em>gain</em></kbd></dt>
4277 <dd>where <em>gain</em> is a float ranging from -193 to 6 representing the actual gain of the track in dB.</dd>
4278 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/fader <em>ssid</em> <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4279 <dd>where <em>position</em> is an float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual fader position of the track.</dd>
4280 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/trimdB <em>ssid</em> <em>trim_db</em></kbd></dt>
4281 <dd>where <em>trim_db</em> is a float ranging from -20 to 20 representing the actual trim of the track in dB.</dd>
4282 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/pan_stereo_position <em>ssid</em> <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4283 <dd>where <em>position</em> is a float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual pan position of the track</dd>
4285 <h3>Selection Operations</h3>
4287 Selection feedback is the same as for strips, only the path changes
4288 from <em>/strip</em> to <em>/select</em> and there is no <em>ssid</em>.
4289 there are some extra feedback and commands that will be listed here.
4291 <dl class="bindings">
4292 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/n_inputs <em>number</em></kbd></dt>
4293 <dd>where <em>number</em> number of inputs for this strip</dd>
4294 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/n_outputs <em>number</em></kbd></dt>
4295 <dd>where <em>number</em> number of outputs for this strip</dd>
4296 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/comment <em>text</em></kbd></dt>
4297 <dd>where <em>text</em> is the strip comment</dd>
4298 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/solo_iso <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4299 <dd>where <em>state</em> is a bool/int representing the Actual solo isolate state of the track</dd>
4300 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/solo_safe <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4301 <dd>where <em>state</em> is a bool/int representing the actual solo safe/lock state of the track</dd>
4302 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/polarity <em>invert</em></kbd></dt>
4303 <dd>where <em>invert</em> is a bool/int representing the actual polarity of the track</dd>
4304 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/pan_stereo_width <em>width</em></kbd></dt>
4305 <dd>where <em>width</em> is a float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual pan width of the track</dd>
4306 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/send_gain", <em>sendid</em> <em>send_gain</em></kbd></dt>
4307 <dd>where <em>sendid</em> = nth_send, <em>send_gain</em>is a float
4308 ranging from -193 to +6 representing the actual gain in dB for the send</dd>
4309 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/send_fader", <em>sendid</em> <em>send_gain</em></kbd></dt>
4310 <dd>where <em>sendid</em> = nth_send, <em>send_gain</em>is a float
4311 ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual position for the send as a fader</dd>
4312 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/send_name <em>sendid</em> <em>send_name</em></kbd></dt>
4313 <dd>where <em>send_name</em> is a string representing the name of the buss
4314 this send goes to.</dd>
4316 <h3>Menu actions</h3>
4318 Every single menu item in Ardour's GUI is accessible via OSC. However,
4319 there is no provision for returning the state of anything set this way.
4320 This is not a bad thing as most menu items either do not have an on/off
4321 state or that state is quite visible. Binding that affect other parameters
4322 that OSC does track will show on those OSC controls. Examples of this
4323 might be track record enable for tracks 1 to 32, play or stop.
4327 title: Calculating Feedback and Strip-types Values
4332 <em>/set_surface</em> has two values the user needs to calculate before
4333 use. In general these will not be calculated at run time, but
4334 beforehand. There may be more than one button with different values
4335 to turn various kinds of feedback on or off or to determine which
4336 kinds of strips are currently viewed/controlled.
4340 Both ,<em>feedback</em> and <em>strip-types</em> use bitsets to keep
4341 track what they are doing. Any number in a computer is made out of
4342 bits that are on or off, but we represent them as normal base 10
4343 numbers. Any one bit turned on will add a unique value to the
4344 number as a whole. So for each kind of feedback or strip type
4345 to be used, that number should be added to the total.
4348 <h3>strip_types</h3>
4351 strip_types is an integer made up of bits. The easy way to
4352 deal with this is to think of strip_types items being worth a number and
4353 then adding all those numbers together for a value to send.
4354 Strip Types will determine What kind of strips will be included in
4355 bank. This would include: Audio, MIDI, busses, VCAs, Master, Monitor
4356 and hidden or selected strips.
4392 Selected and Hidden bits are normally not needed as Ardour defaults to
4393 showing Selected strips and not showing Hidden strips. The purpose of
4394 these two flags is to allow showing only Selected strips or only
4395 Hidden strips. Using Hidden with other flags will allow Hidden strips
4396 to show inline with other strips.
4399 Some handy numbers to use might be: 15 (all tracks and buses), 31
4400 (add VCAs to that). Master or Monitor strips are generally not useful
4401 on a surface that has dedicated controls for these strips as there are
4402 /master* and /monitor* commands already. However, on a surface with
4403 just a bank of fader strips, adding master or monitor would allow
4404 access to them within the banks. Selected would be useful for working
4405 on a group or a set of user selected strips. Hidden shows strips the
4409 Audio Aux? say what? I am sure most people will have noticed that they
4410 can find no <em>Aux</em> strips in the Ardour mixer. There are none.
4411 There are buses that can be used a number of ways. From analog days,
4412 in OSC a bus is something that gets used as a sub mix before ending up
4413 going to Master. An auxiliary bus is used like a separate mixer and
4414 it's output goes outside the program or computer to be used as:
4415 a monitor mix, a back up recording, or what have you. In OSC where
4416 controller strips may be limited, it may be useful not to use up a
4417 strip for an aux that is not really a part of the mix. It is also
4418 useful to get a list of only aux buses if the control surface is a
4419 phone used to provide talent monitor mix control on stage. Each
4420 performer would be able to mix their own monitor. The user is free
4421 to enable both buses and auxes if they would prefer.
4425 <p>Feedback is an integer made up of bits. The easy way to
4426 deal with this is to think of feedback items being worth a number and
4427 then adding all those numbers together for a value to send.
4431 1 - Button status for strips.
4434 2 - Variable control values for strips.
4437 4 - Send SSID as path extension.
4440 8 - heartbeat to surface.
4443 16 - Enable master section feedback.
4446 32 - Send Bar and Beat.
4452 128 - Send meter as dB (-193 to +6) or 0 to 1 depending on gainmode
4455 256 - Send meter a 16 bit value where each bit is a level
4456 and all bits of lower level are on. For use in a LED strip. This
4457 will not work if the above option is turned on.
4460 512 - Send signal present, true if level is higher than -40dB
4463 1024 - Send position in samples
4466 2048 - Send position in time, hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds
4469 8192 - Turn on extra select channel feedback beyond what a /strip supports
4473 So using a value of 19 would turn on feedback for strip and master
4474 controls, but leave meters, timecode and bar/beat feedback off.
4478 title: Parameter Types in OSC
4483 An OSC message is laid out in this form:
4487 /path/of/command type parameter
4491 The type is there to indicate what the parameter is. This gives
4492 the idea that parameter types are quite strict and if the command
4493 requires an Integer <em>"i"</em> then the controller had better send it.
4494 However, the checking of the parameter type is left to the receiving
4499 What this means in practical terms is that the surface can get away
4500 with sending the wrong type of parameter. There are some places
4501 where that just doesn't make sense. For example, a parameter that
4502 is specified as a Float with a range of 0 to 1, could be sent as
4503 an Integer, but would only have full scale and minimum value with
4504 nothing in between. This is not much use for a fader, though ok for
4509 There are a number of OSC controllers based on iOS and Android
4510 tablets that only send or receive parameters as floats or text.
4511 These controllers should have no problem sending bool or int values
4512 as floats. Ardour will interpret the values as required.
4516 title: Selection/Feedback Expansion Considerations in OSC
4521 Ardour does not send every possible feedback value for each channel.
4522 It does send expanded information on the selected channel. There are
4523 also extra commands for the selected strip. All the feedback and
4524 select commands have their own path <em>/select</em>.
4525 This means that for the selected channel the surface does not have to
4526 keep track of the strip ID. The /select strip will follow the
4527 "current mixer strip" in the GUI editor window.
4530 There are two major uses for this:
4532 <li>Single strip control surfaces. Using
4533 <em>/access_action Editor/select-next-route</em> or
4534 <em>/access_action Editor/select-prev-route</em>
4535 to step through the mixer strips.</li>
4536 <li>Using a "Super strip" section of knobs to control parts
4537 of the strip that are changed less often such as polarity, sends or
4538 plugin parameters.</li>
4542 Selection in Ardour's OSC implementation are complicated by the
4543 possibility of using more than one OSC controller at the same time.
4544 User "A" may select strip 4 and use a selected controller to make
4545 changes to that strip. User "B" may subsequently select strip 7 to
4546 make changes on. This leaves user "A" making changes to strip 7
4547 which they did not choose.
4551 For this reason Ardour offers local expansion aside from the GUI
4552 selection. Local expansion only affects the one OSC controller. GUI
4553 selection is global and affects all controllers using GUI selection
4558 In general, in a one user situation where that one user may use either
4559 the OSC surface or the GUI, using GUI based selection makes the most
4560 sense. This is the default because this is the more common use.
4564 When there is more than one operator, then expansion only is the
4565 mode of choice. It may make sense for one of the surfaces to
4566 use GUI selection where the operator is also using the GUI for some
4567 things. However, the set up should be carefully analyzed for the
4568 possibility of selection confusions. Expansion should be
4569 considered the <em>safe</em> option.
4573 It is always ok to use expansion on the surface even in a one
4574 user scenario. This allows the user to use GUI and surface selection
4579 It is also possible to use both if desired. /strip/select will ways
4580 set the GUI select, but /strip/expand will set the select feedback
4581 and commands locally without changing the GUI select. Another
4582 /strip/expand or a /strip/select will override that expand command
4583 and releasing the /strip/expand or /select/expand (setting it to 0 or
4584 false) will set the /select set of commands/feedback back to whichever
4585 strip the GUI has selected at that time. This could be used to switch
4586 between the GUI select and the local expand to compare two strips
4591 title: Using the OSC Setup Dialog
4596 Starting with Ardour 5.1 OSC has a graphic setup dialog. This dialog
4597 can be accessed from Preferences->Control Surfaces. Select OSC and
4598 click on the Show Protocol Settings.
4602 The Ardour OSC dialog has three tabs. The main tab, the Strip Types
4603 tab and the Feedback tab.
4607 Many OSC devices get their IP from a DHCP making it difficult to set
4608 an IP in Ardour's OSC settings. Therefore, most of the settings are
4609 <em>default</em> settings. Values are set and the next OSC surface to
4610 send a /set_surface* message to Ardour will use those settings. An OSC
4611 surface that has previously sent a message to Ardour will retain the
4612 settings it already had. The <em>Clear OSC Devices</em> will reset all
4613 device settings. A <em>/refresh</em> message will both reset the
4614 device settings as well as set that device to any new settings. The
4615 Use of <em>/set_surface</em> will override all settings except
4619 <h2>Dialog settings</h2>
4621 <h3>OSC setup tab</h3>
4624 <img alt="the OSC configuration dialog"
4625 src="/images/osc-dialog.png">
4628 <h4>Connection:</h4>
4631 This field is informational only. It shows where Ardour will receive
4632 OSC messages. The system Name and the Port are the most important parts.
4638 This drop down allows the choice of Auto or Manual outbound port
4639 setting. The default Auto port mode, will send OSC messages back to
4640 the port messages from that surface are received from. This setting
4641 allows two surfaces on the same IP to operate independently. However,
4642 there are a number of OSC control surfaces that do not monitor the
4643 same port they send from and in fact may change ports they send from
4644 as well. Manual allows the outgoing port (the port the surface will
4645 receive on, to be manually set. In Manual port mode only one control
4646 surface per IP can work. Most phone or tablet OSC controllers like
4647 touchOSC or Control need Manual port mode. More than one controller
4648 can be used so long as each has it's own IP.
4651 <h4>Manual Port:</h4>
4654 This is an Entry box for setting the outgoing port when in
4661 This sets the default bank size for the next surface to send a
4662 <em>/set_surface/*</em> OSC message. Bank size 0 (the default) sets
4663 no banking and allows controlling all strips included in strip_types
4670 Sets the faders (and sends faders) feedback math to position where a
4671 value between 0 and 1 represents the fader position of the same fader
4672 in the mixer GUI or dB where the feedback from fader movement will be
4673 returned as a dB value. When the Gain Mode is set to position, the
4674 /*/name feedback for the channel will show dB values in text while the
4675 fader is being adjusted and then return the the name text.
4679 For debugging purposes this allows logging either good OSC messages
4680 Ardour receives or invalid messages received or none.
4684 Ardour now allows the use of preset settings. The default settings
4685 used are the settings from the last session or the factory defaults
4686 the first time OSC is enabled. As soon as any of these settings are
4687 changed, the Preset will change to "User" and the new settings will be
4688 save to the osc directory Ardour configuration directory as
4689 <em>user.preset</em>. This preset file can be renamed for future use.
4690 It is suggested to also change the name value inside to avoid confusion
4691 in the preset listing. Ardour will ship with some of it's own presets
4692 that go with some popular OSC control and map combinations.
4694 <h4>Clear OSC Devices</h4>
4696 This button clears operating device profiles so that Ardour will reset
4697 all devices settings to use the new defaults from changed settings. a
4698 device may still override these new settings with the /set_surface set
4699 of commands. The reason for setting defaults settings is that some OSC
4700 controllers are not able to send more than one parameter at a time and
4701 so having correct defaults allows one "Connect" button rather than 4.
4703 <h3>Default Strip Types tab</h3>
4705 <img alt="the Default Strip Types tab"
4706 src="/images/osc-strip-types.png">
4709 This allows selecting which of Ardour's mixer strips will be available
4710 for control. The Factory default is all strips except master, monitor
4711 and hidden strips. If it is desired to only see input tracks the
4712 others can be deselected. It is also possible to change these settings
4713 from the control surface. A set of buttons could select showing only
4714 inputs or only buses. If a group is selected in the GUI then showing
4715 only selected strips will show only that group. Showing hidden tracks
4716 is handy for cases where a groups of tracks that grouped to a bus or
4717 controlled by a VCA are hidden, but one of those tracks needs a tweak.
4720 <h3>Default Feedback tab</h3>
4723 <img alt="the Default Feedback tab"
4724 src="/images/osc-feedbackdefault.png">
4728 This allows setting up which controls provide feedback. The Factory
4729 default is none. If the controller is unable to receive feedback, this
4730 should be left blank. In the case of metering, Metering as a LED strip
4731 only works if Metering as a Float is disabled.
4735 title: Querying Ardour with OSC
4740 In order to make a custom controller that knows what strips Ardour
4741 has, the controller needs to be able to query Ardour for that
4742 information. These set of commands are for smarter control surfaces
4743 That have the logic to figure out what to do with the information.
4744 These are not of value for mapped controllers like touchOSC and
4745 friends. The controller will need to send these queries to ardour
4746 as often as it needs this information. It may well make sense to use
4747 regular feedback for things that need to be updated often such as
4748 position or metering.
4749 Here are the commands used to query Ardour:
4752 <dl class="bindings">
4753 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/list</kbd></dt>
4754 <dd>Ask for a list of strips</dd>
4755 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/sends <em>ssid</em></kbd></dt>
4756 <dd>Asks for a list of sends on the strip <em>ssid</em></dd>
4757 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/receives <em>ssid</em></kbd></dt>
4758 <dd>Asks for a list of tracks that have sends to the strip <em>ssid</em> points to</dd>
4759 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/plugin/list <em>ssid</em></kbd></dt>
4760 <dd>Asks for a list of plug-ins for strip <em>ssid.</em></dd>
4761 <dt><kbd class="osc">/plugin/descriptor <em>ssid</em> <em>piid</em></kbd></dt>
4762 <dd>Asks for a list of descriptors for plug-in <em>piid</em> on strip <em>ssid</em></dd>
4765 <h3>A list of strips</h3>
4768 <code>/strip/list</code> asks Ardour for a list of strips that the
4769 current session has. Ardour replies with a message for each
4770 strip with the following information:
4774 <li>Number of inputs</li>
4775 <li>Number of outputs</li>
4776 <li>Muted (bool)</li>
4777 <li>Soloed (bool)</li>
4778 <li>Ssid (strip number)</li>
4779 <li>Record enabled (bool)</li>
4781 After all the strip messages have been sent, one final message is
4784 <li>The text <code>end_route_list</code></li>
4785 <li>The session frame rate</li>
4786 <li>The last frame number of the session</li>
4789 <p class="note">A bus will not have a record enable and so a bus message
4790 will have one less parameter than a track. It is the controllers
4791 responsability to deal with this.
4794 <h3>A list of sends</h3>
4796 <code>/strip/sends <em>ssid</em></code> asks Ardour for a list of
4797 sends for strip number ssid. The reply is sent back to the
4798 controller as one message with the following information:
4800 <li>Ssid that information is for</li>
4801 <li>Each send's information:</li>
4803 <li>The send's target bus ssid</li>
4804 <li>The send's target bus name</li>
4805 <li>The send id for this strip</li>
4806 <li>The send gain as a fader possition</li>
4807 <li>The Send's enable state</li>
4812 The controller can tell how many sends there are from the number of
4813 parameters as each send has 5 parameters and there is one extra for
4817 <h3>A list if tracks that send audio to a bus</h3>
4819 <code>/strip/receives <em>ssid</em></code> will return a list of
4820 tracks that have sends to the bus at the ssid. The reply will
4821 contain the following information for each track conntected to this
4824 <li>The ssid of the track sending</li>
4825 <li>The name of the sending track</li>
4826 <li>The id of the send at that track</li>
4827 <li>It's gain in fader possition</li>
4828 <li>The send's enable state</li>
4832 <h3>A list of plug-ins for strip</h3>
4834 <code>/strip/plugin/list <em>ssid</em></code> will return a list of
4835 plug-ins that strip ssid has. The reply will contain the following
4838 <li>Ssid that information is for</li>
4839 <li>Each plugin's information:</li>
4841 <li>The plug-in's id</li>
4842 <li>The plug-in's name</li>
4847 <h3>A list of a plug-in's parameters</h3>
4849 <code>/plugin/descriptor <em>ssid</em> <em>piid</em></code> will
4850 return the plug-in parameters for ppid plug-in on the ssid strip. The
4851 reply will contain the following information:
4853 <li>Ssid of the strip the plug-in is in</li>
4854 <li>The plug-in id for the plug-in</li>
4855 <li>The plug-in's name</li>
4856 <li>Information about each parameter</li>
4858 <li>The parameter id</li>
4859 <li>The parameter's name</li>
4860 <li>A bitset of flags (see below)</li>
4862 <li>Minimum value</li>
4863 <li>Maximum value</li>
4864 <li>The number of scale points</li>
4865 <li>zero or more scale points of one value and one string each</li>
4866 <li>The current parameter value</li>
4872 The flag bitset above has been defined as (from lsb):
4874 <li>0 - enumeration</li>
4875 <li>1 - integer step</li>
4876 <li>2 - logarithmic</li>
4877 <li>3 - max unbound</li>
4878 <li>4 - min unbound</li>
4879 <li>5 - sample rate dependent</li>
4880 <li>6 - toggled</li>
4881 <li>7 - controllable</li>
4886 While this seems complex, it is really not that bad. Minimum, maximum and value will in most cases give you all you need.
4890 title: Devices using Mackie/Logic Control Protocol
4891 menu_title: Mackie/Logic Control Devices
4896 This will walk you through the process of configuring and using
4897 a MIDI control surface with Ardour that uses the <dfn>Mackie Control
4898 protocol</dfn> (MCP) or <dfn>Logic Control protocol</dfn>. Devices that
4899 have been tested and are known to work include the SSL Nucleus, Mackie
4900 Control Pro (plus extenders), Behringer devices in Mackie/Logic mode,
4901 and Steinberg CMC devices.
4904 <h2>Enabling Mackie Control in Ardour</h2>
4907 Navigate to <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Control Surfaces</kbd>.
4908 Double-click on <kbd class="menu">Mackie Control</kbd> to see the setup dialog:
4911 <img src="/images/missing.png" alt="Mackie Control Setup Dialog" />
4914 From the selector at the top, choose the type of device you are using.
4916 href="/using-control-surfaces/devices-using-mackielogic-control-protocol/devices-not-listed/">
4917 What to do if your device is not listed</a>).
4921 Once your setup is complete, click "OK" to close the dialog. Now click
4922 on the enable checkbox for "Mackie Control".
4925 <h2>Connecting control surface and Ardour MIDI ports</h2>
4928 If you are using a device that uses ipMIDI, such as the SSL Nucleus, no
4929 MIDI port connections are required—Ardour and your control
4930 surface will be able to talk to each other automatically.
4934 If you are using a device that uses normal MIDI (via a standard MIDI or
4935 USB cable), you need to connect Ardour's Mackie Control in and out ports
4936 to the MIDI ports leading to and coming from the control surface.
4940 When you have made these connections once, Ardour will recreate them
4941 for you in the future, as long as you leave Mackie Control enabled.
4944 <h2>Customizing your control surface</h2>
4947 Every possible Mackie Control button can be bound to any action present
4948 in Ardour's GUI. Please check your control surface page for suggestions.
4951 <h2>Preparing your device for use with Ardour</h2>
4954 Most interfaces will require some configuration to send and respond to
4959 When setting up the control surface, do <em>not</em> use "Pro Tools"
4960 mode. Pro Tools is the only DAW that still requires HUI. The rest of
4961 world uses Mackie Control Protocol. Ardour does not support HUI.
4965 title: Behringer devices in Mackie/Logic Control Mode
4966 menu_title: Behringer devices
4970 <h2>Behringer BCF-2000 Faders Controller</h2>
4973 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000"
4974 src="/images/BCF2000.png">
4978 The Behringer BCF-2000 Fader Controller is a control surface with 8 motorized
4979 faders, 8 rotary encoders and 30 push buttons. The device is a class
4980 compliant USB Midi Interface and also has standard Midi DIN IN/OUT/THRU ports.
4981 The device has included a Mackie/Logic Control Emulation Mode since firmware v1.06.
4982 If you're devices firmware is older than v1.06 it will require an update before
4983 Mackie Control Emulation will work as described here.
4987 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000 in Edit Global Mode"
4988 src="/images/BCF2000-EG.png">
4992 In order to put the controller into Mackie/Logic control mode turn on the
4993 unit while holding third button from the left in the top most row
4994 of buttons (under the rotary encoder row). Hold the button down until <dfn>EG</dfn>
4995 or edit global mode is displayed on the LCD screen of the unit. The global parameters
4996 can then be edited using the 8 rotary encoders in the top row.
5000 Encoder #1 sets the operating mode and should be set to <dfn>U-1</dfn> or
5001 USB mode 1 if using with a USB cable connection.
5004 Encoder #3 sets the foot switch mode and should most likely be set to
5005 <dfn>Auto</dfn> to detect how the foot switch is wired.
5008 Encoder #5 sets the device id, if you are using only 1 device the id
5009 should be set to <dfn>ID 1</dfn>. If you are using multiple BCF/BCR2000 each
5010 device is required to be set up sequentially and one at a time.
5013 Encoder #7 controls the MIDI <dfn>Dead Time</dfn> or the amount of milliseconds
5014 after a move has been made that the device ignores further changes, this
5015 should be set to <dfn>100</dfn>.
5018 Encoder #8 controls the MIDI message <dfn>Send Interval</dfn> in milliseconds
5019 and should be set to <dfn>10</dfn>
5023 To exit the <dfn>EG</dfn> mode press the <dfn>Exit</dfn> button. The device is now
5024 ready to use with Ardour.
5027 <h3>Modes of Operation</h3>
5029 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000 Control Modes"
5030 src="/images/BCF2000-Modes.png">
5033 The four buttons arranged in a rectangle and located under the Behringer logo
5034 are the mode selection buttons in Logic Control Emulation Mode,
5035 currently Ardour has implemented support for two of these modes.
5038 The surface can be broken into 8 groups of controls.
5042 <li>The rotary encoders at the top of the device</li>
5043 <li>The first row of buttons under the encoders</li>
5044 <li>The second row of buttons under the encoders</li>
5045 <li>The row of motorized faders<li>
5047 The group of 4 buttons at the top right that will be
5048 referred to here as the <dfn>Shift Group</dfn>
5051 The group of 4 buttons under the <dfn>Shift Group</dfn>
5052 referred to here as the <dfn>Mode Group</dfn>
5055 The group of 2 buttons under the <dfn>Mode Group</dfn>
5056 referred to here as the <dfn>Select Group</dfn>
5059 The group of 4 buttons under the <dfn>Select Group</dfn>
5060 referred to here as the <dfn>Transport Group</dfn>
5064 <h3>Mixer Pan Mode</h3>
5066 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000 Control Modes"
5067 src="/images/BCF2000-Pan.png">
5070 This is the standard work mode that organizes the control surface to emulate
5071 a standard mixer layout where controls for each track/bus are arranged vertically.
5072 The order of the faders is either controlled by the order of the tracks in the
5073 mixer or can be set manually by the user.
5077 <dd>Mixer Pans. The red LEDs show the amount of pan left or right</dd>
5078 <dt>First Row of Buttons</dt>
5079 <dd>Mixer Mutes. The button led lights if the track is currently muted</dd>
5080 <dt>Second Row of Buttons</dt>
5081 <dd>Select Active Track/Bus. Currently selected track/bus is indicated by the button led</dd>
5083 <dd>Mixer Gains</dd>
5084 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5086 The top and bottom left buttons are the simply shifts to change the function of other buttons
5089 The top right is the <dfn>Fine Control</dfn> button that allows the increment values sent by
5090 by rotary encoders and faders to be a small value for more precise editing. This button
5091 can also act as a shift button.
5094 The bottom right is the <dfn>Global Shift</dfn> button that allows you to change back to the
5095 standard Mixer Pan view from other views and modes. This button can also act as a shift button.
5098 <dd>The top two buttons functions are not currently implemented in Ardour.</dd>
5099 <dd>The bottom left button sets the device to <dfn>Pan</dfn> mode and should currently be lit</dd>
5101 The bottom right button sets the device to <dfn>Send</dfn> mode but will only allow the switch
5102 if the currently selected track/bus has a send or sends to control.
5104 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5106 In this mode they function as bank select left and right. If your session has more than 8 tracks
5107 the next set of 8 tracks is selected with the right button and the faders will move to match the
5108 current gain settings of that bank of 8 tracks/busses. If the last bank contains less than 8
5109 tracks/busses the unused faders will move to the bottom and the pan lights will all turn
5110 off. An unlimited amount of tracks can be controlled with the device.
5112 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5113 <dd>The upper left button controls <dfn>Rewind<dfn>.
5114 <dd>The upper right button controls <dfn>Fast Foreword</dfn>
5115 <dd>The lower left button controls stop</dd>
5116 <dd>The lower right button controls play</dd>
5120 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the Send Mode"
5121 src="/images/BCF2000-Send.png">
5124 Send mode allows for the top row of encoders to control the sends for a selected channel.
5125 One interesting option is to flip the controls from the encoders to the faders by pressing
5126 the shift 1 button and the global view button at the same time.
5131 In send mode, the encoders control sends from left to right instead of mixer pans.
5132 If there are less than 8 sends the behavior of the encoder will be to continue controlling
5133 the mixer pan. Visually it's indicated by the change in the LED from originating at the 12
5134 o'clock position to originating at the 7 o'clock position. If <dfn>FLIP</dfn> is pressed
5135 the encoder will control the mixer gain for the selected track/bus.
5137 <dt>First row of buttons</dt>
5139 <dt>Second row of buttons</dt>
5143 No change unless <dfn>FLIP</dfn>is pressed then it controls the send for the selected track/bus.
5145 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5147 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5149 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5152 <h3>Mixer Pan While Holding Shift 1</h3>
5154 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the Mixer Mode while holding down shift 1"
5155 src="/images/BCF2000-Shift1.png">
5158 The operations of various buttons change while holding down the <dfn>Shift 1</dfn> button
5163 <dt>First row of buttons</dt>
5164 <dd>These now control the Soloing of each track/bus in the current bank</dd>
5165 <dt>Second row of buttons</dt>
5166 <dd>These now control the Enable Record for each track</dd>
5169 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5173 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5175 These now change the current bank of tracks being controlled over by
5176 one. So if you where controlling tracks 1-8 a push the right
5177 button the surface would now control tracks 2-9 pressing the left
5178 would then shift back to controlling tracks 1-8.
5180 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5181 <dd>The upper left now controls turning on and off <dfn>Loop</dfn> mode.</dd>
5183 The upper right now toggles
5186 <dd>The lower left toggles <dfn>Replace</dfn>.</dd>
5188 The lower right toggles
5189 <dfn>Global Record</dfn>.
5192 <h3>Mixer Pan While Holding Shift 2</h3>
5194 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the Mixer Mode while holding down shift 2"
5195 src="/images/BCF2000-Shift2.png">
5198 The operations of various buttons change while holding down the <dfn>Shift 2</dfn> button
5203 <dt>First row of buttons</dt>
5205 <dt>Second row of buttons</dt>
5206 <dd>These now control setting up different <dfn>Views</dfn>. See bellow for more info</dd>
5209 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5213 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5214 <dd>Left button controls <dfn>Undo</dfn>(NEEDS VERIFIED)</dd>
5215 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5225 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the LED display for different Views"
5226 src="/images/BCF2000-Views.png">
5229 <p class="fixme">FIX ME</p>
5237 The Nucleus, from Solid State Logic, is a 16 fader Mackie Control
5238 device that includes many buttons, separate meters, two LCD displays
5239 and other features. The device is not cheap (around US$5000 at the
5240 time of writing), and has some <a href="#design">design features</a>
5241 (or lack thereof) which some Ardour developers find
5242 questionable. Nevertheless, it is a very flexible device, and makes
5243 a nice 16 fader surface without the need to somehow attach an
5244 extender to your main surface.
5247 <h2>Pre-configuring the Nucleus</h2>
5250 Your Nucleus comes complete with a number of "profiles" for a few
5251 well-known DAWs. At the time of writing it does not include one for
5252 Ardour (or related products such as Harrison Mixbus).
5255 We have prepared a profile in which as many buttons as possible send
5256 Mackie Control messages, which makes the device maximally useful
5257 with Ardour (and Mixbus). You can
5258 download <a href="https://community.ardour.org/files/ArdourNucleusProfile.zip">the
5260 and load it to your Nucleus using the <code>Edit Profiles</code>
5261 button in SSL's Nucleus Remote application. Be sure to select it for
5262 the active DAW layer in order to make Ardour work as well as
5263 possible. <em>Note: unfortunately, the Nucleus Remote application
5264 only runs on OS X or Windows, so Linux users will need access to
5265 another system to load the profile. We will provide notes on the
5266 profile settings at a future time.</em>
5269 <h2>Connecting the Nucleus</h2>
5272 Unlike most Mackie Control devices, the Nucleus uses an ethernet
5273 connection to send and receive the MIDI messages that make up the
5274 Mackie Control protocol. Specifically, it uses a technology called
5275 "ipMIDI" which essentially "broadcasts" MIDI messages on a local
5276 area network, so that any connected devices (computers, control
5277 surfaces, tablets etc.) can participate.
5280 All other DAWs so far that support the Nucleus have chosen to do so
5281 by using a 3rd party MIDI driver called "ipMIDI", which creates a
5282 number of "virtual" MIDI ports on your computer. You, the user,
5283 tells the DAW which ports to connect to, and ipMIDI takes care of
5287 Ardour has builtin ipMIDI support, with no need of any 3rd party
5288 packages, and no need to identify the "ports" to connect to in order
5289 to communicate with the Nucleus. This makes setting it up a bit
5290 easier than most other systems.
5293 Unless ... you already installed the ipMIDI driver in order to use
5294 some other DAW with your Nucleus. If ipMIDI is configured to create
5295 any "ports", it is not possible for Ardour's own ipMIDI support to
5296 function. We decided to offer both methods of communicating with
5297 your Nucleus. If you regularly use other DAWs, and appreciate having
5298 ipMIDI permanently set up to communication with the Nucleus—that's
5299 OK, you can tell Ardour to use the ipMIDI driver you already
5300 have. But if you're not using other DAWs with the Nucleus (and thus
5301 have not installed the ipMIDI driver), then you can ignore the
5302 ipMIDI driver entirely, and let Ardour connect directly with no
5306 <h3>Connecting via Ardour's own ipMIDI support</h3>
5308 <p class="alert alert-info">
5309 This is usable only on computers with no 3rd party ipMIDI
5310 driver software installed and configured. If you have the OS X or
5311 Windows ipMIDI driver from nerds.de, it <strong>MUST</strong> be
5312 configured to offer <strong>ZERO</strong> ports before using this
5317 Open <code>Preferences > Control Surfaces</code>. Ensure that the
5318 Mackie protocol is enabled, then double-click on it to open the
5319 Mackie Control setup dialog.
5322 Ensure that the device selected is "SSL Nucleus". The dialog should
5323 show a single numerical selector control below it, defining the
5324 ipMIDI port number to use (it should almost always be left at the
5325 default value of 21928).
5328 Communication is automatically established with the Nucleus and you
5329 need do nothing more.
5332 If this does not work, then make sure your network cables are
5333 properly connected, and that you are <strong>not</strong> running
5334 other ipMIDI software on the computer.
5337 <h3>Connecting via 3rd party ipMIDI support</h3>
5339 <p class="alert alert-info">
5340 This is usable only on computers with 3rd party ipMIDI
5341 driver software installed and configured for (at least) 2 ports.
5345 Open <code>Preferences > Control Surfaces</code>. Ensure that the
5346 Mackie protocol is enabled, then double-click on it to open the
5347 Mackie Control setup dialog.
5350 Ensure that the device selected is "SSL Nucleus (via platform MIDI)". The dialog should
5351 show four combo/dropdown selectors, labelled (respectively):
5354 <li><code>Main Surface receives via</code></li>
5355 <li><code>Main Surface sends via</code></li>
5356 <li><code>1st extender receives via</code></li>
5357 <li><code>1st extender sends via</code></li>
5360 You should choose "ipMIDI port 1", "ipMIDI port 1", "ipMIDI port 2"
5361 and "ipMIDI port 2" for each of the 4 combo/dropdown selectors.
5364 Communication should be automatically established with the Nucleus.
5367 If this does not work, then make sure your network cables are
5368 properly connected, and that you are running the approprate ipMIDI
5369 driver and have configured it for 2 (or more) ports.
5372 <h2><a name="design">Nucleus Design Discussion</a></h2>
5375 You might be reading this part of the manual seeking some guidance
5376 on whether the Nucleus would make a suitable control surface for
5377 your workflows. We don't want to try to answer that question
5378 definitively, since the real answer depends on the very specific
5379 details of your workflow and situation, but we would like to point
5380 out a number of design features of the Nucleus that might change
5386 <dt>No Master Faster</dt>
5387 <dd>It is not possible to control the level of the Master bus or
5388 Monitor section. Really don't know what SSL was thinking here.</dd>
5389 <dt>No dedicated rec-enable buttons</dt>
5390 <dd>You have to press the "Rec" button and convert the per-strip
5391 "Select" buttons into rec-enables</dd>
5392 <dt>No dedicated automation buttons</dt>
5393 <dd>You have to press the "Auto" button and convert the first 4
5394 vpots into 4 automation-related buttons, losing your current view
5395 of the session.</dd>
5396 <dt>No buttons with Mackie-defined "Marker" functionality</dt>
5397 <dd>Mackie's design intentions for the interoperation of the
5398 Marker, rewind and ffwd buttons requires profile editing in order
5399 to function properly.
5401 <dt>No "Dyn" button</dt>
5402 <dd>This is hard to assign in an edited profile. To be fair, other
5403 Mackie Control devices also lack this button.
5409 <dt>Single cable connectivity</dt>
5410 <dd>No need for multiple MIDI cables to get 16 faders</dd>
5411 <dt>Broadcast connectivity</dt>
5412 <dd>Connecting to multiple computers does not require recabling</dd>
5413 <dt>16 faders from a single box</dt>
5414 <dd>No need to figure out how to keep extenders together</dd>
5415 <dt>Meters separated from displays</dt>
5416 <dd>Contrast with the Mackie Control Universal Pro, where meters
5417 interfere with the display
5419 <dt>DAW profiles</dt>
5420 <dd>Easy to flip profiles for use by different DAWs.</dd>
5426 <dt>Ability to make buttons generate USB keyboard events</dt>
5427 <dd>The extent to which this is useful reflects the target DAWs
5428 inability to manage all of its functionality via Mackie Control
5430 <dt>Sophisticated "profile" editing</dt>
5431 <dd>It is nice to be able to reassign the functionality of most
5432 buttons, but this is only necessary because of the relatively few
5433 global buttons on the surface.
5435 <dt>Builtin analog signal path</dt>
5436 <dd>SSL clearly expects users to route audio back from their
5437 computer via the Nucleus' own 2 channel output path, and maybe even
5438 use the input path as well. They take up a significant amount of
5439 surface space with the controls for this signal path, space that
5440 could have been used for a master fader or more Mackie Control
5441 buttons. The USB audio device requires a proprietary driver, so
5442 Linux users can't use this, and OS X/Windows users will have to
5443 install a device driver (very odd for a USB audio device these
5444 days). The analog path also no doubt adds notable cost to the
5445 Nucleus. There's nothing wrong with this feature for users that
5446 don't already have a working analog/digital signal path for their
5447 computers. But who is going to spend $5000 on a Nucleus that
5448 doesn't have this already?</dd>
5452 title: Mackie Control Setup on Linux
5456 <h2>Devices using ipMIDI</h2>
5459 If you are using a device like the SSL Nucleus that uses ipMIDI,
5460 no set up is required other than to ensure that your control surface
5461 and computer are both connected to the same network.
5464 <h2>Devices using conventional MIDI</h2>
5467 Before attempting to use a Mackie Control device that communicates via
5468 a standard MIDI cable or a USB cable, you should ensure that
5469 <a href="/setting-up-your-system/setting-up-midi/midi-on-linux">your Linux
5470 MIDI environment is setup</a>.
5474 title: What to do if your Device is not Listed
5475 menu_title: Unlisted devices
5480 All Mackie Control devices are based on the original Logic Control and the
5481 documentation in the user manual that came with it. The Mackie Control and
5482 the Mackie Control Pro and so on, all use this same protocol. Any units
5483 from other manufactures will also use the same encoding as best the
5484 hardware will allow. If the unit in use has more than one Mackie Control
5485 option, it is best to choose Logic Control or LC. Any Templates for the
5486 buttons should be chosen the same way as the Function key Editor uses these
5487 button names. The "Mackie Control" option should be considered default and
5488 should be tried with any unlisted device before attemping to create a
5489 custom definition file.
5493 title: Working With Extenders
5494 menu_title: Working With Extenders
5499 Extenders will require a custom file as there are no combinations listed
5500 at this time. The best way is to start with the mc.device file and copy it
5501 to a new name such as xt+mc.device and then edit that file. It is best to
5502 name the file with the order the devices are expected to be used in as
5503 the position of the master device is specified in this file.
5507 The two lines of interest are:
5511 <Extenders value="0"/>
5512 <MasterPosition value="0"/>
5516 Add these two lines if they are not present. The <code>Extenders</code>
5517 value is the number of extenders used and should not include the master in
5522 When an <code>Extenders</code> value of greater than 0 is used, extra midi
5523 ports will appear for the extenders to be connected to. The MIDI ports
5524 for the controllers will be named <code>mackie control #1</code>,
5525 <code>mackie control #2</code> and up. The numbers will go from left to
5526 right. That is, from lowest number channel to highest.
5530 The <code>MasterPosition</code> value is the port number the master unit
5531 (with the master fader) is connected to. So if there are three surfaces,
5532 <code><MasterPosition value="1"/></code> will expect the master on
5533 the left, <code><MasterPosition value="2"/></code> would be master
5534 in the middle and <code><MasterPosition value="3"/></code> would be
5535 master on the right. So the position matches the port name.
5539 The default value of <code><MasterPosition value="0"/></code> has
5540 the same effect as <code><MasterPosition value="1"/></code>.
5544 If the <code>MasterPosition</code> value does not properly match the
5545 physcal position and MIDI port, the master fader and global controls will
5546 not work. The master unit will act like an extender.
5550 title: MIDI Binding Maps
5555 Ardour 2.X supported
5556 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/midi-learn"><dfn>MIDI learning</dfn></a>
5557 for more or less any control. This was a nice feature that quite a few other
5558 DAWs are providing by now, but it didn't allow Ardour to work "out of the
5559 box" with sensible defaults for existing commercial MIDI
5560 controllers. In Ardour 3 and later versions, we have augmented the
5561 MIDI learn feature with the ability to load a <dfn>MIDI binding map</dfn>
5562 for a given controller, which can set up an arbitrary number of physical
5563 controls with anything inside Ardour that can be controlled.
5567 Currently (August 2016), we have presets for the following devices/modes:
5571 <li>AKAI MPD-32</li>
5573 <li>AKAI MPKmini</li>
5574 <li>Behringer BCF2000</li>
5575 <li>Behringer BCF2000 (Mackie Emulation mode; better to use
5576 Ardour's actual Mackie Control Protocol support)</li>
5577 <li>Behringer DDX3216</li>
5578 <li>Korg nanoKONTROL (2 layouts)</li>
5579 <li>Korg nanoKONTROL 2 (2 layouts)</li>
5580 <li>Korg Taktile</li>
5581 <li>M-Audio Axiom 25 (2 layouts)</li>
5582 <li>M-Audio Axiom 61</li>
5583 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 49</li>
5584 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 61v3</li>
5585 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 25</li>
5586 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 8v2</li>
5587 <li>Novation Impulse 49</li>
5588 <li>Novation Impulse 61</li>
5589 <li>Novation LaunchControl XL</li>
5590 <li>Novation LaunchKey 25</li>
5591 <li>Roland SI-24</li>
5592 <li>Roland V Studio 20</li>
5593 <li>Yamaha KX25</li>
5595 At this time, new binding maps need to be created with a text editor.
5597 MIDI binding maps are accessible by double-clicking <kbd class="menu">Edit
5598 > Preferences > Control Surfaces > Generic MIDI</kbd>. Ardour will
5599 retain your selection after you choose one.
5602 <h2>Creating new MIDI maps</h2>
5603 <h3>The Basic Concept</h3>
5605 Since the beginning of time (well, sometime early in the 2.X series),
5606 Ardour has had the concept of identifying each track and bus with a
5607 <dfn>remote control ID</dfn>. This ID uniquely identifies a track or bus
5608 so that when messages arrive from elsewhere via MIDI or OSC , we can determine
5609 which track or bus they are intended to control. Ardour has a
5611 href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-ordering/track-ordering-and-remote-control-ids/">number
5612 of ways of assigning remote control IDs</a>, but they don't really matter
5613 very much when creating MIDI binding maps, so we won't discuss that here.
5614 You just need to know that there is a "first track" and its remote control
5617 <h3>Getting Started</h3>
5619 MIDI bindings are stored in files with the suffix ".map" attached to their
5620 name. The minimal content looks like this:
5623 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
5624 <ArdourMIDIBindings version="1.0.0" name="The name of this set of
5626 </ArdourMIDIBindings>
5629 So, to start, create a file with that as the initial contents.
5632 On OS X, Ardour loads midi maps from its binary-bundle folder in
5633 <code>Ardour-<version>/midi_maps/</code> and checks
5634 various other locations as well (defined by the ARDOUR_MIDIMAPS_PATH
5635 environment variable). On GNU/Linux the easiest is to save the file to
5636 <code>~/.config/ardour3/midi_maps/</code>.
5639 <h3>Finding out what your MIDI control surface sends</h3>
5641 This is the most complex part of the job, but its still not very hard.
5642 You need to connect the control surface to an application that will show
5643 you the information that the device sends each time you modify a knob,
5644 slider, button etc. There are a variety of such applications (notably
5645 <code>gmidimon</code> and <code>kmidimon</code>, but you can actually use
5646 Ardour for this if you want. Start Ardour in a terminal window, connect
5647 MIDI ports up, and in the Preferences window, enable "Trace Input" on the
5648 relevant MIDI port. A full trace of the MIDI data received will show up in
5649 the terminal window. (Note: in Ardour3, you get a dedicated, custom dialog
5650 for this kind of tracing.)
5652 <h3>Types of Bindings</h3>
5654 There are two basic kinds of bindings you can make between a MIDI message
5655 and something inside Ardour. The first is a binding to a specific parameter
5656 of a track or bus. The second is a binding to a function that will change
5657 Ardour's state in some way.
5659 <h4>Binding to Track/Bus controls</h4>
5661 A track/bus binding has one of two basic structures
5664 <Binding <em>msg specification</em> uri="<em>... control address ...</em>"/>
5665 <Binding <em>msg specification</em> function="<em>... function name ...</em>"/>
5668 <h4>Message specifications</h4>
5670 You can create a binding for either 3 types of channel messages, or for a
5671 system exclusive ("sysex") message. A channel message specification looks
5675 <Binding channel="1" ctl="13" ....
5678 This defines a binding for a MIDI Continuous Controller message involving
5679 controller 13, arriving on channel 1. There are 16 MIDI channels, numbered
5680 1 to 16. Where the example above says <code>ctl</code>, you can alternatively
5681 use <code>note</code> (to create binding for a Note On message) or
5682 <code>pgm</code> (to create a binding for a Program Change message).
5685 As of Ardour 4.2, <code>enc-r</code>, <code>enc-l</code>, <code>enc-2</code> and
5686 <code>enc-b</code> may be used for surfaces that have encoders that send
5687 offsets rather than values. These accept Continuous Controller messages
5688 but treat them as offsets. These are good for banked controls as they are
5689 always at the right spot to start adjusting. (
5690 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/midi-binding-maps/working-with-encoders/">
5691 Learn more about working with encoders
5695 You can also bind sysex messages:
5698 <Binding sysex="f0 0 0 e 9 0 5b f7" ....
5699 <Binding sysex="f0 7f 0 6 7 f7" ....
5702 The string after the <code>sysex=</code> part is the sequence of MIDI bytes,
5703 as hexadecimal values, that make up the sysex message.
5706 Finally, you can bind a totally arbitrary MIDI message:</p>
5708 <Binding msg="f0 0 0 e 9 0 5b f7" ....
5709 <Binding msg="80 60 40" ....
5712 The string after the <code>msg=</code> part is the sequence of MIDI bytes, as
5713 hexadecimal values, that make up the message you want to bind. Using this is
5714 slightly less efficient than the other variants shown above, but is useful for
5715 some oddly designed control devices.
