</p>
<figure class="right">
- <img src="/images/preferences.png" alt="The Preferences window">
+ <img class="mini" style="width:600px;" src="/images/preferences.png" alt="The Preferences window">
<figcaption>
The Preferences window
</figcaption>
<li><a href="#preferences-editor-modifiers">Modifiers</a></li>
</ul>
<li><a href="#preferences-midi">MIDI</a></li>
+ <ul>
+ <li><a href="#preferences-midi-port-config">MIDI Port Config</a></li>
+ </ul>
<li><a href="#preferences-transport">Transport</a></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="#preferences-transport-chase">Chase</a></li>
<li><a href="#preferences-metering">Metering</a></li>
<li><a href="#preferences-performance">Performance</a></li>
<li><a href="#preferences-video">Video</a></li>
+ <li><a href="#preferences-triggering">Triggering</a></li>
</ul>
<h2 class="clear" id="preferences-general">General</h2>
selects, and then disables changes to, the <em>Copy files to session</em>
option in the <a href="@@import-dialog">Add Existing Media</a> dialog.
</li>
+ <li>
+ <strong>Cache Folder for downloaded Freesound clips</strong>: when you try
+ sounds form FreeSound.org before inserting them into the project, they need
+ to be saved locally on your computer; this is where you define the folder
+ for those temporary files.
+ </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>New Version Check</dfn>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Check for announcements at application start</dfn> sends an
+ anonymous request to Ardour's server to check for a new version.
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+ </li>
</ul>
<h2 id="preferences-appearance">Appearance</h2>
<dfn>GUI Lock</dfn>
<ul>
<li>
- <dfn>Lock timeout (seconds):</dfn>locks the <abbr title="Graphical User
+ <dfn>Lock timeout (seconds)</dfn>: locks the <abbr title="Graphical User
Interface">GUI</abbr> after this many idle seconds (zero being 'never lock').
The GUI can also be locked with <kbd class="menu">Session > Lock</kbd>. When
locked, a dialog will display a "Click to unlock" button.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>System Screensaver Mode:</dfn>can be used to prevent the
+ <dfn>System Screensaver Mode</dfn>: can be used to prevent the
screensaver to be launched by the system, either while recording
(e.g. for long and unattended recording session), when Ardour is
simply started, or never (the screensaver is then able to start).
<dfn>Graphics Acceleration</dfn>
<ul>
<li>
- <dfn>Disable Graphics Hardware Acceleration (requires restart)</dfn>
+ <dfn>Disable Graphics Hardware Acceleration (requires restart)</dfn>:
Ardour uses hardware accelerated UI rendering by default for speed.
Sometimes though, a buggy driver can cause this to make the system slow or
unstable. Checking this will make Ardour draw its UI without
hardware acceleration, in software, improving stability and responsiveness
on those buggy systems at the expense of speed.
</li>
- <li>
- <dfn>Possibly improve slow graphical performance (requires restart)</dfn>
- Wherever gradients appear in the UI, Ardour uses hardware accelerated
- gradients creation. Checking this will make Ardour draw its own gradients without
- hardware acceleration for stability on systems with buggy drivers.
- </li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<dfn>Input Meter Layout</dfn>
<ul>
<li>
- <dfn>Input Meter Layout:</dfn>In Recorder mode, determines if audio
+ <dfn>Input Meter Layout</dfn>: in Recorder mode, determines if audio
inputs are displayed horizontally or vertically.
</li>
</ul>
editor. Values range from 0.0, no gradient effect, to 1.0, maximum effect.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>Track name ellipsis mode:</dfn> when the track header is not
+ <dfn>Track name ellipsize mode:</dfn> when the track header is not
wide enough to display the track's name in full, selects how the
name will be shorten between:
<ul>
<dfn>Waveforms</dfn>
<ul>
<li>
- <dfn>Show waveforms in regions</dfn> when enabled shows a visual
+ <dfn>Show waveforms in regions</dfn>: when enabled, shows a visual
representation of the region's audio waveform.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>Show waveform while recording</dfn> when
- enabled, will draw the audio waveform in regions being recorded, in near
- real time. When disabled, only a region block will be drawn while recording,
+ <dfn>Show waveforms while recording</dfn>: when enabled, will draw
+ the audio waveform in regions being recorded, in near real time.
+ When disabled, only a region block will be drawn while recording,
reducing CPU requirements.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>Show waveform clipping</dfn>: when enabled the waveform
+ <dfn>Show waveform clipping</dfn>: when enabled, the waveform
displayed will show peaks marked in red if they exceed the clip level.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>Waveform Clip Level (dBFS):</dfn> sets the level at which the
+ <dfn>Waveform Clip Level (dBFS)</dfn>: sets the level at which the
waveform shown in an audio region will be drawn in red to indicate
clipping. Setting lower than 0.0 dBFS can be useful if any tool in
the audio chain has problems near 0.0 dBFS.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>Waveform scale:</dfn> when waveforms are shown in audio regions,
+ <dfn>Waveform scale</dfn>: when waveforms are shown in audio regions,
they can be displayed using a <em>linear</em> or a <em>logarithmic</em>
scale. See <a href="@@waveform-display">Waveform display</a>.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>Waveform shape:</dfn> when waveforms are shown in audio regions,
+ <dfn>Waveform shape</dfn>: when waveforms are shown in audio regions,
they can be displayed using a <em>traditional</em> or a <em>rectified</em>
shape. See <a href="@@waveform-display">Waveform display</a>.
