2 title: Introduction to Ardour
8 title: Welcome to Ardour
13 title: About Ardour's documentation
17 <h2>Conventions Used In This Manual</h2>
20 This section covers some of the typographical and language conventions used in this manual.
23 <h3>Keyboards and Modifiers</h3>
26 <dfn>Keyboard bindings</dfn> are shown like this: <kbd>s</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.
30 <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd> means "press the <kbd class="mod1"> </kbd> key, keep it pressed and then also press the <kbd>x</kbd> key.
34 You may also see key combinations such as <kbd class="mod12">e</kbd>, which mean that you should hold down the <kbd class="mod1"> </kbd> key <em>and</em> the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> key, and then, while keeping them both down, press the <kbd>e</kbd> key.
38 Note that different platforms have different conventions for which modifier key (Control or Command) to use as the primary or most common modifier. When viewing this manual from a machine identifying itself as running OS X, you will see <kbd>Cmd </kbd> where appropriate (for instance in the first example above). On other machines you will see <kbd>Ctrl </kbd> instead.
41 <h3>Mouse Buttons</h3>
44 We refer to <a href="/setting-up-your-system/the-mouse">mouse buttons</a> as <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>, <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd> and <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>. Ardour can use additional buttons, but they have no default behaviour in the program.
47 <h4>Mouse click modifiers</h4>
50 Many editing functions are performed by clicking the mouse while holding a modifier key, for example <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>.
56 Some GUI elements can optionally be controlled with the mouse wheel when the pointer is hovering over them. The notation for mouse wheel action is <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd>.
59 <h4>Context-click</h4>
62 The term <dfn>context-click</dfn> is used to indicate that you should (typically) <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-click on a particular element of the graphical user interface. Although right-click is the common, default way to do this, there are other ways to accomplish the same thing—this term refers to any of them, and the result is always that a menu specific to the item you clicked on will be displayed.
65 <h4>"The Pointer"</h4>
68 When the manual refers to the "pointer", it means the on-screen representation of the mouse position or the location of a touch action if you are using a touch interface.
71 <h3>Other user input</h3>
74 Ardour supports hardware controllers, such as banks of <kbd class="fader">faders</kbd>, <kbd class="knob">knobs</kbd>, or <kbd class="button">buttons</kbd>.
80 Menu items are indicated like this:<br />
81 <kbd class="menu">Top > Next > Deeper</kbd>.<br />
82 Each ">"-separated item indicates one level of a nested (sub-)menu.
85 <h3>Preference/Dialog Options</h3>
88 Choices in various dialogs, notably the Preferences and Properties dialog, are
89 indicated like this:<br />
90 <kbd class="option">Edit > Preferences > Audio > Some
92 Each successive item indicates either a (sub-) menu or a tabbed dialog
93 navigation. The final item is the one to choose or select.
97 If you are requested to deselect an option, you will see something like
99 <kbd class="optoff">Edit > Preferences > Audio > Some other
106 Some dialogs or features may require you to type in some <kbd class="input">data such as this</kbd>. In rare cases, you will be required to perform certain operations at the command line of your operating system:
109 <kbd class="cmd lin">cat /proc/cpuinfo</kbd>
110 <kbd class="cmd mac">sleep 3600</kbd>
111 <kbd class="cmd win">ping www.google.com</kbd>
113 <h3>Program Output</h3>
116 Important messages from Ardour or other programs will be displayed <samp>like this</samp>.
122 Important notes about things that might not otherwise be obvious are shown in this format.
128 Hairy issues that might cause things to go wrong, lose data, impair sound quality, or eat your proverbial goldfish, are displayed in this way.
133 title: Welcome to Ardour!
138 <dfn>Ardour</dfn> is a professional digital workstation for working with audio and MIDI.
141 <h2>Ardour is meant for...</h2>
143 <h3>Audio Engineers</h3>
146 Ardour's core user group: people who want to record, edit, mix and master audio and MIDI projects. When you need complete control over your tools, when the limitations of other designs get in the way, when you plan to spend hours or days working on a session, Ardour is there to make things work the way you want them to.
152 Being the best tool to record talented performers on actual instruments has always been a top priority for Ardour. Rather than being focused on electronic and pop music idioms, Ardour steps out of the way to encourage the creative process to remain where it always has been: a musician playing a carefully designed and well built instrument.
155 <h3>Soundtrack Editors</h3>
158 Sample accurate sync and shared transport control with video playback tools allows Ardour to provide a fast and natural environment for creating and editing soundtracks for film and video projects.
164 Arrange audio and MIDI using the same tools and same workflow. Use external hardware synthesizers or software instruments as sound sources. From sound design to electro-acoustic composition to dense multitrack MIDI editing, Ardour can help.
167 <h2>Ardour features...</h2>
169 <h3>Audio and MIDI Multi-Track Recording and Editing</h3>
172 Any number of tracks and busses. Non-linear editing. Non-destructive (and destructive!) recording. Any bit depth, any sample rate. Dozens of file formats.
175 <h3>Plugins with Full Sample Accurate Automation</h3>
178 AudioUnit, LV2, LinuxVST and LADSPA formats. FX plugins. Software instruments. MIDI processors. Automate any parameters. Physically manipulate them via control surfaces. Distribute processing across as many (or as few) cores as you want.
181 <h3>Transport Sync and External Control Surfaces</h3>
184 Best-in-industry sync to MIDI timecode and LTC. Send and receive MIDI Machine Control. Sync with JACK transport and MIDI clock. Dedicated Mackie Control protocol support, pre-defined mappings for many MIDI controllers plus dynamic MIDI learn. Use OSC to drive almost any operation in Ardour.
187 <h3>Powerful Anywhere-to-Anywhere Signal Routing</h3>
190 Complex signal flows are simple and elegant. Inputs and outputs connect to your hardware and/or other applications. Use sends, inserts and returns freely. Connections can be one-to-many, many-to-one or many-to-many. Tap signal flows at any point. If you can't connect in the way you want with Ardour, it probably can't be done.
193 <h3>Video Timeline</h3>
196 Import a single video and optionally extract the soundtrack from it. Display a frame-by-frame (thumbnail) timeline of the video. Use a Video-monitor window, or full-screen display, of the imported video in sync with any of the available ardour timecode sources. Lock audio-regions to the video: Move audio-regions with the video at video-frame granularity. Export the video, cut start/end, add blank frames and/or mux it with the soundtrack of the current-session.
205 <dfn>Ardour</dfn> allows recording and editing both audio and MIDI data, addin of many different kinds of effects and mixing.
208 <p>Some things Ardour is used for include:</p>
211 <li>Digitally record acoustic/electric instruments or vocals</li>
212 <li>Compose and arrange audio and MIDI tracks</li>
213 <li>Edit live recordings</li>
214 <li>Mix and edit movie soundtracks and dialogue</li>
215 <li>Create sound designs for an arbitrary number of output channels</li>
219 title: Isn't This A Really Complicated Program?
224 There is no point in pretending that Ardour is a simple, easy to use program. The development group has worked hard to try to make simple things reasonably easy, common tasks quick, and hard and/or uncommon things possible. There is no doubt that there is more to do in this area, as well as polishing the user interface to improve its intuitiveness and work flow characteristics.
228 At the same time, multi-track, multi-channel, non-linear, non-destructive audio editing is a far from simple process. Doing it right requires not only a good ear, but a solid appreciation of basic audio concepts and a robust mental model/metaphor of what one is doing. Ardour is not a simple "audio recorder"—it can certainly be used to record stereo (or even mono) material in a single track, but the program has been designed around much richer capabilities than this.
232 Some people complain that Ardour is not "intuitive" to use—its lead developer has <a href="http://community.ardour.org/node/3322">some thoughts on that</a>.
236 title: Why Write a DAW for Linux?
241 It is fairly understandable that existing proprietary DAWs do not run on Linux, given the rather small (but growing) share of the desktop market that Linux has. However, when surveying the landscape of "popular operating systems", we find:
245 <li>older versions of Windows: plagued by abysmal stability and appalling security</li>
246 <li>newer versions of Windows seem stable but still suffer from security problems</li>
247 <li>OS X: an amazing piece of engineering that is excellent for audio work but only runs on proprietary hardware and still lacks the flexibility and adaptability of Linux.</li>
251 Security matters today, and will matter more in the future as more and more live or semi-live network based collaborations take place.
255 Let's contrast this with Linux, an operating system which:
259 <li>can stay up for months (or even years) without issues</li>
260 <li>is endlessly configurable down to the tiniest detail</li>
261 <li>is not owned by any single corporate entity, ensuring its life and direction are not intertwined with that of a company (for a contrary example, consider BeOS)</li>
262 <li>is fast and efficient</li>
263 <li>runs on almost any computing platform ever created, including old "slow" systems and new "tiny" systems (e.g. Raspberry Pi)</li>
264 <li>is one of the most secure operating systems "out of the box"</li>
268 More than anything, however, Ardour's primary author uses Linux and wanted a DAW that ran there.
272 Having written a DAW for Linux, it turned out to be relatively easy to port Ardour to OS X, mostly because of the excellent work done by the JACK OS X group that ported JACK to OS X.
276 Although OS X has a number of disadvantages compared to Linux, its ease of use and its presence in many studios already makes it a worthwhile platform.
280 title: Why is it called Ardour?
285 The name <dfn>"Ardour"</dfn> came from considerations of how to pronounce the acronym <abbr title="Hard Disk Recorder">HDR</abbr>. The most obvious attempt sounds like a vowelless "harder" and it then was then a short step to an unrelated but slightly homophonic word:
289 <dfn>ardour</dfn> n 1: a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of
290 a person or cause); "they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor"; "he
291 felt a kind of religious zeal" [syn: ardor, elan, zeal]<br />
292 2: intense feeling of love [syn: ardor]<br />
293 3: feelings of great warmth and intensity; "he spoke with great ardor"
294 [syn: ardor, fervor, fervour, fervency, fire, fervidness]
298 Given the work required to develop Ardour, and the personality of its primary author, the name seemed appropriate even without the vague relationship to HDR.
302 Years later, another interpretation of "Ardour" appeared, this time based on listening to non-native English speakers attempt to pronounce the word. Rather than "Ardour", it became "Our DAW", which seemed poetically fitting for a Digital Audio Workstation whose source code and design belongs to a group of collaborators.
306 title: Why write another DAW?
311 There are already a number of excellent digital audio workstations. To mention just a few: ProTools, Nuendo, Samplitude, Digital Performer, Logic, Cubase (SX), Sonar, along with several less well known systems such as SADIE, SAWStudio and others.
314 Each of these programs has its strengths and weaknesses, although over the last few years most of them have converged on a very similar set of core features. However, each of them suffers from two problems when seen from the perspective of Ardour's development group:
318 <li>they do not run natively on Linux</li>
319 <li>they are not available in source code form, making modifications, improvements, bugfixes by technically inclined users or their friends or consultants impossible.</li>
323 title: Additional Resources
328 In addition to this documentation, you may check a variety of other <dfn>resources</dfn>:
332 <li>the <a href="https://ardour.org/whatsnew.html">Ardour release
334 <li>the <a href="https://community.ardour.org/forums">Ardour
336 <li>information about <a href="https://community.ardour.org/community">Ardour
337 Support</a> via mailing lists and IRC (chat)</li>
341 The <dfn>IRC channels</dfn> in particular are where most of the day-to-day development and debugging is done, and there are plenty of experienced users to help you if you run into problems.
345 Please be prepared to hang around for a few hours, the chat is usually busiest from 19:00 UTC to 04:00 UTC. If you can, keep your chat window open, so that you don't miss a belated answer. Also, don't ask for permission to ask a question, just ask your question with the understanding that the answer (from the "right" people or not) could come seconds, minutes, hours, or never.
350 title: Creating Music with Ardour
354 <p class="fixme"> misplaced</p>
356 Ardour can be used in many different ways, from extremely simple to
357 extremely complex. Many projects will be handled using the following
358 kind of <dfn>workflow</dfn>.
361 <h2>Stage 1: Creating Your Project</h2>
364 The first step is to create a new <dfn>session</dfn>, or open an
365 existing one. A session consists of a folder containing a session file
366 that defines all the information about the session. All media files used
367 by the session can be stored within the session folder.
371 More details on sessions can be found in
372 <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.
375 <h2>Stage 2: Creating and Importing Audio and MIDI data</h2>
378 Once you have a session, you will want to add some audio and/or MIDI
379 material to it, which can be done in one of 3 ways:
383 <li><dfn>Record</dfn> incoming audio or MIDI data, either via audio or MIDI hardware
384 connected to your computer, or from other applications.</li>
385 <li><dfn>Create</dfn> new MIDI data using the mouse and/or various dialogs</li>
386 <li><dfn>Import</dfn> existing media files into the session</li>
389 <dfn>MIDI recordings</dfn> consist of performance data ("play note X at
390 time T") rather than actual sound. As a result, they are more flexible
391 than actual audio, since the precise sound that they will generate when
392 played depends on where you send the MIDI to.<br />
393 Two different synthesizers may produce very different sound in response
394 to the same incoming MIDI data.
397 <dfn>Audio recordings</dfn> can be made from external instruments with
398 electrical outputs (keyboards, guitars etc.) or via microphones from
399 acoustic instruments.
402 Ardour uses the <dfn>JACK Audio Connection Kit</dfn> for all audio and
403 MIDI I/O, which means that recording audio/MIDI from other applications
404 is fundamentally identical to recording audio/MIDI from your audio/MIDI
408 <h2>Stage 3: Editing and Arranging</h2>
410 Once you have some material within the session, you can start to arrange
411 it in time. This is done in one of the two main windows of Ardour, the
412 <dfn>Editor</dfn> window.
415 Your audio/MIDI data appears in chunks called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which
416 are arranged into horizontal lanes called <dfn>tracks</dfn>. Tracks are
417 stacked vertically in the Editor window. You can copy, shorten, move,
418 and delete regions without changing the actual data stored in the session
419 at all—Ardour is a <dfn>non-destructive</dfn> editor. (Almost)
420 nothing that you do while editing will ever modify the files stored on
421 disk (except the session file itself).
424 You can also carry out many <dfn>transformations</dfn> to the contents
425 of regions, again without altering anything on disk. You can alter,
426 move, and delete MIDI notes, and remove silence from audio regions, for
430 <h2>Stage 4: Mixing and Adding Effects</h2>
432 Once you have the arrangement of your session mostly complete, you will
433 typically move on to the <dfn>mixing</dfn> phase. Mixing is a broad term
434 to cover the way the audio signals that your session generates during
435 playback and processed and added together into a final result that you
436 actually hear. It can involve altering the relative levels of various
437 parts of the session, adding effects that improve or transform certain
438 elements, and others that bring the sound of the whole session to a new
442 Ardour will allow you to <dfn>automate</dfn> changes to any mixing
443 parameters (such as volume, panning, and effects controls)—it will
444 record the changes you make over time, using a mouse or keyboard or some
445 external control device, and can play back those changes later. This is
446 very useful because often the settings you need will vary in one part of
447 a session compared to another—rather than using a single setting
448 for the volume, you may need increases followed by decreases (for example,
449 to track the changing volume of a singer). Using automation can make all
450 of this relatively simple.
453 <h2>Stage 5: Export</h2>
455 Once you are really satisfied with the arrangement and mix of your
456 session, you will typically want to produce a single audio file that
457 contains a ready-to-listen to version of the work. Ardour will allow you to
458 <dfn>export</dfn> audio files in a variety of formats (simultaneously in
459 some cases). This exported file would typically be used in creating a CD,
460 or be the basis for digital distribution of the work.
463 Of course sometimes you will want to do export material that isn't finished
464 yet, for example to give a copy to someone else to try to mix on their own
465 system. Ardour will allow you to export as much of a session as you want, at
466 any time, in any supported format.
471 title: Ardour Concepts
477 title: Understanding Basic Concepts and Terminology
482 This section will help you get acquainted with the basic terminology and
483 concepts associated with Ardour. More detailed information on each aspect
484 of the program is provided in later chapters.
489 An <dfn>Ardour session</dfn> is a container for an entire project. A
490 session may contain an arbitrary number of <dfn>tracks</dfn> and
491 <dfn>busses</dfn> consisting of audio and <abbr title="Musical Instrument
492 Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> data, along with
493 information on processing those tracks, a mix of levels, and everything
494 else related to the project. A session might typically contain a song, or
495 perhaps an entire album or a complete live recording.
498 Ardour sessions are held in directories; these directories contain one or
499 more <dfn>session files</dfn>, some or all of the audio and MIDI data and
500 a number of other state files that Ardour requires. The session file
501 describes the structure of the session, and holds automation data and
505 Ardour's session file is kept in
506 <abbr title="eXtensible Markup Language">XML</abbr> format, which is
507 advantageous as it is somewhat human-readable, and human-editable in a
508 crisis. Sound files are stored in one of a number of optional formats, and
509 MIDI files as <abbr title="Standard MIDI File">SMF</abbr>.
512 It is also possible for Ardour sessions to reference sound and MIDI files
513 outside the session directory, to conserve disk space and avoid
514 unnecessary copying if the data is available elsewhere on the disk.
517 Ardour has a single current session at all times; if Ardour is started
518 without specifying one, it will offer to load or create one.
521 More details can be found at
522 <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.
527 A <dfn>track</dfn> is a concept common to most
528 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAWs</abbr>, and also used in
529 Ardour. Tracks can record audio or MIDI data to disk, and then replay
530 it with processing. They also allow the audio or MIDI data to be edited
531 in a variety of different ways.
534 In a typical pop production, one might use a track each for the kick
535 drum, another for the snare, more perhaps for the drum overheads and
536 others for bass, guitars and vocals.
539 Ardour can record to any number of tracks at one time, and then play
540 those tracks back. On playback, a track's recordings may be processed by
541 any number of plugins, panned, and its level altered to achieve a
545 A track's type is really only related to the type of data that it stores
546 on disk. It is possible, for example, to have a MIDI track with a
547 synthesizer plugin which converts MIDI to audio. Even though the track
548 remains MIDI (in the sense that its on-disk recordings are MIDI), its
549 output may be audio-only.
552 More details can be found at
553 <a href="/working-with-tracks">Working With Tracks</a>.
556 <h2 id="busses">Busses</h2>
558 <dfn>Busses</dfn> are another common concept in both DAWs and hardware
559 mixers. They are similar in many ways to tracks; they process audio or
560 MIDI, and can run processing plugins. The only difference is that their
561 input is obtained from other tracks or busses, rather than from disk.
564 One might typically use a bus to collect together the outputs of related
565 tracks. Consider, for example, a 3-track recording of a drum-kit; given
566 kick, snare and overhead tracks, it may be helpful to connect the output
567 of each to a bus called "drums", so that the drum-kit's level can be set
568 as a unit, and processing (such as equalisation or compression) can be
569 applied to the mix of all tracks. Such buses are also called
575 A track may contain many segments of audio or MIDI. Ardour contains
576 these segments in things called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which are
577 self-contained snippets of audio or MIDI data. Any recording pass, for
578 example, generates a region on each track that is enabled for recording.
579 Regions can be subjected to many editing operations; they may be moved
580 around, split, trimmed, copied, and so on.
583 More details can be found at
584 <a href="/working-with-regions">Working With Regions</a>.
589 The details of what exactly each track should play back is described by a
590 <dfn>playlist</dfn>. A playlist is simply a list of regions; each track
591 always has an active playlist, and can have other playlists which can be
592 switched in and out as required.
595 More details can be found at
596 <a href="/working-with-playlists">Working With Playlists</a>.
601 Ardour allows you to process audio and MIDI using any number of
602 <dfn>plugins</dfn>. These are external pieces of code, commonly seen as
603 VST plugins on Windows or AU plugins on Mac OS X. Ardour supports
604 the following plugin standards:
606 <dl class="wide-table">
607 <dt><abbr title="Linux Audio Developers' Simple Plugin API">LADSPA</abbr></dt>
608 <dd>the first major plugin standard for Linux. Many LADSPA plugins are
609 available, mostly free and open-source.</dd>
610 <dt><abbr title="LADSPA Version 2">LV2</abbr></dt>
611 <dd>the successor to LADSPA. Lots of plugins have been ported from
612 LADSPA to LV2, and also many new plugins written.</dd>
613 <dt><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr></dt>
614 <dd>Ardour supports VST plugins that have been compiled for Linux.</dd>
615 <dt><abbr title="Audio Units">AU</abbr></dt>
616 <dd>Mac OS X versions of Ardour support AudioUnit plugins.</dd>
619 Ardour has some support for running Windows VST plugins on Linux, but
620 this is rather complicated, extremely difficult for the Ardour
621 developers to debug, and generally unreliable, as it requires to run a
622 large amount of Windows code in an emulated environment.<br />
623 If it is at all possible, you are strongly advised to use native
624 LADSPA, LV2 or Linux VST plugins on Linux, or AU on Mac OS X.
627 More details can be found at
628 <a href="/working-with-plugins">Working With Plugins</a>.
633 title: Basic GUI Operations
638 Ardour offers a number of different ways for you to interact with it.
639 This chapter provides information on basic techniques for <dfn>entering
640 text</dfn>, <dfn>making selections</dfn>, and <dfn>using shortcuts</dfn>.
644 title: Interface Elements
650 <h2>Pull Down Menus</h2>
651 <h2>Pop Up Menus</h2>
652 <h2>Context Menus</h2>
655 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
663 Almost every available function in Ardour can be executed via a
664 <dfn>key binding</dfn> or <dfn><abbr title="Open Sound
665 Control">OSC</abbr></dfn> command. There are many more functions
666 available than there are keys on even the largest current computer
667 keyboards, so only a subset of them are bound to keys by default.
670 <h2>Key bindings for menu items</h2>
673 Existing key bindings in menus are listed on the right side of the
678 To create a custom key binding for a menu item quickly, navigate to
679 the relevant (sub-) menu, hover over the item with the mouse and press
680 the desired combination of modifiers and key.
684 Ardour will silently re-assign the binding if you use a key
685 combination that is already in use, possibly removing a standard
686 keyboard shortcut without warning you. That might lead to confusion
687 when you ask other users for help, and they explain something in terms
688 of a standard key binding, which will then have a completely
689 different effect on your system.
692 <h2>Key binding editor</h2>
695 For a complete overview of all existing keyboard bindings, go to
696 <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings</kbd>. This widget will let
697 you view and edit even those functions that are not available in the menu,
698 and even remove key bindings altogether.
702 title: Selection Techniques
707 Ardour follows the conventions used by most other computer software
708 (including other DAWs) for <dfn>selecting objects</dfn> in the
709 <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr>.
712 <h2>Selecting individual objects</h2>
715 Clicking on an object (sometimes on a particular part of its
716 on-screen representation) will select the object, and deselect other
720 <h2>Selecting multiple (similar) objects</h2>
723 A <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd> click on an object toggles its
724 <samp>selected</samp> status, so using <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd>
725 on a series of objects will select (or deselect) each one of them. You can
726 construct completely arbitrary selections with this technique.
729 <h2>Selecting a range of objects</h2>
732 In cases where the idea of "select all objects between this one and that
733 one" makes sense, you can select one object and then click
734 <kbd class="mod3 mouse">left</kbd> on another to select both of them as
735 well as all objects in between.
738 <h2>Time range selection</h2>
741 To select a time <dfn>range</dfn> in the Editor,
742 click <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> and drag the mouse.
743 A <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd> drag then lets you create other
744 ranges and a <kbd class="mod3 mouse">left</kbd> click extends a range
745 to cover a wider area.
748 <h2>Selection Undo</h2>
751 The set of objects (including time range) that are selected at any one
752 time is known as the selection.
753 Each time you select or deselect an object, the new selection is stored in an
755 This stack is cleared each time the content of the timeline changes.
756 If you have built up a complex selection and then accidentally cleared it,
757 choosing <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd> will restore your previous selection.
758 If you then decide that you had in fact made the correct change, choosing
759 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Redo Selection Change</kbd> will take you back
760 to where you were before you chose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd>.
769 By default, Ardour will show helpful <dfn>tooltips</dfn> about
770 the purpose and use of each <abbr title="Graphical User
771 Interface">GUI</abbr> element if you position the pointer
772 over it and hover there for a short while.
773 These little pop-up messages can be a good way to discover the
774 purpose of many aspects of the GUI.
778 Pop-ups can be distracting for experienced users, who may opt to
779 disable them via <kbd class="optoff">Edit > Preferences > GUI >
780 Show tooltip if mouse hovers over a control</kbd>.
784 title: Undo/Redo for Editing
789 While editing, it happens that you apply an unintended change, or make
790 a choice one that you later decide was wrong. All changes to the
791 arrangement of session components (regions, control points) along the
792 timeline can be <dfn>undone</dfn> (and <dfn>redone</dfn> if necessary).
796 The default keybindings are <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> for Undo and
797 <kbd class="mod1">R</kbd> for Redo. These match the conventions of most
798 other applications that provide undo/redo.
802 Changes are also saved to the <dfn>session history</dfn> file, so that
803 undo/redo is possible even if you close the session and reopen it later,
804 even if you quit Ardour in between.
808 The maximum number of changes that can be undone can be configured under
809 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Undo</kbd>.
810 The maximum number of changes stored in the history file is a separate
811 parameter, and can also be set in the same place.
815 In addition to the normal undo (which works only on actions that change
816 the timeline), there is a <dfn>visual undo</dfn> which will revert any
817 command that affects the display of the editor window. Its shortcut is
818 <kbd class="mod3">Z</kbd>.
819 There is also an undo for selection. See
820 <a href="/ardours-interface/basic-gui-operations/selection-techniques/">Selection Techniques</a> for more information.
824 Note that changes made to mixer strips, such as turning knobs or changing faders, cannot be undone.
828 title: Using the Mouse
835 Throughout this manual, the term <dfn>click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing
836 and releasing the <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> mouse button. This action is used to select objects, activate
837 buttons, turn choices on and off, pop up menus and so forth.<br />
838 On touch surfaces, it also corresponds to a single, one-finger tap on
842 <h2>Right Clicking</h2>
845 The term <dfn>right-click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing and releasing
846 the <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd> mouse button.
847 This action is used to pop up <dfn>context menus</dfn> (hence the term
848 "context click", which you will also see). It is also used by default in
849 combination with the shift key to delete objects within the editor
854 Some mice designed for use with Mac OS X may have only one button. By
855 convention, pressing and holding the Control key while clicking is
856 interpreted as a right-click by many application..
859 <h2>Middle Clicking</h2>
862 A <dfn>middle-click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing and releasing the
863 <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd> mouse button. Not all all mice have a middle click button
864 (see the <a href="/setting-up-your-system/mouse/">Mouse</a> chapter for
865 details). Sometimes the scroll wheel acts as a clickable middle button.
866 This action is used for time-constrained region copying and mapping MIDI
871 Internally, your operating system may identify the mouse buttons as
872 <kbd class="mouse">Button1</kbd>, <kbd class="mouse">Button2</kbd>, and
873 <kbd class="mouse">Button3</kbd>, respectively. It may be possible to
874 invert the order of buttons to accommodate left-handed users, or to re-assign
875 them arbitrarily. This manual assumes the canonical order.
878 <h2>Double Clicking</h2>
881 A <dfn>double click</dfn> refers to two rapid press/release cycles on the
882 leftmost mouse button. The time interval between the two actions that
883 determines whether this is seen as two clicks or one double click is
884 controlled by your system preferences, not by Ardour.
890 A <dfn>drag</dfn> primarily refers to the act of pressing the leftmost
891 mouse button, moving the mouse with the button held down, and then
892 releasing the button. On touch surfaces, this term also corresponds to
893 a single one-finger touch-move-release action.
897 Ardour also uses the middle mouse button for certain kinds of drags,
898 which will be referred to as <dfn>middle-drag</dfn>.
904 There are many actions in Ardour that can be carried out using a mouse
905 button in combination with a <dfn>modifier key</dfn>. When the manual
906 refers to <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd>, it means that you should first
907 press the <kbd class="mod1"></kbd> key, carry out a left click
908 while <kbd class="mod1"></kbd> is held down, and then finally release the key.
912 Available modifiers depend on your platform:
915 <h3>Linux Modifiers</h3>
918 <li><kbd>Ctrl</kbd> (Control)</li>
919 <li><kbd>Shift</kbd></li>
920 <li><kbd>Alt</kbd></li>
921 <li><kbd>Mod2</kbd></li>
922 <li><kbd>Mod3</kbd></li>
923 <li><kbd>Mod4</kbd></li>
924 <li><kbd>Mod5</kbd></li>
928 The following section is almost certainly wrong. Will need to be checked
933 Mod2 typically corresponds to the <kbd>NumLock</kbd> key on many systems.
934 On most Linux systems, there are no keys that will function as modifiers
935 Mod3, Mod4 or Mod5 by default, but they can be setup using
936 <dfn>xmodmap(1)</dfn>. This can be rather useful.
939 <h3>OS X Modifiers</h3>
942 <li><kbd>Cmd</kbd> (Command, "windmill")</li>
943 <li><kbd>Ctrl</kbd> (Control)</li>
944 <li><kbd>Alt</kbd> (Option)</li>
945 <li><kbd>Shift</kbd></li>
948 <h2>Scroll Wheel</h2>
951 Ardour can make good use of a <dfn>scroll wheel</dfn> on your mouse, which can be
952 utilized for a variety of purposes. Scroll wheels generate vertical
953 scroll events, <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> (ScrollUp) and
954 <kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> (ScrollDown). Some also emit horizontal
955 events, <kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd> (ScrollLeft) and
956 <kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd> (ScrollRight).
960 When appropriate, Ardour will differentiate between these two different
961 scroll axes. Otherwise it will interpret ScrollDown and ScrollLeft as
962 equivalent and similarly interpret ScrollUp and ScrollRight as equivalent.
966 Typically, scroll wheel input is used to adjust
967 <dfn>continuous controls</dfn> such as faders and knobs, or to scroll
968 vertically or horizontally inside a window.
971 <p class="fixme">Should add some mention of drag & drop operations; the "Dragging" section above doesn't mention it at all.</p>
974 title: Cut and Paste Operations
979 The <dfn>clipboard</dfn> is a holder for various kinds of objects (regions,
980 control events, plugins) that is used during <dfn>cut-and-paste
987 A <dfn>cut</dfn> operation removes selected objects and places them in the
988 clipboard. The existing contents of the clipboard are overwriten.<br />
989 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.
995 A <dfn>copy</dfn> of the selected objects are placed in clipboard. There is
996 no effect on the selected objects themselves. The existing contents of the
997 clipboard are overwritten. <br />
998 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">c</kbd>.
1004 The current contents of the clipboard are <dfn>paste</dfn>d (inserted)
1005 into the session, using the current <dfn>edit point</dfn> as the
1006 destination. The contents of the clipboard remain unchanged—you
1007 can paste the same item multiple times. <br />
1008 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">v</kbd>.
1012 title: Deleting Objects
1017 Within the Editor window (and to some extent within the Mixer window too),
1018 there are several techniques for <dfn>deleting</dfn> objects (regions,
1019 control points, and more).
1022 <h2>Using the mouse and keyboard</h2>
1024 Select the object(s) and then press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key.
1025 This does <strong>not</strong> put the deleted object(s) into the cut
1026 buffer, so they cannot be pasted elsewhere.
1029 <h2>Using normal cut and paste shortcuts</h2>
1031 Select the object(s) and then press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>. This puts
1032 the deleted object(s) into the cut buffer so that they could be pasted
1036 <h2>Using just the mouse</h2>
1038 By default, <kbd class="mouse">Shift Right</kbd> will delete the
1039 clicked-upon object. Like the Del key, this does <strong>not</strong>
1040 put the deleted object(s) into the cut buffer.
1043 The modifier and mouse button used for this can be controlled via
1044 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction >
1045 Delete using ...</kbd>. Any modifier and mouse button combination can
1051 title: Starting Ardour
1056 There are several ways of <dfn>starting Ardour</dfn>, which may vary
1057 depending on which platform you are using it.
1061 <li>double-click the Ardour icon in your platform's file manager (e.g.
1062 Nautilus on Linux, Finder on OS X)</li>
1063 <li>double click on an Ardour session file in your platform's file manager</li>
1064 <li>on Linux, you can also start Ardour <a
1065 href="/ardours-interface/starting-ardour/starting-ardour-from-the-command-line">on the command line</a></li>
1069 When Ardour is run for the very first time, a special dialog is displayed
1070 that will ask you several questions about your setup. You will not be asked
1071 these questions again, but you can always modify your choices via the
1072 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences</kbd> dialog.
1076 If you want to use JACK, in general, it is sensible to start <em>before</em> you run Ardour. This is not necessary, but will provide you with more control and options over JACK's operation. You can start JACK through its <abbr title="Command Line Interface">CLI</abbr>, or using a <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr> program, like <a href="https://qjackctl.sourceforge.io/">QjackCtl</a> or <a href="http://kxstudio.linuxaudio.org/Applications:Cadence">Cadence</a>.
1080 If you open Ardour without specifying an existing session it will display
1081 the <kbd class="menu">Session > New...</kbd> dialog and the <kbd class="menu">Audio/MIDI Setup</kbd> dialog. See <a href="/working-with-sessions/new-session-dialog/">New/Open Session Dialog</a> for a description of those dialogs.
1085 title: Starting Ardour From the Command Line (Linux)
1086 menu_title: Starting from Linux Cmdline
1091 Like (almost) any other program on Linux, Ardour can be started on the
1092 command line. Type the following command in a terminal window:
1094 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5</kbd>
1096 To start Ardour with an existing session:
1098 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5 <em>/path/to/session</em></kbd>
1100 replacing /path/to/session with the actual path to your session. You can
1101 specify either the session folder or any session file inside the folder,
1102 including snapshots.
1105 To start Ardour with a new, named session:
1107 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5 -N <em>/path/to/session</em></kbd>
1109 <h3>Other Command Line Options</h3>
1113 title: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts
1119 title: Default Keyboard Bindings
1120 menu_title: Key Bindings
1125 Almost every available function in Ardour can be bound to a keyboard
1126 shortcut (and those few that cannot will usually respond to an <a
1127 href="/using-control-surfaces/controlling-ardour-with-osc/"><abbr
1128 title="Open Sound Control">OSC</abbr> command</a>). Ardour comes with a
1129 rich set of default <dfn>key bindings</dfn> for the most commonly used
1133 <p>These bindings strive to be <dfn>mnemonic</dfn>, that is, easy and intuitive
1134 to remember, and follow widely accepted conventions. As a general rule,
1135 the first letter of an operation will be used for as a shortcut, if
1136 available. This does not necessarily lead to the best ergonomics for
1137 rapid editing—there are alternative binding sets for that—but it does make it simpler for newcomers to remember some of the most
1138 useful ones, for example<br />
1139 <kbd>S</kbd> for <kbd class="menu">Region > Edit > Split"</kbd>
1141 <kbd>P</kbd> for <kbd class="menu">Transport > Playhead > Playhead to Mouse</kbd>.
1145 Almost every key binding in Ardour can be changed in <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings</kbd>.
1149 The conventions for using modifier keys (<kbd class="mod1">‌</kbd>, <kbd
1150 class="mod2">‌</kbd>, <kbd class="mod3">‌</kbd> etc.) differ among platforms, so we provide different default bindings for each.
1154 title: Mnemonic Bindings for Linux
1160 A printable cheat-sheet with the mnemonic bindings for <dfn>Linux</dfn>
1161 is available for download in
1162 <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheatsheet.pdf">US Letter</a> and
1163 <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheatsheet-a4.pdf">A4</a> paper format.
1167 This set of bindings assumes an en_US keyboard. However, most if not all
1168 bindings will also work on other keyboards when you use the
1169 <kbd>AltGr</kbd> to compose those glyphs that are not directly accessible.
1172 <h2>Transport & Recording Control</h2>
1174 <dl class="bindings">
1175 <dt>destroy last recording</dt>
1176 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Del</kbd></dd>
1177 <dt>engage record</dt>
1178 <dd><kbd class="mod3">r</kbd></dd>
1179 <dt>fast forward</dt>
1180 <dd><kbd class="mod3">→</kbd></dd>
1181 <dt>loop play (the loop range)</dt>
1182 <dd><kbd class="">l</kbd></dd>
1184 <dd><kbd class="mod3">←</kbd></dd>
1185 <dt>set playhead position</dt>
1186 <dd><kbd class="">p</kbd></dd>
1187 <dt>start recording</dt>
1188 <dd><kbd class="mod3">Space</kbd></dd>
1189 <dt>stop (keep loop/range play)</dt>
1190 <dd><kbd class="mod12">Space</kbd></dd>
1191 <dt>stop and destroy</dt>
1192 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Space</kbd></dd>
1193 <dt>toggle auto play</dt>
1194 <dd><kbd class="">5</kbd></dd>
1195 <dt>toggle auto return</dt>
1196 <dd><kbd class="">6</kbd></dd>
1197 <dt>toggle click (metronome)</dt>
1198 <dd><kbd class="">7</kbd></dd>
1199 <dt>toggle playhead follows edits</dt>
1200 <dd><kbd class="mod3">F</kbd></dd>
1201 <dt>toggle playhead tracking</dt>
1202 <dd><kbd class="mod1">F</kbd></dd>
1203 <dt>toggle roll</dt>
1204 <dd><kbd class="">Space</kbd></dd>
1205 <dt>toggle selected track rec-enable </dt>
1206 <dd><kbd class="mod3">b</kbd></dd>
1207 <dt>toggle selected track solo status</dt>
1208 <dd><kbd class="mod2">s</kbd></dd>
1209 <dt>transition to reverse</dt>
1210 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↓</kbd></dd>
1211 <dt>transition to roll</dt>
1212 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↑</kbd></dd>
1215 <h2>Session & File Handling</h2>
1217 <dl class="bindings">
1218 <dt>add track(s) or bus(ses)</dt>
1219 <dd><kbd class="mod13">n</kbd></dd>
1220 <dt>export session</dt>
1221 <dd><kbd class="mod4">e</kbd></dd>
1222 <dt>import audio files</dt>
1223 <dd><kbd class="mod1">i</kbd></dd>
1224 <dt>open a new session</dt>
1225 <dd><kbd class="mod1">n</kbd></dd>
1226 <dt>open a recent session</dt>
1227 <dd><kbd class="mod13">o</kbd></dd>
1228 <dt>open an existing session</dt>
1229 <dd><kbd class="mod1">o</kbd></dd>
1231 <dd><kbd class="mod1">q</kbd></dd>
1232 <dt>save session</dt>
1233 <dd><kbd class="mod1">s</kbd></dd>
1234 <dt>snapshot session</dt>
1235 <dd><kbd class="mod13">s</kbd></dd>
1236 <dt>toggle selected track MIDI input</dt>
1237 <dd><kbd class="mod2">i</kbd></dd>
1240 <h2>Changing What's Visible</h2>
1242 <dl class="bindings">
1243 <dt>fit tracks vertically</dt>
1244 <dd><kbd class="">f</kbd></dd>
1245 <dt>move selected tracks down</dt>
1246 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dd>
1247 <dt>move selected tracks up</dt>
1248 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dd>
1249 <dt>scroll down (page)</dt>
1250 <dd><kbd class="">PgDn</kbd></dd>
1251 <dt>scroll down (step)</dt>
1252 <dd><kbd class="">↓</kbd></dd>
1253 <dt>scroll up (page)</dt>
1254 <dd><kbd class="">PgUp</kbd></dd>
1255 <dt>scroll up (step)</dt>
1256 <dd><kbd class="">↑</kbd></dd>
1257 <dt>toggle editor window mixer</dt>
1258 <dd><kbd class="mod3">e</kbd></dd>
1259 <dt>visual undo</dt>
1260 <dd><kbd class="mod3">z</kbd></dd>
1261 <dt>zoom height to selected region(s)</dt>
1262 <dd><kbd class="mod12">z</kbd></dd>
1263 <dt>zoom height and time to selected region</dt>
1264 <dd><kbd class="mod2">z</kbd></dd>
1266 <dd><kbd class="">=</kbd></dd>
1268 <dd><kbd class="">-</kbd></dd>
1271 <h2>Window Visibility</h2>
1273 <dl class="bindings">
1274 <dt>toggle locations dialog</dt>
1275 <dd><kbd class="mod2">l</kbd>(ell)</dd>
1276 <dt>focus on main clock</dt>
1277 <dd><kbd class="kp">÷</kbd></dd>
1278 <dt>maximise editor space</dt>
1279 <dd><kbd class="mod12">f</kbd></dd>
1280 <dt>switch between editor & mixer window</dt>
1281 <dd><kbd class="mod2">m</kbd></dd>
1282 <dt>show rhythm ferret window </dt>
1283 <dd><kbd class="mod2">f</kbd></dd>
1284 <dt>toggle big clock</dt>
1285 <dd><kbd class="mod2">b</kbd></dd>
1286 <dt>toggle color manager</dt>
1287 <dd><kbd class="mod2">c</kbd></dd>
1288 <dt>toggle editor window</dt>
1289 <dd><kbd class="mod2">e</kbd></dd>
1290 <dt>toggle global audio patchbay</dt>
1291 <dd><kbd class="mod2">p</kbd></dd>
1292 <dt>toggle global midi patchbay</dt>
1293 <dd><kbd class="mod23">p</kbd></dd>
1294 <dt>toggle key bindings editor</dt>
1295 <dd><kbd class="mod2">k</kbd></dd>
1296 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1297 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1298 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1299 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1302 <h2>Editing with Edit Point</h2>
1305 Most edit functions operate on a single <dfn>Edit Point</dfn> (EP). The edit
1306 point can be any of: playhead (default), the mouse or an active marker.
1307 The choice of edit point (by default) also sets the <dfn>Zoom Focus</dfn>.
1310 <dl class="bindings">
1311 <dt>EP to next region sync</dt>
1312 <dd><kbd class="">;</kbd></dd>
1313 <dt>EP to prev region sync</dt>
1314 <dd><kbd class="">'</kbd></dd>
1315 <dt>cycle to next grid snap mode</dt>
1316 <dd><kbd class="">2</kbd></dd>
1317 <dt>cycle to next zoom focus</dt>
1318 <dd><kbd class="">1</kbd></dd>
1319 <dt>insert from region list</dt>
1320 <dd><kbd class="">i</kbd></dd>
1321 <dt>insert time</dt>
1322 <dd><kbd class="mod1">t</kbd></dd>
1323 <dt>move EP to playhead</dt>
1324 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↵</kbd></dd>
1325 <dt>next EP w/marker</dt>
1326 <dd><kbd class="mod1">`</kbd></dd>
1327 <dt>next EP w/o marker</dt>
1328 <dd><kbd class="">`</kbd></dd>
1330 <dd><kbd class="">k</kbd></dd>
1332 <dd><kbd class="">j</kbd></dd>
1333 <dt>trim region end to edit point</dt>
1334 <dd><kbd class="mod3">}</kbd></dd>
1335 <dt>trim region start to edit point</dt>
1336 <dd><kbd class="mod3">{</kbd></dd>
1337 <dt>trim region to end of prev region</dt>
1338 <dd><kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dd>
1339 <dt>trim region to start of next region</dt>
1340 <dd><kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dd>
1341 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1342 <dd><kbd class="">3</kbd></dd>
1343 <dt>use next grid unit</dt>
1344 <dd><kbd class="">4</kbd></dd>
1345 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1346 <dd><kbd class="mod1">3</kbd></dd>
1347 <dt>use next musical grid unit</dt>
1348 <dd><kbd class="mod1">4</kbd></dd>
1351 <h2>Aligning with the Edit Point</h2>
1354 <dfn>Align operations</dfn> move regions so that their start/end/sync
1355 point is at the edit point. <dfn>Relative</dfn> operations just align the first
1356 region and moves other selected regions to maintain relative positioning.
1359 <dl class="bindings">
1360 <dt>align end(s)</dt>
1361 <dd><kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dd>
1362 <dt>align start(s)</dt>
1363 <dd><kbd class="mod14">a</kbd></dd>
1364 <dt>align start(s) relative</dt>
1365 <dd><kbd class="mod4">a</kbd></dd>
1366 <dt>align sync points</dt>
1367 <dd><kbd class="mod3">a</kbd></dd>
1368 <dt>align sync points (relative)</dt>
1369 <dd><kbd class="">a</kbd></dd>
1370 <dt>range end to next prev edge</dt>
1371 <dd><kbd class="mod1">></kbd></dd>
1372 <dt>range end to next region edge</dt>
1373 <dd><kbd class="">></kbd></dd>
1374 <dt>range start to next region edge</dt>
1375 <dd><kbd class="mod1"><</kbd></dd>
1376 <dt>range start to prev region edge</dt>
1377 <dd><kbd class=""><</kbd></dd>
1380 <h2>Edit Point Playback</h2>
1382 <dl class="bindings">
1383 <dt>play edit range</dt>
1384 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Space</kbd></dd>
1385 <dt>play from EP & return</dt>
1386 <dd><kbd class="mod4">Space</kbd></dd>
1387 <dt>play selected region(s)</dt>
1388 <dd><kbd class="">h</kbd></dd>
1390 <h2>Region Operations</h2>
1392 <dl class="bindings">
1393 <dt>duplicate region (multi)</dt>
1394 <dd><kbd class="mod3">d</kbd></dd>
1395 <dt>duplicate region (once)</dt>
1396 <dd><kbd class="mod2">d</kbd></dd>
1397 <dt>export selected region(s)</dt>
1398 <dd><kbd class="mod14">e</kbd></dd>
1399 <dt>increase region gain</dt>
1400 <dd><kbd class="">^</kbd></dd>
1401 <dt>move to original position</dt>
1402 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1403 <dt>mute/unmute</dt>
1404 <dd><kbd class="mod1">m</kbd></dd>
1406 <dd><kbd class="">n</kbd></dd>
1407 <dt>nudge backward</dt>
1408 <dd><kbd class="kp">–</kbd></dd>
1409 <dt>nudge forward</dt>
1410 <dd><kbd class="kp">+</kbd></dd>
1411 <dt>quantize MIDI notes </dt>
1412 <dd><kbd class="">q</kbd></dd>
1413 <dt>reduce region gain</dt>
1414 <dd><kbd class="">&</kbd></dd>
1416 <dd><kbd class="mod2">r</kbd></dd>
1417 <dt>set fade in length</dt>
1418 <dd><kbd class="">/</kbd></dd>
1419 <dt>set fade out length</dt>
1420 <dd><kbd class="">\</kbd></dd>
1421 <dt>set region sync point</dt>
1422 <dd><kbd class="">v</kbd></dd>
1424 <dd><kbd class="">s</kbd></dd>
1425 <dt>toggle fade in active</dt>
1426 <dd><kbd class="mod1">/</kbd></dd>
1427 <dt>toggle fade out active</dt>
1428 <dd><kbd class="mod1">\</kbd></dd>
1430 <dd><kbd class="mod2">t</kbd></dd>
1433 <h2>Generic Editing</h2>
1435 <dl class="bindings">
1437 <dd><kbd class="mod1">c</kbd></dd>
1439 <dd><kbd class="mod1">x</kbd></dd>
1441 <dd><kbd class="">Del</kbd></dd>
1443 <dd><kbd class="mod1">v</kbd></dd>
1445 <dd><kbd class="mod1">r</kbd></dd>
1447 <dd><kbd class="mod1">z</kbd></dd>
1453 There are a few functions that refer to an <dfn>Edit Range</dfn>. The
1454 current edit range is defined using combinations of the possible edit
1455 points: <dfn>playhead</dfn>, <dfn>active marker</dfn>, or <dfn>mouse</dfn>.
1458 <dl class="bindings">
1459 <dt>all after playhead</dt>
1460 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1461 <dt>all before playhead</dt>
1462 <dd><kbd class="mod1">p</kbd></dd>
1463 <dt>all enclosed by edit range</dt>
1464 <dd><kbd class="mod1">u</kbd></dd>
1465 <dt>all present in edit range</dt>
1466 <dd><kbd class="">u</kbd></dd>
1467 <dt>convert edit range to range</dt>
1468 <dd><kbd class="">F6</kbd></dd>
1469 <dt>invert selection</dt>
1470 <dd><kbd class="mod3">i</kbd></dd>
1471 <dt>select all after EP</dt>
1472 <dd><kbd class="mod13">e</kbd></dd>
1473 <dt>select all before EP</dt>
1474 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1475 <dt>select all in loop range</dt>
1476 <dd><kbd class="mod1">l</kbd></dd>
1477 <dt>select all in punch range</dt>
1478 <dd><kbd class="mod1">d</kbd></dd>
1479 <dt>select everything</dt>
1480 <dd><kbd class="mod1">a</kbd></dd>
1481 <dt>select next track/bus</dt>
1482 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↓</kbd></dd>
1483 <dt>select previous track/bus</dt>
1484 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dd>
1487 <h2>Defining Loop, Punch Range and Tempo Changes</h2>
1489 <dl class="bindings">
1490 <dt>set loop range from edit range</dt>
1491 <dd><kbd class="">]</kbd></dd>
1492 <dt>set loop range from region(s)</dt>
1493 <dd><kbd class="mod2">]</kbd></dd>
1494 <dt>set punch range from edit range</dt>
1495 <dd><kbd class="">[</kbd></dd>
1496 <dt>set punch range from region(s)</dt>
1497 <dd><kbd class="mod2">[</kbd></dd>
1498 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from edit range</dt>
1499 <dd><kbd class="">0</kbd></dd>
1500 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from region(s)</dt>
1501 <dd><kbd class="">9</kbd></dd>
1505 title: Mnemonic Bindings for OS X
1510 A <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheat_sheet_osx.pdf">printable cheat sheet</a>
1511 for these bindings is available for download.
1514 <h2>Transport & Recording Control</h2>
1515 <dl class="bindings">
1516 <dt>destroy last recording</dt>
1517 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Del</kbd></dd>
1518 <dt>engage record</dt>
1519 <dd><kbd class="mod3">r</kbd></dd>
1520 <dt>fast forward</dt>
1521 <dd><kbd class="mod3">→</kbd></dd>
1522 <dt>loop play (the loop range)</dt>
1523 <dd><kbd class="">l</kbd></dd>
1525 <dd><kbd class="mod3">←</kbd></dd>
1526 <dt>set playhead position</dt>
1527 <dd><kbd class="">p</kbd></dd>
1528 <dt>start recording</dt>
1529 <dd><kbd class="mod3">space</kbd></dd>
1530 <dt>stop (keep loop/range play)</dt>
1531 <dd><kbd class="mod12">space</kbd></dd>
1532 <dt>stop and destroy</dt>
1533 <dd><kbd class="mod1">space</kbd></dd>
1534 <dt>toggle auto play</dt>
1535 <dd><kbd class="">5</kbd></dd>
1536 <dt>toggle auto return</dt>
1537 <dd><kbd class="">6</kbd></dd>
1538 <dt>toggle click (metronome)</dt>
1539 <dd><kbd class="">7</kbd></dd>
1540 <dt>toggle playhead follows edits</dt>
1541 <dd><kbd class="mod3">f</kbd></dd>
1542 <dt>toggle playhead tracking</dt>
1543 <dd><kbd class="mod1">f</kbd></dd>
1544 <dt>toggle roll</dt>
1545 <dd><kbd class="">space</kbd></dd>
1546 <dt>toggle track rec-enable </dt>
1547 <dd><kbd class="mod3">b</kbd></dd>
1548 <dt>toggle track solo status</dt>
1549 <dd><kbd class="mod2">s</kbd></dd>
1550 <dt>transition to reverse</dt>
1551 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↓</kbd></dd>
1552 <dt>transition to roll</dt>
1553 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↑</kbd></dd>
1555 <h2>Session & File Handling</h2>
1556 <dl class="bindings">
1557 <dt>add track(s) or bus(ses)</dt>
1558 <dd><kbd class="mod13">n</kbd></dd>
1559 <dt>export session</dt>
1560 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1561 <dt>import audio files</dt>
1562 <dd><kbd class="mod1">i</kbd></dd>
1563 <dt>open a new session</dt>
1564 <dd><kbd class="mod1">n</kbd></dd>
1565 <dt>open a recent session</dt>
1566 <dd><kbd class="mod13">o</kbd></dd>
1567 <dt>open an existing session</dt>
1568 <dd><kbd class="mod1">o</kbd></dd>
1570 <dd><kbd class="mod1">q</kbd></dd>
1571 <dt>save session</dt>
1572 <dd><kbd class="mod1">s</kbd></dd>
1573 <dt>snapshot session</dt>
1574 <dd><kbd class="mod13">s</kbd></dd>
1575 <dt>toggle sel. track MIDI input</dt>
1576 <dd><kbd class="mod2">i</kbd></dd>
1578 <h2>Changing What's Visible</h2>
1579 <dl class="bindings">
1580 <dt>fit tracks vertically</dt>
1581 <dd><kbd class="">f</kbd></dd>
1582 <dt>move selected tracks down</dt>
1583 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dd>
1584 <dt>move selected tracks up</dt>
1585 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dd>
1586 <dt>scroll down (page)</dt>
1587 <dd><kbd class="">PgDn</kbd></dd>
1588 <dt>scroll down (step)</dt>
1589 <dd><kbd class="">↓</kbd></dd>
1590 <dt>scroll up (page)</dt>
1591 <dd><kbd class="">PageUp</kbd></dd>
1592 <dt>scroll up (step)</dt>
1593 <dd><kbd class="">↑</kbd></dd>
1594 <dt>toggle editor window mixer</dt>
1595 <dd><kbd class="mod3">e</kbd></dd>
1596 <dt>toggle last 2 zoom states</dt>
1597 <dd><kbd class="mod3">z</kbd></dd>
1598 <dt>zoom height to selected region(s)</dt>
1599 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Control+z</kbd></dd>
1600 <dt>zoom height and time to selected region</dt>
1601 <dd><kbd class="mod2">z</kbd></dd>
1603 <dd><kbd class="">=</kbd></dd>
1605 <dd><kbd class="">-</kbd></dd>
1607 <h2>Window Visibility</h2>
1608 <dl class="bindings">
1609 <dt>toggle locations dialog</dt>
1610 <dd><kbd class="mod2">l</kbd></dd>
1611 <dt>focus on main clock</dt>
1612 <dd><kbd class="kp">÷</kbd></dd>
1613 <dt>maximise editor space</dt>
1614 <dd><kbd class="mod12">f</kbd></dd>
1615 <dt>rotate editor & mixer window</dt>
1616 <dd><kbd class="mod2">m</kbd></dd>
1617 <dt>show rhythm ferret window </dt>
1618 <dd><kbd class="mod2">f</kbd></dd>
1619 <dt>toggle big clock</dt>
1620 <dd><kbd class="mod2">b</kbd></dd>
1621 <dt>toggle color manager</dt>
1622 <dd><kbd class="mod2">c</kbd></dd>
1623 <dt>toggle editor window</dt>
1624 <dd><kbd class="mod2">e</kbd></dd>
1625 <dt>toggle global audio patchbay</dt>
1626 <dd><kbd class="mod2">p</kbd></dd>
1627 <dt>toggle global midi patchbay</dt>
1628 <dd><kbd class="mod23">p</kbd></dd>
1629 <dt>toggle key bindings editor</dt>
1630 <dd><kbd class="mod2">k</kbd></dd>
1631 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1632 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1633 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1634 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1637 <h2>Editing with Edit Point</h2>
1639 Most edit functions operate on a single <dfn>Edit Point</dfn> (EP). The
1641 point can be any of: playhead (default), the mouse or an active marker.
1642 The choice of edit point (by default) also sets the <dfn>Zoom Focus</dfn>.
1645 <dl class="bindings">
1646 <dt>EP to next region sync</dt>
1647 <dd><kbd class="">;</kbd></dd>
1648 <dt>EP to prev region sync</dt>
1649 <dd><kbd class="">'</kbd></dd>
1650 <dt>cycle to next grid snap mode</dt>
1651 <dd><kbd class="">2</kbd></dd>
1652 <dt>cycle to next zoom focus</dt>
1653 <dd><kbd class="">1</kbd></dd>
1654 <dt>insert from region list</dt>
1655 <dd><kbd class="">i</kbd></dd>
1656 <dt>insert time</dt>
1657 <dd><kbd class="mod1">t</kbd></dd>
1658 <dt>move EP to playhead</dt>
1659 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Return</kbd></dd>
1660 <dt>next EP w/marker</dt>
1661 <dd><kbd class="mod1">^</kbd></dd>
1662 <dt>next EP w/o marker</dt>
1663 <dd><kbd class="">`</kbd></dd>
1665 <dd><kbd class="">k</kbd></dd>
1667 <dd><kbd class="">j</kbd></dd>
1668 <dt>trim region end to edit point</dt>
1669 <dd><kbd class="mod3">}</kbd></dd>
1670 <dt>trim region start to edit point</dt>
1671 <dd><kbd class="mod3">{</kbd></dd>
1672 <dt>trim region to end of prev region</dt>
1673 <dd><kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dd>
1674 <dt>trim region to start of next region</dt>
1675 <dd><kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dd>
1676 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1677 <dd><kbd class="">3</kbd></dd>
1678 <dt>use next grid unit</dt>
1679 <dd><kbd class="">4</kbd></dd>
1680 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1681 <dd><kbd class="mod1">3</kbd></dd>
1682 <dt>use next musical grid unit</dt>
1683 <dd><kbd class="mod1">4</kbd></dd>
1686 <h2>Aligning with the Edit Point</h2>
1688 <dfn>Align operations</dfn> move regions so that their start/end/sync
1689 point is at the edit point. <dfn>Relative</dfn> operations just align
1690 the first region and moves other selected regions to maintain relative
1694 <dl class="bindings">
1695 <dt>align end(s)</dt>
1696 <dd><kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dd>
1697 <dt>align start(s)</dt>
1699 <dt>align start(s) relative</dt>
1700 <dd><kbd class=""></kbd></dd>
1701 <dt>align sync points</dt>
1702 <dd><kbd class="mod3">a</kbd></dd>
1703 <dt>align sync points (relative)</dt>
1704 <dd><kbd class="">a</kbd></dd>
1705 <dt>range end to next prev edge</dt>
1706 <dd><kbd class="mod1">></kbd></dd>
1707 <dt>range end to next region edge</dt>
1708 <dd><kbd class="">></kbd></dd>
1709 <dt>range start to next region edge</dt>
1710 <dd><kbd class="mod1"><</kbd></dd>
1711 <dt>range start to prev region edge</dt>
1712 <dd><kbd class=""><</kbd></dd>
1715 <h2>Edit Point Playback</h2>
1717 <dl class="bindings">
1718 <dt>play edit range</dt>
1719 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Space</kbd></dd>
1720 <dt>play from EP & return</dt>
1721 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Space</kbd></dd>
1722 <dt>play selected region(s)</dt>
1723 <dd><kbd class="">h</kbd></dd>
1725 <h2>Region Operations</h2>
1726 <dl class="bindings">
1727 <dt>duplicate region (multi)</dt>
1728 <dd><kbd class="mod3">d</kbd></dd>
1729 <dt>duplicate region (once)</dt>
1730 <dd><kbd class="mod2">d</kbd></dd>
1731 <dt>export selected region(s)</dt>
1733 <dt>increase region gain</dt>
1734 <dd><kbd class="">^</kbd></dd>
1735 <dt>move to original position</dt>
1736 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1737 <dt>mute/unmute</dt>
1738 <dd><kbd class="mod1">m</kbd></dd>
1740 <dd><kbd class="">n</kbd></dd>
1741 <dt>nudge backward</dt>
1742 <dd><kbd class="kp">–</kbd></dd>
1743 <dt>nudge forward</dt>
1744 <dd><kbd class="kp">+</kbd></dd>
1745 <dt>quantize MIDI notes </dt>
1746 <dd><kbd class="">q</kbd></dd>
1747 <dt>reduce region gain</dt>
1748 <dd><kbd class="">&</kbd></dd>
1750 <dd><kbd class="mod2">r</kbd></dd>
1751 <dt>set fade in length</dt>
1752 <dd><kbd class="">/</kbd></dd>
1753 <dt>set fade out length</dt>
1754 <dd><kbd class="">\</kbd></dd>
1755 <dt>set region sync point</dt>
1756 <dd><kbd class="">v</kbd></dd>
1758 <dd><kbd class="">s</kbd></dd>
1759 <dt>toggle fade in active</dt>
1760 <dd><kbd class="mod1">/</kbd></dd>
1761 <dt>toggle fade out active</dt>
1762 <dd><kbd class="mod1">\</kbd></dd>
1764 <dd><kbd class="mod2">t</kbd></dd>
1767 <h2>Generic Editing</h2>
1769 <dl class="bindings">
1771 <dd><kbd class="mod1">c</kbd></dd>
1773 <dd><kbd class="mod1">x</kbd></dd>
1775 <dd><kbd class="">Del</kbd></dd>
1777 <dd><kbd class="mod1">v</kbd></dd>
1779 <dd><kbd class="mod1">r</kbd></dd>
1781 <dd><kbd class="mod1">z</kbd></dd>
1786 There are a few functions that refer to an <dfn>Edit Range</dfn>. The
1787 current edit range is defined using combinations of the possible edit
1788 points: <dfn>playhead</dfn>, <dfn>active marker</dfn>, or<dfn>mouse</dfn>.
1791 <dl class="bindings">
1792 <dt>all after playhead</dt>
1793 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1794 <dt>all before playhead</dt>
1795 <dd><kbd class="mod1">p</kbd></dd>
1796 <dt>all enclosed by edit range</dt>
1797 <dd><kbd class="mod1">u</kbd></dd>
1798 <dt>all present in edit range</dt>
1799 <dd><kbd class="">u</kbd></dd>
1800 <dt>convert edit range to range</dt>
1801 <dd><kbd class="">F6</kbd></dd>
1802 <dt>invert selection</dt>
1803 <dd><kbd class="mod3">i</kbd></dd>
1804 <dt>select all after EP</dt>
1805 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Shift+e</kbd></dd>
1806 <dt>select all before EP</dt>
1807 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1808 <dt>select all in loop range</dt>
1809 <dd><kbd class="mod1">l</kbd></dd>
1810 <dt>select all in punch range</dt>
1811 <dd><kbd class="mod1">d</kbd></dd>
1812 <dt>select everything</dt>
1813 <dd><kbd class="mod1">a</kbd></dd>
1814 <dt>select next track/bus</dt>
1815 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↓</kbd></dd>
1816 <dt>select previous track/bus</dt>
1817 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dd>
1819 <h2>Defining Loop, Punch Range and Tempo Changes</h2>
1820 <dl class="bindings">
1821 <dt>set loop range from edit range</dt>
1822 <dd><kbd class="">]</kbd></dd>
1823 <dt>set loop range from region(s)</dt>
1824 <dd><kbd class="mod2">]</kbd></dd>
1825 <dt>set punch range from edit range</dt>
1826 <dd><kbd class="">[</kbd></dd>
1827 <dt>set punch range from region(s)</dt>
1828 <dd><kbd class="mod2">[</kbd></dd>
1829 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from edit range</dt>
1830 <dd><kbd class="">0</kbd></dd>
1831 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from region(s)</dt>
1832 <dd><kbd class="">9</kbd></dd>
1837 title: System Configuration
1843 title: Ardour Systems
1849 title: The Right Computer System for Digital Audio
1850 menu_title: The Right Computer System
1855 It would be nice to think that you could just go and buy any computer,
1856 install a bit of software on it and start using it to record and create
1857 music. This idea isn't wrong, but there some important details that it
1861 Any computer that you can buy today (since somewhere around the end of
1862 2012) is capable of recording and processing a lot of audio data. It
1863 will come with a builtin audio interface that can accept inputs from
1864 microphones or electrical instruments. It will have a disk with a huge
1865 amount of space for storing audio files.
1868 When you are recording, editing and mixing music, you generally want to
1869 work with very little <dfn>latency</dfn> between the time that
1870 a sound is generated and when you can hear it. When the audio signal
1871 flows through a computer, that means that the computer has to be able to
1872 receive the signal, process it and send it back out again as fast as
1874 And that is where it becomes very important <em>what</em> computer system
1875 you have, because it is <strong>absolutely not</strong> the case that any
1876 computer can do this job well.
1879 Routing audio through a computer will always cause some delay, but if it
1880 is small, you will generally never notice it. There are also ways to work
1881 in which the delay does not matter at all (for example, not sending the
1882 output from the computer to speakers).
1885 The latency that you want for working with digital audio is typically in
1886 the 1–5 ms range. For comparison, if you are sitting 1 m
1887 (3 ft) from your speakers, the time the sound takes to reach your
1888 ears is about 3 ms. Any modern computer can limit the delay to
1889 100 ms. Most can keep it under 50 ms. Many will be able to get
1890 down to 10 ms without too much effort. If you try to reduce the delay
1891 on a computer that cannot meet your goal, you will get clicks and
1892 glitches in the audio, which is clearly extremely undesirable.
