2 title: Introduction to Ardour
8 title: Welcome to Ardour
13 title: About Ardour's documentation
17 <h2>Conventions Used In This Manual</h2>
20 This section covers some of the typographical and language conventions used in this manual.
23 <h3>Keyboards and Modifiers</h3>
26 <dfn>Keyboard bindings</dfn> are shown like this: <kbd>s</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.
30 <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd> means "press the <kbd class="mod1"> </kbd> key, keep it pressed and then also press the <kbd>x</kbd> key.
34 You may also see key combinations such as <kbd class="mod12">e</kbd>, which mean that you should hold down the <kbd class="mod1"> </kbd> key <em>and</em> the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> key, and then, while keeping them both down, press the <kbd>e</kbd> key.
38 Note that different platforms have different conventions for which modifier key (Control or Command) to use as the primary or most common modifier. When viewing this manual from a machine identifying itself as running OS X, you will see <kbd>Cmd </kbd> where appropriate (for instance in the first example above). On other machines you will see <kbd>Ctrl </kbd> instead.
41 <h3>Mouse Buttons</h3>
44 We refer to <a href="/setting-up-your-system/the-mouse">mouse buttons</a> as <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>, <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd> and <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>. Ardour can use additional buttons, but they have no default behaviour in the program.
47 <h4>Mouse click modifiers</h4>
50 Many editing functions are performed by clicking the mouse while holding a modifier key, for example <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>.
56 Some GUI elements can optionally be controlled with the mouse wheel when the pointer is hovering over them. The notation for mouse wheel action is <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd>.
59 <h4>Context-click</h4>
62 The term <dfn>context-click</dfn> is used to indicate that you should (typically) <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-click on a particular element of the graphical user interface. Although right-click is the common, default way to do this, there are other ways to accomplish the same thing—this term refers to any of them, and the result is always that a menu specific to the item you clicked on will be displayed.
65 <h4>"The Pointer"</h4>
68 When the manual refers to the "pointer", it means the on-screen representation of the mouse position or the location of a touch action if you are using a touch interface.
71 <h3>Other user input</h3>
74 Ardour supports hardware controllers, such as banks of <kbd class="fader">faders</kbd>, <kbd class="knob">knobs</kbd>, or <kbd class="button">buttons</kbd>.
80 Menu items are indicated like this:<br />
81 <kbd class="menu">Top > Next > Deeper</kbd>.<br />
82 Each ">"-separated item indicates one level of a nested (sub-)menu.
85 <h3>Preference/Dialog Options</h3>
88 Choices in various dialogs, notably the Preferences and Properties dialog, are
89 indicated like this:<br />
90 <kbd class="option">Edit > Preferences > Audio > Some
92 Each successive item indicates either a (sub-) menu or a tabbed dialog
93 navigation. The final item is the one to choose or select.
97 If you are requested to deselect an option, you will see something like
99 <kbd class="optoff">Edit > Preferences > Audio > Some other
106 Some dialogs or features may require you to type in some <kbd class="input">data such as this</kbd>. In rare cases, you will be required to perform certain operations at the command line of your operating system:
109 <kbd class="cmd lin">cat /proc/cpuinfo</kbd>
110 <kbd class="cmd mac">sleep 3600</kbd>
111 <kbd class="cmd win">ping www.google.com</kbd>
113 <h3>Program Output</h3>
116 Important messages from Ardour or other programs will be displayed <samp>like this</samp>.
122 Important notes about things that might not otherwise be obvious are shown in this format.
128 Hairy issues that might cause things to go wrong, lose data, impair sound quality, or eat your proverbial goldfish, are displayed in this way.
133 title: Welcome to Ardour!
138 <dfn>Ardour</dfn> is a professional digital workstation for working with audio and MIDI.
141 <h2>Ardour is meant for...</h2>
143 <h3>Audio Engineers</h3>
146 Ardour's core user group: people who want to record, edit, mix and master audio and MIDI projects. When you need complete control over your tools, when the limitations of other designs get in the way, when you plan to spend hours or days working on a session, Ardour is there to make things work the way you want them to.
152 Being the best tool to record talented performers on actual instruments has always been a top priority for Ardour. Rather than being focused on electronic and pop music idioms, Ardour steps out of the way to encourage the creative process to remain where it always has been: a musician playing a carefully designed and well built instrument.