5719 As of Ardour 4.6 it is possible to use multi-event MIDI strings such as
5720 two event CC messages, RPN or NRPN.
5724 The <code>sysex=</code> and <code>msg=</code> bindings will only work with
5725 <code>function=</code> or <code>action=</code> control addresses. They
5726 will <em>not</em> work with the <code>uri=</code> control addresses.
5727 Controls used with <code>uri=</code> require a <em>Value</em> which is
5728 only available in a known place with channel mode MIDI events.
5731 <h4>Control address</h4>
5733 A <dfn>control address</dfn> defines what the binding will actually control.
5734 There are quite a few different things that can be specified here:
5736 <dl class="wide-table">
5737 <dt>/route/gain</dt>
5738 <dd>the gain control ("fader") for the track/bus</dd>
5739 <dt>/route/trim</dt>
5740 <dd>the trim control for the track/bus (new in 4.1)</dd>
5741 <dt>/route/solo</dt>
5742 <dd>a toggleable control for solo (and listen) of the track/bus</dd>
5743 <dt>/route/mute</dt>
5744 <dd>a toggleable control to mute/unmute the track/bus</dd>
5745 <dt>/route/recenable</dt>
5746 <dd>a toggleable control to record-enable the track</dd>
5747 <dt>/route/panwidth</dt>
5748 <dd>interpreted by the track/bus panner, should control image "width"</dd>
5749 <dt>/route/pandirection</dt>
5750 <dd>interpreted by the track/bus panner, should control image "direction"</dd>
5751 <dt>/route/plugin/parameter</dt>
5752 <dd>the Mth parameter of the Nth plugin of a track/bus
5754 <dt>/route/send/gain</dt>
5755 <dd>the gain control ("fader") of the Nth send of a track/bus</dd>
5757 <p>Each of the specifications needs an address, which takes various forms too. For track-level controls (solo/gain/mute/recenable), the address is one the following:</p>
5758 <dl class="wide-table">
5759 <dt>a number, eg. "1"
5761 <dd>identifies a track or bus by its remote control ID
5763 <dt>B, followed by a number
5765 <dd>identifies a track or bus by its remote control ID within the current bank (see below for more on banks)
5767 <dt>one or more words
5769 <dd>identifies a track or bus by its name
5773 For send/insert/plugin controls, the address consists of a track/bus
5774 address (as just described) followed by a number identifying the plugin/send
5775 (starting from 1). For plugin parameters, there is an additional third
5776 component: a number identifying the plugin parameter number (starting from
5780 One additional feature: for solo and mute bindings, you can also add
5781 <code>momentary="yes"</code> after the control address. This is useful
5782 primarily for NoteOn bindings—when Ardour gets the NoteOn it
5783 will solo or mute the targetted track or bus, but then when a NoteOff
5784 arrives, it will un-solo or un-mute it.
5787 <h4>Bindings to Ardour "functions"</h4>
5789 Rather than binding to a specific track/bus control, it may be useful to
5790 have a MIDI controller able to alter some part of Ardour's state. A
5791 binding definition that does this looks like this:
5794 <Binding channel="1" note="13" function="transport-roll"/>
5797 In this case, a NoteOn message for note number 13 (on channel 1) will
5798 start the transport rolling. The following function names are available:
5800 <dl class="narrower-table">
5802 <code>transport-stop</code>
5804 <dd>stop the transport
5807 <code>transport-roll</code>
5809 <dd>start the transport "rolling"
5812 <code>transport-zero</code>
5814 <dd>move the playhead to the zero position
5817 <code>transport-start</code>
5819 <dd>move the playhead to the start marker
5822 <code>transport-end</code>
5824 <dd>move the playhead to the end marker
5827 <code>loop-toggle</code>
5829 <dd>turn on loop playback
5832 <code>rec-enable</code>
5834 <dd>enable the global record button
5837 <code>rec-disable</code>
5839 <dd>disable the global record button
5842 <code>next-bank</code>
5844 <dd>Move track/bus mapping to the next bank (see Banks below)
5847 <code>prev-bank</code>
5849 <dd>Move track/bus mapping to the previous bank (see Banks below)
5853 <h4>Binding to Ardour "actions"</h4>
5855 You can also bind a sysex or arbitrary message to any of the items
5856 that occur in Ardour's main menu (and its submenus). The best place
5857 to look for the (long) list of how to address each item is in your
5858 keybindings file, which will contain lines that look like this:
5861 (gtk_accel_path "<Actions>/Editor/temporal-zoom-in" "equal")
5864 To create a binding between an arbitrary MIDI message (we'll use a
5865 note-off on channel 1 of MIDI note 60 (hex) with release velocity
5866 40 (hex)), the binding file would contain:
5869 <Binding msg="80 60 40" action="Editor/temporal-zoom-in"/>
5872 The general rule, when taken an item from the keybindings file and
5873 using it in a MIDI binding is to simply strip the
5874 <code><Action></code> prefix of the second field in the
5875 keybinding definition.
5878 <h3>Banks and Banking</h3>
5880 Because many modern control surfaces offer per-track/bus controls
5881 for far fewer tracks & busses than many users want to control,
5882 Ardour offers the relatively common place concept of <dfn>banks</dfn>. Banks
5883 allow you to control any number of tracks and/or busses easily,
5884 regardless of how many faders/knobs etc. your control surface has.<br />
5885 To use banking, the control addresses must be specified using the
5886 <dfn>bank relative</dfn> format mentioned above ("B1" to identify
5887 the first track of a bank of tracks, rather than "1" to identify
5891 One very important extra piece of information is required to use
5892 banking: an extra line near the start of the list of bindings
5893 that specifies how many tracks/busses to use per bank. If the
5894 device has 8 faders, then 8 would be a sensible value to use for
5895 this. The line looks like this:</p>
5897 <DeviceInfo bank-size="8"/>
5900 In addition, you probably want to ensure that you bind something
5901 on the control surface to the <code>next-bank</code> and
5902 <code>prev-bank</code> functions, otherwise you and other users
5903 will have to use the mouse and the GUI to change banks, which
5904 rather defeats the purpose of the bindings.
5906 <h2>A Complete (though muddled) Example</h2>
5908 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
5909 <ArdourMIDIBindings version="1.0.0" name="pc1600x transport controls">
5910 <DeviceInfo bank-size="16"/>
5911 <Binding channel="1" ctl="1" uri="/route/gain B1"/>
5912 <Binding channel="1" ctl="2" uri="/route/gain B2"/>
5913 <Binding channel="1" ctl="3" uri="/route/send/gain B1 1"/>
5914 <Binding channel="1" ctl="4" uri="/route/plugin/parameter B1 1 1"/>
5915 <Binding channel="1" ctl="6" uri="/bus/gain master"/>
5917 <Binding channel="1" note="1" uri="/route/solo B1"/>
5918 <Binding channel="1" note="2" uri="/route/solo B2" momentary="yes"/>
5920 <Binding channel="1" note="15" uri="/route/mute B1" momentary="yes"/>
5921 <Binding channel="1" note="16" uri="/route/mute B2" momentary="yes"/>
5923 <Binding sysex="f0 0 0 e 9 0 5b f7" function="transport-start"/>
5924 <Binding sysex="f0 7f 0 6 7 f7" function="rec-disable"/>
5925 <Binding sysex="f0 7f 0 6 6 f7" function="rec-enable"/>
5926 <Binding sysex="f0 0 0 e 9 0 53 0 0 f7" function="loop-toggle"/>
5928 <Binding channel="1" note="13" function="transport-roll"/>
5929 <Binding channel="1" note="14" function="transport-stop"/>
5930 <Binding channel="1" note="12" function="transport-start"/>
5931 <Binding channel="1" note="11" function="transport-zero"/>
5932 <Binding channel="1" note="10" function="transport-end"/>
5933 </ArdourMIDIBindings>
5936 Please note that channel, controller and note numbers are specified as
5937 decimal numbers in the ranges 1-16, 0-127 and 0-127 respectively
5938 (the channel range may change at some point).
5942 title: Working With Encoders in Ardour
5943 menu_title: Working With Encoders
5948 Encoders are showing up more frequently on controllers. However, they use
5949 the same MIDI events as Continuous Controllers and they have no standard
5950 way of sending that information as MIDI events. Ardour 4.2 has implemented
5951 4 of the more common ways of sending encoder information.
5954 Encoders that send the same continuous values as a pot would are not
5955 discussed here as they are already supported by <code>ctl</code>.
5958 Encoders as this page talks about them send direction and offset that the
5959 DAW will add to or subtract from the current value.
5962 The 4 kinds of encoder supported are:
5966 enc-r: On the bcr/bcf2000 this is called "Relative Signed Bit". The most
5967 significant bit sets positive and the lower 6 signifcant bits are the
5971 enc-l: The bcr2000 calls this "Relative Signed Bit 2". The most
5972 significant bit sets negative and the lower 6 signifcant bits are the
5973 offset. If you are using one of these two and the values are right but
5974 reversed, use the other. This one is the one the Mackie Control Protocol
5978 enc-2: The bcr2000 calls this one "Relative 2s Complement". Positive
5979 offsets are sent as normal from 1 to 64 and negative offsets are sent as
5980 2s complement negative numbers.
5983 enc-b: The bcr2000 calls this one "Relative Binary Offset". Positive
5984 offsets are sent as offset plus 64 and negative offsets are sent as 64
5989 If the wrong one is chosen, either the positive or negative side will act
5990 incorrectly. It is not really possible to auto detect which one the
5991 controller is using. Trial and error is the only way if the specification
5992 of the controller is not known.
5995 Many controllers have more than one choice as well, check the manual for
6007 There are no "best" ways to map an arbitrary MIDI controller for controlling Ardour. There may be very legitimate reasons for different users to prefer quite different mappings.
6011 On every platform that Ardour runs on, there are excellent free-of-charge tools for making connections between MIDI hardware and "virtual" MIDI ports like the ones that Ardour creates and uses. Rather than waste precious developer time replicating these connection/patch managers, we prefer to leverage their existence by having users rely on them to actually connect Ardour to other MIDI devices and software. On OS X, we recommend Pete Yandell's MIDI Patchbay. On Linux, a wide variety of tools are available including QJackctl, aconnect, Patchage, and more.
6017 <li>Enable Generic MIDI control: <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences
6018 > Control Surfaces > Generic MIDI</kbd></li>
6019 <li>Connect Ardour's MIDI port named <samp>control</samp> to whatever
6020 hardware or software you want (using a MIDI patchbay app)</li>
6021 <li><kbd class="mod1 mouse">Middle</kbd>-click on whatever on-screen
6022 fader, plugin parameter control, button etc. you want to control</li>
6023 <li>A small window appears that says "Operate Controller now"</li>
6024 <li>Move the hardware knob or fader, or press the note/key.</li>
6025 <li>The binding is complete. Moving the hardware should control the Ardour fader etc. </li>
6028 <h2>Avoiding work in the future</h2>
6031 If you want the bindings you set up to be used automatically in every session, the simplest thing to do is to use <kbd class="menu">Session > Save Template</kbd>. Then, when creating new sessions, select that template and all the bindings will be automatically set up for you.
6035 title: Using the Presonus Faderport
6036 menu_title: Presonus Faderport
6041 Since version 4.5, Ardour has had full support for the Presonus
6042 Faderport. This is a compact control surface featuring a single
6043 motorized fader, a single knob (encoder) and 24 buttons with fixed
6044 labels. It is a relatively low-cost device that functions very well
6045 to control a single (selected) track or bus, along with a variety of
6046 other "global" settings and conditions.
6049 <h2>Connecting the Faderport</h2>
6052 The Faderport comes with a single USB socket on the back. Connect a
6053 suitable USB cable from there to a USB port on your computer. As of
6054 the end of 2015, you should avoid USB3 ports—these cause erratic
6055 behaviour with the device. This issue might get fixed by Presonus in
6060 Ardour uses the Faderport in what Presonus calls "native" mode. You
6061 do not need to do anything to enable this—Ardour will set the
6062 device to be in the correct mode. In native mode, the Faderport
6063 sends and receives ordinary MIDI messages to/from the host, and the
6064 host understands the intended meaning of these messages. We note
6065 this detail to avoid speculation about whether Ardour supports the
6066 device via the HUI protocol—it does not.
6070 The Faderport will be automatically recognized by your operating
6071 system, and will appear in any of the lists of possible MIDI ports
6072 in both Ardour and other similar software.
6076 To connect the Faderport to Ardour, open the Preferences dialog, and
6077 then click on "Control Surfaces". Click on the "Enable" button
6078 in the line that says "Faderport" in order to activate Ardour's
6079 Faderport support. Then double click on the line that says
6080 "Faderport". A new dialog will open, containing (among other things)
6081 two dropdown selectors that will allow you to identify the MIDI
6082 ports where your Faderport is connected.
6086 <img alt="the Faderport configuration dialog"
6087 src="/images/faderport_dialog.png">
6091 Once you select the input and output port, Ardour will initialize
6092 the Faderport and it will be ready to use. You only need do this
6093 once: once these ports are connected and your session has been
6094 saved, the connections will be made automatically in this and other
6099 You do not need to use the power supply that comes with the
6100 Faderport but without it, the fader will not be motorized. This
6101 makes the overall experience of using the Faderport much less
6102 satisfactory, since the fader will not move when Ardour tells it
6103 to, leading to very out-of-sync conditions between the physical
6104 fader position and the "fader position" inside the program.
6107 <h2>Using the Faderport</h2>
6110 The Faderport's controls can be divided into three groups:
6112 <li>Global controls such as the transport buttons</li>
6114 <li>Controls which change the settings for particular track or
6117 <li>Controls which alter which track or bus is modified by the
6118 per-track/bus controls.</li>
6122 Because the Faderport has only a single set of per-track controls,
6123 by default those controls operate on the first selected track or
6124 bus. If there is no selected track or bus, the controls will do
6128 <h3>Transport Buttons</h3>
6130 The transport buttons all work as you would expect.
6135 When pressed on its own, starts the transport moving backwards. Successive presses
6136 speed up the "rewind" behaviour.
6139 If pressed while also holding the Stop button, the playhead will
6140 return to the zero position on the timeline.
6143 If pressed while also holding the Shift button, the playhead will
6144 move to the session start marker.
6147 <dt>Fast Forward</dt>
6150 When pressed on its own, starts the transport moving faster than normal. Successive presses
6151 speed up the "fast forward" behaviour.
6154 If pressed while also holding the Shift button, the playhead
6155 will move to the session end marker.
6160 Stops the transport. Also used in combination with the Rewind
6161 button to "return to zero".
6165 Starts the transport. If pressed while the transport is
6166 already rolling at normal speed, causes the playhead to jump to
6167 the start of the last "roll" and continue rolling ("Poor man's
6170 <dt>Record Enable</dt>
6171 <dd>Toggles the global record enable setting
6176 <h3>Other Global Controls</h3>
6178 The Mix, Proj, Trns buttons do not obviously correspond any
6179 particular functions or operations in Ardour. We have therefore
6180 allowed users to choose from a carefully curated set of possible
6181 actions that seem related to the button labels in some clear
6182 way. This can be done via the Faderport configuration dialog
6183 accessed via <code>Preferences > Control Surfaces</code>. Each
6184 button has 3 possible actions associated with it:
6186 <li>Plain Press: action to be taken when the button is pressed on
6188 <li>Shift-Press: action to be taken when the button is pressed in
6189 conjunction with the Shift button.</li>
6190 <li>Long Press: action to be taken when the button is pressed on
6191 its own and held down for more than 0.5 seconds.</li>
6193 Click on the relevant drop-down selector to pick an action as you
6197 The User button also has no obvious mapping to specific Ardour
6198 functionality, so we allow users to choose from <em>any</em>
6199 possible GUI action. The menu for selecting the action is somewhat
6200 confusing and it can be hard to find what you're looking
6201 for. However, all possible actions are there, so keep looking!
6207 Possible actions include:
6209 <li>Toggle Editor & Mixer visibility</li>
6210 <li>Show/Hide the Editor mixer strip</li>
6217 Possible actions include:
6219 <li>Toggle Meterbridge visibility</li>
6220 <li>Toggle Session Summary visibility</li>
6221 <li>Toggle Editor Lists visibility</li>
6222 <li>Zoom to session</li>
6231 Possible actions include:
6233 <li>Toggle Locations window visibility</li>
6234 <li>Toggle Metronome</li>
6235 <li>Toggle external sync</li>
6236 <li>Set Playhead at current pointer position</li>
6242 Undo Causes the last operation carried out in the editor to be
6243 undone. When pressed in conjuction with the Shift button, it
6244 causes the most recent undone operation to be re-done.
6249 When pressed on its own, toggles punch recording. If there is no
6250 punch range set for the session, this will do nothing.
6253 When pressed in conjunction with the Shift button, this moves
6254 the playhead to the previous Marker
6260 See above. Any and all GUI-initiated actions can be driven with
6261 by pressing this button on its own, or with a "long" press.
6264 When pressed in conjunction with the Shift button, this will move
6265 the playhead to the next marker.
6271 When pressed on its own, this toggles loop playback. If the
6272 Ardour preference "Loop-is-mode" is enabled, this does nothing
6273 to the current transport state. If that preference is disabled,
6274 then engaging loop playback will also start the transport.
6277 When pressed in conjunction with the Shift button, this will
6278 create a new (unnamed) marker at the current playhead
6285 <h3>Per-track Controls</h3>
6290 This toggles the mute setting of the currently controlled
6291 track/bus. The button will be lit if the track/bus is muted.
6295 This toggles the solo (or listen) setting of the currently
6296 controlled track/bus. The button will be lit if the track/bus is
6297 soloed (or set to listen mode).
6301 This toggles the record-enabled setting of the currently
6302 controlled track/bus. The button will be lit if the track is
6303 record-enabled. This button will do nothing if the Faderport is
6308 The fader controls the gain applied to the currently controlled
6309 track/bus. If the Faderport is powered, changing the gain in
6310 Ardour's GUI or via another control surface, or via automation,
6311 will result in the fader moving under its own control.
6313 <dt>Knob/Dial/Encoder</dt>
6316 The knob controls 1 or 2 pan settings for the current
6317 controlled track/bus. When used alone, turning the knob controls
6318 the "azimuth" or "direction" (between left and right) for the
6319 panner in the track/bus (if any). This is all you need when
6320 controlling tracks/busses with 1 input and 2 outputs.
6323 If controlling a 2 input/2 output track/bus, Ardour's panner
6324 has two controls: azimuth (direction) and width. The width
6325 must be reduced to less than 100% before the azimuth can be
6326 changed. Pressing the "Shift" button while turning the knob
6327 will alter the width setting.
6330 The knob can also be turned while the "User" button is held,
6331 in order to modify the input gain for the currently controlled
6337 Enables playback/use of fader automation data by the controlled track/bus.
6341 Puts the fader for the controlled track/bus into automation
6342 write mode. While the transport is rolling, all fader changes
6343 will be recorded to the fader automation lane for the relevant track/bus.
6347 Puts the fader for the controlled track/bus into automation
6348 touch mode. While the transport is rolling, touching the fader
6349 will initiate recording all fader changes until the fader is
6350 released. When the fader is not being touched, existing
6351 automation data will be played/used to control the gain level.
6355 This disables all automation modes for the currently controlled
6356 track/bus. Existing automation data will be left unmodified by
6357 any fader changes, and will not be used for controlling gain.
6362 <h3>Track Selection Controls</h3>
6364 You can manually change the track/bus controlled by the Faderport by
6365 changing the selected track in Ardour's editor window. If you select
6366 more than 1 track, the Faderport will control the first selected
6367 track and <em>only</em> that track/bus.
6371 <dt>Left (arrow)</dt>
6373 This causes the Ardour GUI to select the previous track/bus
6374 (using the current visual order in the editor window), which
6375 will in turn cause the Faderport to control that track. If there
6376 is no previous track/bus, the selected track/bus is left
6377 unchanged, and the Faderport continues to control it.
6379 <dt>Right (arrow)</dt>
6381 This causes the Ardour GUI to select the next track/bus
6382 (using the current visual order in the editor window), which
6383 will in turn cause the Faderport to control that track. If there
6384 is no next track/bus, the selected track/bus is left
6385 unchanged, and the Faderport continues to control it.
6390 Pressing the Output button causes the Faderport to control
6391 the fader, pan, mute and solo settings of the Master bus. If
6392 your session does not contain a Master bus, it does nothing.
6393 This is a toggle button—pressing it again returns Faderport
6394 to controlling whichever track/bus was selected before the
6395 first press of the Output button.
6398 If your session uses Ardour's monitor section, you can use
6399 Shift-Output to assign it to the Faderport in the same way
6400 that Output assigns the Master bus. This is also a toggle
6401 setting, so the second Shift-Output will return the Faderport
6402 to controlling whichever track/bus was selected before.
6405 If you press Shift-Output after a single press to Output
6406 (i.e. control the Monitor Section while currently controlling
6407 the Master bus) or vice versa (i.e. control the Master bus
6408 while currently controlling the Monitor Section), the press
6409 will be ignored. This avoids getting into a tricky situation
6410 where it is no longer apparent what is being controlled and
6411 what will happen if you try to change it.
6416 The "Bank" button is currently not used by Ardour
6422 title: Using the Ableton Push 2
6423 menu_title: Ableton Push 2
6428 <img alt="the Ableton Push 2 surface" src="/images/push2-main.jpg">
6431 Since version 5.4, Ardour has had full support for the Ableton
6432 Push2. This is an expensive but beautifully engineered control
6433 surface primarily targetting the workflow found in Ableton's Live
6434 software and other similar tools such as Bitwig. As of 5.4, Ardour
6435 does not offer the same kind of workflow, so we have repurposed the
6436 Push 2 to be used for mixing and editing and musical performance,
6437 without the clip/scene oriented approach in Live. This may change in
6438 future versions of Ardour.
6441 <h2>Connecting the Push 2</h2>
6443 Plug the USB cable from the Push 2 into a USB2 or USB3 port on your
6444 computer. For brighter backlighting, also plug in the power supply
6445 (this is not necessary for use).
6449 The Push 2 will be automatically recognized by your operating
6450 system, and will appear in any of the lists of possible MIDI ports
6451 in both Ardour and other similar software.
6454 To connect the Push 2 to Ardour, open the Preferences dialog, and
6455 then click on "Control Surfaces". Click on the "Enable" button
6456 in the line that says "Ableton Push 2" in order to activate Ardour's
6460 Once you select the input and output port, Ardour will initialize
6461 the Push 2 and it will be ready to use. You only need do this
6462 once: once these ports are connected and your session has been
6463 saved, the connections will be made automatically in this and other
6467 <h2>Push 2 Configuration</h2>
6469 The only configuration option at this time is whether the pads send
6470 aftertouch or polyphonic pressure messages. You can alter this
6471 setting via the Push 2 GUI, accessed by double-clicking on the "Push
6472 2" entry in the control surfaces list.
6474 <img alt="the Push 2 configuration dialog"
6475 src="/images/push2-gui.png">
6478 <h2>Basic Concepts</h2>
6480 With the Push 2 support in Ardour 5.4, you can do the following
6483 <dt>Perform using the 8 x 8 pad "grid"</dt>
6484 <dd>The Push 2 has really lovely pressure-sensitive pads that can
6485 also generate either aftertouch or note (polyphonic) pressure.</dd>
6486 <dt>Global Mixing</dt>
6487 <dd>See many tracks at once, and control numerous parameters for each.</dd>
6488 <dt>Track/Bus Mixing</dt>
6489 <dd>View a single track/bus, with even more parameters for the track.</dd>
6490 <dt>Choose the mode/scale, root note and more for the pads</dt>
6491 <dd>37 scales are available. Like Live, Ardour offers both
6492 "in-key" and "chromatic" pad layouts.</dd>
6495 ... plus a variety of tasks related to transport control, selection,
6496 import, click track control and more.
6499 <h2>Musical Performance</h2>
6501 Messages sent from the 8x8 pad grid and the "pitch bend bar" are
6502 routed to a special MIDI port within Ardour called "Push 2 Pads"
6503 (no extra latency is incurred from this routing). Although you can
6504 manually connect this port to whatever you wish, the normal
6505 behaviour of Ardour's Push 2 support is to connect the pads to the
6506 most recently selected MIDI track.
6509 This means that to play a soft-synth/instrument plugin in a given
6510 MIDI track with the Push 2, you just need to select that track.
6513 If multiple MIDI tracks are selected at once, the first selected
6514 track will be used. Note that messages originating from all other
6515 controls on the Push 2 will <em>not</em> not be delivered to the
6516 "Push 2 Pads" port. This makes no difference in practice, because
6517 the other controls do not send messages that are useful for musical
6523 This is the default mode that Ardour will start the Push 2 in. In
6524 this mode, the 8 knobs at the top of the device, the 8 buttons below
6525 them, the video display and the 8 buttons below that are combined to
6526 provide a global view of the session mix.
6529 <img alt="global mix mode on Push2 screen"
6530 src="/images/push2-globalmix.png">
6533 The upper buttons are labelled by text in the video display just
6534 below them. Pressing one of the buttons changes the function of the
6535 knobs, and the parameters that will shown for each track/bus in the
6539 As of Ardour 5.4, the possible parameters are:
6542 <dd>The display shows a knob and text displaying
6543 the current gain setting for the track, and a meter that
6544 corresponds precisely to the meter shown in the Ardour GUI for
6545 that track. Changing the meter type (e.g. from Peak to K12) in the
6546 GUI will also change it in the Push 2 display. The physical knob
6547 will alter track/bus gain.
6550 <dd>The display shows a knob indicating the pan direction/azimuth
6551 for the corresponding track/bus. Turning the physical knob will
6552 pan the track left and right. If the track/bus has no panner
6553 (i.e. it has only a single output), no knob is shown and the
6554 physical knob will do nothing. </dd>
6556 <dd><p>For tracks with 2 outputs, the display will show a knob
6557 indicating the pan width setting for the corresponding
6558 track/bus. The physical knob can be turned to adjust the
6562 Unlike many DAWs, Ardour's stereo panners have "width"
6563 parameter that defaults to 100%. You cannot change the pan
6564 direction/azimuth of a track with 100% width, but must first
6565 reduce the width in order to pan it. Similarly, a track panned
6566 anywhere other than dead center has limits on the maximum
6567 width setting. If these concepts are not familiar to you,
6568 please be aware than many DAWs use a "panner" that actually
6569 implement "balance" and not "panning", hence the difference.
6573 <dd>The display shows a knob indicating the gain level for the
6574 first send in that track. If the track has no send, no knob will
6575 be shown, and the physical knob for that track will do nothing.
6577 <dt>B Sends, C Sends, D Sends</dt>
6578 <dd>Like "A Sends", but for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sends of a
6579 track/bus respectively.
6584 To change which tracks are shown while in global mix mode, use the
6585 left and right arrow/cursor keys just below and to the right of the
6586 display. Tracks and busses that are hidden in Ardour's GUI will also
6587 be hidden from display on the Push 2.
6590 To select a track/bus directly from the Push 2, press the
6591 corresponding button below the display. The track name will be
6592 highlighted, and the selection will change in Ardour's GUI as well
6593 (and also any other control surfaces).
6596 <h3>Soloing and Muting in Global Mix mode</h3>
6598 The Solo and Mute buttons to the left of the video display can be
6599 used to solo and mute tracks while in Global Mix mode. The operation
6600 will be applied to the <em>first</em> currently selected
6604 There are two indications that one or more tracks are soloed:
6606 <li>The solo button will blink red</li>
6607 <li>Track names will be prefixed by "*" if they are soloed, and
6608 "-" if they are muted due to soloing.</li>
6612 To cancel solo, either:
6614 <li>Select the soloed track(s) and press the solo button
6616 <li>Press and hold the solo button for more than 1 second</li>
6622 <p>Track Mix mode allows you to focus on a single track in more detail
6623 than is possible in Global Mix mode. To enter (or leave) Track Mix
6624 mode, press the "Mix" button.
6628 In Track Mix mode, various aspects of the state of the first
6629 selected track/bus will be displayed on the Push 2. Above the
6630 display, the first 4 knobs control track volume (gain), pan
6631 directiom/azimuth, pan width, and where appropriate, track input
6636 Below the display, 7 buttons provide immediate control of mute,
6637 solo, rec-enable, monitoring (input or disk or automatic), solo
6638 isolate and solo safe state. When a a track is muted due to other
6639 track(s) soloing, the mute button will flash (to differentiate from
6640 its state when it is explicitly muted).
6644 The video display also shows meters for the track, which as in
6645 Global Mix mode, precisely match the meter type shown in Ardour's
6646 GUI. There are also two time displays showing the current playhead
6647 position in both musical (beats|bars|ticks) format, and as
6648 hours:minutes:seconds.
6652 To change which track is visible in Track Mix mode, use the
6653 left/right arrow/cursor keys just below and to the right of the
6657 <h2>Scale Selection</h2>
6660 Press the Scale button to enter Scale mode. The display will look
6665 <img alt="track mix mode on Push2 screen"
6666 src="/images/push2-scale.png">
6670 In the center, 37 scales are presented. Scroll through them by
6671 either using the cursor/arrow keys to the lower right of the
6672 display, or the knobs above the display. The scale will change
6673 dynamically as you scroll. You can also scroll in whole pages using
6674 the upper right and upper left buttons above the display (they will
6675 display "<" and ">" if scrolling is possible).
6679 To change the root note of the scale, press the corresponding button
6680 above or below the video display.The button will be lit to indicate
6681 your selection (and the text will be highlighted).
6685 By default, Ardour configures the Push 2 pads to use "in-key" mode,
6686 where all pads correspond to notes "in" the chosen scale. Notes
6687 corresponding to the root note, or the equivalent note in higher
6688 octaves, are highlighted with the color of the current target MIDI
6694 "chromatic" mode, the pads correspond to a continuous sequence of
6695 notes starting with your selected root note. Pads corresponding to
6696 notes in the scale are illuminated; those corresponding to the root
6697 note are lit with the color the current target MIDI track. Other
6698 pads are left dark, but you can still play them.
6702 To switch between them, press button on the lower left of the video
6703 display; the text above it will display the current mode (though it
6704 is usually visually self-evident from the pad lighting pattern).
6708 To leave Scale mode, press the "Scale" button again. You may also
6709 use the upper left button above the display, though if you have
6710 scrolled left, it may require more than one press.
6713 <h2>Specific Button/Knob Functions</h2>
6716 In addition to the layouts described above, many (but not all) of
6717 the buttons and knobs around the edges of the Push 2 will carry out
6718 various functions related to their (illuminated) label. As of Ardour
6721 <dt>Metronome (button and adjacent knob)</dt>
6723 Enables/disables the click (metronome). The knob directly above
6724 it will control the volume (gain) of the click.
6728 Undo or redo the previous editing operation.
6732 Deletes the currently selected region, or range, or
6733 note. Equivalent to using Ctrl/Cmd-x on the keyboard.
6737 If a MIDI region is selected in Ardour, this will open the
6742 Duplicates the current region or range selection.
6746 Enables and disables Ardour's global record enable state.
6750 Starts and stops the transport.
6754 Opens Ardour's Add Track/Bus dialog.
6758 Open's Ardour's import dialog to select and audition existing
6759 audio and MIDI files.
6763 Pressing this button jumps directly to Track Mix mode, with the
6764 master out bus displayed.
6766 <dt>Cursor arrows</dt>
6768 These are used by some modes to navigate within the display (e.g
6769 Scale mode). In other modes, the up/down cursor arrows will
6770 scroll the GUI display up and down, while the left/right cursor
6771 arrows will generally scroll within the Push 2 display itself.
6775 Enables/disables loop playback. This will follow Ardour's "loop
6776 is mode" preference, just like the loop button in the Ardour
6779 <dt>Octave buttons</dt>
6781 These shift the root note of the current pad scale up or down by
6784 <dt>Page buttons</dt>
6786 These scroll Ardour's editor display left and right along the
6789 <dt>Master (top right) knob</dt>
6791 This knob controls the gain/volume of Ardour's main output. If
6792 the session has a monitor saec
6799 title: Configuring MIDI
6805 title: Using External MIDI Devices
6809 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
6813 title: Setting Up MIDI
6817 <h2>What Can Ardour Do With MIDI?</h2>
6819 <dfn><abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital
6820 Interface">MIDI</abbr></dfn> is a way to describe musical
6821 performances and to control music hardware and software.
6823 <p>Ardour can import and record MIDI data, and perform a variety of
6824 editing operations on it. Furthermore, MIDI can be used to control
6825 various functions of Ardour.
6828 <h2>MIDI Handling Frameworks</h2>
6830 MIDI input and output for Ardour are handled by the same "engine"
6831 that handles audio input and output. Up to release 3.5, that means
6832 that all MIDI I/O takes place via JACK. JACK itself uses the
6833 native MIDI support of the operating system to receive and send
6834 MIDI data. The native MIDI support provides device drivers for MIDI
6835 hardware and libraries needed by software applications that want to
6841 <dd> <dfn>CoreMIDI</dfn> is the standard MIDI framework on OSX systems.
6845 <dfn><abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound API">ALSA</abbr> MIDI</dfn>
6846 is the standard MIDI framework on Linux systems.
6851 On Linux systems, <dfn>QJackCtl</dfn> control software displays ALSA MIDI
6852 ports under its "ALSA" tab (it does not currently display CoreMIDI
6853 ports). By contrast, JACK MIDI ports show up under
6854 the <kbd class="menu">MIDI</kbd> tab in QJackCtl.
6857 <h2>JACK MIDI Configuration</h2>
6859 By default, JACK will <strong>not</strong> automatically detect and use existing MIDI
6860 ports on your system. You must choose one of several ways
6861 of <dfn>bridging</dfn> between the native MIDI frameworks
6862 (e.g. CoreMIDI or ALSA) and JACK MIDI, as described in the sections
6867 title: MIDI on Linux
6871 <p>The right approach for using MIDI on Linux depends on which version of
6872 JACK you use. The world divides into:</p>
6875 <dt>Systems using JACK 1, versions 0.124 or later</dt>
6876 <dd>On these systems, just start JACK with the <code>-X alsa_midi</code> server argument. To support legacy control applications, you can also use the <code>-X seq</code> argument to the ALSA backend of JACK and get the exact same results.</dd>
6878 <dd>Use a2jmidid to act as a bridge between ALSA MIDI and JACK. Do not use the <code>-X seq</code> or <code>-X raw</code> arguments—the timing and performance of these options is not acceptable.
6885 <dfn>a2jmidid</dfn> is an application that bridges between the system
6886 <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> ports and
6887 <abbr title="JACK Audio Connection Kit">JACK</abbr>.
6891 First you should make sure that there is no ALSA sequencer support enabled
6892 in JACK. To do that open QJackCtl's <kbd class="menu">Setup</kbd> window.
6896 Set <kbd class="menu">Settings > MIDI Driver</kbd> to <kbd
6897 class="input">none</kbd>.
6898 Then uncheck the <kbd class="optoff">Misc > Enable ALSA Sequencer
6899 support</kbd> option.<br />
6900 Now it's time to restart your jack server before going on.
6903 <h3>Check for a2jmidid availability</h3>
6906 First, check whether a2jmidid is already installed in your system. After
6907 starting your JACK server, go to the command line and type
6910 <kbd class="cmd lin">a2jmidid -e</kbd>
6913 If a2jmidid does not exist, install it with the software manager of your
6914 Linux distribution and try again.
6917 <h2>Check available MIDI ports</h2>
6920 If you have correctly configured JACK for MIDI, then your MIDI ports should appear in
6921 qjackctl under <kbd class="menu">Connections > MIDI </kbd>.
6924 <h3>Making it automatic</h3>
6927 Once you've verified that the ports appear in JACK as expected, you
6928 can make this happen whenever you start JACK.
6931 <p>If you use a newer version of JACK 1, just make sure the -X
6932 alsa_midi or -X seq options are enabled for whatever technique you use
6937 For other versions of JACK,
6938 add <kbd class="input">a2jmidid -e &</kbd> as an "after start-up" script
6939 in the <kbd class="menu">Setup > Options</kbd> tab of QJackCtl, so
6940 that it is started automatically whenever you start JACK.
6943 <p class="fixme">Is this true anymore in Ardour 5? This section may have been relevant in Ardour 3, but it might not be relevant anymore.</p>
6951 In order for CoreMIDI to work with Jack MIDI, a CoreMIDI-to-JACK-MIDI
6953 is required. This feature is available on versions equal to or great than
6954 version 0.89 of JackOSX.
6957 <h2>Routing MIDI</h2>
6959 <h3>Inside Ardour</h3>
6962 MIDI ports show up in Ardour's MIDI connection matrix in multiple
6963 locations. Bridged CoreMIDI ports as well as JACK MIDI ports that have
6964 been created by other software clients will show up under the "Other" tab.
6965 Bridged CoreMIDI hardware ports show up under the "Hardware" tab.
6968 <h3>External Applications</h3>
6971 There are multiple options for connecting MIDI ports outside of Ardour.
6975 <li><a href="http://www.snoize.com/MIDIMonitor/">MIDI Monitor</a> is a handy
6976 tool for doing various MIDI-related tasks.</li>
6977 <li><a href="http://notahat.com/midi_patchbay">MIDI Patchbay</a> lets you
6978 connect ports and filters MIDI data.</li>
6983 title: Sessions & Tracks
6995 title: New/Open Session Dialog
6998 <p class="fixme">Info is out of date, image needs updating</p>
7001 The initial <dfn>Session</dfn> dialog consists of several consecutive pages:
7004 <h2>Open Session Page</h2>
7006 On this page, you can open an <dfn>existing session</dfn>. You can also
7007 open any <a href="/working-with-sessions/snapshots/">snapshot</a> of a
7008 particular session by clicking on the arrow next to the session name to
7009 display all snapshots, and then selecting one. If your session is
7010 not displayed in the Recent Sessions list, the <kbd class="menu">Other
7011 Sessions</kbd> button will bring up a file selection dialog to navigate
7012 your hard drive.<br />
7013 Alternatively, you can opt to create a <kbd class="menu">New
7017 <h2>New Session page</h2>
7019 Here you can type in the name of a session, select a folder to save in, and
7020 optionally use an existing <a href="/working-with-sessions/session-templates/">template</a>.
7023 Under <dfn>Advanced Options</dfn>, you can select whether you wish to create
7024 a Master Bus, or a Control Bus, and how many channels you wish either to have.
7025 You can also decide whether you want Ardour to automatically connect all inputs
7026 to the physical ports of your hardware. Ardour will do so
7027 sequentially and in round-robin fashion, connecting the first track's
7028 input to the first input of your hardware and so on. When Ardour has used
7029 all available hardware inputs, it will begin again with the first physical
7031 You can limit the number of channels on your physical hardware that Ardour
7035 By default Ardour will connect all tracks and busses to the Master Bus if
7036 there is one. However you can also tell it to automatically connect each
7037 output to the physical outputs of your interface or sound card, and limit
7038 the number of physical outputs used, as above.
7041 <h3>Audio/MIDI Setup</h3>
7043 <img class="right" src="/images/Audio-MIDI_Setup.png" alt="The Audio+MIDI
7047 This page is not displayed if <abbr title="JACK Audio Connection
7048 Kit">JACK</abbr> is already running when you start
7049 Ardour. It provides a simple interface to configure JACK, which
7050 will then be started by Ardour. For more control and options regarding
7051 JACK, it is recommended that you start JACK before using Ardour, via a
7052 JACK control application such as QJackCtl (sometimes called "Jack
7053 Control"), JackPilot, etc.
7056 <dt>Audio System</dt>
7057 <dd>Currently, the only option here is <kbd class="menu">JACK</kbd>. In the future, native
7058 hardware access may be supported.</dd>
7061 On Mac OS X this will typically be <kbd class="menu">CoreAudio</kbd>. On Linux usually
7062 this will be either <kbd class="menu"><abbr title="Free Firewire Audio Driver fOr
7063 linux">FFADO</abbr></kbd>
7064 or <kbd class="menu"><abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound
7065 Architecture">ALSA</abbr></kbd>, depending on whether or not you are
7066 utilizing a firewire device. Advanced users on all platforms may also
7067 use <kbd class="menu">NetJack</kbd> which provides network audio I/O.
7070 <dd>The selector should show all availiable interfaces provided by the
7071 driver above and which are capable of duplex operation.
7073 If you are using an Intel Mac running OS X and the builtin audio
7075 first <a href="setting-up-your-system/using_more_than_one_audio_device/">merge
7076 its separate input and output devices into a single "aggregate
7077 device"</a> before Ardour will be able to use it.
7080 <dt>Sample Rate</dt>
7082 The selector will allow you to select from any sample rate
7083 supported by the device selected above it.
7085 <dt>Buffer Size</dt>
7087 You can adjust the size of the buffer used by your audio interface
7088 to allow for either lower latency, or lower CPU usage and higher
7091 <dt>Input/Output Channels</dt>
7093 Here you can specify the number of hardware channels to use. The
7094 default is <kbd class="menu">all available channels</kbd>.</dd>
7095 <dt>Hardware Input/Output Latency</dt>
7096 <dd>Specify the hardware delay in samples for precise latency compensation.</dd>
7099 This button guides you through a semi-automated process to obtain
7100 precise hardware latency measurements for the above option.</dd>
7101 <dt>MIDI System</dt>
7103 Select the MIDI driver to use. On Mac OS X, this will be <kbd
7104 class="menu">CoreMIDI</kbd>. On Linux, you can change between two legacy
7105 ALSA drivers or the (preferred) new JACK+ALSA implementation.</dd>
7109 title: What's in a Session?
7114 The <dfn>Session</dfn> is the fundamental document type that is created and
7115 modified by the Ardour workstation. A Session is a folder on your computer
7116 filesystem that contains all the items that pertain to a particular project
7117 or "recording/editing/mixing session".
7121 The Session folder includes these files and folders:
7125 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.ardour</code> the main session snapshot</li>
7126 <li><code>*.ardour</code>, any additional snapshots </li>
7127 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.ardour.bak</code>, the auto-backup snapshot</li>
7128 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.history</code>, the undo history for the session </li>
7129 <li><code>instant.xml</code>, which records the last-used zoom scale and other metadata</li>
7130 <li><code>interchange/</code>, a folder which holds your raw audio and MIDI
7131 files (whether imported or recorded)</li>
7132 <li><code>export/</code>, a folder which contains any files created by the
7133 <kbd class="menu">Session > Export</kbd> function</li>
7134 <li><code>peaks/</code>, a folder which contains waveform renderings of
7135 all audio files in the session</li>
7136 <li><code>analysis/</code>, a folder which contains transient and pitch
7137 information of each audio file that has been analysed</li>
7138 <li><code>dead sounds/</code>, a folder which contains sound files which
7139 Ardour has detected are no longer used in the session (during a <kbd
7140 class="menu">Session > Clean-up > Clean-up Unused Sources</kbd>
7141 operation, will be purged by <kbd class="menu">Flush Waste Basket</kbd>)</li>
7144 A session combines some setup information (such as audio and MIDI routing,
7145 musical tempo & meter, timecode synchronization, etc.) with one or more
7146 Tracks and Buses, and all the Regions and Plug-Ins they contain.
7150 title: Where Are Sessions Stored?
7155 <dfn>Sessions</dfn> are stored in a single folder on your computer's filesystem.
7159 The first time you run Ardour, you will be asked where you would like the
7160 default location for sessions to be, with the initial choice being your
7165 After the first-run dialog, you can still change the default location at
7166 any time via <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Session
7167 Management</kbd>. You can also specify a particular (different) location for
7168 a session when creating it, in the
7169 <a href="/working-with-sessions/new-session-dialog/">New Session dialog</a>.
7173 title: Backup and Sharing of Sessions
7178 An Ardour session is stored in a single folder on your computer's filesystem.
7179 This makes <dfn>backup</dfn> very easy—any tool capable of backing up
7180 a folder can be used to backup a session. You pick the location of a session
7181 when it is created—by default it will be in your default session location,
7182 which can be altered via <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Session
7187 There is one complication: a session may reference media files that are stored
7188 outside of the session folder, if the user has opted not to select <kbd
7189 class="optoff">Session > Import > Copy to Session</kbd> during
7190 import. Backing up a session with embedded files will not create a
7191 copy of the session containing those files.
7195 The single folder approach also makes sharing a project easy. Simply copy the session
7196 folder (onto a storage device, or across a network) and another Ardour user (on any
7197 platform) will be able to use it. The limitation regarding embedded files applies to
7198 session sharing as well.
7202 title: Interchange with other DAWs
7207 It has never been particularly easy to move sessions or projects from one
7208 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr> to another. There are two
7209 <dfn>interchange standards</dfn> that have reasonably widespread support:</p>
7211 <li>OMF (Open Media Framwwork), also known as OMFI. Developed and controlled
7212 by Avid, never standardized</li>
7213 <li>AAF (Advanced Authoring Format). Developed by a consortium of media-related
7217 In practice both of these standards have such complex and/or incomplete
7218 specifications that different DAWs support them only partially,
7219 differently, or not at all.
7221 <h2>Moving an Ardour session to another DAW</h2>
7222 <p>To move an Ardour session to another DAW, you have 3 basic choices:</p>
7224 <li>Copy the interchange folder</li>
7225 <li>Stem exports</li>
7226 <li>Use AATranslator</li>
7228 <h3>Moving another DAW session to Ardour</h3>
7229 <p>To move a session from another DAW to Ardour, you have 2 basic choices:</p>
7231 <li>Stem exports</li>
7232 <li>Use AATranslator</li>
7236 title: Copying The Interchange Folder
7241 All media in a session folder is stored in a sub-folder called
7242 <samp>interchange</samp>. Below that is another folder with the name
7243 of the session. You can copy either of these to another location and
7244 use the files within them with any other application, importing them
7245 all into a project/session. You will lose all information about regions,
7246 tracks, and timeline positioning, but all the data that Ardour was working
7247 with will be present in the other DAW. Nothing below the interchange
7248 folder is specific to Ardour—any DAW or other audio/MIDI
7249 application should be able to handle the files without any issues.
7258 <dfn>Stem exports</dfn> are covered fully in the
7259 <a href="/exporting">Export</a> chapter. A stem export creates one file
7260 per track, starting at the beginning of the session. You can then import
7261 each track into another DAW and begin working on it. You lose all data
7262 except the actual audio/MIDI (no plugins, no automation). This is one of
7263 the most common methods of interchange because it works between all DAWs.