1895 <h2>Hardware-related Considerations</h2>
1896 <dl class="wide-table">
1897 <dt>Video interface</dt>
1898 <dd>Poorly engineered video interfaces (and/or their device drivers) can
1899 "steal" computer resources for a long time, preventing the audio interface
1900 from keeping up with the flow of data</dd>
1901 <dt>Wireless interface</dt>
1902 <dd>Poorly engineered wireless networking interfaces (and/or their device
1903 drivers) can also block the audio interface from keeping up with the flow
1905 <dt><abbr title="Universal Serial Bus">USB</abbr> ports</dt>
1906 <dd>If you are using an audio interface connected via USB, and sometimes
1907 even if you are not, the precise configuration of your system's USB ports
1908 can make a big difference. There are many cases where plugging the
1909 interface into one port will work, but using different USB port results
1910 in much worse performance. This has been seen even on Apple systems.
1912 <dt>Internal USB Hubs</dt>
1913 <dd>Ideally, you'd like your USB ports to all connect directly to the
1914 main bus inside the computer. Some laptops (and possibly some
1915 desktop systems) come wired with an internal USB hub between the
1916 ports and the system bus, which can then cause problems for various
1917 kinds of external USB devices, including some models of audio
1918 interfaces. It is very difficult to discover whether this is true or
1919 not, without simplying trying it out.</dd>
1920 <dt><abbr title="Central Processing Unit">CPU</abbr> speed control</dt>
1921 <dd>Handling audio with low latency requires that your processor keeps
1922 running at its highest speed at all times. Many portable systems try to
1923 regulate processor speed in order to save power—for low latency
1924 audio, you want this totally disabled, either in the BIOS or at the OS
1926 <dt>Excessive Interrupt Sharing</dt>
1927 <dd>If your audio interface is forced by your computer to share an
1928 interrupt line (basically a way to tell the CPU that something needs
1929 its attention) with too many, or the wrong, other devices, this can also
1930 prevent the audio interface from keeping up with the flow of data. In
1931 laptops it is generally impossible to do anything about this. In many
1932 desktop systems, it is possible at the BIOS level to reassign interrupts
1933 to work around the problem.</dd>
1934 <dt><abbr title="System Management Interrupt">SMI</abbr>s</dt>
1935 <dd>SMIs are interrupts sent by the motherboard to tell the computer
1936 about the state of various hardware. They cannot safely be disabled,
1937 but they can also take a relatively long time to process. It is better
1938 to have a motherboard which never sends SMIs at all— this is
1939 also a requirement for realtime stock trading systems, which have
1940 similar issues with latency.</dd>
1941 <dt>Hyperthreading</dt>
1942 <dd>This technology is becoming less common as actual multi-core CPUs
1943 become the norm, but it still exists and is generally not good for
1944 realtime performance. Sometimes you can disable this in the BIOS,
1945 sometimes you cannot. A processor that uses hyperthreading will be
1946 less stable in very low latency situations than one without.</dd>
1947 <dt>Excessive vibration</dt>
1948 <dd>This doesn't affect the flow of data to/from the audio interface,
1949 but it can cause the flow of data to/from your disk storage to become
1950 <em>much</em> slower. If you are going to use a computer in an
1951 environment with loud live sound (specifically, high bass volume),
1952 make sure to place it so that the disk is not subject to noticeable
1953 vibration. The vibrations will physically displace the head-write
1954 heads of disk, and the resulting errors will force a retry of the
1955 reading from the disk. Retrying over and over massively reduces the
1956 rate at which data can be read from the disk. Avoid this.</dd>
1965 Ardour is designed to work best with a <dfn>three button mouse</dfn>
1966 equipped with a <dfn>scroll wheel</dfn>.
1970 It can be used with a two button mouse or touchpad, but at least two key
1971 operations will not (easily) be available to you:
1975 <li>time-constrained region copying</li>
1976 <li><a href="/using-control-surfaces/midi-learn/"><abbr title="Musical
1977 Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> bindings</a>
1978 created by "learning" them from incoming MIDI data</li>
1982 You are strongly encouraged to invest in a three-button mouse. You will
1983 find that a good quality mouse (especially one with a weighted,
1984 latchable scroll wheel) will make your use of Ardour vastly more
1985 efficient. They are cheap, and time is not.
1989 For more detailed instructions, see
1990 <a href="/ardours-interface/basic-gui-operations/using-the-mouse/">Using the mouse</a>.
2001 title: Setting Up Your System
2006 Using a general purpose computer for recording digital audio is not
2007 trivial. This chapter will guide you through the basic steps and help
2008 you with some of the most common pitfalls on the way to a reliable and
2009 powerful audio workstation.
2013 title: Platform Specifics
2017 <h2>Platform Specifics</h2>
2020 This section of the manual collects together the collective wisdom
2021 of the user community regarding details of using Ardour on various
2031 <dfn>Ubuntu Linux</dfn> is the most popular variety of Linux in use on desktop
2032 and laptop systems. It has the backing of a for-profit corporation
2033 (Canonical Inc.), a defined philosophy and a huge and
2034 worldwide user base. As a result, it is a common platform for people
2035 who want to use Ardour and other tools for music creation and
2039 <h2>High Level Recommendations for Ubuntu Users</h2>
2041 Currently, installing pro audio applications on vanilla Ubuntu requires
2042 some configuration, in order for the user to gain realtime privilege
2044 Ubuntu Studio, which is an official flavor of Ubuntu, and thus shares
2045 the repositories with Ubuntu, has this already configured.
2046 Other distributions, such as KXStudio, and Dreamstudio are largely based
2047 on Ubuntu, and like Ubuntu Studio, has these settings preconfigured, while
2048 also containing customized versions of Ubuntu packages, which often are
2052 <h2>Installing Ardour</h2>
2054 There may be unintended differences, and even bugs in Ubuntu native
2055 packages, as a result of a different building method. For this reason,
2056 Ardour developers highly recommend you to install the official
2057 ready-to-run version of the program that you can get from <a
2058 href="https://community.ardour.org/download">ardour.org</a>, as Ubuntu native
2059 packages are not supported in official Ardour forums or other
2063 Follow these steps to install the latest version of Ardour.
2065 <li>Download the latest release from <a href="https://community.ardour.org/download">
2066 ardour.org</a>.</li>
2067 <li><kbd class="mouse">Right+Click</kbd> the downloaded file and choose
2069 <li>Click the Permissions tab and check the option "Allow this file to
2070 run as a program"</li>
2071 <li>Close the dialog and double-click the file.</li>
2072 <li>Follow the prompts.</li>
2076 <h2>Problems with the interaction between PulseAudio and JACK</h2>
2078 <h3>Background Info</h3>
2080 Like many distributions, Ubuntu has decided to use <dfn>PulseAudio</dfn> as the
2081 default audio system. PulseAudio is a rich and capable system that
2082 provides excellent services for typical users of Linux on the
2083 desktop. However, it is not capable of the type of performance that
2084 tools like Ardour require and in particular does not offer the
2085 possibility of sending audio between applications that can make the
2086 Linux audio environment a very interesting one.
2089 This would not be a problem if it were not for the fact that JACK
2090 will not run correctly (if at all) if it needs to use the same
2091 soundcard/audio interface that PulseAudio is using. And since on
2092 Ubuntu, PulseAudio is configured by default to always use the
2093 (typically single) audio interface on your computer, this is a bit
2097 The developers of JACK and PulseAudio got together in 2009 and
2098 agreed upon a mechanism by which PulseAudio and JACK could cooperate
2099 in their use of a single soundcard. Whether or not PulseAudio is running by
2100 default, when JACK starts up it sends out a request to use the
2101 soundcard. If PulseAudio is running, it will give up its use of the
2102 soundcard to allow JACK to take over (and can optionally be told to
2103 route its own audio through JACK). When JACK finishes, it sends out
2104 another message, and PulseAudio can once again use the soundcard
2107 <h3>What is the problem?</h3>
2109 The specific issues known at this time for all flavors of Ubuntu
2110 12.04 and 12.10 are:
2113 <li>a bug in PulseAudio that causes it not to give up the
2114 soundcard when JACK asks
2115 (<a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/1163638">LP:
2117 fixed in Ubuntu 13.04).</li>
2122 <samp>Cannot start JACK</samp> (though see the next section for other
2128 These bugs do not affect releases from 13.04, and earlier releases
2129 (12.04 and 12.10) are in the process of being fixed.
2132 <h2>Problems with JACK configuration</h2>
2134 <h3>What is the problem?</h3>
2136 To function as intended, JACK needs to run with access to two
2137 operating system facilities called <dfn>realtime scheduling</dfn> and
2138 <dfn>memory locking</dfn>. This means that you, the user who starts JACK, must be
2139 allowed access to these facilities. By default, Ubuntu does create a
2140 user group that has this permission but—it does not put new
2141 users into this group by default. Read more about why <a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Audio/TheAudioGroup">here</a>.
2142 Consequently, you will not have permission to run JACK in the way you should.
2146 A message like <samp>Cannot lock down memory</samp> in the output from JACK as
2147 it starts up. This output may be hidden in the Messages window of
2148 QJackctrl (aka JACK Control), so you should check there.
2153 Make sure the file /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf exists. If it is
2154 named /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf.disabled, rename it to the former.
2157 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo usermod -a -G audio
2158 <em>YOUR-LOGIN-NAME</em></kbd>
2160 Then log out and log in again. On Ubuntu Studio the user is a member of audio
2161 group by default, but not on other official flavors.
2164 <h2>Reporting Issues</h2>
2167 Given the difficulties in supporting Ubuntu and the limited time/resources
2168 of the Ardour team, the <dfn>Ubuntu Studio Project</dfn> has requested that
2169 issues and bug reports related to Ubuntu, Ubuntu Studio and other
2170 derivitives be directed to them.
2173 <h3>Contact Information for Ubuntu Studio</h3>
2175 <p><a href="http://ubuntustudio.org">The Ubuntu Studio Homepage</a></p>
2177 <p><a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=335">The Ubuntu Studio Forums.</a></p>
2179 <p><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/MailLists">Information on the Ubuntu Studio Mailing Lists.</a></p>
2181 <p><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/IRC">Information on the Ubuntu Studio IRC channel.</a> #ubuntustudio on irc.freenode.net</p>
2184 title: Microsoft Windows
2189 <dfn>Microsoft Windows</dfn> is not currently officially supported. If you are
2190 willing to live with bugs and <b>help to test</b> this platform, read on.
2193 <h2>Installing Ardour</h2>
2197 <li>Download the latest windows build from <a href="http://nightly.ardour.org/">
2198 the nightly build page</a>.</li>
2199 <li>Run the installer and follow the prompts.</li>
2203 <h2>How to help</h2>
2207 <li>Hang out in #ardour-windows on irc.freenode.net. You may ask questions
2208 there and if you can, answer questions that others have.</li>
2209 <li>Keep an eye on the <a href="https://community.ardour.org/forum/27"> Windows
2210 forum</a> and contribute to the discussions there.</li>
2211 <li>Update this manual via pull requests on <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/manual">github<a/>.</li>
2221 Under <dfn>KDE Plasma 5</dfn>, plugin and various other windows will not stay
2222 on top of any main window; therefore a workaround is required.
2225 <h2>Workaround for ancillary windows not staying on top in KDE Plasma 5</h2>
2228 In order to force ancillary windows in Ardour to stay on top, the following
2229 steps are necessary:
2233 <li>Launch the <kbd class="menu">System Settings</kbd> application.</li>
2234 <li>Open <kbd class="menu">Workspace > Window Managment</kbd>.</li>
2235 <li>Select <kbd class="menu">Window Rules</kbd> in the left-hand sidebar. It
2236 should default to the <kbd class="menu">Window matching</kbd> tab.</li>
2237 <li>Click on the <kbd class="button">New...</kbd> button.</li>
2238 <li>On the line that says <kbd class="menu">Window class (application)</kbd>,
2239 set the combo box to <kbd class="menu">Substring Match</kbd> and type <kbd
2240 class="user">ardour</kbd> in the text entry field.</li>
2241 <li>In the list box that is labeled <kbd class="menu">Window types:</kbd>,
2242 click on the option <kbd class="menu">Dialog Window</kbd>, then press and
2243 hold <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> while clicking on the second option <kbd
2244 class="menu">Utility Window</kbd>.</li>
2245 <li>Select the <kbd class="menu">Arrangement & Access</kbd> tab.</li>
2246 <li>Check the box next to the <kbd class="menu">Keep above</kbd> option. On
2247 the same line, select <kbd class="menu">Force</kbd> from the combo box, then
2248 click on the <kbd class="menu">Yes</kbd> radio button for that line.</li>
2249 <li>Click on the <kbd class="button">OK</kbd> button to dismiss the dialog.
2254 At this point you can close the <kbd class="menu">System Settings</kbd>
2258 <h3>Background Info</h3>
2261 <a href="https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=172615#c26">According to one of
2262 the lead KDE developers</a>, they are not willing to follow the <abbr
2263 title="Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual">ICCCM</abbr> standard
2264 for utility windows. Apparently they are alone in this understanding, as
2265 plugin windows on Ardour under Linux work out of the box on every other <abbr
2266 title="Window Manager">WM</abbr> out there.
2270 Under KDE 4, there was a workaround in Ardour (<kbd class="menu">Preferences
2271 > Theme > All floating windows are dialogs</kbd>) that would "trick"
2272 KDE into forcing certain window types to be on top of their parent windows,
2273 but this no longer works under KDE Plasma 5.
2284 title: Connecting Audio and MIDI Devices
2288 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
2291 title: Using More Than One Audio Device
2296 Ardour will only ever deal with a single <dfn>audio device</dfn>. If you
2297 want to use more than one, you have two choices:
2302 If you want to use Ardour to start JACK (which handles all
2303 audio I/O) you will need to create a "fake" audio device on your
2304 computer the represents all the multiple devices you wish to
2305 use. How to do this is platform dependent and described below.
2308 Use a different tool to start JACK and manage all the devices.
2313 Ardour is fundamentally designed to be a component in a
2314 pro-audio/music creation environment. Standard operating practice
2315 for such setups involves using only a single digital <dfn>sample
2316 clock</dfn> (something counting off the time between audio samples).
2317 This means that trying to use multiple independent soundcards is
2318 problematic, because each soundcard has its own sample clock, running
2319 independently from the others. Over time, these different clocks
2321 out of sync with each other, which causes glitches in the audio. You
2322 cannot stop this drift, although in some cases the effects may be
2323 insignificant enough that some people might not care about them.
2327 Thus in an ideal world you should not use multiple independent
2328 soundcards but instead use a single device with a single clock and all
2329 the inputs, outputs and other features that you need.
2333 Of course, a lot of people don't live in an ideal world, and believe
2334 that software should make up for this.
2339 In CoreAudio, <dfn>aggregate devices</dfn> provide a method to use
2340 multiple soundcards as a single device. For example, you can
2341 aggregate two 8-channel devices so that you can record 16 channels
2346 If you are using a <em>single</em> typical 3rd party
2347 audio interface (such as those from Apogee, RME, Presonus, and many
2348 others), <em>or</em> you are using JackPilot or a similar
2349 application to start JACK, you do not need to worry about this.<br />
2350 You will need to set up an aggregate device only if either
2351 of the following conditions are true:
2354 <li>You want to use two entirely separate
2355 devices <em>and</em> want to start JACK using Ardour.</li>
2356 <li>You want to use your <dfn>builtin audio device</dfn> <em>and</em>
2357 want to start JACK using Ardour.</li>
2358 <li>You want to use more than two entirely separate devices</li>
2362 In the case of your builtin audio device, you will need to create
2363 an aggregate device that combines "Builtin Input" and "Builtin
2364 Output" into one device.
2367 The precise instructions for creating an aggregate device on OS X
2368 have varied from one released to another. Please read <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202000">https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202000</a>
2373 Please see the instructions at <a href="http://jackaudio.org/faq" title="http://jackaudio.org/faq">http://jackaudio.org/faq</a>
2384 title: Preferences and Session Properties
2389 Ardour splits its configuration options into two categories:
2393 Global <dfn>preferences</dfn> control general workflow and system
2394 configuration, and should apply to all sessions. They are located in
2395 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences</kbd> and stored in
2396 Ardour's <dfn>user configuration file</dfn> in your home directory.
2398 <li><dfn>Session properties</dfn> control aspects of the workflow or
2399 configuration that pertain to the current session only. You can find them
2400 in <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>, and they will be stored
2401 in the session file.
2406 title: Global Preferences Dialog
2407 menu_title: Global Preferences
2412 These preferences apply to all Ardour sessions.
2415 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_misc.png" alt="ardour preferences
2420 menu_title: Misc Tab
2425 This tab contains settings that do not belong on the other tabs.
2428 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_misc.png" alt="preferences
2434 <strong>DSP CPU Utilization</strong> sets how many cpu processors can be
2435 used to do signal processing. It can be set to use one up to all
2447 <strong>Limit undo history</strong> sets how many commands can be
2448 undone using <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> or
2449 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo</kbd>.
2455 <strong>Save undo history</strong> sets how many commands are saved so
2456 they are available to be undone after reopening the session.
2462 <strong>Verify removal of last capture</strong> when enabled prompts to
2463 verify removal the last recording capture when
2464 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Remove Last Capture</kbd> is executed.
2470 <strong>Make periodic backups of the session file</strong> will create
2471 a backup session file after changes to the timeline. The backup file is
2472 the session name followed by <em>.ardour.bak</em>. The backup can be
2473 used to recover from crashes when the session had not been explicitly
2482 <dfn>Session Management</dfn>
2487 <strong>Always copy imported files</strong> selects, and then disables
2488 changes to, the <em>Copy files to session</em> option in the
2489 <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/import-dialog/">
2490 Add Existing Media</a> dialog.
2496 <strong>Default folder for new sessions:</strong> defalts the folder
2497 where Ardour will create new session folders. This is used in the
2498 <em>Session Setup</em> dialog displayed by
2499 <kbd class="menu">Session > New</kbd>.
2505 <strong>Maximum number of recent sessions:</strong> determines how many
2506 of the last opened sessions shows in the
2507 <em>Recent Sessions</em> dialog displayed by
2508 <kbd class="menu">Session > Recent</kbd>.
2521 <strong>Click audio file:</strong> sets a user defined sound to be
2522 played when Ardour's metronome is enabled in the
2523 <a href="/controlling-playback/using-the-transport-bar/">
2529 <strong>Click emphasis audio file:</strong> sets an optional different
2530 metronome sound to be played on the downbeat.
2535 <strong>Click gain level:</strong> allows the metronome's click sounds
2536 to be boosted or attenuated.
2544 <dfn>Automation</dfn>
2549 <strong>Thinning factor</strong> ranges from 0 to 1000 with larger
2550 values sending fewer automation changes. Thinning is like lossy
2551 audio compression, removing data that is less likely to be noticed,
2552 although the more you remove the more likely the loss will be noticed.
2553 The advantage to thinning is reduced CPU usage.
2558 <strong>Automation sampling interval</strong> ranges from 1 to
2559 1000 ms. Determines how frequently the automation input is
2560 sampled. The shorter the interval the higher the accuracy but also
2561 the higher the CPU requirements.
2569 title: Transport Tab
2570 menu_title: Transport Tab
2575 This tab contains settings that relate to the behavior of the
2576 <a href="/controlling-playback/using-the-transport-bar">Transport Bar</a>
2577 and <a href="/synchronization/">Synchronization</a>.
2580 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_transport.png" alt="preferences
2586 <strong>Keep record-enable engaged on stop</strong> leaves the global
2587 record-enable engaged after transport is stopped. Does not affect track
2588 level record-enable which is never changed on stop.
2594 <strong>Play loop is a transport mode</strong> changes the behavior of the
2595 loop button, turning it into a toggle. When enabled, the loop button does
2596 not start playback but forces playback to always play the loop. Looping
2597 stays engaged when the transport is stopped. Playback continues where the
2598 transport stopped and continues to loop.
2601 When disabled, the loop button starts playing the loop but stop then
2602 cancels loop playback.
2607 <strong>Stop recording when an xrun occurs</strong> will stop the transport
2608 when an xrun occurs during recording, ensuring no audible glitches are
2614 <strong>Create markers where xruns occur</strong> will create a new
2615 <a href="/working-with-markers/">marker</a> when an xrun occurs during
2616 recording at the location of the xrun. This marks where possible xruns
2617 might produce audible glitches when stopping on xruns is disabled.
2622 <strong>Stop at the end of the session</strong> causes the transport to
2623 stop during playback when it reaches the end marker. Behavior during
2624 recording is not changed.
2629 <strong>Do seamless looping</strong> removes any clicks that might
2630 otherwise be audible when the transport moves from the end of the loop
2631 range back to the beginning.
2636 <strong>Disable per-track record disarm while rolling</strong>, when
2637 enabled, will not allow the any track's record-enable to be disarmed
2638 during record, preventing accidentally stopping the recording of a take.
2643 <strong>12dB gain reduction during fast-forward and fast-rewind</strong>
2644 when enabled will reduce the unpleasant increase in perceived volume
2645 that occurs when fast-forwarding or rewinding through some kinds of audio.
2650 <strong>Sync/Slave</strong>
2654 <strong>External timecode source</strong> determines which external
2655 source to use when Ardour is using an external
2656 <a href="/synchronization/">synchronization</a> source. Depending
2657 on the timecode source chosen, additional preference options are
2663 <strong>Match session video frame rate to external timecode</strong>
2664 controls the value of the video frame rate <em>while chasing</em>
2665 an external timecode source.
2668 When enabled, the session video frame rate will be changed to match
2669 that of the selected external timecode source.
2672 When disabled, the session video frame rate will not be changed to
2673 match that of the selected external timecode source. Instead, the
2674 frame rate indication in the main clock will flash red and Ardour
2675 will convert between the external timecode standard and the session
2681 <strong>Sync-lock timecode to clock</strong> can disable drift
2685 When enabled, Ardour will never varispeed when slaved to external
2686 timecode. Sync Lock indicates that the selected external timecode
2687 source shares clock-sync (Black & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with
2688 the audio interface. This options disables drift compensation.
2689 The transport speed is fixed at 1.0. Vari-speed LTC will be ignored
2693 When disabled, Ardour will compensate for potential drift regardless
2694 if the timecode sources shares clock sync.
2699 <strong>Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</strong>, when
2700 enabled, will force Ardour to assume the external timecode source
2701 uses 29.97 fps instead of 30000/1001.
2702 SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97 df as 30000/1001. The spec
2703 further mentions that drop-frame timecode has an accumulated error
2704 of -86 ms over a 24 hour period. Drop-frame timecode would
2705 compensate exactly for an NTSC color frame rate of 30 * 0.9990 (i.e.
2706 29.970000). That is not the actual rate. However, some vendors use
2707 that rate—despite it being against the specs—because the
2708 variant of using exactly 29.97 fps has zero timecode drift.
2715 <strong>LTC Reader</strong> specifies which incoming port will provide
2720 <strong>LTC Generator</strong>
2724 <strong>Enable LTC generator</strong>, when enabled Ardour will
2725 output an LTC timecode signal on it's <em>LTC-out</em> port.
2730 <strong>Send LTC while stopped</strong>, when enabled Ardour will
2731 continue to send LTC information even while the transport (playhed) is
2737 <strong>LTC generator level:</strong> specifies the peak volume of
2738 the generated LTC signal in dbFS. A good value is 0dBu^=-18dbFS in an
2739 EBU calibrated system.
2748 menu_title: Editor Tab
2753 This tab contains settings that affect behavior in the <dfn>Editor</dfn>
2754 window when <a href="/editing-and-arranging">Editing and Arranging</a>.
2757 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_editor.png" alt="preferences
2763 <strong>Allow dragging of the playhead</strong>, when enabled, allows
2764 dragging the playhead with the mouse in the <strong>Editor</strong> window.
2769 <strong>Move relevant automation when audio regions are moved</strong>,
2770 when enabled, causes automation data to stay with a region when the
2771 region is moved inside the playlist. When disabled, the automation is
2772 not affected by movement of regions.
2777 <strong>Show meters on tracks in the editor</strong>, when enabled, shows
2778 a small meter in the <strong>Editor</strong> window with each track. The
2779 meter is shown in the left side area along with the track name and buttons.
2784 <strong>Display master-meter in the toolbar</strong> when enabled displays
2785 a small copy of the master bus meter in the toolbar.
2790 <strong>Default fade shape:</strong> sets which
2791 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/create-region-fades-and-crossfades/">
2792 fade shape</a> is the default.
2797 <strong>Regions in active edit groups are edited together:</strong> sets
2798 the criteria to see if editing actions apply to tracks grouped together
2804 <strong>Make rubberband selection rectangle snap to the grid</strong> when
2805 enabled uses the grid when
2806 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/select-regions/">selecting regions</a>
2807 with a rubberband rectangle.
2812 <strong>Show waveforms in regions</strong> when enabled shows a visual
2813 representation of the region's audio waveform. Changes to this setting
2814 take affect after restarting Ardour.
2819 <strong>Show gain envelopes in audio regions:</strong> sets the criteria
2820 for displaying the gain envelope in audio regions.
2825 <strong>Waveform scale:</strong> when waveforms are shown in audio region
2826 they can be displayed using a <em>linear</em> or a <em>logarithmic</em>
2828 See <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/waveform-display/">
2829 Waveform disply</a>.
2834 <strong>Waveform shape:</strong> when waveforms are shown in audio region
2835 they can be displayed using a <em>traditional</em> or a <em>rectified</em>
2837 See <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/waveform-display/">
2838 Waveform disply</a>.
2843 <strong>Waveform Clip Level (dBFS):</strong> sets the level at which the
2844 waveform shown in an audio region will be drawn in red to indicate
2845 clipping. Setting lower than 0.0 dBFS can be useful if any tool in
2846 the audio chain has problems near 0.0 dBFS.
2851 <strong>Show waveform for audio while it is being recorded</strong> when
2852 enabled, will draw the audio waveform in regions being recorded. When
2853 disabled only a region block will be drawn while recording reducing CPU
2859 <strong>Show zoom toolbar</strong> when enabled shows a toolbar for
2860 zoom functions. When disabled the zoom commands are still available
2861 with keyboard short-cuts and the View menu. Changes to this setting
2862 take affect after restarting Ardour.
2867 <strong>Update editor window during drags of the summary</strong> when
2868 enabled the contents of the editor window will redraw the tracks area
2869 as the selection rectangle in the summary area is moved or resized. The
2870 summary area is at the bottom of the editor and shows an overview of all
2871 regions on the timelime.
2876 <strong>Name new markers</strong> when enabled, popup a dialog when a new
2877 <a href="/working-with-markers/">marker</a> is created. This allows
2878 markers to be named as they are created.
2883 <strong>Auto-scroll editor window when dragging near its edges</strong>
2884 when enabled will scroll the editor window automatically when dragging a
2885 region. This can make it easier to see where to position the region.
2890 <strong>After splitting selected regions, select</strong> determines which,
2891 if any, regions are selected after a split operation. The options are no
2892 regions, the regions created by the split, and if more than one region
2893 was selected to start with, the existing selection and the new regions.
2894 Changes to this setting take affect after restarting Ardour.
2901 menu_title: Audio Tab
2906 This tab contains settings for handling audio.
2909 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_audio.png" alt="preferences
2915 <strong>Buffering</strong> settings determine how many seconds of audio
2916 off of disk will be buffered in memory. Longer settings reduce the risk
2917 of buffer under-runs but consume more memory. The default value is
2924 <strong>Playback</strong> sets how many seconds of audio Ardour will
2925 buffer during playback.
2930 <strong>Recording</strong> sets how many seconds of audio Ardour will
2931 buffer during recording.
2939 <strong>Monitoring</strong>
2944 <strong>Record monitoring handled by:</strong> determines whether
2945 Ardour provides monitoring of incoming audio or whether
2946 monitoring is provided by hardware. See
2947 <a href="/recording/monitoring/">Monitoring</a> for more information.
2952 <strong>Tape machine mode</strong> when enabled defaults new audio
2953 tracks to tape machine mode. See
2954 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">Track Types</a>
2955 for more information.
2963 <strong>Conection of tracks and busses</strong>
2968 <strong>Auto-connect master/monitor busses</strong>
2973 <strong>Connect track inputs:</strong>
2978 <strong>Connect track and bus outputs:</strong>
2986 <strong>Denormals</strong> are a specific type of very small numbers that
2987 can cause issues with CPU consumption when using some plugins in some
2991 Ardour provides two methods of handling the issue. Try different
2992 combinations of these settings to to find the setting that minimizes CPU
2998 <strong>Use DC bias to protect against denormals</strong> adds a small
2999 constant value to numbers to move the numbers away from zero.
3004 <strong>Processor handling</strong>, if the computer's hardware
3005 supports it, offers two methods that can be used individually or
3006 combined. Flush to zero and denormals are zero.
3014 <strong>Plugins</strong>
3019 <strong>Silence plugins when the transport is stopped</strong>
3024 <strong>Make new plugins active</strong> when enabled, will activate
3025 a plugin when it is added to a track or bus
3026 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">Processor Box</a>.
3034 <strong>Regions</strong>
3039 <strong>Enable automatic analysis of audio</strong>
3044 <strong>Replicate missing region channels</strong>
3052 title: Solo/Mute Tab
3053 menu_title: Solo/Mute Tab
3058 This tab contains settings that affect the use of
3059 <a href="/mixing/muting-and-soloing/">solo, muting</a>, and
3060 <a href="/mixing/panning/">panning</a>.
3063 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_solomute.png" alt="preferences
3069 <strong>Solo</strong>
3074 <strong>Solo-in-place mute cut</strong> sets the attenuation of the
3075 the other tracks when another track is soloed in place. This setting
3076 is also available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor section.
3081 <strong>Solo controls are Listen controls</strong> when enabled the
3082 soloed track is soloed only on the monitor bus, the master fader mix
3083 is not affected by the solo. This option can also be set by enabling
3084 pre-fader listen or after-fader listen in the <strong>Mixer</strong>
3090 <strong>Listen Position:</strong> determines what is listened to when
3091 the solo controls are used as listen controls. The options are
3092 after-fader or pre-fader.
3097 <strong>PFL signals come from:</strong> determines whether the
3098 pre-fader listen position is before or after the pre-fader processors.
3103 <strong>AFL signals come from:</strong> determines whether the
3104 after-fader listen position is before or after the after-fader
3110 <strong>Exclusive solo</strong> when enabled will only solo that last
3111 track selected for solo. Previously soloed tracks will be un-soloed.
3112 This setting is also available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor
3118 <strong>Show solo muting</strong> when enabled outlines the mute
3119 button on tracks and busses when another track is soloed.
3124 <strong>Soloing overrides muting</strong> when enabled allows a track
3125 to be heard when it is soloed while muted. This setting is also
3126 available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor section.
3134 <strong>Default track/bus muting options</strong> sets the muting options
3135 for a newly created tracks or bus. The mute options for an existing track
3136 or bus are changed by the right-click context menu on a mute button.
3141 <strong>Mute affects pre-fader sends</strong> when enabled pre-fader
3142 sends will be muted by default.
3147 <strong>Mute affects post-fader sends</strong> when enabled post-fader
3148 sends will be muted by default.
3153 <strong>Mute affects control outputs</strong> when enabled control
3154 outputs are muted by default.
3159 <strong>Mute affects main outputs</strong> when enabled main outputs
3160 are muted by default.
3168 <strong>Send Routing</strong> affects
3169 <a href="/signal-routing/aux-sends/">aux and external sends</a>.
3174 <strong>Link panners of Aux and External Sends with main panner by
3175 default</strong> When enabled, sends follow the channel panner.
3178 When disabled, sends can panned independently of the channel panner
3179 and fader. Double clicking the send in the processor box toggles
3180 the main panner and fader between the aux send and the channel.
3189 menu_title: MIDI Tab
3194 This tab contains settings related to the use of MIDI inside Ardour.
3197 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_midi.png" alt="preferences
3203 <strong>MIDI read-ahead time</strong>
3209 <strong>Send MIDI Clock</strong> when enabled Ardour will generate MIDI
3210 clock on the <code>ardour:MIDI clock out</code> JACK port.
3216 <strong>Send MIDI Time Code</strong> when enabled Ardour will generate MIDI
3217 time code on the <code>ardour:MTC out</code> JACK port.
3223 <strong>Percentage either side of normal transport speed to transmit MTC:</strong> MIDI time code generation will be disabled when the transport speed is
3224 greater than normal sped plus this percentage or less than normal minus
3231 <strong>Obey MIDI Machine Control commands</strong> when enabled Ardour
3232 will respond to MIDI Machine Control commands received on the
3233 <code>ardour:MMC in</code> JACK port.
3239 <strong>Send MIDI Machine Control commands</strong> when enabled Ardour
3240 will send MIDI Machine Control commands on the <code>ardour:MMC out</code>
3247 <strong>Send MIDI control feedback</strong>
3253 <strong>Inbound MMC device ID:</strong> is the only device ID Ardour will
3254 respond to when an MMC command is received on the
3255 <code>ardour:MMC in</code> JACK port.
3261 <strong>Outbound MMC device ID:</strong> is the MIDI device ID Ardour will
3262 use when it sends MMC commands.
3268 <strong>Initial program change:</strong> Ardour will send a MIDI program
3269 change message on the <code>ardour:MMC out</code> JACK port when a session
3270 is loaded and whenever this field is changed. A value of -1 is for don't
3271 send any program change message.
3277 <strong>Display first MIDI bank/program as 0</strong>
3283 <strong>Never display periodic MIDI messages</strong>
3289 <strong>Sound MIDI notes as they are selected</strong>
3295 <strong>Midi Audition Synth</strong>
3301 title: User Interaction Tab
3302 menu_title: User Interaction Tab
3307 This tab contains settings that affect the user's interaction with
3308 <a href="/ardours-interface">Ardours interface</a>.
3311 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_interaction.png" alt="preferences
3312 user interaction tab"/>
3317 <strong>Use translations</strong>
3322 <strong>Keyboard</strong>
3327 <strong>Edit using:</strong> Use this keyboard and mouse combination
3328 to edit a region's name, and for audio, the region gain.
3333 <strong>Delete using:</strong>
3338 <strong>Insert note using</strong> Using this mouse and keyboard
3339 combination allows MIDI note drawing while the <strong>Editor</strong>
3345 <strong>Ignore snap using:</strong> This mouse and keyboard combination
3346 temporarily changes the
3347 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid/">snap mode</a> to
3348 <strong>No Grid</strong>.
3353 <strong>Keyboard layout:</strong>
3361 title: Control Surfaces Tab
3362 menu_title: Control Surfaces Tab
3367 This tab contains settings for control surfaces. Also see
3368 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/">Using Control Surfaces</a>.
3371 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_control_surfaces.png" alt="preferences
3372 control surfaces tab"/>
3375 Enable a <dfn>Control Surface Protocol</dfn> and double-click on it to edit
3376 protocol specific settings. Enable feedback to allow Ardour to send position
3377 information back to a control surface.
3381 <strong>Control surface remote ID:</strong> can follow the order of the mixer
3382 or be user assigned.
3387 menu_title: Video Tab
3392 This tab contains settings related to handling of Video.
3395 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_video.png" alt="preferences
3401 <strong>Advanced Setup (remote video server)</strong>
3406 <strong>Video Server URL:</strong>
3411 <strong>Video Folder:</strong>
3418 <strong>Show Video Export Info before export</strong>
3423 <strong>Show Video Server Startup Dialog</strong>
3430 menu_title: Plugins Tab
3435 This tab contains settings that control the discovery and availability of
3439 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_plugins.png" alt="preferences
3445 <strong>General</strong>
3450 <strong>Scan for Plugins</strong> will initiate an immediate scan of
3451 the system for available plugins.
3456 <strong>Always Display Plugin Scan Progress</strong> When enabled a
3457 popup window showing plugin scan progress is displayed for indexing
3458 (cache load) and discovery (detect new plugins).
3463 <strong>Scan Time Out</strong> Specify the default timeout for plugin
3464 instantiation in 1/10 seconds. Plugins that require more time to load
3465 will be blacklisted. A value of 0 disables the timeout.
3473 <strong>VST</strong>
3478 <strong>Clear VST Cache</strong> Remove all VST plugins from the list
3479 of plugins available to be inserted into the processor box.
3484 <strong>Clear VST Blacklist</strong> Make blacklisted VST plugins
3485 available to be added to the processor box.
3490 <strong>Scan for [new] VST Plugins on Application Start</strong> When
3491 enabled new VST plugins are searched, tested and added to the cache
3492 index on application start. When disabled new plugins will only be
3493 available after triggering a 'Scan' manually.
3498 <strong>Linux VST Path:</strong> Launch a dialog to manage the
3499 directories that will be searched for Linux VST plugins.
3513 This tab contains settings that affect
3514 <a href="/ardours-interface/">Ardour's Interface</a>.
3517 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_gui.png" alt="preferences
3523 <strong>Graphically indicate mouse pointer hovering</strong>
3528 <strong>Use name highlight bars in region display</strong> When enabled the
3529 region name is displayed, in the editor, in it's own bar at the bottom of
3530 the region. When disabled, the region name is display at the top of the
3531 region, possibly over audio waveforms or MIDI notes.
3536 <strong>Font scaling</strong> allows the display size of some text in the
3537 user interface to be scaled up or down. May require a restart to take
3543 <strong>Update transport clock display at FPS</strong> when enabled the transport clock
3544 will update at the synchronization framerate instead of the default 100 ms rate.
3549 <strong>Lock timeout</strong> Lock GUI after this many idle seconds (zero to never
3550 lock). GUI may also be locked with <kbd class="menu">Session > Lock</kbd>. When
3551 locked a dialog will display a "Click to unlock" button.
3556 <strong>Mixer Strip</strong> Enable (checked) or disable (unchecked) display of
3557 controls in the mixer strip. Controls whose display can be toggled are
3558 <strong>Input</strong>, <strong>Phase Invert</strong>,
3559 <strong>Record & Monitor</strong>, <strong>Solo Iso/Lock</strong>,
3560 <strong>Output</strong>, and <strong>Comments</strong>.
3565 <strong>Use narrow strips in the mixer by default</strong> When enabled, new mixer
3566 strips are created in narrow format. When disabled, they are created in wide format.
3567 Existing mixer strips width can be toggled with the width control at the top left of
3575 menu_title: Metering Tab
3580 This tab contains settings that affect <a href="/ardours-interface/meters/">
3581 Metering</a> in Ardour.
3584 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_metering.png" alt="preferences
3590 <strong>Peak hold time:</strong> Some meter types that have a peak
3591 indicator that has a user controlled hold time. The options are off, short,
3597 <strong>DPM fall-off:</strong>
3602 <strong>Meter line-up level; 0 dBu:</strong>
3607 <strong>IEC1/DIN Meter line-up level; 0 dBu:</strong>
3612 <strong>VU Meter standard:</strong>
3617 <strong>Peak threshold[dBFS]:</strong>
3622 <strong>LED meter style</strong>
3629 menu_title: Theme Tab
3634 This tab contains settings that change the visual appearence of Ardour.
3637 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_theme.png" alt="preferences
3643 <strong>Restore Defaults</strong> When clicked will change all settings
3644 on the Theme tab back to Ardour's default values.
3649 <strong>All floating windows are dialogs</strong> When enabled Ardour will
3650 use type "Dialog" for all floating windows instead of using type
3651 "Utility" for some of them. This may help usability with some
3652 window managers. This setting requires a restart of Ardour to take effect.
3657 <strong>Transient windows follow front window</strong> When enabled
3658 transient windows will follow the front window when toggling between the
3659 editor and mixer. This setting requires a restart of Ardour to take effect.
3664 <strong>Draw "flat" buttons</strong> When enabled button controls
3665 in the user interface will be drawn with a flat look. When disabled button
3666 controls will have a slight 3D appearence.
3671 <strong>Blink Rec-Arm buttons</strong> When enabled the record-armed
3672 buttons on tracks will blink when they are armed but not currently
3673 recording. When disabled the record-armed buttons on tracks will be
3674 outlined in red instead of blinking.
3679 <strong>Color regions using their track's color</strong> When enabled
3680 the background color of regions in the editor will be displayed using the
3681 the color assigned to the track. When disabled the default region
3682 background color will be used.
3687 <strong>Show waveform clipping</strong> When enalbled the waveform
3688 displayed will show peaks marked in red if they exceed the clip level. The
3689 Waveform Clip Level is set with a slider on the Preferences
3690 <a href="/preferences-and-session-properties/preferences-dialog/editor/">
3696 <strong>Icon Set</strong> Changes the mouse cursor icons used to indicate
3697 different tool modes in the editor. An example would be the icons used to
3698 indicate whether the cursor will select a region or change the length of a
3704 <strong>Waveforms color gradient depth</strong> Determines how much
3705 gradient effect is applied to audio waveforms displayed in the editor.
3706 Values range from 0.00, no graident effect, to 0.95, maximum effect.
3711 <strong>Timeline item gradient depth</strong> Determines how much
3712 gradient effect is applied to the backgrounds of regions displayed in the
3713 editor. Values range from 0.00, no graident effect, to 0.95, maximum
3719 <strong>Colors</strong> The color of an item in the user interface is
3720 determined by which named color is assigned to it, the color displayed for
3721 each named color in the palette, and in some cases, the transparency of
3727 <strong>Items</strong> Each display item has a named color assigned to
3728 it from the palette. Example color names are
3729 "meter color9" and "color 4".
3732 Click on an item's color example to change the named color choice.
3737 <strong>Palette</strong> Hover over a color to display it's name. Click
3738 on a color to open a color chooser dialog.
3743 <strong>Transparency</strong> Some items have a transparency value.
3744 Transparency can be changed from opaque to totally transparent.
3752 title: Session Properties Dialog
3753 menu_title: Session Properties
3757 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_timecode.png" alt="session properties dialog"/>
3760 This dialog allows you to change settings for the current session. These
3761 settings are initially set from the template used to create the session. To
3762 open the dialog use <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>
3767 menu_title: Timecode Tab
3771 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_timecode.png" alt="session properties timecode tab"/>
3774 This tab is used to change how Ardour interprets and manipulates timecode.
3779 Timecode Settings lets you set the number of frames per second
3780 and pull up/down to match the timecode used other synchronized systems.
3783 External Timecode Offsets allows Ardour to a fixed offset from other
3784 synchronized systems. <dfn>Slave Timecode offset</dfn> adds the
3785 specified offset to the recieved timecode (MTC or LTC).
3786 <dfn>Timecode Generator offset</dfn> adds the specified offset to
3787 the timecode generated by Ardour (so far only LTC).
3790 Jack Transport / Time Settings determines whether Ardour controls
3791 Bar|Beat|Tick and other information for Jack.
3797 menu_title: Sync Tab
3801 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_sync.png" alt="session properties sync tab"/>
3804 This tab is used to modify the timecode settings when working with video to
3805 use the imported video's timecode settings instead of the session defaults.
3810 menu_title: Fades Tab
3814 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_fades.png" alt="session properties fades tab"/>
3817 Change how Ardour works with region crossfades.
3822 <dfn>Destructive crossfade length</dfn> is used when an operation on a
3823 region is destructive, such as when recording in a track is in tape mode.
3826 When <dfn>Region fades</dfn> <strong>active</strong> is checked, the
3827 region fades set up in the mixer are used during playback. When unchecked,
3828 the fades are ignored.
3831 When <strong>Region fades visible</strong> is checked the region fades are visible
3832 in the the <strong>Editor</strong>.
3838 menu_title: Media Tab
3842 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_media.png" alt="session properties media tab"/>
3845 Change how sound is stored on disk. These options do not change how sound is handled
3851 <dfn>Sample format</dfn> defaults to 32-bit floating point, the same as
3852 the internal representation. 24 and 16-bit integer representation are
3856 <strong>File type</strong> options are WAVE, WAVE-64, and CAF.
3861 title: Locations Tab
3862 menu_title: Locations Tab
3866 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_locations.png" alt="session properties locations tab"/>
3869 These options add file locations that will be searched to find the audio and
3870 midi files used by the session. This is useful when the files have been
3871 imported into the session but not copied into the session.
3875 To add a location, navigate to the directory where the files are stored.
3876 Drill down into the directory and then click open. The directory will
3877 show up in the dialog. The remove button next to the added directory can be used
3878 to remove it from the search path.
3882 title: Filenames Tab
3883 menu_title: Filenames Tab
3887 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_filenames.png" alt="session properties filenames tab"/>
3890 This tab is used to change how Ardour names recorded regions.
3891 If <dfn>Prefix track number</dfn> is selected a unique number will appear on each track
3892 in the <dfn>Editor</dfn> window and will prefix the region name. If the track number
3893 is 2 and the region would have been Gtr-1.1 with track number prefix turned on the region
3894 will be named 2_Gtr-1.1 instead. See XX for base of the region name.
3898 If <dfn>Prefix take name</dfn> is selected and the <dfn>Take name</dfn> has Take1 the region
3899 will have the name Take1_Gtr-1.1 instead. If both boxes are checked the name will be
3900 Take1_2_Gtr-1.1 instead.
3904 When <dfn>Prefix take name</dfn> is enabled, the first time a track is recorded it will
3905 have the specified take name. When recording is stopped, any trailing number on the
3906 end of the take name will incremented by 1. If the track name specified doen't have
3907 a number on the end, the number 1 will be suffixed.
3911 title: Monitoring Tab
3912 menu_title: Monitoring Tab
3917 Provides options affecting monitoring.
3920 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_monitoring.png" alt="session properties monitoring tab"/>
3923 The <strong>Track Input Monitoring automatically follows transport state</strong>
3924 affects how input monitoring is handling. See
3925 <a href="/recording/monitoring/monitor-setup-in-ardour/">Monitor Setup in Ardour</a>.
3928 <img class="left" src="/images/a4_monitoring_section.png" alt="monitoring section"/>
3931 The 'Use monitor section' displays an extra section in the <strong>Mixer</strong>
3932 window that is modelled on the similiarly named section on large analog consoles.
3936 title: Meterbridge Tab
3937 menu_title: Meterbridge Tab
3942 The meters from audio tracks always display in the <dfn>Meterbridge</dfn>.
3943 This tab changes what additional controls are also displayed.
3946 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_meterbridge.png" alt="session properties meterbridge tab"/>
3950 <dfn>Route Display</dfn> has options for showing midi tracks, busses, and the master bus.
3953 <dfn>Button Area</dfn> has options for adding record enable, mute, solo, and input monitor buttons.
3956 <dfn>Name Labels</dfn> adds the track name and, if numbers are enabled on the filenames tab, the number.
3960 <img src="/images/a4_meterbridge_full.png" alt="image of meterbidge with all options on"/>
3964 menu_title: Misc Tab
3969 This tab has several things that don't fit on the other tabs.
3972 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_misc.png" alt="session properties misc tab"/>
3976 <dfn>MIDI Options</dfn>
3979 If <dfn>MIDI region copies are independent</dfn> is selected, when a
3980 MIDI region is copied or duplicated, the new region is not linked to
3981 the region it was copied from. If it is not selected, the copied regions
3982 are linked and any editing of one of the linked regions changes all
3983 of the linked regions.
3986 The <dfn>Editor</dfn> can be configured to handle overlapping MIDI notes
3989 <li>never allow them</li>
3990 <li>don't do anything in particular</li>
3991 <li>replace any overlapped existing notes</li>
3992 <li>shorten the overlapped existing note</li>
3993 <li>shorten the overlapped new note</li>
3994 <li>replace both overlapping notes with a single note</li>
4000 <dfn>Glue to bars and beats</dfn>
4002 <li>New markers can be glued to bars and beats</li>
4003 <li>New regions can be glued to bars and beats</li>
4007 Settings from the session properties dialogs can be saved to the
4008 default session template.
4020 title: Controlling Ardour with OSC
4022 include: controlling-ardour-with-osc.html
4026 title: Controlling Ardour with OSC (Ardour 4.7 and Prior)
4028 include: controlling-ardour-with-osc-4.7-and-prior.html
4032 title: OSC Feedback With Ardour
4037 Feedback from the Ardour to the the control surface is very useful for
4038 a number of things. Motor faders need to know where the the track
4039 they have been attached to is at before they were assigned otherwise
4040 the DAW fader will jump to where the controller fader is. Likewise,
4041 the buttons on each strip need to know what their value is so they can
4042 light their LED correctly. Transport controls should let you know if
4043 they are active too. This is what feedback is all about.
4047 Ardour does feedback by sending the same path back that is used to
4048 control the same function. As such any controls that have feedback
4049 have a parameter that is the value of the control or it's state
4050 (on or off). In the case of OSC paths listed on the main OSC page
4051 as having no parameter, if they have feedback, they will also work
4052 with a 1 for button press and 0 for button release. This is because
4053 many OSC controllers will only use exactly the same path for feedback
4054 as for control. For example:
4057 <dl class="bindings">
4058 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop</kbd></dt>
4062 <p>can be used also in the form:</p>
4064 <dl class="bindings">
4065 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop <em>press</em></kbd></dt>
4066 <dd>where <em>press</em> is an int/bool indicating if the button is pressed or not.</dd>
4070 The feedback does not have the same meaning as the control message.
4071 Where the button release sent to Ardour will be ignored and has no
4072 meaning. Both states have meaning in feedback to the controller.
4073 The feedback will be:
4076 <dl class="bindings">
4077 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4078 <dd>where <em>state</em> is an int/bool indicating if the transport is stopped or not.</dd>
4081 With feedback turned on, OSC control commands that try to change a
4082 control that does not exist will get feedback that resets that control
4083 to off. For example, sending a /strip/recenable to a buss will not work
4084 and Ardour will try to turn the controller LED off in that case. Also
4085 note that Pan operation may be limited by pan width in some cases.
4086 That is with pan width at 100% (or -100%) there is no pan position
4090 It may come as a surprise, but feedback often generates more network
4091 traffic than control itself does. Some things are more obvious like
4092 head position or meters. But even a simple button push like transport
4093 start sends not only a signal to turn on the play LED, but also one to
4094 turn off the stop LED, the Rewind LED, the Fast Forward LED and the
4095 Loop LED. That is still minor, think instead of a surface refresh
4096 such as happens when the surface is first connected and then most of
4097 that happens every time the fader strips are banked. This is why
4098 feedback is enabled in sections so that as little feedback as is
4099 actually needed is sent. This is also a consideration if the surface
4100 is connected via wifi.
4102 <h2>List of OSC feedback messages</h2>
4104 <h3>Feedback only</h3>
4106 These messages are feedback only. They are sent as status from Ardour
4107 and some of them may be enabled separately from other feedback. See:
4108 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/controlling-ardour-with-osc/calculating-feedback-and-strip-types-values/">
4109 Calculating Feedback and Strip-types Values.</a>
4112 See strip section below for info about ssid and wrapping it into the
4113 path. Also /master and /monitor support what the /strip does.
4116 In the case where Gainmode is set to position, the track name will
4117 show the dB value while values are changing.
4119 <dl class="bindings">
4120 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/name <em>ssid</em> <em>track_name</em></kbd></dt>
4121 <dd>where <em>track_name</em> is a string representing the name of the track</dd>
4122 <dt><kbd class="osc">/session_name <em>session_name</em></kbd></dt>
4123 <dd>where <em>session_name</em> is a string representing the name of the session</dd>
4124 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/meter <em>ssid</em> <em>meter</em></kbd></dt>
4125 <dd>where <em>meter</em> is a value repesenting the current audio level.
4126 (the exact math used is determined by the feedback bits set)</dd>
4127 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/signal <em>ssid</em> <em>signal</em></kbd></dt>
4128 <dd>where <em>signal</em> is a float indicating the instantaneous
4129 audio level is -40dB or higher.</dd>
4130 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/smpte <em>time</em></kbd></dt>
4131 <dd>where <em>time</em> is a string with the current play head time. Seconds as per smpte.</dd>
4132 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/bbt <em>beat</em></kbd></dt>
4133 <dd>where <em>beat</em> is a string with the current play head bar/beat.</dd>
4134 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/time <em>time</em></kbd></dt>
4135 <dd>where <em>time</em> is a string with the current play head time. Seconds are in milliseconds</dd>
4136 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/samples <em>samples</em></kbd></dt>
4137 <dd>where <em>samples</em> is a string with the current play head position in samples.</dd>
4138 <dt><kbd class="osc">/heartbeat <em>LED</em></kbd></dt>
4139 <dd>where <em>LED</em> is a float that cycles 1/0 at 1 second intervals.</dd>
4140 <dt><kbd class="osc">/record_tally <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4141 <dd>Some record enable is true or "ready to record". For a "Recording" sign at studio door.</dd>
4144 <h3>Transport Control</h3>
4145 <dl class="bindings">
4146 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4147 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport is stopped</dd>
4148 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_play <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4149 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport speed is 1.0</dd>
4150 <dt><kbd class="osc">/ffwd <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4151 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport is moving forward but not at speed 1.0</dd>
4152 <dt><kbd class="osc">/rewind <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4153 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport speed is less than 0.0</dd>
4154 <dt><kbd class="osc">/loop_toggle <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4155 <dd><em>state</em> is true when loop mode is true</dd>
4156 <dt><kbd class="osc">/cancel_all_solos <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4157 <dd>Where <em>state</em> true indicates there are active solos that can be canceled.</dd>
4160 <h3>Recording control</h3>
4161 <dl class="bindings">
4162 <!--dt><kbd class="osc">/toggle_punch_in</kbd></dt>
4164 <dt><kbd class="osc">/toggle_punch_out</kbd></dt>
4166 <dt><kbd class="osc">/rec_enable_toggle <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4167 <dd>Master record enabled.</dd>
4170 <h3>Master and monitor strips</h3>
4172 Master and monitor strips are similar to track strips but do not use
4173 the SSID. Rather they use their name as part of the path:
4175 <dl class="bindings">
4176 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/gain <em>dB</em></kbd></dt>
4177 <dd>where <em>dB</em> is a float ranging from -193 to +6 representing the actual gain of master in dB</dd>
4178 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/fader <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4179 <dd>where <em>position</em> is an int ranging from 0 to 1023 representing the fader control position</dd>
4180 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/trimdB <em>dB</em></kbd></dt>
4181 <dd>where <em>dB</em> is a float ranging from -20 to +20 representing the actual trim for master in dB</dd>
4182 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/pan_stereo_position <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4183 <dd>where <em>position</em> is a float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual pan position for master</dd>
4184 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/mute <em>yn</em></kbd></dt>
4185 <dd>where <em>yn</em> is a bool/int representing the actual mute state of the Master strip</dd>
4186 <dt><kbd class="osc">/monitor/gain <em>dB</em></kbd></dt>
4187 <dd>where <em>dB</em> is a float ranging from -193 to 6 representing the actual gain of monitor in dB</dd>
4188 <dt><kbd class="osc">/monitor/fader <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4189 <dd>where <em>position</em> is an int ranging from 0 to 1023 representing the fader control position</dd>
4192 <h3>Track specific operations</h3>
4194 For each of the following, <em>ssid</em> is the surface strip ID for the track
4197 Some Surfaces (many Android applets) are not able to deal with more
4198 than one parameter in a command. However, the two parameter commands
4199 below can also be sent as /strip/command/ssid param. Feedback can be
4200 set to match this with the /set_surface/feedback <em>state</em>
4202 href="/using-control-surfaces/controlling-ardour-with-osc/calculating-feedback-and-strip-types-values/">
4203 Calculating Feedback and Strip-types Values.</a>
4206 <dl class="bindings">
4207 <dt><kbd class="osc">/bank_up <em>LED</em></kbd></dt>
4208 <dd>where <em>LED</em> is a bool that indicates another bank_up operation is possible.</dd>
4209 <dt><kbd class="osc">/bank_down <em>LED</em></kbd></dt>
4210 <dd>where <em>LED</em> is a bool that indicates another bank_down operation is possible.</dd>
4211 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/name <em>ssid</em> <em>track_name</em></kbd></dt>
4212 <dd>where <em>track_name</em> is a string representing the name of the track
4213 (note there is no coresponding command to set the track name)</dd>
4214 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/mute <em>ssid</em> <em>mute_st</em></kbd></dt>
4215 <dd>where <em>mute_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual mute state of the track</dd>
4216 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/solo <em>ssid</em> <em>solo_st</em></kbd></dt>
4217 <dd>where <em>solo_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual solo state of the track</dd>
4218 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/monitor_input <em>ssid</em> <em>monitor_st</em></kbd></dt>
4219 <dd>where <em>monitor_st</em> is a bool/int. True/1 meaning the track is force to monitor input</dd>
4220 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/monitor_disk <em>ssid</em> <em>monitor_st</em></kbd></dt>
4221 <dd>where <em>monitor_st</em> is a bool/int. True/1 meaning the track is force to monitor disk,
4222 where both disk and input are false/0, auto monitoring is used.</dd>
4223 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/recenable <em>ssid</em> <em>rec_st</em></kbd></dt>
4224 <dd>where <em>rec_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual rec state of the track</dd>
4225 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/record_safe <em>ssid</em> <em>rec_st</em></kbd></dt>
4226 <dd>where <em>rec_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual record safe state of the track</dd>
4227 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/gain <em>ssid</em> <em>gain</em></kbd></dt>
4228 <dd>where <em>gain</em> is a float ranging from -193 to 6 representing the actual gain of the track in dB.</dd>
4229 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/fader <em>ssid</em> <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4230 <dd>where <em>position</em> is an float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual fader position of the track.</dd>
4231 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/trimdB <em>ssid</em> <em>trim_db</em></kbd></dt>
4232 <dd>where <em>trim_db</em> is a float ranging from -20 to 20 representing the actual trim of the track in dB.</dd>
4233 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/pan_stereo_position <em>ssid</em> <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4234 <dd>where <em>position</em> is a float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual pan position of the track</dd>
4236 <h3>Selection Operations</h3>
4238 Selection feedback is the same as for strips, only the path changes
4239 from <em>/strip</em> to <em>/select</em> and there is no <em>ssid</em>.
4240 there are some extra feedback and commands that will be listed here.
4242 <dl class="bindings">
4243 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/n_inputs <em>number</em></kbd></dt>
4244 <dd>where <em>number</em> number of inputs for this strip</dd>
4245 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/n_outputs <em>number</em></kbd></dt>
4246 <dd>where <em>number</em> number of outputs for this strip</dd>
4247 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/comment <em>text</em></kbd></dt>
4248 <dd>where <em>text</em> is the strip comment</dd>
4249 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/solo_iso <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4250 <dd>where <em>state</em> is a bool/int representing the Actual solo isolate state of the track</dd>
4251 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/solo_safe <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4252 <dd>where <em>state</em> is a bool/int representing the actual solo safe/lock state of the track</dd>
4253 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/polarity <em>invert</em></kbd></dt>
4254 <dd>where <em>invert</em> is a bool/int representing the actual polarity of the track</dd>
4255 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/pan_stereo_width <em>width</em></kbd></dt>
4256 <dd>where <em>width</em> is a float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual pan width of the track</dd>
4257 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/send_gain", <em>sendid</em> <em>send_gain</em></kbd></dt>
4258 <dd>where <em>sendid</em> = nth_send, <em>send_gain</em>is a float
4259 ranging from -193 to +6 representing the actual gain in dB for the send</dd>
4260 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/send_fader", <em>sendid</em> <em>send_gain</em></kbd></dt>
4261 <dd>where <em>sendid</em> = nth_send, <em>send_gain</em>is a float
4262 ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual position for the send as a fader</dd>
4263 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/send_name <em>sendid</em> <em>send_name</em></kbd></dt>
4264 <dd>where <em>send_name</em> is a string representing the name of the buss
4265 this send goes to.</dd>
4267 <h3>Menu actions</h3>
4269 Every single menu item in Ardour's GUI is accessible via OSC. However,
4270 there is no provision for returning the state of anything set this way.
4271 This is not a bad thing as most menu items either do not have an on/off
4272 state or that state is quite visible. Binding that affect other parameters
4273 that OSC does track will show on those OSC controls. Examples of this
4274 might be track record enable for tracks 1 to 32, play or stop.
4278 title: Calculating Feedback and Strip-types Values
4283 <em>/set_surface</em> has two values the user needs to calculate before
4284 use. In general these will not be calculated at run time, but
4285 beforehand. There may be more than one button with different values
4286 to turn various kinds of feedback on or off or to determine which
4287 kinds of strips are currently viewed/controlled.
4291 Both ,<em>feedback</em> and <em>strip-types</em> use bitsets to keep
4292 track what they are doing. Any number in a computer is made out of
4293 bits that are on or off, but we represent them as normal base 10
4294 numbers. Any one bit turned on will add a unique value to the
4295 number as a whole. So for each kind of feedback or strip type
4296 to be used, that number should be added to the total.
4299 <h3>strip_types</h3>
4302 strip_types is an integer made up of bits. The easy way to
4303 deal with this is to think of strip_types items being worth a number and
4304 then adding all those numbers together for a value to send.
4305 Strip Types will determine What kind of strips will be included in
4306 bank. This would include: Audio, MIDI, busses, VCAs, Master, Monitor
4307 and hidden or selected strips.
4343 Selected and Hidden bits are normally not needed as Ardour defaults to
4344 showing Selected strips and not showing Hidden strips. The purpose of
4345 these two flags is to allow showing only Selected strips or only
4346 Hidden strips. Using Hidden with other flags will allow Hidden strips
4347 to show inline with other strips.
4350 Some handy numbers to use might be: 15 (all tracks and buses), 31
4351 (add VCAs to that). Master or Monitor strips are generally not useful
4352 on a surface that has dedicated controls for these strips as there are
4353 /master* and /monitor* commands already. However, on a surface with
4354 just a bank of fader strips, adding master or monitor would allow
4355 access to them within the banks. Selected would be useful for working
4356 on a group or a set of user selected strips. Hidden shows strips the
4360 Audio Aux? say what? I am sure most people will have noticed that they
4361 can find no <em>Aux</em> strips in the Ardour mixer. There are none.
4362 There are buses that can be used a number of ways. From analog days,
4363 in OSC a bus is something that gets used as a sub mix before ending up
4364 going to Master. An auxiliary bus is used like a separate mixer and
4365 it's output goes outside the program or computer to be used as:
4366 a monitor mix, a back up recording, or what have you. In OSC where
4367 controller strips may be limited, it may be useful not to use up a
4368 strip for an aux that is not really a part of the mix. It is also
4369 useful to get a list of only aux buses if the control surface is a
4370 phone used to provide talent monitor mix control on stage. Each
4371 performer would be able to mix their own monitor. The user is free
4372 to enable both buses and auxes if they would prefer.
4376 <p>Feedback is an integer made up of bits. The easy way to
4377 deal with this is to think of feedback items being worth a number and
4378 then adding all those numbers together for a value to send.
4382 1 - Button status for strips.
4385 2 - Variable control values for strips.
4388 4 - Send SSID as path extension.
4391 8 - heartbeat to surface.
4394 16 - Enable master section feedback.
4397 32 - Send Bar and Beat.
4403 128 - Send meter as dB (-193 to +6) or 0 to 1 depending on gainmode
4406 256 - Send meter a 16 bit value where each bit is a level
4407 and all bits of lower level are on. For use in a LED strip. This
4408 will not work if the above option is turned on.
4411 512 - Send signal present, true if level is higher than -40dB
4414 1024 - Send position in samples
4417 2048 - Send position in time, hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds
4420 8192 - Turn on extra select channel feedback beyond what a /strip supports
4424 So using a value of 19 would turn on feedback for strip and master
4425 controls, but leave meters, timecode and bar/beat feedback off.
4429 title: Parameter Types in OSC
4434 An OSC message is laid out in this form:
4438 /path/of/command type parameter
4442 The type is there to indicate what the parameter is. This gives
4443 the idea that parameter types are quite strict and if the command
4444 requires an Integer <em>"i"</em> then the controller had better send it.
4445 However, the checking of the parameter type is left to the receiving
4450 What this means in practical terms is that the surface can get away
4451 with sending the wrong type of parameter. There are some places
4452 where that just doesn't make sense. For example, a parameter that
4453 is specified as a Float with a range of 0 to 1, could be sent as
4454 an Integer, but would only have full scale and minimum value with
4455 nothing in between. This is not much use for a fader, though ok for
4460 There are a number of OSC controllers based on iOS and Android
4461 tablets that only send or receive parameters as floats or text.
4462 These controllers should have no problem sending bool or int values
4463 as floats. Ardour will interpret the values as required.
