| 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. | 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). + This is the type of track to use when planning to work with + existing or newly recorded audio. |
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| 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 an instrument plugin is added, the MIDI track outputs audio alongside - MIDI data. - | 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 an instrument plugin is added, the MIDI track outputs audio alongside + 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 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 of this. | 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 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 of this. | +
| Audio or MIDI Bus | +A bus is a pseudo-track where multiple audio tracks can be mixed together
+ for some common processing before being routed to the Master Bus (which itself
+ is a bus). A bus doesn't contain any regions or audio/MIDI data, it is fed a
+ signal by sends from one or multiple other tracks, or
+ by connecting tracks outputs to
+ the bus' input. Busses are often used to apply one effect on multiple tracks,
+ with the benefits of having the same parameters and less computer processing
+ required as only one instance of the plugin is used. + Ardour can differentiate Audio busses from MIDI busses, allowing e.g. one + instrument plugin to be used for several MIDI tracks. + A bus output can also be routed to another bus. + |
| VCA | +A VCA is a way to group
+ together tracks or busses to enable grouped-control over gain, solo and mute.
+ Like the Bus, it does not contain regions, but unlike it, it does not contain
+ effects either. VCAs are commonly used to group together related tracks (e.g. "drums"
+ or "vocals") to allow controlling the gain of all those tracks at once in the
+ mix while retaining their relative gain. + VCAs are fed audio by assigning them + to one or more tracks or busses. + |
- Audio tracks in Ardour have a mode which affects how they behave - when recording: -
-| 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 a section of - existing data is overdub, 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 is 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 upper track shows a new region which has been layered on - top of the the existing (longer) region. It can be seen by 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. -
- -- 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 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. -
-- If Ardour is configured to automatically connect new tracks and - busses, the number of outputs will be determined by the number of - inputs of the master bus, - to which the track outputs will be connected. -
-- For example, with a two-channel master bus, a Mono track has one - input and two outputs; a Stereo track has two inputs and two outputs. -
-- If Edit > Preferences > Signal Flow - > Track and Bus Connections is set 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 the user to connect - them as desired. This is not a particularly useful way to work unless something - fairly unusual is done with signal routing and processing. It is almost always - preferable to leave Ardour make connections automatically, even if some changes - are manually done later. -
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