<p>
- Ardour can be used in many different ways, from extremely simple to
- extremely complex. Many projects will be handled using the following
- kind of <dfn>workflow</dfn>.
+ Ardour can be used in many different ways, from extremely simple to extremely
+ complex. Many projects can be handled using the following kind of
+ <dfn>workflow</dfn>:
</p>
-<h2>Stage 1: Creating Your Project</h2>
+<h2>Stage 1: Creating The Project</h2>
+
<p>
- The first step is to create a new <dfn>session</dfn>, or open an
- existing one. A session consists of a folder containing a session file
- that defines all the information about the session. All media files used
- by the session can be stored within the session folder.
+ The first step is to create a new <dfn>session</dfn>, or open an existing
+ one. A session consists of a folder containing a session file that defines
+ all the information about the session. All media files used by the session
+ are usually stored within the session folder.
</p>
-<p>
- More details on sessions can be found in
-<a href="@@sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.
+
+<p class="note">
+ More details on sessions can be found in <a href="@@sessions">Sessions</a>
+ chapter.
</p>
-<h2>Stage 2: Creating and Importing Audio and MIDI data</h2>
+<h2>Stage 2: Creating and Importing Audio and MIDI Data</h2>
+
<p>
- Once you have a session, you will want to add some audio and/or MIDI
- material to it, which can be done in one of 3 ways:
+ Once a session has been created, it will be necessary to add some audio
+ and/or MIDI material to it—which can be done in one of 3 ways:
</p>
+
<ul>
- <li><dfn>Record</dfn> incoming audio or MIDI data, either via audio or MIDI hardware
- connected to your computer, or from other applications.</li>
- <li><dfn>Create</dfn> new MIDI data using the mouse and/or various dialogs</li>
+ <li><dfn>Record</dfn> incoming audio or MIDI data, either via audio or MIDI
+ hardware connected to the computer, or from other applications</li>
+ <li><dfn>Create</dfn> new MIDI data using the mouse and/or various dialogs
+ </li>
<li><dfn>Import</dfn> existing media files into the session</li>
</ul>
+
<p>
- <dfn>MIDI recordings</dfn> consist of performance data ("play note X at
- time T") rather than actual sound. As a result, they are more flexible
- than actual audio, since the precise sound that they will generate when
- played depends on where you send the MIDI to.<br>
- Two different synthesizers may produce very different sound in response
- to the same incoming MIDI data.
+ <dfn>MIDI recordings</dfn> consist of performance data ("play note X at time
+ T") rather than actual sound. As a result, they are more flexible than actual
+ audio, since the precise sound that they will generate when played depends on
+ where the MIDI data is sent to. Two different synthesizers may produce very
+ different sounds in response to the same incoming MIDI data.
</p>
+
<p>
<dfn>Audio recordings</dfn> can be made from external instruments with
- electrical outputs (keyboards, guitars etc.) or via microphones from
- acoustic instruments.
+ electrical outputs (keyboards, guitars, etc.), or via microphones or other sound capturing equipment.
</p>
+
<p>
- Ardour uses the <dfn>JACK Audio Connection Kit</dfn> for all audio and
- MIDI I/O, which means that recording audio/MIDI from other applications
- is fundamentally identical to recording audio/MIDI from your audio/MIDI
- hardware.
+ Ardour can use the <dfn>JACK Audio Connection Kit</dfn> for all audio and MIDI
+ I/O, making recording audio/MIDI from other applications fundamentally identical
+ to recording audio/MIDI from audio/MIDI hardware.
</p>
<h2>Stage 3: Editing and Arranging</h2>
+
<p>
- Once you have some material within the session, you can start to arrange
- it in time. This is done in one of the two main windows of Ardour, the
- <dfn>Editor</dfn> window.
+ Once there is material within the session, it can be arranged in time. This
+ is done in one of the two main windows of Ardour: the <dfn>Editor</dfn>
+ window.
</p>
+
<p>
- Your audio/MIDI data appears in chunks called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which
- are arranged into horizontal lanes called <dfn>tracks</dfn>. Tracks are
- stacked vertically in the Editor window. You can copy, shorten, move,
- and delete regions without changing the actual data stored in the session
- at all—Ardour is a <dfn>non-destructive</dfn> editor. (Almost)
- nothing that you do while editing will ever modify the files stored on
- disk (except the session file itself).