7267 title: Using AATranslator
7272 <dfn>AATranslator</dfn> is a Windows
7273 application that can convert sessions/projects from many diffferent DAWs
7274 into other formats. At the present time (December 2016), it can read and
7275 write Ardour 2.X sessions, and can read Ardour 3 sessions.
7278 The program runs very well on Linux using
7279 <a href="http://www.winehq.org/">Wine</a> (a Windows environment for Linux).
7280 There are equivalent solutions for running Windows applications on OS X,
7281 but we have no experience with them at this time. Ardour users have reported
7282 great results using AATranslator on Ardour 2.X sessions.</p>
7284 The <a href="http://www.aatranslator.com.au/">AATranslator website</a>
7285 has full details on supported formats and DAWs. The list includes
7286 ProTools, Live, Reaper, OMF, AAF and many more.
7289 AATranslator is closed-source, non-free software (as of this writing, Dec. 2016, the cost is 60 USD for the "Standard" version, and 200 USD for the "Enhanced" version).
7293 title: Renaming a Session
7298 Use <kbd class="menu">Session > Rename</kbd> to give your session a
7299 new name. A dialog will appear to ask you for the new name.
7303 This operation does <strong>not</strong> make a new session folder —
7304 the existing session folder and relevant contents are renamed. If your
7305 session was not saved before a rename operation, it will be saved
7306 automatically and then renaming will continue.
7310 Ardour's <kbd class="menu">Session > Save As</kbd> operation will not
7311 make a new copy of the session folder and its contents. All it does is
7312 create a new session file.
7316 title: Session Templates
7321 <dfn>Session templates</dfn> are a way to store the setup of a session
7322 for future use. They do not store any <em>audio</em> data but can store:
7326 <li>The number of tracks and busses, along with their names</li>
7327 <li>The plugins present on each track or bus (if any)</li>
7328 <li>All I/O connections</li>
7331 <h2>Creating a Session Template</h2>
7334 Choose <kbd class="menu">Session > Save Template</kbd>. A dialog will ask
7335 you for the name of the new template.
7338 <h2>Using a Session Template</h2>
7341 In the New Session dialog, choose the desired template from the combo
7346 Note that you can also use an existing session as a template, without
7347 saving it as one. This is available as an option in the New Session dialog.
7348 Doing this will not alter the existing session at all, but will use its track,
7349 bus and plugin configuration just like a template.
7353 See also <a href="/missing">Track & Bus templates</a> for information
7354 on templates for individual tracks or busses.
7357 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
7365 Sometimes you will want to save a <dfn>snapshot</dfn> of the current state of a session for possible
7366 use in the future. For example, you may be about to change the entire
7367 arrangement of a piece, or drastically alter the signal processing, and
7368 want a reference to come back to, should that not work out.
7372 This is easily accomplished using <kbd class="menu">Session >
7374 A small dialog will appear, allowing you to enter a name for the snapshot.
7375 The default name is based on the current date and time.<br />
7376 You can create any number of snapshots.
7380 Creating a snapshot does <strong>not</strong> modify your session,
7381 nor does it save your session. Instead, it saves an alternate version
7382 of the session, within the session folder. The snapshot shares all data
7383 present in the session.
7387 After creating a snapshot, you can continue working on the session and
7388 save it normally using <kbd class="menu">Session > Save</kbd> and any
7389 existing snapshots will remain unchanged.
7392 <h2>Switching to a Snapshot</h2>
7395 If you are already working on a session and want to to switch to an
7396 existing snapshot, navigate the Snapshots tab of the
7397 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor List</a>.
7398 Find the name of the snapshot in the list and click it. Ardour will switch
7399 to the snapshot. If there are unsaved changes in the current session, Ardour will
7400 ask what you want to do.
7403 <h2>Starting Ardour With a Snapshot</h2>
7406 Since a snapshot is just another session file stored within the session
7407 folder, you can specify that "version" when loading an existing session.
7408 The browser in the "Open Session" dialog will show an expander arrow for
7409 sessions that have more than 1 session file (i.e. snapshots) present—click on it to see the list, and then click on the name of the
7410 snapshot you want to load.
7413 <h2>Saving and Switching to a Snapshot</h2>
7416 Sometimes you may want to create a snapshot and then have all future
7417 edits and modifications saved to that snapshot rather than the main
7418 session. This is easily done using <kbd class="menu">Session > Save
7419 As</kbd>. This does not create a new session folder, but saves your
7420 session as a new snapshot and then switches the "current snapshot"
7421 to the newly created one. All subsequent saves of the session will
7422 be stored in this new snapshot, and existing snapshots (and the main
7423 session) will be left unaffected.
7432 Sessions can have various items of metadata attached to them, via
7433 <kbd class ="menu">Session > Metadata > Edit Metadata...</kbd> and
7434 <kbd class ="menu">Session > Metadata > Import Metadata...</kbd>.
7437 <h2>Edit Session Metadata Dialog</h2>
7439 <img src="/images/edit-session-metadata.png" />
7441 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
7444 title: Copying versus Linking
7449 <dfn>Copying</dfn> and <dfn>linking</dfn> are two different methods of
7450 using existing audio files on your computer (or network file system)
7451 within a session. They differ in one key aspect:
7457 An existing media file is copied to the session's audio folder, and
7458 if necessary converted into the session's native format.
7462 For audio files, you can control the choice of this format (eg. WAVE
7463 or Broadcast WAVE). Audio files will also be converted to the session
7464 sample rate if necessary (which can take several minutes for larger
7469 MIDI files will already be in SMF format, and are simply copied into
7470 the session's MIDI folder.
7476 A link to an existing media file somewhere on the disk is used as a the
7477 source for a region, but the data is <strong>not copied or modified</strong>
7482 While linking is handy to conserve disk space, it means that your session
7483 is <dfn>no longer self-contained</dfn>. If the external file moves, it
7484 will become unavailable, and any changes to it from elsewhere will affect
7485 the session. A backup of the session directory will miss linked files.
7489 You can choose to copy or link files into your session with the
7490 <kbd class="option">Copy file to session</kbd> option in the Import
7495 <img class="left" src="/images/225-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
7496 ← This file will be imported in the audio/MIDI folder of your session.
7500 <img class="left" src="/images/226-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
7501 ← This file won't be copied.
7505 There is a global preference <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Session Management > Always copy imported files</kbd>. If it is enabled, you will not be able to link a file.
7509 title: Adding Pre-existing Material
7514 There are several ways to importing an audio or MIDI file into a
7518 <li><kbd class="menu">Session > Import</kbd></li>
7519 <li>Region List context menu: <kbd class="menu">Import To Region List</kbd></li>
7520 <li>Track context menu: <kbd class="menu">Import Existing Media</kbd>
7524 These methods are all equivalent: they open the <a
7525 href="/adding-pre-existing-material/import-dialog/">Add Existing Media</a>
7529 Finally, you can also easily import files into your project by dragging
7530 and dropping a file from some other application (e.g. your platform's
7531 file manager). You can drag onto the
7532 <dfn>Region List</dfn>, into the desired <dfn>track</dfn> or into empty
7533 space in the editor track display.<br />
7534 The file will be imported and copied
7535 into your session, and placed at the position where the drag ended.
7539 title: Import Dialog
7544 Many sessions will require the use of <dfn>existing material</dfn>,
7545 whether it consists of audio and/or MIDI data. Using existing samples,
7546 loops and riffs from files stored on your system can be the basis for
7547 a new session, or a way to deepen and improve one that is already
7552 You can import audio and MIDI data into your session with the
7553 <dfn>Add Existing Media</dfn> dialog.
7556 <p class="fixme">Update image, possibly update content if out of date</p>
7557 <img src="/images/209-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
7559 <h2>The Soundfile Information Box</h2>
7562 This box will display information about the currently selected file:
7566 <li>number of channels,</li>
7567 <li>sample rate,</li>
7568 <li>file format,</li>
7570 <li>embedded timestamp (applies to some professional formats such as
7571 Broadcast WAVE), and</li>
7572 <li>tags (attached metadata to help categorize files in a library).</li>
7576 If the sample rate differs from the current session rate, it is displayed
7577 in red, which indicates that the file must be resampled before
7578 importing. Resampling is controlled by the <kbd class="menu">Conversion quality</kbd> option described below.
7584 Files can be auditioned before importing. The slider under the play and
7585 stop buttons allows you to scrub around, a fader on the right side allows
7586 you to control the playback volume.
7589 <h2>Importing options</h2>
7592 You can import files into new, automatically created tracks, to the region
7593 list (from where you can manually drag them into a track), or as new
7594 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">Tape tracks</a> with the
7595 <kbd class="menu">Add new files as...</kbd> option.
7599 New files will be inserted at either the file timestamp (if available,
7600 zero by default), at the <a href="/missing">edit point</a>, at the
7601 playhead, or at the start of the session, as specified in <kbd
7602 class="menu">Insert at...</kbd>.
7606 The Channel <kbd class="menu">mapping</kbd> is either "one track/region per
7607 file", or "one track/region per channel". The latter splits multichannel
7608 source files into mono regions. If you have selected multiple files and are importing them into a track,
7609 you can also choose whether to sequence all files into a single track in
7610 the order of selection, or to create as many tracks as there are files to
7615 The <kbd class="menu">Conversion quality</kbd> drop-down controls the
7616 quality of the resampling process, if the sampling rate of the source file
7617 differs from the session rate.
7621 Finally, and most importantly, you can decide whether to <kbd
7622 class="option">Copy files to session</kbd>, or to link them. Please read
7623 <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/copying-versus-linking/">Copying
7624 versus Linking</a> for details.
7628 title: Searching and Importing From Freesound
7629 menu_title: Freesound Search/Import
7633 <p class="fixme">This section is irrelevant now, as the Freesound import function has been removed due to changes done on Freesound's end</p>
7636 <a href="http://www.freesound.org"
7637 title="http://www.freesound.org"><dfn>Freesound</dfn></a>
7638 is an online repository of searchable sound files licensed under
7639 Creative-Commons term. The <kbd class="menu">Search Freesound</kbd> tab
7640 of the import dialog allows you to search the Freesound database,
7641 and to download and audition files directly.
7646 <dd>Enter metadata tags that you would like to search for. You may enter
7647 multiple search terms separated by spaces. For example,
7648 <kbd class="input">drums 120bpm</kbd> will search for files that are tagged
7649 <samp>drums</samp>, <samp>120bpm</samp>, or both.</dd>
7651 <dd>Choosing one of the sort options will cause Freesound to return the list
7652 of available files sorted accordingly. This can save time if you know (for
7653 example) the sound you need is very short.</dd>
7655 <dd>Click this button to initiate the search. Freesound will begin returning
7656 pages of information, with 20 items per page. The <kbd
7657 class="menu">Stop</kbd> button interrupts the download.</dd>
7658 <dt>The file list</dt>
7659 <dd>Click on a file to download it from Freesound. Double-click the file to
7660 auto-play it in the auditioner.</dd>
7664 Files imported with Freesound will automatically include any tags that are
7665 associated with the file, and these tags will be included in a search when
7666 you use the <kbd class="menu">Search Tags</kbd> tab.
7670 title: Searching for Files Using Tags
7675 A <dfn>tag</dfn> is bit of information, or metadata, that is associated
7676 with a data file. Specifically, tags are keywords or terms that you feel
7677 have some relevance to a particular soundfile. Ardour can store these tags
7678 in a searchable <dfn>database</dfn> so that you can quickly search for sounds
7679 based on the tags that you have assigned to them.
7683 For example you can assign the term <kbd class="input">120bpm</kbd> to a
7684 sound, and then when you search for this tag, the file will appear in the
7685 search list. Tags are independent of the filename or anything else about
7686 the file. Tags, and the file paths that they are associated with, are
7687 stored in a file called <samp>sfdb</samp> in your Ardour user folder.
7691 To <dfn>add tags</dfn> to a given file, open the <kbd class="menu">Session >
7692 Import</kbd> dialog, select the file in the browser, and type new tags into tag
7693 area in the soundfile information box on the right. Tags are stored when the
7694 input box loses focus, there is no need to explicitly save them.
7698 You can <dfn>search</dfn> for specific tags in the <kbd
7699 class="menu">Search Tags</kbd> tab of the same dialog. Files which have
7700 been tagged with the relevant terms will appear in the results window.
7701 Selected files can be auditioned and marked with additional tags if
7706 title: Supported File Formats
7711 The list of audio file formats that Ardour can understand is quite long.
7712 It is based on the functionality offered by <dfn>libsndfile</dfn>, an excellent and
7713 widely used software library by Australian programmer Erik de Castro Lopo.
7714 As libsndfile's capabilities expand, so will Ardour's abilities to import
7715 (and export) new formats. Ardour supports all common audio file formats,
7716 including WAV, AIFF, AIFC, CAF, W64 and BWF, with all typical sample formats
7717 (8-, 16-, 24-, 32-bit integer, floating point, and more).
7721 You can find a full list of libsndfile's supported formats
7722 <a href="http://www.mega-nerd.com/libsndfile/#Features">here</a>.
7726 For MIDI import, Ardour will read any Standard MIDI Format (SMF) file.
7731 title: Ardour Main Windows
7737 title: Introducing the Editor Window
7741 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
7749 At the right of the editor is an optional area which provides one of a
7750 range of useful lists of parts of your session. It is not shown by default
7751 when you first start using Ardour. The <dfn>Editor list</dfn> can be hidden
7752 or shown using <kbd class="menu">View > Show Editor List</kbd>. The very
7753 right-hand side of the list gives a selection of tabs which are used to
7754 choose the list to view. The left-hand border of the list can be dragged to
7755 vary the width of the list.
7759 title: Ranges & Marks List
7764 For information on this list see
7765 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges
7766 & Marks List</a> in the "Working with Markers" section of the manual.</p>
7773 <p>The region list shows all the regions in the session. The left-hand column gives the region name, and there are a range of times given for information. At the right of the list are four columns of flags that can be altered:</p>
7776 <dd>whether the region position is locked, so that it cannot be moved.</dd>
7778 <dd>whether the region's position is ‘glued’ to bars and beats. If so, the region will stay at the same position in bars and beats even if the tempo and/or time signature change.</dd>
7780 <dd>whether the region is muted, so that it will not be heard.</dd>
7782 <dd>whether the region is opaque; opaque regions ‘block’ regions below them from being heard, whereas ‘transparent’ regions have their contents mixed with whatever is underneath. </dd>
7784 <p>Hovering the mouse pointer over a column heading shows a tool-tip which can be handy to remember what the columns are for.</p>
7785 <p>A handy feature of the region list is that its regions can be dragged and dropped into a suitable track in the session.</p>
7788 title: Snapshot List
7793 This list gives the snapshots that exist of this session. Clicking on a snapshot
7794 name will load that snapshot.
7798 See <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working with Sessions</a> for more
7799 information on snapshots.
7803 title: Track & Bus Group List
7807 <p>This shows the track/bus groups that exist in the session. These groups allow related tracks to share various properties (such as mute or record enable state). For full details, see the section called
7808 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">Track and Bus Groups</a>.</p>
7809 <p>The columns in this list are as follows:</p>
7812 <dd>the colour that the group uses for its tab in the editor.</dd>
7814 <dd>the group name.</dd>
7816 <dd>whether the tracks and busses in the group are visible.</dd>
7818 <dd>whether the group is enabled.</dd>
7820 <dd>ticked if the constituents of the group are sharing gain settings.</dd>
7822 <dd>ticked if shared gains are relative.</dd>
7824 <dd>ticked if the constituents share mute status.</dd>
7826 <dd>ticked if the constituents share solo status.</dd>
7828 <dd>ticked if the constituents share record-enable status.</dd>
7830 <dd>whether the constituents share monitor settings.</dd>
7832 <dd>whether the constituents are selected together.</dd>
7834 <dd>whether edits to the constituents are performed to all others.</dd>
7836 <dd>whether the constituents share active status. </dd>
7841 title: Tracks & Busses List
7845 <p>This lists the tracks and busses that are present in the session. The list order reflects the order in the editor, and you can drag-and-drop track or bus names in the editor list to re-order them in the editor. The columns in the list can all be clicked to alter the track/bus state, and they represent the following:</p>
7847 <dt id="visible">V</dt>
7848 <dd>whether the track or bus is visible; they can be hidden, in which case they will still play, but just not be visible in the editor; this can be useful for keeping the display uncluttered.</dd>
7849 <dt id="active">A</dt>
7850 <dd>whether the track or bus is active; unactive tracks will not play, and will not consume any CPU.</dd>
7851 <dt id="input">I</dt>
7852 <dd>for MIDI tracks, whether the MIDI input is enabled; this dictates whether MIDI data from the track's inputs ports will be passed through the track.</dd>
7853 <dt id="record">R</dt>
7854 <dd>whether the track is record-enabled.</dd>
7855 <dt id="mute">M</dt>
7856 <dd>whether the track is muted.</dd>
7857 <dt id="solo">S</dt>
7858 <dd>track solo state.</dd>
7859 <dt id="solo-isolated">SI</dt>
7860 <dd>track solo-isolated state.</dd>
7861 <dt id="solo-safe">SS</dt>
7862 <dd>solo safe state. </dd>
7864 <p>As with the region list, hovering the mouse pointer over a column heading shows a tool-tip which can be handy to remember what the columns are for.</p>
7867 title: The Editing Toolbar
7871 <p class="fixme">Need toolbar image</p>
7873 <h2>Mouse Modes</h2>
7874 <dl class="wide-table">
7875 <dt id="object">Object Mode</dt>
7876 <dd>The <dfn>object mode</dfn> is used for selecting, moving, deleting and
7877 copying objects. When in object mode, the mouse pointer appears as a hand
7878 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. The mouse can now be
7879 used to select and perform operations on objects such as regions, markers etc.
7880 This is the most common mode to work in, as it allows you to select and move regions,
7881 as well as modify automation points on the automation tracks.
7884 <dd>When in <dfn>range mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a vertical line
7885 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. The mouse will now be
7886 able to select a point or range of time. Time ranges can be selected over
7887 one or several tracks, depending on the selection of your tracks.
7889 If none of your tracks are selected, the Range Tool will operate on all the
7890 session track visualized in the Editor.
7893 If you want to edit only particular tracks, select them before you apply
7898 <dd>When in <dfn>zoom mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a magnifying glass
7899 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. Select the area to
7900 zoom to with a <kbd class="mouse">Left drag</kbd>. A single <kbd
7901 class="mouse">Left</kbd> click zooms in by one level around the mouse cursor,
7902 likewise a single <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd> click will zoom out by one
7904 <dt>Region Gain Tool</dt>
7905 <dd>When in <dfn>gain edit</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer will change to
7906 cross-hairs. You can then click within a region to change the <dfn>gain
7907 envelope</dfn> for that region. This curve is separate from fader automation
7908 for individual tracks. It will remain locked to the region's time, so if the
7909 region is moved, the region gain envelope is moved along with it.</dd>
7910 <dt>Time Effects Tool</dt>
7911 <dd>When in <dfn>time fx</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer appears as a
7912 distinctive expanding square symbol whenever it is over the track canvas or
7913 the rulers. This mode is used to resize regions using a timestretch
7915 Click on an edge of a region of audio and drag it one way or the other to
7916 stretch or shrink the region.</dd>
7917 <dt>Audition Tool</dt>
7918 <dd>Clicking a region using the <dfn>audition tool</dfn> will play this
7919 region to the control room outputs.
7920 <p>You can also <dfn>scrub</dfn> with this tool by clicking and dragging in
7921 the direction you wish to listen. The amount you drag in one direction or
7922 the other will determine the playback speed.</p>
7926 <dt>Internal/Region Edit Mode</dt>
7930 <h3>Object Tool</h3>
7931 <dl class="wide-table">
7932 <dt>Selecting Regions</dt>
7934 <dt>Resizing Regions</dt>
7936 <dt>Moving Regions</dt>
7938 <dt>Editing Fade In and Fade Out</dt>
7941 <h3 id="smartmode">Smart Mode</h3>
7943 The <dfn>Smart Mode</dfn> button to the left of the mouse mode buttons
7944 modifies <dfn>Object mode</dfn>. When enabled, the mouse behaves as if it
7945 is in "Range Tool" mode in the upper half of a region, and in "Object Tool"
7946 mode in the lower half.
7949 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
7952 title: The Transport Bar
7956 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
7959 title: Introducing the Mixer Window
7963 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
7978 Ardour offers three <dfn>track types</dfn> depending on the type of
7979 data they contain, and differentiates between three <dfn>track modes</dfn>,
7980 depending on their recording behaviour.
7983 <h2>Track types</h2>
7986 An Ardour track can be of type <dfn>audio</dfn> or <dfn>MIDI</dfn>,
7987 depending on the <dfn>data</dfn> that the track will primarily record
7988 and play back. <em>However, either type of track can pass either
7989 type of data.</em> Hence, for example, one might have a MIDI track that
7990 contains an instrument plugin; such a track would record and play back
7991 MIDI data from disk but would produce audio, since the instrument plugin
7992 would turn MIDI data into audio data.
7996 Nevertheless, when adding tracks to a session, you typically have an idea
7997 of what you need to use the new tracks for, and Ardour offers you three
8001 <dl class="narrower-table">
8003 <dd>An <dfn>Audio Track</dfn> is created with a user-specified number of
8004 inputs. The number of outputs is defined by the master bus channel count
8005 (for details see <a href="#channelconfiguration">Channel Configuration</a>
8006 below). This is the type of track to use when planning to work with
8007 existing or newly recorded audio.</dd>
8009 <dd>A <dfn>MIDI track</dfn> is created with a single MIDI input, and a
8010 single MIDI output. This is the type of track to use when planning to
8011 record and play back MIDI. There are several methods to enable playback
8012 of a MIDI track: add an instrument plugin to the track, connect the
8013 track to a software synthesizer, or connect it to external MIDI hardware.
8015 If you add an instrument plugin, the MIDI track outputs audio instead
8019 <dd>There are a few notable plugins that can usefully accept both <dfn>Audio
8020 and MIDI</dfn> data (Reaktor is one, and various "auto-tune" like plugins
8021 are another). It can be tricky to configure this type of track manually,
8022 so Ardour allows you to select this type specifically for use with such
8023 plugins. It is <em>not</em> generally the right choice when working normal
8024 MIDI tracks, and a dialog will warn you of this.</dd>
8028 title: Adding Tracks and Busses
8032 <img class="right" src="/images/add-track-or-bus.png" alt="the add-track dialog" />
8034 <p>A track or bus can be added to a session in various ways:</p>
8037 <li>Choose <kbd class="menu">Track > Add Track or Bus</kbd>.</li>
8038 <li><kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-click in an empty part of the track controls area.</li>
8039 <li>Click the <kbd class="menu">Plus (+)</kbd> button underneath the list of tracks in the mixer.</li>
8043 Any of these actions will open the Add Track or Bus dialog. Note that any
8044 new tracks from this dialog will appear after the last currently selected
8045 track, or at the end if no track is selected.
8050 <dd>Here you can select the number of tracks or busses you wish to create, and
8051 their <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">types</a>.</dd>
8052 <dt>Configuration</dt>
8053 <dd>This menu lets you choose from a number of <dfn><a href="/missing">route
8054 templates</a></dfn>, which determine the number of input ports and optionally
8055 contain plugins and other mixer strip configuration.
8056 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
8059 <dd>This option is only available for audio tracks. See <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/#trackmodes">Track Modes</a> for details.</dd>
8061 <dd>This option is only available for MIDI tracks and lets you select a
8062 default instrument from the list of available plugins.</dd>
8064 <dd>Tracks and busses can be assigned groups so that a selected range of
8065 operations are applied to all members of a group at the same time (selecting
8066 record enable, or editing, for example). This option lets you assign to an
8067 existing group, or create a new group.</dd>
8071 New tracks appear in both the editor and mixer windows. The editor window
8072 shows the timeline, with any recorded data, and the mixer shows just the
8073 processing elements of the track (its plugins, fader and so on).
8076 <h2>Removing Tracks and Busses</h2>
8079 To <dfn>remove</dfn> tracks and busses, select them, <kbd
8080 class="mouse">right</kbd>-click and choose <kbd
8081 class="menu">Remove</kbd>
8082 from the menu. A warning dialog will pop up, as track removal cannot be undone;
8083 use this option with care!
8087 title: Selecting Tracks
8092 Tracks are <dfn>selected</dfn> by clicking on the Track header at the left
8093 of the Editor window. You can select multiple tracks with <kbd class="mod1
8094 mouse">Left</kbd> clicks, or a range of consecutive tracks with <kbd
8095 class="mod3 mouse">Left</kbd>.
8098 By default, <dfn>selecting regions</dfn> has no impact on
8099 <dfn>track selection</dfn>.
8100 You can select a track, then select a region in another track
8101 (or vice versa) and both selections will co-exist happily.
8102 Operations that are applied to tracks will use the track selection,
8103 and those that apply to regions will use the region selection.
8104 Similarly, deselecting a region will not deselect the track it
8105 is in (if that track was selected).
8108 In some workflows, and particularly if you have experience with
8109 other <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s, this
8110 is not the most comfortable way to work. You may prefer to work
8111 in a style where selecting a region will also select the track
8112 that the region is in. Similarly, when the last selected region
8113 in a track is deselected, the track will also become unselected.
8116 To control this behaviour, set <kbd class="menu">Edit >
8117 Preferences > Editor > Link selection of regions and tracks</kbd>.
8121 title: Controlling Track Appearance
8126 Ardour offers many options for controlling the appearance of tracks,
8127 including color, height, waveform style and more.
8128 These can all be found in the <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences >
8133 title: Layering Display
8137 <img class="right" style="clear:both" src="/images/track-layer-dialog.png"
8138 alt="Track layering menu" />
8141 Ardour allows arbitrary <dfn>layering</dfn> of regions—you can
8142 have as many regions you wish at a given position. By default, the regions are
8143 <dfn>overlaid</dfn> in the editor window, to save vertical space.
8147 However, this display mode can be confusing for tracks with many overdubs,
8148 because its not obvious in which order the overdubs are layered. Although
8149 there are other methods of moving particular regions to the top of an
8150 overlapping set, and although Ardour also has playlists to let you manage
8151 <a href="/working-with-playlists/playlist_usecases/">takes</a> a bit more
8152 efficiently than just continually layering,
8153 there are times when being able to clearly see all regions in a track without
8154 any overlaps is reassuring and useful.
8158 Here is an image of a track with a rather drastic overdub situation,
8159 viewed in normal <dfn>overlaid mode</dfn>:
8162 <img src="/images/a3_overlaps_layered.png" alt="overlapping regions in overlaid mode" />
8165 To change this display, right click on the track header, and you'll see
8166 the menu displayed above. There are two choices for layers. <kbd
8167 class="menu">overlaid</kbd> is currently selected. Click on <kbd
8168 class="menu">stacked</kbd> and the track display changes to this:
8171 <img src="/images/a3_layers_stacked.png" alt="overlapping regions in stacked mode" />
8174 You can still move regions around as usual, and in fact you can
8175 even drag them so that they overlay each again, but when you
8176 release the mouse button, things will flip back to them all being
8177 stacked cleanly. The number of <dfn>lanes</dfn> for the track is determined by
8178 the maximum number of regions existing in any one spot throughout
8179 the track, so if you have really stacked up 10 overdubs in one spot,
8180 you'll end up with 10 lanes. Obviously, using a large track height
8181 works much better for this than a small one.
8190 New tracks in Ardour are assigned a random color from a pastel color
8191 palette, so they should never end up being particularly bright or
8195 <h2>Changing the color of specific tracks</h2>
8198 Select the tracks whose color you wish to change. Context-click
8199 on the track header of one of them. From the context menu, select
8200 <kbd class="menu">Color</kbd> and pick a hue to your taste in the
8201 <a href="/missing">color dialog</a>. Every selected track will be
8203 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
8207 Note that if you are only changing one track, context-clicking on
8208 that track's header will be enough to select it, saving the extra
8212 <h2>Changing the color of all tracks in a group</h2>
8215 Tracks that belong to a
8216 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups">track/bus group</a>
8217 can share a common color by enabling the <kbd
8218 class="option">Color</kbd> option for the group. With this enabled,
8219 any color change will be propagated to all group members.
8223 You can also explicitly change the group color by context-clicking
8224 on the group tab in the Mixer, selecting <kbd class="menu">Edit
8225 Group...</kbd> and then clicking on the Color selector in that dialog
8235 Depending on the stage of your production, you may require a quick
8236 overview over as many tracks as possible, a detailed view into just a
8237 few, or a combination of the two. To facilitate this, the
8238 <dfn>height</dfn> may be configured individually for each track in
8243 A context click on a track header will display the
8244 <kbd class="menu">Height</kbd> menu, and allow you to choose from a
8245 list of standard sizes. All selected tracks will be redrawn using that
8250 Alternatively, select the tracks you wish to resize. Move the pointer
8251 to the bottom edge of one track header. The cursor will change to a
8252 two-way vertical arrow shape. <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag to
8253 dynamically resize all selected tracks.
8256 <h2>Fit to the Editor Window</h2>
8259 Select the tracks you wish to display in the Editor window.
8260 Choose <kbd class="menu">Track > Height > Fit Selected Tracks</kbd>
8261 or use the keyboard shortcut, <kbd>f</kbd>. Ardour adjusts the track
8262 heights and view so that the selected tracks completely fill the vertical
8263 space available, unless the tracks cannot be made to fit even at the smallest
8268 You can use <dfn>Visual Undo</dfn> (default shortcut: <kbd class="mod3">Z</kbd>
8269 to revert this operation.
8273 title: Waveform display
8278 The display of <dfn>waveforms</dfn> (or, more correctly, <dfn>peak
8279 envelopes</dfn>, since the actual waveform is only visible at the highest
8280 zoom levels) is configurable via the <kbd
8281 class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor</kbd> dialog, to support
8282 different usecases and user preferences. The following options are
8286 <dl class="wide-table">
8287 <dt>Show waveforms in regions</dt>
8288 <dd>By default, Ardour draws waveforms within audio regions. Disable this
8289 option to hide them.</dd>
8290 <dt>Waveform scale</dt>
8294 <dd>This is the traditional <dfn>linear</dfn> (1:1) display of the
8295 peak envelope, or, at higher zoom levels, the individual samples.</dd>
8296 <dt>Logarithmic</dt>
8297 <dd>Alternatively, you can use a <dfn>logarithmic</dfn> display of the
8298 peak envelope. This will give you a better idea of program loudness (it is similar
8299 to dBs) and plot soft passages more clearly, which is useful for soft
8300 recordings or small track height.</dd>
8303 <dt>Waveform shape</dt>
8306 <dt>Traditional</dt>
8307 <dd>The <dfn>zero</dfn> line appears in the middle of the display and waveforms
8308 appear as positive and negative peaks above <em>and</em> below.</dd>
8310 <dd>The zero line appears at the bottom of the display and waveforms appear
8311 as absolute peaks <em>above</em> the line only.</dd>
8317 title: Controlling Track Ordering
8322 Ardour does not impose any particular ordering of tracks and busses in
8323 either the editor or mixer windows. The default arrangements are as follows:
8327 In the <dfn>Editor</dfn>, the Master bus will always be on top unless
8328 hidden. Tracks and busses will appear in their initial order, from top to
8329 bottom. The monitor section (if used) will never be visible in the editor
8334 In the <dfn>Mixer</dfn>, the tracks and busses will be displayed in their
8335 initial order, from left to right. The Master bus is always on the far
8336 right and occupies its own pane, so that it is always visible no matter
8337 how you scroll the other mixer strips. If a Monitor section is used,
8338 it shows up at the right edge of the mixer window, from where it can be
8339 torn off into a separate window.
8343 title: Reordering Tracks
8348 The <dfn>track ordering</dfn> of the Editor and Mixer is <dfn>synchronized</dfn>: if you
8349 reorder in one window, the ordering in the other window will follow.
8352 <h2>Reordering in the Editor Window</h2>
8355 Select the tracks you want to move. Then use<br />
8356 <kbd class="menu">Track > Move Selected Tracks Up</kbd>
8357 (shortcut: <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd>) or<br />
8358 <kbd class="menu">Track > Move Selected Tracks Down</kbd>
8359 (shortcut: <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd>).
8363 Alternatively, you can use the <kbd class="menu">Tracks & Busses</kbd>
8365 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/">Editor
8366 Lists</a>, if visible.
8367 Here, you can freely drag-and-drop tracks and busses into any order you prefer.
8370 <h2>Reordering in the Mixer Window</h2>
8373 Within the <kbd class="menu">Strips</kbd> pane at the top left of the
8374 Mixer window, you can freely drag-and-drop tracks and busses into any
8378 <h2>"Collecting" Group Members</h2>
8381 Tracks and Busses that are members of a group can be reordered so that they
8382 display contiguously within the Editor and Mixer windows. Context-click on
8383 the group tab and choose <kbd class="menu">Collect</kbd>.
8386 <h2>Ordering of New Tracks</h2>
8389 When <dfn>adding new tracks</dfn>, the current selection determines their
8390 placement. New tracks will be placed after the rightmost (in the mixer) or
8391 bottom-most (in the editor) selected track. If no tracks are selected, new
8392 tracks will be added at the end.
8396 Because new tracks are automatically selected, you can quickly reorder them
8397 in the editor window via the keyboard shortcuts after adding them (see above).
8401 title: Track Ordering and Remote Control IDs
8406 Every track and bus in Ardour is assigned a <dfn>remote control ID</dfn>.
8407 When a <a href="/using-control-surfaces/">control surface</a> or any other
8408 remote control is used to control Ardour, these IDs are used to identify
8409 which track(s) or buss(es) are the intended target of incoming commands.
8413 By default, remote IDs will be assigned to tracks and busses in the order
8414 that they are created, starting from 1. The master bus and monitor section
8415 have their own unique IDs (318 and 319).
8419 Ardour provides two methods to control remote control IDs, which can be
8420 chosen via <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Control Surfaces
8421 > Control surface remote ID</kbd>:
8424 <dl class="wide-table">
8425 <dt>follows order of mixer</dt>
8426 <dd>This will reset the remote control IDs to match the mixer and editor
8427 track order order, starting with rcID 1. Manual assignment of rcIDs is
8429 <dt>assigned by user</dt>
8430 <dd>When enabled, the remote control ID is completely independent of the
8431 ordering in either window, and may be changed manually by the user via the
8432 <kbd class="menu"><em>trackname</em> > Remote Control ID...</kbd>
8433 dialog in each mixer strip.
8442 <p>A typical control area or <dfn>bus header<dfn> is shown below:</p>
8444 <img src="/images/typical-bus-controls.png" alt="bus controls" />
8447 At the top-left of the controls is the name of the bus, which can be
8448 edited by double-clicking on it. The new name must be unique within the
8449 session. Underneath the name is a copy of the bus' main level fader.
8450 The control buttons to the right-hand side are:
8454 <dt id="mute">m</dt>
8455 <dd><dfn>Mute</dfn>—click to mute the bus. Right-click to display
8456 a menu which dictates what particular parts of the bus should be muted.</dd>
8457 <dt id="solo">s</dt>
8458 <dd><dfn>Solo</dfn>—solo the bus. The behaviour of the solo system
8459 is described in detail in the section <a
8460 href="/mixing/muting-and-soloing/">Muting and Soloing</a>.</dd>
8461 <dt id="automation">a</dt>
8462 <dd><dfn>Automation</dfn>—opens the automation menu for the
8463 bus. For details see <a href="/automation/">Automation</a>.</dd>
8464 <dt id="group">g</dt>
8465 <dd><dfn>Group</dfn>—lets you assign the bus to an existing or a
8466 new group. For details see <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">Track and bus groups</a>. </dd>
8470 title: Audio Track Controls
8475 A typical control area or <dfn>track header</dfn> for an audio track is
8479 <img src="/images/typical-audio-track-controls.png" alt="audio track controls"
8483 An audio track has the same
8484 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls">controls as a bus</a>, with the
8485 addition of two extras.
8489 <dt id="record" style="color:red;font-weight:bold;">[•]</dt>
8490 <dd><dfn>Record</dfn>—The button with the pink circle arms the track
8491 for recording. When armed, the entire button will turn pink, and change to
8492 bright red as soon as the transport is rolling and the track is recording.</dd>
8493 <dt id="playlist">p</dt>
8494 <dd><dfn>Playlist</dfn>—Opens a playlist menu when clicked. The menu
8495 offers various operations related to the track's <a
8496 href="/working-with-playlists/">playlist</a>.
8501 title: MIDI Track Controls
8505 <p>A typical <dfn>MIDI track header</dfn> looks like this:</p>
8507 <img src="/images/typical-midi-track-controls.png" alt="midi track controls"
8511 To see the full set of MIDI track controls, you need to increase the
8512 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/track-height/">track height</a>
8513 beyond the default. MIDI tracks show only a few of the control elements
8514 when there is insufficient vertical space.
8518 A MIDI track has the same basic
8519 <a href="/working-with-tracks/audio-track-controls">controls as an audio track</a>,
8520 with the addition of two extra elements. The set of buttons below the main track
8521 controls the <dfn>MIDI channel</dfn>(s) that will be visible in the editor. A MIDI track's
8522 data may span any number of the 16 available MIDI channels, and sometimes it is
8523 useful to view only a subset of those channels; different instruments may,
8524 for example, be put on different channels. Clicking on a channel number toggles
8529 To the right of the MIDI track controls is a representation of a piano keyboard
8530 called the <dfn>scroomer</dfn> (a portmanteau of scrollbar and zoomer). This performs several functions:
8534 <li>The scrollbar controls the range of pitches that are visible on the
8535 track, as visualized by the piano keyboard.</li>
8536 <li>Dragging the body of the scrollbar up and down displays higher or lower
8538 <li>Dragging the scrollbar handles zooms in and out and increases and decreases the range of visible pitches.</li>
8539 <li>Clicking on the piano plays the corresponding MIDI note for reference.</li>
8543 To edit the contents of a MIDI track see <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-midi/">Edit
8548 title: Track Context Menu
8553 Within the editor window, context-click (right-click) on either a region
8554 or empty space within a track to display the <dfn>track context menu</dfn>.
8555 The context menu provides easy access to many track-level operations.
8559 If you click on a <dfn>region</dfn>, the first item in the menu is the name of the
8560 region. If you click on a
8561 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/layering-display/">layered region</a>,
8562 the next item in the menu is <kbd class="menu">Choose Top</kbd>. If selected,
8563 you will see a dialog that allows you to change the vertical order of layers
8564 at that point. See <a href="/missing">Controlling Region Layering</a> for more details.
8565 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
8569 The rest of the track context menu is structured as follows:
8572 <dl class="narrower-table">
8575 <dl class="narrower-table">
8576 <dt>Play from Edit Point</dt>
8577 <dd>Play from the location of the current <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a>.</dd>
8578 <dt>Play from Start </dt>
8579 <dd>Play from the start of the session</dd>
8580 <dt>Play Region(s)</dt>
8581 <dd>Plays the duration of the session from the start of the earliest selected region to the end of the latest selected region</dd>
8586 <dl class="narrower-table">
8587 <dt>Select All in Track</dt>
8588 <dd>Selects all regions in a track</dd>
8589 <dt>Select All Objects</dt>
8590 <dd>Selects all regions in the session</dd>
8591 <dt>Invert Selection in Track</dt>
8593 <dt>Invert Selection</dt>
8595 <dt>Set Range to Loop Range</dt>
8597 <dt>Set Range to Punch Range</dt>
8599 <dt>Select All After Edit Point</dt>
8601 <dt>Select All Before Edit Point</dt>
8603 <dt>Select All After Playhead</dt>
8605 <dt>Select All Before Playhead</dt>
8607 <dt>Select All Between Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
8609 <dt>Select All Within Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
8611 <dt>Select Range Between Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
8617 <dl class="narrower-table">
8626 <dt>Align Relative</dt>
8630 <dt>Insert Selected Region</dt>
8632 <dt>Insert Existing Media</dt>
8636 <dl class="narrower-table">
8637 <dt>Nudge Entire Track Later</dt>
8639 <dt>Nudge Track After Edit Point Later</dt>
8641 <dt>Nudge Entire Track Earlier</dt>
8643 <dt>Nudge Track After Edit Point Earlier</dt>
8652 <i>This text here to prevent following FIXME from corrupting the above table</i>
8654 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
8658 title: Grouping Tracks
8664 title: Track and Bus Groups
8669 Tracks and busses can be put into <dfn>groups</dfn>. Members of a group
8670 can share various settings—useful for managing tracks that are closely
8671 related to each other. Examples might include tracks that contain
8672 multiple-microphone recordings of a single source (an acoustic guitar,
8673 perhaps, or a drum-kit).
8677 You can group tracks and busses in various ways. In the editor window,
8678 a track's controls might look like these:
8681 <img class="left" src="/images/track-in-group.png" alt="track headers for a group" />
8684 The green tab to the left of the track header indicates that this track
8685 is in a group called <samp>Fred</samp>. You can drag these tabs to add
8686 adjacent tracks to a group.
8689 <h2>Create New Groups</h2>
8692 There are several ways to <dfn>create groups</dfn> for tracks and bussess:
8696 <li>Context-click on the group tab and use one of the <kbd
8697 class="menu">Create...</kbd> options there. You can create a group with
8698 no members, or one that starts with the currently selected tracks, or
8699 record-enabled tracks, or soloed tracks.</li>
8700 <li>Alternatively, click the ‘g’ button on a track header to open the
8701 Group menu. The menu lists the available groups. Selecting one of these
8702 groups will add the track or bus to that group. The menu also lets you
8703 create a new group.</li>
8704 <li>Finally, the Groups tab of the
8705 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor Lists</a>
8706 or the Mixer Window has a <kbd class="menu">plus (+)</kbd> button at the
8707 bottom of the list. Click on the plus sign to create a new group.</li>
8710 <h2>Remove Groups</h2>
8713 Context-click on a <dfn>group tab</dfn> and select <kbd class="menu">Remove
8714 Group</kbd> from the menu. Removing a group does <em>not</em> remove
8715 the members of a group.
8719 You can also remove groups by selecting them in the Groups tab of the
8720 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor Lists</a>
8721 or Mixer Window and then pressing the <kbd class="menu">minus (-)</kbd>
8722 button at the bottom of the list.
8725 <h2>Add/Remove Tracks and Busses From a Group</h2>
8728 Click the <kbd class="menu">g</kbd> button to display a menu with a list
8729 of the available groups. Select one of these groups to add the track or bus
8730 to that group. Select <kbd class="menu">No Group</kbd> to remove it.
8734 Alternatively, you can also drag a group tab to add or remove tracks from
8738 <h2>Activate/Deactivate Groups via the Group Tab</h2>
8741 Clicking on a group tab toggles the group between being active and inactive.
8742 An inactive group has no effect when editing its members. An active group
8743 will share its configured properties across its members. Tabs for disabled
8744 groups are coloured grey.</p>
8746 <h2>Modify Group Properties</h2>
8749 To edit the properties of a group, context-click on its tab and choose
8750 <kbd class="menu">Edit Group…</kbd>. This opens the track/bus group dialog,
8751 which is also used when creating new groups:
8754 <img class="right" src="/images/route-group-dialogue.png" alt="the track/bus group dialog" />
8756 <h3>Group Color</h3>
8759 Click on the color selector button to change a group's colour. This affects
8760 the colour of the group's tab in the editor and mixer windows. The color does
8761 <em>not</em> affect the color of the group members unless you also enable the
8762 shared <kbd class="menu">Color</kbd> property.
8765 <h3>Shared Properties</h3>
8768 <kbd class="option">Gain</kbd> means that the track faders will be synced to
8769 always have the same value; <kbd class="option">Relative</kbd> means that the
8770 gain changes are applied relative to each member's current value. If, for
8771 example, there are two tracks in a group with relative gain sharing, and their
8772 faders are set to -3 dB and -1 dB, a change of the first track to a
8773 gain of -6 dB will result in the second track having a gain of
8774 -4 dB (the <em>difference</em> of the gains remains the same).
8778 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls/#mute"><kbd class="option">Muting</kbd></a>,
8779 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls/#solo"><kbd class="option">Soloing</kbd></a>,
8780 <a href="/working-with-tracks/audio-track-controls/#record"><kbd class="option">record enable</kbd></a>,
8781 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/tracks--busses-list/#active"><kbd class="option">active state</kbd></a>,
8782 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/track-coloring/"><kbd class="option">colour</kbd></a> and
8783 <a href="/recording/monitoring/"><kbd class="option">monitoring</kbd></a>
8784 are all straightforward. They simply mean that all member tracks or busses will
8785 share the same settings in these respects.
8789 <kbd class="option">Selection</kbd> means that if a region is selected or
8790 deselected on one member track, <a
8791 href="/working-with-regions/corresponding-region-selection/">corresponding
8792 regions</a> on other member tracks
8793 will be similarly selected. Since region editing operations are applied to all
8794 currently selected regions, this is the way to make edits apply across all tracks in the group.
8797 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
8799 <h3>Group Tab Context Menu</h3>
8801 <p>Context-clicking on the group tab offers a further menu of group-related actions. </p>
8803 <dl class="wide-table">
8804 <dt>Create a New Group</dt>
8805 <dd>create a new group</dd>
8806 <dt>Create New Group from...</dt>
8807 <dd> create a new group and automatically add ...
8808 <dl class="narrower-table">
8810 <dd>all currently selected tracks and busses</dd>
8811 <dt>Rec-enabled</dt>
8812 <dd>all currently record-enabled tracks</dd>
8814 <dd>all currently soloed tracks and busses</dd>
8817 <dt>Collect Group</dt>
8818 <dd>moves all the member tracks so that they are together in the editor window</dd>
8819 <dt>Remove Group</dt>
8820 <dd>removes the group (and only the group, not its members).</dd>
8821 <dt>Add New Subgroup Bus</dt>
8822 <dd> creates a bus (giving it the name of the group) and connects the output of each member to the new bus.
8824 <dt>Add New Aux Bus</dt>
8825 <dd>adds a bus and gives each member a send to that bus. There are two options for this, specifying whether the sends should be placed pre- or post-fader.</dd>
8826 <dt>Fit to Window</dt>
8827 <dd> will zoom the member tracks so that they fill the editor window.</dd>
8828 <dt>Enable All Groups</dt>
8829 <dd>makes all group active, including any hidden groups.</dd>
8830 <dt>Disable All Groups</dt>
8831 <dd>makes all groups inactive, including any hidden groups.</dd>
8836 title: The Clip List
8842 title: Workspace Browsers
8848 title: Importing and Exporting Session Data
8854 title: File and Session Management and Compatibility
8860 title: Playback & Recording
8866 title: Playing Back Track Material
8872 title: Using Ardour Clock Displays
8877 <dfn>Clocks</dfn> in Ardour are used to display <dfn>time values</dfn> precisely.