</li>
<dfn>Editor Meters</dfn>
<ul>
<li>
- <dfn>Show meters in track headers</dfn>, when enabled, shows
+ <dfn>Show meters in track headers</dfn>: when enabled, shows
a small meter in the Editor's <a href="@@audio-track-controls">track headers</a>.
The meter is shown on the right side area of the header and provides an
instant, if unprecise, view of the levels on this track/bus.
<dfn>Display Monitor Section Info</dfn> toggles the visibility of the
Monitor Info slice of the main toolbar.
</li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Display Cue Rec/Play Controls</dfn> toggles the visibility of the
+ buttons that enable creating and playing back cue markers.
+ </li>
<li>
<dfn>Display Navigation Timeline</dfn> toggles the visibility of the
<a href="@@mini-timeline">navigation/mini timeline</a> slice of
allows the system window manager's rules for the windows visibility to
supersede Ardour's.
</li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Show/Hide splash screen instead of setting z-axis stack order</dfn>:
+ Hides the splash instead of re-layering it. This setting requires a restart
+ of Ardour to take effect.
+ </li>
<li>
<dfn>All floating windows are dialogs</dfn>: when enabled, Ardour will
use type "Dialog" for all floating windows instead of using type
scrolls when dragging the playhead outside of the visible canvas.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>Limit zooming & summary view to X minutes beyond session extents:</dfn>
+ <dfn>Limit zoom & summary view beyond session extents to:</dfn>
prevents the zoom out both in the editor and the summary, to show anything past
the chosen time after the end marker, restraining the vision to only useful
content.
fade shape</a> is the default.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>Regions in active edit groups are edited together:</dfn> sets
+ <dfn>Regions in edit groups are edited together:</dfn> sets
the criteria to see if editing actions apply to tracks grouped together
in an group.
</li>
<ul>
<li>
<dfn>After a Separate operation, in Range mode:</dfn> determines what
- should become of the Range selection after a Separate operations:
+ should become of the Range selection after a Separate operation:
<ul>
<li>Clear the Range Selection: nothing is selected anymore</li>
<li>Preserve the Range Selection: the range selection is kept</li>
</ul>
</li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Default Visible Note Range</dfn>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Default lower visible MIDI note</dfn>: this note will be the lowest
+ visible one on the timeline unless you tweak that by adjusting the vertical
+ range. E.g. C4 is C on the fourth octave.
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Default upper visible MIDI note</dfn>: this note will be the highest
+ visible one on the timeline unless you tweak that by adjusting the vertical
+ range. E.g. B4 is B on the fourth octave.
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+ </li>
<li>
<dfn>MIDI Port Options</dfn>
<ul>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
+
+<h3 id="preferences-midi-port-config">MIDI Port Config</h3>
+
+<p>
+ This page allows to set options for input and output MIDI devices, such as:
+</p>
+
+<ul>
+ <li><kbd class="menu">Music Data</kbd>: whether Ardour should accept/send note events from/to selected MIDI device</li>
+ <li><kbd class="menu">Control Data</kbd>: whether Ardour should accept/send control events (Control Change, or CC) from/to selected MIDI device</li>
+ <li><kbd class="menu">Follow Selection</kbd>: whether Ardour should connect this device only to a selected track (only applicable to input devices)</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>
+ You can also give a more meaningful name to any input and output MIDI device
+ here. Double-click the name of the device, enter a new name, then press
+ <kbd>Enter</kbd> to confirm.
+</p>
<h2 id="preferences-transport">Transport</h2>
for available plugins. Useful to get a newly installed plugin recognised
by Ardour.
</li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Scan Time Out</dfn> sets the time that Ardour will try to find
+ any plugins in known paths until it gives up.
+ </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<dfn>General</dfn>
<ul>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Scan for [new] Plugins on Application Start</dfn> When
+ enabled new plugins are searched, tested and added to the cache
+ index on application start. When disabled new plugins will only be
+ available after triggering a 'Scan' manually.
+ </li>
<li>
<dfn>Always Display Plugin Scan Progress</dfn> When enabled a
popup window showing plugin scan progress is displayed for indexing
(cache load) and discovery (detect new plugins).
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>Make new plugins active</dfn> when enabled, any plugin added to a track
+ <dfn>Verbose Plugin Scan</dfn>: adds information about the plugin in the
+ <a href="@@status-bar">Log window</a>.
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Make new plugins active</dfn>: when enabled, any plugin added to a track
will be in active mode. If unchecked, the plugins will be added in inactive
mode by default, hence have no processing effect on the track/bus.