155 <h3>Soundtrack Editors</h3>
158 Sample accurate sync and shared transport control with video playback tools allows Ardour to provide a fast and natural environment for creating and editing soundtracks for film and video projects.
164 Arrange audio and MIDI using the same tools and same workflow. Use external hardware synthesizers or software instruments as sound sources. From sound design to electro-acoustic composition to dense multitrack MIDI editing, Ardour can help.
167 <h2>Ardour features...</h2>
169 <h3>Audio and MIDI Multi-Track Recording and Editing</h3>
172 Any number of tracks and busses. Non-linear editing. Non-destructive (and destructive!) recording. Any bit depth, any sample rate. Dozens of file formats.
175 <h3>Plugins with Full Sample Accurate Automation</h3>
178 AudioUnit, LV2, LinuxVST and LADSPA formats. FX plugins. Software instruments. MIDI processors. Automate any parameters. Physically manipulate them via control surfaces. Distribute processing across as many (or as few) cores as you want.
181 <h3>Transport Sync and External Control Surfaces</h3>
184 Best-in-industry sync to MIDI timecode and LTC. Send and receive MIDI Machine Control. Sync with JACK transport and MIDI clock. Dedicated Mackie Control protocol support, pre-defined mappings for many MIDI controllers plus dynamic MIDI learn. Use OSC to drive almost any operation in Ardour.
187 <h3>Powerful Anywhere-to-Anywhere Signal Routing</h3>
190 Complex signal flows are simple and elegant. Inputs and outputs connect to your hardware and/or other applications. Use sends, inserts and returns freely. Connections can be one-to-many, many-to-one or many-to-many. Tap signal flows at any point. If you can't connect in the way you want with Ardour, it probably can't be done.
193 <h3>Video Timeline</h3>
196 Import a single video and optionally extract the soundtrack from it. Display a frame-by-frame (thumbnail) timeline of the video. Use a Video-monitor window, or full-screen display, of the imported video in sync with any of the available ardour timecode sources. Lock audio-regions to the video: Move audio-regions with the video at video-frame granularity. Export the video, cut start/end, add blank frames and/or mux it with the soundtrack of the current-session.
205 <dfn>Ardour</dfn> allows recording and editing both audio and MIDI data, addin of many different kinds of effects and mixing.
208 <p>Some things Ardour is used for include:</p>
211 <li>Digitally record acoustic/electric instruments or vocals</li>
212 <li>Compose and arrange audio and MIDI tracks</li>
213 <li>Edit live recordings</li>
214 <li>Mix and edit movie soundtracks and dialogue</li>
215 <li>Create sound designs for an arbitrary number of output channels</li>
219 title: Isn't This A Really Complicated Program?
224 There is no point in pretending that Ardour is a simple, easy to use program. The development group has worked hard to try to make simple things reasonably easy, common tasks quick, and hard and/or uncommon things possible. There is no doubt that there is more to do in this area, as well as polishing the user interface to improve its intuitiveness and work flow characteristics.
228 At the same time, multi-track, multi-channel, non-linear, non-destructive audio editing is a far from simple process. Doing it right requires not only a good ear, but a solid appreciation of basic audio concepts and a robust mental model/metaphor of what one is doing. Ardour is not a simple "audio recorder"—it can certainly be used to record stereo (or even mono) material in a single track, but the program has been designed around much richer capabilities than this.
232 Some people complain that Ardour is not "intuitive" to use—its lead developer has <a href="http://community.ardour.org/node/3322">some thoughts on that</a>.
236 title: Why Write a DAW for Linux?
241 It is fairly understandable that existing proprietary DAWs do not run on Linux, given the rather small (but growing) share of the desktop market that Linux has. However, when surveying the landscape of "popular operating systems", we find:
245 <li>older versions of Windows: plagued by abysmal stability and appalling security</li>
246 <li>newer versions of Windows seem stable but still suffer from security problems</li>
247 <li>OS X: an amazing piece of engineering that is excellent for audio work but only runs on proprietary hardware and still lacks the flexibility and adaptability of Linux.</li>
251 Security matters today, and will matter more in the future as more and more live or semi-live network based collaborations take place.
