4 title: Introduction to Ardour
10 title: Welcome to Ardour
15 title: About Ardour's documentation
19 <h2>Conventions Used In This Manual</h2>
22 This section covers some of the typographical and language conventions used in this manual.
25 <h3>Keyboards and Modifiers</h3>
28 <dfn>Keyboard bindings</dfn> are shown like this: <kbd>s</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.
32 <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.
36 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.
40 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.
43 <h3>Mouse Buttons</h3>
46 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.
49 <h4>Mouse click modifiers</h4>
52 Many editing functions are performed by clicking the mouse while holding a modifier key, for example <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>.
58 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>.
61 <h4>Context-click</h4>
64 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.
67 <h4>"The Pointer"</h4>
70 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.
73 <h3>Other user input</h3>
76 Ardour supports hardware controllers, such as banks of <kbd class="fader">faders</kbd>, <kbd class="knob">knobs</kbd>, or <kbd class="button">buttons</kbd>.
82 Menu items are indicated like this:<br />
83 <kbd class="menu">Top > Next > Deeper</kbd>.<br />
84 Each ">"-separated item indicates one level of a nested (sub-)menu.
87 <h3>Preference/Dialog Options</h3>
90 Choices in various dialogs, notably the Preferences and Properties dialog, are
91 indicated like this:<br />
92 <kbd class="option">Edit > Preferences > Audio > Some
94 Each successive item indicates either a (sub-) menu or a tabbed dialog
95 navigation. The final item is the one to choose or select.
99 If you are requested to deselect an option, you will see something like
101 <kbd class="optoff">Edit > Preferences > Audio > Some other
108 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:
111 <kbd class="cmd lin">cat /proc/cpuinfo</kbd>
112 <kbd class="cmd mac">sleep 3600</kbd>
113 <kbd class="cmd win">ping www.google.com</kbd>
115 <h3>Program Output</h3>
118 Important messages from Ardour or other programs will be displayed <samp>like this</samp>.
124 Important notes about things that might not otherwise be obvious are shown in this format.
130 Hairy issues that might cause things to go wrong, lose data, impair sound quality, or eat your proverbial goldfish, are displayed in this way.
135 title: Welcome to Ardour!
140 <dfn>Ardour</dfn> is a professional digital workstation for working with audio and MIDI.
143 <h2>Ardour is meant for...</h2>
145 <h3>Audio Engineers</h3>
148 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.
154 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.
157 <h3>Soundtrack Editors</h3>
160 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.
166 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.
169 <h2>Ardour features...</h2>
171 <h3>Audio and MIDI Multi-Track Recording and Editing</h3>
174 Any number of tracks and busses. Non-linear editing. Non-destructive (and destructive!) recording. Any bit depth, any sample rate. Dozens of file formats.
177 <h3>Plugins with Full Sample Accurate Automation</h3>
180 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.
183 <h3>Transport Sync and External Control Surfaces</h3>
186 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.
189 <h3>Powerful Anywhere-to-Anywhere Signal Routing</h3>
192 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.
195 <h3>Video Timeline</h3>
198 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.
207 <dfn>Ardour</dfn> allows recording and editing both audio and MIDI data, addin of many different kinds of effects and mixing.
210 <p>Some things Ardour is used for include:</p>
213 <li>Digitally record acoustic/electric instruments or vocals</li>
214 <li>Compose and arrange audio and MIDI tracks</li>
215 <li>Edit live recordings</li>
216 <li>Mix and edit movie soundtracks and dialogue</li>
217 <li>Create sound designs for an arbitrary number of output channels</li>
221 title: Isn't This A Really Complicated Program?
226 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.
230 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.
234 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>.
238 title: Why Write a DAW for Linux?
243 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:
247 <li>older versions of Windows: plagued by abysmal stability and appalling security</li>
248 <li>newer versions of Windows seem stable but still suffer from security problems</li>
249 <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>
253 Security matters today, and will matter more in the future as more and more live or semi-live network based collaborations take place.
257 Let's contrast this with Linux, an operating system which:
261 <li>can stay up for months (or even years) without issues</li>
262 <li>is endlessly configurable down to the tiniest detail</li>
263 <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>
264 <li>is fast and efficient</li>
265 <li>runs on almost any computing platform ever created, including old "slow" systems and new "tiny" systems (e.g. Raspberry Pi)</li>
266 <li>is one of the most secure operating systems "out of the box"</li>
270 More than anything, however, Ardour's primary author uses Linux and wanted a DAW that ran there.
274 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.
278 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.
282 title: Why is it called Ardour?
287 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:
291 <dfn>ardour</dfn> n 1: a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of
292 a person or cause); "they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor"; "he
293 felt a kind of religious zeal" [syn: ardor, elan, zeal]<br />
294 2: intense feeling of love [syn: ardor]<br />
295 3: feelings of great warmth and intensity; "he spoke with great ardor"
296 [syn: ardor, fervor, fervour, fervency, fire, fervidness]
300 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.
304 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.
308 title: Why write another DAW?
313 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.
316 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:
320 <li>they do not run natively on Linux</li>
321 <li>they are not available in source code form, making modifications, improvements, bugfixes by technically inclined users or their friends or consultants impossible.</li>
325 title: Additional Resources
330 In addition to this documentation, you may check a variety of other <dfn>resources</dfn>:
334 <li>the <a href="https://ardour.org/whatsnew.html">Ardour release
336 <li>the <a href="https://community.ardour.org/forums">Ardour
338 <li>information about <a href="https://community.ardour.org/community">Ardour
339 Support</a> via mailing lists and IRC (chat)</li>
343 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.
347 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.
352 title: Creating Music with Ardour
356 <p class="fixme"> misplaced</p>
358 Ardour can be used in many different ways, from extremely simple to
359 extremely complex. Many projects will be handled using the following
360 kind of <dfn>workflow</dfn>.
363 <h2>Stage 1: Creating Your Project</h2>
366 The first step is to create a new <dfn>session</dfn>, or open an
367 existing one. A session consists of a folder containing a session file
368 that defines all the information about the session. All media files used
369 by the session can be stored within the session folder.
373 More details on sessions can be found in
374 <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.
377 <h2>Stage 2: Creating and Importing Audio and MIDI data</h2>
380 Once you have a session, you will want to add some audio and/or MIDI
381 material to it, which can be done in one of 3 ways:
385 <li><dfn>Record</dfn> incoming audio or MIDI data, either via audio or MIDI hardware
386 connected to your computer, or from other applications.</li>
387 <li><dfn>Create</dfn> new MIDI data using the mouse and/or various dialogs</li>
388 <li><dfn>Import</dfn> existing media files into the session</li>
391 <dfn>MIDI recordings</dfn> consist of performance data ("play note X at
392 time T") rather than actual sound. As a result, they are more flexible
393 than actual audio, since the precise sound that they will generate when
394 played depends on where you send the MIDI to.<br />
395 Two different synthesizers may produce very different sound in response
396 to the same incoming MIDI data.
399 <dfn>Audio recordings</dfn> can be made from external instruments with
400 electrical outputs (keyboards, guitars etc.) or via microphones from
401 acoustic instruments.
404 Ardour uses the <dfn>JACK Audio Connection Kit</dfn> for all audio and
405 MIDI I/O, which means that recording audio/MIDI from other applications
406 is fundamentally identical to recording audio/MIDI from your audio/MIDI
410 <h2>Stage 3: Editing and Arranging</h2>
412 Once you have some material within the session, you can start to arrange
413 it in time. This is done in one of the two main windows of Ardour, the
414 <dfn>Editor</dfn> window.
417 Your audio/MIDI data appears in chunks called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which
418 are arranged into horizontal lanes called <dfn>tracks</dfn>. Tracks are
419 stacked vertically in the Editor window. You can copy, shorten, move,
420 and delete regions without changing the actual data stored in the session
421 at all—Ardour is a <dfn>non-destructive</dfn> editor. (Almost)
422 nothing that you do while editing will ever modify the files stored on
423 disk (except the session file itself).
426 You can also carry out many <dfn>transformations</dfn> to the contents
427 of regions, again without altering anything on disk. You can alter,
428 move, and delete MIDI notes, and remove silence from audio regions, for
432 <h2>Stage 4: Mixing and Adding Effects</h2>
434 Once you have the arrangement of your session mostly complete, you will
435 typically move on to the <dfn>mixing</dfn> phase. Mixing is a broad term
436 to cover the way the audio signals that your session generates during
437 playback and processed and added together into a final result that you
438 actually hear. It can involve altering the relative levels of various
439 parts of the session, adding effects that improve or transform certain
440 elements, and others that bring the sound of the whole session to a new
444 Ardour will allow you to <dfn>automate</dfn> changes to any mixing
445 parameters (such as volume, panning, and effects controls)—it will
446 record the changes you make over time, using a mouse or keyboard or some
447 external control device, and can play back those changes later. This is
448 very useful because often the settings you need will vary in one part of
449 a session compared to another—rather than using a single setting
450 for the volume, you may need increases followed by decreases (for example,
451 to track the changing volume of a singer). Using automation can make all
452 of this relatively simple.
455 <h2>Stage 5: Export</h2>
457 Once you are really satisfied with the arrangement and mix of your
458 session, you will typically want to produce a single audio file that
459 contains a ready-to-listen to version of the work. Ardour will allow you to
460 <dfn>export</dfn> audio files in a variety of formats (simultaneously in
461 some cases). This exported file would typically be used in creating a CD,
462 or be the basis for digital distribution of the work.
465 Of course sometimes you will want to do export material that isn't finished
466 yet, for example to give a copy to someone else to try to mix on their own
467 system. Ardour will allow you to export as much of a session as you want, at
468 any time, in any supported format.
473 title: Ardour Concepts
479 title: Understanding Basic Concepts and Terminology
484 This section will help you get acquainted with the basic terminology and
485 concepts associated with Ardour. More detailed information on each aspect
486 of the program is provided in later chapters.
491 An <dfn>Ardour session</dfn> is a container for an entire project. A
492 session may contain an arbitrary number of <dfn>tracks</dfn> and
493 <dfn>busses</dfn> consisting of audio and <abbr title="Musical Instrument
494 Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> data, along with
495 information on processing those tracks, a mix of levels, and everything
496 else related to the project. A session might typically contain a song, or
497 perhaps an entire album or a complete live recording.
500 Ardour sessions are held in directories; these directories contain one or
501 more <dfn>session files</dfn>, some or all of the audio and MIDI data and
502 a number of other state files that Ardour requires. The session file
503 describes the structure of the session, and holds automation data and
507 Ardour's session file is kept in
508 <abbr title="eXtensible Markup Language">XML</abbr> format, which is
509 advantageous as it is somewhat human-readable, and human-editable in a
510 crisis. Sound files are stored in one of a number of optional formats, and
511 MIDI files as <abbr title="Standard MIDI File">SMF</abbr>.
514 It is also possible for Ardour sessions to reference sound and MIDI files
515 outside the session directory, to conserve disk space and avoid
516 unnecessary copying if the data is available elsewhere on the disk.
519 Ardour has a single current session at all times; if Ardour is started
520 without specifying one, it will offer to load or create one.
523 More details can be found at
524 <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.
529 A <dfn>track</dfn> is a concept common to most
530 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAWs</abbr>, and also used in
531 Ardour. Tracks can record audio or MIDI data to disk, and then replay
532 it with processing. They also allow the audio or MIDI data to be edited
533 in a variety of different ways.
536 In a typical pop production, one might use a track each for the kick
537 drum, another for the snare, more perhaps for the drum overheads and
538 others for bass, guitars and vocals.
541 Ardour can record to any number of tracks at one time, and then play
542 those tracks back. On playback, a track's recordings may be processed by
543 any number of plugins, panned, and its level altered to achieve a
547 A track's type is really only related to the type of data that it stores
548 on disk. It is possible, for example, to have a MIDI track with a
549 synthesizer plugin which converts MIDI to audio. Even though the track
550 remains MIDI (in the sense that its on-disk recordings are MIDI), its
551 output may be audio-only.
554 More details can be found at
555 <a href="/working-with-tracks">Working With Tracks</a>.
558 <h2 id="busses">Busses</h2>
560 <dfn>Busses</dfn> are another common concept in both DAWs and hardware
561 mixers. They are similar in many ways to tracks; they process audio or
562 MIDI, and can run processing plugins. The only difference is that their
563 input is obtained from other tracks or busses, rather than from disk.
566 One might typically use a bus to collect together the outputs of related
567 tracks. Consider, for example, a 3-track recording of a drum-kit; given
568 kick, snare and overhead tracks, it may be helpful to connect the output
569 of each to a bus called "drums", so that the drum-kit's level can be set
570 as a unit, and processing (such as equalisation or compression) can be
571 applied to the mix of all tracks. Such buses are also called
577 A track may contain many segments of audio or MIDI. Ardour contains
578 these segments in things called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which are
579 self-contained snippets of audio or MIDI data. Any recording pass, for
580 example, generates a region on each track that is enabled for recording.
581 Regions can be subjected to many editing operations; they may be moved
582 around, split, trimmed, copied, and so on.
585 More details can be found at
586 <a href="/working-with-regions">Working With Regions</a>.
591 The details of what exactly each track should play back is described by a
592 <dfn>playlist</dfn>. A playlist is simply a list of regions; each track
593 always has an active playlist, and can have other playlists which can be
594 switched in and out as required.
597 More details can be found at
598 <a href="/working-with-playlists">Working With Playlists</a>.
603 Ardour allows you to process audio and MIDI using any number of
604 <dfn>plugins</dfn>. These are external pieces of code, commonly seen as
605 VST plugins on Windows or AU plugins on Mac OS X. Ardour supports
606 the following plugin standards:
608 <dl class="wide-table">
609 <dt><abbr title="Linux Audio Developers' Simple Plugin API">LADSPA</abbr></dt>
610 <dd>the first major plugin standard for Linux. Many LADSPA plugins are
611 available, mostly free and open-source.</dd>
612 <dt><abbr title="LADSPA Version 2">LV2</abbr></dt>
613 <dd>the successor to LADSPA. Lots of plugins have been ported from
614 LADSPA to LV2, and also many new plugins written.</dd>
615 <dt><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr></dt>
616 <dd>Ardour supports VST plugins that have been compiled for Linux.</dd>
617 <dt><abbr title="Audio Units">AU</abbr></dt>
618 <dd>Mac OS X versions of Ardour support AudioUnit plugins.</dd>
621 Ardour has some support for running Windows VST plugins on Linux, but
622 this is rather complicated, extremely difficult for the Ardour
623 developers to debug, and generally unreliable, as it requires to run a
624 large amount of Windows code in an emulated environment.<br />
625 If it is at all possible, you are strongly advised to use native
626 LADSPA, LV2 or Linux VST plugins on Linux, or AU on Mac OS X.
629 More details can be found at
630 <a href="/working-with-plugins">Working With Plugins</a>.
635 title: Basic GUI Operations
640 Ardour offers a number of different ways for you to interact with it.
641 This chapter provides information on basic techniques for <dfn>entering
642 text</dfn>, <dfn>making selections</dfn>, and <dfn>using shortcuts</dfn>.
646 title: Interface Elements
652 <h2>Pull Down Menus</h2>
653 <h2>Pop Up Menus</h2>
654 <h2>Context Menus</h2>
657 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
665 Almost every available function in Ardour can be executed via a
666 <dfn>key binding</dfn> or <dfn><abbr title="Open Sound
667 Control">OSC</abbr></dfn> command. There are many more functions
668 available than there are keys on even the largest current computer
669 keyboards, so only a subset of them are bound to keys by default.
672 <h2>Key bindings for menu items</h2>
675 Existing key bindings in menus are listed on the right side of the
680 To create a custom key binding for a menu item quickly, navigate to
681 the relevant (sub-) menu, hover over the item with the mouse and press
682 the desired combination of modifiers and key.
686 Ardour will silently re-assign the binding if you use a key
687 combination that is already in use, possibly removing a standard
688 keyboard shortcut without warning you. That might lead to confusion
689 when you ask other users for help, and they explain something in terms
690 of a standard key binding, which will then have a completely
691 different effect on your system.
694 <h2>Key binding editor</h2>
697 For a complete overview of all existing keyboard bindings, go to
698 <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings</kbd>. This widget will let
699 you view and edit even those functions that are not available in the menu,
700 and even remove key bindings altogether.
704 title: Selection Techniques
709 Ardour follows the conventions used by most other computer software
710 (including other DAWs) for <dfn>selecting objects</dfn> in the
711 <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr>.
714 <h2>Selecting individual objects</h2>
717 Clicking on an object (sometimes on a particular part of its
718 on-screen representation) will select the object, and deselect other
722 <h2>Selecting multiple (similar) objects</h2>
725 A <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd> click on an object toggles its
726 <samp>selected</samp> status, so using <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd>
727 on a series of objects will select (or deselect) each one of them. You can
728 construct completely arbitrary selections with this technique.
731 <h2>Selecting a range of objects</h2>
734 In cases where the idea of "select all objects between this one and that
735 one" makes sense, you can select one object and then click
736 <kbd class="mod3 mouse">left</kbd> on another to select both of them as
737 well as all objects in between.
740 <h2>Time range selection</h2>
743 To select a time <dfn>range</dfn> in the Editor,
744 click <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> and drag the mouse.
745 A <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd> drag then lets you create other
746 ranges and a <kbd class="mod3 mouse">left</kbd> click extends a range
747 to cover a wider area.
750 <h2>Selection Undo</h2>
753 The set of objects (including time range) that are selected at any one
754 time is known as the selection.
755 Each time you select or deselect an object, the new selection is stored in an
757 This stack is cleared each time the content of the timeline changes.
758 If you have built up a complex selection and then accidentally cleared it,
759 choosing <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd> will restore your previous selection.
760 If you then decide that you had in fact made the correct change, choosing
761 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Redo Selection Change</kbd> will take you back
762 to where you were before you chose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd>.
771 By default, Ardour will show helpful <dfn>tooltips</dfn> about
772 the purpose and use of each <abbr title="Graphical User
773 Interface">GUI</abbr> element if you position the pointer
774 over it and hover there for a short while.
775 These little pop-up messages can be a good way to discover the
776 purpose of many aspects of the GUI.
780 Pop-ups can be distracting for experienced users, who may opt to
781 disable them via <kbd class="optoff">Edit > Preferences > GUI >
782 Show tooltip if mouse hovers over a control</kbd>.
786 title: Undo/Redo for Editing
791 While editing, it happens that you apply an unintended change, or make
792 a choice one that you later decide was wrong. All changes to the
793 arrangement of session components (regions, control points) along the
794 timeline can be <dfn>undone</dfn> (and <dfn>redone</dfn> if necessary).
798 The default keybindings are <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> for Undo and
799 <kbd class="mod1">R</kbd> for Redo. These match the conventions of most
800 other applications that provide undo/redo.
804 Changes are also saved to the <dfn>session history</dfn> file, so that
805 undo/redo is possible even if you close the session and reopen it later,
806 even if you quit Ardour in between.
810 The maximum number of changes that can be undone can be configured under
811 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Undo</kbd>.
812 The maximum number of changes stored in the history file is a separate
813 parameter, and can also be set in the same place.
817 In addition to the normal undo (which works only on actions that change
818 the timeline), there is a <dfn>visual undo</dfn> which will revert any
819 command that affects the display of the editor window. Its shortcut is
820 <kbd class="mod3">Z</kbd>.
821 There is also an undo for selection. See
822 <a href="/ardours-interface/basic-gui-operations/selection-techniques/">Selection Techniques</a> for more information.
826 Note that changes made to mixer strips, such as turning knobs or changing faders, cannot be undone.
830 title: Using the Mouse
837 Throughout this manual, the term <dfn>click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing
838 and releasing the <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> mouse button. This action is used to select objects, activate
839 buttons, turn choices on and off, pop up menus and so forth.<br />
840 On touch surfaces, it also corresponds to a single, one-finger tap on
844 <h2>Right Clicking</h2>
847 The term <dfn>right-click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing and releasing
848 the <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd> mouse button.
849 This action is used to pop up <dfn>context menus</dfn> (hence the term
850 "context click", which you will also see). It is also used by default in
851 combination with the shift key to delete objects within the editor
856 Some mice designed for use with Mac OS X may have only one button. By
857 convention, pressing and holding the Control key while clicking is
858 interpreted as a right-click by many application..
861 <h2>Middle Clicking</h2>
864 A <dfn>middle-click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing and releasing the
865 <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd> mouse button. Not all all mice have a middle click button
866 (see the <a href="/setting-up-your-system/mouse/">Mouse</a> chapter for
867 details). Sometimes the scroll wheel acts as a clickable middle button.
868 This action is used for time-constrained region copying and mapping MIDI
873 Internally, your operating system may identify the mouse buttons as
874 <kbd class="mouse">Button1</kbd>, <kbd class="mouse">Button2</kbd>, and
875 <kbd class="mouse">Button3</kbd>, respectively. It may be possible to
876 invert the order of buttons to accommodate left-handed users, or to re-assign
877 them arbitrarily. This manual assumes the canonical order.
880 <h2>Double Clicking</h2>
883 A <dfn>double click</dfn> refers to two rapid press/release cycles on the
884 leftmost mouse button. The time interval between the two actions that
885 determines whether this is seen as two clicks or one double click is
886 controlled by your system preferences, not by Ardour.
892 A <dfn>drag</dfn> primarily refers to the act of pressing the leftmost
893 mouse button, moving the mouse with the button held down, and then
894 releasing the button. On touch surfaces, this term also corresponds to
895 a single one-finger touch-move-release action.
899 Ardour also uses the middle mouse button for certain kinds of drags,
900 which will be referred to as <dfn>middle-drag</dfn>.
906 There are many actions in Ardour that can be carried out using a mouse
907 button in combination with a <dfn>modifier key</dfn>. When the manual
908 refers to <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd>, it means that you should first
909 press the <kbd class="mod1"></kbd> key, carry out a left click
910 while <kbd class="mod1"></kbd> is held down, and then finally release the key.
914 Available modifiers depend on your platform:
917 <h3>Linux Modifiers</h3>
920 <li><kbd>Ctrl</kbd> (Control)</li>
921 <li><kbd>Shift</kbd></li>
922 <li><kbd>Alt</kbd></li>
923 <li><kbd>Mod2</kbd></li>
924 <li><kbd>Mod3</kbd></li>
925 <li><kbd>Mod4</kbd></li>
926 <li><kbd>Mod5</kbd></li>
930 The following section is almost certainly wrong. Will need to be checked
935 Mod2 typically corresponds to the <kbd>NumLock</kbd> key on many systems.
936 On most Linux systems, there are no keys that will function as modifiers
937 Mod3, Mod4 or Mod5 by default, but they can be setup using
938 <dfn>xmodmap(1)</dfn>. This can be rather useful.
941 <h3>OS X Modifiers</h3>
944 <li><kbd>Cmd</kbd> (Command, "windmill")</li>
945 <li><kbd>Ctrl</kbd> (Control)</li>
946 <li><kbd>Alt</kbd> (Option)</li>
947 <li><kbd>Shift</kbd></li>
950 <h2>Scroll Wheel</h2>
953 Ardour can make good use of a <dfn>scroll wheel</dfn> on your mouse, which can be
954 utilized for a variety of purposes. Scroll wheels generate vertical
955 scroll events, <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> (ScrollUp) and
956 <kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> (ScrollDown). Some also emit horizontal
957 events, <kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd> (ScrollLeft) and
958 <kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd> (ScrollRight).
962 When appropriate, Ardour will differentiate between these two different
963 scroll axes. Otherwise it will interpret ScrollDown and ScrollLeft as
964 equivalent and similarly interpret ScrollUp and ScrollRight as equivalent.
968 Typically, scroll wheel input is used to adjust
969 <dfn>continuous controls</dfn> such as faders and knobs, or to scroll
970 vertically or horizontally inside a window.
973 <p class="fixme">Should add some mention of drag & drop operations; the "Dragging" section above doesn't mention it at all.</p>
976 title: Cut and Paste Operations
981 The <dfn>clipboard</dfn> is a holder for various kinds of objects (regions,
982 control events, plugins) that is used during <dfn>cut-and-paste
989 A <dfn>cut</dfn> operation removes selected objects and places them in the
990 clipboard. The existing contents of the clipboard are overwriten.<br />
991 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.
997 A <dfn>copy</dfn> of the selected objects are placed in clipboard. There is
998 no effect on the selected objects themselves. The existing contents of the
999 clipboard are overwritten. <br />
1000 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">c</kbd>.
1006 The current contents of the clipboard are <dfn>paste</dfn>d (inserted)
1007 into the session, using the current <dfn>edit point</dfn> as the
1008 destination. The contents of the clipboard remain unchanged—you
1009 can paste the same item multiple times. <br />
1010 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">v</kbd>.
1014 title: Deleting Objects
1019 Within the Editor window (and to some extent within the Mixer window too),
1020 there are several techniques for <dfn>deleting</dfn> objects (regions,
1021 control points, and more).
1024 <h2>Using the mouse and keyboard</h2>
1026 Select the object(s) and then press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key.
1027 This does <strong>not</strong> put the deleted object(s) into the cut
1028 buffer, so they cannot be pasted elsewhere.
1031 <h2>Using normal cut and paste shortcuts</h2>
1033 Select the object(s) and then press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>. This puts
1034 the deleted object(s) into the cut buffer so that they could be pasted
1038 <h2>Using just the mouse</h2>
1040 By default, <kbd class="mouse">Shift Right</kbd> will delete the
1041 clicked-upon object. Like the Del key, this does <strong>not</strong>
1042 put the deleted object(s) into the cut buffer.
1045 The modifier and mouse button used for this can be controlled via
1046 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction >
1047 Delete using ...</kbd>. Any modifier and mouse button combination can
1053 title: Starting Ardour
1058 There are several ways of <dfn>starting Ardour</dfn>, which may vary
1059 depending on which platform you are using it.
1063 <li>double-click the Ardour icon in your platform's file manager (e.g.
1064 Nautilus on Linux, Finder on OS X)</li>
1065 <li>double click on an Ardour session file in your platform's file manager</li>
1066 <li>on Linux, you can also start Ardour <a
1067 href="/ardours-interface/starting-ardour/starting-ardour-from-the-command-line">on the command line</a></li>
1071 When Ardour is run for the very first time, a special dialog is displayed
1072 that will ask you several questions about your setup. You will not be asked
1073 these questions again, but you can always modify your choices via the
1074 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences</kbd> dialog.
1078 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>.
1082 If you open Ardour without specifying an existing session it will display
1083 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.
1086 <h2>Starting Ardour From the Command Line (Linux)</h2>
1089 Like (almost) any other program on Linux, Ardour can be started on the
1090 command line. Type the following command in a terminal window:
1092 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5</kbd>
1094 To start Ardour with an existing session:
1096 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5 <em>/path/to/session</em></kbd>
1098 replacing /path/to/session with the actual path to your session. You can
1099 specify either the session folder or any session file inside the folder,
1100 including snapshots.
1103 To start Ardour with a new, named session:
1105 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5 -N <em>/path/to/session</em></kbd>
1109 title: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts
1115 title: Default Keyboard Bindings
1116 menu_title: Key Bindings
1121 Almost every available function in Ardour can be bound to a keyboard
1122 shortcut (and those few that cannot will usually respond to an <a
1123 href="/using-control-surfaces/controlling-ardour-with-osc/"><abbr
1124 title="Open Sound Control">OSC</abbr> command</a>). Ardour comes with a
1125 rich set of default <dfn>key bindings</dfn> for the most commonly used
1129 <p>These bindings strive to be <dfn>mnemonic</dfn>, that is, easy and intuitive
1130 to remember, and follow widely accepted conventions. As a general rule,
1131 the first letter of an operation will be used for as a shortcut, if
1132 available. This does not necessarily lead to the best ergonomics for
1133 rapid editing—there are alternative binding sets for that—but it does make it simpler for newcomers to remember some of the most
1134 useful ones, for example<br />
1135 <kbd>S</kbd> for <kbd class="menu">Region > Edit > Split"</kbd>
1137 <kbd>P</kbd> for <kbd class="menu">Transport > Playhead > Playhead to Mouse</kbd>.
1141 Almost every key binding in Ardour can be changed in <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings</kbd>.
1145 The conventions for using modifier keys (<kbd class="mod1">‌</kbd>, <kbd
1146 class="mod2">‌</kbd>, <kbd class="mod3">‌</kbd> etc.) differ among platforms, so we provide different default bindings for each.
1150 title: Mnemonic Bindings for Linux
1156 A printable cheat-sheet with the mnemonic bindings for <dfn>Linux</dfn>
1157 is available for download in
1158 <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheatsheet.pdf">US Letter</a> and
1159 <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheatsheet-a4.pdf">A4</a> paper format.
1163 This set of bindings assumes an en_US keyboard. However, most if not all
1164 bindings will also work on other keyboards when you use the
1165 <kbd>AltGr</kbd> to compose those glyphs that are not directly accessible.
1168 <h2>Transport & Recording Control</h2>
1170 <dl class="bindings">
1171 <dt>destroy last recording</dt>
1172 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Del</kbd></dd>
1173 <dt>engage record</dt>
1174 <dd><kbd class="mod3">r</kbd></dd>
1175 <dt>fast forward</dt>
1176 <dd><kbd class="mod3">→</kbd></dd>
1177 <dt>loop play (the loop range)</dt>
1178 <dd><kbd class="">l</kbd></dd>
1180 <dd><kbd class="mod3">←</kbd></dd>
1181 <dt>set playhead position</dt>
1182 <dd><kbd class="">p</kbd></dd>
1183 <dt>start recording</dt>
1184 <dd><kbd class="mod3">Space</kbd></dd>
1185 <dt>stop (keep loop/range play)</dt>
1186 <dd><kbd class="mod12">Space</kbd></dd>
1187 <dt>stop and destroy</dt>
1188 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Space</kbd></dd>
1189 <dt>toggle auto play</dt>
1190 <dd><kbd class="">5</kbd></dd>
1191 <dt>toggle auto return</dt>
1192 <dd><kbd class="">6</kbd></dd>
1193 <dt>toggle click (metronome)</dt>
1194 <dd><kbd class="">7</kbd></dd>
1195 <dt>toggle playhead follows edits</dt>
1196 <dd><kbd class="mod3">F</kbd></dd>
1197 <dt>toggle playhead tracking</dt>
1198 <dd><kbd class="mod1">F</kbd></dd>
1199 <dt>toggle roll</dt>
1200 <dd><kbd class="">Space</kbd></dd>
1201 <dt>toggle selected track rec-enable </dt>
1202 <dd><kbd class="mod3">b</kbd></dd>
1203 <dt>toggle selected track solo status</dt>
1204 <dd><kbd class="mod2">s</kbd></dd>
1205 <dt>transition to reverse</dt>
1206 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↓</kbd></dd>
1207 <dt>transition to roll</dt>
1208 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↑</kbd></dd>
1211 <h2>Session & File Handling</h2>
1213 <dl class="bindings">
1214 <dt>add track(s) or bus(ses)</dt>
1215 <dd><kbd class="mod13">n</kbd></dd>
1216 <dt>export session</dt>
1217 <dd><kbd class="mod4">e</kbd></dd>
1218 <dt>import audio files</dt>
1219 <dd><kbd class="mod1">i</kbd></dd>
1220 <dt>open a new session</dt>
1221 <dd><kbd class="mod1">n</kbd></dd>
1222 <dt>open a recent session</dt>
1223 <dd><kbd class="mod13">o</kbd></dd>
1224 <dt>open an existing session</dt>
1225 <dd><kbd class="mod1">o</kbd></dd>
1227 <dd><kbd class="mod1">q</kbd></dd>
1228 <dt>save session</dt>
1229 <dd><kbd class="mod1">s</kbd></dd>
1230 <dt>snapshot session</dt>
1231 <dd><kbd class="mod13">s</kbd></dd>
1232 <dt>toggle selected track MIDI input</dt>
1233 <dd><kbd class="mod2">i</kbd></dd>
1236 <h2>Changing What's Visible</h2>
1238 <dl class="bindings">
1239 <dt>fit tracks vertically</dt>
1240 <dd><kbd class="">f</kbd></dd>
1241 <dt>move selected tracks down</dt>
1242 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dd>
1243 <dt>move selected tracks up</dt>
1244 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dd>
1245 <dt>scroll down (page)</dt>
1246 <dd><kbd class="">PgDn</kbd></dd>
1247 <dt>scroll down (step)</dt>
1248 <dd><kbd class="">↓</kbd></dd>
1249 <dt>scroll up (page)</dt>
1250 <dd><kbd class="">PgUp</kbd></dd>
1251 <dt>scroll up (step)</dt>
1252 <dd><kbd class="">↑</kbd></dd>
1253 <dt>toggle editor window mixer</dt>
1254 <dd><kbd class="mod3">e</kbd></dd>
1255 <dt>visual undo</dt>
1256 <dd><kbd class="mod3">z</kbd></dd>
1257 <dt>zoom height to selected region(s)</dt>
1258 <dd><kbd class="mod12">z</kbd></dd>
1259 <dt>zoom height and time to selected region</dt>
1260 <dd><kbd class="mod2">z</kbd></dd>
1262 <dd><kbd class="">=</kbd></dd>
1264 <dd><kbd class="">-</kbd></dd>
1267 <h2>Window Visibility</h2>
1269 <dl class="bindings">
1270 <dt>toggle locations dialog</dt>
1271 <dd><kbd class="mod2">l</kbd>(ell)</dd>
1272 <dt>focus on main clock</dt>
1273 <dd><kbd class="kp">÷</kbd></dd>
1274 <dt>maximise editor space</dt>
1275 <dd><kbd class="mod12">f</kbd></dd>
1276 <dt>switch between editor & mixer window</dt>
1277 <dd><kbd class="mod2">m</kbd></dd>
1278 <dt>show rhythm ferret window </dt>
1279 <dd><kbd class="mod2">f</kbd></dd>
1280 <dt>toggle big clock</dt>
1281 <dd><kbd class="mod2">b</kbd></dd>
1282 <dt>toggle color manager</dt>
1283 <dd><kbd class="mod2">c</kbd></dd>
1284 <dt>toggle editor window</dt>
1285 <dd><kbd class="mod2">e</kbd></dd>
1286 <dt>toggle global audio patchbay</dt>
1287 <dd><kbd class="mod2">p</kbd></dd>
1288 <dt>toggle global midi patchbay</dt>
1289 <dd><kbd class="mod23">p</kbd></dd>
1290 <dt>toggle key bindings editor</dt>
1291 <dd><kbd class="mod2">k</kbd></dd>
1292 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1293 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1294 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1295 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1298 <h2>Editing with Edit Point</h2>
1301 Most edit functions operate on a single <dfn>Edit Point</dfn> (EP). The edit
1302 point can be any of: playhead (default), the mouse or an active marker.
1303 The choice of edit point (by default) also sets the <dfn>Zoom Focus</dfn>.
1306 <dl class="bindings">
1307 <dt>EP to next region sync</dt>
1308 <dd><kbd class="">;</kbd></dd>
1309 <dt>EP to prev region sync</dt>
1310 <dd><kbd class="">'</kbd></dd>
1311 <dt>cycle to next grid snap mode</dt>
1312 <dd><kbd class="">2</kbd></dd>
1313 <dt>cycle to next zoom focus</dt>
1314 <dd><kbd class="">1</kbd></dd>
1315 <dt>insert from region list</dt>
1316 <dd><kbd class="">i</kbd></dd>
1317 <dt>insert time</dt>
1318 <dd><kbd class="mod1">t</kbd></dd>
1319 <dt>move EP to playhead</dt>
1320 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↵</kbd></dd>
1321 <dt>next EP w/marker</dt>
1322 <dd><kbd class="mod1">`</kbd></dd>
1323 <dt>next EP w/o marker</dt>
1324 <dd><kbd class="">`</kbd></dd>
1326 <dd><kbd class="">k</kbd></dd>
1328 <dd><kbd class="">j</kbd></dd>
1329 <dt>trim region end to edit point</dt>
1330 <dd><kbd class="mod3">}</kbd></dd>
1331 <dt>trim region start to edit point</dt>
1332 <dd><kbd class="mod3">{</kbd></dd>
1333 <dt>trim region to end of prev region</dt>
1334 <dd><kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dd>
1335 <dt>trim region to start of next region</dt>
1336 <dd><kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dd>
1337 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1338 <dd><kbd class="">3</kbd></dd>
1339 <dt>use next grid unit</dt>
1340 <dd><kbd class="">4</kbd></dd>
1341 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1342 <dd><kbd class="mod1">3</kbd></dd>
1343 <dt>use next musical grid unit</dt>
1344 <dd><kbd class="mod1">4</kbd></dd>
1347 <h2>Aligning with the Edit Point</h2>
1350 <dfn>Align operations</dfn> move regions so that their start/end/sync
1351 point is at the edit point. <dfn>Relative</dfn> operations just align the first
1352 region and moves other selected regions to maintain relative positioning.
1355 <dl class="bindings">
1356 <dt>align end(s)</dt>
1357 <dd><kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dd>
1358 <dt>align start(s)</dt>
1359 <dd><kbd class="mod14">a</kbd></dd>
1360 <dt>align start(s) relative</dt>
1361 <dd><kbd class="mod4">a</kbd></dd>
1362 <dt>align sync points</dt>
1363 <dd><kbd class="mod3">a</kbd></dd>
1364 <dt>align sync points (relative)</dt>
1365 <dd><kbd class="">a</kbd></dd>
1366 <dt>range end to next prev edge</dt>
1367 <dd><kbd class="mod1">></kbd></dd>
1368 <dt>range end to next region edge</dt>
1369 <dd><kbd class="">></kbd></dd>
1370 <dt>range start to next region edge</dt>
1371 <dd><kbd class="mod1"><</kbd></dd>
1372 <dt>range start to prev region edge</dt>
1373 <dd><kbd class=""><</kbd></dd>
1376 <h2>Edit Point Playback</h2>
1378 <dl class="bindings">
1379 <dt>play edit range</dt>
1380 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Space</kbd></dd>
1381 <dt>play from EP & return</dt>
1382 <dd><kbd class="mod4">Space</kbd></dd>
1383 <dt>play selected region(s)</dt>
1384 <dd><kbd class="">h</kbd></dd>
1386 <h2>Region Operations</h2>
1388 <dl class="bindings">
1389 <dt>duplicate region (multi)</dt>
1390 <dd><kbd class="mod3">d</kbd></dd>
1391 <dt>duplicate region (once)</dt>
1392 <dd><kbd class="mod2">d</kbd></dd>
1393 <dt>export selected region(s)</dt>
1394 <dd><kbd class="mod14">e</kbd></dd>
1395 <dt>increase region gain</dt>
1396 <dd><kbd class="">^</kbd></dd>
1397 <dt>move to original position</dt>
1398 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1399 <dt>mute/unmute</dt>
1400 <dd><kbd class="mod1">m</kbd></dd>
1402 <dd><kbd class="">n</kbd></dd>
1403 <dt>nudge backward</dt>
1404 <dd><kbd class="kp">–</kbd></dd>
1405 <dt>nudge forward</dt>
1406 <dd><kbd class="kp">+</kbd></dd>
1407 <dt>quantize MIDI notes </dt>
1408 <dd><kbd class="">q</kbd></dd>
1409 <dt>reduce region gain</dt>
1410 <dd><kbd class="">&</kbd></dd>
1412 <dd><kbd class="mod2">r</kbd></dd>
1413 <dt>set fade in length</dt>
1414 <dd><kbd class="">/</kbd></dd>
1415 <dt>set fade out length</dt>
1416 <dd><kbd class="">\</kbd></dd>
1417 <dt>set region sync point</dt>
1418 <dd><kbd class="">v</kbd></dd>
1420 <dd><kbd class="">s</kbd></dd>
1421 <dt>toggle fade in active</dt>
1422 <dd><kbd class="mod1">/</kbd></dd>
1423 <dt>toggle fade out active</dt>
1424 <dd><kbd class="mod1">\</kbd></dd>
1426 <dd><kbd class="mod2">t</kbd></dd>
1429 <h2>Generic Editing</h2>
1431 <dl class="bindings">
1433 <dd><kbd class="mod1">c</kbd></dd>
1435 <dd><kbd class="mod1">x</kbd></dd>
1437 <dd><kbd class="">Del</kbd></dd>
1439 <dd><kbd class="mod1">v</kbd></dd>
1441 <dd><kbd class="mod1">r</kbd></dd>
1443 <dd><kbd class="mod1">z</kbd></dd>
1449 There are a few functions that refer to an <dfn>Edit Range</dfn>. The
1450 current edit range is defined using combinations of the possible edit
1451 points: <dfn>playhead</dfn>, <dfn>active marker</dfn>, or <dfn>mouse</dfn>.
1454 <dl class="bindings">
1455 <dt>all after playhead</dt>
1456 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1457 <dt>all before playhead</dt>
1458 <dd><kbd class="mod1">p</kbd></dd>
1459 <dt>all enclosed by edit range</dt>
1460 <dd><kbd class="mod1">u</kbd></dd>
1461 <dt>all present in edit range</dt>
1462 <dd><kbd class="">u</kbd></dd>
1463 <dt>convert edit range to range</dt>
1464 <dd><kbd class="">F6</kbd></dd>
1465 <dt>invert selection</dt>
1466 <dd><kbd class="mod3">i</kbd></dd>
1467 <dt>select all after EP</dt>
1468 <dd><kbd class="mod13">e</kbd></dd>
1469 <dt>select all before EP</dt>
1470 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1471 <dt>select all in loop range</dt>
1472 <dd><kbd class="mod1">l</kbd></dd>
1473 <dt>select all in punch range</dt>
1474 <dd><kbd class="mod1">d</kbd></dd>
1475 <dt>select everything</dt>
1476 <dd><kbd class="mod1">a</kbd></dd>
1477 <dt>select next track/bus</dt>
1478 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↓</kbd></dd>
1479 <dt>select previous track/bus</dt>
1480 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dd>
1483 <h2>Defining Loop, Punch Range and Tempo Changes</h2>
1485 <dl class="bindings">
1486 <dt>set loop range from edit range</dt>
1487 <dd><kbd class="">]</kbd></dd>
1488 <dt>set loop range from region(s)</dt>
1489 <dd><kbd class="mod2">]</kbd></dd>
1490 <dt>set punch range from edit range</dt>
1491 <dd><kbd class="">[</kbd></dd>
1492 <dt>set punch range from region(s)</dt>
1493 <dd><kbd class="mod2">[</kbd></dd>
1494 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from edit range</dt>
1495 <dd><kbd class="">0</kbd></dd>
1496 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from region(s)</dt>
1497 <dd><kbd class="">9</kbd></dd>
1501 title: Mnemonic Bindings for OS X
1506 A <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheat_sheet_osx.pdf">printable cheat sheet</a>
1507 for these bindings is available for download.
1510 <h2>Transport & Recording Control</h2>
1511 <dl class="bindings">
1512 <dt>destroy last recording</dt>
1513 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Del</kbd></dd>
1514 <dt>engage record</dt>
1515 <dd><kbd class="mod3">r</kbd></dd>
1516 <dt>fast forward</dt>
1517 <dd><kbd class="mod3">→</kbd></dd>
1518 <dt>loop play (the loop range)</dt>
1519 <dd><kbd class="">l</kbd></dd>
1521 <dd><kbd class="mod3">←</kbd></dd>
1522 <dt>set playhead position</dt>
1523 <dd><kbd class="">p</kbd></dd>
1524 <dt>start recording</dt>
1525 <dd><kbd class="mod3">space</kbd></dd>
1526 <dt>stop (keep loop/range play)</dt>
1527 <dd><kbd class="mod12">space</kbd></dd>
1528 <dt>stop and destroy</dt>
1529 <dd><kbd class="mod1">space</kbd></dd>
1530 <dt>toggle auto play</dt>
1531 <dd><kbd class="">5</kbd></dd>
1532 <dt>toggle auto return</dt>
1533 <dd><kbd class="">6</kbd></dd>
1534 <dt>toggle click (metronome)</dt>
1535 <dd><kbd class="">7</kbd></dd>
1536 <dt>toggle playhead follows edits</dt>
1537 <dd><kbd class="mod3">f</kbd></dd>
1538 <dt>toggle playhead tracking</dt>
1539 <dd><kbd class="mod1">f</kbd></dd>
1540 <dt>toggle roll</dt>
1541 <dd><kbd class="">space</kbd></dd>
1542 <dt>toggle track rec-enable </dt>
1543 <dd><kbd class="mod3">b</kbd></dd>
1544 <dt>toggle track solo status</dt>
1545 <dd><kbd class="mod2">s</kbd></dd>
1546 <dt>transition to reverse</dt>
1547 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↓</kbd></dd>
1548 <dt>transition to roll</dt>
1549 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↑</kbd></dd>
1551 <h2>Session & File Handling</h2>
1552 <dl class="bindings">
1553 <dt>add track(s) or bus(ses)</dt>
1554 <dd><kbd class="mod13">n</kbd></dd>
1555 <dt>export session</dt>
1556 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1557 <dt>import audio files</dt>
1558 <dd><kbd class="mod1">i</kbd></dd>
1559 <dt>open a new session</dt>
1560 <dd><kbd class="mod1">n</kbd></dd>
1561 <dt>open a recent session</dt>
1562 <dd><kbd class="mod13">o</kbd></dd>
1563 <dt>open an existing session</dt>
1564 <dd><kbd class="mod1">o</kbd></dd>
1566 <dd><kbd class="mod1">q</kbd></dd>
1567 <dt>save session</dt>
1568 <dd><kbd class="mod1">s</kbd></dd>
1569 <dt>snapshot session</dt>
1570 <dd><kbd class="mod13">s</kbd></dd>
1571 <dt>toggle sel. track MIDI input</dt>
1572 <dd><kbd class="mod2">i</kbd></dd>
1574 <h2>Changing What's Visible</h2>
1575 <dl class="bindings">
1576 <dt>fit tracks vertically</dt>
1577 <dd><kbd class="">f</kbd></dd>
1578 <dt>move selected tracks down</dt>
1579 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dd>
1580 <dt>move selected tracks up</dt>
1581 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dd>
1582 <dt>scroll down (page)</dt>
1583 <dd><kbd class="">PgDn</kbd></dd>
1584 <dt>scroll down (step)</dt>
1585 <dd><kbd class="">↓</kbd></dd>
1586 <dt>scroll up (page)</dt>
1587 <dd><kbd class="">PageUp</kbd></dd>
1588 <dt>scroll up (step)</dt>
1589 <dd><kbd class="">↑</kbd></dd>
1590 <dt>toggle editor window mixer</dt>
1591 <dd><kbd class="mod3">e</kbd></dd>
1592 <dt>toggle last 2 zoom states</dt>
1593 <dd><kbd class="mod3">z</kbd></dd>
1594 <dt>zoom height to selected region(s)</dt>
1595 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Control+z</kbd></dd>
1596 <dt>zoom height and time to selected region</dt>
1597 <dd><kbd class="mod2">z</kbd></dd>
1599 <dd><kbd class="">=</kbd></dd>
1601 <dd><kbd class="">-</kbd></dd>
1603 <h2>Window Visibility</h2>
1604 <dl class="bindings">
1605 <dt>toggle locations dialog</dt>
1606 <dd><kbd class="mod2">l</kbd></dd>
1607 <dt>focus on main clock</dt>
1608 <dd><kbd class="kp">÷</kbd></dd>
1609 <dt>maximise editor space</dt>
1610 <dd><kbd class="mod12">f</kbd></dd>
1611 <dt>rotate editor & mixer window</dt>
1612 <dd><kbd class="mod2">m</kbd></dd>
1613 <dt>show rhythm ferret window </dt>
1614 <dd><kbd class="mod2">f</kbd></dd>
1615 <dt>toggle big clock</dt>
1616 <dd><kbd class="mod2">b</kbd></dd>
1617 <dt>toggle color manager</dt>
1618 <dd><kbd class="mod2">c</kbd></dd>
1619 <dt>toggle editor window</dt>
1620 <dd><kbd class="mod2">e</kbd></dd>
1621 <dt>toggle global audio patchbay</dt>
1622 <dd><kbd class="mod2">p</kbd></dd>
1623 <dt>toggle global midi patchbay</dt>
1624 <dd><kbd class="mod23">p</kbd></dd>
1625 <dt>toggle key bindings editor</dt>
1626 <dd><kbd class="mod2">k</kbd></dd>
1627 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1628 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1629 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1630 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1633 <h2>Editing with Edit Point</h2>
1635 Most edit functions operate on a single <dfn>Edit Point</dfn> (EP). The
1637 point can be any of: playhead (default), the mouse or an active marker.