4467 title: Selection/Feedback Expansion Considerations in OSC
4472 Ardour does not send every possible feedback value for each channel.
4473 It does send expanded information on the selected channel. There are
4474 also extra commands for the selected strip. All the feedback and
4475 select commands have their own path <em>/select</em>.
4476 This means that for the selected channel the surface does not have to
4477 keep track of the strip ID. The /select strip will follow the
4478 "current mixer strip" in the GUI editor window.
4481 There are two major uses for this:
4483 <li>Single strip control surfaces. Using
4484 <em>/access_action Editor/select-next-route</em> or
4485 <em>/access_action Editor/select-prev-route</em>
4486 to step through the mixer strips.</li>
4487 <li>Using a "Super strip" section of knobs to control parts
4488 of the strip that are changed less often such as polarity, sends or
4489 plugin parameters.</li>
4493 Selection in Ardour's OSC implementation are complicated by the
4494 possibility of using more than one OSC controller at the same time.
4495 User "A" may select strip 4 and use a selected controller to make
4496 changes to that strip. User "B" may subsequently select strip 7 to
4497 make changes on. This leaves user "A" making changes to strip 7
4498 which they did not choose.
4502 For this reason Ardour offers local expansion aside from the GUI
4503 selection. Local expansion only affects the one OSC controller. GUI
4504 selection is global and affects all controllers using GUI selection
4509 In general, in a one user situation where that one user may use either
4510 the OSC surface or the GUI, using GUI based selection makes the most
4511 sense. This is the default because this is the more common use.
4515 When there is more than one operator, then expansion only is the
4516 mode of choice. It may make sense for one of the surfaces to
4517 use GUI selection where the operator is also using the GUI for some
4518 things. However, the set up should be carefully analyzed for the
4519 possibility of selection confusions. Expansion should be
4520 considered the <em>safe</em> option.
4524 It is always ok to use expansion on the surface even in a one
4525 user scenario. This allows the user to use GUI and surface selection
4530 It is also possible to use both if desired. /strip/select will ways
4531 set the GUI select, but /strip/expand will set the select feedback
4532 and commands locally without changing the GUI select. Another
4533 /strip/expand or a /strip/select will override that expand command
4534 and releasing the /strip/expand or /select/expand (setting it to 0 or
4535 false) will set the /select set of commands/feedback back to whichever
4536 strip the GUI has selected at that time. This could be used to switch
4537 between the GUI select and the local expand to compare two strips
4542 title: Using the OSC Setup Dialog
4547 Starting with Ardour 5.1 OSC has a graphic setup dialog. This dialog
4548 can be accessed from Preferences->Control Surfaces. Select OSC and
4549 click on the Show Protocol Settings.
4553 The Ardour OSC dialog has three tabs. The main tab, the Strip Types
4554 tab and the Feedback tab.
4558 Many OSC devices get their IP from a DHCP making it difficult to set
4559 an IP in Ardour's OSC settings. Therefore, most of the settings are
4560 <em>default</em> settings. Values are set and the next OSC surface to
4561 send a /set_surface* message to Ardour will use those settings. An OSC
4562 surface that has previously sent a message to Ardour will retain the
4563 settings it already had. The <em>Clear OSC Devices</em> will reset all
4564 device settings. A <em>/refresh</em> message will both reset the
4565 device settings as well as set that device to any new settings. The
4566 Use of <em>/set_surface</em> will override all settings except
4570 <h2>Dialog settings</h2>
4572 <h3>OSC setup tab</h3>
4575 <img alt="the OSC configuration dialog"
4576 src="/images/osc-dialog.png">
4579 <h4>Connection:</h4>
4582 This field is informational only. It shows where Ardour will receive
4583 OSC messages. The system Name and the Port are the most important parts.
4589 This drop down allows the choice of Auto or Manual outbound port
4590 setting. The default Auto port mode, will send OSC messages back to
4591 the port messages from that surface are received from. This setting
4592 allows two surfaces on the same IP to operate independently. However,
4593 there are a number of OSC control surfaces that do not monitor the
4594 same port they send from and in fact may change ports they send from
4595 as well. Manual allows the outgoing port (the port the surface will
4596 receive on, to be manually set. In Manual port mode only one control
4597 surface per IP can work. Most phone or tablet OSC controllers like
4598 touchOSC or Control need Manual port mode. More than one controller
4599 can be used so long as each has it's own IP.
4602 <h4>Manual Port:</h4>
4605 This is an Entry box for setting the outgoing port when in
4612 This sets the default bank size for the next surface to send a
4613 <em>/set_surface/*</em> OSC message. Bank size 0 (the default) sets
4614 no banking and allows controlling all strips included in strip_types
4621 Sets the faders (and sends faders) feedback math to position where a
4622 value between 0 and 1 represents the fader position of the same fader
4623 in the mixer GUI or dB where the feedback from fader movement will be
4624 returned as a dB value. When the Gain Mode is set to position, the
4625 /*/name feedback for the channel will show dB values in text while the
4626 fader is being adjusted and then return the the name text.
4630 For debugging purposes this allows logging either good OSC messages
4631 Ardour receives or invalid messages received or none.
4635 Ardour now allows the use of preset settings. The default settings
4636 used are the settings from the last session or the factory defaults
4637 the first time OSC is enabled. As soon as any of these settings are
4638 changed, the Preset will change to "User" and the new settings will be
4639 save to the osc directory Ardour configuration directory as
4640 <em>user.preset</em>. This preset file can be renamed for future use.
4641 It is suggested to also change the name value inside to avoid confusion
4642 in the preset listing. Ardour will ship with some of it's own presets
4643 that go with some popular OSC control and map combinations.
4645 <h4>Clear OSC Devices</h4>
4647 This button clears operating device profiles so that Ardour will reset
4648 all devices settings to use the new defaults from changed settings. a
4649 device may still override these new settings with the /set_surface set
4650 of commands. The reason for setting defaults settings is that some OSC
4651 controllers are not able to send more than one parameter at a time and
4652 so having correct defaults allows one "Connect" button rather than 4.
4654 <h3>Default Strip Types tab</h3>
4656 <img alt="the Default Strip Types tab"
4657 src="/images/osc-strip-types.png">
4660 This allows selecting which of Ardour's mixer strips will be available
4661 for control. The Factory default is all strips except master, monitor
4662 and hidden strips. If it is desired to only see input tracks the
4663 others can be deselected. It is also possible to change these settings
4664 from the control surface. A set of buttons could select showing only
4665 inputs or only buses. If a group is selected in the GUI then showing
4666 only selected strips will show only that group. Showing hidden tracks
4667 is handy for cases where a groups of tracks that grouped to a bus or
4668 controlled by a VCA are hidden, but one of those tracks needs a tweak.
4671 <h3>Default Feedback tab</h3>
4674 <img alt="the Default Feedback tab"
4675 src="/images/osc-feedbackdefault.png">
4679 This allows setting up which controls provide feedback. The Factory
4680 default is none. If the controller is unable to receive feedback, this
4681 should be left blank. In the case of metering, Metering as a LED strip
4682 only works if Metering as a Float is disabled.
4686 title: Querying Ardour with OSC
4691 In order to make a custom controller that knows what strips Ardour
4692 has, the controller needs to be able to query Ardour for that
4693 information. These set of commands are for smarter control surfaces
4694 That have the logic to figure out what to do with the information.
4695 These are not of value for mapped controllers like touchOSC and
4696 friends. The controller will need to send these queries to ardour
4697 as often as it needs this information. It may well make sense to use
4698 regular feedback for things that need to be updated often such as
4699 position or metering.
4700 Here are the commands used to query Ardour:
4703 <dl class="bindings">
4704 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/list</kbd></dt>
4705 <dd>Ask for a list of strips</dd>
4706 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/sends <em>ssid</em></kbd></dt>
4707 <dd>Asks for a list of sends on the strip <em>ssid</em></dd>
4708 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/receives <em>ssid</em></kbd></dt>
4709 <dd>Asks for a list of tracks that have sends to the strip <em>ssid</em> points to</dd>
4710 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/plugin/list <em>ssid</em></kbd></dt>
4711 <dd>Asks for a list of plug-ins for strip <em>ssid.</em></dd>
4712 <dt><kbd class="osc">/plugin/descriptor <em>ssid</em> <em>piid</em></kbd></dt>
4713 <dd>Asks for a list of descriptors for plug-in <em>piid</em> on strip <em>ssid</em></dd>
4716 <h3>A list of strips</h3>
4719 <code>/strip/list</code> asks Ardour for a list of strips that the
4720 current session has. Ardour replies with a message for each
4721 strip with the following information:
4725 <li>Number of inputs</li>
4726 <li>Number of outputs</li>
4727 <li>Muted (bool)</li>
4728 <li>Soloed (bool)</li>
4729 <li>Ssid (strip number)</li>
4730 <li>Record enabled (bool)</li>
4732 After all the strip messages have been sent, one final message is
4735 <li>The text <code>end_route_list</code></li>
4736 <li>The session frame rate</li>
4737 <li>The last frame number of the session</li>
4740 <p class="note">A bus will not have a record enable and so a bus message
4741 will have one less parameter than a track. It is the controllers
4742 responsability to deal with this.
4745 <h3>A list of sends</h3>
4747 <code>/strip/sends <em>ssid</em></code> asks Ardour for a list of
4748 sends for strip number ssid. The reply is sent back to the
4749 controller as one message with the following information:
4751 <li>Ssid that information is for</li>
4752 <li>Each send's information:</li>
4754 <li>The send's target bus ssid</li>
4755 <li>The send's target bus name</li>
4756 <li>The send id for this strip</li>
4757 <li>The send gain as a fader possition</li>
4758 <li>The Send's enable state</li>
4763 The controller can tell how many sends there are from the number of
4764 parameters as each send has 5 parameters and there is one extra for
4768 <h3>A list if tracks that send audio to a bus</h3>
4770 <code>/strip/receives <em>ssid</em></code> will return a list of
4771 tracks that have sends to the bus at the ssid. The reply will
4772 contain the following information for each track conntected to this
4775 <li>The ssid of the track sending</li>
4776 <li>The name of the sending track</li>
4777 <li>The id of the send at that track</li>
4778 <li>It's gain in fader possition</li>
4779 <li>The send's enable state</li>
4783 <h3>A list of plug-ins for strip</h3>
4785 <code>/strip/plugin/list <em>ssid</em></code> will return a list of
4786 plug-ins that strip ssid has. The reply will contain the following
4789 <li>Ssid that information is for</li>
4790 <li>Each plugin's information:</li>
4792 <li>The plug-in's id</li>
4793 <li>The plug-in's name</li>
4798 <h3>A list of a plug-in's parameters</h3>
4800 <code>/plugin/descriptor <em>ssid</em> <em>piid</em></code> will
4801 return the plug-in parameters for ppid plug-in on the ssid strip. The
4802 reply will contain the following information:
4804 <li>Ssid of the strip the plug-in is in</li>
4805 <li>The plug-in id for the plug-in</li>
4806 <li>The plug-in's name</li>
4807 <li>Information about each parameter</li>
4809 <li>The parameter id</li>
4810 <li>The parameter's name</li>
4811 <li>A bitset of flags (see below)</li>
4813 <li>Minimum value</li>
4814 <li>Maximum value</li>
4815 <li>The number of scale points</li>
4816 <li>zero or more scale points of one value and one string each</li>
4817 <li>The current parameter value</li>
4823 The flag bitset above has been defined as (from lsb):
4825 <li>0 - enumeration</li>
4826 <li>1 - integer step</li>
4827 <li>2 - logarithmic</li>
4828 <li>3 - max unbound</li>
4829 <li>4 - min unbound</li>
4830 <li>5 - sample rate dependent</li>
4831 <li>6 - toggled</li>
4832 <li>7 - controllable</li>
4837 While this seems complex, it is really not that bad. Minimum, maximum and value will in most cases give you all you need.
4841 title: Devices using Mackie/Logic Control Protocol
4842 menu_title: Mackie/Logic Control Devices
4847 This will walk you through the process of configuring and using
4848 a MIDI control surface with Ardour that uses the <dfn>Mackie Control
4849 protocol</dfn> (MCP) or <dfn>Logic Control protocol</dfn>. Devices that
4850 have been tested and are known to work include the SSL Nucleus, Mackie
4851 Control Pro (plus extenders), Behringer devices in Mackie/Logic mode,
4852 and Steinberg CMC devices.
4855 <h2>Enabling Mackie Control in Ardour</h2>
4858 Navigate to <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Control Surfaces</kbd>.
4859 Double-click on <kbd class="menu">Mackie Control</kbd> to see the setup dialog:
4862 <img src="/images/missing.png" alt="Mackie Control Setup Dialog" />
4865 From the selector at the top, choose the type of device you are using.
4867 href="/using-control-surfaces/devices-using-mackielogic-control-protocol/devices-not-listed/">
4868 What to do if your device is not listed</a>).
4872 Once your setup is complete, click "OK" to close the dialog. Now click
4873 on the enable checkbox for "Mackie Control".
4876 <h2>Connecting control surface and Ardour MIDI ports</h2>
4879 If you are using a device that uses ipMIDI, such as the SSL Nucleus, no
4880 MIDI port connections are required—Ardour and your control
4881 surface will be able to talk to each other automatically.
4885 If you are using a device that uses normal MIDI (via a standard MIDI or
4886 USB cable), you need to connect Ardour's Mackie Control in and out ports
4887 to the MIDI ports leading to and coming from the control surface.
4891 When you have made these connections once, Ardour will recreate them
4892 for you in the future, as long as you leave Mackie Control enabled.
4895 <h2>Customizing your control surface</h2>
4898 Every possible Mackie Control button can be bound to any action present
4899 in Ardour's GUI. Please check your control surface page for suggestions.
4902 <h2>Preparing your device for use with Ardour</h2>
4905 Most interfaces will require some configuration to send and respond to
4910 When setting up the control surface, do <em>not</em> use "Pro Tools"
4911 mode. Pro Tools is the only DAW that still requires HUI. The rest of
4912 world uses Mackie Control Protocol. Ardour does not support HUI.
4916 title: Behringer devices in Mackie/Logic Control Mode
4917 menu_title: Behringer devices
4921 <h2>Behringer BCF-2000 Faders Controller</h2>
4924 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000"
4925 src="/images/BCF2000.png">
4929 The Behringer BCF-2000 Fader Controller is a control surface with 8 motorized
4930 faders, 8 rotary encoders and 30 push buttons. The device is a class
4931 compliant USB Midi Interface and also has standard Midi DIN IN/OUT/THRU ports.
4932 The device has included a Mackie/Logic Control Emulation Mode since firmware v1.06.
4933 If you're devices firmware is older than v1.06 it will require an update before
4934 Mackie Control Emulation will work as described here.
4938 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000 in Edit Global Mode"
4939 src="/images/BCF2000-EG.png">
4943 In order to put the controller into Mackie/Logic control mode turn on the
4944 unit while holding third button from the left in the top most row
4945 of buttons (under the rotary encoder row). Hold the button down until <dfn>EG</dfn>
4946 or edit global mode is displayed on the LCD screen of the unit. The global parameters
4947 can then be edited using the 8 rotary encoders in the top row.
4951 Encoder #1 sets the operating mode and should be set to <dfn>U-1</dfn> or
4952 USB mode 1 if using with a USB cable connection.
4955 Encoder #3 sets the foot switch mode and should most likely be set to
4956 <dfn>Auto</dfn> to detect how the foot switch is wired.
4959 Encoder #5 sets the device id, if you are using only 1 device the id
4960 should be set to <dfn>ID 1</dfn>. If you are using multiple BCF/BCR2000 each
4961 device is required to be set up sequentially and one at a time.
4964 Encoder #7 controls the MIDI <dfn>Dead Time</dfn> or the amount of milliseconds
4965 after a move has been made that the device ignores further changes, this
4966 should be set to <dfn>100</dfn>.
4969 Encoder #8 controls the MIDI message <dfn>Send Interval</dfn> in milliseconds
4970 and should be set to <dfn>10</dfn>
4974 To exit the <dfn>EG</dfn> mode press the <dfn>Exit</dfn> button. The device is now
4975 ready to use with Ardour.
4978 <h3>Modes of Operation</h3>
4980 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000 Control Modes"
4981 src="/images/BCF2000-Modes.png">
4984 The four buttons arranged in a rectangle and located under the Behringer logo
4985 are the mode selection buttons in Logic Control Emulation Mode,
4986 currently Ardour has implemented support for two of these modes.
4989 The surface can be broken into 8 groups of controls.
4993 <li>The rotary encoders at the top of the device</li>
4994 <li>The first row of buttons under the encoders</li>
4995 <li>The second row of buttons under the encoders</li>
4996 <li>The row of motorized faders<li>
4998 The group of 4 buttons at the top right that will be
4999 referred to here as the <dfn>Shift Group</dfn>
5002 The group of 4 buttons under the <dfn>Shift Group</dfn>
5003 referred to here as the <dfn>Mode Group</dfn>
5006 The group of 2 buttons under the <dfn>Mode Group</dfn>
5007 referred to here as the <dfn>Select Group</dfn>
5010 The group of 4 buttons under the <dfn>Select Group</dfn>
5011 referred to here as the <dfn>Transport Group</dfn>
5015 <h3>Mixer Pan Mode</h3>
5017 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000 Control Modes"
5018 src="/images/BCF2000-Pan.png">
5021 This is the standard work mode that organizes the control surface to emulate
5022 a standard mixer layout where controls for each track/bus are arranged vertically.
5023 The order of the faders is either controlled by the order of the tracks in the
5024 mixer or can be set manually by the user.
5028 <dd>Mixer Pans. The red LEDs show the amount of pan left or right</dd>
5029 <dt>First Row of Buttons</dt>
5030 <dd>Mixer Mutes. The button led lights if the track is currently muted</dd>
5031 <dt>Second Row of Buttons</dt>
5032 <dd>Select Active Track/Bus. Currently selected track/bus is indicated by the button led</dd>
5034 <dd>Mixer Gains</dd>
5035 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5037 The top and bottom left buttons are the simply shifts to change the function of other buttons
5040 The top right is the <dfn>Fine Control</dfn> button that allows the increment values sent by
5041 by rotary encoders and faders to be a small value for more precise editing. This button
5042 can also act as a shift button.
5045 The bottom right is the <dfn>Global Shift</dfn> button that allows you to change back to the
5046 standard Mixer Pan view from other views and modes. This button can also act as a shift button.
5049 <dd>The top two buttons functions are not currently implemented in Ardour.</dd>
5050 <dd>The bottom left button sets the device to <dfn>Pan</dfn> mode and should currently be lit</dd>
5052 The bottom right button sets the device to <dfn>Send</dfn> mode but will only allow the switch
5053 if the currently selected track/bus has a send or sends to control.
5055 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5057 In this mode they function as bank select left and right. If your session has more than 8 tracks
5058 the next set of 8 tracks is selected with the right button and the faders will move to match the
5059 current gain settings of that bank of 8 tracks/busses. If the last bank contains less than 8
5060 tracks/busses the unused faders will move to the bottom and the pan lights will all turn
5061 off. An unlimited amount of tracks can be controlled with the device.
5063 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5064 <dd>The upper left button controls <dfn>Rewind<dfn>.
5065 <dd>The upper right button controls <dfn>Fast Foreword</dfn>
5066 <dd>The lower left button controls stop</dd>
5067 <dd>The lower right button controls play</dd>
5071 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the Send Mode"
5072 src="/images/BCF2000-Send.png">
5075 Send mode allows for the top row of encoders to control the sends for a selected channel.
5076 One interesting option is to flip the controls from the encoders to the faders by pressing
5077 the shift 1 button and the global view button at the same time.
5082 In send mode, the encoders control sends from left to right instead of mixer pans.
5083 If there are less than 8 sends the behavior of the encoder will be to continue controlling
5084 the mixer pan. Visually it's indicated by the change in the LED from originating at the 12
5085 o'clock position to originating at the 7 o'clock position. If <dfn>FLIP</dfn> is pressed
5086 the encoder will control the mixer gain for the selected track/bus.
5088 <dt>First row of buttons</dt>
5090 <dt>Second row of buttons</dt>
5094 No change unless <dfn>FLIP</dfn>is pressed then it controls the send for the selected track/bus.
5096 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5098 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5100 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5103 <h3>Mixer Pan While Holding Shift 1</h3>
5105 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the Mixer Mode while holding down shift 1"
5106 src="/images/BCF2000-Shift1.png">
5109 The operations of various buttons change while holding down the <dfn>Shift 1</dfn> button
5114 <dt>First row of buttons</dt>
5115 <dd>These now control the Soloing of each track/bus in the current bank</dd>
5116 <dt>Second row of buttons</dt>
5117 <dd>These now control the Enable Record for each track</dd>
5120 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5124 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5126 These now change the current bank of tracks being controlled over by
5127 one. So if you where controlling tracks 1-8 a push the right
5128 button the surface would now control tracks 2-9 pressing the left
5129 would then shift back to controlling tracks 1-8.
5131 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5132 <dd>The upper left now controls turning on and off <dfn>Loop</dfn> mode.</dd>
5134 The upper right now toggles
5137 <dd>The lower left toggles <dfn>Replace</dfn>.</dd>
5139 The lower right toggles
5140 <dfn>Global Record</dfn>.
5143 <h3>Mixer Pan While Holding Shift 2</h3>
5145 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the Mixer Mode while holding down shift 2"
5146 src="/images/BCF2000-Shift2.png">
5149 The operations of various buttons change while holding down the <dfn>Shift 2</dfn> button
5154 <dt>First row of buttons</dt>
5156 <dt>Second row of buttons</dt>
5157 <dd>These now control setting up different <dfn>Views</dfn>. See bellow for more info</dd>
5160 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5164 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5165 <dd>Left button controls <dfn>Undo</dfn>(NEEDS VERIFIED)</dd>
5166 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5176 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the LED display for different Views"
5177 src="/images/BCF2000-Views.png">
5180 <p class="fixme">FIX ME</p>
5188 The Nucleus, from Solid State Logic, is a 16 fader Mackie Control
5189 device that includes many buttons, separate meters, two LCD displays
5190 and other features. The device is not cheap (around US$5000 at the
5191 time of writing), and has some <a href="#design">design features</a>
5192 (or lack thereof) which some Ardour developers find
5193 questionable. Nevertheless, it is a very flexible device, and makes
5194 a nice 16 fader surface without the need to somehow attach an
5195 extender to your main surface.
5198 <h2>Pre-configuring the Nucleus</h2>
5201 Your Nucleus comes complete with a number of "profiles" for a few
5202 well-known DAWs. At the time of writing it does not include one for
5203 Ardour (or related products such as Harrison Mixbus).
5206 We have prepared a profile in which as many buttons as possible send
5207 Mackie Control messages, which makes the device maximally useful
5208 with Ardour (and Mixbus). You can
5209 download <a href="https://community.ardour.org/files/ArdourNucleusProfile.zip">the
5211 and load it to your Nucleus using the <code>Edit Profiles</code>
5212 button in SSL's Nucleus Remote application. Be sure to select it for
5213 the active DAW layer in order to make Ardour work as well as
5214 possible. <em>Note: unfortunately, the Nucleus Remote application
5215 only runs on OS X or Windows, so Linux users will need access to
5216 another system to load the profile. We will provide notes on the
5217 profile settings at a future time.</em>
5220 <h2>Connecting the Nucleus</h2>
5223 Unlike most Mackie Control devices, the Nucleus uses an ethernet
5224 connection to send and receive the MIDI messages that make up the
5225 Mackie Control protocol. Specifically, it uses a technology called
5226 "ipMIDI" which essentially "broadcasts" MIDI messages on a local
5227 area network, so that any connected devices (computers, control
5228 surfaces, tablets etc.) can participate.
5231 All other DAWs so far that support the Nucleus have chosen to do so
5232 by using a 3rd party MIDI driver called "ipMIDI", which creates a
5233 number of "virtual" MIDI ports on your computer. You, the user,
5234 tells the DAW which ports to connect to, and ipMIDI takes care of
5238 Ardour has builtin ipMIDI support, with no need of any 3rd party
5239 packages, and no need to identify the "ports" to connect to in order
5240 to communicate with the Nucleus. This makes setting it up a bit
5241 easier than most other systems.
5244 Unless ... you already installed the ipMIDI driver in order to use
5245 some other DAW with your Nucleus. If ipMIDI is configured to create
5246 any "ports", it is not possible for Ardour's own ipMIDI support to
5247 function. We decided to offer both methods of communicating with
5248 your Nucleus. If you regularly use other DAWs, and appreciate having
5249 ipMIDI permanently set up to communication with the Nucleus—that's
5250 OK, you can tell Ardour to use the ipMIDI driver you already
5251 have. But if you're not using other DAWs with the Nucleus (and thus
5252 have not installed the ipMIDI driver), then you can ignore the
5253 ipMIDI driver entirely, and let Ardour connect directly with no
5257 <h3>Connecting via Ardour's own ipMIDI support</h3>
5259 <p class="alert alert-info">
5260 This is usable only on computers with no 3rd party ipMIDI
5261 driver software installed and configured. If you have the OS X or
5262 Windows ipMIDI driver from nerds.de, it <strong>MUST</strong> be
5263 configured to offer <strong>ZERO</strong> ports before using this
5268 Open <code>Preferences > Control Surfaces</code>. Ensure that the
5269 Mackie protocol is enabled, then double-click on it to open the
5270 Mackie Control setup dialog.
5273 Ensure that the device selected is "SSL Nucleus". The dialog should
5274 show a single numerical selector control below it, defining the
5275 ipMIDI port number to use (it should almost always be left at the
5276 default value of 21928).
5279 Communication is automatically established with the Nucleus and you
5280 need do nothing more.
5283 If this does not work, then make sure your network cables are
5284 properly connected, and that you are <strong>not</strong> running
5285 other ipMIDI software on the computer.
5288 <h3>Connecting via 3rd party ipMIDI support</h3>
5290 <p class="alert alert-info">
5291 This is usable only on computers with 3rd party ipMIDI
5292 driver software installed and configured for (at least) 2 ports.
5296 Open <code>Preferences > Control Surfaces</code>. Ensure that the
5297 Mackie protocol is enabled, then double-click on it to open the
5298 Mackie Control setup dialog.
5301 Ensure that the device selected is "SSL Nucleus (via platform MIDI)". The dialog should
5302 show four combo/dropdown selectors, labelled (respectively):
5305 <li><code>Main Surface receives via</code></li>
5306 <li><code>Main Surface sends via</code></li>
5307 <li><code>1st extender receives via</code></li>
5308 <li><code>1st extender sends via</code></li>
5311 You should choose "ipMIDI port 1", "ipMIDI port 1", "ipMIDI port 2"
5312 and "ipMIDI port 2" for each of the 4 combo/dropdown selectors.
5315 Communication should be automatically established with the Nucleus.
5318 If this does not work, then make sure your network cables are
5319 properly connected, and that you are running the approprate ipMIDI
5320 driver and have configured it for 2 (or more) ports.
5323 <h2><a name="design">Nucleus Design Discussion</a></h2>
5326 You might be reading this part of the manual seeking some guidance
5327 on whether the Nucleus would make a suitable control surface for
5328 your workflows. We don't want to try to answer that question
5329 definitively, since the real answer depends on the very specific
5330 details of your workflow and situation, but we would like to point
5331 out a number of design features of the Nucleus that might change
5337 <dt>No Master Faster</dt>
5338 <dd>It is not possible to control the level of the Master bus or
5339 Monitor section. Really don't know what SSL was thinking here.</dd>
5340 <dt>No dedicated rec-enable buttons</dt>
5341 <dd>You have to press the "Rec" button and convert the per-strip
5342 "Select" buttons into rec-enables</dd>
5343 <dt>No dedicated automation buttons</dt>
5344 <dd>You have to press the "Auto" button and convert the first 4
5345 vpots into 4 automation-related buttons, losing your current view
5346 of the session.</dd>
5347 <dt>No buttons with Mackie-defined "Marker" functionality</dt>
5348 <dd>Mackie's design intentions for the interoperation of the
5349 Marker, rewind and ffwd buttons requires profile editing in order
5350 to function properly.
5352 <dt>No "Dyn" button</dt>
5353 <dd>This is hard to assign in an edited profile. To be fair, other
5354 Mackie Control devices also lack this button.
5360 <dt>Single cable connectivity</dt>
5361 <dd>No need for multiple MIDI cables to get 16 faders</dd>
5362 <dt>Broadcast connectivity</dt>
5363 <dd>Connecting to multiple computers does not require recabling</dd>
5364 <dt>16 faders from a single box</dt>
5365 <dd>No need to figure out how to keep extenders together</dd>
5366 <dt>Meters separated from displays</dt>
5367 <dd>Contrast with the Mackie Control Universal Pro, where meters
5368 interfere with the display
5370 <dt>DAW profiles</dt>
5371 <dd>Easy to flip profiles for use by different DAWs.</dd>
5377 <dt>Ability to make buttons generate USB keyboard events</dt>
5378 <dd>The extent to which this is useful reflects the target DAWs
5379 inability to manage all of its functionality via Mackie Control
5381 <dt>Sophisticated "profile" editing</dt>
5382 <dd>It is nice to be able to reassign the functionality of most
5383 buttons, but this is only necessary because of the relatively few
5384 global buttons on the surface.
5386 <dt>Builtin analog signal path</dt>
5387 <dd>SSL clearly expects users to route audio back from their
5388 computer via the Nucleus' own 2 channel output path, and maybe even
5389 use the input path as well. They take up a significant amount of
5390 surface space with the controls for this signal path, space that
5391 could have been used for a master fader or more Mackie Control
5392 buttons. The USB audio device requires a proprietary driver, so
5393 Linux users can't use this, and OS X/Windows users will have to
5394 install a device driver (very odd for a USB audio device these
5395 days). The analog path also no doubt adds notable cost to the
5396 Nucleus. There's nothing wrong with this feature for users that
5397 don't already have a working analog/digital signal path for their
5398 computers. But who is going to spend $5000 on a Nucleus that
5399 doesn't have this already?</dd>
5403 title: Mackie Control Setup on Linux
5407 <h2>Devices using ipMIDI</h2>
5410 If you are using a device like the SSL Nucleus that uses ipMIDI,
5411 no set up is required other than to ensure that your control surface
5412 and computer are both connected to the same network.
5415 <h2>Devices using conventional MIDI</h2>
5418 Before attempting to use a Mackie Control device that communicates via
5419 a standard MIDI cable or a USB cable, you should ensure that
5420 <a href="/setting-up-your-system/setting-up-midi/midi-on-linux">your Linux
5421 MIDI environment is setup</a>.
5425 title: What to do if your Device is not Listed
5426 menu_title: Unlisted devices
5431 All Mackie Control devices are based on the original Logic Control and the
5432 documentation in the user manual that came with it. The Mackie Control and
5433 the Mackie Control Pro and so on, all use this same protocol. Any units
5434 from other manufactures will also use the same encoding as best the
5435 hardware will allow. If the unit in use has more than one Mackie Control
5436 option, it is best to choose Logic Control or LC. Any Templates for the
5437 buttons should be chosen the same way as the Function key Editor uses these
5438 button names. The "Mackie Control" option should be considered default and
5439 should be tried with any unlisted device before attemping to create a
5440 custom definition file.
5444 title: Working With Extenders
5445 menu_title: Working With Extenders
5450 Extenders will require a custom file as there are no combinations listed
5451 at this time. The best way is to start with the mc.device file and copy it
5452 to a new name such as xt+mc.device and then edit that file. It is best to
5453 name the file with the order the devices are expected to be used in as
5454 the position of the master device is specified in this file.
5458 The two lines of interest are:
5462 <Extenders value="0"/>
5463 <MasterPosition value="0"/>
5467 Add these two lines if they are not present. The <code>Extenders</code>
5468 value is the number of extenders used and should not include the master in
5473 When an <code>Extenders</code> value of greater than 0 is used, extra midi
5474 ports will appear for the extenders to be connected to. The MIDI ports
5475 for the controllers will be named <code>mackie control #1</code>,
5476 <code>mackie control #2</code> and up. The numbers will go from left to
5477 right. That is, from lowest number channel to highest.
5481 The <code>MasterPosition</code> value is the port number the master unit
5482 (with the master fader) is connected to. So if there are three surfaces,
5483 <code><MasterPosition value="1"/></code> will expect the master on
5484 the left, <code><MasterPosition value="2"/></code> would be master
5485 in the middle and <code><MasterPosition value="3"/></code> would be
5486 master on the right. So the position matches the port name.
5490 The default value of <code><MasterPosition value="0"/></code> has
5491 the same effect as <code><MasterPosition value="1"/></code>.
5495 If the <code>MasterPosition</code> value does not properly match the
5496 physcal position and MIDI port, the master fader and global controls will
5497 not work. The master unit will act like an extender.
5501 title: MIDI Binding Maps
5506 Ardour 2.X supported
5507 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/midi-learn"><dfn>MIDI learning</dfn></a>
5508 for more or less any control. This was a nice feature that quite a few other
5509 DAWs are providing by now, but it didn't allow Ardour to work "out of the
5510 box" with sensible defaults for existing commercial MIDI
5511 controllers. In Ardour 3 and later versions, we have augmented the
5512 MIDI learn feature with the ability to load a <dfn>MIDI binding map</dfn>
5513 for a given controller, which can set up an arbitrary number of physical
5514 controls with anything inside Ardour that can be controlled.
5518 Currently (August 2016), we have presets for the following devices/modes:
5522 <li>AKAI MPD-32</li>
5524 <li>AKAI MPKmini</li>
5525 <li>Behringer BCF2000</li>
5526 <li>Behringer BCF2000 (Mackie Emulation mode; better to use
5527 Ardour's actual Mackie Control Protocol support)</li>
5528 <li>Behringer DDX3216</li>
5529 <li>Korg nanoKONTROL (2 layouts)</li>
5530 <li>Korg nanoKONTROL 2 (2 layouts)</li>
5531 <li>Korg Taktile</li>
5532 <li>M-Audio Axiom 25 (2 layouts)</li>
5533 <li>M-Audio Axiom 61</li>
5534 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 49</li>
5535 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 61v3</li>
5536 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 25</li>
5537 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 8v2</li>
5538 <li>Novation Impulse 49</li>
5539 <li>Novation Impulse 61</li>
5540 <li>Novation LaunchControl XL</li>
5541 <li>Novation LaunchKey 25</li>
5542 <li>Roland SI-24</li>
5543 <li>Roland V Studio 20</li>
5544 <li>Yamaha KX25</li>
5546 At this time, new binding maps need to be created with a text editor.
5548 MIDI binding maps are accessible by double-clicking <kbd class="menu">Edit
5549 > Preferences > Control Surfaces > Generic MIDI</kbd>. Ardour will
5550 retain your selection after you choose one.
5553 <h2>Creating new MIDI maps</h2>
5554 <h3>The Basic Concept</h3>
5556 Since the beginning of time (well, sometime early in the 2.X series),
5557 Ardour has had the concept of identifying each track and bus with a
5558 <dfn>remote control ID</dfn>. This ID uniquely identifies a track or bus
5559 so that when messages arrive from elsewhere via MIDI or OSC , we can determine
5560 which track or bus they are intended to control. Ardour has a
5562 href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-ordering/track-ordering-and-remote-control-ids/">number
5563 of ways of assigning remote control IDs</a>, but they don't really matter
5564 very much when creating MIDI binding maps, so we won't discuss that here.
5565 You just need to know that there is a "first track" and its remote control
5568 <h3>Getting Started</h3>
5570 MIDI bindings are stored in files with the suffix ".map" attached to their
5571 name. The minimal content looks like this:
5574 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
5575 <ArdourMIDIBindings version="1.0.0" name="The name of this set of
5577 </ArdourMIDIBindings>
5580 So, to start, create a file with that as the initial contents.
5583 On OS X, Ardour loads midi maps from its binary-bundle folder in
5584 <code>Ardour-<version>/midi_maps/</code> and checks
5585 various other locations as well (defined by the ARDOUR_MIDIMAPS_PATH
5586 environment variable). On GNU/Linux the easiest is to save the file to
5587 <code>~/.config/ardour3/midi_maps/</code>.
5590 <h3>Finding out what your MIDI control surface sends</h3>
5592 This is the most complex part of the job, but its still not very hard.
5593 You need to connect the control surface to an application that will show
5594 you the information that the device sends each time you modify a knob,
5595 slider, button etc. There are a variety of such applications (notably
5596 <code>gmidimon</code> and <code>kmidimon</code>, but you can actually use
5597 Ardour for this if you want. Start Ardour in a terminal window, connect
5598 MIDI ports up, and in the Preferences window, enable "Trace Input" on the
5599 relevant MIDI port. A full trace of the MIDI data received will show up in
5600 the terminal window. (Note: in Ardour3, you get a dedicated, custom dialog
5601 for this kind of tracing.)
5603 <h3>Types of Bindings</h3>
5605 There are two basic kinds of bindings you can make between a MIDI message
5606 and something inside Ardour. The first is a binding to a specific parameter
5607 of a track or bus. The second is a binding to a function that will change
5608 Ardour's state in some way.
5610 <h4>Binding to Track/Bus controls</h4>
5612 A track/bus binding has one of two basic structures
5615 <Binding <em>msg specification</em> uri="<em>... control address ...</em>"/>
5616 <Binding <em>msg specification</em> function="<em>... function name ...</em>"/>
5619 <h4>Message specifications</h4>
5621 You can create a binding for either 3 types of channel messages, or for a
5622 system exclusive ("sysex") message. A channel message specification looks
5626 <Binding channel="1" ctl="13" ....
5629 This defines a binding for a MIDI Continuous Controller message involving
5630 controller 13, arriving on channel 1. There are 16 MIDI channels, numbered
5631 1 to 16. Where the example above says <code>ctl</code>, you can alternatively
5632 use <code>note</code> (to create binding for a Note On message) or
5633 <code>pgm</code> (to create a binding for a Program Change message).
5636 As of Ardour 4.2, <code>enc-r</code>, <code>enc-l</code>, <code>enc-2</code> and
5637 <code>enc-b</code> may be used for surfaces that have encoders that send
5638 offsets rather than values. These accept Continuous Controller messages
5639 but treat them as offsets. These are good for banked controls as they are
5640 always at the right spot to start adjusting. (
5641 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/midi-binding-maps/working-with-encoders/">
5642 Learn more about working with encoders
5646 You can also bind sysex messages:
5649 <Binding sysex="f0 0 0 e 9 0 5b f7" ....
5650 <Binding sysex="f0 7f 0 6 7 f7" ....
5653 The string after the <code>sysex=</code> part is the sequence of MIDI bytes,
5654 as hexadecimal values, that make up the sysex message.
5657 Finally, you can bind a totally arbitrary MIDI message:</p>
5659 <Binding msg="f0 0 0 e 9 0 5b f7" ....
5660 <Binding msg="80 60 40" ....
5663 The string after the <code>msg=</code> part is the sequence of MIDI bytes, as
5664 hexadecimal values, that make up the message you want to bind. Using this is
5665 slightly less efficient than the other variants shown above, but is useful for
5666 some oddly designed control devices.
5670 As of Ardour 4.6 it is possible to use multi-event MIDI strings such as
5671 two event CC messages, RPN or NRPN.
5675 The <code>sysex=</code> and <code>msg=</code> bindings will only work with
5676 <code>function=</code> or <code>action=</code> control addresses. They
5677 will <em>not</em> work with the <code>uri=</code> control addresses.
5678 Controls used with <code>uri=</code> require a <em>Value</em> which is
5679 only available in a known place with channel mode MIDI events.
5682 <h4>Control address</h4>
5684 A <dfn>control address</dfn> defines what the binding will actually control.
5685 There are quite a few different things that can be specified here:
5687 <dl class="wide-table">
5688 <dt>/route/gain</dt>
5689 <dd>the gain control ("fader") for the track/bus</dd>
5690 <dt>/route/trim</dt>
5691 <dd>the trim control for the track/bus (new in 4.1)</dd>
5692 <dt>/route/solo</dt>
5693 <dd>a toggleable control for solo (and listen) of the track/bus</dd>
5694 <dt>/route/mute</dt>
5695 <dd>a toggleable control to mute/unmute the track/bus</dd>
5696 <dt>/route/recenable</dt>
5697 <dd>a toggleable control to record-enable the track</dd>
5698 <dt>/route/panwidth</dt>
5699 <dd>interpreted by the track/bus panner, should control image "width"</dd>
5700 <dt>/route/pandirection</dt>
5701 <dd>interpreted by the track/bus panner, should control image "direction"</dd>
5702 <dt>/route/plugin/parameter</dt>
5703 <dd>the Mth parameter of the Nth plugin of a track/bus
5705 <dt>/route/send/gain</dt>
5706 <dd>the gain control ("fader") of the Nth send of a track/bus</dd>
5708 <p>Each of the specifications needs an address, which takes various forms too. For track-level controls (solo/gain/mute/recenable), the address is one the following:</p>
5709 <dl class="wide-table">
5710 <dt>a number, eg. "1"
5712 <dd>identifies a track or bus by its remote control ID
5714 <dt>B, followed by a number
5716 <dd>identifies a track or bus by its remote control ID within the current bank (see below for more on banks)
5718 <dt>one or more words
5720 <dd>identifies a track or bus by its name
5724 For send/insert/plugin controls, the address consists of a track/bus
5725 address (as just described) followed by a number identifying the plugin/send
5726 (starting from 1). For plugin parameters, there is an additional third
5727 component: a number identifying the plugin parameter number (starting from
5731 One additional feature: for solo and mute bindings, you can also add
5732 <code>momentary="yes"</code> after the control address. This is useful
5733 primarily for NoteOn bindings—when Ardour gets the NoteOn it
5734 will solo or mute the targetted track or bus, but then when a NoteOff
5735 arrives, it will un-solo or un-mute it.
5738 <h4>Bindings to Ardour "functions"</h4>
5740 Rather than binding to a specific track/bus control, it may be useful to
5741 have a MIDI controller able to alter some part of Ardour's state. A
5742 binding definition that does this looks like this:
5745 <Binding channel="1" note="13" function="transport-roll"/>
5748 In this case, a NoteOn message for note number 13 (on channel 1) will
5749 start the transport rolling. The following function names are available:
5751 <dl class="narrower-table">
5753 <code>transport-stop</code>
5755 <dd>stop the transport
5758 <code>transport-roll</code>
5760 <dd>start the transport "rolling"
5763 <code>transport-zero</code>
5765 <dd>move the playhead to the zero position
5768 <code>transport-start</code>
5770 <dd>move the playhead to the start marker
5773 <code>transport-end</code>
5775 <dd>move the playhead to the end marker
5778 <code>loop-toggle</code>
5780 <dd>turn on loop playback
5783 <code>rec-enable</code>
5785 <dd>enable the global record button
5788 <code>rec-disable</code>
5790 <dd>disable the global record button
5793 <code>next-bank</code>
5795 <dd>Move track/bus mapping to the next bank (see Banks below)
5798 <code>prev-bank</code>
5800 <dd>Move track/bus mapping to the previous bank (see Banks below)
5804 <h4>Binding to Ardour "actions"</h4>
5806 You can also bind a sysex or arbitrary message to any of the items
5807 that occur in Ardour's main menu (and its submenus). The best place
5808 to look for the (long) list of how to address each item is in your
5809 keybindings file, which will contain lines that look like this:
5812 (gtk_accel_path "<Actions>/Editor/temporal-zoom-in" "equal")
5815 To create a binding between an arbitrary MIDI message (we'll use a
5816 note-off on channel 1 of MIDI note 60 (hex) with release velocity
5817 40 (hex)), the binding file would contain:
5820 <Binding msg="80 60 40" action="Editor/temporal-zoom-in"/>
5823 The general rule, when taken an item from the keybindings file and
5824 using it in a MIDI binding is to simply strip the
5825 <code><Action></code> prefix of the second field in the
5826 keybinding definition.
5829 <h3>Banks and Banking</h3>
5831 Because many modern control surfaces offer per-track/bus controls
5832 for far fewer tracks & busses than many users want to control,
5833 Ardour offers the relatively common place concept of <dfn>banks</dfn>. Banks
5834 allow you to control any number of tracks and/or busses easily,
5835 regardless of how many faders/knobs etc. your control surface has.<br />
5836 To use banking, the control addresses must be specified using the
5837 <dfn>bank relative</dfn> format mentioned above ("B1" to identify
5838 the first track of a bank of tracks, rather than "1" to identify
5842 One very important extra piece of information is required to use
5843 banking: an extra line near the start of the list of bindings
5844 that specifies how many tracks/busses to use per bank. If the
5845 device has 8 faders, then 8 would be a sensible value to use for
5846 this. The line looks like this:</p>
5848 <DeviceInfo bank-size="8"/>
5851 In addition, you probably want to ensure that you bind something
5852 on the control surface to the <code>next-bank</code> and
5853 <code>prev-bank</code> functions, otherwise you and other users
5854 will have to use the mouse and the GUI to change banks, which
5855 rather defeats the purpose of the bindings.
5857 <h2>A Complete (though muddled) Example</h2>
5859 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
5860 <ArdourMIDIBindings version="1.0.0" name="pc1600x transport controls">
5861 <DeviceInfo bank-size="16"/>
5862 <Binding channel="1" ctl="1" uri="/route/gain B1"/>
5863 <Binding channel="1" ctl="2" uri="/route/gain B2"/>
5864 <Binding channel="1" ctl="3" uri="/route/send/gain B1 1"/>
5865 <Binding channel="1" ctl="4" uri="/route/plugin/parameter B1 1 1"/>
5866 <Binding channel="1" ctl="6" uri="/bus/gain master"/>
5868 <Binding channel="1" note="1" uri="/route/solo B1"/>
5869 <Binding channel="1" note="2" uri="/route/solo B2" momentary="yes"/>
5871 <Binding channel="1" note="15" uri="/route/mute B1" momentary="yes"/>
5872 <Binding channel="1" note="16" uri="/route/mute B2" momentary="yes"/>
5874 <Binding sysex="f0 0 0 e 9 0 5b f7" function="transport-start"/>
5875 <Binding sysex="f0 7f 0 6 7 f7" function="rec-disable"/>
5876 <Binding sysex="f0 7f 0 6 6 f7" function="rec-enable"/>
5877 <Binding sysex="f0 0 0 e 9 0 53 0 0 f7" function="loop-toggle"/>
5879 <Binding channel="1" note="13" function="transport-roll"/>
5880 <Binding channel="1" note="14" function="transport-stop"/>
5881 <Binding channel="1" note="12" function="transport-start"/>
5882 <Binding channel="1" note="11" function="transport-zero"/>
5883 <Binding channel="1" note="10" function="transport-end"/>
5884 </ArdourMIDIBindings>
5887 Please note that channel, controller and note numbers are specified as
5888 decimal numbers in the ranges 1-16, 0-127 and 0-127 respectively
5889 (the channel range may change at some point).
5893 title: Working With Encoders in Ardour
5894 menu_title: Working With Encoders
5899 Encoders are showing up more frequently on controllers. However, they use
5900 the same MIDI events as Continuous Controllers and they have no standard
5901 way of sending that information as MIDI events. Ardour 4.2 has implemented
5902 4 of the more common ways of sending encoder information.
5905 Encoders that send the same continuous values as a pot would are not
5906 discussed here as they are already supported by <code>ctl</code>.
5909 Encoders as this page talks about them send direction and offset that the
5910 DAW will add to or subtract from the current value.
5913 The 4 kinds of encoder supported are:
5917 enc-r: On the bcr/bcf2000 this is called "Relative Signed Bit". The most
5918 significant bit sets positive and the lower 6 signifcant bits are the
5922 enc-l: The bcr2000 calls this "Relative Signed Bit 2". The most
5923 significant bit sets negative and the lower 6 signifcant bits are the
5924 offset. If you are using one of these two and the values are right but
5925 reversed, use the other. This one is the one the Mackie Control Protocol
5929 enc-2: The bcr2000 calls this one "Relative 2s Complement". Positive
5930 offsets are sent as normal from 1 to 64 and negative offsets are sent as
5931 2s complement negative numbers.
5934 enc-b: The bcr2000 calls this one "Relative Binary Offset". Positive
5935 offsets are sent as offset plus 64 and negative offsets are sent as 64
5940 If the wrong one is chosen, either the positive or negative side will act
5941 incorrectly. It is not really possible to auto detect which one the
5942 controller is using. Trial and error is the only way if the specification
5943 of the controller is not known.
5946 Many controllers have more than one choice as well, check the manual for
5958 There are no "best" ways to map an arbitrary MIDI controller for controlling Ardour. There may be very legitimate reasons for different users to prefer quite different mappings.
5962 On every platform that Ardour runs on, there are excellent free-of-charge tools for making connections between MIDI hardware and "virtual" MIDI ports like the ones that Ardour creates and uses. Rather than waste precious developer time replicating these connection/patch managers, we prefer to leverage their existence by having users rely on them to actually connect Ardour to other MIDI devices and software. On OS X, we recommend Pete Yandell's MIDI Patchbay. On Linux, a wide variety of tools are available including QJackctl, aconnect, Patchage, and more.
5968 <li>Enable Generic MIDI control: <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences
5969 > Control Surfaces > Generic MIDI</kbd></li>
5970 <li>Connect Ardour's MIDI port named <samp>control</samp> to whatever
5971 hardware or software you want (using a MIDI patchbay app)</li>
5972 <li><kbd class="mod1 mouse">Middle</kbd>-click on whatever on-screen
5973 fader, plugin parameter control, button etc. you want to control</li>
5974 <li>A small window appears that says "Operate Controller now"</li>
5975 <li>Move the hardware knob or fader, or press the note/key.</li>
5976 <li>The binding is complete. Moving the hardware should control the Ardour fader etc. </li>
5979 <h2>Avoiding work in the future</h2>
5982 If you want the bindings you set up to be used automatically in every session, the simplest thing to do is to use <kbd class="menu">Session > Save Template</kbd>. Then, when creating new sessions, select that template and all the bindings will be automatically set up for you.
5986 title: Using the Presonus Faderport
5987 menu_title: Presonus Faderport
5992 Since version 4.5, Ardour has had full support for the Presonus
5993 Faderport. This is a compact control surface featuring a single
5994 motorized fader, a single knob (encoder) and 24 buttons with fixed
5995 labels. It is a relatively low-cost device that functions very well
5996 to control a single (selected) track or bus, along with a variety of
5997 other "global" settings and conditions.
6000 <h2>Connecting the Faderport</h2>
6003 The Faderport comes with a single USB socket on the back. Connect a
6004 suitable USB cable from there to a USB port on your computer. As of
6005 the end of 2015, you should avoid USB3 ports—these cause erratic
6006 behaviour with the device. This issue might get fixed by Presonus in
6011 Ardour uses the Faderport in what Presonus calls "native" mode. You
6012 do not need to do anything to enable this—Ardour will set the
6013 device to be in the correct mode. In native mode, the Faderport
6014 sends and receives ordinary MIDI messages to/from the host, and the
6015 host understands the intended meaning of these messages. We note
6016 this detail to avoid speculation about whether Ardour supports the
6017 device via the HUI protocol—it does not.
6021 The Faderport will be automatically recognized by your operating
6022 system, and will appear in any of the lists of possible MIDI ports
6023 in both Ardour and other similar software.
6027 To connect the Faderport to Ardour, open the Preferences dialog, and
6028 then click on "Control Surfaces". Click on the "Enable" button
6029 in the line that says "Faderport" in order to activate Ardour's
6030 Faderport support. Then double click on the line that says
6031 "Faderport". A new dialog will open, containing (among other things)
6032 two dropdown selectors that will allow you to identify the MIDI
6033 ports where your Faderport is connected.
6037 <img alt="the Faderport configuration dialog"
6038 src="/images/faderport_dialog.png">
6042 Once you select the input and output port, Ardour will initialize
6043 the Faderport and it will be ready to use. You only need do this
6044 once: once these ports are connected and your session has been
6045 saved, the connections will be made automatically in this and other
6050 You do not need to use the power supply that comes with the
6051 Faderport but without it, the fader will not be motorized. This
6052 makes the overall experience of using the Faderport much less
6053 satisfactory, since the fader will not move when Ardour tells it
6054 to, leading to very out-of-sync conditions between the physical
6055 fader position and the "fader position" inside the program.
6058 <h2>Using the Faderport</h2>
6061 The Faderport's controls can be divided into three groups:
6063 <li>Global controls such as the transport buttons</li>
6065 <li>Controls which change the settings for particular track or
6068 <li>Controls which alter which track or bus is modified by the
6069 per-track/bus controls.</li>
6073 Because the Faderport has only a single set of per-track controls,
6074 by default those controls operate on the first selected track or
6075 bus. If there is no selected track or bus, the controls will do
6079 <h3>Transport Buttons</h3>
6081 The transport buttons all work as you would expect.
6086 When pressed on its own, starts the transport moving backwards. Successive presses
6087 speed up the "rewind" behaviour.
6090 If pressed while also holding the Stop button, the playhead will
6091 return to the zero position on the timeline.
6094 If pressed while also holding the Shift button, the playhead will
6095 move to the session start marker.
6098 <dt>Fast Forward</dt>
6101 When pressed on its own, starts the transport moving faster than normal. Successive presses
6102 speed up the "fast forward" behaviour.
6105 If pressed while also holding the Shift button, the playhead
6106 will move to the session end marker.
6111 Stops the transport. Also used in combination with the Rewind
6112 button to "return to zero".
6116 Starts the transport. If pressed while the transport is
6117 already rolling at normal speed, causes the playhead to jump to
6118 the start of the last "roll" and continue rolling ("Poor man's
6121 <dt>Record Enable</dt>
6122 <dd>Toggles the global record enable setting
6127 <h3>Other Global Controls</h3>
6129 The Mix, Proj, Trns buttons do not obviously correspond any
6130 particular functions or operations in Ardour. We have therefore
6131 allowed users to choose from a carefully curated set of possible
6132 actions that seem related to the button labels in some clear
6133 way. This can be done via the Faderport configuration dialog
6134 accessed via <code>Preferences > Control Surfaces</code>. Each
6135 button has 3 possible actions associated with it:
6137 <li>Plain Press: action to be taken when the button is pressed on
6139 <li>Shift-Press: action to be taken when the button is pressed in
6140 conjunction with the Shift button.</li>
6141 <li>Long Press: action to be taken when the button is pressed on
6142 its own and held down for more than 0.5 seconds.</li>
6144 Click on the relevant drop-down selector to pick an action as you
6148 The User button also has no obvious mapping to specific Ardour
6149 functionality, so we allow users to choose from <em>any</em>
6150 possible GUI action. The menu for selecting the action is somewhat
6151 confusing and it can be hard to find what you're looking
6152 for. However, all possible actions are there, so keep looking!
6158 Possible actions include:
6160 <li>Toggle Editor & Mixer visibility</li>
6161 <li>Show/Hide the Editor mixer strip</li>
6168 Possible actions include:
6170 <li>Toggle Meterbridge visibility</li>
6171 <li>Toggle Session Summary visibility</li>
6172 <li>Toggle Editor Lists visibility</li>
6173 <li>Zoom to session</li>
6182 Possible actions include:
6184 <li>Toggle Locations window visibility</li>
6185 <li>Toggle Metronome</li>
6186 <li>Toggle external sync</li>
6187 <li>Set Playhead at current pointer position</li>
6193 Undo Causes the last operation carried out in the editor to be
6194 undone. When pressed in conjuction with the Shift button, it
6195 causes the most recent undone operation to be re-done.
6200 When pressed on its own, toggles punch recording. If there is no
6201 punch range set for the session, this will do nothing.
6204 When pressed in conjunction with the Shift button, this moves
6205 the playhead to the previous Marker
6211 See above. Any and all GUI-initiated actions can be driven with
6212 by pressing this button on its own, or with a "long" press.
6215 When pressed in conjunction with the Shift button, this will move
6216 the playhead to the next marker.
6222 When pressed on its own, this toggles loop playback. If the
6223 Ardour preference "Loop-is-mode" is enabled, this does nothing
6224 to the current transport state. If that preference is disabled,
6225 then engaging loop playback will also start the transport.
6228 When pressed in conjunction with the Shift button, this will
6229 create a new (unnamed) marker at the current playhead
6236 <h3>Per-track Controls</h3>
6241 This toggles the mute setting of the currently controlled
6242 track/bus. The button will be lit if the track/bus is muted.
6246 This toggles the solo (or listen) setting of the currently
6247 controlled track/bus. The button will be lit if the track/bus is
6248 soloed (or set to listen mode).
6252 This toggles the record-enabled setting of the currently
6253 controlled track/bus. The button will be lit if the track is
6254 record-enabled. This button will do nothing if the Faderport is
6259 The fader controls the gain applied to the currently controlled
6260 track/bus. If the Faderport is powered, changing the gain in
6261 Ardour's GUI or via another control surface, or via automation,
6262 will result in the fader moving under its own control.
6264 <dt>Knob/Dial/Encoder</dt>
6267 The knob controls 1 or 2 pan settings for the current
6268 controlled track/bus. When used alone, turning the knob controls
6269 the "azimuth" or "direction" (between left and right) for the
6270 panner in the track/bus (if any). This is all you need when
6271 controlling tracks/busses with 1 input and 2 outputs.
6274 If controlling a 2 input/2 output track/bus, Ardour's panner
6275 has two controls: azimuth (direction) and width. The width
6276 must be reduced to less than 100% before the azimuth can be
6277 changed. Pressing the "Shift" button while turning the knob
6278 will alter the width setting.
6281 The knob can also be turned while the "User" button is held,
6282 in order to modify the input gain for the currently controlled
6288 Enables playback/use of fader automation data by the controlled track/bus.
6292 Puts the fader for the controlled track/bus into automation
6293 write mode. While the transport is rolling, all fader changes
6294 will be recorded to the fader automation lane for the relevant track/bus.
6298 Puts the fader for the controlled track/bus into automation
6299 touch mode. While the transport is rolling, touching the fader
6300 will initiate recording all fader changes until the fader is
6301 released. When the fader is not being touched, existing
6302 automation data will be played/used to control the gain level.
6306 This disables all automation modes for the currently controlled
6307 track/bus. Existing automation data will be left unmodified by
6308 any fader changes, and will not be used for controlling gain.
6313 <h3>Track Selection Controls</h3>
6315 You can manually change the track/bus controlled by the Faderport by
6316 changing the selected track in Ardour's editor window. If you select
6317 more than 1 track, the Faderport will control the first selected
6318 track and <em>only</em> that track/bus.
6322 <dt>Left (arrow)</dt>
6324 This causes the Ardour GUI to select the previous track/bus
6325 (using the current visual order in the editor window), which
6326 will in turn cause the Faderport to control that track. If there
6327 is no previous track/bus, the selected track/bus is left
6328 unchanged, and the Faderport continues to control it.
6330 <dt>Right (arrow)</dt>
6332 This causes the Ardour GUI to select the next track/bus
6333 (using the current visual order in the editor window), which
6334 will in turn cause the Faderport to control that track. If there
6335 is no next track/bus, the selected track/bus is left
6336 unchanged, and the Faderport continues to control it.
6341 Pressing the Output button causes the Faderport to control
6342 the fader, pan, mute and solo settings of the Master bus. If
6343 your session does not contain a Master bus, it does nothing.
6344 This is a toggle button—pressing it again returns Faderport
6345 to controlling whichever track/bus was selected before the
6346 first press of the Output button.
6349 If your session uses Ardour's monitor section, you can use
6350 Shift-Output to assign it to the Faderport in the same way
6351 that Output assigns the Master bus. This is also a toggle
6352 setting, so the second Shift-Output will return the Faderport
6353 to controlling whichever track/bus was selected before.
6356 If you press Shift-Output after a single press to Output
6357 (i.e. control the Monitor Section while currently controlling
6358 the Master bus) or vice versa (i.e. control the Master bus
6359 while currently controlling the Monitor Section), the press
6360 will be ignored. This avoids getting into a tricky situation
6361 where it is no longer apparent what is being controlled and
6362 what will happen if you try to change it.
6367 The "Bank" button is currently not used by Ardour
6373 title: Using the Ableton Push 2
6374 menu_title: Ableton Push 2
6379 <img alt="the Ableton Push 2 surface" src="/images/push2-main.jpg">
6383 Since version 5.4, Ardour has had extensive support for the Ableton
6384 Push2. This is an expensive but beautifully engineered control
6385 surface primarily targetting the workflow found in Ableton's Live
6386 software and other similar tools such as Bitwig. As of version 5.4, Ardour
6387 does not offer the same kind of workflow, so we have designed our support for the
6388 Push 2 to be used for mixing and editing and musical performance,
6389 without the clip/scene oriented approach in Live. This may change in
6390 future versions of Ardour.
6393 <h2>Connecting the Push 2</h2>
6396 Plug the USB cable from the Push 2 into a USB2 or USB3 port on your
6397 computer. For brighter backlighting, also plug in the power supply
6398 (this is not necessary for use).
6402 The Push 2 will be automatically recognized by your operating
6403 system, and will appear in any of the lists of possible MIDI ports
6404 in both Ardour and other similar software.
6408 To connect the Push 2 to Ardour, open the Preferences dialog, and
6409 then click on "Control Surfaces". Click on the "Enable" button
6410 in the line that says "Ableton Push 2" in order to activate Ardour's
6415 Once you select the input and output port, Ardour will initialize
6416 the Push 2 and it will be ready to use. You only need do this
6417 once: once these ports are connected and your session has been
6418 saved, the connections will be made automatically in this and other
6422 <h2>Push 2 Configuration</h2>
6425 The only configuration option at this time is whether the pads send
6426 aftertouch or polyphonic pressure messages. You can alter this
6427 setting via the Push 2 GUI, accessed by double-clicking on the "Push
6428 2" entry in the control surfaces list.
6431 <img alt="the Push 2 configuration dialog"
6432 src="/images/push2-gui.png">
6435 <h2>Basic Concepts</h2>
6438 With the Push 2 support in Ardour 5.4, you can do the following
6441 <dt>Perform using the 8 x 8 pad "grid"</dt>
6442 <dd>The Push 2 has really lovely pressure-sensitive pads that can
6443 also generate either aftertouch or note (polyphonic) pressure.</dd>
6444 <dt>Global Mixing</dt>
6445 <dd>See many tracks at once, and control numerous parameters for each.</dd>
6446 <dt>Track/Bus Mixing</dt>
6447 <dd>View a single track/bus, with even more parameters for the track.</dd>
6448 <dt>Choose the mode/scale, root note and more for the pads</dt>
6449 <dd>37 scales are available. Like Live, Ardour offers both
6450 "in-key" and "chromatic" pad layouts.</dd>
6453 … plus a variety of tasks related to transport control, selection,
6454 import, click track control and more.
6457 <h2>Musical Performance</h2>
6460 Messages sent from the 8x8 pad grid and the "pitch bend bar" are
6461 routed to a special MIDI port within Ardour called "Push 2 Pads"
6462 (no extra latency is incurred from this routing). Although you can
6463 manually connect this port to whatever you wish, the normal
6464 behaviour of Ardour's Push 2 support is to connect the pads to the
6465 most recently selected MIDI track.
6469 This means that to play a soft-synth/instrument plugin in a given
6470 MIDI track with the Push 2, you just need to select that track.
6474 If multiple MIDI tracks are selected at once, the first selected
6475 track will be used. Note that messages originating from all other
6476 controls on the Push 2 will <em>not</em> not be delivered to the
6477 "Push 2 Pads" port. This makes no difference in practice, because
6478 the other controls do not send messages that are useful for musical
6485 This is the default mode that Ardour will start the Push 2 in. In
6486 this mode, the 8 knobs at the top of the device, the 8 buttons below
6487 them, the video display and the 8 buttons below that are combined to
6488 provide a global view of the session mix.
6492 <img alt="global mix mode on Push2 screen"
6493 src="/images/push2-globalmix.png">
6497 The upper buttons are labelled by text in the video display just
6498 below them. Pressing one of the buttons changes the function of the
6499 knobs, and the parameters that will shown for each track/bus in the
6504 As of Ardour 5.4, the possible parameters are:
6507 <dd>The display shows a knob and text displaying
6508 the current gain setting for the track, and a meter that
6509 corresponds precisely to the meter shown in the Ardour GUI for
6510 that track. Changing the meter type (e.g. from Peak to K12) in the
6511 GUI will also change it in the Push 2 display. The physical knob
6512 will alter track/bus gain.