255 Let's contrast this with Linux, an operating system which:
259 <li>can stay up for months (or even years) without issues</li>
260 <li>is endlessly configurable down to the tiniest detail</li>
261 <li>is not owned by any single corporate entity, ensuring its life and direction are not intertwined with that of a company (for a contrary example, consider BeOS)</li>
262 <li>is fast and efficient</li>
263 <li>runs on almost any computing platform ever created, including old "slow" systems and new "tiny" systems (e.g. Raspberry Pi)</li>
264 <li>is one of the most secure operating systems "out of the box"</li>
268 More than anything, however, Ardour's primary author uses Linux and wanted a DAW that ran there.
272 Having written a DAW for Linux, it turned out to be relatively easy to port Ardour to OS X, mostly because of the excellent work done by the JACK OS X group that ported JACK to OS X.
276 Although OS X has a number of disadvantages compared to Linux, its ease of use and its presence in many studios already makes it a worthwhile platform.
280 title: Why is it called Ardour?
285 The name <dfn>"Ardour"</dfn> came from considerations of how to pronounce the acronym <abbr title="Hard Disk Recorder">HDR</abbr>. The most obvious attempt sounds like a vowelless "harder" and it then was then a short step to an unrelated but slightly homophonic word:
289 <dfn>ardour</dfn> n 1: a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of
290 a person or cause); "they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor"; "he
291 felt a kind of religious zeal" [syn: ardor, elan, zeal]<br />
292 2: intense feeling of love [syn: ardor]<br />
293 3: feelings of great warmth and intensity; "he spoke with great ardor"
294 [syn: ardor, fervor, fervour, fervency, fire, fervidness]
298 Given the work required to develop Ardour, and the personality of its primary author, the name seemed appropriate even without the vague relationship to HDR.
302 Years later, another interpretation of "Ardour" appeared, this time based on listening to non-native English speakers attempt to pronounce the word. Rather than "Ardour", it became "Our DAW", which seemed poetically fitting for a Digital Audio Workstation whose source code and design belongs to a group of collaborators.
306 title: Why write another DAW?
311 There are already a number of excellent digital audio workstations. To mention just a few: ProTools, Nuendo, Samplitude, Digital Performer, Logic, Cubase (SX), Sonar, along with several less well known systems such as SADIE, SAWStudio and others.
314 Each of these programs has its strengths and weaknesses, although over the last few years most of them have converged on a very similar set of core features. However, each of them suffers from two problems when seen from the perspective of Ardour's development group:
318 <li>they do not run natively on Linux</li>
319 <li>they are not available in source code form, making modifications, improvements, bugfixes by technically inclined users or their friends or consultants impossible.</li>
323 title: Additional Resources
328 In addition to this documentation, you may check a variety of other <dfn>resources</dfn>:
332 <li>the <a href="https://ardour.org/whatsnew.html">Ardour release
334 <li>the <a href="https://community.ardour.org/forums">Ardour
336 <li>information about <a href="https://community.ardour.org/community">Ardour
337 Support</a> via mailing lists and IRC (chat)</li>
341 The <dfn>IRC channels</dfn> in particular are where most of the day-to-day development and debugging is done, and there are plenty of experienced users to help you if you run into problems.
345 Please be prepared to hang around for a few hours, the chat is usually busiest from 19:00 UTC to 04:00 UTC. If you can, keep your chat window open, so that you don't miss a belated answer. Also, don't ask for permission to ask a question, just ask your question with the understanding that the answer (from the "right" people or not) could come seconds, minutes, hours, or never.
350 title: Creating Music with Ardour
354 <p class="fixme"> misplaced</p>
356 Ardour can be used in many different ways, from extremely simple to
357 extremely complex. Many projects will be handled using the following
358 kind of <dfn>workflow</dfn>.
361 <h2>Stage 1: Creating Your Project</h2>
364 The first step is to create a new <dfn>session</dfn>, or open an
365 existing one. A session consists of a folder containing a session file
366 that defines all the information about the session. All media files used
367 by the session can be stored within the session folder.
371 More details on sessions can be found in
372 <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.
375 <h2>Stage 2: Creating and Importing Audio and MIDI data</h2>
378 Once you have a session, you will want to add some audio and/or MIDI
379 material to it, which can be done in one of 3 ways:
383 <li><dfn>Record</dfn> incoming audio or MIDI data, either via audio or MIDI hardware
384 connected to your computer, or from other applications.</li>
385 <li><dfn>Create</dfn> new MIDI data using the mouse and/or various dialogs</li>
386 <li><dfn>Import</dfn> existing media files into the session</li>
389 <dfn>MIDI recordings</dfn> consist of performance data ("play note X at
390 time T") rather than actual sound. As a result, they are more flexible
391 than actual audio, since the precise sound that they will generate when
392 played depends on where you send the MIDI to.<br />
393 Two different synthesizers may produce very different sound in response
394 to the same incoming MIDI data.
