<h2>Export Format Profiles</h2>
<p>
-An Export Format Profile specifies the file format in which Ardour will export
-audio files, and also other audio file export options.
+ An Export Format Profile specifies the file format in which Ardour will export
+ audio files, and also other audio file export options.
</p>
<p>
-Export Format Profiles are edited via the 'Edit Export Format Profile' dialog.
+ Export Format Profiles are edited via the <kbd class="menu">Edit Export Format
+ Profile</kbd> dialog.
</p>
-<img src="/images/edit-export-format-profile.png" />
-<p>
+<figure class="right">
+ <img src="/images/edit-export-format-profile.png" alt="The 'Edit Export Format Profile' dialog">
+ <figcaption>
+ The 'Edit Export Format Profile' dialog
+ </figcaption>
+</figure>
+
<h3>Normalize</h3>
<p>
-If enabled, peak levels of exported files will be normalized to the level chosen here.
+ If enabled, levels of exported files will be normalized to the level chosen here.
+ The normalization can be either:
</p>
-<h3>Trim/Add silence at start/end</h3>
-<p>
+<ul>
+ <li>Peak, which adjusts the gain to bring the highest signal peak to the
+ chosen level (in <acronym title="decibels relative to full scale">dBFS</acronym>),</li>
+ <li>Loudness, which adjusts the gain to bring the average amplitude to the
+ chosen level (in <acronym title="loudness units relative to full scale">LUFS</acronym>),
+ without exceeding the chosen true-peak value (in
+ <acronym title="decibels true peak">dBTP</acronym>).
+ EBU R128 is only available for mono or stereo sounds while true-peak works
+ for any channel layout.</li>
+</ul>
+<h3>Trim silence at start/end</h3>
+<p>
+ These checkboxes allow to remove any part Ardour considers silent (0dB),
+ at the beginning or/and end of each exported track.
</p>
+<h3>Add silence at start/end</h3>
+<p>
+ These checkboxes allow to add silence at the beginning or/and end of each
+ exported track. The duration of the added silence can be manually fixed in the
+ adjacent 'timer' input fields.
+
<h3>Compatibility/Quality/File format/Sample rate</h3>
+
<h4>Compatibility</h4>
<p>
-Selecting an item in the 'Compatibility' column will display options in the
-other columns that are incompatible with that item in red.
+ Selecting an item in the 'Compatibility' emphasizes the settings in the other
+ columns that are compatible with the selected standard, by turning incompatible
+ options red. When an incompatible quality/format/sample rate is selected, the
+ compatibility column checkbox disappears.
</p>
<h4>Quality</h4>
<p>
-The appropriate item in the 'Quality' column will be highlighted when you
-choose a file format. Clicking on items in the 'Quality' column currently
-doesn't seem to do anything useful.
+ The appropriate item in the 'Quality' column will be highlighted when a file format
+ is chosen. At the moment, selecting a Quality setting does not show the
+ compatible File formats.
</p>
<h4>File format</h4>
<p>
-This column contains a list of Ardour's supported export file types. Click on
-the format you want to use.
+ This column contains a list of Ardour's supported export file types. Selecting
+ one updates the options underneath it.
</p>
<h4>Sample rate</h4>
<p>
-You can explicitly choose the sample rate of your exported files here, or
-choose 'Session rate' to export in the current session's sample rate, without
-sample rate conversion.
+ A specific sample rate can be chosen for the exported files, or the current session's
+ sample rate (by choosing 'Session rate'), without sample rate conversion.
</p>
<h4>Sample rate conversion quality</h4>
<p>
-If your chosen sample rate does not match the current session's sample rate,
-choose the sample rate conversion quality here. Better quality options are
-slower.
+ In case the chosen sample rate does not match the current session's sample rate,
+ the sample rate conversion quality can be chosen here. Better quality options are
+ slower.
</p>
-<h3>Options</h3>
-<p>
-Options relevant to the chosen file format will appear here.