8878 In many cases, they are also one way to edit (change) time values, and in a few
8879 cases, the only way. All clocks share the same basic appearance and functionality,
8880 which is described below, but a few clocks serve particularly important roles.
8883 <h2>Transport Clocks</h2>
8886 In the transport bar of the editor window there are two clocks (unless you
8887 are on a very small screen), that display the current position of the playhead
8888 and additional information related to transport control and the timeline. These
8889 are called the <dfn>transport clocks</dfn>; the left one is the primary
8890 transport clock and the right one is the secondary transport clock.
8891 They look like this:
8894 <img src="/images/a3_new_main_clocks.png" alt="An image of the transport clocks in Ardour 3" />
8897 Editing the time in the transport clocks will reposition the playhead in the same
8898 way that various other editing operations will.
8901 <h3>The Big Clock</h3>
8903 To show the current playhead position in a big, resizable window, activate
8904 <kbd class="menu">Window > Big Clock</kbd>. The big clock is very useful
8905 when you need to work away from the screen but still want to see the playhead
8906 position clearly (such as when working with a remote control device across
8907 a room). The big clock will change its visual appearance to indicate when active
8908 recording is taking place. Below on the left is a screenshot showing a fairly
8909 large big clock window filling a good part of the display, and on the right,
8910 the same clock during active recording.
8912 <a href="/images/bigclock.png"><img src="/images/bigclock.png" height="100" alt="an image of the big clock filling a screen" /></a>Â <a href="/images/bigclock-recording.png"><img src="/images/bigclock-recording.png" height="100" alt="an image of the big clock while recording"
8915 <h3>The Special Role of the Secondary Transport Clock</h3>
8917 On a few occasions Ardour needs to display time values to the user, but there
8918 is no obvious way to specify what units to use. The most common case is the big
8919 cursor that appears when dragging regions. For this and other similar cases,
8920 Ardour will display time using the same units as the secondary clock.
8922 <h4>Why are there two transport clocks?</h4>
8924 Having two transport clocks lets you see the playhead position in two different
8925 time units without having to change any settings. For example, you can see the
8926 playhead position in both timecode units and BBT time.
8929 <h3>Selection and Punch Clocks</h3>
8931 The transport bar also contains a set of 5 clocks that show the current
8932 <dfn>selection range</dfn> and <dfn>punch ranges</dfn>. Clicking on the punch
8933 range clocks will locate to either the beginning or end of the punch range.
8934 Similarly, clicking on the range clocks will locate to either the beginning
8935 or end of the current selection. In this screen shot there is no current
8936 selection range, so the selection clocks show an "off" state.
8939 <img src="/images/selectionpunchclocks.png" alt="An image of the the selection and punch clocks in Ardour 3" />
8941 <h2>Clock Modes</h2>
8943 Every clock in Ardour has four different, selectable <dfn>clock
8944 modes</dfn>. Each mode displays time using different units.
8945 You can change the clock mode by <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking
8946 on the clock and selecting the desired mode from the menu. Some clocks are
8947 entirely independent of any other clock's mode; others are linked so that
8948 changing one changes all clocks in that group. The different modes are:
8952 <dd>Time is shown as <dfn><abbr title="Society of Motion Picture and Television
8953 Engineers">SMPTE</abbr> timecode</dfn> in Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames,
8954 measured from the timecode zero point on the timeline (which may not
8955 correspond to the session start and/or absolute zero on the timeline,
8956 depending on configurable timecode offsets).
8957 The frames value is dictated by either the session <abbr title="Frames Per
8958 Second">FPS</abbr> setting, or, if slaved to an external timecode master,
8959 the master's setting. In the transport clocks, the FPS value is shown below
8960 the time display, along with an indication of the current timecode source
8961 (<samp>INT</samp> means that Ardour is its own timecode source).</dd>
8963 <dd>Time is shown as Bars:Beats:Ticks, indicating <dfn>musical time</dfn> measured
8964 from the start of the session. The transport clocks show the current tempo
8965 in <abbr title="Beats Per Minute">bpm</abbr> and meter below the time
8967 <dt>Minutes:Seconds</dt>
8968 <dd>Time is shown as Hours:Minutes:Seconds.Milliseconds, measured from the
8969 absolute start of the timeline (ignoring the session start and any timecode
8972 <dd>Time is shown as a <dfn>sample count</dfn> from the absolute start of the timeline
8973 (ignoring the session start and any timecode offsets). The number of
8974 samples per second is given by the current sample rate, and in the transport
8975 clocks, this rate is shown below the time display along with any
8976 pullup/pulldown adjustment.</dd>
8979 <h3>Special Modes for the Transport Clocks</h3>
8981 In addition to the time-unit modes mentioned above, each of the two transport
8982 clocks (if you work on a small screen, you may only have one) can be
8983 independently set to display <dfn>Delta to Edit Point</dfn> in whatever time
8984 units its current mode indicates. This setting means that the clock shows the
8985 distance between the playhead and the current edit point, and it may show a
8986 positive or negative value depending on the temporal order of these two points.
8987 The clocks will use a different color when in this mode to avoid confusion.
8990 To switch either (or both!) of the transport clocks into this mode, use
8991 <kbd class="menu"> Edit > Preferences > Transport</kbd> and select
8992 the relevant checkboxes.
8995 Note that when in <samp>Delta to Edit Point</samp> mode, the transport clocks
8999 <h2>Changing clock values with the keyboard</h2>
9001 New values for the clock can be typed in after clicking on the relevant clock.
9002 Clicking on the clock will show a thin vertical cursor bar just to the right
9003 of the next character to be overwritten. Enter time in the same order as the
9004 current clock mode—if the clock is in Timecode mode, you need to enter
9005 hours, minutes, seconds, frames. So, to change to a time of 12:15:20:15 you
9006 would type <kbd class="input">1 2 1 5 2 0 1 5</kbd>. Each number you type will
9007 appear in a different color, from right to left, overwriting the existing value.
9008 Mid-edit, after typing <kbd class="input">3 2 2 2</kbd> the clock might look like this:
9010 <img src="/images/clockedit.png" alt="An image of a clock being edited in Ardour 3" />
9012 To finish the edit, press <kbd>↵</kbd> or <kbd>Tab</kbd>. To exit an
9013 edit without changing the clock press <kbd>ESC</kbd>. If you mis-type an entry
9014 so that the new value would be illegal (for example, resulting in more than 30
9015 frames when Timecode is set to 30 frames per second), the clock will reset at
9016 the end of the edit, and move the cursor back to the start so that you can
9020 <h3>Avoiding the mouse entirely</h3>
9022 There is a shortcut available for those who wish to be able to edit the transport
9023 clocks entirely without the mouse. It can be found in
9024 <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings > Transport > Focus On
9025 Clock</kbd>. If bound to a key (<kbd>÷</kbd> on the numerical
9027 default), then pressing that key is equivalent to clicking on the primary (left)
9028 transport clock, and editing can begin immediately.
9031 <h3>Entering Partial Times</h3>
9033 One detail of the editing design that is not immediately obvious is that it is
9034 possible to enter part of a full time value. Suppose that the clock is in BBT
9035 mode, displaying <samp>024|03|0029</samp>, and you want to alter the value to
9036 the first beat of the current bar. Click on the clock and type
9037 <kbd class="input">0 1 0 0 0 0</kbd>. Similarly, if it is in Minutes:Seconds
9038 mode, displaying <samp>02:03:04.456</samp>, and you want to get to exactly 2
9039 hours, click on the clock and type <kbd class="input">0 0 0 0 0 0 0</kbd> to
9040 reset the minutes, seconds and milliseconds fields.
9043 <h3>Entering Delta Times</h3>
9045 You can also type values into the clock that are intended as a relative change,
9046 rather than a new absolute value. Simply end the edit by pressing
9047 <kbd>+</kbd> or <kbd>-</kbd> (the ones on any keypad will also work). The plus
9048 key will add the entered value to the current value of the clock, minus will
9049 subtract it. For example, if the clock is in Samples mode and displays
9050 <samp>2917839</samp>, you move it back 2000 samples by typing
9051 <kbd class="input">2 0 0 0</kbd> and <kbd>-</kbd>, rather than ending with
9054 <h2>Changing clock values with the mouse</h2>
9056 <h3>Using a scroll wheel</h3>
9059 Position the mouse pointer over the clock, and move the scroll wheel. Moving
9060 the scroll wheel up (<kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>) increases the value
9061 shown on the clock, moving it down (<kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>)
9062 decreases it. The step size is equal to the unit of the field
9063 you are hovering over (seconds, hours, etc.).
9066 <h3>Dragging the mouse</h3>
9069 Position the mouse pointer over the clock, press the left mouse button and drag.
9070 Dragging upwards increases the value shown on the clock, dragging downwards
9071 decreases it, again with a step size equal to the unit of the field you
9076 title: Controlling Playback
9080 <p class="fixme">There is no discussion of starting playback anywhere in here. Starting/stopping needs to be explained</p>
9083 Ardour offers many ways to <dfn>control playback</dfn> of the session, including the transport bar, key bindings and remote controls. Markers can also be used to define locations or ranges within the session and rapidly move around between them.
9087 If Ardour is synchronized with other devices, then some or all of these control methods may be unavailable—depending on the synchronization protocol, Ardour may respond only to commands sent from its master device(s).
9091 title: Looping the Transport
9096 When the <dfn>loop transport</dfn> button is pressed, the playhead will
9097 jump the start of the loop range, and continue to the end of that range
9098 before returning to the start and repeating.
9099 While looping, a light green area is displayed in the time ruler over
9100 the tracks to show the loop range.
9104 By default, looping is bound to the <kbd>l</kbd> key.
9108 For more information on defining and altering the loop range see
9109 <a href="/working-with-markers/the-loop-range">Loop Range Markers</a>.
9112 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9115 title: Positioning the Playhead
9120 The <dfn>playhead</dfn> is a vertical line with two arrows at each end
9121 that indicates the current position of playback.
9124 <h2>Positioning the playhead at the current pointer position</h2>
9127 Pressing <kbd>P</kbd> will set the playhead to the current position of
9128 the mouse pointer, if it is within the editor track area.
9131 <h2>Positioning the playhead on the timeline</h2>
9134 A <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> click anywhere on the timeline (rulers)
9135 will move the playhead to that position.
9138 <h2>Positioning the playhead with the transport clocks</h2>
9141 Click on either the primary or secondary transport clock and
9142 <a href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays">edit their value</a>
9143 to move the playhead to a specific position.
9146 <h2>Positioning the playhead at a marker</h2>
9149 Click <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd> on the marker and select either
9150 <kbd class="menu">Locate to here</kbd> or <kbd class="menu">Play from
9155 The playhead can also be moved backward and forward through the markers by
9156 respectively pressing the <kbd>Q</kbd> and <kbd>W</kbd> keys. Pressing
9157 <kbd>Home</kbd> and <kbd>End</kbd> will move the playhead to the special
9158 markers <dfn>start</dfn> and <dfn>end</dfn>, respectively.
9162 title: Using Key Bindings
9167 Ardour has many available commands for playback control that can be bound
9168 to keys. Many of them have default bindings, some do not, so the list below
9169 shows both the default bindings and internal command names.
9172 <dl class="wide-table">
9173 <dt><kbd>Space</kbd></dt>
9174 <dd>switch between playback and stop.</dd>
9175 <dt><kbd>Home</kbd></dt>
9176 <dd>Move playhead to session start marker</dd>
9177 <dt><kbd>End</kbd></dt>
9178 <dd>Move playhead to session end marker</dd>
9179 <dt><kbd>→</kbd></dt>
9181 <dt><kbd>←</kbd></dt>
9183 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
9184 <dd>Move playhead to start of the timeline</dd>
9187 <p>Commands without default bindings include:</p>
9189 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
9192 title: Using the Nudge Controls
9196 <p class="fixme">Add image of Nudge Controls</a>
9199 If there are no selected objects, the <dfn>nudge controls</dfn> can be
9200 used to move the playhead backward or forward by a fixed amount. The left
9201 and right buttons move either backward or forward in time, and the small
9202 clock to the left of these buttons sets the amount of time to nudge by.
9203 As with all other clocks, you can right-click on the clock to choose the
9204 time representation you want to use.
9208 Note that this is a secondary purpose of the nudge controls—it is
9209 usually used to move selected <dfn>objects</dfn> by specific distances, rather than
9214 title: Using the Transport Bar
9218 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
9228 title: Track Recording Modes
9233 The <dfn>Recording mode</dfn> is a per-track property (applies to audio
9234 tracks only) that affects the way that recording new material on top of
9235 existing material ("overdubbing") operates <em>in that track</em>.
9238 <h2 id="trackmodes">Track Modes</h2>
9241 Audio tracks in Ardour have a <dfn>mode</dfn> which affects how they behave
9245 <dl class="narrower-table">
9247 <dd>Tracks in <dfn>normal mode</dfn> will record non-destructively—new
9248 data is written to new files, and when overdubbing, new regions will be
9249 layered on top of existing ones. This is the recommended mode for most
9252 <dt>Non-Layered</dt>
9253 <dd>Tracks using <dfn>non-layered mode</dfn> will record non-destructively—new data is written to new files, but when overdubbing,
9255 regions are trimmed so that there are no overlaps. This does not affect
9256 the previously recorded audio data, and trimmed regions can be expanded
9257 again at will. Non-layered mode can be very useful for spoken word material,
9258 especially in combination with <a href="/editing-and-arranging/change-region-lengths/pushpull-trimming">push/pull trimming</a>.
9260 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9264 <dd><dfn>Tape-mode</dfn> tracks do <strong>destructive</strong> recording:
9265 all data is recorded to a single file and if you overdub a section of existing
9266 data, the existing data is destroyed irrevocably—there is no undo.
9267 Fixed crossfades are added at every punch in and out point. This mode can be
9268 useful for certain kinds of re-recording workflows, but it not suggested for normal
9272 <img class="right" src="/images/a3_nonlayered_example.png" alt="normal and non-layered overdubbing comparision"
9276 The screenshot on the right shows the subtle difference between an overdub
9277 in <dfn>normal mode</dfn> (upper track) and one in <dfn>non-layered mode</dfn>
9278 (lower track). Both tracks were created using identical audio data.
9282 The upper track shows a new region which has been <dfn>layered on
9283 top</dfn> of the the existing (longer) region. You can see this if you look
9284 carefully at the region name strips. The lower track has split the existing
9285 region in two, trimmed each new region to create space for the new overdub,
9286 and inserted the overdub region in between.
9289 <h2 id="channelconfiguration">Channel Configuration</h2>
9292 Ardour tracks can have any number of inputs and any number of outputs, and
9293 the number of either can be changed at any time (subject to restrictions
9294 caused by any plugins in a track). However it is useful to not have to
9295 configure this sort of thing for the most common cases, and so the
9296 <a href="/working-with-tracks/adding-tracks">Add Tracks</a> dialog allows you
9297 to select "Mono", "Stereo" and few other typical multichannel presets.
9298 The name of the preset describes the number of <dfn>input channels</dfn>
9299 of the track or bus.
9303 If you have configured Ardour to automatically connect new tracks and
9304 busses for you, the number of outputs will be determined by the number of
9305 inputs of the <dfn>master <a
9306 href="/introducing-ardour/understanding-basic-concepts-and-terminology/#busses">bus</a></dfn>,
9307 to which the track outputs will be connected.
9311 For example, if you have a two-channel master bus, then a Mono track has one
9312 input and two outputs; a Stereo track has two inputs and two outputs.
9316 Setting <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Audio
9317 > Connection of Tracks and Busses</kbd> to <kbd
9318 class="menu">manual</kbd> will leave tracks disconnected by default
9319 and there will be as many outputs as there are inputs. It is up to you to
9320 connect them as you wish. This is not a particularly useful way to work
9321 unless you are doing something fairly unusual with signal routing and
9322 processing. It is almost always preferable to allow Ardour to make
9323 connections automatically, even if some of them have to be changed manually
9329 title: Audio Recording
9340 When recording, it is important that performers hear themselves, and to
9341 hear any pre-recorded tracks they are performing with.
9342 Audio recorders typically let you <dfn>monitor</dfn> (i.e. listen to)
9343 the input signal of all tracks that are armed for recording, and playing
9344 back the unarmed tracks.
9348 title: Latency Considerations
9354 In the days of analog tape recording, the routing of monitor signals was
9355 performed with relays and other analog audio switching devices. Digital
9356 recorders have the same feature, but may impart some
9358 href="/synchronization/latency-and-latency-compensation/"><dfn>latency</dfn></a>
9359 (delay) between the time you make a noise and the time that you hear it
9360 come back from the recorder.
9364 The latency of <em>any</em> conversion from analog to digital and back to
9365 analog is about 1.5–2 ms. Some musicians claim that even the
9366 basic <abbr title="Analog to Digital to Analog">A/D/A</abbr> conversion
9367 time is objectionable. However even acoustic instruments such as the piano
9368 can have approximately 3 ms of latency, due to the time the sound
9369 takes to travel from the instrument to the musician's ears. Latency below
9370 5 ms should be suitable for a professional recording setup. Because
9371 2 ms are already used in the A/D/A process, you must use extremely low
9372 <dfn>buffer sizes</dfn> in your workstation <abbr title="Input/Output">I/O</abbr>
9373 setup to keep the overall latency below 5ms. Not all
9374 <a href="/setting-up-your-system/the-right-computer-system-for-digital-audio">computer audio systems</a>
9375 are able to work reliably at such low buffer sizes.
9379 For this reason it is sometimes best to route the monitor signal
9380 through an external mixing console while recording, an approach taken by
9381 most if not all professional recording studios. Many computer I/O devices
9382 have a hardware mixer built in which can route the monitor signal "around"
9383 the computer, avoiding the system latency.
9387 In either case, the monitoring hardware may be digital or analog. And in
9388 the digital case you will still have the A-D-A conversion latency of
9393 title: Monitor Signal Flow
9394 menu_title: Signal Flow
9399 There are three basic ways to approach monitoring:
9402 <h3>External Monitoring</h3>
9404 <p><img class="right" src="/images/external-monitoring.png" /></p>
9407 When using <dfn>external monitoring</dfn>, Ardour plays no role in monitoring at all. Perhaps the recording set-up has an external mixer which can be used to set up monitor mixes, or perhaps the sound-card being used has a "listen to the input" feature. This approach yields zero or near-zero latency. On the other hand it requires external hardware, and the monitoring settings are less flexible and not saved with the session.
9410 <h3>JACK-Based Hardware Monitoring</h3>
9412 <p><img class="right" src="/images/jack-monitoring.png" /></p>
9415 Some sound cards have the ability to mix signals from their inputs to their outputs with very low or even zero latency, a feature called <dfn>hardware monitoring</dfn>. Furthermore, on some cards this function can be controlled by <a href="/signal-routing/role-of-jack/">JACK</a>. This is a nice arrangement, if the sound card supports it, as it combines the convenience of having the monitoring controlled by Ardour with the low latency operation of doing it externally.
9418 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9420 <h3>Software Monitoring</h3>
9422 <p><img class="right" src="/images/ardour-monitoring.png" /></p>
9425 With the <dfn>software monitoring</dfn> approach, all monitoring is performed by Ardour—it makes track inputs available at track outputs, governed by various controls. This approach will almost always have more routing flexibility than JACK-based monitoring. The disadvantage is that there will be some latency between the input and the output, which depends for the most part on the JACK buffer size that is being used.
9429 title: Monitor Setup in Ardour
9430 menu_title: Setup in Ardour
9435 Ardour has three main settings which affect how
9436 monitoring is performed. The first is
9437 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Audio >
9438 Record monitoring handled by</kbd>. There are two or three
9439 options here, depending on the capabilities of your hardware.
9443 The other two settings are more complex. One is
9444 <kbd class="menu">Tape machine mode</kbd>, found in the
9445 same dialog, and the other is the
9446 <kbd class="option">Session > Properties > Monitoring
9447 automatically follows transport state</kbd> setting.
9451 Monitoring also depends on the state of the track's record-enable button,
9452 the session record-enable button, and on whether or not the transport is
9456 <h2>Software or Hardware Monitoring Modes</h2>
9459 If Ardour is set to <dfn>external monitoring</dfn>, the explanation of
9460 Ardour's monitoring behaviour is simple: it does not do any.
9463 <h2>Monitoring in Non-Tape-Machine Mode</h2>
9466 When <dfn>Tape-Machine mode is off</dfn>, and a track is armed,
9467 Ardour <em>always</em> monitors the live input, except in one case:
9468 the transport is rolling, the session is not recording, and
9469 <dfn>auto-input</dfn>
9470 is active. In this case only, you will hear playback from an armed track.
9474 Unarmed tracks will play back their contents from disc, unless the
9475 transport is stopped <em>and</em> <dfn>auto-input</dfn> is enabled.
9476 In this case, the track monitors its live input.
9479 <h2>Monitoring in Tape-Machine Mode</h2>
9482 In <dfn>Tape-Machine mode</dfn>, things are slightly simpler: when a
9483 track is armed, its behaviour is the same as in non-tape-machine mode.
9487 Unarmed tracks however will always just play back their contents from
9488 disk; the live input will never be monitored.
9493 title: MIDI Recording
9499 title: Punch Recording Modes
9505 title: Working With Markers
9510 It is very useful to be able to tag different locations in a session for
9511 later use when editing and mixing. Ardour supports both
9512 <dfn>locations</dfn>, which define specific positions in time,
9513 and <dfn>ranges</dfn> which define a start and end position in time.
9517 In addition to the standard location markers, there are three kinds of
9523 <dfn>CD markers</dfn> are locations that are restricted to legal
9524 <dfn>CD sector boundaries</dfn>. They can be used to add track index
9525 markers to compact disc images.
9528 The <dfn>Loop range</dfn> defines the start end end points for Looping.
9531 The <dfn>punch range</dfn> defines the in and out points for punch
9537 title: Creating Location Markers
9542 <dfn>Location Markers</dfn> appear in the <dfn>Locations ruler</dfn> at the top
9543 of the timeline. The <dfn>start</dfn> and <dfn>end</dfn> markers appear
9544 automatically, but you can create custom markers at any position in a
9549 To add a marker at the <strong>current playhead position</strong>, press
9550 <kbd>Num-↵</kbd> (the Enter key on the numeric keypad).
9551 Alternatively, use <kbd class="menu">Transport > Markers > Add
9552 Mark from Playhead</kbd>.
9556 To add a marker at an <strong>arbitrary location</strong> on the timeline,
9557 navigate to the desired position, right-click on the Locations ruler and
9558 select <kbd class="menu">New Location Marker</kbd>.
9559 You can also go to the Editor list, click <kbd class="menu">New
9560 Marker</kbd> and use the clock widget to set its position.
9565 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
9567 and <a href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays/"> Using
9568 Ardour Clock Displays</a>.
9572 title: Creating Range Markers
9576 <p class="fixme">Add images</a>
9579 <dfn>Range markers</dfn> are essentially two location markers the are grouped
9580 together to mark the beginning and end of a section in the timeline.
9583 <h2>Creating a Range on the timeline</h2>
9586 To create a new <dfn>range</dfn>, right-click on the
9587 Ranges ruler at the top of the timeline, then select
9588 <kbd class="menu">New Range</kbd>.
9589 Two markers with the same name will appear along the ruler.
9590 Both marks can be moved along the timeline by clicking and dragging
9591 them to the desired location.
9595 It is also possible to create range markers from a selected range or
9596 region in the Editor window, or to use the <kbd class="menu">Ranges
9597 & Marks List</kbd> in the Editor list.
9601 title: Ranges & Marks List
9606 The <dfn>Ranges & Marks List</dfn> is a tab in the <dfn>Editor
9607 Lists</dfn> area on the right of the Editor window. If the editor
9608 list area isn't visible it can be enabled by checking
9609 <kbd class="option">View > Show Editor List</kbd>.
9610 The Ranges & Marks list can be used as a single point
9611 of control for all range and location markers (including the punch and
9612 loop ranges), or as a supplement to other methods of working with them.
9615 <h2>Common elements</h2>
9618 Each section has a set of <dfn>editable <a
9619 href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays/">clock widgets</a></dfn>
9621 the location of a marker, or the start, end, and duration times of a range,
9623 The <kbd class="menu">Use PH</kbd> buttons allow you to set
9624 the corresponding clock to the current playhead position.
9625 A <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd> click on any of the clocks will move
9626 the playhead to that location. Both functions are also available from the
9627 clock context menus.<br />
9628 Right clicking on any of the clocks brings up a context menu that allows
9629 changing of the display between Timecode, Bars:Beats, Minutes:Seconds,
9633 The <kbd class="menu">—</kbd> (subtract) button in front of each
9634 user-defined range or marker in the list allows that particular item to
9635 be removed. The name fields of custom ranges and markers can be edited.
9638 The <kbd class="option">Hide</kbd> checkboxes make markers and ranges invisible
9639 on the respective ruler to reduce visual clutter; the markers remain
9640 active however, and can be used normally.<br />
9641 Selecting <kbd class="option">Lock</kbd> prevents the respective marker
9642 from being moved until unlocked.
9643 Where applicable, <kbd class="option">Glue</kbd> fixes the marker position
9644 relative to the current musical position expressed in bars and beats, rather
9645 than the absolute time. This will make the respective marker follow
9646 changes in the tempo map.
9649 At the bottom of the list are buttons to add new markers or ranges.
9651 <h2>List sections</h2>
9654 <dt>Loop/Punch Ranges</dt>
9655 <dd>This list shows the current <dfn>loop</dfn> and <dfn>punch</dfn> range
9656 settings. Since these are built-in ranges, you cannot rename or remove them.</dd>
9657 <dt>Markers (Including CD Index)</dt>
9658 <dd>This section lists the session's <dfn>markers</dfn>. By ticking <kbd
9659 class="option">CD</kbd>, you instruct Ardour to create a <dfn>CD track
9660 index</dfn> from this marker, which will be included in the TOC or CUE file when you
9662 <dt>Ranges (Including CD Track Ranges)</dt>
9663 <dd>This is the list of <dfn>ranges</dfn> (including <dfn>CD track
9664 ranges</dfn>). Ticking <kbd class="option">CD</kbd> will convert
9665 the range to a <dfn>CD track</dfn>, which will again be included in
9666 exported TOC or CUE files. This is relevant for Disk-At-Once recordings
9667 that may contain audio data between tracks.</dd>
9671 title: Moving Markers
9675 <h2>Single marker</h2>
9678 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click and drag to move a single marker to a
9679 new location on the timeline.
9682 <h2>Multiple markers</h2>
9685 It is possible to move multiple markers by the same distance. <kbd
9686 class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click each marker you want to move, then drag
9687 one of the selected markers to a new location. All selected markers will
9688 then move together. Note that the markers are bounded by the zero point on
9689 the timeline. In other words, the first marker in your selection cannot move
9690 to the left of zero on the timeline.
9693 <h2>Both ends of a range marker</h2>
9696 <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd>-drag either end of the range marker. The
9697 other end will move by the same distance.
9701 title: The Loop Range
9705 <p class="fixme">Missing content</a>
9708 The <dfn>loop range</dfn> is a special range that defines the start and end points
9709 for loop play, which can be enabled in the transport bar.
9713 It can be defined via the <a href="/missing">timeline</a> or the <a
9714 href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
9718 <p class="fixme">Broken links</a>
9721 title: Marker Context Menu
9726 <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking a marker in the timeline opens the
9727 marker context menu. From this menu, you can:
9730 <dt>Locate to Here</dt>
9731 <dd>Move the playhead to this marker's position.</dd>
9732 <dt>Play from Here</dt>
9733 <dd>start playback from this marker's position.</dd>
9734 <dt>Move Mark to Playhead</dt>
9735 <dd>Move this marker to the current playhead position.</dd>
9736 <dt>Create Range to Next Marker</dt>
9737 <dd>Create a range marker between this location and the next one along on
9740 <dd>Hide this marker from the view. It can be made visible again from the
9741 <kbd class="menu">Window > Locations</kbd> window or the <a
9742 href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
9745 <dd>Change the name of the marker.</dd>
9747 <dd>If this is ticked, it will be impossible to drag the marker's
9748 position; useful if you want to prevent accidental movements.</dd>
9749 <dt>Glue to Bars and Beats</dt>
9750 <dd>If this is ticked, the marker will maintain its position in bars and
9751 beats even if there are changes in tempo and meter.</dd>
9753 <dd>Removes the marker. </dd>
9757 There are also a few options in <kbd class="menu">Transport > Active
9758 Mark</kbd>. These options apply to the currently selected location marker,
9759 and move it to a nearby region boundary, region sync point, or to the
9768 <p class="fixme">Missing content</a>
9771 The <dfn>punch range</dfn> is a special range used to define where
9772 recording will start and/or stop during a <dfn>punch</dfn>.
9776 It can be defined on the <a href="/missing">timeline</a> or in the
9777 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks</a>
9781 <p class="fixme">Broken links</a>
9791 title: Editing Basics
9797 title: Working With Regions
9801 <h2>Working With Regions</h2>
9804 <dfn>Regions</dfn> are the basic elements of editing and composing in
9805 Ardour. In most cases, a region represents a single contiguous section
9806 of one or more media files. Regions are defined by a fixed set of attributes:
9810 <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr>
9811 <dfn>source file(s)</dfn> they represent,</li>
9812 <li>an <dfn>offset</dfn> (the "start point") in the audio or MIDI file(s), and</li>
9813 <li>a <dfn>length</dfn>.</li>
9816 When placed into a playlist, they gain additional attributes:
9819 <li>a <dfn>position</dfn> along the timeline, and</li>
9820 <li>a <dfn>layer</dfn>.</li>
9823 There are other attributes as well, but they do not <em>define</em> the
9824 region. Things you should know about regions:
9827 <h3>Regions Are Cheap</h3>
9829 By themselves, regions consume very little of your computer's resources.
9830 Each region requires a small amount of memory, and represents a rather
9831 small amount of CPU work if placed into an active track. So, don't worry
9832 about creating regions whenever you need to.
9835 <h3>Regions Are Not Files</h3>
9837 Although a region can represent an entire audio file, they are never
9838 equivalent to an audio file. Most regions represent just parts of an audio
9839 file(s) on disk, and removing a region from a track has nothing to do with
9840 removing the audio file(s) from the disk (the <kbd
9841 class="menu">Destroy</kbd> operation, one of Ardour's few destructive
9842 operations, can affect this). Changing the length of a region has no effect
9843 on the audio file(s) on disk. Splitting and copying regions does not alter
9844 the audio file in anyway, nor does it create new audio files (only
9845 <dfn>recording</dfn>,
9846 and the <kbd class="menu">Export</kbd>, <kbd class="menu">Bounce</kbd> and
9847 <kbd class="menu">Reverse</kbd> operations create new audio files).</p>
9850 title: Region Naming
9855 <dfn>Region names</dfn> are initially derived from either</p>
9857 <li>the name of the playlist for which they were recorded,</li>
9858 <li>the name of the track for which they were recorded, or</li>
9859 <li>the name of the embedded/imported file they represent.</li>
9862 It appears that recorded regions are always named after the track, not the
9863 active playlist in that track.
9866 <h2>Whole File Region Names</h2>
9868 These are not audio files, but regions that represent the full extent of an
9869 audio file. Every time a new recording is done, or a new file is imported
9870 to the session, a new region is created that represents the <dfn>entire audio
9871 file</dfn>. This region will have the name of the track/playlist/original file,
9872 followed by a "-", then a number plus a dot and then a number.
9875 For <dfn>recorded regions</dfn>, the number will increase each time a new recording
9876 is made. So, for example, if there is a playlist called
9877 <samp>Didgeridoo</samp>, the
9878 first recorded whole file region for that playlist will be called
9879 <samp>Digderidoo-1</samp>. The next one will be <samp>Digeridoo-2</samp> and so on.
9882 For <dfn>imported regions</dfn>, the region name will be based on the original file
9883 name, but with any final suffix (e.g. ".wav" or ".aiff") removed.
9886 Normally, whole file regions are not inserted into tracks or playlists,
9887 but regions derived from them are. The whole-file versions live in the
9888 editor region list where they act as an organizing mechanism for regions
9889 that are derived from them.
9892 <h2>Normal Region Names</h2>
9894 When a region is inserted into a track and playlist, its initial name will
9895 end in a <dfn>version number</dfn>, such as <samp>.1</samp>. For a recorded region,
9896 if the whole file region was <samp>Hang drum-1</samp>, then the region in
9897 the track will appear with the name <samp>Hang drum-1.1</samp>. For an
9898 imported region, if the whole file region was <samp>Bach:Invention3</samp>,
9899 then the region in the track will appear with the name
9900 <samp>Bach:Invention3.1</samp>.
9903 <h2>Copied Region Names</h2>
9905 If you <dfn>copy a region</dfn>, it initially shares the same name as the original.
9906 When you perform an operation modifies one of the copies, Ardour will
9907 increment the version number on the particular copy that changed.
9910 <h2>Renaming Regions</h2>
9912 You can <dfn>rename a region</dfn> at any time. Use the region context menu to
9913 pop up the <kbd class="menu">Rename</kbd> dialog. The new name does not need to
9914 have a version number in it (in fact, it probably should not). Ardour will add a
9915 version number in the future if needed (e.g. if you copy or split the region).
9919 title: Corresponding Regions Selection
9924 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">Track Groups</a> have
9925 a property titled <kbd class="option">Select</kbd> which, if enabled, cause
9926 Ardour to propagate a region selection in one track of a group to the
9927 <dfn>corresponding regions</dfn> of the other tracks in that group.
9930 For example, let's assume you have used multiple microphones to record a
9931 drum kit to multiple tracks. You have created a track group, added all the
9932 drum tracks, enabled the group and enabled the Select property for the group.
9933 When you select a region in one of the drum tracks, Ardour will select the
9934 corresponding region in every other drum track in the group, which in turn
9935 means that a subsequent edit operation will affect all the grouped drum
9939 <h2>How Ardour Decides Which Regions are "Corresponding"</h2>
9941 Regions in different tracks are considered to be corresponding for the purposes
9942 of sharing <dfn>selection</dfn> if they satisfy <em>all</em> the following criteria:
9945 <li>Each region starts at the <dfn>same offset</dfn> within its source file,</li>
9946 <li>each region is located at the <dfn>same position</dfn> on the timeline, and</li>
9947 <li>each region has the <dfn>same length</dfn>.</li>
9950 <h2>Overlap Correspondence</h2>
9952 Sometimes, the rules outlined above are too strict to get Ardour to do what you
9953 want. Regions may have been trimmed to slightly different lengths, or positioned
9954 slightly differently, and this will cause Ardour to not select regions in other
9957 In this case, change
9958 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor > Regions in
9959 active edit groups are edited together:</kbd> to <kbd
9960 class="menu">whenever they overlap in time</kbd>. With this option enabled, r
9961 egions in different tracks will be considered equivalent for the purposes of selection if they
9962 <dfn>overlap</dfn>. This is much more flexible and will cover almost all of the
9963 cases that the fixed rules above might make cumbersome.
9967 title: Region Context Menu
9971 <p class="fixme">Need to add detail to the context menu table to describe what the options do</p>
9974 In the editor window, right clicking (context clicking) on a region
9975 displays a menu with <dfn>track and region operations</dfn>. The menu begins with the
9976 name of the region, or <kbd class="menu">Selected Regions</kbd> if multiple
9977 regions are selected.
9980 If there is more than one region layered at the point where you clicked, the
9981 menu will also contain an item <kbd class="menu">Choose Top</kbd>. This
9982 dialog lets you select which region you want on the top <dfn>layer</dfn>. See
9983 <a href="manual/region_layering">Adjusting Region Layering</a> for more details.
9986 Below these items is the rest of the
9987 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-context-menu">Track Context Menu</a>, which
9988 provides access to <dfn>track-level operations</dfn>. To see the contents
9989 of the region context menu, select the region name or "Selected Regions", and
9990 the following submenu structure appears:
9992 <dl class="narrower-table">
10003 <dl class="wide-table">
10010 <dt>Make Mono Regions</dt>
10016 <dt>Pitch Shift</dt>
10020 <dt>Close Gaps</dt>
10022 <dt>Place Transients</dt>
10024 <dt>Rhythm Ferret</dt>
10026 <dt>Strip Silence</dt>
10032 <dl class="wide-table">
10033 <dt>Move To Original Position</dt>
10037 <dt>Glue to Bars and Beats</dt>
10039 <dt>Snap Position to Grid</dt>
10041 <dt>Set Sync Position</dt>
10043 <dt>Remove Sync</dt>
10045 <dt>Nudge Later</dt>
10047 <dt>Nudge Earlier</dt>
10049 <dt>Nudge Later by capture offset</dt>
10051 <dt>Nudge Earlier by capture offset</dt>
10057 <dl class="wide-table">
10058 <dt>Trim Start at Edit Point</dt>
10060 <dt>Trim End at Edit Point</dt>
10062 <dt>Trim to Loop</dt>
10064 <dt>Trim to Punch</dt>
10066 <dt>Trim to Previous</dt>
10068 <dt>Trim to Next</dt>
10074 <dl class="wide-table">
10075 <dt>Raise to Top</dt>
10081 <dt>Lower to Bottom</dt>
10087 <dl class="wide-table">
10088 <dt>Set Loop Range</dt>
10090 <dt>Set Punch Range</dt>
10092 <dt>Add Single Range Marker</dt>
10094 <dt>Add Range Marker per Region</dt>
10096 <dt>Set Range Selection</dt>
10102 <dl class="wide-table">
10109 <dt>Reset Envelope</dt>
10111 <dt>Envelope Active</dt>
10117 <dl class="wide-table">
10128 <dl class="wide-table">
10131 <dt>Multi-Duplicate</dt>
10133 <dt>Fill Track</dt>
10139 <dt>Bounce (without processing)</dt>
10141 <dt>Bounce (with processing)</dt>
10143 <dt>Spectral Analysis</dt>
10150 title: Common Region Edit Operations
10151 menu_title: Region Editing
10156 This section covers a set of <dfn>region editing operations</dfn>
10157 that you are likely to use often while working on a session.
10158 Depending on your work habits (and experience of other
10159 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s) you will find
10160 some of these operations critical while others are used only rarely.
10164 You can carry out all of these operations from the keyboard (see
10165 <a href="/default-keyboard-bindings">Default Keyboard Shortcuts</a>
10166 for a list). Equivalent operations can be performed with the mouse
10171 You may want to review your understanding of
10172 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">the edit point/range</a> and
10173 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/which-regions-are-affected">which regions will be affected by region operations</a>.
10176 <dl class="wide-table">
10177 <dt><kbd class="menu">Spot (Align)</kbd></dt>
10178 <dd>Move selected regions to the edit point.</dd>
10179 <dt><kbd class="menu">Split</kbd></dt>
10180 <dd>Split selected regions at the edit point.</dd>
10181 <dt><kbd class="menu">Trim Start</kbd></dt>
10182 <dd>Adjust the start of selected regions to the edit point (or as close as
10184 <dt><kbd class="menu">Trim End</kbd></dt>
10185 <dd>Adjust the end of selected regions to the edit point (or as close as
10187 <dt><kbd class="menu">Duplicate</kbd></dt>
10188 <dd>Make a copy of each selected region and position it immediately after the
10190 <dt><kbd class="menu">Crop</kbd></dt>
10191 <dd>Truncate selected regions to the edit range.</dd>
10192 <dt><kbd class="menu">Separate</kbd></dt>
10193 <dd>Split selected regions at both ends of the edit range.</dd>
10194 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Fade In</kbd></dt>
10195 <dd>Adjust selected audio regions' fade in to end at the edit point.</dd>
10196 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Fade Out</kbd></dt>
10197 <dd>Adjust selected audio regions' fade out to end at the edit point.</dd>
10198 <dt><kbd class="menu">Toggle Fade In</kbd></dt>
10199 <dd>Turn selected audio regions' fade in on or off.</dd>
10200 <dt><kbd class="menu">Toggle Fade Out</kbd></dt>
10201 <dd>Turn selected audio regions' fade out on or off.</dd>
10202 <dt><kbd class="menu">Play Region</kbd></dt>
10203 <dd>Play session from the start of the earliest selected region.</dd>
10204 <dt><kbd class="menu">Zoom To Region</kbd></dt>
10205 <dd>Zoom horizontally so that the selected regions span the editor track
10207 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Sync Point</kbd></dt>
10208 <dd>Set the sync point of all selected regions to the edit point.</dd>
10209 <dt><kbd class="menu">Insert</kbd></dt>
10210 <dd>Inserts the currently selected regions in the Region List at the edit
10215 title: Copy Regions
10219 <h2>Copy a Single Region</h2>
10222 To copy a region, make sure you are in object mouse mode. Move the mouse
10223 pointer into the region and <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag. Ardour
10224 creates a new region and follows the mouse pointer as it moves. See
10225 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/move-regions/">Move Regions</a> for more
10226 details on moving the copied region.
10229 <h2>Copy Multiple Regions</h2>
10232 To copy multiple regions, select them before copying. Then
10233 <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag one of the selected regions. All the
10234 regions will be copied and as they move. The copied regions will keep their
10235 positions relative to each other.
10238 <h2>Fixed-Time Copying</h2>
10241 If you want to copy region(s) to other track(s) but keep the copies at the
10242 exact position on the timeline as the originals, simply use
10243 <kbd class="mouse mod1">Middle</kbd>-drag instead.
10247 title: Move Regions
10251 <p class="fixme">Add images</p>
10254 Ardour has a global <dfn>edit mode</dfn> selector at the left of the
10255 Editing toolbar, which affect how regions are moved or copied:
10259 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slide</kbd></dt>
10260 <dd>Regions move freely. Ardour creates overlaps when necessary.</dd>
10261 <dt><kbd class="menu">Lock</kbd></dt>
10262 <dd>No region motion is permitted (except for "nudge").</dd>
10263 <dt><kbd class="menu">Ripple</kbd></dt>
10264 <dd>The effect of an edit is reflected in the regions to the "right" of the edit</dd>
10267 <h2>More details about Ripple</h2>
10270 Ripple Edit mode provides the following conveniences:
10272 <li> Deleting a range will move later regions to compensate for the deleted time </li>
10273 <li> Deleting a region will move later regions to compensate for the deleted region's length </li>
10274 <li> Moving a region will move later regions to compensate for the length of the move</li>
10275 <li> Inserting a new region (via dragging or via Paste) will move later regions to the right to compensate</li>
10280 If <kbd class="menu">Snap To Grid</kbd> is enabled, then regions can
10281 only move so that they align with locations determined by the current
10282 snap settings (beats, or seconds, or other region boundaries, etc).
10283 See <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid">Snap To the Grid</a>
10288 title: Move Regions With the Mouse
10293 To move or copy a region, make sure you are in object mode. If you are
10294 using smart mode, the pointer must be in the lower half of the region
10295 to begin a move or copy operation.
10299 Move the pointer into the region, use a <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag.
10300 The region will follow the pointer as you move it around. By default,
10301 the region can move freely along the timeline.
10305 To move a region from one track to another, simply start a move as
10306 described above, but move the pointer into the desired track. The
10307 region will follow the pointer. Note that if you have other kinds of
10308 tracks visible, the region will remain where it is as the pointer
10309 moves across them, and will then jump to the new track. This serves as
10310 a visual reminder that you cannot drag an audio region into an automation
10311 track or a bus, for example.
10314 <h2>Move Multiple Regions</h2>
10317 To move multiple regions, select them before moving. Then
10318 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag one of the selected regions. All the
10319 regions will move, keeping their positions relative to each other.
10322 <h2>Fixed-Time Motion</h2>
10325 Sometimes, you want to move a region to another track, but keeping its
10326 position along the timeline exactly the same. To do this, use
10327 <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd>-drag instead.
10331 title: Align (Spot) Regions
10336 Aligning regions (sometimes called "spotting") means moving one or more
10337 regions based on a defined location, which in Ardour is always the
10338 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a>. An
10339 alignment operation moves the region(s) so that some part of the region
10340 is positioned at the edit point. Available alignment commands include:
10343 <dl class="wide-table">
10344 <dt>Align Region starts <kbd class="mod14">a</kbd></dt>
10345 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that their start is located at the current edit point</dd>
10346 <dt>Align Region ends <kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dt>
10347 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that the end is located at the current edit point</dd>
10348 <dt>Align Region sync points <kbd>Shift-a</kbd></dt>
10349 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that their sync point is located at the current edit point</dd>
10350 <dt>Align Region starts relative <kbd class="mod4">a</kbd></dt>
10351 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that the start of the earliest region is located at the current edit point, and all others maintain their relative position relative to that region</dd>
10356 title: Edit Mode and Tools
10367 Editing operations in a Digital Audio Workstation like Ardour can be broken
10368 down according to how many points on the timeline are required to carry the
10369 operation out. Splitting a region for example, requires just one position
10370 on the timeline (the one where the split will happen). Cutting out a time
10371 range requires two positions, one for the start of the cut and one for the end.
10375 In Ardour the <dfn>edit point</dfn> is the location where most single-point
10376 editing operations take place. It can be set to either of the following:
10380 <li>the <dfn>playhead</dfn></li>
10381 <li>the position of the <dfn>pointer</dfn> (mouse or touch)</li>
10382 <li>the selected (or "active") <dfn>marker</dfn></li>
10386 The default edit point is the location of the pointer.
10390 There are 2 keybindings available to cycle through the edit point options.
10391 The most common workflow tends to involve switching back and forth between
10392 the playhead and mouse as the edit point. Press the grave accent key
10393 <kbd>`</kbd> to switch between these two. Use <kbd class="mod1">`</kbd> to
10394 cycle through all three choices (including the selected marker). You can
10395 also switch the edit point using a combo-selector just right of the snap/grid
10399 <p class="fixme">Add images</p>
10402 title: Which Regions Are Affected?
10403 menu_title: Affected Regions
10408 This section explains the rules used to decide which regions are affected
10409 by editing operations. You don't really have to understand them—hopefully
10410 things will Just Work™—but it may be useful eventually to understand the rules.