6515 <dd>The display shows a knob indicating the pan direction/azimuth
6516 for the corresponding track/bus. Turning the physical knob will
6517 pan the track left and right. If the track/bus has no panner
6518 (i.e. it has only a single output), no knob is shown and the
6519 physical knob will do nothing. </dd>
6521 <dd><p>For tracks with 2 outputs, the display will show a knob
6522 indicating the pan width setting for the corresponding
6523 track/bus. The physical knob can be turned to adjust the
6528 Unlike many DAWs, Ardour's stereo panners have "width"
6529 parameter that defaults to 100%. You cannot change the pan
6530 direction/azimuth of a track with 100% width, but must first
6531 reduce the width in order to pan it. Similarly, a track panned
6532 anywhere other than dead center has limits on the maximum
6533 width setting. If these concepts are not familiar to you,
6534 please be aware than many DAWs use a "panner" that actually
6535 implement "balance" and not "panning", hence the difference.
6539 <dd>The display shows a knob indicating the gain level for the
6540 first send in that track. If the track has no send, no knob will
6541 be shown, and the physical knob for that track will do nothing.
6543 <dt>B Sends, C Sends, D Sends</dt>
6544 <dd>Like "A Sends", but for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sends of a
6545 track/bus respectively.
6551 To change which tracks are shown while in global mix mode, use the
6552 left and right arrow/cursor keys just below and to the right of the
6553 display. Tracks and busses that are hidden in Ardour's GUI will also
6554 be hidden from display on the Push 2.
6558 To select a track/bus directly from the Push 2, press the
6559 corresponding button below the display. The track name will be
6560 highlighted, and the selection will change in Ardour's GUI as well
6561 (and also any other control surfaces).
6564 <h3>Soloing and Muting in Global Mix mode</h3>
6567 The Solo and Mute buttons to the left of the video display can be
6568 used to solo and mute tracks while in Global Mix mode. The operation
6569 will be applied to the <em>first</em> currently selected
6574 There are two indications that one or more tracks are soloed:
6576 <li>The solo button will blink red</li>
6577 <li>Track names will be prefixed by "*" if they are soloed, and
6578 "-" if they are muted due to soloing.</li>
6583 To cancel solo, either:
6585 <li>Select the soloed track(s) and press the solo button
6587 <li>Press and hold the solo button for more than 1 second</li>
6593 <p>Track Mix mode allows you to focus on a single track in more detail
6594 than is possible in Global Mix mode. To enter (or leave) Track Mix
6595 mode, press the "Mix" button.
6599 In Track Mix mode, various aspects of the state of the first
6600 selected track/bus will be displayed on the Push 2. Above the
6601 display, the first 4 knobs control track volume (gain), pan
6602 directiom/azimuth, pan width, and where appropriate, track input
6607 Below the display, 7 buttons provide immediate control of mute,
6608 solo, rec-enable, monitoring (input or disk or automatic), solo
6609 isolate and solo safe state. When a a track is muted due to other
6610 track(s) soloing, the mute button will flash (to differentiate from
6611 its state when it is explicitly muted).
6615 The video display also shows meters for the track, which as in
6616 Global Mix mode, precisely match the meter type shown in Ardour's
6617 GUI. There are also two time displays showing the current playhead
6618 position in both musical (beats|bars|ticks) format, and as
6619 hours:minutes:seconds.
6623 To change which track is visible in Track Mix mode, use the
6624 left/right arrow/cursor keys just below and to the right of the
6628 <h2>Scale Selection</h2>
6631 Press the Scale button to enter Scale mode. The display will look
6636 <img alt="track mix mode on Push2 screen"
6637 src="/images/push2-scale.png">
6641 In the center, 37 scales are presented. Scroll through them by
6642 either using the cursor/arrow keys to the lower right of the
6643 display, or the knobs above the display. The scale will change
6644 dynamically as you scroll. You can also scroll in whole pages using
6645 the upper right and upper left buttons above the display (they will
6646 display "<" and ">" if scrolling is possible).
6650 To change the root note of the scale, press the corresponding button
6651 above or below the video display.The button will be lit to indicate
6652 your selection (and the text will be highlighted).
6656 By default, Ardour configures the Push 2 pads to use "in-key" mode,
6657 where all pads correspond to notes "in" the chosen scale. Notes
6658 corresponding to the root note, or the equivalent note in higher
6659 octaves, are highlighted with the color of the current target MIDI
6665 "chromatic" mode, the pads correspond to a continuous sequence of
6666 notes starting with your selected root note. Pads corresponding to
6667 notes in the scale are illuminated; those corresponding to the root
6668 note are lit with the color the current target MIDI track. Other
6669 pads are left dark, but you can still play them.
6673 To switch between them, press button on the lower left of the video
6674 display; the text above it will display the current mode (though it
6675 is usually visually self-evident from the pad lighting pattern).
6679 To leave Scale mode, press the "Scale" button again. You may also
6680 use the upper left button above the display, though if you have
6681 scrolled left, it may require more than one press.
6684 <h2>Specific Button/Knob Functions</h2>
6687 In addition to the layouts described above, many (but not all) of
6688 the buttons and knobs around the edges of the Push 2 will carry out
6689 various functions related to their (illuminated) label. As of Ardour
6692 <dt>Metronome (button and adjacent knob)</dt>
6694 Enables/disables the click (metronome). The knob directly above
6695 it will control the volume (gain) of the click.
6699 Undo or redo the previous editing operation.
6703 Deletes the currently selected region, or range, or
6704 note. Equivalent to using Ctrl/Cmd-x on the keyboard.
6708 If a MIDI region is selected in Ardour, this will open the
6713 Duplicates the current region or range selection.
6717 Enables and disables Ardour's global record enable state.
6721 Starts and stops the transport. Press Shift-Play to return to the session start.
6725 Opens Ardour's Add Track/Bus dialog.
6729 Open's Ardour's import dialog to select and audition existing
6730 audio and MIDI files.
6734 Pressing this button jumps directly to Track Mix mode, with the
6735 master out bus displayed.
6737 <dt>Cursor arrows</dt>
6739 These are used by some modes to navigate within the display (e.g
6740 Scale mode). In other modes, the up/down cursor arrows will
6741 scroll the GUI display up and down, while the left/right cursor
6742 arrows will generally scroll within the Push 2 display itself.
6746 Enables/disables loop playback. This will follow Ardour's "loop
6747 is mode" preference, just like the loop button in the Ardour
6750 <dt>Octave buttons</dt>
6752 These shift the root note of the current pad scale up or down by
6755 <dt>Page buttons</dt>
6757 These scroll Ardour's editor display left and right along the
6760 <dt>Master (top right) knob</dt>
6762 This knob controls the gain/volume of Ardour's main output. If
6763 the session has a monitor saec
6770 title: Configuring MIDI
6776 title: Using External MIDI Devices
6780 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
6784 title: Setting Up MIDI
6788 <h2>What Can Ardour Do With MIDI?</h2>
6790 <dfn><abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital
6791 Interface">MIDI</abbr></dfn> is a way to describe musical
6792 performances and to control music hardware and software.
6794 <p>Ardour can import and record MIDI data, and perform a variety of
6795 editing operations on it. Furthermore, MIDI can be used to control
6796 various functions of Ardour.
6799 <h2>MIDI Handling Frameworks</h2>
6801 MIDI input and output for Ardour are handled by the same "engine"
6802 that handles audio input and output. Up to release 3.5, that means
6803 that all MIDI I/O takes place via JACK. JACK itself uses the
6804 native MIDI support of the operating system to receive and send
6805 MIDI data. The native MIDI support provides device drivers for MIDI
6806 hardware and libraries needed by software applications that want to
6812 <dd> <dfn>CoreMIDI</dfn> is the standard MIDI framework on OSX systems.
6816 <dfn><abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound API">ALSA</abbr> MIDI</dfn>
6817 is the standard MIDI framework on Linux systems.
6822 On Linux systems, <dfn>QJackCtl</dfn> control software displays ALSA MIDI
6823 ports under its "ALSA" tab (it does not currently display CoreMIDI
6824 ports). By contrast, JACK MIDI ports show up under
6825 the <kbd class="menu">MIDI</kbd> tab in QJackCtl.
6828 <h2>JACK MIDI Configuration</h2>
6830 By default, JACK will <strong>not</strong> automatically detect and use existing MIDI
6831 ports on your system. You must choose one of several ways
6832 of <dfn>bridging</dfn> between the native MIDI frameworks
6833 (e.g. CoreMIDI or ALSA) and JACK MIDI, as described in the sections
6838 title: MIDI on Linux
6842 <p>The right approach for using MIDI on Linux depends on which version of
6843 JACK you use. The world divides into:</p>
6846 <dt>Systems using JACK 1, versions 0.124 or later</dt>
6847 <dd>On these systems, just start JACK with the <code>-X alsa_midi</code> server argument. To support legacy control applications, you can also use the <code>-X seq</code> argument to the ALSA backend of JACK and get the exact same results.</dd>
6849 <dd>Use a2jmidid to act as a bridge between ALSA MIDI and JACK. Do not use the <code>-X seq</code> or <code>-X raw</code> arguments—the timing and performance of these options is not acceptable.
6856 <dfn>a2jmidid</dfn> is an application that bridges between the system
6857 <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> ports and
6858 <abbr title="JACK Audio Connection Kit">JACK</abbr>.
6862 First you should make sure that there is no ALSA sequencer support enabled
6863 in JACK. To do that open QJackCtl's <kbd class="menu">Setup</kbd> window.
6867 Set <kbd class="menu">Settings > MIDI Driver</kbd> to <kbd
6868 class="input">none</kbd>.
6869 Then uncheck the <kbd class="optoff">Misc > Enable ALSA Sequencer
6870 support</kbd> option.<br />
6871 Now it's time to restart your jack server before going on.
6874 <h3>Check for a2jmidid availability</h3>
6877 First, check whether a2jmidid is already installed in your system. After
6878 starting your JACK server, go to the command line and type
6881 <kbd class="cmd lin">a2jmidid -e</kbd>
6884 If a2jmidid does not exist, install it with the software manager of your
6885 Linux distribution and try again.
6888 <h2>Check available MIDI ports</h2>
6891 If you have correctly configured JACK for MIDI, then your MIDI ports should appear in
6892 qjackctl under <kbd class="menu">Connections > MIDI </kbd>.
6895 <h3>Making it automatic</h3>
6898 Once you've verified that the ports appear in JACK as expected, you
6899 can make this happen whenever you start JACK.
6902 <p>If you use a newer version of JACK 1, just make sure the -X
6903 alsa_midi or -X seq options are enabled for whatever technique you use
6908 For other versions of JACK,
6909 add <kbd class="input">a2jmidid -e &</kbd> as an "after start-up" script
6910 in the <kbd class="menu">Setup > Options</kbd> tab of QJackCtl, so
6911 that it is started automatically whenever you start JACK.
6914 <p class="fixme">Is this true anymore in Ardour 5? This section may have been relevant in Ardour 3, but it might not be relevant anymore.</p>
6922 In order for CoreMIDI to work with Jack MIDI, a CoreMIDI-to-JACK-MIDI
6924 is required. This feature is available on versions equal to or great than
6925 version 0.89 of JackOSX.
6928 <h2>Routing MIDI</h2>
6930 <h3>Inside Ardour</h3>
6933 MIDI ports show up in Ardour's MIDI connection matrix in multiple
6934 locations. Bridged CoreMIDI ports as well as JACK MIDI ports that have
6935 been created by other software clients will show up under the "Other" tab.
6936 Bridged CoreMIDI hardware ports show up under the "Hardware" tab.
6939 <h3>External Applications</h3>
6942 There are multiple options for connecting MIDI ports outside of Ardour.
6946 <li><a href="http://www.snoize.com/MIDIMonitor/">MIDI Monitor</a> is a handy
6947 tool for doing various MIDI-related tasks.</li>
6948 <li><a href="http://notahat.com/midi_patchbay">MIDI Patchbay</a> lets you
6949 connect ports and filters MIDI data.</li>
6954 title: Ardour's Interface
6960 title: About Ardour's Interface
6965 In Ardour, you work in two main windows: the <dfn>Editor</dfn> and the
6969 <img src="/images/editor_split.png" alt="Ardour's mixer window">
6970 <img src="/images/mixer_split.png" alt="Ardour's editor window">
6972 <ol class="multicol4">
6975 <li>Transport bar & Times</li>
6976 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="4">
6977 <li>Mode switch</li>
6978 <li>The <dfn>Editor</dfn> window</li>
6979 <li>a track's mixer strip</li>
6980 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="7">
6981 <li>Editors List</li>
6982 <li>The <dfn>Mixer</dfn> window</li>
6983 <li>Favorite plugins</li>
6984 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="10">
6987 <li>Master strip</li>
6992 To switch between those windows, use the buttons (#4 Mode switch in the upper right),
6993 the shortcut <kbd class="mod2">M</kbd>, or the menu
6994 <kbd class="menu">Window > Editor <em>(or Mixer)</em> > Show</kbd>.
6995 Both windows can be visible at the same time (eg. for a multi-monitor
6996 setup) using <kbd class="menu">Detach</kbd> in the same menu.</p>
7004 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
7012 <img src="/images/status-bar.png" alt="The status bar">
7013 <p>The status bar is an informative bar at the top of the window, showing:</p>
7015 <li><dfn>File:</dfn> the file format used in the session, including when recording</li>
7016 <li><dfn>TC:</dfn> is the timecode, i.e. the number of frames per second used by the session (for videos)</li>
7017 <li><dfn>Audio:</dfn> gives the sample rate used in the session, and the latency computed from the buffer size</li>
7018 <li><dfn>Buffers:</dfn> decribe how much data is buffered, see below</li>
7019 <li><dfn>DSP:</dfn> for Digital Sound Processing, shows how much of the CPU is used by Ardour and its plugins</li>
7020 <li><dfn>X:</dfn> shows the number of xruns since Ardour's launch, see below</li>
7021 <li><dfn>Disk:</dfn> reports the remaining hard disk space as the time that can be recorded with the current session setting</li>
7022 <li><dfn>a Clock</dfn> showing the system time</li>
7023 <li><dfn>a Log button</dfn> that indicates if Ardour has encountered any warning or error.</li>
7026 <p>The buffers are labelled as <kbd class="menu">p</kbd> for playback and <kbd class="menu">c</kbd> for capture. If the
7027 system is fast enough, these buffers should be 100% full at all times, showing the system has time to precompute
7028 all the data before delivering it to the audio system. A buffer constantly under 20% is a sign of an underpowered
7029 computer system or of too much processing.</p>
7031 <p>An Xrun (short for buffer over- or under-run) happens when the system has been forced to skip audio frames, e.g. if the latency
7032 asked is too short for the computing power of the machine. It usually results in clicks, pops and crackles if it happens while recording.</p>
7034 <p>The log button turns yellow when a warning is shows, and red when an error occurs. Clicking the log button gives acces to the log.</p>
7037 title: Transport bar and times
7042 Ardour offers many ways to <dfn>control playback</dfn> of your session, including the transport bar, key bindings and remote controls. You can also use markers to define locations or ranges within the session and rapidly move around between them.
7045 <img src="/images/transport-bar.png" alt="Ardour's transport bar" />
7048 If you synchronize Ardour with other devices then some or all of these control methods may be unavailable—depending on the synchronization protocol, Ardour may respond only to commands sent from its master device(s).
7052 The <dfn>Transport Bar</dfn> at the top of the window is made of:
7056 <li><a href="/controlling-playback/using-the-transport-bar/">the Transport Controls</a></li>
7057 <li><a href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays/">the Clocks</a></li>
7058 <li>3 status indicators:
7060 <li><dfn>Solo</dfn>: Blinks when one or more tracks are being soloed, see <a href="/mixing/muting-and-soloing/">Muting and Soloing</a>. Clicking this button disables any active explicit and implicit solo on all tracks and busses.</li>
7061 <li><dfn>Audition</dfn>: Blinks when using the import dialog to audition material.</li>
7062 <li><dfn>Feedback</dfn>: Blinks when Ardour detects a <dfn>feedback loop</dfn>, which happens when the output of an audio signal chain is plugged back to its input. This is probably not wanted and can be dangerous for the hardware and the listener.</li>
7064 <li>A global Meter, showing the level of the Master Output, see <a href="/ardours-interface/meters/">Metering in Ardour</a></li>
7065 <li>the Mode Selector, allowing to switch between Editor and Mixer views, or edit the Preferences.</li>
7069 title: The Transport Bar
7074 The <dfn>Transport Bar</dfn> groups all the actions regarding the control of playback and recording.
7077 <p class="center"><img src="/images/transport.png" alt="The transport controls" /></p>
7080 This bar is made of (from left to right):
7085 <dfn>Midi Panic</dfn>: Immediately stops all midi output.
7088 <dfn>Enable/disable Audio Click</dfn>: Toggles (on/off) a click track (metronome) along the <a href="/tempo-meter/tempo-and-meter/">tempo</a>.
7091 <dfn>Go to Start of the Session</dfn>: Jumps back at the beginning of the session, as defined by the <a href="/working-with-markers/">start marker</a>.
7094 <dfn>Go to End of the Session</dfn>: Jumps forward to the end of the session, as defined by the <a href="/working-with-markers/">end marker</a>.
7097 <dfn>Play Loop Range</dfn>: Repeats the defined <a href="/controlling-playback/looping-the-transport/">loop</a> as defined by the <a href="/working-with-markers/loop-range/">Loop range</a>, until the "Stop playback" button is pressed. Clicking the "Play loop Range" button while already active switches to normal Play mode, which exits the loop without stopping and restarting playback.
7100 <dfn>Play Range/Selection</dfn>: If a range has been defined using the Range Mode button, plays the range, of if an audio or MIDI region is selected, plays this region. In both cases, the playback stops at the end of the range or selected region.
7103 <dfn>Play from playhead</dfn>: Starts the playback and optionally record (more below).
7106 <dfn>Stop</dfn>: Whatever the playing mode (loop, range, …) stops all playback. Depending on other settings, some effects (like chorus or reverb) might still be audible for a while.
7109 <dfn>Toggle Record</dfn>: Global switch button to activate/deactivate recording. While active, the button blinks red. The button doesn't start recording by itself: if one or more tracks are marked as record-enabled, pressing the "Play from Playhead" starts recording on those tracks. See <a href="/recording/">Recording</a>.
7113 <p class="fixme">Add default keyboard shortcuts to the above.</p>
7116 All these actions are bound to keyboard shortcuts, which allows for speedier use and more focused work.
7120 Under these buttons is the <dfn>Shuttle Speed Control</dfn> that allows to scrub through the audio quickly.
7124 The Shuttle Speed Control supports 2 operating modes, that can be chosen with right click > Mode:
7128 <li><dfn>Sprung mode</dfn> that allows for a temporary scrub: it only scubs while the mouse is left clicked on the control.</li>
7129 <li><dfn>Wheel mode</dfn> that allows to set a playback speed until the "Stop" button is pressed, which stops the playback and resets its speed.
7133 The mode is displayed on the right of the control. The current playback speed is shown by a green slider, that is square and centered when the playback speed is normal (1X) and becomes a circle when its changed. The further from the center the slider is set, the faster the playback will scrub in both directions, as displayed on the left of the control.
7137 The 3 vertical buttons on the right of the transport bar control the behaviour of the playhead:
7142 The positional sync button (which might show <dfn>Internal</dfn>, or <dfn>MTC</dfn> or several other values) can be used to control whether or not the transport position and start is controlled by Ardour, or by an external positional synchronization source, such as MIDI Time Code (MTC), Linear Time Code (LTC) or JACK. (see <a href="/synchronization/timecode-generators-and-slaves/">Timecode Generators and Slaves</a>).
7145 <dfn>Follow Edits</dfn> is a toggle that can be used to control whether or not making a selection (range or object) will move the playhead to the start of the selection.
7148 <dfn>Auto Return</dfn> is a toggle switch too. When active, pressing the Stop button returns the playhead to its previous position, and when inactive, pressing Stop keeps the playhead at its current location. Activating Auto Return can be useful for hearing the same piece of audio before and after tweaking it, without having to set a loop range on it.
7158 <dfn>Clocks</dfn> in Ardour are used to display <dfn>time values</dfn> precisely.
7159 In many cases, they are also one way to edit (change) time values, and in a few
7160 cases, the only way. All clocks share the same basic appearance and functionality,
7161 which is described below, but a few clocks serve particularly important roles.
7164 <h2>Transport Clocks</h2>
7167 In the transport bar of the editor window there are two clocks (unless you
7168 are on a very small screen), that display the current position of the playhead
7169 and additional information related to transport control and the timeline. These
7170 are called the <dfn>transport clocks</dfn>; the left one is the primary
7171 transport clock and the right one is the secondary transport clock.
7172 They look like this:
7175 <img src="/images/a3_new_main_clocks.png" alt="An image of the transport clocks in Ardour 3" />
7178 Editing the time in the transport clocks will reposition the playhead in the same
7179 way that various other editing operations will.
7182 <h3>The Big Clock</h3>
7184 To show the current playhead position in a big, resizable window, activate
7185 <kbd class="menu">Window > Big Clock</kbd>. The big clock is very useful
7186 when you need to work away from the screen but still want to see the playhead
7187 position clearly (such as when working with a remote control device across
7188 a room). The big clock will change its visual appearance to indicate when active
7189 recording is taking place. Below on the left is a screenshot showing a fairly
7190 large big clock window filling a good part of the display, and on the right,
7191 the same clock during active recording.
7193 <a href="/images/bigclock.png"><img src="/images/bigclock.png" height="100" alt="an image of the big clock filling a screen" /></a>Â <a href="/images/bigclock-recording.png"><img src="/images/bigclock-recording.png" height="100" alt="an image of the big clock while recording"
7196 <h3>The Special Role of the Secondary Transport Clock</h3>
7198 On a few occasions Ardour needs to display time values to the user, but there
7199 is no obvious way to specify what units to use. The most common case is the big
7200 cursor that appears when dragging regions. For this and other similar cases,
7201 Ardour will display time using the same units as the secondary clock.
7203 <h4>Why are there two transport clocks?</h4>
7205 Having two transport clocks lets you see the playhead position in two different
7206 time units without having to change any settings. For example, you can see the
7207 playhead position in both timecode units and BBT time.
7210 <h3>Selection and Punch Clocks</h3>
7212 The transport bar also contains a set of 5 clocks that show the current
7213 <dfn>selection range</dfn> and <dfn>punch ranges</dfn>. Clicking on the punch
7214 range clocks will locate to either the beginning or end of the punch range.
7215 Similarly, clicking on the range clocks will locate to either the beginning
7216 or end of the current selection. In this screen shot there is no current
7217 selection range, so the selection clocks show an "off" state.
7220 <img src="/images/selectionpunchclocks.png" alt="An image of the the selection and punch clocks in Ardour 3" />
7222 <h2>Clock Modes</h2>
7224 Every clock in Ardour has four different, selectable <dfn>clock
7225 modes</dfn>. Each mode displays time using different units.
7226 You can change the clock mode by <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking
7227 on the clock and selecting the desired mode from the menu. Some clocks are
7228 entirely independent of any other clock's mode; others are linked so that
7229 changing one changes all clocks in that group. The different modes are:
7233 <dd>Time is shown as <dfn><abbr title="Society of Motion Picture and Television
7234 Engineers">SMPTE</abbr> timecode</dfn> in Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames,
7235 measured from the timecode zero point on the timeline (which may not
7236 correspond to the session start and/or absolute zero on the timeline,
7237 depending on configurable timecode offsets).
7238 The frames value is dictated by either the session <abbr title="Frames Per
7239 Second">FPS</abbr> setting, or, if slaved to an external timecode master,
7240 the master's setting. In the transport clocks, the FPS value is shown below
7241 the time display, along with an indication of the current timecode source
7242 (<samp>INT</samp> means that Ardour is its own timecode source).</dd>
7244 <dd>Time is shown as Bars:Beats:Ticks, indicating <dfn>musical time</dfn> measured
7245 from the start of the session. The transport clocks show the current tempo
7246 in <abbr title="Beats Per Minute">bpm</abbr> and meter below the time
7248 <dt>Minutes:Seconds</dt>
7249 <dd>Time is shown as Hours:Minutes:Seconds.Milliseconds, measured from the
7250 absolute start of the timeline (ignoring the session start and any timecode
7253 <dd>Time is shown as a <dfn>sample count</dfn> from the absolute start of the timeline
7254 (ignoring the session start and any timecode offsets). The number of
7255 samples per second is given by the current sample rate, and in the transport
7256 clocks, this rate is shown below the time display along with any
7257 pullup/pulldown adjustment.</dd>
7260 <h3>Special Modes for the Transport Clocks</h3>
7262 In addition to the time-unit modes mentioned above, each of the two transport
7263 clocks (if you work on a small screen, you may only have one) can be
7264 independently set to display <dfn>Delta to Edit Point</dfn> in whatever time
7265 units its current mode indicates. This setting means that the clock shows the
7266 distance between the playhead and the current edit point, and it may show a
7267 positive or negative value depending on the temporal order of these two points.
7268 The clocks will use a different color when in this mode to avoid confusion.
7271 To switch either (or both!) of the transport clocks into this mode, use
7272 <kbd class="menu"> Edit > Preferences > Transport</kbd> and select
7273 the relevant checkboxes.
7276 Note that when in <samp>Delta to Edit Point</samp> mode, the transport clocks
7280 <h2>Changing clock values with the keyboard</h2>
7282 New values for the clock can be typed in after clicking on the relevant clock.
7283 Clicking on the clock will show a thin vertical cursor bar just to the right
7284 of the next character to be overwritten. Enter time in the same order as the
7285 current clock mode—if the clock is in Timecode mode, you need to enter
7286 hours, minutes, seconds, frames. So, to change to a time of 12:15:20:15 you
7287 would type <kbd class="input">1 2 1 5 2 0 1 5</kbd>. Each number you type will
7288 appear in a different color, from right to left, overwriting the existing value.
7289 Mid-edit, after typing <kbd class="input">3 2 2 2</kbd> the clock might look like this:
7291 <img src="/images/clockedit.png" alt="An image of a clock being edited in Ardour 3" />
7293 To finish the edit, press <kbd>↵</kbd> or <kbd>Tab</kbd>. To exit an
7294 edit without changing the clock press <kbd>ESC</kbd>. If you mis-type an entry
7295 so that the new value would be illegal (for example, resulting in more than 30
7296 frames when Timecode is set to 30 frames per second), the clock will reset at
7297 the end of the edit, and move the cursor back to the start so that you can
7301 <h3>Avoiding the mouse entirely</h3>
7303 There is a shortcut available for those who wish to be able to edit the transport
7304 clocks entirely without the mouse. It can be found in
7305 <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings > Transport > Focus On
7306 Clock</kbd>. If bound to a key (<kbd>÷</kbd> on the numerical
7308 default), then pressing that key is equivalent to clicking on the primary (left)
7309 transport clock, and editing can begin immediately.
7312 <h3>Entering Partial Times</h3>
7314 One detail of the editing design that is not immediately obvious is that it is
7315 possible to enter part of a full time value. Suppose that the clock is in BBT
7316 mode, displaying <samp>024|03|0029</samp>, and you want to alter the value to
7317 the first beat of the current bar. Click on the clock and type
7318 <kbd class="input">0 1 0 0 0 0</kbd>. Similarly, if it is in Minutes:Seconds
7319 mode, displaying <samp>02:03:04.456</samp>, and you want to get to exactly 2
7320 hours, click on the clock and type <kbd class="input">0 0 0 0 0 0 0</kbd> to
7321 reset the minutes, seconds and milliseconds fields.
7324 <h3>Entering Delta Times</h3>
7326 You can also type values into the clock that are intended as a relative change,
7327 rather than a new absolute value. Simply end the edit by pressing
7328 <kbd>+</kbd> or <kbd>-</kbd> (the ones on any keypad will also work). The plus
7329 key will add the entered value to the current value of the clock, minus will
7330 subtract it. For example, if the clock is in Samples mode and displays
7331 <samp>2917839</samp>, you move it back 2000 samples by typing
7332 <kbd class="input">2 0 0 0</kbd> and <kbd>-</kbd>, rather than ending with
7335 <h2>Changing clock values with the mouse</h2>
7337 <h3>Using a scroll wheel</h3>
7340 Position the mouse pointer over the clock, and move the scroll wheel. Moving
7341 the scroll wheel up (<kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>) increases the value
7342 shown on the clock, moving it down (<kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>)
7343 decreases it. The step size is equal to the unit of the field
7344 you are hovering over (seconds, hours, etc.).
7347 <h3>Dragging the mouse</h3>
7350 Position the mouse pointer over the clock, press the left mouse button and drag.
7351 Dragging upwards increases the value shown on the clock, dragging downwards
7352 decreases it, again with a step size equal to the unit of the field you
7363 The <dfn>Editor</dfn> window includes the editor track <dfn>canvas</dfn>
7364 where you can arrange audio and MIDI data along a timeline. This is the
7365 window you will be in while editing and arranging a project. The window
7366 has a general "horizontal" sense to it: the timeline flows from left to
7367 right, the playhead showing the current position in the session moves
7368 from left to right — the window really represents <dfn>time</dfn>
7369 in a fairly literal way.
7373 It is possible to show a single channel strip in the editor window, and
7374 some people find this enough to work on mixing without actually opening
7375 the mixer window. Most of the time though, you will want both of these
7376 windows at various stages of a session's lifetime — sometimes
7377 you'll be focused on editing, sometimes on mixing and possibly some of
7382 This section is a description of the Editor window. To learn more about the
7383 editing workflow, see <a href="fixme">Editing</a>.
7388 title: The Editor - The Toolbar
7393 <img src="/images/toolbar_split.png" alt="Ardour's editor toolbar">
7395 <ol class="multicol5">
7397 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="2">
7398 <li>Zoom Control</li>
7399 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="3">
7400 <li>Grid Control</li>
7401 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="4">
7403 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="5">
7410 The Toolbar is made of 5 "zones"
7418 <img src="/images/toolbar-tools.png" alt="Editor toolbar's tools">
7420 <h2>Global Edit mode</h2>
7423 Ardour has a global <dfn>edit mode</dfn> selector at the left of the
7424 Editing toolbar, which affect how regions are moved or copied:
7428 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slide</kbd></dt>
7429 <dd>Regions move freely. Ardour creates overlaps when necessary.</dd>
7430 <dt><kbd class="menu">Ripple</kbd></dt>
7431 <dd>Editing affects the regions to the "right" of the edit (see below).</dd>
7432 <dt><kbd class="menu">Lock</kbd></dt>
7433 <dd>No region motion is permitted (except for "nudge").</dd>
7437 Ripple Edit mode provides the following conveniences:
7439 <li>Deleting a range will move later regions to compensate for the deleted time</li>
7440 <li>Deleting a region will move later regions to compensate for the deleted region's length</li>
7441 <li>Moving a region will move later regions to compensate for the length of the move</li>
7442 <li>Inserting a new region (via dragging or via Paste) will move later regions to the right to compensate</li>
7447 If <kbd class="menu">Snap To Grid</kbd> is enabled, then regions can
7448 only move so that they align with locations determined by the current
7449 snap settings (beats, or seconds, or other region boundaries, etc).
7450 See <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid">Snap To the Grid</a>
7454 <h2>The <em>Smart</em> switch
7457 The <dfn>Smart Mode</dfn> button to the left of the mouse mode buttons
7458 modifies the <dfn>Grab Mode</dfn>. When enabled, the mouse behaves as if it
7459 is in "Range Mode" in the upper half of a region, and in "Grab Mode" in the
7460 lower half. This allows avoiding constant switching between these two modes.
7463 <h2>Mouse Modes</h2>
7465 <dl class="wide-table">
7467 <dt id="object">Grab Mode</dt>
7468 <dd>The <dfn>Grab Mode</dfn> is used for selecting, moving, deleting and
7469 copying objects. When in object mode, the mouse pointer appears as a hand
7470 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. The mouse can now be
7471 used to select and perform operations on objects such as regions, markers etc.
7472 This is the most common mode to work in, as it allows you to select and move regions,
7473 as well as modify automation points on the automation tracks.</dd>
7476 <dd>When in <dfn>Range Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a vertical line
7477 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. The mouse will now be
7478 able to select a point or range of time. Time ranges can be selected over
7479 one or several tracks, depending on the selection of your tracks.<br>
7480 If none of your tracks are selected, the Range Tool will operate on all the
7481 session track visualized in the Editor.<br>
7482 If you want to edit only particular tracks, select them before you apply
7483 the range tool.</dd>
7485 <dt>Cut Tool Mode</dt>
7486 <dd>When in <dfn>Cut Tool Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a pair of scissors
7487 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. This tools allows to cut
7488 any region into 2 regions at the mouse cursor, regardless of the Edit Point.<br>
7489 If one or more track(s) is selected, then all the regions on these tracks will
7490 be split at the mouse cursor position.<br>
7491 If no track is selected, then only the region hovered by the mouse cursor will
7494 <dt>Stretch Mode</dt>
7495 <dd>When in <dfn>time fx</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer appears as a
7496 distinctive expanding square symbol whenever it is over the track canvas or
7497 the rulers. This mode is used to resize regions using a timestretch
7498 algorithm. Click on an edge of a region of audio and drag it one way or the other to
7499 stretch or shrink the region.</dd>
7501 <dt>Audition Tool</dt>
7502 <dd>Clicking a region using the <dfn>audition tool</dfn> will play this
7503 region to the control room outputs.<br>
7504 You can also <dfn>scrub</dfn> with this tool by clicking and dragging in
7505 the direction you wish to listen. The amount you drag in one direction or
7506 the other will determine the playback speed.</dd>
7509 <dd>When in <dfn>Draw Tool</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer will change to
7510 a pencil. You can then click within an audio region to change the <dfn>gain
7511 envelope</dfn> for that region. This curve is separate from fader automation
7512 for individual tracks. It will remain locked to the region's time, so if the
7513 region is moved, the region gain envelope is moved along with it.<br>
7514 The draw tool works on automation too, allowing the creation and modification
7515 of control points on the automation curves.<br>
7516 Last, it is used on a MIDI region to edit the notes.</dd>
7518 <dt>Internal/Region Edit Mode</dt>
7519 <dd>When in <dfn>Internal Edit</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer will change to
7520 cross-hairs. This tool acts on gegion gain and automation as the Draw tool.<br>
7521 On a MIDI region, it allows to lasso-select multiple notes at a time.</dd>
7526 <p class="fixme">Make sure the Internal Edit and Draw tool act as described</p>
7530 title: the Zoom Controls
7534 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-zoom.png" alt="Editor toolbar's zoom">
7536 <p>The zoom controls allow to navigate the session along both the time and track axes.</p>
7538 <p>The drop down <kbd class="menu">Zoom Focus</kbd> menu allows to select a focus
7539 point for the zoom, i.e. the center of the zoom. The choices are :</p>
7542 <li><dfn>Left</dfn> of the screen</li>
7543 <li><dfn>Right</dfn> of the screen</li>
7544 <li><dfn>Center</dfn> of the screen</li>
7545 <li><dfn>Playhead</dfn></li>
7546 <li><dfn>Mouse</dfn></li>
7547 <li><dfn>Edit Point</dfn> as set in the <a href=" fixme ">Edit point</a> control.</li>
7550 <p>The 2 leftmost zoom buttons (<kbd class="menu">−</kbd> and
7551 <kbd class="menu">+</kbd>) use this zoom focus to zoom out and in
7554 <p>The <kbd class="menu">Zoom to session</kbd> button is a handy shortcut to zoom
7555 out or in until all the session (as defined by it's <a href=" fixme ">start/end
7556 markers</a>) fits horizontally.</p>
7558 <p>Changing the <kbd class="menu">Number of visible tracks</kbd> dropdown menu
7559 allows to fit this number of tracks vertically in the screen.<p>
7561 <p class="note">There <em>is</em> a minimal track height to keep it visible, so
7562 according to you screen vertical size, some high number can have no effect.</p>
7564 <p>Inside this menu are 2 handy choices :</p>
7566 <li><dfn>Selected tracks</dfn> that focus on the selected tracks. If the selected
7567 tracks are not contiguous, the unselected tracks inbetween will be hidden, see
7568 the <a href=" fixme ">Track and Bus list</a>.</li>
7569 <li><dfn>All</dfn> that fits all the tracks of the sessions vertically (provided
7570 there's enough screen estate).</li>
7573 <p>The rightmost buttons <kbd class="menu">Shrink tracks</kbd> and
7574 <kbd class="menu">Expand tracks</kbd> reduce or expand the vertical size of the
7575 selected tracks. If no track is selected, all the tracks will be shrunk or
7576 expanded each time the button is pushed.
7579 title: the Grid Controls
7583 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-grid.png" alt="Editor toolbar's grid">
7586 Ardour's editor utilizes a <dfn>grid</dfn> to assist in the placement
7587 of regions on the timeline, or with editing functions that need to happen
7588 at a specific point in time. You can choose if you want the cursor and
7589 various objects to snap to this grid, and how you want the snapping to
7590 behave. You can modify the grid units to fit your needs.
7593 <h2>About Snapping</h2>
7595 <p>There are two ways to think about aligning material to a grid.
7596 The first and most obvious one is where an object's position is clamped
7597 to grid lines. In Ardour, this is called <dfn>absolute snap</dfn>
7598 and is commonly used when working with sampled material where audio
7599 begins exactly at the beginning of a file, note or region.</br>
7600 The second, <dfn>relative snap</dfn>, is used when an object's position
7601 relative to the grid lines is important. In music, this allows you to
7602 move objects around without changing the "feel" (or timing) of a performance.</br>
7603 Absolute snap is the default method of snapping in Ardour.</br>
7604 While dragging objects you may switch from absolute to relative snap by
7605 pressing the absolute snap modifier key(s).</br>
7606 You may also disable snap entirely by using the snap modifier (see below).</br>
7607 Note that in relative snap mode the reference point is taken to be the distance
7608 to the nearest grid line.</br>
7609 Note also that when an object lies exactly on a grid line, there will be no difference
7610 between relative and absolute snap modes.</br>
7611 The realtive snap and snap modifiers (along with other modifier keys) may be set in
7612 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction</kbd></br>
7613 For common use patterns, it is recommended that you assign a unique key for
7614 one snap modifier and two keys for the other in such a way that they share an otherwise unused key.
7615 For example, you may choose the snap modifier to be the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> key and the
7616 relative snap modifier to be the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> and <kbd class="mod4"> </kbd> keys.
7621 Using the above modifications, Ardour supports three different modes of snapping to the grid:
7624 <dl class="wide-table">
7625 <dt><kbd class="menu">No Grid</kbd></dt>
7626 <dd>disables the grid. All objects move freely in this mode.</br>
7627 In <kbd class="menu">No Grid</kbd> mode, you may temporarily activate the grid by pressing the
7628 snap modifier (for absolute snap) or switch to relative snap by pressing the relative snap modifier.</dd>
7629 <dt><kbd class="menu">Grid</kbd></dt>
7630 <dd>activates normal snapping. All positions of objects snap to
7631 the grid. (See <a href="#gridunits">Grid Units</a> below
7632 to change the grid). If you try to move an object in "Grid"-mode, it
7633 does not change its position until you move the mouse far enough for the
7634 object to reach the next grid line.</br>
7635 Sometimes you may wish to maintain an objects' position relative to the grid line.
7636 In order to do this, use the "snap relative" modifier.
7637 When holding down this modifier during a drag, the dragged object will jump
7638 while maintaining its original distance from the line.</br>
7639 New objects will always be created at grid points.</br>
7640 Holding down the snap modifier will disable the current grid setting and allow you to move the object freely.</br>
7642 <dt><kbd class="menu">Magnetic</kbd></dt>
7643 <dd>is a less strict type of snapping. Objects can still be moved to any
7644 position, but positions close to the relative or absolute grid points will snap.
7645 In order to move an object very close to a snap point, it may be necessary
7646 to zoom in to prevent snapping to that point, or to use the snap modifier to disable snap completely.</br>
7647 As with Grid mode, the snap modifier will disable snap completely while the
7648 absolute snap modifier will move the "notch" of Magnetic snap to the grid lines.</dd>
7651 <h2>Syncing Regions to the Grid</h2>
7653 By default, a region's beginning will be used as the reference for both types of snapping,
7654 but you can change this behaviour by setting a <dfn>sync point</dfn> in
7655 the region. Select the region(s) and press <kbd>V</kbd>. This will set
7656 the sync point to your edit point.</p>
7658 <h2 id="gridunits">Grid Units</h2>
7660 The selector next to the grid mode selector defines the size of the grid
7661 elements. You can set your grid to several different units:
7663 <dl class="wide-table">
7664 <dt><kbd class="menu">CD Frames</kbd></dt>
7665 <dd>A CD Frame is 1/75th of a second. Snapping to CD Frames (using absolute snap) can be used to avoid issues with CD track
7667 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode Frames/Seconds/Minutes</kbd></dt>
7668 <dd>The duration of a frame depends on the timecode settings for the
7670 <dt><kbd class="menu">Seconds/Minutes</kbd></dt>
7671 <dd>These are absolute time units, unaffected by sample rate or timecode settings</dd>
7672 <dt><kbd class="menu">Beats/N</kbd></dt>
7673 <dd>Set the grid to units of 1/N beats, where N can be 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The duration of a grid unit will depend on the tempo and meter in effect at that point in the timeline.</dd>
7674 <dt><kbd class="menu">Beats</kbd></dt>
7675 <dd>Set the grid to whole beats. The duration of a grid unit will depend on the tempo and meter in effect at that point in the timeline.</dd>
7676 <dt><kbd class="menu">Bars</kbd></dt>
7677 <dd>Set the grid to whole bars. The duration of a grid unit will depend on the tempo and meter in effect at that point in the timeline.</dd>
7678 <dt><kbd class="menu">Markers</kbd></dt>
7679 <dd>The grid lines are the markers.</dd>
7680 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Starts</kbd></dt>
7681 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region start points (see below).</dd>
7682 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Ends</kbd></dt>
7683 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region end points (see below).</dd>
7684 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Syncs</kbd></dt>
7685 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region sync points.</dd>
7686 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Bounds</kbd></dt>
7687 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region start or end points.</dd>
7691 To use Region starts/ends/syncs/bounds as snap choices, you must have
7696 <li><em>No</em> tracks selected, which means that Ardour snaps to regions on any track, or </li>
7697 <li>Several tracks selected, which means that Ardour only snaps to regions on those selected tracks.</li>
7701 If you are moving items on a track, and only the current track is selected,
7702 then you will only be able to snap to other regions on the same track.
7703 This means that enabling
7704 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor > Link Selections of Regions and
7705 Tracks</kbd> will make the "Region" grid unit unusable. Avoid the use of this option if
7706 you are going to use any of the Region grid units.
7711 title: the Edit Point Control
7715 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-editpoint.png" alt="Editor toolbar's Edit Point">
7718 Editing operations in a Digital Audio Workstation like Ardour can be broken
7719 down according to how many points on the timeline are required to carry the
7720 operation out. Splitting a region for example, requires just one position
7721 on the timeline (the one where the split will happen). Cutting out a time
7722 range requires two positions, one for the start of the cut and one for the end.
7726 In Ardour the <dfn>edit point</dfn> is the location where most single-point
7727 editing operations take place. It can be set to either of the following:
7731 <li>the <dfn>Playhead</dfn> position</li>
7732 <li>the selected (or "active") <dfn>Marker</dfn></li>
7733 <li>the position of the <dfn>Mouse</dfn> (or touch) pointer</li>
7737 The default edit point is the location of the pointer.
7741 There are 2 keybindings available to cycle through the edit point options.
7742 The most common workflow tends to involve switching back and forth between
7743 the playhead and mouse as the edit point. Press the grave accent key
7744 <kbd>`</kbd> to switch between these two. Use <kbd class="mod1">`</kbd> to
7745 cycle through all three choices (including the selected marker). You can
7746 also switch the edit point using a combo-selector just right of the snap/grid
7752 title: the Nudge Controls
7756 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-nudge.png" alt="Editor toolbar's Nudge">
7759 The <dfn>nudge controls</dfn> will move the selected region(s) by a fixed amount
7760 of time. The left and right buttons move either backward or forward in time, and the small
7761 clock to the left of these buttons sets the amount of time to nudge by.
7762 As with all other clocks, you can right-click on the clock to choose the
7763 time representation you want to use.
7767 If there are no selected objects, the nudge controls can be
7768 used to move the playhead backward or forward by the amount shown on the clock.
7774 title: The Editor - The Editor's Lists
7779 At the right of the editor window is an optional area which provides one of a
7780 range of useful lists of parts of your session. It is not shown by default
7781 when you first start using Ardour. The <dfn>Editor list</dfn> can be hidden
7782 or shown using <kbd class="menu">View > Show Editor List</kbd>. The very
7783 right-hand side of the list gives a selection of tabs which are used to
7784 choose the list to view. The left-hand border of the list can be dragged to
7785 vary the width of the list.
7795 The region list shows all the regions in the session. The left-hand column gives the region name, and there are a range of times given for information:
7799 <dt>Position</dt><dd>position of the start of the region on the global timeline</dd>
7800 <dt>End</dt><dd>position of the region on the global timeline</dd>
7801 <dt>Length</dt><dd>duration of the region</dd>
7802 <dt>Sync</dt><dd>position of the sync point, relative to the start of region (can be negative)</dd>
7803 <dt>Fade In</dt><dd>duration of the fade in. Can't be less than 1 ms, to avoid clipping.</dd>
7804 <dt>Fade Out</dt><dd>duration of the fade out (positive value, ≥ 1 ms).</dd>
7808 The units used to display those times are those used for the clock, so changing the units on the clocks change the display of this values.
7812 At the right of the list are four columns of flags that can be altered:
7817 <dd>whether the region position is locked, so that it cannot be moved.</dd>
7819 <dd>whether the region's position is ‘glued’ to bars and beats. If so, the region will stay at the same position in bars and beats even if the tempo and/or time signature change.</dd>
7821 <dd>whether the region is muted, so that it will not be heard.</dd>
7823 <dd>whether the region is opaque; opaque regions ‘block’ regions below them from being heard, whereas ‘transparent’ regions have their contents mixed with whatever is underneath. </dd>
7827 Hovering the mouse pointer over a column heading shows a tool-tip which can be handy to remember what the columns are for.
7831 A handy feature of the region list is that its regions can be dragged and dropped into a suitable track in the session.
7835 title: Tracks & Busses List
7840 This lists the tracks and busses that are present in the session. The list order reflects the order in the editor, and you can drag-and-drop track or bus names in the editor list to re-order them in the editor. The columns in the list represent the following:
7844 <dt id="visible">V</dt>
7845 <dd>whether the track or bus is visible; they can be hidden, in which case they will still play, but just not be visible in the editor; this can be useful for keeping the display uncluttered.</dd>
7846 <dt id="active">A</dt>
7847 <dd>whether the track or bus is active; unactive tracks will not play, and will not consume any CPU.</dd>
7848 <dt id="input">I</dt>
7849 <dd>for MIDI tracks, whether the MIDI input is enabled; this dictates whether MIDI data from the track's inputs ports will be passed through the track.</dd>
7850 <dt id="record">R</dt>
7851 <dd>whether the track is record-enabled.</dd>
7852 <dt id="record-safe">RS</dt>
7853 <dd>whether the track is record safe; a record safe track cannot be armed for recording, to protect against a mistake.</dd>
7854 <dt id="mute">M</dt>
7855 <dd>whether the track is muted.</dd>
7856 <dt id="solo">S</dt>
7857 <dd>track solo state.</dd>
7858 <dt id="solo-isolated">SI</dt>
7859 <dd>track solo-isolated state.</dd>
7860 <dt id="solo-safe">SS</dt>
7861 <dd>solo safe state. </dd>
7865 Each icon in these columns can be clicked to toggle the track/bus state, which is a very fast way to set multiple tracks/busses state at once.
7869 As with the region list, hovering the mouse pointer over a column heading shows a tool-tip which can be handy to remember what the columns are for.
7873 title: Snapshot List
7878 This list gives the snapshots that exist of this session. Clicking on a snapshot
7879 name will load that snapshot.
7883 See <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working with Sessions</a> for more
7884 information on snapshots.
7888 title: Track & Bus Group List
7893 This shows the track/bus groups that exist in the session. These groups allow related tracks to share various properties (such as mute or record enable state). For full details, see the section called <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">Track and Bus Groups</a>.
7897 The columns in this list are as follows:
7902 <dd>the colour that the group uses for its tab in the editor.</dd>
7904 <dd>the group name.</dd>
7906 <dd>whether the tracks and busses in the group are visible.</dd>
7908 <dd>whether the group is enabled.</dd>
7910 <dd>ticked if the constituents of the group are sharing gain settings.</dd>
7912 <dd>ticked if shared gains are relative.</dd>
7914 <dd>ticked if the constituents share mute status.</dd>
7916 <dd>ticked if the constituents share solo status.</dd>
7918 <dd>ticked if the constituents share record-enable status.</dd>
7920 <dd>whether the constituents share monitor settings.</dd>
7922 <dd>whether the constituents are selected together.</dd>
7924 <dd>whether the constituents share active status. </dd>
7928 title: Ranges & Marks List
7933 The <dfn>Ranges & Marks List</dfn> is a tab in the <dfn>Editor
7934 Lists</dfn> area on the right of the Editor window. If the editor
7935 list area isn't visible it can be enabled by checking
7936 <kbd class="option">View > Show Editor List</kbd>.
7937 The Ranges & Marks list can be used as a single point
7938 of control for all range and location markers (including the punch and
7939 loop ranges), or as a supplement to other methods of working with them.
7942 <h2>Common elements</h2>
7945 Each section has a set of <dfn>editable <a
7946 href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays/">clock widgets</a></dfn>
7948 the location of a marker, or the start, end, and duration times of a range,
7950 The <kbd class="menu">Use PH</kbd> buttons allow you to set
7951 the corresponding clock to the current playhead position.
7952 A <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd> click on any of the clocks will move
7953 the playhead to that location. Both functions are also available from the
7954 clock context menus.<br />
7955 Right clicking on any of the clocks brings up a context menu that allows
7956 changing of the display between Timecode, Bars:Beats, Minutes:Seconds,
7960 The <kbd class="menu">—</kbd> (subtract) button in front of each
7961 user-defined range or marker in the list allows that particular item to
7962 be removed. The name fields of custom ranges and markers can be edited.
7965 The <kbd class="option">Hide</kbd> checkboxes make markers and ranges invisible
7966 on the respective ruler to reduce visual clutter; the markers remain
7967 active however, and can be used normally.<br />
7968 Selecting <kbd class="option">Lock</kbd> prevents the respective marker
7969 from being moved until unlocked.
7970 Where applicable, <kbd class="option">Glue</kbd> fixes the marker position
7971 relative to the current musical position expressed in bars and beats, rather
7972 than the absolute time. This will make the respective marker follow
7973 changes in the tempo map.
7976 At the bottom of the list are buttons to add new markers or ranges.
7978 <h2>List sections</h2>
7981 <dt>Loop/Punch Ranges</dt>
7982 <dd>This list shows the current <dfn>loop</dfn> and <dfn>punch</dfn> range
7983 settings. Since these are built-in ranges, you cannot rename or remove them.</dd>
7984 <dt>Markers (Including CD Index)</dt>
7985 <dd>This section lists the session's <dfn>markers</dfn>. By ticking <kbd
7986 class="option">CD</kbd>, you instruct Ardour to create a <dfn>CD track
7987 index</dfn> from this marker, which will be included in the TOC or CUE file when you
7989 <dt>Ranges (Including CD Track Ranges)</dt>
7990 <dd>This is the list of <dfn>ranges</dfn> (including <dfn>CD track
7991 ranges</dfn>). Ticking <kbd class="option">CD</kbd> will convert
7992 the range to a <dfn>CD track</dfn>, which will again be included in
7993 exported TOC or CUE files. This is relevant for Disk-At-Once recordings
7994 that may contain audio data between tracks.</dd>
8025 The <dfn>Mixer</dfn> window on the other hand represents signal flow and
8026 is the window you will probably be using most when mixing a session. It
8027 includes <dfn>channel strips</dfn> for each track and bus in your session.
8028 It has a general "vertical" sense to it: signals flow from the top of each
8029 channel strip through the processing elements in the strip to reach the
8030 output listed at the bottom.
8042 title: Sessions & Tracks
8054 title: New/Open Session Dialog
8057 <p class="fixme">Info is out of date, image needs updating</p>
8060 The initial <dfn>Session</dfn> dialog consists of several consecutive pages:
8063 <h2>Open Session Page</h2>
8065 On this page, you can open an <dfn>existing session</dfn>. You can also
8066 open any <a href="/working-with-sessions/snapshots/">snapshot</a> of a
8067 particular session by clicking on the arrow next to the session name to
8068 display all snapshots, and then selecting one. If your session is
8069 not displayed in the Recent Sessions list, the <kbd class="menu">Other
8070 Sessions</kbd> button will bring up a file selection dialog to navigate
8071 your hard drive.<br />
8072 Alternatively, you can opt to create a <kbd class="menu">New
8076 <h2>New Session page</h2>
8078 Here you can type in the name of a session, select a folder to save in, and
8079 optionally use an existing <a href="/working-with-sessions/session-templates/">template</a>.
8082 Under <dfn>Advanced Options</dfn>, you can select whether you wish to create
8083 a Master Bus, or a Control Bus, and how many channels you wish either to have.
8084 You can also decide whether you want Ardour to automatically connect all inputs
8085 to the physical ports of your hardware. Ardour will do so
8086 sequentially and in round-robin fashion, connecting the first track's
8087 input to the first input of your hardware and so on. When Ardour has used
8088 all available hardware inputs, it will begin again with the first physical
8090 You can limit the number of channels on your physical hardware that Ardour
8094 By default Ardour will connect all tracks and busses to the Master Bus if
8095 there is one. However you can also tell it to automatically connect each
8096 output to the physical outputs of your interface or sound card, and limit
8097 the number of physical outputs used, as above.
8100 <h3>Audio/MIDI Setup</h3>
8102 <img class="right" src="/images/Audio-MIDI_Setup.png" alt="The Audio+MIDI
8106 This page is not displayed if <abbr title="JACK Audio Connection
8107 Kit">JACK</abbr> is already running when you start
8108 Ardour. It provides a simple interface to configure JACK, which
8109 will then be started by Ardour. For more control and options regarding
8110 JACK, it is recommended that you start JACK before using Ardour, via a
8111 JACK control application such as QJackCtl (sometimes called "Jack
8112 Control"), JackPilot, etc.
8115 <dt>Audio System</dt>
8116 <dd>Currently, the only option here is <kbd class="menu">JACK</kbd>. In the future, native
8117 hardware access may be supported.</dd>
8120 On Mac OS X this will typically be <kbd class="menu">CoreAudio</kbd>. On Linux usually
8121 this will be either <kbd class="menu"><abbr title="Free Firewire Audio Driver fOr
8122 linux">FFADO</abbr></kbd>
8123 or <kbd class="menu"><abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound
8124 Architecture">ALSA</abbr></kbd>, depending on whether or not you are
8125 utilizing a firewire device. Advanced users on all platforms may also
8126 use <kbd class="menu">NetJack</kbd> which provides network audio I/O.
8129 <dd>The selector should show all availiable interfaces provided by the
8130 driver above and which are capable of duplex operation.
8132 If you are using an Intel Mac running OS X and the builtin audio
8134 first <a href="setting-up-your-system/using_more_than_one_audio_device/">merge
8135 its separate input and output devices into a single "aggregate
8136 device"</a> before Ardour will be able to use it.
8139 <dt>Sample Rate</dt>
8141 The selector will allow you to select from any sample rate
8142 supported by the device selected above it.
8144 <dt>Buffer Size</dt>
8146 You can adjust the size of the buffer used by your audio interface
8147 to allow for either lower latency, or lower CPU usage and higher
8150 <dt>Input/Output Channels</dt>
8152 Here you can specify the number of hardware channels to use. The
8153 default is <kbd class="menu">all available channels</kbd>.</dd>
8154 <dt>Hardware Input/Output Latency</dt>
8155 <dd>Specify the hardware delay in samples for precise latency compensation.</dd>
8158 This button guides you through a semi-automated process to obtain
8159 precise hardware latency measurements for the above option.</dd>
8160 <dt>MIDI System</dt>
8162 Select the MIDI driver to use. On Mac OS X, this will be <kbd
8163 class="menu">CoreMIDI</kbd>. On Linux, you can change between two legacy
8164 ALSA drivers or the (preferred) new JACK+ALSA implementation.</dd>
8168 title: What's in a Session?
8173 The <dfn>Session</dfn> is the fundamental document type that is created and
8174 modified by the Ardour workstation. A Session is a folder on your computer
8175 filesystem that contains all the items that pertain to a particular project
8176 or "recording/editing/mixing session".
8180 The Session folder includes these files and folders:
8184 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.ardour</code> the main session snapshot</li>
8185 <li><code>*.ardour</code>, any additional snapshots </li>
8186 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.ardour.bak</code>, the auto-backup snapshot</li>
8187 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.history</code>, the undo history for the session </li>
8188 <li><code>instant.xml</code>, which records the last-used zoom scale and other metadata</li>
8189 <li><code>interchange/</code>, a folder which holds your raw audio and MIDI
8190 files (whether imported or recorded)</li>
8191 <li><code>export/</code>, a folder which contains any files created by the
8192 <kbd class="menu">Session > Export</kbd> function</li>
8193 <li><code>peaks/</code>, a folder which contains waveform renderings of
8194 all audio files in the session</li>
8195 <li><code>analysis/</code>, a folder which contains transient and pitch
8196 information of each audio file that has been analysed</li>
8197 <li><code>dead sounds/</code>, a folder which contains sound files which
8198 Ardour has detected are no longer used in the session (during a <kbd
8199 class="menu">Session > Clean-up > Clean-up Unused Sources</kbd>
8200 operation, will be purged by <kbd class="menu">Flush Waste Basket</kbd>)</li>
8203 A session combines some setup information (such as audio and MIDI routing,
8204 musical tempo & meter, timecode synchronization, etc.) with one or more
8205 Tracks and Buses, and all the Regions and Plug-Ins they contain.
8209 title: Where Are Sessions Stored?
8214 <dfn>Sessions</dfn> are stored in a single folder on your computer's filesystem.
8218 The first time you run Ardour, you will be asked where you would like the
8219 default location for sessions to be, with the initial choice being your
8224 After the first-run dialog, you can still change the default location at
8225 any time via <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Session
8226 Management</kbd>. You can also specify a particular (different) location for
8227 a session when creating it, in the
8228 <a href="/working-with-sessions/new-session-dialog/">New Session dialog</a>.
8232 title: Backup and Sharing of Sessions
8237 An Ardour session is stored in a single folder on your computer's filesystem.
8238 This makes <dfn>backup</dfn> very easy—any tool capable of backing up
8239 a folder can be used to backup a session. You pick the location of a session
8240 when it is created—by default it will be in your default session location,
8241 which can be altered via <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Session
8246 There is one complication: a session may reference media files that are stored
8247 outside of the session folder, if the user has opted not to select <kbd
8248 class="optoff">Session > Import > Copy to Session</kbd> during
8249 import. Backing up a session with embedded files will not create a
8250 copy of the session containing those files.
8254 The single folder approach also makes sharing a project easy. Simply copy the session
8255 folder (onto a storage device, or across a network) and another Ardour user (on any
8256 platform) will be able to use it. The limitation regarding embedded files applies to
8257 session sharing as well.
8261 title: Interchange with other DAWs
8266 It has never been particularly easy to move sessions or projects from one
8267 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr> to another. There are two
8268 <dfn>interchange standards</dfn> that have reasonably widespread support:</p>
8270 <li>OMF (Open Media Framwwork), also known as OMFI. Developed and controlled
8271 by Avid, never standardized</li>
8272 <li>AAF (Advanced Authoring Format). Developed by a consortium of media-related
8276 In practice both of these standards have such complex and/or incomplete
8277 specifications that different DAWs support them only partially,
8278 differently, or not at all.
8280 <h2>Moving an Ardour session to another DAW</h2>
8281 <p>To move an Ardour session to another DAW, you have 3 basic choices:</p>
8283 <li>Copy the interchange folder</li>
8284 <li>Stem exports</li>
8285 <li>Use AATranslator</li>
8287 <h3>Moving another DAW session to Ardour</h3>
8288 <p>To move a session from another DAW to Ardour, you have 2 basic choices:</p>
8290 <li>Stem exports</li>
8291 <li>Use AATranslator</li>
8295 title: Copying The Interchange Folder
8300 All media in a session folder is stored in a sub-folder called
8301 <samp>interchange</samp>. Below that is another folder with the name
8302 of the session. You can copy either of these to another location and
8303 use the files within them with any other application, importing them
8304 all into a project/session. You will lose all information about regions,
8305 tracks, and timeline positioning, but all the data that Ardour was working
8306 with will be present in the other DAW. Nothing below the interchange
8307 folder is specific to Ardour—any DAW or other audio/MIDI
8308 application should be able to handle the files without any issues.
8317 <dfn>Stem exports</dfn> are covered fully in the
8318 <a href="/exporting">Export</a> chapter. A stem export creates one file
8319 per track, starting at the beginning of the session. You can then import
8320 each track into another DAW and begin working on it. You lose all data
8321 except the actual audio/MIDI (no plugins, no automation). This is one of
8322 the most common methods of interchange because it works between all DAWs.
8326 title: Using AATranslator
8331 <dfn>AATranslator</dfn> is a Windows
8332 application that can convert sessions/projects from many diffferent DAWs
8333 into other formats. At the present time (December 2016), it can read and
8334 write Ardour 2.X sessions, and can read Ardour 3 sessions.
8337 The program runs very well on Linux using
8338 <a href="http://www.winehq.org/">Wine</a> (a Windows environment for Linux).
8339 There are equivalent solutions for running Windows applications on OS X,
8340 but we have no experience with them at this time. Ardour users have reported
8341 great results using AATranslator on Ardour 2.X sessions.</p>
8343 The <a href="http://www.aatranslator.com.au/">AATranslator website</a>
8344 has full details on supported formats and DAWs. The list includes
8345 ProTools, Live, Reaper, OMF, AAF and many more.
8348 AATranslator is closed-source, non-free software (as of this writing, Dec. 2016, the cost is 60 USD for the "Standard" version, and 200 USD for the "Enhanced" version).
8352 title: Renaming a Session
8357 Use <kbd class="menu">Session > Rename</kbd> to give your session a
8358 new name. A dialog will appear to ask you for the new name.
8362 This operation does <strong>not</strong> make a new session folder —
8363 the existing session folder and relevant contents are renamed. If your
8364 session was not saved before a rename operation, it will be saved
8365 automatically and then renaming will continue.
8369 Ardour's <kbd class="menu">Session > Save As</kbd> operation will not
8370 make a new copy of the session folder and its contents. All it does is
8371 create a new session file.
8375 title: Session Templates
8380 <dfn>Session templates</dfn> are a way to store the setup of a session
8381 for future use. They do not store any <em>audio</em> data but can store:
8385 <li>The number of tracks and busses, along with their names</li>
8386 <li>The plugins present on each track or bus (if any)</li>
8387 <li>All I/O connections</li>
8390 <h2>Creating a Session Template</h2>
8393 Choose <kbd class="menu">Session > Save Template</kbd>. A dialog will ask
8394 you for the name of the new template.
8397 <h2>Using a Session Template</h2>
8400 In the New Session dialog, choose the desired template from the combo
8405 Note that you can also use an existing session as a template, without
8406 saving it as one. This is available as an option in the New Session dialog.
8407 Doing this will not alter the existing session at all, but will use its track,
8408 bus and plugin configuration just like a template.
8412 See also <a href="/missing">Track & Bus templates</a> for information
8413 on templates for individual tracks or busses.
8416 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
8424 Sometimes you will want to save a <dfn>snapshot</dfn> of the current state of a session for possible
8425 use in the future. For example, you may be about to change the entire
8426 arrangement of a piece, or drastically alter the signal processing, and
8427 want a reference to come back to, should that not work out.
8431 This is easily accomplished using <kbd class="menu">Session >
8433 A small dialog will appear, allowing you to enter a name for the snapshot.
8434 The default name is based on the current date and time.<br />
8435 You can create any number of snapshots.
8439 Creating a snapshot does <strong>not</strong> modify your session,
8440 nor does it save your session. Instead, it saves an alternate version
8441 of the session, within the session folder. The snapshot shares all data
8442 present in the session.
8446 After creating a snapshot, you can continue working on the session and
8447 save it normally using <kbd class="menu">Session > Save</kbd> and any
8448 existing snapshots will remain unchanged.
8451 <h2>Switching to a Snapshot</h2>
8454 If you are already working on a session and want to to switch to an
8455 existing snapshot, navigate the Snapshots tab of the
8456 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor List</a>.
8457 Find the name of the snapshot in the list and click it. Ardour will switch
8458 to the snapshot. If there are unsaved changes in the current session, Ardour will
8459 ask what you want to do.