397 <dfn>Audio recordings</dfn> can be made from external instruments with
398 electrical outputs (keyboards, guitars etc.) or via microphones from
399 acoustic instruments.
402 Ardour uses the <dfn>JACK Audio Connection Kit</dfn> for all audio and
403 MIDI I/O, which means that recording audio/MIDI from other applications
404 is fundamentally identical to recording audio/MIDI from your audio/MIDI
408 <h2>Stage 3: Editing and Arranging</h2>
410 Once you have some material within the session, you can start to arrange
411 it in time. This is done in one of the two main windows of Ardour, the
412 <dfn>Editor</dfn> window.
415 Your audio/MIDI data appears in chunks called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which
416 are arranged into horizontal lanes called <dfn>tracks</dfn>. Tracks are
417 stacked vertically in the Editor window. You can copy, shorten, move,
418 and delete regions without changing the actual data stored in the session
419 at all—Ardour is a <dfn>non-destructive</dfn> editor. (Almost)
420 nothing that you do while editing will ever modify the files stored on
421 disk (except the session file itself).
424 You can also carry out many <dfn>transformations</dfn> to the contents
425 of regions, again without altering anything on disk. You can alter,
426 move, and delete MIDI notes, and remove silence from audio regions, for
430 <h2>Stage 4: Mixing and Adding Effects</h2>
432 Once you have the arrangement of your session mostly complete, you will
433 typically move on to the <dfn>mixing</dfn> phase. Mixing is a broad term
434 to cover the way the audio signals that your session generates during
435 playback and processed and added together into a final result that you
436 actually hear. It can involve altering the relative levels of various
437 parts of the session, adding effects that improve or transform certain
438 elements, and others that bring the sound of the whole session to a new
442 Ardour will allow you to <dfn>automate</dfn> changes to any mixing
443 parameters (such as volume, panning, and effects controls)—it will
444 record the changes you make over time, using a mouse or keyboard or some
445 external control device, and can play back those changes later. This is
446 very useful because often the settings you need will vary in one part of
447 a session compared to another—rather than using a single setting
448 for the volume, you may need increases followed by decreases (for example,
449 to track the changing volume of a singer). Using automation can make all
450 of this relatively simple.
453 <h2>Stage 5: Export</h2>
455 Once you are really satisfied with the arrangement and mix of your
456 session, you will typically want to produce a single audio file that
457 contains a ready-to-listen to version of the work. Ardour will allow you to
458 <dfn>export</dfn> audio files in a variety of formats (simultaneously in
459 some cases). This exported file would typically be used in creating a CD,
460 or be the basis for digital distribution of the work.
463 Of course sometimes you will want to do export material that isn't finished
464 yet, for example to give a copy to someone else to try to mix on their own
465 system. Ardour will allow you to export as much of a session as you want, at
466 any time, in any supported format.
471 title: Ardour Concepts
477 title: Understanding Basic Concepts and Terminology
482 This section will help you get acquainted with the basic terminology and
483 concepts associated with Ardour. More detailed information on each aspect
484 of the program is provided in later chapters.
489 An <dfn>Ardour session</dfn> is a container for an entire project. A
490 session may contain an arbitrary number of <dfn>tracks</dfn> and
491 <dfn>busses</dfn> consisting of audio and <abbr title="Musical Instrument
492 Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> data, along with
493 information on processing those tracks, a mix of levels, and everything
494 else related to the project. A session might typically contain a song, or
495 perhaps an entire album or a complete live recording.
498 Ardour sessions are held in directories; these directories contain one or
499 more <dfn>session files</dfn>, some or all of the audio and MIDI data and
500 a number of other state files that Ardour requires. The session file
501 describes the structure of the session, and holds automation data and
505 Ardour's session file is kept in
506 <abbr title="eXtensible Markup Language">XML</abbr> format, which is
507 advantageous as it is somewhat human-readable, and human-editable in a
508 crisis. Sound files are stored in one of a number of optional formats, and
509 MIDI files as <abbr title="Standard MIDI File">SMF</abbr>.
512 It is also possible for Ardour sessions to reference sound and MIDI files
513 outside the session directory, to conserve disk space and avoid
514 unnecessary copying if the data is available elsewhere on the disk.