1638 The choice of edit point (by default) also sets the <dfn>Zoom Focus</dfn>.
1641 <dl class="bindings">
1642 <dt>EP to next region sync</dt>
1643 <dd><kbd class="">;</kbd></dd>
1644 <dt>EP to prev region sync</dt>
1645 <dd><kbd class="">'</kbd></dd>
1646 <dt>cycle to next grid snap mode</dt>
1647 <dd><kbd class="">2</kbd></dd>
1648 <dt>cycle to next zoom focus</dt>
1649 <dd><kbd class="">1</kbd></dd>
1650 <dt>insert from region list</dt>
1651 <dd><kbd class="">i</kbd></dd>
1652 <dt>insert time</dt>
1653 <dd><kbd class="mod1">t</kbd></dd>
1654 <dt>move EP to playhead</dt>
1655 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Return</kbd></dd>
1656 <dt>next EP w/marker</dt>
1657 <dd><kbd class="mod1">^</kbd></dd>
1658 <dt>next EP w/o marker</dt>
1659 <dd><kbd class="">`</kbd></dd>
1661 <dd><kbd class="">k</kbd></dd>
1663 <dd><kbd class="">j</kbd></dd>
1664 <dt>trim region end to edit point</dt>
1665 <dd><kbd class="mod3">}</kbd></dd>
1666 <dt>trim region start to edit point</dt>
1667 <dd><kbd class="mod3">{</kbd></dd>
1668 <dt>trim region to end of prev region</dt>
1669 <dd><kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dd>
1670 <dt>trim region to start of next region</dt>
1671 <dd><kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dd>
1672 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1673 <dd><kbd class="">3</kbd></dd>
1674 <dt>use next grid unit</dt>
1675 <dd><kbd class="">4</kbd></dd>
1676 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1677 <dd><kbd class="mod1">3</kbd></dd>
1678 <dt>use next musical grid unit</dt>
1679 <dd><kbd class="mod1">4</kbd></dd>
1682 <h2>Aligning with the Edit Point</h2>
1684 <dfn>Align operations</dfn> move regions so that their start/end/sync
1685 point is at the edit point. <dfn>Relative</dfn> operations just align
1686 the first region and moves other selected regions to maintain relative
1690 <dl class="bindings">
1691 <dt>align end(s)</dt>
1692 <dd><kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dd>
1693 <dt>align start(s)</dt>
1695 <dt>align start(s) relative</dt>
1696 <dd><kbd class=""></kbd></dd>
1697 <dt>align sync points</dt>
1698 <dd><kbd class="mod3">a</kbd></dd>
1699 <dt>align sync points (relative)</dt>
1700 <dd><kbd class="">a</kbd></dd>
1701 <dt>range end to next prev edge</dt>
1702 <dd><kbd class="mod1">></kbd></dd>
1703 <dt>range end to next region edge</dt>
1704 <dd><kbd class="">></kbd></dd>
1705 <dt>range start to next region edge</dt>
1706 <dd><kbd class="mod1"><</kbd></dd>
1707 <dt>range start to prev region edge</dt>
1708 <dd><kbd class=""><</kbd></dd>
1711 <h2>Edit Point Playback</h2>
1713 <dl class="bindings">
1714 <dt>play edit range</dt>
1715 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Space</kbd></dd>
1716 <dt>play from EP & return</dt>
1717 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Space</kbd></dd>
1718 <dt>play selected region(s)</dt>
1719 <dd><kbd class="">h</kbd></dd>
1721 <h2>Region Operations</h2>
1722 <dl class="bindings">
1723 <dt>duplicate region (multi)</dt>
1724 <dd><kbd class="mod3">d</kbd></dd>
1725 <dt>duplicate region (once)</dt>
1726 <dd><kbd class="mod2">d</kbd></dd>
1727 <dt>export selected region(s)</dt>
1729 <dt>increase region gain</dt>
1730 <dd><kbd class="">^</kbd></dd>
1731 <dt>move to original position</dt>
1732 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1733 <dt>mute/unmute</dt>
1734 <dd><kbd class="mod1">m</kbd></dd>
1736 <dd><kbd class="">n</kbd></dd>
1737 <dt>nudge backward</dt>
1738 <dd><kbd class="kp">–</kbd></dd>
1739 <dt>nudge forward</dt>
1740 <dd><kbd class="kp">+</kbd></dd>
1741 <dt>quantize MIDI notes </dt>
1742 <dd><kbd class="">q</kbd></dd>
1743 <dt>reduce region gain</dt>
1744 <dd><kbd class="">&</kbd></dd>
1746 <dd><kbd class="mod2">r</kbd></dd>
1747 <dt>set fade in length</dt>
1748 <dd><kbd class="">/</kbd></dd>
1749 <dt>set fade out length</dt>
1750 <dd><kbd class="">\</kbd></dd>
1751 <dt>set region sync point</dt>
1752 <dd><kbd class="">v</kbd></dd>
1754 <dd><kbd class="">s</kbd></dd>
1755 <dt>toggle fade in active</dt>
1756 <dd><kbd class="mod1">/</kbd></dd>
1757 <dt>toggle fade out active</dt>
1758 <dd><kbd class="mod1">\</kbd></dd>
1760 <dd><kbd class="mod2">t</kbd></dd>
1763 <h2>Generic Editing</h2>
1765 <dl class="bindings">
1767 <dd><kbd class="mod1">c</kbd></dd>
1769 <dd><kbd class="mod1">x</kbd></dd>
1771 <dd><kbd class="">Del</kbd></dd>
1773 <dd><kbd class="mod1">v</kbd></dd>
1775 <dd><kbd class="mod1">r</kbd></dd>
1777 <dd><kbd class="mod1">z</kbd></dd>
1782 There are a few functions that refer to an <dfn>Edit Range</dfn>. The
1783 current edit range is defined using combinations of the possible edit
1784 points: <dfn>playhead</dfn>, <dfn>active marker</dfn>, or<dfn>mouse</dfn>.
1787 <dl class="bindings">
1788 <dt>all after playhead</dt>
1789 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1790 <dt>all before playhead</dt>
1791 <dd><kbd class="mod1">p</kbd></dd>
1792 <dt>all enclosed by edit range</dt>
1793 <dd><kbd class="mod1">u</kbd></dd>
1794 <dt>all present in edit range</dt>
1795 <dd><kbd class="">u</kbd></dd>
1796 <dt>convert edit range to range</dt>
1797 <dd><kbd class="">F6</kbd></dd>
1798 <dt>invert selection</dt>
1799 <dd><kbd class="mod3">i</kbd></dd>
1800 <dt>select all after EP</dt>
1801 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Shift+e</kbd></dd>
1802 <dt>select all before EP</dt>
1803 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1804 <dt>select all in loop range</dt>
1805 <dd><kbd class="mod1">l</kbd></dd>
1806 <dt>select all in punch range</dt>
1807 <dd><kbd class="mod1">d</kbd></dd>
1808 <dt>select everything</dt>
1809 <dd><kbd class="mod1">a</kbd></dd>
1810 <dt>select next track/bus</dt>
1811 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↓</kbd></dd>
1812 <dt>select previous track/bus</dt>
1813 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dd>
1815 <h2>Defining Loop, Punch Range and Tempo Changes</h2>
1816 <dl class="bindings">
1817 <dt>set loop range from edit range</dt>
1818 <dd><kbd class="">]</kbd></dd>
1819 <dt>set loop range from region(s)</dt>
1820 <dd><kbd class="mod2">]</kbd></dd>
1821 <dt>set punch range from edit range</dt>
1822 <dd><kbd class="">[</kbd></dd>
1823 <dt>set punch range from region(s)</dt>
1824 <dd><kbd class="mod2">[</kbd></dd>
1825 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from edit range</dt>
1826 <dd><kbd class="">0</kbd></dd>
1827 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from region(s)</dt>
1828 <dd><kbd class="">9</kbd></dd>
1836 title: Ardour Configuration
1842 title: Ardour Systems
1848 title: The Right Computer System for Digital Audio
1849 menu_title: The Right Computer System
1854 It would be nice to think that you could just go and buy any computer,
1855 install a bit of software on it and start using it to record and create
1856 music. This idea isn't wrong, but there some important details that it
1860 Any computer that you can buy today (since somewhere around the end of
1861 2012) is capable of recording and processing a lot of audio data. It
1862 will come with a builtin audio interface that can accept inputs from
1863 microphones or electrical instruments. It will have a disk with a huge
1864 amount of space for storing audio files.
1867 When you are recording, editing and mixing music, you generally want to
1868 work with very little <dfn>latency</dfn> between the time that
1869 a sound is generated and when you can hear it. When the audio signal
1870 flows through a computer, that means that the computer has to be able to
1871 receive the signal, process it and send it back out again as fast as
1873 And that is where it becomes very important <em>what</em> computer system
1874 you have, because it is <strong>absolutely not</strong> the case that any
1875 computer can do this job well.
1878 Routing audio through a computer will always cause some delay, but if it
1879 is small, you will generally never notice it. There are also ways to work
1880 in which the delay does not matter at all (for example, not sending the
1881 output from the computer to speakers).
1884 The latency that you want for working with digital audio is typically in
1885 the 1–5 ms range. For comparison, if you are sitting 1 m
1886 (3 ft) from your speakers, the time the sound takes to reach your
1887 ears is about 3 ms. Any modern computer can limit the delay to
1888 100 ms. Most can keep it under 50 ms. Many will be able to get
1889 down to 10 ms without too much effort. If you try to reduce the delay
1890 on a computer that cannot meet your goal, you will get clicks and
1891 glitches in the audio, which is clearly extremely undesirable.
1894 <h2>Hardware-related Considerations</h2>
1895 <dl class="wide-table">
1896 <dt>Video interface</dt>
1897 <dd>Poorly engineered video interfaces (and/or their device drivers) can
1898 "steal" computer resources for a long time, preventing the audio interface
1899 from keeping up with the flow of data</dd>
1900 <dt>Wireless interface</dt>
1901 <dd>Poorly engineered wireless networking interfaces (and/or their device
1902 drivers) can also block the audio interface from keeping up with the flow
1904 <dt><abbr title="Universal Serial Bus">USB</abbr> ports</dt>
1905 <dd>If you are using an audio interface connected via USB, and sometimes
1906 even if you are not, the precise configuration of your system's USB ports
1907 can make a big difference. There are many cases where plugging the
1908 interface into one port will work, but using different USB port results
1909 in much worse performance. This has been seen even on Apple systems.
1911 <dt>Internal USB Hubs</dt>
1912 <dd>Ideally, you'd like your USB ports to all connect directly to the
1913 main bus inside the computer. Some laptops (and possibly some
1914 desktop systems) come wired with an internal USB hub between the
1915 ports and the system bus, which can then cause problems for various
1916 kinds of external USB devices, including some models of audio
1917 interfaces. It is very difficult to discover whether this is true or
1918 not, without simplying trying it out.</dd>
1919 <dt><abbr title="Central Processing Unit">CPU</abbr> speed control</dt>
1920 <dd>Handling audio with low latency requires that your processor keeps
1921 running at its highest speed at all times. Many portable systems try to
1922 regulate processor speed in order to save power—for low latency
1923 audio, you want this totally disabled, either in the BIOS or at the OS
1925 <dt>Excessive Interrupt Sharing</dt>
1926 <dd>If your audio interface is forced by your computer to share an
1927 interrupt line (basically a way to tell the CPU that something needs
1928 its attention) with too many, or the wrong, other devices, this can also
1929 prevent the audio interface from keeping up with the flow of data. In
1930 laptops it is generally impossible to do anything about this. In many
1931 desktop systems, it is possible at the BIOS level to reassign interrupts
1932 to work around the problem.</dd>
1933 <dt><abbr title="System Management Interrupt">SMI</abbr>s</dt>
1934 <dd>SMIs are interrupts sent by the motherboard to tell the computer
1935 about the state of various hardware. They cannot safely be disabled,
1936 but they can also take a relatively long time to process. It is better
1937 to have a motherboard which never sends SMIs at all— this is
1938 also a requirement for realtime stock trading systems, which have
1939 similar issues with latency.</dd>
1940 <dt>Hyperthreading</dt>
1941 <dd>This technology is becoming less common as actual multi-core CPUs
1942 become the norm, but it still exists and is generally not good for
1943 realtime performance. Sometimes you can disable this in the BIOS,
1944 sometimes you cannot. A processor that uses hyperthreading will be
1945 less stable in very low latency situations than one without.</dd>
1946 <dt>Excessive vibration</dt>
1947 <dd>This doesn't affect the flow of data to/from the audio interface,
1948 but it can cause the flow of data to/from your disk storage to become
1949 <em>much</em> slower. If you are going to use a computer in an
1950 environment with loud live sound (specifically, high bass volume),
1951 make sure to place it so that the disk is not subject to noticeable
1952 vibration. The vibrations will physically displace the head-write
1953 heads of disk, and the resulting errors will force a retry of the
1954 reading from the disk. Retrying over and over massively reduces the
1955 rate at which data can be read from the disk. Avoid this.</dd>
1964 Ardour is designed to work best with a <dfn>three button mouse</dfn>
1965 equipped with a <dfn>scroll wheel</dfn>.
1969 It can be used with a two button mouse or touchpad, but at least two key
1970 operations will not (easily) be available to you:
1974 <li>time-constrained region copying</li>
1975 <li><a href="/using-control-surfaces/midi-learn/"><abbr title="Musical
1976 Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> bindings</a>
1977 created by "learning" them from incoming MIDI data</li>
1981 You are strongly encouraged to invest in a three-button mouse. You will
1982 find that a good quality mouse (especially one with a weighted,
1983 latchable scroll wheel) will make your use of Ardour vastly more
1984 efficient. They are cheap, and time is not.
1988 For more detailed instructions, see
1989 <a href="/ardours-interface/basic-gui-operations/using-the-mouse/">Using the mouse</a>.
2000 title: Setting Up Your System
2005 Using a general purpose computer for recording digital audio is not
2006 trivial. This chapter will guide you through the basic steps and help
2007 you with some of the most common pitfalls on the way to a reliable and
2008 powerful audio workstation.
2012 title: Platform Specifics
2016 <h2>Platform Specifics</h2>
2019 This section of the manual collects together the collective wisdom
2020 of the user community regarding details of using Ardour on various
2030 <dfn>Ubuntu Linux</dfn> is the most popular variety of Linux in use on desktop
2031 and laptop systems. It has the backing of a for-profit corporation
2032 (Canonical Inc.), a defined philosophy and a huge and
2033 worldwide user base. As a result, it is a common platform for people
2034 who want to use Ardour and other tools for music creation and
2038 <h2>High Level Recommendations for Ubuntu Users</h2>
2040 Currently, installing pro audio applications on vanilla Ubuntu requires
2041 some configuration, in order for the user to gain realtime privilege
2043 Ubuntu Studio, which is an official flavor of Ubuntu, and thus shares
2044 the repositories with Ubuntu, has this already configured.
2045 Other distributions, such as KXStudio, and Dreamstudio are largely based
2046 on Ubuntu, and like Ubuntu Studio, has these settings preconfigured, while
2047 also containing customized versions of Ubuntu packages, which often are
2051 <h2>Installing Ardour</h2>
2053 There may be unintended differences, and even bugs in Ubuntu native
2054 packages, as a result of a different building method. For this reason,
2055 Ardour developers highly recommend you to install the official
2056 ready-to-run version of the program that you can get from <a
2057 href="https://community.ardour.org/download">ardour.org</a>, as Ubuntu native
2058 packages are not supported in official Ardour forums or other
2062 Follow these steps to install the latest version of Ardour.
2064 <li>Download the latest release from <a href="https://community.ardour.org/download">
2065 ardour.org</a>.</li>
2066 <li><kbd class="mouse">Right+Click</kbd> the downloaded file and choose
2068 <li>Click the Permissions tab and check the option "Allow this file to
2069 run as a program"</li>
2070 <li>Close the dialog and double-click the file.</li>
2071 <li>Follow the prompts.</li>
2075 <h2>Problems with the interaction between PulseAudio and JACK</h2>
2077 <h3>Background Info</h3>
2079 Like many distributions, Ubuntu has decided to use <dfn>PulseAudio</dfn> as the
2080 default audio system. PulseAudio is a rich and capable system that
2081 provides excellent services for typical users of Linux on the
2082 desktop. However, it is not capable of the type of performance that
2083 tools like Ardour require and in particular does not offer the
2084 possibility of sending audio between applications that can make the
2085 Linux audio environment a very interesting one.
2088 This would not be a problem if it were not for the fact that JACK
2089 will not run correctly (if at all) if it needs to use the same
2090 soundcard/audio interface that PulseAudio is using. And since on
2091 Ubuntu, PulseAudio is configured by default to always use the
2092 (typically single) audio interface on your computer, this is a bit
2096 The developers of JACK and PulseAudio got together in 2009 and
2097 agreed upon a mechanism by which PulseAudio and JACK could cooperate
2098 in their use of a single soundcard. Whether or not PulseAudio is running by
2099 default, when JACK starts up it sends out a request to use the
2100 soundcard. If PulseAudio is running, it will give up its use of the
2101 soundcard to allow JACK to take over (and can optionally be told to
2102 route its own audio through JACK). When JACK finishes, it sends out
2103 another message, and PulseAudio can once again use the soundcard
2106 <h3>What is the problem?</h3>
2108 The specific issues known at this time for all flavors of Ubuntu
2109 12.04 and 12.10 are:
2112 <li>a bug in PulseAudio that causes it not to give up the
2113 soundcard when JACK asks
2114 (<a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/1163638">LP:
2116 fixed in Ubuntu 13.04).</li>
2121 <samp>Cannot start JACK</samp> (though see the next section for other
2127 These bugs do not affect releases from 13.04, and earlier releases
2128 (12.04 and 12.10) are in the process of being fixed.
2131 <h2>Problems with JACK configuration</h2>
2133 <h3>What is the problem?</h3>
2135 To function as intended, JACK needs to run with access to two
2136 operating system facilities called <dfn>realtime scheduling</dfn> and
2137 <dfn>memory locking</dfn>. This means that you, the user who starts JACK, must be
2138 allowed access to these facilities. By default, Ubuntu does create a
2139 user group that has this permission but—it does not put new
2140 users into this group by default. Read more about why <a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Audio/TheAudioGroup">here</a>.
2141 Consequently, you will not have permission to run JACK in the way you should.
2145 A message like <samp>Cannot lock down memory</samp> in the output from JACK as
2146 it starts up. This output may be hidden in the Messages window of
2147 QJackctrl (aka JACK Control), so you should check there.
2152 Make sure the file /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf exists. If it is
2153 named /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf.disabled, rename it to the former.
2156 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo usermod -a -G audio
2157 <em>YOUR-LOGIN-NAME</em></kbd>
2159 Then log out and log in again. On Ubuntu Studio the user is a member of audio
2160 group by default, but not on other official flavors.
2163 <h2>Reporting Issues</h2>
2166 Given the difficulties in supporting Ubuntu and the limited time/resources
2167 of the Ardour team, the <dfn>Ubuntu Studio Project</dfn> has requested that
2168 issues and bug reports related to Ubuntu, Ubuntu Studio and other
2169 derivitives be directed to them.
2172 <h3>Contact Information for Ubuntu Studio</h3>
2174 <p><a href="http://ubuntustudio.org">The Ubuntu Studio Homepage</a></p>
2176 <p><a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=335">The Ubuntu Studio Forums.</a></p>
2178 <p><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/MailLists">Information on the Ubuntu Studio Mailing Lists.</a></p>
2180 <p><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/IRC">Information on the Ubuntu Studio IRC channel.</a> #ubuntustudio on irc.freenode.net</p>
2183 title: Microsoft Windows
2188 <dfn>Microsoft Windows</dfn> is not currently officially supported. If you are
2189 willing to live with bugs and <b>help to test</b> this platform, read on.
2192 <h2>Installing Ardour</h2>
2196 <li>Download the latest windows build from <a href="http://nightly.ardour.org/">
2197 the nightly build page</a>.</li>
2198 <li>Run the installer and follow the prompts.</li>
2202 <h2>How to help</h2>
2206 <li>Hang out in #ardour-windows on irc.freenode.net. You may ask questions
2207 there and if you can, answer questions that others have.</li>
2208 <li>Keep an eye on the <a href="https://community.ardour.org/forum/27"> Windows
2209 forum</a> and contribute to the discussions there.</li>
2210 <li>Update this manual via pull requests on <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/manual">github<a/>.</li>
2220 Under <dfn>KDE Plasma 5</dfn>, plugin and various other windows will not stay
2221 on top of any main window; therefore a workaround is required.
2224 <h2>Workaround for ancillary windows not staying on top in KDE Plasma 5</h2>
2227 In order to force ancillary windows in Ardour to stay on top, the following
2228 steps are necessary:
2232 <li>Launch the <kbd class="menu">System Settings</kbd> application.</li>
2233 <li>Open <kbd class="menu">Workspace > Window Managment</kbd>.</li>
2234 <li>Select <kbd class="menu">Window Rules</kbd> in the left-hand sidebar. It
2235 should default to the <kbd class="menu">Window matching</kbd> tab.</li>
2236 <li>Click on the <kbd class="button">New...</kbd> button.</li>
2237 <li>On the line that says <kbd class="menu">Window class (application)</kbd>,
2238 set the combo box to <kbd class="menu">Substring Match</kbd> and type <kbd
2239 class="user">ardour</kbd> in the text entry field.</li>
2240 <li>In the list box that is labeled <kbd class="menu">Window types:</kbd>,
2241 click on the option <kbd class="menu">Dialog Window</kbd>, then press and
2242 hold <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> while clicking on the second option <kbd
2243 class="menu">Utility Window</kbd>.</li>
2244 <li>Select the <kbd class="menu">Arrangement & Access</kbd> tab.</li>
2245 <li>Check the box next to the <kbd class="menu">Keep above</kbd> option. On
2246 the same line, select <kbd class="menu">Force</kbd> from the combo box, then
2247 click on the <kbd class="menu">Yes</kbd> radio button for that line.</li>
2248 <li>Click on the <kbd class="button">OK</kbd> button to dismiss the dialog.
2253 At this point you can close the <kbd class="menu">System Settings</kbd>
2257 <h3>Background Info</h3>
2260 <a href="https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=172615#c26">According to one of
2261 the lead KDE developers</a>, they are not willing to follow the <abbr
2262 title="Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual">ICCCM</abbr> standard
2263 for utility windows. Apparently they are alone in this understanding, as
2264 plugin windows on Ardour under Linux work out of the box on every other <abbr
2265 title="Window Manager">WM</abbr> out there.
2269 Under KDE 4, there was a workaround in Ardour (<kbd class="menu">Preferences
2270 > Theme > All floating windows are dialogs</kbd>) that would "trick"
2271 KDE into forcing certain window types to be on top of their parent windows,
2272 but this no longer works under KDE Plasma 5.
2283 title: Connecting Audio and MIDI Devices
2287 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
2290 title: Using More Than One Audio Device
2295 Ardour will only ever deal with a single <dfn>audio device</dfn>. If you
2296 want to use more than one, you have two choices:
2301 If you want to use Ardour to start JACK (which handles all
2302 audio I/O) you will need to create a "fake" audio device on your
2303 computer the represents all the multiple devices you wish to
2304 use. How to do this is platform dependent and described below.
2307 Use a different tool to start JACK and manage all the devices.
2312 Ardour is fundamentally designed to be a component in a
2313 pro-audio/music creation environment. Standard operating practice
2314 for such setups involves using only a single digital <dfn>sample
2315 clock</dfn> (something counting off the time between audio samples).
2316 This means that trying to use multiple independent soundcards is
2317 problematic, because each soundcard has its own sample clock, running
2318 independently from the others. Over time, these different clocks
2320 out of sync with each other, which causes glitches in the audio. You
2321 cannot stop this drift, although in some cases the effects may be
2322 insignificant enough that some people might not care about them.
2326 Thus in an ideal world you should not use multiple independent
2327 soundcards but instead use a single device with a single clock and all
2328 the inputs, outputs and other features that you need.
2332 Of course, a lot of people don't live in an ideal world, and believe
2333 that software should make up for this.
2338 In CoreAudio, <dfn>aggregate devices</dfn> provide a method to use
2339 multiple soundcards as a single device. For example, you can
2340 aggregate two 8-channel devices so that you can record 16 channels
2345 If you are using a <em>single</em> typical 3rd party
2346 audio interface (such as those from Apogee, RME, Presonus, and many
2347 others), <em>or</em> you are using JackPilot or a similar
2348 application to start JACK, you do not need to worry about this.<br />
2349 You will need to set up an aggregate device only if either
2350 of the following conditions are true:
2353 <li>You want to use two entirely separate
2354 devices <em>and</em> want to start JACK using Ardour.</li>
2355 <li>You want to use your <dfn>builtin audio device</dfn> <em>and</em>
2356 want to start JACK using Ardour.</li>
2357 <li>You want to use more than two entirely separate devices</li>
2361 In the case of your builtin audio device, you will need to create
2362 an aggregate device that combines "Builtin Input" and "Builtin
2363 Output" into one device.
2366 The precise instructions for creating an aggregate device on OS X
2367 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>
2372 Please see the instructions at <a href="http://jackaudio.org/faq" title="http://jackaudio.org/faq">http://jackaudio.org/faq</a>
2383 title: Preferences and Session Properties
2388 Ardour splits its configuration options into two categories:
2392 Global <dfn>preferences</dfn> control general workflow and system
2393 configuration, and should apply to all sessions. They are located in
2394 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences</kbd> and stored in
2395 Ardour's <dfn>user configuration file</dfn> in your home directory.
2397 <li><dfn>Session properties</dfn> control aspects of the workflow or
2398 configuration that pertain to the current session only. You can find them
2399 in <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>, and they will be stored
2400 in the session file.
2405 title: Global Preferences Dialog
2406 menu_title: Global Preferences
2411 These preferences apply to all Ardour sessions.
2414 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_misc.png" alt="ardour preferences
2418 title: Global Misc Tab
2419 menu_title: Misc Tab
2424 This tab contains settings that do not belong on the other tabs.
2427 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_misc.png" alt="preferences
2433 <strong>DSP CPU Utilization</strong> sets how many cpu processors can be
2434 used to do signal processing. It can be set to use one up to all
2446 <strong>Limit undo history</strong> sets how many commands can be
2447 undone using <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> or
2448 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo</kbd>.
2454 <strong>Save undo history</strong> sets how many commands are saved so
2455 they are available to be undone after reopening the session.
2461 <strong>Verify removal of last capture</strong> when enabled prompts to
2462 verify removal the last recording capture when
2463 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Remove Last Capture</kbd> is executed.
2469 <strong>Make periodic backups of the session file</strong> will create
2470 a backup session file after changes to the timeline. The backup file is
2471 the session name followed by <em>.ardour.bak</em>. The backup can be
2472 used to recover from crashes when the session had not been explicitly
2481 <dfn>Session Management</dfn>
2486 <strong>Always copy imported files</strong> selects, and then disables
2487 changes to, the <em>Copy files to session</em> option in the
2488 <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/import-dialog/">
2489 Add Existing Media</a> dialog.
2495 <strong>Default folder for new sessions:</strong> defalts the folder
2496 where Ardour will create new session folders. This is used in the
2497 <em>Session Setup</em> dialog displayed by
2498 <kbd class="menu">Session > New</kbd>.
2504 <strong>Maximum number of recent sessions:</strong> determines how many
2505 of the last opened sessions shows in the
2506 <em>Recent Sessions</em> dialog displayed by
2507 <kbd class="menu">Session > Recent</kbd>.
2520 <strong>Click audio file:</strong> sets a user defined sound to be
2521 played when Ardour's metronome is enabled in the
2522 <a href="/controlling-playback/using-the-transport-bar/">
2528 <strong>Click emphasis audio file:</strong> sets an optional different
2529 metronome sound to be played on the downbeat.
2534 <strong>Click gain level:</strong> allows the metronome's click sounds
2535 to be boosted or attenuated.
2543 <dfn>Automation</dfn>
2548 <strong>Thinning factor</strong> ranges from 0 to 1000 with larger
2549 values sending fewer automation changes. Thinning is like lossy
2550 audio compression, removing data that is less likely to be noticed,
2551 although the more you remove the more likely the loss will be noticed.
2552 The advantage to thinning is reduced CPU usage.
2557 <strong>Automation sampling interval</strong> ranges from 1 to
2558 1000 ms. Determines how frequently the automation input is
2559 sampled. The shorter the interval the higher the accuracy but also
2560 the higher the CPU requirements.
2568 title: Transport Tab
2569 menu_title: Transport Tab
2574 This tab contains settings that relate to the behavior of the
2575 <a href="/controlling-playback/using-the-transport-bar">Transport Bar</a>
2576 and <a href="/synchronization/">Synchronization</a>.
2579 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_transport.png" alt="preferences
2585 <strong>Keep record-enable engaged on stop</strong> leaves the global
2586 record-enable engaged after transport is stopped. Does not affect track
2587 level record-enable which is never changed on stop.
2593 <strong>Play loop is a transport mode</strong> changes the behavior of the
2594 loop button, turning it into a toggle. When enabled, the loop button does
2595 not start playback but forces playback to always play the loop. Looping
2596 stays engaged when the transport is stopped. Playback continues where the
2597 transport stopped and continues to loop.
2600 When disabled, the loop button starts playing the loop but stop then
2601 cancels loop playback.
2606 <strong>Stop recording when an xrun occurs</strong> will stop the transport
2607 when an xrun occurs during recording, ensuring no audible glitches are
2613 <strong>Create markers where xruns occur</strong> will create a new
2614 <a href="/working-with-markers/">marker</a> when an xrun occurs during
2615 recording at the location of the xrun. This marks where possible xruns
2616 might produce audible glitches when stopping on xruns is disabled.
2621 <strong>Stop at the end of the session</strong> causes the transport to
2622 stop during playback when it reaches the end marker. Behavior during
2623 recording is not changed.
2628 <strong>Do seamless looping</strong> removes any clicks that might
2629 otherwise be audible when the transport moves from the end of the loop
2630 range back to the beginning.
2635 <strong>Disable per-track record disarm while rolling</strong>, when
2636 enabled, will not allow the any track's record-enable to be disarmed
2637 during record, preventing accidentally stopping the recording of a take.
2642 <strong>12dB gain reduction during fast-forward and fast-rewind</strong>
2643 when enabled will reduce the unpleasant increase in perceived volume
2644 that occurs when fast-forwarding or rewinding through some kinds of audio.
2649 <strong>Sync/Slave</strong>
2653 <strong>External timecode source</strong> determines which external
2654 source to use when Ardour is using an external
2655 <a href="/synchronization/">synchronization</a> source. Depending
2656 on the timecode source chosen, additional preference options are
2662 <strong>Match session video frame rate to external timecode</strong>
2663 controls the value of the video frame rate <em>while chasing</em>
2664 an external timecode source.
2667 When enabled, the session video frame rate will be changed to match
2668 that of the selected external timecode source.
2671 When disabled, the session video frame rate will not be changed to
2672 match that of the selected external timecode source. Instead, the
2673 frame rate indication in the main clock will flash red and Ardour
2674 will convert between the external timecode standard and the session
2680 <strong>Sync-lock timecode to clock</strong> can disable drift
2684 When enabled, Ardour will never varispeed when slaved to external
2685 timecode. Sync Lock indicates that the selected external timecode
2686 source shares clock-sync (Black & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with
2687 the audio interface. This options disables drift compensation.
2688 The transport speed is fixed at 1.0. Vari-speed LTC will be ignored
2692 When disabled, Ardour will compensate for potential drift regardless
2693 if the timecode sources shares clock sync.
2698 <strong>Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</strong>, when
2699 enabled, will force Ardour to assume the external timecode source
2700 uses 29.97 fps instead of 30000/1001.
2701 SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97 df as 30000/1001. The spec
2702 further mentions that drop-frame timecode has an accumulated error
2703 of -86 ms over a 24 hour period. Drop-frame timecode would
2704 compensate exactly for an NTSC color frame rate of 30 * 0.9990 (i.e.
2705 29.970000). That is not the actual rate. However, some vendors use
2706 that rate—despite it being against the specs—because the
2707 variant of using exactly 29.97 fps has zero timecode drift.
2714 <strong>LTC Reader</strong> specifies which incoming port will provide
2719 <strong>LTC Generator</strong>
2723 <strong>Enable LTC generator</strong>, when enabled Ardour will
2724 output an LTC timecode signal on it's <em>LTC-out</em> port.
2729 <strong>Send LTC while stopped</strong>, when enabled Ardour will
2730 continue to send LTC information even while the transport (playhed) is
2736 <strong>LTC generator level:</strong> specifies the peak volume of
2737 the generated LTC signal in dbFS. A good value is 0dBu^=-18dbFS in an
2738 EBU calibrated system.
2747 menu_title: Editor Tab
2752 This tab contains settings that affect behavior in the <dfn>Editor</dfn>
2753 window when <a href="/editing-and-arranging">Editing and Arranging</a>.
2756 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_editor.png" alt="preferences
2762 <strong>Allow dragging of the playhead</strong>, when enabled, allows
2763 dragging the playhead with the mouse in the <strong>Editor</strong> window.
2768 <strong>Move relevant automation when audio regions are moved</strong>,
2769 when enabled, causes automation data to stay with a region when the
2770 region is moved inside the playlist. When disabled, the automation is
2771 not affected by movement of regions.
2776 <strong>Show meters on tracks in the editor</strong>, when enabled, shows
2777 a small meter in the <strong>Editor</strong> window with each track. The
2778 meter is shown in the left side area along with the track name and buttons.
2783 <strong>Display master-meter in the toolbar</strong> when enabled displays
2784 a small copy of the master bus meter in the toolbar.
2789 <strong>Default fade shape:</strong> sets which
2790 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/create-region-fades-and-crossfades/">
2791 fade shape</a> is the default.
2796 <strong>Regions in active edit groups are edited together:</strong> sets
2797 the criteria to see if editing actions apply to tracks grouped together
2803 <strong>Make rubberband selection rectangle snap to the grid</strong> when
2804 enabled uses the grid when
2805 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/select-regions/">selecting regions</a>
2806 with a rubberband rectangle.
2811 <strong>Show waveforms in regions</strong> when enabled shows a visual
2812 representation of the region's audio waveform. Changes to this setting
2813 take affect after restarting Ardour.
2818 <strong>Show gain envelopes in audio regions:</strong> sets the criteria
2819 for displaying the gain envelope in audio regions.
2824 <strong>Waveform scale:</strong> when waveforms are shown in audio region
2825 they can be displayed using a <em>linear</em> or a <em>logarithmic</em>
2827 See <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/waveform-display/">
2828 Waveform disply</a>.
2833 <strong>Waveform shape:</strong> when waveforms are shown in audio region
2834 they can be displayed using a <em>traditional</em> or a <em>rectified</em>
2836 See <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/waveform-display/">
2837 Waveform disply</a>.
2842 <strong>Waveform Clip Level (dBFS):</strong> sets the level at which the
2843 waveform shown in an audio region will be drawn in red to indicate
2844 clipping. Setting lower than 0.0 dBFS can be useful if any tool in
2845 the audio chain has problems near 0.0 dBFS.
2850 <strong>Show waveform for audio while it is being recorded</strong> when
2851 enabled, will draw the audio waveform in regions being recorded. When
2852 disabled only a region block will be drawn while recording reducing CPU
2858 <strong>Show zoom toolbar</strong> when enabled shows a toolbar for
2859 zoom functions. When disabled the zoom commands are still available
2860 with keyboard short-cuts and the View menu. Changes to this setting
2861 take affect after restarting Ardour.
2866 <strong>Update editor window during drags of the summary</strong> when
2867 enabled the contents of the editor window will redraw the tracks area
2868 as the selection rectangle in the summary area is moved or resized. The
2869 summary area is at the bottom of the editor and shows an overview of all
2870 regions on the timelime.
2875 <strong>Name new markers</strong> when enabled, popup a dialog when a new
2876 <a href="/working-with-markers/">marker</a> is created. This allows
2877 markers to be named as they are created.
2882 <strong>Auto-scroll editor window when dragging near its edges</strong>
2883 when enabled will scroll the editor window automatically when dragging a
2884 region. This can make it easier to see where to position the region.
2889 <strong>After splitting selected regions, select</strong> determines which,
2890 if any, regions are selected after a split operation. The options are no
2891 regions, the regions created by the split, and if more than one region
2892 was selected to start with, the existing selection and the new regions.
2893 Changes to this setting take affect after restarting Ardour.
2900 menu_title: Audio Tab
2905 This tab contains settings for handling audio.
2908 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_audio.png" alt="preferences
2914 <strong>Buffering</strong> settings determine how many seconds of audio
2915 off of disk will be buffered in memory. Longer settings reduce the risk
2916 of buffer under-runs but consume more memory. The default value is
2923 <strong>Playback</strong> sets how many seconds of audio Ardour will
2924 buffer during playback.
2929 <strong>Recording</strong> sets how many seconds of audio Ardour will
2930 buffer during recording.
2938 <strong>Monitoring</strong>
2943 <strong>Record monitoring handled by:</strong> determines whether
2944 Ardour provides monitoring of incoming audio or whether
2945 monitoring is provided by hardware. See
2946 <a href="/recording/monitoring/">Monitoring</a> for more information.
2951 <strong>Tape machine mode</strong> when enabled defaults new audio
2952 tracks to tape machine mode. See
2953 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">Track Types</a>
2954 for more information.
2962 <strong>Conection of tracks and busses</strong>
2967 <strong>Auto-connect master/monitor busses</strong>
2972 <strong>Connect track inputs:</strong>
2977 <strong>Connect track and bus outputs:</strong>
2985 <strong>Denormals</strong> are a specific type of very small numbers that
2986 can cause issues with CPU consumption when using some plugins in some
2990 Ardour provides two methods of handling the issue. Try different
2991 combinations of these settings to to find the setting that minimizes CPU
2997 <strong>Use DC bias to protect against denormals</strong> adds a small
2998 constant value to numbers to move the numbers away from zero.
3003 <strong>Processor handling</strong>, if the computer's hardware
3004 supports it, offers two methods that can be used individually or
3005 combined. Flush to zero and denormals are zero.
3013 <strong>Plugins</strong>
3018 <strong>Silence plugins when the transport is stopped</strong>
3023 <strong>Make new plugins active</strong> when enabled, will activate
3024 a plugin when it is added to a track or bus
3025 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">Processor Box</a>.
3033 <strong>Regions</strong>
3038 <strong>Enable automatic analysis of audio</strong>
3043 <strong>Replicate missing region channels</strong>
3051 title: Solo/Mute Tab
3052 menu_title: Solo/Mute Tab
3057 This tab contains settings that affect the use of
3058 <a href="/mixing/muting-and-soloing/">solo, muting</a>, and
3059 <a href="/mixing/panning/">panning</a>.
3062 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_solomute.png" alt="preferences
3068 <strong>Solo</strong>
3073 <strong>Solo-in-place mute cut</strong> sets the attenuation of the
3074 the other tracks when another track is soloed in place. This setting
3075 is also available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor section.
3080 <strong>Solo controls are Listen controls</strong> when enabled the
3081 soloed track is soloed only on the monitor bus, the master fader mix
3082 is not affected by the solo. This option can also be set by enabling
3083 pre-fader listen or after-fader listen in the <strong>Mixer</strong>
3089 <strong>Listen Position:</strong> determines what is listened to when
3090 the solo controls are used as listen controls. The options are
3091 after-fader or pre-fader.
3096 <strong>PFL signals come from:</strong> determines whether the
3097 pre-fader listen position is before or after the pre-fader processors.
3102 <strong>AFL signals come from:</strong> determines whether the
3103 after-fader listen position is before or after the after-fader
3109 <strong>Exclusive solo</strong> when enabled will only solo that last
3110 track selected for solo. Previously soloed tracks will be un-soloed.
3111 This setting is also available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor
3117 <strong>Show solo muting</strong> when enabled outlines the mute
3118 button on tracks and busses when another track is soloed.
3123 <strong>Soloing overrides muting</strong> when enabled allows a track
3124 to be heard when it is soloed while muted. This setting is also
3125 available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor section.
3133 <strong>Default track/bus muting options</strong> sets the muting options
3134 for a newly created tracks or bus. The mute options for an existing track
3135 or bus are changed by the right-click context menu on a mute button.
3140 <strong>Mute affects pre-fader sends</strong> when enabled pre-fader
3141 sends will be muted by default.
3146 <strong>Mute affects post-fader sends</strong> when enabled post-fader
3147 sends will be muted by default.
3152 <strong>Mute affects control outputs</strong> when enabled control
3153 outputs are muted by default.
3158 <strong>Mute affects main outputs</strong> when enabled main outputs
3159 are muted by default.
3167 <strong>Send Routing</strong> affects
3168 <a href="/signal-routing/aux-sends/">aux and external sends</a>.
3173 <strong>Link panners of Aux and External Sends with main panner by
3174 default</strong> When enabled, sends follow the channel panner.
3177 When disabled, sends can panned independently of the channel panner
3178 and fader. Double clicking the send in the processor box toggles
3179 the main panner and fader between the aux send and the channel.
3188 menu_title: MIDI Tab
3193 This tab contains settings related to the use of MIDI inside Ardour.
3196 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_midi.png" alt="preferences
3202 <strong>MIDI read-ahead time</strong>
3208 <strong>Send MIDI Clock</strong> when enabled Ardour will generate MIDI
3209 clock on the <code>ardour:MIDI clock out</code> JACK port.
3215 <strong>Send MIDI Time Code</strong> when enabled Ardour will generate MIDI
3216 time code on the <code>ardour:MTC out</code> JACK port.
3222 <strong>Percentage either side of normal transport speed to transmit MTC:</strong> MIDI time code generation will be disabled when the transport speed is
3223 greater than normal sped plus this percentage or less than normal minus
3230 <strong>Obey MIDI Machine Control commands</strong> when enabled Ardour
3231 will respond to MIDI Machine Control commands received on the
3232 <code>ardour:MMC in</code> JACK port.
3238 <strong>Send MIDI Machine Control commands</strong> when enabled Ardour
3239 will send MIDI Machine Control commands on the <code>ardour:MMC out</code>
3246 <strong>Send MIDI control feedback</strong>
3252 <strong>Inbound MMC device ID:</strong> is the only device ID Ardour will
3253 respond to when an MMC command is received on the
3254 <code>ardour:MMC in</code> JACK port.
3260 <strong>Outbound MMC device ID:</strong> is the MIDI device ID Ardour will
3261 use when it sends MMC commands.
3267 <strong>Initial program change:</strong> Ardour will send a MIDI program
3268 change message on the <code>ardour:MMC out</code> JACK port when a session
3269 is loaded and whenever this field is changed. A value of -1 is for don't
3270 send any program change message.
3276 <strong>Display first MIDI bank/program as 0</strong>
3282 <strong>Never display periodic MIDI messages</strong>
3288 <strong>Sound MIDI notes as they are selected</strong>
3294 <strong>Midi Audition Synth</strong>
3300 title: User Interaction Tab
3301 menu_title: User Interaction Tab
3306 This tab contains settings that affect the user's interaction with
3307 <a href="/ardours-interface">Ardours interface</a>.
3310 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_interaction.png" alt="preferences
3311 user interaction tab"/>
3316 <strong>Use translations</strong>
3321 <strong>Keyboard</strong>
3326 <strong>Edit using:</strong> Use this keyboard and mouse combination
3327 to edit a region's name, and for audio, the region gain.
3332 <strong>Delete using:</strong>
3337 <strong>Insert note using</strong> Using this mouse and keyboard
3338 combination allows MIDI note drawing while the <strong>Editor</strong>
3344 <strong>Ignore snap using:</strong> This mouse and keyboard combination
3345 temporarily changes the
3346 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid/">snap mode</a> to
3347 <strong>No Grid</strong>.
3352 <strong>Keyboard layout:</strong>
3360 title: Control Surfaces Tab
3361 menu_title: Control Surfaces Tab
3366 This tab contains settings for control surfaces. Also see
3367 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/">Using Control Surfaces</a>.
3370 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_control_surfaces.png" alt="preferences
3371 control surfaces tab"/>
3374 Enable a <dfn>Control Surface Protocol</dfn> and double-click on it to edit
3375 protocol specific settings. Enable feedback to allow Ardour to send position
3376 information back to a control surface.
3380 <strong>Control surface remote ID:</strong> can follow the order of the mixer
3381 or be user assigned.
3386 menu_title: Video Tab
3391 This tab contains settings related to handling of Video.
3394 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_video.png" alt="preferences
3400 <strong>Advanced Setup (remote video server)</strong>
3405 <strong>Video Server URL:</strong>
3410 <strong>Video Folder:</strong>
3417 <strong>Show Video Export Info before export</strong>
3422 <strong>Show Video Server Startup Dialog</strong>
3429 menu_title: Plugins Tab
3434 This tab contains settings that control the discovery and availability of
3438 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_plugins.png" alt="preferences
3444 <strong>General</strong>
3449 <strong>Scan for Plugins</strong> will initiate an immediate scan of
3450 the system for available plugins.
3455 <strong>Always Display Plugin Scan Progress</strong> When enabled a
3456 popup window showing plugin scan progress is displayed for indexing
3457 (cache load) and discovery (detect new plugins).
3462 <strong>Scan Time Out</strong> Specify the default timeout for plugin
3463 instantiation in 1/10 seconds. Plugins that require more time to load
3464 will be blacklisted. A value of 0 disables the timeout.
3472 <strong>VST</strong>
3477 <strong>Clear VST Cache</strong> Remove all VST plugins from the list
3478 of plugins available to be inserted into the processor box.
3483 <strong>Clear VST Blacklist</strong> Make blacklisted VST plugins
3484 available to be added to the processor box.
3489 <strong>Scan for [new] VST Plugins on Application Start</strong> When
3490 enabled new VST plugins are searched, tested and added to the cache
3491 index on application start. When disabled new plugins will only be
3492 available after triggering a 'Scan' manually.
3497 <strong>Linux VST Path:</strong> Launch a dialog to manage the
3498 directories that will be searched for Linux VST plugins.
3512 This tab contains settings that affect
3513 <a href="/ardours-interface/">Ardour's Interface</a>.
3516 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_gui.png" alt="preferences
3522 <strong>Graphically indicate mouse pointer hovering</strong>
3527 <strong>Use name highlight bars in region display</strong> When enabled the
3528 region name is displayed, in the editor, in it's own bar at the bottom of
3529 the region. When disabled, the region name is display at the top of the
3530 region, possibly over audio waveforms or MIDI notes.
3535 <strong>Font scaling</strong> allows the display size of some text in the
3536 user interface to be scaled up or down. May require a restart to take
3542 <strong>Update transport clock display at FPS</strong> when enabled the transport clock
3543 will update at the synchronization framerate instead of the default 100 ms rate.
3548 <strong>Lock timeout</strong> Lock GUI after this many idle seconds (zero to never
3549 lock). GUI may also be locked with <kbd class="menu">Session > Lock</kbd>. When
3550 locked a dialog will display a "Click to unlock" button.
3555 <strong>Mixer Strip</strong> Enable (checked) or disable (unchecked) display of
3556 controls in the mixer strip. Controls whose display can be toggled are
3557 <strong>Input</strong>, <strong>Phase Invert</strong>,
3558 <strong>Record & Monitor</strong>, <strong>Solo Iso/Lock</strong>,
3559 <strong>Output</strong>, and <strong>Comments</strong>.
3564 <strong>Use narrow strips in the mixer by default</strong> When enabled, new mixer
3565 strips are created in narrow format. When disabled, they are created in wide format.
3566 Existing mixer strips width can be toggled with the width control at the top left of
3574 menu_title: Metering Tab
3579 This tab contains settings that affect <a href="/ardours-interface/meters/">
3580 Metering</a> in Ardour.
3583 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_metering.png" alt="preferences
3589 <strong>Peak hold time:</strong> Some meter types that have a peak
3590 indicator that has a user controlled hold time. The options are off, short,
3596 <strong>DPM fall-off:</strong>
3601 <strong>Meter line-up level; 0 dBu:</strong>
3606 <strong>IEC1/DIN Meter line-up level; 0 dBu:</strong>
3611 <strong>VU Meter standard:</strong>
3616 <strong>Peak threshold[dBFS]:</strong>
3621 <strong>LED meter style</strong>
3628 menu_title: Theme Tab
3633 This tab contains settings that change the visual appearence of Ardour.
3636 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_theme.png" alt="preferences
3642 <strong>Restore Defaults</strong> When clicked will change all settings
3643 on the Theme tab back to Ardour's default values.
3648 <strong>All floating windows are dialogs</strong> When enabled Ardour will
3649 use type "Dialog" for all floating windows instead of using type
3650 "Utility" for some of them. This may help usability with some
3651 window managers. This setting requires a restart of Ardour to take effect.
3656 <strong>Transient windows follow front window</strong> When enabled
3657 transient windows will follow the front window when toggling between the
3658 editor and mixer. This setting requires a restart of Ardour to take effect.
3663 <strong>Draw "flat" buttons</strong> When enabled button controls
3664 in the user interface will be drawn with a flat look. When disabled button
3665 controls will have a slight 3D appearence.