10414 Editing operations in Ardour either operate on a single point in time
10415 (<kbd class="menu">Split</kbd> being the obvious example) or on two
10416 points (which can also be considered to be a range of sorts); <kbd
10417 class="menu">Separate</kbd> is a good example of this.
10421 Most operations will operate on the currently selected region(s), but if
10422 no regions are selected, the region that the mouse is in will be used
10423 instead. Single-point operations will generally pick a set of regions to
10424 use based on the following rules:
10428 <li> If the edit point is 'mouse', then
10430 <li>if the mouse is over a selected region, or no region, use all selected
10432 <li>if the mouse is over an unselected region, use just that region.</li>
10435 <li> For all other edit points
10438 use the selected regions <em>and</em> those that are both
10439 under the edit position <em>and</em> on a selected track,
10440 or on a track which is in the same active edit-enabled route group
10441 as a selected region.
10448 The rationale here for the two different rules is that the mouse edit point
10449 is special in that its position indicates both a time and a track; the other
10450 edit points (Playhead, Marker) indicate a time only.
10454 title: Snap to the Grid
10455 menu_title: Snap to Grid
10459 <p class="fixme">Get rid of all the <br>s, they look like shit</p>
10462 Ardour's editor utilizes a <dfn>grid</dfn> to assist in the placement
10463 of regions on the timeline, or with editing functions that need to happen
10464 at a specific point in time. You can choose if you want the cursor and
10465 various objects to snap to this grid, and how you want the snapping to
10466 behave. You can modify the grid units to fit your needs.
10469 <h2>About Snapping</h2>
10471 <p>There are two ways to think about aligning material to a grid.
10472 The first and most obvious one is where an object\'s position is clamped
10473 to grid lines. In Ardour, this is called <dfn>absolute snap</dfn>
10474 and is commonly used when working with sampled material where audio
10475 begins exactly at the beginning of a file, note or region.</br>
10476 The second, <dfn>relative snap</dfn>, is used when an object's position
10477 relative to the grid lines is important. In music, this allows you to
10478 move objects around without changing the "feel" (or timing) of a performance.</br>
10479 Absolute snap is the default method of snapping in Ardour.</br>
10480 While dragging objects you may switch from absolute to relative snap by
10481 pressing the absolute snap modifier key(s).</br>
10482 You may also disable snap entirely by using the snap modifier (see below).</br>
10483 Note that in relative snap mode the reference point is taken to be the distance
10484 to the nearest grid line.</br>
10485 Note also that when an object lies exactly on a grid line, there will be no difference
10486 between relative and absolute snap modes.</br>
10487 The realtive snap and snap modifiers (along with other modifier keys) may be set in
10488 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction</kbd></br>
10489 For common use patterns, it is recommended that you assign a unique key for
10490 one snap modifier and two keys for the other in such a way that they share an otherwise unused key.
10491 For example, you may choose the snap modifier to be the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> key and the
10492 relative snap modifier to be the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> and <kbd class="mod4"> </kbd> keys.
10495 <h2>Snap Modes</h2>
10497 Using the above modifications, Ardour supports three different modes of snapping to the grid:
10500 <dl class="wide-table">
10501 <dt><kbd class="menu">No Grid</kbd></dt>
10502 <dd>disables the grid. All objects move freely in this mode.</br>
10503 In <kbd class="menu">No Grid</kbd> mode, you may temporarily activate the grid by pressing the
10504 snap modifier (for absolute snap) or switch to relative snap by pressing the relative snap modifier.</dd>
10505 <dt><kbd class="menu">Grid</kbd></dt>
10506 <dd>activates normal snapping. All positions of objects snap to
10507 the grid. (See <a href="#gridunits">Grid Units</a> below
10508 to change the grid). If you try to move an object in "Grid"-mode, it
10509 does not change its position until you move the mouse far enough for the
10510 object to reach the next grid line.</br>
10511 Sometimes you may wish to maintain an objects' position relative to the grid line.
10512 In order to do this, use the "snap relative" modifier.
10513 When holding down this modifier during a drag, the dragged object will jump
10514 while maintaining its original distance from the line.</br>
10515 New objects will always be created at grid points.</br>
10516 Holding down the snap modifier will disable the current grid setting and allow you to move the object freely.</br>
10518 <dt><kbd class="menu">Magnetic</kbd></dt>
10519 <dd>is a less strict type of snapping. Objects can still be moved to any
10520 position, but positions close to the relative or absolute grid points will snap.
10521 In order to move an object very close to a snap point, it may be necessary
10522 to zoom in to prevent snapping to that point, or to use the snap modifier to disable snap completely.</br>
10523 As with Grid mode, the snap modifier will disable snap completely while the
10524 absolute snap modifier will move the "notch" of Magnetic snap to the grid lines.</dd>
10527 <h2>Syncing Regions to the Grid</h2>
10529 By default, a region's beginning will be used as the reference for both types of snapping,
10530 but you can change this behaviour by setting a <dfn>sync point</dfn> in
10531 the region. Select the region(s) and press <kbd>V</kbd>. This will set
10532 the sync point to your edit point.</p>
10534 <h2 id="gridunits">Grid Units</h2>
10536 The selector next to the grid mode selector defines the size of the grid
10537 elements. You can set your grid to several different units:
10539 <dl class="wide-table">
10540 <dt><kbd class="menu">CD Frames</kbd></dt>
10541 <dd>A CD Frame is 1/75th of a second. Snapping to CD Frames (using absolute snap) can be used to avoid issues with CD track
10543 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode Frames/Seconds/Minutes</kbd></dt>
10544 <dd>The duration of a frame depends on the timecode settings for the
10546 <dt><kbd class="menu">Seconds/Minutes</kbd></dt>
10547 <dd>These are absolute time units, unaffected by sample rate or timecode settings</dd>
10548 <dt><kbd class="menu">Beats/N</kbd></dt>
10549 <dd>Set the grid to units of 1/N beats, where N can be 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The duration of a grid unit will depend on the tempo and meter in effect at that point in the timeline.</dd>
10550 <dt><kbd class="menu">Beats</kbd></dt>
10551 <dd>Set the grid to whole beats. The duration of a grid unit will depend on the tempo and meter in effect at that point in the timeline.</dd>
10552 <dt><kbd class="menu">Bars</kbd></dt>
10553 <dd>Set the grid to whole bars. The duration of a grid unit will depend on the tempo and meter in effect at that point in the timeline.</dd>
10554 <dt><kbd class="menu">Markers</kbd></dt>
10555 <dd>The grid lines are the markers.</dd>
10556 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Starts</kbd></dt>
10557 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region start points (see below).</dd>
10558 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Ends</kbd></dt>
10559 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region end points (see below).</dd>
10560 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Syncs</kbd></dt>
10561 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region sync points.</dd>
10562 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Bounds</kbd></dt>
10563 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region start or end points.</dd>
10567 To use Region starts/ends/syncs/bounds as snap choices, you must have
10572 <li><em>No</em> tracks selected, which means that Ardour snaps to regions on any track, or </li>
10573 <li>Several tracks selected, which means that Ardour only snaps to regions on those selected tracks.</li>
10577 If you are moving items on a track, and only the current track is selected,
10578 then you will only be able to snap to other regions on the same track.
10579 This means that enabling
10580 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor > Link Selections of Regions and
10581 Tracks</kbd> will make the "Region" grid unit unusable. Avoid the use of this option if
10582 you are going to use any of the Region grid units.
10587 title: Making Selections
10593 title: Select Regions
10597 <p class="fixme">Remove all "you" references FFS</p>
10600 Many editing operations in Ardour require you to first <dfn>select one or more
10601 regions</dfn> that you want to change in some way. You can select a single region,
10602 or multiple regions, including regions in different tracks. When you select
10603 a region, it will appear in a darker color than unselected regions.
10607 Note that if a track is a member of a group that is active and has the
10608 <kbd class="option">Select</kbd> property enabled, then Ardour will attempt to
10609 match whatever selections you make in one track across every other track of the
10611 <a href="/working-with-regions/corresponding-regions-selection/">Corresponding
10612 Regions Selection</a> for more information on precisely how selections will be
10613 propagated to other tracks.
10616 <h2>Region Selection and Track Selection</h2>
10620 <a href="/working-with-tracks/selecting-tracks/region-and-track-selection">Region & Track Selection</a>
10621 for more information on how selecting regions and selecting tracks interact.
10624 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
10626 <h2>Select a Region</h2>
10629 Confirm that you are using the
10630 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#object">Object tool</a>,
10631 then click on a region to select it. If
10632 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#smartmode">smart mode</a>
10633 is enabled, click in the lower half of the region.
10636 <h2>Deselect a Region</h2>
10639 Confirm you are using the
10640 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#object">Object tool</a>,
10641 then <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click the region. If
10642 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#smartmode">smart mode</a>
10643 is enabled, click in the lower half of the region.
10647 Note that a <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd> click simply toggles the
10648 selected status of an object, so it can be used to select unselected regions
10652 <h2>Select Multiple Regions in a Track</h2>
10654 <p>Do one of the following:</p>
10657 <li><kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click each region, or</li>
10659 drag a rubberband box from an empty point in a track before the first
10660 region you wish to select to a point within or after the last region
10661 you wish to select (you can <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag to do this
10662 multiple times), or,
10665 if the regions are all adjacent to one another, click the first region
10666 you wish to select, then <kbd class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-click the last
10667 region you wish to select.
10671 <h2>Select All Regions in a Track</h2>
10674 Context-click the track, and in the context menu, navigate to
10675 <kbd class="menu">Select > Select All In Track</menu>.
10679 See the <a href="/working-with-tracks/the-track-context-menu">Track Context Menu</a>
10680 for more information on other per-track selection operations that are available.
10683 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
10685 <h2>Select Multiple Regions Across Different Tracks</h2>
10688 <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click or <kbd class="mouse
10689 mod3">Left</kbd>-click the regions you wish to select.
10692 <h2>Select a Region From the Region List</h2>
10695 Click the name of the region in the
10696 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/region-list/">Region List</a>.
10697 Note that this will do nothing for whole-file regions, since they do not exist
10698 anywhere in a playlist or track.
10703 title: Editing Clips and Selections
10708 title: Trimming Regions
10712 <p class="fixme">Add images, description of mouse cursor changes that signal this type of editing</p>
10715 Changing the <dfn>length</dfn> of a region is a very common editing
10716 operation, often known as <dfn>trimming</dfn>. There are several ways
10717 to accomplish this with Ardour, and some very useful specialized trimming
10721 <h2>Drag-Trimming With the Mouse</h2>
10724 In object mode, move the pointer near the beginning or end of the region.
10725 The cursor will change to indicate that trimming is possible, and you then
10726 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag the edge of the region.
10730 Trimming will obey <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid/">Snap settings</a>.
10733 <h2>Click Trimming With the Mouse</h2>
10736 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click in the colored bar at the bottom of a region.
10737 If you are nearer to the start of a region, this will trim the start time to the
10738 position of the pointer. If you are nearer to the end of a region, it will trim the
10742 <h2>Keyboard Shortcuts for Trimming</h2>
10744 There are several commands for region trimming. Some use the
10745 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a> to determine where
10746 to trim to. Some are not bound to any keys by default (but could be via the
10747 Keybindings Editor).
10750 <dl class="wide-table">
10751 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-front</kbd> <kbd>j</kbd></dt>
10752 <dd>Trim selected region(s) start to edit point.</dd>
10753 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-end</kbd> <kbd>k</kbd></dt>
10754 <dd>Trim selected region(s) end to edit point.</dd>
10757 <h2 id="trimtonextprevious">Trim to Next/Previous Region</h2>
10760 Sometimes you just want to extend the start or end of region so that it reaches
10761 the end or start of an adjacent region. There is now an operation accessible
10762 from the region context menu, under <kbd class="menu">Edit >Trim > Trim to
10763 Next</kbd> or <kbd class="menu">Edit > Trim > Trim to Previous</kbd>. This
10764 will extend the selected regions so they directly adjoin their neighbours, unless
10765 their source files are not long enough, in which case they will be extended to the
10766 maximum possible. Trim to Next will extend the end of the selected regions to the
10767 start of the next region; Trim to Previous will extend the start of the selected
10768 regions to the end of the previous region.
10771 <dl class="wide-table">
10772 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-to-previous-region</kbd> <kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dt>
10773 <dd>Trim the start of selected region(s) to the end of the previous
10775 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-to-next-region</kbd> <kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dt>
10776 <dd>Trim the end of selected region(s) to the start of the following
10780 <h2>Other Possible Commands for Trimming</h2>
10783 These are not bound to any keys by default, but could be via the Keybindings
10784 Editor. They can also be sent via OSC or other control protocols.
10787 <dl class="wide-table">
10788 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-region-to-loop</kbd></dt>
10789 <dd>Trim region to match the current loop range.</dd>
10790 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-region-to-punch</kbd></dt>
10791 <dd>Trim region to match the current punch range.</dd>
10795 title: Push/Pull Trimming
10800 Normally, when you trim regions by dragging with the mouse, it affects
10801 only the selected regions. Their lengths are directly affected by the
10802 trim operation, but nothing else is. Sometimes though, you might like
10803 to trim a region that directly adjoins another, and keep this relationship
10804 the same—you are not trying to make one of the regions extend
10805 over the other—you would like the junction to move in one
10806 direction or the other as part of the trim. This requires trimming both
10807 regions on either side of the junction, in opposite directions.
10808 <dfn>Push/Pull trim</dfn>, activated by pressing shift key before
10809 starting the drag, will do just that. Here's a few pictures to show the
10810 difference in the results of a normal trim and push/pull trim. First,
10811 the initial situation:
10814 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_before_trim.png" alt="region arrangement before trim" /></p>
10817 Here is what happens after we trim the right hand (selected) region by
10818 dragging its starting position earlier:
10821 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_trim.png" alt="region arrangement after a trim" /></p>
10824 You can see that it now overlaps the earlier region and a crossfade has
10825 been created between them.
10829 Lets look now at what happens if we do the same trim, but <kbd
10830 class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-dragging to turn it into a push-pull trim instead:
10833 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_push_trim.png" alt="region arrangement after a push trim" /></p>
10836 There is no overlap, and the end of the earlier region has been moved
10837 along with the start of the later region, so that they still directly
10842 title: Separate Under
10847 You may have a situation where you have positioned one region over another,
10848 and you just want to cut the lower region so that it directly adjoins both
10849 ends of the overlapping one, with no overlaps. To do this, select the upper
10850 region, then choose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Separate > Separate
10851 Under</kbd>. This will split the lower region so that it no longer overlaps
10852 the upper region at all.
10856 Here is an example where we start with a short region placed so that it
10857 overlaps a longer region:
10860 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_before_separate_under.png" alt="region arrangement before separate under" /></p>
10863 When we perform the <dfn>Separate Under</dfn> edit, the lower region splits
10864 in two, with boundaries exactly positioned at the edges of the upper region:
10867 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_separate_under.png" alt="region arrangement after separate under" /></p>
10870 If the upper region covers only one end of the lower region, then this
10871 operation is equivalent to
10872 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/change-region-lengths/#trimtonextprevious">Trim to Next/Previous Region</a>, depending on which end is covered.
10876 title: Separate Range
10880 <p class="fixme">Add example with images; 1p ≥ 1,000w</p>
10883 A final new editing feature is an operation in the context menu of a
10884 range labeled <kbd class="menu">Separate Regions Under Range</kbd>.
10885 This splits any selected regions that are covered by the range at both
10886 ends of the range (or just one, if the range only covers part of the
10887 region). This makes it easy to generate regions that correspond
10888 precisely to a range.
10892 title: Strip Silence from Audio Regions
10893 menu_title: Stripping Silence
10898 From the region context menu, choose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Strip
10899 Silence</kbd> to detect silence (based on a user-chosen threshold in
10900 <abbr title="Decibels relative to Full Scale">dBFS</abbr>), split a
10901 region based on the boundaries of the silent segments, and remove the
10902 silence. You can also specify a minimum length for silence—useful
10903 when editing very percussive material and just needing to automatically trim
10904 the ends of a region. The dialog looks like this:
10908 <img src="/images/a3_strip_silence.png" alt="strip silence dialog" />
10912 The edit applies to all selected regions, allowing batch processing.
10913 You can also see in the screenshot how the main editor window is used
10914 to show silent segments and report the number and durations of the
10920 title: Fades and Crossfades
10926 title: Create Region Fades and Crossfades
10930 <p class="fixme">Add images--an image is worth more than 1,000 words</p>
10933 Every Region has a fade-in and fade-out. By default, the region fade
10934 is very short, and serves to de-click the transitions at the start and
10935 end of the region. By adjusting the regions fade length, a more
10936 gradual transition can be accomplished.
10939 <h2>Region Fades</h2>
10942 <dfn>Region fades</dfn> are possible at the beginning and end of
10943 all audio regions. In object mode, a grip appears at the top left and
10944 top right of an audio region when the cursor hovers over it. Placing
10945 the cursor over the top of the grip displays the region fade cursor
10946 tip. Click and drag the grip left or right in the timeline to
10947 adjust the length of the fade.
10950 <h2>Crossfades</h2>
10953 <dfn>Crossfades</dfn> refer to the behavior when you want to make
10954 a smooth transition (mix) from one audio region to another on the same
10955 track. Historically, this was done by splicing 2 pieces of analog
10956 tape together, and this concept was carried forward into digital
10957 editing. Each track is a sequence of sound files (regions). If
10958 two regions are butted against each other, there needs to be a method
10959 to splice them smoothly together. The crossfade allows one region
10960 to fade smoothly out, while the next region fades smoothly in, like 2
10961 pieces of tape that have been cut at and angle, and overlapped.
10965 But Ardour uses a more refined "layered" editing model, and
10966 therefore it is possible for multiple regions to be stacked on a single
10967 location with arbitrary overlaps between different layers. For
10968 this reason, crossfades must be implemented differently. We can't
10969 assume that a crossfade is an entitry that exists between 2 regions;
10970 instead each region must have its own associated crossfades at each
10971 end, and the topmost region must always crossfade down to the
10972 underlying region(s), if any.
10976 Ardour solves this problem by putting a crossfade at the beginning
10977 and end of every region. The fades of the bottom-most region are
10978 first rendered, and then each region is rendered on top of the one
10979 below it, with fades at the end of each region providing a crossfade to
10980 the region(s) beneath it.
10984 It is important to understand that region fades <em>are</em> crossfades. When one region has
10985 another region or multiple regions beneath its fade area, then you will
10986 hear the topmost region fade-out be mirrored as a fade-in on the
10987 underlying region(s). The grip for the topmost region will allow
10988 changing the length and type of the crossfade into the underlying
10989 region(s). In this way you can create a complicated series of
10990 crossfades, and then layer another region atop the others, and fade
10991 into <em>that</em> complicated series.
10993 <p class="fixme">An image here would probably help.</p>
10996 If a region doesn't have any region(s) under it, then the region is
10997 crossfaded to silence; for convenience we call this a "fade"
10998 rather than a crossfade.
11001 <h2>Fade Shapes</h2>
11003 To activate/deactivate or change the shape of a region's fade-in or
11004 fade-out, hover the cursor over the region fade grip till the cursor tip
11005 indicates region fade editing and context-click to bring up a context
11006 menu. In the context menu there is a list of options for the
11007 region fade. <kbd class="menu">Activate/Deactivate</kbd> enables and
11008 disables the region fade.
11012 Because each fade is also a crossfade, it has an inverse fade shape
11013 for the audio beneath the fade. It is important to know how the
11014 shapes differ, and which are most suitable for various editing tasks.
11018 The different types of fades are:
11021 <dl class="narrower-table">
11022 <dt><kbd class="menu">Linear</kbd></dt>
11023 <dd>A simple linear coefficient decrease, and its mathematical inverse. A Linear fade starts attentuating quickly and then cuts off even more abruptly at lower levels. When used as a crossfade, the signals are each -6dB attenuated at the midpoint. This is the correct crossfade to use with highly-correlated signals for a smooth transition.</dd>
11024 <dt><kbd class="menu">Constant Power</kbd></dt>
11025 <dd>The constant power curve starts fading slowly and then cuts off abruptly. When used as a crossfade between 2 audio regions, the signals are symetrically attenuated, and they each reach -3dB at the midpoint. This is the correct crossfade to use when you want to splice audio in the general (uncorrelated) case.</dd>
11026 <dt><kbd class="menu">Symmetric</kbd></dt>
11027 <dd>The Symmetric fade starts slowly, then attenuates significantly before transitioning to a slower fade-out near the end of the fade. When used as a crossfade, the Symmetric curve is not mathematically correct like the Equal Power or Linear curves, but it provides a slower fade-out at low volumes. This is sometimes useful when editing two entire works of music together so that the transition is more gradual.</dd>
11028 <dt><kbd class="menu">Fast</kbd></dt>
11029 <dd>The Fast curve is a linear decibel fade; It sounds like a perfectly smooth fader or knob moved to silence. This shape is excellent as a general-purpose fade-in. When used as a crossfade, the inverse fade curve maintains constant power but is therefore non-symmetric; so its use is limited to those cases where the user finds it appropriate.</dd>
11030 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slow</kbd></dt>
11031 <dd>The Slow curve is a modified linear decibel fade. The initial curve starts more gradually so that it has a less abrupt transition near unity. After that, it sounds like a perfectly smooth fader or knob moved to silence. This shape is excellent as a general-purpose fade-out. When used as a crossfade, the inverse fade curve maintains constant power but is therefore non-symmetric; so its use is limited to those cases where the user finds it appropriate.</dd>
11035 Although these fade shapes serve specific purposes, any of the shapes is usable in certain situations. The final decision is an artistic choice rather than a rigidly prescribed one.
11039 These fade curves are developed to provide a range of common uses, and
11040 are developed with the least possible amount of changes in the "slope"
11041 of the line. This provides artifact-free crossfades. Some
11042 DAWs provide complicated fade editors with parametric "spline" controls
11043 of the fade curves. While it might be interesting to develop a
11044 fade curve with a faster cutoff, the mathematical difference between
11045 this and simply shortening the fade is vanishingly small; the
11046 amount of effort to shorten the fade is much easier than fooling around with a
11047 crossfade editor dialog.
11058 title: Understanding Playlists
11063 A <dfn>playlist</dfn> is a list of regions ordered in time. It defines
11064 which parts of which source files should be played and when. Playlists
11065 are a fairly advanced topic, and can be safely ignored for many types
11066 of audio production. However, the use of playlists allows the audio
11067 engineer more flexibility for tasks like multiple takes of a single
11068 instrument, alternate edits of a given recording, parallel effects such
11069 as reverb or compression, and other tasks.
11072 Each audio <dfn>track</dfn> in Ardour is really just a mechanism for
11073 taking a playlist and generating the audio stream that it represents.
11074 As a result, editing a track really means modifying its playlist in
11075 some way. Since a playlist is a list of regions, most of the
11076 modifications involve manipulating regions: their position, length
11077 and so forth. This is covered in the chapter
11078 <a href="/working-with-regions/">Working With Regions</a>.<br />
11079 Here, we cover some of the things you can do with playlists as objects
11080 in their own right.
11083 <h2>Tracks are not Playlists</h2>
11085 It is important to understand that a track <em>is not</em> a playlist.
11086 A track <em>has</em> a playlist. A track is a mechanism for generating
11087 the audio stream represented by the playlist and passing it through a
11088 signal processing pathway. At any point in time, a track has a single
11089 playlist associated with it. When the track is used to record, that
11090 playlist will have one or more new regions added to it. When the track
11091 is used for playback, the contents of the playlist will be heard.
11092 You can change the playlist associated with a track at (almost) any
11093 time, and even share playlists between tracks.
11097 If you have some experience of other
11098 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s, then you might
11099 have come across the term <dfn>"virtual track"</dfn>, normally defined as a track
11100 that isn't actually playing or doing anything, but can be
11101 mapped/assigned to a real track. This concept is functionally
11102 identical to Ardour's playlists. We just like to be little more
11103 clear about what is actually happening rather than mixing old and
11104 new terminology ("virtual" and "track"), which might be confusing.</p>
11106 <h2>Playlists are Cheap</h2>
11109 One thing you should be clear about is that playlists are cheap. They
11110 don't cost anything in terms of CPU consumption, and they have very
11111 minimal efforts on memory use. Don't be afraid of generating new
11112 playlists whenever you want to. They are not equivalent to tracks,
11113 which require extra CPU time and significant memory space, or audio
11114 files, which use disk space, or plugins that require extra CPU time.
11115 If a playlist is not in use, it occupies a small amount of memory, and
11120 title: Playlist Operations
11125 In the track header (editor window, left pane) is a button labelled <kbd
11126 class="menu">p</kbd> (for "Playlist"). If you click on this button, Ardour
11127 displays the following menu:
11130 <dl class="wide-table">
11131 <dt>(Local Playlists)</dt>
11132 <dd>Shows all of the playlists associated with this track, and indicates
11133 the currently selected playlist</dd>
11135 <dd>Displays a dialog to rename the current playlist</dd>
11137 <dd>Creates a new empty playlist, and the track switches to the new playlist</dd>
11139 <dd>Creates a new playlist that is a copy of the current playlist; the track switches to the new playlist</dd>
11140 <dt>Clear Current</dt>
11141 <dd>Removes all regions from the current playlist</dd>
11142 <dt>Select From All</dt>
11143 <dd>Displays a playlist browser to manually choose which playlist this track should use. (You can even select playlists from other tracks here)</dd>
11146 <h2>Renaming Playlists</h2>
11149 Playlists are created with the name of the track of which they are
11150 associated, plus a version number. So, the first playlist for a track
11151 called "Cowbell" will be called <samp>Cowbell.1</samp>. This name will
11152 be used to define the names of any regions added to the playlist by
11153 recording. You can change the name at any time, to anything you want.
11154 Ardour does not require that your playlist names are all unique, but it
11155 will make your life easier if they are. Suggested examples of user-assigned
11156 names for a playlist might include <kbd class="input">Lead Guitar, 2nd
11157 take</kbd>, <kbd class="input">vocals (quiet)</kbd>,
11158 and <kbd class="input">downbeat cuica</kbd>. Notice how these might be
11159 different from the associated track names, which for these examples might
11160 be <kbd class="input">Lead Guitar</kbd>,
11161 <kbd class="input">Vocals</kbd> and <kbd class="input">Cuica</kbd>. The
11162 playlist name provides more information because it is about a specific
11163 version of the material that may (or may not) end up in the final version
11168 If you are going to rename your playlists, do so before recording new
11173 It appears that recorded regions are not named after the playlist, but
11177 <h2>Sharing Playlists</h2>
11180 It is entirely possible to <dfn>share playlists</dfn> between tracks. The only
11181 slightly unusual thing you may notice when sharing is that edits to the
11182 playlist made in one track will magically appear in the other. If you
11183 think about this for a moment, its an obvious consequence of sharing.
11184 One application of this attribute is parallel processing, described
11189 You might not want this kind of behaviour, even though you still want
11190 two tracks to use the same (or substantially the same) playlist. To
11191 accomplish this, select the chosen playlist in the second track, and
11192 then use New Copy to generate an <dfn>independent copy</dfn> of it for
11193 that track. You can then edit this playlist without affecting the original.
11197 title: Playlist Usecases
11201 <h3>Using Playlists for Parallel Processing</h3>
11204 One of the uses of playlists is to apply multiple effects to the same
11205 audio stream. For example, let's say you would like to apply two
11206 different non-linear effects such as distortion or compression to the
11207 same audio source (for linear effects, you could just apply them one after
11208 the other in the same track).<br />
11209 Create a new track, apply the original track's playlist, and
11210 then apply effects to both tracks independently.
11214 The same result could be achieved by feeding your track to multiple busses which
11215 then contain the processing, but this increases the overall latency,
11216 complicates routing and uses more space in the Mixer window.
11219 <h2>Using Playlists for "Takes"</h2>
11222 Using Playlists for <dfn>takes</dfn> is a good solution if you are going
11223 to need the ability to edit individual takes, and select between them.
11227 Each time you start a new take, create a new playlist with
11228 <kbd class="menu">p > New</kbd>
11229 Later, you can Select your way back to previous or later takes as
11234 If you want to create a composite edit from multiple takes, create a new
11235 track to assemble the final version, and "cherry pick" from the playlists
11236 in the original track by copying regions over as required.
11240 Alternatively, record each successive take on top of the
11241 others in "layers" and then edit them using the layer tools, explained
11245 <h2>Using Playlists for Multi-Language Productions</h2>
11248 The same approach as for takes is useful when you are recording or
11249 editing content in multiple versions, such as dubbed movie dialog in
11250 several languages, and you want all versions on the same track, to
11251 get the same processing. <br />
11252 Select the appropriate language before exporting the session.
11257 title: Beat Detective
11269 title: MIDI Editing
11280 Ardour's handling of <dfn><abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> editing</dfn> differs from most other <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s and MIDI sequencers.
11283 <h2>Key features of Ardour MIDI handling</h2>
11287 All editing is done in-place, in-window. There is no separate piano roll window or pane. Edit notes right where you see them.
11290 All MIDI I/O is done via <abbr title="Jack Audio Connection Kit">JACK</abbr> for sample accurate timing and maximal efficiency when communicating with external software synthesizers.
11293 Every MIDI track has its own JACK MIDI port for input; it may have an arbitrary combination of audio and MIDI outputs, depending on the signal processing in the track; the full flexibility of JACK connectivity is present for MIDI just as it is for audio.
11296 Full automation for MIDI tracks, integrated with the handling of all MIDI <abbr title="Continuous Controller">CC</abbr> data for each track.
11299 Controllers (CC data) can be set to discrete or continuous modes (the latter will interpolate between control points and send additional data).
11302 There is a <em>Normal</em> and a <em>Percussive</em> mode for note data editing.
11305 The <dfn>scroomer</dfn> is a combination scroll/zoom tool for altering
11306 the zoom level and range of visible MIDI data.
11310 <h2>Notable Differences</h2>
11314 Fader (volume) control currently operates on transmitted MIDI data, not by sending CC #7.
11317 All note/data editing is per-region. There are no cross-region operations at this time.
11320 By default, copying a MIDI region creates a <dfn>deep link</dfn>—both regions share the same data source, and edits to the contents of one will affect the other. To break this link, select <kbd class="menu">MIDI > Unlink from other copies</kbd> from the region context menu, after which the selected region(s) will have their own copies of <em>only</em> the data that they visually display on screen. You will not be able to trim the region back its original length after an Unlink operation, and the operation cannot be undone.
11325 title: Fundamental Concepts
11329 <p class="fixme">Check to see if this is still true for v5</p>
11331 <p>Ardour's MIDI editing is based on two basic principles:</p>
11334 <li>Editing should be done without having to enter a new window</li>
11336 Editing should be able to carried out completely with the keyboard,
11337 or completely with the mouse, or with any combination of the two.
11342 Currently, MIDI editing is primarily restricted to note data. Other
11343 kinds of data (controller events, sysex data) are present and can be
11344 added and deleted, but not actually edited.
11347 <h2>Fundamentals of MIDI Editing in Ardour 3</h2>
11350 MIDI, just like audio, exists in <dfn>regions</dfn>. MIDI regions
11351 behave like audio regions: they can be moved, trimmed, copied (cloned),
11352 or deleted. Ardour allows either editing MIDI (or audio) regions, or MIDI
11353 region content (the notes), but never both at the same time. The
11354 <kbd>e</kbd> key (by default) toggles between <dfn>region level</dfn>
11355 and <dfn>note level</dfn> editing, as will double-clicking on a MIDI region.
11359 One very important thing to note: editing note information in Ardour
11360 occurs in only a single region. There is no way currently to edit in note
11361 data for multiple regions at the same time, so for example you cannot select
11362 notes in several regions and then delete them all, nor can you copy-and-paste
11363 notes from one region to another. You can, of course, copy and paste the
11364 region(s), just as with audio.
11368 title: Create MIDI Tracks
11373 To create a new <dfn>MIDI track</dfn>, choose <kbd class="menu">Session >
11374 Add Track/Bus</kbd>. In the Add Track/Bus dialog, pick <kbd class="menu">MIDI
11375 Track</kbd> from the combo selector at the upper right.
11379 You may decide to use a <a href="/missing">track template</a> if you have one.
11380 You may also know the instrument (a plugin that will generate audio in response
11381 to receiving MIDI) that you want to use in the track. The Instrument selector
11382 will show you a list of all plugins that you have which accept MIDI input and
11383 generate audio output.
11386 <p class="fixme">Broken link, remove "you"s</p>
11389 title: Create MIDI Regions
11394 Although recording MIDI is a common way to create new MIDI regions, it is
11395 often desirable to do so as part of editing/arranging.
11399 To create a new MIDI region, simply <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click in
11400 a MIDI track. A region will be created that is one bar long. It can
11401 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/changing-region-lengths">trimmed</a> to any
11405 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
11408 Once a region has been created, <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-midi/add-new-notes">notes can be added</a> to it.
11412 title: Add New Notes
11416 <h2>Adding new notes</h2>
11419 In general, most MIDI editing will be done with the mouse in object mode. This allows selecting notes, copying, moving or deleting them and altering their properties (see below). <em>Adding</em> notes to a MIDI region using the mouse requires dragging with the mouse if they are to be anything other than a fixed length. Since this would normally be a selection operation if the mouse is in object mode, there needs to be some way to tell Ardour to <dfn>draw</dfn> new notes within a MIDI region. Ardour provides two ways do this: one is to leave the mouse in object mode and <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-drag; the other, useful if entering a lot of notes for a while, is to switch the mouse into <kbd class="menu">Draw Notes</kbd> mode, which will now interpret any drags and clicks as requests to add a new note. For obvious reasons, Draw Notes mode cannot be used while using region-level editing.
11422 <p>So, to summarize:</p>
11424 <dl class="wide-table">
11425 <dt>Selecting, moving, copying, trimming, deleting <em>regions</em></dt>
11427 leave <kbd class="menu">Note Level Editing</kbd> disabled, use object,
11428 range or other mouse modes
11430 <dt>Selecting, moving, copying trimming, deleting <em>notes</em></dt>
11431 <dd>enable <kbd class="menu">Note Level Editing</kbd>and use mouse object mode</dd>
11432 <dt>Adding new notes</dt>
11434 enable "Note Level Editing" and then either
11436 <li>use mouse object mode and <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-drag,
11438 <li>use mouse draw mode.</li>
11443 <!-- FIXME: This is needed to keep the table from sucking up the following note's styling. Probably need a fix in the CSS. -->
11447 It is also a <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-midi/step-entry">a step entry editor</a> allowing entry of notes from a virtual keyboard, and lots more besides.
11451 title: Change Note Properties
11456 Details about a selected note can be viewed by context-clicking on it. The
11457 dialog that pops up will also allow modification of all the properties of the
11458 selected note(s). Individual properties can be modified more efficiently using
11459 the techniques described below:
11463 <dt>Moving notes</dt>
11465 Right arrow and Left arrow move the selected note(s) early and later in time.
11467 <dt>Changing pitch values</dt>
11469 <kbd>↑</kbd> increases the pitch of the selected notes.<br />
11470 <kbd>↓</kbd> reduces the pitch of the selected notes.<br />
11471 If any of the selected notes are already at the maximum or minimum value,
11472 no changes will be made to any of the notes, to preserve relative pitches.
11473 This can be overridden with <kbd class="mod2">‌</kbd>. The default shift
11474 distance is one semitone. Use <kbd class="mod3">‌</kbd> to alter this to
11477 <dt>Changing velocity values</dt>
11479 <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd> increases the velocity of the selected notes.
11481 <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd> reduces the velocity of the selected
11483 If any of the selected notes are already at the maximum or minumum value,
11484 no changes will be made to any of the notes, to preserve relative velocities.
11485 This can be overridden with <kbd class="mod2">‌</kbd>.
11486 Presssing <kbd>v</kbd> will popup a dialog that will allow the setting of
11487 the absolute velocity value of each selected note. Finally, the scroll wheel
11488 <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> will also
11489 adjust notes in the same way as the arrow keys.
11490 <p class="note">Like the arrow keys, it only affects selected notes, not the note the pointer is over.</p>
11492 <dt>Changing channel</dt>
11494 Press <kbd>c</kbd> to bring up a dialog that allows viewing and altering the
11495 MIDI channel of the selected notes. If the selected notes use different
11496 channels, they will all be forced to the newly selected channel.
11498 <dt>Changing start/end/duration</dt>
11500 <kbd>,</kbd> (comma) will alter the start time of the note. <br />
11501 <kbd>.</kbd> (period) will alter the end time of the note. Both keys will by
11502 default make the note longer (either by moving the start earlier or the end
11503 later). For the opposite effect, use <kbd class="mod1">,</kbd>/<kbd
11504 class="mod1">.</kbd>. The note will be altered by the current grid setting.
11505 To change the start/end positions by 1/128th of a beat, use the <kbd
11506 class="mod2">‌</kbd> modifier in addition to these shortcuts.
11508 <dt>Quantization</dt>
11510 <kbd>q</kbd> will quantize the selected notes using the current quantize
11511 settings. If the quantize settings have not been set for this session yet,
11512 the quantize dialog will appear. <kbd class="mod2">q</kbd> will display the
11513 quantize dialog to allow resetting of the quantize settings, and then
11514 quantize the selected notes. The default quantize settings are: quantize
11515 note starts to the current grid setting, no swing, no threshold, full
11518 <dt>Step Entry, Quantize etc.</dt>
11519 <dd><em>missing</em></dd>
11522 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
11525 title: Handling Overlapping Notes
11526 menu_title: Overlapping Notes
11531 Every MIDI note consists of two messages, a NoteOn and a NoteOff. Each one
11532 has a note number and a channel (also a velocity, but that isn't relevant
11533 here). The MIDI standard stresses that it is invalid to send a second NoteOn
11534 for the same note number on the same channel before a NoteOff for the first
11535 NoteOn. It is more or less impossible to do this with a physical MIDI
11536 controller such as a keyboard, but remarkably easy to trigger when editing
11537 in a DAW—simply overlapping two instances of the same note will do it.
11541 Ardour offers many options for how to deal with instances where you overlap
11542 two instances of the same note. Which one to use is a per-session property
11543 and can be modified from <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties > Misc > MIDI
11547 <dl class="wide-table">
11548 <dt>never allow them</dt>
11549 <dd>Edits that would create note overlaps are not allowed</dd>
11550 <dt>don't do anything in particular</dt>
11551 <dd>Ardour leaves overlapping notes alone—the behaviour of a MIDI receiver (plugin or hardware) is undefined</dd>
11552 <dt>replace any overlapped existing note</dt>
11553 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, remove the one that wasn't being moved</dd>
11554 <dt>shorten the overlapped existing note</dt>
11555 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, shorten the one that wasn't moved so that there is no overlap</dd>
11556 <dt>shorten the overlapping new note</dt>
11557 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, shorten the one that was moved so that there is no overlap</dd>
11558 <dt>replace both overlapping notes with a single note</dt>
11559 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, merge them both to form one (longer) note</dd>
11563 Changing the option in use will not retroactively make changes—it will
11564 only affect new note overlaps created while the option remains chosen.
11567 <p class="warning">
11568 Ardour does not check for note overlaps across tracks or even across regions.
11569 If you create these, it is your responsibility to deal with the consequences.
11573 title: Note Cut, Copy and Paste
11578 While in note edit mode, selected notes can be cut using
11579 <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>, copied with <kbd class="mod1">c</kbd> and
11580 deleted with <kbd>Delete</kbd>, just as regions can. Once cut or
11581 copied, they can be pasted at the edit point using
11582 <kbd class="mod1">v</kbd>.
11586 title: Note Selection
11590 <h2>Selecting/Navigating note-by-note</h2>
11593 Tab selects the next note. <kbd class="mod1">Tab</kbd> selects the previous
11594 note. <kbd class="mod3">Tab</kbd> or <kbd class="mod13">Tab</kbd> adds
11595 the next/previous note to the selection.
11598 <h2>Selecting notes with the mouse</h2>
11601 While in mouse object mode, you can click on a note to select it. Once you
11602 have selected one note, <kbd class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-click on another
11603 to select all notes between them. To add or remove a note to/from the
11604 selection, click <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>. You can also click and
11605 drag outside of a note to <dfn>rubberband select</dfn> a series of notes.
11609 Three different selection operations are possible if you switch to mouse
11615 Vertical drags within the MIDI region will select all notes within the
11616 spanned note range.
11619 Clicks on the piano header of the track (if visible—the track must
11620 be tall enough to display it) will select all occurences of that note.
11623 Drags on the piano header of the track will select all notes within the
11624 spanned note range.
11628 <h2>Listening to Selected Notes</h2>
11631 If <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI > Sound MIDI notes
11632 as they are selected</kbd> is enabled, Ardour will send a pair of
11633 NoteOn/NoteOff messages through the track, which will typically allow you to
11634 hear each note as it is selected.
11638 title: Quantize MIDI
11642 <p class="fixme">Needs fleshing out; this is a bit thin at the moment</p>
11644 <p><img class="right" src="/images/a3_quantize.png" alt="quantize dialog" /></p>
11646 <p>Accessed via <kbd>q</kbd>, the dialog includes:</p>
11649 <li>Options for grid, legato and groove quantize</li>
11650 <li>Snap note start, or end</li>
11651 <li>Snap to current grid, or many beat subdivisions</li>
11652 <li>Quantize threshold (how far away from a chosen position a note must be in order to be quantized)</li>
11653 <li>Strength (how close to move a note to its new position, as a percentage of the nominal distance)</li>
11663 Sometimes editing MIDI data directly from a connected MIDI device like a musical
11664 keyboard or pad controller is desired; sometimes using the mouse is. Sometimes
11665 the fine-grained control, precision and speed of entry that comes from using a
11666 custom note entry dialog is; the <dfn>Step Entry</dfn> dialog aims to be the
11671 The step entry dialog is accessed via a right click context menu on the
11672 rec-enable button, because step entry is related to <em>recording</em> MIDI
11673 data—step editing and recording MIDI via the track's MIDI port cannot be
11674 done simultaneously.
11677 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_step_entry.png" /></p>
11679 <p>The dialog (closely modeled after Logic's) contains:</p>
11683 Chord entry switch (successive notes are stacked in a chord until
11684 it is released)</li>
11685 <li>Note length selectors</li>
11686 <li>Triplet toggle</li>
11687 <li>Normal, single, double and triple dotted note selectors</li>
11688 <li>Sustain button</li>
11691 <li>Insert a rest of the current selected note duration</li>
11692 <li>Insert a rest of the current grid step size</li>
11693 <li>Move back to the last inserted note</li>
11694 <li>Move forward to the next beat, or bar</li>
11695 <li>Move forward to the edit point</li>
11698 <li>Dynamics controls from pianississimo to fortississimo</li>
11699 <li>Channel selector</li>
11701 Explicit numerical velocity selector, for more precise control
11702 than the dynamics selectors offer
11704 <li>Octave selector</li>
11705 <li>Buttons to add bank or program change events</li>
11706 <li>a full 10 octave virtual keyboard</li>
11710 More or less all actions in the step entry dialog can be driven directly from
11711 the keyboard, so moving back and forth from keyboard to mouse to do complex data
11712 insertion is unnecessary.
11716 title: Patch Change
11721 A <dfn>patch change</dfn> is Ardour's description for a combination
11722 of MIDI program change and bank select messages, that (typically)
11723 instruct a synthesizer or sampler to select a different sound to use
11724 on a particular channel.
11728 Patch changes are shown within MIDI regions as small rectangles or
11729 <dfn>flags</dfn>, as shown below:
11732 <p class="fixme">Add missing images</p>
11734 <h2>Inserting Patch Changes</h2>
11738 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a> is
11739 located where the patch change should be (within an existing
11740 MIDI region). Context click, and from the MIDI region's context menu,
11741 select <kbd class="menu">MIDI > Insert Patch Change</kbd>. A
11742 dialog will appear allowing the setting of the bank and program values.
11745 <h2>Modifying Patch Changes</h2>
11748 Context-clicking on a patch change will bring up the same dialog that
11749 was used to create it, allowing the modification of the program and/or bank
11754 The mouse wheel can also be used: <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>/<kbd
11755 class="mouse">⇓</kbd> on the patch change will alter the program
11756 number, <kbd class="mouse mod1">⇑</kbd>/<kbd
11757 class="mouse mod1">⇓</kbd> will modify the bank number.
11760 <h2>Moving Patch Changes</h2>
11763 Just <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag on the patch change to move it
11767 <h2>Removing Patch Changes</h2>
11770 Put the mouse pointer into the rectangular area, and press <kbd>Del</kbd>
11771 or use the delete mouse button operation. This will remove the patch change
11772 (the operation can be undone).
11775 <h2>Names for Patch Numbers: MIDNAM files</h2>
11778 …mising…
11781 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
11784 title: Independent and Dependent MIDI Region Copies
11785 menu_title: Copy MIDI Region
11790 When <dfn>copying a MIDI region</dfn>, Ardour has to decide whether to make the
11791 copy refer to the same data as the original or not. If it does refer
11792 to the same data, then editing either the copy or the original will
11793 affect the both of them. If it refers to an independent copy of the
11794 data then each one can be edited without affecting the other.
11797 <h2>Changing dependent/independent copying for the entire session</h2>
11800 <kbd class="menu">Sesson > Properties > Misc > MIDI region copies are
11801 independent</kbd> can be used to control the default behaviour when
11802 making a copy of a MIDI region.
11806 When enabled, every new copy of a MIDI
11807 region results in a copy being made of the MIDI data used by the
11808 region, and the new copy of the region will refer to that data.
11812 When disabled, every new copy of a MIDI region will refer to the same
11813 MIDI data, and thus editing any copy will change the contents of all
11818 Changing the status of this option has no effect on the existing
11819 dependent/independent status of existing region copies.
11822 <h2>Making an existing copy of a MIDI region independent</h2>
11825 Context-click on the MIDI region to be made independent. From the context menu, select <kbd class="menu">MIDI > Unlink From Other Copies</kbd>. The copy is now using an independent version of the data, and edits to the copy will affect only the copy. Other linked copies will continue to share data.
11829 The copied data only covers the extent of the region when the copy is made. If the region was already trimmed and then a copy is made, an independent copy will have no access to data that is earlier or later than the bounds of the region it was copied from. Put differently, if an independent copy of a trimmed MIDI region is made, it cannot be "untrimmed" to a larger size.