+ Audio/MIDI data appears in chunks called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which are
+ arranged into horizontal lanes called <dfn>tracks</dfn>. Tracks are stacked
+ vertically in the Editor window. Regions can be copied, shortened, moved, and
+ deleted without changing the actual data stored in the session at
+ all—Ardour is a <dfn>non-destructive</dfn> editor. (Almost) nothing
+ done while editing will ever modify the files stored on disk (with the
+ exception of the session file itself).
</p>
+
+<p>
+ Many <dfn>transformations</dfn> can be done to the contents of regions, again
+ without altering anything on disk. It is possible to alter, move, delete and
+ remove silence from audio regions, for example.
+</p>
+
<p>
- You can also carry out many <dfn>transformations</dfn> to the contents
- of regions, again without altering anything on disk. You can alter,
- move, and delete MIDI notes, and remove silence from audio regions, for
- example.
+ MIDI regions can also be copied, moved, shortened, or deleted without altering
+ the MIDI files, though any edit like adding, suppressing or moving <em>notes</em>
+ inside a region results in a modification of the underlying MIDI file.
</p>
<h2>Stage 4: Mixing and Adding Effects</h2>
+
<p>
- Once you have the arrangement of your session mostly complete, you will
- typically move on to the <dfn>mixing</dfn> phase. Mixing is a broad term
- to cover the way the audio signals that your session generates during
- playback and processed and added together into a final result that you
- actually hear. It can involve altering the relative levels of various
- parts of the session, adding effects that improve or transform certain
- elements, and others that bring the sound of the whole session to a new
- level.
+ Once the arrangement of the session is mostly complete, the next step is the
+ <dfn>mixing</dfn> phase. Mixing is a broad term to cover the way the audio
+ signals that the session generates during playback are processed and added
+ together into a final result that is actually heard. It can involve altering
+ the relative levels of various parts of the session, adding effects that
+ improve or transform certain elements, and others that bring the sound of the
+ whole session to a new level.
</p>
+
<p>
- Ardour will allow you to <dfn>automate</dfn> changes to any mixing
- parameters (such as volume, panning, and effects controls)—it will
- record the changes you make over time, using a mouse or keyboard or some
- external control device, and can play back those changes later. This is
- very useful because often the settings you need will vary in one part of
- a session compared to another—rather than using a single setting
- for the volume, you may need increases followed by decreases (for example,
- to track the changing volume of a singer). Using automation can make all
- of this relatively simple.
+ Ardour allows <dfn>automation</dfn> of changes to any mixing parameters (such
+ as volume, panning, and effects controls)—it will record the changes
+ made over time, using a mouse or keyboard or some external control device,
+ and can play back those changes later. This is very useful because often the
+ settings needed will vary in one part of a session compared to
+ another—rather than using a single setting for the volume of a track,
+ it may need increases followed by decreases (for example, to track the
+ changing volume of a singer). Using automation can make all of this
+ relatively easy.
</p>
<h2>Stage 5: Export</h2>
+
<p>
- Once you are really satisfied with the arrangement and mix of your
- session, you will typically want to produce a single audio file that
- contains a ready-to-listen to version of the work. Ardour will allow you to
- <dfn>export</dfn> audio files in a variety of formats (simultaneously in
- some cases). This exported file would typically be used in creating a CD,
- or be the basis for digital distribution of the work.
+ Once the arrangement and mix of the session is finalized, a single audio file
+ that contains a ready-to-listen to version of the work is usually desired.
+ Ardour allows the <dfn>exporting</dfn> of audio files in a variety of formats
+ (simultaneously in some cases). This exported file would typically be used in
+ creating a CD, or be the basis for digital distribution of the work.
</p>
+
<p>
- Of course sometimes you will want to do export material that isn't finished
- yet, for example to give a copy to someone else to try to mix on their own
- system. Ardour will allow you to export as much of a session as you want, at
- any time, in any supported format.
+ Of course it is sometimes desirable to export material that isn't finished
+ yet—for example, to give a copy to another party to mix on their own
+ system. Ardour allows exporting as much of a session as desired, at any
+ time, in any supported format.
</p>
projects / ardour-manual / blobdiff