3670 <strong>Blink Rec-Arm buttons</strong> When enabled the record-armed
3671 buttons on tracks will blink when they are armed but not currently
3672 recording. When disabled the record-armed buttons on tracks will be
3673 outlined in red instead of blinking.
3678 <strong>Color regions using their track's color</strong> When enabled
3679 the background color of regions in the editor will be displayed using the
3680 the color assigned to the track. When disabled the default region
3681 background color will be used.
3686 <strong>Show waveform clipping</strong> When enalbled the waveform
3687 displayed will show peaks marked in red if they exceed the clip level. The
3688 Waveform Clip Level is set with a slider on the Preferences
3689 <a href="/preferences-and-session-properties/preferences-dialog/editor/">
3695 <strong>Icon Set</strong> Changes the mouse cursor icons used to indicate
3696 different tool modes in the editor. An example would be the icons used to
3697 indicate whether the cursor will select a region or change the length of a
3703 <strong>Waveforms color gradient depth</strong> Determines how much
3704 gradient effect is applied to audio waveforms displayed in the editor.
3705 Values range from 0.00, no graident effect, to 0.95, maximum effect.
3710 <strong>Timeline item gradient depth</strong> Determines how much
3711 gradient effect is applied to the backgrounds of regions displayed in the
3712 editor. Values range from 0.00, no graident effect, to 0.95, maximum
3718 <strong>Colors</strong> The color of an item in the user interface is
3719 determined by which named color is assigned to it, the color displayed for
3720 each named color in the palette, and in some cases, the transparency of
3726 <strong>Items</strong> Each display item has a named color assigned to
3727 it from the palette. Example color names are
3728 "meter color9" and "color 4".
3731 Click on an item's color example to change the named color choice.
3736 <strong>Palette</strong> Hover over a color to display it's name. Click
3737 on a color to open a color chooser dialog.
3742 <strong>Transparency</strong> Some items have a transparency value.
3743 Transparency can be changed from opaque to totally transparent.
3751 title: Session Properties Dialog
3752 menu_title: Session Properties
3756 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_timecode.png" alt="session properties dialog"/>
3759 This dialog allows you to change settings for the current session. These
3760 settings are initially set from the template used to create the session. To
3761 open the dialog use <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>
3766 menu_title: Timecode Tab
3770 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_timecode.png" alt="session properties timecode tab"/>
3773 This tab is used to change how Ardour interprets and manipulates timecode.
3778 Timecode Settings lets you set the number of frames per second
3779 and pull up/down to match the timecode used other synchronized systems.
3782 External Timecode Offsets allows Ardour to a fixed offset from other
3783 synchronized systems. <dfn>Slave Timecode offset</dfn> adds the
3784 specified offset to the recieved timecode (MTC or LTC).
3785 <dfn>Timecode Generator offset</dfn> adds the specified offset to
3786 the timecode generated by Ardour (so far only LTC).
3789 Jack Transport / Time Settings determines whether Ardour controls
3790 Bar|Beat|Tick and other information for Jack.
3796 menu_title: Sync Tab
3800 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_sync.png" alt="session properties sync tab"/>
3803 This tab is used to modify the timecode settings when working with video to
3804 use the imported video's timecode settings instead of the session defaults.
3809 menu_title: Fades Tab
3813 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_fades.png" alt="session properties fades tab"/>
3816 Change how Ardour works with region crossfades.
3821 <dfn>Destructive crossfade length</dfn> is used when an operation on a
3822 region is destructive, such as when recording in a track is in tape mode.
3825 When <dfn>Region fades</dfn> <strong>active</strong> is checked, the
3826 region fades set up in the mixer are used during playback. When unchecked,
3827 the fades are ignored.
3830 When <strong>Region fades visible</strong> is checked the region fades are visible
3831 in the the <strong>Editor</strong>.
3837 menu_title: Media Tab
3841 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_media.png" alt="session properties media tab"/>
3844 Change how sound is stored on disk. These options do not change how sound is handled
3850 <dfn>Sample format</dfn> defaults to 32-bit floating point, the same as
3851 the internal representation. 24 and 16-bit integer representation are
3855 <strong>File type</strong> options are WAVE, WAVE-64, and CAF.
3860 title: Locations Tab
3861 menu_title: Locations Tab
3865 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_locations.png" alt="session properties locations tab"/>
3868 These options add file locations that will be searched to find the audio and
3869 midi files used by the session. This is useful when the files have been
3870 imported into the session but not copied into the session.
3874 To add a location, navigate to the directory where the files are stored.
3875 Drill down into the directory and then click open. The directory will
3876 show up in the dialog. The remove button next to the added directory can be used
3877 to remove it from the search path.
3881 title: Filenames Tab
3882 menu_title: Filenames Tab
3886 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_filenames.png" alt="session properties filenames tab"/>
3889 This tab is used to change how Ardour names recorded regions.
3890 If <dfn>Prefix track number</dfn> is selected a unique number will appear on each track
3891 in the <dfn>Editor</dfn> window and will prefix the region name. If the track number
3892 is 2 and the region would have been Gtr-1.1 with track number prefix turned on the region
3893 will be named 2_Gtr-1.1 instead. See XX for base of the region name.
3897 If <dfn>Prefix take name</dfn> is selected and the <dfn>Take name</dfn> has Take1 the region
3898 will have the name Take1_Gtr-1.1 instead. If both boxes are checked the name will be
3899 Take1_2_Gtr-1.1 instead.
3903 When <dfn>Prefix take name</dfn> is enabled, the first time a track is recorded it will
3904 have the specified take name. When recording is stopped, any trailing number on the
3905 end of the take name will incremented by 1. If the track name specified doen't have
3906 a number on the end, the number 1 will be suffixed.
3910 title: Monitoring Tab
3911 menu_title: Monitoring Tab
3916 Provides options affecting monitoring.
3919 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_monitoring.png" alt="session properties monitoring tab"/>
3922 The <strong>Track Input Monitoring automatically follows transport state</strong>
3923 affects how input monitoring is handling. See
3924 <a href="/recording/monitoring/monitor-setup-in-ardour/">Monitor Setup in Ardour</a>.
3927 <img class="left" src="/images/a4_monitoring_section.png" alt="monitoring section"/>
3930 The 'Use monitor section' displays an extra section in the <strong>Mixer</strong>
3931 window that is modelled on the similiarly named section on large analog consoles.
3935 title: Meterbridge Tab
3936 menu_title: Meterbridge Tab
3941 The meters from audio tracks always display in the <dfn>Meterbridge</dfn>.
3942 This tab changes what additional controls are also displayed.
3945 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_meterbridge.png" alt="session properties meterbridge tab"/>
3949 <dfn>Route Display</dfn> has options for showing midi tracks, busses, and the master bus.
3952 <dfn>Button Area</dfn> has options for adding record enable, mute, solo, and input monitor buttons.
3955 <dfn>Name Labels</dfn> adds the track name and, if numbers are enabled on the filenames tab, the number.
3959 <img src="/images/a4_meterbridge_full.png" alt="image of meterbidge with all options on"/>
3962 title: Session Misc Tab
3963 menu_title: Misc Tab
3968 This tab has several things that don't fit on the other tabs.
3971 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_misc.png" alt="session properties misc tab"/>
3975 <dfn>MIDI Options</dfn>
3978 If <dfn>MIDI region copies are independent</dfn> is selected, when a
3979 MIDI region is copied or duplicated, the new region is not linked to
3980 the region it was copied from. If it is not selected, the copied regions
3981 are linked and any editing of one of the linked regions changes all
3982 of the linked regions.
3985 The <dfn>Editor</dfn> can be configured to handle overlapping MIDI notes
3988 <li>never allow them</li>
3989 <li>don't do anything in particular</li>
3990 <li>replace any overlapped existing notes</li>
3991 <li>shorten the overlapped existing note</li>
3992 <li>shorten the overlapped new note</li>
3993 <li>replace both overlapping notes with a single note</li>
3999 <dfn>Glue to bars and beats</dfn>
4001 <li>New markers can be glued to bars and beats</li>
4002 <li>New regions can be glued to bars and beats</li>
4006 Settings from the session properties dialogs can be saved to the
4007 default session template.
4013 title: Configuring MIDI
4019 title: Using External MIDI Devices
4023 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
4027 title: Setting Up MIDI
4031 <h2>What Can Ardour Do With MIDI?</h2>
4033 <dfn><abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital
4034 Interface">MIDI</abbr></dfn> is a way to describe musical
4035 performances and to control music hardware and software.
4037 <p>Ardour can import and record MIDI data, and perform a variety of
4038 editing operations on it. Furthermore, MIDI can be used to control
4039 various functions of Ardour.
4042 <h2>MIDI Handling Frameworks</h2>
4044 MIDI input and output for Ardour are handled by the same "engine"
4045 that handles audio input and output. Up to release 3.5, that means
4046 that all MIDI I/O takes place via JACK. JACK itself uses the
4047 native MIDI support of the operating system to receive and send
4048 MIDI data. The native MIDI support provides device drivers for MIDI
4049 hardware and libraries needed by software applications that want to
4055 <dd> <dfn>CoreMIDI</dfn> is the standard MIDI framework on OSX systems.
4059 <dfn><abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound API">ALSA</abbr> MIDI</dfn>
4060 is the standard MIDI framework on Linux systems.
4065 On Linux systems, <dfn>QJackCtl</dfn> control software displays ALSA MIDI
4066 ports under its "ALSA" tab (it does not currently display CoreMIDI
4067 ports). By contrast, JACK MIDI ports show up under
4068 the <kbd class="menu">MIDI</kbd> tab in QJackCtl.
4071 <h2>JACK MIDI Configuration</h2>
4073 By default, JACK will <strong>not</strong> automatically detect and use existing MIDI
4074 ports on your system. You must choose one of several ways
4075 of <dfn>bridging</dfn> between the native MIDI frameworks
4076 (e.g. CoreMIDI or ALSA) and JACK MIDI, as described in the sections
4081 title: MIDI on Linux
4085 <p>The right approach for using MIDI on Linux depends on which version of
4086 JACK you use. The world divides into:</p>
4089 <dt>Systems using JACK 1, versions 0.124 or later</dt>
4090 <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>
4092 <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.
4099 <dfn>a2jmidid</dfn> is an application that bridges between the system
4100 <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> ports and
4101 <abbr title="JACK Audio Connection Kit">JACK</abbr>.
4105 First you should make sure that there is no ALSA sequencer support enabled
4106 in JACK. To do that open QJackCtl's <kbd class="menu">Setup</kbd> window.
4110 Set <kbd class="menu">Settings > MIDI Driver</kbd> to <kbd
4111 class="input">none</kbd>.
4112 Then uncheck the <kbd class="optoff">Misc > Enable ALSA Sequencer
4113 support</kbd> option.<br />
4114 Now it's time to restart your jack server before going on.
4117 <h3>Check for a2jmidid availability</h3>
4120 First, check whether a2jmidid is already installed in your system. After
4121 starting your JACK server, go to the command line and type
4124 <kbd class="cmd lin">a2jmidid -e</kbd>
4127 If a2jmidid does not exist, install it with the software manager of your
4128 Linux distribution and try again.
4131 <h2>Check available MIDI ports</h2>
4134 If you have correctly configured JACK for MIDI, then your MIDI ports should appear in
4135 qjackctl under <kbd class="menu">Connections > MIDI </kbd>.
4138 <h3>Making it automatic</h3>
4141 Once you've verified that the ports appear in JACK as expected, you
4142 can make this happen whenever you start JACK.
4145 <p>If you use a newer version of JACK 1, just make sure the -X
4146 alsa_midi or -X seq options are enabled for whatever technique you use
4151 For other versions of JACK,
4152 add <kbd class="input">a2jmidid -e &</kbd> as an "after start-up" script
4153 in the <kbd class="menu">Setup > Options</kbd> tab of QJackCtl, so
4154 that it is started automatically whenever you start JACK.
4157 <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>
4165 In order for CoreMIDI to work with Jack MIDI, a CoreMIDI-to-JACK-MIDI
4167 is required. This feature is available on versions equal to or great than
4168 version 0.89 of JackOSX.
4171 <h2>Routing MIDI</h2>
4173 <h3>Inside Ardour</h3>
4176 MIDI ports show up in Ardour's MIDI connection matrix in multiple
4177 locations. Bridged CoreMIDI ports as well as JACK MIDI ports that have
4178 been created by other software clients will show up under the "Other" tab.
4179 Bridged CoreMIDI hardware ports show up under the "Hardware" tab.
4182 <h3>External Applications</h3>
4185 There are multiple options for connecting MIDI ports outside of Ardour.
4189 <li><a href="http://www.snoize.com/MIDIMonitor/">MIDI Monitor</a> is a handy
4190 tool for doing various MIDI-related tasks.</li>
4191 <li><a href="http://notahat.com/midi_patchbay">MIDI Patchbay</a> lets you
4192 connect ports and filters MIDI data.</li>
4197 title: Ardour's Interface
4203 title: About Ardour's Interface
4208 In Ardour, you work in two main windows: the <dfn>Editor</dfn> and the
4213 <img src="/images/global-editor-window-split.png" alt="Ardour's editor window">
4214 <img style="margin-left:2em;" src="/images/global-mixer-window-split.png" alt="Ardour's mixer window">
4216 <ol class="multicol3">
4219 </ol><ol class="multicol3" start="3">
4220 <li>Transport bar & Times</li>
4221 <li>Mode switch</li>
4222 </ol><ol class="multicol3" start="5">
4223 <li>The <dfn>Mixer</dfn> window</li>
4224 <li>The <dfn>Editor</dfn> window</li>
4230 Switching between the Editor and the Mixer windows done:
4234 <li>with the Mode Switch buttons (#4 in the screenshot) in the upper right</li>
4235 <li>with the <kbd class="mod2">M</kbd> shortcut</li>
4236 <li>with the menu <kbd class="menu">Window > Editor <em>(or Mixer)</em> > Show</kbd>.</li>
4240 Both windows can be visible at the same time (eg. for a multi-monitor
4241 setup) using <kbd class="menu">Window > Editor <em>(or Mixer)</em> > Detach</kbd> option in the same submenu.
4246 <p class="fixme">Which of these two should be there? They seem to have the same content…</p>
4249 In Ardour, you work in two main windows: the <dfn>Editor</dfn> and the <dfn>Mixer</dfn>.
4253 <img src="/images/editor_split.png" alt="Ardour's mixer window">
4254 <img src="/images/mixer_split.png" alt="Ardour's editor window">
4256 <ol class="multicol4">
4259 <li>Transport bar & Times</li>
4260 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="4">
4261 <li>Mode switch</li>
4262 <li>The <dfn>Editor</dfn> window</li>
4263 <li>a track's mixer strip</li>
4264 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="7">
4265 <li>Editors List</li>
4266 <li>The <dfn>Mixer</dfn> window</li>
4267 <li>Favorite plugins</li>
4268 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="10">
4271 <li>Master strip</li>
4277 To switch between those windows, use the buttons (#4 Mode switch in the upper right), the shortcut <kbd class="mod2">M</kbd>, or the menu <kbd class="menu">Window > Editor <em>(or Mixer)</em> > Show</kbd>. Both windows can be visible at the same time (eg. for a multi-monitor setup) using <kbd class="menu">Detach</kbd> in the same menu.
4286 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
4294 <img src="/images/status-bar.png" alt="The status bar">
4296 <p>The status bar is an informative bar at the top of the window, showing:</p>
4299 <li><dfn>File:</dfn> the file format used in the session, including when recording</li>
4300 <li><dfn>TC:</dfn> is the timecode, i.e. the number of frames per second used by the session (for videos)</li>
4301 <li><dfn>Audio:</dfn> gives the sample rate used in the session, and the latency computed from the buffer size</li>
4302 <li><dfn>Buffers:</dfn> decribe how much data is buffered, see below</li>
4303 <li><dfn>DSP:</dfn> for Digital Sound Processing, shows how much of the CPU is used by Ardour and its plugins</li>
4304 <li><dfn>X:</dfn> shows the number of xruns since Ardour's launch, see below</li>
4305 <li><dfn>Disk:</dfn> reports the remaining hard disk space as the time that can be recorded with the current session setting</li>
4306 <li><dfn>a Clock</dfn> showing the system time</li>
4307 <li><dfn>a Log button</dfn> that indicates if Ardour has encountered any warning or error.</li>
4310 <p>The buffers are labeled as <kbd class="menu">p</kbd> for playback and <kbd class="menu">c</kbd> for capture. If the
4311 system is fast enough, these buffers should be 100% full at all times, showing the system has time to precompute
4312 all the data before delivering it to the audio system. A buffer constantly under 20% is a sign of an underpowered
4313 computer system or of too much processing.</p>
4315 <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
4316 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>
4318 <p>The log button turns yellow when a warning occurs, and red when an error occurs. Clicking the log button gives acces to the log.</p>
4321 title: Transport bar and times
4326 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.
4329 <img src="/images/transport-bar.png" alt="Ardour's transport bar" />
4332 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).
4336 The <dfn>Transport Bar</dfn> at the top of the window is made of:
4340 <li>the Transport Controls</li>
4342 <li>3 status indicators:
4344 <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>
4345 <li><dfn>Audition</dfn>: Blinks when using the import dialog to audition material.</li>
4346 <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>
4348 <li>A global Meter, showing the level of the Master Output, see <a href="/introducing-ardour/meters/">Metering in Ardour</a></li>
4349 <li>the Mode Selector, allowing to switch between Editor and Mixer views, or edit the Preferences.</li>
4353 title: The Transport Bar
4358 The <dfn>Transport Bar</dfn> groups all the actions regarding the control of playback and recording.
4361 <p class="center"><img src="/images/transport.png" alt="The transport controls" /></p>
4364 This bar is made of (from left to right):
4369 <dfn>Midi Panic</dfn>: Immediately stops all midi output.
4372 <dfn>Enable/disable Audio Click</dfn>: Toggles (on/off) a click track (metronome) along the <a href="/tempo-meter/tempo-and-meter/">tempo</a>.
4375 <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>.
4378 <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>.
4381 <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.
4384 <dfn>Play Range/Selection</dfn>: If a range has been defined using the Range Mode button, plays the range; or 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.
4387 <dfn>Play from playhead</dfn>: Starts the playback and optionally record (more below).
4390 <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.
4393 <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>.
4397 <p class="fixme">Add default keyboard shortcuts to the above.</p>
4400 All these actions are bound to keyboard shortcuts, which allows for speedier use and more focused work.
4404 Under these buttons is the <dfn>Shuttle Speed Control</dfn> that allows to scrub through the audio quickly.
4408 The Shuttle Speed Control supports 2 operating modes, that can be chosen with right click > Mode:
4412 <li><dfn>Sprung mode</dfn> that allows for a temporary scrub: it only scubs while the mouse is left clicked on the control.</li>
4413 <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.
4417 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.
4421 The 3 vertical buttons on the right of the transport bar control the behavior of the playhead:
4426 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>).
4429 <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.
4432 <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.
4436 <h2>Using Key Bindings</h2>
4439 Ardour has many available commands for playback control that can be bound
4440 to keys. Many of them have default bindings, some do not, so the list below
4441 shows both the default bindings and internal command names for some of them.
4444 <dl class="wide-table">
4445 <dt><kbd>Space</kbd></dt>
4446 <dd>switch between playback and stop.</dd>
4447 <dt><kbd>Home</kbd></dt>
4448 <dd>Move playhead to session start marker</dd>
4449 <dt><kbd>End</kbd></dt>
4450 <dd>Move playhead to session end marker</dd>
4451 <dt><kbd>→</kbd></dt>
4452 <dd>Playhead to next region boundary</dd>
4453 <dt><kbd>←</kbd></dt>
4454 <dd>Playhead to previous region boundary</dd>
4455 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
4456 <dd>Move playhead to start of the timeline</dd>
4460 Go to the <kdb class="menu">Transport</kbd> and <kdb class="menu">Transport >> Playhead</kbd> to find more.
4469 <dfn>Clocks</dfn> in Ardour are used to display <dfn>time values</dfn> precisely. In many cases, they are also one way to edit (change) time values, and in a few cases, the only way. All clocks share the same basic appearance and functionality, which is described below, but a few clocks serve particularly important roles.
4472 <h2>Transport Clocks</h2>
4475 In the transport bar of the editor window there are two clocks (unless you
4476 are on a very small screen), that display the current position of the playhead
4477 and additional information related to transport control and the timeline. These
4478 are called the <dfn>transport clocks</dfn>; the left one is the primary
4479 transport clock and the right one is the secondary transport clock.
4480 They look like this:
4483 <img src="/images/a3_new_main_clocks.png" alt="An image of the transport clocks in Ardour 3" />
4486 Editing the time in the transport clocks will reposition the playhead in the same
4487 way that various other editing operations will.
4490 <h3>The Big Clock</h3>
4493 To show the current playhead position in a big, resizable window, activate
4494 <kbd class="menu">Window > Big Clock</kbd>. The big clock is very useful
4495 when you need to work away from the screen but still want to see the playhead
4496 position clearly (such as when working with a remote control device across
4497 a room). The big clock will change its visual appearance to indicate when active
4498 recording is taking place. Below on the left is a screenshot showing a fairly
4499 large big clock window filling a good part of the display, and on the right,
4500 the same clock during active recording.
4503 <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"
4506 <h3>The Special Role of the Secondary Transport Clock</h3>
4509 On a few occasions Ardour needs to display time values to the user, but there
4510 is no obvious way to specify what units to use. The most common case is the big
4511 cursor that appears when dragging regions. For this and other similar cases,
4512 Ardour will display time using the same units as the secondary clock.
4515 <h4>Why are there two transport clocks?</h4>
4518 Having two transport clocks lets you see the playhead position in two different
4519 time units without having to change any settings. For example, you can see the
4520 playhead position in both timecode units and BBT time.
4523 <h3>Selection and Punch Clocks</h3>
4526 The transport bar also contains a set of 5 clocks that show the current
4527 <dfn>selection range</dfn> and <dfn>punch ranges</dfn>. Clicking on the punch
4528 range clocks will locate to either the beginning or end of the punch range.
4529 Similarly, clicking on the range clocks will locate to either the beginning
4530 or end of the current selection. In this screen shot there is no current
4531 selection range, so the selection clocks show an "off" state.
4534 <img src="/images/selectionpunchclocks.png" alt="An image of the the selection and punch clocks in Ardour 3" />
4536 <h2>Clock Modes</h2>
4539 Every clock in Ardour has four different, selectable <dfn>clock
4540 modes</dfn>. Each mode displays time using different units.
4541 You can change the clock mode by <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking
4542 on the clock and selecting the desired mode from the menu. Some clocks are
4543 entirely independent of any other clock's mode; others are linked so that
4544 changing one changes all clocks in that group. The different modes are:
4548 <dd>Time is shown as <dfn><abbr title="Society of Motion Picture and Television
4549 Engineers">SMPTE</abbr> timecode</dfn> in Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames,
4550 measured from the timecode zero point on the timeline (which may not
4551 correspond to the session start and/or absolute zero on the timeline,
4552 depending on configurable timecode offsets).
4553 The frames value is dictated by either the session <abbr title="Frames Per
4554 Second">FPS</abbr> setting, or, if slaved to an external timecode master,
4555 the master's setting. In the transport clocks, the FPS value is shown below
4556 the time display, along with an indication of the current timecode source
4557 (<samp>INT</samp> means that Ardour is its own timecode source).</dd>
4559 <dd>Time is shown as Bars:Beats:Ticks, indicating <dfn>musical time</dfn> measured
4560 from the start of the session. The transport clocks show the current tempo
4561 in <abbr title="Beats Per Minute">bpm</abbr> and meter below the time
4563 <dt>Minutes:Seconds</dt>
4564 <dd>Time is shown as Hours:Minutes:Seconds.Milliseconds, measured from the
4565 absolute start of the timeline (ignoring the session start and any timecode
4568 <dd>Time is shown as a <dfn>sample count</dfn> from the absolute start of the timeline
4569 (ignoring the session start and any timecode offsets). The number of
4570 samples per second is given by the current sample rate, and in the transport
4571 clocks, this rate is shown below the time display along with any
4572 pullup/pulldown adjustment.</dd>
4575 <h3>Special Modes for the Transport Clocks</h3>
4577 In addition to the time-unit modes mentioned above, each of the two transport
4578 clocks (if you work on a small screen, you may only have one) can be
4579 independently set to display <dfn>Delta to Edit Point</dfn> in whatever time
4580 units its current mode indicates. This setting means that the clock shows the
4581 distance between the playhead and the current edit point, and it may show a
4582 positive or negative value depending on the temporal order of these two points.
4583 The clocks will use a different color when in this mode to avoid confusion.
4586 To switch either (or both!) of the transport clocks into this mode, use
4587 <kbd class="menu"> Edit > Preferences > Transport</kbd> and select
4588 the relevant checkboxes.
4591 Note that when in <samp>Delta to Edit Point</samp> mode, the transport clocks
4595 <h2>Changing clock values with the keyboard</h2>
4597 New values for the clock can be typed in after clicking on the relevant clock.
4598 Clicking on the clock will show a thin vertical cursor bar just to the right
4599 of the next character to be overwritten. Enter time in the same order as the
4600 current clock mode—if the clock is in Timecode mode, you need to enter
4601 hours, minutes, seconds, frames. So, to change to a time of 12:15:20:15 you
4602 would type <kbd class="input">1 2 1 5 2 0 1 5</kbd>. Each number you type will
4603 appear in a different color, from right to left, overwriting the existing value.
4604 Mid-edit, after typing <kbd class="input">3 2 2 2</kbd> the clock might look like this:
4606 <img src="/images/clockedit.png" alt="An image of a clock being edited in Ardour 3" />
4608 To finish the edit, press <kbd>↵</kbd> or <kbd>Tab</kbd>. To exit an
4609 edit without changing the clock press <kbd>ESC</kbd>. If you mis-type an entry
4610 so that the new value would be illegal (for example, resulting in more than 30
4611 frames when Timecode is set to 30 frames per second), the clock will reset at
4612 the end of the edit, and move the cursor back to the start so that you can
4616 <h3>Avoiding the mouse entirely</h3>
4618 There is a shortcut available for those who wish to be able to edit the transport
4619 clocks entirely without the mouse. It can be found in
4620 <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings > Transport > Focus On
4621 Clock</kbd>. If bound to a key (<kbd>÷</kbd> on the numerical
4623 default), then pressing that key is equivalent to clicking on the primary (left)
4624 transport clock, and editing can begin immediately.
4627 <h3>Entering Partial Times</h3>
4629 One detail of the editing design that is not immediately obvious is that it is
4630 possible to enter part of a full time value. Suppose that the clock is in BBT
4631 mode, displaying <samp>024|03|0029</samp>, and you want to alter the value to
4632 the first beat of the current bar. Click on the clock and type
4633 <kbd class="input">0 1 0 0 0 0</kbd>. Similarly, if it is in Minutes:Seconds
4634 mode, displaying <samp>02:03:04.456</samp>, and you want to get to exactly 2
4635 hours, click on the clock and type <kbd class="input">0 0 0 0 0 0 0</kbd> to
4636 reset the minutes, seconds and milliseconds fields.
4639 <h3>Entering Delta Times</h3>
4641 You can also type values into the clock that are intended as a relative change,
4642 rather than a new absolute value. Simply end the edit by pressing
4643 <kbd>+</kbd> or <kbd>-</kbd> (the ones on any keypad will also work). The plus
4644 key will add the entered value to the current value of the clock, minus will
4645 subtract it. For example, if the clock is in Samples mode and displays
4646 <samp>2917839</samp>, you move it back 2000 samples by typing
4647 <kbd class="input">2 0 0 0</kbd> and <kbd>-</kbd>, rather than ending with
4650 <h2>Changing clock values with the mouse</h2>
4652 <h3>Using a scroll wheel</h3>
4655 Position the mouse pointer over the clock, and move the scroll wheel. Moving
4656 the scroll wheel up (<kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>) increases the value
4657 shown on the clock, moving it down (<kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>)
4658 decreases it. The step size is equal to the unit of the field
4659 you are hovering over (seconds, hours, etc.).
4662 <h3>Dragging the mouse</h3>
4665 Position the mouse pointer over the clock, press the left mouse button and drag.
4666 Dragging upwards increases the value shown on the clock, dragging downwards
4667 decreases it, again with a step size equal to the unit of the field you
4678 <img src="/images/detailed-editor-window.png" alt="Ardour's editor windo
4681 <ol class="multicol4">
4684 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="3">
4685 <li>Editor's List</li>
4686 <li>a Mixer strip</li>
4687 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="5">
4689 <li>an audio track</li>
4691 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="7">
4692 <li>a MIDI track</li>
4699 The <dfn>Editor</dfn> window includes the editor track <dfn>canvas</dfn>
4700 where you can arrange audio and MIDI data along a timeline. This is the
4701 window you will be in while editing and arranging a project. The window
4702 has a general "horizontal" sense to it: the timeline flows from left to
4703 right, the playhead showing the current position in the session moves
4704 from left to right—the window really represents <dfn>time</dfn>
4705 in a fairly literal way.
4709 It is possible to show a single channel strip in the editor window, and
4710 some people find this enough to work on mixing without actually opening
4711 the mixer window. Most of the time though, you will want both of these
4712 windows at various stages of a session's lifetime—sometimes
4713 you'll be focused on editing, sometimes on mixing and possibly some of
4718 This section is a description of the Editor window. To learn more about the
4719 editing workflow, see <a href="fixme">Editing</a>.
4724 title: The Editor - The Toolbar
4729 <img src="/images/toolbar_split.png" alt="Ardour's editor toolbar">
4731 <ol class="multicol5">
4733 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="2">
4734 <li>Zoom Control</li>
4735 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="3">
4736 <li>Grid Control</li>
4737 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="4">
4739 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="5">
4746 The Toolbar is made of 5 parts, described in this part.
4754 <img src="/images/toolbar-tools.png" alt="Editor toolbar's tools, aka toolbox">
4756 <h2>Global Edit mode</h2>
4759 Ardour has a global <dfn>edit mode</dfn> selector at the left of the
4760 Editing toolbar, which affect how regions are moved or copied:
4764 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slide</kbd></dt>
4765 <dd>Regions move freely. Ardour creates overlaps when necessary.</dd>
4766 <dt><kbd class="menu">Ripple</kbd></dt>
4767 <dd>Editing affects the regions to the "right" of the edit (see below).</dd>
4768 <dt><kbd class="menu">Lock</kbd></dt>
4769 <dd>No region motion is permitted (except for "nudge").</dd>
4773 Ripple Edit mode provides the following conveniences:
4775 <li>Deleting a range will move later regions to compensate for the deleted time</li>
4776 <li>Deleting a region will move later regions to compensate for the deleted region's length</li>
4777 <li>Moving a region will move later regions to compensate for the length of the move</li>
4778 <li>Inserting a new region (via dragging or via Paste) will move later regions to the right to compensate</li>
4783 If <kbd class="menu">Snap To Grid</kbd> is enabled, then regions can
4784 only move so that they align with locations determined by the current
4785 snap settings (beats, or seconds, or other region boundaries, etc).
4786 See <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid">Snap To the Grid</a>
4790 <h2>The <em>Smart</em> switch
4793 The <dfn>Smart Mode</dfn> button to the left of the mouse mode buttons
4794 modifies the <dfn>Grab Mode</dfn>. When enabled, the mouse behaves as if it
4795 is in "Range Mode" in the upper half of a region, and in "Grab Mode" in the
4796 lower half. This allows avoiding constant switching between these two modes.
4799 <h2>Mouse Modes</h2>
4801 <dl class="wide-table">
4803 <dt id="object">Grab Mode</dt>
4804 <dd>The <dfn>Grab Mode</dfn> is used for selecting, moving, deleting and
4805 copying objects. When in object mode, the mouse pointer appears as a hand
4806 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. The mouse can now be
4807 used to select and perform operations on objects such as regions, markers etc.
4808 This is the most common mode to work in, as it allows you to select and move regions,
4809 as well as modify automation points on the automation tracks.</dd>
4812 <dd>When in <dfn>Range Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a vertical line
4813 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. The mouse will now be
4814 able to select a point or range of time. Time ranges can be selected over
4815 one or several tracks, depending on the selection of your tracks.<br>
4816 If none of your tracks are selected, the Range Tool will operate on all the
4817 session track visualized in the Editor.<br>
4818 If you want to edit only particular tracks, select them before you apply
4819 the range tool.</dd>
4821 <dt>Cut Tool Mode</dt>
4822 <dd>When in <dfn>Cut Tool Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a pair of scissors
4823 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. This tools allows to cut
4824 any region into 2 regions at the mouse cursor, regardless of the Edit Point.<br>
4825 If one or more track(s) is selected, then all the regions on these tracks will
4826 be split at the mouse cursor position.<br>
4827 If no track is selected, then only the region hovered by the mouse cursor will
4830 <dt>Stretch Mode</dt>
4831 <dd>When in <dfn>time fx</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer appears as a
4832 distinctive expanding square symbol whenever it is over the track canvas or
4833 the rulers. This mode is used to resize regions using a timestretch
4834 algorithm. Click on an edge of a region of audio and drag it one way or the other to
4835 stretch or shrink the region.</dd>
4837 <dt>Audition Tool</dt>
4838 <dd>Clicking a region using the <dfn>audition tool</dfn> will play this
4839 region to the control room outputs.<br>
4840 You can also <dfn>scrub</dfn> with this tool by clicking and dragging in
4841 the direction you wish to listen. The amount you drag in one direction or
4842 the other will determine the playback speed.</dd>
4845 <dd>When in <dfn>Draw Tool</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer will change to
4846 a pencil. You can then click within an audio region to change the <dfn>gain
4847 envelope</dfn> for that region. This curve is separate from fader automation
4848 for individual tracks. It will remain locked to the region's time, so if the
4849 region is moved, the region gain envelope is moved along with it.<br>
4850 The draw tool works on automation too, allowing the creation and modification
4851 of control points on the automation curves.<br>
4852 Last, it is used on a MIDI region to edit the notes.</dd>
4854 <dt>Internal/Region Edit Mode</dt>
4855 <dd>When in <dfn>Internal Edit</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer will change to
4856 cross-hairs. This tool acts on gegion gain and automation as the Draw tool.<br>
4857 On a MIDI region, it allows to lasso-select multiple notes at a time.</dd>
4860 <p class="fixme">Make sure the Internal Edit and Draw tool act as described</p>
4863 title: the Zoom Controls
4867 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-zoom.png" alt="Editor toolbar's zoom">
4869 <p>The zoom controls allow to navigate the session along both the time and track axes.</p>
4871 <p>The drop down <kbd class="menu">Zoom Focus</kbd> menu allows to select a focus
4872 point for the zoom, i.e. the center of the zoom. The choices are :</p>
4875 <li><dfn>Left</dfn> of the screen</li>
4876 <li><dfn>Right</dfn> of the screen</li>
4877 <li><dfn>Center</dfn> of the screen</li>
4878 <li><dfn>Playhead</dfn></li>
4879 <li><dfn>Mouse</dfn></li>
4880 <li><dfn>Edit Point</dfn> as set in the <a href=" fixme ">Edit point</a> control.</li>
4883 <p>The 2 leftmost zoom buttons (<kbd class="menu">−</kbd> and
4884 <kbd class="menu">+</kbd>) use this zoom focus to zoom out and in
4887 <p>The <kbd class="menu">Zoom to session</kbd> button is a handy shortcut to zoom
4888 out or in until all the session (as defined by it's <a href=" fixme ">start/end
4889 markers</a>) fits horizontally.</p>
4891 <p>Changing the <kbd class="menu">Number of visible tracks</kbd> dropdown menu
4892 allows to fit this number of tracks vertically in the screen.<p>
4894 <p class="note">There <em>is</em> a minimal track height to keep it visible, so
4895 according to you screen vertical size, some high number can have no effect.</p>
4897 <p>Inside this menu are 2 handy choices :</p>
4899 <li><dfn>Selected tracks</dfn> that focus on the selected tracks. If the selected
4900 tracks are not contiguous, the unselected tracks inbetween will be hidden, see
4901 the <a href=" fixme ">Track and Bus list</a>.</li>
4902 <li><dfn>All</dfn> that fits all the tracks of the sessions vertically (provided
4903 there's enough screen estate).</li>
4906 <p>The rightmost buttons <kbd class="menu">Shrink tracks</kbd> and
4907 <kbd class="menu">Expand tracks</kbd> reduce or expand the vertical size of the
4908 selected tracks. If no track is selected, all the tracks will be shrunk or
4909 expanded each time the button is pushed.
4912 title: the Grid Controls
4916 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-grid.png" alt="Editor toolbar's grid">
4919 Ardour's editor utilizes a <dfn>grid</dfn> to assist in the placement
4920 of regions on the timeline, or with editing functions that need to happen
4921 at a specific point in time. You can choose if you want the cursor and
4922 various objects to snap to this grid, and how you want the snapping to
4923 behave. You can modify the grid units to fit your needs.
4926 <h2>About Snapping</h2>
4928 <p>There are two ways to think about aligning material to a grid.
4929 The first and most obvious one is where an object's position is clamped
4930 to grid lines. In Ardour, this is called <dfn>absolute snap</dfn>
4931 and is commonly used when working with sampled material where audio
4932 begins exactly at the beginning of a file, note or region.</br>
4933 The second, <dfn>relative snap</dfn>, is used when an object's position
4934 relative to the grid lines is important. In music, this allows you to
4935 move objects around without changing the "feel" (or timing) of a performance.</br>
4936 Absolute snap is the default method of snapping in Ardour.</br>
4937 While dragging objects you may switch from absolute to relative snap by
4938 pressing the absolute snap modifier key(s).</br>
4939 You may also disable snap entirely by using the snap modifier (see below).</br>
4940 Note that in relative snap mode the reference point is taken to be the distance
4941 to the nearest grid line.</br>
4942 Note also that when an object lies exactly on a grid line, there will be no difference
4943 between relative and absolute snap modes.</br>
4944 The realtive snap and snap modifiers (along with other modifier keys) may be set in
4945 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction</kbd></br>
4946 For common use patterns, it is recommended that you assign a unique key for
4947 one snap modifier and two keys for the other in such a way that they share an otherwise unused key.
4948 For example, you may choose the snap modifier to be the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> key and the
4949 relative snap modifier to be the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> and <kbd class="mod4"> </kbd> keys.
4954 Using the above modifications, Ardour supports three different modes of snapping to the grid:
4957 <dl class="wide-table">
4958 <dt><kbd class="menu">No Grid</kbd></dt>
4959 <dd>disables the grid. All objects move freely in this mode.</br>
4960 In <kbd class="menu">No Grid</kbd> mode, you may temporarily activate the grid by pressing the
4961 snap modifier (for absolute snap) or switch to relative snap by pressing the relative snap modifier.</dd>
4962 <dt><kbd class="menu">Grid</kbd></dt>
4963 <dd>activates normal snapping. All positions of objects snap to
4964 the grid. (See <a href="#gridunits">Grid Units</a> below
4965 to change the grid). If you try to move an object in "Grid"-mode, it
4966 does not change its position until you move the mouse far enough for the
4967 object to reach the next grid line.</br>
4968 Sometimes you may wish to maintain an objects' position relative to the grid line.
4969 In order to do this, use the "snap relative" modifier.
4970 When holding down this modifier during a drag, the dragged object will jump
4971 while maintaining its original distance from the line.</br>
4972 New objects will always be created at grid points.</br>
4973 Holding down the snap modifier will disable the current grid setting and allow you to move the object freely.</br>
4975 <dt><kbd class="menu">Magnetic</kbd></dt>
4976 <dd>is a less strict type of snapping. Objects can still be moved to any
4977 position, but positions close to the relative or absolute grid points will snap.
4978 In order to move an object very close to a snap point, it may be necessary
4979 to zoom in to prevent snapping to that point, or to use the snap modifier to disable snap completely.</br>
4980 As with Grid mode, the snap modifier will disable snap completely while the
4981 absolute snap modifier will move the "notch" of Magnetic snap to the grid lines.</dd>
4984 <h2>Syncing Regions to the Grid</h2>
4986 By default, a region's beginning will be used as the reference for both types of snapping,
4987 but you can change this behaviour by setting a <dfn>sync point</dfn> in
4988 the region. Select the region(s) and press <kbd>V</kbd>. This will set
4989 the sync point to your edit point.</p>
4991 <h2 id="gridunits">Grid Units</h2>
4993 The selector next to the grid mode selector defines the size of the grid
4994 elements. You can set your grid to several different units:
4996 <dl class="wide-table">
4997 <dt><kbd class="menu">CD Frames</kbd></dt>
4998 <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
5000 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode Frames/Seconds/Minutes</kbd></dt>
5001 <dd>The duration of a frame depends on the timecode settings for the
5003 <dt><kbd class="menu">Seconds/Minutes</kbd></dt>
5004 <dd>These are absolute time units, unaffected by sample rate or timecode settings</dd>
5005 <dt><kbd class="menu">Beats/N</kbd></dt>
5006 <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>
5007 <dt><kbd class="menu">Beats</kbd></dt>
5008 <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>
5009 <dt><kbd class="menu">Bars</kbd></dt>
5010 <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>
5011 <dt><kbd class="menu">Markers</kbd></dt>
5012 <dd>The grid lines are the markers.</dd>
5013 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Starts</kbd></dt>
5014 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region start points (see below).</dd>
5015 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Ends</kbd></dt>
5016 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region end points (see below).</dd>
5017 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Syncs</kbd></dt>
5018 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region sync points.</dd>
5019 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Bounds</kbd></dt>
5020 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region start or end points.</dd>
5024 To use Region starts/ends/syncs/bounds as snap choices, you must have
5029 <li><em>No</em> tracks selected, which means that Ardour snaps to regions on any track, or </li>
5030 <li>Several tracks selected, which means that Ardour only snaps to regions on those selected tracks.</li>
5034 If you are moving items on a track, and only the current track is selected,
5035 then you will only be able to snap to other regions on the same track.
5036 This means that enabling
5037 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor > Link Selections of Regions and
5038 Tracks</kbd> will make the "Region" grid unit unusable. Avoid the use of this option if
5039 you are going to use any of the Region grid units.
5043 title: the Edit Point Control
5047 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-editpoint.png" alt="Editor toolbar's Edit Point">
5050 Editing operations in a Digital Audio Workstation like Ardour can be broken
5051 down according to how many points on the timeline are required to carry the
5052 operation out. Splitting a region for example, requires just one position
5053 on the timeline (the one where the split will happen). Cutting out a time
5054 range requires two positions, one for the start of the cut and one for the end.
5058 In Ardour the <dfn>edit point</dfn> is the location where most single-point
5059 editing operations take place. It can be set to either of the following:
5063 <li>the <dfn>Playhead</dfn> position</li>
5064 <li>the selected (or "active") <dfn>Marker</dfn></li>
5065 <li>the position of the <dfn>Mouse</dfn> (or touch) pointer</li>
5069 The default edit point is the location of the pointer.
5073 There are 2 keybindings available to cycle through the edit point options.
5074 The most common workflow tends to involve switching back and forth between
5075 the playhead and mouse as the edit point. Press the grave accent key
5076 <kbd>`</kbd> to switch between these two. Use <kbd class="mod1">`</kbd> to
5077 cycle through all three choices (including the selected marker). You can
5078 also switch the edit point using a combo-selector just right of the snap/grid
5084 title: The Nudge Controls
5088 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-nudge.png" alt="Editor toolbar's Nudge">
5091 The <dfn>nudge controls</dfn> will move the selected region(s) by a fixed amount of time. The left and right buttons move either backward or forward in time, and the small clock to the left of these buttons sets the amount of time to nudge by. As with all other clocks, you can right-click on the clock to choose the time representation you want to use.
5095 If there are no selected objects, the nudge controls can be used to move the playhead backward or forward by the amount shown on the clock.
5103 <img src="/images/ruler.png" alt="Ardour's Ruler">
5106 The <dfn>Ruler</dfn> scales the session along time, allows navigating, and can be marked for different uses. The main use of the Ruler is to move the playhead: clicking anywhere on the timeline will bring the playhead at this location in time.
5110 It is made of a succession of rows, each having a special role related to time.From top to bottom, those rows are :
5114 <dt><dfn>Timecode</dfn></dt><dd>scaling the session whith the traditional Hours:Mins:Secs:Frames notation</dd>
5115 <dt><dfn>Bars:Beats</dfn></dt><dd>slicing the time according to the time signature ot the Meter</dd>
5116 <dt><dfn>Meter</dfb></dt><dd>shows the time signature. It can be changed along the timeline, by <kbd class="mouse">Right click</kbd> > <kbd class="menu">New Meter</kbd>. The Bars:Beats ruler will reflect the change.</dd>
5117 <dt><dfn>Tempo</dfn></dt><dd>shows the BPM. It can be changed along the timeline, by <kbd class="mouse">Right click</kbd> > <kbd class="menu">New Tempo</kbd>. The Bars:Beats ruler will reflect the change.</dd>
5118 <dt><dfn>Range Markers</dfn></dt><dd>allow to create and modify ranges directly on the Ruler.</dd>
5119 <dt><dfn>Loop/Punch Ranges</dfn></dt><dd>are special kind of ranges designed to be played as a loop and to do punch recording, i.e. recording on a precise section of time, respectively.</dd>
5120 <dt><dfn>CD Markers</dfn></dt><dd>are markers designed to be used while creating a recording that has to be split in time, as an audio CD</dd>
5121 <dt><dfn>Location Markers</dfn></dt><dd>is meant to receive any kind of marker, user generated or from Ardour itself.</dd>
5125 Most of the operations on the markers are described in <a href="/working-with-markers/">Working with Markers</a>, while the Meter, Tempo, Bars:Beats and Timecode use are described in <a href="/tempo-meter/tempo-and-meter/">Tempo and Meter</a>.
5130 title: The Editor - The Editor's Lists
5135 At the right of the editor window is an optional area which provides one of a
5136 range of useful lists of parts of your session. It is not shown by default
5137 when you first start using Ardour. The <dfn>Editor list</dfn> can be hidden
5138 or shown using <kbd class="menu">View > Show Editor List</kbd>. The very
5139 right-hand side of the list gives a selection of tabs which are used to
5140 choose the list to view. The left-hand border of the list can be dragged to
5141 vary the width of the list.
5150 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:
5154 <dt>Position</dt><dd>position of the start of the region on the global timeline</dd>
5155 <dt>End</dt><dd>position of the region on the global timeline</dd>
5156 <dt>Length</dt><dd>duration of the region</dd>
5157 <dt>Sync</dt><dd>position of the sync point, relative to the start of region (can be negative)</dd>
5158 <dt>Fade In</dt><dd>duration of the fade in. Can't be less than 1 ms, to avoid clipping.</dd>
5159 <dt>Fade Out</dt><dd>duration of the fade out (positive value, ≥ 1 ms).</dd>
5163 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.
5167 At the right of the list are four columns of flags that can be altered:
5172 <dd>whether the region position is locked, so that it cannot be moved.</dd>
5174 <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>
5176 <dd>whether the region is muted, so that it will not be heard.</dd>
5178 <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>
5182 Hovering the mouse pointer over a column heading shows a tool-tip which can be handy to remember what the columns are for.
5186 A handy feature of the region list is that its regions can be dragged and dropped into a suitable track in the session.
5190 title: Tracks and Busses List
5195 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:
5199 <dt id="visible">V</dt>
5200 <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>
5201 <dt id="active">A</dt>
5202 <dd>whether the track or bus is active; unactive tracks will not play, and will not consume any CPU.</dd>
5203 <dt id="input">I</dt>
5204 <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>
5205 <dt id="record">R</dt>
5206 <dd>whether the track is record-enabled.</dd>
5207 <dt id="record-safe">RS</dt>
5208 <dd>whether the track is record safe; a record safe track cannot be armed for recording, to protect against a mistake.</dd>
5209 <dt id="mute">M</dt>
5210 <dd>whether the track is muted.</dd>
5211 <dt id="solo">S</dt>
5212 <dd>track solo state.</dd>
5213 <dt id="solo-isolated">SI</dt>
5214 <dd>track solo-isolated state.</dd>
5215 <dt id="solo-safe">SS</dt>
5216 <dd>solo safe state.</dd>
5220 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.
5224 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.
5228 title: Snapshot List
5233 This list gives the snapshots that exist of this session. Clicking on a snapshot
5234 name will load that snapshot.
5238 See <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working with Sessions</a> for more
5239 information on snapshots.
5243 title: Track and Bus Group List
5248 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>.
