+
+ - In each individual Track or Bus the signal flow is top to bottom. Consider - the following diagram: + In each individual Track or Bus the signal flow is top to bottom, as shown in + the diagram on the right.
-
-- Trim, Fader and Panner are provided by Ardour. The Processor Box can hold 3rd - Party Plugins or host-provided redirects (insert, aux-send, etc.). + Trim, Fader and Panner are provided by Ardour. The Processor Box can hold third + party plugins or host-provided redirects (insert, aux-send, etc.).
An important aspect is that the signal flow is multi-channel and not fixed - throughout the track. For example, a Track can have a mono input, a mono to + throughout the track. For example, a track can have a mono input, a mono to stereo plugin (e.g. reverb) flowing into a surround panner with 6 outputs. - The design of Ardour is that width of the signal flow is defined by the +
++ The design of Ardour is that the width of the signal flow is defined by the passage through plugins in the processor box, followed by panning. The number - of inputs to the panner is defined by the number outputs of the last plugin + of inputs to the panner is defined by the number of outputs of the last plugin in the chain. The number of panner outputs is equal to the track's outputs ports, which can be added and removed dynamically. This schema is called Flexible I/O. It is very powerful and a distinctive feature of @@ -31,7 +33,7 @@
The golden rule of processor signal flow: The number of outputs of one link - of the process chain defines the number inputs of the next, until the panner. + of the process chain defines the number of inputs of the next, until the panner.
@@ -43,13 +45,13 @@
- Strict I/O enforces a simple rule: Plugins have the same number of inputs as + Strict I/O enforces a simple rule: plugins have the same number of inputs as they have outputs. By induction the track will have as many output ports as there are input ports.
- Adding a Plugin will not modify the signal flow. The number of plugin outputs + Adding a plugin will not modify the signal flow. The number of plugin outputs is forced to the number of inputs present at the point of insertion. If a plugin pin is missing, it is ignored. If a plugin pin is not connected, it is fed with silence. Non-connected plugin outputs are ignored. @@ -105,7 +107,7 @@
By default, the I/O config is set to Automatic, i.e. the Manual Config led light is turned off. In this mode, the + class="menu">Manual Config LED light is turned off. In this mode, the diagram will display the standard input/outputs for this plugin, i.e. the number of ports (inputs & outputs) is equal to the number of pins on the plugin, and a one-to-one connection is automatically created. @@ -144,7 +146,7 @@
The window allows connection of the I/O ports to the plugin pins and other I/O ports, provided they are compatible (MIDI vs. audio), just by dragging - & dropping the end connectors on top of one another. A dotted connector's + and dropping the end connectors on top of one another. A dotted connector's line is a "thru" line that directly connects an input to an output without connecting to a pin on the plugin—hence without any audio modification. These "thru" connections are latency compensated, with respect @@ -172,15 +174,14 @@ class="menu">Side Chain button in the Pin Configuration window, and choosing an Audio or MIDI sidechain in the Add Sidechain Input lower right hand - section. A new dropdown menu appears, which displays a list of the + section. A new drop-down menu appears, which displays a list of the tracks/busses available to be sidechained, or, for a more complex setup (e.g. sidechaining from hardware directly), the Routing Grid (also accessible with a - Right-click on the dropdown menu). + Right-click on the drop-down menu).
The sidechain ports can then be connected, as other inputs, to a pin of the plugin, or an output port as a "thru".
-