517 Ardour has a single current session at all times; if Ardour is started
518 without specifying one, it will offer to load or create one.
521 More details can be found at
522 <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.
527 A <dfn>track</dfn> is a concept common to most
528 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAWs</abbr>, and also used in
529 Ardour. Tracks can record audio or MIDI data to disk, and then replay
530 it with processing. They also allow the audio or MIDI data to be edited
531 in a variety of different ways.
534 In a typical pop production, one might use a track each for the kick
535 drum, another for the snare, more perhaps for the drum overheads and
536 others for bass, guitars and vocals.
539 Ardour can record to any number of tracks at one time, and then play
540 those tracks back. On playback, a track's recordings may be processed by
541 any number of plugins, panned, and its level altered to achieve a
545 A track's type is really only related to the type of data that it stores
546 on disk. It is possible, for example, to have a MIDI track with a
547 synthesizer plugin which converts MIDI to audio. Even though the track
548 remains MIDI (in the sense that its on-disk recordings are MIDI), its
549 output may be audio-only.
552 More details can be found at
553 <a href="/working-with-tracks">Working With Tracks</a>.
556 <h2 id="busses">Busses</h2>
558 <dfn>Busses</dfn> are another common concept in both DAWs and hardware
559 mixers. They are similar in many ways to tracks; they process audio or
560 MIDI, and can run processing plugins. The only difference is that their
561 input is obtained from other tracks or busses, rather than from disk.
564 One might typically use a bus to collect together the outputs of related
565 tracks. Consider, for example, a 3-track recording of a drum-kit; given
566 kick, snare and overhead tracks, it may be helpful to connect the output
567 of each to a bus called "drums", so that the drum-kit's level can be set
568 as a unit, and processing (such as equalisation or compression) can be
569 applied to the mix of all tracks. Such buses are also called
575 A track may contain many segments of audio or MIDI. Ardour contains
576 these segments in things called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which are
577 self-contained snippets of audio or MIDI data. Any recording pass, for
578 example, generates a region on each track that is enabled for recording.
579 Regions can be subjected to many editing operations; they may be moved
580 around, split, trimmed, copied, and so on.
583 More details can be found at
584 <a href="/working-with-regions">Working With Regions</a>.
589 The details of what exactly each track should play back is described by a
590 <dfn>playlist</dfn>. A playlist is simply a list of regions; each track
591 always has an active playlist, and can have other playlists which can be
592 switched in and out as required.
595 More details can be found at
596 <a href="/working-with-playlists">Working With Playlists</a>.
601 Ardour allows you to process audio and MIDI using any number of
602 <dfn>plugins</dfn>. These are external pieces of code, commonly seen as
603 VST plugins on Windows or AU plugins on Mac OS X. Ardour supports
604 the following plugin standards:
606 <dl class="wide-table">
607 <dt><abbr title="Linux Audio Developers' Simple Plugin API">LADSPA</abbr></dt>
608 <dd>the first major plugin standard for Linux. Many LADSPA plugins are
609 available, mostly free and open-source.</dd>
610 <dt><abbr title="LADSPA Version 2">LV2</abbr></dt>
611 <dd>the successor to LADSPA. Lots of plugins have been ported from
612 LADSPA to LV2, and also many new plugins written.</dd>
613 <dt><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr></dt>
614 <dd>Ardour supports VST plugins that have been compiled for Linux.</dd>
615 <dt><abbr title="Audio Units">AU</abbr></dt>
616 <dd>Mac OS X versions of Ardour support AudioUnit plugins.</dd>
619 Ardour has some support for running Windows VST plugins on Linux, but
620 this is rather complicated, extremely difficult for the Ardour
621 developers to debug, and generally unreliable, as it requires to run a
622 large amount of Windows code in an emulated environment.<br />
623 If it is at all possible, you are strongly advised to use native
624 LADSPA, LV2 or Linux VST plugins on Linux, or AU on Mac OS X.
627 More details can be found at
628 <a href="/working-with-plugins">Working With Plugins</a>.
633 title: Basic GUI Operations
638 Ardour offers a number of different ways for you to interact with it.
639 This chapter provides information on basic techniques for <dfn>entering
640 text</dfn>, <dfn>making selections</dfn>, and <dfn>using shortcuts</dfn>.