-Categories of audio file format are:
-<ul>
-<li>Linear encoding</li>
-<li>Broadcast Wave</li>
-<li>Ogg Vorbis</li>
-<li>FLAC</li>
-</ul>
-
+<h3>Format Options</h3>
<p>
-Available options include a selection of the following:</p>
+ Options relevant to the chosen file format will appear just under the
+ Compatibility/Quality/File format/Sample rate table.
+</p>
-<h4>Sample Format</h4>
+<h4>Tag with session's metadata</h4>
<p>
-Choose the bit depth of exported files.
+ If the exported file format supports metadata (e.g. FLAC, Ogg Vorbis), use data
+ entered in the <a href="@@metadata">Session Metadata</a> window to tag the
+ exported files.
</p>
-<h4>Dithering</h4>
+<h4>Sample Format and Dithering</h4>
<p>
-If the exported files bit depth is less than Ardour's native bit depth,
-choose the dithering algorithm to use.
+ The <kbd class="menu">Sample Format</kbd> is the bit depth of exported files,
+ i.e. the numbers of values a sample can have. Increasing the sample format
+ results in a better defined audio file at the cost of increasing the file size.
</p>
-
-<h4>Create CUE file/Create TOC file</h4>
<p>
-As well as exporting an audio file, create a file (in CUE or TOC format
-respectively) containg CD track information, as defined in the
-<a href="@@the-ranges-and-marks-lists">Ranges and Marks List</a>.
-
+ If the exported files bit depth is less than Ardour's native bit depth
+ (32 bits floating point by default), the dithering algorithm, that chooses how
+ to compute the conversion can be chosen in the <kbd class="menu">Dithering</kbd>
+ column.
+</p>
-<h4>Tag with session's metadata</h4>
+<h3>Options</h3>
<p>
-If the exported file format supports metadata, use data entered in the
-<a href="@@metadata">Session Metadata</a>
-window to tag the exported files.
+ These options are presented whatever the chosen format is:
</p>
+<h4>Create CUE/TOC/chapter mark file</h4>
+<p>
+ As well as exporting an audio file, Ardour can create a file (in CUE, TOC or MP4ch format
+ respectively) containing CD track information, as defined in the
+ <a href="@@the-ranges-and-marks-lists">Ranges & Marks List</a>.
+ Those files can then be used to either burn a CD or DVD, or to create "chapters"
+ inside a compatible mp4 video container.
<h3>Label</h3>
<p>
-The 'Label' field lets you choose the name which will be shown for this format
-in the drop-down list of export formats in the 'File Formats' tab of the
-<a href="@@export-dialog">Export dialog</a>.
+ The <kbd class="menu">Label</kbd> field allows to choose the name which will be
+ shown for this format in the drop-down list of export formats in the
+ 'File Formats' tab of the <a href="@@export-dialog">Export dialog</a>.
+</p>
<h3>Command to run post-export</h3>
<p>
-If this is not blank, it is considered as a command to be run after the export
-of each file. Either the command must exist in $PATH, or you can specify an
-absolute path to an executable file here.
+ If this is not blank, it is considered as a command to be run after the export
+ of each file. Either the command must exist in $PATH, or an absolute path to
+ an executable file can be specified here.
</p>
<p>
-Certain sequences are allowed here to stand for the exported file name and the
-like. Currently these are:
+ Certain sequences are allowed here to stand for the exported file name and
+ various parameters. Currently these are:
<table class="dl">
<tr><th><code>%f</code></th>
<td>Full path and filename of the exported audio file</td></tr>
<tr><th><code>%%</code></th>
<td>A literal percent sign</td></tr>
</table>
+
<p>
-Any part of the command-line enclosed in double-quotes (") will be used as-is.
+ Any part of the command-line enclosed in double-quotes (") will be used as-is.
+</p>
+<p>
+ For example, exporting an mp3 file can be done by inserting <code>lame -b320 %f</code>
+ which will convert the exported audio file ('%f') to a 320 kbs mp3 using the lame encoder
+ (provided lame is installed first on the system).
+</p>
projects / ardour-manual / blobdiff