5252 The columns in this list are as follows:
5257 <dd>the colour that the group uses for its tab in the editor.</dd>
5259 <dd>the group name.</dd>
5261 <dd>whether the tracks and busses in the group are visible.</dd>
5263 <dd>whether the group is enabled.</dd>
5265 <dd>ticked if the constituents of the group are sharing gain settings.</dd>
5267 <dd>ticked if shared gains are relative.</dd>
5269 <dd>ticked if the constituents share mute status.</dd>
5271 <dd>ticked if the constituents share solo status.</dd>
5273 <dd>ticked if the constituents share record-enable status.</dd>
5275 <dd>whether the constituents share monitor settings.</dd>
5277 <dd>whether the constituents are selected together.</dd>
5279 <dd>whether the constituents share active status.</dd>
5283 title: Ranges and Marks List
5288 The <dfn>Ranges & Marks List</dfn> is a tab in the <dfn>Editor Lists</dfn> area on the right of the Editor window. If the editor list area isn't visible it can be enabled by checking <kbd class="option">View > Show Editor List</kbd>. The Ranges & Marks list can be used as a single point of control for all range and location markers (including the punch and loop ranges), or as a supplement to other methods of working with them.
5291 <h2>Common elements</h2>
5294 Each section has a set of <dfn>editable <a
5295 href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays/">clock widgets</a></dfn>
5297 the location of a marker, or the start, end, and duration times of a range,
5299 The <kbd class="menu">Use PH</kbd> buttons allow you to set
5300 the corresponding clock to the current playhead position.
5301 A <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd> click on any of the clocks will move
5302 the playhead to that location. Both functions are also available from the
5303 clock context menus.<br />
5304 Right clicking on any of the clocks brings up a context menu that allows
5305 changing of the display between Timecode, Bars:Beats, Minutes:Seconds,
5310 The <kbd class="menu">—</kbd> (subtract) button in front of each
5311 user-defined range or marker in the list allows that particular item to
5312 be removed. The name fields of custom ranges and markers can be edited.
5316 The <kbd class="option">Hide</kbd> checkboxes make markers and ranges invisible
5317 on the respective ruler to reduce visual clutter; the markers remain
5318 active however, and can be used normally.<br />
5319 Selecting <kbd class="option">Lock</kbd> prevents the respective marker
5320 from being moved until unlocked.
5321 Where applicable, <kbd class="option">Glue</kbd> fixes the marker position
5322 relative to the current musical position expressed in bars and beats, rather
5323 than the absolute time. This will make the respective marker follow
5324 changes in the tempo map.
5328 At the bottom of the list are buttons to add new markers or ranges.
5330 <h2>List sections</h2>
5333 <dt>Loop/Punch Ranges</dt>
5334 <dd>This list shows the current <dfn>loop</dfn> and <dfn>punch</dfn> range
5335 settings. Since these are built-in ranges, you cannot rename or remove them.</dd>
5336 <dt>Markers (Including CD Index)</dt>
5337 <dd>This section lists the session's <dfn>markers</dfn>. By ticking <kbd
5338 class="option">CD</kbd>, you instruct Ardour to create a <dfn>CD track
5339 index</dfn> from this marker, which will be included in the TOC or CUE file when you
5341 <dt>Ranges (Including CD Track Ranges)</dt>
5342 <dd>This is the list of <dfn>ranges</dfn> (including <dfn>CD track
5343 ranges</dfn>). Ticking <kbd class="option">CD</kbd> will convert
5344 the range to a <dfn>CD track</dfn>, which will again be included in
5345 exported TOC or CUE files. This is relevant for Disk-At-Once recordings
5346 that may contain audio data between tracks.</dd>
5354 <img src="/images/summary.png" alt="Ardour's Summary">
5357 The <dfn>Summary</dfn> is a global overview of the session, allowing for a good "bird's eye" view of where in time and tracks the work happens.
5361 Each horizontal line represents a track in the session, with the colored bars being the audio and MIDI regions, colored as per their track's color setting.
5365 Two yellow vertical lines show the position of the <em>Start</em> and <em>End</em> markers, defining the session's length. The red line shows the playhead's position.
5369 The transparent white rectangle represents what's actually displayed in the Editor window, i.e. what part of the session is beign looked at on screen.
5373 The Summary also doubles as a navigator:
5377 <li>the arrows on the left allow to scroll the view horizontally, by 1 length of the veiw each time</li>
5378 <li>the arrows on the right allow to scroll vertically, by 1 track each time</li>
5379 <li>the white rectangle can be dragged anywhere on the session, moving the view accordingly</li>
5380 <li>each border and corner of the white square can be resized, changing the view accordingly</li>
5390 <img src="/images/detailed-mixer-window.png" alt="Ardour's mixer window">
5392 <ol class="multicol3">
5393 <li>Favorite Plugins</li>
5395 </ol><ol class="multicol3" start="3">
5397 <li>a track's strip</li>
5398 </ol><ol class="multicol3" start="5">
5399 <li>Master strip</li>
5400 <li>Monitor section</li>
5406 The <dfn>Mixer</dfn> window on the other hand represents signal flow and is the window you will probably be using most when mixing a session. It includes <dfn>channel strips</dfn> for each track and bus in your session. It has a general "vertical" sense to it: signals flow from the top of each channel strip through the processing elements in the strip to reach the output listed at the bottom.
5410 This section describes the Mixer. To learn more about the process of mixing, see <a href="/mixing/">Mixing<a>.
5414 title: The Mixer - Favorite Plugins Window
5418 <img class="right" src="/images/favorite-plugins.png" alt="Favorite Plugins window">
5421 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.
5425 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.
5430 <img class="right" src="/images/mixer-to-fav-dnd.png" alt="Dragging plugin to Favorites window">
5432 The Favorite Plugins window provides easy access to frequently used plugins:
5436 <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>
5437 <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>
5438 <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>
5439 <li>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.</li>
5440 <li>The context-menu allows the deletion of presets or removal of the plugin from the list.</li>
5441 <li>Plugins in the list can be re-ordered using drag & drop. The custom order is saved.</li>
5445 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.
5449 title: The Mixer - The Strips list
5454 The <dfn>Strips List</dfn> is a quick way to manage big sessions, with lots of tracks, where the mixer would otherwise be too crowded.
5458 It is a list of all the tracks, busses and VCA in the session, with a tick to allow for hiding or showing them. This visibility status also affects the Editor view, and is exactly the same as toggling the <kbd class="option">V</kbd> checkbox in the <a href="/ardours-interface/the-editor/the-editor_s-lists/tracks-and-busses-list/">Tracks and Busses</a> panel of the Editor List.
5462 Dragging and dropping tracks inside the Strips List allows to reorganise the tracks in the session, both in the Mixer and the Editor.
5466 It is possible, by <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> clicking, to act on multiple tracks at once:
5472 <li>Show All Audio Tracks</li>
5473 <li>Hide All Audio Tracks</li>
5474 <li>Show All Audio Busses</li>
5475 <li>Hide All Audio Busses</li>
5476 <li>Show All MIDI Tracks</li>
5477 <li>Hide All MIDI Tracks</li>
5481 The <kbd class="menu">+</kbd> button under the list is a shortcut to create a new track, bus or VCA, as in clicking <kbd class="menu">Track > Add Track, Bus or VCA…</kbd>.
5485 title: The Mixer - The Groups list
5490 The <dfn>Goups List</dfn> allows to quickly manage the <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">groups</a> of the session, and make use of them.
5494 Each group has a <kbd class="option">Show</kbd> checkbox to quickly toggle their visibility. Clicking an already selected group allows to rename it.
5498 The context menu, reached by <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> clicking a group, allows for multiple mixing actions:
5502 <dt>Create New Group From...</dt><dd>Creates a new group based on some track properties. The choice is :
5504 <li><kbd class="menu">Selection...</kbd> to create a group of all selected tracks</li>
5505 <li><kbd class="menu">Record Enabled...</kbd> to create a group of all the tracks that are record enabled</li>
5506 <li><kbd class="menu">Soloed...</kbd> to create a group of all the soloed tracks</li>
5508 <dt>Create New Group with Master From...</dt><dd>Acts exactly as the previous choice, but also creates a Control Master tied to these tracks.</dd>
5509 <dt>Assign Selection to Control Master...</dt><dd>Allows to link all the selected tracks to a chosen Control Master, whether or not they belong to a group.</dd>
5510 <dt>Assign Record Enabled to Control Master...</dt><dd>Allows to link all the record armed tracks to a chosen Control Master.</dd>
5511 <dt>Assign Soloed to Control Master...</dt><dd>Allows to link all the soloed tracks to a chosen Control Master.</dd>
5512 <dt>Enable All Groups</dt><dd>Enable all the groups, i.e. their selected properties are synchronized.</dd>
5513 <dt>Disable All Groups</dt><dd>Disable all the groups, i.e. changing a property in a track won't affect the others.</dd>
5517 When a group is selected, <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> clicking it adds the following menu entries :
5521 <dt>Create New Group with Master From...</dt><dd>Acts exactly as the previous choice, but also creates a Control Master tied to these tracks.</dd>
5522 <dt>Edit Group...</dt><dd>Shows the <kbd class="menu">Track/bus Group</kbd> <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">window</a>.</dd>
5523 <dt>Collect Group</dt><dd>Rearranges the tracks/busses order to visualy group together the tracks belonging to the same group.</dd>
5524 <dt>Remove Group</dt><dd>Deletes the group (but not the tracks/busses belongidng to this group).</dd>
5525 <dt>Assign Group to Control Master...</dt><dd>Allows to link all the tracks in the group to a chosen VCA.</dd>
5526 <dt>Add/Remove Subgroup Bus</dt><dd>Creates/removes a new bus connected to the Master, and send the output of all the tracks in the group to this new bus.</dd>
5527 <dt>Add New Aux Bus (pre/post-fader)</dt><dd>Creates a new bus connected to the Master, and create <a href="/signal-routing/aux-sends/">Aux Sends</a> (pre or post-fader) in all the tracks in the group to this new bus.</dd>
5531 The <kbd class="menu">+</kbd> button under the list allows the creation of an (empty) group, while the <kbd class="menu">−</kbd> button deletes the selected group (but not the tracks in this group).
5535 title: The Mixer - The Master Strip
5539 <p class="fixme">add content</p>
5542 title: The Mixer - The Monitor Section
5546 <p class="fixme">add content</p>
5551 title: Sessions & Tracks
5563 title: New/Open Session Dialog
5567 <p class="fixme">Info is out of date, image needs updating</p>
5570 The initial <dfn>Session</dfn> dialog consists of several consecutive pages:
5573 <h2>Open Session Page</h2>
5575 On this page, you can open an <dfn>existing session</dfn>. You can also
5576 open any <a href="/working-with-sessions/snapshots/">snapshot</a> of a
5577 particular session by clicking on the arrow next to the session name to
5578 display all snapshots, and then selecting one. If your session is
5579 not displayed in the Recent Sessions list, the <kbd class="menu">Other
5580 Sessions</kbd> button will bring up a file selection dialog to navigate
5581 your hard drive.<br />
5582 Alternatively, you can opt to create a <kbd class="menu">New
5586 <h2>New Session page</h2>
5588 Here you can type in the name of a session, select a folder to save in, and
5589 optionally use an existing <a href="/working-with-sessions/session-templates/">template</a>.
5592 Under <dfn>Advanced Options</dfn>, you can select whether you wish to create
5593 a Master Bus, or a Control Bus, and how many channels you wish either to have.
5594 You can also decide whether you want Ardour to automatically connect all inputs
5595 to the physical ports of your hardware. Ardour will do so
5596 sequentially and in round-robin fashion, connecting the first track's
5597 input to the first input of your hardware and so on. When Ardour has used
5598 all available hardware inputs, it will begin again with the first physical
5600 You can limit the number of channels on your physical hardware that Ardour
5604 By default Ardour will connect all tracks and busses to the Master Bus if
5605 there is one. However you can also tell it to automatically connect each
5606 output to the physical outputs of your interface or sound card, and limit
5607 the number of physical outputs used, as above.
5610 <h3>Audio/MIDI Setup</h3>
5612 <img class="right" src="/images/Audio-MIDI_Setup.png" alt="The Audio+MIDI
5616 This page is not displayed if <abbr title="JACK Audio Connection
5617 Kit">JACK</abbr> is already running when you start
5618 Ardour. It provides a simple interface to configure JACK, which
5619 will then be started by Ardour. For more control and options regarding
5620 JACK, it is recommended that you start JACK before using Ardour, via a
5621 JACK control application such as QJackCtl (sometimes called "Jack
5622 Control"), JackPilot, etc.
5625 <dt>Audio System</dt>
5626 <dd>Currently, the only option here is <kbd class="menu">JACK</kbd>. In the future, native
5627 hardware access may be supported.</dd>
5630 On Mac OS X this will typically be <kbd class="menu">CoreAudio</kbd>. On Linux usually
5631 this will be either <kbd class="menu"><abbr title="Free Firewire Audio Driver fOr
5632 linux">FFADO</abbr></kbd>
5633 or <kbd class="menu"><abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound
5634 Architecture">ALSA</abbr></kbd>, depending on whether or not you are
5635 utilizing a firewire device. Advanced users on all platforms may also
5636 use <kbd class="menu">NetJack</kbd> which provides network audio I/O.
5639 <dd>The selector should show all availiable interfaces provided by the
5640 driver above and which are capable of duplex operation.
5642 If you are using an Intel Mac running OS X and the builtin audio
5644 first <a href="setting-up-your-system/using_more_than_one_audio_device/">merge
5645 its separate input and output devices into a single "aggregate
5646 device"</a> before Ardour will be able to use it.
5649 <dt>Sample Rate</dt>
5651 The selector will allow you to select from any sample rate
5652 supported by the device selected above it.
5654 <dt>Buffer Size</dt>
5656 You can adjust the size of the buffer used by your audio interface
5657 to allow for either lower latency, or lower CPU usage and higher
5660 <dt>Input/Output Channels</dt>
5662 Here you can specify the number of hardware channels to use. The
5663 default is <kbd class="menu">all available channels</kbd>.</dd>
5664 <dt>Hardware Input/Output Latency</dt>
5665 <dd>Specify the hardware delay in samples for precise latency compensation.</dd>
5668 This button guides you through a semi-automated process to obtain
5669 precise hardware latency measurements for the above option.</dd>
5670 <dt>MIDI System</dt>
5672 Select the MIDI driver to use. On Mac OS X, this will be <kbd
5673 class="menu">CoreMIDI</kbd>. On Linux, you can change between two legacy
5674 ALSA drivers or the (preferred) new JACK+ALSA implementation.</dd>
5678 title: What's in a Session?
5683 The <dfn>Session</dfn> is the fundamental document type that is created and
5684 modified by the Ardour workstation. A Session is a folder on your computer
5685 filesystem that contains all the items that pertain to a particular project
5686 or "recording/editing/mixing session".
5690 The Session folder includes these files and folders:
5694 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.ardour</code> the main session snapshot</li>
5695 <li><code>*.ardour</code>, any additional snapshots </li>
5696 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.ardour.bak</code>, the auto-backup snapshot</li>
5697 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.history</code>, the undo history for the session </li>
5698 <li><code>instant.xml</code>, which records the last-used zoom scale and other metadata</li>
5699 <li><code>interchange/</code>, a folder which holds your raw audio and MIDI
5700 files (whether imported or recorded)</li>
5701 <li><code>export/</code>, a folder which contains any files created by the
5702 <kbd class="menu">Session > Export</kbd> function</li>
5703 <li><code>peaks/</code>, a folder which contains waveform renderings of
5704 all audio files in the session</li>
5705 <li><code>analysis/</code>, a folder which contains transient and pitch
5706 information of each audio file that has been analysed</li>
5707 <li><code>dead sounds/</code>, a folder which contains sound files which
5708 Ardour has detected are no longer used in the session (during a <kbd
5709 class="menu">Session > Clean-up > Clean-up Unused Sources</kbd>
5710 operation, will be purged by <kbd class="menu">Flush Waste Basket</kbd>)</li>
5713 A session combines some setup information (such as audio and MIDI routing,
5714 musical tempo & meter, timecode synchronization, etc.) with one or more
5715 Tracks and Buses, and all the Regions and Plug-Ins they contain.
5719 title: Where Are Sessions Stored?
5724 <dfn>Sessions</dfn> are stored in a single folder on your computer's filesystem.
5728 The first time you run Ardour, you will be asked where you would like the
5729 default location for sessions to be, with the initial choice being your
5734 After the first-run dialog, you can still change the default location at
5735 any time via <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Session
5736 Management</kbd>. You can also specify a particular (different) location for
5737 a session when creating it, in the
5738 <a href="/working-with-sessions/new-session-dialog/">New Session dialog</a>.
5742 title: Backup and Sharing of Sessions
5747 An Ardour session is stored in a single folder on your computer's filesystem.
5748 This makes <dfn>backup</dfn> very easy—any tool capable of backing up
5749 a folder can be used to backup a session. You pick the location of a session
5750 when it is created—by default it will be in your default session location,
5751 which can be altered via <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Session
5756 There is one complication: a session may reference media files that are stored
5757 outside of the session folder, if the user has opted not to select <kbd
5758 class="optoff">Session > Import > Copy to Session</kbd> during
5759 import. Backing up a session with embedded files will not create a
5760 copy of the session containing those files.
5764 The single folder approach also makes sharing a project easy. Simply copy the session
5765 folder (onto a storage device, or across a network) and another Ardour user (on any
5766 platform) will be able to use it. The limitation regarding embedded files applies to
5767 session sharing as well.
5771 title: Interchange with other DAWs
5776 It has never been particularly easy to move sessions or projects from one
5777 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr> to another. There are two
5778 <dfn>interchange standards</dfn> that have reasonably widespread support:</p>
5780 <li>OMF (Open Media Framwwork), also known as OMFI. Developed and controlled
5781 by Avid, never standardized</li>
5782 <li>AAF (Advanced Authoring Format). Developed by a consortium of media-related
5786 In practice both of these standards have such complex and/or incomplete
5787 specifications that different DAWs support them only partially,
5788 differently, or not at all.
5790 <h2>Moving an Ardour session to another DAW</h2>
5791 <p>To move an Ardour session to another DAW, you have 3 basic choices:</p>
5793 <li>Copy the interchange folder</li>
5794 <li>Stem exports</li>
5795 <li>Use AATranslator</li>
5797 <h3>Moving another DAW session to Ardour</h3>
5798 <p>To move a session from another DAW to Ardour, you have 2 basic choices:</p>
5800 <li>Stem exports</li>
5801 <li>Use AATranslator</li>
5805 title: Copying The Interchange Folder
5810 All media in a session folder is stored in a sub-folder called
5811 <samp>interchange</samp>. Below that is another folder with the name
5812 of the session. You can copy either of these to another location and
5813 use the files within them with any other application, importing them
5814 all into a project/session. You will lose all information about regions,
5815 tracks, and timeline positioning, but all the data that Ardour was working
5816 with will be present in the other DAW. Nothing below the interchange
5817 folder is specific to Ardour—any DAW or other audio/MIDI
5818 application should be able to handle the files without any issues.
5827 <dfn>Stem exports</dfn> are covered fully in the
5828 <a href="/exporting">Export</a> chapter. A stem export creates one file
5829 per track, starting at the beginning of the session. You can then import
5830 each track into another DAW and begin working on it. You lose all data
5831 except the actual audio/MIDI (no plugins, no automation). This is one of
5832 the most common methods of interchange because it works between all DAWs.
5836 title: Using AATranslator
5841 <dfn>AATranslator</dfn> is a Windows
5842 application that can convert sessions/projects from many diffferent DAWs
5843 into other formats. At the present time (December 2016), it can read and
5844 write Ardour 2.X sessions, and can read Ardour 3 sessions.
5847 The program runs very well on Linux using
5848 <a href="http://www.winehq.org/">Wine</a> (a Windows environment for Linux).
5849 There are equivalent solutions for running Windows applications on OS X,
5850 but we have no experience with them at this time. Ardour users have reported
5851 great results using AATranslator on Ardour 2.X sessions.</p>
5853 The <a href="http://www.aatranslator.com.au/">AATranslator website</a>
5854 has full details on supported formats and DAWs. The list includes
5855 ProTools, Live, Reaper, OMF, AAF and many more.
5858 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).
5862 title: Renaming a Session
5867 Use <kbd class="menu">Session > Rename</kbd> to give your session a
5868 new name. A dialog will appear to ask you for the new name.
5872 This operation does <strong>not</strong> make a new session folder —
5873 the existing session folder and relevant contents are renamed. If your
5874 session was not saved before a rename operation, it will be saved
5875 automatically and then renaming will continue.
5879 Ardour's <kbd class="menu">Session > Save As</kbd> operation will not
5880 make a new copy of the session folder and its contents. All it does is
5881 create a new session file.
5885 title: Session Templates
5890 <dfn>Session templates</dfn> are a way to store the setup of a session
5891 for future use. They do not store any <em>audio</em> data but can store:
5895 <li>The number of tracks and busses, along with their names</li>
5896 <li>The plugins present on each track or bus (if any)</li>
5897 <li>All I/O connections</li>
5900 <h2>Creating a Session Template</h2>
5903 Choose <kbd class="menu">Session > Save Template</kbd>. A dialog will ask
5904 you for the name of the new template.
5907 <h2>Using a Session Template</h2>
5910 In the New Session dialog, choose the desired template from the combo
5915 Note that you can also use an existing session as a template, without
5916 saving it as one. This is available as an option in the New Session dialog.
5917 Doing this will not alter the existing session at all, but will use its track,
5918 bus and plugin configuration just like a template.
5922 See also <a href="/missing">Track & Bus templates</a> for information
5923 on templates for individual tracks or busses.
5926 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
5934 Sometimes you will want to save a <dfn>snapshot</dfn> of the current state of a session for possible
5935 use in the future. For example, you may be about to change the entire
5936 arrangement of a piece, or drastically alter the signal processing, and
5937 want a reference to come back to, should that not work out.
5941 This is easily accomplished using <kbd class="menu">Session >
5943 A small dialog will appear, allowing you to enter a name for the snapshot.
5944 The default name is based on the current date and time.<br />
5945 You can create any number of snapshots.
5949 Creating a snapshot does <strong>not</strong> modify your session,
5950 nor does it save your session. Instead, it saves an alternate version
5951 of the session, within the session folder. The snapshot shares all data
5952 present in the session.
5956 After creating a snapshot, you can continue working on the session and
5957 save it normally using <kbd class="menu">Session > Save</kbd> and any
5958 existing snapshots will remain unchanged.
5961 <h2>Switching to a Snapshot</h2>
5964 If you are already working on a session and want to to switch to an
5965 existing snapshot, navigate the Snapshots tab of the
5966 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor List</a>.
5967 Find the name of the snapshot in the list and click it. Ardour will switch
5968 to the snapshot. If there are unsaved changes in the current session, Ardour will
5969 ask what you want to do.
5972 <h2>Starting Ardour With a Snapshot</h2>
5975 Since a snapshot is just another session file stored within the session
5976 folder, you can specify that "version" when loading an existing session.
5977 The browser in the "Open Session" dialog will show an expander arrow for
5978 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
5979 snapshot you want to load.
5982 <h2>Saving and Switching to a Snapshot</h2>
5985 Sometimes you may want to create a snapshot and then have all future
5986 edits and modifications saved to that snapshot rather than the main
5987 session. This is easily done using <kbd class="menu">Session > Save
5988 As</kbd>. This does not create a new session folder, but saves your
5989 session as a new snapshot and then switches the "current snapshot"
5990 to the newly created one. All subsequent saves of the session will
5991 be stored in this new snapshot, and existing snapshots (and the main
5992 session) will be left unaffected.
6001 Sessions can have various items of metadata attached to them, via
6002 <kbd class ="menu">Session > Metadata > Edit Metadata...</kbd> and
6003 <kbd class ="menu">Session > Metadata > Import Metadata...</kbd>.
6006 <h2>Edit Session Metadata Dialog</h2>
6008 <img src="/images/edit-session-metadata.png" />
6010 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
6013 title: Cleaning up Sessions
6018 Recording and editing any serious session might leave the session with some
6019 unused or misplaced files here and there. Ardour can help deal with this clutter thanks
6020 to the tools located in the <kbd class="menu">Session > Clean-up</kbd> menu.
6023 <h2 id="bring_all_media_into_session_folder">Bring all media into session folder</h2>
6026 When <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/">importing media files</a>, if
6027 the <kbd class="option">Copy files to session</kbd> hasn't been checked, Ardour uses
6028 the source file from its original destination, which can help avoiding file duplication.
6029 Nevertheless, when the session needs to be archived or transfered to another computer, moving
6030 the session folder won't move those <em>external</em> files as they are not in the folder, as seen
6031 in <a href="/working-with-sessions/backup-and-sharing-of-sessions/">Backup and sharing of sessions</a>.
6035 Using the <kbd class="menu">Bring all media into session folder</kbd> menu ensures
6036 that all media files used in the session are located inside the session's folder, hence avoiding
6037 any missing files when copied.
6040 <h2 id="reset_peak_files">Reset Peak Files</h2>
6043 Ardour represents audio waveforms with peak files, that are graphical images generated from the
6044 sound files. This generation can be time and CPU consuming, so it uses a cache of the generated
6045 images to speed up the display process. To watch for files modification, Ardour relies on the file-modification
6046 time. If an external file is embedded in the session and that file changes, but the system-clock is skewed
6047 or it is stored on an external USB disk (VFAT), Ardour can't know the change happend, and will still use its
6048 deprecated peak files.
6052 Using the <kbd class="menu">Reset Peak Files</kbd> menu allows to reset this cache, which frees up disk space,
6053 and forces the re-creation of the peak files used in the session. It can prove useful if some waveforms
6054 are not used anymore, or if a graphical or time glitch happens.
6057 <h2 id="clean_up_unused_sources">Clean-up Unused Sources...</h2>
6060 Recording usually lefts a lot of unused takes behind, be it in midi or audio form, that can clutter
6061 the Region List, and eat up a lot of hard drive space. While its generally a good practice to keep as
6062 many things as possible while recording, when transferring or archiving the session, some clean up can
6063 help a lot in reducing the sessions clutter and size.
6067 Selecting <kbd class="menu">Clean-up Unused Sources...</kbd> will force Ardour to detect those unused waveforms
6068 by looking for unused regions, and (through a prompt) for unused playlists. The media files won't be destroyed, though.
6069 At this stage, they are just copied in a particular place of the session path (namely, in the <code>dead sounds/</code>
6073 <h2 id="flush_wastebasket">Flush Wastebasket</h2>
6076 Although Ardour is a <em>non-destructive</em> audio-editor, it allows for a very careful destruction of unused media materials.
6077 This function is closely linked to the previous one. When the unused sources have been cleaned up and quarantined, the
6078 <kbd class="menu">Flush Wastebasket</kbd> menu will allow for their physical destruction.
6082 As a safeguarding mechanism though, Flushing the wastebasket in impossible in the same working session as the Cleaning up of unused sources:
6083 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
6084 any mistake (unlikely, but better safe than sorry), and that the user is absolutely sure of what he does.
6088 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.
6092 title: Copying versus Linking
6097 <dfn>Copying</dfn> and <dfn>linking</dfn> are two different methods of
6098 using existing audio files on your computer (or network file system)
6099 within a session. They differ in one key aspect:
6105 An existing media file is copied to the session's audio folder, and
6106 if necessary converted into the session's native format.
6110 For audio files, you can control the choice of this format (eg. WAVE
6111 or Broadcast WAVE). Audio files will also be converted to the session
6112 sample rate if necessary (which can take several minutes for larger
6117 MIDI files will already be in SMF format, and are simply copied into
6118 the session's MIDI folder.
6124 A link to an existing media file somewhere on the disk is used as a the
6125 source for a region, but the data is <strong>not copied or modified</strong>
6130 While linking is handy to conserve disk space, it means that your session
6131 is <dfn>no longer self-contained</dfn>. If the external file moves, it
6132 will become unavailable, and any changes to it from elsewhere will affect
6133 the session. A backup of the session directory will miss linked files.
6137 You can choose to copy or link files into your session with the
6138 <kbd class="option">Copy file to session</kbd> option in the Import
6143 <img class="left" src="/images/225-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
6144 ← This file will be imported in the audio/MIDI folder of your session.
6148 <img class="left" src="/images/226-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
6149 ← This file won't be copied.
6153 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.
6157 title: Adding Pre-existing Material
6162 There are several ways to importing an audio or MIDI file into a
6166 <li><kbd class="menu">Session > Import</kbd></li>
6167 <li>Region List context menu: <kbd class="menu">Import To Region List</kbd></li>
6168 <li>Track context menu: <kbd class="menu">Import Existing Media</kbd>
6172 These methods are all equivalent: they open the <a
6173 href="/adding-pre-existing-material/import-dialog/">Add Existing Media</a>
6177 Finally, you can also easily import files into your project by dragging
6178 and dropping a file from some other application (e.g. your platform's
6179 file manager). You can drag onto the
6180 <dfn>Region List</dfn>, into the desired <dfn>track</dfn> or into empty
6181 space in the editor track display.<br />
6182 The file will be imported and copied
6183 into your session, and placed at the position where the drag ended.
6187 title: Import Dialog
6192 Many sessions will require the use of <dfn>existing material</dfn>,
6193 whether it consists of audio and/or MIDI data. Using existing samples,
6194 loops and riffs from files stored on your system can be the basis for
6195 a new session, or a way to deepen and improve one that is already
6200 You can import audio and MIDI data into your session with the
6201 <dfn>Add Existing Media</dfn> dialog.
6204 <p class="fixme">Update image, possibly update content if out of date</p>
6205 <img src="/images/209-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
6207 <h2>The Soundfile Information Box</h2>
6210 This box will display information about the currently selected file:
6214 <li>number of channels,</li>
6215 <li>sample rate,</li>
6216 <li>file format,</li>
6218 <li>embedded timestamp (applies to some professional formats such as
6219 Broadcast WAVE), and</li>
6220 <li>tags (attached metadata to help categorize files in a library).</li>
6224 If the sample rate differs from the current session rate, it is displayed
6225 in red, which indicates that the file must be resampled before
6226 importing. Resampling is controlled by the <kbd class="menu">Conversion quality</kbd> option described below.
6232 Files can be auditioned before importing. The slider under the play and
6233 stop buttons allows you to scrub around, a fader on the right side allows
6234 you to control the playback volume.
6237 <h2>Importing options</h2>
6240 You can import files into new, automatically created tracks, to the region
6241 list (from where you can manually drag them into a track), or as new
6242 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">Tape tracks</a> with the
6243 <kbd class="menu">Add new files as...</kbd> option.
6247 New files will be inserted at either the file timestamp (if available,
6248 zero by default), at the <a href="/missing">edit point</a>, at the
6249 playhead, or at the start of the session, as specified in <kbd
6250 class="menu">Insert at...</kbd>.
6254 The Channel <kbd class="menu">mapping</kbd> is either "one track/region per
6255 file", or "one track/region per channel". The latter splits multichannel
6256 source files into mono regions. If you have selected multiple files and are importing them into a track,
6257 you can also choose whether to sequence all files into a single track in
6258 the order of selection, or to create as many tracks as there are files to
6263 The <kbd class="menu">Conversion quality</kbd> drop-down controls the
6264 quality of the resampling process, if the sampling rate of the source file
6265 differs from the session rate.
6269 Finally, and most importantly, you can decide whether to <kbd
6270 class="option">Copy files to session</kbd>, or to link them. Please read
6271 <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/copying-versus-linking/">Copying
6272 versus Linking</a> for details.
6276 title: Searching and Importing From Freesound
6277 menu_title: Freesound Search/Import
6281 <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>
6284 <a href="http://www.freesound.org"
6285 title="http://www.freesound.org"><dfn>Freesound</dfn></a>
6286 is an online repository of searchable sound files licensed under
6287 Creative-Commons term. The <kbd class="menu">Search Freesound</kbd> tab
6288 of the import dialog allows you to search the Freesound database,
6289 and to download and audition files directly.
6294 <dd>Enter metadata tags that you would like to search for. You may enter
6295 multiple search terms separated by spaces. For example,
6296 <kbd class="input">drums 120bpm</kbd> will search for files that are tagged
6297 <samp>drums</samp>, <samp>120bpm</samp>, or both.</dd>
6299 <dd>Choosing one of the sort options will cause Freesound to return the list
6300 of available files sorted accordingly. This can save time if you know (for
6301 example) the sound you need is very short.</dd>
6303 <dd>Click this button to initiate the search. Freesound will begin returning
6304 pages of information, with 20 items per page. The <kbd
6305 class="menu">Stop</kbd> button interrupts the download.</dd>
6306 <dt>The file list</dt>
6307 <dd>Click on a file to download it from Freesound. Double-click the file to
6308 auto-play it in the auditioner.</dd>
6312 Files imported with Freesound will automatically include any tags that are
6313 associated with the file, and these tags will be included in a search when
6314 you use the <kbd class="menu">Search Tags</kbd> tab.
6318 title: Searching for Files Using Tags
6323 A <dfn>tag</dfn> is bit of information, or metadata, that is associated
6324 with a data file. Specifically, tags are keywords or terms that you feel
6325 have some relevance to a particular soundfile. Ardour can store these tags
6326 in a searchable <dfn>database</dfn> so that you can quickly search for sounds
6327 based on the tags that you have assigned to them.
6331 For example you can assign the term <kbd class="input">120bpm</kbd> to a
6332 sound, and then when you search for this tag, the file will appear in the
6333 search list. Tags are independent of the filename or anything else about
6334 the file. Tags, and the file paths that they are associated with, are
6335 stored in a file called <samp>sfdb</samp> in your Ardour user folder.
6339 To <dfn>add tags</dfn> to a given file, open the <kbd class="menu">Session >
6340 Import</kbd> dialog, select the file in the browser, and type new tags into tag
6341 area in the soundfile information box on the right. Tags are stored when the
6342 input box loses focus, there is no need to explicitly save them.
6346 You can <dfn>search</dfn> for specific tags in the <kbd
6347 class="menu">Search Tags</kbd> tab of the same dialog. Files which have
6348 been tagged with the relevant terms will appear in the results window.
6349 Selected files can be auditioned and marked with additional tags if
6354 title: Supported File Formats
6359 The list of audio file formats that Ardour can understand is quite long.
6360 It is based on the functionality offered by <dfn>libsndfile</dfn>, an excellent and
6361 widely used software library by Australian programmer Erik de Castro Lopo.
6362 As libsndfile's capabilities expand, so will Ardour's abilities to import
6363 (and export) new formats. Ardour supports all common audio file formats,
6364 including WAV, AIFF, AIFC, CAF, W64 and BWF, with all typical sample formats
6365 (8-, 16-, 24-, 32-bit integer, floating point, and more).
6369 You can find a full list of libsndfile's supported formats
6370 <a href="http://www.mega-nerd.com/libsndfile/#Features">here</a>.
6374 For MIDI import, Ardour will read any Standard MIDI Format (SMF) file.
6390 Ardour offers three <dfn>track types</dfn> depending on the type of
6391 data they contain, and differentiates between three <dfn>track modes</dfn>,
6392 depending on their recording behaviour.
6395 <h2>Track types</h2>
6398 An Ardour track can be of type <dfn>audio</dfn> or <dfn>MIDI</dfn>,
6399 depending on the <dfn>data</dfn> that the track will primarily record
6400 and play back. <em>However, either type of track can pass either
6401 type of data.</em> Hence, for example, one might have a MIDI track that
6402 contains an instrument plugin; such a track would record and play back
6403 MIDI data from disk but would produce audio, since the instrument plugin
6404 would turn MIDI data into audio data.
6408 Nevertheless, when adding tracks to a session, you typically have an idea
6409 of what you need to use the new tracks for, and Ardour offers you three
6413 <dl class="narrower-table">
6415 <dd>An <dfn>Audio Track</dfn> is created with a user-specified number of
6416 inputs. The number of outputs is defined by the master bus channel count
6417 (for details see <a href="#channelconfiguration">Channel Configuration</a>
6418 below). This is the type of track to use when planning to work with
6419 existing or newly recorded audio.</dd>
6421 <dd>A <dfn>MIDI track</dfn> is created with a single MIDI input, and a
6422 single MIDI output. This is the type of track to use when planning to
6423 record and play back MIDI. There are several methods to enable playback
6424 of a MIDI track: add an instrument plugin to the track, connect the
6425 track to a software synthesizer, or connect it to external MIDI hardware.
6427 If you add an instrument plugin, the MIDI track outputs audio instead
6431 <dd>There are a few notable plugins that can usefully accept both <dfn>Audio
6432 and MIDI</dfn> data (Reaktor is one, and various "auto-tune" like plugins
6433 are another). It can be tricky to configure this type of track manually,
6434 so Ardour allows you to select this type specifically for use with such
6435 plugins. It is <em>not</em> generally the right choice when working normal
6436 MIDI tracks, and a dialog will warn you of this.</dd>
6440 title: Adding Tracks, Busses and VCAs
6444 <img class="right" src="/images/add-track-or-bus.png" alt="the add-track dialog" />
6447 A track, bus or VCA can be added to a session in various ways:
6451 <li>Choose <kbd class="menu">Track > Add Track, Bus or VCA...</kbd>.</li>
6452 <li><kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-click in an empty part of the track controls area.</li>
6453 <li>Click the <kbd class="menu">Plus (+)</kbd> button underneath the list of tracks in the mixer.</li>
6457 Any of these actions will open the Add Track/Bus/VCA dialog.
6462 <dd>Here you can select the number of tracks, busses or VCAs you wish to create, and
6463 their <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">types</a>.</dd>
6465 <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>
6466 <dt>Configuration</dt>
6467 <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>
6468 <dt>Record mode</dt>
6469 <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>
6471 <dd>This option is only available for MIDI tracks and busses and lets you select a
6472 default instrument from the list of available plugins.</dd>
6474 <dd>Tracks and busses can be assigned groups so that a selected range of
6475 operations are applied to all members of a group at the same time (selecting
6476 record enable, or editing, for example). This option lets you assign to an
6477 existing group, or create a new group.</dd>
6479 <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>
6480 <dt>Output Ports</dt>
6481 <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>
6485 New tracks appear in both the editor and mixer windows. The editor window
6486 shows the timeline, with any recorded data, and the mixer shows just the
6487 processing elements of the track (its plugins, fader and so on).
6490 <h2>Removing Tracks and Busses</h2>
6493 To <dfn>remove</dfn> tracks and busses, select them, <kbd
6494 class="mouse">right</kbd>-click and choose <kbd
6495 class="menu">Remove</kbd>
6496 from the menu. A warning dialog will pop up, as track removal cannot be undone;
6497 use this option with care!
6501 title: Selecting Tracks
6506 Tracks are <dfn>selected</dfn> by clicking on the Track header at the left
6507 of the Editor window. You can select multiple tracks with <kbd class="mod1
6508 mouse">Left</kbd> clicks, or a range of consecutive tracks with <kbd
6509 class="mod3 mouse">Left</kbd>.
6512 By default, <dfn>selecting regions</dfn> has no impact on
6513 <dfn>track selection</dfn>.
6514 You can select a track, then select a region in another track
6515 (or vice versa) and both selections will co-exist happily.
6516 Operations that are applied to tracks will use the track selection,
6517 and those that apply to regions will use the region selection.
6518 Similarly, deselecting a region will not deselect the track it
6519 is in (if that track was selected).
6522 In some workflows, and particularly if you have experience with
6523 other <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s, this
6524 is not the most comfortable way to work. You may prefer to work
6525 in a style where selecting a region will also select the track
6526 that the region is in. Similarly, when the last selected region
6527 in a track is deselected, the track will also become unselected.
6530 To control this behaviour, set <kbd class="menu">Edit >
6531 Preferences > Editor > Link selection of regions and tracks</kbd>.
6535 title: Controlling Track Appearance
6540 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.
6544 title: Layering Display
6548 <img class="right" style="clear:both" src="/images/track-layer-dialog.png"
6549 alt="Track layering menu" />
6552 Ardour allows arbitrary <dfn>layering</dfn> of regions—you can
6553 have as many regions you wish at a given position. By default, the regions are
6554 <dfn>overlaid</dfn> in the editor window, to save vertical space.
6558 However, this display mode can be confusing for tracks with many overdubs,
6559 because its not obvious in which order the overdubs are layered. Although
6560 there are other methods of moving particular regions to the top of an
6561 overlapping set, and although Ardour also has playlists to let you manage
6562 <a href="/working-with-playlists/playlist_usecases/">takes</a> a bit more
6563 efficiently than just continually layering,
6564 there are times when being able to clearly see all regions in a track without
6565 any overlaps is reassuring and useful.
6569 Here is an image of a track with a rather drastic overdub situation,
6570 viewed in normal <dfn>overlaid mode</dfn>:
6573 <img src="/images/a3_overlaps_layered.png" alt="overlapping regions in overlaid mode" />
6576 To change this display, right click on the track header, and you'll see
6577 the menu displayed above. There are two choices for layers. <kbd
6578 class="menu">overlaid</kbd> is currently selected. Click on <kbd
6579 class="menu">stacked</kbd> and the track display changes to this:
6582 <img src="/images/a3_layers_stacked.png" alt="overlapping regions in stacked mode" />
6585 You can still move regions around as usual, and in fact you can
6586 even drag them so that they overlay each again, but when you
6587 release the mouse button, things will flip back to them all being
6588 stacked cleanly. The number of <dfn>lanes</dfn> for the track is determined by
6589 the maximum number of regions existing in any one spot throughout
6590 the track, so if you have really stacked up 10 overdubs in one spot,
6591 you'll end up with 10 lanes. Obviously, using a large track height
6592 works much better for this than a small one.
6601 New tracks in Ardour are assigned a random color from a pastel color
6602 palette, so they should never end up being particularly bright or
6606 <h2>Changing the color of specific tracks</h2>
6609 Select the tracks whose color you wish to change. Context-click
6610 on the track header of one of them. From the context menu, select
6611 <kbd class="menu">Color</kbd> and pick a hue to your taste in the
6612 color dialog. Every selected track will be re-colored.
6616 Note that if you are only changing one track, context-clicking on
6617 that track's header will be enough to select it, saving the extra
6621 <h2>Changing the color of all tracks in a group</h2>
6624 Tracks that belong to a
6625 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups">track/bus group</a>
6626 can share a common color by enabling the <kbd
6627 class="option">Color</kbd> option for the group. With this enabled,
6628 any color change will be propagated to all group members.
6632 You can also explicitly change the group color by context-clicking
6633 on the group tab in the Mixer, selecting <kbd class="menu">Edit
6634 Group...</kbd> and then clicking on the Color selector in that dialog
6644 Depending on the stage of your production, you may require a quick
6645 overview over as many tracks as possible, a detailed view into just a
6646 few, or a combination of the two. To facilitate this, the
6647 <dfn>height</dfn> may be configured individually for each track in
6652 A context click on a track header will display the
6653 <kbd class="menu">Height</kbd> menu, and allow you to choose from a
6654 list of standard sizes. All selected tracks will be redrawn using that
6659 Alternatively, select the tracks you wish to resize. Move the pointer
6660 to the bottom edge of one track header. The cursor will change to a
6661 two-way vertical arrow shape. <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag to
6662 dynamically resize all selected tracks.
6665 <h2>Fit to the Editor Window</h2>
6668 Select the tracks you wish to display in the Editor window.
6669 Choose <kbd class="menu">Track > Height > Fit Selected Tracks</kbd>
6670 or use the keyboard shortcut, <kbd>f</kbd>. Ardour adjusts the track
6671 heights and view so that the selected tracks completely fill the vertical
6672 space available, unless the tracks cannot be made to fit even at the smallest
6677 You can use <dfn>Visual Undo</dfn> (default shortcut: <kbd class="mod3">Z</kbd>
6678 to revert this operation.
6682 title: Waveform display
6687 The display of <dfn>waveforms</dfn> (or, more correctly, <dfn>peak
6688 envelopes</dfn>, since the actual waveform is only visible at the highest
6689 zoom levels) is configurable via the <kbd
6690 class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor</kbd> dialog, to support
6691 different usecases and user preferences. The following options are
6695 <dl class="wide-table">
6696 <dt>Show waveforms in regions</dt>
6697 <dd>By default, Ardour draws waveforms within audio regions. Disable this
6698 option to hide them.</dd>
6699 <dt>Waveform scale</dt>
6703 <dd>This is the traditional <dfn>linear</dfn> (1:1) display of the
6704 peak envelope, or, at higher zoom levels, the individual samples.</dd>
6705 <dt>Logarithmic</dt>
6706 <dd>Alternatively, you can use a <dfn>logarithmic</dfn> display of the
6707 peak envelope. This will give you a better idea of program loudness (it is similar
6708 to dBs) and plot soft passages more clearly, which is useful for soft
6709 recordings or small track height.</dd>
6712 <dt>Waveform shape</dt>
6715 <dt>Traditional</dt>
6716 <dd>The <dfn>zero</dfn> line appears in the middle of the display and waveforms
6717 appear as positive and negative peaks above <em>and</em> below.</dd>
6719 <dd>The zero line appears at the bottom of the display and waveforms appear
6720 as absolute peaks <em>above</em> the line only.</dd>
6726 title: Controlling Track Ordering
6731 Ardour does not impose any particular ordering of tracks and busses in
6732 either the editor or mixer windows. The default arrangements are as follows:
6736 In the <dfn>Editor</dfn>, the Master bus will always be on top unless
6737 hidden. Tracks and busses will appear in their initial order, from top to
6738 bottom. The monitor section (if used) will never be visible in the editor
6743 In the <dfn>Mixer</dfn>, the tracks and busses will be displayed in their
6744 initial order, from left to right. The Master bus is always on the far
6745 right and occupies its own pane, so that it is always visible no matter
6746 how you scroll the other mixer strips. If a Monitor section is used,
6747 it shows up at the right edge of the mixer window, from where it can be
6748 torn off into a separate window.
6752 title: Reordering Tracks
6757 The <dfn>track ordering</dfn> of the Editor and Mixer is <dfn>synchronized</dfn>: if you
6758 reorder in one window, the ordering in the other window will follow.
6761 <h2>Reordering in the Editor Window</h2>
6764 Select the tracks you want to move. Then use<br />
6765 <kbd class="menu">Track > Move Selected Tracks Up</kbd>
6766 (shortcut: <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd>) or<br />
6767 <kbd class="menu">Track > Move Selected Tracks Down</kbd>
6768 (shortcut: <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd>).
6772 Alternatively, you can use the <kbd class="menu">Tracks & Busses</kbd>
6774 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/">Editor
6775 Lists</a>, if visible.
6776 Here, you can freely drag-and-drop tracks and busses into any order you prefer.
6779 <h2>Reordering in the Mixer Window</h2>
6782 Within the <kbd class="menu">Strips</kbd> pane at the top left of the
6783 Mixer window, you can freely drag-and-drop tracks and busses into any
6787 <h2>"Collecting" Group Members</h2>
6790 Tracks and Busses that are members of a group can be reordered so that they
6791 display contiguously within the Editor and Mixer windows. Context-click on
6792 the group tab and choose <kbd class="menu">Collect</kbd>.
6795 <h2>Ordering of New Tracks</h2>
6798 When <dfn>adding new tracks</dfn>, the current selection determines their
6799 placement. New tracks will be placed after the rightmost (in the mixer) or
6800 bottom-most (in the editor) selected track. If no tracks are selected, new
6801 tracks will be added at the end.
6805 Because new tracks are automatically selected, you can quickly reorder them
6806 in the editor window via the keyboard shortcuts after adding them (see above).
6810 title: Track Ordering and Remote Control IDs
6815 Every track and bus in Ardour is assigned a <dfn>remote control ID</dfn>. When a <a href="/using-control-surfaces/">control surface</a> or any other remote control is used to control Ardour, these IDs are used to identify which track(s) or buss(es) are the intended target of incoming commands.
6819 Remote IDs will be assigned to tracks and buses in the order that they appear in the mixer window from left to right, starting from 1. Manual assignment of remote IDs is not possible. The master bus and monitor section can be accessed by name.
6827 <p>A typical control area or <dfn>bus header<dfn> is shown below:</p>
6829 <img src="/images/typical-bus-controls.png" alt="bus controls" />
6832 At the top-left of the controls is the name of the bus, which can be
6833 edited by double-clicking on it. The new name must be unique within the
6834 session. Underneath the name is a copy of the bus' main level fader.
6835 The control buttons to the right-hand side are:
6839 <dt id="mute">M</dt>
6840 <dd><dfn>Mute</dfn>—click to mute the bus. Right-click to display
6841 a menu which dictates what particular parts of the bus should be muted.</dd>
6842 <dt id="solo">S</dt>
6843 <dd><dfn>Solo</dfn>—solo the bus. The behaviour of the solo system
6844 is described in detail in the section <a
6845 href="/mixing/muting-and-soloing/">Muting and Soloing</a>.</dd>
6846 <dt id="automation">A</dt>
6847 <dd><dfn>Automation</dfn>—opens the automation menu for the
6848 bus. For details see <a href="/automation/">Automation</a>.</dd>
6849 <dt id="group">G</dt>
6850 <dd><dfn>Group</dfn>—lets you assign the bus to an existing or a
6851 new group. For details see <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">Track and bus groups</a>. </dd>
6855 title: Audio Track Controls
6860 A typical control area or <dfn>track header</dfn> for an audio track is
6864 <img src="/images/typical-audio-track-controls.png" alt="audio track controls"
6868 An audio track has the same
6869 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls">controls as a bus</a>, with the
6870 addition of two extras.