8462 <h2>Starting Ardour With a Snapshot</h2>
8465 Since a snapshot is just another session file stored within the session
8466 folder, you can specify that "version" when loading an existing session.
8467 The browser in the "Open Session" dialog will show an expander arrow for
8468 sessions that have more than 1 session file (i.e. snapshots) present—click on it to see the list, and then click on the name of the
8469 snapshot you want to load.
8472 <h2>Saving and Switching to a Snapshot</h2>
8475 Sometimes you may want to create a snapshot and then have all future
8476 edits and modifications saved to that snapshot rather than the main
8477 session. This is easily done using <kbd class="menu">Session > Save
8478 As</kbd>. This does not create a new session folder, but saves your
8479 session as a new snapshot and then switches the "current snapshot"
8480 to the newly created one. All subsequent saves of the session will
8481 be stored in this new snapshot, and existing snapshots (and the main
8482 session) will be left unaffected.
8491 Sessions can have various items of metadata attached to them, via
8492 <kbd class ="menu">Session > Metadata > Edit Metadata...</kbd> and
8493 <kbd class ="menu">Session > Metadata > Import Metadata...</kbd>.
8496 <h2>Edit Session Metadata Dialog</h2>
8498 <img src="/images/edit-session-metadata.png" />
8500 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
8503 title: Cleaning up Sessions
8508 Recording and editing any serious session might leave the session with some
8509 unused or misplaced files here and there. Ardour can help deal with this clutter thanks
8510 to the tools located in the <kbd class="menu">Session > Clean-up</kbd> menu.
8513 <h2 id="bring_all_media_into_session_folder">Bring all media into session folder</h2>
8516 When <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/">importing media files</a>, if
8517 the <kbd class="option">Copy files to session</kbd> hasn't been checked, Ardour uses
8518 the source file from its original destination, which can help avoiding file duplication.
8519 Nevertheless, when the session needs to be archived or transfered to another computer, moving
8520 the session folder won't move those <em>external</em> files as they are not in the folder, as seen
8521 in <a href="/working-with-sessions/backup-and-sharing-of-sessions/">Backup and sharing of sessions</a>.
8525 Using the <kbd class="menu">Bring all media into session folder</kbd> menu ensures
8526 that all media files used in the session are located inside the session's folder, hence avoiding
8527 any missing files when copied.
8530 <h2 id="reset_peak_files">Reset Peak Files</h2>
8533 Ardour represents audio waveforms with peak files, that are graphical images generated from the
8534 sound files. This generation can be time and CPU consuming, so it uses a cache of the generated
8535 images to speed up the display process. To watch for files modification, Ardour relies on the file-modification
8536 time. If an external file is embedded in the session and that file changes, but the system-clock is skewed
8537 or it is stored on an external USB disk (VFAT), Ardour can't know the change happend, and will still use its
8538 deprecated peak files.
8542 Using the <kbd class="menu">Reset Peak Files</kbd> menu allows to reset this cache, which frees up disk space,
8543 and forces the re-creation of the peak files used in the session. It can prove useful if some waveforms
8544 are not used anymore, or if a graphical or time glitch happens.
8547 <h2 id="clean_up_unused_sources">Clean-up Unused Sources...</h2>
8550 Recording usually lefts a lot of unused takes behind, be it in midi or audio form, that can clutter
8551 the Region List, and eat up a lot of hard drive space. While its generally a good practice to keep as
8552 many things as possible while recording, when transferring or archiving the session, some clean up can
8553 help a lot in reducing the sessions clutter and size.
8557 Selecting <kbd class="menu">Clean-up Unused Sources...</kbd> will force Ardour to detect those unused waveforms
8558 by looking for unused regions, and (through a prompt) for unused playlists. The media files won't be destroyed, though.
8559 At this stage, they are just copied in a particular place of the session path (namely, in the <code>dead sounds/</code>
8563 <h2 id="flush_wastebasket">Flush Wastebasket</h2>
8566 Although Ardour is a <em>non-destructive</em> audio-editor, it allows for a very careful destruction of unused media materials.
8567 This function is closely linked to the previous one. When the unused sources have been cleaned up and quarantined, the
8568 <kbd class="menu">Flush Wastebasket</kbd> menu will allow for their physical destruction.
8572 As a safeguarding mechanism though, Flushing the wastebasket in impossible in the same working session as the Cleaning up of unused sources:
8573 the user needs to close the session and reload it before flushing. It allows to test the playback of the session and ensure both that Ardour didn't commit
8574 any mistake (unlikely, but better safe than sorry), and that the user is absolutely sure of what he does.
8578 Notice that all media destroyed this way is not sent to the system's <em>trash can</em> but permanently deleted. If a file is mistakenly destroyed this way, the user will have to rely on data recovery techniques to try getting it back.
8582 title: Copying versus Linking
8587 <dfn>Copying</dfn> and <dfn>linking</dfn> are two different methods of
8588 using existing audio files on your computer (or network file system)
8589 within a session. They differ in one key aspect:
8595 An existing media file is copied to the session's audio folder, and
8596 if necessary converted into the session's native format.
8600 For audio files, you can control the choice of this format (eg. WAVE
8601 or Broadcast WAVE). Audio files will also be converted to the session
8602 sample rate if necessary (which can take several minutes for larger
8607 MIDI files will already be in SMF format, and are simply copied into
8608 the session's MIDI folder.
8614 A link to an existing media file somewhere on the disk is used as a the
8615 source for a region, but the data is <strong>not copied or modified</strong>
8620 While linking is handy to conserve disk space, it means that your session
8621 is <dfn>no longer self-contained</dfn>. If the external file moves, it
8622 will become unavailable, and any changes to it from elsewhere will affect
8623 the session. A backup of the session directory will miss linked files.
8627 You can choose to copy or link files into your session with the
8628 <kbd class="option">Copy file to session</kbd> option in the Import
8633 <img class="left" src="/images/225-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
8634 ← This file will be imported in the audio/MIDI folder of your session.
8638 <img class="left" src="/images/226-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
8639 ← This file won't be copied.
8643 There is a global preference <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Session Management > Always copy imported files</kbd>. If it is enabled, you will not be able to link a file.
8647 title: Adding Pre-existing Material
8652 There are several ways to importing an audio or MIDI file into a
8656 <li><kbd class="menu">Session > Import</kbd></li>
8657 <li>Region List context menu: <kbd class="menu">Import To Region List</kbd></li>
8658 <li>Track context menu: <kbd class="menu">Import Existing Media</kbd>
8662 These methods are all equivalent: they open the <a
8663 href="/adding-pre-existing-material/import-dialog/">Add Existing Media</a>
8667 Finally, you can also easily import files into your project by dragging
8668 and dropping a file from some other application (e.g. your platform's
8669 file manager). You can drag onto the
8670 <dfn>Region List</dfn>, into the desired <dfn>track</dfn> or into empty
8671 space in the editor track display.<br />
8672 The file will be imported and copied
8673 into your session, and placed at the position where the drag ended.
8677 title: Import Dialog
8682 Many sessions will require the use of <dfn>existing material</dfn>,
8683 whether it consists of audio and/or MIDI data. Using existing samples,
8684 loops and riffs from files stored on your system can be the basis for
8685 a new session, or a way to deepen and improve one that is already
8690 You can import audio and MIDI data into your session with the
8691 <dfn>Add Existing Media</dfn> dialog.
8694 <p class="fixme">Update image, possibly update content if out of date</p>
8695 <img src="/images/209-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
8697 <h2>The Soundfile Information Box</h2>
8700 This box will display information about the currently selected file:
8704 <li>number of channels,</li>
8705 <li>sample rate,</li>
8706 <li>file format,</li>
8708 <li>embedded timestamp (applies to some professional formats such as
8709 Broadcast WAVE), and</li>
8710 <li>tags (attached metadata to help categorize files in a library).</li>
8714 If the sample rate differs from the current session rate, it is displayed
8715 in red, which indicates that the file must be resampled before
8716 importing. Resampling is controlled by the <kbd class="menu">Conversion quality</kbd> option described below.
8722 Files can be auditioned before importing. The slider under the play and
8723 stop buttons allows you to scrub around, a fader on the right side allows
8724 you to control the playback volume.
8727 <h2>Importing options</h2>
8730 You can import files into new, automatically created tracks, to the region
8731 list (from where you can manually drag them into a track), or as new
8732 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">Tape tracks</a> with the
8733 <kbd class="menu">Add new files as...</kbd> option.
8737 New files will be inserted at either the file timestamp (if available,
8738 zero by default), at the <a href="/missing">edit point</a>, at the
8739 playhead, or at the start of the session, as specified in <kbd
8740 class="menu">Insert at...</kbd>.
8744 The Channel <kbd class="menu">mapping</kbd> is either "one track/region per
8745 file", or "one track/region per channel". The latter splits multichannel
8746 source files into mono regions. If you have selected multiple files and are importing them into a track,
8747 you can also choose whether to sequence all files into a single track in
8748 the order of selection, or to create as many tracks as there are files to
8753 The <kbd class="menu">Conversion quality</kbd> drop-down controls the
8754 quality of the resampling process, if the sampling rate of the source file
8755 differs from the session rate.
8759 Finally, and most importantly, you can decide whether to <kbd
8760 class="option">Copy files to session</kbd>, or to link them. Please read
8761 <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/copying-versus-linking/">Copying
8762 versus Linking</a> for details.
8766 title: Searching and Importing From Freesound
8767 menu_title: Freesound Search/Import
8771 <p class="fixme">This section is irrelevant now, as the Freesound import function has been removed due to changes done on Freesound's end</p>
8774 <a href="http://www.freesound.org"
8775 title="http://www.freesound.org"><dfn>Freesound</dfn></a>
8776 is an online repository of searchable sound files licensed under
8777 Creative-Commons term. The <kbd class="menu">Search Freesound</kbd> tab
8778 of the import dialog allows you to search the Freesound database,
8779 and to download and audition files directly.
8784 <dd>Enter metadata tags that you would like to search for. You may enter
8785 multiple search terms separated by spaces. For example,
8786 <kbd class="input">drums 120bpm</kbd> will search for files that are tagged
8787 <samp>drums</samp>, <samp>120bpm</samp>, or both.</dd>
8789 <dd>Choosing one of the sort options will cause Freesound to return the list
8790 of available files sorted accordingly. This can save time if you know (for
8791 example) the sound you need is very short.</dd>
8793 <dd>Click this button to initiate the search. Freesound will begin returning
8794 pages of information, with 20 items per page. The <kbd
8795 class="menu">Stop</kbd> button interrupts the download.</dd>
8796 <dt>The file list</dt>
8797 <dd>Click on a file to download it from Freesound. Double-click the file to
8798 auto-play it in the auditioner.</dd>
8802 Files imported with Freesound will automatically include any tags that are
8803 associated with the file, and these tags will be included in a search when
8804 you use the <kbd class="menu">Search Tags</kbd> tab.
8808 title: Searching for Files Using Tags
8813 A <dfn>tag</dfn> is bit of information, or metadata, that is associated
8814 with a data file. Specifically, tags are keywords or terms that you feel
8815 have some relevance to a particular soundfile. Ardour can store these tags
8816 in a searchable <dfn>database</dfn> so that you can quickly search for sounds
8817 based on the tags that you have assigned to them.
8821 For example you can assign the term <kbd class="input">120bpm</kbd> to a
8822 sound, and then when you search for this tag, the file will appear in the
8823 search list. Tags are independent of the filename or anything else about
8824 the file. Tags, and the file paths that they are associated with, are
8825 stored in a file called <samp>sfdb</samp> in your Ardour user folder.
8829 To <dfn>add tags</dfn> to a given file, open the <kbd class="menu">Session >
8830 Import</kbd> dialog, select the file in the browser, and type new tags into tag
8831 area in the soundfile information box on the right. Tags are stored when the
8832 input box loses focus, there is no need to explicitly save them.
8836 You can <dfn>search</dfn> for specific tags in the <kbd
8837 class="menu">Search Tags</kbd> tab of the same dialog. Files which have
8838 been tagged with the relevant terms will appear in the results window.
8839 Selected files can be auditioned and marked with additional tags if
8844 title: Supported File Formats
8849 The list of audio file formats that Ardour can understand is quite long.
8850 It is based on the functionality offered by <dfn>libsndfile</dfn>, an excellent and
8851 widely used software library by Australian programmer Erik de Castro Lopo.
8852 As libsndfile's capabilities expand, so will Ardour's abilities to import
8853 (and export) new formats. Ardour supports all common audio file formats,
8854 including WAV, AIFF, AIFC, CAF, W64 and BWF, with all typical sample formats
8855 (8-, 16-, 24-, 32-bit integer, floating point, and more).
8859 You can find a full list of libsndfile's supported formats
8860 <a href="http://www.mega-nerd.com/libsndfile/#Features">here</a>.
8864 For MIDI import, Ardour will read any Standard MIDI Format (SMF) file.
8880 Ardour offers three <dfn>track types</dfn> depending on the type of
8881 data they contain, and differentiates between three <dfn>track modes</dfn>,
8882 depending on their recording behaviour.
8885 <h2>Track types</h2>
8888 An Ardour track can be of type <dfn>audio</dfn> or <dfn>MIDI</dfn>,
8889 depending on the <dfn>data</dfn> that the track will primarily record
8890 and play back. <em>However, either type of track can pass either
8891 type of data.</em> Hence, for example, one might have a MIDI track that
8892 contains an instrument plugin; such a track would record and play back
8893 MIDI data from disk but would produce audio, since the instrument plugin
8894 would turn MIDI data into audio data.
8898 Nevertheless, when adding tracks to a session, you typically have an idea
8899 of what you need to use the new tracks for, and Ardour offers you three
8903 <dl class="narrower-table">
8905 <dd>An <dfn>Audio Track</dfn> is created with a user-specified number of
8906 inputs. The number of outputs is defined by the master bus channel count
8907 (for details see <a href="#channelconfiguration">Channel Configuration</a>
8908 below). This is the type of track to use when planning to work with
8909 existing or newly recorded audio.</dd>
8911 <dd>A <dfn>MIDI track</dfn> is created with a single MIDI input, and a
8912 single MIDI output. This is the type of track to use when planning to
8913 record and play back MIDI. There are several methods to enable playback
8914 of a MIDI track: add an instrument plugin to the track, connect the
8915 track to a software synthesizer, or connect it to external MIDI hardware.
8917 If you add an instrument plugin, the MIDI track outputs audio instead
8921 <dd>There are a few notable plugins that can usefully accept both <dfn>Audio
8922 and MIDI</dfn> data (Reaktor is one, and various "auto-tune" like plugins
8923 are another). It can be tricky to configure this type of track manually,
8924 so Ardour allows you to select this type specifically for use with such
8925 plugins. It is <em>not</em> generally the right choice when working normal
8926 MIDI tracks, and a dialog will warn you of this.</dd>
8930 title: Adding Tracks, Busses and VCAs
8934 <img class="right" src="/images/add-track-or-bus.png" alt="the add-track dialog" />
8937 A track, bus or VCA can be added to a session in various ways:
8941 <li>Choose <kbd class="menu">Track > Add Track, Bus or VCA...</kbd>.</li>
8942 <li><kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-click in an empty part of the track controls area.</li>
8943 <li>Click the <kbd class="menu">Plus (+)</kbd> button underneath the list of tracks in the mixer.</li>
8947 Any of these actions will open the Add Track/Bus/VCA dialog.
8952 <dd>Here you can select the number of tracks, busses or VCAs you wish to create, and
8953 their <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">types</a>.</dd>
8955 <dd>Defines the name of the new track(s). If multiple tracks are created, or if a track with the same name already exists, a space and number will be happened at the end (e.g.: Audio 1, Audio 2...)</dd>
8956 <dt>Configuration</dt>
8957 <dd>This menu lets you choose from a number of route templates, which determine the number of input ports and optionally contain plugins and other mixer strip configuration. The most common choices here are <em>mono</em> and <em>stereo</em>.</dd>
8958 <dt>Record mode</dt>
8959 <dd>This option is only available for audio tracks and affects how it behaves when recording. See <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/#trackmodes">Track Modes</a> for details.</dd>
8961 <dd>This option is only available for MIDI tracks and busses and lets you select a
8962 default instrument from the list of available plugins.</dd>
8964 <dd>Tracks and busses can be assigned groups so that a selected range of
8965 operations are applied to all members of a group at the same time (selecting
8966 record enable, or editing, for example). This option lets you assign to an
8967 existing group, or create a new group.</dd>
8969 <dd>Defines where in the track list is the track created. The default is <em>Last</em>, i.e. after all the tracks and busses, and can also be <em>First</em>, <em>Before Selection</em> (to place it just above the selected track) or <em>After selection</em>.</dd>
8970 <dt>Output Ports</dt>
8971 <dd>Defines how the number of output responds to adding a plugin with a different number of outputs than the track itself. in <em>Strict I/O</em> mode, the track will only use a few of the plugins I/O and will keep its own number of output fixed, while in <em>lexible I/O</em> mode, it will automatically adapt to the I/O of its plugins. See <a href="/signal-routing/signal-flow/">Signal flow</a> to learn more about those options.</dd>
8975 New tracks appear in both the editor and mixer windows. The editor window
8976 shows the timeline, with any recorded data, and the mixer shows just the
8977 processing elements of the track (its plugins, fader and so on).
8980 <h2>Removing Tracks and Busses</h2>
8983 To <dfn>remove</dfn> tracks and busses, select them, <kbd
8984 class="mouse">right</kbd>-click and choose <kbd
8985 class="menu">Remove</kbd>
8986 from the menu. A warning dialog will pop up, as track removal cannot be undone;
8987 use this option with care!
8991 title: Selecting Tracks
8996 Tracks are <dfn>selected</dfn> by clicking on the Track header at the left
8997 of the Editor window. You can select multiple tracks with <kbd class="mod1
8998 mouse">Left</kbd> clicks, or a range of consecutive tracks with <kbd
8999 class="mod3 mouse">Left</kbd>.
9002 By default, <dfn>selecting regions</dfn> has no impact on
9003 <dfn>track selection</dfn>.
9004 You can select a track, then select a region in another track
9005 (or vice versa) and both selections will co-exist happily.
9006 Operations that are applied to tracks will use the track selection,
9007 and those that apply to regions will use the region selection.
9008 Similarly, deselecting a region will not deselect the track it
9009 is in (if that track was selected).
9012 In some workflows, and particularly if you have experience with
9013 other <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s, this
9014 is not the most comfortable way to work. You may prefer to work
9015 in a style where selecting a region will also select the track
9016 that the region is in. Similarly, when the last selected region
9017 in a track is deselected, the track will also become unselected.
9020 To control this behaviour, set <kbd class="menu">Edit >
9021 Preferences > Editor > Link selection of regions and tracks</kbd>.
9025 title: Controlling Track Appearance
9030 Ardour offers many options for controlling the appearance of tracks, including color, height, waveform style and more. These can all be found in the <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor</kbd> menu.
9034 title: Layering Display
9038 <img class="right" style="clear:both" src="/images/track-layer-dialog.png"
9039 alt="Track layering menu" />
9042 Ardour allows arbitrary <dfn>layering</dfn> of regions—you can
9043 have as many regions you wish at a given position. By default, the regions are
9044 <dfn>overlaid</dfn> in the editor window, to save vertical space.
9048 However, this display mode can be confusing for tracks with many overdubs,
9049 because its not obvious in which order the overdubs are layered. Although
9050 there are other methods of moving particular regions to the top of an
9051 overlapping set, and although Ardour also has playlists to let you manage
9052 <a href="/working-with-playlists/playlist_usecases/">takes</a> a bit more
9053 efficiently than just continually layering,
9054 there are times when being able to clearly see all regions in a track without
9055 any overlaps is reassuring and useful.
9059 Here is an image of a track with a rather drastic overdub situation,
9060 viewed in normal <dfn>overlaid mode</dfn>:
9063 <img src="/images/a3_overlaps_layered.png" alt="overlapping regions in overlaid mode" />
9066 To change this display, right click on the track header, and you'll see
9067 the menu displayed above. There are two choices for layers. <kbd
9068 class="menu">overlaid</kbd> is currently selected. Click on <kbd
9069 class="menu">stacked</kbd> and the track display changes to this:
9072 <img src="/images/a3_layers_stacked.png" alt="overlapping regions in stacked mode" />
9075 You can still move regions around as usual, and in fact you can
9076 even drag them so that they overlay each again, but when you
9077 release the mouse button, things will flip back to them all being
9078 stacked cleanly. The number of <dfn>lanes</dfn> for the track is determined by
9079 the maximum number of regions existing in any one spot throughout
9080 the track, so if you have really stacked up 10 overdubs in one spot,
9081 you'll end up with 10 lanes. Obviously, using a large track height
9082 works much better for this than a small one.
9091 New tracks in Ardour are assigned a random color from a pastel color
9092 palette, so they should never end up being particularly bright or
9096 <h2>Changing the color of specific tracks</h2>
9099 Select the tracks whose color you wish to change. Context-click
9100 on the track header of one of them. From the context menu, select
9101 <kbd class="menu">Color</kbd> and pick a hue to your taste in the
9102 color dialog. Every selected track will be re-colored.
9106 Note that if you are only changing one track, context-clicking on
9107 that track's header will be enough to select it, saving the extra
9111 <h2>Changing the color of all tracks in a group</h2>
9114 Tracks that belong to a
9115 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups">track/bus group</a>
9116 can share a common color by enabling the <kbd
9117 class="option">Color</kbd> option for the group. With this enabled,
9118 any color change will be propagated to all group members.
9122 You can also explicitly change the group color by context-clicking
9123 on the group tab in the Mixer, selecting <kbd class="menu">Edit
9124 Group...</kbd> and then clicking on the Color selector in that dialog
9134 Depending on the stage of your production, you may require a quick
9135 overview over as many tracks as possible, a detailed view into just a
9136 few, or a combination of the two. To facilitate this, the
9137 <dfn>height</dfn> may be configured individually for each track in
9142 A context click on a track header will display the
9143 <kbd class="menu">Height</kbd> menu, and allow you to choose from a
9144 list of standard sizes. All selected tracks will be redrawn using that
9149 Alternatively, select the tracks you wish to resize. Move the pointer
9150 to the bottom edge of one track header. The cursor will change to a
9151 two-way vertical arrow shape. <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag to
9152 dynamically resize all selected tracks.
9155 <h2>Fit to the Editor Window</h2>
9158 Select the tracks you wish to display in the Editor window.
9159 Choose <kbd class="menu">Track > Height > Fit Selected Tracks</kbd>
9160 or use the keyboard shortcut, <kbd>f</kbd>. Ardour adjusts the track
9161 heights and view so that the selected tracks completely fill the vertical
9162 space available, unless the tracks cannot be made to fit even at the smallest
9167 You can use <dfn>Visual Undo</dfn> (default shortcut: <kbd class="mod3">Z</kbd>
9168 to revert this operation.
9172 title: Waveform display
9177 The display of <dfn>waveforms</dfn> (or, more correctly, <dfn>peak
9178 envelopes</dfn>, since the actual waveform is only visible at the highest
9179 zoom levels) is configurable via the <kbd
9180 class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor</kbd> dialog, to support
9181 different usecases and user preferences. The following options are
9185 <dl class="wide-table">
9186 <dt>Show waveforms in regions</dt>
9187 <dd>By default, Ardour draws waveforms within audio regions. Disable this
9188 option to hide them.</dd>
9189 <dt>Waveform scale</dt>
9193 <dd>This is the traditional <dfn>linear</dfn> (1:1) display of the
9194 peak envelope, or, at higher zoom levels, the individual samples.</dd>
9195 <dt>Logarithmic</dt>
9196 <dd>Alternatively, you can use a <dfn>logarithmic</dfn> display of the
9197 peak envelope. This will give you a better idea of program loudness (it is similar
9198 to dBs) and plot soft passages more clearly, which is useful for soft
9199 recordings or small track height.</dd>
9202 <dt>Waveform shape</dt>
9205 <dt>Traditional</dt>
9206 <dd>The <dfn>zero</dfn> line appears in the middle of the display and waveforms
9207 appear as positive and negative peaks above <em>and</em> below.</dd>
9209 <dd>The zero line appears at the bottom of the display and waveforms appear
9210 as absolute peaks <em>above</em> the line only.</dd>
9216 title: Controlling Track Ordering
9221 Ardour does not impose any particular ordering of tracks and busses in
9222 either the editor or mixer windows. The default arrangements are as follows:
9226 In the <dfn>Editor</dfn>, the Master bus will always be on top unless
9227 hidden. Tracks and busses will appear in their initial order, from top to
9228 bottom. The monitor section (if used) will never be visible in the editor
9233 In the <dfn>Mixer</dfn>, the tracks and busses will be displayed in their
9234 initial order, from left to right. The Master bus is always on the far
9235 right and occupies its own pane, so that it is always visible no matter
9236 how you scroll the other mixer strips. If a Monitor section is used,
9237 it shows up at the right edge of the mixer window, from where it can be
9238 torn off into a separate window.
9242 title: Reordering Tracks
9247 The <dfn>track ordering</dfn> of the Editor and Mixer is <dfn>synchronized</dfn>: if you
9248 reorder in one window, the ordering in the other window will follow.
9251 <h2>Reordering in the Editor Window</h2>
9254 Select the tracks you want to move. Then use<br />
9255 <kbd class="menu">Track > Move Selected Tracks Up</kbd>
9256 (shortcut: <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd>) or<br />
9257 <kbd class="menu">Track > Move Selected Tracks Down</kbd>
9258 (shortcut: <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd>).
9262 Alternatively, you can use the <kbd class="menu">Tracks & Busses</kbd>
9264 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/">Editor
9265 Lists</a>, if visible.
9266 Here, you can freely drag-and-drop tracks and busses into any order you prefer.
9269 <h2>Reordering in the Mixer Window</h2>
9272 Within the <kbd class="menu">Strips</kbd> pane at the top left of the
9273 Mixer window, you can freely drag-and-drop tracks and busses into any
9277 <h2>"Collecting" Group Members</h2>
9280 Tracks and Busses that are members of a group can be reordered so that they
9281 display contiguously within the Editor and Mixer windows. Context-click on
9282 the group tab and choose <kbd class="menu">Collect</kbd>.
9285 <h2>Ordering of New Tracks</h2>
9288 When <dfn>adding new tracks</dfn>, the current selection determines their
9289 placement. New tracks will be placed after the rightmost (in the mixer) or
9290 bottom-most (in the editor) selected track. If no tracks are selected, new
9291 tracks will be added at the end.
9295 Because new tracks are automatically selected, you can quickly reorder them
9296 in the editor window via the keyboard shortcuts after adding them (see above).
9300 title: Track Ordering and Remote Control IDs
9305 Every track and bus in Ardour is assigned a <dfn>remote control ID</dfn>.
9306 When a <a href="/using-control-surfaces/">control surface</a> or any other
9307 remote control is used to control Ardour, these IDs are used to identify
9308 which track(s) or buss(es) are the intended target of incoming commands.
9312 By default, remote IDs will be assigned to tracks and busses in the order
9313 that they are created, starting from 1. The master bus and monitor section
9314 have their own unique IDs (318 and 319).
9318 Ardour provides two methods to control remote control IDs, which can be
9319 chosen via <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Control Surfaces
9320 > Control surface remote ID</kbd>:
9323 <dl class="wide-table">
9324 <dt>follows order of mixer</dt>
9325 <dd>This will reset the remote control IDs to match the mixer and editor
9326 track order order, starting with rcID 1. Manual assignment of rcIDs is
9328 <dt>assigned by user</dt>
9329 <dd>When enabled, the remote control ID is completely independent of the
9330 ordering in either window, and may be changed manually by the user via the
9331 <kbd class="menu"><em>trackname</em> > Remote Control ID...</kbd>
9332 dialog in each mixer strip.
9341 <p>A typical control area or <dfn>bus header<dfn> is shown below:</p>
9343 <img src="/images/typical-bus-controls.png" alt="bus controls" />
9346 At the top-left of the controls is the name of the bus, which can be
9347 edited by double-clicking on it. The new name must be unique within the
9348 session. Underneath the name is a copy of the bus' main level fader.
9349 The control buttons to the right-hand side are:
9353 <dt id="mute">M</dt>
9354 <dd><dfn>Mute</dfn>—click to mute the bus. Right-click to display
9355 a menu which dictates what particular parts of the bus should be muted.</dd>
9356 <dt id="solo">S</dt>
9357 <dd><dfn>Solo</dfn>—solo the bus. The behaviour of the solo system
9358 is described in detail in the section <a
9359 href="/mixing/muting-and-soloing/">Muting and Soloing</a>.</dd>
9360 <dt id="automation">A</dt>
9361 <dd><dfn>Automation</dfn>—opens the automation menu for the
9362 bus. For details see <a href="/automation/">Automation</a>.</dd>
9363 <dt id="group">G</dt>
9364 <dd><dfn>Group</dfn>—lets you assign the bus to an existing or a
9365 new group. For details see <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">Track and bus groups</a>. </dd>
9369 title: Audio Track Controls
9374 A typical control area or <dfn>track header</dfn> for an audio track is
9378 <img src="/images/typical-audio-track-controls.png" alt="audio track controls"
9382 An audio track has the same
9383 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls">controls as a bus</a>, with the
9384 addition of two extras.
9388 <dt id="record" style="color:red;font-weight:bold;">[•]</dt>
9389 <dd><dfn>Record</dfn>—The button with the pink circle arms the track
9390 for recording. When armed, the entire button will turn pink, and change to
9391 bright red as soon as the transport is rolling and the track is recording.</dd>
9392 <dt id="playlist">p</dt>
9393 <dd><dfn>Playlist</dfn>—Opens a playlist menu when clicked. The menu
9394 offers various operations related to the track's <a
9395 href="/working-with-playlists/">playlist</a>.
9400 title: MIDI Track Controls
9404 <p>A typical <dfn>MIDI track header</dfn> looks like this:</p>
9406 <img src="/images/typical-midi-track-controls.png" alt="midi track controls"
9410 To see the full set of MIDI track controls, you need to increase the
9411 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/track-height/">track height</a>
9412 beyond the default. MIDI tracks show only a few of the control elements
9413 when there is insufficient vertical space.
9417 A MIDI track has the same basic
9418 <a href="/working-with-tracks/audio-track-controls">controls as an audio track</a>,
9419 with the addition of two extra elements. The set of buttons below the main track
9420 controls the <dfn>MIDI channel</dfn>(s) that will be visible in the editor. A MIDI track's
9421 data may span any number of the 16 available MIDI channels, and sometimes it is
9422 useful to view only a subset of those channels; different instruments may,
9423 for example, be put on different channels. Clicking on a channel number toggles
9428 To the right of the MIDI track controls is a representation of a piano keyboard
9429 called the <dfn>scroomer</dfn> (a portmanteau of scrollbar and zoomer). This performs several functions:
9433 <li>The scrollbar controls the range of pitches that are visible on the
9434 track, as visualized by the piano keyboard.</li>
9435 <li>Dragging the body of the scrollbar up and down displays higher or lower
9437 <li>Dragging the scrollbar handles zooms in and out and increases and decreases the range of visible pitches.</li>
9438 <li>Clicking on the piano plays the corresponding MIDI note for reference.</li>
9442 To edit the contents of a MIDI track see <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-midi/">Edit
9447 title: Track Context Menu
9452 Within the editor window, context-click (right-click) on either a region
9453 or empty space within a track to display the <dfn>track context menu</dfn>.
9454 The context menu provides easy access to many track-level operations.
9458 If you click on a <dfn>region</dfn>, the first item in the menu is the name of the
9459 region. If you click on a
9460 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/layering-display/">layered region</a>,
9461 the next item in the menu is <kbd class="menu">Choose Top</kbd>. If selected,
9462 you will see a dialog that allows you to change the vertical order of layers
9463 at that point. See <a href="/missing">Controlling Region Layering</a> for more details.
9464 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9468 The rest of the track context menu is structured as follows:
9471 <dl class="narrower-table">
9474 <dl class="narrower-table">
9475 <dt>Play from Edit Point</dt>
9476 <dd>Play from the location of the current <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a>.</dd>
9477 <dt>Play from Start </dt>
9478 <dd>Play from the start of the session</dd>
9479 <dt>Play Region(s)</dt>
9480 <dd>Plays the duration of the session from the start of the earliest selected region to the end of the latest selected region</dd>
9485 <dl class="narrower-table">
9486 <dt>Select All in Track</dt>
9487 <dd>Selects all regions in a track</dd>
9488 <dt>Select All Objects</dt>
9489 <dd>Selects all regions in the session</dd>
9490 <dt>Invert Selection in Track</dt>
9492 <dt>Invert Selection</dt>
9494 <dt>Set Range to Loop Range</dt>
9496 <dt>Set Range to Punch Range</dt>
9498 <dt>Select All After Edit Point</dt>
9500 <dt>Select All Before Edit Point</dt>
9502 <dt>Select All After Playhead</dt>
9504 <dt>Select All Before Playhead</dt>
9506 <dt>Select All Between Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
9508 <dt>Select All Within Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
9510 <dt>Select Range Between Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
9516 <dl class="narrower-table">
9525 <dt>Align Relative</dt>
9529 <dt>Insert Selected Region</dt>
9531 <dt>Insert Existing Media</dt>
9535 <dl class="narrower-table">
9536 <dt>Nudge Entire Track Later</dt>
9538 <dt>Nudge Track After Edit Point Later</dt>
9540 <dt>Nudge Entire Track Earlier</dt>
9542 <dt>Nudge Track After Edit Point Earlier</dt>
9551 <i>This text here to prevent following FIXME from corrupting the above table</i>
9553 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
9557 title: Grouping Tracks
9563 title: Track and Bus Groups
9568 Tracks and busses can be put into <dfn>groups</dfn>. Members of a group
9569 can share various settings—useful for managing tracks that are closely
9570 related to each other. Examples might include tracks that contain
9571 multiple-microphone recordings of a single source (an acoustic guitar,
9572 perhaps, or a drum-kit).
9576 You can group tracks and busses in various ways. In the editor window,
9577 a track's controls might look like these:
9580 <img class="left" src="/images/track-in-group.png" alt="track headers for a group" />
9583 The green tab to the left of the track header indicates that this track
9584 is in a group called <samp>Fred</samp>. You can drag these tabs to add
9585 adjacent tracks to a group.
9588 <h2>Create New Groups</h2>
9591 There are several ways to <dfn>create groups</dfn> for tracks and bussess:
9595 <li>Context-click on the group tab and use one of the <kbd
9596 class="menu">Create...</kbd> options there. You can create a group with
9597 no members, or one that starts with the currently selected tracks, or
9598 record-enabled tracks, or soloed tracks.</li>
9599 <li>Alternatively, click the ‘g’ button on a track header to open the
9600 Group menu. The menu lists the available groups. Selecting one of these
9601 groups will add the track or bus to that group. The menu also lets you
9602 create a new group.</li>
9603 <li>Finally, the Groups tab of the
9604 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor Lists</a>
9605 or the Mixer Window has a <kbd class="menu">plus (+)</kbd> button at the
9606 bottom of the list. Click on the plus sign to create a new group.</li>
9609 <h2>Remove Groups</h2>
9612 Context-click on a <dfn>group tab</dfn> and select <kbd class="menu">Remove
9613 Group</kbd> from the menu. Removing a group does <em>not</em> remove
9614 the members of a group.
9618 You can also remove groups by selecting them in the Groups tab of the
9619 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor Lists</a>
9620 or Mixer Window and then pressing the <kbd class="menu">minus (-)</kbd>
9621 button at the bottom of the list.
9624 <h2>Add/Remove Tracks and Busses From a Group</h2>
9627 Click the <kbd class="menu">g</kbd> button to display a menu with a list
9628 of the available groups. Select one of these groups to add the track or bus
9629 to that group. Select <kbd class="menu">No Group</kbd> to remove it.
9633 Alternatively, you can also drag a group tab to add or remove tracks from
9637 <h2>Activate/Deactivate Groups via the Group Tab</h2>
9640 Clicking on a group tab toggles the group between being active and inactive.
9641 An inactive group has no effect when editing its members. An active group
9642 will share its configured properties across its members. Tabs for disabled
9643 groups are coloured grey.</p>
9645 <h2>Modify Group Properties</h2>
9648 To edit the properties of a group, context-click on its tab and choose
9649 <kbd class="menu">Edit Group…</kbd>. This opens the track/bus group dialog,
9650 which is also used when creating new groups:
9653 <img class="right" src="/images/route-group-dialogue.png" alt="the track/bus group dialog" />
9655 <h3>Group Color</h3>
9658 Click on the color selector button to change a group's colour. This affects
9659 the colour of the group's tab in the editor and mixer windows. The color does
9660 <em>not</em> affect the color of the group members unless you also enable the
9661 shared <kbd class="menu">Color</kbd> property.
9664 <h3>Shared Properties</h3>
9667 <kbd class="option">Gain</kbd> means that the track faders will be synced to
9668 always have the same value; <kbd class="option">Relative</kbd> means that the
9669 gain changes are applied relative to each member's current value. If, for
9670 example, there are two tracks in a group with relative gain sharing, and their
9671 faders are set to -3 dB and -1 dB, a change of the first track to a
9672 gain of -6 dB will result in the second track having a gain of
9673 -4 dB (the <em>difference</em> of the gains remains the same).
9677 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls/#mute"><kbd class="option">Muting</kbd></a>,
9678 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls/#solo"><kbd class="option">Soloing</kbd></a>,
9679 <a href="/working-with-tracks/audio-track-controls/#record"><kbd class="option">record enable</kbd></a>,
9680 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/tracks--busses-list/#active"><kbd class="option">active state</kbd></a>,
9681 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/track-coloring/"><kbd class="option">colour</kbd></a> and
9682 <a href="/recording/monitoring/"><kbd class="option">monitoring</kbd></a>
9683 are all straightforward. They simply mean that all member tracks or busses will
9684 share the same settings in these respects.
9688 <kbd class="option">Selection</kbd> means that if a region is selected or
9689 deselected on one member track, <a
9690 href="/working-with-regions/corresponding-region-selection/">corresponding
9691 regions</a> on other member tracks
9692 will be similarly selected. Since region editing operations are applied to all
9693 currently selected regions, this is the way to make edits apply across all tracks in the group.
9696 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9698 <h3>Group Tab Context Menu</h3>
9700 <p>Context-clicking on the group tab offers a further menu of group-related actions. </p>
9702 <dl class="wide-table">
9703 <dt>Create a New Group</dt>
9704 <dd>create a new group</dd>
9705 <dt>Create New Group from...</dt>
9706 <dd> create a new group and automatically add ...
9707 <dl class="narrower-table">
9709 <dd>all currently selected tracks and busses</dd>
9710 <dt>Rec-enabled</dt>
9711 <dd>all currently record-enabled tracks</dd>
9713 <dd>all currently soloed tracks and busses</dd>
9716 <dt>Collect Group</dt>
9717 <dd>moves all the member tracks so that they are together in the editor window</dd>
9718 <dt>Remove Group</dt>
9719 <dd>removes the group (and only the group, not its members).</dd>
9720 <dt>Add New Subgroup Bus</dt>
9721 <dd> creates a bus (giving it the name of the group) and connects the output of each member to the new bus.
9723 <dt>Add New Aux Bus</dt>
9724 <dd>adds a bus and gives each member a send to that bus. There are two options for this, specifying whether the sends should be placed pre- or post-fader.</dd>
9725 <dt>Fit to Window</dt>
9726 <dd> will zoom the member tracks so that they fill the editor window.</dd>
9727 <dt>Enable All Groups</dt>
9728 <dd>makes all group active, including any hidden groups.</dd>
9729 <dt>Disable All Groups</dt>
9730 <dd>makes all groups inactive, including any hidden groups.</dd>
9735 title: Importing and Exporting Session Data
9741 title: File and Session Management and Compatibility
9747 title: Playback & Recording
9753 title: Playing Back Track Material
9761 title: Looping the Transport
9766 When the <dfn>loop transport</dfn> button is pressed, the playhead will
9767 jump the start of the loop range, and continue to the end of that range
9768 before returning to the start and repeating.
9769 While looping, a light green area is displayed in the time ruler over
9770 the tracks to show the loop range.
9774 By default, looping is bound to the <kbd>l</kbd> key.
9778 For more information on defining and altering the loop range see
9779 <a href="/working-with-markers/the-loop-range">Loop Range Markers</a>.
9782 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9785 title: Positioning the Playhead
9790 The <dfn>playhead</dfn> is a vertical line with two arrows at each end
9791 that indicates the current position of playback.
9794 <h2>Positioning the playhead at the current pointer position</h2>
9797 Pressing <kbd>P</kbd> will set the playhead to the current position of
9798 the mouse pointer, if it is within the editor track area.
9801 <h2>Positioning the playhead on the timeline</h2>
9804 A <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> click anywhere on the timeline (rulers)
9805 will move the playhead to that position.
9808 <h2>Positioning the playhead with the transport clocks</h2>
9811 Click on either the primary or secondary transport clock and
9812 <a href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays">edit their value</a>
9813 to move the playhead to a specific position.
9816 <h2>Positioning the playhead at a marker</h2>
9819 Click <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd> on the marker and select either
9820 <kbd class="menu">Locate to here</kbd> or <kbd class="menu">Play from
9825 The playhead can also be moved backward and forward through the markers by
9826 respectively pressing the <kbd>Q</kbd> and <kbd>W</kbd> keys. Pressing
9827 <kbd>Home</kbd> and <kbd>End</kbd> will move the playhead to the special
9828 markers <dfn>start</dfn> and <dfn>end</dfn>, respectively.
9832 title: Using Key Bindings
9837 Ardour has many available commands for playback control that can be bound
9838 to keys. Many of them have default bindings, some do not, so the list below
9839 shows both the default bindings and internal command names.
9842 <dl class="wide-table">
9843 <dt><kbd>Space</kbd></dt>
9844 <dd>switch between playback and stop.</dd>
9845 <dt><kbd>Home</kbd></dt>
9846 <dd>Move playhead to session start marker</dd>
9847 <dt><kbd>End</kbd></dt>
9848 <dd>Move playhead to session end marker</dd>
9849 <dt><kbd>→</kbd></dt>
9851 <dt><kbd>←</kbd></dt>
9853 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
9854 <dd>Move playhead to start of the timeline</dd>
9857 <p>Commands without default bindings include:</p>
9859 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
9870 title: Track Recording Modes
9875 The <dfn>Recording mode</dfn> is a per-track property (applies to audio
9876 tracks only) that affects the way that recording new material on top of
9877 existing material ("overdubbing") operates <em>in that track</em>.
9880 <h2 id="trackmodes">Track Modes</h2>
9883 Audio tracks in Ardour have a <dfn>mode</dfn> which affects how they behave
9887 <dl class="narrower-table">
9889 <dd>Tracks in <dfn>normal mode</dfn> will record non-destructively—new
9890 data is written to new files, and when overdubbing, new regions will be
9891 layered on top of existing ones. This is the recommended mode for most
9894 <dt>Non-Layered</dt>
9895 <dd>Tracks using <dfn>non-layered mode</dfn> will record non-destructively—new data is written to new files, but when overdubbing,
9897 regions are trimmed so that there are no overlaps. This does not affect
9898 the previously recorded audio data, and trimmed regions can be expanded
9899 again at will. Non-layered mode can be very useful for spoken word material,
9900 especially in combination with <a href="/editing-and-arranging/change-region-lengths/pushpull-trimming">push/pull trimming</a>.
9902 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9906 <dd><dfn>Tape-mode</dfn> tracks do <strong>destructive</strong> recording:
9907 all data is recorded to a single file and if you overdub a section of existing
9908 data, the existing data is destroyed irrevocably—there is no undo.
9909 Fixed crossfades are added at every punch in and out point. This mode can be
9910 useful for certain kinds of re-recording workflows, but it not suggested for normal
9914 <img class="right" src="/images/a3_nonlayered_example.png" alt="normal and non-layered overdubbing comparision"
9918 The screenshot on the right shows the subtle difference between an overdub
9919 in <dfn>normal mode</dfn> (upper track) and one in <dfn>non-layered mode</dfn>
9920 (lower track). Both tracks were created using identical audio data.
9924 The upper track shows a new region which has been <dfn>layered on
9925 top</dfn> of the the existing (longer) region. You can see this if you look
9926 carefully at the region name strips. The lower track has split the existing
9927 region in two, trimmed each new region to create space for the new overdub,
9928 and inserted the overdub region in between.
9931 <h2 id="channelconfiguration">Channel Configuration</h2>
9934 Ardour tracks can have any number of inputs and any number of outputs, and
9935 the number of either can be changed at any time (subject to restrictions
9936 caused by any plugins in a track). However it is useful to not have to
9937 configure this sort of thing for the most common cases, and so the
9938 <a href="/working-with-tracks/adding-tracks">Add Tracks</a> dialog allows you
9939 to select "Mono", "Stereo" and few other typical multichannel presets.
9940 The name of the preset describes the number of <dfn>input channels</dfn>
9941 of the track or bus.
9945 If you have configured Ardour to automatically connect new tracks and
9946 busses for you, the number of outputs will be determined by the number of
9947 inputs of the <dfn>master <a
9948 href="/introducing-ardour/understanding-basic-concepts-and-terminology/#busses">bus</a></dfn>,
9949 to which the track outputs will be connected.
9953 For example, if you have a two-channel master bus, then a Mono track has one
9954 input and two outputs; a Stereo track has two inputs and two outputs.
9958 Setting <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Audio
9959 > Connection of Tracks and Busses</kbd> to <kbd
9960 class="menu">manual</kbd> will leave tracks disconnected by default
9961 and there will be as many outputs as there are inputs. It is up to you to
9962 connect them as you wish. This is not a particularly useful way to work
9963 unless you are doing something fairly unusual with signal routing and
9964 processing. It is almost always preferable to allow Ardour to make
9965 connections automatically, even if some of them have to be changed manually
9971 title: Audio Recording
9982 When recording, it is important that performers hear themselves, and to
9983 hear any pre-recorded tracks they are performing with.
9984 Audio recorders typically let you <dfn>monitor</dfn> (i.e. listen to)
9985 the input signal of all tracks that are armed for recording, and playing
9986 back the unarmed tracks.
9990 title: Latency Considerations
9996 In the days of analog tape recording, the routing of monitor signals was
9997 performed with relays and other analog audio switching devices. Digital
9998 recorders have the same feature, but may impart some
10000 href="/synchronization/latency-and-latency-compensation/"><dfn>latency</dfn></a>
10001 (delay) between the time you make a noise and the time that you hear it
10002 come back from the recorder.
10006 The latency of <em>any</em> conversion from analog to digital and back to
10007 analog is about 1.5–2 ms. Some musicians claim that even the
10008 basic <abbr title="Analog to Digital to Analog">A/D/A</abbr> conversion
10009 time is objectionable. However even acoustic instruments such as the piano
10010 can have approximately 3 ms of latency, due to the time the sound
10011 takes to travel from the instrument to the musician's ears. Latency below
10012 5 ms should be suitable for a professional recording setup. Because
10013 2 ms are already used in the A/D/A process, you must use extremely low
10014 <dfn>buffer sizes</dfn> in your workstation <abbr title="Input/Output">I/O</abbr>
10015 setup to keep the overall latency below 5ms. Not all
10016 <a href="/setting-up-your-system/the-right-computer-system-for-digital-audio">computer audio systems</a>
10017 are able to work reliably at such low buffer sizes.
10021 For this reason it is sometimes best to route the monitor signal
10022 through an external mixing console while recording, an approach taken by
10023 most if not all professional recording studios. Many computer I/O devices
10024 have a hardware mixer built in which can route the monitor signal "around"
10025 the computer, avoiding the system latency.
10029 In either case, the monitoring hardware may be digital or analog. And in
10030 the digital case you will still have the A-D-A conversion latency of
10035 title: Monitor Signal Flow
10036 menu_title: Signal Flow
10041 There are three basic ways to approach monitoring:
10044 <h3>External Monitoring</h3>
10046 <p><img class="right" src="/images/external-monitoring.png" /></p>
10049 When using <dfn>external monitoring</dfn>, Ardour plays no role in monitoring at all. Perhaps the recording set-up has an external mixer which can be used to set up monitor mixes, or perhaps the sound-card being used has a "listen to the input" feature. This approach yields zero or near-zero latency. On the other hand it requires external hardware, and the monitoring settings are less flexible and not saved with the session.
10052 <h3>JACK-Based Hardware Monitoring</h3>
10054 <p><img class="right" src="/images/jack-monitoring.png" /></p>
10057 Some sound cards have the ability to mix signals from their inputs to their outputs with very low or even zero latency, a feature called <dfn>hardware monitoring</dfn>. Furthermore, on some cards this function can be controlled by JACK. This is a nice arrangement, if the sound card supports it, as it combines the convenience of having the monitoring controlled by Ardour with the low latency operation of doing it externally.
10060 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
10062 <h3>Software Monitoring</h3>
10064 <p><img class="right" src="/images/ardour-monitoring.png" /></p>
10067 With the <dfn>software monitoring</dfn> approach, all monitoring is performed by Ardour—it makes track inputs available at track outputs, governed by various controls. This approach will almost always have more routing flexibility than JACK-based monitoring. The disadvantage is that there will be some latency between the input and the output, which depends for the most part on the JACK buffer size that is being used.
10071 title: Monitor Setup in Ardour
10072 menu_title: Setup in Ardour
10077 Ardour has three main settings which affect how
10078 monitoring is performed. The first is
10079 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Audio >
10080 Record monitoring handled by</kbd>. There are two or three
10081 options here, depending on the capabilities of your hardware.
10085 The other two settings are more complex. One is
10086 <kbd class="menu">Tape machine mode</kbd>, found in the
10087 same dialog, and the other is the
10088 <kbd class="option">Session > Properties > Monitoring
10089 automatically follows transport state</kbd> setting.
10093 Monitoring also depends on the state of the track's record-enable button,
10094 the session record-enable button, and on whether or not the transport is
10098 <h2>Software or Hardware Monitoring Modes</h2>
10101 If Ardour is set to <dfn>external monitoring</dfn>, the explanation of
10102 Ardour's monitoring behaviour is simple: it does not do any.
10105 <h2>Monitoring in Non-Tape-Machine Mode</h2>
10108 When <dfn>Tape-Machine mode is off</dfn>, and a track is armed,
10109 Ardour <em>always</em> monitors the live input, except in one case:
10110 the transport is rolling, the session is not recording, and
10111 <dfn>auto-input</dfn>
10112 is active. In this case only, you will hear playback from an armed track.
10116 Unarmed tracks will play back their contents from disc, unless the
10117 transport is stopped <em>and</em> <dfn>auto-input</dfn> is enabled.
10118 In this case, the track monitors its live input.
10121 <h2>Monitoring in Tape-Machine Mode</h2>
10124 In <dfn>Tape-Machine mode</dfn>, things are slightly simpler: when a
10125 track is armed, its behaviour is the same as in non-tape-machine mode.
10129 Unarmed tracks however will always just play back their contents from
10130 disk; the live input will never be monitored.
10135 title: MIDI Recording
10141 title: Punch Recording Modes
10147 title: Working With Markers
10152 It is very useful to be able to tag different locations in a session for
10153 later use when editing and mixing. Ardour supports both
10154 <dfn>locations</dfn>, which define specific positions in time,
10155 and <dfn>ranges</dfn> which define a start and end position in time.
10159 In addition to the standard location markers, there are three kinds of
10165 <dfn>CD markers</dfn> are locations that are restricted to legal
10166 <dfn>CD sector boundaries</dfn>. They can be used to add track index
10167 markers to compact disc images.
10170 The <dfn>Loop range</dfn> defines the start end end points for Looping.
10173 The <dfn>punch range</dfn> defines the in and out points for punch
10179 title: Creating Location Markers
10184 <dfn>Location Markers</dfn> appear in the <dfn>Locations ruler</dfn> at the top
10185 of the timeline. The <dfn>start</dfn> and <dfn>end</dfn> markers appear
10186 automatically, but you can create custom markers at any position in a
10191 To add a marker at the <strong>current playhead position</strong>, press
10192 <kbd>Num-↵</kbd> (the Enter key on the numeric keypad).
10193 Alternatively, use <kbd class="menu">Transport > Markers > Add
10194 Mark from Playhead</kbd>.
10198 To add a marker at an <strong>arbitrary location</strong> on the timeline,
10199 navigate to the desired position, right-click on the Locations ruler and
10200 select <kbd class="menu">New Location Marker</kbd>.
10201 You can also go to the Editor list, click <kbd class="menu">New
10202 Marker</kbd> and use the clock widget to set its position.
10207 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
10209 and <a href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays/"> Using
10210 Ardour Clock Displays</a>.
10214 title: Creating Range Markers
10218 <p class="fixme">Add images</a>
10221 <dfn>Range markers</dfn> are essentially two location markers the are grouped
10222 together to mark the beginning and end of a section in the timeline.
10225 <h2>Creating a Range on the timeline</h2>
10228 To create a new <dfn>range</dfn>, right-click on the
10229 Ranges ruler at the top of the timeline, then select
10230 <kbd class="menu">New Range</kbd>.
10231 Two markers with the same name will appear along the ruler.
10232 Both marks can be moved along the timeline by clicking and dragging
10233 them to the desired location.
10237 It is also possible to create range markers from a selected range or
10238 region in the Editor window, or to use the <kbd class="menu">Ranges
10239 & Marks List</kbd> in the Editor list.
10244 title: Moving Markers
10248 <h2>Single marker</h2>
10251 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click and drag to move a single marker to a
10252 new location on the timeline.
10255 <h2>Multiple markers</h2>
10258 It is possible to move multiple markers by the same distance. <kbd
10259 class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click each marker you want to move, then drag
10260 one of the selected markers to a new location. All selected markers will
10261 then move together. Note that the markers are bounded by the zero point on
10262 the timeline. In other words, the first marker in your selection cannot move
10263 to the left of zero on the timeline.
10266 <h2>Both ends of a range marker</h2>
10269 <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd>-drag either end of the range marker. The
10270 other end will move by the same distance.
10274 title: The Loop Range
10278 <p class="fixme">Missing content</a>
10281 The <dfn>loop range</dfn> is a special range that defines the start and end points
10282 for loop play, which can be enabled in the transport bar.
10286 It can be defined via the <a href="/missing">timeline</a> or the <a
10287 href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
10291 <p class="fixme">Broken links</a>
10294 title: Marker Context Menu
10299 <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking a marker in the timeline opens the
10300 marker context menu. From this menu, you can:
10303 <dt>Locate to Here</dt>
10304 <dd>Move the playhead to this marker's position.</dd>
10305 <dt>Play from Here</dt>
10306 <dd>start playback from this marker's position.</dd>
10307 <dt>Move Mark to Playhead</dt>
10308 <dd>Move this marker to the current playhead position.</dd>
10309 <dt>Create Range to Next Marker</dt>
10310 <dd>Create a range marker between this location and the next one along on
10313 <dd>Hide this marker from the view. It can be made visible again from the
10314 <kbd class="menu">Window > Locations</kbd> window or the <a
10315 href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
10318 <dd>Change the name of the marker.</dd>
10320 <dd>If this is ticked, it will be impossible to drag the marker's
10321 position; useful if you want to prevent accidental movements.</dd>
10322 <dt>Glue to Bars and Beats</dt>
10323 <dd>If this is ticked, the marker will maintain its position in bars and
10324 beats even if there are changes in tempo and meter.</dd>
10326 <dd>Removes the marker. </dd>
10330 There are also a few options in <kbd class="menu">Transport > Active
10331 Mark</kbd>. These options apply to the currently selected location marker,
10332 and move it to a nearby region boundary, region sync point, or to the
10341 <p class="fixme">Missing content</a>
10344 The <dfn>punch range</dfn> is a special range used to define where
10345 recording will start and/or stop during a <dfn>punch</dfn>.
10349 It can be defined on the <a href="/missing">timeline</a> or in the
10350 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks</a>
10354 <p class="fixme">Broken links</a>
10364 title: Editing Basics
10370 title: Working With Regions
10374 <h2>Working With Regions</h2>
10377 <dfn>Regions</dfn> are the basic elements of editing and composing in
10378 Ardour. In most cases, a region represents a single contiguous section
10379 of one or more media files. Regions are defined by a fixed set of attributes:
10383 <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr>
10384 <dfn>source file(s)</dfn> they represent,</li>
10385 <li>an <dfn>offset</dfn> (the "start point") in the audio or MIDI file(s), and</li>
10386 <li>a <dfn>length</dfn>.</li>
10389 When placed into a playlist, they gain additional attributes:
10392 <li>a <dfn>position</dfn> along the timeline, and</li>
10393 <li>a <dfn>layer</dfn>.</li>
10396 There are other attributes as well, but they do not <em>define</em> the
10397 region. Things you should know about regions:
10400 <h3>Regions Are Cheap</h3>
10402 By themselves, regions consume very little of your computer's resources.
10403 Each region requires a small amount of memory, and represents a rather
10404 small amount of CPU work if placed into an active track. So, don't worry
10405 about creating regions whenever you need to.
10408 <h3>Regions Are Not Files</h3>
10410 Although a region can represent an entire audio file, they are never
10411 equivalent to an audio file. Most regions represent just parts of an audio
10412 file(s) on disk, and removing a region from a track has nothing to do with
10413 removing the audio file(s) from the disk (the <kbd
10414 class="menu">Destroy</kbd> operation, one of Ardour's few destructive
10415 operations, can affect this). Changing the length of a region has no effect
10416 on the audio file(s) on disk. Splitting and copying regions does not alter
10417 the audio file in anyway, nor does it create new audio files (only
10418 <dfn>recording</dfn>,
10419 and the <kbd class="menu">Export</kbd>, <kbd class="menu">Bounce</kbd> and
10420 <kbd class="menu">Reverse</kbd> operations create new audio files).</p>
10423 title: Region Naming
10428 <dfn>Region names</dfn> are initially derived from either</p>
10430 <li>the name of the playlist for which they were recorded,</li>
10431 <li>the name of the track for which they were recorded, or</li>
10432 <li>the name of the embedded/imported file they represent.</li>
10435 It appears that recorded regions are always named after the track, not the
10436 active playlist in that track.
10439 <h2>Whole File Region Names</h2>
10441 These are not audio files, but regions that represent the full extent of an
10442 audio file. Every time a new recording is done, or a new file is imported
10443 to the session, a new region is created that represents the <dfn>entire audio
10444 file</dfn>. This region will have the name of the track/playlist/original file,
10445 followed by a "-", then a number plus a dot and then a number.
10448 For <dfn>recorded regions</dfn>, the number will increase each time a new recording
10449 is made. So, for example, if there is a playlist called
10450 <samp>Didgeridoo</samp>, the
10451 first recorded whole file region for that playlist will be called
10452 <samp>Digderidoo-1</samp>. The next one will be <samp>Digeridoo-2</samp> and so on.
10455 For <dfn>imported regions</dfn>, the region name will be based on the original file
10456 name, but with any final suffix (e.g. ".wav" or ".aiff") removed.
10459 Normally, whole file regions are not inserted into tracks or playlists,
10460 but regions derived from them are. The whole-file versions live in the
10461 editor region list where they act as an organizing mechanism for regions
10462 that are derived from them.
10465 <h2>Normal Region Names</h2>
10467 When a region is inserted into a track and playlist, its initial name will
10468 end in a <dfn>version number</dfn>, such as <samp>.1</samp>. For a recorded region,
10469 if the whole file region was <samp>Hang drum-1</samp>, then the region in
10470 the track will appear with the name <samp>Hang drum-1.1</samp>. For an
10471 imported region, if the whole file region was <samp>Bach:Invention3</samp>,
10472 then the region in the track will appear with the name
10473 <samp>Bach:Invention3.1</samp>.
10476 <h2>Copied Region Names</h2>
10478 If you <dfn>copy a region</dfn>, it initially shares the same name as the original.
10479 When you perform an operation modifies one of the copies, Ardour will
10480 increment the version number on the particular copy that changed.
10483 <h2>Renaming Regions</h2>
10485 You can <dfn>rename a region</dfn> at any time. Use the region context menu to
10486 pop up the <kbd class="menu">Rename</kbd> dialog. The new name does not need to
10487 have a version number in it (in fact, it probably should not). Ardour will add a
10488 version number in the future if needed (e.g. if you copy or split the region).
10492 title: Corresponding Regions Selection
10497 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">Track Groups</a> have
10498 a property titled <kbd class="option">Select</kbd> which, if enabled, cause
10499 Ardour to propagate a region selection in one track of a group to the
10500 <dfn>corresponding regions</dfn> of the other tracks in that group.
10503 For example, let's assume you have used multiple microphones to record a
10504 drum kit to multiple tracks. You have created a track group, added all the
10505 drum tracks, enabled the group and enabled the Select property for the group.
10506 When you select a region in one of the drum tracks, Ardour will select the
10507 corresponding region in every other drum track in the group, which in turn
10508 means that a subsequent edit operation will affect all the grouped drum
10512 <h2>How Ardour Decides Which Regions are "Corresponding"</h2>
10514 Regions in different tracks are considered to be corresponding for the purposes
10515 of sharing <dfn>selection</dfn> if they satisfy <em>all</em> the following criteria:
10518 <li>Each region starts at the <dfn>same offset</dfn> within its source file,</li>
10519 <li>each region is located at the <dfn>same position</dfn> on the timeline, and</li>
10520 <li>each region has the <dfn>same length</dfn>.</li>
10523 <h2>Overlap Correspondence</h2>
10525 Sometimes, the rules outlined above are too strict to get Ardour to do what you
10526 want. Regions may have been trimmed to slightly different lengths, or positioned
10527 slightly differently, and this will cause Ardour to not select regions in other
10528 grouped tracks.</p>
10530 In this case, change
10531 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor > Regions in
10532 active edit groups are edited together:</kbd> to <kbd
10533 class="menu">whenever they overlap in time</kbd>. With this option enabled, r
10534 egions in different tracks will be considered equivalent for the purposes of selection if they
10535 <dfn>overlap</dfn>. This is much more flexible and will cover almost all of the
10536 cases that the fixed rules above might make cumbersome.
10540 title: Region Context Menu
10544 <p class="fixme">Need to add detail to the context menu table to describe what the options do</p>
10547 In the editor window, right clicking (context clicking) on a region
10548 displays a menu with <dfn>track and region operations</dfn>. The menu begins with the
10549 name of the region, or <kbd class="menu">Selected Regions</kbd> if multiple
10550 regions are selected.
10553 If there is more than one region layered at the point where you clicked, the
10554 menu will also contain an item <kbd class="menu">Choose Top</kbd>. This
10555 dialog lets you select which region you want on the top <dfn>layer</dfn>. See
10556 <a href="manual/region_layering">Adjusting Region Layering</a> for more details.
10559 Below these items is the rest of the
10560 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-context-menu">Track Context Menu</a>, which
10561 provides access to <dfn>track-level operations</dfn>. To see the contents
10562 of the region context menu, select the region name or "Selected Regions", and
10563 the following submenu structure appears:
10565 <dl class="narrower-table">
10570 <dt>Properties</dt>
10576 <dl class="wide-table">
10583 <dt>Make Mono Regions</dt>
10589 <dt>Pitch Shift</dt>
10593 <dt>Close Gaps</dt>
10595 <dt>Place Transients</dt>
10597 <dt>Rhythm Ferret</dt>
10599 <dt>Strip Silence</dt>
10605 <dl class="wide-table">
10606 <dt>Move To Original Position</dt>
10610 <dt>Glue to Bars and Beats</dt>
10612 <dt>Snap Position to Grid</dt>
10614 <dt>Set Sync Position</dt>
10616 <dt>Remove Sync</dt>
10618 <dt>Nudge Later</dt>
10620 <dt>Nudge Earlier</dt>
10622 <dt>Nudge Later by capture offset</dt>
10624 <dt>Nudge Earlier by capture offset</dt>
10630 <dl class="wide-table">
10631 <dt>Trim Start at Edit Point</dt>
10633 <dt>Trim End at Edit Point</dt>
10635 <dt>Trim to Loop</dt>
10637 <dt>Trim to Punch</dt>
10639 <dt>Trim to Previous</dt>
10641 <dt>Trim to Next</dt>
10647 <dl class="wide-table">
10648 <dt>Raise to Top</dt>
10654 <dt>Lower to Bottom</dt>
10660 <dl class="wide-table">
10661 <dt>Set Loop Range</dt>
10663 <dt>Set Punch Range</dt>
10665 <dt>Add Single Range Marker</dt>
10667 <dt>Add Range Marker per Region</dt>
10669 <dt>Set Range Selection</dt>
10675 <dl class="wide-table">
10682 <dt>Reset Envelope</dt>
10684 <dt>Envelope Active</dt>
10690 <dl class="wide-table">
10701 <dl class="wide-table">
10704 <dt>Multi-Duplicate</dt>
10706 <dt>Fill Track</dt>
10712 <dt>Bounce (without processing)</dt>
10714 <dt>Bounce (with processing)</dt>
10716 <dt>Spectral Analysis</dt>
10723 title: Common Region Edit Operations
10724 menu_title: Region Editing
10729 This section covers a set of <dfn>region editing operations</dfn>
10730 that you are likely to use often while working on a session.
