title: Processor Box
---
-
-
- <p>A ‘processor’ is a thing which treats the signal in some way. Ardour provides several builtin processors, such as the "fader" processor which controls the gain (volume) of a track or bus. Processors can also be plugins used for effects or as instruments, as well as sends/inserts which are used to change <a href="/signal-routing">signal routing</a>. The arrangement of processors is arbitrary, and there is no limit to how many there can be.</p>
-<p>The main box in the top half of a mixer strip shows the processor list. Processors are shown as coloured rectangles, with a small ‘LED’ beside them; this indicates whether or not the plugin is enabled, and can be clicked to enable or disable a processor. The colour of the processor depends on its location in the sequence; processors that occur before the fader are coloured in red, and those after are coloured green (in the default theme).</p>
-<p>The processor box will always contain a blue processor called ‘Fader’. This indicates where in the processor chain the main volume fader is located — this is the fader shown in the lower half of the strip.</p>
-<h2>To Reorder (Move) Processors</h2>
-<p>Processors can be re-ordered using drag-and-drop. Dragging a processor allows it to be moved around within the chain, or copied to another processor list on another track or bus.</p>
-<h2>To Enable/Disable a Processor</h2>
-<p>To the left of the name of each processor is a small LED symbol; if this is lit-up, the processor is active. Clicking on it will deactivate the processor. It will still pass audio or MIDI signals, but they will not be affected.</p>
+<p>
+ 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 are affect <a href="/signal-routing">signal
+ routing</a>.<br />
+ The arrangement of processors is arbitrary, and there is no limit to how
+ many there can be.
+</p>
+<p>
+ The main box in the top half of a mixer strip shows the <dfn>processor
+ box</dfn>.
+ Processors are shown as coloured rectangles, with a small "LED" beside
+ them that lights up when the processor is enabled. The colour of the
+ processor depends on its location in the sequence; processors that are <dfn>pre-fader</dfn> are
+ coloured in red, and <dfn>post-fader</dfn> processors are coloured green
+ (in the default theme).</p>
+<p>
+ The processor box 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.
+</p>
<h2>Adding Processors</h2>
-<p>Finally, processors can be added to or removed from the chain. Right-clicking the processor list does three things:</p>
+<p>
+ Processors can be added to the chain by
+ <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking in the processor list, This does three things:
+</p>
<ul>
-<li> A gap is opened up to indicate the location of the click. The gap shows where any new processors will be inserted.
-</li>
-<li> The processor under the click is selected.
-</li>
-<li> A menu is presented giving options of what to do.
-</li>
+ <li>A gap is opened up to indicate the location of the click. The gap
+ shows where any new processors will be inserted.</li>
+ <li>The processor under the click is selected.</li>
+ <li>An options menu is presented.</li>
</ul>
-<p>From the menu, some new processors can be inserted.</p>
+<p>
+ From the menu, new processors can be inserted.
+</p>
+
+<h2>To Reorder (Move) Processors</h2>
+<p>
+ Processors can be re-ordered using drag-and-drop. Dragging a processor
+ allows it to be moved around within the chain, or copied to another
+ processor list on another track or bus.
+</p>
+
+<h2>To Enable/Disable a Processor</h2>
+<p>
+ To the left of the name of each processor is a small LED symbol; if this
+ is lit-up, the processor is active. Clicking on it will deactivate the
+ processor and effectively bypass it.</p>
+
<h2>Removing Processors</h2>
-<p>Context-click on the processor you want to remove. </p>
+<p>
+ Context-click on the processor you want to remove, and select <kbd
+ class="menu">Delete</kbd>, or <kbd class="mod3 mouse">Right</kbd>-click on it.
+</p>
projects / ardour-manual-diverged / blobdiff