11834 title: MIDI Editors
11840 title: MIDI Scene Automation
11845 Ardour is capable of being used to both record and deliver MIDI
11846 "scene" automation. These are MIDI messages typically used to switch
11847 presets or "scenes" on a variety of external equipment (or
11848 software), including lighting and other audio/video tools. A common
11849 use case is to automatically change presets between songs or to change
11850 lighting conditions based on a specific position on the timeline.
11854 Each change from one scene to another is represented by a marker in
11859 Technically, scene changes are delivered as a combination of bank and
11860 program change MIDI messages. MIDI allows for 16,384 banks, each with
11864 <h2>Recording Scene Changes</h2>
11867 Ardour has a dedicated MIDI port named "Scene In". Connect this port
11868 to whatever source(s) of MIDI scene (bank/program change) messages you
11873 Whenever the global record enable button is engaged and Ardour's
11874 transport is rolling, a new marker will be created for each scene
11875 change message received via the "Scene In" port.
11879 If two different scene changes are received within a certain time
11880 period, only the later one will be recorded as a new marker. The
11881 default threshold for this is one millisecond.
11885 If a scene change message is received while the playhead is close to
11886 an existing marker with an associated scene change, the recording
11887 process will alter the scene change in the existing marker rather than
11888 adding a new one. The default threshold for this "proximity" test is one
11892 <h2>Manually Creating Scene Changes</h2>
11895 This feature is not currently implemented.
11898 <h2>Playing back Scene Changes</h2>
11901 Ardour has a dedicated MIDI port named "Scene Out". Connect this port
11902 to wherever you wish to send MIDI scene (bank/program change) messages.
11906 When the global record enable button is
11907 <em>not</em> enabled, the relevant message(s) will be sent via the
11908 "Scene Out" port as the playhead rolls past each marker with a scene
11909 change associated with it.
11912 <h2>Editing Scene Changes</h2>
11915 This feature is not currently implemented.
11918 <h2>Disabling Scene Changes</h2>
11921 This feature is not currently implemented.
11926 title: Score Editor
11932 title: MIDI Event List
11944 title: Time, Tempo, Meter, Key, and Chords
11950 title: Tempo and Meter
11955 Tempo and meter belong together. without both, there is no way to know where a beat lies in time.
11959 Tempo provides a musical pulse, which is divided into beats and bars by a meter. When tempo is changed or an audio-locked meter is moved, all objects on the timeline that are glued to bars and beats (locations, regions) will move in sympathy.
11963 When performing meter or tempo operations, it is advised to show the BBT ruler (available by right-clicking an existing marker or ruler name), and that the constraint modifier is set (in Preferences->User Interaction) so that no other modifiers share its key combination.
11967 The constraint modifier is the "Constrain drags using:" setting under the "When Beginning a Drag" heading. One viable setting is control-shift.
11973 Tempo can be adjusted in several ways:
11977 <li>by double clicking on a tempo marker. This opens the tempo dialog which will allow entering the tempo directly into an entry box.</li>
11978 <li>by using the constraint modifier (which is set in Preferences->User Interaction) to drag the beat/bars in the BBT ruler or the tempo/meter lines.
11979 This is the preferred way to match the tempo to previously recorded material.</li>
11982 When dragging the BBT ruler, musical snap has no effect, however be warned that non-musical snap is in effect if enabled. Snapping to a minute while dragging a beat may result in some verly slow tempos. Snapping a beat to a video frame however is an incredibly useful way to ensure a soundtrack is punchy and synchronised to the sample.
11985 <li>by holding down the constaint modifier while dragging a tempo vertically. This is used for more complex tempo solving, as it allows changing the position and tempo of a tempo marker in the same drag; it is, however, a useful way to adjust the first tempo for a quick result.</li>
11989 A tempo may be locked to audio or musical time. This may be changed by right-clicking on a tempo. If a tempo is locked to music, an entry will be available to lock it to audio. Similarly an audio-locked tempo may be locked to music by right clicking it an selecting the "Lock to Music" entry.
11993 Audio locked tempo marks stay in their frame position as their neigbours positions are altered. Their pulse (musical) position will change as their neighbours move. Music locked tempo marks move their frame position as their neighbours are moved, but keep their pulse position (they will move as the music is moved).
11997 A tempo may be ramped or constant.
11999 <li>A constant tempo will keep the sesion tempo constant until the next tempo section, at which time it will jump instantly to the next tempo. These are mostly useful abrupt changes, and is the way in which traditional DAWs deal with tempo changes (abrupt jumps in tempo).</li>
12000 <li>A ramped tempo increases its tempo over time so that when the next tempo section has arrived, the sesion tempo is the same as the second one. This is useful for matching the session tempo to music which has been recorded without a metronome. Ramps may also be used as a compositional tool, but more on this later. Note that a ramp requires two points—a start and an end tempo. The first tempo in a new session is ramped, but appears to be constant as it has no tempo to ramp to. It is only when a new tempo is added and one of them is adjusted that a ramp will be heard. The same applies to the last tempo in the session—it will always appear to be constant until a new last tempo is added and changed.
12006 <img src="/images/constant-tempo.png" alt="A constant tempo displaying the tempo at the playhead in the audio clock">
12008 A series of constant tempo markers. The tempo at the playhead position is the same as the previous tempo.
12012 <img src="/images/ramped-tempo.png" alt="A ramped tempo displaying the tempo at the playhead in the audio clock">
12014 A ramped tempo marker. The tempo at the playhead position is approaching the second tempo. Because the playhead is equidistant (in beats) between the
12015 two markers, the tempo at the playhead is the average of the two.
12019 To add a new tempo, use the primary modifier and click on the tempo line at the desired position. The new tempo will be the same as the tempo at the position of the mouse click (it will not change the shape of the ramp).
12023 To copy a tempo, hold down the primary modifier and drag the tempo desired to be copied.
12029 Meter positions beats using the musical pulse of a tempo, and groups them into bars using its number of divisions per bar.
12033 The first meter in a new session may be moved freely. It has an associated tempo which cannot be dragged by itself (although all others can). It can be moved freely and is locked to audio.
12037 New meters are locked to music. They may only occur on a bar line if music locked.
12041 An audio locked meter provides a way to cope with musical passages which have no meter (rubato, pause), or to allow a film composer to insert a break in music which cannot be counted in beats.
12045 If a meter is audio-locked, its bar number is fixed from the point at which it left the main score. That bar number cannot be changed, nor can tempo motion allow the previous bar to overlap. If another bar is needed, lock the meter to music again (right click->"Lock to Music"), drag the meter to the desired bar and re-lock to audio. The new bar may be freely moved again.
12048 <li>To change a meter, double click it. A dialog will appear.</li>
12049 <li>To copy a meter, hold down control and drag it.</li>
12052 title: Techniques for Working with Tempo and Meter
12056 <h3>Techniques </h3>
12059 As a general approach, the best way to control tempo ramps is to use them in pairs.
12063 Lets imagine we want to match the click to a drum performance recorded in 'free time'.
12067 The first thing we need to do is determine where the first beat is. Drag the first meter to that position.
12071 Now the first click will be in time with the first beat. To get all the other beats to align, we listen to the drums and visually locate the position of bar 4. You may wish to place the playhead here.
12075 We then locate bar 4 in the bbt ruler and while holding the constraint modifier, drag it to bar 4 in the drum performance.
12079 We notice that the click now matches the first 4 bars, but after that it wanders off. You will see this reflected in the tempo lines.. they won't quite match the drum hits. We now locate the earliest position where the click doesn't match, and place a new tempo just before this. Two bars later, place another new tempo.
12082 Now while dragging any beat <strong>after</strong> the second new tempo, watch the drum audio and tempo lines until they align.
12085 Notice what is happeneing here: the tempo previous to your mouse pointer is being changed so that the beat you grabbed aligns with the pointer. Notice that the tempo lines previous to the changed one also move. This is because the previous tempo is ramping <strong>to</strong> the tempo you are changing. Look further to the left. The tempo lines in the first four bars do not move.
12089 Again, some time later the click will not align. I didn't say this was easy.
12093 Repeat the same technique: add two new tempos and drag the BBT ruler <strong>after</strong> the newest tempo so that the beats align with the audio again.
12097 In a general sense, adding tempo markers in pairs allows you to 'pin' your previous work while you move further to the right.
12100 <h3>Another use case: matching accelerando</h3>
12103 Imagine you have some video and have located where your music cue begins. Move the first meter to that frame (you may snap to TC frames, but not music with an audio locked meter).
12107 Find a starting tempo by listening to the click while you drag the meter's tempo vertically using the constraint modifier.
12111 You have the playhead at point where the dude slams the phone down, and your idea was that 4|1|0 would be good for this, but you want an accelerando to that point.
12115 Add a tempo at bar 4.
12119 Holding down the constraint modifier, and with snap set to 'TC Frames', grab the BBT ruler just <strong>after</strong> 4|1|0. Drag the ruler so that 4|1|0 snaps to the 'phone' frame.
12123 Notice what happened: The second tempo was changed.<br />
12124 You had set a musical position for the second tempo marker. It was not aligned with the frame you wanted, so you dragged the BBT ruler, making the second tempo provide enough pulses over the ramp for 4|1|0 to align with the desired frame.
12128 If the ramp doesn't feel right, you may add more points within it and keep adjusting beat positions in a similar manner.
12134 Audio locked meters can be useful when composing, as they allow a continuous piece of music to be worked on in isolated segments, preventing the listening fatigue of a fixed form. Reassembly is left as an excercise for the reader.
12139 title: Memory Locations
12145 title: Arranging Clips
12151 title: Clip Loops and Groups
12163 title: Basic Mixing
12169 title: Metering in Ardour
12173 <h2>Introduction</h2>
12176 An engineer reading and using audio level meters compares to a musician
12177 reading or writing sheet-music. Just like there are virtuoso musicians
12178 who can't read a single note, there are great sound-engineers who just
12179 go by their ears and produce great mixes and masters without ever looking
12184 Yet, if you want to work in or with the broadcast industry, it is
12185 usually unavoidable to use meters.
12189 Audio level meters are very powerful tools that are useful in every
12190 part of the entire production chain:
12194 <li>When tracking, meters are used to ensure that the input
12195 signal does not <dfn>overload</dfn> and maintains reasonable
12196 <dfn>headroom</dfn>.</li>
12197 <li>Meters offer a <dfn>quick visual indication</dfn> of a
12198 activity when working with a large number of tracks.</li>
12199 <li>During mixing, meters provide an rough estimate of the
12200 <dfn>loudness</dfn> of each track.</li>
12201 <li>At the mastering stage, meters are used to check
12202 compliance with upstream <dfn>level</dfn> and <dfn>loudness
12203 standards</dfn> and to optimize the <dfn>loudness range</dfn>
12204 for a given medium.</li>
12207 <h2>Meter Types</h2>
12210 A general treatise on metering is beyond the scope of this
12211 manual. It is a complex subject with a history...
12212 For background information and further reading we recommend:
12216 <li><a href="http://www.digido.com/how-to-make-better-recordings-part-2.html">How To Make Better Recordings in the 21st Century—An Integrated Approach to Metering, Monitoring, and Leveling Practices</a> by Bob Katz. Has a good historic overview of meters and motivates the K-meter</li>
12217 <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_programme_meter#Table_of_characteristics">Wikipedia: Peak programme meter</a>—overview of meter types.</li>
12218 <li>"Audio Metering: Measurements, Standards and Practice: Measurements, Standards and Practics", by Eddy Brixen. ISBN: 0240814673</li>
12219 <li>"Art of Digital Audio", by John Watkinson. ISBN: 0240515870</li>
12223 There are different metering standards, most of which are available in Ardour. In short:
12227 <dt>Digital peak-meter</dt>
12228 <dd>A <dfn>Digital Peak Meter</dfn> displays the absolute maximum signal
12229 of the raw audio PCM signal (for a given time). It is commonly used when
12230 tracking to make sure the recorded audio never clips. To that end, DPMs
12231 are always calibrated to 0 <abbr title="DeciBel Full
12232 Scale">dBFS</abbr>, or the maximum level that can be represented digitally
12233 in a given system. This value has no musical reason whatsoever and depends
12234 only on the properties of the signal chain or target medium. There are
12235 conventions for <dfn>fall-off-time</dfn> and <dfn>peak-hold</dfn>, but no
12236 exact specifications.
12238 Various conventions for DPM fall-off times and dBFS line-up level can be
12239 chosen in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI</kbd>.
12243 <dt>RMS meters</dt>
12244 <dd>An <dfn><abbr title="Root Mean Square">RMS</abbr>-type meter</dfn>
12245 is an averaging meter that looks at the energy in the signal. It
12246 provides a general indication of loudness as perceived by humans. Ardour
12247 features three RMS meters, all of which offer additonal peak indication.
12249 <li><dfn>K20</dfn>: A meter according to the K-system introduced by Bob
12250 Katz, scale aligned to -20 dBFS, rise/fall times and color schema
12251 according to spec.</li>
12252 <li><dfn>K14</dfn>: Same as K20 with scale aligned to -14 dBFS.</li>
12253 <li><dfn>K12</dfn>: Same as K20 with scale aligned to -12 dBFS (since 3.5.143).</li>
12254 <li><dfn>Peak + RMS</dfn>: standard RMS, customizable via
12255 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Metering</kbd></li>
12260 <dd><dfn><abbr title="International Electrontechnical Commission">IEC</abbr>-type
12261 <abbr title="Peak Programme Meters">PPM</abbr>s</dfn> are a mix between DPMs and
12262 RMS meters, created mainly for the purpose of
12263 interoperability. Many national and institutional varieties exist (<abbr
12264 title="European Broadcasting Union">EBU</abbr>, <abbr title="British Broadcasting
12265 Corporation">BBC</abbr>, <abbr title="Deutsche Industrie-Norm">DIN</abbr>).
12267 These loudness and metering standards provide a common point of
12268 reference which is used by broadcasters in particular so that the
12269 interchange of material is uniform across their sphere of influence,
12270 regardless of the equipment used to play it back.
12273 For home recording, there is no real need for this level of
12274 interoperability, and these meters are only strictly required when
12275 working in or with the broadcast industry. However, IEC-type meters have
12276 certain characteristics (rise-time, ballistics) that make them useful
12277 outside the context of broadcast.
12280 Their specification is very exact, and consquently, there are no
12281 customizable parameters.
12286 <dd><dfn><abbr title="Volume Unit">VU</abbr> meters</dfn> are the dinosaurs (1939)
12287 amongst the meters. They react very slowly, averaging out peaks.
12288 Their specification is very strict (300ms rise-time, 1–1.5% overshoot,
12289 flat frequency response). Ardour's VU meter adheres to that spec, but for
12290 visual consistency it is displayed as a bar-graph rather than needle-style
12295 <h2>Ardour Specifics</h2>
12297 <img class="right" src="/images/mixer-meter-context-menu.png" alt="mixer strip meter context menu" />
12300 Meters are available in various places in ardour:
12304 <li>The mixer window features fixed height meters for each <dfn>channel strip</dfn>.</li>
12305 <li>There are small (narrow) meters on each <dfn>track-header</dfn> in the editor window.</li>
12306 <li>There are variable height meters in the <dfn>meterbridge window</dfn>.</li>
12307 <li>Optionally, a fixed-size <dfn>master meter</dfn> can be displayed in the main toolbar.</li>
12308 <li>Various other locations (<dfn>file import</dfn>, <dfn>sends</dfn>) have level-meters.</li>
12312 They all share the same configuration and color-theme which is available in
12313 preferences and the theme-manager. Settings for the Peak and RMS+Peak meters
12314 as well as VU meter standards are found in
12315 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Metering</kbd>.
12319 The type of meter and the <dfn>metering point</dfn> (the place in the signal chain
12320 where the meter taps the signal) are configurable in the context menu of each meter.
12321 Depending on the <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Mixer
12322 Strip</kbd> settings, the metering point is also accessible via a button in
12326 <img class="right" src="/images/meter-preferences.png" alt="" />
12329 Regardless of meter type and standard the meter display will highlight red if
12330 the signal on the given channel exceeds the configured peak threshold.
12334 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> on the peak-indicator button resets the
12335 <dfn>peak-hold indicator</dfn> of a single channel.<br />
12336 <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd> resets a whole <dfn>group</dfn>, and<br/>
12337 <kbd class="mod13 mouse">Left</kbd> resets all meters.
12340 <h2>Overview of meter types</h2>
12343 The figure on the left below shows all available meter-types in Ardour 3.4 when fed with a -18 dBFS 1 kHz sine wave.
12346 <img class="right" style="max-width:45%;height:400px;" src="/images/needle-meters-18.png"
12347 alt="Needle-style meters as external LV2 plugins" />
12348 <img style="max-width:45%; height:400px" src="/images/meter-types-18.png"
12349 alt="Bar-graph meters in Ardour" />
12353 Due to layout concerns and consistent look &Â feel, all meters available in
12354 Ardour itself are bar-graph type meters. Corresponding needle-style meters—which take up more visual screen space—are available as
12355 <a href="https://github.com/x42/meters.lv2/">LV2 plugins</a> (see image on the upper right).
12359 title: Signal Routing
12364 Ardour does most of its internal <dfn>signal routing</dfn> via JACK:
12365 all track and bus inputs and outputs are JACK ports, as are sends and
12366 inserts—which means they can be tapped into by other JACK clients.
12367 Only the signal flow inside a track or bus (i.e. from <a
12368 href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">processor to processor</a>) is
12369 handled internally.
12373 By default, Ardour will create the following connections:
12378 <dfn>Track inputs</dfn> are optionally auto-connected to hardware inputs, in round robin order, depending on the setting you chose in the
12379 <a href="/working-with-sessions/new-session-dialog"><kbd
12380 class="menu">Session > New Session</kbd> dialog</a>.
12383 <dfn>Bus inputs</dfn> are left disconnected.
12386 The number of <dfn>track and bus outputs</dfn> are equal to the number
12387 of inputs of the master bus.
12390 Track and bus outputs are always auto-connected to the master bus inputs.
12393 Master bus outputs are connected to hardware outputs.
12398 This configuration is normally sufficient to do basic tracking and playback of sessions without any adjustments. When changing these connections, be certain that there is good reason for doing so—it is generally not necessary and can often lead to problems.
12402 However, for many workflows during mixing, more complicated signal routing is required. Fortunately, Ardour is very flexible in the ways it offers to connect things to each other.
12410 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
12418 <dfn>Auxilliary sends</dfn> are <a
12419 href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">processors</a> in a bus or
12420 track channel strip. They tap the signal at a specific point in the signal
12421 flow (pre-fader, post-fader, before or after EQs and other plugins, etc.)
12422 and send a copy of that signal somewhere else, without affecting the
12423 normal signal flow downwards to the channel fader.
12427 Usually, aux sends from several tracks are collectively sent to a
12428 dedicated <dfn>Aux bus</dfn> in Ardour, to create a monitor mix for a
12429 musician, or to feed an effect unit. The output of such a bus might
12430 be routed to separate hardware outputs (in the case of headphone or monitor
12431 wedge mixes), or returned to the main mix (in the case of an effect).
12435 Since sends are JACK ports, it is also possible to send the tapped signal
12436 somewhere else directly, which is not usually possible on hardware mixers
12437 (see <a href="/signal-routing/external-sends/">External Sends</a>).
12441 It may be useful to
12442 <a href="/signal-routing/comparing-aux-sends-and-subgroups">compare and contrast</a>
12443 the use of aux sends with <a href="/signal-routing/subgrouping">subgrouping</a>.
12446 <h2>Adding a new aux bus</h2>
12449 Choose <kbd class="menu">Session > Add New Track or Bus</kbd>. In the
12450 <kbd class="menu">New Track & Bus</kbd> dialog, select "Busses" in the Track/Bus
12451 selector at the upper right.
12454 <h2>Adding a send to an aux bus</h2>
12457 Context-click on the processor box for the track you want to send to the bus, and
12458 choose <kbd class="menu">New Aux Send</kbd>. From the submenu, choose the bus you
12459 want to send to. A send will be added (and will be visible in the processor box).
12460 Note that the submenu may be empty if you have not created a bus yet.
12463 <h3>Pre-fader and Post-fader Aux Sends</h3>
12466 Depending on whether you context-click above or below the fader in the processor box,
12467 the new aux send can be placed before or after the fader in the channel strip.
12468 <dfn>Post-fader</dfn> aux sends are typically used when using an aux for shared signal
12469 processing (FX), so that the amount of effect is always proportional to
12470 the main mix fader. <dfn>Pre-fader</dfn> sends ensure that the level sent to the bus
12471 is controlled <em>only</em> by the send, not the main fader—this is typical
12472 when constructing headphone and monitor wedge mixes.
12475 <h2>Adding a new aux bus and sending a Track Group to it</h2>
12478 You can add aux sends to all members of a group and connect them to a new aux bus
12479 with a single click. After creating the track group (and adding tracks to it),
12480 context-click on the group tab and choose either
12481 <kbd class="menu">Add New Aux Bus (pre-fader)</kbd> or
12482 <kbd class="menu">Add New Aux Bus (post-fader)</kbd>. A new aux bus will be created,
12483 and a new aux send added to every member of the track group that connects to
12487 <p class="fixme">Add images, fix factual inaccuracies</p>
12488 <h2>Altering Send Levels</h2>
12491 You can alter the amount of the signal received by a send that it delivers to the bus
12492 it connects to. There are three approaches to this:
12495 <h3>Use the Send Fader</h3>
12498 Every send processor has a small horizontal fader that can be adjusted in the usual way. It is
12499 not very big and so this can be a little unsatisfactory if you want very fine control
12500 over the send level.
12503 <h3>Mapping the Main Fader</h3>
12506 Double-clicking on the send in the processor box will allow you to use the
12507 big fader of the mixer strip to control the send. The visual appearance of
12508 the mixer strip will change to reflect this. Double-click the send again to
12509 revert back to normal function for the strip.
12512 <h3>Map Aux Sends To Main Faders</h3>
12515 Pressing the button marked <kbd class="menu">Aux Sends</kbd> on a aux bus will
12516 alter the channel strip for every track or bus that feeds the aux bus. Many
12517 aspects of the strip will become insensitive and/or change their visual
12518 appearance. More importantly, the main fader of the affected channel strips
12519 will now control the send level and <strong>not</strong> the track gain.
12520 This gives a larger, more configurable control to alter the level. Click the
12521 <kbd class="menu">Aux Sends</kbd> button of the aux bus again to revert the
12522 channel strips to their normal use.
12525 <h2>Disabling Sends</h2>
12528 Clicking on the small "LED" in the send display in the processor box of the
12529 channel strip will enable/disable the send. When disabled, only silence will
12530 be delivered to the aux bus by this track. When enabled, the signal arriving
12531 at the send will be delivered to the aux bus.
12534 <h2>Send Panning</h2>
12537 Send panners can be configured to either be independent of the main
12538 panner, or to follow it. The latter could be useful for Reverb effects, or
12539 for in-ear monitor mixes delivered in stereo.
12543 title: Comparing Aux Sends and Subgroups
12544 menu_title: Auxes vs. Groups
12549 Auxes and Subgroups share a common concept—they both provide a way
12550 for one or more tracks (or busses) to send their signal to a single bus so
12551 that common signal processing can be applied to the mix of their signals.
12555 <dfn>Aux sends</dfn> leave the existing signal routing to the main mix in place,
12556 and are typically used to create a separate mix to send to (for example)
12557 monitors or headphones (for performer monitor mixes):
12560 <img width="300px" src="/images/a3_aux_routing.png" alt="aux signal routing" />
12563 <dfn>Subgroups</dfn> usually remove the original signal routing to the main mix and replace it with a new one that delivers the output of the subgroup bus to the main mix instead.
12566 <img width="300px" src="/images/a3_subgroup_routes.png" alt="sub group signal routing" />
12569 title: External Sends
12574 Like a normal aux send, an <dfn>external send</dfn> taps the signal at a
12575 specific within a channel strip, but delivers it to an external application
12576 or piece of hardware rather than an Ardour bus. By itself, an external
12577 send has no effect whatsoever on the audio signals within Ardour—it is a one-way signal routing that leaves all existing signal processing
12582 Most people will not have much use for this, but it can be useful if you
12583 want to experiment with external applications or hardware signal processing
12587 <h2>Adding an External Send</h2>
12590 Context-click on the
12591 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box">processor box</a> in a
12592 channel strip (at the desired location, pre or post fader) and choose
12593 <kbd class="menu">Add new External Send</kbd>. A dialog will appear
12594 containing the standard Ardour
12595 <a href="/signal-routing/the-patchbay"><dfn>patchbay</dfn></a> to allow
12596 you to connect the send to the desired destination.
12599 <p class="fixme">Broken links</p>
12601 <h2>Removing an External Send</h2>
12603 <p>You can remove an external send in several ways:</p>
12606 <li><kbd class="mouse mod3">Right</kbd>-click the send in the processor box.</li>
12607 <li>Position the pointer over the send and press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key.</li>
12608 <li>Position the pointer over the send and press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.</li>
12609 <li>Context-click the send and choose either <kbd class="menu">Cut</kbd> or
12610 <kbd class="menu">Delete</kbd>.</li>
12613 <h2>Altering Send Levels</h2>
12616 Just below the send in the processor box is a small fader that can be used
12617 like all other faders in Ardour to control the gain applied to the signal
12618 delivered by the send. Drag it to alter the level, Shift-click to restore
12619 to unity (0dB) gain.
12622 <h2>Disabling Sends</h2>
12625 Click the small "LED" in the send display within the processor box to turn
12626 it on and off. When turned off, silence will be delivered to the send. When
12627 turned on, the signal within the channel strip will be delivered.
12630 <h2>Editing Send Routing</h2>
12633 Double-clicking or Edit-clicking on the send in the processor box will
12634 redisplay the patchbay dialog that allows you full control over the routing
12644 <dfn>Inserts</dfn> are signal tap points that can be placed anywhere
12645 inside a channel strip. Unlike Auxes, they will interrupt the signal flow,
12646 feeding the signal from before the insert point to its <dfn>Insert
12647 send(s)</dfn>, and connecting the remainder of the channel strip to the
12648 <dfn>Insert return(s)</dfn>, both of which are JACK ports which are
12649 visible to other JACK applications.
12653 Inserts are the JACK equivalents of normalized switching jacks on an
12658 An insert allows you to either use a special external DSP JACK
12659 application that is not available as a plugin, or to splice an external
12660 analog piece of gear into your channel strip, such as a vintage
12661 compressor, tube equalizer, etc. In the latter case, you would first
12662 connect your inserts to a pair of hardware ports, which are in turn
12663 connected to the outboard gear.
12667 To disable (bypass) an insert, click on its LED in the processor box.
12671 When you create an insert, the signal will be interrupted until you make
12672 the relevant connections to the insert ports!
12676 Inserts will incur an additional JACK period of latency, which can be
12677 measured and compensated for during mixing, but not during tracking!
12686 <dfn>Subgrouping</dfn> (sometimes known as "Grouping" or "Audio Grouping")
12687 is a way to collect related signals together to apply some common
12688 treatment, before sending them on to the main mix. One standard
12689 application is to group several tracks belonging to the same instrument or
12690 section (such as a drumkit or horn section), to be able to adjust their
12691 volume with a single fader, after their inner balance has been set using
12696 To create a subgroup from an existing Track/Bus group, context-click on
12697 the relevant <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups">group tab</a>,
12698 and choose <kbd class="menu">Add new subgroup bus</kbd>. A new bus will be
12699 created and every member of the track group will have its outputs disconnected
12700 from other destinations and then connected to the new bus inputs. The bus
12701 outputs will feed the master bus unless you have selected manual connections
12702 for the session. The bus will be named after the track group name.
12706 Alternatively, you can create a group manually, by first adding a new bus,
12707 then, for each track you want to feed the subgroup bus, disconnect its outputs
12708 from the master and connect it to the inputs of the subgroup bus instead.
12709 You can do this in the global audio patchbay or a track by track basis via the
12710 output button of each track's channel strip.
12714 To remove a subgroup (bus), context-click on the track group tab, and select
12715 <kbd class="menu">Remove subgroup bus</kbd>. You can also simply delete the
12716 bus itself. Note that this operation will <strong>not</strong> restore signal
12717 routing to the way it was before the addition of the subgroup bus—tracks
12718 that had been subgrouped will be left with their main outputs disconncted.
12727 The <dfn>patchbay</dfn> is the main way to make connections to, from and
12728 within Ardour's mixer.
12732 Notable exceptions are internal aux sends and connections to the monitor bus (if
12733 you are using one): these cannot be controlled from a patchbay, and are
12734 basically not under manual control at all.
12737 <img class="right" src="/images/connection-manager.png" alt="an example patchbay" />
12740 The patchbay presents two groups of ports; one set of <dfn>sources</dfn> (which produce data), and one of <dfn>destinations</dfn> (which consume data). Depending on the relative number of each, the sources will be placed on the left or the top of the dialogue, and the destinations on the right or the bottom. Thus, in general, signal flow is from top or left to right or bottom.
12744 Both sources and destinations are divided up into groups, with each group being given a tab:
12747 <dl class="narrower-table">
12750 These are ports which are connected to a physical piece of hardware (a sound card or MIDI interface).</dd>
12751 <dt>Ardour Busses</dt>
12752 <dd>All ports belonging to busses.</dd>
12753 <dt>Ardour Tracks</dt>
12754 <dd>All ports belonging to tracks.</dd>
12755 <dt>Ardour Misc</dt>
12757 These are other ports that do not fit into the previous two categories; for example, the ports on which the metronome click is output, and MIDI ports for things like control surfaces and timecode.
12761 If you have other JACK clients running, their ports will be found here. If there are no such ports, the tab will not exist (on one or both axes of the grid).</dd>
12765 The main part of the patchbay is a <dfn>matrix grid</dfn>. Within this grid, green dots represent connections, and you can click in any of the squares to make or break connections. You can also click and drag to draw a line of connections, which is sometimes useful for making many connections at once.
12769 In the example patchbay shown above we can note various things. We are using the <kbd class="menu">Ardour Tracks</kbd> sources tab, so we see the output ports of the three tracks in our session: Fred, Jim and Foo. Our destinations are from the <kbd class="menu">Ardour Busses</kbd> tab, so we have the inputs of a session bus, Sheila, and the inputs of the master bus. Fred and Jim have stereo outputs, so have L and R connections. Foo is a MIDI track, so it only has one connection, and its squares in the grid are coloured light grey to indicate that no connection can be made between Foo (a MIDI output) and our busses (which are all audio-input).
12773 The green dots in the example show that both Foo and Bar are connected to the master bus, left to left and right to right.
12776 <h2>Variants on the Patchbay</h2>
12779 Slightly different versions of the patchbay are available from different places in Ardour. For a global view of all JACK audio connections, use <kbd class="menu">Window > Audio Patchbay</kbd>, or press <kbd class="mod2">P</kbd>. A corresponding MIDI Connection Manager can be opened using <kbd class="mod23">P</kbd>.
12783 There is also a patchbay available when connecting individual tracks; clicking on the input or output buttons of a mixer strip will open a connection manager which has the corresponding track input or output as the only destination or source, with all other ports available for connection to it.
12786 <h2>Other patchbay features</h2>
12789 Context-clicking on a port name in the connection manager opens a menu which provides a few handy options:
12792 <dl class="wide-table">
12793 <dt><kbd class="menu">Add audio port</kbd> and <kbd class="menu">Add MIDI port</kbd></dt>
12795 These options add audio or MIDI ports to the thing that you opened the menu over, if this is possible. In this way, for example, tracks and busses can be extended to have more inputs or outputs.
12797 <dt><kbd class="menu">Remove</dt>
12799 Removes the given port, if possible. <kbd class="mouse mod3">Right</kbd>-clicking a port will do the same.
12801 <dt><kbd class="menu">Disconnect all from…</kbd></dt>
12802 <dd>Disconnects everything from the given port.</dd>
12803 <dt><kbd class="menu">Rescan</kbd></dt>
12805 Ardour will try to keep abreast of any changes to the JACK ports on your system, and reflect them in any connection managers which are open. If for some reason this fails, use this to re-scan the list of ports and update the manager.
12807 <dt><kbd class="menu">Show individual ports</kbd></dt>
12809 If you have a session which has lots of multi-channel tracks or busses, it may be an unnecessary detail that you have to connect left to left and right to right every time you make a connection. This obviously gets worse with higher channel counts (such as for 5.1 or Ambisonics). To make life easier with such sessions, you can untick Show individual ports. After that, the channels of tracks and busses will be hidden, and any green dots you add in the connection manager will automatically connect each channel of the source to the corresponding channel of the destination (left to left, right to right and so on). In this mode, a half-circle in the connection grid indicates that some (but not all) of the source's ports are connected to the destination.
12811 <dt><kbd class="menu">Flip</kbd></dt>
12813 This will flip the visible ports on the vertical axis with those on the horizontal. If, for example, the top of the connection manager is showing <kbd class="menu">Ardour Busses</kbd> and the right is showing <kbd class="menu">Hardware</kbd>, flip will swap the view to the opposite. You can also flip by pressing <kbd>f</kbd>. Note that if there are no matching tabs on both axes, flipping will be impossible.
12818 title: Track/Bus Signal Flow
12825 In each individual Track or Bus the signal flow is top to bottom. Consider the following diagram:
12828 <p class="center"><img width="360px" src="/images/track_signal_routing.png" alt="track signal routing" /></p>
12831 Trim, Fader and Panner are provided by Ardour. The Processor-Box can hold 3rd Party Plugins or host-provided redirects (insert, aux-send,..).
12834 <p class="fixme">Where is the processor box in that image?</p>
12837 An important aspect is that the signal flow is multi-channel and not fixed throughout the track. For example, a Track can have a mono input, a mono to stereo plugin (e.g. reverb) flowing into a surround panner with 6 outputs. The design of Ardour is that width of the signal flow is defined by the passage through plugins in the processor box, followed by panning.
12838 The number of inputs to the panner is defined by the number outputs of the last plugin in the chain. The number of panner outputs is equal to the track's outputs ports, which can be added and remove dynamically. This schema called <em>Flexible I/O</em>. It's very powerful and a distinct feature of Ardour.
12842 The golden rule of processor signal flow:<br/>The number of outputs of one link of the process chain defines the number inputs of the next, until the panner.
12846 Due to this rule there is one very common case that is hard to achieve: Keep a mono track mono. With <em>Flexible I/O</em>, if a stereo plugin is added on a mono track, the signal flow after that plugin becomes stereo.
12849 <h2>Strict I/O</h2>
12852 Strict I/O enforces a simple rule: Plugins have the same number of inputs as they have outputs. By induction the track will have as many output-ports as there are input ports.
12856 <li>Adding a Plugin will not modify the signal-flow. The number of plugin outputs is forced to the number of inputs present at the point of insertion.
12857 If a plugin-pin is missing, it is ignored. If Plugin-pin is unconnected, it is fed with silence. Unconnected plugin outputs are ignored).</li>
12858 <li>Strict I/O enforces the number of output ports. The number of inputs to the panner (outputs of last plugin) defines the number of track outputs (after panner).
12859 Required ports are automatically added, excess ports are removed. The user cannot manually add/remove output ports.</li>
12863 Strict I/O is set when creating the track and can later be en/disabled dynamically in the context menu of every mixer strip.
12866 <p class="center"><img src="/images/strict_io_routing.png" alt="strict i/o routing" /></p>
12869 There are two exceptions to the above rule 1.
12873 <li>Midi Synths. When adding a synth at a point where there is a Midi port only, the synthesizer plugin will add audio-output ports,
12874 which trickle down the processor chain to all follow up plugins as inputs and in turn force their outputs to match.</li>
12875 <li>Side chain inputs are not affected by strict I/O</li>
12878 <h2>Customizing the Signal Flow</h2>
12881 The signal flow though the mixer can be customized at every processor node via "Pin Configuration" in the context menu of every processor.
12882 User customization override all automatic (flexible/strict I/O mode) inferred output port settings for the given processor.
12883 Non-customized plugins downstream will follow suit depending on the selected route mode, e.g. adding an additional output to a plugin on a track set to strict I/O will trickle down the process chain until the output and result in the addition of an output port. This is useful for example in case of a mono to stereo reverb.
12887 One can also bypass plugin instances with a 'thru' connection. This connection is latency compensated. One example is separate Left/Right channel Equalization using two mono plugins on a stereo track:
12890 <p class="center"><img src="/images/left_right_eq.png" alt="separate left/right Eq" /></p>
12893 title: Muting and Soloing
12898 Each track and bus has two buttons which have important implications
12899 for signal flow: <dfn>mute</dfn> and <dfn>solo</dfn>. The behaviour
12900 of these buttons is configurable in Ardour, to suit different studio
12904 <h2>Without a monitor bus</h2>
12907 If you are using Ardour without a monitor bus, there is only one way
12908 in which mute and solo will work:
12913 Mute on a track or bus will mute that track on the master bus,
12914 so that it will not be heard.
12917 Solo on a track or bus will solo that track or bus and mute all
12918 others. Soloing a bus will also solo any tracks or
12919 busses which feed that bus.
12923 <h2>With a monitor bus</h2>
12926 For setups with a monitor bus, you have more options, mostly
12927 governed by the setting of the
12928 <kbd class="option">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd> option
12929 in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Solo / mute.
12933 With <kbd class="optoff">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd>
12934 unticked, behaviour is almost exactly the same as the situation
12935 without a monitor bus. Mute and solo behave the same, and the monitor
12936 bus is fed from the master bus, so it sees the same thing.
12940 With <kbc class="option">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd>
12941 ticked, the master and monitor busses behave differently. In this
12942 mode, solo controls are more properly called <dfn>listen</dfn>
12943 controls, and Ardour's solo buttons will change their legend from
12944 <samp>S</samp> to either <samp>A</samp> or <samp>P</samp> to
12949 Now, without any mute or listen, the monitor bus remains fed by
12950 the master bus. Also:
12955 Mute will mute the track or bus, so that it will not be heard
12956 anywhere (neither on the master nor monitor busses), much as before.
12959 Listen will disconnect the monitor bus from the master bus, so
12960 that the monitor bus now only receives things that are "listened to".
12961 Listen will not perform any muting, and hence the master bus will
12962 not be affected by a listened track or bus.
12967 When solo controls are listen controls, the listening point can be set
12968 to either After-Fade Listen (AFL) or Pre-Fade Listen (PFL). The precise
12969 point to get the signal from can further be configured using the
12970 <kbd class="menu">PFL signals come from</kbd> and
12971 <kbd class="menu">AFL signals come from</kbd> options.
12975 The solo-mute arrangement with a monitor bus is shown below:
12978 <img src="/images/solo-mute.png" alt="mute/solo signal flow" />
12981 Here we have a number of tracks or busses (in orange). Each one has an
12982 output which feeds the master bus. In addition, each has PFL and AFL
12983 outputs; we have a choice of which to use. PFL/AFL from each track or
12984 bus are mixed. Then, whenever anything is set to AFL/PFL, the monitor out
12985 becomes just those AFL/PFL feeds; the rest of the time, the monitor out is
12986 fed from the master bus.
12990 In this scheme Solo has no effect other than to mute other non-soloed tracks;
12991 with solo (rather then listen), the monitor out is fed from the master bus.
12994 <h2>Other solo options</h2>
12997 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Solo / Mute</kbd> has some
13001 <h3>Solo-in-place mute cut</h3>
13004 When using solo-in-place (SiP), in other words when soloed tracks are being
13005 listened to on the master bus, this fader specifies the gain that will be
13006 applied to other tracks in order to mute them. Setting this level to
13007 -∞&nbdp;dB will mean that other tracks will not be heard at all; setting to
13008 some higher value less than 0dB means that other non-soloed tracks will be h
13009 eard, just reduced in volume compared to the soloed tracks. Using a value
13010 larger than -∞dB is sometimes called "Solo-In-Front" by other DAWs, because
13011 the listener has the sense that soloed material is "in front" of other
13012 material. In Ardour, this is not a distinct mode, but instead the mute cut
13013 control offers any level of "in-front-ness" that you might want to use.
13016 <h3>Exclusive solo</h3>
13019 If this is enabled, only one track or bus will ever be soloed at once; soloing
13020 track B while track A is currently soloed will un-solo track A before soloing
13024 <h3>Show solo muting</h3>
13027 If this is enabled, the mute button of tracks and busses will be drawn
13028 outlined to indicate that the track or bus is muted because something else
13029 is soloed. This is enabled by default, and we recommend that you leave it
13030 that way unless you are extremely comfortable with Ardour's mute/solo
13034 <h3>Soloing overrides muting</h3>
13037 If this is enabled, a track or bus that is both soloed and muted will behave
13038 as if it is soloed.
13041 <h3>Mute affects…</h3>
13044 These options dictate whether muting the track will affect various routes out
13045 of the track; through the sends, through the control outputs (to the monitor
13046 bus) and to the main outputs.
13055 <dfn>Panning</<dfn> is the process of distributing one or more signals
13056 across a series of outputs so that the listener will have the
13057 experience of them coming from a particular point or area of the
13058 overall listening field.
13062 It is used to create a sense of space and/or a sense of motion in an
13063 audio mix. You can spread out different signals across the space, and
13064 make them move over time.
13067 <h2>Types of Panners</h2>
13070 The way a panner works depends a great deal on how many signals it
13071 is going to process and how many outputs it will send them to. The
13072 simplest case is distributing a single signal to 2 outputs, which is
13073 the common case when using a "mono" track and a stereo speaker
13078 But panning in Ardour could theoretically involve distributing any
13079 number of signals to any number of ouputs. In reality, Ardour does
13080 not have specific panners for each different situation. Currently,
13081 it has dedicated panners for the following situations:
13085 <li>1 signal distributed to 2 outputs (the mono panner)</li>
13086 <li>2 signals distributed to 2 outputs (the stereo panner)</li>
13087 <li>N signals distributed to M outputs (the VBAP panner)</li>
13091 Even for each of these cases, there are many different ways to
13092 implement panning. Ardour currently offers just one solution to each
13093 of these situations, but in the future will offer more.
13097 In addition to the panners, Ardour has a balance control for subtle
13098 corrections to existing stereo images.
13107 The default <dfn>mono panner</dfn> distributes 1 input to 2 outputs. Its
13108 behaviour is controlled by a single parameter, the <dfn>position</dfn>. By
13109 default, the panner is centered.
13112 <h2>Mono Panner User Interface</h2>
13114 <img src="/images/mono-panner-annotated.png" alt="image of the mono panner"/>
13117 The mono panner looks a quite similar to the
13118 <a href="/mixing/panning/stereo_panner">stereo panner</a>
13119 interface. The difference is that the L/R labels in the lower half
13120 of the mono panner do not move because there is no "width" to
13124 <h2>Using the mouse</h2>
13126 <p>To change the position smoothly, press the right button and drag
13127 anywhere within the panner. <em>Note: you do not need
13128 to grab the position indicator in order to drag</em>
13133 <dt>Reset to defaults</dt>
13134 <dd>Click <kbd class="mod3 mouse">right</kbd></dd>
13136 <dt>Change to a "hard left"</dt>
13137 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the left side
13140 <dt>Change to a "hard right"</dt>
13141 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the right side
13144 <dt>Set the position to center</dt>
13145 <dd>Double Click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the middle of the panner</dd>
13148 <h2>Keyboard bindings</h2>
13151 When the pointer is within a mono panner user interface, the following keybindings are available to operate on that panner:
13155 <dt><kbd>←</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">←</kbd></dt>
13156 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
13157 <dt><kbd>→</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">→</kbd></dt>
13158 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the right</dd>
13159 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
13160 <dd>reset position to center</dd>
13163 <h2>Using the scroll wheel/touch scroll</h2>
13166 When the pointer is within a mono panner user interface, the scroll wheel may be used as follows:
13170 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> or <kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
13171 <dd>move position to the left by 1°</dd>
13172 <dt><kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇑</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
13173 <dd>move position to the left by 5°</dd>
13174 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> or <kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
13175 <dd>move position to the right by 1°</dd>
13176 <dt><kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇓</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
13177 <dd>move position to the right by 5°</dd>
13181 title: Balance Control
13186 For stereo tracks, you can now switch between the default stereo panner and a traditional <dfn>balance control</dfn> by right-clicking on the panner widget.
13189 <img class="left" src="/images/stereo-balance.png" alt="Stereo Balance
13193 When the balance is centered, the incoming signals will be unaffected. Moving it to one side will linearly attenuate the signal of the opposite side.
13197 While the balance control is considerably less flexible than the stereo panner, it works with arbitrary content without danger of introducing comb filter artifacts.
13201 title: Stereo Panner
13206 The default <dfn>stereo panner</dfn> distributes two inputs to two outputs. Its
13207 behaviour is controlled by two parameters, <dfn>width</dfn> and
13208 <dfn>position</dfn>. By default, the panner is centered at full width.
13212 The stereo panner assumes that the signals
13213 you wish to distribute are either uncorrelated (i.e. totally
13214 independent), or that they contain a stereo image which is
13215 <dfn>mono-compatible</dfn>, such as a co-incident microphone recording, or a
13216 sound stage that has been created with pan pots.<sup><a href="#caveat">*</a></sup>
13220 With the default values it is not possible to alter the position,
13221 since the width is already spread entirely across both outputs. To
13222 alter the position, you must first reduce the width.
13225 <h2>Stereo Panner User Interface</h2>
13227 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-annotated.png" alt=""/>
13230 The <dfn>panner user interface</dfn> consists of three elements, divided between
13231 the top and bottom half. Click and/or drag in the top half to
13232 control position; click and/or drag in the bottom half to control
13233 width (see below for details).
13237 In the top half is the position indicator, which shows where the
13238 center of the stereo image is relative to the left and right
13239 edges. When this is the middle of the panner, the stereo image is
13240 centered between the left and right outputs. When it all the way to
13241 the left, the stereo image collapses to just the left speaker.
13245 In the bottom half are two signal indicators, one marked "L" and the
13246 other "R". The distance between these two shows the width of the
13247 stereo image. If the width is reduced to zero, there will only be a
13248 single signal indicator marked "M" (for mono), whose color will
13249 change to indicate the special state.
13253 It is possible to invert the outputs (see below) so that whatever
13254 would have gone to the right channel goes to the left and vice
13255 versa. When this happens, the entire movable part of the panner
13256 changes color to indicate clearly that this is the case.