644 title: Interface Elements
650 <h2>Pull Down Menus</h2>
651 <h2>Pop Up Menus</h2>
652 <h2>Context Menus</h2>
655 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
663 Almost every available function in Ardour can be executed via a
664 <dfn>key binding</dfn> or <dfn><abbr title="Open Sound
665 Control">OSC</abbr></dfn> command. There are many more functions
666 available than there are keys on even the largest current computer
667 keyboards, so only a subset of them are bound to keys by default.
670 <h2>Key bindings for menu items</h2>
673 Existing key bindings in menus are listed on the right side of the
678 To create a custom key binding for a menu item quickly, navigate to
679 the relevant (sub-) menu, hover over the item with the mouse and press
680 the desired combination of modifiers and key.
684 Ardour will silently re-assign the binding if you use a key
685 combination that is already in use, possibly removing a standard
686 keyboard shortcut without warning you. That might lead to confusion
687 when you ask other users for help, and they explain something in terms
688 of a standard key binding, which will then have a completely
689 different effect on your system.
692 <h2>Key binding editor</h2>
695 For a complete overview of all existing keyboard bindings, go to
696 <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings</kbd>. This widget will let
697 you view and edit even those functions that are not available in the menu,
698 and even remove key bindings altogether.
702 title: Selection Techniques
707 Ardour follows the conventions used by most other computer software
708 (including other DAWs) for <dfn>selecting objects</dfn> in the
709 <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr>.
712 <h2>Selecting individual objects</h2>
715 Clicking on an object (sometimes on a particular part of its
716 on-screen representation) will select the object, and deselect other
720 <h2>Selecting multiple (similar) objects</h2>
723 A <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd> click on an object toggles its
724 <samp>selected</samp> status, so using <kbd class="mod1 mouse">left</kbd>
725 on a series of objects will select (or deselect) each one of them. You can
726 construct completely arbitrary selections with this technique.
729 <h2>Selecting a range of objects</h2>
732 In cases where the idea of "select all objects between this one and that
733 one" makes sense, you can select one object and then click
734 <kbd class="mod3 mouse">left</kbd> on another to select both of them as
735 well as all objects in between.
738 <h2>Time range selection</h2>
741 To select a time <dfn>range</dfn> in the Editor,
742 click <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> and drag the mouse.
743 A <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd> drag then lets you create other
744 ranges and a <kbd class="mod3 mouse">left</kbd> click extends a range
745 to cover a wider area.
748 <h2>Selection Undo</h2>
751 The set of objects (including time range) that are selected at any one
752 time is known as the selection.
753 Each time you select or deselect an object, the new selection is stored in an
755 This stack is cleared each time the content of the timeline changes.
756 If you have built up a complex selection and then accidentally cleared it,
757 choosing <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd> will restore your previous selection.
758 If you then decide that you had in fact made the correct change, choosing
759 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Redo Selection Change</kbd> will take you back
760 to where you were before you chose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo Selection Change</kbd>.
769 By default, Ardour will show helpful <dfn>tooltips</dfn> about
770 the purpose and use of each <abbr title="Graphical User
771 Interface">GUI</abbr> element if you position the pointer
772 over it and hover there for a short while.
773 These little pop-up messages can be a good way to discover the
774 purpose of many aspects of the GUI.
778 Pop-ups can be distracting for experienced users, who may opt to
779 disable them via <kbd class="optoff">Edit > Preferences > GUI >
780 Show tooltip if mouse hovers over a control</kbd>.
784 title: Undo/Redo for Editing
789 While editing, it happens that you apply an unintended change, or make
790 a choice one that you later decide was wrong. All changes to the
791 arrangement of session components (regions, control points) along the
792 timeline can be <dfn>undone</dfn> (and <dfn>redone</dfn> if necessary).
796 The default keybindings are <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> for Undo and
797 <kbd class="mod1">R</kbd> for Redo. These match the conventions of most
798 other applications that provide undo/redo.
802 Changes are also saved to the <dfn>session history</dfn> file, so that
803 undo/redo is possible even if you close the session and reopen it later,
804 even if you quit Ardour in between.
808 The maximum number of changes that can be undone can be configured under
809 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Undo</kbd>.
810 The maximum number of changes stored in the history file is a separate
811 parameter, and can also be set in the same place.
815 In addition to the normal undo (which works only on actions that change
816 the timeline), there is a <dfn>visual undo</dfn> which will revert any
817 command that affects the display of the editor window. Its shortcut is
818 <kbd class="mod3">Z</kbd>.