10731 Depending on your work habits (and experience of other
10732 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s) you will find
10733 some of these operations critical while others are used only rarely.
10737 You can carry out all of these operations from the keyboard (see
10738 <a href="/default-keyboard-bindings">Default Keyboard Shortcuts</a>
10739 for a list). Equivalent operations can be performed with the mouse
10744 You may want to review your understanding of
10745 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">the edit point/range</a> and
10746 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/which-regions-are-affected">which regions will be affected by region operations</a>.
10749 <dl class="wide-table">
10750 <dt><kbd class="menu">Spot (Align)</kbd></dt>
10751 <dd>Move selected regions to the edit point.</dd>
10752 <dt><kbd class="menu">Split</kbd></dt>
10753 <dd>Split selected regions at the edit point.</dd>
10754 <dt><kbd class="menu">Trim Start</kbd></dt>
10755 <dd>Adjust the start of selected regions to the edit point (or as close as
10757 <dt><kbd class="menu">Trim End</kbd></dt>
10758 <dd>Adjust the end of selected regions to the edit point (or as close as
10760 <dt><kbd class="menu">Duplicate</kbd></dt>
10761 <dd>Make a copy of each selected region and position it immediately after the
10763 <dt><kbd class="menu">Crop</kbd></dt>
10764 <dd>Truncate selected regions to the edit range.</dd>
10765 <dt><kbd class="menu">Separate</kbd></dt>
10766 <dd>Split selected regions at both ends of the edit range.</dd>
10767 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Fade In</kbd></dt>
10768 <dd>Adjust selected audio regions' fade in to end at the edit point.</dd>
10769 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Fade Out</kbd></dt>
10770 <dd>Adjust selected audio regions' fade out to end at the edit point.</dd>
10771 <dt><kbd class="menu">Toggle Fade In</kbd></dt>
10772 <dd>Turn selected audio regions' fade in on or off.</dd>
10773 <dt><kbd class="menu">Toggle Fade Out</kbd></dt>
10774 <dd>Turn selected audio regions' fade out on or off.</dd>
10775 <dt><kbd class="menu">Play Region</kbd></dt>
10776 <dd>Play session from the start of the earliest selected region.</dd>
10777 <dt><kbd class="menu">Zoom To Region</kbd></dt>
10778 <dd>Zoom horizontally so that the selected regions span the editor track
10780 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Sync Point</kbd></dt>
10781 <dd>Set the sync point of all selected regions to the edit point.</dd>
10782 <dt><kbd class="menu">Insert</kbd></dt>
10783 <dd>Inserts the currently selected regions in the Region List at the edit
10788 title: Copy Regions
10792 <h2>Copy a Single Region</h2>
10795 To copy a region, make sure you are in object mouse mode. Move the mouse
10796 pointer into the region and <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag. Ardour
10797 creates a new region and follows the mouse pointer as it moves. See
10798 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/move-regions/">Move Regions</a> for more
10799 details on moving the copied region.
10802 <h2>Copy Multiple Regions</h2>
10805 To copy multiple regions, select them before copying. Then
10806 <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag one of the selected regions. All the
10807 regions will be copied and as they move. The copied regions will keep their
10808 positions relative to each other.
10811 <h2>Fixed-Time Copying</h2>
10814 If you want to copy region(s) to other track(s) but keep the copies at the
10815 exact position on the timeline as the originals, simply use
10816 <kbd class="mouse mod1">Middle</kbd>-drag instead.
10821 title: Move Regions With the Mouse
10826 To move or copy a region, make sure you are in object mode. If you are
10827 using smart mode, the pointer must be in the lower half of the region
10828 to begin a move or copy operation.
10832 Move the pointer into the region, use a <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag.
10833 The region will follow the pointer as you move it around. By default,
10834 the region can move freely along the timeline.
10838 To move a region from one track to another, simply start a move as
10839 described above, but move the pointer into the desired track. The
10840 region will follow the pointer. Note that if you have other kinds of
10841 tracks visible, the region will remain where it is as the pointer
10842 moves across them, and will then jump to the new track. This serves as
10843 a visual reminder that you cannot drag an audio region into an automation
10844 track or a bus, for example.
10847 <h2>Move Multiple Regions</h2>
10850 To move multiple regions, select them before moving. Then
10851 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag one of the selected regions. All the
10852 regions will move, keeping their positions relative to each other.
10855 <h2>Fixed-Time Motion</h2>
10858 Sometimes, you want to move a region to another track, but keeping its
10859 position along the timeline exactly the same. To do this, use
10860 <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd>-drag instead.
10864 title: Align (Spot) Regions
10869 Aligning regions (sometimes called "spotting") means moving one or more
10870 regions based on a defined location, which in Ardour is always the
10871 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a>. An
10872 alignment operation moves the region(s) so that some part of the region
10873 is positioned at the edit point. Available alignment commands include:
10876 <dl class="wide-table">
10877 <dt>Align Region starts <kbd class="mod14">a</kbd></dt>
10878 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that their start is located at the current edit point</dd>
10879 <dt>Align Region ends <kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dt>
10880 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that the end is located at the current edit point</dd>
10881 <dt>Align Region sync points <kbd>Shift-a</kbd></dt>
10882 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that their sync point is located at the current edit point</dd>
10883 <dt>Align Region starts relative <kbd class="mod4">a</kbd></dt>
10884 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that the start of the earliest region is located at the current edit point, and all others maintain their relative position relative to that region</dd>
10889 title: Edit Mode and Tools
10895 title: Which Regions Are Affected?
10896 menu_title: Affected Regions
10900 <p class="fixme">This one is alone in its chapter. Find him a place somewhere else.</p>
10903 This section explains the rules used to decide which regions are affected
10904 by editing operations. You don't really have to understand them—hopefully
10905 things will Just Work™—but it may be useful eventually to understand the rules.
10909 Editing operations in Ardour either operate on a single point in time
10910 (<kbd class="menu">Split</kbd> being the obvious example) or on two
10911 points (which can also be considered to be a range of sorts); <kbd
10912 class="menu">Separate</kbd> is a good example of this.
10916 Most operations will operate on the currently selected region(s), but if
10917 no regions are selected, the region that the mouse is in will be used
10918 instead. Single-point operations will generally pick a set of regions to
10919 use based on the following rules:
10923 <li> If the edit point is 'mouse', then
10925 <li>if the mouse is over a selected region, or no region, use all selected
10927 <li>if the mouse is over an unselected region, use just that region.</li>
10930 <li> For all other edit points
10933 use the selected regions <em>and</em> those that are both
10934 under the edit position <em>and</em> on a selected track,
10935 or on a track which is in the same active edit-enabled route group
10936 as a selected region.
10943 The rationale here for the two different rules is that the mouse edit point
10944 is special in that its position indicates both a time and a track; the other
10945 edit points (Playhead, Marker) indicate a time only.
10950 title: Making Selections
10956 title: Select Regions
10960 <p class="fixme">Remove all "you" references FFS</p>
10963 Many editing operations in Ardour require you to first <dfn>select one or more
10964 regions</dfn> that you want to change in some way. You can select a single region,
10965 or multiple regions, including regions in different tracks. When you select
10966 a region, it will appear in a darker color than unselected regions.
10970 Note that if a track is a member of a group that is active and has the
10971 <kbd class="option">Select</kbd> property enabled, then Ardour will attempt to
10972 match whatever selections you make in one track across every other track of the
10974 <a href="/working-with-regions/corresponding-regions-selection/">Corresponding
10975 Regions Selection</a> for more information on precisely how selections will be
10976 propagated to other tracks.
10979 <h2>Region Selection and Track Selection</h2>
10983 <a href="/working-with-tracks/selecting-tracks/region-and-track-selection">Region & Track Selection</a>
10984 for more information on how selecting regions and selecting tracks interact.
10987 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
10989 <h2>Select a Region</h2>
10992 Confirm that you are using the
10993 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#object">Object tool</a>,
10994 then click on a region to select it. If
10995 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#smartmode">smart mode</a>
10996 is enabled, click in the lower half of the region.
10999 <h2>Deselect a Region</h2>
11002 Confirm you are using the
11003 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#object">Object tool</a>,
11004 then <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click the region. If
11005 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#smartmode">smart mode</a>
11006 is enabled, click in the lower half of the region.
11010 Note that a <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd> click simply toggles the
11011 selected status of an object, so it can be used to select unselected regions
11015 <h2>Select Multiple Regions in a Track</h2>
11017 <p>Do one of the following:</p>
11020 <li><kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click each region, or</li>
11022 drag a rubberband box from an empty point in a track before the first
11023 region you wish to select to a point within or after the last region
11024 you wish to select (you can <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag to do this
11025 multiple times), or,
11028 if the regions are all adjacent to one another, click the first region
11029 you wish to select, then <kbd class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-click the last
11030 region you wish to select.
11034 <h2>Select All Regions in a Track</h2>
11037 Context-click the track, and in the context menu, navigate to
11038 <kbd class="menu">Select > Select All In Track</menu>.
11042 See the <a href="/working-with-tracks/the-track-context-menu">Track Context Menu</a>
11043 for more information on other per-track selection operations that are available.
11046 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
11048 <h2>Select Multiple Regions Across Different Tracks</h2>
11051 <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click or <kbd class="mouse
11052 mod3">Left</kbd>-click the regions you wish to select.
11055 <h2>Select a Region From the Region List</h2>
11058 Click the name of the region in the
11059 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/region-list/">Region List</a>.
11060 Note that this will do nothing for whole-file regions, since they do not exist
11061 anywhere in a playlist or track.
11066 title: Editing Clips and Selections
11071 title: Trimming Regions
11075 <p class="fixme">Add images, description of mouse cursor changes that signal this type of editing</p>
11078 Changing the <dfn>length</dfn> of a region is a very common editing
11079 operation, often known as <dfn>trimming</dfn>. There are several ways
11080 to accomplish this with Ardour, and some very useful specialized trimming
11084 <h2>Drag-Trimming With the Mouse</h2>
11087 In object mode, move the pointer near the beginning or end of the region.
11088 The cursor will change to indicate that trimming is possible, and you then
11089 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag the edge of the region.
11093 Trimming will obey <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid/">Snap settings</a>.
11096 <h2>Click Trimming With the Mouse</h2>
11099 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click in the colored bar at the bottom of a region.
11100 If you are nearer to the start of a region, this will trim the start time to the
11101 position of the pointer. If you are nearer to the end of a region, it will trim the
11105 <h2>Keyboard Shortcuts for Trimming</h2>
11107 There are several commands for region trimming. Some use the
11108 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a> to determine where
11109 to trim to. Some are not bound to any keys by default (but could be via the
11110 Keybindings Editor).
11113 <dl class="wide-table">
11114 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-front</kbd> <kbd>j</kbd></dt>
11115 <dd>Trim selected region(s) start to edit point.</dd>
11116 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-end</kbd> <kbd>k</kbd></dt>
11117 <dd>Trim selected region(s) end to edit point.</dd>
11120 <h2 id="trimtonextprevious">Trim to Next/Previous Region</h2>
11123 Sometimes you just want to extend the start or end of region so that it reaches
11124 the end or start of an adjacent region. There is now an operation accessible
11125 from the region context menu, under <kbd class="menu">Edit >Trim > Trim to
11126 Next</kbd> or <kbd class="menu">Edit > Trim > Trim to Previous</kbd>. This
11127 will extend the selected regions so they directly adjoin their neighbours, unless
11128 their source files are not long enough, in which case they will be extended to the
11129 maximum possible. Trim to Next will extend the end of the selected regions to the
11130 start of the next region; Trim to Previous will extend the start of the selected
11131 regions to the end of the previous region.
11134 <dl class="wide-table">
11135 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-to-previous-region</kbd> <kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dt>
11136 <dd>Trim the start of selected region(s) to the end of the previous
11138 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-to-next-region</kbd> <kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dt>
11139 <dd>Trim the end of selected region(s) to the start of the following
11143 <h2>Other Possible Commands for Trimming</h2>
11146 These are not bound to any keys by default, but could be via the Keybindings
11147 Editor. They can also be sent via OSC or other control protocols.
11150 <dl class="wide-table">
11151 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-region-to-loop</kbd></dt>
11152 <dd>Trim region to match the current loop range.</dd>
11153 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-region-to-punch</kbd></dt>
11154 <dd>Trim region to match the current punch range.</dd>
11158 title: Push/Pull Trimming
11163 Normally, when you trim regions by dragging with the mouse, it affects
11164 only the selected regions. Their lengths are directly affected by the
11165 trim operation, but nothing else is. Sometimes though, you might like
11166 to trim a region that directly adjoins another, and keep this relationship
11167 the same—you are not trying to make one of the regions extend
11168 over the other—you would like the junction to move in one
11169 direction or the other as part of the trim. This requires trimming both
11170 regions on either side of the junction, in opposite directions.
11171 <dfn>Push/Pull trim</dfn>, activated by pressing shift key before
11172 starting the drag, will do just that. Here's a few pictures to show the
11173 difference in the results of a normal trim and push/pull trim. First,
11174 the initial situation:
11177 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_before_trim.png" alt="region arrangement before trim" /></p>
11180 Here is what happens after we trim the right hand (selected) region by
11181 dragging its starting position earlier:
11184 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_trim.png" alt="region arrangement after a trim" /></p>
11187 You can see that it now overlaps the earlier region and a crossfade has
11188 been created between them.
11192 Lets look now at what happens if we do the same trim, but <kbd
11193 class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-dragging to turn it into a push-pull trim instead:
11196 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_push_trim.png" alt="region arrangement after a push trim" /></p>
11199 There is no overlap, and the end of the earlier region has been moved
11200 along with the start of the later region, so that they still directly
11205 title: Separate Under
11210 You may have a situation where you have positioned one region over another,
11211 and you just want to cut the lower region so that it directly adjoins both
11212 ends of the overlapping one, with no overlaps. To do this, select the upper
11213 region, then choose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Separate > Separate
11214 Under</kbd>. This will split the lower region so that it no longer overlaps
11215 the upper region at all.
11219 Here is an example where we start with a short region placed so that it
11220 overlaps a longer region:
11223 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_before_separate_under.png" alt="region arrangement before separate under" /></p>
11226 When we perform the <dfn>Separate Under</dfn> edit, the lower region splits
11227 in two, with boundaries exactly positioned at the edges of the upper region:
11230 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_separate_under.png" alt="region arrangement after separate under" /></p>
11233 If the upper region covers only one end of the lower region, then this
11234 operation is equivalent to
11235 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/change-region-lengths/#trimtonextprevious">Trim to Next/Previous Region</a>, depending on which end is covered.
11239 title: Separate Range
11243 <p class="fixme">Add example with images; 1p ≥ 1,000w</p>
11246 A final new editing feature is an operation in the context menu of a
11247 range labeled <kbd class="menu">Separate Regions Under Range</kbd>.
11248 This splits any selected regions that are covered by the range at both
11249 ends of the range (or just one, if the range only covers part of the
11250 region). This makes it easy to generate regions that correspond
11251 precisely to a range.
11255 title: Strip Silence from Audio Regions
11256 menu_title: Stripping Silence
11261 From the region context menu, choose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Strip
11262 Silence</kbd> to detect silence (based on a user-chosen threshold in
11263 <abbr title="Decibels relative to Full Scale">dBFS</abbr>), split a
11264 region based on the boundaries of the silent segments, and remove the
11265 silence. You can also specify a minimum length for silence—useful
11266 when editing very percussive material and just needing to automatically trim
11267 the ends of a region. The dialog looks like this:
11271 <img src="/images/a3_strip_silence.png" alt="strip silence dialog" />
11275 The edit applies to all selected regions, allowing batch processing.
11276 You can also see in the screenshot how the main editor window is used
11277 to show silent segments and report the number and durations of the
11283 title: Fades and Crossfades
11289 title: Create Region Fades and Crossfades
11293 <p class="fixme">Add images--an image is worth more than 1,000 words</p>
11296 Every Region has a fade-in and fade-out. By default, the region fade
11297 is very short, and serves to de-click the transitions at the start and
11298 end of the region. By adjusting the regions fade length, a more
11299 gradual transition can be accomplished.
11302 <h2>Region Fades</h2>
11305 <dfn>Region fades</dfn> are possible at the beginning and end of
11306 all audio regions. In object mode, a grip appears at the top left and
11307 top right of an audio region when the cursor hovers over it. Placing
11308 the cursor over the top of the grip displays the region fade cursor
11309 tip. Click and drag the grip left or right in the timeline to
11310 adjust the length of the fade.
11313 <h2>Crossfades</h2>
11316 <dfn>Crossfades</dfn> refer to the behavior when you want to make
11317 a smooth transition (mix) from one audio region to another on the same
11318 track. Historically, this was done by splicing 2 pieces of analog
11319 tape together, and this concept was carried forward into digital
11320 editing. Each track is a sequence of sound files (regions). If
11321 two regions are butted against each other, there needs to be a method
11322 to splice them smoothly together. The crossfade allows one region
11323 to fade smoothly out, while the next region fades smoothly in, like 2
11324 pieces of tape that have been cut at and angle, and overlapped.
11328 But Ardour uses a more refined "layered" editing model, and
11329 therefore it is possible for multiple regions to be stacked on a single
11330 location with arbitrary overlaps between different layers. For
11331 this reason, crossfades must be implemented differently. We can't
11332 assume that a crossfade is an entitry that exists between 2 regions;
11333 instead each region must have its own associated crossfades at each
11334 end, and the topmost region must always crossfade down to the
11335 underlying region(s), if any.
11339 Ardour solves this problem by putting a crossfade at the beginning
11340 and end of every region. The fades of the bottom-most region are
11341 first rendered, and then each region is rendered on top of the one
11342 below it, with fades at the end of each region providing a crossfade to
11343 the region(s) beneath it.
11347 It is important to understand that region fades <em>are</em> crossfades. When one region has
11348 another region or multiple regions beneath its fade area, then you will
11349 hear the topmost region fade-out be mirrored as a fade-in on the
11350 underlying region(s). The grip for the topmost region will allow
11351 changing the length and type of the crossfade into the underlying
11352 region(s). In this way you can create a complicated series of
11353 crossfades, and then layer another region atop the others, and fade
11354 into <em>that</em> complicated series.
11356 <p class="fixme">An image here would probably help.</p>
11359 If a region doesn't have any region(s) under it, then the region is
11360 crossfaded to silence; for convenience we call this a "fade"
11361 rather than a crossfade.
11364 <h2>Fade Shapes</h2>
11366 To activate/deactivate or change the shape of a region's fade-in or
11367 fade-out, hover the cursor over the region fade grip till the cursor tip
11368 indicates region fade editing and context-click to bring up a context
11369 menu. In the context menu there is a list of options for the
11370 region fade. <kbd class="menu">Activate/Deactivate</kbd> enables and
11371 disables the region fade.
11375 Because each fade is also a crossfade, it has an inverse fade shape
11376 for the audio beneath the fade. It is important to know how the
11377 shapes differ, and which are most suitable for various editing tasks.
11381 The different types of fades are:
11384 <dl class="narrower-table">
11385 <dt><kbd class="menu">Linear</kbd></dt>
11386 <dd>A simple linear coefficient decrease, and its mathematical inverse. A Linear fade starts attentuating quickly and then cuts off even more abruptly at lower levels. When used as a crossfade, the signals are each -6dB attenuated at the midpoint. This is the correct crossfade to use with highly-correlated signals for a smooth transition.</dd>
11387 <dt><kbd class="menu">Constant Power</kbd></dt>
11388 <dd>The constant power curve starts fading slowly and then cuts off abruptly. When used as a crossfade between 2 audio regions, the signals are symetrically attenuated, and they each reach -3dB at the midpoint. This is the correct crossfade to use when you want to splice audio in the general (uncorrelated) case.</dd>
11389 <dt><kbd class="menu">Symmetric</kbd></dt>
11390 <dd>The Symmetric fade starts slowly, then attenuates significantly before transitioning to a slower fade-out near the end of the fade. When used as a crossfade, the Symmetric curve is not mathematically correct like the Equal Power or Linear curves, but it provides a slower fade-out at low volumes. This is sometimes useful when editing two entire works of music together so that the transition is more gradual.</dd>
11391 <dt><kbd class="menu">Fast</kbd></dt>
11392 <dd>The Fast curve is a linear decibel fade; It sounds like a perfectly smooth fader or knob moved to silence. This shape is excellent as a general-purpose fade-in. When used as a crossfade, the inverse fade curve maintains constant power but is therefore non-symmetric; so its use is limited to those cases where the user finds it appropriate.</dd>
11393 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slow</kbd></dt>
11394 <dd>The Slow curve is a modified linear decibel fade. The initial curve starts more gradually so that it has a less abrupt transition near unity. After that, it sounds like a perfectly smooth fader or knob moved to silence. This shape is excellent as a general-purpose fade-out. When used as a crossfade, the inverse fade curve maintains constant power but is therefore non-symmetric; so its use is limited to those cases where the user finds it appropriate.</dd>
11398 Although these fade shapes serve specific purposes, any of the shapes is usable in certain situations. The final decision is an artistic choice rather than a rigidly prescribed one.
11402 These fade curves are developed to provide a range of common uses, and
11403 are developed with the least possible amount of changes in the "slope"
11404 of the line. This provides artifact-free crossfades. Some
11405 DAWs provide complicated fade editors with parametric "spline" controls
11406 of the fade curves. While it might be interesting to develop a
11407 fade curve with a faster cutoff, the mathematical difference between
11408 this and simply shortening the fade is vanishingly small; the
11409 amount of effort to shorten the fade is much easier than fooling around with a
11410 crossfade editor dialog.
11421 title: Understanding Playlists
11426 A <dfn>playlist</dfn> is a list of regions ordered in time. It defines
11427 which parts of which source files should be played and when. Playlists
11428 are a fairly advanced topic, and can be safely ignored for many types
11429 of audio production. However, the use of playlists allows the audio
11430 engineer more flexibility for tasks like multiple takes of a single
11431 instrument, alternate edits of a given recording, parallel effects such
11432 as reverb or compression, and other tasks.
11435 Each audio <dfn>track</dfn> in Ardour is really just a mechanism for
11436 taking a playlist and generating the audio stream that it represents.
11437 As a result, editing a track really means modifying its playlist in
11438 some way. Since a playlist is a list of regions, most of the
11439 modifications involve manipulating regions: their position, length
11440 and so forth. This is covered in the chapter
11441 <a href="/working-with-regions/">Working With Regions</a>.<br />
11442 Here, we cover some of the things you can do with playlists as objects
11443 in their own right.
11446 <h2>Tracks are not Playlists</h2>
11448 It is important to understand that a track <em>is not</em> a playlist.
11449 A track <em>has</em> a playlist. A track is a mechanism for generating
11450 the audio stream represented by the playlist and passing it through a
11451 signal processing pathway. At any point in time, a track has a single
11452 playlist associated with it. When the track is used to record, that
11453 playlist will have one or more new regions added to it. When the track
11454 is used for playback, the contents of the playlist will be heard.
11455 You can change the playlist associated with a track at (almost) any
11456 time, and even share playlists between tracks.
11460 If you have some experience of other
11461 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s, then you might
11462 have come across the term <dfn>"virtual track"</dfn>, normally defined as a track
11463 that isn't actually playing or doing anything, but can be
11464 mapped/assigned to a real track. This concept is functionally
11465 identical to Ardour's playlists. We just like to be little more
11466 clear about what is actually happening rather than mixing old and
11467 new terminology ("virtual" and "track"), which might be confusing.</p>
11469 <h2>Playlists are Cheap</h2>
11472 One thing you should be clear about is that playlists are cheap. They
11473 don't cost anything in terms of CPU consumption, and they have very
11474 minimal efforts on memory use. Don't be afraid of generating new
11475 playlists whenever you want to. They are not equivalent to tracks,
11476 which require extra CPU time and significant memory space, or audio
11477 files, which use disk space, or plugins that require extra CPU time.
11478 If a playlist is not in use, it occupies a small amount of memory, and
11483 title: Playlist Operations
11488 In the track header (editor window, left pane) is a button labelled <kbd
11489 class="menu">p</kbd> (for "Playlist"). If you click on this button, Ardour
11490 displays the following menu:
11493 <dl class="wide-table">
11494 <dt>(Local Playlists)</dt>
11495 <dd>Shows all of the playlists associated with this track, and indicates
11496 the currently selected playlist</dd>
11498 <dd>Displays a dialog to rename the current playlist</dd>
11500 <dd>Creates a new empty playlist, and the track switches to the new playlist</dd>
11502 <dd>Creates a new playlist that is a copy of the current playlist; the track switches to the new playlist</dd>
11503 <dt>Clear Current</dt>
11504 <dd>Removes all regions from the current playlist</dd>
11505 <dt>Select From All</dt>
11506 <dd>Displays a playlist browser to manually choose which playlist this track should use. (You can even select playlists from other tracks here)</dd>
11509 <h2>Renaming Playlists</h2>
11512 Playlists are created with the name of the track of which they are
11513 associated, plus a version number. So, the first playlist for a track
11514 called "Cowbell" will be called <samp>Cowbell.1</samp>. This name will
11515 be used to define the names of any regions added to the playlist by
11516 recording. You can change the name at any time, to anything you want.
11517 Ardour does not require that your playlist names are all unique, but it
11518 will make your life easier if they are. Suggested examples of user-assigned
11519 names for a playlist might include <kbd class="input">Lead Guitar, 2nd
11520 take</kbd>, <kbd class="input">vocals (quiet)</kbd>,
11521 and <kbd class="input">downbeat cuica</kbd>. Notice how these might be
11522 different from the associated track names, which for these examples might
11523 be <kbd class="input">Lead Guitar</kbd>,
11524 <kbd class="input">Vocals</kbd> and <kbd class="input">Cuica</kbd>. The
11525 playlist name provides more information because it is about a specific
11526 version of the material that may (or may not) end up in the final version
11531 If you are going to rename your playlists, do so before recording new
11536 It appears that recorded regions are not named after the playlist, but
11540 <h2>Sharing Playlists</h2>
11543 It is entirely possible to <dfn>share playlists</dfn> between tracks. The only
11544 slightly unusual thing you may notice when sharing is that edits to the
11545 playlist made in one track will magically appear in the other. If you
11546 think about this for a moment, its an obvious consequence of sharing.
11547 One application of this attribute is parallel processing, described
11552 You might not want this kind of behaviour, even though you still want
11553 two tracks to use the same (or substantially the same) playlist. To
11554 accomplish this, select the chosen playlist in the second track, and
11555 then use New Copy to generate an <dfn>independent copy</dfn> of it for
11556 that track. You can then edit this playlist without affecting the original.
11560 title: Playlist Usecases
11564 <h3>Using Playlists for Parallel Processing</h3>
11567 One of the uses of playlists is to apply multiple effects to the same
11568 audio stream. For example, let's say you would like to apply two
11569 different non-linear effects such as distortion or compression to the
11570 same audio source (for linear effects, you could just apply them one after
11571 the other in the same track).<br />
11572 Create a new track, apply the original track's playlist, and
11573 then apply effects to both tracks independently.
11577 The same result could be achieved by feeding your track to multiple busses which
11578 then contain the processing, but this increases the overall latency,
11579 complicates routing and uses more space in the Mixer window.
11582 <h2>Using Playlists for "Takes"</h2>
11585 Using Playlists for <dfn>takes</dfn> is a good solution if you are going
11586 to need the ability to edit individual takes, and select between them.
11590 Each time you start a new take, create a new playlist with
11591 <kbd class="menu">p > New</kbd>
11592 Later, you can Select your way back to previous or later takes as
11597 If you want to create a composite edit from multiple takes, create a new
11598 track to assemble the final version, and "cherry pick" from the playlists
11599 in the original track by copying regions over as required.
11603 Alternatively, record each successive take on top of the
11604 others in "layers" and then edit them using the layer tools, explained
11608 <h2>Using Playlists for Multi-Language Productions</h2>
11611 The same approach as for takes is useful when you are recording or
11612 editing content in multiple versions, such as dubbed movie dialog in
11613 several languages, and you want all versions on the same track, to
11614 get the same processing. <br />
11615 Select the appropriate language before exporting the session.
11620 title: Rhythm Ferret
11632 title: MIDI Editing
11643 Ardour's handling of <dfn><abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> editing</dfn> differs from most other <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s and MIDI sequencers.
11646 <h2>Key features of Ardour MIDI handling</h2>
11650 All editing is done in-place, in-window. There is no separate piano roll window or pane. Edit notes right where you see them.
11653 All MIDI I/O is done via <abbr title="Jack Audio Connection Kit">JACK</abbr> for sample accurate timing and maximal efficiency when communicating with external software synthesizers.
11656 Every MIDI track has its own JACK MIDI port for input; it may have an arbitrary combination of audio and MIDI outputs, depending on the signal processing in the track; the full flexibility of JACK connectivity is present for MIDI just as it is for audio.
11659 Full automation for MIDI tracks, integrated with the handling of all MIDI <abbr title="Continuous Controller">CC</abbr> data for each track.
11662 Controllers (CC data) can be set to discrete or continuous modes (the latter will interpolate between control points and send additional data).
11665 There is a <em>Normal</em> and a <em>Percussive</em> mode for note data editing.
11668 The <dfn>scroomer</dfn> is a combination scroll/zoom tool for altering
11669 the zoom level and range of visible MIDI data.
11673 <h2>Notable Differences</h2>
11677 Fader (volume) control currently operates on transmitted MIDI data, not by sending CC #7.
11680 All note/data editing is per-region. There are no cross-region operations at this time.
11683 By default, copying a MIDI region creates a <dfn>deep link</dfn>—both regions share the same data source, and edits to the contents of one will affect the other. To break this link, select <kbd class="menu">MIDI > Unlink from other copies</kbd> from the region context menu, after which the selected region(s) will have their own copies of <em>only</em> the data that they visually display on screen. You will not be able to trim the region back its original length after an Unlink operation, and the operation cannot be undone.
11688 title: Fundamental Concepts
11692 <p class="fixme">Check to see if this is still true for v5</p>
11694 <p>Ardour's MIDI editing is based on two basic principles:</p>
11697 <li>Editing should be done without having to enter a new window</li>
11699 Editing should be able to carried out completely with the keyboard,
11700 or completely with the mouse, or with any combination of the two.
11705 Currently, MIDI editing is primarily restricted to note data. Other
11706 kinds of data (controller events, sysex data) are present and can be
11707 added and deleted, but not actually edited.
11710 <h2>Fundamentals of MIDI Editing in Ardour 3</h2>
11713 MIDI, just like audio, exists in <dfn>regions</dfn>. MIDI regions
11714 behave like audio regions: they can be moved, trimmed, copied (cloned),
11715 or deleted. Ardour allows either editing MIDI (or audio) regions, or MIDI
11716 region content (the notes), but never both at the same time. The
11717 <kbd>e</kbd> key (by default) toggles between <dfn>region level</dfn>
11718 and <dfn>note level</dfn> editing, as will double-clicking on a MIDI region.
11722 One very important thing to note: editing note information in Ardour
11723 occurs in only a single region. There is no way currently to edit in note
11724 data for multiple regions at the same time, so for example you cannot select
11725 notes in several regions and then delete them all, nor can you copy-and-paste
11726 notes from one region to another. You can, of course, copy and paste the
11727 region(s), just as with audio.
11731 title: Create MIDI Tracks
11736 To create a new <dfn>MIDI track</dfn>, choose <kbd class="menu">Session >
11737 Add Track/Bus</kbd>. In the Add Track/Bus dialog, pick <kbd class="menu">MIDI
11738 Track</kbd> from the combo selector at the upper right.
11742 You may decide to use a track template if you have one. You may also know the instrument (a plugin that will generate audio in response to receiving MIDI) that you want to use in the track. The Instrument selector will show you a list of all plugins that you have which accept MIDI input and generate audio output.
11745 <p class="fixme">Remove "you" language</p>
11748 title: Create MIDI Regions
11753 Although recording MIDI is a common way to create new MIDI regions, it is
11754 often desirable to do so as part of editing/arranging.
11758 To create a new MIDI region, simply <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click in
11759 a MIDI track. A region will be created that is one bar long. It can
11760 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/changing-region-lengths">trimmed</a> to any
11764 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
11767 Once a region has been created, <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-midi/add-new-notes">notes can be added</a> to it.
11771 title: Add New Notes
11775 <h2>Adding new notes</h2>
11778 In general, most MIDI editing will be done with the mouse in object mode. This allows selecting notes, copying, moving or deleting them and altering their properties (see below). <em>Adding</em> notes to a MIDI region using the mouse requires dragging with the mouse if they are to be anything other than a fixed length. Since this would normally be a selection operation if the mouse is in object mode, there needs to be some way to tell Ardour to <dfn>draw</dfn> new notes within a MIDI region. Ardour provides two ways do this: one is to leave the mouse in object mode and <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-drag; the other, useful if entering a lot of notes for a while, is to switch the mouse into <kbd class="menu">Draw Notes</kbd> mode, which will now interpret any drags and clicks as requests to add a new note. For obvious reasons, Draw Notes mode cannot be used while using region-level editing.
11781 <p>So, to summarize:</p>
11783 <dl class="wide-table">
11784 <dt>Selecting, moving, copying, trimming, deleting <em>regions</em></dt>
11786 leave <kbd class="menu">Note Level Editing</kbd> disabled, use object,
11787 range or other mouse modes
11789 <dt>Selecting, moving, copying trimming, deleting <em>notes</em></dt>
11790 <dd>enable <kbd class="menu">Note Level Editing</kbd>and use mouse object mode</dd>
11791 <dt>Adding new notes</dt>
11793 enable "Note Level Editing" and then either
11795 <li>use mouse object mode and <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-drag,
11797 <li>use mouse draw mode.</li>
11802 <!-- FIXME: This is needed to keep the table from sucking up the following note's styling. Probably need a fix in the CSS. -->
11806 It is also a <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-midi/step-entry">a step entry editor</a> allowing entry of notes from a virtual keyboard, and lots more besides.
11810 title: Change Note Properties
11815 Details about a selected note can be viewed by context-clicking on it. The
11816 dialog that pops up will also allow modification of all the properties of the
11817 selected note(s). Individual properties can be modified more efficiently using
11818 the techniques described below:
11822 <dt>Moving notes</dt>
11824 Right arrow and Left arrow move the selected note(s) early and later in time.
11826 <dt>Changing pitch values</dt>
11828 <kbd>↑</kbd> increases the pitch of the selected notes.<br />
11829 <kbd>↓</kbd> reduces the pitch of the selected notes.<br />
11830 If any of the selected notes are already at the maximum or minimum value,
11831 no changes will be made to any of the notes, to preserve relative pitches.
11832 This can be overridden with <kbd class="mod2">‌</kbd>. The default shift
11833 distance is one semitone. Use <kbd class="mod3">‌</kbd> to alter this to
11836 <dt>Changing velocity values</dt>
11838 <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd> increases the velocity of the selected notes.
11840 <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd> reduces the velocity of the selected
11842 If any of the selected notes are already at the maximum or minumum value,
11843 no changes will be made to any of the notes, to preserve relative velocities.
11844 This can be overridden with <kbd class="mod2">‌</kbd>.
11845 Presssing <kbd>v</kbd> will popup a dialog that will allow the setting of
11846 the absolute velocity value of each selected note. Finally, the scroll wheel
11847 <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> will also
11848 adjust notes in the same way as the arrow keys.
11849 <p class="note">Like the arrow keys, it only affects selected notes, not the note the pointer is over.</p>
11851 <dt>Changing channel</dt>
11853 Press <kbd>c</kbd> to bring up a dialog that allows viewing and altering the
11854 MIDI channel of the selected notes. If the selected notes use different
11855 channels, they will all be forced to the newly selected channel.
11857 <dt>Changing start/end/duration</dt>
11859 <kbd>,</kbd> (comma) will alter the start time of the note. <br />
11860 <kbd>.</kbd> (period) will alter the end time of the note. Both keys will by
11861 default make the note longer (either by moving the start earlier or the end
11862 later). For the opposite effect, use <kbd class="mod1">,</kbd>/<kbd
11863 class="mod1">.</kbd>. The note will be altered by the current grid setting.
11864 To change the start/end positions by 1/128th of a beat, use the <kbd
11865 class="mod2">‌</kbd> modifier in addition to these shortcuts.
11867 <dt>Quantization</dt>
11869 <kbd>q</kbd> will quantize the selected notes using the current quantize
11870 settings. If the quantize settings have not been set for this session yet,
11871 the quantize dialog will appear. <kbd class="mod2">q</kbd> will display the
11872 quantize dialog to allow resetting of the quantize settings, and then
11873 quantize the selected notes. The default quantize settings are: quantize
11874 note starts to the current grid setting, no swing, no threshold, full
11877 <dt>Step Entry, Quantize etc.</dt>
11878 <dd><em>missing</em></dd>
11881 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
11884 title: Handling Overlapping Notes
11885 menu_title: Overlapping Notes
11890 Every MIDI note consists of two messages, a NoteOn and a NoteOff. Each one
11891 has a note number and a channel (also a velocity, but that isn't relevant
11892 here). The MIDI standard stresses that it is invalid to send a second NoteOn
11893 for the same note number on the same channel before a NoteOff for the first
11894 NoteOn. It is more or less impossible to do this with a physical MIDI
11895 controller such as a keyboard, but remarkably easy to trigger when editing
11896 in a DAW—simply overlapping two instances of the same note will do it.
11900 Ardour offers many options for how to deal with instances where you overlap
11901 two instances of the same note. Which one to use is a per-session property
11902 and can be modified from <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties > Misc > MIDI
11906 <dl class="wide-table">
11907 <dt>never allow them</dt>
11908 <dd>Edits that would create note overlaps are not allowed</dd>
11909 <dt>don't do anything in particular</dt>
11910 <dd>Ardour leaves overlapping notes alone—the behaviour of a MIDI receiver (plugin or hardware) is undefined</dd>
11911 <dt>replace any overlapped existing note</dt>
11912 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, remove the one that wasn't being moved</dd>
11913 <dt>shorten the overlapped existing note</dt>
11914 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, shorten the one that wasn't moved so that there is no overlap</dd>
11915 <dt>shorten the overlapping new note</dt>
11916 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, shorten the one that was moved so that there is no overlap</dd>
11917 <dt>replace both overlapping notes with a single note</dt>
11918 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, merge them both to form one (longer) note</dd>
11922 Changing the option in use will not retroactively make changes—it will
11923 only affect new note overlaps created while the option remains chosen.
11926 <p class="warning">
11927 Ardour does not check for note overlaps across tracks or even across regions.
11928 If you create these, it is your responsibility to deal with the consequences.
11932 title: Note Cut, Copy and Paste
11937 While in note edit mode, selected notes can be cut using
11938 <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>, copied with <kbd class="mod1">c</kbd> and
11939 deleted with <kbd>Delete</kbd>, just as regions can. Once cut or
11940 copied, they can be pasted at the edit point using
11941 <kbd class="mod1">v</kbd>.
11945 title: Note Selection
11949 <h2>Selecting/Navigating note-by-note</h2>
11952 Tab selects the next note. <kbd class="mod1">Tab</kbd> selects the previous
11953 note. <kbd class="mod3">Tab</kbd> or <kbd class="mod13">Tab</kbd> adds
11954 the next/previous note to the selection.
11957 <h2>Selecting notes with the mouse</h2>
11960 While in mouse object mode, you can click on a note to select it. Once you
11961 have selected one note, <kbd class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-click on another
11962 to select all notes between them. To add or remove a note to/from the
11963 selection, click <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>. You can also click and
11964 drag outside of a note to <dfn>rubberband select</dfn> a series of notes.
11968 Three different selection operations are possible if you switch to mouse
11974 Vertical drags within the MIDI region will select all notes within the
11975 spanned note range.
11978 Clicks on the piano header of the track (if visible—the track must
11979 be tall enough to display it) will select all occurences of that note.
11982 Drags on the piano header of the track will select all notes within the
11983 spanned note range.
11987 <h2>Listening to Selected Notes</h2>
11990 If <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI > Sound MIDI notes
11991 as they are selected</kbd> is enabled, Ardour will send a pair of
11992 NoteOn/NoteOff messages through the track, which will typically allow you to
11993 hear each note as it is selected.
11997 title: Quantize MIDI
12001 <p class="fixme">Needs fleshing out; this is a bit thin at the moment</p>
12003 <p><img class="right" src="/images/a3_quantize.png" alt="quantize dialog" /></p>
12005 <p>Accessed via <kbd>q</kbd>, the dialog includes:</p>
12008 <li>Options for grid, legato and groove quantize</li>
12009 <li>Snap note start, or end</li>
12010 <li>Snap to current grid, or many beat subdivisions</li>
12011 <li>Quantize threshold (how far away from a chosen position a note must be in order to be quantized)</li>
12012 <li>Strength (how close to move a note to its new position, as a percentage of the nominal distance)</li>
12022 Sometimes editing MIDI data directly from a connected MIDI device like a musical
12023 keyboard or pad controller is desired; sometimes using the mouse is. Sometimes
12024 the fine-grained control, precision and speed of entry that comes from using a
12025 custom note entry dialog is; the <dfn>Step Entry</dfn> dialog aims to be the
12030 The step entry dialog is accessed via a right click context menu on the
12031 rec-enable button, because step entry is related to <em>recording</em> MIDI
12032 data—step editing and recording MIDI via the track's MIDI port cannot be
12033 done simultaneously.
12036 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_step_entry.png" /></p>
12038 <p>The dialog (closely modeled after Logic's) contains:</p>
12042 Chord entry switch (successive notes are stacked in a chord until
12043 it is released)</li>
12044 <li>Note length selectors</li>
12045 <li>Triplet toggle</li>
12046 <li>Normal, single, double and triple dotted note selectors</li>
12047 <li>Sustain button</li>
12050 <li>Insert a rest of the current selected note duration</li>
12051 <li>Insert a rest of the current grid step size</li>
12052 <li>Move back to the last inserted note</li>
12053 <li>Move forward to the next beat, or bar</li>
12054 <li>Move forward to the edit point</li>
12057 <li>Dynamics controls from pianississimo to fortississimo</li>
12058 <li>Channel selector</li>
12060 Explicit numerical velocity selector, for more precise control
12061 than the dynamics selectors offer
12063 <li>Octave selector</li>
12064 <li>Buttons to add bank or program change events</li>
12065 <li>a full 10 octave virtual keyboard</li>
12069 More or less all actions in the step entry dialog can be driven directly from
12070 the keyboard, so moving back and forth from keyboard to mouse to do complex data
12071 insertion is unnecessary.
12075 title: Patch Change
12080 A <dfn>patch change</dfn> is Ardour's description for a combination
12081 of MIDI program change and bank select messages, that (typically)
12082 instruct a synthesizer or sampler to select a different sound to use
12083 on a particular channel.
12087 Patch changes are shown within MIDI regions as small rectangles or
12088 <dfn>flags</dfn>, as shown below:
12091 <p class="fixme">Add missing images</p>
12093 <h2>Inserting Patch Changes</h2>
12097 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a> is
12098 located where the patch change should be (within an existing
12099 MIDI region). Context click, and from the MIDI region's context menu,
12100 select <kbd class="menu">MIDI > Insert Patch Change</kbd>. A
12101 dialog will appear allowing the setting of the bank and program values.
12104 <h2>Modifying Patch Changes</h2>
12107 Context-clicking on a patch change will bring up the same dialog that
12108 was used to create it, allowing the modification of the program and/or bank
12113 The mouse wheel can also be used: <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>/<kbd
12114 class="mouse">⇓</kbd> on the patch change will alter the program
12115 number, <kbd class="mouse mod1">⇑</kbd>/<kbd
12116 class="mouse mod1">⇓</kbd> will modify the bank number.
12119 <h2>Moving Patch Changes</h2>
12122 Just <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag on the patch change to move it
12126 <h2>Removing Patch Changes</h2>
12129 Put the mouse pointer into the rectangular area, and press <kbd>Del</kbd>
12130 or use the delete mouse button operation. This will remove the patch change
12131 (the operation can be undone).
12134 <h2>Names for Patch Numbers: MIDNAM files</h2>
12137 …mising…
12140 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
12143 title: Independent and Dependent MIDI Region Copies
12144 menu_title: Copy MIDI Region
12149 When <dfn>copying a MIDI region</dfn>, Ardour has to decide whether to make the
12150 copy refer to the same data as the original or not. If it does refer
12151 to the same data, then editing either the copy or the original will
12152 affect the both of them. If it refers to an independent copy of the
12153 data then each one can be edited without affecting the other.
12156 <h2>Changing dependent/independent copying for the entire session</h2>
12159 <kbd class="menu">Sesson > Properties > Misc > MIDI region copies are
12160 independent</kbd> can be used to control the default behaviour when
12161 making a copy of a MIDI region.
12165 When enabled, every new copy of a MIDI
12166 region results in a copy being made of the MIDI data used by the
12167 region, and the new copy of the region will refer to that data.
12171 When disabled, every new copy of a MIDI region will refer to the same
12172 MIDI data, and thus editing any copy will change the contents of all
12177 Changing the status of this option has no effect on the existing
12178 dependent/independent status of existing region copies.
12181 <h2>Making an existing copy of a MIDI region independent</h2>
12184 Context-click on the MIDI region to be made independent. From the context menu, select <kbd class="menu">MIDI > Unlink From Other Copies</kbd>. The copy is now using an independent version of the data, and edits to the copy will affect only the copy. Other linked copies will continue to share data.
12188 The copied data only covers the extent of the region when the copy is made. If the region was already trimmed and then a copy is made, an independent copy will have no access to data that is earlier or later than the bounds of the region it was copied from. Put differently, if an independent copy of a trimmed MIDI region is made, it cannot be "untrimmed" to a larger size.
12192 title: Automating MIDI - Pitch bending and aftertouch
12193 menu_title: Automating MIDI
12198 Adding pitch bending or aftertouch can add a lot of subtlety to an otherwise plain sounding midi region and help humanize it.
12201 <img src="/images/MIDI_pitch_bending.png" alt="Automation: pitch bending" />
12204 Pitch bending and aftertouch both work the same way, through automation. Right click the MIDI track's header > Automation > Bender <em>(or Pressure)</em> > <em>choose the channel you want to bend</em>.
12208 Using the Draw tool, as for all the automation, allows creation of a gradual change from one drawn point to another. A line in the center produces no change to the pitch, while a line above the center will bend the pitch to a higher note (up to 4 semitones) and a line going under the middle will bend the pitch to a lower note.
12212 The values can be anything between 0 (-4 semitones) to 16,383 (+4 semitones). No automation or a value of 8,192 means no pitch shifting.
12216 Aftertouch works very similarly, though the values are between 0 and 127. It should be noted that aftertouch differs from velocity, as aftertouch allows to slightly change the timbre or create a vibrato, while the velocity sets the power with which the note is played (e.g. on a keyboard, the key is hit).
12220 title: Transforming MIDI - Mathematical operations
12221 menu_title: Transforming MIDI
12226 Considering the numerical nature of MIDI events, it can be tempting to apply mathematical transformations to our MIDI regions by using mathematical operations. Ardour makes it very easy and powerful with the Transform tool.
12229 <p class="center"><img src="/images/MIDI_transform.png" alt="MIDI transformation" /></p>
12232 To access the Transform tool, right click the MIDI region > <em>name_of_the_region</em> > MIDI > Transform...
12236 First, select the property you want to modify in the 'Set' field, then change the target value using the 2 following fields. If you want to add more operands, click the "+" sign to create new lines. You can remove a superfluous line using the "-" sign on the right of the newly created line.
12240 In the picture above, we've used the Transform tool to add a bit of humanization, by slightly changing the velocity of each note of the region, by a random number between -19 and +19 from it's original velocity. So we've used 3 operations:
12244 <li>Set velocity to this note's velocity</li>
12245 <li>+ a random number from 1 to 20</li>
12246 <li>- a random number from 1 to 20</li>
12249 <p>Each note will trigger a calculation of its own, so its velocity will be increased by a random number between 1 and 20, then decreased by a random number between 1 and 20.</p>
12252 The properties that can be computed are:
12256 <li>note number (eg C2 is note number 24, C#2 is 25 and so on)</li>
12257 <li>velocity (the global intensity of the note, between 0 and 127)</li>
12258 <li>start time (in beats)</li>
12259 <li>length (in beats)</li>
12264 and the calculation may be based on the following properties:
12268 <li>this note's</li>
12269 <li>the previous note's</li>
12270 <li>this note's index (number of the note, i.e. the first one is 0, the second is 1, etc.)</li>
12271 <li>exactly (for a constant value, between 1 and 127)</li>
12272 <li>a random number from <em>lower</em> to <em>higher</em> (<em>lower</em> and <em>higher</em> beeing constant values between 1 and 127)</li>
12273 <li>equal steps from <em>lower</em> to <em>higher</em> (<em>lower</em> and <em>higher</em> beeing constant values between 1 and 127)</li>
12277 The mathematical operators can be:
12281 <li>+ (addition)</li>
12282 <li>- (substration)</li>
12283 <li>* (multiplication)</li>
12284 <li>/ (euclidian division)</li>
12285 <li>mod (rest of the euclidian division)</li>
12289 All this operations can be very handy, as long as you find a mathematical way to achieve your goal. Beware though of odd "border cases": division by zero (which does nothing), using the note's index and forgetting it starts at 0 and not 1, etc.
12293 You can nevertheless create very interesting results, like humanizing (randomizing the velocity, start time and duration of all the notes), creating arpeggios, automating tedious tasks, transposing, etc.
12298 title: MIDI Editors
12304 title: MIDI Scene Automation
12309 Ardour is capable of being used to both record and deliver MIDI
12310 "scene" automation. These are MIDI messages typically used to switch
12311 presets or "scenes" on a variety of external equipment (or
12312 software), including lighting and other audio/video tools. A common
12313 use case is to automatically change presets between songs or to change
12314 lighting conditions based on a specific position on the timeline.
12318 Each change from one scene to another is represented by a marker in
12323 Technically, scene changes are delivered as a combination of bank and
12324 program change MIDI messages. MIDI allows for 16,384 banks, each with
12328 <h2>Recording Scene Changes</h2>
12331 Ardour has a dedicated MIDI port named "Scene In". Connect this port
12332 to whatever source(s) of MIDI scene (bank/program change) messages you
12337 Whenever the global record enable button is engaged and Ardour's
12338 transport is rolling, a new marker will be created for each scene
12339 change message received via the "Scene In" port.
12343 If two different scene changes are received within a certain time
12344 period, only the later one will be recorded as a new marker. The
12345 default threshold for this is one millisecond.
12349 If a scene change message is received while the playhead is close to
12350 an existing marker with an associated scene change, the recording
12351 process will alter the scene change in the existing marker rather than
12352 adding a new one. The default threshold for this "proximity" test is one
12356 <h2>Manually Creating Scene Changes</h2>
12359 This feature is not currently implemented.
12362 <h2>Playing back Scene Changes</h2>
12365 Ardour has a dedicated MIDI port named "Scene Out". Connect this port
12366 to wherever you wish to send MIDI scene (bank/program change) messages.
12370 When the global record enable button is
12371 <em>not</em> enabled, the relevant message(s) will be sent via the
12372 "Scene Out" port as the playhead rolls past each marker with a scene
12373 change associated with it.
12376 <h2>Editing Scene Changes</h2>
12379 This feature is not currently implemented.
12382 <h2>Disabling Scene Changes</h2>
12385 This feature is not currently implemented.
12390 title: Score Editor
12396 title: MIDI Event List
12408 title: Time, Tempo and Meter
12414 title: Tempo and Meter
12419 Tempo and meter belong together. without both, there is no way to know where a beat lies in time.
12423 Tempo provides a musical pulse, which is divided into beats and bars by a meter. When tempo is changed or an audio-locked meter is moved, all objects on the timeline that are glued to bars and beats (locations, regions) will move in sympathy.
12427 When performing meter or tempo operations, it is advised to show the BBT ruler (available by right-clicking an existing marker or ruler name), and that the constraint modifier is set (in Preferences->User Interaction) so that no other modifiers share its key combination.
12431 The constraint modifier is the "Constrain drags using:" setting under the "When Beginning a Drag" heading. One viable setting is <kbd class="mod1"></kbd><kbd class="mod3"></kbd>.
12437 Tempo can be adjusted in several ways:
12441 <li>by double clicking on a tempo marker. This opens the tempo dialog which will allow entering the tempo directly into an entry box.</li>
12442 <li>by using the constraint modifier (which is set in Preferences->User Interaction) to drag the beat/bars in the BBT ruler or the tempo/meter lines.
12443 This is the preferred way to match the tempo to previously recorded material.</li>
12446 When dragging the BBT ruler, musical snap has no effect, however be warned that non-musical snap is in effect if enabled. Snapping to a minute while dragging a beat may result in some verly slow tempos. Snapping a beat to a video frame however is an incredibly useful way to ensure a soundtrack is punchy and synchronised to the sample.
12449 <li>by holding down the constaint modifier while dragging a tempo vertically. This is used for more complex tempo solving, as it allows changing the position and tempo of a tempo marker in the same drag; it is, however, a useful way to adjust the first tempo for a quick result.</li>
12453 A tempo may be locked to audio or musical time. This may be changed by right-clicking on a tempo. If a tempo is locked to music, an entry will be available to lock it to audio. Similarly an audio-locked tempo may be locked to music by right clicking it an selecting the "Lock to Music" entry.
12457 Audio locked tempo marks stay in their frame position as their neigbours positions are altered. Their pulse (musical) position will change as their neighbours move. Music locked tempo marks move their frame position as their neighbours are moved, but keep their pulse position (they will move as the music is moved).
12461 A tempo may be ramped or constant.
12463 <li>A constant tempo will keep the sesion tempo constant until the next tempo section, at which time it will jump instantly to the next tempo. These are mostly useful abrupt changes, and is the way in which traditional DAWs deal with tempo changes (abrupt jumps in tempo).</li>
12464 <li>A ramped tempo increases its tempo over time so that when the next tempo section has arrived, the sesion tempo is the same as the second one. This is useful for matching the session tempo to music which has been recorded without a metronome. Ramps may also be used as a compositional tool, but more on this later. Note that a ramp requires two points—a start and an end tempo. The first tempo in a new session is ramped, but appears to be constant as it has no tempo to ramp to. It is only when a new tempo is added and one of them is adjusted that a ramp will be heard. The same applies to the last tempo in the session—it will always appear to be constant until a new last tempo is added and changed.
12470 <img src="/images/constant-tempo.png" alt="A constant tempo displaying the tempo at the playhead in the audio clock">
12472 A series of constant tempo markers. The tempo at the playhead position is the same as the previous tempo.
12476 <img src="/images/ramped-tempo.png" alt="A ramped tempo displaying the tempo at the playhead in the audio clock">
12478 A ramped tempo marker. The tempo at the playhead position is approaching the second tempo. Because the playhead is equidistant (in beats) between the
12479 two markers, the tempo at the playhead is the average of the two.
12483 To add a new tempo, use the primary modifier and click on the tempo line at the desired position. The new tempo will be the same as the tempo at the position of the mouse click (it will not change the shape of the ramp).
12487 To copy a tempo, hold down the primary modifier and drag the tempo desired to be copied.
12493 Meter positions beats using the musical pulse of a tempo, and groups them into bars using its number of divisions per bar.
12497 The first meter in a new session may be moved freely. It has an associated tempo which cannot be dragged by itself (although all others can). It can be moved freely and is locked to audio.
12501 New meters are locked to music. They may only occur on a bar line if music locked.
12505 An audio locked meter provides a way to cope with musical passages which have no meter (rubato, pause), or to allow a film composer to insert a break in music which cannot be counted in beats.
12509 If a meter is audio-locked, its bar number is fixed from the point at which it left the main score. That bar number cannot be changed, nor can tempo motion allow the previous bar to overlap. If another bar is needed, lock the meter to music again (right click->"Lock to Music"), drag the meter to the desired bar and re-lock to audio. The new bar may be freely moved again.
12512 <li>To change a meter, double click it. A dialog will appear.</li>
12513 <li>To copy a meter, hold down <kbd class="mod1"></kbd> and drag it.</li>
12516 title: Techniques for Working with Tempo and Meter
12520 <h3>Techniques </h3>
12523 As a general approach, the best way to control tempo ramps is to use them in pairs.
12527 Lets imagine we want to match the click to a drum performance recorded in 'free time'.
12531 The first thing we need to do is determine where the first beat is. Drag the first meter to that position.
12535 Now the first click will be in time with the first beat. To get all the other beats to align, we listen to the drums and visually locate the position of bar 4. You may wish to place the playhead here.
12539 We then locate bar 4 in the BBT ruler and while holding the constraint modifier, drag it to bar 4 in the drum performance.
12543 We notice that the click now matches the first 4 bars, but after that it wanders off. You will see this reflected in the tempo lines.. they won't quite match the drum hits. We now locate the earliest position where the click doesn't match, and place a new tempo just before this. Two bars later, place another new tempo.
12547 Now while dragging any beat <strong>after</strong> the second new tempo, watch the drum audio and tempo lines until they align.
12551 Notice what is happening here: the tempo previous to your mouse pointer is being changed so that the beat you grabbed aligns with the pointer. Notice that the tempo lines previous to the changed one also move. This is because the previous tempo is ramping <strong>to</strong> the tempo you are changing. Look further to the left. The tempo lines in the first four bars do not move.
12555 Again, some time later the click will not align. I didn't say this was easy.
12559 Repeat the same technique: add two new tempos and drag the BBT ruler <strong>after</strong> the newest tempo so that the beats align with the audio again.
12563 In a general sense, adding tempo markers in pairs allows you to 'pin' your previous work while you move further to the right.
12566 <h3>Another use case: matching accelerando</h3>
12569 Imagine you have some video and have located where your music cue begins. Move the first meter to that frame (you may snap to TC frames, but not music with an audio locked meter).
12573 Find a starting tempo by listening to the click while you drag the meter's tempo vertically using the constraint modifier.
12577 You have the playhead at point where the dude slams the phone down, and your idea was that 4|1|0 would be good for this, but you want an accelerando to that point.
12581 Add a tempo at bar 4.
12585 Holding down the constraint modifier, and with snap set to 'TC Frames', grab the BBT ruler just <strong>after</strong> 4|1|0. Drag the ruler so that 4|1|0 snaps to the 'phone' frame.
12589 Notice what happened: The second tempo was changed.<br />
12590 You had set a musical position for the second tempo marker. It was not aligned with the frame you wanted, so you dragged the BBT ruler, making the second tempo provide enough pulses over the ramp for 4|1|0 to align with the desired frame.
12594 If the ramp doesn't feel right, you may add more points within it and keep adjusting beat positions in a similar manner.
12600 Audio locked meters can be useful when composing, as they allow a continuous piece of music to be worked on in isolated segments, preventing the listening fatigue of a fixed form. Reassembly is left as an excercise for the reader.
12605 title: Memory Locations
12611 title: Arranging Regions
12617 title: Region Loops and Groups
12629 title: Basic Mixing
12635 title: Metering in Ardour
12639 <h2>Introduction</h2>
12642 An engineer reading and using audio level meters compares to a musician
12643 reading or writing sheet-music. Just like there are virtuoso musicians
12644 who can't read a single note, there are great sound-engineers who just
12645 go by their ears and produce great mixes and masters without ever looking
12650 Yet, if you want to work in or with the broadcast industry, it is
12651 usually unavoidable to use meters.
12655 Audio level meters are very powerful tools that are useful in every
12656 part of the entire production chain:
12660 <li>When tracking, meters are used to ensure that the input
12661 signal does not <dfn>overload</dfn> and maintains reasonable
12662 <dfn>headroom</dfn>.</li>
12663 <li>Meters offer a <dfn>quick visual indication</dfn> of a
12664 activity when working with a large number of tracks.</li>
12665 <li>During mixing, meters provide an rough estimate of the
12666 <dfn>loudness</dfn> of each track.</li>
12667 <li>At the mastering stage, meters are used to check
12668 compliance with upstream <dfn>level</dfn> and <dfn>loudness
12669 standards</dfn> and to optimize the <dfn>loudness range</dfn>
12670 for a given medium.</li>
12673 <h2>Meter Types</h2>
12676 A general treatise on metering is beyond the scope of this
12677 manual. It is a complex subject with a history...
12678 For background information and further reading we recommend:
12682 <li><a href="http://www.digido.com/how-to-make-better-recordings-part-2.html">How To Make Better Recordings in the 21st Century—An Integrated Approach to Metering, Monitoring, and Leveling Practices</a> by Bob Katz. Has a good historic overview of meters and motivates the K-meter</li>
12683 <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_programme_meter#Table_of_characteristics">Wikipedia: Peak programme meter</a>—overview of meter types.</li>
12684 <li>"Audio Metering: Measurements, Standards and Practice: Measurements, Standards and Practics", by Eddy Brixen. ISBN: 0240814673</li>
12685 <li>"Art of Digital Audio", by John Watkinson. ISBN: 0240515870</li>
12689 There are different metering standards, most of which are available in Ardour. In short:
12693 <dt>Digital peak-meter</dt>
12694 <dd>A <dfn>Digital Peak Meter</dfn> displays the absolute maximum signal
12695 of the raw audio PCM signal (for a given time). It is commonly used when
12696 tracking to make sure the recorded audio never clips. To that end, DPMs
12697 are always calibrated to 0 <abbr title="DeciBel Full
12698 Scale">dBFS</abbr>, or the maximum level that can be represented digitally
12699 in a given system. This value has no musical reason whatsoever and depends
12700 only on the properties of the signal chain or target medium. There are
12701 conventions for <dfn>fall-off-time</dfn> and <dfn>peak-hold</dfn>, but no
12702 exact specifications.
12704 Various conventions for DPM fall-off times and dBFS line-up level can be
12705 chosen in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI</kbd>.
12709 <dt>RMS meters</dt>
12710 <dd>An <dfn><abbr title="Root Mean Square">RMS</abbr>-type meter</dfn>
12711 is an averaging meter that looks at the energy in the signal. It
12712 provides a general indication of loudness as perceived by humans. Ardour
12713 features three RMS meters, all of which offer additonal peak indication.
12715 <li><dfn>K20</dfn>: A meter according to the K-system introduced by Bob
12716 Katz, scale aligned to -20 dBFS, rise/fall times and color schema
12717 according to spec.</li>
12718 <li><dfn>K14</dfn>: Same as K20 with scale aligned to -14 dBFS.</li>
12719 <li><dfn>K12</dfn>: Same as K20 with scale aligned to -12 dBFS (since 3.5.143).</li>
12720 <li><dfn>Peak + RMS</dfn>: standard RMS, customizable via
12721 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Metering</kbd></li>
12726 <dd><dfn><abbr title="International Electrontechnical Commission">IEC</abbr>-type
12727 <abbr title="Peak Programme Meters">PPM</abbr>s</dfn> are a mix between DPMs and
12728 RMS meters, created mainly for the purpose of
12729 interoperability. Many national and institutional varieties exist (<abbr
12730 title="European Broadcasting Union">EBU</abbr>, <abbr title="British Broadcasting
12731 Corporation">BBC</abbr>, <abbr title="Deutsche Industrie-Norm">DIN</abbr>).
12733 These loudness and metering standards provide a common point of
12734 reference which is used by broadcasters in particular so that the
12735 interchange of material is uniform across their sphere of influence,
12736 regardless of the equipment used to play it back.
12739 For home recording, there is no real need for this level of
12740 interoperability, and these meters are only strictly required when
12741 working in or with the broadcast industry. However, IEC-type meters have
12742 certain characteristics (rise-time, ballistics) that make them useful
12743 outside the context of broadcast.
12746 Their specification is very exact, and consquently, there are no
12747 customizable parameters.
12752 <dd><dfn><abbr title="Volume Unit">VU</abbr> meters</dfn> are the dinosaurs (1939)
12753 amongst the meters. They react very slowly, averaging out peaks.