6874 <dt id="record" style="color:red;font-weight:bold;">[•]</dt>
6875 <dd><dfn>Record</dfn>—The button with the pink circle arms the track
6876 for recording. When armed, the entire button will turn pink, and change to
6877 bright red as soon as the transport is rolling and the track is recording.</dd>
6878 <dt id="playlist">p</dt>
6879 <dd><dfn>Playlist</dfn>—Opens a playlist menu when clicked. The menu
6880 offers various operations related to the track's <a
6881 href="/working-with-playlists/">playlist</a>.
6886 title: MIDI Track Controls
6890 <p>A typical <dfn>MIDI track header</dfn> looks like this:</p>
6892 <img src="/images/typical-midi-track-controls.png" alt="midi track controls"
6896 To see the full set of MIDI track controls, you need to increase the
6897 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/track-height/">track height</a>
6898 beyond the default. MIDI tracks show only a few of the control elements
6899 when there is insufficient vertical space.
6903 A MIDI track has the same basic
6904 <a href="/working-with-tracks/audio-track-controls">controls as an audio track</a>,
6905 with the addition of two extra elements. The set of buttons below the main track
6906 controls the <dfn>MIDI channel</dfn>(s) that will be visible in the editor. A MIDI track's
6907 data may span any number of the 16 available MIDI channels, and sometimes it is
6908 useful to view only a subset of those channels; different instruments may,
6909 for example, be put on different channels. Clicking on a channel number toggles
6914 To the right of the MIDI track controls is a representation of a piano keyboard
6915 called the <dfn>scroomer</dfn> (a portmanteau of scrollbar and zoomer). This performs several functions:
6919 <li>The scrollbar controls the range of pitches that are visible on the
6920 track, as visualized by the piano keyboard.</li>
6921 <li>Dragging the body of the scrollbar up and down displays higher or lower
6923 <li>Dragging the scrollbar handles zooms in and out and increases and decreases the range of visible pitches.</li>
6924 <li>Clicking on the piano plays the corresponding MIDI note for reference.</li>
6928 To edit the contents of a MIDI track see <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-midi/">Edit
6933 title: Track Context Menu
6938 Within the editor window, context-click (right-click) on either a region
6939 or empty space within a track to display the <dfn>track context menu</dfn>.
6940 The context menu provides easy access to many track-level operations.
6944 If you click on a <dfn>region</dfn>, the first item in the menu is the name of the
6945 region. If you click on a
6946 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/layering-display/">layered region</a>,
6947 the next item in the menu is <kbd class="menu">Choose Top</kbd>. If selected,
6948 you will see a dialog that allows you to change the vertical order of layers
6949 at that point. See <a href="/missing">Controlling Region Layering</a> for more details.
6950 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
6954 The rest of the track context menu is structured as follows:
6957 <dl class="narrower-table">
6960 <dl class="narrower-table">
6961 <dt>Play from Edit Point</dt>
6962 <dd>Play from the location of the current <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a>.</dd>
6963 <dt>Play from Start </dt>
6964 <dd>Play from the start of the session</dd>
6965 <dt>Play Region(s)</dt>
6966 <dd>Plays the duration of the session from the start of the earliest selected region to the end of the latest selected region</dd>
6971 <dl class="narrower-table">
6972 <dt>Select All in Track</dt>
6973 <dd>Selects all regions in a track</dd>
6974 <dt>Select All Objects</dt>
6975 <dd>Selects all regions in the session</dd>
6976 <dt>Invert Selection in Track</dt>
6978 <dt>Invert Selection</dt>
6980 <dt>Set Range to Loop Range</dt>
6982 <dt>Set Range to Punch Range</dt>
6984 <dt>Select All After Edit Point</dt>
6986 <dt>Select All Before Edit Point</dt>
6988 <dt>Select All After Playhead</dt>
6990 <dt>Select All Before Playhead</dt>
6992 <dt>Select All Between Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
6994 <dt>Select All Within Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
6996 <dt>Select Range Between Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
7002 <dl class="narrower-table">
7011 <dt>Align Relative</dt>
7015 <dt>Insert Selected Region</dt>
7017 <dt>Insert Existing Media</dt>
7021 <dl class="narrower-table">
7022 <dt>Nudge Entire Track Later</dt>
7024 <dt>Nudge Track After Edit Point Later</dt>
7026 <dt>Nudge Entire Track Earlier</dt>
7028 <dt>Nudge Track After Edit Point Earlier</dt>
7037 <i>This text here to prevent following FIXME from corrupting the above table</i>
7039 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
7043 title: Grouping Tracks
7049 title: Track and Bus Groups
7054 Tracks and busses can be put into <dfn>groups</dfn>. Members of a group
7055 can share various settings—useful for managing tracks that are closely
7056 related to each other. Examples might include tracks that contain
7057 multiple-microphone recordings of a single source (an acoustic guitar,
7058 perhaps, or a drum-kit).
7062 You can group tracks and busses in various ways. In the editor window,
7063 a track's controls might look like these:
7066 <img class="left" src="/images/track-in-group.png" alt="track headers for a group" />
7069 The green tab to the left of the track header indicates that this track
7070 is in a group called <samp>Fred</samp>. You can drag these tabs to add
7071 adjacent tracks to a group.
7074 <h2>Create New Groups</h2>
7077 There are several ways to <dfn>create groups</dfn> for tracks and bussess:
7081 <li>Context-click on the group tab and use one of the <kbd
7082 class="menu">Create...</kbd> options there. You can create a group with
7083 no members, or one that starts with the currently selected tracks, or
7084 record-enabled tracks, or soloed tracks.</li>
7085 <li>Alternatively, click the ‘g’ button on a track header to open the
7086 Group menu. The menu lists the available groups. Selecting one of these
7087 groups will add the track or bus to that group. The menu also lets you
7088 create a new group.</li>
7089 <li>Finally, the Groups tab of the
7090 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor Lists</a>
7091 or the Mixer Window has a <kbd class="menu">plus (+)</kbd> button at the
7092 bottom of the list. Click on the plus sign to create a new group.</li>
7095 <h2>Remove Groups</h2>
7098 Context-click on a <dfn>group tab</dfn> and select <kbd class="menu">Remove
7099 Group</kbd> from the menu. Removing a group does <em>not</em> remove
7100 the members of a group.
7104 You can also remove groups by selecting them in the Groups tab of the
7105 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor Lists</a>
7106 or Mixer Window and then pressing the <kbd class="menu">minus (-)</kbd>
7107 button at the bottom of the list.
7110 <h2>Add/Remove Tracks and Busses From a Group</h2>
7113 Click the <kbd class="menu">g</kbd> button to display a menu with a list
7114 of the available groups. Select one of these groups to add the track or bus
7115 to that group. Select <kbd class="menu">No Group</kbd> to remove it.
7119 Alternatively, you can also drag a group tab to add or remove tracks from
7123 <h2>Activate/Deactivate Groups via the Group Tab</h2>
7126 Clicking on a group tab toggles the group between being active and inactive.
7127 An inactive group has no effect when editing its members. An active group
7128 will share its configured properties across its members. Tabs for disabled
7129 groups are coloured grey.</p>
7131 <h2>Modify Group Properties</h2>
7134 To edit the properties of a group, context-click on its tab and choose
7135 <kbd class="menu">Edit Group…</kbd>. This opens the track/bus group dialog,
7136 which is also used when creating new groups:
7139 <img class="right" src="/images/route-group-dialogue.png" alt="the track/bus group dialog" />
7141 <h3>Group Color</h3>
7144 Click on the color selector button to change a group's colour. This affects
7145 the colour of the group's tab in the editor and mixer windows. The color does
7146 <em>not</em> affect the color of the group members unless you also enable the
7147 shared <kbd class="menu">Color</kbd> property.
7150 <h3>Shared Properties</h3>
7153 <kbd class="option">Gain</kbd> means that the track faders will be synced to
7154 always have the same value; <kbd class="option">Relative</kbd> means that the
7155 gain changes are applied relative to each member's current value. If, for
7156 example, there are two tracks in a group with relative gain sharing, and their
7157 faders are set to -3 dB and -1 dB, a change of the first track to a
7158 gain of -6 dB will result in the second track having a gain of
7159 -4 dB (the <em>difference</em> of the gains remains the same).
7163 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls/#mute"><kbd class="option">Muting</kbd></a>,
7164 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls/#solo"><kbd class="option">Soloing</kbd></a>,
7165 <a href="/working-with-tracks/audio-track-controls/#record"><kbd class="option">record enable</kbd></a>,
7166 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/tracks--busses-list/#active"><kbd class="option">active state</kbd></a>,
7167 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/track-coloring/"><kbd class="option">colour</kbd></a> and
7168 <a href="/recording/monitoring/"><kbd class="option">monitoring</kbd></a>
7169 are all straightforward. They simply mean that all member tracks or busses will
7170 share the same settings in these respects.
7174 <kbd class="option">Selection</kbd> means that if a region is selected or
7175 deselected on one member track, <a
7176 href="/working-with-regions/corresponding-region-selection/">corresponding
7177 regions</a> on other member tracks
7178 will be similarly selected. Since region editing operations are applied to all
7179 currently selected regions, this is the way to make edits apply across all tracks in the group.
7182 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
7184 <h3>Group Tab Context Menu</h3>
7186 <p>Context-clicking on the group tab offers a further menu of group-related actions. </p>
7188 <dl class="wide-table">
7189 <dt>Create a New Group</dt>
7190 <dd>create a new group</dd>
7191 <dt>Create New Group from...</dt>
7192 <dd> create a new group and automatically add ...
7193 <dl class="narrower-table">
7195 <dd>all currently selected tracks and busses</dd>
7196 <dt>Rec-enabled</dt>
7197 <dd>all currently record-enabled tracks</dd>
7199 <dd>all currently soloed tracks and busses</dd>
7202 <dt>Collect Group</dt>
7203 <dd>moves all the member tracks so that they are together in the editor window</dd>
7204 <dt>Remove Group</dt>
7205 <dd>removes the group (and only the group, not its members).</dd>
7206 <dt>Add New Subgroup Bus</dt>
7207 <dd> creates a bus (giving it the name of the group) and connects the output of each member to the new bus.
7209 <dt>Add New Aux Bus</dt>
7210 <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>
7211 <dt>Fit to Window</dt>
7212 <dd> will zoom the member tracks so that they fill the editor window.</dd>
7213 <dt>Enable All Groups</dt>
7214 <dd>makes all group active, including any hidden groups.</dd>
7215 <dt>Disable All Groups</dt>
7216 <dd>makes all groups inactive, including any hidden groups.</dd>
7221 title: Importing and Exporting Session Data
7225 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
7229 title: File and Session Management and Compatibility
7233 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
7237 title: Playback & Recording
7243 title: Playing Back Track Material
7249 title: Controlling Playback
7253 <h2>Positioning the Playhead</h2>
7256 The <dfn>playhead</dfn> is a vertical line with two arrows at each end
7257 that indicates the current position of playback.
7260 <h3>Positioning the playhead at the current pointer position</h3>
7263 Pressing <kbd>P</kbd> will set the playhead to the current position of
7264 the mouse pointer, if it is within the editor track area.
7267 <h2>Positioning the playhead on the timeline</h2>
7270 A <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> click anywhere on the timeline (rulers)
7271 will move the playhead to that position.
7274 <h3>Positioning the playhead with the transport clocks</h3>
7277 Click on either the primary or secondary transport clock and
7278 <a href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays">edit their value</a>
7279 to move the playhead to a specific position.
7282 <h3>Positioning the playhead at a marker</h3>
7285 Click <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd> on the marker and select either
7286 <kbd class="menu">Locate to here</kbd> or <kbd class="menu">Play from
7291 The playhead can also be moved backward and forward through the markers by
7292 respectively pressing the <kbd>Q</kbd> and <kbd>W</kbd> keys. Pressing
7293 <kbd>Home</kbd> and <kbd>End</kbd> will move the playhead to the special
7294 markers <dfn>start</dfn> and <dfn>end</dfn>, respectively.
7297 <h2>Looping the Transport</h2>
7300 When the <dfn>loop transport</dfn> button is pressed, the playhead will jump the start of the loop range, and continue to the end of that range before returning to the start and repeating. While looping, a light green area is displayed in the time ruler over the tracks to show the loop range.
7304 By default, looping is bound to the <kbd>l</kbd> key.
7308 For more information on defining and altering the loop range see <a href="/working-with-markers/the-loop-range">Loop Range Markers</a>.
7311 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
7314 title: Using Key Bindings
7319 Ardour has many available commands for playback control that can be bound
7320 to keys. Many of them have default bindings, some do not, so the list below
7321 shows both the default bindings and internal command names.
7324 <dl class="wide-table">
7325 <dt><kbd>Space</kbd></dt>
7326 <dd>switch between playback and stop.</dd>
7327 <dt><kbd>Home</kbd></dt>
7328 <dd>Move playhead to session start marker</dd>
7329 <dt><kbd>End</kbd></dt>
7330 <dd>Move playhead to session end marker</dd>
7331 <dt><kbd>→</kbd></dt>
7333 <dt><kbd>←</kbd></dt>
7335 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
7336 <dd>Move playhead to start of the timeline</dd>
7339 <p>Commands without default bindings include:</p>
7341 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
7352 title: Track Recording Modes
7357 The <dfn>Recording mode</dfn> is a per-track property (applies to audio
7358 tracks only) that affects the way that recording new material on top of
7359 existing material ("overdubbing") operates <em>in that track</em>.
7362 <h2 id="trackmodes">Track Modes</h2>
7365 Audio tracks in Ardour have a <dfn>mode</dfn> which affects how they behave
7369 <dl class="narrower-table">
7371 <dd>Tracks in <dfn>normal mode</dfn> will record non-destructively—new
7372 data is written to new files, and when overdubbing, new regions will be
7373 layered on top of existing ones. This is the recommended mode for most
7376 <dt>Non-Layered</dt>
7377 <dd>Tracks using <dfn>non-layered mode</dfn> will record non-destructively—new data is written to new files, but when overdubbing,
7379 regions are trimmed so that there are no overlaps. This does not affect
7380 the previously recorded audio data, and trimmed regions can be expanded
7381 again at will. Non-layered mode can be very useful for spoken word material,
7382 especially in combination with <a href="/editing-and-arranging/change-region-lengths/pushpull-trimming">push/pull trimming</a>.
7384 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
7388 <dd><dfn>Tape-mode</dfn> tracks do <strong>destructive</strong> recording:
7389 all data is recorded to a single file and if you overdub a section of existing
7390 data, the existing data is destroyed irrevocably—there is no undo.
7391 Fixed crossfades are added at every punch in and out point. This mode can be
7392 useful for certain kinds of re-recording workflows, but it not suggested for normal
7396 <img class="right" src="/images/a3_nonlayered_example.png" alt="normal and non-layered overdubbing comparision"
7400 The screenshot on the right shows the subtle difference between an overdub
7401 in <dfn>normal mode</dfn> (upper track) and one in <dfn>non-layered mode</dfn>
7402 (lower track). Both tracks were created using identical audio data.
7406 The upper track shows a new region which has been <dfn>layered on
7407 top</dfn> of the the existing (longer) region. You can see this if you look
7408 carefully at the region name strips. The lower track has split the existing
7409 region in two, trimmed each new region to create space for the new overdub,
7410 and inserted the overdub region in between.
7413 <h2 id="channelconfiguration">Channel Configuration</h2>
7416 Ardour tracks can have any number of inputs and any number of outputs, and
7417 the number of either can be changed at any time (subject to restrictions
7418 caused by any plugins in a track). However it is useful to not have to
7419 configure this sort of thing for the most common cases, and so the
7420 <a href="/working-with-tracks/adding-tracks">Add Tracks</a> dialog allows you
7421 to select "Mono", "Stereo" and few other typical multichannel presets.
7422 The name of the preset describes the number of <dfn>input channels</dfn>
7423 of the track or bus.
7427 If you have configured Ardour to automatically connect new tracks and
7428 busses for you, the number of outputs will be determined by the number of
7429 inputs of the <dfn>master <a
7430 href="/introducing-ardour/understanding-basic-concepts-and-terminology/#busses">bus</a></dfn>,
7431 to which the track outputs will be connected.
7435 For example, if you have a two-channel master bus, then a Mono track has one
7436 input and two outputs; a Stereo track has two inputs and two outputs.
7440 Setting <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Audio
7441 > Connection of Tracks and Busses</kbd> to <kbd
7442 class="menu">manual</kbd> will leave tracks disconnected by default
7443 and there will be as many outputs as there are inputs. It is up to you to
7444 connect them as you wish. This is not a particularly useful way to work
7445 unless you are doing something fairly unusual with signal routing and
7446 processing. It is almost always preferable to allow Ardour to make
7447 connections automatically, even if some of them have to be changed manually
7453 title: Audio Recording
7464 When recording, it is important that performers hear themselves, and to
7465 hear any pre-recorded tracks they are performing with.
7466 Audio recorders typically let you <dfn>monitor</dfn> (i.e. listen to)
7467 the input signal of all tracks that are armed for recording, and playing
7468 back the unarmed tracks.
7472 title: Latency Considerations
7478 In the days of analog tape recording, the routing of monitor signals was
7479 performed with relays and other analog audio switching devices. Digital
7480 recorders have the same feature, but may impart some
7482 href="/synchronization/latency-and-latency-compensation/"><dfn>latency</dfn></a>
7483 (delay) between the time you make a noise and the time that you hear it
7484 come back from the recorder.
7488 The latency of <em>any</em> conversion from analog to digital and back to
7489 analog is about 1.5–2 ms. Some musicians claim that even the
7490 basic <abbr title="Analog to Digital to Analog">A/D/A</abbr> conversion
7491 time is objectionable. However even acoustic instruments such as the piano
7492 can have approximately 3 ms of latency, due to the time the sound
7493 takes to travel from the instrument to the musician's ears. Latency below
7494 5 ms should be suitable for a professional recording setup. Because
7495 2 ms are already used in the A/D/A process, you must use extremely low
7496 <dfn>buffer sizes</dfn> in your workstation <abbr title="Input/Output">I/O</abbr>
7497 setup to keep the overall latency below 5ms. Not all
7498 <a href="/setting-up-your-system/the-right-computer-system-for-digital-audio">computer audio systems</a>
7499 are able to work reliably at such low buffer sizes.
7503 For this reason it is sometimes best to route the monitor signal
7504 through an external mixing console while recording, an approach taken by
7505 most if not all professional recording studios. Many computer I/O devices
7506 have a hardware mixer built in which can route the monitor signal "around"
7507 the computer, avoiding the system latency.
7511 In either case, the monitoring hardware may be digital or analog. And in
7512 the digital case you will still have the A-D-A conversion latency of
7517 title: Monitor Signal Flow
7518 menu_title: Signal Flow
7523 There are three basic ways to approach monitoring:
7526 <h3>External Monitoring</h3>
7528 <p><img class="right" src="/images/external-monitoring.png" /></p>
7531 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.
7534 <h3>JACK-Based Hardware Monitoring</h3>
7536 <p><img class="right" src="/images/jack-monitoring.png" /></p>
7539 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.
7542 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
7544 <h3>Software Monitoring</h3>
7546 <p><img class="right" src="/images/ardour-monitoring.png" /></p>
7549 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.
7553 title: Monitor Setup in Ardour
7554 menu_title: Setup in Ardour
7559 Ardour has three main settings which affect how
7560 monitoring is performed. The first is
7561 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Audio >
7562 Record monitoring handled by</kbd>. There are two or three
7563 options here, depending on the capabilities of your hardware.
7567 The other two settings are more complex. One is
7568 <kbd class="menu">Tape machine mode</kbd>, found in the
7569 same dialog, and the other is the
7570 <kbd class="option">Session > Properties > Monitoring
7571 automatically follows transport state</kbd> setting.
7575 Monitoring also depends on the state of the track's record-enable button,
7576 the session record-enable button, and on whether or not the transport is
7580 <h2>Software or Hardware Monitoring Modes</h2>
7583 If Ardour is set to <dfn>external monitoring</dfn>, the explanation of
7584 Ardour's monitoring behaviour is simple: it does not do any.
7587 <h2>Monitoring in Non-Tape-Machine Mode</h2>
7590 When <dfn>Tape-Machine mode is off</dfn>, and a track is armed,
7591 Ardour <em>always</em> monitors the live input, except in one case:
7592 the transport is rolling, the session is not recording, and
7593 <dfn>auto-input</dfn>
7594 is active. In this case only, you will hear playback from an armed track.
7598 Unarmed tracks will play back their contents from disc, unless the
7599 transport is stopped <em>and</em> <dfn>auto-input</dfn> is enabled.
7600 In this case, the track monitors its live input.
7603 <h2>Monitoring in Tape-Machine Mode</h2>
7606 In <dfn>Tape-Machine mode</dfn>, things are slightly simpler: when a
7607 track is armed, its behaviour is the same as in non-tape-machine mode.
7611 Unarmed tracks however will always just play back their contents from
7612 disk; the live input will never be monitored.
7617 title: MIDI Recording
7623 title: Punch Recording Modes
7629 title: Working With Markers
7634 It is very useful to be able to tag different locations in a session for
7635 later use when editing and mixing. Ardour supports both
7636 <dfn>locations</dfn>, which define specific positions in time,
7637 and <dfn>ranges</dfn> which define a start and end position in time.
7641 In addition to the standard location markers, there are three kinds of
7647 <dfn>CD markers</dfn> are locations that are restricted to legal
7648 <dfn>CD sector boundaries</dfn>. They can be used to add track index
7649 markers to compact disc images.
7652 The <dfn>Loop range</dfn> defines the start end end points for Looping.
7655 The <dfn>punch range</dfn> defines the in and out points for punch
7661 title: Creating Location Markers
7666 <dfn>Location Markers</dfn> appear in the <dfn>Locations ruler</dfn> at the top
7667 of the timeline. The <dfn>start</dfn> and <dfn>end</dfn> markers appear
7668 automatically, but you can create custom markers at any position in a
7673 To add a marker at the <strong>current playhead position</strong>, press
7674 <kbd>Num-↵</kbd> (the Enter key on the numeric keypad).
7675 Alternatively, use <kbd class="menu">Transport > Markers > Add
7676 Mark from Playhead</kbd>.
7680 To add a marker at an <strong>arbitrary location</strong> on the timeline,
7681 navigate to the desired position, right-click on the Locations ruler and
7682 select <kbd class="menu">New Location Marker</kbd>.
7683 You can also go to the Editor list, click <kbd class="menu">New
7684 Marker</kbd> and use the clock widget to set its position.
7689 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
7691 and <a href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays/"> Using
7692 Ardour Clock Displays</a>.
7696 title: Creating Range Markers
7700 <p class="fixme">Add images</a>
7703 <dfn>Range markers</dfn> are essentially two location markers the are grouped
7704 together to mark the beginning and end of a section in the timeline.
7707 <h2>Creating a Range on the timeline</h2>
7710 To create a new <dfn>range</dfn>, right-click on the
7711 Ranges ruler at the top of the timeline, then select
7712 <kbd class="menu">New Range</kbd>.
7713 Two markers with the same name will appear along the ruler.
7714 Both marks can be moved along the timeline by clicking and dragging
7715 them to the desired location.
7719 It is also possible to create range markers from a selected range or
7720 region in the Editor window, or to use the <kbd class="menu">Ranges
7721 & Marks List</kbd> in the Editor list.
7726 title: Moving Markers
7730 <h2>Single marker</h2>
7733 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click and drag to move a single marker to a
7734 new location on the timeline.
7737 <h2>Multiple markers</h2>
7740 It is possible to move multiple markers by the same distance. <kbd
7741 class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click each marker you want to move, then drag
7742 one of the selected markers to a new location. All selected markers will
7743 then move together. Note that the markers are bounded by the zero point on
7744 the timeline. In other words, the first marker in your selection cannot move
7745 to the left of zero on the timeline.
7748 <h2>Both ends of a range marker</h2>
7751 <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd>-drag either end of the range marker. The
7752 other end will move by the same distance.
7756 title: The Loop Range
7760 <p class="fixme">Missing content</a>
7763 The <dfn>loop range</dfn> is a special range that defines the start and end points
7764 for loop play, which can be enabled in the transport bar.
7768 It can be defined via the <a href="/missing">timeline</a> or the <a
7769 href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
7773 <p class="fixme">Broken links</a>
7776 title: Marker Context Menu
7781 <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking a marker in the timeline opens the
7782 marker context menu. From this menu, you can:
7785 <dt>Locate to Here</dt>
7786 <dd>Move the playhead to this marker's position.</dd>
7787 <dt>Play from Here</dt>
7788 <dd>start playback from this marker's position.</dd>
7789 <dt>Move Mark to Playhead</dt>
7790 <dd>Move this marker to the current playhead position.</dd>
7791 <dt>Create Range to Next Marker</dt>
7792 <dd>Create a range marker between this location and the next one along on
7795 <dd>Hide this marker from the view. It can be made visible again from the
7796 <kbd class="menu">Window > Locations</kbd> window or the <a
7797 href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
7800 <dd>Change the name of the marker.</dd>
7802 <dd>If this is ticked, it will be impossible to drag the marker's
7803 position; useful if you want to prevent accidental movements.</dd>
7804 <dt>Glue to Bars and Beats</dt>
7805 <dd>If this is ticked, the marker will maintain its position in bars and
7806 beats even if there are changes in tempo and meter.</dd>
7808 <dd>Removes the marker. </dd>
7812 There are also a few options in <kbd class="menu">Transport > Active
7813 Mark</kbd>. These options apply to the currently selected location marker,
7814 and move it to a nearby region boundary, region sync point, or to the
7823 <p class="fixme">Missing content</a>
7826 The <dfn>punch range</dfn> is a special range used to define where
7827 recording will start and/or stop during a <dfn>punch</dfn>.
7831 It can be defined on the <a href="/missing">timeline</a> or in the
7832 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks</a>
7836 <p class="fixme">Broken links</a>
7846 title: Editing Basics
7852 title: Working With Regions
7856 <h2>Working With Regions</h2>
7859 <dfn>Regions</dfn> are the basic elements of editing and composing in
7860 Ardour. In most cases, a region represents a single contiguous section
7861 of one or more media files. Regions are defined by a fixed set of attributes:
7865 <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr>
7866 <dfn>source file(s)</dfn> they represent,</li>
7867 <li>an <dfn>offset</dfn> (the "start point") in the audio or MIDI file(s), and</li>
7868 <li>a <dfn>length</dfn>.</li>
7871 When placed into a playlist, they gain additional attributes:
7874 <li>a <dfn>position</dfn> along the timeline, and</li>
7875 <li>a <dfn>layer</dfn>.</li>
7878 There are other attributes as well, but they do not <em>define</em> the
7879 region. Things you should know about regions:
7882 <h3>Regions Are Cheap</h3>
7884 By themselves, regions consume very little of your computer's resources.
7885 Each region requires a small amount of memory, and represents a rather
7886 small amount of CPU work if placed into an active track. So, don't worry
7887 about creating regions whenever you need to.
7890 <h3>Regions Are Not Files</h3>
7892 Although a region can represent an entire audio file, they are never
7893 equivalent to an audio file. Most regions represent just parts of an audio
7894 file(s) on disk, and removing a region from a track has nothing to do with
7895 removing the audio file(s) from the disk (the <kbd
7896 class="menu">Destroy</kbd> operation, one of Ardour's few destructive
7897 operations, can affect this). Changing the length of a region has no effect
7898 on the audio file(s) on disk. Splitting and copying regions does not alter
7899 the audio file in anyway, nor does it create new audio files (only
7900 <dfn>recording</dfn>,
7901 and the <kbd class="menu">Export</kbd>, <kbd class="menu">Bounce</kbd> and
7902 <kbd class="menu">Reverse</kbd> operations create new audio files).</p>
7905 title: Region Naming
7910 <dfn>Region names</dfn> are initially derived from either</p>
7912 <li>the name of the playlist for which they were recorded,</li>
7913 <li>the name of the track for which they were recorded, or</li>
7914 <li>the name of the embedded/imported file they represent.</li>
7917 It appears that recorded regions are always named after the track, not the
7918 active playlist in that track.
7921 <h2>Whole File Region Names</h2>
7923 These are not audio files, but regions that represent the full extent of an
7924 audio file. Every time a new recording is done, or a new file is imported
7925 to the session, a new region is created that represents the <dfn>entire audio
7926 file</dfn>. This region will have the name of the track/playlist/original file,
7927 followed by a "-", then a number plus a dot and then a number.
7930 For <dfn>recorded regions</dfn>, the number will increase each time a new recording
7931 is made. So, for example, if there is a playlist called
7932 <samp>Didgeridoo</samp>, the
7933 first recorded whole file region for that playlist will be called
7934 <samp>Digderidoo-1</samp>. The next one will be <samp>Digeridoo-2</samp> and so on.
7937 For <dfn>imported regions</dfn>, the region name will be based on the original file
7938 name, but with any final suffix (e.g. ".wav" or ".aiff") removed.
7941 Normally, whole file regions are not inserted into tracks or playlists,
7942 but regions derived from them are. The whole-file versions live in the
7943 editor region list where they act as an organizing mechanism for regions
7944 that are derived from them.
7947 <h2>Normal Region Names</h2>
7949 When a region is inserted into a track and playlist, its initial name will
7950 end in a <dfn>version number</dfn>, such as <samp>.1</samp>. For a recorded region,
7951 if the whole file region was <samp>Hang drum-1</samp>, then the region in
7952 the track will appear with the name <samp>Hang drum-1.1</samp>. For an
7953 imported region, if the whole file region was <samp>Bach:Invention3</samp>,
7954 then the region in the track will appear with the name
7955 <samp>Bach:Invention3.1</samp>.
7958 <h2>Copied Region Names</h2>
7960 If you <dfn>copy a region</dfn>, it initially shares the same name as the original.
7961 When you perform an operation modifies one of the copies, Ardour will
7962 increment the version number on the particular copy that changed.
7965 <h2>Renaming Regions</h2>
7967 You can <dfn>rename a region</dfn> at any time. Use the region context menu to
7968 pop up the <kbd class="menu">Rename</kbd> dialog. The new name does not need to
7969 have a version number in it (in fact, it probably should not). Ardour will add a
7970 version number in the future if needed (e.g. if you copy or split the region).
7974 title: Corresponding Regions Selection
7979 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">Track Groups</a> have
7980 a property titled <kbd class="option">Select</kbd> which, if enabled, cause
7981 Ardour to propagate a region selection in one track of a group to the
7982 <dfn>corresponding regions</dfn> of the other tracks in that group.
7985 For example, let's assume you have used multiple microphones to record a
7986 drum kit to multiple tracks. You have created a track group, added all the
7987 drum tracks, enabled the group and enabled the Select property for the group.
7988 When you select a region in one of the drum tracks, Ardour will select the
7989 corresponding region in every other drum track in the group, which in turn
7990 means that a subsequent edit operation will affect all the grouped drum
7994 <h2>How Ardour Decides Which Regions are "Corresponding"</h2>
7996 Regions in different tracks are considered to be corresponding for the purposes
7997 of sharing <dfn>selection</dfn> if they satisfy <em>all</em> the following criteria:
8000 <li>Each region starts at the <dfn>same offset</dfn> within its source file,</li>
8001 <li>each region is located at the <dfn>same position</dfn> on the timeline, and</li>
8002 <li>each region has the <dfn>same length</dfn>.</li>
8005 <h2>Overlap Correspondence</h2>
8007 Sometimes, the rules outlined above are too strict to get Ardour to do what you
8008 want. Regions may have been trimmed to slightly different lengths, or positioned
8009 slightly differently, and this will cause Ardour to not select regions in other
8012 In this case, change
8013 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor > Regions in
8014 active edit groups are edited together:</kbd> to <kbd
8015 class="menu">whenever they overlap in time</kbd>. With this option enabled, r
8016 egions in different tracks will be considered equivalent for the purposes of selection if they
8017 <dfn>overlap</dfn>. This is much more flexible and will cover almost all of the
8018 cases that the fixed rules above might make cumbersome.
8022 title: Region Context Menu
8026 <p class="fixme">Need to add detail to the context menu table to describe what the options do</p>
8029 In the editor window, right clicking (context clicking) on a region
8030 displays a menu with <dfn>track and region operations</dfn>. The menu begins with the
8031 name of the region, or <kbd class="menu">Selected Regions</kbd> if multiple
8032 regions are selected.
8035 If there is more than one region layered at the point where you clicked, the
8036 menu will also contain an item <kbd class="menu">Choose Top</kbd>. This
8037 dialog lets you select which region you want on the top <dfn>layer</dfn>. See
8038 <a href="manual/region_layering">Adjusting Region Layering</a> for more details.
8041 Below these items is the rest of the
8042 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-context-menu">Track Context Menu</a>, which
8043 provides access to <dfn>track-level operations</dfn>. To see the contents
8044 of the region context menu, select the region name or "Selected Regions", and
8045 the following submenu structure appears:
8047 <dl class="narrower-table">
8058 <dl class="wide-table">
8065 <dt>Make Mono Regions</dt>
8071 <dt>Pitch Shift</dt>
8077 <dt>Place Transients</dt>
8079 <dt>Rhythm Ferret</dt>
8081 <dt>Strip Silence</dt>
8087 <dl class="wide-table">
8088 <dt>Move To Original Position</dt>
8092 <dt>Glue to Bars and Beats</dt>
8094 <dt>Snap Position to Grid</dt>
8096 <dt>Set Sync Position</dt>
8098 <dt>Remove Sync</dt>
8100 <dt>Nudge Later</dt>
8102 <dt>Nudge Earlier</dt>
8104 <dt>Nudge Later by capture offset</dt>
8106 <dt>Nudge Earlier by capture offset</dt>
8112 <dl class="wide-table">
8113 <dt>Trim Start at Edit Point</dt>
8115 <dt>Trim End at Edit Point</dt>
8117 <dt>Trim to Loop</dt>
8119 <dt>Trim to Punch</dt>
8121 <dt>Trim to Previous</dt>
8123 <dt>Trim to Next</dt>
8129 <dl class="wide-table">
8130 <dt>Raise to Top</dt>
8136 <dt>Lower to Bottom</dt>
8142 <dl class="wide-table">
8143 <dt>Set Loop Range</dt>
8145 <dt>Set Punch Range</dt>
8147 <dt>Add Single Range Marker</dt>
8149 <dt>Add Range Marker per Region</dt>
8151 <dt>Set Range Selection</dt>
8157 <dl class="wide-table">
8164 <dt>Reset Envelope</dt>
8166 <dt>Envelope Active</dt>
8172 <dl class="wide-table">
8183 <dl class="wide-table">
8186 <dt>Multi-Duplicate</dt>
8194 <dt>Bounce (without processing)</dt>
8196 <dt>Bounce (with processing)</dt>
8198 <dt>Spectral Analysis</dt>
8205 title: Common Region Edit Operations
8206 menu_title: Region Editing
8211 This section covers a set of <dfn>region editing operations</dfn>
8212 that you are likely to use often while working on a session.
8213 Depending on your work habits (and experience of other
8214 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s) you will find
8215 some of these operations critical while others are used only rarely.
8219 You can carry out all of these operations from the keyboard (see
8220 <a href="/default-keyboard-bindings">Default Keyboard Shortcuts</a>
8221 for a list). Equivalent operations can be performed with the mouse
8226 You may want to review your understanding of
8227 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">the edit point/range</a> and
8228 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/which-regions-are-affected">which regions will be affected by region operations</a>.
8231 <dl class="wide-table">
8232 <dt><kbd class="menu">Spot (Align)</kbd></dt>
8233 <dd>Move selected regions to the edit point.</dd>
8234 <dt><kbd class="menu">Split</kbd></dt>
8235 <dd>Split selected regions at the edit point.</dd>
8236 <dt><kbd class="menu">Trim Start</kbd></dt>
8237 <dd>Adjust the start of selected regions to the edit point (or as close as
8239 <dt><kbd class="menu">Trim End</kbd></dt>
8240 <dd>Adjust the end of selected regions to the edit point (or as close as
8242 <dt><kbd class="menu">Duplicate</kbd></dt>
8243 <dd>Make a copy of each selected region and position it immediately after the
8245 <dt><kbd class="menu">Crop</kbd></dt>
8246 <dd>Truncate selected regions to the edit range.</dd>
8247 <dt><kbd class="menu">Separate</kbd></dt>
8248 <dd>Split selected regions at both ends of the edit range.</dd>
8249 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Fade In</kbd></dt>
8250 <dd>Adjust selected audio regions' fade in to end at the edit point.</dd>
8251 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Fade Out</kbd></dt>
8252 <dd>Adjust selected audio regions' fade out to end at the edit point.</dd>
8253 <dt><kbd class="menu">Toggle Fade In</kbd></dt>
8254 <dd>Turn selected audio regions' fade in on or off.</dd>
8255 <dt><kbd class="menu">Toggle Fade Out</kbd></dt>
8256 <dd>Turn selected audio regions' fade out on or off.</dd>
8257 <dt><kbd class="menu">Play Region</kbd></dt>
8258 <dd>Play session from the start of the earliest selected region.</dd>
8259 <dt><kbd class="menu">Zoom To Region</kbd></dt>
8260 <dd>Zoom horizontally so that the selected regions span the editor track
8262 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Sync Point</kbd></dt>
8263 <dd>Set the sync point of all selected regions to the edit point.</dd>
8264 <dt><kbd class="menu">Insert</kbd></dt>
8265 <dd>Inserts the currently selected regions in the Region List at the edit
8274 <h2>Copy a Single Region</h2>
8277 To copy a region, make sure you are in object mouse mode. Move the mouse
8278 pointer into the region and <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag. Ardour
8279 creates a new region and follows the mouse pointer as it moves. See
8280 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/move-regions/">Move Regions</a> for more
8281 details on moving the copied region.
8284 <h2>Copy Multiple Regions</h2>
8287 To copy multiple regions, select them before copying. Then
8288 <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag one of the selected regions. All the
8289 regions will be copied and as they move. The copied regions will keep their
8290 positions relative to each other.
8293 <h2>Fixed-Time Copying</h2>
8296 If you want to copy region(s) to other track(s) but keep the copies at the
8297 exact position on the timeline as the originals, simply use
8298 <kbd class="mouse mod1">Middle</kbd>-drag instead.
8303 title: Move Regions With the Mouse
8308 To move or copy a region, make sure you are in object mode. If you are
8309 using smart mode, the pointer must be in the lower half of the region
8310 to begin a move or copy operation.
8314 Move the pointer into the region, use a <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag.
8315 The region will follow the pointer as you move it around. By default,
8316 the region can move freely along the timeline.
8320 To move a region from one track to another, simply start a move as
8321 described above, but move the pointer into the desired track. The
8322 region will follow the pointer. Note that if you have other kinds of
8323 tracks visible, the region will remain where it is as the pointer
8324 moves across them, and will then jump to the new track. This serves as
8325 a visual reminder that you cannot drag an audio region into an automation
8326 track or a bus, for example.
8329 <h2>Move Multiple Regions</h2>
8332 To move multiple regions, select them before moving. Then
8333 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag one of the selected regions. All the
8334 regions will move, keeping their positions relative to each other.
8337 <h2>Fixed-Time Motion</h2>
8340 Sometimes, you want to move a region to another track, but keeping its
8341 position along the timeline exactly the same. To do this, use
8342 <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd>-drag instead.
8346 title: Align (Spot) Regions
8351 Aligning regions (sometimes called "spotting") means moving one or more
8352 regions based on a defined location, which in Ardour is always the
8353 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a>. An
8354 alignment operation moves the region(s) so that some part of the region
8355 is positioned at the edit point. Available alignment commands include:
8358 <dl class="wide-table">
8359 <dt>Align Region starts <kbd class="mod14">a</kbd></dt>
8360 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that their start is located at the current edit point</dd>
8361 <dt>Align Region ends <kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dt>
8362 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that the end is located at the current edit point</dd>
8363 <dt>Align Region sync points <kbd>Shift-a</kbd></dt>
8364 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that their sync point is located at the current edit point</dd>
8365 <dt>Align Region starts relative <kbd class="mod4">a</kbd></dt>
8366 <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>
8371 title: Edit Mode and Tools
8377 title: Which Regions Are Affected?
8378 menu_title: Affected Regions
8382 <p class="fixme">This one is alone in its chapter. Find him a place somewhere else.</p>
8385 This section explains the rules used to decide which regions are affected
8386 by editing operations. You don't really have to understand them—hopefully
8387 things will Just Work™—but it may be useful eventually to understand the rules.
8391 Editing operations in Ardour either operate on a single point in time
8392 (<kbd class="menu">Split</kbd> being the obvious example) or on two
8393 points (which can also be considered to be a range of sorts); <kbd
8394 class="menu">Separate</kbd> is a good example of this.
8398 Most operations will operate on the currently selected region(s), but if
8399 no regions are selected, the region that the mouse is in will be used
8400 instead. Single-point operations will generally pick a set of regions to
8401 use based on the following rules:
8405 <li> If the edit point is 'mouse', then
8407 <li>if the mouse is over a selected region, or no region, use all selected
8409 <li>if the mouse is over an unselected region, use just that region.</li>
8412 <li> For all other edit points
8415 use the selected regions <em>and</em> those that are both
8416 under the edit position <em>and</em> on a selected track,
8417 or on a track which is in the same active edit-enabled route group
8418 as a selected region.
8425 The rationale here for the two different rules is that the mouse edit point
8426 is special in that its position indicates both a time and a track; the other
8427 edit points (Playhead, Marker) indicate a time only.
8432 title: Making Selections
8438 title: Select Regions
8442 <p class="fixme">Remove all "you" references FFS</p>
8445 Many editing operations in Ardour require you to first <dfn>select one or more
8446 regions</dfn> that you want to change in some way. You can select a single region,
8447 or multiple regions, including regions in different tracks. When you select
8448 a region, it will appear in a darker color than unselected regions.
8452 Note that if a track is a member of a group that is active and has the
8453 <kbd class="option">Select</kbd> property enabled, then Ardour will attempt to
8454 match whatever selections you make in one track across every other track of the
8456 <a href="/working-with-regions/corresponding-regions-selection/">Corresponding
8457 Regions Selection</a> for more information on precisely how selections will be
8458 propagated to other tracks.
8461 <h2>Region Selection and Track Selection</h2>
8465 <a href="/working-with-tracks/selecting-tracks/region-and-track-selection">Region & Track Selection</a>
8466 for more information on how selecting regions and selecting tracks interact.
8469 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
8471 <h2>Select a Region</h2>
8474 Confirm that you are using the
8475 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#object">Object tool</a>,
8476 then click on a region to select it. If
8477 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#smartmode">smart mode</a>
8478 is enabled, click in the lower half of the region.
8481 <h2>Deselect a Region</h2>
8484 Confirm you are using the
8485 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#object">Object tool</a>,
8486 then <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click the region. If
8487 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#smartmode">smart mode</a>
8488 is enabled, click in the lower half of the region.
8492 Note that a <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd> click simply toggles the
8493 selected status of an object, so it can be used to select unselected regions
8497 <h2>Select Multiple Regions in a Track</h2>
8499 <p>Do one of the following:</p>
8502 <li><kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click each region, or</li>
8504 drag a rubberband box from an empty point in a track before the first
8505 region you wish to select to a point within or after the last region
8506 you wish to select (you can <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag to do this
8507 multiple times), or,
8510 if the regions are all adjacent to one another, click the first region
8511 you wish to select, then <kbd class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-click the last
8512 region you wish to select.
8516 <h2>Select All Regions in a Track</h2>
8519 Context-click the track, and in the context menu, navigate to
8520 <kbd class="menu">Select > Select All In Track</menu>.
8524 See the <a href="/working-with-tracks/the-track-context-menu">Track Context Menu</a>
8525 for more information on other per-track selection operations that are available.
8528 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
8530 <h2>Select Multiple Regions Across Different Tracks</h2>
8533 <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click or <kbd class="mouse
8534 mod3">Left</kbd>-click the regions you wish to select.
8537 <h2>Select a Region From the Region List</h2>
8540 Click the name of the region in the
8541 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/region-list/">Region List</a>.
8542 Note that this will do nothing for whole-file regions, since they do not exist
8543 anywhere in a playlist or track.
8548 title: Editing Regions and Selections
8553 title: Trimming Regions
8557 <p class="fixme">Add images, description of mouse cursor changes that signal this type of editing</p>
8560 Changing the <dfn>length</dfn> of a region is a very common editing
8561 operation, often known as <dfn>trimming</dfn>. There are several ways
8562 to accomplish this with Ardour, and some very useful specialized trimming
8566 <h2>Drag-Trimming With the Mouse</h2>
8569 In object mode, move the pointer near the beginning or end of the region.
8570 The cursor will change to indicate that trimming is possible, and you then
8571 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag the edge of the region.
8575 Trimming will obey <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid/">Snap settings</a>.
8578 <h2>Click Trimming With the Mouse</h2>
8581 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click in the colored bar at the bottom of a region.
8582 If you are nearer to the start of a region, this will trim the start time to the
8583 position of the pointer. If you are nearer to the end of a region, it will trim the
8587 <h2>Keyboard Shortcuts for Trimming</h2>
8589 There are several commands for region trimming. Some use the
8590 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a> to determine where
8591 to trim to. Some are not bound to any keys by default (but could be via the
8592 Keybindings Editor).
8595 <dl class="wide-table">
8596 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-front</kbd> <kbd>j</kbd></dt>
8597 <dd>Trim selected region(s) start to edit point.</dd>
8598 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-end</kbd> <kbd>k</kbd></dt>
8599 <dd>Trim selected region(s) end to edit point.</dd>
8602 <h2 id="trimtonextprevious">Trim to Next/Previous Region</h2>
8605 Sometimes you just want to extend the start or end of region so that it reaches
8606 the end or start of an adjacent region. There is now an operation accessible
8607 from the region context menu, under <kbd class="menu">Edit >Trim > Trim to
8608 Next</kbd> or <kbd class="menu">Edit > Trim > Trim to Previous</kbd>. This
8609 will extend the selected regions so they directly adjoin their neighbours, unless
8610 their source files are not long enough, in which case they will be extended to the
8611 maximum possible. Trim to Next will extend the end of the selected regions to the
8612 start of the next region; Trim to Previous will extend the start of the selected
8613 regions to the end of the previous region.
8616 <dl class="wide-table">
8617 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-to-previous-region</kbd> <kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dt>
8618 <dd>Trim the start of selected region(s) to the end of the previous
8620 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-to-next-region</kbd> <kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dt>
8621 <dd>Trim the end of selected region(s) to the start of the following
8625 <h2>Other Possible Commands for Trimming</h2>
8628 These are not bound to any keys by default, but could be via the Keybindings
8629 Editor. They can also be sent via OSC or other control protocols.
8632 <dl class="wide-table">
8633 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-region-to-loop</kbd></dt>
8634 <dd>Trim region to match the current loop range.</dd>
8635 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-region-to-punch</kbd></dt>
8636 <dd>Trim region to match the current punch range.</dd>
8640 title: Push/Pull Trimming
8645 Normally, when you trim regions by dragging with the mouse, it affects
8646 only the selected regions. Their lengths are directly affected by the
8647 trim operation, but nothing else is. Sometimes though, you might like
8648 to trim a region that directly adjoins another, and keep this relationship
8649 the same—you are not trying to make one of the regions extend
8650 over the other—you would like the junction to move in one
8651 direction or the other as part of the trim. This requires trimming both
8652 regions on either side of the junction, in opposite directions.
8653 <dfn>Push/Pull trim</dfn>, activated by pressing shift key before
8654 starting the drag, will do just that. Here's a few pictures to show the
8655 difference in the results of a normal trim and push/pull trim. First,
8656 the initial situation:
8659 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_before_trim.png" alt="region arrangement before trim" /></p>
8662 Here is what happens after we trim the right hand (selected) region by
8663 dragging its starting position earlier:
8666 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_trim.png" alt="region arrangement after a trim" /></p>
8669 You can see that it now overlaps the earlier region and a crossfade has
8670 been created between them.
8674 Lets look now at what happens if we do the same trim, but <kbd
8675 class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-dragging to turn it into a push-pull trim instead:
8678 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_push_trim.png" alt="region arrangement after a push trim" /></p>
8681 There is no overlap, and the end of the earlier region has been moved
8682 along with the start of the later region, so that they still directly
8687 title: Separate Under
8692 You may have a situation where you have positioned one region over another,
8693 and you just want to cut the lower region so that it directly adjoins both
8694 ends of the overlapping one, with no overlaps. To do this, select the upper
8695 region, then choose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Separate > Separate
8696 Under</kbd>. This will split the lower region so that it no longer overlaps
8697 the upper region at all.