13259 <h3>Position vs. L/R</h3>
13262 Although the implementation of the panner uses the "position"
13263 parameter, when the user interface displays it numerically, it shows
13264 a pair of numbers that will be familiar to most audio engineers.
13268 <tr><th>Position</th><th>L/R</th><th>English</th></tr>
13269 <tr><td>0</td><td>L=50% R=50%</td><td>signal image is midway between
13270 left and right speakers</td></tr>
13272 <tr><td>-1</td><td>L=100% R=0%</td><td>signal image is entirely
13273 at the left speaker</td></tr>
13275 <tr><td>1</td><td>L=0% R=100%</td><td>signal image is entirely
13276 at the right speaker</td></tr>
13280 One way to remember this sort of convention is that the middle of the
13281 USA is not Kansas, but "Los Angeles: 50% New York: 50%".
13284 <h3>Examples In Use</h3>
13287 <tr><th>Appearance</th><th>Settings</th></tr>
13288 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner.png"></td><td>Width=100%,
13289 L=50 R=50</td></tr>
13290 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-zero.png"></td><td>Width=0%,
13291 L=50 R=50</td></tr>
13292 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-inverted.png"></td><td>Width=-100%, Position = 0 (center)</td></tr>
13293 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-right.png"></td><td>Width=36%,
13294 L=44 R=56</td></tr>
13295 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-hard-right.png"></td><td>Width=0%,
13296 L=0 R=100</td></tr>
13299 <h4>Using the mouse</h4>
13302 Mouse operations in the upper half of the panner adjust the position
13303 parameter, constrained by the current width setting.
13306 Mouse operations in the lower half of the panner adjust the width
13307 parameter, constrained by the current position setting.
13310 To change the position smoothly, press the right button and drag
13311 within the top half of the panner, then release. The position will
13312 be limited by the current width setting. <em>Note: you do not need
13313 to grab the position indicator in order to drag.</em>
13316 To change the width smoothly, press the right button and drag
13317 within the lower half of the panner, then release. The width will be
13318 limited by the current position setting. <em>Note: you do not need to
13319 grab the L/R indicators in order to drag.</em>
13324 <dt>Reset to defaults</dt>
13325 <dd>Click <kbd class="mod3 mouse">right</kbd></dd>
13327 <dt>Change to hard left</dt>
13328 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mod2 mouse">right</kbd> in the upper left half
13331 <dt>Change to a hard right</dt>
13332 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mod2 mouse">right</kbd> in the upper right half
13335 <dt>Move position as far left as possible, given width</dt>
13336 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper left half of the
13339 <dt>Move position as far right as possible, given width</dt>
13340 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper right half of the
13343 <dt>Set the position to center</dt>
13344 <dd>Click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper middle of the panner</dd>
13346 <dt>Reset to maximum possible width</dt>
13347 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> on the lower left side</dd>
13349 <dt>Invert (flip channel assignments)</dt>
13350 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> on the lower right side</dd>
13352 <dt>Set width to 0°</dt>
13353 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the lower middle</dd>
13356 <h4>Keyboard bindings</h4>
13359 When the pointer is within a stereo panner user interface, the following
13360 keybindings are available to operate on that panner:
13364 <dt><kbd>↑</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dt>
13365 <dd>increase width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13366 <dt><kbd>↓</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dt>
13367 <dd>decrease width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13368 <dt><kbd>←</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">←</kbd></dt>
13369 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
13370 <dt><kbd>→</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">→</kbd></dt>
13371 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the right</dd>
13372 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
13373 <dd>reset position to center</dd>
13374 <dt><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dt>
13375 <dd>reset width to full (100%)</dd>
13378 <h4>Using the scroll wheel/touch scroll</h4>
13381 When the pointer is within a stereo panner user interface, the scroll
13382 wheel may be used as follows:
13386 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
13387 <dd>increase width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13388 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
13389 <dd>decrease width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13390 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇑</kbd></dt>
13391 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
13392 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇓</kbd></dt>
13393 <dd>move position 1° / 5°to the right</dd>
13396 <h2><a name="caveat"></a>Stereo panning caveats</h2>
13398 <p class="warning">
13399 The stereo panner will introduce unwanted side effects on
13400 material that includes a time difference between the channels, such
13401 as A/B, ORTF or NOS microphone recordings, or delay-panned mixes.<br />
13402 When you reduce the width, you are effectively summing two highly
13403 correlated signals with a delay, which will cause <dfn>comb filtering</dfn>.
13407 Let's take a closer look at what happens when you record a source at 45° to the
13408 right side with an ORTF stereo microphone array and then manipulate the width.
13412 For testing, we apply a <dfn>pink noise</dfn> signal to both inputs of an Ardour stereo
13413 bus with the stereo panner, and feed the bus output to a two-channel analyser.
13414 Since pink noise contains equal energy per octave, the expected readout is a
13415 straight line, which would indicate that our signal chain does not color the
13419 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-with-ORTF-fullwidth.png" />
13422 To simulate an ORTF, we use Robin Gareus' stereo balance
13423 control LV2 to set the level difference and time delay. Ignore the Trim/Gain—its purpose is just to align the test signal with the 0dB line of the
13428 Recall that an <dfn>ORTF</dfn> microphone pair consists of two cardioids
13429 spaced 17 cm apart, with an opening angle of 110°. For a far source at
13430 45° to the right, the time difference between the capsules is 350 μs
13431 or approximately 15 samples at 44.1 kHz. The level difference due to the
13432 directivity of the microphones is about 7.5 dB (indicated by the
13433 distance between the blue and red lines in the analyser).
13437 Now for the interesting part: if we reduce the width of the signal to 50%,
13438 the time-delayed signals will be combined in the panner. Observe what
13439 happens to the frequency response of the left and right outputs:
13442 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-with-ORTF-halfwidth.png" />
13445 You may argue that all spaced microphone recordings will undergo comb
13446 filtering later, when the two channels recombine in the air between the speakers.
13447 Perceptually however, there is a huge of difference: our hearing system is
13448 very good at eliminating comb filters in the real world, where their component
13449 signals are spatially separated. But once you combine them
13450 inside your signal chain, this spatial separation is lost and the brain will
13451 no longer be able to sort out the timbral mess. As usual, you
13452 get to keep the pieces.
13456 Depending on your material and on how much you need to manipulate the width,
13457 some degree of comb filtering may be acceptable. Then again, it may not. Listen
13458 carefully for artefacts if you manipulate unknown stereo signals—many
13459 orchestra sample libraries for example do contain time-delay components.
13464 title: Plugin and Hardware Inserts
13470 title: Working With Plugins
13475 <dfn>Plugins</dfn> are bits of software that get loaded by Ardour in order to create various audio or MIDI effects, or generate audio by functioning as "software instruments".
13479 Ardour supports a variety of different plugin standards:
13482 <dl class="narrower-table">
13483 <dt><abbr title="Linux Audio Developers' Simple Plugin API">LADSPA</abbr></dt>
13484 <dd>An early, simple, lightweight plugin <abbr title="Application
13485 Programming Interface">API</abbr>, audio effects only,
13486 plugins have no editors/GUI of their own (Ardour provides one, however).</dd>
13487 <dt><abbr title="LADSPA Version 2">LV2</abbr></dt>
13488 <dd>An extensible, full-featured plugin API, audio and <abbr
13489 title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr>, plugins can provide their
13490 own <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr>s; the successor to LADSPA</dd>
13491 <dt><abbr title="Audio Unit">AU</abbr></dt>
13492 <dd>OS X only, full featured, audio and MIDI, plugins can provide their own GUI</dd>
13494 <dt><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr></dt>
13495 <dd>Plugins using Steinberg's VST plugin standard. Varies by platform:
13497 <dt>on Linux</dt><dd>(native) Linux VST plugins fully supported (VST2.4)</dd>
13498 <dt>on Windows</dt><dd>(native) Windows VST plugins fully supported (VST2.4)</dd>
13499 <dt>on OS X</dt><dd>Not supported, unless you use a VST-to-AU
13500 bridge plugin. Similar to Apple's Logic DAW.</dd>
13504 <dt>Windows VST Plugins on Linux</dt>
13505 <dd>VST plugins for Windows, but being used on Linux. <strong>Normally not supported.</strong> See <a href="/working-with-plugins/windows-vst-support">Windows VST Plugins on Linux</a> for details.
13510 title: Processor Box
13514 <p><img class="right" src="/images/processor-box.png" alt="the Processor Box" /></p>
13517 In Ardour terminology, a <dfn>processor</dfn> is anything which treats the signal in some way and gets plugged into a mixer strip. Ardour provides several builtin processors such as the fader or panners. Processors can also be <dfn>plugins</dfn> used for effects or as instruments, as well as sends or inserts which affect <a href="/signal-routing">signal routing</a>.
13521 The arrangement of processors is arbitrary, and there is no limit to how
13522 many there can be. The Processor Box will automagically add a scrollbar to
13523 itself if there are more processors in it than can be shown in the given space.
13527 The main box in the top half of a mixer strip shows the <dfn>processor
13528 box</dfn>. Processors are shown as colored rectangles, with a small "LED" beside
13529 them that lights up when the processor is enabled. The color of the
13530 processor depends on its location in the sequence; processors that are <dfn>pre-fader</dfn> are colored in red, and <dfn>post-fader</dfn> processors are colored green (in the default theme).
13534 The <dfn>processor box</dfn> will always contain a blue <dfn>Fader</dfn> processor. This indicates where in the processor chain the main channel fader is located; this is the fader shown in the lower half of the strip. It can be enabled and disabled like any other processor.
13537 <h2>Adding Processors</h2>
13539 Processors can be added to the chain by <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking in the processor list, This does three things:
13543 <li>A gap is opened up to indicate the location of the click. The gap shows where any new processors will be inserted.</li>
13544 <li>The processor under the click is selected.</li>
13545 <li>An options menu is presented.</li>
13549 From the menu, new processors can be inserted.
13553 Processors can also be dragged and dropped from the <a href="/working-with-plugins/plugin-sidebar/"><dfn>Favorite Plugins</dfn> window</a> to an appropriate spot in the Processor Box.
13557 The <dfn>Favorite Plugins</dfn> window can be populated via the <a href="/working-with-plugins/plugin-manager/">Plugin Manager</a>, or by dragging and dropping an existing processor from the <dfn>processor box</dfn> to the <dfn>Favorite Plugins</dfn> window.
13560 <h2>To Reorder (Move) Processors</h2>
13562 Processors can be re-ordered using drag & drop. Dragging a processor
13563 allows it to be moved around within the chain, or copied to another
13564 processor list on another track or bus.
13567 <h2>To Enable/Disable a Processor</h2>
13569 <p><img class="right" src="/images/processor.png" alt="a typical processor" /></p>
13572 To the left of the name of each processor is a small LED symbol; if this
13573 is lit-up, the processor is active. Clicking on it will deactivate the
13574 processor and effectively bypass it.
13578 Some processors have their own bypass controls that are independent of the one that Ardour provides; this can make it appear that the plugin is non-responsive when its independent bypass control is active.
13581 <h2>Selecting Processors</h2>
13583 A processor in the <dfn>processor box</dfn> can be selected with a <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click on it; it will be highlighed in red. Other processors can be selected at the same time by <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-clicking on them while holding down the <kbd class="mod1">‌</kbd> key, and ranges can be selected by <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-clicking on them while holding down the <kbd>Shift</kbd> key
13586 <h2>Removing Processors</h2>
13588 Context-click on the processor to be removed, and select <kbd
13589 class="menu">Delete</kbd>; or <kbd class="mod3 mouse">Right</kbd>-click on it; or <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click on it and press the <kbd>Delete</kbd> key. If multiple processors are selected, they will all be deleted at the same time.
13593 title: Plugin Manager
13597 <p class="fixme">This needs updating; it was written for v3 or v4, and it's out of date</p>
13600 The <dfn>Plugin Manager</dfn> serves two purposes. Primarily it is used to control the display status of plugins. It can also be used to find and insert plugins into the <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">Processor Box</a>. It is displayed either by a double-click in the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn> or by choosing <kbd class="menu">New Plugin > Plugin Manager...</kbd> from the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn> context menu.
13603 <p class="center"><img src="/images/plugin-manager.png" alt="Plugin Manager window"/></p>
13606 Displayed for each plugin is the status (normal, favorite, hidden),
13607 name, type, category, creator (author), and the number of audio and MIDI
13608 connections. The plugins can be sorted by clicking on a column header.
13611 <h2>Plugin Display Status</h2>
13614 Click on a Fav(orite) or Hide radio button to change a plugin's display status. Clicking on an already selected radio button will cancel it, returning the plugin to the normal display status. Plugins marked as a favorite show up in the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn> context menu under <kbd class="menu">New Plugin > Favorites</kbd> and in <dfn>Favorite Plugins</dfn> pane in the Mixer window. Setting the hide radio button on a plugin will keep the plugin from showing in the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn> context menus <kbd class="menu">New Plugin > By Creator</kbd> or <kbd class="menu">New Plugin > By Category</kbd>.
13617 <h2>Filtering Listed Plugins</h2>
13620 The middle of the <dfn>Plugin Manager</dfn> is used to filter the listed plugins. Typing into the text-box will filter the plugins based on the filter mode selected by drop-down box. Clicking <kbd class="button">Clear</kbd> empties the text-box.
13623 <h2>Inserting Plugins in the Processor Box</h2>
13626 The bottom half of the plugin manager shows plugins that have been selected
13627 for insertion into the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn>. A plugin can be added by
13628 either double clicking the plugin entry in the top half, or, if already
13629 selected in top half, by clicking <kbd class="button">Add</kbd>.
13633 Plugins can be removed from the bottom half with a double click, or, if
13634 already selected, by clicking <kbd class="button">Remove</kbd>.
13638 title: Favorite Plugins Window
13642 <p><img class="right" src="/images/favorite-plugins.png" alt="Favorite Plugins window"/></p>
13645 The <dfn>Favorite Plugins</dfn> window is on the top-left side of the <dfn>Mixer Window</dfn>. Like other elements in that window it has variable height and can be hidden by dragging it to zero-height. If it is not visible, the top-handle can be grabbed and dragged down to reveal it.
13649 Plugin names that have a right facing triangle next to them have presets associated with them; clicking on the triangle will cause all presets associated with the plugin to show in the list.
13652 <h2 style="clear:both;">Features</h2>
13655 The Favorite Plugins window provides easy access to frequently used plugins:
13659 <li>Plugins can be dragged from the window to any track or bus <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/"><dfn>processor box</dfn></a>, which will add the plugin to that track or bus at the given position.</li>
13660 <li>The list includes user-presets for the plugins. Dragging a preset to a given track or bus will load that preset after adding the plugin.</li>
13661 <li>Double-clicking on a plugin or preset adds the given plugin to all selected tracks/busses pre-fader. Other insert positions are available from the context menu (right click).</li>
13663 <p><img class="right" src="/images/mixer-to-fav-dnd.png" alt="Dragging plugin to Favorites window"/></p>
13664 Dragging a plugin from a track into the window will add it to the list and optionally create a new preset from the current settings. The horizontal line in the list shows the spot where the plugin will land.
13666 <li>The context-menu allows the deletion of presets or removal of the plugin from the list.</li>
13667 <li>Plugins in the list can be re-ordered using drag & drop. The custom order is saved.</li>
13670 <p style="clear:both;" class="note">
13671 When favorites are added with the <a href="/working-with-plugins/plugin-manager">Plugin Manager</a>, they are appended to the bottom of the list.
13675 title: Managing Plugin Presets
13679 <p class="fixme">Add images</p>
13682 All plugin control widgets, whether they are created by Ardour or
13683 by the plugin, have a common set of controls at the top of the window.
13684 These include 4 controls for managing <dfn>plugin presets</dfn>.
13687 <h2>What Is a Plugin Preset?</h2>
13690 A <dfn>preset</dfn> for a plugin is simply a saved set of values for
13691 all of a plugin's parameters. If you load a preset, you are restoring
13692 all the parameters of that plugin to the values stored in the preset.
13693 This is an easy, fast way to manage your preferred settings for
13694 particular plugins.
13697 <h2>The Preset Selector</h2>
13700 The <dfn>preset selector</dfn> is a regular selector that can be
13701 clicked to display a list of all known presets for this plugin. This
13702 will include presets that you have created yourself, and for some
13703 plugin formats, presets that come with the plugin itself.
13706 <h2>Load a New Preset</h2>
13709 Click on the preset selector to pop up a menu showing the names of
13710 all available presets. Click on the name of the preset you wish to load.
13711 The preset will be loaded—you may see various controls in the
13712 plugin editor change to reflect the new value of some or all parameters.
13715 <h2>Create a Preset</h2>
13718 To save the current plugin settings as a new preset, click on the
13719 <kbd class="menu">Add</kbd> button at the top of the window. A dialog
13720 will appear to ask for the name of the preset.
13723 <h2>Save a Preset</h2>
13726 If you wish to modify the settings in an existing preset, first use
13727 the preset selector to load the preset, then adjust the settings as
13728 you wish. When done, click the <kbd class="menu">Save</kbd> button
13729 and the new values will be stored, overwriting the previous version
13733 <h2>Delete a preset</h2>
13736 To delete an existing preset, use the preset selector to load the preset.
13737 Click the <kbd class="menu">Delete</kbd> button, and the preset will be
13738 removed. The preset selector turn blank, showing that no preset is
13739 currently loaded (although the settings will stay as they were).
13743 title: Working with Ardour-built Plugin Editors
13747 <p class="fixme">This section needs expansion, and at least one image</p>
13750 To view a plugin editor, double-click on the plugin within the
13751 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box">processor box</a>.
13752 A new window will appear showing the editor/GUI for the plugin.
13756 If a plugin does not have its own GUI, Ardour will construct a
13757 <dfn>generic plugin editor</dfn> from a small set of common control
13758 elements. Ardour will do this even for plugins that have their
13759 own, if <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences >
13760 GUI > Use Plugins' own interface instead of Ardour's</kbd> is disabled.
13764 The generic UI can be temporarily switched to by context-clicking on
13765 a processor and selecting <kbd
13766 class="menu">Edit with generic controls</kbd>. This will be necessary to
13767 access the <a href="/automation">plugin automation controls</a>.
13771 In the generic UI, any controller can be reset to its default by
13772 <kbd class="mod3 mouse">Left</kbd>-clicking on it.
13776 title: Plugins Bundled With Ardour
13781 Ardour now comes with the following plugins as part of a standard installation:
13784 <dl class="narrower-table">
13785 <dt>a-Amplifier</dt>
13786 <dd>A versatile ±20dB multichannel amplifier</dd>
13787 <dt>a-Compressor</dt>
13788 <dd>A side-chain enabled compressor with the usual controls. Comes in stereo and mono versions</dd>
13790 <dd>A basic single-tap delay line, with tempo sync</dd>
13792 <dd>A nice sounding 4-band parametric EQ with shelves</dd>
13793 <dt>a-Fluid Synth</dt>
13794 <dd>Wraps the Fluidsynth SoundFont2 synthesis engine as a new sample player</dd>
13795 <dt>a-High/Low Pass Filter</dt>
13796 <dd>Independent high and low pass filters with steepness up to 48dB/octave</dd>
13797 <dt>a-Inline Scope</dt>
13798 <dd>A mixer strip inline waveform display</dd>
13799 <dt>a-Inline Spectrogram</dt>
13800 <dd>A mixer strip inline specturm display</dd>
13801 <dt>a-MIDI Monitor</dt>
13802 <dd>A mixer strip inline display to show recent <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> events</dd>
13804 <dd>A reverb that finds a balance between sounding good, using a lot of CPU and having too many controls</dd>
13808 title: Getting More Plugins
13813 The following list shows <dfn>plugin packages</dfn>. In some cases, a package contains just one or two plugins; in other cases, dozens.
13816 <h2>Plugins by Standard</h2>
13818 <h3 id="LADSPA">LADSPA</h3>
13821 <li>AMB <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
13822 <li>Blepvco <a href="http://www.smbolton.com/linux.html">http://www.smbolton.com/linux.html</a></li>
13823 <li>Blop <a href="http://blop.sf.net">http://blop.sf.net</a></li>
13824 <li>CAPS <a href="http://quitte.de/dsp/caps.html">http://quitte.de/dsp/caps.html</a></li>
13825 <li>CMT <a href="http://www.ladspa.org/cmt/">http://www.ladspa.org/cmt/</a></li>
13826 <li>FIL <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
13827 <li>FOO <a href="http://code.google.com/p/foo-plugins/">http://code.google.com/p/foo-plugins/</a></li>
13828 <li>MCP <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
13829 <li>NJL <a href="https://github.com/tialaramex/njl-plugins">https://github.com/tialaramex/njl-plugins</a></li>
13830 <li>Omins <a href="http://www.nongnu.org/om-synth/omins.html">http://www.nongnu.org/om-synth/omins.html</a></li>
13831 <li>REV <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
13832 <li>SWH <a href="http://plugin.org.uk/">http://plugin.org.uk/</a></li>
13833 <li>TAP <a href="http://tap-plugins.sourceforge.net/">http://tap-plugins.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
13834 <li>VCF <a href="http://www.suse.de/~mana/ladspa.html">http://www.suse.de/~mana/ladspa.html</a></li>
13835 <li>VCO <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
13836 <li>VLevel <a href="http://vlevel.sourceforge.net/">http://vlevel.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
13837 <li>Vocoder <a href="http://www.sirlab.de/linux/download_vocoder.html">http://www.sirlab.de/linux/download_vocoder.html</a></li>
13838 <li>WASP <a href="http://linux01.gwdg.de/~nlissne/wasp/index.html">http://linux01.gwdg.de/~nlissne/wasp/index.html</a> (mar wanted!)</li>
13839 <li>Nova <a href="http://klingt.org/~tim/nova-filters/">http://klingt.org/~tim/nova-filters/</a></li>
13840 <li>Calf <a href="http://calf.sourceforge.net/">http://calf.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
13841 <li>Socal’s LEET Plugins <a href="http://code.google.com/p/leetplugins/">http://code.google.com/p/leetplugins/</a></li>
13842 <!--<li>Holap synthesizer and DSP effects <a href="http://holap.berlios.de/">http://holap.berlios.de/</a></li>-->
13845 <h3 id="LV2">LV2</h3>
13848 <li>SWH <a href="http://plugin.org.uk/lv2/">http://plugin.org.uk/lv2/</a></li>
13849 <li>ll-plugins <a href="http://ll-plugins.nongnu.org/">http://ll-plugins.nongnu.org/</a></li>
13850 <li>zynadd <a href="http://home.gna.org/zyn/">http://home.gna.org/zyn/</a></li>
13851 <li>Calf <a href="http://calf.sourceforge.net/">http://calf.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
13852 <li>LinuxDSP <a href="http://www.overtonedsp.co.uk/download/linuxdsp-archive/">http://www.overtonedsp.co.uk/download/linuxdsp-archive/</a></li>
13853 <li>Invada Studio <a href="https://launchpad.net/invada-studio/">https://launchpad.net/invada-studio/</a></li>
13856 <h3 id="LinuxVST">Linux VST (LXVST)</h3>
13859 <li>Loomer <a href="http://loomer.co.uk/">http://loomer.co.uk/</a></li>
13860 <li>Distrho <a href="http://distrho.sourceforge.net/ports.php">http://distrho.sourceforge.net/ports.php</a></li>
13861 <li>Argotlunar <a href="http://argotlunar.info/">http://argotlunar.info/</a></li>
13862 <li>MDA plugins (a collection ported from Windows VST) <a href="http://www.linux-vst.com/download/mda_linux.tar.gz">http://www.linux-vst.com/download/mda_linux.tar.gz</a></li>
13865 <h2>How do I install plugins?</h2>
13870 <dfn>Installation</dfn> will vary a little depending on how you get plugins. If your repository has a particular plugin package, just install it using the normal software package management tool for your system. Most Linux distributions that are good for audio work will have most of the LADSPA and LV2 plugins mentioned above available in ready-to-use forms.
13874 Finding them will typically require <em>searching</em> your distribution's repository to find the name of the package. The tools for doing this vary from distribution to distribution. A good place to start searching is with the name of the package (e.g. "caps" or "calf"). There are no fixed rules about what different Linux distributions call their packages for a given set of plugins.
13878 If the package isn't available, then you can build the plugins from source (plugins are generally fairly easy to compile if you've ever done this sort of thing before).
13882 LADSPA plugins are shared library files. They need to be installed in either /usr/lib/ladspa, /usr/local/lib/ladspa or in a directory mentioned in your LADSPA_PATH environment variable.
13886 LV2 plugins are folders/directories. They need to installed in either /usr/lib/lv2, /usr/local/lib/lv2 or a directory mentioned in your LV2_PATH environment variable.
13890 Linux VST (LXVST) plugins are distributed as shared library files. They are typically installed in /usr/lib/lxvst, /usr/local/lib/lxvst or a directory mentioned in your LXVST_PATH environment variable.
13896 Unless you're a particularly technical computer user, building and installing plugins in the LV2 (or LADSPA) format is probably not something worth planning on.
13900 Most of the plugins you are likely to use on OS X will be in Apple's AudioUnit format. These have their own installation process that tends to just work.
13904 title: Using Windows VST Plugins on Linux
13909 Thanks to the combined work of Torben Hohn, Kjetil Mattheusen, Paul
13910 Davis and a few other developers, it is possible to use Windows
13911 <dfn><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr>
13912 plugins</dfn> (that is, plugins in VST format built and distributed
13913 for the Windows platforms) on Ardour running on Linux. (Note: there
13914 is no VST support of any kind on OS X).
13917 <p>However, doing so has three <em>substantial</em> downsides:</p>
13920 <li>It requires a special build of Ardour that is fundamentally
13921 very different from normal builds</li>
13922 <li>Support depends on <a href="http://winehq.org/">Wine</a>,
13923 a Windows "emulator"</li>
13924 <li>As usual with plugins, a crashing plugin will take Ardour down
13925 with it—and crashes in Windows VST plugins are more likely when
13926 used in this way</li>
13930 The dependence on Wine makes it almost impossible for the Ardour
13931 project to support this feature. Wine's functionality generally
13932 improves over time, but any given release of Wine may behave worse
13933 with some or all Windows VST plugins. It may even just crash Ardour
13938 Step back and think about what "using Windows VSTs" really means:
13939 taking bits of software written with only one idea in mind—running
13940 on the Windows platform—and then trying to use them on an entirely
13941 different platform. It is a bit of a miracle (largely thanks to the
13942 incredible work done by the Wine project) that it works at all. But is
13943 this the basis of a stable, reliable DAW for a non-Windows platform?
13944 Getting Ardour on Linux to pretend that its really a Windows
13945 application running on Windows?
13949 We understand that there are many outstanding plugins available as
13950 Windows VSTs and that in many cases, no equivalent is available for
13951 Ardour's Linux-based users. If your workflow is so dependent on those
13952 plugins, then remain on Windows (or potentially consider using an
13953 actual Windows VST host running inside of Wine). If you can make the
13954 effort, you will get a better environment by using a normal build of
13955 Ardour and exploring the world of plugins built to run on Linux
13956 natively. This covers LADSPA, LV2 and Linux VST formats, and even some
13957 outstanding proprietary plugins such as those
13958 from <a href="http://www.loomer.co.uk/">Loomer</a>.
13961 <h2>A Plea To Plugin Manufacturers</h2>
13964 Please consider porting your plugins so that users can enjoy them on
13965 Linux too. Several other commercial plugin developers have already
13966 done this. You can choose between using "Linux VST" (which is what
13967 Loomer and others have done)—you will find toolkits like JUCE that
13968 help to make this fairly easy—or using LV2 format which is
13969 ultimately more flexible but probably more work. We have users—thousands of users—on Linux who would like to use your plugins.
13986 title: Export Dialog
13991 When you have finished mixing your session, you probably want to export it to a sound file to burn to a CD, upload to the web, or whatever. <kbd class="menu">Session > Export > Export to Audio file(s)...</kbd> shows the Export Dialog to do this.
13995 You can also export the outputs of multiple tracks & busses all at once via
13996 <kbd class="menu">Session > Export > Stem Export...</kbd>.
13999 <h2>File Format</h2>
14001 <img src="/images/export-dialog-file-format.png" />
14004 This tab contains controls for the format of the exported audio file. You can enable more than one format here, in which case each will be exported in turn. Ardour is supplied with a list of export formats, including:
14006 <li>CD (Red Book)</li>
14008 <li>FLAC 24 bit </li>
14009 <li>FLAC 24 bit (tagged)</li>
14010 <li>Ogg_Vorbis</li>
14011 <li>Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
14014 You can edit these formats, or create your own, with the <a href="/exporting/edit-export-format-profile/">"Edit Export Format Profile"</a> dialog, which appears when you click the "Edit" or "New" button to the right of the drop-down list of formats.
14018 You can also create a 'Preset' consisting of one or more formats. Ardour provides some ready-made presets, too:
14020 <li>CD + DVD-A</li>
14022 <li>CD + FLAC (tagged)</li>
14023 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC (tagged)</li>
14024 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis</li>
14025 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
14027 <li>DVD-A only</li>
14029 <li>FLAC (tagged)</li>
14030 <li>Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC</li>
14031 <li>Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC (tagged)</li>
14032 <li>Ogg_Vorbis </li>
14033 <li>Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
14037 <h3>Soundcloud upload</h3>
14040 When 'Upload to Soundcloud' is ticked on in any format's tab, a pane containing fields to enter in Soundcloud account details (email and password), and what should happen to the uploaded files will become visible.
14043 <img src="/images/soundcloud-upload.png" />
14047 <dt>Make files public</dt><dd>Choose whether to make uploaded files available to anyone via the Soundcloud web site.</dd>
14048 <dt>Open uploaded files in browser</dt><dd>Open each file on soundcloud in your browser after upload. If you don't enable this, you can still see the URLs in the <a href="">Log window</a>.</dd>
14049 <dt>Make files downloadable</dt><dd>Choose whether to allow downloading of files uploaded to Soundcloud.</dd>
14055 <img src="/images/export-dialog-timespan.png" />
14058 This tab allows you to select the range (or ranges) of the timeline to export. By default, "session" is enabled—this will export the whole session from the start marker to the end marker.
14064 <img src="/images/export-dialog-channels.png" />
14067 Here you can choose which outputs (tracks or busses) should be sent to the exported file.
14070 <h2>Stem Export</h2>
14072 <img src="/images/export-dialog-stem-export.png" />
14075 If you chose 'Stem Export', the 'Channels' tab appears slightly differently:
14076 in this case each chosen channel (track or bus) is exported to its own file,
14077 instead of all channels being mixed together into a single file. You can
14078 choose to export either the region contents or the track output here in this
14083 title: Export Format Profiles
14087 <h2>Export Format Profiles</h2>
14090 An Export Format Profile specifies the file format in which Ardour will export
14091 audio files, and also other audio file export options.
14095 Export Format Profiles are edited via the 'Edit Export Format Profile' dialog.
14098 <img src="/images/edit-export-format-profile.png" />
14103 If enabled, peak levels of exported files will be normalized to the level chosen here.
14106 <h3>Trim/Add silence at start/end</h3>
14111 <h3>Compatibility/Quality/File format/Sample rate</h3>
14113 <h4>Compatibility</h4>
14116 Selecting an item in the 'Compatibility' column will display options in the
14117 other columns that are incompatible with that item in red.
14123 The appropriate item in the 'Quality' column will be highlighted when you
14124 choose a file format. Clicking on items in the 'Quality' column currently
14125 doesn't seem to do anything useful.
14128 <h4>File format</h4>
14131 This column contains a list of Ardour's supported export file types. Click on
14132 the format you want to use.
14135 <h4>Sample rate</h4>
14138 You can explicitly choose the sample rate of your exported files here, or
14139 choose 'Session rate' to export in the current session's sample rate, without
14140 sample rate conversion.
14143 <h4>Sample rate conversion quality</h4>
14146 If your chosen sample rate does not match the current session's sample rate,
14147 choose the sample rate conversion quality here. Better quality options are
14154 Options relevant to the chosen file format will appear here.
14155 Categories of audio file format are:
14157 <li>Linear encoding</li>
14158 <li>Broadcast Wave</li>
14159 <li>Ogg Vorbis</li>
14165 Available options include a selection of the following:
14168 <h4>Sample Format</h4>
14171 Choose the bit depth of exported files.
14177 If the exported files bit depth is less than Ardour's native bit depth,
14178 choose the dithering algorithm to use.
14181 <h4>Create CUE file/Create TOC file</h4>
14184 As well as exporting an audio file, create a file (in CUE or TOC format
14185 respectively) containg CD track information, as defined in the
14186 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks List</a>.
14189 <h4>Tag with session's metadata</h4>
14192 If the exported file format supports metadata, use data entered in the
14193 <a href="/working-with-sessions/metadata/">Session Metadata</a>
14194 window to tag the exported files.
14200 The 'Label' field lets you choose the name which will be shown for this format
14201 in the drop-down list of export formats in the 'File Formats' tab of the
14202 <a href="/exporting/export-dialog/">Export dialog</a>.
14205 <h3>Command to run post-export</h3>
14208 If this is not blank, it is considered as a command to be run after the export
14209 of each file. Either the command must exist in $PATH, or you can specify an
14210 absolute path to an executable file here.
14214 Certain sequences are allowed here to stand for the exported file name and the
14215 like. Currently these are:
14217 <dt><code>%f</code></dt>
14218 <dd>Full path & filename of the exported audio file</dd>
14219 <dt><code>%d</code></dt>
14220 <dd>Directory containing the exported audio file (including trailing directory separator)</dd>
14221 <dt><code>%b</code></dt>
14222 <dd>Basename of the exported audio file (without extension)</dd>
14223 <dt><code>%s</code></dt>
14224 <dd>Path to the current session file</dd>
14225 <dt><code>%n</code></dt>
14226 <dd>Name of the current session file</dd>
14227 <dt><code>%%</code></dt>
14228 <dd>A literal percent sign</dd>
14233 Any part of the command-line enclosed in double-quotes (") will be used as-is.
14244 title: Ardour Setup for Surround
14250 title: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing
14256 title: Surround Panning and Mixing
14266 <p class="warning">
14267 Ardour's VBAP panner is currently in development, and its semantics may
14268 change in the near future, possibly affecting your mixes. Please do not
14269 rely on it for important production work while the dust settles.
14273 <dfn><abbr title="Vector-base Amplitude Panning">VBAP</abbr></dfn>
14274 is a versatile and straightforward method to pan a source around over an
14275 arbitrary number of speakers on a horizontal polygon or a 3D surface,
14276 even if the speaker layout is highly irregular.
14279 <h2>Basic concepts</h2>
14282 VBAP was developed by Ville Pulkki at Aalto University, Helsinki, in 2001.
14283 It works by distributing the signal to the speakers nearest to the desired
14284 direction with appropriate weightings, aiming to create a maximally sharp
14285 phantom source by using as few speakers as possible:
14289 <li>one speaker, if the desired direction coincides with a speaker
14291 <li>two speakers, if the desired direction is on the line between two
14293 <li>and three speakers in the general 3D case.</li>
14297 Thus, if you move the panner onto a speaker, you can be sure that only
14298 this speaker will get any signal. This is handy when you need precise
14303 The drawback of VBAP is that a moving source will constantly change its
14304 apparent sharpness, as it transitions between the three states mentioned
14309 A <dfn>horizontal</dfn> VBAP panner has one parameter, the <dfn>azimuth
14310 angle</dfn>. A <dfn>full-sphere</dfn> panner offers an additional
14311 <dfn>elevation angle</dfn> control.
14315 More elaborate implementations of VBAP also include a
14316 <dfn>spread</dfn> parameter, which will distribute the signal over a
14317 greater number of speakers in order to maintain constant (but no longer
14318 maximal) sharpness, regardless of position. Ardour's VBAP panner does not
14319 currently include this feature.
14322 <h2>Speaker layout</h2>
14325 Each VBAP panner is specific to its <dfn>speaker layout</dfn>—the panner has to "know" about the precise location of all the speakers. A complete VBAP implementation must therefore include the possibility to define this layout.
14328 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-5.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
14329 panner with 5 outputs"/>
14332 Ardour currently uses a simplified approach: if a track or bus has more
14333 than two output channels (which implies stereo), it assumes that you
14334 have N speakers distributed in a regular N-gon. That means that for
14335 irregular layouts such as 5.1 or 7.1, the direction you dial in will
14336 differ a bit from the actual auditory result, but you can still achieve
14337 any desired spatialisation.
14340 <h3>Experimental 3D VBAP</h3>
14342 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-10.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
14343 panner with 10 outputs, in experimental 3D mode"/>
14346 For tracks with 10 outputs, Ardour will currently assume a 3-dimensional
14347 speaker layout corresponding to Auro-3D 10.1, which is a horizontal 5.1
14348 system, four elevated speakers above L, R, Ls, and Rs, and an additional
14349 "voice-of-god" speaker at the zenith.
14352 <h2>N:M panning</h2>
14354 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-4in5.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
14355 panner in 4 in, 5 out mode"/>
14358 For tracks and busses with more than one input, Ardour will (for now) assume that
14359 you wish to distribute the inputs symmetrically along the latitude around
14360 the panner direction. The width parameter controls the opening angle of
14361 the distribution sector.
14366 title: Sync & Video
14372 title: Working with Synchronization
14378 title: On Clock and Time
14383 <dfn>Synchronization</dfn> in multimedia involves two concepts which are
14384 often confused: <dfn>clock</dfn> (or speed) and <dfn>time</dfn> (location
14389 A <dfn>clock</dfn> determines the speet at which one or more systems
14390 operate. In the audio world this is generally referred to as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_clock" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_clock">Word Clock</a>. It does not carry any absolute reference to a point in time: A clock is used to keep a system's sample rate regular and accurate. Word clock is usually at the frequency of the sample rate—at 48 kHz, its period is about 20 μs. Word Clock is the most common sample rate based clock but other clocks do exist such as Black and Burst, Tri-Level and DARS. Sample rates can be derived from these clocks as well.
14394 Time or <dfn>timecode</dfn> specifies an absolute position on a timeline,
14395 such as <code>01:02:03:04</code> (expressed as Hours:Mins:Secs:Frames). It is
14396 actual <em>data</em> and not a clock <em>signal</em> per se.
14397 The granularity of timecode is <dfn>Video Frames</dfn> and is an order of
14398 magnitude lower than, say, Word Clock which is counted in
14399 <dfn>samples</dfn>. A typical frame rate is 25 <abbr title="frames
14400 per second">fps</abbr> with a period of
14402 In the case of 48 kHz and 25 fps, there are 1,920 audio samples
14407 The concepts of clock and timecode are reflected in JACK and Ardour:
14411 JACK provides clock synchronization and is not concerned with time code
14412 (this is not entirely true, more on jack-transport later).
14413 On the software side, jackd provides sample-accurate synchronization
14414 between all JACK applications.
14415 On the hardware side, JACK uses the clock of the audio-interface.
14416 Synchronization of multiple interfaces requires hardware support to sync
14418 If two interfaces run at different clocks the only way to align the
14419 signals is via re-sampling (SRC—Sample Rate Conversion), which is
14420 expensive in terms of CPU usage and may decreases fidelity if done
14425 Timecode is used to align systems already synchronized by a clock to
14426 a common point in time, this is application specific and various
14427 standards and methods exist to do this.
14431 To make things confusing, there are possibilities to synchronize clocks
14432 using timecode. e.g. using mechanism called <dfn>jam-sync</dfn> and a
14433 <dfn>phase-locked loop</dfn>.
14437 An interesting point to note is that LTC (Linear Time Code) is a
14438 Manchester encoded, frequency modulated signal that carries both
14439 clock and time. It is possible to extract absolute position data
14444 title: Latency and Latency-Compensation
14445 menu_title: Latency
14451 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latency_%28audio%29"><dfn>Latency</dfn></a>
14452 is a system's reaction time to a given stimulus. There are many factors that
14453 contribute to the total latency of a system. In order to achieve exact time
14454 synchronization all sources of latency need to be taken into account and
14458 <h2>Sources of Latency</h2>
14460 <h3>Sound propagation through the air</h3>
14463 Since sound is a mechanical perturbation in a fluid, it travels at
14464 comparatively slow <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound">speed</a>
14465 of about 340 m/s. As a consequence, your acoustic guitar or piano has a
14466 latency of about 1–2 ms, due to the propagation time of the sound
14467 between your instrument and your ear.
14470 <h3>Digital-to-Analog and Analog-to-Digital conversion</h3>
14473 Electric signals travel quite fast (on the order of the speed of light),
14474 so their propagation time is negligible in this context. But the conversions
14475 between the analog and digital domain take a comparatively long time to perform,
14476 so their contribution to the total latency may be considerable on
14477 otherwise very low-latency systems. Conversion delay is usually below 1 ms.
14480 <h3>Digital Signal Processing</h3>
14483 Digital processors tend to process audio in chunks, and the size of that chunk
14484 depends on the needs of the algorithm and performance/cost considerations.
14485 This is usually the main cause of latency when you use a computer and one you
14486 can try to predict and optimize.
14489 <h3>Computer I/O Architecture</h3>
14492 A computer is a general purpose processor, not a digital audio processor.
14493 This means our audio data has to jump a lot of fences in its path from the
14494 outside to the CPU and back, contending in the process with some other parts
14495 of the system vying for the same resources (CPU time, bus bandwidth, etc.)
14498 <h2>The Latency chain</h2>
14500 <img src="/images/latency-chain.png" title="Latency chain" alt="Latency chain" />
14503 <em>Figure: Latency chain.</em>
14504 The numbers are an example for a typical PC. With professional gear and an
14505 optimized system the total roundtrip latency is usually lower. The important
14506 point is that latency is always additive and a sum of many independent factors.
14510 Processing latency is usually divided into <dfn>capture latency</dfn> (the time
14511 it takes for the digitized audio to be available for digital processing, usually
14512 one audio period), and <dfn>playback latency</dfn> (the time it takes for
14513 In practice, the combination of both matters. It is called <dfn>roundtrip
14514 latency</dfn>: the time necessary for a certain audio event to be captured,
14515 processed and played back.
14519 It is important to note that processing latency in a jackd is a matter of
14520 choice. It can be lowered within the limits imposed by the hardware (audio
14521 device, CPU and bus speed) and audio driver. Lower latencies increase the
14522 load on the system because it needs to process the audio in smaller chunks
14523 which arrive much more frequently. The lower the latency, the more likely
14524 the system will fail to meet its processing deadline and the dreaded
14525 <dfn>xrun</dfn> (short for buffer over- or under-run) will make its
14526 appearance more often, leaving its merry trail of clicks, pops and crackles.
14530 The digital I/O latency is usually negligible for integrated or
14531 <abbr title="Periphal Component Interface">PCI</abbr> audio devices, but
14532 for USB or FireWire interfaces the bus clocking and buffering can add some
14537 <h2>Low Latency usecases</h2>
14540 Low latency is <strong>not</strong> always a feature you want to have. It
14541 comes with a couple of drawbacks: the most prominent is increased power
14542 consumption because the CPU needs to process many small chunks of audio data,
14543 it is constantly active and can not enter power-saving mode (think fan-noise).
14544 Since each application that is part of the signal chain must run in every
14545 audio cycle, low-latency systems will undergo<dfn>context switches</dfn>
14546 between applications more often, which incur a significant overhead.
14547 This results in a much higher system load and an increased chance of xruns.
14551 For a few applications, low latency is critical:
14554 <h3>Playing virtual instruments</h3>
14557 A large delay between the pressing of the keys and the sound the instrument
14558 produces will throw-off the timing of most instrumentalists (save church
14559 organists, whom we believe to be awesome latency-compensation organic systems.)
14562 <h3>Software audio monitoring</h3>
14565 If a singer is hearing her own voice through two different paths, her head
14566 bones and headphones, even small latencies can be very disturbing and
14567 manifest as a tinny, irritating sound.
14570 <h3>Live effects</h3>
14573 Low latency is important when using the computer as an effect rack for
14574 inline effects such as compression or EQ. For reverbs, slightly higher
14575 latency might be tolerable, if the direct sound is not routed through the
14579 <h3>Live mixing</h3>
14582 Some sound engineers use a computer for mixing live performances.
14583 Basically that is a combination of the above: monitoring on stage,
14584 effects processing and EQ.
14588 In many other cases, such as playback, recording, overdubbing, mixing,
14589 mastering, etc. latency is not important, since it can easily be
14590 compensated for.<br />
14591 To explain that statement: During mixing or mastering you don't care
14592 if it takes 10ms or 100ms between the instant you press the play button
14593 and sound coming from the speaker. The same is true when recording with a count in.
14596 <h2>Latency compensation</h2>
14599 During tracking it is important that the sound that is currently being
14600 played back is internally aligned with the sound that is being recorded.
14604 This is where latency-compensation comes into play. There are two ways to
14605 compensate for latency in a DAW, <dfn>read-ahead</dfn> and
14606 <dfn>write-behind</dfn>. The DAW starts playing a bit early (relative to
14607 the playhead), so that when the sound arrives at the speakers a short time
14608 later, it is exactly aligned with the material that is being recorded.
14609 Since we know that play-back has latency, the incoming audio can be delayed
14610 by the same amount to line things up again.
14614 As you may see, the second approach is prone to various implementation
14615 issues regarding timecode and transport synchronization. Ardour uses read-ahead
14616 to compensate for latency. The time displayed in the Ardour clock corresponds
14617 to the audio-signal that you hear on the speakers (and is not where Ardour
14618 reads files from disk).
14622 As a side note, this is also one of the reasons why many projects start at
14623 timecode <samp>01:00:00:00</samp>. When compensating for output latency the
14624 DAW will need to read data from before the start of the session, so that the
14625 audio arrives in time at the output when the timecode hits <samp>01:00:00:00</samp>.
14626 Ardour3 does handle the case of <samp>00:00:00:00</samp> properly but not all
14627 systems/software/hardware that you may inter-operate with may behave the same.
14630 <h2>Latency Compensation And Clock Sync</h2>
14633 To achieve sample accurate timecode synchronization, the latency introduced
14634 by the audio setup needs to be known and compensated for.
14638 In order to compensate for latency, JACK or JACK applications need to know
14639 exactly how long a certain signal needs to be read-ahead or delayed:
14642 <img src="/images/jack-latency-excerpt.png" title="Jack Latency Compensation" alt="Jack Latency Compensation" />
14645 <em>Figure: Jack Latency Compensation.</em>
14649 In the figure above, clients A and B need to be able to answer the following
14655 How long has it been since the data read from port Ai or Bi arrived at the
14656 edge of the JACK graph (capture)?