819 There is also an undo for selection. See
820 <a href="/ardours-interface/basic-gui-operations/selection-techniques/">Selection Techniques</a> for more information.
824 Note that changes made to mixer strips, such as turning knobs or changing faders, cannot be undone.
828 title: Using the Mouse
835 Throughout this manual, the term <dfn>click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing
836 and releasing the <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> mouse button. This action is used to select objects, activate
837 buttons, turn choices on and off, pop up menus and so forth.<br />
838 On touch surfaces, it also corresponds to a single, one-finger tap on
842 <h2>Right Clicking</h2>
845 The term <dfn>right-click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing and releasing
846 the <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd> mouse button.
847 This action is used to pop up <dfn>context menus</dfn> (hence the term
848 "context click", which you will also see). It is also used by default in
849 combination with the shift key to delete objects within the editor
854 Some mice designed for use with Mac OS X may have only one button. By
855 convention, pressing and holding the Control key while clicking is
856 interpreted as a right-click by many application..
859 <h2>Middle Clicking</h2>
862 A <dfn>middle-click</dfn> refers to the act of pressing and releasing the
863 <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd> mouse button. Not all all mice have a middle click button
864 (see the <a href="/setting-up-your-system/mouse/">Mouse</a> chapter for
865 details). Sometimes the scroll wheel acts as a clickable middle button.
866 This action is used for time-constrained region copying and mapping MIDI
871 Internally, your operating system may identify the mouse buttons as
872 <kbd class="mouse">Button1</kbd>, <kbd class="mouse">Button2</kbd>, and
873 <kbd class="mouse">Button3</kbd>, respectively. It may be possible to
874 invert the order of buttons to accommodate left-handed users, or to re-assign
875 them arbitrarily. This manual assumes the canonical order.
878 <h2>Double Clicking</h2>
881 A <dfn>double click</dfn> refers to two rapid press/release cycles on the
882 leftmost mouse button. The time interval between the two actions that
883 determines whether this is seen as two clicks or one double click is
884 controlled by your system preferences, not by Ardour.
890 A <dfn>drag</dfn> primarily refers to the act of pressing the leftmost
891 mouse button, moving the mouse with the button held down, and then
892 releasing the button. On touch surfaces, this term also corresponds to
893 a single one-finger touch-move-release action.
897 Ardour also uses the middle mouse button for certain kinds of drags,
898 which will be referred to as <dfn>middle-drag</dfn>.
904 There are many actions in Ardour that can be carried out using a mouse
905 button in combination with a <dfn>modifier key</dfn>. When the manual
906 refers to <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd>, it means that you should first
907 press the <kbd class="mod1"></kbd> key, carry out a left click
908 while <kbd class="mod1"></kbd> is held down, and then finally release the key.
912 Available modifiers depend on your platform:
915 <h3>Linux Modifiers</h3>
918 <li><kbd>Ctrl</kbd> (Control)</li>
919 <li><kbd>Shift</kbd></li>
920 <li><kbd>Alt</kbd></li>
921 <li><kbd>Mod2</kbd></li>
922 <li><kbd>Mod3</kbd></li>
923 <li><kbd>Mod4</kbd></li>
924 <li><kbd>Mod5</kbd></li>
928 The following section is almost certainly wrong. Will need to be checked
933 Mod2 typically corresponds to the <kbd>NumLock</kbd> key on many systems.
934 On most Linux systems, there are no keys that will function as modifiers
935 Mod3, Mod4 or Mod5 by default, but they can be setup using
936 <dfn>xmodmap(1)</dfn>. This can be rather useful.
939 <h3>OS X Modifiers</h3>
942 <li><kbd>Cmd</kbd> (Command, "windmill")</li>
943 <li><kbd>Ctrl</kbd> (Control)</li>
944 <li><kbd>Alt</kbd> (Option)</li>
945 <li><kbd>Shift</kbd></li>
948 <h2>Scroll Wheel</h2>
951 Ardour can make good use of a <dfn>scroll wheel</dfn> on your mouse, which can be
952 utilized for a variety of purposes. Scroll wheels generate vertical
953 scroll events, <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> (ScrollUp) and
954 <kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> (ScrollDown). Some also emit horizontal
955 events, <kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd> (ScrollLeft) and
956 <kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd> (ScrollRight).
960 When appropriate, Ardour will differentiate between these two different
961 scroll axes. Otherwise it will interpret ScrollDown and ScrollLeft as
962 equivalent and similarly interpret ScrollUp and ScrollRight as equivalent.
