+ As of Ardour 6.0, Ardour provides the possibility of linking two or
+ more surface to work as one surface. This means that two surfaces,
+ one with 8 strips and one with 6 strips would look like a single 14
+ strip surface. A /bank_up or down on either surface with bank the two
+ so that they bank in 14 strip increments.
+
+ Ardour 5.0 to 5.12 can use two surfaces as shown in Example 3. +
++
Link Set. A
+ Link Set is called by a positive integer number.Link Set at a time used
+ with Ardour.Link Set has a Link Id.Link ID is a positive integer numbering consecutive
+ surfaces starting from 1 for the left most and going up to the right. So
+ if there are three surfaces in a Link Set, The left surface
+ will have a Link Id of 1, the middle surface will
+ have a Link Id of 2 and the right surface will
+ have a Link Id of 3.Link Ids. If there are a
+ surface 1 and 3, there must also be a surface 2. Surface 1 must always
+ exist. If any surface is missing, the track names will indicate the
+ Link Id of the first device missing.Gain ModeBank SizeFeedbackLink Set:
+ Link Set. Any surface can
+ Bank Up or Bank Down.Link Set.
+ There are only two OSC commands needed to set up a Link Set:
+
| /link/set linkset linkid | +Where linkset is the Link Set this surface will be added to and + linkid is the Link Id of this surface. |
|---|---|
| /link/bank_size linkset banksize | +Where linkset is the Link Set this surface will be added to and + banksize is the target bank size for this Link Set. This Link Set + will not operate unless the total strip numbers is banksize. |
+ It is also possible to send link set and ID values as part of a
+ /set_surface command.
+
+ /set_surface bank_size strip_types
+ feedback fadermode send_page_size plugin_page_size
+ port linkset linkid
+
+
The /link/bank_size command is optional. Ardour defaults
+ to linking with auto sizing banks where the Link Set
+ bank size is determined by adding the available surface bank sizes
+ together. So long as the Link Ids are consecutive, the
+ Link Set is considered ready. If the surface wants to make
+ sure all surfaces are present before the Link Set is
+ ready, the /link/bank_size command will not allow the
+ Link Set to be ready until the surface bank sizes add up
+ to the Link Set's bank size.
+
+ Setting up a linked set of surfaces is a simple as choosing a number
+ for the Link Set, 1 will work fine if there is
+ only one linked set of surfaces, and giving each surface a
+ Link Id. This can be done with the same method as the
+ /set_surface command is sent or by having each surface send
+ the /link/set command. As with other commands, the first
+ parameter (linkset) may be sent inline: /link/set/1 linkid
+ for those surfaces unable to send multi parameter OSC messages.
+
+ Assuming two devices, the left device has 8 strips and very little + else on it's main page or tab. It may have secondary pages or tabs or + a physical control section to access the extra selected strip controls + like send levels or plugin controls. The right device has only 6 + strips because it also has Master and Monitor channel as well as + transport controls. It also has a select section. As part of it's + Global controls it has a Bank up and a bank down button. (there is + nothing stopping the left surface from also having banking buttons) + The left surface will be linkid 1 and the right surface will be + linkid 2. For this example the linkset will be 1. +
+
+ Device 1 will have a "Connect" button that will send:
+ /set_surface iiiiiiiii 8 159 8323 0 0 0 0 1 1 and the second
+ device will have two buttons. One will be a "Connect" button that
+ sends: /set_surface iiii 6 159 8403 0 and the other
+ will be a "Link" button that will send: /link/set ii 1 2.
+ These devices use two different methods of setup both to illustrate
+ their use and because this will allow them to be used unlinked. Device
+ 1 even as a linked device will operate on it's own as a one
+ device Link Set. However, device 2 would show
+ an error condition if device 1 is not present so we have a
+ seperate "Link" button. This is an optional way of doing things and
+ both could use just one "Connect" button or both could have a separate
+ "Link" button. Device 2 could also have an "Unlink" button
+ that sends: /link/set ii 0 0 if desired.
+
+ To use these two devices as one, the "Connect" button on both devices and + the "Link" button on the second device are pressed in any order. The two + surfaces will now act as one surface with 14 bankable strips. +
++ This example will be more complex and use a total of five devices. The + first three devices will form Link Set 1 and have 8 strips each. + They are similar to the left device above, but will only show "input" + strips. The last two devices will form Link Set 2. Device 1 + will be similar to the first three devices with 8 strips and the other + will be similar to the 6 strip device in example 1 having Master and + transport controls as well. The devices in Link Set 2 will be set up + to only use bus and VCA strips and so don't need to include record + enable buttons etc. It is expected that all devices have + banking buttons, but at least one surface in each Link Set would have + to have them. +
+
+ Devices 1 to 3 (from left to right) would each have a "Connect"
+ button that sends: /set_surface iiiiiiiii 8 3 8323 0 0 0 0 1 n
+ where n is the position or Link Id of that surface from 1 to
+ 3, left to right. Device 4 would use: /set_surface iiiiiiiii 8
+ 156 8323 0 0 0 0 2 1 and device 5 would use: /set_surface
+ iiiiiiiii 6 156 8403 0 0 0 0 2 2.
+
+ As before, the "Connect" on each surface is pressed in any order and + the resulting surface would have 24 input strips where the banking + buttons on any of the first three surfaces would bank those three + surfaces 24 strips at a time through the input strips (assuming more + than 24 input strips are available). The last two strips would form + a master and bus section with 14 bus only strips that will bank through + the bus strips (assuming more than 14 bus strips). This combined + surface would have 38 strips (plus Master) all together. +
+
+ In this example there are two devices as in example 1. However, the
+ goal is to have only input strips on the left device and only bus strips,
+ Master and transport controls on the right device. In this case linking
+ is not needed. The left device would use a "Connect" button that sent:
+ /set_surface iiii 8 3 8323 0 and the right device would
+ use a "Connect" button that sent: /set_surface iiii 6 156 8403 0.
+ The banking buttons on the left surface would bank through the input
+ channels and the banking buttons on the right surface would bank
+ through the buses and VCAs. As this example does not use Ardours OSC
+ linking commands, it will also work with Ardour versions 5.0 to 5.12.
+