| Audio | +An Audio Track is created with a user-specified number of + inputs. The number of outputs is defined by the master bus channel count + (for details see Channel Configuration + below). This is the type of track to use when planning to work with + existing or newly recorded audio. |
|---|---|
| MIDI | +A MIDI track is created with a single MIDI input, and a
+ single MIDI output. This is the type of track to use when planning to
+ record and play back MIDI. There are several methods to enable playback
+ of a MIDI track: add an instrument plugin to the track, connect the
+ track to a software synthesizer, or connect it to external MIDI hardware.
- If you add an instrument plugin, the MIDI track outputs audio instead - of MIDI data. - - |
| Audio/MIDI | +There are a few notable plugins that can usefully accept both Audio + and MIDI data (Reaktor is one, and various "auto-tune" like plugins + are another). It can be tricky to configure this type of track manually, + so Ardour allows you to select this type specifically for use with such + plugins. It is not generally the right choice when working normal + MIDI tracks, and a dialog will warn you of this. |
Track Modes
- Audio tracks in Ardour have a mode which affects how they behave + Audio tracks in Ardour have a mode which affects how they behave when recording:
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-
- Normal -
- Tracks in normal mode will record non-destructively — - new data is written to new files, and when overdubbing, new regions will be - layered on top of existing ones. This is the recommended mode for most workflows. - -
- Non-Layered -
- Tracks using non-layered mode will record non-destructively - — new data is written to new files, but when overdubbing, the existing - regions are trimmed so that there are no overlaps. This does not affect - the previously recorded audio data, and trimmed regions can be expanded - again at will. Non-layered mode can be very useful for spoken word material, - especially in combination with push/pull trimming. - -
- Tape -
- Tape-mode tracks do destructive recording: - all data is recorded to a single file and if you overdub a section of existing - data, the existing data is destroyed irrevocably — there is no undo. - Fixed crossfades are added at every punch in and out point. This mode can be - useful for certain kinds of re-recording workflows, but it not suggested for normal - use. -
| Normal | +Tracks in normal mode will record non-destructively—new + data is written to new files, and when overdubbing, new regions will be + layered on top of existing ones. This is the recommended mode for most + workflows. + |
|---|---|
| Non-Layered | +Tracks using non-layered mode will record + non-destructively—new data is written to new files, but when + overdubbing, the existing regions are trimmed so that there are no overlaps. + This does not affect the previously recorded audio data, and trimmed regions + can be expanded again at will. Non-layered mode can be very useful for spoken + word material, especially in combination with + push/pull trimming. + |
| Tape | +Tape-mode tracks do destructive recording: + all data is recorded to a single file and if you overdub a section of + existing data, the existing data is destroyed irrevocably—there is no + undo. Fixed crossfades are added at every punch in and out point. This mode + can be useful for certain kinds of re-recording workflows, but it not + suggested for normal + use. |
- The screenshot on the right shows the subtle difference between an overdub
- in normal mode (upper track) and one in non-layered mode
- (lower track). Both tracks were created using identical audio data.
+ The screenshot on the right shows the subtle difference between an overdub
+ in normal mode (upper track) and one in non-layered mode
+ (lower track). Both tracks were created using identical audio data.
The upper track shows a new region which has been layered on
- top of the the existing (longer) region. You can see this if you look
- carefully at the region name strips.
+ top of the the existing (longer) region. You can see this if you look
+ carefully at the region name strips.
The lower track has split the existing region in two, trimmed each new
- region to create space for the new overdub, and inserted the overdub region
- in between.
+ region to create space for the new overdub, and inserted the overdub region
+ in between.
Channel Configuration
- Ardour tracks can have any number of inputs and any number of outputs, and the
- number of either can be changed at any time (subject to restrictions caused by
- any plugins in a track). However it is useful to not have to configure this sort
- of thing for the most common cases, and so the
- Add Tracks dialog allows you to
- select "Mono", "Stereo" and few other typical multichannel presets
+ Ardour tracks can have any number of inputs and any number of outputs, and the
+ number of either can be changed at any time (subject to restrictions caused by
+ any plugins in a track). However it is useful to not have to configure this sort
+ of thing for the most common cases, and so the
+ Add Tracks dialog allows you to
+ select "Mono", "Stereo" and few other typical multichannel presets
The name of the preset describes the number of input channels
of the track or bus.
- For example, if you have a two-channel master bus, then a Mono track has one + to which the track outputs will be connected.
+ For example, if you have a two-channel master bus, then a Mono track has one input and two outputs; a Stereo track has two inputs and two outputs.
If you you set Edit > Preferences > Audio > Connection of Tracks and Busses to manual, then tracks will be left disconnected by default - and there will be as many outputs as there are inputs. It is up to you to connect - them as you wish. This is not a particularly useful way to work unless you are doing - something fairly unusual with signal routing and processing. It is almost always - preferable to leave Ardour to make connections automatically, even if you later + and there will be as many outputs as there are inputs. It is up to you to connect + them as you wish. This is not a particularly useful way to work unless you are doing + something fairly unusual with signal routing and processing. It is almost always + preferable to leave Ardour to make connections automatically, even if you later change some of them manually.
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