8701 Here is an example where we start with a short region placed so that it
8702 overlaps a longer region:
8705 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_before_separate_under.png" alt="region arrangement before separate under" /></p>
8708 When we perform the <dfn>Separate Under</dfn> edit, the lower region splits
8709 in two, with boundaries exactly positioned at the edges of the upper region:
8712 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_separate_under.png" alt="region arrangement after separate under" /></p>
8715 If the upper region covers only one end of the lower region, then this
8716 operation is equivalent to
8717 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/change-region-lengths/#trimtonextprevious">Trim to Next/Previous Region</a>, depending on which end is covered.
8721 title: Separate Range
8725 <p class="fixme">Add example with images; 1p ≥ 1,000w</p>
8728 A final new editing feature is an operation in the context menu of a
8729 range labeled <kbd class="menu">Separate Regions Under Range</kbd>.
8730 This splits any selected regions that are covered by the range at both
8731 ends of the range (or just one, if the range only covers part of the
8732 region). This makes it easy to generate regions that correspond
8733 precisely to a range.
8737 title: Strip Silence from Audio Regions
8738 menu_title: Stripping Silence
8743 From the region context menu, choose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Strip
8744 Silence</kbd> to detect silence (based on a user-chosen threshold in
8745 <abbr title="Decibels relative to Full Scale">dBFS</abbr>), split a
8746 region based on the boundaries of the silent segments, and remove the
8747 silence. You can also specify a minimum length for silence—useful
8748 when editing very percussive material and just needing to automatically trim
8749 the ends of a region. The dialog looks like this:
8753 <img src="/images/a3_strip_silence.png" alt="strip silence dialog" />
8757 The edit applies to all selected regions, allowing batch processing.
8758 You can also see in the screenshot how the main editor window is used
8759 to show silent segments and report the number and durations of the
8765 title: Fades and Crossfades
8771 title: Create Region Fades and Crossfades
8775 <p class="fixme">Add images--an image is worth more than 1,000 words</p>
8778 Every Region has a fade-in and fade-out. By default, the region fade
8779 is very short, and serves to de-click the transitions at the start and
8780 end of the region. By adjusting the regions fade length, a more
8781 gradual transition can be accomplished.
8784 <h2>Region Fades</h2>
8787 <dfn>Region fades</dfn> are possible at the beginning and end of
8788 all audio regions. In object mode, a grip appears at the top left and
8789 top right of an audio region when the cursor hovers over it. Placing
8790 the cursor over the top of the grip displays the region fade cursor
8791 tip. Click and drag the grip left or right in the timeline to
8792 adjust the length of the fade.
8798 <dfn>Crossfades</dfn> refer to the behavior when you want to make
8799 a smooth transition (mix) from one audio region to another on the same
8800 track. Historically, this was done by splicing 2 pieces of analog
8801 tape together, and this concept was carried forward into digital
8802 editing. Each track is a sequence of sound files (regions). If
8803 two regions are butted against each other, there needs to be a method
8804 to splice them smoothly together. The crossfade allows one region
8805 to fade smoothly out, while the next region fades smoothly in, like 2
8806 pieces of tape that have been cut at and angle, and overlapped.
8810 But Ardour uses a more refined "layered" editing model, and
8811 therefore it is possible for multiple regions to be stacked on a single
8812 location with arbitrary overlaps between different layers. For
8813 this reason, crossfades must be implemented differently. We can't
8814 assume that a crossfade is an entitry that exists between 2 regions;
8815 instead each region must have its own associated crossfades at each
8816 end, and the topmost region must always crossfade down to the
8817 underlying region(s), if any.
8821 Ardour solves this problem by putting a crossfade at the beginning
8822 and end of every region. The fades of the bottom-most region are
8823 first rendered, and then each region is rendered on top of the one
8824 below it, with fades at the end of each region providing a crossfade to
8825 the region(s) beneath it.
8829 It is important to understand that region fades <em>are</em> crossfades. When one region has
8830 another region or multiple regions beneath its fade area, then you will
8831 hear the topmost region fade-out be mirrored as a fade-in on the
8832 underlying region(s). The grip for the topmost region will allow
8833 changing the length and type of the crossfade into the underlying
8834 region(s). In this way you can create a complicated series of
8835 crossfades, and then layer another region atop the others, and fade
8836 into <em>that</em> complicated series.
8838 <p class="fixme">An image here would probably help.</p>
8841 If a region doesn't have any region(s) under it, then the region is
8842 crossfaded to silence; for convenience we call this a "fade"
8843 rather than a crossfade.
8846 <h2>Fade Shapes</h2>
8848 To activate/deactivate or change the shape of a region's fade-in or
8849 fade-out, hover the cursor over the region fade grip till the cursor tip
8850 indicates region fade editing and context-click to bring up a context
8851 menu. In the context menu there is a list of options for the
8852 region fade. <kbd class="menu">Activate/Deactivate</kbd> enables and
8853 disables the region fade.
8857 Because each fade is also a crossfade, it has an inverse fade shape
8858 for the audio beneath the fade. It is important to know how the
8859 shapes differ, and which are most suitable for various editing tasks.
8863 The different types of fades are:
8866 <dl class="narrower-table">
8867 <dt><kbd class="menu">Linear</kbd></dt>
8868 <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>
8869 <dt><kbd class="menu">Constant Power</kbd></dt>
8870 <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>
8871 <dt><kbd class="menu">Symmetric</kbd></dt>
8872 <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>
8873 <dt><kbd class="menu">Fast</kbd></dt>
8874 <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>
8875 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slow</kbd></dt>
8876 <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>
8880 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.
8884 These fade curves are developed to provide a range of common uses, and
8885 are developed with the least possible amount of changes in the "slope"
8886 of the line. This provides artifact-free crossfades. Some
8887 DAWs provide complicated fade editors with parametric "spline" controls
8888 of the fade curves. While it might be interesting to develop a
8889 fade curve with a faster cutoff, the mathematical difference between
8890 this and simply shortening the fade is vanishingly small; the
8891 amount of effort to shorten the fade is much easier than fooling around with a
8892 crossfade editor dialog.
8903 title: Understanding Playlists
8908 A <dfn>playlist</dfn> is a list of regions ordered in time. It defines
8909 which parts of which source files should be played and when. Playlists
8910 are a fairly advanced topic, and can be safely ignored for many types
8911 of audio production. However, the use of playlists allows the audio
8912 engineer more flexibility for tasks like multiple takes of a single
8913 instrument, alternate edits of a given recording, parallel effects such
8914 as reverb or compression, and other tasks.
8917 Each audio <dfn>track</dfn> in Ardour is really just a mechanism for
8918 taking a playlist and generating the audio stream that it represents.
8919 As a result, editing a track really means modifying its playlist in
8920 some way. Since a playlist is a list of regions, most of the
8921 modifications involve manipulating regions: their position, length
8922 and so forth. This is covered in the chapter
8923 <a href="/working-with-regions/">Working With Regions</a>.<br />
8924 Here, we cover some of the things you can do with playlists as objects
8928 <h2>Tracks are not Playlists</h2>
8930 It is important to understand that a track <em>is not</em> a playlist.
8931 A track <em>has</em> a playlist. A track is a mechanism for generating
8932 the audio stream represented by the playlist and passing it through a
8933 signal processing pathway. At any point in time, a track has a single
8934 playlist associated with it. When the track is used to record, that
8935 playlist will have one or more new regions added to it. When the track
8936 is used for playback, the contents of the playlist will be heard.
8937 You can change the playlist associated with a track at (almost) any
8938 time, and even share playlists between tracks.
8942 If you have some experience of other
8943 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s, then you might
8944 have come across the term <dfn>"virtual track"</dfn>, normally defined as a track
8945 that isn't actually playing or doing anything, but can be
8946 mapped/assigned to a real track. This concept is functionally
8947 identical to Ardour's playlists. We just like to be little more
8948 clear about what is actually happening rather than mixing old and
8949 new terminology ("virtual" and "track"), which might be confusing.</p>
8951 <h2>Playlists are Cheap</h2>
8954 One thing you should be clear about is that playlists are cheap. They
8955 don't cost anything in terms of CPU consumption, and they have very
8956 minimal efforts on memory use. Don't be afraid of generating new
8957 playlists whenever you want to. They are not equivalent to tracks,
8958 which require extra CPU time and significant memory space, or audio
8959 files, which use disk space, or plugins that require extra CPU time.
8960 If a playlist is not in use, it occupies a small amount of memory, and
8965 title: Playlist Operations
8970 In the track header (editor window, left pane) is a button labelled <kbd
8971 class="menu">p</kbd> (for "Playlist"). If you click on this button, Ardour
8972 displays the following menu:
8975 <dl class="wide-table">
8976 <dt>(Local Playlists)</dt>
8977 <dd>Shows all of the playlists associated with this track, and indicates
8978 the currently selected playlist</dd>
8980 <dd>Displays a dialog to rename the current playlist</dd>
8982 <dd>Creates a new empty playlist, and the track switches to the new playlist</dd>
8984 <dd>Creates a new playlist that is a copy of the current playlist; the track switches to the new playlist</dd>
8985 <dt>Clear Current</dt>
8986 <dd>Removes all regions from the current playlist</dd>
8987 <dt>Select From All</dt>
8988 <dd>Displays a playlist browser to manually choose which playlist this track should use. (You can even select playlists from other tracks here)</dd>
8991 <h2>Renaming Playlists</h2>
8994 Playlists are created with the name of the track of which they are
8995 associated, plus a version number. So, the first playlist for a track
8996 called "Cowbell" will be called <samp>Cowbell.1</samp>. This name will
8997 be used to define the names of any regions added to the playlist by
8998 recording. You can change the name at any time, to anything you want.
8999 Ardour does not require that your playlist names are all unique, but it
9000 will make your life easier if they are. Suggested examples of user-assigned
9001 names for a playlist might include <kbd class="input">Lead Guitar, 2nd
9002 take</kbd>, <kbd class="input">vocals (quiet)</kbd>,
9003 and <kbd class="input">downbeat cuica</kbd>. Notice how these might be
9004 different from the associated track names, which for these examples might
9005 be <kbd class="input">Lead Guitar</kbd>,
9006 <kbd class="input">Vocals</kbd> and <kbd class="input">Cuica</kbd>. The
9007 playlist name provides more information because it is about a specific
9008 version of the material that may (or may not) end up in the final version
9013 If you are going to rename your playlists, do so before recording new
9018 It appears that recorded regions are not named after the playlist, but
9022 <h2>Sharing Playlists</h2>
9025 It is entirely possible to <dfn>share playlists</dfn> between tracks. The only
9026 slightly unusual thing you may notice when sharing is that edits to the
9027 playlist made in one track will magically appear in the other. If you
9028 think about this for a moment, its an obvious consequence of sharing.
9029 One application of this attribute is parallel processing, described
9034 You might not want this kind of behaviour, even though you still want
9035 two tracks to use the same (or substantially the same) playlist. To
9036 accomplish this, select the chosen playlist in the second track, and
9037 then use New Copy to generate an <dfn>independent copy</dfn> of it for
9038 that track. You can then edit this playlist without affecting the original.
9042 title: Playlist Usecases
9046 <h3>Using Playlists for Parallel Processing</h3>
9049 One of the uses of playlists is to apply multiple effects to the same
9050 audio stream. For example, let's say you would like to apply two
9051 different non-linear effects such as distortion or compression to the
9052 same audio source (for linear effects, you could just apply them one after
9053 the other in the same track).<br />
9054 Create a new track, apply the original track's playlist, and
9055 then apply effects to both tracks independently.
9059 The same result could be achieved by feeding your track to multiple busses which
9060 then contain the processing, but this increases the overall latency,
9061 complicates routing and uses more space in the Mixer window.
9064 <h2>Using Playlists for "Takes"</h2>
9067 Using Playlists for <dfn>takes</dfn> is a good solution if you are going
9068 to need the ability to edit individual takes, and select between them.
9072 Each time you start a new take, create a new playlist with
9073 <kbd class="menu">p > New</kbd>
9074 Later, you can Select your way back to previous or later takes as
9079 If you want to create a composite edit from multiple takes, create a new
9080 track to assemble the final version, and "cherry pick" from the playlists
9081 in the original track by copying regions over as required.
9085 Alternatively, record each successive take on top of the
9086 others in "layers" and then edit them using the layer tools, explained
9090 <h2>Using Playlists for Multi-Language Productions</h2>
9093 The same approach as for takes is useful when you are recording or
9094 editing content in multiple versions, such as dubbed movie dialog in
9095 several languages, and you want all versions on the same track, to
9096 get the same processing. <br />
9097 Select the appropriate language before exporting the session.
9102 title: Rhythm Ferret
9106 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
9127 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.
9130 <h2>Key features of Ardour MIDI handling</h2>
9134 All editing is done in-place, in-window. There is no separate piano roll window or pane. Edit notes right where you see them.
9137 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.
9140 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.
9143 Full automation for MIDI tracks, integrated with the handling of all MIDI <abbr title="Continuous Controller">CC</abbr> data for each track.
9146 Controllers (CC data) can be set to discrete or continuous modes (the latter will interpolate between control points and send additional data).
9149 There is a <em>Normal</em> and a <em>Percussive</em> mode for note data editing.
9152 The <dfn>scroomer</dfn> is a combination scroll/zoom tool for altering
9153 the zoom level and range of visible MIDI data.
9157 <h2>Notable Differences</h2>
9161 Fader (volume) control currently operates on transmitted MIDI data, not by sending CC #7.
9164 All note/data editing is per-region. There are no cross-region operations at this time.
9167 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.
9172 title: Fundamental Concepts
9176 <p class="fixme">Check to see if this is still true for v5</p>
9178 <p>Ardour's MIDI editing is based on two basic principles:</p>
9181 <li>Editing should be done without having to enter a new window</li>
9183 Editing should be able to carried out completely with the keyboard,
9184 or completely with the mouse, or with any combination of the two.
9189 Currently, MIDI editing is primarily restricted to note data. Other
9190 kinds of data (controller events, sysex data) are present and can be
9191 added and deleted, but not actually edited.
9194 <h2>Fundamentals of MIDI Editing in Ardour 3</h2>
9197 MIDI, just like audio, exists in <dfn>regions</dfn>. MIDI regions
9198 behave like audio regions: they can be moved, trimmed, copied (cloned),
9199 or deleted. Ardour allows either editing MIDI (or audio) regions, or MIDI
9200 region content (the notes), but never both at the same time. The
9201 <kbd>e</kbd> key (by default) toggles between <dfn>region level</dfn>
9202 and <dfn>note level</dfn> editing, as will double-clicking on a MIDI region.
9206 One very important thing to note: editing note information in Ardour
9207 occurs in only a single region. There is no way currently to edit in note
9208 data for multiple regions at the same time, so for example you cannot select
9209 notes in several regions and then delete them all, nor can you copy-and-paste
9210 notes from one region to another. You can, of course, copy and paste the
9211 region(s), just as with audio.
9215 title: Create MIDI Tracks
9220 To create a new <dfn>MIDI track</dfn>, choose <kbd class="menu">Session >
9221 Add Track/Bus</kbd>. In the Add Track/Bus dialog, pick <kbd class="menu">MIDI
9222 Track</kbd> from the combo selector at the upper right.
9226 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.
9229 <p class="fixme">Remove "you" language</p>
9232 title: Create MIDI Regions
9237 Although recording MIDI is a common way to create new MIDI regions, it is
9238 often desirable to do so as part of editing/arranging.
9242 To create a new MIDI region, simply <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click in
9243 a MIDI track. A region will be created that is one bar long. It can
9244 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/changing-region-lengths">trimmed</a> to any
9248 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9251 Once a region has been created, <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-midi/add-new-notes">notes can be added</a> to it.
9255 title: Add New Notes
9259 <h2>Adding new notes</h2>
9262 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.
9265 <p>So, to summarize:</p>
9267 <dl class="wide-table">
9268 <dt>Selecting, moving, copying, trimming, deleting <em>regions</em></dt>
9270 leave <kbd class="menu">Note Level Editing</kbd> disabled, use object,
9271 range or other mouse modes
9273 <dt>Selecting, moving, copying trimming, deleting <em>notes</em></dt>
9274 <dd>enable <kbd class="menu">Note Level Editing</kbd>and use mouse object mode</dd>
9275 <dt>Adding new notes</dt>
9277 enable "Note Level Editing" and then either
9279 <li>use mouse object mode and <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-drag,
9281 <li>use mouse draw mode.</li>
9286 <!-- FIXME: This is needed to keep the table from sucking up the following note's styling. Probably need a fix in the CSS. -->
9290 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.
9294 title: Change Note Properties
9299 Details about a selected note can be viewed by context-clicking on it. The
9300 dialog that pops up will also allow modification of all the properties of the
9301 selected note(s). Individual properties can be modified more efficiently using
9302 the techniques described below:
9306 <dt>Moving notes</dt>
9308 Right arrow and Left arrow move the selected note(s) early and later in time.
9310 <dt>Changing pitch values</dt>
9312 <kbd>↑</kbd> increases the pitch of the selected notes.<br />
9313 <kbd>↓</kbd> reduces the pitch of the selected notes.<br />
9314 If any of the selected notes are already at the maximum or minimum value,
9315 no changes will be made to any of the notes, to preserve relative pitches.
9316 This can be overridden with <kbd class="mod2">‌</kbd>. The default shift
9317 distance is one semitone. Use <kbd class="mod3">‌</kbd> to alter this to
9320 <dt>Changing velocity values</dt>
9322 <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd> increases the velocity of the selected notes.
9324 <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd> reduces the velocity of the selected
9326 If any of the selected notes are already at the maximum or minumum value,
9327 no changes will be made to any of the notes, to preserve relative velocities.
9328 This can be overridden with <kbd class="mod2">‌</kbd>.
9329 Presssing <kbd>v</kbd> will popup a dialog that will allow the setting of
9330 the absolute velocity value of each selected note. Finally, the scroll wheel
9331 <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> will also
9332 adjust notes in the same way as the arrow keys.
9333 <p class="note">Like the arrow keys, it only affects selected notes, not the note the pointer is over.</p>
9335 <dt>Changing channel</dt>
9337 Press <kbd>c</kbd> to bring up a dialog that allows viewing and altering the
9338 MIDI channel of the selected notes. If the selected notes use different
9339 channels, they will all be forced to the newly selected channel.
9341 <dt>Changing start/end/duration</dt>
9343 <kbd>,</kbd> (comma) will alter the start time of the note. <br />
9344 <kbd>.</kbd> (period) will alter the end time of the note. Both keys will by
9345 default make the note longer (either by moving the start earlier or the end
9346 later). For the opposite effect, use <kbd class="mod1">,</kbd>/<kbd
9347 class="mod1">.</kbd>. The note will be altered by the current grid setting.
9348 To change the start/end positions by 1/128th of a beat, use the <kbd
9349 class="mod2">‌</kbd> modifier in addition to these shortcuts.
9351 <dt>Quantization</dt>
9353 <kbd>q</kbd> will quantize the selected notes using the current quantize
9354 settings. If the quantize settings have not been set for this session yet,
9355 the quantize dialog will appear. <kbd class="mod2">q</kbd> will display the
9356 quantize dialog to allow resetting of the quantize settings, and then
9357 quantize the selected notes. The default quantize settings are: quantize
9358 note starts to the current grid setting, no swing, no threshold, full
9361 <dt>Step Entry, Quantize etc.</dt>
9362 <dd><em>missing</em></dd>
9365 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
9368 title: Handling Overlapping Notes
9369 menu_title: Overlapping Notes
9374 Every MIDI note consists of two messages, a NoteOn and a NoteOff. Each one
9375 has a note number and a channel (also a velocity, but that isn't relevant
9376 here). The MIDI standard stresses that it is invalid to send a second NoteOn
9377 for the same note number on the same channel before a NoteOff for the first
9378 NoteOn. It is more or less impossible to do this with a physical MIDI
9379 controller such as a keyboard, but remarkably easy to trigger when editing
9380 in a DAW—simply overlapping two instances of the same note will do it.
9384 Ardour offers many options for how to deal with instances where you overlap
9385 two instances of the same note. Which one to use is a per-session property
9386 and can be modified from <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties > Misc > MIDI
9390 <dl class="wide-table">
9391 <dt>never allow them</dt>
9392 <dd>Edits that would create note overlaps are not allowed</dd>
9393 <dt>don't do anything in particular</dt>
9394 <dd>Ardour leaves overlapping notes alone—the behaviour of a MIDI receiver (plugin or hardware) is undefined</dd>
9395 <dt>replace any overlapped existing note</dt>
9396 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, remove the one that wasn't being moved</dd>
9397 <dt>shorten the overlapped existing note</dt>
9398 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, shorten the one that wasn't moved so that there is no overlap</dd>
9399 <dt>shorten the overlapping new note</dt>
9400 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, shorten the one that was moved so that there is no overlap</dd>
9401 <dt>replace both overlapping notes with a single note</dt>
9402 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, merge them both to form one (longer) note</dd>
9406 Changing the option in use will not retroactively make changes—it will
9407 only affect new note overlaps created while the option remains chosen.
9411 Ardour does not check for note overlaps across tracks or even across regions.
9412 If you create these, it is your responsibility to deal with the consequences.
9416 title: Note Cut, Copy and Paste
9421 While in note edit mode, selected notes can be cut using
9422 <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>, copied with <kbd class="mod1">c</kbd> and
9423 deleted with <kbd>Delete</kbd>, just as regions can. Once cut or
9424 copied, they can be pasted at the edit point using
9425 <kbd class="mod1">v</kbd>.
9429 title: Note Selection
9433 <h2>Selecting/Navigating note-by-note</h2>
9436 Tab selects the next note. <kbd class="mod1">Tab</kbd> selects the previous
9437 note. <kbd class="mod3">Tab</kbd> or <kbd class="mod13">Tab</kbd> adds
9438 the next/previous note to the selection.
9441 <h2>Selecting notes with the mouse</h2>
9444 While in mouse object mode, you can click on a note to select it. Once you
9445 have selected one note, <kbd class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-click on another
9446 to select all notes between them. To add or remove a note to/from the
9447 selection, click <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>. You can also click and
9448 drag outside of a note to <dfn>rubberband select</dfn> a series of notes.
9452 Three different selection operations are possible if you switch to mouse
9458 Vertical drags within the MIDI region will select all notes within the
9462 Clicks on the piano header of the track (if visible—the track must
9463 be tall enough to display it) will select all occurences of that note.
9466 Drags on the piano header of the track will select all notes within the
9471 <h2>Listening to Selected Notes</h2>
9474 If <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI > Sound MIDI notes
9475 as they are selected</kbd> is enabled, Ardour will send a pair of
9476 NoteOn/NoteOff messages through the track, which will typically allow you to
9477 hear each note as it is selected.
9481 title: Quantize MIDI
9485 <p class="fixme">Needs fleshing out; this is a bit thin at the moment</p>
9487 <p><img class="right" src="/images/a3_quantize.png" alt="quantize dialog" /></p>
9489 <p>Accessed via <kbd>q</kbd>, the dialog includes:</p>
9492 <li>Options for grid, legato and groove quantize</li>
9493 <li>Snap note start, or end</li>
9494 <li>Snap to current grid, or many beat subdivisions</li>
9495 <li>Quantize threshold (how far away from a chosen position a note must be in order to be quantized)</li>
9496 <li>Strength (how close to move a note to its new position, as a percentage of the nominal distance)</li>
9506 Sometimes editing MIDI data directly from a connected MIDI device like a musical
9507 keyboard or pad controller is desired; sometimes using the mouse is. Sometimes
9508 the fine-grained control, precision and speed of entry that comes from using a
9509 custom note entry dialog is; the <dfn>Step Entry</dfn> dialog aims to be the
9514 The step entry dialog is accessed via a right click context menu on the
9515 rec-enable button, because step entry is related to <em>recording</em> MIDI
9516 data—step editing and recording MIDI via the track's MIDI port cannot be
9517 done simultaneously.
9520 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_step_entry.png" /></p>
9522 <p>The dialog (closely modeled after Logic's) contains:</p>
9526 Chord entry switch (successive notes are stacked in a chord until
9527 it is released)</li>
9528 <li>Note length selectors</li>
9529 <li>Triplet toggle</li>
9530 <li>Normal, single, double and triple dotted note selectors</li>
9531 <li>Sustain button</li>
9534 <li>Insert a rest of the current selected note duration</li>
9535 <li>Insert a rest of the current grid step size</li>
9536 <li>Move back to the last inserted note</li>
9537 <li>Move forward to the next beat, or bar</li>
9538 <li>Move forward to the edit point</li>
9541 <li>Dynamics controls from pianississimo to fortississimo</li>
9542 <li>Channel selector</li>
9544 Explicit numerical velocity selector, for more precise control
9545 than the dynamics selectors offer
9547 <li>Octave selector</li>
9548 <li>Buttons to add bank or program change events</li>
9549 <li>a full 10 octave virtual keyboard</li>
9553 More or less all actions in the step entry dialog can be driven directly from
9554 the keyboard, so moving back and forth from keyboard to mouse to do complex data
9555 insertion is unnecessary.
9564 A <dfn>patch change</dfn> is Ardour's description for a combination
9565 of MIDI program change and bank select messages, that (typically)
9566 instruct a synthesizer or sampler to select a different sound to use
9567 on a particular channel.
9571 Patch changes are shown within MIDI regions as small rectangles or
9572 <dfn>flags</dfn>, as shown below:
9575 <p class="fixme">Add missing images</p>
9577 <h2>Inserting Patch Changes</h2>
9581 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a> is
9582 located where the patch change should be (within an existing
9583 MIDI region). Context click, and from the MIDI region's context menu,
9584 select <kbd class="menu">MIDI > Insert Patch Change</kbd>. A
9585 dialog will appear allowing the setting of the bank and program values.
9588 <h2>Modifying Patch Changes</h2>
9591 Context-clicking on a patch change will bring up the same dialog that
9592 was used to create it, allowing the modification of the program and/or bank
9597 The mouse wheel can also be used: <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>/<kbd
9598 class="mouse">⇓</kbd> on the patch change will alter the program
9599 number, <kbd class="mouse mod1">⇑</kbd>/<kbd
9600 class="mouse mod1">⇓</kbd> will modify the bank number.
9603 <h2>Moving Patch Changes</h2>
9606 Just <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag on the patch change to move it
9610 <h2>Removing Patch Changes</h2>
9613 Put the mouse pointer into the rectangular area, and press <kbd>Del</kbd>
9614 or use the delete mouse button operation. This will remove the patch change
9615 (the operation can be undone).
9618 <h2>Names for Patch Numbers: MIDNAM files</h2>
9621 …mising…
9624 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
9627 title: Independent and Dependent MIDI Region Copies
9628 menu_title: Copy MIDI Region
9633 When <dfn>copying a MIDI region</dfn>, Ardour has to decide whether to make the
9634 copy refer to the same data as the original or not. If it does refer
9635 to the same data, then editing either the copy or the original will
9636 affect the both of them. If it refers to an independent copy of the
9637 data then each one can be edited without affecting the other.
9640 <h2>Changing dependent/independent copying for the entire session</h2>
9643 <kbd class="menu">Sesson > Properties > Misc > MIDI region copies are
9644 independent</kbd> can be used to control the default behaviour when
9645 making a copy of a MIDI region.
9649 When enabled, every new copy of a MIDI
9650 region results in a copy being made of the MIDI data used by the
9651 region, and the new copy of the region will refer to that data.
9655 When disabled, every new copy of a MIDI region will refer to the same
9656 MIDI data, and thus editing any copy will change the contents of all
9661 Changing the status of this option has no effect on the existing
9662 dependent/independent status of existing region copies.
9665 <h2>Making an existing copy of a MIDI region independent</h2>
9668 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.
9672 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.
9676 title: Automating MIDI - Pitch bending and aftertouch
9677 menu_title: Automating MIDI
9682 Adding pitch bending or aftertouch can add a lot of subtlety to an otherwise plain sounding midi region and help humanize it.
9685 <img src="/images/MIDI_pitch_bending.png" alt="Automation: pitch bending" />
9688 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>.
9692 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.
9696 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.
9700 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).
9704 title: Transforming MIDI - Mathematical operations
9705 menu_title: Transforming MIDI
9710 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.
9713 <p class="center"><img src="/images/MIDI_transform.png" alt="MIDI transformation" /></p>
9716 To access the Transform tool, right click the MIDI region > <em>name_of_the_region</em> > MIDI > Transform...
9720 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.
9724 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:
9728 <li>Set velocity to this note's velocity</li>
9729 <li>+ a random number from 1 to 20</li>
9730 <li>- a random number from 1 to 20</li>
9733 <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>
9736 The properties that can be computed are:
9740 <li>note number (eg C2 is note number 24, C#2 is 25 and so on)</li>
9741 <li>velocity (the global intensity of the note, between 0 and 127)</li>
9742 <li>start time (in beats)</li>
9743 <li>length (in beats)</li>
9748 and the calculation may be based on the following properties:
9752 <li>this note's</li>
9753 <li>the previous note's</li>
9754 <li>this note's index (number of the note, i.e. the first one is 0, the second is 1, etc.)</li>
9755 <li>exactly (for a constant value, between 1 and 127)</li>
9756 <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>
9757 <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>
9761 The mathematical operators can be:
9765 <li>+ (addition)</li>
9766 <li>- (substration)</li>
9767 <li>* (multiplication)</li>
9768 <li>/ (euclidian division)</li>
9769 <li>mod (rest of the euclidian division)</li>
9773 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.
9777 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.
9788 title: MIDI Scene Automation
9793 Ardour is capable of being used to both record and deliver MIDI
9794 "scene" automation. These are MIDI messages typically used to switch
9795 presets or "scenes" on a variety of external equipment (or
9796 software), including lighting and other audio/video tools. A common
9797 use case is to automatically change presets between songs or to change
9798 lighting conditions based on a specific position on the timeline.
9802 Each change from one scene to another is represented by a marker in
9807 Technically, scene changes are delivered as a combination of bank and
9808 program change MIDI messages. MIDI allows for 16,384 banks, each with
9812 <h2>Recording Scene Changes</h2>
9815 Ardour has a dedicated MIDI port named "Scene In". Connect this port
9816 to whatever source(s) of MIDI scene (bank/program change) messages you
9821 Whenever the global record enable button is engaged and Ardour's
9822 transport is rolling, a new marker will be created for each scene
9823 change message received via the "Scene In" port.
9827 If two different scene changes are received within a certain time
9828 period, only the later one will be recorded as a new marker. The
9829 default threshold for this is one millisecond.
9833 If a scene change message is received while the playhead is close to
9834 an existing marker with an associated scene change, the recording
9835 process will alter the scene change in the existing marker rather than
9836 adding a new one. The default threshold for this "proximity" test is one
9840 <h2>Manually Creating Scene Changes</h2>
9843 This feature is not currently implemented.
9846 <h2>Playing back Scene Changes</h2>
9849 Ardour has a dedicated MIDI port named "Scene Out". Connect this port
9850 to wherever you wish to send MIDI scene (bank/program change) messages.
9854 When the global record enable button is
9855 <em>not</em> enabled, the relevant message(s) will be sent via the
9856 "Scene Out" port as the playhead rolls past each marker with a scene
9857 change associated with it.
9860 <h2>Editing Scene Changes</h2>
9863 This feature is not currently implemented.
9866 <h2>Disabling Scene Changes</h2>
9869 This feature is not currently implemented.
9880 title: MIDI Event List
9895 title: Time, Tempo and Meter
9901 title: Tempo and Meter
9906 Tempo and meter belong together. without both, there is no way to know where a beat lies in time.
9910 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.
9914 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.
9918 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>.
9924 Tempo can be adjusted in several ways:
9928 <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>
9929 <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.
9930 This is the preferred way to match the tempo to previously recorded material.</li>
9933 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.
9936 <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>
9940 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.
9944 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).
9948 A tempo may be ramped or constant.
9950 <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>
9951 <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.
9957 <img src="/images/constant-tempo.png" alt="A constant tempo displaying the tempo at the playhead in the audio clock">
9959 A series of constant tempo markers. The tempo at the playhead position is the same as the previous tempo.
9963 <img src="/images/ramped-tempo.png" alt="A ramped tempo displaying the tempo at the playhead in the audio clock">
9965 A ramped tempo marker. The tempo at the playhead position is approaching the second tempo. Because the playhead is equidistant (in beats) between the
9966 two markers, the tempo at the playhead is the average of the two.
9970 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).
9974 To copy a tempo, hold down the primary modifier and drag the tempo desired to be copied.
9980 Meter positions beats using the musical pulse of a tempo, and groups them into bars using its number of divisions per bar.
9984 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.
9988 New meters are locked to music. They may only occur on a bar line if music locked.
9992 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.
9996 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.
9999 <li>To change a meter, double click it. A dialog will appear.</li>
10000 <li>To copy a meter, hold down <kbd class="mod1"></kbd> and drag it.</li>
10003 title: Techniques for Working with Tempo and Meter
10007 <h3>Techniques </h3>
10010 As a general approach, the best way to control tempo ramps is to use them in pairs.
10014 Lets imagine we want to match the click to a drum performance recorded in 'free time'.
10018 The first thing we need to do is determine where the first beat is. Drag the first meter to that position.
10022 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.
10026 We then locate bar 4 in the BBT ruler and while holding the constraint modifier, drag it to bar 4 in the drum performance.
10030 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.
10034 Now while dragging any beat <strong>after</strong> the second new tempo, watch the drum audio and tempo lines until they align.
10038 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.
10042 Again, some time later the click will not align. I didn't say this was easy.
10046 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.
10050 In a general sense, adding tempo markers in pairs allows you to 'pin' your previous work while you move further to the right.
10053 <h3>Another use case: matching accelerando</h3>
10056 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).
10060 Find a starting tempo by listening to the click while you drag the meter's tempo vertically using the constraint modifier.
10064 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.
10068 Add a tempo at bar 4.
10072 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.
10076 Notice what happened: The second tempo was changed.<br />
10077 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.
10081 If the ramp doesn't feel right, you may add more points within it and keep adjusting beat positions in a similar manner.
10087 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.
10092 title: Memory Locations
10096 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
10100 title: Arranging Regions
10104 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
10108 title: Region Loops and Groups
10112 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
10122 title: Basic Mixing
10128 title: Metering in Ardour
10132 <h2>Introduction</h2>
10135 An engineer reading and using audio level meters compares to a musician
10136 reading or writing sheet-music. Just like there are virtuoso musicians
10137 who can't read a single note, there are great sound-engineers who just
10138 go by their ears and produce great mixes and masters without ever looking
10143 Yet, if you want to work in or with the broadcast industry, it is
10144 usually unavoidable to use meters.
10148 Audio level meters are very powerful tools that are useful in every
10149 part of the entire production chain:
10153 <li>When tracking, meters are used to ensure that the input
10154 signal does not <dfn>overload</dfn> and maintains reasonable
10155 <dfn>headroom</dfn>.</li>
10156 <li>Meters offer a <dfn>quick visual indication</dfn> of a
10157 activity when working with a large number of tracks.</li>
10158 <li>During mixing, meters provide an rough estimate of the
10159 <dfn>loudness</dfn> of each track.</li>
10160 <li>At the mastering stage, meters are used to check
10161 compliance with upstream <dfn>level</dfn> and <dfn>loudness
10162 standards</dfn> and to optimize the <dfn>loudness range</dfn>
10163 for a given medium.</li>
10166 <h2>Meter Types</h2>
10169 A general treatise on metering is beyond the scope of this
10170 manual. It is a complex subject with a history...
10171 For background information and further reading we recommend:
10175 <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>
10176 <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_programme_meter#Table_of_characteristics">Wikipedia: Peak programme meter</a>—overview of meter types.</li>
10177 <li>"Audio Metering: Measurements, Standards and Practice: Measurements, Standards and Practics", by Eddy Brixen. ISBN: 0240814673</li>
10178 <li>"Art of Digital Audio", by John Watkinson. ISBN: 0240515870</li>
10182 There are different metering standards, most of which are available in Ardour. In short:
10186 <dt>Digital peak-meter</dt>
10187 <dd>A <dfn>Digital Peak Meter</dfn> displays the absolute maximum signal
10188 of the raw audio PCM signal (for a given time). It is commonly used when
10189 tracking to make sure the recorded audio never clips. To that end, DPMs
10190 are always calibrated to 0 <abbr title="DeciBel Full
10191 Scale">dBFS</abbr>, or the maximum level that can be represented digitally
10192 in a given system. This value has no musical reason whatsoever and depends
10193 only on the properties of the signal chain or target medium. There are
10194 conventions for <dfn>fall-off-time</dfn> and <dfn>peak-hold</dfn>, but no
10195 exact specifications.
10197 Various conventions for DPM fall-off times and dBFS line-up level can be
10198 chosen in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI</kbd>.
10202 <dt>RMS meters</dt>
10203 <dd>An <dfn><abbr title="Root Mean Square">RMS</abbr>-type meter</dfn>
10204 is an averaging meter that looks at the energy in the signal. It
10205 provides a general indication of loudness as perceived by humans. Ardour
10206 features three RMS meters, all of which offer additonal peak indication.
10208 <li><dfn>K20</dfn>: A meter according to the K-system introduced by Bob
10209 Katz, scale aligned to -20 dBFS, rise/fall times and color schema
10210 according to spec.</li>
10211 <li><dfn>K14</dfn>: Same as K20 with scale aligned to -14 dBFS.</li>
10212 <li><dfn>K12</dfn>: Same as K20 with scale aligned to -12 dBFS (since 3.5.143).</li>
10213 <li><dfn>Peak + RMS</dfn>: standard RMS, customizable via
10214 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Metering</kbd></li>
10219 <dd><dfn><abbr title="International Electrontechnical Commission">IEC</abbr>-type
10220 <abbr title="Peak Programme Meters">PPM</abbr>s</dfn> are a mix between DPMs and
10221 RMS meters, created mainly for the purpose of
10222 interoperability. Many national and institutional varieties exist (<abbr
10223 title="European Broadcasting Union">EBU</abbr>, <abbr title="British Broadcasting
10224 Corporation">BBC</abbr>, <abbr title="Deutsche Industrie-Norm">DIN</abbr>).
10226 These loudness and metering standards provide a common point of
10227 reference which is used by broadcasters in particular so that the
10228 interchange of material is uniform across their sphere of influence,
10229 regardless of the equipment used to play it back.
10232 For home recording, there is no real need for this level of
10233 interoperability, and these meters are only strictly required when
10234 working in or with the broadcast industry. However, IEC-type meters have
10235 certain characteristics (rise-time, ballistics) that make them useful
10236 outside the context of broadcast.
10239 Their specification is very exact, and consquently, there are no
10240 customizable parameters.
10245 <dd><dfn><abbr title="Volume Unit">VU</abbr> meters</dfn> are the dinosaurs (1939)
10246 amongst the meters. They react very slowly, averaging out peaks.
10247 Their specification is very strict (300ms rise-time, 1–1.5% overshoot,
10248 flat frequency response). Ardour's VU meter adheres to that spec, but for
10249 visual consistency it is displayed as a bar-graph rather than needle-style
10254 <h2>Ardour Specifics</h2>
10256 <img class="right" src="/images/mixer-meter-context-menu.png" alt="mixer strip meter context menu" />
10259 Meters are available in various places in ardour:
10263 <li>The mixer window features fixed height meters for each <dfn>channel strip</dfn>.</li>
10264 <li>There are small (narrow) meters on each <dfn>track-header</dfn> in the editor window.</li>
10265 <li>There are variable height meters in the <dfn>meterbridge window</dfn>.</li>
10266 <li>Optionally, a fixed-size <dfn>master meter</dfn> can be displayed in the main toolbar.</li>
10267 <li>Various other locations (<dfn>file import</dfn>, <dfn>sends</dfn>) have level-meters.</li>
10271 They all share the same configuration and color-theme which is available in
10272 preferences and the theme-manager. Settings for the Peak and RMS+Peak meters
10273 as well as VU meter standards are found in
10274 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Metering</kbd>.
10278 The type of meter and the <dfn>metering point</dfn> (the place in the signal chain
10279 where the meter taps the signal) are configurable in the context menu of each meter.
10280 Depending on the <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Mixer
10281 Strip</kbd> settings, the metering point is also accessible via a button in
10285 <img class="right" src="/images/meter-preferences.png" alt="" />
10288 Regardless of meter type and standard the meter display will highlight red if
10289 the signal on the given channel exceeds the configured peak threshold.
10293 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> on the peak-indicator button resets the
10294 <dfn>peak-hold indicator</dfn> of a single channel.<br />
10295 <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd> resets a whole <dfn>group</dfn>, and<br/>
10296 <kbd class="mod13 mouse">Left</kbd> resets all meters.
10299 <h2>Overview of meter types</h2>
10302 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.
10305 <img class="right" style="max-width:45%;height:400px;" src="/images/needle-meters-18.png"
10306 alt="Needle-style meters as external LV2 plugins" />
10307 <img style="max-width:45%; height:400px" src="/images/meter-types-18.png"
10308 alt="Bar-graph meters in Ardour" />
10312 Due to layout concerns and consistent look &Â feel, all meters available in
10313 Ardour itself are bar-graph type meters. Corresponding needle-style meters—which take up more visual screen space—are available as
10314 <a href="https://github.com/x42/meters.lv2/">LV2 plugins</a> (see image on the upper right).
10318 title: Signal Routing
10323 Ardour does most of its internal <dfn>signal routing</dfn> via JACK:
10324 all track and bus inputs and outputs are JACK ports, as are sends and
10325 inserts—which means they can be tapped into by other JACK clients.
10326 Only the signal flow inside a track or bus (i.e. from <a
10327 href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">processor to processor</a>) is
10328 handled internally.
10332 By default, Ardour will create the following connections:
10337 <dfn>Track inputs</dfn> are optionally auto-connected to hardware inputs, in round robin order, depending on the setting you chose in the
10338 <a href="/working-with-sessions/new-session-dialog"><kbd
10339 class="menu">Session > New Session</kbd> dialog</a>.
10342 <dfn>Bus inputs</dfn> are left disconnected.
10345 The number of <dfn>track and bus outputs</dfn> are equal to the number
10346 of inputs of the master bus.
10349 Track and bus outputs are always auto-connected to the master bus inputs.
10352 Master bus outputs are connected to hardware outputs.
10357 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.
10361 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.
10365 title: Busses and VCAs
10370 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.
10376 An Ardour bus can be considered a virtual track, as in a track that doesn't have a playlist (so, no regions).
10380 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.
10384 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.
10387 <p class="note">Note that the Master strip, which by default receives the output from all tracks, <em>is</em> a bus itself.</p>
10389 <h3>Audio Busses vs MIDI Busses</h3>
10392 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.
10396 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.
10400 Depending on the user's workflow and the way busses are used, 2 possibilities exists:
10403 <h3>Connecting a track to a bus via outputs</h3>
10405 <img class="right" src="/images/connecting_bus_output.png" alt="Connecting a bus through a track's outputs">
10408 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).
10412 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.
10415 <h3>Connecting a track to a bus via Sends</h3>
10417 <img class="left" src="/images/connecting_bus_send.png" alt="Connecting a bus through a send">
10420 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>.
10424 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.
10428 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.
10434 Reword this section to Control MAster, separate from Busses, Detail the fact a track can have multiple VCA attached
10437 <img class="left" src="/images/vcas.png" alt="VCAs strips">
10440 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.
10444 It allows to use either or both of the conventions for combining multiple masters:
10448 <li>Nest VCAs (VCA 2 controls VCA 1 etc.)</li>
10449 <li>Chain VCAs (VCA 1 and VCA2 both control track or bus N)</li>
10452 <h3>Using a VCA strip</h3>
10455 A VCA strip is made of (from top to bottom in the screenshot):
10459 <li><dfn>1</dfn>: number of the VCA</li>
10460 <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>
10461 <li><dfn>M</dfn>: mutes the VCA</li>
10462 <li><dfn>S</dfn>: solos the VCA</li>
10463 <li><dfn>A level meter</dfn>: allows to adjust the level of the VCA</li>
10464 <li><dfn>~vca~</dfn>: a VCA button to optionally connect to another VCA</li>
10468 Right-clicking the name button shows a context menus comprised of:
10472 <li><kbd class="menu">Rename</kbd>: Renames the VCA</li>
10473 <li><kbd class="menu">Color...</kbd>: Changes the color of the VCA button in the tracks connected to this one</li>
10474 <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>
10475 <li><kbd class="menu">Remove</kbd>: Deletes this VCA</li>
10478 <h3>Connecting to a VCA strip</h3>
10480 <img class="left" src="/images/connecting_to_vca.png" alt="Connecting to VCA">
10483 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.
10487 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.
10496 <dfn>Auxilliary sends</dfn> are <a
10497 href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">processors</a> in a bus or
10498 track channel strip. They tap the signal at a specific point in the signal
10499 flow (pre-fader, post-fader, before or after EQs and other plugins, etc.)
10500 and send a copy of that signal somewhere else, without affecting the
10501 normal signal flow downwards to the channel fader.
10505 Usually, aux sends from several tracks are collectively sent to a
10506 dedicated <dfn>Aux bus</dfn> in Ardour, to create a monitor mix for a
10507 musician, or to feed an effect unit. The output of such a bus might
10508 be routed to separate hardware outputs (in the case of headphone or monitor
10509 wedge mixes), or returned to the main mix (in the case of an effect).
10513 Since sends are JACK ports, it is also possible to send the tapped signal
10514 somewhere else directly, which is not usually possible on hardware mixers
10515 (see <a href="/signal-routing/external-sends/">External Sends</a>).
10519 It may be useful to
10520 <a href="/signal-routing/comparing-aux-sends-and-subgroups">compare and contrast</a>
10521 the use of aux sends with <a href="/signal-routing/subgrouping">subgrouping</a>.
10524 <h2>Adding a new aux bus</h2>
10527 Choose <kbd class="menu">Session > Add New Track or Bus</kbd>. In the
10528 <kbd class="menu">New Track & Bus</kbd> dialog, select "Busses" in the Track/Bus
10529 selector at the upper right.
10532 <h2>Adding a send to an aux bus</h2>
10535 Context-click on the processor box for the track you want to send to the bus, and
10536 choose <kbd class="menu">New Aux Send</kbd>. From the submenu, choose the bus you
10537 want to send to. A send will be added (and will be visible in the processor box).
10538 Note that the submenu may be empty if you have not created a bus yet.
10541 <h3>Pre-fader and Post-fader Aux Sends</h3>
10544 Depending on whether you context-click above or below the fader in the processor box,
10545 the new aux send can be placed before or after the fader in the channel strip.
10546 <dfn>Post-fader</dfn> aux sends are typically used when using an aux for shared signal
10547 processing (FX), so that the amount of effect is always proportional to
10548 the main mix fader. <dfn>Pre-fader</dfn> sends ensure that the level sent to the bus
10549 is controlled <em>only</em> by the send, not the main fader—this is typical
10550 when constructing headphone and monitor wedge mixes.
10553 <h2>Adding a new aux bus and sending a Track Group to it</h2>
10556 You can add aux sends to all members of a group and connect them to a new aux bus
10557 with a single click. After creating the track group (and adding tracks to it),
10558 context-click on the group tab and choose either
10559 <kbd class="menu">Add New Aux Bus (pre-fader)</kbd> or
10560 <kbd class="menu">Add New Aux Bus (post-fader)</kbd>. A new aux bus will be created,
10561 and a new aux send added to every member of the track group that connects to
10565 <p class="fixme">Add images, fix factual inaccuracies</p>
10566 <h2>Altering Send Levels</h2>
10569 You can alter the amount of the signal received by a send that it delivers to the bus
10570 it connects to. There are three approaches to this:
10573 <h3>Use the Send Fader</h3>
10576 Every send processor has a small horizontal fader that can be adjusted in the usual way. It is
10577 not very big and so this can be a little unsatisfactory if you want very fine control
10578 over the send level.
10581 <h3>Mapping the Main Fader</h3>
10584 Double-clicking on the send in the processor box will allow you to use the
10585 big fader of the mixer strip to control the send. The visual appearance of
10586 the mixer strip will change to reflect this. Double-click the send again to
10587 revert back to normal function for the strip.
10590 <h3>Map Aux Sends To Main Faders</h3>
10593 Pressing the button marked <kbd class="menu">Aux Sends</kbd> on a aux bus will
10594 alter the channel strip for every track or bus that feeds the aux bus. Many
10595 aspects of the strip will become insensitive and/or change their visual
10596 appearance. More importantly, the main fader of the affected channel strips
10597 will now control the send level and <strong>not</strong> the track gain.
10598 This gives a larger, more configurable control to alter the level. Click the
10599 <kbd class="menu">Aux Sends</kbd> button of the aux bus again to revert the
10600 channel strips to their normal use.
10603 <h2>Disabling Sends</h2>
10606 Clicking on the small "LED" in the send display in the processor box of the
10607 channel strip will enable/disable the send. When disabled, only silence will
10608 be delivered to the aux bus by this track. When enabled, the signal arriving
10609 at the send will be delivered to the aux bus.