</li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Show only one plugin window at a time</dfn>: when enabled, only
+ one plugin window will be displayed on the screen; when disabled, you
+ can open as many plugin windows as you like.
+ </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<dfn>VST</dfn>
<ul>
<li>
- <dfn>Enable Mac VST support (requires restart or re-scan)</dfn> makes a
+ <dfn>Enable Mac VST2 support (requires restart or re-scan)</dfn> makes a
MacOs system able to run VST-Mac plugins. As stated, a new scan for plugins
is required, be it manually or by restarting Ardour.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>Scan for [new] VST Plugins on Application Start</dfn> When
- enabled new VST plugins are searched, tested and added to the cache
- index on application start. When disabled new plugins will only be
- available after triggering a 'Scan' manually.
- </li>
- <li>
- <dfn>Verbose Plugin Scan</dfn>: adds information about the plugin in the
- <a href="@@status-bar">Log window</a>.
+ <dfn>Enable Linux VST2 support (requires restart or re-scan)</dfn> makes a
+ Linux system able to run VST2 plugins.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>Scan Time Out</dfn> Specifies the default timeout for plugin
- instantiation. Plugins that require more time to load will be
- blacklisted. A value of ∞ disables the timeout.
+ <dfn>Enable VST3 support (requires restart or re-scan)</dfn> makes any
+ system able to run VST3 plugins.
</li>
</ul>
</li>
inserted into the processor box. A new VST plugin scan is then required.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>VST 2 Blacklist:</dfn> Clicking the <kbd class="menu">Clear</kbd>
- button makes blacklisted VST plugins available to be added to the processor
+ <dfn>VST 2 Ignorelist:</dfn> Clicking the <kbd class="menu">Clear</kbd>
+ button makes ignored VST plugins available to be added to the processor
box.
</li>
<li>
<dfn>VST 3 Cache:</dfn> Same as above, for VST 3
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>VST 3 Blacklist:</dfn> Same as above, for VST 3
+ <dfn>VST 3 Ignorelist:</dfn> Same as above, for VST 3
</li>
<li>
<dfn>Additional VST3 Path:</dfn> The VST 3 specs clearly define where
way to search other directories for plugin, it is out of spec and not
recommanded.
</li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Automatically show 'Micro Edit' tagged controls on the mixer-strip:</dfn>
+ displays the plugin's UI directly inside each mixer strip (inline), if the plugin
+ has a 'Micro Edit' <a hreg="@@plugin-selector">tag</a>.
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>VST2/VST3</dfn>
+ <ul>
<li>
<dfn>Conceal VST2 Plugin if matching LV3 exists</dfn> When
enabled, gives precedence to the VST3 (more up-to-date) version of
<dfn>Audio Unit</dfn>
<ul>
<li>
- <dfn>Scan for [new] AudioUnit Plugins on Application Start</dfn> When
+ <dfn>Enable Audio Unit support (requires restart or re-scan)</dfn> When
enabled, new AU plugins are searched, tested and added to the cache
index on application start. When disabled, new plugins will only be
available after triggering a 'Scan' manually.
inserted into the processor box. A new AU plugins scan is then required.
</li>
<li>
- <dfn>AU Blacklist:</dfn> Clicking the <kbd class="menu">Clear</kbd>
- button makes blacklisted AU plugins available to be added to the processor
+ <dfn>AU Ignorelist:</dfn> Clicking the <kbd class="menu">Clear</kbd>
+ button makes ignored AU plugins available to be added to the processor
box.
</li>
</ul>
used to do signal processing. It can be set to use one up to all
processors.
</li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Power Management, CPU DMA latency: </dfn> modern processors try
+ to aggressively transition to power saving when idle, even for a few
+ microseconds, hurting realtime performance by needing to wake to a
+ more active state. This setting counters this behaviour by setting
+ a maximum response time while low latency operation is desired.
+ <kbd class="menu">0</em> is the fastest response time.
+ </li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
<li>
<dfn>Video Server</dfn>
<ul>
- <li>
- <dfn>Show Video Export Info before export</dfn> Shows a warning message
- when exporting a video about licensing and offers to open the
- <a href="@@workflow-amp-operations#export">export video</a> section of
- this manual.
- </li>
<li>
<dfn>Show Video Server Startup Dialog</dfn>: when using video inside Ardour,
this video is accessed via Xjadeo from a source file through a Video Server.
</li>
</ul>
+<h2 id="preferences-triggering">Triggering</h2>
+
+<ul>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Triggering</dfn>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Default trigger input</dfn>: this is where you choose a MIDI device
+ that will send notes to tiggers boxes in the Cue window. This is typically
+ a grid controller like monome, Novation Launchpad, Ableton Push etc.
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Clip Library</dfn>
+ <ul>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>User writable Clip Library</dfn>: this is a folder where your custom
+ reusable clips will be saved to.
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ <dfn>Reset Clip Library Dir</dfn>: this will reset the location of your
+ custom reusable clips to a default location.
+ </li>
+ </ul>
+ </li>
+</ul>
+