12754 Their specification is very strict (300ms rise-time, 1–1.5% overshoot,
12755 flat frequency response). Ardour's VU meter adheres to that spec, but for
12756 visual consistency it is displayed as a bar-graph rather than needle-style
12761 <h2>Ardour Specifics</h2>
12763 <img class="right" src="/images/mixer-meter-context-menu.png" alt="mixer strip meter context menu" />
12766 Meters are available in various places in ardour:
12770 <li>The mixer window features fixed height meters for each <dfn>channel strip</dfn>.</li>
12771 <li>There are small (narrow) meters on each <dfn>track-header</dfn> in the editor window.</li>
12772 <li>There are variable height meters in the <dfn>meterbridge window</dfn>.</li>
12773 <li>Optionally, a fixed-size <dfn>master meter</dfn> can be displayed in the main toolbar.</li>
12774 <li>Various other locations (<dfn>file import</dfn>, <dfn>sends</dfn>) have level-meters.</li>
12778 They all share the same configuration and color-theme which is available in
12779 preferences and the theme-manager. Settings for the Peak and RMS+Peak meters
12780 as well as VU meter standards are found in
12781 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Metering</kbd>.
12785 The type of meter and the <dfn>metering point</dfn> (the place in the signal chain
12786 where the meter taps the signal) are configurable in the context menu of each meter.
12787 Depending on the <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Mixer
12788 Strip</kbd> settings, the metering point is also accessible via a button in
12792 <img class="right" src="/images/meter-preferences.png" alt="" />
12795 Regardless of meter type and standard the meter display will highlight red if
12796 the signal on the given channel exceeds the configured peak threshold.
12800 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> on the peak-indicator button resets the
12801 <dfn>peak-hold indicator</dfn> of a single channel.<br />
12802 <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd> resets a whole <dfn>group</dfn>, and<br/>
12803 <kbd class="mod13 mouse">Left</kbd> resets all meters.
12806 <h2>Overview of meter types</h2>
12809 The figure on the left below shows all available meter-types in Ardour 3.4 when fed with a -18 dBFS 1 kHz sine wave.
12812 <img class="right" style="max-width:45%;height:400px;" src="/images/needle-meters-18.png"
12813 alt="Needle-style meters as external LV2 plugins" />
12814 <img style="max-width:45%; height:400px" src="/images/meter-types-18.png"
12815 alt="Bar-graph meters in Ardour" />
12819 Due to layout concerns and consistent look &Â feel, all meters available in
12820 Ardour itself are bar-graph type meters. Corresponding needle-style meters—which take up more visual screen space—are available as
12821 <a href="https://github.com/x42/meters.lv2/">LV2 plugins</a> (see image on the upper right).
12825 title: Signal Routing
12830 Ardour does most of its internal <dfn>signal routing</dfn> via JACK:
12831 all track and bus inputs and outputs are JACK ports, as are sends and
12832 inserts—which means they can be tapped into by other JACK clients.
12833 Only the signal flow inside a track or bus (i.e. from <a
12834 href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">processor to processor</a>) is
12835 handled internally.
12839 By default, Ardour will create the following connections:
12844 <dfn>Track inputs</dfn> are optionally auto-connected to hardware inputs, in round robin order, depending on the setting you chose in the
12845 <a href="/working-with-sessions/new-session-dialog"><kbd
12846 class="menu">Session > New Session</kbd> dialog</a>.
12849 <dfn>Bus inputs</dfn> are left disconnected.
12852 The number of <dfn>track and bus outputs</dfn> are equal to the number
12853 of inputs of the master bus.
12856 Track and bus outputs are always auto-connected to the master bus inputs.
12859 Master bus outputs are connected to hardware outputs.
12864 This configuration is normally sufficient to do basic tracking and playback of sessions without any adjustments. When changing these connections, be certain that there is good reason for doing so—it is generally not necessary and can often lead to problems.
12868 However, for many workflows during mixing, more complicated signal routing is required. Fortunately, Ardour is very flexible in the ways it offers to connect things to each other.
12872 title: Busses and VCAs
12877 In order to use the process of mixing, Ardour offers two tools traditionally found on hardware mixing consoles: <dfn>Busses</dfn> and <dfn><abbr title="Voltage-Controlled Amplifier">VCA</abbr></dfn>s.
12883 An Ardour bus can be considered a virtual track, as in a track that doesn't have a playlist (so, no regions).
12887 Its use is to "group" some audio signals to be treated the same way. One simple use case is to group all the audio tracks containing the different drums of a drumkit. Routing all the drums tracks outputs to a bus allows, once the different levels amongst the drums have been set, to adjust the global level of the drumkit in the mix.
12891 Bus usage goes way beyond this simple example though: busses, as tracks, can receive plugins for common audio treatment, and be routed themselves as needed. This makes for a very useful tool that is very commonly used both for musical purposes and computing ones: instead of using e.g. 10 discrete delay plugins on 10 different tracks, busses are often used as receivers of <a href="/signal-routing/aux-sends/">sends</a>, and only 1 delay plugin is used on this bus, reducing the processing power needed.
12894 <p class="note">Note that the Master strip, which by default receives the output from all tracks, <em>is</em> a bus itself.</p>
12896 <h3>Audio Busses vs MIDI Busses</h3>
12899 Ardour supports 2 types of busses: Audio and MIDI. A MIDI bus differs from an audio bus just by its input (which is 1 midi input instead of <em>n</em> audio), the fact that you can put an instrument on it at creation time, whereas you can't easily add an instrument to an audio bus.
12903 MIDI bus are provide a particularly efficient workflow for virtual drumkits where the arrangement uses different MIDI tracks. Moreover, busses with both Audio and MIDI inputs are well suited for vocoders and similar plugins.
12907 Depending on the user's workflow and the way busses are used, 2 possibilities exists:
12910 <h3>Connecting a track to a bus via outputs</h3>
12912 <img class="right" src="/images/connecting_bus_output.png" alt="Connecting a bus through a track's outputs">
12915 Connecting the output(s) of a track to the input(s) of the bus sends <em>all</em> the audio/MIDI to the bus. In the mixer strip, select (at the bottom) the OUTPUT button (often, by default, "Master"), and in the list, choose the input of a bus. Note that only the bus able to receive this output will show up, e.g. a mono bus wont be able to be connected to the output of a stereo track).
12919 Obviously, doing so will (by default) disconnect the output from the Master's input, which means all the audio/MIDI will be routed to the bus. For more complex routing, the OUTPUT button allows to show the <kbd class="menu">Routing Grid</kbd> that allows to plug the output of the track to multiple outputs at once, be it busses, tracks, Master... The button will then reflect these multiple connections by showing a <em>*number*</em>, number being the number of connections made in the routing grid.
12922 <h3>Connecting a track to a bus via Sends</h3>
12924 <img class="left" src="/images/connecting_bus_send.png" alt="Connecting a bus through a send">
12927 This allows not to interrupt the natural flow of the signal, i.e. the track will still output to what its connected to (e.g. Master). The signal is "tapped" at the point of insertion of the send, to be sent to the bus. Right click where in the signal flow you want the send to happen, and select <kdb class="menu">New Aux Send... > name_of_the_bus</kbd>.
12931 By <kbd class="mouse">left-clicking</kbd> the send meter, it is possible to adjust the amount of signal sent to the bus. This is often the way tracks are connected to an effect bus, like a Delay bus.
12935 Busses can be plugged to other busses, through outputs or sends. Both example workflows discussed previously, i.e. busses for grouping tracks and busses for effects, can both coexist, as e.g. a "grouping" drum bus can have a send to a reverb bus, and be connected to a compressor bus.
12940 <img class="left" src="/images/vcas.png" alt="VCAs strips">
12943 Although track/bus <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">groups</a> offer a certain kind of grouped-control over gain, solo, mute and more, traditional mixing consoles have long had group master channels ("VCAs") which allows to combine both a single fader to control the group level while also allowing you to easily adjust the relative levels inside the group. For large projects, this can make mixing much easier to control.
12947 It allows to use either or both of the conventions for combining multiple masters:
12951 <li>Nest VCAs (VCA 2 controls VCA 1 etc.)</li>
12952 <li>Chain VCAs (VCA 1 and VCA2 both control track or bus N)</li>
12955 <h3>Using a VCA strip</h3>
12958 A VCA strip is made of (from top to bottom in the screenshot):
12962 <li><dfn>1</dfn>: number of the VCA</li>
12963 <li><dfn>X</dfn>: allows to hide the VCA strip. Left clicking this button toggles the exclusive visibility of the tracks connected to this VCA</li>
12964 <li><dfn>M</dfn>: mutes the VCA</li>
12965 <li><dfn>S</dfn>: solos the VCA</li>
12966 <li><dfn>A level meter</dfn>: allows to adjust the level of the VCA</li>
12967 <li><dfn>~vca~</dfn>: a VCA button to optionally connect to another VCA</li>
12971 Right-clicking the name button shows a context menus comprised of:
12975 <li><kbd class="menu">Rename</kbd>: Renames the VCA</li>
12976 <li><kbd class="menu">Color...</kbd>: Changes the color of the VCA button in the tracks connected to this one</li>
12977 <li><kbd class="menu">Drop All Slaves</kbd>: Deletes all connections to this VCA, i.e. no tracks are controlled by this VCA anymore</li>
12978 <li><kbd class="menu">Remove</kbd>: Deletes this VCA</li>
12981 <h3>Connecting to a VCA strip</h3>
12983 <img class="left" src="/images/connecting_to_vca.png" alt="Connecting to VCA">
12986 Connecting a track/bus/VCA to a VCA is as simple as clicking the VCA button on any mixer strip and choosing the VCA to connect to.
12990 The VCA button only shows up in mixer strips when at least 1 VCA exists, i.e., you have to first create a VCA before connecting it.
12999 <dfn>Auxilliary sends</dfn> are <a
13000 href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">processors</a> in a bus or
13001 track channel strip. They tap the signal at a specific point in the signal
13002 flow (pre-fader, post-fader, before or after EQs and other plugins, etc.)
13003 and send a copy of that signal somewhere else, without affecting the
13004 normal signal flow downwards to the channel fader.
13008 Usually, aux sends from several tracks are collectively sent to a
13009 dedicated <dfn>Aux bus</dfn> in Ardour, to create a monitor mix for a
13010 musician, or to feed an effect unit. The output of such a bus might
13011 be routed to separate hardware outputs (in the case of headphone or monitor
13012 wedge mixes), or returned to the main mix (in the case of an effect).
13016 Since sends are JACK ports, it is also possible to send the tapped signal
13017 somewhere else directly, which is not usually possible on hardware mixers
13018 (see <a href="/signal-routing/external-sends/">External Sends</a>).
13022 It may be useful to
13023 <a href="/signal-routing/comparing-aux-sends-and-subgroups">compare and contrast</a>
13024 the use of aux sends with <a href="/signal-routing/subgrouping">subgrouping</a>.
13027 <h2>Adding a new aux bus</h2>
13030 Choose <kbd class="menu">Session > Add New Track or Bus</kbd>. In the
13031 <kbd class="menu">New Track & Bus</kbd> dialog, select "Busses" in the Track/Bus
13032 selector at the upper right.
13035 <h2>Adding a send to an aux bus</h2>
13038 Context-click on the processor box for the track you want to send to the bus, and
13039 choose <kbd class="menu">New Aux Send</kbd>. From the submenu, choose the bus you
13040 want to send to. A send will be added (and will be visible in the processor box).
13041 Note that the submenu may be empty if you have not created a bus yet.
13044 <h3>Pre-fader and Post-fader Aux Sends</h3>
13047 Depending on whether you context-click above or below the fader in the processor box,
13048 the new aux send can be placed before or after the fader in the channel strip.
13049 <dfn>Post-fader</dfn> aux sends are typically used when using an aux for shared signal
13050 processing (FX), so that the amount of effect is always proportional to
13051 the main mix fader. <dfn>Pre-fader</dfn> sends ensure that the level sent to the bus
13052 is controlled <em>only</em> by the send, not the main fader—this is typical
13053 when constructing headphone and monitor wedge mixes.
13056 <h2>Adding a new aux bus and sending a Track Group to it</h2>
13059 You can add aux sends to all members of a group and connect them to a new aux bus
13060 with a single click. After creating the track group (and adding tracks to it),
13061 context-click on the group tab and choose either
13062 <kbd class="menu">Add New Aux Bus (pre-fader)</kbd> or
13063 <kbd class="menu">Add New Aux Bus (post-fader)</kbd>. A new aux bus will be created,
13064 and a new aux send added to every member of the track group that connects to
13068 <p class="fixme">Add images, fix factual inaccuracies</p>
13069 <h2>Altering Send Levels</h2>
13072 You can alter the amount of the signal received by a send that it delivers to the bus
13073 it connects to. There are three approaches to this:
13076 <h3>Use the Send Fader</h3>
13079 Every send processor has a small horizontal fader that can be adjusted in the usual way. It is
13080 not very big and so this can be a little unsatisfactory if you want very fine control
13081 over the send level.
13084 <h3>Mapping the Main Fader</h3>
13087 Double-clicking on the send in the processor box will allow you to use the
13088 big fader of the mixer strip to control the send. The visual appearance of
13089 the mixer strip will change to reflect this. Double-click the send again to
13090 revert back to normal function for the strip.
13093 <h3>Map Aux Sends To Main Faders</h3>
13096 Pressing the button marked <kbd class="menu">Aux Sends</kbd> on a aux bus will
13097 alter the channel strip for every track or bus that feeds the aux bus. Many
13098 aspects of the strip will become insensitive and/or change their visual
13099 appearance. More importantly, the main fader of the affected channel strips
13100 will now control the send level and <strong>not</strong> the track gain.
13101 This gives a larger, more configurable control to alter the level. Click the
13102 <kbd class="menu">Aux Sends</kbd> button of the aux bus again to revert the
13103 channel strips to their normal use.
13106 <h2>Disabling Sends</h2>
13109 Clicking on the small "LED" in the send display in the processor box of the
13110 channel strip will enable/disable the send. When disabled, only silence will
13111 be delivered to the aux bus by this track. When enabled, the signal arriving
13112 at the send will be delivered to the aux bus.
13115 <h2>Send Panning</h2>
13118 Send panners can be configured to either be independent of the main
13119 panner, or to follow it. The latter could be useful for Reverb effects, or
13120 for in-ear monitor mixes delivered in stereo.
13124 title: Comparing Aux Sends and Subgroups
13125 menu_title: Auxes vs. Groups
13130 Auxes and Subgroups share a common concept—they both provide a way
13131 for one or more tracks (or busses) to send their signal to a single bus so
13132 that common signal processing can be applied to the mix of their signals.
13136 <dfn>Aux sends</dfn> leave the existing signal routing to the main mix in place,
13137 and are typically used to create a separate mix to send to (for example)
13138 monitors or headphones (for performer monitor mixes):
13141 <img width="300px" src="/images/a3_aux_routing.png" alt="aux signal routing" />
13144 <dfn>Subgroups</dfn> usually remove the original signal routing to the main mix and replace it with a new one that delivers the output of the subgroup bus to the main mix instead.
13147 <img width="300px" src="/images/a3_subgroup_routes.png" alt="sub group signal routing" />
13150 title: External Sends
13155 Like a normal aux send, an <dfn>external send</dfn> taps the signal at a
13156 specific within a channel strip, but delivers it to an external application
13157 or piece of hardware rather than an Ardour bus. By itself, an external
13158 send has no effect whatsoever on the audio signals within Ardour—it is a one-way signal routing that leaves all existing signal processing
13163 Most people will not have much use for this, but it can be useful if you
13164 want to experiment with external applications or hardware signal processing
13168 <h2>Adding an External Send</h2>
13171 Context-click on the
13172 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box">processor box</a> in a
13173 channel strip (at the desired location, pre or post fader) and choose
13174 <kbd class="menu">Add new External Send</kbd>. A dialog will appear
13175 containing the standard Ardour
13176 <a href="/signal-routing/the-patchbay"><dfn>patchbay</dfn></a> to allow
13177 you to connect the send to the desired destination.
13180 <p class="fixme">Broken links</p>
13182 <h2>Removing an External Send</h2>
13184 <p>You can remove an external send in several ways:</p>
13187 <li><kbd class="mouse mod3">Right</kbd>-click the send in the processor box.</li>
13188 <li>Position the pointer over the send and press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key.</li>
13189 <li>Position the pointer over the send and press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.</li>
13190 <li>Context-click the send and choose either <kbd class="menu">Cut</kbd> or
13191 <kbd class="menu">Delete</kbd>.</li>
13194 <h2>Altering Send Levels</h2>
13197 Just below the send in the processor box is a small fader that can be used
13198 like all other faders in Ardour to control the gain applied to the signal
13199 delivered by the send. Drag it to alter the level, Shift-click to restore
13200 to unity (0dB) gain.
13203 <h2>Disabling Sends</h2>
13206 Click the small "LED" in the send display within the processor box to turn
13207 it on and off. When turned off, silence will be delivered to the send. When
13208 turned on, the signal within the channel strip will be delivered.
13211 <h2>Editing Send Routing</h2>
13214 Double-clicking or Edit-clicking on the send in the processor box will
13215 redisplay the patchbay dialog that allows you full control over the routing
13225 <dfn>Inserts</dfn> are signal tap points that can be placed anywhere
13226 inside a channel strip. Unlike Auxes, they will interrupt the signal flow,
13227 feeding the signal from before the insert point to its <dfn>Insert
13228 send(s)</dfn>, and connecting the remainder of the channel strip to the
13229 <dfn>Insert return(s)</dfn>, both of which are JACK ports which are
13230 visible to other JACK applications.
13234 Inserts are the JACK equivalents of normalized switching jacks on an
13239 An insert allows you to either use a special external DSP JACK
13240 application that is not available as a plugin, or to splice an external
13241 analog piece of gear into your channel strip, such as a vintage
13242 compressor, tube equalizer, etc. In the latter case, you would first
13243 connect your inserts to a pair of hardware ports, which are in turn
13244 connected to the outboard gear.
13248 To disable (bypass) an insert, click on its LED in the processor box.
13252 When you create an insert, the signal will be interrupted until you make
13253 the relevant connections to the insert ports!
13257 Inserts will incur an additional JACK period of latency, which can be
13258 measured and compensated for during mixing, but not during tracking!
13267 <dfn>Subgrouping</dfn> (sometimes known as "Grouping" or "Audio Grouping")
13268 is a way to collect related signals together to apply some common
13269 treatment, before sending them on to the main mix. One standard
13270 application is to group several tracks belonging to the same instrument or
13271 section (such as a drumkit or horn section), to be able to adjust their
13272 volume with a single fader, after their inner balance has been set using
13277 To create a subgroup from an existing Track/Bus group, context-click on
13278 the relevant <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups">group tab</a>,
13279 and choose <kbd class="menu">Add new subgroup bus</kbd>. A new bus will be
13280 created and every member of the track group will have its outputs disconnected
13281 from other destinations and then connected to the new bus inputs. The bus
13282 outputs will feed the master bus unless you have selected manual connections
13283 for the session. The bus will be named after the track group name.
13287 Alternatively, you can create a group manually, by first adding a new bus,
13288 then, for each track you want to feed the subgroup bus, disconnect its outputs
13289 from the master and connect it to the inputs of the subgroup bus instead.
13290 You can do this in the global audio patchbay or a track by track basis via the
13291 output button of each track's channel strip.
13295 To remove a subgroup (bus), context-click on the track group tab, and select
13296 <kbd class="menu">Remove subgroup bus</kbd>. You can also simply delete the
13297 bus itself. Note that this operation will <strong>not</strong> restore signal
13298 routing to the way it was before the addition of the subgroup bus—tracks
13299 that had been subgrouped will be left with their main outputs disconncted.
13308 The <dfn>patchbay</dfn> is the main way to make connections to, from and
13309 within Ardour's mixer.
13313 Notable exceptions are internal aux sends and connections to the monitor bus (if
13314 you are using one): these cannot be controlled from a patchbay, and are
13315 basically not under manual control at all.
13318 <img class="right" src="/images/connection-manager.png" alt="an example patchbay" />
13321 The patchbay presents two groups of ports; one set of <dfn>sources</dfn> (which produce data), and one of <dfn>destinations</dfn> (which consume data). Depending on the relative number of each, the sources will be placed on the left or the top of the dialogue, and the destinations on the right or the bottom. Thus, in general, signal flow is from top or left to right or bottom.
13325 Both sources and destinations are divided up into groups, with each group being given a tab:
13328 <dl class="narrower-table">
13331 These are ports which are connected to a physical piece of hardware (a sound card or MIDI interface).</dd>
13332 <dt>Ardour Busses</dt>
13333 <dd>All ports belonging to busses.</dd>
13334 <dt>Ardour Tracks</dt>
13335 <dd>All ports belonging to tracks.</dd>
13336 <dt>Ardour Misc</dt>
13338 These are other ports that do not fit into the previous two categories; for example, the ports on which the metronome click is output, and MIDI ports for things like control surfaces and timecode.
13342 If you have other JACK clients running, their ports will be found here. If there are no such ports, the tab will not exist (on one or both axes of the grid).</dd>
13346 The main part of the patchbay is a <dfn>matrix grid</dfn>. Within this grid, green dots represent connections, and you can click in any of the squares to make or break connections. You can also click and drag to draw a line of connections, which is sometimes useful for making many connections at once.
13350 In the example patchbay shown above we can note various things. We are using the <kbd class="menu">Ardour Tracks</kbd> sources tab, so we see the output ports of the three tracks in our session: Fred, Jim and Foo. Our destinations are from the <kbd class="menu">Ardour Busses</kbd> tab, so we have the inputs of a session bus, Sheila, and the inputs of the master bus. Fred and Jim have stereo outputs, so have L and R connections. Foo is a MIDI track, so it only has one connection, and its squares in the grid are coloured light grey to indicate that no connection can be made between Foo (a MIDI output) and our busses (which are all audio-input).
13354 The green dots in the example show that both Foo and Bar are connected to the master bus, left to left and right to right.
13357 <h2>Variants on the Patchbay</h2>
13360 Slightly different versions of the patchbay are available from different places in Ardour. For a global view of all JACK audio connections, use <kbd class="menu">Window > Audio Patchbay</kbd>, or press <kbd class="mod2">P</kbd>. A corresponding MIDI Connection Manager can be opened using <kbd class="mod23">P</kbd>.
13364 There is also a patchbay available when connecting individual tracks; clicking on the input or output buttons of a mixer strip will open a connection manager which has the corresponding track input or output as the only destination or source, with all other ports available for connection to it.
13367 <h2>Other patchbay features</h2>
13370 Context-clicking on a port name in the connection manager opens a menu which provides a few handy options:
13373 <dl class="wide-table">
13374 <dt><kbd class="menu">Add audio port</kbd> and <kbd class="menu">Add MIDI port</kbd></dt>
13376 These options add audio or MIDI ports to the thing that you opened the menu over, if this is possible. In this way, for example, tracks and busses can be extended to have more inputs or outputs.
13378 <dt><kbd class="menu">Remove</dt>
13380 Removes the given port, if possible. <kbd class="mouse mod3">Right</kbd>-clicking a port will do the same.
13382 <dt><kbd class="menu">Disconnect all from…</kbd></dt>
13383 <dd>Disconnects everything from the given port.</dd>
13384 <dt><kbd class="menu">Rescan</kbd></dt>
13386 Ardour will try to keep abreast of any changes to the JACK ports on your system, and reflect them in any connection managers which are open. If for some reason this fails, use this to re-scan the list of ports and update the manager.
13388 <dt><kbd class="menu">Show individual ports</kbd></dt>
13390 If you have a session which has lots of multi-channel tracks or busses, it may be an unnecessary detail that you have to connect left to left and right to right every time you make a connection. This obviously gets worse with higher channel counts (such as for 5.1 or Ambisonics). To make life easier with such sessions, you can untick Show individual ports. After that, the channels of tracks and busses will be hidden, and any green dots you add in the connection manager will automatically connect each channel of the source to the corresponding channel of the destination (left to left, right to right and so on). In this mode, a half-circle in the connection grid indicates that some (but not all) of the source's ports are connected to the destination.
13392 <dt><kbd class="menu">Flip</kbd></dt>
13394 This will flip the visible ports on the vertical axis with those on the horizontal. If, for example, the top of the connection manager is showing <kbd class="menu">Ardour Busses</kbd> and the right is showing <kbd class="menu">Hardware</kbd>, flip will swap the view to the opposite. You can also flip by pressing <kbd>f</kbd>. Note that if there are no matching tabs on both axes, flipping will be impossible.
13399 title: Track/Bus Signal Flow
13406 In each individual Track or Bus the signal flow is top to bottom. Consider the following diagram:
13409 <p class="center"><img width="360px" src="/images/track_signal_routing.png" alt="track signal routing" /></p>
13412 Trim, Fader and Panner are provided by Ardour. The Processor-Box can hold 3rd Party Plugins or host-provided redirects (insert, aux-send,..).
13415 <p class="fixme">Where is the processor box in that image?</p>
13418 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 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 passage through plugins in the processor box, followed by panning.
13419 The number of inputs to the panner is defined by the number 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 remove dynamically. This schema called <em>Flexible I/O</em>. It's very powerful and a distinct feature of Ardour.
13423 The golden rule of processor signal flow:<br/>The number of outputs of one link of the process chain defines the number inputs of the next, until the panner.
13427 Due to this rule there is one very common case that is hard to achieve: Keep a mono track mono. With <em>Flexible I/O</em>, if a stereo plugin is added on a mono track, the signal flow after that plugin becomes stereo.
13430 <h2>Strict I/O</h2>
13433 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.
13437 <li>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.
13438 If a plugin-pin is missing, it is ignored. If Plugin-pin is unconnected, it is fed with silence. Unconnected plugin outputs are ignored).</li>
13439 <li>Strict I/O enforces the number of output ports. The number of inputs to the panner (outputs of last plugin) defines the number of track outputs (after panner).
13440 Required ports are automatically added, excess ports are removed. The user cannot manually add/remove output ports.</li>
13444 Strict I/O is set when creating the track and can later be en/disabled dynamically in the context menu of every mixer strip.
13447 <p class="center"><img src="/images/strict_io_routing.png" alt="strict i/o routing" /></p>
13450 There are two exceptions to the above rule 1.
13454 <li>Midi Synths. When adding a synth at a point where there is a Midi port only, the synthesizer plugin will add audio-output ports,
13455 which trickle down the processor chain to all follow up plugins as inputs and in turn force their outputs to match.</li>
13456 <li>Side chain inputs are not affected by strict I/O</li>
13459 <h2>Customizing the Signal Flow</h2>
13462 The signal flow though the mixer can be customized at every processor node via "Pin Configuration" in the context menu of every processor.
13463 User customization override all automatic (flexible/strict I/O mode) inferred output port settings for the given processor.
13464 Non-customized plugins downstream will follow suit depending on the selected route mode, e.g. adding an additional output to a plugin on a track set to strict I/O will trickle down the process chain until the output and result in the addition of an output port. This is useful for example in case of a mono to stereo reverb.
13468 One can also bypass plugin instances with a 'thru' connection. This connection is latency compensated. One example is separate Left/Right channel Equalization using two mono plugins on a stereo track:
13471 <p class="center"><img src="/images/left_right_eq.png" alt="separate left/right Eq" /></p>
13474 title: Muting and Soloing
13479 Each track and bus has two buttons which have important implications
13480 for signal flow: <dfn>mute</dfn> and <dfn>solo</dfn>. The behaviour
13481 of these buttons is configurable in Ardour, to suit different studio
13485 <h2>Without a monitor bus</h2>
13488 If you are using Ardour without a monitor bus, there is only one way
13489 in which mute and solo will work:
13494 Mute on a track or bus will mute that track on the master bus,
13495 so that it will not be heard.
13498 Solo on a track or bus will solo that track or bus and mute all
13499 others. Soloing a bus will also solo any tracks or
13500 busses which feed that bus.
13504 <h2>With a monitor bus</h2>
13507 For setups with a monitor bus, you have more options, mostly
13508 governed by the setting of the
13509 <kbd class="option">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd> option
13510 in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Solo / mute.
13514 With <kbd class="optoff">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd>
13515 unticked, behaviour is almost exactly the same as the situation
13516 without a monitor bus. Mute and solo behave the same, and the monitor
13517 bus is fed from the master bus, so it sees the same thing.
13521 With <kbc class="option">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd>
13522 ticked, the master and monitor busses behave differently. In this
13523 mode, solo controls are more properly called <dfn>listen</dfn>
13524 controls, and Ardour's solo buttons will change their legend from
13525 <samp>S</samp> to either <samp>A</samp> or <samp>P</samp> to
13530 Now, without any mute or listen, the monitor bus remains fed by
13531 the master bus. Also:
13536 Mute will mute the track or bus, so that it will not be heard
13537 anywhere (neither on the master nor monitor busses), much as before.
13540 Listen will disconnect the monitor bus from the master bus, so
13541 that the monitor bus now only receives things that are "listened to".
13542 Listen will not perform any muting, and hence the master bus will
13543 not be affected by a listened track or bus.
13548 When solo controls are listen controls, the listening point can be set
13549 to either After-Fade Listen (AFL) or Pre-Fade Listen (PFL). The precise
13550 point to get the signal from can further be configured using the
13551 <kbd class="menu">PFL signals come from</kbd> and
13552 <kbd class="menu">AFL signals come from</kbd> options.
13556 The solo-mute arrangement with a monitor bus is shown below:
13559 <img src="/images/solo-mute.png" alt="mute/solo signal flow" />
13562 Here we have a number of tracks or busses (in orange). Each one has an
13563 output which feeds the master bus. In addition, each has PFL and AFL
13564 outputs; we have a choice of which to use. PFL/AFL from each track or
13565 bus are mixed. Then, whenever anything is set to AFL/PFL, the monitor out
13566 becomes just those AFL/PFL feeds; the rest of the time, the monitor out is
13567 fed from the master bus.
13571 In this scheme Solo has no effect other than to mute other non-soloed tracks;
13572 with solo (rather then listen), the monitor out is fed from the master bus.
13575 <h2>Other solo options</h2>
13578 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Solo / Mute</kbd> has some
13582 <h3>Solo-in-place mute cut</h3>
13585 When using solo-in-place (SiP), in other words when soloed tracks are being
13586 listened to on the master bus, this fader specifies the gain that will be
13587 applied to other tracks in order to mute them. Setting this level to
13588 -∞&nbdp;dB will mean that other tracks will not be heard at all; setting to
13589 some higher value less than 0dB means that other non-soloed tracks will be h
13590 eard, just reduced in volume compared to the soloed tracks. Using a value
13591 larger than -∞dB is sometimes called "Solo-In-Front" by other DAWs, because
13592 the listener has the sense that soloed material is "in front" of other
13593 material. In Ardour, this is not a distinct mode, but instead the mute cut
13594 control offers any level of "in-front-ness" that you might want to use.
13597 <h3>Exclusive solo</h3>
13600 If this is enabled, only one track or bus will ever be soloed at once; soloing
13601 track B while track A is currently soloed will un-solo track A before soloing
13605 <h3>Show solo muting</h3>
13608 If this is enabled, the mute button of tracks and busses will be drawn
13609 outlined to indicate that the track or bus is muted because something else
13610 is soloed. This is enabled by default, and we recommend that you leave it
13611 that way unless you are extremely comfortable with Ardour's mute/solo
13615 <h3>Soloing overrides muting</h3>
13618 If this is enabled, a track or bus that is both soloed and muted will behave
13619 as if it is soloed.
13622 <h3>Mute affects…</h3>
13625 These options dictate whether muting the track will affect various routes out
13626 of the track; through the sends, through the control outputs (to the monitor
13627 bus) and to the main outputs.
13636 <dfn>Panning</<dfn> is the process of distributing one or more signals
13637 across a series of outputs so that the listener will have the
13638 experience of them coming from a particular point or area of the
13639 overall listening field.
13643 It is used to create a sense of space and/or a sense of motion in an
13644 audio mix. You can spread out different signals across the space, and
13645 make them move over time.
13648 <h2>Types of Panners</h2>
13651 The way a panner works depends a great deal on how many signals it
13652 is going to process and how many outputs it will send them to. The
13653 simplest case is distributing a single signal to 2 outputs, which is
13654 the common case when using a "mono" track and a stereo speaker
13659 But panning in Ardour could theoretically involve distributing any
13660 number of signals to any number of ouputs. In reality, Ardour does
13661 not have specific panners for each different situation. Currently,
13662 it has dedicated panners for the following situations:
13666 <li>1 signal distributed to 2 outputs (the mono panner)</li>
13667 <li>2 signals distributed to 2 outputs (the stereo panner)</li>
13668 <li>N signals distributed to M outputs (the VBAP panner)</li>
13672 Even for each of these cases, there are many different ways to
13673 implement panning. Ardour currently offers just one solution to each
13674 of these situations, but in the future will offer more.
13678 In addition to the panners, Ardour has a balance control for subtle
13679 corrections to existing stereo images.
13688 The default <dfn>mono panner</dfn> distributes 1 input to 2 outputs. Its
13689 behaviour is controlled by a single parameter, the <dfn>position</dfn>. By
13690 default, the panner is centered.
13693 <h2>Mono Panner User Interface</h2>
13695 <img src="/images/mono-panner-annotated.png" alt="image of the mono panner"/>
13698 The mono panner looks a quite similar to the
13699 <a href="/mixing/panning/stereo_panner">stereo panner</a>
13700 interface. The difference is that the L/R labels in the lower half
13701 of the mono panner do not move because there is no "width" to
13705 <h2>Using the mouse</h2>
13707 <p>To change the position smoothly, press the right button and drag
13708 anywhere within the panner. <em>Note: you do not need
13709 to grab the position indicator in order to drag</em>
13714 <dt>Reset to defaults</dt>
13715 <dd>Click <kbd class="mod3 mouse">right</kbd></dd>
13717 <dt>Change to a "hard left"</dt>
13718 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the left side
13721 <dt>Change to a "hard right"</dt>
13722 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the right side
13725 <dt>Set the position to center</dt>
13726 <dd>Double Click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the middle of the panner</dd>
13729 <h2>Keyboard bindings</h2>
13732 When the pointer is within a mono panner user interface, the following keybindings are available to operate on that panner:
13736 <dt><kbd>←</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">←</kbd></dt>
13737 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
13738 <dt><kbd>→</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">→</kbd></dt>
13739 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the right</dd>
13740 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
13741 <dd>reset position to center</dd>
13744 <h2>Using the scroll wheel/touch scroll</h2>
13747 When the pointer is within a mono panner user interface, the scroll wheel may be used as follows:
13751 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> or <kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
13752 <dd>move position to the left by 1°</dd>
13753 <dt><kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇑</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
13754 <dd>move position to the left by 5°</dd>
13755 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> or <kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
13756 <dd>move position to the right by 1°</dd>
13757 <dt><kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇓</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
13758 <dd>move position to the right by 5°</dd>
13762 title: Balance Control
13767 For stereo tracks, you can now switch between the default stereo panner and a traditional <dfn>balance control</dfn> by right-clicking on the panner widget.
13770 <img class="left" src="/images/stereo-balance.png" alt="Stereo Balance
13774 When the balance is centered, the incoming signals will be unaffected. Moving it to one side will linearly attenuate the signal of the opposite side.
13778 While the balance control is considerably less flexible than the stereo panner, it works with arbitrary content without danger of introducing comb filter artifacts.
13782 title: Stereo Panner
13787 The default <dfn>stereo panner</dfn> distributes two inputs to two outputs. Its
13788 behaviour is controlled by two parameters, <dfn>width</dfn> and
13789 <dfn>position</dfn>. By default, the panner is centered at full width.
13793 The stereo panner assumes that the signals
13794 you wish to distribute are either uncorrelated (i.e. totally
13795 independent), or that they contain a stereo image which is
13796 <dfn>mono-compatible</dfn>, such as a co-incident microphone recording, or a
13797 sound stage that has been created with pan pots.<sup><a href="#caveat">*</a></sup>
13801 With the default values it is not possible to alter the position,
13802 since the width is already spread entirely across both outputs. To
13803 alter the position, you must first reduce the width.
13806 <h2>Stereo Panner User Interface</h2>
13808 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-annotated.png" alt=""/>
13811 The <dfn>panner user interface</dfn> consists of three elements, divided between
13812 the top and bottom half. Click and/or drag in the top half to
13813 control position; click and/or drag in the bottom half to control
13814 width (see below for details).
13818 In the top half is the position indicator, which shows where the
13819 center of the stereo image is relative to the left and right
13820 edges. When this is the middle of the panner, the stereo image is
13821 centered between the left and right outputs. When it all the way to
13822 the left, the stereo image collapses to just the left speaker.
13826 In the bottom half are two signal indicators, one marked "L" and the
13827 other "R". The distance between these two shows the width of the
13828 stereo image. If the width is reduced to zero, there will only be a
13829 single signal indicator marked "M" (for mono), whose color will
13830 change to indicate the special state.
13834 It is possible to invert the outputs (see below) so that whatever
13835 would have gone to the right channel goes to the left and vice
13836 versa. When this happens, the entire movable part of the panner
13837 changes color to indicate clearly that this is the case.
13840 <h3>Position vs. L/R</h3>
13843 Although the implementation of the panner uses the "position"
13844 parameter, when the user interface displays it numerically, it shows
13845 a pair of numbers that will be familiar to most audio engineers.
13849 <tr><th>Position</th><th>L/R</th><th>English</th></tr>
13850 <tr><td>0</td><td>L=50% R=50%</td><td>signal image is midway between
13851 left and right speakers</td></tr>
13853 <tr><td>-1</td><td>L=100% R=0%</td><td>signal image is entirely
13854 at the left speaker</td></tr>
13856 <tr><td>1</td><td>L=0% R=100%</td><td>signal image is entirely
13857 at the right speaker</td></tr>
13861 One way to remember this sort of convention is that the middle of the
13862 USA is not Kansas, but "Los Angeles: 50% New York: 50%".
13865 <h3>Examples In Use</h3>
13868 <tr><th>Appearance</th><th>Settings</th></tr>
13869 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner.png"></td><td>Width=100%,
13870 L=50 R=50</td></tr>
13871 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-zero.png"></td><td>Width=0%,
13872 L=50 R=50</td></tr>
13873 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-inverted.png"></td><td>Width=-100%, Position = 0 (center)</td></tr>
13874 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-right.png"></td><td>Width=36%,
13875 L=44 R=56</td></tr>
13876 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-hard-right.png"></td><td>Width=0%,
13877 L=0 R=100</td></tr>
13880 <h4>Using the mouse</h4>
13883 Mouse operations in the upper half of the panner adjust the position
13884 parameter, constrained by the current width setting.
13887 Mouse operations in the lower half of the panner adjust the width
13888 parameter, constrained by the current position setting.
13891 To change the position smoothly, press the right button and drag
13892 within the top half of the panner, then release. The position will
13893 be limited by the current width setting. <em>Note: you do not need
13894 to grab the position indicator in order to drag.</em>
13897 To change the width smoothly, press the right button and drag
13898 within the lower half of the panner, then release. The width will be
13899 limited by the current position setting. <em>Note: you do not need to
13900 grab the L/R indicators in order to drag.</em>
13905 <dt>Reset to defaults</dt>
13906 <dd>Click <kbd class="mod3 mouse">right</kbd></dd>
13908 <dt>Change to hard left</dt>
13909 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mod2 mouse">right</kbd> in the upper left half
13912 <dt>Change to a hard right</dt>
13913 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mod2 mouse">right</kbd> in the upper right half
13916 <dt>Move position as far left as possible, given width</dt>
13917 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper left half of the
13920 <dt>Move position as far right as possible, given width</dt>
13921 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper right half of the
13924 <dt>Set the position to center</dt>
13925 <dd>Click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper middle of the panner</dd>
13927 <dt>Reset to maximum possible width</dt>
13928 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> on the lower left side</dd>
13930 <dt>Invert (flip channel assignments)</dt>
13931 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> on the lower right side</dd>
13933 <dt>Set width to 0°</dt>
13934 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the lower middle</dd>
13937 <h4>Keyboard bindings</h4>
13940 When the pointer is within a stereo panner user interface, the following
13941 keybindings are available to operate on that panner:
13945 <dt><kbd>↑</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dt>
13946 <dd>increase width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13947 <dt><kbd>↓</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dt>
13948 <dd>decrease width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13949 <dt><kbd>←</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">←</kbd></dt>
13950 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
13951 <dt><kbd>→</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">→</kbd></dt>
13952 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the right</dd>
13953 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
13954 <dd>reset position to center</dd>
13955 <dt><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dt>
13956 <dd>reset width to full (100%)</dd>
13959 <h4>Using the scroll wheel/touch scroll</h4>
13962 When the pointer is within a stereo panner user interface, the scroll
13963 wheel may be used as follows:
13967 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
13968 <dd>increase width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13969 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
13970 <dd>decrease width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13971 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇑</kbd></dt>
13972 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
13973 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇓</kbd></dt>
13974 <dd>move position 1° / 5°to the right</dd>
13977 <h2><a name="caveat"></a>Stereo panning caveats</h2>
13979 <p class="warning">
13980 The stereo panner will introduce unwanted side effects on
13981 material that includes a time difference between the channels, such
13982 as A/B, ORTF or NOS microphone recordings, or delay-panned mixes.<br />
13983 When you reduce the width, you are effectively summing two highly
13984 correlated signals with a delay, which will cause <dfn>comb filtering</dfn>.
13988 Let's take a closer look at what happens when you record a source at 45° to the
13989 right side with an ORTF stereo microphone array and then manipulate the width.
13993 For testing, we apply a <dfn>pink noise</dfn> signal to both inputs of an Ardour stereo
13994 bus with the stereo panner, and feed the bus output to a two-channel analyser.
13995 Since pink noise contains equal energy per octave, the expected readout is a
13996 straight line, which would indicate that our signal chain does not color the
14000 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-with-ORTF-fullwidth.png" />
14003 To simulate an ORTF, we use Robin Gareus' stereo balance
14004 control LV2 to set the level difference and time delay. Ignore the Trim/Gain—its purpose is just to align the test signal with the 0dB line of the
14009 Recall that an <dfn>ORTF</dfn> microphone pair consists of two cardioids
14010 spaced 17 cm apart, with an opening angle of 110°. For a far source at
14011 45° to the right, the time difference between the capsules is 350 μs
14012 or approximately 15 samples at 44.1 kHz. The level difference due to the
14013 directivity of the microphones is about 7.5 dB (indicated by the
14014 distance between the blue and red lines in the analyser).
14018 Now for the interesting part: if we reduce the width of the signal to 50%,
14019 the time-delayed signals will be combined in the panner. Observe what
14020 happens to the frequency response of the left and right outputs:
14023 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-with-ORTF-halfwidth.png" />
14026 You may argue that all spaced microphone recordings will undergo comb
14027 filtering later, when the two channels recombine in the air between the speakers.
14028 Perceptually however, there is a huge of difference: our hearing system is
14029 very good at eliminating comb filters in the real world, where their component
14030 signals are spatially separated. But once you combine them
14031 inside your signal chain, this spatial separation is lost and the brain will
14032 no longer be able to sort out the timbral mess. As usual, you
14033 get to keep the pieces.
14037 Depending on your material and on how much you need to manipulate the width,
14038 some degree of comb filtering may be acceptable. Then again, it may not. Listen
14039 carefully for artefacts if you manipulate unknown stereo signals—many
14040 orchestra sample libraries for example do contain time-delay components.
14045 title: Plugin and Hardware Inserts
14051 title: Working With Plugins
14056 <dfn>Plugins</dfn> are bits of software that get loaded by Ardour in order to create various audio or MIDI effects, or generate audio by functioning as "software instruments".
14060 Ardour supports a variety of different plugin standards:
14063 <dl class="narrower-table">
14064 <dt><abbr title="Linux Audio Developers' Simple Plugin API">LADSPA</abbr></dt>
14065 <dd>An early, simple, lightweight plugin <abbr title="Application
14066 Programming Interface">API</abbr>, audio effects only,
14067 plugins have no editors/GUI of their own (Ardour provides one, however).</dd>
14068 <dt><abbr title="LADSPA Version 2">LV2</abbr></dt>
14069 <dd>An extensible, full-featured plugin API, audio and <abbr
14070 title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr>, plugins can provide their
14071 own <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr>s; the successor to LADSPA</dd>
14072 <dt><abbr title="Audio Unit">AU</abbr></dt>
14073 <dd>OS X only, full featured, audio and MIDI, plugins can provide their own GUI</dd>
14075 <dt><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr></dt>
14076 <dd>Plugins using Steinberg's VST plugin standard. Varies by platform:
14078 <dt>on Linux</dt><dd>(native) Linux VST plugins fully supported (VST2.4)</dd>
14079 <dt>on Windows</dt><dd>(native) Windows VST plugins fully supported (VST2.4)</dd>
14080 <dt>on OS X</dt><dd>Not supported, unless you use a VST-to-AU
14081 bridge plugin. Similar to Apple's Logic DAW.</dd>
14085 <dt>Windows VST Plugins on Linux</dt>
14086 <dd>VST plugins for Windows, but being used on Linux. <strong>Normally not supported.</strong> See <a href="/working-with-plugins/windows-vst-support">Windows VST Plugins on Linux</a> for details.
14091 title: Processor Box
14095 <p><img class="right" src="/images/processor-box.png" alt="the Processor Box" /></p>
14098 In Ardour terminology, a <dfn>processor</dfn> is anything which treats the signal in some way and gets plugged into a mixer strip. Ardour provides several builtin processors such as the fader or panners. Processors can also be <dfn>plugins</dfn> used for effects or as instruments, as well as sends or inserts which affect <a href="/signal-routing">signal routing</a>.
14102 The arrangement of processors is arbitrary, and there is no limit to how
14103 many there can be. The Processor Box will automagically add a scrollbar to
14104 itself if there are more processors in it than can be shown in the given space.
14108 The main box in the top half of a mixer strip shows the <dfn>processor
14109 box</dfn>. Processors are shown as colored rectangles, with a small "LED" beside
14110 them that lights up when the processor is enabled. The color of the
14111 processor depends on its location in the sequence; processors that are <dfn>pre-fader</dfn> are colored in red, and <dfn>post-fader</dfn> processors are colored green (in the default theme).
14115 The <dfn>processor box</dfn> will always contain a blue <dfn>Fader</dfn> processor. This indicates where in the processor chain the main channel fader is located; this is the fader shown in the lower half of the strip. It can be enabled and disabled like any other processor.
14118 <h2>Adding Processors</h2>
14120 Processors can be added to the chain by <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking in the processor list, This does three things:
14124 <li>A gap is opened up to indicate the location of the click. The gap shows where any new processors will be inserted.</li>
14125 <li>The processor under the click is selected.</li>
14126 <li>An options menu is presented.</li>
14130 From the menu, new processors can be inserted.
14134 Processors can also be dragged and dropped from the <a href="/working-with-plugins/plugin-sidebar/"><dfn>Favorite Plugins</dfn> window</a> to an appropriate spot in the Processor Box.
14138 The <dfn>Favorite Plugins</dfn> window can be populated via the <a href="/working-with-plugins/plugin-manager/">Plugin Manager</a>, or by dragging and dropping an existing processor from the <dfn>processor box</dfn> to the <dfn>Favorite Plugins</dfn> window.
14141 <h2>To Reorder (Move) Processors</h2>
14143 Processors can be re-ordered using drag & drop. Dragging a processor
14144 allows it to be moved around within the chain, or copied to another
14145 processor list on another track or bus.
14148 <h2>To Enable/Disable a Processor</h2>
14150 <p><img class="right" src="/images/processor.png" alt="a typical processor" /></p>
14153 To the left of the name of each processor is a small LED symbol; if this
14154 is lit-up, the processor is active. Clicking on it will deactivate the
14155 processor and effectively bypass it.
14159 Some processors have their own bypass controls that are independent of the one that Ardour provides; this can make it appear that the plugin is non-responsive when its independent bypass control is active.
14162 <h2>Selecting Processors</h2>
14164 A processor in the <dfn>processor box</dfn> can be selected with a <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click on it; it will be highlighed in red. Other processors can be selected at the same time by <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-clicking on them while holding down the <kbd class="mod1">‌</kbd> key, and ranges can be selected by <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-clicking on them while holding down the <kbd>Shift</kbd> key
14167 <h2>Removing Processors</h2>
14169 Context-click on the processor to be removed, and select <kbd
14170 class="menu">Delete</kbd>; or <kbd class="mod3 mouse">Right</kbd>-click on it; or <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click on it and press the <kbd>Delete</kbd> key. If multiple processors are selected, they will all be deleted at the same time.
14174 title: Plugin Manager
14178 <p class="fixme">This needs updating; it was written for v3 or v4, and it's out of date</p>
14181 The <dfn>Plugin Manager</dfn> serves two purposes. Primarily it is used to control the display status of plugins. It can also be used to find and insert plugins into the <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">Processor Box</a>. It is displayed either by a double-click in the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn> or by choosing <kbd class="menu">New Plugin > Plugin Manager...</kbd> from the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn> context menu.
14184 <p class="center"><img src="/images/plugin-manager.png" alt="Plugin Manager window"/></p>
14187 Displayed for each plugin is the status (normal, favorite, hidden),
14188 name, type, category, creator (author), and the number of audio and MIDI
14189 connections. The plugins can be sorted by clicking on a column header.
14192 <h2>Plugin Display Status</h2>
14195 Click on a Fav(orite) or Hide radio button to change a plugin's display status. Clicking on an already selected radio button will cancel it, returning the plugin to the normal display status. Plugins marked as a favorite show up in the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn> context menu under <kbd class="menu">New Plugin > Favorites</kbd> and in <dfn>Favorite Plugins</dfn> pane in the Mixer window. Setting the hide radio button on a plugin will keep the plugin from showing in the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn> context menus <kbd class="menu">New Plugin > By Creator</kbd> or <kbd class="menu">New Plugin > By Category</kbd>.
14198 <h2>Filtering Listed Plugins</h2>
14201 The middle of the <dfn>Plugin Manager</dfn> is used to filter the listed plugins. Typing into the text-box will filter the plugins based on the filter mode selected by drop-down box. Clicking <kbd class="button">Clear</kbd> empties the text-box.
14204 <h2>Inserting Plugins in the Processor Box</h2>
14207 The bottom half of the plugin manager shows plugins that have been selected
14208 for insertion into the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn>. A plugin can be added by
14209 either double clicking the plugin entry in the top half, or, if already
14210 selected in top half, by clicking <kbd class="button">Add</kbd>.
14214 Plugins can be removed from the bottom half with a double click, or, if
14215 already selected, by clicking <kbd class="button">Remove</kbd>.
14219 title: Favorite Plugins Window
14223 <p><img class="right" src="/images/favorite-plugins.png" alt="Favorite Plugins window"/></p>
14226 The <dfn>Favorite Plugins</dfn> window is on the top-left side of the <dfn>Mixer Window</dfn>. Like other elements in that window it has variable height and can be hidden by dragging it to zero-height. If it is not visible, the top-handle can be grabbed and dragged down to reveal it.
14230 Plugin names that have a right facing triangle next to them have presets associated with them; clicking on the triangle will cause all presets associated with the plugin to show in the list.
14233 <h2 style="clear:both;">Features</h2>
14236 The Favorite Plugins window provides easy access to frequently used plugins:
14240 <li>Plugins can be dragged from the window to any track or bus <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/"><dfn>processor box</dfn></a>, which will add the plugin to that track or bus at the given position.</li>
14241 <li>The list includes user-presets for the plugins. Dragging a preset to a given track or bus will load that preset after adding the plugin.</li>
14242 <li>Double-clicking on a plugin or preset adds the given plugin to all selected tracks/busses pre-fader. Other insert positions are available from the context menu (right click).</li>
14244 <p><img class="right" src="/images/mixer-to-fav-dnd.png" alt="Dragging plugin to Favorites window"/></p>
14245 Dragging a plugin from a track into the window will add it to the list and optionally create a new preset from the current settings. The horizontal line in the list shows the spot where the plugin will land.
14247 <li>The context-menu allows the deletion of presets or removal of the plugin from the list.</li>
14248 <li>Plugins in the list can be re-ordered using drag & drop. The custom order is saved.</li>
14251 <p style="clear:both;" class="note">
14252 When favorites are added with the <a href="/working-with-plugins/plugin-manager">Plugin Manager</a>, they are appended to the bottom of the list.
14256 title: Managing Plugin Presets
14260 <p class="fixme">Add images</p>
14263 All plugin control widgets, whether they are created by Ardour or
14264 by the plugin, have a common set of controls at the top of the window.
14265 These include 4 controls for managing <dfn>plugin presets</dfn>.
14268 <h2>What Is a Plugin Preset?</h2>
14271 A <dfn>preset</dfn> for a plugin is simply a saved set of values for
14272 all of a plugin's parameters. If you load a preset, you are restoring
14273 all the parameters of that plugin to the values stored in the preset.
14274 This is an easy, fast way to manage your preferred settings for
14275 particular plugins.
14278 <h2>The Preset Selector</h2>
14281 The <dfn>preset selector</dfn> is a regular selector that can be
14282 clicked to display a list of all known presets for this plugin. This
14283 will include presets that you have created yourself, and for some
14284 plugin formats, presets that come with the plugin itself.
14287 <h2>Load a New Preset</h2>
14290 Click on the preset selector to pop up a menu showing the names of
14291 all available presets. Click on the name of the preset you wish to load.
14292 The preset will be loaded—you may see various controls in the
14293 plugin editor change to reflect the new value of some or all parameters.
14296 <h2>Create a Preset</h2>
14299 To save the current plugin settings as a new preset, click on the
14300 <kbd class="menu">Add</kbd> button at the top of the window. A dialog
14301 will appear to ask for the name of the preset.
14304 <h2>Save a Preset</h2>
14307 If you wish to modify the settings in an existing preset, first use
14308 the preset selector to load the preset, then adjust the settings as
14309 you wish. When done, click the <kbd class="menu">Save</kbd> button
14310 and the new values will be stored, overwriting the previous version
14314 <h2>Delete a preset</h2>
14317 To delete an existing preset, use the preset selector to load the preset.
14318 Click the <kbd class="menu">Delete</kbd> button, and the preset will be
14319 removed. The preset selector turn blank, showing that no preset is
14320 currently loaded (although the settings will stay as they were).
14324 title: Working with Ardour-built Plugin Editors
14328 <p class="fixme">This section needs expansion, and at least one image</p>
14331 To view a plugin editor, double-click on the plugin within the
14332 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box">processor box</a>.
14333 A new window will appear showing the editor/GUI for the plugin.
14337 If a plugin does not have its own GUI, Ardour will construct a
14338 <dfn>generic plugin editor</dfn> from a small set of common control
14339 elements. Ardour will do this even for plugins that have their
14340 own, if <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences >
14341 GUI > Use Plugins' own interface instead of Ardour's</kbd> is disabled.
14345 The generic UI can be temporarily switched to by context-clicking on
14346 a processor and selecting <kbd
14347 class="menu">Edit with generic controls</kbd>. This will be necessary to
14348 access the <a href="/automation">plugin automation controls</a>.
14352 In the generic UI, any controller can be reset to its default by
14353 <kbd class="mod3 mouse">Left</kbd>-clicking on it.
14357 title: Plugins Bundled With Ardour
14362 Ardour now comes with the following plugins as part of a standard installation:
14365 <dl class="narrower-table">
14366 <dt>a-Amplifier</dt>
14367 <dd>A versatile ±20dB multichannel amplifier</dd>
14368 <dt>a-Compressor</dt>
14369 <dd>A side-chain enabled compressor with the usual controls. Comes in stereo and mono versions</dd>
14371 <dd>A basic single-tap delay line, with tempo sync</dd>
14373 <dd>A nice sounding 4-band parametric EQ with shelves</dd>
14374 <dt>a-Fluid Synth</dt>
14375 <dd>Wraps the Fluidsynth SoundFont2 synthesis engine as a new sample player</dd>
14376 <dt>a-High/Low Pass Filter</dt>
14377 <dd>Independent high and low pass filters with steepness up to 48dB/octave</dd>
14378 <dt>a-Inline Scope</dt>
14379 <dd>A mixer strip inline waveform display</dd>
14380 <dt>a-Inline Spectrogram</dt>
14381 <dd>A mixer strip inline specturm display</dd>
14382 <dt>a-MIDI Monitor</dt>
14383 <dd>A mixer strip inline display to show recent <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> events</dd>
14385 <dd>A reverb that finds a balance between sounding good, using a lot of CPU and having too many controls</dd>
14389 title: Getting More Plugins
14394 The following list shows <dfn>plugin packages</dfn>. In some cases, a package contains just one or two plugins; in other cases, dozens.
14397 <h2>Plugins by Standard</h2>
14399 <h3 id="LADSPA">LADSPA</h3>
14402 <li>AMB <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
14403 <li>Blepvco <a href="http://smbolton.com/linux.html">http://smbolton.com/linux.html</a></li>
14404 <li>Blop <a href="http://blop.sourceforge.net">http://blop.sourceforge.net</a></li>
14405 <li>CAPS <a href="http://quitte.de/dsp/caps.html">http://quitte.de/dsp/caps.html</a></li>
14406 <li>CMT <a href="http://www.ladspa.org/cmt/">http://www.ladspa.org/cmt/</a></li>
14407 <li>FIL <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
14408 <li>FOO <a href="http://code.google.com/p/foo-plugins/">http://code.google.com/p/foo-plugins/</a></li>
14409 <li>MCP <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
14410 <li>NJL <a href="https://github.com/tialaramex/njl-plugins">https://github.com/tialaramex/njl-plugins</a></li>
14411 <li>Omins <a href="http://www.nongnu.org/om-synth/omins.html">http://www.nongnu.org/om-synth/omins.html</a></li>
14412 <li>REV <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
14413 <li>SWH <a href="http://plugin.org.uk/">http://plugin.org.uk/</a></li>
14414 <li>TAP <a href="http://tap-plugins.sourceforge.net/">http://tap-plugins.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
14415 <li>VCF <a href="http://users.suse.com/~mana/ladspa.html">http://users.suse.com/~mana/ladspa.html</a></li>
14416 <li>VCO <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
14417 <li>VLevel <a href="http://vlevel.sourceforge.net/about/">http://vlevel.sourceforge.net/about/</a></li>
14418 <li>Vocoder <a href="http://www.sirlab.de/linux/download_vocoder.html">http://www.sirlab.de/linux/download_vocoder.html</a></li>
14419 <li>WASP <a href="http://linux01.gwdg.de/~nlissne/wasp/index.html">http://linux01.gwdg.de/~nlissne/wasp/index.html</a> (mar wanted!)</li>
14420 <li>Nova <a href="http://klingt.org/~tim/nova-filters/">http://klingt.org/~tim/nova-filters/</a></li>
14421 <li>Calf <a href="http://calf.sourceforge.net/">http://calf.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
14422 <li>Socal’s LEET Plugins <a href="http://code.google.com/p/leetplugins/">http://code.google.com/p/leetplugins/</a></li>
14423 <!--<li>Holap synthesizer and DSP effects <a href="http://holap.berlios.de/">http://holap.berlios.de/</a></li>-->
14426 <h3 id="LV2">LV2</h3>
14429 <li>SWH <a href="http://plugin.org.uk/lv2/">http://plugin.org.uk/lv2/</a></li>
14430 <li>ll-plugins <a href="http://ll-plugins.nongnu.org/">http://ll-plugins.nongnu.org/</a></li>
14431 <li>zynadd <a href="http://home.gna.org/zyn/">http://home.gna.org/zyn/</a></li>
14432 <li>Calf <a href="http://calf.sourceforge.net/">http://calf.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
14433 <li>LinuxDSP <a href="http://www.overtonedsp.co.uk/download/linuxdsp-archive/">http://www.overtonedsp.co.uk/download/linuxdsp-archive/</a></li>
14434 <li>Invada Studio <a href="https://launchpad.net/invada-studio/">https://launchpad.net/invada-studio/</a></li>
14437 <h3 id="LinuxVST">Linux VST (LXVST)</h3>
14440 <li>Loomer <a href="http://www.loomer.co.uk/">http://www.loomer.co.uk/</a></li>
14441 <li>Distrho <a href="http://distrho.sourceforge.net/ports.php">http://distrho.sourceforge.net/ports.php</a></li>
14442 <li>Argotlunar <a href="http://argotlunar.info/">http://argotlunar.info/</a></li>
14445 <h2>How do I install plugins?</h2>
14450 <dfn>Installation</dfn> will vary a little depending on how you get plugins. If your repository has a particular plugin package, just install it using the normal software package management tool for your system. Most Linux distributions that are good for audio work will have most of the LADSPA and LV2 plugins mentioned above available in ready-to-use forms.
14454 Finding them will typically require <em>searching</em> your distribution's repository to find the name of the package. The tools for doing this vary from distribution to distribution. A good place to start searching is with the name of the package (e.g. "caps" or "calf"). There are no fixed rules about what different Linux distributions call their packages for a given set of plugins.
14458 If the package isn't available, then you can build the plugins from source (plugins are generally fairly easy to compile if you've ever done this sort of thing before).
14462 LADSPA plugins are shared library files. They need to be installed in either /usr/lib/ladspa, /usr/local/lib/ladspa or in a directory mentioned in your LADSPA_PATH environment variable.
14466 LV2 plugins are folders/directories. They need to installed in either /usr/lib/lv2, /usr/local/lib/lv2 or a directory mentioned in your LV2_PATH environment variable.
14470 Linux VST (LXVST) plugins are distributed as shared library files. They are typically installed in /usr/lib/lxvst, /usr/local/lib/lxvst or a directory mentioned in your LXVST_PATH environment variable.
14476 Unless you're a particularly technical computer user, building and installing plugins in the LV2 (or LADSPA) format is probably not something worth planning on.
14480 Most of the plugins you are likely to use on OS X will be in Apple's AudioUnit format. These have their own installation process that tends to just work.
14484 title: Using Windows VST Plugins on Linux
14489 Thanks to the combined work of Torben Hohn, Kjetil Mattheusen, Paul
14490 Davis and a few other developers, it is possible to use Windows
14491 <dfn><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr>
14492 plugins</dfn> (that is, plugins in VST format built and distributed
14493 for the Windows platforms) on Ardour running on Linux. (Note: there
14494 is no VST support of any kind on OS X).
14497 <p>However, doing so has three <em>substantial</em> downsides:</p>
14500 <li>It requires a special build of Ardour that is fundamentally
14501 very different from normal builds</li>
14502 <li>Support depends on <a href="http://winehq.org/">Wine</a>,
14503 a Windows "emulator"</li>
14504 <li>As usual with plugins, a crashing plugin will take Ardour down
14505 with it—and crashes in Windows VST plugins are more likely when
14506 used in this way</li>
14510 The dependence on Wine makes it almost impossible for the Ardour
14511 project to support this feature. Wine's functionality generally
14512 improves over time, but any given release of Wine may behave worse
14513 with some or all Windows VST plugins. It may even just crash Ardour
14518 Step back and think about what "using Windows VSTs" really means:
14519 taking bits of software written with only one idea in mind—running
14520 on the Windows platform—and then trying to use them on an entirely
14521 different platform. It is a bit of a miracle (largely thanks to the
14522 incredible work done by the Wine project) that it works at all. But is
14523 this the basis of a stable, reliable DAW for a non-Windows platform?
14524 Getting Ardour on Linux to pretend that its really a Windows
14525 application running on Windows?
14529 We understand that there are many outstanding plugins available as
14530 Windows VSTs and that in many cases, no equivalent is available for
14531 Ardour's Linux-based users. If your workflow is so dependent on those
14532 plugins, then remain on Windows (or potentially consider using an
14533 actual Windows VST host running inside of Wine). If you can make the
14534 effort, you will get a better environment by using a normal build of
14535 Ardour and exploring the world of plugins built to run on Linux
14536 natively. This covers LADSPA, LV2 and Linux VST formats, and even some
14537 outstanding proprietary plugins such as those
14538 from <a href="http://www.loomer.co.uk/">Loomer</a>.
14541 <h2>A Plea To Plugin Manufacturers</h2>
14544 Please consider porting your plugins so that users can enjoy them on
14545 Linux too. Several other commercial plugin developers have already
14546 done this. You can choose between using "Linux VST" (which is what
14547 Loomer and others have done)—you will find toolkits like JUCE that
14548 help to make this fairly easy—or using LV2 format which is
14549 ultimately more flexible but probably more work. We have users—thousands of users—on Linux who would like to use your plugins.
14566 title: Export Dialog
14571 When you have finished mixing your session, you probably want to export it to a sound file to burn to a CD, upload to the web, or whatever. <kbd class="menu">Session > Export > Export to Audio file(s)...</kbd> shows the Export Dialog to do this.
14575 You can also export the outputs of multiple tracks & busses all at once via
14576 <kbd class="menu">Session > Export > Stem Export...</kbd>.