10612 <h2>Send Panning</h2>
10615 Send panners can be configured to either be independent of the main
10616 panner, or to follow it. The latter could be useful for Reverb effects, or
10617 for in-ear monitor mixes delivered in stereo.
10621 title: Comparing Aux Sends and Subgroups
10622 menu_title: Auxes vs. Groups
10627 Auxes and Subgroups share a common concept—they both provide a way
10628 for one or more tracks (or busses) to send their signal to a single bus so
10629 that common signal processing can be applied to the mix of their signals.
10633 <dfn>Aux sends</dfn> leave the existing signal routing to the main mix in place,
10634 and are typically used to create a separate mix to send to (for example)
10635 monitors or headphones (for performer monitor mixes):
10638 <img width="300px" src="/images/a3_aux_routing.png" alt="aux signal routing" />
10641 <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.
10644 <img width="300px" src="/images/a3_subgroup_routes.png" alt="sub group signal routing" />
10647 title: External Sends
10652 Like a normal aux send, an <dfn>external send</dfn> taps the signal at a
10653 specific within a channel strip, but delivers it to an external application
10654 or piece of hardware rather than an Ardour bus. By itself, an external
10655 send has no effect whatsoever on the audio signals within Ardour—it is a one-way signal routing that leaves all existing signal processing
10660 Most people will not have much use for this, but it can be useful if you
10661 want to experiment with external applications or hardware signal processing
10665 <h2>Adding an External Send</h2>
10668 Context-click on the
10669 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box">processor box</a> in a
10670 channel strip (at the desired location, pre or post fader) and choose
10671 <kbd class="menu">Add new External Send</kbd>. A dialog will appear
10672 containing the standard Ardour
10673 <a href="/signal-routing/the-patchbay"><dfn>patchbay</dfn></a> to allow
10674 you to connect the send to the desired destination.
10677 <p class="fixme">Broken links</p>
10679 <h2>Removing an External Send</h2>
10681 <p>You can remove an external send in several ways:</p>
10684 <li><kbd class="mouse mod3">Right</kbd>-click the send in the processor box.</li>
10685 <li>Position the pointer over the send and press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key.</li>
10686 <li>Position the pointer over the send and press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.</li>
10687 <li>Context-click the send and choose either <kbd class="menu">Cut</kbd> or
10688 <kbd class="menu">Delete</kbd>.</li>
10691 <h2>Altering Send Levels</h2>
10694 Just below the send in the processor box is a small fader that can be used
10695 like all other faders in Ardour to control the gain applied to the signal
10696 delivered by the send. Drag it to alter the level, Shift-click to restore
10697 to unity (0dB) gain.
10700 <h2>Disabling Sends</h2>
10703 Click the small "LED" in the send display within the processor box to turn
10704 it on and off. When turned off, silence will be delivered to the send. When
10705 turned on, the signal within the channel strip will be delivered.
10708 <h2>Editing Send Routing</h2>
10711 Double-clicking or Edit-clicking on the send in the processor box will
10712 redisplay the patchbay dialog that allows you full control over the routing
10722 <dfn>Inserts</dfn> are signal tap points that can be placed anywhere
10723 inside a channel strip. Unlike Auxes, they will interrupt the signal flow,
10724 feeding the signal from before the insert point to its <dfn>Insert
10725 send(s)</dfn>, and connecting the remainder of the channel strip to the
10726 <dfn>Insert return(s)</dfn>, both of which are JACK ports which are
10727 visible to other JACK applications.
10731 Inserts are the JACK equivalents of normalized switching jacks on an
10736 An insert allows you to either use a special external DSP JACK
10737 application that is not available as a plugin, or to splice an external
10738 analog piece of gear into your channel strip, such as a vintage
10739 compressor, tube equalizer, etc. In the latter case, you would first
10740 connect your inserts to a pair of hardware ports, which are in turn
10741 connected to the outboard gear.
10745 To disable (bypass) an insert, click on its LED in the processor box.
10749 When you create an insert, the signal will be interrupted until you make
10750 the relevant connections to the insert ports!
10754 Inserts will incur an additional JACK period of latency, which can be
10755 measured and compensated for during mixing, but not during tracking!
10764 <dfn>Subgrouping</dfn> (sometimes known as "Grouping" or "Audio Grouping")
10765 is a way to collect related signals together to apply some common
10766 treatment, before sending them on to the main mix. One standard
10767 application is to group several tracks belonging to the same instrument or
10768 section (such as a drumkit or horn section), to be able to adjust their
10769 volume with a single fader, after their inner balance has been set using
10774 To create a subgroup from an existing Track/Bus group, context-click on
10775 the relevant <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups">group tab</a>,
10776 and choose <kbd class="menu">Add new subgroup bus</kbd>. A new bus will be
10777 created and every member of the track group will have its outputs disconnected
10778 from other destinations and then connected to the new bus inputs. The bus
10779 outputs will feed the master bus unless you have selected manual connections
10780 for the session. The bus will be named after the track group name.
10784 Alternatively, you can create a group manually, by first adding a new bus,
10785 then, for each track you want to feed the subgroup bus, disconnect its outputs
10786 from the master and connect it to the inputs of the subgroup bus instead.
10787 You can do this in the global audio patchbay or a track by track basis via the
10788 output button of each track's channel strip.
10792 To remove a subgroup (bus), context-click on the track group tab, and select
10793 <kbd class="menu">Remove subgroup bus</kbd>. You can also simply delete the
10794 bus itself. Note that this operation will <strong>not</strong> restore signal
10795 routing to the way it was before the addition of the subgroup bus—tracks
10796 that had been subgrouped will be left with their main outputs disconncted.
10805 The <dfn>patchbay</dfn> is the main way to make connections to, from and
10806 within Ardour's mixer.
10810 Notable exceptions are internal aux sends and connections to the monitor bus (if
10811 you are using one): these cannot be controlled from a patchbay, and are
10812 basically not under manual control at all.
10815 <img class="right" src="/images/connection-manager.png" alt="an example patchbay" />
10818 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.
10822 Both sources and destinations are divided up into groups, with each group being given a tab:
10825 <dl class="narrower-table">
10828 These are ports which are connected to a physical piece of hardware (a sound card or MIDI interface).</dd>
10829 <dt>Ardour Busses</dt>
10830 <dd>All ports belonging to busses.</dd>
10831 <dt>Ardour Tracks</dt>
10832 <dd>All ports belonging to tracks.</dd>
10833 <dt>Ardour Misc</dt>
10835 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.
10839 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>
10843 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.
10847 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).
10851 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.
10854 <h2>Variants on the Patchbay</h2>
10857 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>.
10861 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.
10864 <h2>Other patchbay features</h2>
10867 Context-clicking on a port name in the connection manager opens a menu which provides a few handy options:
10870 <dl class="wide-table">
10871 <dt><kbd class="menu">Add audio port</kbd> and <kbd class="menu">Add MIDI port</kbd></dt>
10873 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.
10875 <dt><kbd class="menu">Remove</dt>
10877 Removes the given port, if possible. <kbd class="mouse mod3">Right</kbd>-clicking a port will do the same.
10879 <dt><kbd class="menu">Disconnect all from…</kbd></dt>
10880 <dd>Disconnects everything from the given port.</dd>
10881 <dt><kbd class="menu">Rescan</kbd></dt>
10883 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.
10885 <dt><kbd class="menu">Show individual ports</kbd></dt>
10887 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.
10889 <dt><kbd class="menu">Flip</kbd></dt>
10891 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.
10896 title: Track/Bus Signal Flow
10903 In each individual Track or Bus the signal flow is top to bottom. Consider the following diagram:
10906 <p class="center"><img width="360px" src="/images/track_signal_routing.png" alt="track signal routing" /></p>
10909 Trim, Fader and Panner are provided by Ardour. The Processor-Box can hold 3rd Party Plugins or host-provided redirects (insert, aux-send,..).
10912 <p class="fixme">Where is the processor box in that image?</p>
10915 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.
10916 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.
10920 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.
10924 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.
10927 <h2>Strict I/O</h2>
10930 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.
10934 <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.
10935 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>
10936 <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).
10937 Required ports are automatically added, excess ports are removed. The user cannot manually add/remove output ports.</li>
10941 Strict I/O is set when creating the track and can later be en/disabled dynamically in the context menu of every mixer strip.
10944 <p class="center"><img src="/images/strict_io_routing.png" alt="strict i/o routing" /></p>
10947 There are two exceptions to the above rule 1.
10951 <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,
10952 which trickle down the processor chain to all follow up plugins as inputs and in turn force their outputs to match.</li>
10953 <li>Side chain inputs are not affected by strict I/O</li>
10956 <h2>Customizing the Signal Flow</h2>
10959 The signal flow though the mixer can be customized at every processor node via "Pin Configuration" in the context menu of every processor.
10960 User customization override all automatic (flexible/strict I/O mode) inferred output port settings for the given processor.
10961 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.
10965 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:
10968 <p class="center"><img src="/images/left_right_eq.png" alt="separate left/right Eq" /></p>
10971 title: Muting and Soloing
10976 Each track and bus has two buttons which have important implications
10977 for signal flow: <dfn>mute</dfn> and <dfn>solo</dfn>. The behaviour
10978 of these buttons is configurable in Ardour, to suit different studio
10982 <h2>Without a monitor bus</h2>
10985 If you are using Ardour without a monitor bus, there is only one way
10986 in which mute and solo will work:
10991 Mute on a track or bus will mute that track on the master bus,
10992 so that it will not be heard.
10995 Solo on a track or bus will solo that track or bus and mute all
10996 others. Soloing a bus will also solo any tracks or
10997 busses which feed that bus.
11001 <h2>With a monitor bus</h2>
11004 For setups with a monitor bus, you have more options, mostly
11005 governed by the setting of the
11006 <kbd class="option">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd> option
11007 in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Solo / mute.
11011 With <kbd class="optoff">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd>
11012 unticked, behaviour is almost exactly the same as the situation
11013 without a monitor bus. Mute and solo behave the same, and the monitor
11014 bus is fed from the master bus, so it sees the same thing.
11018 With <kbc class="option">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd>
11019 ticked, the master and monitor busses behave differently. In this
11020 mode, solo controls are more properly called <dfn>listen</dfn>
11021 controls, and Ardour's solo buttons will change their legend from
11022 <samp>S</samp> to either <samp>A</samp> or <samp>P</samp> to
11027 Now, without any mute or listen, the monitor bus remains fed by
11028 the master bus. Also:
11033 Mute will mute the track or bus, so that it will not be heard
11034 anywhere (neither on the master nor monitor busses), much as before.
11037 Listen will disconnect the monitor bus from the master bus, so
11038 that the monitor bus now only receives things that are "listened to".
11039 Listen will not perform any muting, and hence the master bus will
11040 not be affected by a listened track or bus.
11045 When solo controls are listen controls, the listening point can be set
11046 to either After-Fade Listen (AFL) or Pre-Fade Listen (PFL). The precise
11047 point to get the signal from can further be configured using the
11048 <kbd class="menu">PFL signals come from</kbd> and
11049 <kbd class="menu">AFL signals come from</kbd> options.
11053 The solo-mute arrangement with a monitor bus is shown below:
11056 <img src="/images/solo-mute.png" alt="mute/solo signal flow" />
11059 Here we have a number of tracks or busses (in orange). Each one has an
11060 output which feeds the master bus. In addition, each has PFL and AFL
11061 outputs; we have a choice of which to use. PFL/AFL from each track or
11062 bus are mixed. Then, whenever anything is set to AFL/PFL, the monitor out
11063 becomes just those AFL/PFL feeds; the rest of the time, the monitor out is
11064 fed from the master bus.
11068 In this scheme Solo has no effect other than to mute other non-soloed tracks;
11069 with solo (rather then listen), the monitor out is fed from the master bus.
11072 <h2>Other solo options</h2>
11075 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Solo / Mute</kbd> has some
11079 <h3>Solo-in-place mute cut</h3>
11082 When using solo-in-place (SiP), in other words when soloed tracks are being
11083 listened to on the master bus, this fader specifies the gain that will be
11084 applied to other tracks in order to mute them. Setting this level to
11085 -∞&nbdp;dB will mean that other tracks will not be heard at all; setting to
11086 some higher value less than 0dB means that other non-soloed tracks will be h
11087 eard, just reduced in volume compared to the soloed tracks. Using a value
11088 larger than -∞dB is sometimes called "Solo-In-Front" by other DAWs, because
11089 the listener has the sense that soloed material is "in front" of other
11090 material. In Ardour, this is not a distinct mode, but instead the mute cut
11091 control offers any level of "in-front-ness" that you might want to use.
11094 <h3>Exclusive solo</h3>
11097 If this is enabled, only one track or bus will ever be soloed at once; soloing
11098 track B while track A is currently soloed will un-solo track A before soloing
11102 <h3>Show solo muting</h3>
11105 If this is enabled, the mute button of tracks and busses will be drawn
11106 outlined to indicate that the track or bus is muted because something else
11107 is soloed. This is enabled by default, and we recommend that you leave it
11108 that way unless you are extremely comfortable with Ardour's mute/solo
11112 <h3>Soloing overrides muting</h3>
11115 If this is enabled, a track or bus that is both soloed and muted will behave
11116 as if it is soloed.
11119 <h3>Mute affects…</h3>
11122 These options dictate whether muting the track will affect various routes out
11123 of the track; through the sends, through the control outputs (to the monitor
11124 bus) and to the main outputs.
11133 <dfn>Panning</<dfn> is the process of distributing one or more signals
11134 across a series of outputs so that the listener will have the
11135 experience of them coming from a particular point or area of the
11136 overall listening field.
11140 It is used to create a sense of space and/or a sense of motion in an
11141 audio mix. You can spread out different signals across the space, and
11142 make them move over time.
11145 <h2>Types of Panners</h2>
11148 The way a panner works depends a great deal on how many signals it
11149 is going to process and how many outputs it will send them to. The
11150 simplest case is distributing a single signal to 2 outputs, which is
11151 the common case when using a "mono" track and a stereo speaker
11156 But panning in Ardour could theoretically involve distributing any
11157 number of signals to any number of ouputs. In reality, Ardour does
11158 not have specific panners for each different situation. Currently,
11159 it has dedicated panners for the following situations:
11163 <li>1 signal distributed to 2 outputs (the mono panner)</li>
11164 <li>2 signals distributed to 2 outputs (the stereo panner)</li>
11165 <li>N signals distributed to M outputs (the VBAP panner)</li>
11169 Even for each of these cases, there are many different ways to
11170 implement panning. Ardour currently offers just one solution to each
11171 of these situations, but in the future will offer more.
11175 In addition to the panners, Ardour has a balance control for subtle
11176 corrections to existing stereo images.
11185 The default <dfn>mono panner</dfn> distributes 1 input to 2 outputs. Its
11186 behaviour is controlled by a single parameter, the <dfn>position</dfn>. By
11187 default, the panner is centered.
11190 <h2>Mono Panner User Interface</h2>
11192 <img src="/images/mono-panner-annotated.png" alt="image of the mono panner"/>
11195 The mono panner looks a quite similar to the
11196 <a href="/mixing/panning/stereo_panner">stereo panner</a>
11197 interface. The difference is that the L/R labels in the lower half
11198 of the mono panner do not move because there is no "width" to
11202 <h2>Using the mouse</h2>
11204 <p>To change the position smoothly, press the right button and drag
11205 anywhere within the panner. <em>Note: you do not need
11206 to grab the position indicator in order to drag</em>
11211 <dt>Reset to defaults</dt>
11212 <dd>Click <kbd class="mod3 mouse">right</kbd></dd>
11214 <dt>Change to a "hard left"</dt>
11215 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the left side
11218 <dt>Change to a "hard right"</dt>
11219 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the right side
11222 <dt>Set the position to center</dt>
11223 <dd>Double Click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the middle of the panner</dd>
11226 <h2>Keyboard bindings</h2>
11229 When the pointer is within a mono panner user interface, the following keybindings are available to operate on that panner:
11233 <dt><kbd>←</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">←</kbd></dt>
11234 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
11235 <dt><kbd>→</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">→</kbd></dt>
11236 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the right</dd>
11237 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
11238 <dd>reset position to center</dd>
11241 <h2>Using the scroll wheel/touch scroll</h2>
11244 When the pointer is within a mono panner user interface, the scroll wheel may be used as follows:
11248 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> or <kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
11249 <dd>move position to the left by 1°</dd>
11250 <dt><kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇑</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
11251 <dd>move position to the left by 5°</dd>
11252 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> or <kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
11253 <dd>move position to the right by 1°</dd>
11254 <dt><kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇓</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
11255 <dd>move position to the right by 5°</dd>
11259 title: Balance Control
11264 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.
11267 <img class="left" src="/images/stereo-balance.png" alt="Stereo Balance
11271 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.
11275 While the balance control is considerably less flexible than the stereo panner, it works with arbitrary content without danger of introducing comb filter artifacts.
11279 title: Stereo Panner
11284 The default <dfn>stereo panner</dfn> distributes two inputs to two outputs. Its
11285 behaviour is controlled by two parameters, <dfn>width</dfn> and
11286 <dfn>position</dfn>. By default, the panner is centered at full width.
11290 The stereo panner assumes that the signals
11291 you wish to distribute are either uncorrelated (i.e. totally
11292 independent), or that they contain a stereo image which is
11293 <dfn>mono-compatible</dfn>, such as a co-incident microphone recording, or a
11294 sound stage that has been created with pan pots.<sup><a href="#caveat">*</a></sup>
11298 With the default values it is not possible to alter the position,
11299 since the width is already spread entirely across both outputs. To
11300 alter the position, you must first reduce the width.
11303 <h2>Stereo Panner User Interface</h2>
11305 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-annotated.png" alt=""/>
11308 The <dfn>panner user interface</dfn> consists of three elements, divided between
11309 the top and bottom half. Click and/or drag in the top half to
11310 control position; click and/or drag in the bottom half to control
11311 width (see below for details).
11315 In the top half is the position indicator, which shows where the
11316 center of the stereo image is relative to the left and right
11317 edges. When this is the middle of the panner, the stereo image is
11318 centered between the left and right outputs. When it all the way to
11319 the left, the stereo image collapses to just the left speaker.
11323 In the bottom half are two signal indicators, one marked "L" and the
11324 other "R". The distance between these two shows the width of the
11325 stereo image. If the width is reduced to zero, there will only be a
11326 single signal indicator marked "M" (for mono), whose color will
11327 change to indicate the special state.
11331 It is possible to invert the outputs (see below) so that whatever
11332 would have gone to the right channel goes to the left and vice
11333 versa. When this happens, the entire movable part of the panner
11334 changes color to indicate clearly that this is the case.
11337 <h3>Position vs. L/R</h3>
11340 Although the implementation of the panner uses the "position"
11341 parameter, when the user interface displays it numerically, it shows
11342 a pair of numbers that will be familiar to most audio engineers.
11346 <tr><th>Position</th><th>L/R</th><th>English</th></tr>
11347 <tr><td>0</td><td>L=50% R=50%</td><td>signal image is midway between
11348 left and right speakers</td></tr>
11350 <tr><td>-1</td><td>L=100% R=0%</td><td>signal image is entirely
11351 at the left speaker</td></tr>
11353 <tr><td>1</td><td>L=0% R=100%</td><td>signal image is entirely
11354 at the right speaker</td></tr>
11358 One way to remember this sort of convention is that the middle of the
11359 USA is not Kansas, but "Los Angeles: 50% New York: 50%".
11362 <h3>Examples In Use</h3>
11365 <tr><th>Appearance</th><th>Settings</th></tr>
11366 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner.png"></td><td>Width=100%,
11367 L=50 R=50</td></tr>
11368 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-zero.png"></td><td>Width=0%,
11369 L=50 R=50</td></tr>
11370 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-inverted.png"></td><td>Width=-100%, Position = 0 (center)</td></tr>
11371 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-right.png"></td><td>Width=36%,
11372 L=44 R=56</td></tr>
11373 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-hard-right.png"></td><td>Width=0%,
11374 L=0 R=100</td></tr>
11377 <h4>Using the mouse</h4>
11380 Mouse operations in the upper half of the panner adjust the position
11381 parameter, constrained by the current width setting.
11384 Mouse operations in the lower half of the panner adjust the width
11385 parameter, constrained by the current position setting.
11388 To change the position smoothly, press the right button and drag
11389 within the top half of the panner, then release. The position will
11390 be limited by the current width setting. <em>Note: you do not need
11391 to grab the position indicator in order to drag.</em>
11394 To change the width smoothly, press the right button and drag
11395 within the lower half of the panner, then release. The width will be
11396 limited by the current position setting. <em>Note: you do not need to
11397 grab the L/R indicators in order to drag.</em>
11402 <dt>Reset to defaults</dt>
11403 <dd>Click <kbd class="mod3 mouse">right</kbd></dd>
11405 <dt>Change to hard left</dt>
11406 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mod2 mouse">right</kbd> in the upper left half
11409 <dt>Change to a hard right</dt>
11410 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mod2 mouse">right</kbd> in the upper right half
11413 <dt>Move position as far left as possible, given width</dt>
11414 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper left half of the
11417 <dt>Move position as far right as possible, given width</dt>
11418 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper right half of the
11421 <dt>Set the position to center</dt>
11422 <dd>Click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper middle of the panner</dd>
11424 <dt>Reset to maximum possible width</dt>
11425 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> on the lower left side</dd>
11427 <dt>Invert (flip channel assignments)</dt>
11428 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> on the lower right side</dd>
11430 <dt>Set width to 0°</dt>
11431 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the lower middle</dd>
11434 <h4>Keyboard bindings</h4>
11437 When the pointer is within a stereo panner user interface, the following
11438 keybindings are available to operate on that panner:
11442 <dt><kbd>↑</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dt>
11443 <dd>increase width by 1° / 5°</dd>
11444 <dt><kbd>↓</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dt>
11445 <dd>decrease width by 1° / 5°</dd>
11446 <dt><kbd>←</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">←</kbd></dt>
11447 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
11448 <dt><kbd>→</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">→</kbd></dt>
11449 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the right</dd>
11450 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
11451 <dd>reset position to center</dd>
11452 <dt><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dt>
11453 <dd>reset width to full (100%)</dd>
11456 <h4>Using the scroll wheel/touch scroll</h4>
11459 When the pointer is within a stereo panner user interface, the scroll
11460 wheel may be used as follows:
11464 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
11465 <dd>increase width by 1° / 5°</dd>
11466 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
11467 <dd>decrease width by 1° / 5°</dd>
11468 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇑</kbd></dt>
11469 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
11470 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇓</kbd></dt>
11471 <dd>move position 1° / 5°to the right</dd>
11474 <h2><a name="caveat"></a>Stereo panning caveats</h2>
11476 <p class="warning">
11477 The stereo panner will introduce unwanted side effects on
11478 material that includes a time difference between the channels, such
11479 as A/B, ORTF or NOS microphone recordings, or delay-panned mixes.<br />
11480 When you reduce the width, you are effectively summing two highly
11481 correlated signals with a delay, which will cause <dfn>comb filtering</dfn>.
11485 Let's take a closer look at what happens when you record a source at 45° to the
11486 right side with an ORTF stereo microphone array and then manipulate the width.
11490 For testing, we apply a <dfn>pink noise</dfn> signal to both inputs of an Ardour stereo
11491 bus with the stereo panner, and feed the bus output to a two-channel analyser.
11492 Since pink noise contains equal energy per octave, the expected readout is a
11493 straight line, which would indicate that our signal chain does not color the
11497 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-with-ORTF-fullwidth.png" />
11500 To simulate an ORTF, we use Robin Gareus' stereo balance
11501 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
11506 Recall that an <dfn>ORTF</dfn> microphone pair consists of two cardioids
11507 spaced 17 cm apart, with an opening angle of 110°. For a far source at
11508 45° to the right, the time difference between the capsules is 350 μs
11509 or approximately 15 samples at 44.1 kHz. The level difference due to the
11510 directivity of the microphones is about 7.5 dB (indicated by the
11511 distance between the blue and red lines in the analyser).
11515 Now for the interesting part: if we reduce the width of the signal to 50%,
11516 the time-delayed signals will be combined in the panner. Observe what
11517 happens to the frequency response of the left and right outputs:
11520 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-with-ORTF-halfwidth.png" />
11523 You may argue that all spaced microphone recordings will undergo comb
11524 filtering later, when the two channels recombine in the air between the speakers.
11525 Perceptually however, there is a huge of difference: our hearing system is
11526 very good at eliminating comb filters in the real world, where their component
11527 signals are spatially separated. But once you combine them
11528 inside your signal chain, this spatial separation is lost and the brain will
11529 no longer be able to sort out the timbral mess. As usual, you
11530 get to keep the pieces.
11534 Depending on your material and on how much you need to manipulate the width,
11535 some degree of comb filtering may be acceptable. Then again, it may not. Listen
11536 carefully for artefacts if you manipulate unknown stereo signals—many
11537 orchestra sample libraries for example do contain time-delay components.
11542 title: Plugin and Hardware Inserts
11548 title: Working With Plugins
11553 <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".
11557 Ardour supports a variety of different plugin standards:
11560 <dl class="narrower-table">
11561 <dt><abbr title="Linux Audio Developers' Simple Plugin API">LADSPA</abbr></dt>
11562 <dd>An early, simple, lightweight plugin <abbr title="Application
11563 Programming Interface">API</abbr>, audio effects only,
11564 plugins have no editors/GUI of their own (Ardour provides one, however).</dd>
11565 <dt><abbr title="LADSPA Version 2">LV2</abbr></dt>
11566 <dd>An extensible, full-featured plugin API, audio and <abbr
11567 title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr>, plugins can provide their
11568 own <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr>s; the successor to LADSPA</dd>
11569 <dt><abbr title="Audio Unit">AU</abbr></dt>
11570 <dd>OS X only, full featured, audio and MIDI, plugins can provide their own GUI</dd>
11572 <dt><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr></dt>
11573 <dd>Plugins using Steinberg's VST plugin standard. Varies by platform:
11575 <dt>on Linux</dt><dd>(native) Linux VST plugins fully supported (VST2.4)</dd>
11576 <dt>on Windows</dt><dd>(native) Windows VST plugins fully supported (VST2.4)</dd>
11577 <dt>on OS X</dt><dd>Not supported, unless you use a VST-to-AU
11578 bridge plugin. Similar to Apple's Logic DAW.</dd>
11582 <dt>Windows VST Plugins on Linux</dt>
11583 <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.
11588 title: Processor Box
11592 <p><img class="right" src="/images/processor-box.png" alt="the Processor Box" /></p>
11595 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>.
11599 The arrangement of processors is arbitrary, and there is no limit to how
11600 many there can be. The Processor Box will automagically add a scrollbar to
11601 itself if there are more processors in it than can be shown in the given space.
11605 The main box in the top half of a mixer strip shows the <dfn>processor
11606 box</dfn>. Processors are shown as colored rectangles, with a small "LED" beside
11607 them that lights up when the processor is enabled. The color of the
11608 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).
11612 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.
11615 <h2>Adding Processors</h2>
11617 Processors can be added to the chain by <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking in the processor list, This does three things:
11621 <li>A gap is opened up to indicate the location of the click. The gap shows where any new processors will be inserted.</li>
11622 <li>The processor under the click is selected.</li>
11623 <li>An options menu is presented.</li>
11627 From the menu, new processors can be inserted.
11631 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.
11635 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.
11638 <h2>To Reorder (Move) Processors</h2>
11640 Processors can be re-ordered using drag & drop. Dragging a processor
11641 allows it to be moved around within the chain, or copied to another
11642 processor list on another track or bus.
11645 <h2>To Enable/Disable a Processor</h2>
11647 <p><img class="right" src="/images/processor.png" alt="a typical processor" /></p>
11650 To the left of the name of each processor is a small LED symbol; if this
11651 is lit-up, the processor is active. Clicking on it will deactivate the
11652 processor and effectively bypass it.
11656 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.
11659 <h2>Selecting Processors</h2>
11661 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
11664 <h2>Removing Processors</h2>
11666 Context-click on the processor to be removed, and select <kbd
11667 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.
11671 title: Plugin Manager
11675 <p class="fixme">This needs updating; it was written for v3 or v4, and it's out of date</p>
11678 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.
11681 <p class="center"><img src="/images/plugin-manager.png" alt="Plugin Manager window"/></p>
11684 Displayed for each plugin is the status (normal, favorite, hidden),
11685 name, type, category, creator (author), and the number of audio and MIDI
11686 connections. The plugins can be sorted by clicking on a column header.
11689 <h2>Plugin Display Status</h2>
11692 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>.
11695 <h2>Filtering Listed Plugins</h2>
11698 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.
11701 <h2>Inserting Plugins in the Processor Box</h2>
11704 The bottom half of the plugin manager shows plugins that have been selected
11705 for insertion into the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn>. A plugin can be added by
11706 either double clicking the plugin entry in the top half, or, if already
11707 selected in top half, by clicking <kbd class="button">Add</kbd>.
11711 Plugins can be removed from the bottom half with a double click, or, if
11712 already selected, by clicking <kbd class="button">Remove</kbd>.
11717 title: Managing Plugin Presets
11721 <p class="fixme">Add images</p>
11724 All plugin control widgets, whether they are created by Ardour or
11725 by the plugin, have a common set of controls at the top of the window.
11726 These include 4 controls for managing <dfn>plugin presets</dfn>.
11729 <h2>What Is a Plugin Preset?</h2>
11732 A <dfn>preset</dfn> for a plugin is simply a saved set of values for
11733 all of a plugin's parameters. If you load a preset, you are restoring
11734 all the parameters of that plugin to the values stored in the preset.
11735 This is an easy, fast way to manage your preferred settings for
11736 particular plugins.
11739 <h2>The Preset Selector</h2>
11742 The <dfn>preset selector</dfn> is a regular selector that can be
11743 clicked to display a list of all known presets for this plugin. This
11744 will include presets that you have created yourself, and for some
11745 plugin formats, presets that come with the plugin itself.
11748 <h2>Load a New Preset</h2>
11751 Click on the preset selector to pop up a menu showing the names of
11752 all available presets. Click on the name of the preset you wish to load.
11753 The preset will be loaded—you may see various controls in the
11754 plugin editor change to reflect the new value of some or all parameters.
11757 <h2>Create a Preset</h2>
11760 To save the current plugin settings as a new preset, click on the
11761 <kbd class="menu">Add</kbd> button at the top of the window. A dialog
11762 will appear to ask for the name of the preset.
11765 <h2>Save a Preset</h2>
11768 If you wish to modify the settings in an existing preset, first use
11769 the preset selector to load the preset, then adjust the settings as
11770 you wish. When done, click the <kbd class="menu">Save</kbd> button
11771 and the new values will be stored, overwriting the previous version
11775 <h2>Delete a preset</h2>
11778 To delete an existing preset, use the preset selector to load the preset.
11779 Click the <kbd class="menu">Delete</kbd> button, and the preset will be
11780 removed. The preset selector turn blank, showing that no preset is
11781 currently loaded (although the settings will stay as they were).
11785 title: Working with Ardour-built Plugin Editors
11789 <p class="fixme">This section needs expansion, and at least one image</p>
11792 To view a plugin editor, double-click on the plugin within the
11793 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box">processor box</a>.
11794 A new window will appear showing the editor/GUI for the plugin.
11798 If a plugin does not have its own GUI, Ardour will construct a
11799 <dfn>generic plugin editor</dfn> from a small set of common control
11800 elements. Ardour will do this even for plugins that have their
11801 own, if <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences >
11802 GUI > Use Plugins' own interface instead of Ardour's</kbd> is disabled.
11806 The generic UI can be temporarily switched to by context-clicking on
11807 a processor and selecting <kbd
11808 class="menu">Edit with generic controls</kbd>. This will be necessary to
11809 access the <a href="/automation">plugin automation controls</a>.
11813 In the generic UI, any controller can be reset to its default by
11814 <kbd class="mod3 mouse">Left</kbd>-clicking on it.
11818 title: Plugins Bundled With Ardour
11823 Ardour now comes with the following plugins as part of a standard installation:
11826 <dl class="narrower-table">
11827 <dt>a-Amplifier</dt>
11828 <dd>A versatile ±20dB multichannel amplifier</dd>
11829 <dt>a-Compressor</dt>
11830 <dd>A side-chain enabled compressor with the usual controls. Comes in stereo and mono versions</dd>
11832 <dd>A basic single-tap delay line, with tempo sync</dd>
11834 <dd>A nice sounding 4-band parametric EQ with shelves</dd>
11835 <dt>a-Fluid Synth</dt>
11836 <dd>Wraps the Fluidsynth SoundFont2 synthesis engine as a new sample player</dd>
11837 <dt>a-High/Low Pass Filter</dt>
11838 <dd>Independent high and low pass filters with steepness up to 48dB/octave</dd>
11839 <dt>a-Inline Scope</dt>
11840 <dd>A mixer strip inline waveform display</dd>
11841 <dt>a-Inline Spectrogram</dt>
11842 <dd>A mixer strip inline specturm display</dd>
11843 <dt>a-MIDI Monitor</dt>
11844 <dd>A mixer strip inline display to show recent <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> events</dd>
11846 <dd>A reverb that finds a balance between sounding good, using a lot of CPU and having too many controls</dd>
11850 title: Getting More Plugins
11855 The following list shows <dfn>plugin packages</dfn>. In some cases, a package contains just one or two plugins; in other cases, dozens.
11858 <h2>Plugins by Standard</h2>
11860 <h3 id="LADSPA">LADSPA</h3>
11863 <li>AMB <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
11864 <li>Blepvco <a href="http://smbolton.com/linux.html">http://smbolton.com/linux.html</a></li>
11865 <li>Blop <a href="http://blop.sourceforge.net">http://blop.sourceforge.net</a></li>
11866 <li>CAPS <a href="http://quitte.de/dsp/caps.html">http://quitte.de/dsp/caps.html</a></li>
11867 <li>CMT <a href="http://www.ladspa.org/cmt/">http://www.ladspa.org/cmt/</a></li>
11868 <li>FIL <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
11869 <li>FOO <a href="http://code.google.com/p/foo-plugins/">http://code.google.com/p/foo-plugins/</a></li>
11870 <li>MCP <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
11871 <li>NJL <a href="https://github.com/tialaramex/njl-plugins">https://github.com/tialaramex/njl-plugins</a></li>
11872 <li>Omins <a href="http://www.nongnu.org/om-synth/omins.html">http://www.nongnu.org/om-synth/omins.html</a></li>
11873 <li>REV <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
11874 <li>SWH <a href="http://plugin.org.uk/">http://plugin.org.uk/</a></li>
11875 <li>TAP <a href="http://tap-plugins.sourceforge.net/">http://tap-plugins.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
11876 <li>VCF <a href="http://users.suse.com/~mana/ladspa.html">http://users.suse.com/~mana/ladspa.html</a></li>
11877 <li>VCO <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
11878 <li>VLevel <a href="http://vlevel.sourceforge.net/about/">http://vlevel.sourceforge.net/about/</a></li>
11879 <li>Vocoder <a href="http://www.sirlab.de/linux/download_vocoder.html">http://www.sirlab.de/linux/download_vocoder.html</a></li>
11880 <li>WASP <a href="http://linux01.gwdg.de/~nlissne/wasp/index.html">http://linux01.gwdg.de/~nlissne/wasp/index.html</a> (mar wanted!)</li>
11881 <li>Nova <a href="http://klingt.org/~tim/nova-filters/">http://klingt.org/~tim/nova-filters/</a></li>
11882 <li>Calf <a href="http://calf.sourceforge.net/">http://calf.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
11883 <li>Socal’s LEET Plugins <a href="http://code.google.com/p/leetplugins/">http://code.google.com/p/leetplugins/</a></li>
11884 <!--<li>Holap synthesizer and DSP effects <a href="http://holap.berlios.de/">http://holap.berlios.de/</a></li>-->
11887 <h3 id="LV2">LV2</h3>
11890 <li>SWH <a href="http://plugin.org.uk/lv2/">http://plugin.org.uk/lv2/</a></li>
11891 <li>ll-plugins <a href="http://ll-plugins.nongnu.org/">http://ll-plugins.nongnu.org/</a></li>
11892 <li>zynadd <a href="http://home.gna.org/zyn/">http://home.gna.org/zyn/</a></li>
11893 <li>Calf <a href="http://calf.sourceforge.net/">http://calf.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
11894 <li>LinuxDSP <a href="http://www.overtonedsp.co.uk/download/linuxdsp-archive/">http://www.overtonedsp.co.uk/download/linuxdsp-archive/</a></li>
11895 <li>Invada Studio <a href="https://launchpad.net/invada-studio/">https://launchpad.net/invada-studio/</a></li>
11898 <h3 id="LinuxVST">Linux VST (LXVST)</h3>
11901 <li>Loomer <a href="http://www.loomer.co.uk/">http://www.loomer.co.uk/</a></li>
11902 <li>Distrho <a href="http://distrho.sourceforge.net/ports.php">http://distrho.sourceforge.net/ports.php</a></li>
11903 <li>Argotlunar <a href="http://argotlunar.info/">http://argotlunar.info/</a></li>
11906 <h2>How do I install plugins?</h2>
11911 <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.
11915 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.
11919 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).
11923 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.
11927 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.
11931 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.
11937 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.
11941 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.
11945 title: Using Windows VST Plugins on Linux
11950 Thanks to the combined work of Torben Hohn, Kjetil Mattheusen, Paul
11951 Davis and a few other developers, it is possible to use Windows
11952 <dfn><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr>
11953 plugins</dfn> (that is, plugins in VST format built and distributed
11954 for the Windows platforms) on Ardour running on Linux. (Note: there
11955 is no VST support of any kind on OS X).
11958 <p>However, doing so has three <em>substantial</em> downsides:</p>
11961 <li>It requires a special build of Ardour that is fundamentally
11962 very different from normal builds</li>
11963 <li>Support depends on <a href="http://winehq.org/">Wine</a>,
11964 a Windows "emulator"</li>
11965 <li>As usual with plugins, a crashing plugin will take Ardour down
11966 with it—and crashes in Windows VST plugins are more likely when
11967 used in this way</li>
11971 The dependence on Wine makes it almost impossible for the Ardour
11972 project to support this feature. Wine's functionality generally
11973 improves over time, but any given release of Wine may behave worse
11974 with some or all Windows VST plugins. It may even just crash Ardour
11979 Step back and think about what "using Windows VSTs" really means:
11980 taking bits of software written with only one idea in mind—running
11981 on the Windows platform—and then trying to use them on an entirely
11982 different platform. It is a bit of a miracle (largely thanks to the
11983 incredible work done by the Wine project) that it works at all. But is
11984 this the basis of a stable, reliable DAW for a non-Windows platform?
11985 Getting Ardour on Linux to pretend that its really a Windows
11986 application running on Windows?
11990 We understand that there are many outstanding plugins available as
11991 Windows VSTs and that in many cases, no equivalent is available for
11992 Ardour's Linux-based users. If your workflow is so dependent on those
11993 plugins, then remain on Windows (or potentially consider using an
11994 actual Windows VST host running inside of Wine). If you can make the
11995 effort, you will get a better environment by using a normal build of
11996 Ardour and exploring the world of plugins built to run on Linux
11997 natively. This covers LADSPA, LV2 and Linux VST formats, and even some
11998 outstanding proprietary plugins such as those
11999 from <a href="http://www.loomer.co.uk/">Loomer</a>.
12002 <h2>A Plea To Plugin Manufacturers</h2>
12005 Please consider porting your plugins so that users can enjoy them on
12006 Linux too. Several other commercial plugin developers have already
12007 done this. You can choose between using "Linux VST" (which is what
12008 Loomer and others have done)—you will find toolkits like JUCE that
12009 help to make this fairly easy—or using LV2 format which is
12010 ultimately more flexible but probably more work. We have users—thousands of users—on Linux who would like to use your plugins.
12019 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
12029 title: Export Dialog
12034 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.
12038 You can also export the outputs of multiple tracks & busses all at once via
12039 <kbd class="menu">Session > Export > Stem Export...</kbd>.
12042 <h2>File Format</h2>
12044 <img src="/images/export-dialog-file-format.png" />
12047 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:
12049 <li>CD (Red Book)</li>
12051 <li>FLAC 24 bit </li>
12052 <li>FLAC 24 bit (tagged)</li>
12053 <li>Ogg_Vorbis</li>
12054 <li>Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
12057 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.
12061 You can also create a 'Preset' consisting of one or more formats. Ardour provides some ready-made presets, too:
12063 <li>CD + DVD-A</li>
12065 <li>CD + FLAC (tagged)</li>
12066 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC (tagged)</li>
12067 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis</li>
12068 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
12070 <li>DVD-A only</li>
12072 <li>FLAC (tagged)</li>
12073 <li>Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC</li>
12074 <li>Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC (tagged)</li>
12075 <li>Ogg_Vorbis </li>
12076 <li>Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
12080 <h3>Soundcloud upload</h3>
12083 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.
12086 <img src="/images/soundcloud-upload.png" />
12090 <dt>Make files public</dt><dd>Choose whether to make uploaded files available to anyone via the Soundcloud web site.</dd>
12091 <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>
12092 <dt>Make files downloadable</dt><dd>Choose whether to allow downloading of files uploaded to Soundcloud.</dd>
12098 <img src="/images/export-dialog-timespan.png" />
12101 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.
12107 <img src="/images/export-dialog-channels.png" />
12110 Here you can choose which outputs (tracks or busses) should be sent to the exported file.
12113 <h2>Stem Export</h2>
12115 <img src="/images/export-dialog-stem-export.png" />
12118 If you chose 'Stem Export', the 'Channels' tab appears slightly differently:
12119 in this case each chosen channel (track or bus) is exported to its own file,
12120 instead of all channels being mixed together into a single file. You can
12121 choose to export either the region contents or the track output here in this
12126 title: Export Format Profiles
12130 <h2>Export Format Profiles</h2>
12133 An Export Format Profile specifies the file format in which Ardour will export
12134 audio files, and also other audio file export options.
12138 Export Format Profiles are edited via the 'Edit Export Format Profile' dialog.
12141 <img src="/images/edit-export-format-profile.png" />
12146 If enabled, peak levels of exported files will be normalized to the level chosen here.
12149 <h3>Trim/Add silence at start/end</h3>
12154 <h3>Compatibility/Quality/File format/Sample rate</h3>
12156 <h4>Compatibility</h4>
12159 Selecting an item in the 'Compatibility' column will display options in the
12160 other columns that are incompatible with that item in red.
12166 The appropriate item in the 'Quality' column will be highlighted when you
12167 choose a file format. Clicking on items in the 'Quality' column currently
12168 doesn't seem to do anything useful.
12171 <h4>File format</h4>
12174 This column contains a list of Ardour's supported export file types. Click on
12175 the format you want to use.
12178 <h4>Sample rate</h4>
12181 You can explicitly choose the sample rate of your exported files here, or
12182 choose 'Session rate' to export in the current session's sample rate, without
12183 sample rate conversion.
12186 <h4>Sample rate conversion quality</h4>
12189 If your chosen sample rate does not match the current session's sample rate,
12190 choose the sample rate conversion quality here. Better quality options are
12197 Options relevant to the chosen file format will appear here.
12198 Categories of audio file format are:
12200 <li>Linear encoding</li>
12201 <li>Broadcast Wave</li>
12202 <li>Ogg Vorbis</li>
12208 Available options include a selection of the following:
12211 <h4>Sample Format</h4>
12214 Choose the bit depth of exported files.
12220 If the exported files bit depth is less than Ardour's native bit depth,
12221 choose the dithering algorithm to use.
12224 <h4>Create CUE file/Create TOC file</h4>
12227 As well as exporting an audio file, create a file (in CUE or TOC format
12228 respectively) containg CD track information, as defined in the
12229 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks List</a>.
12232 <h4>Tag with session's metadata</h4>
12235 If the exported file format supports metadata, use data entered in the
12236 <a href="/working-with-sessions/metadata/">Session Metadata</a>
12237 window to tag the exported files.
12243 The 'Label' field lets you choose the name which will be shown for this format
12244 in the drop-down list of export formats in the 'File Formats' tab of the
12245 <a href="/exporting/export-dialog/">Export dialog</a>.
12248 <h3>Command to run post-export</h3>
12251 If this is not blank, it is considered as a command to be run after the export
12252 of each file. Either the command must exist in $PATH, or you can specify an
12253 absolute path to an executable file here.
12257 Certain sequences are allowed here to stand for the exported file name and the
12258 like. Currently these are:
12260 <dt><code>%f</code></dt>
12261 <dd>Full path & filename of the exported audio file</dd>
12262 <dt><code>%d</code></dt>
12263 <dd>Directory containing the exported audio file (including trailing directory separator)</dd>
12264 <dt><code>%b</code></dt>
12265 <dd>Basename of the exported audio file (without extension)</dd>
12266 <dt><code>%s</code></dt>
12267 <dd>Path to the current session file</dd>
12268 <dt><code>%n</code></dt>
12269 <dd>Name of the current session file</dd>
12270 <dt><code>%%</code></dt>
12271 <dd>A literal percent sign</dd>
12276 Any part of the command-line enclosed in double-quotes (") will be used as-is.
12290 title: Ardour Setup for Surround
12294 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
12298 title: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing
12302 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
12306 title: Surround Panning and Mixing
12316 <p class="warning">
12317 Ardour's VBAP panner is currently in development, and its semantics may
12318 change in the near future, possibly affecting your mixes. Please do not
12319 rely on it for important production work while the dust settles.
12323 <dfn><abbr title="Vector-base Amplitude Panning">VBAP</abbr></dfn>
12324 is a versatile and straightforward method to pan a source around over an
12325 arbitrary number of speakers on a horizontal polygon or a 3D surface,
12326 even if the speaker layout is highly irregular.
12329 <h2>Basic concepts</h2>
12332 VBAP was developed by Ville Pulkki at Aalto University, Helsinki, in 2001.
12333 It works by distributing the signal to the speakers nearest to the desired
12334 direction with appropriate weightings, aiming to create a maximally sharp
12335 phantom source by using as few speakers as possible:
12339 <li>one speaker, if the desired direction coincides with a speaker
12341 <li>two speakers, if the desired direction is on the line between two
12343 <li>and three speakers in the general 3D case.</li>
12347 Thus, if you move the panner onto a speaker, you can be sure that only
12348 this speaker will get any signal. This is handy when you need precise
12353 The drawback of VBAP is that a moving source will constantly change its
12354 apparent sharpness, as it transitions between the three states mentioned
12359 A <dfn>horizontal</dfn> VBAP panner has one parameter, the <dfn>azimuth
12360 angle</dfn>. A <dfn>full-sphere</dfn> panner offers an additional
12361 <dfn>elevation angle</dfn> control.
12365 More elaborate implementations of VBAP also include a
12366 <dfn>spread</dfn> parameter, which will distribute the signal over a
12367 greater number of speakers in order to maintain constant (but no longer
12368 maximal) sharpness, regardless of position. Ardour's VBAP panner does not
12369 currently include this feature.
12372 <h2>Speaker layout</h2>
12375 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.
12378 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-5.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
12379 panner with 5 outputs"/>
12382 Ardour currently uses a simplified approach: if a track or bus has more
12383 than two output channels (which implies stereo), it assumes that you
12384 have N speakers distributed in a regular N-gon. That means that for
12385 irregular layouts such as 5.1 or 7.1, the direction you dial in will
12386 differ a bit from the actual auditory result, but you can still achieve
12387 any desired spatialisation.
12390 <h3>Experimental 3D VBAP</h3>
12392 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-10.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
12393 panner with 10 outputs, in experimental 3D mode"/>
12396 For tracks with 10 outputs, Ardour will currently assume a 3-dimensional
12397 speaker layout corresponding to Auro-3D 10.1, which is a horizontal 5.1
12398 system, four elevated speakers above L, R, Ls, and Rs, and an additional
12399 "voice-of-god" speaker at the zenith.
12402 <h2>N:M panning</h2>
12404 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-4in5.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
12405 panner in 4 in, 5 out mode"/>
12408 For tracks and busses with more than one input, Ardour will (for now) assume that
12409 you wish to distribute the inputs symmetrically along the latitude around
12410 the panner direction. The width parameter controls the opening angle of
12411 the distribution sector.
12419 title: Sync & Video
12425 title: Working with Synchronization
12431 title: On Clock and Time
12436 <dfn>Synchronization</dfn> in multimedia involves two concepts which are
12437 often confused: <dfn>clock</dfn> (or speed) and <dfn>time</dfn> (location
12442 A <dfn>clock</dfn> determines the speet at which one or more systems
12443 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.
12447 Time or <dfn>timecode</dfn> specifies an absolute position on a timeline,
12448 such as <code>01:02:03:04</code> (expressed as Hours:Mins:Secs:Frames). It is
12449 actual <em>data</em> and not a clock <em>signal</em> per se.