14659 How long will it be until the data writen to port Ao or Bo arrives at the
14660 edge of the JACK graph (playback)?
14665 JACK features an <abbr title="Application Programming Interface">API</abbr>
14666 that allows applications to determine the answers to above questions.
14667 However JACK can not know about the additional latency that is introduced
14668 by the computer architecture, operating system and soundcard. These values
14669 can be specified by the JACK command line parameters <kbd class="input">-I</kbd>
14670 and <kbd class="input">-O</kbd> and vary from system
14671 to system but are constant on each. On a general purpose computer system
14672 the only way to accurately learn about the total (additional) latency is to
14676 <h2>Calibrating JACK Latency</h2>
14679 Linux DSP guru Fons Adriaensen wrote a tool called <dfn>jack_delay</dfn>
14680 to accurately measure the roundtrip latency of a closed loop audio chain,
14681 with sub-sample accuracy. JACK itself includes a variant of this tool
14682 called <dfn>jack_iodelay</dfn>.
14686 Jack_iodelay allows you to measure the total latency of the system,
14687 subtracts the known latency of JACK itself and suggests values for
14688 jackd's audio-backend parameters.
14692 jack_[io]delay works by emitting some rather annoying tones, capturing
14693 them again after a round trip through the whole chain, and measuring the
14694 difference in phase so it can estimate with great accuracy the time taken.
14698 You can close the loop in a number of ways:
14703 Putting a speaker close to a microphone. This is rarely done, as air
14704 propagation latency is well known so there is no need to measure it.
14707 Connecting the output of your audio interface to its input using a
14708 patch cable. This can be an analog or a digital loop, depending on
14709 the nature of the input/output you use. A digital loop will not factor
14710 in the <abbr title="Analog to Digital, Digital to Analog">AD/DA</abbr>
14716 Once you have closed the loop you have to:
14720 <li>Launch jackd with the configuration you want to test.</li>
14721 <li>Launch <kbd class="input">jack_delay</kbd> on the commandline.</li>
14722 <li>Make the appropriate connections between your jack ports so the loop is closed.</li>
14723 <li>Adjust the playback and capture levels in your mixer.</li>
14727 title: Timecode Generators and Slaves
14732 Ardour supports three common timecode formats:
14733 <abbr title="Linear/Longitudinal Time Code"><dfn>LTC</dfn></abbr>,
14734 <abbr title="MIDI Time Code"><dfn>MTC</dfn></abbr>, and
14735 <dfn>MIDI Clock</dfn>, as well as
14736 <dfn>JACK-transport</dfn>, a JACK-specific timecode implementation.
14740 Ardour can generate timecode and thus act as timecode <dfn>master</dfn>,
14741 providing timecode information to other applications. Ardour can also be
14742 <dfn>slaved</dfn> to some external source in which case the playhead
14743 follows the incoming timecode.
14747 Combining the timecode slave and generator modes, Ardour can also
14748 <dfn>translate</dfn> timecode. e.g create LTC timecode from incoming MTC.
14751 <h2>Ardour Timecode Configuration</h2>
14754 Each Ardour session has a specific timecode frames-per-second setting which
14755 is configured in <kbd class="menu">session > properties >
14756 timecode</kbd>. The selected timecode affects the timecoderuler in the main
14757 window as well as the clock itself.
14761 Note that some timecode formats do not support all of Ardour's available
14762 fps settings. MTC is limited to 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 fps.
14766 The video pull-up modes change the effective samplerate of Ardour to allow
14767 for changing a film soundtrack from one frame rate to another. The concept is
14768 beyond the scope of this manual, but Wikipedia's entry on
14769 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecine">Telecine</a>
14770 may get you started.
14773 <h2>Ardour Timecode Generator Configuration</h2>
14776 This is pretty straightforward: simply turn it on. The MTC and MIDI-Clock
14777 generator do not have any options. The LTC generator has a configurable
14778 output level. JACK-transport cannot be <em>generated</em>. Jack itself is
14779 always synced to its own cycle and cannot do varispeed—it will
14780 always be synced to a hardware clock or another JACK master.
14784 The relevant settings for timecode generator can be found in
14785 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI Preferences</kbd> (for MTC,
14787 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Transport Preferences</kbd>
14792 The timecode is sent to jack-ports <code>ardour:MTC out</code>,
14793 <code>ardour:MIDI clock out</code> and <code>ardour:LTC-out</code>. Multiple
14794 generators can be active simultaneously.
14798 Note that, as of Jan 2014, only the LTC generator supports latency
14799 compensation. This is due to the fact the Ardour MIDI ports are not
14800 yet latency compensated.
14804 In <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>, it is possible to
14805 define an offset between Ardour's internal time and the timecode sent.
14806 Currently only the LTC generator honors this offset.
14810 Both LTC and MTC are limited to 30 fps. Using frame rates larger
14811 than that will disable the generator. In both cases also only 24, 25,
14812 29.97df (drop-frame) and 30 fps are well defined by specifications (such as
14813 SMPTE-12M, EU and the MIDI standard).
14816 <h3>MTC Generator</h3>
14819 The <dfn>MTC generator</dfn> has no options. Ardour sends full MTC
14820 frames whenever the transport is relocated or changes state (start/stop).
14821 MTC <dfn>quarter frames</dfn> are sent when the transport is rolling and
14822 the transport speed is within 93% and 107%.
14825 <h3>LTC Generator</h3>
14828 The level of the <dfn>LTC generator</dfn> output signal can be configured
14829 in in the <kbd class="menu">Preferences > Transport</kbd> dialog. By
14830 default it is set to -18 dBFS, which corresponds to 0dBu in an EBU
14835 The LTC generator has an additional option to keep sending timecode even
14836 when the transport is stopped. This mode is intended to drive analog tape
14837 machines which unspool the tape if no LTC timecode is received.
14841 LTC is send regardless of Ardour's transport speed. It is accurately
14842 generated even for very slow speeds (<5%) and only limited by the
14843 soundcard's sampling-rate and filter (see
14845 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbs_phenomenon#Signal_processing_explanation">Gibbs phenomenon</a>)
14849 <h2>Ardour Slave Configuration</h2>
14852 The timecode source can be switched with the button just right of
14853 Ardour's main clock. By default it is set to <kbd
14854 class="menu">Internal</kbd> in which case Ardour will ignore any external
14855 timecode. The button allows to toggle between Internal and the configured
14856 timecode source which is chosen in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences
14857 > Transport</kbd>.
14861 When Ardour is <dfn>chasing</dfn> (synchronizing to) an external timecode
14862 source, the following cases need to be distinguished:
14866 <li>the timecode source shares the clock</li>
14867 <li>the timecode source is independent (no wordclock sync)</li>
14873 <li>the timecode source uses the same FPS setting as Ardour</li>
14874 <li>the timecode source runs at different frames-per-second</li>
14878 In both cases the first option is preferred: clock sync + same FPS setting.
14881 <h3>Frames-per-second</h3>
14884 If the frames-per-second do not match, Ardour can either re-calculate
14885 and map the frames, or the configured FPS (<kbd class="menu">Session >
14886 Properties</kbd>) can be changed automatically while the slave is active.
14887 The behavior is configured with the checkbox <kbd class="option">Edit
14888 > Preferences > Transport > Match session video frame rate to
14889 external timecode</kbd>.
14893 When enabled, the session video frame rate will be changed to match that
14894 of the selected external timecode source. When disabled, the session video
14895 frame rate will not be changed to match that of the selected external
14896 timecode source. Instead the frame rate indication in the main clock will
14897 flash red, and Ardour will convert between the external timecode standard
14898 and the session standard.
14901 <p class="warning">
14902 29.97 drop-frame timecode is another corner case. While the SMPTE 12M-1999
14903 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001 frames per second, not all hardware devices
14904 follow that standard. The checkbox
14905 <kbd class="option">Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</kbd> allows
14906 to use a compatibility mode for those devices.
14910 When enabled, the external timecode source is assumed to use 29.970000 fps
14911 instead of 30000/1001. SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001. The
14912 <abbr title="specification">spec</abbr> further mentions that drop-frame
14913 timecode has an accumulated error of -86 ms over a 24-hour period.
14914 Drop-frame timecode would compensate exactly for a NTSC color frame rate
14915 of 30 * 0.9990 (ie 29.970000). That is <em>not</em> the actual rate. However,
14916 some vendors use that rate—despite it being against the specs—because the variant of using exactly 29.97 fps yields zero timecode
14920 <h3>Clock Sync Lock</h3>
14923 As described in the
14924 <a href="http://manual.ardour.org/synchronization/on-clock-and-time/">On Clock and Time</a>
14925 chapter, timecode and clock are independent. If the external timecode
14926 source is not in sample-sync with the audio hardware (and JACK), Ardour
14927 needs to run at varispeed to adjust for the discrepancy.
14931 The checkbox <kbd class="option">External timecode is sync locked</kbd>
14932 allows to select the behavior according to your setup. When enabled, it
14933 indicates that the selected external timecode source shares sync (Black
14934 & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with the audio interface.
14938 In other words: if enabled, Ardour will only perform initial
14939 synchronization and keep playing at speed 1.0 instead of vari-speed
14940 adjusting to compensate for drift.
14944 Note that vari-speed is unavailable when recording in Ardour, and all
14945 tracking happens at speed 1.0. So if you want to record in sync with
14946 external timecode it must be sample-locked or it will drift over time.
14949 <h3>MIDI Clock</h3>
14952 <dfn>MIDI Clock</dfn> is not a timecode format but tempo-based time. The
14953 absolute reference point is expressed as beats-per-minute and Bar, Beat
14954 and Tick. There is no concept of sample-locking for MIDI clock signals.
14955 Ardour will vari-speed if necessary to chase the incoming signal.
14959 Note that the MIDI Clock source must be connected to the
14960 <code>ardour:MIDI clock in</code> port.
14963 <h3>LTC—Linear Timecode</h3>
14966 The <dfn>LTC</dfn> slave decodes an incoming LTC signal on a JACK audio
14967 port. It will auto-detect the frame rate and start locking to the signal
14968 once two consecutive LTC frames have been received.
14972 The incoming timecode signal needs to arrive at the
14973 <code>ardour:LTC-in</code> port. Port-connections are restored for each
14974 session and the preference dialog offers an option to select it for all
14979 Ardour's transport is aligned to LTC-frame start/end positions according
14980 to the SMPTE 12M-1999 specification, which means that the first bit of an
14981 LTC-Frame is aligned to different Lines of a Video-Frame, depending on the
14982 TV standard used. Only for Film (24fps) does the LTC-Frame directly match
14983 the video Frame boundaries.
14986 <img src="/images/ltc-transport-alignment.png" title="LTC frame alignment" alt="LTC frame alignment"/>
14987 <p><em>Figure: LTC frame alignment for the 525/60 TV standard</em></p>
14990 Ardour supports vari-speed and backwards playback but will only follow
14991 speed changes if the <kbd class="optoff">sync locked</kbd> option is
14996 While Ardour is chasing LTC, the main transport clock will display the
14997 received Timecode as well as the delta between the incoming signal and
14998 Ardour's transport position.
15002 A global offset between incoming timecode and Ardour's transport can be
15003 configured in <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>.
15007 The user-bits in the received LTC frame are ignored.
15010 <h3>MTC—MIDI Timecode</h3>
15013 Ardour's MTC slave parses <dfn>full timecode messages</dfn> as well as
15014 MTC <dfn>quarter-frame messages</dfn> arriving on the
15015 <code>ardour:MTC in</code> port. The transport will only start rolling
15016 once a complete sequence of 8 quarter frames has been received.
15020 Ardour supports vari-speed and backwards playback but will only follow
15021 MTC speed changes if the <kbd class="optoff">sync locked</kbd> option
15026 When Ardour is chasing MTC, the main transport clock will display the
15027 received Timecode as well as the delta between the incoming signal and
15028 Ardour's transport position.
15031 <h3>JACK Transport</h3>
15034 When slaved to jack, Ardour's transport will be identical to
15035 JACK-transport. As opposed to other slaves, Ardour can be used to control
15036 the JACK transport states (stopped/rolling). No port connections need to
15037 be made for jack-transport to work.
15041 JACK-transport does not support vari-speed, nor offsets. Ardour does not
15042 chase the timecode but is always in perfect sample-sync with it.
15046 JACK-transport also includes temp-based-time information in Bar:Beats:Ticks
15047 and beats-per-minute. However, only one JACK application can provide this
15048 information at a given time. The checkbox
15049 <kbd class="option">Session > Properties > JACK Time Master</kbd>
15050 configures Ardour to act as translator from timecode to BBT information.
15054 title: Overview of all Timecode related settings
15055 menu_title: Overview of Timecode settings
15060 Timecode settings are accessed from the menu in three places:
15064 <li><kbd class="menu">Session > Properties > Timecode</kbd></li>
15065 <li><kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Transport</kbd></li>
15066 <li><kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI</kbd></li>
15069 <h2>Timecode Settings</h2>
15071 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode frames-per-second</kbd></dt>
15073 Configure timecode frames-per-second (23.976, 24, 24.975, 25, 29.97,
15074 29.97 drop, 30, 30 drop, 59.94, 60). Note that all fractional
15075 framerates are actually fps*(1000.0/1001.0).
15077 <dt><kbd class="menu">Pull up/down</kbd></dt>
15079 Video pull-up modes change the effective samplerate of Ardour to
15080 allow for changing a film soundtrack from one frame rate to another.
15081 See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecine">Telecine</a>
15083 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slave Timecode offset</kbd></dt>
15085 The specified offset is added to the received timecode (MTC or
15088 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode Generator offset</kbd></dt>
15090 Specify an offset which is added to the generated timecode (so far only LTC).
15092 <dt><kbd class="option">JACK Time Master</kbd></dt>
15094 Provide Bar|Beat|Tick and other information to JACK.
15097 <p>These settings are session specific.</p>
15100 <h2>Transport Preferences</h2>
15102 <dt><kbd class="menu">External timecode source</kbd></dt>
15104 Select timecode source: JACK, LTC, MTC, MIDI Clock
15106 <dt><kbd class="option">Match session video frame rate to external timecode</kbd></dt>
15108 This option controls the value of the video frame rate <em>while
15109 chasing</em> an external timecode source. When enabled, the
15110 session video frame rate will be changed to match that of the selected
15111 external timecode source. When disabled, the session video frame rate
15112 will not be changed to match that of the selected external timecode
15113 source. Instead the frame rate indication in the main clock will flash
15114 red and Ardour will convert between the external timecode standard and
15115 the session standard.
15117 <dt><kbd class="option">External timecode is sync locked</kbd></dt>
15119 Indicates that the selected external timecode source shares sync (Black
15120 & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with the audio interface.
15122 <dt><kbd class="option">Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</kbd></dt>
15124 The external timecode source is assumed to use 29.97 fps instead of
15125 30000/1001. SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001. The spec
15126 further mentions that drop-frame timecode has an accumulated error of -86ms
15127 over a 24-hour period. Drop-frame timecode would compensate exactly for a
15128 NTSC color frame rate of 30 * 0.9990 (ie 29.970000). That is not the actual
15129 rate. However, some vendors use that rate—despite it being against
15130 the specs—because the variant of using exactly 29.97 fps has zero
15133 <dt><kbd class="menu">LTC incoming port</kbd></dt>
15135 Offers a session agnostic way to retain the LTC port connection.
15137 <dt><kbd class="option">Enable LTC generator</kbd></dt>
15138 <dd>Does just what it says.</dd>
15139 <dt><kbd class="option">Send LTC while stopped</kbd></dt>
15141 Enable to continue to send LTC information even when the transport
15142 (playhead) is not moving. This mode is intended to drive analog tape
15143 machines which unspool the tape if no LTC timecode is received.
15145 <dt><kbd class="menu">LTC generator level</kbd></dt>
15147 Specify the Peak Volume of the generated LTC signal in dbFS. A good value
15148 is 0 dBu (which is -18 dbFS in an EBU calibrated system).
15151 <p>These settings are common to all sessions.</p>
15154 <h2>MIDI Preferences</h2>
15156 <dt><kbd class="option">Send MIDI Timecode</kbd></dt><dd>Enable MTC generator</dd>
15157 <dt><kbd class="option">Send MIDI Clock</kbd></dt><dd>Enable MIDI Clock generator</dd>
15159 <p>These settings are also common to all sessions.</p>
15163 title: Working with Field Recorders in Ardour
15169 title: Working with Video in Ardour
15175 title: Video Timeline and Monitoring
15180 Ardour offers a <dfn>video timeline</dfn> and <dfn>video monitoring</dfn>
15181 for convenient audio mixing and editing to video, in order to produce
15182 film soundtracks and music videos, or perform TV postproduction tasks.
15186 The video capabilities are:
15190 <li>Import a single video and optionally extract the soundtrack from it.</li>
15191 <li>Provide a video monitor window, or full-screen display, of the
15192 imported video in sync with any of the available Ardour timecode
15194 <li>Display a frame-by-frame (thumbnail) timeline of the video.</li>
15195 <li>Allow for a configurable timecode offset.</li>
15196 <li><em>Lock</em> audio regions to the video.</li>
15197 <li>Move audio regions with the video at video-frame granularity.</li>
15198 <li>Export the video, trim start and end, add blank frames and/or
15199 multiplex it with the soundtrack of the current session.</li>
15203 The setup of the video subsystem is modular and can be configured
15204 in different ways, including:
15208 <li>One machine for all video decoding, video monitoring and audio editing
15210 <li>Two machines, one for video monitoring, one for Ardour</li>
15211 <li>Three machines, separate video server (for timeline decoding
15212 and file archive), dedicated video monitor, and Ardour</li>
15216 Ardour does <em>not</em>:
15220 <li>allow for more than one video to be loaded at a time.</li>
15221 <li>provide video editing capabilities</li>
15225 title: Video Timeline Setup
15230 No configuration is required if you intend to run everything on a single
15231 machine, and if you acquired Ardour from
15232 <a href="http://www.ardour.org"
15233 title="http://www.ardour.org">http://www.ardour.org</a>.
15234 Everything is pre-configured and included with the download/install.
15237 <h2>Single Machine</h2>
15240 If you compile Ardour from source, or have installed it from a 3rd party
15241 repository, three additional tools will need to be installed manually,
15242 which are used by Ardour to provide video features:
15246 <li>xjadeo (the video monitor application): <a href="http://xjadeo.sf.net"
15247 title="http://xjadeo.sf.net" rel="nofollow">http://xjadeo.sf.net</a></li>
15248 <li>harvid (a video decoder used for the thumbnail timeline): <a
15249 href="http://x42.github.com/harvid/" title="http://x42.github.com/harvid/"
15250 rel="nofollow">http://x42.github.com/harvid/</a></li>
15251 <li>ffmpeg, ffprobe (used to import/export video, extract soundtracks and
15252 query video information): <a href="http://ffmpeg.org" title="http://ffmpeg.org"
15253 rel="nofollow">http://ffmpeg.org</a></li>
15257 Ardour requires xjadeo ≥ version 0.6.4, harvid ≥ version 0.7.0 and ffmpeg (known to work versions: 1.2, 2.8.2)
15261 The Ardour development team is in control of the first two applications. ffmpeg however can be a bit of a problem. To avoid conflicts with distribution packages, Ardour looks for <code>ffmpeg_harvid</code> and <code>ffprobe_harvid</code>.
15265 All four applications need to be found in <code>$PATH</code> (e.g.
15266 <code>$HOME/bin</code> or <code>/usr/local/bin</code>). For convenience the
15267 binary releases of harvid include ffmpeg_harvid and ffprobe_harvid, but if
15268 your distribution provides suitable ffmpeg commands you can also just create
15272 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo ln -s /usr/bin/ffmpeg /usr/bin/ffmpeg_harvid</kbd>
15273 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo ln -s /usr/bin/ffprobe /usr/bin/ffprobe_harvid</kbd>
15276 Binary releases are available from ardour.org as well as an installer script:
15277 <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/blob/master/tools/videotimeline/install_video_tools.sh"
15278 title="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/blob/master/tools/videotimeline/install_video_tools.sh"
15279 rel="nofollow">install_video_tools.sh</a>.
15283 The easiest way to install the video-utilities is by running the following
15284 line in a terminal:
15287 <kbd class="cmd lin">sh -c "$(curl -s -L http://git.io/tVUCkw)"</kbd>
15289 <h2>Studio Setup</h2>
15292 Please read the info in the previous section to familiarize yourself with
15293 the tools involved first. Setting up a proper A/V post-production studio
15294 can be a complicated task. As much as we streamline and simplify the
15295 <em>single machine</em> setup, the <dfn>studio setup</dfn> is focused on modularity.
15300 <li>Synchronization ardour → video-display-box should be accomplished by external
15301 means jack-transport(netjack), MTC, LTC
15302 (<abbr title="Open Sound Control—"postmodern MIDI"">OSC</abbr> and/or
15303 ssh-pipe work but introduce additional latency + jitter)</li>
15304 <li>Ardour launches <code>XJREMOTE</code> (environment variable, default 'xjremote' which comes with xjadeo).</li>
15305 <li>Either use a custom shell script that ssh'es into the remote box and launches/controls xjadeo there, selects the sync-source and passes though communication between ardour ⇔ xjadeo via ssh (xjadeo is launched stopped with the session).</li>
15306 <li>..or override xjremote's behavior – instead of IPC with a local running xjadeo-process, using <abbr title="Open Sound Control—"postmodern MIDI"">OSC</abbr> for example. xjadeo would run permanently and Ardour will just tell it to load files and set offsets via <acronym title="Open Sound Control—"postmodern MIDI"">OSC</acronym>. see <a href="http://xjadeo.git.sourceforge.net/git/gitweb.cgi?p=xjadeo/xjadeo;a=blob_plain;f=contrib/xjremote-osc" title="http://xjadeo.git.sourceforge.net/git/gitweb.cgi?p=xjadeo/xjadeo;a=blob_plain;f=contrib/xjremote-osc" rel="nofollow">xjremote-osc</a> example script.</li>
15307 <li>If the video server runs remotely, Ardour needs to be configured in Ardour > Preference > Video (hostname of the video-server).</li>
15308 <li> Ideally the machines have a common shared folder (NFS or similar). Ardour's import (audio-extract) and export (mux) functionality depends on having access to the video file. Also Ardour's video-import transcodes the file into a suitable proxy-format that allows reliable seeking to any frame…</li>
15312 title: Transcoding, Formats & Codecs
15317 This chapter provides a short primer on video files, formats and
15318 codecs – because it is often cause for confusion:
15322 A video file is a <dfn>container</dfn>. It usually contains one
15323 <dfn>video track</dfn> and one or more <dfn>audio tracks</dfn>.
15324 How these tracks are stored in the file is defined by the
15325 <dfn>file format</dfn>. Common formats are
15326 avi, mov, ogg, mkv, mpeg, mpeg-ts, mp4, flv, or vob.
15330 Each of the tracks by itself is encoded using a <abbr
15331 title="Coder-Decoder"><dfn>Codec</dfn></abbr>. Common video codecs
15332 are h264, mpeg2, mpeg4, theora, mjpeg, wmv3. Common audio codecs are
15333 mp2, mp3, dts, aac, wav/pcm.
15337 Not all codecs can be packed into a given format. For example the
15338 mpeg format is limited to mpeg2, mpeg4 and mp3 codecs (not entirely true).
15339 DVDs do have stringent limitations as well. The opposite would be .avi;
15340 pretty much every audio/video codec combination can be contained in an avi
15345 To make things worse, naming conventions for video codecs and formats are
15346 often identical (especially MPEG ones) which leads to confusion.
15347 All in all it is a very wide and deep field. Suffice there are different
15348 uses for different codecs and formats.
15351 <h2>Ardour specific issues</h2>
15354 Ardour supports a wide variety of video file formats codecs. More specifically, Ardour itself actually does not support any video at all but delegates handling of video files to <a href="http://ffmpeg.org">ffmpeg</a>, which supports over 350 different video codecs and more than 250 file formats.
15358 When importing a video into Ardour, it will be <dfn>transcoded</dfn> (changed from one format and codec to another) to avi/mjpeg for internal use (this allows reliable seeking to frames at low CPU cost—the file size will increase, but hard disks are large and fast).
15362 The export dialog includes presets for common format and codec combinations (such as DVD, web-video,..). If in doubt use one of the presets.
15366 As last note: every time a video is transcoded, the quality can only get worse. Hence for the final mastering/<abbr title="Multiplexing Audio and Video">muxing</abbr> process, one should always to back and use the original source of the video.
15370 title: Workflow & Operations
15374 <h2>Overview of Operations</h2>
15376 <dl class="wide-table">
15377 <dt><kbd class="menu">Session > Open Video</kbd></dt>
15378 <dd>Add/replace a video to/on the timeline</dd>
15379 <dt><kbd class="menu">Window > View Monitor</kbd></dt>
15380 <dd>Open/close external video monitor window</dd>
15381 <dt><kbd class="menu">View > Video Monitor > …</kbd></dt>
15382 <dd>Various settings of the video monitor</dd>
15383 <dt><kbd class="menu">Session > Export > Video</kbd></dt>
15384 <dd>Export session and multiplex with video-file</dd>
15385 <dt><kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag the video in the timeline</dt>
15386 <dd>Re-align video and move 'locked' audio-regions along</dd>
15387 <dt>Context-menu on the video-timeline: <kbd class="menu"> 'lock'</kbd></dt>
15388 <dd>Prevent accidental drags</dd>
15389 <dt>Audio region context menu: <kbd class="menu">Position > Lock to video</kbd></dt>
15390 <dd>Mark audio region(s) to be moved along with the video.</dd>
15393 <h2>Adding Video</h2>
15396 Adding video is a two-step process: select a video file, and choose
15397 import mode and optionally select an audio track to extract.
15401 The first step is rather straight-forward. The panel on the right side
15402 allows to seek through the video and displays basic file information.
15403 It is also useful to check if the video format/codec is supported:
15406 <img src="/images/a3_video_open.png" alt="video-open-dialog" width="300" />
15409 The second step analyzes the video file in more detail and offers import options:
15413 <dt><kbd class="menu">Import/Transcode to Session</kbd></dt>
15414 <dd>This is the default. The video will be imported in a suitable
15415 video format/codec for the timeline and video monitor and saved inside the
15416 session folder. A location other than the session folder can also be
15417 chosen (external disk, or network storage of the video server on a different
15419 <dt><kbd class="menu">Reference from Current Location</kbd></dt>
15420 <dd>Only useful for opening files that were previously encoded (are already
15421 in a good format/codec). Use with care.</dd>
15422 <dt><kbd class="menu">Do not Import Video</kbd></dt>
15423 <dd>Useful for extracting audio only.</dd>
15426 <img src="/images/a3_video_import.png" alt="Video Import Dialog" width="300" />
15429 By default the video is imported using the original width/height.
15430 If it is a large video (e.g. full-HD) it makes sense to scale it down
15431 to decrease the CPU load and disk I/O required to decode and play the
15433 A small, low-quality representation of the image is usually sufficient
15434 for editing soundtracks. The default bitrate in kbit/sec is set to use
15435 0.7 bits per pixel. (Compare: the average DVD medium uses 5000 kbit/s;
15436 at PAL resolution this is about 0.5 bits per pixel. But the DVD is
15437 using the <dfn>mpeg2</dfn>—a denser compression algorithm than the
15438 <dfn>mjpeg</dfn> codec used by Ardour.)
15441 <h2>Working with A/V</h2>
15447 <img src="/images/a3_videotimeline.png" alt="Video Timeline" width="600" />
15449 <h2 id="export">Exporting Video</h2>
15452 The video export will take audio from the current Ardour session and
15453 multiplex it with a video file. The soundtrack of the video is taken from
15454 an audio export of Ardour's master bus.
15458 An arbitrary video file can be chosen. For high quality exports, the
15459 original file (before it was imported into the timeline) should be used.
15460 This is the default behaviour if that file can be found. If not, Ardour
15461 will fall back to the imported proxy-video which is currently in use
15462 on the timeline. Any existing audio tracks on this video file are stripped.
15466 The range selection allows to cut or extend the video. If the session is
15467 longer than the video duration, black frames are prefixed or appended to
15468 the video. (Note: this process may fail with non-standard pixel aspect
15469 ratios). If Ardour's session range is shorter, the video will be cut accordingly.
15473 Audio samplerate and normalization are options for Ardour's audio exporter.
15474 The remaining settings are options that are directly passed on to ffmpeg.
15478 The file format is determined by the extension that you choose for it
15479 (.avi, .mov, .flv, .ogv, .webm,...)
15480 Note: not all combinations of format, codec, and settings produce files
15481 which are according to specifications. For example, flv files require
15482 sample rates of 22.1 kHz or 44.1 kHz, mpeg containers can not
15483 be used with ac3 audio-codec, etc. If in doubt, use one of the built-in
15487 <img src="/images/a3_video_export.png" alt="Video Export Dialog" width="300" />
15490 Ardour video export is not recommended for mastering! While ffmpeg (which is used by Ardour) can produce high-quality files, this export lacks the possibility to tweak many settings. We recommend to use winff, devede or dvdauthor to mux & master. Nevertheless this video-export comes in handy to do quick snapshots, intermediates, dailies or online videos.
15495 title: Advanced Scripting
15501 title: Lua Scripting in Ardour
15507 title: Lua Scripting
15512 Starting with version 4.7.213, Ardour supports Lua scripts.
15515 <p class="warning">
15516 Lua Integration is Work in Progress and far from complete.
15520 title: Scripting Documentation
15524 <p class="warning">
15525 This Documentation is Work in Progress and far from complete. Also the documented API may be subject to change.
15531 There are cases that a Ardour cannot reasonably cater for with core functionality by itself, either because they're session specific or user specific edge cases.
15535 Examples for these include voice-activate (record-arm specific tracks and roll transport depending on signal levels), rename all regions after a specific timecode, launch an external application when a certain track is soloed, generate automation curves or simply provide a quick shortcut for a custom batch operation.
15539 Cases like this call for means to extend the DAW without actually changing the DAW itself. This is where scripting comes in.
15543 "Scripting" refers to tasks that could alternatively be executed step-by-step by a human operator.
15547 Lua is a tiny and simple language which is easy to learn, yet allows for comprehensive solutions. Lua is also a glue language it allows to tie existing component in Ardour together in unprecedented ways, and most importantly Lua is one of the few scripting-languages which can be safely used in a real-time environment.
15551 A good introduction to Lua is the book <a href="http://www.lua.org/pil/">Programming in Lua</a>. The first edition is available online, but if you have the means buy a copy of the book, it not only helps to support the Lua project, but provides for a much nicer reading and learning experience.
15557 The core of ardour is a real-time audio engine that runs and processes audio. One interfaces with than engine by sending it commands. Scripting can be used to interact with or modify active Ardour session. Just like a user uses the Editor/Mixer GUI to modify the state or parameters of the session.
15561 Doing this programmatically requires some knowledge about the objects used internally. Most Ardour C++ objects and their methods are directly exposed to Lua and one can call functions or modify variables:
15564 <div style="width:80%; margin:.5em auto;">
15565 <div style="width:45%; float:left;">
15568 session->set_transport_speed (1.0);
15571 <div style="width:45%; float:right;">
15574 Session:set_transport_speed (1.0)
15579 <div style="clear:both;"></div>
15582 You may notice that there is only a small syntactic difference, in this case. While C++ requires recompiling the application for every change, Lua script can be loaded, written or modified while the application is running. Lua also abstracts away many of the C++ complexities such as object lifetime, type conversion and null-pointer checks.
15586 Close ties with the underlying C++ components is where the power of scripting comes from. A script can orchestrate interaction of lower-level components which take the bulk of the CPU time of the final program.
15590 At the time of writing Ardour integrates Lua 5.3.2: <a href="http://www.lua.org/manual/5.3/manual.html">Lua 5.3 reference manual</a>.
15593 <h2>Integration</h2>
15596 Like Control surfaces and the GUI, Lua Scripts are confined to certain aspects of the program. Ardour provides the framework and runs Lua (not the other way around).
15601 In Ardour's case Lua is available:
15605 <dt>Editor Action Scripts</dt><dd>User initiated actions (menu, shortcuts) for batch processing</dd>
15606 <dt>Editor Hooks/Callbacks</dt><dd>Event triggered actions for the Editor/Mixer GUI</dd>
15607 <dt>Session Scripts</dt><dd>Scripts called at the start of every audio cycle (session, real-time)</dd>
15608 <dt>DSP Scripts</dt><dd>Audio/Midi processor—plugins with access to the Ardour session (per track/bus, real-time)</dd>
15609 <dt>Script Console</dt><dd>Action Script commandline</dd>
15613 There are is also a special mode:
15617 <dt>Commandline Tool</dt><dd>Replaces the complete Editor GUI, direct access to libardour (no GUI) from the commandline.<br/>
15618 <em>Be aware that the vast majority of complex functionality is provided by the Editor UI.</em></dd>
15621 <h2>Managing Scripts</h2>
15624 Ardour searches for Lua scripts in the <code>scripts</code> folder in <code>$ARDOUR_DATA_PATH</code>, Apart from scripts included directly with Ardour, this includes
15628 <tr><th>GNU/Linux</th><td><code>$HOME/.config/ardour5/scripts</code></td></tr>
15629 <tr><th>Mac OS X</th><td><code>$HOME/Library/Preferences/Ardour5/scripts</code></td></tr>
15630 <tr><th>Windows</th><td><code>%localappdata%\ardour5\scripts</code></td></tr>
15633 <p>Files must end with <code>.lua</code> file extension.</p>
15635 <p>Scripts are managed via the GUI</p>
15638 <dt>Editor Action Scripts</dt><dd>Menu → Edit → Scripted Actions → Manage</dd>
15639 <dt>Editor Hooks/Callbacks</dt><dd>Menu → Edit → Scripted Actions → Manage</dd>
15640 <dt>Session Scripts</dt><dd>Menu → Session → Scripting → Add/Remove Script</dd>
15641 <dt>DSP Scripts</dt><dd>Mixer-strip → context menu (right click) → New Lua Proc</dd>
15642 <dt>Script Console</dt><dd>Menu → Window → Scripting</dd>
15645 <h2>Script Layout</h2>
15648 <li>Every script must include an <code>ardour</code> descriptor table. Required fields are "Name" and "Type".</li>
15649 <li>A script must provide a <em>Factory method</em>: A function with optional instantiation parameters which returns the actual script.</li>
15650 <li>[optional]: list of parameters for the "factory".</li>
15651 <li>in case of DSP scripts, an optional list of automatable parameters and possible audio/midi port configurations, and a <code>dsp_run</code> function, more on that later.</li>
15654 <p>A minimal example script looks like:</p>
15657 <pre><code class="lua">
15659 ["type"] = "EditorAction",
15663 function factory (unused_params)
15665 Session:goto_start() -- rewind the transport
15672 The common part for all scripts is the "Descriptor". It's a Lua function which returns a table (key/values) with the following keys (the keys are case-sensitive):
15676 <dt>type [required]</dt><dd>one of "<code>DSP</code>", "<code>Session</code>", "<code>EditorHook</code>", "<code>EditorAction</code>" (the type is not case-sensitive)</dd>
15677 <dt>name [required]</dt><dd>Name/Title of the script</dd>
15678 <dt>author</dt><dd>Your Name</dd>
15679 <dt>license</dt><dd>The license of the script (e.g. "GPL" or "MIT")</dd>
15680 <dt>description</dt><dd>A longer text explaining to the user what the script does</dd>
15684 Scripts that come with Ardour (currently mostly examples) can be found in the <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/tree/master/scripts">Source Tree</a>.
15687 <h3>Action Scripts</h3>
15690 Action scripts are the simplest form. An anonymous Lua function is called whenever the action is triggered. A simple action script is shown above.
15693 There are 10 action script slots available, each of which is a standard GUI action available from the menu and hence can be bound to a keyboard shortcut.
15696 <h3>Session Scripts</h3>
15699 Session scripts similar to Actions Scripts, except the anonymous function is called periodically every process cycle. The function receives a single parameter—the number of audio samples which are processed in the given cycle
15703 <pre><code class="lua">
15705 ["type"] = "session",
15706 name = "Example Session Script",
15708 An Example Ardour Session Script.
15709 This example stops the transport after rolling for a specific time.]]
15712 -- instantiation options, these are passed to the "factory" method below
15713 function sess_params ()
15716 ["print"] = { title = "Debug Print (yes/no)", default = "no", optional = true },
15717 ["time"] = { title = "Timeout (sec)", default = "90", optional = false },
15721 function factory (params)
15722 return function (n_samples)
15723 local p = params["print"] or "no"
15724 local timeout = params["time"] or 90
15726 if p ~= "no" then print (a, n_samples, Session:frame_rate (), Session:transport_rolling ()) end -- debug output (not rt safe)
15727 if (not Session:transport_rolling()) then
15732 if (a > timeout * Session:frame_rate()) then
15733 Session:request_transport_speed(0.0, true)
15740 <h3>Action Hooks</h3>
15743 Action hook scripts must define an additional function which returns a <em>Set</em> of Signal that which trigger the callback (documenting available slots and their parameters remains to be done).
15747 <pre><code class="lua">
15749 ["type"] = "EditorHook",
15750 name = "Hook Example",
15751 description = "Rewind On Solo Change, Write a file when regions are moved.",
15754 function signals ()
15755 s = LuaSignal.Set()
15758 [LuaSignal.SoloActive] = true,
15759 [LuaSignal.RegionPropertyChanged] = true
15765 function factory (params)
15766 return function (signal, ref, ...)
15767 -- print (signal, ref, ...)
15769 if (signal == LuaSignal.SoloActive) then
15770 Session:goto_start()
15773 if (signal == LuaSignal.RegionPropertyChanged) then
15775 file = io.open ("/tmp/test" ,"a")
15777 io.write (string.format ("Region: '%s' pos-changed: %s, length-changed: %s\n",
15779 tostring (pch:containsFramePos (ARDOUR.Properties.Start)),
15780 tostring (pch:containsFramePos (ARDOUR.Properties.Length))
15789 <h3>DSP Scripts</h3>
15791 <p>See the scripts folder for examples for now.</p>
15793 <p>Some notes for further doc:</p>
15796 <li>required function: <code>dsp_ioconfig ()</code>: return a list of possible audio I/O configurations—follows Audio Unit conventions.</li>
15797 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_dsp_midi_input ()</code>: return true if the plugin can receive midi input</li>
15798 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_params ()</code>: return a table of possible parameters (automatable)</li>
15799 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_init (samplerate)</code>: called when instantiation the plugin with given samplerate.</li>
15800 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_configure (in, out)</code>: called after instantiation with configured plugin i/o.</li>
15801 <li>required function: <code>dsp_run (ins, outs, n_samples)</code> OR <code>dsp_runmap (bufs, in_map, out_map, n_samples, offset)</code>: DSP process callback. The former is a convenient abstraction that passes mapped buffers (as table). The latter is a direct pass-through matching Ardour's internal <code>::connect_and_run()</code> API, which requires the caller to map and offset raw buffers.</li>
15802 <li>plugin parameters are handled via the global variable <code>CtrlPorts</code>.</li>
15803 <li>midi data is passed via the global variable <code>mididata</code> which is valid during <code>dsp_run</code> only. (dsp_runmap requires the script to pass raw data from the buffers according to in_map)</li>
15804 <li>The script has access to the current session via the global variable Session, but access to the session methods are limited to realtime safe functions</li>
15807 <h2>Accessing Ardour Objects</h2>
15810 The top most object in Ardour is the <code>ARDOUR::Session</code>. Fundamentally, a Session is just a collection of other things: Routes (tracks, busses), Sources (Audio/Midi), Regions, Playlists, Locations, Tempo map, Undo/Redo history, Ports, Transport state & controls, etc.
15814 Every Lua interpreter can access it via the global variable <code>Session</code>.
15818 GUI context interpreters also have an additional object in the global environment: The Ardour <code>Editor</code>. The Editor provides access to high level functionality which is otherwise triggered via GUI interaction such as undo/redo, open/close windows, select objects, drag/move regions. It also holds the current UI state: snap-mode, zoom-range, etc. The Editor also provides complex operations such as "import audio" which under the hood, creates a new Track, adds a new Source Objects (for every channel) with optional resampling, creates both playlist and regions and loads the region onto the Track all the while displaying a progress information to the user.
15822 Documenting the bound C++ methods and class hierarchy is somewhere on the ToDo list. Meanwhile <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/blob/master/libs/ardour/luabindings.cc">luabindings.cc</a> is the best we can offer.
15828 <li>There are no bound constructors: Lua asks Ardour to create objects (e.g. add a new track), then receives a reference to the object to modify it.</li>
15829 <li>Scripts, once loaded, are saved with the Session (no reference to external files). This provides for portable Sessions.</li>
15830 <li>Lua Scripts are never executed directly. They provide a "factory" method which can have optional instantiation parameters, which returns a lua closure.</li>
15831 <li>No external lua modules/libraries can be used, scripts need to be self contained (portable across different systems (libs written in Lua can be used, and important c-libs/functions can be included with ardour if needed).</li>
15835 Ardour is a highly multithreaded application and interaction between the different threads, particularly real-time threads, needs to to be done with care. This part has been abstracted away by providing separate Lua interpreters in different contexts and restricting available interaction:
15839 <li>Editor Actions run in a single instance interpreter in the GUI thread.</li>
15840 <li>Editor Hooks connect to libardour signals. Every Callback uses a dedicated lua interpreter which is in the GUI thread context.</li>
15841 <li>All Session scripts run in a single instance in the main real-time thread (audio callback)</li>
15842 <li>DSP scripts have a separate instance per script and run in one of the DSP threads.</li>
15846 The available interfaces differ between contexts. e.g. it is not possible to create new tracks or import audio from real-time context; while it is not possible to modify audio buffers from the GUI thread.
15849 <h2>Current State</h2>
15851 <p>Fully functional, yet still in a prototyping stage:</p>
15854 <li>The GUI to add/configure scripts is rather minimalistic.</li>
15855 <li>The interfaces may change (particularly DSP, and Session script <code>run()</code>.</li>
15856 <li>Further planned work includes:
15858 <li>Built-in Script editor (customize/modify Scripts in-place)</li>
15859 <li>convenience methods (wrap more complex Ardour actions into a library). e.g set plugin parameters, write automation lists from a lua table</li>
15860 <li>Add some useful scripts and more examples</li>
15861 <li>Documentation (Ardour API), also usable for tab-exansion, syntax highlighting</li>
15862 <li>bindings for GUI Widgets (plugin UIs, message boxes, etc)</li>
15870 Apart from the <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/tree/master/scripts">scripts included with the source-code</a> here are a few examples without further comments...
15873 <h3>Editor Console Examples</h3>
15876 <pre><code class="lua">
15877 print (Session:route_by_remote_id(1):name())
15879 a = Session:route_by_remote_id(1);
15882 print(Session:get_tracks():size())
15884 for i, v in ipairs(Session:unknown_processors():table()) do print(v) end
15885 for i, v in ipairs(Session:get_tracks():table()) do print(v:name()) end
15887 for t in Session:get_tracks():iter() do print(t:name()) end
15888 for r in Session:get_routes():iter() do print(r:name()) end
15891 Session:tempo_map():add_tempo(ARDOUR.Tempo(100,4), Timecode.BBT_TIME(4,1,0))
15894 Editor:set_zoom_focus(Editing.ZoomFocusRight)
15895 print(Editing.ZoomFocusRight);
15896 Editor:set_zoom_focus(1)
15899 files = C.StringVector();
15900 files:push_back("/home/rgareus/data/coding/ltc-tools/smpte.wav")
15902 Editor:do_import(files, Editing.ImportDistinctFiles, Editing.ImportAsTrack, ARDOUR.SrcQuality.SrcBest, pos, ARDOUR.PluginInfo())
15905 Editor:do_import(C.StringVector():add({"/path/to/file.wav"}), Editing.ImportDistinctFiles, Editing.ImportAsTrack, ARDOUR.SrcQuality.SrcBest, -1, ARDOUR.PluginInfo())
15907 # called when a new session is loaded:
15908 function new_session (name) print("NEW SESSION:", name) end
15911 # read/set/describe a plugin parameter
15912 route = Session:route_by_remote_id(1)
15913 processor = route:nth_plugin(0)
15914 plugininsert = processor:to_insert()
15916 plugin = plugininsert:plugin(0)
15917 print (plugin:label())
15918 print (plugin:parameter_count())
15920 x = ARDOUR.ParameterDescriptor ()
15921 _, t = plugin:get_parameter_descriptor(2, x) -- port #2
15923 print (paramdesc.lower)
15925 ctrl = Evoral.Parameter(ARDOUR.AutomationType.PluginAutomation, 0, 2)
15926 ac = plugininsert:automation_control(ctrl, false)
15927 print (ac:get_value ())
15928 ac:set_value(1.0, PBD.GroupControlDisposition.NoGroup)
15930 # the same using a convenience wrapper:
15931 route = Session:route_by_remote_id(1)
15932 proc = t:nth_plugin (i)
15933 ARDOUR.LuaAPI.set_processor_param (proc, 2, 1.0)
15938 <h3>Commandline Session</h3>
15941 The standalone tool <code>luasession</code> allows one to access an Ardour session directly from the commandline. Interaction is limited by the fact that most actions in Ardour are provided by the Editor GUI.
15945 <code>luasession</code> provides only two special functions <code>load_session</code> and <code>close_session</code> and exposes the <code>AudioEngine</code> instance as global variable.
15949 <pre><code class="lua">
15950 for i,_ in AudioEngine:available_backends():iter() do print (i.name) end
15952 backend = AudioEngine:set_backend("ALSA", "", "")
15953 print (AudioEngine:current_backend_name())
15955 for i,_ in backend:enumerate_devices():iter() do print (i.name) end
15957 backend:set_input_device_name("HDA Intel PCH")
15958 backend:set_output_device_name("HDA Intel PCH")
15960 print (backend:buffer_size())
15961 print (AudioEngine:get_last_backend_error())
15963 s = load_session ("/home/rgareus/Documents/ArdourSessions/lua2/", "lua2")
15964 s:request_transport_speed (1.0)
15965 print (s:transport_rolling())
15974 title: Class Reference
15976 include: class_reference.html