14579 <h2>File Format</h2>
14581 <img src="/images/export-dialog-file-format.png" />
14584 This tab contains controls for the format of the exported audio file. You can enable more than one format here, in which case each will be exported in turn. Ardour is supplied with a list of export formats, including:
14586 <li>CD (Red Book)</li>
14588 <li>FLAC 24 bit </li>
14589 <li>FLAC 24 bit (tagged)</li>
14590 <li>Ogg_Vorbis</li>
14591 <li>Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
14594 You can edit these formats, or create your own, with the <a href="/exporting/edit-export-format-profile/">"Edit Export Format Profile"</a> dialog, which appears when you click the "Edit" or "New" button to the right of the drop-down list of formats.
14598 You can also create a 'Preset' consisting of one or more formats. Ardour provides some ready-made presets, too:
14600 <li>CD + DVD-A</li>
14602 <li>CD + FLAC (tagged)</li>
14603 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC (tagged)</li>
14604 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis</li>
14605 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
14607 <li>DVD-A only</li>
14609 <li>FLAC (tagged)</li>
14610 <li>Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC</li>
14611 <li>Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC (tagged)</li>
14612 <li>Ogg_Vorbis </li>
14613 <li>Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
14617 <h3>Soundcloud upload</h3>
14620 When 'Upload to Soundcloud' is ticked on in any format's tab, a pane containing fields to enter in Soundcloud account details (email and password), and what should happen to the uploaded files will become visible.
14623 <img src="/images/soundcloud-upload.png" />
14627 <dt>Make files public</dt><dd>Choose whether to make uploaded files available to anyone via the Soundcloud web site.</dd>
14628 <dt>Open uploaded files in browser</dt><dd>Open each file on soundcloud in your browser after upload. If you don't enable this, you can still see the URLs in the <a href="">Log window</a>.</dd>
14629 <dt>Make files downloadable</dt><dd>Choose whether to allow downloading of files uploaded to Soundcloud.</dd>
14635 <img src="/images/export-dialog-timespan.png" />
14638 This tab allows you to select the range (or ranges) of the timeline to export. By default, "session" is enabled—this will export the whole session from the start marker to the end marker.
14644 <img src="/images/export-dialog-channels.png" />
14647 Here you can choose which outputs (tracks or busses) should be sent to the exported file.
14650 <h2>Stem Export</h2>
14652 <img src="/images/export-dialog-stem-export.png" />
14655 If you chose 'Stem Export', the 'Channels' tab appears slightly differently:
14656 in this case each chosen channel (track or bus) is exported to its own file,
14657 instead of all channels being mixed together into a single file. You can
14658 choose to export either the region contents or the track output here in this
14663 title: Export Format Profiles
14667 <h2>Export Format Profiles</h2>
14670 An Export Format Profile specifies the file format in which Ardour will export
14671 audio files, and also other audio file export options.
14675 Export Format Profiles are edited via the 'Edit Export Format Profile' dialog.
14678 <img src="/images/edit-export-format-profile.png" />
14683 If enabled, peak levels of exported files will be normalized to the level chosen here.
14686 <h3>Trim/Add silence at start/end</h3>
14691 <h3>Compatibility/Quality/File format/Sample rate</h3>
14693 <h4>Compatibility</h4>
14696 Selecting an item in the 'Compatibility' column will display options in the
14697 other columns that are incompatible with that item in red.
14703 The appropriate item in the 'Quality' column will be highlighted when you
14704 choose a file format. Clicking on items in the 'Quality' column currently
14705 doesn't seem to do anything useful.
14708 <h4>File format</h4>
14711 This column contains a list of Ardour's supported export file types. Click on
14712 the format you want to use.
14715 <h4>Sample rate</h4>
14718 You can explicitly choose the sample rate of your exported files here, or
14719 choose 'Session rate' to export in the current session's sample rate, without
14720 sample rate conversion.
14723 <h4>Sample rate conversion quality</h4>
14726 If your chosen sample rate does not match the current session's sample rate,
14727 choose the sample rate conversion quality here. Better quality options are
14734 Options relevant to the chosen file format will appear here.
14735 Categories of audio file format are:
14737 <li>Linear encoding</li>
14738 <li>Broadcast Wave</li>
14739 <li>Ogg Vorbis</li>
14745 Available options include a selection of the following:
14748 <h4>Sample Format</h4>
14751 Choose the bit depth of exported files.
14757 If the exported files bit depth is less than Ardour's native bit depth,
14758 choose the dithering algorithm to use.
14761 <h4>Create CUE file/Create TOC file</h4>
14764 As well as exporting an audio file, create a file (in CUE or TOC format
14765 respectively) containg CD track information, as defined in the
14766 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks List</a>.
14769 <h4>Tag with session's metadata</h4>
14772 If the exported file format supports metadata, use data entered in the
14773 <a href="/working-with-sessions/metadata/">Session Metadata</a>
14774 window to tag the exported files.
14780 The 'Label' field lets you choose the name which will be shown for this format
14781 in the drop-down list of export formats in the 'File Formats' tab of the
14782 <a href="/exporting/export-dialog/">Export dialog</a>.
14785 <h3>Command to run post-export</h3>
14788 If this is not blank, it is considered as a command to be run after the export
14789 of each file. Either the command must exist in $PATH, or you can specify an
14790 absolute path to an executable file here.
14794 Certain sequences are allowed here to stand for the exported file name and the
14795 like. Currently these are:
14797 <dt><code>%f</code></dt>
14798 <dd>Full path & filename of the exported audio file</dd>
14799 <dt><code>%d</code></dt>
14800 <dd>Directory containing the exported audio file (including trailing directory separator)</dd>
14801 <dt><code>%b</code></dt>
14802 <dd>Basename of the exported audio file (without extension)</dd>
14803 <dt><code>%s</code></dt>
14804 <dd>Path to the current session file</dd>
14805 <dt><code>%n</code></dt>
14806 <dd>Name of the current session file</dd>
14807 <dt><code>%%</code></dt>
14808 <dd>A literal percent sign</dd>
14813 Any part of the command-line enclosed in double-quotes (") will be used as-is.
14824 title: Ardour Setup for Surround
14830 title: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing
14836 title: Surround Panning and Mixing
14846 <p class="warning">
14847 Ardour's VBAP panner is currently in development, and its semantics may
14848 change in the near future, possibly affecting your mixes. Please do not
14849 rely on it for important production work while the dust settles.
14853 <dfn><abbr title="Vector-base Amplitude Panning">VBAP</abbr></dfn>
14854 is a versatile and straightforward method to pan a source around over an
14855 arbitrary number of speakers on a horizontal polygon or a 3D surface,
14856 even if the speaker layout is highly irregular.
14859 <h2>Basic concepts</h2>
14862 VBAP was developed by Ville Pulkki at Aalto University, Helsinki, in 2001.
14863 It works by distributing the signal to the speakers nearest to the desired
14864 direction with appropriate weightings, aiming to create a maximally sharp
14865 phantom source by using as few speakers as possible:
14869 <li>one speaker, if the desired direction coincides with a speaker
14871 <li>two speakers, if the desired direction is on the line between two
14873 <li>and three speakers in the general 3D case.</li>
14877 Thus, if you move the panner onto a speaker, you can be sure that only
14878 this speaker will get any signal. This is handy when you need precise
14883 The drawback of VBAP is that a moving source will constantly change its
14884 apparent sharpness, as it transitions between the three states mentioned
14889 A <dfn>horizontal</dfn> VBAP panner has one parameter, the <dfn>azimuth
14890 angle</dfn>. A <dfn>full-sphere</dfn> panner offers an additional
14891 <dfn>elevation angle</dfn> control.
14895 More elaborate implementations of VBAP also include a
14896 <dfn>spread</dfn> parameter, which will distribute the signal over a
14897 greater number of speakers in order to maintain constant (but no longer
14898 maximal) sharpness, regardless of position. Ardour's VBAP panner does not
14899 currently include this feature.
14902 <h2>Speaker layout</h2>
14905 Each VBAP panner is specific to its <dfn>speaker layout</dfn>—the panner has to "know" about the precise location of all the speakers. A complete VBAP implementation must therefore include the possibility to define this layout.
14908 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-5.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
14909 panner with 5 outputs"/>
14912 Ardour currently uses a simplified approach: if a track or bus has more
14913 than two output channels (which implies stereo), it assumes that you
14914 have N speakers distributed in a regular N-gon. That means that for
14915 irregular layouts such as 5.1 or 7.1, the direction you dial in will
14916 differ a bit from the actual auditory result, but you can still achieve
14917 any desired spatialisation.
14920 <h3>Experimental 3D VBAP</h3>
14922 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-10.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
14923 panner with 10 outputs, in experimental 3D mode"/>
14926 For tracks with 10 outputs, Ardour will currently assume a 3-dimensional
14927 speaker layout corresponding to Auro-3D 10.1, which is a horizontal 5.1
14928 system, four elevated speakers above L, R, Ls, and Rs, and an additional
14929 "voice-of-god" speaker at the zenith.
14932 <h2>N:M panning</h2>
14934 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-4in5.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
14935 panner in 4 in, 5 out mode"/>
14938 For tracks and busses with more than one input, Ardour will (for now) assume that
14939 you wish to distribute the inputs symmetrically along the latitude around
14940 the panner direction. The width parameter controls the opening angle of
14941 the distribution sector.
14946 title: Sync & Video
14952 title: Working with Synchronization
14958 title: On Clock and Time
14963 <dfn>Synchronization</dfn> in multimedia involves two concepts which are
14964 often confused: <dfn>clock</dfn> (or speed) and <dfn>time</dfn> (location
14969 A <dfn>clock</dfn> determines the speet at which one or more systems
14970 operate. In the audio world this is generally referred to as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_clock" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_clock">Word Clock</a>. It does not carry any absolute reference to a point in time: A clock is used to keep a system's sample rate regular and accurate. Word clock is usually at the frequency of the sample rate—at 48 kHz, its period is about 20 μs. Word Clock is the most common sample rate based clock but other clocks do exist such as Black and Burst, Tri-Level and DARS. Sample rates can be derived from these clocks as well.
14974 Time or <dfn>timecode</dfn> specifies an absolute position on a timeline,
14975 such as <code>01:02:03:04</code> (expressed as Hours:Mins:Secs:Frames). It is
14976 actual <em>data</em> and not a clock <em>signal</em> per se.
14977 The granularity of timecode is <dfn>Video Frames</dfn> and is an order of
14978 magnitude lower than, say, Word Clock which is counted in
14979 <dfn>samples</dfn>. A typical frame rate is 25 <abbr title="frames
14980 per second">fps</abbr> with a period of
14982 In the case of 48 kHz and 25 fps, there are 1,920 audio samples
14987 The concepts of clock and timecode are reflected in JACK and Ardour:
14991 JACK provides clock synchronization and is not concerned with time code
14992 (this is not entirely true, more on jack-transport later).
14993 On the software side, jackd provides sample-accurate synchronization
14994 between all JACK applications.
14995 On the hardware side, JACK uses the clock of the audio-interface.
14996 Synchronization of multiple interfaces requires hardware support to sync
14998 If two interfaces run at different clocks the only way to align the
14999 signals is via re-sampling (SRC—Sample Rate Conversion), which is
15000 expensive in terms of CPU usage and may decreases fidelity if done
15005 Timecode is used to align systems already synchronized by a clock to
15006 a common point in time, this is application specific and various
15007 standards and methods exist to do this.
15011 To make things confusing, there are possibilities to synchronize clocks
15012 using timecode. e.g. using mechanism called <dfn>jam-sync</dfn> and a
15013 <dfn>phase-locked loop</dfn>.
15017 An interesting point to note is that LTC (Linear Time Code) is a
15018 Manchester encoded, frequency modulated signal that carries both
15019 clock and time. It is possible to extract absolute position data
15024 title: Latency and Latency-Compensation
15025 menu_title: Latency
15031 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latency_%28audio%29"><dfn>Latency</dfn></a>
15032 is a system's reaction time to a given stimulus. There are many factors that
15033 contribute to the total latency of a system. In order to achieve exact time
15034 synchronization all sources of latency need to be taken into account and
15038 <h2>Sources of Latency</h2>
15040 <h3>Sound propagation through the air</h3>
15043 Since sound is a mechanical perturbation in a fluid, it travels at
15044 comparatively slow <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound">speed</a>
15045 of about 340 m/s. As a consequence, your acoustic guitar or piano has a
15046 latency of about 1–2 ms, due to the propagation time of the sound
15047 between your instrument and your ear.
15050 <h3>Digital-to-Analog and Analog-to-Digital conversion</h3>
15053 Electric signals travel quite fast (on the order of the speed of light),
15054 so their propagation time is negligible in this context. But the conversions
15055 between the analog and digital domain take a comparatively long time to perform,
15056 so their contribution to the total latency may be considerable on
15057 otherwise very low-latency systems. Conversion delay is usually below 1 ms.
15060 <h3>Digital Signal Processing</h3>
15063 Digital processors tend to process audio in chunks, and the size of that chunk
15064 depends on the needs of the algorithm and performance/cost considerations.
15065 This is usually the main cause of latency when you use a computer and one you
15066 can try to predict and optimize.
15069 <h3>Computer I/O Architecture</h3>
15072 A computer is a general purpose processor, not a digital audio processor.
15073 This means our audio data has to jump a lot of fences in its path from the
15074 outside to the CPU and back, contending in the process with some other parts
15075 of the system vying for the same resources (CPU time, bus bandwidth, etc.)
15078 <h2>The Latency chain</h2>
15080 <img src="/images/latency-chain.png" title="Latency chain" alt="Latency chain" />
15083 <em>Figure: Latency chain.</em>
15084 The numbers are an example for a typical PC. With professional gear and an
15085 optimized system the total roundtrip latency is usually lower. The important
15086 point is that latency is always additive and a sum of many independent factors.
15090 Processing latency is usually divided into <dfn>capture latency</dfn> (the time
15091 it takes for the digitized audio to be available for digital processing, usually
15092 one audio period), and <dfn>playback latency</dfn> (the time it takes for
15093 In practice, the combination of both matters. It is called <dfn>roundtrip
15094 latency</dfn>: the time necessary for a certain audio event to be captured,
15095 processed and played back.
15099 It is important to note that processing latency in a jackd is a matter of
15100 choice. It can be lowered within the limits imposed by the hardware (audio
15101 device, CPU and bus speed) and audio driver. Lower latencies increase the
15102 load on the system because it needs to process the audio in smaller chunks
15103 which arrive much more frequently. The lower the latency, the more likely
15104 the system will fail to meet its processing deadline and the dreaded
15105 <dfn>xrun</dfn> (short for buffer over- or under-run) will make its
15106 appearance more often, leaving its merry trail of clicks, pops and crackles.
15110 The digital I/O latency is usually negligible for integrated or
15111 <abbr title="Periphal Component Interface">PCI</abbr> audio devices, but
15112 for USB or FireWire interfaces the bus clocking and buffering can add some
15117 <h2>Low Latency usecases</h2>
15120 Low latency is <strong>not</strong> always a feature you want to have. It
15121 comes with a couple of drawbacks: the most prominent is increased power
15122 consumption because the CPU needs to process many small chunks of audio data,
15123 it is constantly active and can not enter power-saving mode (think fan-noise).
15124 Since each application that is part of the signal chain must run in every
15125 audio cycle, low-latency systems will undergo<dfn>context switches</dfn>
15126 between applications more often, which incur a significant overhead.
15127 This results in a much higher system load and an increased chance of xruns.
15131 For a few applications, low latency is critical:
15134 <h3>Playing virtual instruments</h3>
15137 A large delay between the pressing of the keys and the sound the instrument
15138 produces will throw-off the timing of most instrumentalists (save church
15139 organists, whom we believe to be awesome latency-compensation organic systems.)
15142 <h3>Software audio monitoring</h3>
15145 If a singer is hearing her own voice through two different paths, her head
15146 bones and headphones, even small latencies can be very disturbing and
15147 manifest as a tinny, irritating sound.
15150 <h3>Live effects</h3>
15153 Low latency is important when using the computer as an effect rack for
15154 inline effects such as compression or EQ. For reverbs, slightly higher
15155 latency might be tolerable, if the direct sound is not routed through the
15159 <h3>Live mixing</h3>
15162 Some sound engineers use a computer for mixing live performances.
15163 Basically that is a combination of the above: monitoring on stage,
15164 effects processing and EQ.
15168 In many other cases, such as playback, recording, overdubbing, mixing,
15169 mastering, etc. latency is not important, since it can easily be
15170 compensated for.<br />
15171 To explain that statement: During mixing or mastering you don't care
15172 if it takes 10ms or 100ms between the instant you press the play button
15173 and sound coming from the speaker. The same is true when recording with a count in.
15176 <h2>Latency compensation</h2>
15179 During tracking it is important that the sound that is currently being
15180 played back is internally aligned with the sound that is being recorded.
15184 This is where latency-compensation comes into play. There are two ways to
15185 compensate for latency in a DAW, <dfn>read-ahead</dfn> and
15186 <dfn>write-behind</dfn>. The DAW starts playing a bit early (relative to
15187 the playhead), so that when the sound arrives at the speakers a short time
15188 later, it is exactly aligned with the material that is being recorded.
15189 Since we know that play-back has latency, the incoming audio can be delayed
15190 by the same amount to line things up again.
15194 As you may see, the second approach is prone to various implementation
15195 issues regarding timecode and transport synchronization. Ardour uses read-ahead
15196 to compensate for latency. The time displayed in the Ardour clock corresponds
15197 to the audio-signal that you hear on the speakers (and is not where Ardour
15198 reads files from disk).
15202 As a side note, this is also one of the reasons why many projects start at
15203 timecode <samp>01:00:00:00</samp>. When compensating for output latency the
15204 DAW will need to read data from before the start of the session, so that the
15205 audio arrives in time at the output when the timecode hits <samp>01:00:00:00</samp>.
15206 Ardour3 does handle the case of <samp>00:00:00:00</samp> properly but not all
15207 systems/software/hardware that you may inter-operate with may behave the same.
15210 <h2>Latency Compensation And Clock Sync</h2>
15213 To achieve sample accurate timecode synchronization, the latency introduced
15214 by the audio setup needs to be known and compensated for.
15218 In order to compensate for latency, JACK or JACK applications need to know
15219 exactly how long a certain signal needs to be read-ahead or delayed:
15222 <img src="/images/jack-latency-excerpt.png" title="Jack Latency Compensation" alt="Jack Latency Compensation" />
15225 <em>Figure: Jack Latency Compensation.</em>
15229 In the figure above, clients A and B need to be able to answer the following
15235 How long has it been since the data read from port Ai or Bi arrived at the
15236 edge of the JACK graph (capture)?
15239 How long will it be until the data writen to port Ao or Bo arrives at the
15240 edge of the JACK graph (playback)?
15245 JACK features an <abbr title="Application Programming Interface">API</abbr>
15246 that allows applications to determine the answers to above questions.
15247 However JACK can not know about the additional latency that is introduced
15248 by the computer architecture, operating system and soundcard. These values
15249 can be specified by the JACK command line parameters <kbd class="input">-I</kbd>
15250 and <kbd class="input">-O</kbd> and vary from system
15251 to system but are constant on each. On a general purpose computer system
15252 the only way to accurately learn about the total (additional) latency is to
15256 <h2>Calibrating JACK Latency</h2>
15259 Linux DSP guru Fons Adriaensen wrote a tool called <dfn>jack_delay</dfn>
15260 to accurately measure the roundtrip latency of a closed loop audio chain,
15261 with sub-sample accuracy. JACK itself includes a variant of this tool
15262 called <dfn>jack_iodelay</dfn>.
15266 Jack_iodelay allows you to measure the total latency of the system,
15267 subtracts the known latency of JACK itself and suggests values for
15268 jackd's audio-backend parameters.
15272 jack_[io]delay works by emitting some rather annoying tones, capturing
15273 them again after a round trip through the whole chain, and measuring the
15274 difference in phase so it can estimate with great accuracy the time taken.
15278 You can close the loop in a number of ways:
15283 Putting a speaker close to a microphone. This is rarely done, as air
15284 propagation latency is well known so there is no need to measure it.
15287 Connecting the output of your audio interface to its input using a
15288 patch cable. This can be an analog or a digital loop, depending on
15289 the nature of the input/output you use. A digital loop will not factor
15290 in the <abbr title="Analog to Digital, Digital to Analog">AD/DA</abbr>
15296 Once you have closed the loop you have to:
15300 <li>Launch jackd with the configuration you want to test.</li>
15301 <li>Launch <kbd class="input">jack_delay</kbd> on the commandline.</li>
15302 <li>Make the appropriate connections between your jack ports so the loop is closed.</li>
15303 <li>Adjust the playback and capture levels in your mixer.</li>
15307 title: Timecode Generators and Slaves
15312 Ardour supports three common timecode formats:
15313 <abbr title="Linear/Longitudinal Time Code"><dfn>LTC</dfn></abbr>,
15314 <abbr title="MIDI Time Code"><dfn>MTC</dfn></abbr>, and
15315 <dfn>MIDI Clock</dfn>, as well as
15316 <dfn>JACK-transport</dfn>, a JACK-specific timecode implementation.
15320 Ardour can generate timecode and thus act as timecode <dfn>master</dfn>,
15321 providing timecode information to other applications. Ardour can also be
15322 <dfn>slaved</dfn> to some external source in which case the playhead
15323 follows the incoming timecode.
15327 Combining the timecode slave and generator modes, Ardour can also
15328 <dfn>translate</dfn> timecode. e.g create LTC timecode from incoming MTC.
15331 <h2>Ardour Timecode Configuration</h2>
15334 Each Ardour session has a specific timecode frames-per-second setting which
15335 is configured in <kbd class="menu">session > properties >
15336 timecode</kbd>. The selected timecode affects the timecoderuler in the main
15337 window as well as the clock itself.
15341 Note that some timecode formats do not support all of Ardour's available
15342 fps settings. MTC is limited to 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 fps.
15346 The video pull-up modes change the effective samplerate of Ardour to allow
15347 for changing a film soundtrack from one frame rate to another. The concept is
15348 beyond the scope of this manual, but Wikipedia's entry on
15349 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecine">Telecine</a>
15350 may get you started.
15353 <h2>Ardour Timecode Generator Configuration</h2>
15356 This is pretty straightforward: simply turn it on. The MTC and MIDI-Clock
15357 generator do not have any options. The LTC generator has a configurable
15358 output level. JACK-transport cannot be <em>generated</em>. Jack itself is
15359 always synced to its own cycle and cannot do varispeed—it will
15360 always be synced to a hardware clock or another JACK master.
15364 The relevant settings for timecode generator can be found in
15365 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI Preferences</kbd> (for MTC,
15367 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Transport Preferences</kbd>
15372 The timecode is sent to jack-ports <code>ardour:MTC out</code>,
15373 <code>ardour:MIDI clock out</code> and <code>ardour:LTC-out</code>. Multiple
15374 generators can be active simultaneously.
15378 Note that, as of Jan 2014, only the LTC generator supports latency
15379 compensation. This is due to the fact the Ardour MIDI ports are not
15380 yet latency compensated.
15384 In <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>, it is possible to
15385 define an offset between Ardour's internal time and the timecode sent.
15386 Currently only the LTC generator honors this offset.
15390 Both LTC and MTC are limited to 30 fps. Using frame rates larger
15391 than that will disable the generator. In both cases also only 24, 25,
15392 29.97df (drop-frame) and 30 fps are well defined by specifications (such as
15393 SMPTE-12M, EU and the MIDI standard).
15396 <h3>MTC Generator</h3>
15399 The <dfn>MTC generator</dfn> has no options. Ardour sends full MTC
15400 frames whenever the transport is relocated or changes state (start/stop).
15401 MTC <dfn>quarter frames</dfn> are sent when the transport is rolling and
15402 the transport speed is within 93% and 107%.
15405 <h3>LTC Generator</h3>
15408 The level of the <dfn>LTC generator</dfn> output signal can be configured
15409 in in the <kbd class="menu">Preferences > Transport</kbd> dialog. By
15410 default it is set to -18 dBFS, which corresponds to 0dBu in an EBU
15415 The LTC generator has an additional option to keep sending timecode even
15416 when the transport is stopped. This mode is intended to drive analog tape
15417 machines which unspool the tape if no LTC timecode is received.
15421 LTC is send regardless of Ardour's transport speed. It is accurately
15422 generated even for very slow speeds (<5%) and only limited by the
15423 soundcard's sampling-rate and filter (see
15425 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbs_phenomenon#Signal_processing_explanation">Gibbs phenomenon</a>)
15429 <h2>Ardour Slave Configuration</h2>
15432 The timecode source can be switched with the button just right of
15433 Ardour's main clock. By default it is set to <kbd
15434 class="menu">Internal</kbd> in which case Ardour will ignore any external
15435 timecode. The button allows to toggle between Internal and the configured
15436 timecode source which is chosen in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences
15437 > Transport</kbd>.
15441 When Ardour is <dfn>chasing</dfn> (synchronizing to) an external timecode
15442 source, the following cases need to be distinguished:
15446 <li>the timecode source shares the clock</li>
15447 <li>the timecode source is independent (no wordclock sync)</li>
15453 <li>the timecode source uses the same FPS setting as Ardour</li>
15454 <li>the timecode source runs at different frames-per-second</li>
15458 In both cases the first option is preferred: clock sync + same FPS setting.
15461 <h3>Frames-per-second</h3>
15464 If the frames-per-second do not match, Ardour can either re-calculate
15465 and map the frames, or the configured FPS (<kbd class="menu">Session >
15466 Properties</kbd>) can be changed automatically while the slave is active.
15467 The behavior is configured with the checkbox <kbd class="option">Edit
15468 > Preferences > Transport > Match session video frame rate to
15469 external timecode</kbd>.
15473 When enabled, the session video frame rate will be changed to match that
15474 of the selected external timecode source. When disabled, the session video
15475 frame rate will not be changed to match that of the selected external
15476 timecode source. Instead the frame rate indication in the main clock will
15477 flash red, and Ardour will convert between the external timecode standard
15478 and the session standard.
15481 <p class="warning">
15482 29.97 drop-frame timecode is another corner case. While the SMPTE 12M-1999
15483 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001 frames per second, not all hardware devices
15484 follow that standard. The checkbox
15485 <kbd class="option">Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</kbd> allows
15486 to use a compatibility mode for those devices.
15490 When enabled, the external timecode source is assumed to use 29.970000 fps
15491 instead of 30000/1001. SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001. The
15492 <abbr title="specification">spec</abbr> further mentions that drop-frame
15493 timecode has an accumulated error of -86 ms over a 24-hour period.
15494 Drop-frame timecode would compensate exactly for a NTSC color frame rate
15495 of 30 * 0.9990 (ie 29.970000). That is <em>not</em> the actual rate. However,
15496 some vendors use that rate—despite it being against the specs—because the variant of using exactly 29.97 fps yields zero timecode
15500 <h3>Clock Sync Lock</h3>
15503 As described in the
15504 <a href="http://manual.ardour.org/synchronization/on-clock-and-time/">On Clock and Time</a>
15505 chapter, timecode and clock are independent. If the external timecode
15506 source is not in sample-sync with the audio hardware (and JACK), Ardour
15507 needs to run at varispeed to adjust for the discrepancy.
15511 The checkbox <kbd class="option">External timecode is sync locked</kbd>
15512 allows to select the behavior according to your setup. When enabled, it
15513 indicates that the selected external timecode source shares sync (Black
15514 & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with the audio interface.
15518 In other words: if enabled, Ardour will only perform initial
15519 synchronization and keep playing at speed 1.0 instead of vari-speed
15520 adjusting to compensate for drift.
15524 Note that vari-speed is unavailable when recording in Ardour, and all
15525 tracking happens at speed 1.0. So if you want to record in sync with
15526 external timecode it must be sample-locked or it will drift over time.
15529 <h3>MIDI Clock</h3>
15532 <dfn>MIDI Clock</dfn> is not a timecode format but tempo-based time. The
15533 absolute reference point is expressed as beats-per-minute and Bar, Beat
15534 and Tick. There is no concept of sample-locking for MIDI clock signals.
15535 Ardour will vari-speed if necessary to chase the incoming signal.
15539 Note that the MIDI Clock source must be connected to the
15540 <code>ardour:MIDI clock in</code> port.
15543 <h3>LTC—Linear Timecode</h3>
15546 The <dfn>LTC</dfn> slave decodes an incoming LTC signal on a JACK audio
15547 port. It will auto-detect the frame rate and start locking to the signal
15548 once two consecutive LTC frames have been received.
15552 The incoming timecode signal needs to arrive at the
15553 <code>ardour:LTC-in</code> port. Port-connections are restored for each
15554 session and the preference dialog offers an option to select it for all
15559 Ardour's transport is aligned to LTC-frame start/end positions according
15560 to the SMPTE 12M-1999 specification, which means that the first bit of an
15561 LTC-Frame is aligned to different Lines of a Video-Frame, depending on the
15562 TV standard used. Only for Film (24fps) does the LTC-Frame directly match
15563 the video Frame boundaries.
15566 <img src="/images/ltc-transport-alignment.png" title="LTC frame alignment" alt="LTC frame alignment"/>
15567 <p><em>Figure: LTC frame alignment for the 525/60 TV standard</em></p>
15570 Ardour supports vari-speed and backwards playback but will only follow
15571 speed changes if the <kbd class="optoff">sync locked</kbd> option is
15576 While Ardour is chasing LTC, the main transport clock will display the
15577 received Timecode as well as the delta between the incoming signal and
15578 Ardour's transport position.
15582 A global offset between incoming timecode and Ardour's transport can be
15583 configured in <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>.
15587 The user-bits in the received LTC frame are ignored.
15590 <h3>MTC—MIDI Timecode</h3>
15593 Ardour's MTC slave parses <dfn>full timecode messages</dfn> as well as
15594 MTC <dfn>quarter-frame messages</dfn> arriving on the
15595 <code>ardour:MTC in</code> port. The transport will only start rolling
15596 once a complete sequence of 8 quarter frames has been received.
15600 Ardour supports vari-speed and backwards playback but will only follow
15601 MTC speed changes if the <kbd class="optoff">sync locked</kbd> option
15606 When Ardour is chasing MTC, the main transport clock will display the
15607 received Timecode as well as the delta between the incoming signal and
15608 Ardour's transport position.
15611 <h3>JACK Transport</h3>
15614 When slaved to jack, Ardour's transport will be identical to
15615 JACK-transport. As opposed to other slaves, Ardour can be used to control
15616 the JACK transport states (stopped/rolling). No port connections need to
15617 be made for jack-transport to work.
15621 JACK-transport does not support vari-speed, nor offsets. Ardour does not
15622 chase the timecode but is always in perfect sample-sync with it.
15626 JACK-transport also includes temp-based-time information in Bar:Beats:Ticks
15627 and beats-per-minute. However, only one JACK application can provide this
15628 information at a given time. The checkbox
15629 <kbd class="option">Session > Properties > JACK Time Master</kbd>
15630 configures Ardour to act as translator from timecode to BBT information.
15634 title: Overview of all Timecode related settings
15635 menu_title: Overview of Timecode settings
15640 Timecode settings are accessed from the menu in three places:
15644 <li><kbd class="menu">Session > Properties > Timecode</kbd></li>
15645 <li><kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Transport</kbd></li>
15646 <li><kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI</kbd></li>
15649 <h2>Timecode Settings</h2>
15651 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode frames-per-second</kbd></dt>
15653 Configure timecode frames-per-second (23.976, 24, 24.975, 25, 29.97,
15654 29.97 drop, 30, 30 drop, 59.94, 60). Note that all fractional
15655 framerates are actually fps*(1000.0/1001.0).
15657 <dt><kbd class="menu">Pull up/down</kbd></dt>
15659 Video pull-up modes change the effective samplerate of Ardour to
15660 allow for changing a film soundtrack from one frame rate to another.
15661 See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecine">Telecine</a>
15663 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slave Timecode offset</kbd></dt>
15665 The specified offset is added to the received timecode (MTC or
15668 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode Generator offset</kbd></dt>
15670 Specify an offset which is added to the generated timecode (so far only LTC).
15672 <dt><kbd class="option">JACK Time Master</kbd></dt>
15674 Provide Bar|Beat|Tick and other information to JACK.
15677 <p>These settings are session specific.</p>
15680 <h2>Transport Preferences</h2>
15682 <dt><kbd class="menu">External timecode source</kbd></dt>
15684 Select timecode source: JACK, LTC, MTC, MIDI Clock
15686 <dt><kbd class="option">Match session video frame rate to external timecode</kbd></dt>
15688 This option controls the value of the video frame rate <em>while
15689 chasing</em> an external timecode source. When enabled, the
15690 session video frame rate will be changed to match that of the selected
15691 external timecode source. When disabled, the session video frame rate
15692 will not be changed to match that of the selected external timecode
15693 source. Instead the frame rate indication in the main clock will flash
15694 red and Ardour will convert between the external timecode standard and
15695 the session standard.
15697 <dt><kbd class="option">External timecode is sync locked</kbd></dt>
15699 Indicates that the selected external timecode source shares sync (Black
15700 & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with the audio interface.
15702 <dt><kbd class="option">Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</kbd></dt>
15704 The external timecode source is assumed to use 29.97 fps instead of
15705 30000/1001. SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001. The spec
15706 further mentions that drop-frame timecode has an accumulated error of -86ms
15707 over a 24-hour period. Drop-frame timecode would compensate exactly for a
15708 NTSC color frame rate of 30 * 0.9990 (ie 29.970000). That is not the actual
15709 rate. However, some vendors use that rate—despite it being against
15710 the specs—because the variant of using exactly 29.97 fps has zero
15713 <dt><kbd class="menu">LTC incoming port</kbd></dt>
15715 Offers a session agnostic way to retain the LTC port connection.
15717 <dt><kbd class="option">Enable LTC generator</kbd></dt>
15718 <dd>Does just what it says.</dd>
15719 <dt><kbd class="option">Send LTC while stopped</kbd></dt>
15721 Enable to continue to send LTC information even when the transport
15722 (playhead) is not moving. This mode is intended to drive analog tape
15723 machines which unspool the tape if no LTC timecode is received.
15725 <dt><kbd class="menu">LTC generator level</kbd></dt>
15727 Specify the Peak Volume of the generated LTC signal in dbFS. A good value
15728 is 0 dBu (which is -18 dbFS in an EBU calibrated system).
15731 <p>These settings are common to all sessions.</p>
15734 <h2>MIDI Preferences</h2>
15736 <dt><kbd class="option">Send MIDI Timecode</kbd></dt><dd>Enable MTC generator</dd>
15737 <dt><kbd class="option">Send MIDI Clock</kbd></dt><dd>Enable MIDI Clock generator</dd>
15739 <p>These settings are also common to all sessions.</p>
15743 title: Working with Field Recorders in Ardour
15749 title: Working with Video in Ardour
15755 title: Video Timeline and Monitoring
15760 Ardour offers a <dfn>video timeline</dfn> and <dfn>video monitoring</dfn>
15761 for convenient audio mixing and editing to video, in order to produce
15762 film soundtracks and music videos, or perform TV postproduction tasks.
15766 The video capabilities are:
15770 <li>Import a single video and optionally extract the soundtrack from it.</li>
15771 <li>Provide a video monitor window, or full-screen display, of the
15772 imported video in sync with any of the available Ardour timecode
15774 <li>Display a frame-by-frame (thumbnail) timeline of the video.</li>
15775 <li>Allow for a configurable timecode offset.</li>
15776 <li><em>Lock</em> audio regions to the video.</li>
15777 <li>Move audio regions with the video at video-frame granularity.</li>
15778 <li>Export the video, trim start and end, add blank frames and/or
15779 multiplex it with the soundtrack of the current session.</li>
15783 The setup of the video subsystem is modular and can be configured
15784 in different ways, including:
15788 <li>One machine for all video decoding, video monitoring and audio editing
15790 <li>Two machines, one for video monitoring, one for Ardour</li>
15791 <li>Three machines, separate video server (for timeline decoding
15792 and file archive), dedicated video monitor, and Ardour</li>
15796 Ardour does <em>not</em>:
15800 <li>allow for more than one video to be loaded at a time.</li>
15801 <li>provide video editing capabilities</li>
15805 title: Video Timeline Setup
15810 No configuration is required if you intend to run everything on a single
15811 machine, and if you acquired Ardour from
15812 <a href="http://www.ardour.org"
15813 title="http://www.ardour.org">http://www.ardour.org</a>.
15814 Everything is pre-configured and included with the download/install.
15817 <h2>Single Machine</h2>
15820 If you compile Ardour from source, or have installed it from a 3rd party
15821 repository, three additional tools will need to be installed manually,
15822 which are used by Ardour to provide video features:
15826 <li>xjadeo (the video monitor application): <a href="http://xjadeo.sf.net"
15827 title="http://xjadeo.sf.net" rel="nofollow">http://xjadeo.sf.net</a></li>
15828 <li>harvid (a video decoder used for the thumbnail timeline): <a
15829 href="http://x42.github.com/harvid/" title="http://x42.github.com/harvid/"
15830 rel="nofollow">http://x42.github.com/harvid/</a></li>
15831 <li>ffmpeg, ffprobe (used to import/export video, extract soundtracks and
15832 query video information): <a href="http://ffmpeg.org" title="http://ffmpeg.org"
15833 rel="nofollow">http://ffmpeg.org</a></li>
15837 Ardour requires xjadeo ≥ version 0.6.4, harvid ≥ version 0.7.0 and ffmpeg (known to work versions: 1.2, 2.8.2)
15841 The Ardour development team is in control of the first two applications. ffmpeg however can be a bit of a problem. To avoid conflicts with distribution packages, Ardour looks for <code>ffmpeg_harvid</code> and <code>ffprobe_harvid</code>.
15845 All four applications need to be found in <code>$PATH</code> (e.g.
15846 <code>$HOME/bin</code> or <code>/usr/local/bin</code>). For convenience the
15847 binary releases of harvid include ffmpeg_harvid and ffprobe_harvid, but if
15848 your distribution provides suitable ffmpeg commands you can also just create
15852 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo ln -s /usr/bin/ffmpeg /usr/bin/ffmpeg_harvid</kbd>
15853 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo ln -s /usr/bin/ffprobe /usr/bin/ffprobe_harvid</kbd>
15856 Binary releases are available from ardour.org as well as an installer script:
15857 <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/blob/master/tools/videotimeline/install_video_tools.sh"
15858 title="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/blob/master/tools/videotimeline/install_video_tools.sh"
15859 rel="nofollow">install_video_tools.sh</a>.
15863 The easiest way to install the video-utilities is by running the following
15864 line in a terminal:
15867 <kbd class="cmd lin">sh -c "$(curl -s -L http://git.io/tVUCkw)"</kbd>
15869 <h2>Studio Setup</h2>
15872 Please read the info in the previous section to familiarize yourself with
15873 the tools involved first. Setting up a proper A/V post-production studio
15874 can be a complicated task. As much as we streamline and simplify the
15875 <em>single machine</em> setup, the <dfn>studio setup</dfn> is focused on modularity.
15880 <li>Synchronization ardour → video-display-box should be accomplished by external
15881 means jack-transport(netjack), MTC, LTC
15882 (<abbr title="Open Sound Control—"postmodern MIDI"">OSC</abbr> and/or
15883 ssh-pipe work but introduce additional latency + jitter)</li>
15884 <li>Ardour launches <code>XJREMOTE</code> (environment variable, default 'xjremote' which comes with xjadeo).</li>
15885 <li>Either use a custom shell script that ssh'es into the remote box and launches/controls xjadeo there, selects the sync-source and passes though communication between ardour ⇔ xjadeo via ssh (xjadeo is launched stopped with the session).</li>
15886 <li>..or override xjremote's behavior – instead of IPC with a local running xjadeo-process, using <abbr title="Open Sound Control—"postmodern MIDI"">OSC</abbr> for example. xjadeo would run permanently and Ardour will just tell it to load files and set offsets via <acronym title="Open Sound Control—"postmodern MIDI"">OSC</acronym>. see <a href="http://xjadeo.git.sourceforge.net/git/gitweb.cgi?p=xjadeo/xjadeo;a=blob_plain;f=contrib/xjremote-osc" title="http://xjadeo.git.sourceforge.net/git/gitweb.cgi?p=xjadeo/xjadeo;a=blob_plain;f=contrib/xjremote-osc" rel="nofollow">xjremote-osc</a> example script.</li>
15887 <li>If the video server runs remotely, Ardour needs to be configured in Ardour > Preference > Video (hostname of the video-server).</li>
15888 <li> Ideally the machines have a common shared folder (NFS or similar). Ardour's import (audio-extract) and export (mux) functionality depends on having access to the video file. Also Ardour's video-import transcodes the file into a suitable proxy-format that allows reliable seeking to any frame…</li>
15892 title: Transcoding, Formats & Codecs
15897 This chapter provides a short primer on video files, formats and
15898 codecs – because it is often cause for confusion:
15902 A video file is a <dfn>container</dfn>. It usually contains one
15903 <dfn>video track</dfn> and one or more <dfn>audio tracks</dfn>.
15904 How these tracks are stored in the file is defined by the
15905 <dfn>file format</dfn>. Common formats are
15906 avi, mov, ogg, mkv, mpeg, mpeg-ts, mp4, flv, or vob.
15910 Each of the tracks by itself is encoded using a <abbr
15911 title="Coder-Decoder"><dfn>Codec</dfn></abbr>. Common video codecs
15912 are h264, mpeg2, mpeg4, theora, mjpeg, wmv3. Common audio codecs are
15913 mp2, mp3, dts, aac, wav/pcm.
15917 Not all codecs can be packed into a given format. For example the
15918 mpeg format is limited to mpeg2, mpeg4 and mp3 codecs (not entirely true).
15919 DVDs do have stringent limitations as well. The opposite would be .avi;
15920 pretty much every audio/video codec combination can be contained in an avi
15925 To make things worse, naming conventions for video codecs and formats are
15926 often identical (especially MPEG ones) which leads to confusion.
15927 All in all it is a very wide and deep field. Suffice there are different
15928 uses for different codecs and formats.
15931 <h2>Ardour specific issues</h2>
15934 Ardour supports a wide variety of video file formats codecs. More specifically, Ardour itself actually does not support any video at all but delegates handling of video files to <a href="http://ffmpeg.org">ffmpeg</a>, which supports over 350 different video codecs and more than 250 file formats.
15938 When importing a video into Ardour, it will be <dfn>transcoded</dfn> (changed from one format and codec to another) to avi/mjpeg for internal use (this allows reliable seeking to frames at low CPU cost—the file size will increase, but hard disks are large and fast).
15942 The export dialog includes presets for common format and codec combinations (such as DVD, web-video,..). If in doubt use one of the presets.
15946 As last note: every time a video is transcoded, the quality can only get worse. Hence for the final mastering/<abbr title="Multiplexing Audio and Video">muxing</abbr> process, one should always to back and use the original source of the video.
15950 title: Workflow & Operations
15954 <h2>Overview of Operations</h2>
15956 <dl class="wide-table">
15957 <dt><kbd class="menu">Session > Open Video</kbd></dt>
15958 <dd>Add/replace a video to/on the timeline</dd>
15959 <dt><kbd class="menu">Window > View Monitor</kbd></dt>
15960 <dd>Open/close external video monitor window</dd>
15961 <dt><kbd class="menu">View > Video Monitor > …</kbd></dt>
15962 <dd>Various settings of the video monitor</dd>
15963 <dt><kbd class="menu">Session > Export > Video</kbd></dt>
15964 <dd>Export session and multiplex with video-file</dd>
15965 <dt><kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag the video in the timeline</dt>
15966 <dd>Re-align video and move 'locked' audio-regions along</dd>
15967 <dt>Context-menu on the video-timeline: <kbd class="menu"> 'lock'</kbd></dt>
15968 <dd>Prevent accidental drags</dd>
15969 <dt>Audio region context menu: <kbd class="menu">Position > Lock to video</kbd></dt>
15970 <dd>Mark audio region(s) to be moved along with the video.</dd>
15973 <h2>Adding Video</h2>
15976 Adding video is a two-step process: select a video file, and choose
15977 import mode and optionally select an audio track to extract.
15981 The first step is rather straight-forward. The panel on the right side
15982 allows to seek through the video and displays basic file information.
15983 It is also useful to check if the video format/codec is supported:
15986 <img src="/images/a3_video_open.png" alt="video-open-dialog" width="300" />
15989 The second step analyzes the video file in more detail and offers import options:
15993 <dt><kbd class="menu">Import/Transcode to Session</kbd></dt>
15994 <dd>This is the default. The video will be imported in a suitable
15995 video format/codec for the timeline and video monitor and saved inside the
15996 session folder. A location other than the session folder can also be
15997 chosen (external disk, or network storage of the video server on a different
15999 <dt><kbd class="menu">Reference from Current Location</kbd></dt>
16000 <dd>Only useful for opening files that were previously encoded (are already
16001 in a good format/codec). Use with care.</dd>
16002 <dt><kbd class="menu">Do not Import Video</kbd></dt>
16003 <dd>Useful for extracting audio only.</dd>
16006 <img src="/images/a3_video_import.png" alt="Video Import Dialog" width="300" />
16009 By default the video is imported using the original width/height.
16010 If it is a large video (e.g. full-HD) it makes sense to scale it down
16011 to decrease the CPU load and disk I/O required to decode and play the
16013 A small, low-quality representation of the image is usually sufficient
16014 for editing soundtracks. The default bitrate in kbit/sec is set to use
16015 0.7 bits per pixel. (Compare: the average DVD medium uses 5000 kbit/s;
16016 at PAL resolution this is about 0.5 bits per pixel. But the DVD is
16017 using the <dfn>mpeg2</dfn>—a denser compression algorithm than the
16018 <dfn>mjpeg</dfn> codec used by Ardour.)
16021 <h2>Working with A/V</h2>
16027 <img src="/images/a3_videotimeline.png" alt="Video Timeline" width="600" />
16029 <h2 id="export">Exporting Video</h2>
16032 The video export will take audio from the current Ardour session and
16033 multiplex it with a video file. The soundtrack of the video is taken from
16034 an audio export of Ardour's master bus.
16038 An arbitrary video file can be chosen. For high quality exports, the
16039 original file (before it was imported into the timeline) should be used.
16040 This is the default behaviour if that file can be found. If not, Ardour
16041 will fall back to the imported proxy-video which is currently in use
16042 on the timeline. Any existing audio tracks on this video file are stripped.
16046 The range selection allows to cut or extend the video. If the session is
16047 longer than the video duration, black frames are prefixed or appended to
16048 the video. (Note: this process may fail with non-standard pixel aspect
16049 ratios). If Ardour's session range is shorter, the video will be cut accordingly.
16053 Audio samplerate and normalization are options for Ardour's audio exporter.
16054 The remaining settings are options that are directly passed on to ffmpeg.
16058 The file format is determined by the extension that you choose for it
16059 (.avi, .mov, .flv, .ogv, .webm,...)
16060 Note: not all combinations of format, codec, and settings produce files
16061 which are according to specifications. For example, flv files require
16062 sample rates of 22.1 kHz or 44.1 kHz, mpeg containers can not
16063 be used with ac3 audio-codec, etc. If in doubt, use one of the built-in
16067 <img src="/images/a3_video_export.png" alt="Video Export Dialog" width="300" />
16070 Ardour video export is not recommended for mastering! While ffmpeg (which is used by Ardour) can produce high-quality files, this export lacks the possibility to tweak many settings. We recommend to use winff, devede or dvdauthor to mux & master. Nevertheless this video-export comes in handy to do quick snapshots, intermediates, dailies or online videos.
16081 title: Lua Scripting in Ardour
16087 title: Lua Scripting
16092 Starting with version 4.7.213, Ardour supports Lua scripts.
16095 <p class="warning">
16096 Lua Integration is Work in Progress and far from complete.
16100 title: Scripting Documentation
16104 <p class="warning">
16105 This Documentation is Work in Progress and far from complete. Also the documented API may be subject to change.
16111 There are cases that a Ardour cannot reasonably cater for with core functionality by itself, either because they're session specific or user specific edge cases.
16115 Examples for these include voice-activate (record-arm specific tracks and roll transport depending on signal levels), rename all regions after a specific timecode, launch an external application when a certain track is soloed, generate automation curves or simply provide a quick shortcut for a custom batch operation.
16119 Cases like this call for means to extend the DAW without actually changing the DAW itself. This is where scripting comes in.
16123 "Scripting" refers to tasks that could alternatively be executed step-by-step by a human operator.
16127 Lua is a tiny and simple language which is easy to learn, yet allows for comprehensive solutions. Lua is also a glue language it allows to tie existing component in Ardour together in unprecedented ways, and most importantly Lua is one of the few scripting-languages which can be safely used in a real-time environment.
16131 A good introduction to Lua is the book <a href="http://www.lua.org/pil/">Programming in Lua</a>. The first edition is available online, but if you have the means buy a copy of the book, it not only helps to support the Lua project, but provides for a much nicer reading and learning experience.
16137 The core of ardour is a real-time audio engine that runs and processes audio. One interfaces with than engine by sending it commands. Scripting can be used to interact with or modify active Ardour session. Just like a user uses the Editor/Mixer GUI to modify the state or parameters of the session.
16141 Doing this programmatically requires some knowledge about the objects used internally. Most Ardour C++ objects and their methods are directly exposed to Lua and one can call functions or modify variables:
16144 <div style="width:80%; margin:.5em auto;">
16145 <div style="width:45%; float:left;">
16148 session->set_transport_speed (1.0);
16151 <div style="width:45%; float:right;">
16154 Session:set_transport_speed (1.0)
16159 <div style="clear:both;"></div>
16162 You may notice that there is only a small syntactic difference, in this case. While C++ requires recompiling the application for every change, Lua script can be loaded, written or modified while the application is running. Lua also abstracts away many of the C++ complexities such as object lifetime, type conversion and null-pointer checks.
16166 Close ties with the underlying C++ components is where the power of scripting comes from. A script can orchestrate interaction of lower-level components which take the bulk of the CPU time of the final program.
16170 At the time of writing Ardour integrates Lua 5.3.2: <a href="http://www.lua.org/manual/5.3/manual.html">Lua 5.3 reference manual</a>.
16173 <h2>Integration</h2>
16176 Like Control surfaces and the GUI, Lua Scripts are confined to certain aspects of the program. Ardour provides the framework and runs Lua (not the other way around).
16181 In Ardour's case Lua is available:
16185 <dt>Editor Action Scripts</dt><dd>User initiated actions (menu, shortcuts) for batch processing</dd>
16186 <dt>Editor Hooks/Callbacks</dt><dd>Event triggered actions for the Editor/Mixer GUI</dd>
16187 <dt>Session Scripts</dt><dd>Scripts called at the start of every audio cycle (session, real-time)</dd>
16188 <dt>DSP Scripts</dt><dd>Audio/Midi processor—plugins with access to the Ardour session (per track/bus, real-time)</dd>
16189 <dt>Script Console</dt><dd>Action Script commandline</dd>
16193 There are is also a special mode:
16197 <dt>Commandline Tool</dt><dd>Replaces the complete Editor GUI, direct access to libardour (no GUI) from the commandline.<br/>
16198 <em>Be aware that the vast majority of complex functionality is provided by the Editor UI.</em></dd>
16201 <h2>Managing Scripts</h2>
16204 Ardour searches for Lua scripts in the <code>scripts</code> folder in <code>$ARDOUR_DATA_PATH</code>, Apart from scripts included directly with Ardour, this includes
16208 <tr><th>GNU/Linux</th><td><code>$HOME/.config/ardour5/scripts</code></td></tr>
16209 <tr><th>Mac OS X</th><td><code>$HOME/Library/Preferences/Ardour5/scripts</code></td></tr>
16210 <tr><th>Windows</th><td><code>%localappdata%\ardour5\scripts</code></td></tr>
16213 <p>Files must end with <code>.lua</code> file extension.</p>
16215 <p>Scripts are managed via the GUI</p>
16218 <dt>Editor Action Scripts</dt><dd>Menu → Edit → Scripted Actions → Manage</dd>
16219 <dt>Editor Hooks/Callbacks</dt><dd>Menu → Edit → Scripted Actions → Manage</dd>
16220 <dt>Session Scripts</dt><dd>Menu → Session → Scripting → Add/Remove Script</dd>
16221 <dt>DSP Scripts</dt><dd>Mixer-strip → context menu (right click) → New Lua Proc</dd>
16222 <dt>Script Console</dt><dd>Menu → Window → Scripting</dd>
16225 <h2>Script Layout</h2>
16228 <li>Every script must include an <code>ardour</code> descriptor table. Required fields are "Name" and "Type".</li>
16229 <li>A script must provide a <em>Factory method</em>: A function with optional instantiation parameters which returns the actual script.</li>
16230 <li>[optional]: list of parameters for the "factory".</li>
16231 <li>in case of DSP scripts, an optional list of automatable parameters and possible audio/midi port configurations, and a <code>dsp_run</code> function, more on that later.</li>
16234 <p>A minimal example script looks like:</p>
16237 <pre><code class="lua">
16239 ["type"] = "EditorAction",
16243 function factory (unused_params)
16245 Session:goto_start() -- rewind the transport
16252 The common part for all scripts is the "Descriptor". It's a Lua function which returns a table (key/values) with the following keys (the keys are case-sensitive):
16256 <dt>type [required]</dt><dd>one of "<code>DSP</code>", "<code>Session</code>", "<code>EditorHook</code>", "<code>EditorAction</code>" (the type is not case-sensitive)</dd>
16257 <dt>name [required]</dt><dd>Name/Title of the script</dd>
16258 <dt>author</dt><dd>Your Name</dd>
16259 <dt>license</dt><dd>The license of the script (e.g. "GPL" or "MIT")</dd>
16260 <dt>description</dt><dd>A longer text explaining to the user what the script does</dd>
16264 Scripts that come with Ardour (currently mostly examples) can be found in the <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/tree/master/scripts">Source Tree</a>.
16267 <h3>Action Scripts</h3>
16270 Action scripts are the simplest form. An anonymous Lua function is called whenever the action is triggered. A simple action script is shown above.
16273 There are 10 action script slots available, each of which is a standard GUI action available from the menu and hence can be bound to a keyboard shortcut.
16276 <h3>Session Scripts</h3>
16279 Session scripts similar to Actions Scripts, except the anonymous function is called periodically every process cycle. The function receives a single parameter—the number of audio samples which are processed in the given cycle
16283 <pre><code class="lua">
16285 ["type"] = "session",
16286 name = "Example Session Script",
16288 An Example Ardour Session Script.
16289 This example stops the transport after rolling for a specific time.]]
16292 -- instantiation options, these are passed to the "factory" method below
16293 function sess_params ()
16296 ["print"] = { title = "Debug Print (yes/no)", default = "no", optional = true },
16297 ["time"] = { title = "Timeout (sec)", default = "90", optional = false },
16301 function factory (params)
16302 return function (n_samples)
16303 local p = params["print"] or "no"
16304 local timeout = params["time"] or 90
16306 if p ~= "no" then print (a, n_samples, Session:frame_rate (), Session:transport_rolling ()) end -- debug output (not rt safe)
16307 if (not Session:transport_rolling()) then
16312 if (a > timeout * Session:frame_rate()) then
16313 Session:request_transport_speed(0.0, true)
16320 <h3>Action Hooks</h3>
16323 Action hook scripts must define an additional function which returns a <em>Set</em> of Signal that which trigger the callback (documenting available slots and their parameters remains to be done).
16327 <pre><code class="lua">
16329 ["type"] = "EditorHook",
16330 name = "Hook Example",
16331 description = "Rewind On Solo Change, Write a file when regions are moved.",
16334 function signals ()
16335 s = LuaSignal.Set()
16338 [LuaSignal.SoloActive] = true,
16339 [LuaSignal.RegionPropertyChanged] = true
16345 function factory (params)
16346 return function (signal, ref, ...)
16347 -- print (signal, ref, ...)
16349 if (signal == LuaSignal.SoloActive) then
16350 Session:goto_start()
16353 if (signal == LuaSignal.RegionPropertyChanged) then
16355 file = io.open ("/tmp/test" ,"a")
16357 io.write (string.format ("Region: '%s' pos-changed: %s, length-changed: %s\n",
16359 tostring (pch:containsFramePos (ARDOUR.Properties.Start)),
16360 tostring (pch:containsFramePos (ARDOUR.Properties.Length))
16369 <h3>DSP Scripts</h3>
16371 <p>See the scripts folder for examples for now.</p>
16373 <p>Some notes for further doc:</p>
16376 <li>required function: <code>dsp_ioconfig ()</code>: return a list of possible audio I/O configurations—follows Audio Unit conventions.</li>
16377 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_dsp_midi_input ()</code>: return true if the plugin can receive midi input</li>
16378 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_params ()</code>: return a table of possible parameters (automatable)</li>
16379 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_init (samplerate)</code>: called when instantiation the plugin with given samplerate.</li>
16380 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_configure (in, out)</code>: called after instantiation with configured plugin i/o.</li>
16381 <li>required function: <code>dsp_run (ins, outs, n_samples)</code> OR <code>dsp_runmap (bufs, in_map, out_map, n_samples, offset)</code>: DSP process callback. The former is a convenient abstraction that passes mapped buffers (as table). The latter is a direct pass-through matching Ardour's internal <code>::connect_and_run()</code> API, which requires the caller to map and offset raw buffers.</li>
16382 <li>plugin parameters are handled via the global variable <code>CtrlPorts</code>.</li>
16383 <li>midi data is passed via the global variable <code>mididata</code> which is valid during <code>dsp_run</code> only. (dsp_runmap requires the script to pass raw data from the buffers according to in_map)</li>
16384 <li>The script has access to the current session via the global variable Session, but access to the session methods are limited to realtime safe functions</li>
16387 <h2>Accessing Ardour Objects</h2>
16390 The top most object in Ardour is the <code>ARDOUR::Session</code>. Fundamentally, a Session is just a collection of other things: Routes (tracks, busses), Sources (Audio/Midi), Regions, Playlists, Locations, Tempo map, Undo/Redo history, Ports, Transport state & controls, etc.
16394 Every Lua interpreter can access it via the global variable <code>Session</code>.
16398 GUI context interpreters also have an additional object in the global environment: The Ardour <code>Editor</code>. The Editor provides access to high level functionality which is otherwise triggered via GUI interaction such as undo/redo, open/close windows, select objects, drag/move regions. It also holds the current UI state: snap-mode, zoom-range, etc. The Editor also provides complex operations such as "import audio" which under the hood, creates a new Track, adds a new Source Objects (for every channel) with optional resampling, creates both playlist and regions and loads the region onto the Track all the while displaying a progress information to the user.
16402 Documenting the bound C++ methods and class hierarchy is somewhere on the ToDo list. Meanwhile <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/blob/master/libs/ardour/luabindings.cc">luabindings.cc</a> is the best we can offer.
16408 <li>There are no bound constructors: Lua asks Ardour to create objects (e.g. add a new track), then receives a reference to the object to modify it.</li>
16409 <li>Scripts, once loaded, are saved with the Session (no reference to external files). This provides for portable Sessions.</li>
16410 <li>Lua Scripts are never executed directly. They provide a "factory" method which can have optional instantiation parameters, which returns a lua closure.</li>
16411 <li>No external lua modules/libraries can be used, scripts need to be self contained (portable across different systems (libs written in Lua can be used, and important c-libs/functions can be included with ardour if needed).</li>
16415 Ardour is a highly multithreaded application and interaction between the different threads, particularly real-time threads, needs to to be done with care. This part has been abstracted away by providing separate Lua interpreters in different contexts and restricting available interaction:
16419 <li>Editor Actions run in a single instance interpreter in the GUI thread.</li>
16420 <li>Editor Hooks connect to libardour signals. Every Callback uses a dedicated lua interpreter which is in the GUI thread context.</li>
16421 <li>All Session scripts run in a single instance in the main real-time thread (audio callback)</li>
16422 <li>DSP scripts have a separate instance per script and run in one of the DSP threads.</li>
16426 The available interfaces differ between contexts. e.g. it is not possible to create new tracks or import audio from real-time context; while it is not possible to modify audio buffers from the GUI thread.
16429 <h2>Current State</h2>
16431 <p>Fully functional, yet still in a prototyping stage:</p>
16434 <li>The GUI to add/configure scripts is rather minimalistic.</li>
16435 <li>The interfaces may change (particularly DSP, and Session script <code>run()</code>.</li>
16436 <li>Further planned work includes:
16438 <li>Built-in Script editor (customize/modify Scripts in-place)</li>
16439 <li>convenience methods (wrap more complex Ardour actions into a library). e.g set plugin parameters, write automation lists from a lua table</li>
16440 <li>Add some useful scripts and more examples</li>
16441 <li>Documentation (Ardour API), also usable for tab-exansion, syntax highlighting</li>
16442 <li>bindings for GUI Widgets (plugin UIs, message boxes, etc)</li>
16450 Apart from the <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/tree/master/scripts">scripts included with the source-code</a> here are a few examples without further comments...
16453 <h3>Editor Console Examples</h3>
16456 <pre><code class="lua">
16457 print (Session:route_by_remote_id(1):name())
16459 a = Session:route_by_remote_id(1);
16462 print(Session:get_tracks():size())
16464 for i, v in ipairs(Session:unknown_processors():table()) do print(v) end
16465 for i, v in ipairs(Session:get_tracks():table()) do print(v:name()) end
16467 for t in Session:get_tracks():iter() do print(t:name()) end
16468 for r in Session:get_routes():iter() do print(r:name()) end
16471 Session:tempo_map():add_tempo(ARDOUR.Tempo(100,4), Timecode.BBT_TIME(4,1,0))
16474 Editor:set_zoom_focus(Editing.ZoomFocusRight)
16475 print(Editing.ZoomFocusRight);
16476 Editor:set_zoom_focus(1)
16479 files = C.StringVector();
16480 files:push_back("/home/rgareus/data/coding/ltc-tools/smpte.wav")
16482 Editor:do_import(files, Editing.ImportDistinctFiles, Editing.ImportAsTrack, ARDOUR.SrcQuality.SrcBest, pos, ARDOUR.PluginInfo())
16485 Editor:do_import(C.StringVector():add({"/path/to/file.wav"}), Editing.ImportDistinctFiles, Editing.ImportAsTrack, ARDOUR.SrcQuality.SrcBest, -1, ARDOUR.PluginInfo())
16487 # called when a new session is loaded:
16488 function new_session (name) print("NEW SESSION:", name) end
16491 # read/set/describe a plugin parameter
16492 route = Session:route_by_remote_id(1)
16493 processor = route:nth_plugin(0)
16494 plugininsert = processor:to_insert()
16496 plugin = plugininsert:plugin(0)
16497 print (plugin:label())
16498 print (plugin:parameter_count())
16500 x = ARDOUR.ParameterDescriptor ()
16501 _, t = plugin:get_parameter_descriptor(2, x) -- port #2
16503 print (paramdesc.lower)
16505 ctrl = Evoral.Parameter(ARDOUR.AutomationType.PluginAutomation, 0, 2)
16506 ac = plugininsert:automation_control(ctrl, false)
16507 print (ac:get_value ())
16508 ac:set_value(1.0, PBD.GroupControlDisposition.NoGroup)
16510 # the same using a convenience wrapper:
16511 route = Session:route_by_remote_id(1)
16512 proc = t:nth_plugin (i)
16513 ARDOUR.LuaAPI.set_processor_param (proc, 2, 1.0)
16518 <h3>Commandline Session</h3>
16521 The standalone tool <code>luasession</code> allows one to access an Ardour session directly from the commandline. Interaction is limited by the fact that most actions in Ardour are provided by the Editor GUI.
16525 <code>luasession</code> provides only two special functions <code>load_session</code> and <code>close_session</code> and exposes the <code>AudioEngine</code> instance as global variable.
16529 <pre><code class="lua">
16530 for i,_ in AudioEngine:available_backends():iter() do print (i.name) end
16532 backend = AudioEngine:set_backend("ALSA", "", "")
16533 print (AudioEngine:current_backend_name())
16535 for i,_ in backend:enumerate_devices():iter() do print (i.name) end
16537 backend:set_input_device_name("HDA Intel PCH")
16538 backend:set_output_device_name("HDA Intel PCH")
16540 print (backend:buffer_size())
16541 print (AudioEngine:get_last_backend_error())
16543 s = load_session ("/home/rgareus/Documents/ArdourSessions/lua2/", "lua2")
16544 s:request_transport_speed (1.0)
16545 print (s:transport_rolling())
16554 title: Class Reference
16556 include: class_reference.html