12450 The granularity of timecode is <dfn>Video Frames</dfn> and is an order of
12451 magnitude lower than, say, Word Clock which is counted in
12452 <dfn>samples</dfn>. A typical frame rate is 25 <abbr title="frames
12453 per second">fps</abbr> with a period of
12455 In the case of 48 kHz and 25 fps, there are 1,920 audio samples
12460 The concepts of clock and timecode are reflected in JACK and Ardour:
12464 JACK provides clock synchronization and is not concerned with time code
12465 (this is not entirely true, more on jack-transport later).
12466 On the software side, jackd provides sample-accurate synchronization
12467 between all JACK applications.
12468 On the hardware side, JACK uses the clock of the audio-interface.
12469 Synchronization of multiple interfaces requires hardware support to sync
12471 If two interfaces run at different clocks the only way to align the
12472 signals is via re-sampling (SRC—Sample Rate Conversion), which is
12473 expensive in terms of CPU usage and may decreases fidelity if done
12478 Timecode is used to align systems already synchronized by a clock to
12479 a common point in time, this is application specific and various
12480 standards and methods exist to do this.
12484 To make things confusing, there are possibilities to synchronize clocks
12485 using timecode. e.g. using mechanism called <dfn>jam-sync</dfn> and a
12486 <dfn>phase-locked loop</dfn>.
12490 An interesting point to note is that LTC (Linear Time Code) is a
12491 Manchester encoded, frequency modulated signal that carries both
12492 clock and time. It is possible to extract absolute position data
12497 title: Latency and Latency-Compensation
12498 menu_title: Latency
12504 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latency_%28audio%29"><dfn>Latency</dfn></a>
12505 is a system's reaction time to a given stimulus. There are many factors that
12506 contribute to the total latency of a system. In order to achieve exact time
12507 synchronization all sources of latency need to be taken into account and
12511 <h2>Sources of Latency</h2>
12513 <h3>Sound propagation through the air</h3>
12516 Since sound is a mechanical perturbation in a fluid, it travels at
12517 comparatively slow <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound">speed</a>
12518 of about 340 m/s. As a consequence, your acoustic guitar or piano has a
12519 latency of about 1–2 ms, due to the propagation time of the sound
12520 between your instrument and your ear.
12523 <h3>Digital-to-Analog and Analog-to-Digital conversion</h3>
12526 Electric signals travel quite fast (on the order of the speed of light),
12527 so their propagation time is negligible in this context. But the conversions
12528 between the analog and digital domain take a comparatively long time to perform,
12529 so their contribution to the total latency may be considerable on
12530 otherwise very low-latency systems. Conversion delay is usually below 1 ms.
12533 <h3>Digital Signal Processing</h3>
12536 Digital processors tend to process audio in chunks, and the size of that chunk
12537 depends on the needs of the algorithm and performance/cost considerations.
12538 This is usually the main cause of latency when you use a computer and one you
12539 can try to predict and optimize.
12542 <h3>Computer I/O Architecture</h3>
12545 A computer is a general purpose processor, not a digital audio processor.
12546 This means our audio data has to jump a lot of fences in its path from the
12547 outside to the CPU and back, contending in the process with some other parts
12548 of the system vying for the same resources (CPU time, bus bandwidth, etc.)
12551 <h2>The Latency chain</h2>
12553 <img src="/images/latency-chain.png" title="Latency chain" alt="Latency chain" />
12556 <em>Figure: Latency chain.</em>
12557 The numbers are an example for a typical PC. With professional gear and an
12558 optimized system the total roundtrip latency is usually lower. The important
12559 point is that latency is always additive and a sum of many independent factors.
12563 Processing latency is usually divided into <dfn>capture latency</dfn> (the time
12564 it takes for the digitized audio to be available for digital processing, usually
12565 one audio period), and <dfn>playback latency</dfn> (the time it takes for
12566 In practice, the combination of both matters. It is called <dfn>roundtrip
12567 latency</dfn>: the time necessary for a certain audio event to be captured,
12568 processed and played back.
12572 It is important to note that processing latency in a jackd is a matter of
12573 choice. It can be lowered within the limits imposed by the hardware (audio
12574 device, CPU and bus speed) and audio driver. Lower latencies increase the
12575 load on the system because it needs to process the audio in smaller chunks
12576 which arrive much more frequently. The lower the latency, the more likely
12577 the system will fail to meet its processing deadline and the dreaded
12578 <dfn>xrun</dfn> (short for buffer over- or under-run) will make its
12579 appearance more often, leaving its merry trail of clicks, pops and crackles.
12583 The digital I/O latency is usually negligible for integrated or
12584 <abbr title="Periphal Component Interface">PCI</abbr> audio devices, but
12585 for USB or FireWire interfaces the bus clocking and buffering can add some
12590 <h2>Low Latency usecases</h2>
12593 Low latency is <strong>not</strong> always a feature you want to have. It
12594 comes with a couple of drawbacks: the most prominent is increased power
12595 consumption because the CPU needs to process many small chunks of audio data,
12596 it is constantly active and can not enter power-saving mode (think fan-noise).
12597 Since each application that is part of the signal chain must run in every
12598 audio cycle, low-latency systems will undergo<dfn>context switches</dfn>
12599 between applications more often, which incur a significant overhead.
12600 This results in a much higher system load and an increased chance of xruns.
12604 For a few applications, low latency is critical:
12607 <h3>Playing virtual instruments</h3>
12610 A large delay between the pressing of the keys and the sound the instrument
12611 produces will throw-off the timing of most instrumentalists (save church
12612 organists, whom we believe to be awesome latency-compensation organic systems.)
12615 <h3>Software audio monitoring</h3>
12618 If a singer is hearing her own voice through two different paths, her head
12619 bones and headphones, even small latencies can be very disturbing and
12620 manifest as a tinny, irritating sound.
12623 <h3>Live effects</h3>
12626 Low latency is important when using the computer as an effect rack for
12627 inline effects such as compression or EQ. For reverbs, slightly higher
12628 latency might be tolerable, if the direct sound is not routed through the
12632 <h3>Live mixing</h3>
12635 Some sound engineers use a computer for mixing live performances.
12636 Basically that is a combination of the above: monitoring on stage,
12637 effects processing and EQ.
12641 In many other cases, such as playback, recording, overdubbing, mixing,
12642 mastering, etc. latency is not important, since it can easily be
12643 compensated for.<br />
12644 To explain that statement: During mixing or mastering you don't care
12645 if it takes 10ms or 100ms between the instant you press the play button
12646 and sound coming from the speaker. The same is true when recording with a count in.
12649 <h2>Latency compensation</h2>
12652 During tracking it is important that the sound that is currently being
12653 played back is internally aligned with the sound that is being recorded.
12657 This is where latency-compensation comes into play. There are two ways to
12658 compensate for latency in a DAW, <dfn>read-ahead</dfn> and
12659 <dfn>write-behind</dfn>. The DAW starts playing a bit early (relative to
12660 the playhead), so that when the sound arrives at the speakers a short time
12661 later, it is exactly aligned with the material that is being recorded.
12662 Since we know that play-back has latency, the incoming audio can be delayed
12663 by the same amount to line things up again.
12667 As you may see, the second approach is prone to various implementation
12668 issues regarding timecode and transport synchronization. Ardour uses read-ahead
12669 to compensate for latency. The time displayed in the Ardour clock corresponds
12670 to the audio-signal that you hear on the speakers (and is not where Ardour
12671 reads files from disk).
12675 As a side note, this is also one of the reasons why many projects start at
12676 timecode <samp>01:00:00:00</samp>. When compensating for output latency the
12677 DAW will need to read data from before the start of the session, so that the
12678 audio arrives in time at the output when the timecode hits <samp>01:00:00:00</samp>.
12679 Ardour3 does handle the case of <samp>00:00:00:00</samp> properly but not all
12680 systems/software/hardware that you may inter-operate with may behave the same.
12683 <h2>Latency Compensation And Clock Sync</h2>
12686 To achieve sample accurate timecode synchronization, the latency introduced
12687 by the audio setup needs to be known and compensated for.
12691 In order to compensate for latency, JACK or JACK applications need to know
12692 exactly how long a certain signal needs to be read-ahead or delayed:
12695 <img src="/images/jack-latency-excerpt.png" title="Jack Latency Compensation" alt="Jack Latency Compensation" />
12698 <em>Figure: Jack Latency Compensation.</em>
12702 In the figure above, clients A and B need to be able to answer the following
12708 How long has it been since the data read from port Ai or Bi arrived at the
12709 edge of the JACK graph (capture)?
12712 How long will it be until the data writen to port Ao or Bo arrives at the
12713 edge of the JACK graph (playback)?
12718 JACK features an <abbr title="Application Programming Interface">API</abbr>
12719 that allows applications to determine the answers to above questions.
12720 However JACK can not know about the additional latency that is introduced
12721 by the computer architecture, operating system and soundcard. These values
12722 can be specified by the JACK command line parameters <kbd class="input">-I</kbd>
12723 and <kbd class="input">-O</kbd> and vary from system
12724 to system but are constant on each. On a general purpose computer system
12725 the only way to accurately learn about the total (additional) latency is to
12729 <h2>Calibrating JACK Latency</h2>
12732 Linux DSP guru Fons Adriaensen wrote a tool called <dfn>jack_delay</dfn>
12733 to accurately measure the roundtrip latency of a closed loop audio chain,
12734 with sub-sample accuracy. JACK itself includes a variant of this tool
12735 called <dfn>jack_iodelay</dfn>.
12739 Jack_iodelay allows you to measure the total latency of the system,
12740 subtracts the known latency of JACK itself and suggests values for
12741 jackd's audio-backend parameters.
12745 jack_[io]delay works by emitting some rather annoying tones, capturing
12746 them again after a round trip through the whole chain, and measuring the
12747 difference in phase so it can estimate with great accuracy the time taken.
12751 You can close the loop in a number of ways:
12756 Putting a speaker close to a microphone. This is rarely done, as air
12757 propagation latency is well known so there is no need to measure it.
12760 Connecting the output of your audio interface to its input using a
12761 patch cable. This can be an analog or a digital loop, depending on
12762 the nature of the input/output you use. A digital loop will not factor
12763 in the <abbr title="Analog to Digital, Digital to Analog">AD/DA</abbr>
12769 Once you have closed the loop you have to:
12773 <li>Launch jackd with the configuration you want to test.</li>
12774 <li>Launch <kbd class="input">jack_delay</kbd> on the commandline.</li>
12775 <li>Make the appropriate connections between your jack ports so the loop is closed.</li>
12776 <li>Adjust the playback and capture levels in your mixer.</li>
12780 title: Timecode Generators and Slaves
12785 Ardour supports three common timecode formats:
12786 <abbr title="Linear/Longitudinal Time Code"><dfn>LTC</dfn></abbr>,
12787 <abbr title="MIDI Time Code"><dfn>MTC</dfn></abbr>, and
12788 <dfn>MIDI Clock</dfn>, as well as
12789 <dfn>JACK-transport</dfn>, a JACK-specific timecode implementation.
12793 Ardour can generate timecode and thus act as timecode <dfn>master</dfn>,
12794 providing timecode information to other applications. Ardour can also be
12795 <dfn>slaved</dfn> to some external source in which case the playhead
12796 follows the incoming timecode.
12800 Combining the timecode slave and generator modes, Ardour can also
12801 <dfn>translate</dfn> timecode. e.g create LTC timecode from incoming MTC.
12804 <h2>Ardour Timecode Configuration</h2>
12807 Each Ardour session has a specific timecode frames-per-second setting which
12808 is configured in <kbd class="menu">session > properties >
12809 timecode</kbd>. The selected timecode affects the timecoderuler in the main
12810 window as well as the clock itself.
12814 Note that some timecode formats do not support all of Ardour's available
12815 fps settings. MTC is limited to 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 fps.
12819 The video pull-up modes change the effective samplerate of Ardour to allow
12820 for changing a film soundtrack from one frame rate to another. The concept is
12821 beyond the scope of this manual, but Wikipedia's entry on
12822 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecine">Telecine</a>
12823 may get you started.
12826 <h2>Ardour Timecode Generator Configuration</h2>
12829 This is pretty straightforward: simply turn it on. The MTC and MIDI-Clock
12830 generator do not have any options. The LTC generator has a configurable
12831 output level. JACK-transport cannot be <em>generated</em>. Jack itself is
12832 always synced to its own cycle and cannot do varispeed—it will
12833 always be synced to a hardware clock or another JACK master.
12837 The relevant settings for timecode generator can be found in
12838 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI Preferences</kbd> (for MTC,
12840 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Transport Preferences</kbd>
12845 The timecode is sent to jack-ports <code>ardour:MTC out</code>,
12846 <code>ardour:MIDI clock out</code> and <code>ardour:LTC-out</code>. Multiple
12847 generators can be active simultaneously.
12851 Note that, as of Jan 2014, only the LTC generator supports latency
12852 compensation. This is due to the fact the Ardour MIDI ports are not
12853 yet latency compensated.
12857 In <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>, it is possible to
12858 define an offset between Ardour's internal time and the timecode sent.
12859 Currently only the LTC generator honors this offset.
12863 Both LTC and MTC are limited to 30 fps. Using frame rates larger
12864 than that will disable the generator. In both cases also only 24, 25,
12865 29.97df (drop-frame) and 30 fps are well defined by specifications (such as
12866 SMPTE-12M, EU and the MIDI standard).
12869 <h3>MTC Generator</h3>
12872 The <dfn>MTC generator</dfn> has no options. Ardour sends full MTC
12873 frames whenever the transport is relocated or changes state (start/stop).
12874 MTC <dfn>quarter frames</dfn> are sent when the transport is rolling and
12875 the transport speed is within 93% and 107%.
12878 <h3>LTC Generator</h3>
12881 The level of the <dfn>LTC generator</dfn> output signal can be configured
12882 in in the <kbd class="menu">Preferences > Transport</kbd> dialog. By
12883 default it is set to -18 dBFS, which corresponds to 0dBu in an EBU
12888 The LTC generator has an additional option to keep sending timecode even
12889 when the transport is stopped. This mode is intended to drive analog tape
12890 machines which unspool the tape if no LTC timecode is received.
12894 LTC is send regardless of Ardour's transport speed. It is accurately
12895 generated even for very slow speeds (<5%) and only limited by the
12896 soundcard's sampling-rate and filter (see
12898 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbs_phenomenon#Signal_processing_explanation">Gibbs phenomenon</a>)
12902 <h2>Ardour Slave Configuration</h2>
12905 The timecode source can be switched with the button just right of
12906 Ardour's main clock. By default it is set to <kbd
12907 class="menu">Internal</kbd> in which case Ardour will ignore any external
12908 timecode. The button allows to toggle between Internal and the configured
12909 timecode source which is chosen in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences
12910 > Transport</kbd>.
12914 When Ardour is <dfn>chasing</dfn> (synchronizing to) an external timecode
12915 source, the following cases need to be distinguished:
12919 <li>the timecode source shares the clock</li>
12920 <li>the timecode source is independent (no wordclock sync)</li>
12926 <li>the timecode source uses the same FPS setting as Ardour</li>
12927 <li>the timecode source runs at different frames-per-second</li>
12931 In both cases the first option is preferred: clock sync + same FPS setting.
12934 <h3>Frames-per-second</h3>
12937 If the frames-per-second do not match, Ardour can either re-calculate
12938 and map the frames, or the configured FPS (<kbd class="menu">Session >
12939 Properties</kbd>) can be changed automatically while the slave is active.
12940 The behavior is configured with the checkbox <kbd class="option">Edit
12941 > Preferences > Transport > Match session video frame rate to
12942 external timecode</kbd>.
12946 When enabled, the session video frame rate will be changed to match that
12947 of the selected external timecode source. When disabled, the session video
12948 frame rate will not be changed to match that of the selected external
12949 timecode source. Instead the frame rate indication in the main clock will
12950 flash red, and Ardour will convert between the external timecode standard
12951 and the session standard.
12954 <p class="warning">
12955 29.97 drop-frame timecode is another corner case. While the SMPTE 12M-1999
12956 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001 frames per second, not all hardware devices
12957 follow that standard. The checkbox
12958 <kbd class="option">Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</kbd> allows
12959 to use a compatibility mode for those devices.
12963 When enabled, the external timecode source is assumed to use 29.970000 fps
12964 instead of 30000/1001. SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001. The
12965 <abbr title="specification">spec</abbr> further mentions that drop-frame
12966 timecode has an accumulated error of -86 ms over a 24-hour period.
12967 Drop-frame timecode would compensate exactly for a NTSC color frame rate
12968 of 30 * 0.9990 (ie 29.970000). That is <em>not</em> the actual rate. However,
12969 some vendors use that rate—despite it being against the specs—because the variant of using exactly 29.97 fps yields zero timecode
12973 <h3>Clock Sync Lock</h3>
12976 As described in the
12977 <a href="http://manual.ardour.org/synchronization/on-clock-and-time/">On Clock and Time</a>
12978 chapter, timecode and clock are independent. If the external timecode
12979 source is not in sample-sync with the audio hardware (and JACK), Ardour
12980 needs to run at varispeed to adjust for the discrepancy.
12984 The checkbox <kbd class="option">External timecode is sync locked</kbd>
12985 allows to select the behavior according to your setup. When enabled, it
12986 indicates that the selected external timecode source shares sync (Black
12987 & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with the audio interface.
12991 In other words: if enabled, Ardour will only perform initial
12992 synchronization and keep playing at speed 1.0 instead of vari-speed
12993 adjusting to compensate for drift.
12997 Note that vari-speed is unavailable when recording in Ardour, and all
12998 tracking happens at speed 1.0. So if you want to record in sync with
12999 external timecode it must be sample-locked or it will drift over time.
13002 <h3>MIDI Clock</h3>
13005 <dfn>MIDI Clock</dfn> is not a timecode format but tempo-based time. The
13006 absolute reference point is expressed as beats-per-minute and Bar, Beat
13007 and Tick. There is no concept of sample-locking for MIDI clock signals.
13008 Ardour will vari-speed if necessary to chase the incoming signal.
13012 Note that the MIDI Clock source must be connected to the
13013 <code>ardour:MIDI clock in</code> port.
13016 <h3>LTC—Linear Timecode</h3>
13019 The <dfn>LTC</dfn> slave decodes an incoming LTC signal on a JACK audio
13020 port. It will auto-detect the frame rate and start locking to the signal
13021 once two consecutive LTC frames have been received.
13025 The incoming timecode signal needs to arrive at the
13026 <code>ardour:LTC-in</code> port. Port-connections are restored for each
13027 session and the preference dialog offers an option to select it for all
13032 Ardour's transport is aligned to LTC-frame start/end positions according
13033 to the SMPTE 12M-1999 specification, which means that the first bit of an
13034 LTC-Frame is aligned to different Lines of a Video-Frame, depending on the
13035 TV standard used. Only for Film (24fps) does the LTC-Frame directly match
13036 the video Frame boundaries.
13039 <img src="/images/ltc-transport-alignment.png" title="LTC frame alignment" alt="LTC frame alignment"/>
13040 <p><em>Figure: LTC frame alignment for the 525/60 TV standard</em></p>
13043 Ardour supports vari-speed and backwards playback but will only follow
13044 speed changes if the <kbd class="optoff">sync locked</kbd> option is
13049 While Ardour is chasing LTC, the main transport clock will display the
13050 received Timecode as well as the delta between the incoming signal and
13051 Ardour's transport position.
13055 A global offset between incoming timecode and Ardour's transport can be
13056 configured in <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>.
13060 The user-bits in the received LTC frame are ignored.
13063 <h3>MTC—MIDI Timecode</h3>
13066 Ardour's MTC slave parses <dfn>full timecode messages</dfn> as well as
13067 MTC <dfn>quarter-frame messages</dfn> arriving on the
13068 <code>ardour:MTC in</code> port. The transport will only start rolling
13069 once a complete sequence of 8 quarter frames has been received.
13073 Ardour supports vari-speed and backwards playback but will only follow
13074 MTC speed changes if the <kbd class="optoff">sync locked</kbd> option
13079 When Ardour is chasing MTC, the main transport clock will display the
13080 received Timecode as well as the delta between the incoming signal and
13081 Ardour's transport position.
13084 <h3>JACK Transport</h3>
13087 When slaved to jack, Ardour's transport will be identical to
13088 JACK-transport. As opposed to other slaves, Ardour can be used to control
13089 the JACK transport states (stopped/rolling). No port connections need to
13090 be made for jack-transport to work.
13094 JACK-transport does not support vari-speed, nor offsets. Ardour does not
13095 chase the timecode but is always in perfect sample-sync with it.
13099 JACK-transport also includes temp-based-time information in Bar:Beats:Ticks
13100 and beats-per-minute. However, only one JACK application can provide this
13101 information at a given time. The checkbox
13102 <kbd class="option">Session > Properties > JACK Time Master</kbd>
13103 configures Ardour to act as translator from timecode to BBT information.
13107 title: Overview of all Timecode related settings
13108 menu_title: Overview of Timecode settings
13113 Timecode settings are accessed from the menu in three places:
13117 <li><kbd class="menu">Session > Properties > Timecode</kbd></li>
13118 <li><kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Transport</kbd></li>
13119 <li><kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI</kbd></li>
13122 <h2>Timecode Settings</h2>
13124 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode frames-per-second</kbd></dt>
13126 Configure timecode frames-per-second (23.976, 24, 24.975, 25, 29.97,
13127 29.97 drop, 30, 30 drop, 59.94, 60). Note that all fractional
13128 framerates are actually fps*(1000.0/1001.0).
13130 <dt><kbd class="menu">Pull up/down</kbd></dt>
13132 Video pull-up modes change the effective samplerate of Ardour to
13133 allow for changing a film soundtrack from one frame rate to another.
13134 See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecine">Telecine</a>
13136 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slave Timecode offset</kbd></dt>
13138 The specified offset is added to the received timecode (MTC or
13141 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode Generator offset</kbd></dt>
13143 Specify an offset which is added to the generated timecode (so far only LTC).
13145 <dt><kbd class="option">JACK Time Master</kbd></dt>
13147 Provide Bar|Beat|Tick and other information to JACK.
13150 <p>These settings are session specific.</p>
13153 <h2>Transport Preferences</h2>
13155 <dt><kbd class="menu">External timecode source</kbd></dt>
13157 Select timecode source: JACK, LTC, MTC, MIDI Clock
13159 <dt><kbd class="option">Match session video frame rate to external timecode</kbd></dt>
13161 This option controls the value of the video frame rate <em>while
13162 chasing</em> an external timecode source. When enabled, the
13163 session video frame rate will be changed to match that of the selected
13164 external timecode source. When disabled, the session video frame rate
13165 will not be changed to match that of the selected external timecode
13166 source. Instead the frame rate indication in the main clock will flash
13167 red and Ardour will convert between the external timecode standard and
13168 the session standard.
13170 <dt><kbd class="option">External timecode is sync locked</kbd></dt>
13172 Indicates that the selected external timecode source shares sync (Black
13173 & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with the audio interface.
13175 <dt><kbd class="option">Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</kbd></dt>
13177 The external timecode source is assumed to use 29.97 fps instead of
13178 30000/1001. SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001. The spec
13179 further mentions that drop-frame timecode has an accumulated error of -86ms
13180 over a 24-hour period. Drop-frame timecode would compensate exactly for a
13181 NTSC color frame rate of 30 * 0.9990 (ie 29.970000). That is not the actual
13182 rate. However, some vendors use that rate—despite it being against
13183 the specs—because the variant of using exactly 29.97 fps has zero
13186 <dt><kbd class="menu">LTC incoming port</kbd></dt>
13188 Offers a session agnostic way to retain the LTC port connection.
13190 <dt><kbd class="option">Enable LTC generator</kbd></dt>
13191 <dd>Does just what it says.</dd>
13192 <dt><kbd class="option">Send LTC while stopped</kbd></dt>
13194 Enable to continue to send LTC information even when the transport
13195 (playhead) is not moving. This mode is intended to drive analog tape
13196 machines which unspool the tape if no LTC timecode is received.
13198 <dt><kbd class="menu">LTC generator level</kbd></dt>
13200 Specify the Peak Volume of the generated LTC signal in dbFS. A good value
13201 is 0 dBu (which is -18 dbFS in an EBU calibrated system).
13204 <p>These settings are common to all sessions.</p>
13207 <h2>MIDI Preferences</h2>
13209 <dt><kbd class="option">Send MIDI Timecode</kbd></dt><dd>Enable MTC generator</dd>
13210 <dt><kbd class="option">Send MIDI Clock</kbd></dt><dd>Enable MIDI Clock generator</dd>
13212 <p>These settings are also common to all sessions.</p>
13216 title: Working with Field Recorders in Ardour
13222 title: Working with Video in Ardour
13228 title: Video Timeline and Monitoring
13233 Ardour offers a <dfn>video timeline</dfn> and <dfn>video monitoring</dfn>
13234 for convenient audio mixing and editing to video, in order to produce
13235 film soundtracks and music videos, or perform TV postproduction tasks.
13239 The video capabilities are:
13243 <li>Import a single video and optionally extract the soundtrack from it.</li>
13244 <li>Provide a video monitor window, or full-screen display, of the
13245 imported video in sync with any of the available Ardour timecode
13247 <li>Display a frame-by-frame (thumbnail) timeline of the video.</li>
13248 <li>Allow for a configurable timecode offset.</li>
13249 <li><em>Lock</em> audio regions to the video.</li>
13250 <li>Move audio regions with the video at video-frame granularity.</li>
13251 <li>Export the video, trim start and end, add blank frames and/or
13252 multiplex it with the soundtrack of the current session.</li>
13256 The setup of the video subsystem is modular and can be configured
13257 in different ways, including:
13261 <li>One machine for all video decoding, video monitoring and audio editing
13263 <li>Two machines, one for video monitoring, one for Ardour</li>
13264 <li>Three machines, separate video server (for timeline decoding
13265 and file archive), dedicated video monitor, and Ardour</li>
13269 Ardour does <em>not</em>:
13273 <li>allow for more than one video to be loaded at a time.</li>
13274 <li>provide video editing capabilities</li>
13278 title: Video Timeline Setup
13283 No configuration is required if you intend to run everything on a single
13284 machine, and if you acquired Ardour from
13285 <a href="http://www.ardour.org"
13286 title="http://www.ardour.org">http://www.ardour.org</a>.
13287 Everything is pre-configured and included with the download/install.
13290 <h2>Single Machine</h2>
13293 If you compile Ardour from source, or have installed it from a 3rd party
13294 repository, three additional tools will need to be installed manually,
13295 which are used by Ardour to provide video features:
13299 <li>xjadeo (the video monitor application): <a href="http://xjadeo.sf.net"
13300 title="http://xjadeo.sf.net" rel="nofollow">http://xjadeo.sf.net</a></li>
13301 <li>harvid (a video decoder used for the thumbnail timeline): <a
13302 href="http://x42.github.com/harvid/" title="http://x42.github.com/harvid/"
13303 rel="nofollow">http://x42.github.com/harvid/</a></li>
13304 <li>ffmpeg, ffprobe (used to import/export video, extract soundtracks and
13305 query video information): <a href="http://ffmpeg.org" title="http://ffmpeg.org"
13306 rel="nofollow">http://ffmpeg.org</a></li>
13310 Ardour requires xjadeo ≥ version 0.6.4, harvid ≥ version 0.7.0 and ffmpeg (known to work versions: 1.2, 2.8.2)
13314 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>.
13318 All four applications need to be found in <code>$PATH</code> (e.g.
13319 <code>$HOME/bin</code> or <code>/usr/local/bin</code>). For convenience the
13320 binary releases of harvid include ffmpeg_harvid and ffprobe_harvid, but if
13321 your distribution provides suitable ffmpeg commands you can also just create
13325 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo ln -s /usr/bin/ffmpeg /usr/bin/ffmpeg_harvid</kbd>
13326 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo ln -s /usr/bin/ffprobe /usr/bin/ffprobe_harvid</kbd>
13329 Binary releases are available from ardour.org as well as an installer script:
13330 <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/blob/master/tools/videotimeline/install_video_tools.sh"
13331 title="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/blob/master/tools/videotimeline/install_video_tools.sh"
13332 rel="nofollow">install_video_tools.sh</a>.
13336 The easiest way to install the video-utilities is by running the following
13337 line in a terminal:
13340 <kbd class="cmd lin">sh -c "$(curl -s -L http://git.io/tVUCkw)"</kbd>
13342 <h2>Studio Setup</h2>
13345 Please read the info in the previous section to familiarize yourself with
13346 the tools involved first. Setting up a proper A/V post-production studio
13347 can be a complicated task. As much as we streamline and simplify the
13348 <em>single machine</em> setup, the <dfn>studio setup</dfn> is focused on modularity.
13353 <li>Synchronization ardour → video-display-box should be accomplished by external
13354 means jack-transport(netjack), MTC, LTC
13355 (<abbr title="Open Sound Control—"postmodern MIDI"">OSC</abbr> and/or
13356 ssh-pipe work but introduce additional latency + jitter)</li>
13357 <li>Ardour launches <code>XJREMOTE</code> (environment variable, default 'xjremote' which comes with xjadeo).</li>
13358 <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>
13359 <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>
13360 <li>If the video server runs remotely, Ardour needs to be configured in Ardour > Preference > Video (hostname of the video-server).</li>
13361 <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>
13365 title: Transcoding, Formats & Codecs
13370 This chapter provides a short primer on video files, formats and
13371 codecs – because it is often cause for confusion:
13375 A video file is a <dfn>container</dfn>. It usually contains one
13376 <dfn>video track</dfn> and one or more <dfn>audio tracks</dfn>.
13377 How these tracks are stored in the file is defined by the
13378 <dfn>file format</dfn>. Common formats are
13379 avi, mov, ogg, mkv, mpeg, mpeg-ts, mp4, flv, or vob.
13383 Each of the tracks by itself is encoded using a <abbr
13384 title="Coder-Decoder"><dfn>Codec</dfn></abbr>. Common video codecs
13385 are h264, mpeg2, mpeg4, theora, mjpeg, wmv3. Common audio codecs are
13386 mp2, mp3, dts, aac, wav/pcm.
13390 Not all codecs can be packed into a given format. For example the
13391 mpeg format is limited to mpeg2, mpeg4 and mp3 codecs (not entirely true).
13392 DVDs do have stringent limitations as well. The opposite would be .avi;
13393 pretty much every audio/video codec combination can be contained in an avi
13398 To make things worse, naming conventions for video codecs and formats are
13399 often identical (especially MPEG ones) which leads to confusion.
13400 All in all it is a very wide and deep field. Suffice there are different
13401 uses for different codecs and formats.
13404 <h2>Ardour specific issues</h2>
13407 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.
13411 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).
13415 The export dialog includes presets for common format and codec combinations (such as DVD, web-video,..). If in doubt use one of the presets.
13419 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.
13423 title: Workflow & Operations
13427 <h2>Overview of Operations</h2>
13429 <dl class="wide-table">
13430 <dt><kbd class="menu">Session > Open Video</kbd></dt>
13431 <dd>Add/replace a video to/on the timeline</dd>
13432 <dt><kbd class="menu">Window > View Monitor</kbd></dt>
13433 <dd>Open/close external video monitor window</dd>
13434 <dt><kbd class="menu">View > Video Monitor > …</kbd></dt>
13435 <dd>Various settings of the video monitor</dd>
13436 <dt><kbd class="menu">Session > Export > Video</kbd></dt>
13437 <dd>Export session and multiplex with video-file</dd>
13438 <dt><kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag the video in the timeline</dt>
13439 <dd>Re-align video and move 'locked' audio-regions along</dd>
13440 <dt>Context-menu on the video-timeline: <kbd class="menu"> 'lock'</kbd></dt>
13441 <dd>Prevent accidental drags</dd>
13442 <dt>Audio region context menu: <kbd class="menu">Position > Lock to video</kbd></dt>
13443 <dd>Mark audio region(s) to be moved along with the video.</dd>
13446 <h2>Adding Video</h2>
13449 Adding video is a two-step process: select a video file, and choose
13450 import mode and optionally select an audio track to extract.
13454 The first step is rather straight-forward. The panel on the right side
13455 allows to seek through the video and displays basic file information.
13456 It is also useful to check if the video format/codec is supported:
13459 <img src="/images/a3_video_open.png" alt="video-open-dialog" width="300" />
13462 The second step analyzes the video file in more detail and offers import options:
13466 <dt><kbd class="menu">Import/Transcode to Session</kbd></dt>
13467 <dd>This is the default. The video will be imported in a suitable
13468 video format/codec for the timeline and video monitor and saved inside the
13469 session folder. A location other than the session folder can also be
13470 chosen (external disk, or network storage of the video server on a different
13472 <dt><kbd class="menu">Reference from Current Location</kbd></dt>
13473 <dd>Only useful for opening files that were previously encoded (are already
13474 in a good format/codec). Use with care.</dd>
13475 <dt><kbd class="menu">Do not Import Video</kbd></dt>
13476 <dd>Useful for extracting audio only.</dd>
13479 <img src="/images/a3_video_import.png" alt="Video Import Dialog" width="300" />
13482 By default the video is imported using the original width/height.
13483 If it is a large video (e.g. full-HD) it makes sense to scale it down
13484 to decrease the CPU load and disk I/O required to decode and play the
13486 A small, low-quality representation of the image is usually sufficient
13487 for editing soundtracks. The default bitrate in kbit/sec is set to use
13488 0.7 bits per pixel. (Compare: the average DVD medium uses 5000 kbit/s;
13489 at PAL resolution this is about 0.5 bits per pixel. But the DVD is
13490 using the <dfn>mpeg2</dfn>—a denser compression algorithm than the
13491 <dfn>mjpeg</dfn> codec used by Ardour.)
13494 <h2>Working with A/V</h2>
13500 <img src="/images/a3_videotimeline.png" alt="Video Timeline" width="600" />
13502 <h2 id="export">Exporting Video</h2>
13505 The video export will take audio from the current Ardour session and
13506 multiplex it with a video file. The soundtrack of the video is taken from
13507 an audio export of Ardour's master bus.
13511 An arbitrary video file can be chosen. For high quality exports, the
13512 original file (before it was imported into the timeline) should be used.
13513 This is the default behaviour if that file can be found. If not, Ardour
13514 will fall back to the imported proxy-video which is currently in use
13515 on the timeline. Any existing audio tracks on this video file are stripped.
13519 The range selection allows to cut or extend the video. If the session is
13520 longer than the video duration, black frames are prefixed or appended to
13521 the video. (Note: this process may fail with non-standard pixel aspect
13522 ratios). If Ardour's session range is shorter, the video will be cut accordingly.
13526 Audio samplerate and normalization are options for Ardour's audio exporter.
13527 The remaining settings are options that are directly passed on to ffmpeg.
13531 The file format is determined by the extension that you choose for it
13532 (.avi, .mov, .flv, .ogv, .webm,...)
13533 Note: not all combinations of format, codec, and settings produce files
13534 which are according to specifications. For example, flv files require
13535 sample rates of 22.1 kHz or 44.1 kHz, mpeg containers can not
13536 be used with ac3 audio-codec, etc. If in doubt, use one of the built-in
13540 <img src="/images/a3_video_export.png" alt="Video Export Dialog" width="300" />
13543 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.
13549 title: Control Surfaces
13555 title: Controlling Ardour with OSC
13556 include: controlling-ardour-with-osc.html
13562 title: OSC: Controlling Ardour with OSC
13563 include: osc-control.html
13569 title: OSC: Using the Setup Dialog
13570 include: osc-setup-dialog.html
13576 title: OSC: Querying Ardour
13577 include: querying-ardour-with-osc.html
13583 title: OSC: Feedback
13584 include: feedback-in-osc.html
13590 title: OSC: Feedback and Strip-types Values
13591 include: calculating-feedback-and-strip-types-values.html
13597 title: OSC: Personal Monitoring Control
13598 include: osc-personal-monitoring.html
13604 title: OSC: Parameter Types
13605 include: parameter-types-in-osc.html
13611 title: OSC: Selection and Expansion Considerations
13612 include: selection-considerations-in-osc.html
13618 title: OSC control for Ardour 4.7 and Prior
13619 include: osc-control-in-ardour-4.7-and-prior.html
13625 title: Devices using Mackie/Logic Control Protocol
13626 include: devices-using-mackielogic-control-protocol.html
13632 title: Behringer devices in Mackie/Logic Control Mode
13633 menu_title: Behringer devices
13634 include: behringer-devices-in-mackielogic-control-mode.html
13641 include: ssl-nucleus.html
13647 title: Mackie Control Setup on Linux
13648 include: mackie-control-setup-on-linux.html
13654 title: What to do if your Device is not Listed
13655 menu_title: Unlisted devices
13656 include: devices-not-listed.html
13662 title: Working With Extenders
13663 menu_title: Working With Extenders
13664 include: working-with-extenders.html
13670 title: Generic MIDI
13676 title: MIDI Binding Maps
13677 include: midi-binding-maps.html
13684 include: midi-learn.html
13690 title: Working With Encoders in Ardour
13691 menu_title: Working With Encoders
13692 include: working-with-encoders.html
13698 title: Using the Presonus Faderport
13699 menu_title: Presonus Faderport
13700 include: presonus-faderport.html
13706 title: Using the Ableton Push 2
13707 menu_title: Ableton Push 2
13708 include: ableton-push2.html
13721 title: Lua Scripting in Ardour
13727 title: Lua Scripting
13732 Starting with version 4.7.213, Ardour supports Lua scripts.
13735 <p class="warning">
13736 Lua Integration is Work in Progress and far from complete.
13740 title: Scripting Documentation
13744 <p class="warning">
13745 This Documentation is Work in Progress and far from complete. Also the documented API may be subject to change.
13751 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.
13755 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.
13759 Cases like this call for means to extend the DAW without actually changing the DAW itself. This is where scripting comes in.
13763 "Scripting" refers to tasks that could alternatively be executed step-by-step by a human operator.
13767 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.
13771 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.
13777 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.
13781 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:
13784 <div style="width:80%; margin:.5em auto;">
13785 <div style="width:45%; float:left;">
13788 session->set_transport_speed (1.0);
13791 <div style="width:45%; float:right;">
13794 Session:set_transport_speed (1.0)
13799 <div style="clear:both;"></div>
13802 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.
13806 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.
13810 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>.
13813 <h2>Integration</h2>
13816 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).
13821 In Ardour's case Lua is available:
13825 <dt>Editor Action Scripts</dt><dd>User initiated actions (menu, shortcuts) for batch processing</dd>
13826 <dt>Editor Hooks/Callbacks</dt><dd>Event triggered actions for the Editor/Mixer GUI</dd>
13827 <dt>Session Scripts</dt><dd>Scripts called at the start of every audio cycle (session, real-time)</dd>
13828 <dt>DSP Scripts</dt><dd>Audio/Midi processor—plugins with access to the Ardour session (per track/bus, real-time)</dd>
13829 <dt>Script Console</dt><dd>Action Script commandline</dd>
13833 There are is also a special mode:
13837 <dt>Commandline Tool</dt><dd>Replaces the complete Editor GUI, direct access to libardour (no GUI) from the commandline.<br/>
13838 <em>Be aware that the vast majority of complex functionality is provided by the Editor UI.</em></dd>
13841 <h2>Managing Scripts</h2>
13844 Ardour searches for Lua scripts in the <code>scripts</code> folder in <code>$ARDOUR_DATA_PATH</code>, Apart from scripts included directly with Ardour, this includes
13848 <tr><th>GNU/Linux</th><td><code>$HOME/.config/ardour5/scripts</code></td></tr>
13849 <tr><th>Mac OS X</th><td><code>$HOME/Library/Preferences/Ardour5/scripts</code></td></tr>
13850 <tr><th>Windows</th><td><code>%localappdata%\ardour5\scripts</code></td></tr>
13853 <p>Files must end with <code>.lua</code> file extension.</p>
13855 <p>Scripts are managed via the GUI</p>
13858 <dt>Editor Action Scripts</dt><dd>Menu → Edit → Scripted Actions → Manage</dd>
13859 <dt>Editor Hooks/Callbacks</dt><dd>Menu → Edit → Scripted Actions → Manage</dd>
13860 <dt>Session Scripts</dt><dd>Menu → Session → Scripting → Add/Remove Script</dd>
13861 <dt>DSP Scripts</dt><dd>Mixer-strip → context menu (right click) → New Lua Proc</dd>
13862 <dt>Script Console</dt><dd>Menu → Window → Scripting</dd>
13865 <h2>Script Layout</h2>
13868 <li>Every script must include an <code>ardour</code> descriptor table. Required fields are "Name" and "Type".</li>
13869 <li>A script must provide a <em>Factory method</em>: A function with optional instantiation parameters which returns the actual script.</li>
13870 <li>[optional]: list of parameters for the "factory".</li>
13871 <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>
13874 <p>A minimal example script looks like:</p>
13877 <pre><code class="lua">
13879 ["type"] = "EditorAction",
13883 function factory (unused_params)
13885 Session:goto_start() -- rewind the transport
13892 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):
13896 <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>
13897 <dt>name [required]</dt><dd>Name/Title of the script</dd>
13898 <dt>author</dt><dd>Your Name</dd>
13899 <dt>license</dt><dd>The license of the script (e.g. "GPL" or "MIT")</dd>
13900 <dt>description</dt><dd>A longer text explaining to the user what the script does</dd>
13904 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>.
13907 <h3>Action Scripts</h3>
13910 Action scripts are the simplest form. An anonymous Lua function is called whenever the action is triggered. A simple action script is shown above.
13913 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.
13916 <h3>Session Scripts</h3>
13919 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
13923 <pre><code class="lua">
13925 ["type"] = "session",
13926 name = "Example Session Script",
13928 An Example Ardour Session Script.
13929 This example stops the transport after rolling for a specific time.]]
13932 -- instantiation options, these are passed to the "factory" method below
13933 function sess_params ()
13936 ["print"] = { title = "Debug Print (yes/no)", default = "no", optional = true },
13937 ["time"] = { title = "Timeout (sec)", default = "90", optional = false },
13941 function factory (params)
13942 return function (n_samples)
13943 local p = params["print"] or "no"
13944 local timeout = params["time"] or 90
13946 if p ~= "no" then print (a, n_samples, Session:frame_rate (), Session:transport_rolling ()) end -- debug output (not rt safe)
13947 if (not Session:transport_rolling()) then
13952 if (a > timeout * Session:frame_rate()) then
13953 Session:request_transport_speed(0.0, true)
13960 <h3>Action Hooks</h3>
13963 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).
13967 <pre><code class="lua">
13969 ["type"] = "EditorHook",
13970 name = "Hook Example",
13971 description = "Rewind On Solo Change, Write a file when regions are moved.",
13974 function signals ()
13975 s = LuaSignal.Set()
13978 [LuaSignal.SoloActive] = true,
13979 [LuaSignal.RegionPropertyChanged] = true
13985 function factory (params)
13986 return function (signal, ref, ...)
13987 -- print (signal, ref, ...)
13989 if (signal == LuaSignal.SoloActive) then
13990 Session:goto_start()
13993 if (signal == LuaSignal.RegionPropertyChanged) then
13995 file = io.open ("/tmp/test" ,"a")
13997 io.write (string.format ("Region: '%s' pos-changed: %s, length-changed: %s\n",
13999 tostring (pch:containsFramePos (ARDOUR.Properties.Start)),
14000 tostring (pch:containsFramePos (ARDOUR.Properties.Length))
14009 <h3>DSP Scripts</h3>
14011 <p>See the scripts folder for examples for now.</p>
14013 <p>Some notes for further doc:</p>
14016 <li>required function: <code>dsp_ioconfig ()</code>: return a list of possible audio I/O configurations—follows Audio Unit conventions.</li>
14017 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_dsp_midi_input ()</code>: return true if the plugin can receive midi input</li>
14018 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_params ()</code>: return a table of possible parameters (automatable)</li>
14019 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_init (samplerate)</code>: called when instantiation the plugin with given samplerate.</li>
14020 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_configure (in, out)</code>: called after instantiation with configured plugin i/o.</li>
14021 <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>
14022 <li>plugin parameters are handled via the global variable <code>CtrlPorts</code>.</li>
14023 <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>
14024 <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>
14027 <h2>Accessing Ardour Objects</h2>
14030 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.
14034 Every Lua interpreter can access it via the global variable <code>Session</code>.
14038 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.
14042 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.
14048 <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>
14049 <li>Scripts, once loaded, are saved with the Session (no reference to external files). This provides for portable Sessions.</li>
14050 <li>Lua Scripts are never executed directly. They provide a "factory" method which can have optional instantiation parameters, which returns a lua closure.</li>
14051 <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>
14055 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:
14059 <li>Editor Actions run in a single instance interpreter in the GUI thread.</li>
14060 <li>Editor Hooks connect to libardour signals. Every Callback uses a dedicated lua interpreter which is in the GUI thread context.</li>
14061 <li>All Session scripts run in a single instance in the main real-time thread (audio callback)</li>
14062 <li>DSP scripts have a separate instance per script and run in one of the DSP threads.</li>
14066 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.
14069 <h2>Current State</h2>
14071 <p>Fully functional, yet still in a prototyping stage:</p>
14074 <li>The GUI to add/configure scripts is rather minimalistic.</li>
14075 <li>The interfaces may change (particularly DSP, and Session script <code>run()</code>.</li>
14076 <li>Further planned work includes:
14078 <li>Built-in Script editor (customize/modify Scripts in-place)</li>
14079 <li>convenience methods (wrap more complex Ardour actions into a library). e.g set plugin parameters, write automation lists from a lua table</li>
14080 <li>Add some useful scripts and more examples</li>
14081 <li>Documentation (Ardour API), also usable for tab-exansion, syntax highlighting</li>
14082 <li>bindings for GUI Widgets (plugin UIs, message boxes, etc)</li>
14090 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...
14093 <h3>Editor Console Examples</h3>
14096 <pre><code class="lua">
14097 print (Session:route_by_remote_id(1):name())
14099 a = Session:route_by_remote_id(1);
14102 print(Session:get_tracks():size())
14104 for i, v in ipairs(Session:unknown_processors():table()) do print(v) end
14105 for i, v in ipairs(Session:get_tracks():table()) do print(v:name()) end
14107 for t in Session:get_tracks():iter() do print(t:name()) end
14108 for r in Session:get_routes():iter() do print(r:name()) end
14111 Session:tempo_map():add_tempo(ARDOUR.Tempo(100,4), Timecode.BBT_TIME(4,1,0))
14114 Editor:set_zoom_focus(Editing.ZoomFocusRight)
14115 print(Editing.ZoomFocusRight);
14116 Editor:set_zoom_focus(1)
14119 files = C.StringVector();
14120 files:push_back("/home/rgareus/data/coding/ltc-tools/smpte.wav")
14122 Editor:do_import(files, Editing.ImportDistinctFiles, Editing.ImportAsTrack, ARDOUR.SrcQuality.SrcBest, pos, ARDOUR.PluginInfo())
14125 Editor:do_import(C.StringVector():add({"/path/to/file.wav"}), Editing.ImportDistinctFiles, Editing.ImportAsTrack, ARDOUR.SrcQuality.SrcBest, -1, ARDOUR.PluginInfo())
14127 # called when a new session is loaded:
14128 function new_session (name) print("NEW SESSION:", name) end
14131 # read/set/describe a plugin parameter
14132 route = Session:route_by_remote_id(1)
14133 processor = route:nth_plugin(0)
14134 plugininsert = processor:to_insert()
14136 plugin = plugininsert:plugin(0)
14137 print (plugin:label())
14138 print (plugin:parameter_count())
14140 x = ARDOUR.ParameterDescriptor ()
14141 _, t = plugin:get_parameter_descriptor(2, x) -- port #2
14143 print (paramdesc.lower)
14145 ctrl = Evoral.Parameter(ARDOUR.AutomationType.PluginAutomation, 0, 2)
14146 ac = plugininsert:automation_control(ctrl, false)
14147 print (ac:get_value ())
14148 ac:set_value(1.0, PBD.GroupControlDisposition.NoGroup)
14150 # the same using a convenience wrapper:
14151 route = Session:route_by_remote_id(1)
14152 proc = t:nth_plugin (i)
14153 ARDOUR.LuaAPI.set_processor_param (proc, 2, 1.0)
14158 <h3>Commandline Session</h3>
14161 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.
14165 <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.
14169 <pre><code class="lua">
14170 for i,_ in AudioEngine:available_backends():iter() do print (i.name) end
14172 backend = AudioEngine:set_backend("ALSA", "", "")
14173 print (AudioEngine:current_backend_name())
14175 for i,_ in backend:enumerate_devices():iter() do print (i.name) end
14177 backend:set_input_device_name("HDA Intel PCH")
14178 backend:set_output_device_name("HDA Intel PCH")
14180 print (backend:buffer_size())
14181 print (AudioEngine:get_last_backend_error())
14183 s = load_session ("/home/rgareus/Documents/ArdourSessions/lua2/", "lua2")
14184 s:request_transport_speed (1.0)
14185 print (s:transport_rolling())
14193 title: Class Reference
14194 include: class_reference.html
14207 title: List of Menu Actions
14208 include: menu-actions-list.html