966 Typically, scroll wheel input is used to adjust
967 <dfn>continuous controls</dfn> such as faders and knobs, or to scroll
968 vertically or horizontally inside a window.
971 <p class="fixme">Should add some mention of drag & drop operations; the "Dragging" section above doesn't mention it at all.</p>
974 title: Cut and Paste Operations
979 The <dfn>clipboard</dfn> is a holder for various kinds of objects (regions,
980 control events, plugins) that is used during <dfn>cut-and-paste
987 A <dfn>cut</dfn> operation removes selected objects and places them in the
988 clipboard. The existing contents of the clipboard are overwriten.<br />
989 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.
995 A <dfn>copy</dfn> of the selected objects are placed in clipboard. There is
996 no effect on the selected objects themselves. The existing contents of the
997 clipboard are overwritten. <br />
998 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">c</kbd>.
1004 The current contents of the clipboard are <dfn>paste</dfn>d (inserted)
1005 into the session, using the current <dfn>edit point</dfn> as the
1006 destination. The contents of the clipboard remain unchanged—you
1007 can paste the same item multiple times. <br />
1008 The default key binding is <kbd class="mod1">v</kbd>.
1012 title: Deleting Objects
1017 Within the Editor window (and to some extent within the Mixer window too),
1018 there are several techniques for <dfn>deleting</dfn> objects (regions,
1019 control points, and more).
1022 <h2>Using the mouse and keyboard</h2>
1024 Select the object(s) and then press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key.
1025 This does <strong>not</strong> put the deleted object(s) into the cut
1026 buffer, so they cannot be pasted elsewhere.
1029 <h2>Using normal cut and paste shortcuts</h2>
1031 Select the object(s) and then press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>. This puts
1032 the deleted object(s) into the cut buffer so that they could be pasted
1036 <h2>Using just the mouse</h2>
1038 By default, <kbd class="mouse">Shift Right</kbd> will delete the
1039 clicked-upon object. Like the Del key, this does <strong>not</strong>
1040 put the deleted object(s) into the cut buffer.
1043 The modifier and mouse button used for this can be controlled via
1044 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction >
1045 Delete using ...</kbd>. Any modifier and mouse button combination can
1051 title: Starting Ardour
1056 There are several ways of <dfn>starting Ardour</dfn>, which may vary
1057 depending on which platform you are using it.
1061 <li>double-click the Ardour icon in your platform's file manager (e.g.
1062 Nautilus on Linux, Finder on OS X)</li>
1063 <li>double click on an Ardour session file in your platform's file manager</li>
1064 <li>on Linux, you can also start Ardour <a
1065 href="/ardours-interface/starting-ardour/starting-ardour-from-the-command-line">on the command line</a></li>
1069 When Ardour is run for the very first time, a special dialog is displayed
1070 that will ask you several questions about your setup. You will not be asked
1071 these questions again, but you can always modify your choices via the
1072 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences</kbd> dialog.
1076 If you want to use JACK, in general, it is sensible to start <em>before</em> you run Ardour. This is not necessary, but will provide you with more control and options over JACK's operation. You can start JACK through its <abbr title="Command Line Interface">CLI</abbr>, or using a <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr> program, like <a href="https://qjackctl.sourceforge.io/">QjackCtl</a> or <a href="http://kxstudio.linuxaudio.org/Applications:Cadence">Cadence</a>.
1080 If you open Ardour without specifying an existing session it will display
1081 the <kbd class="menu">Session > New...</kbd> dialog and the <kbd class="menu">Audio/MIDI Setup</kbd> dialog. See <a href="/working-with-sessions/new-session-dialog/">New/Open Session Dialog</a> for a description of those dialogs.
1085 title: Starting Ardour From the Command Line (Linux)
1086 menu_title: Starting from Linux Cmdline
1091 Like (almost) any other program on Linux, Ardour can be started on the
1092 command line. Type the following command in a terminal window:
1094 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5</kbd>
1096 To start Ardour with an existing session:
1098 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5 <em>/path/to/session</em></kbd>
1100 replacing /path/to/session with the actual path to your session. You can
1101 specify either the session folder or any session file inside the folder,
1102 including snapshots.
1105 To start Ardour with a new, named session:
1107 <kbd class="cmd lin">ardour5 -N <em>/path/to/session</em></kbd>
1109 <h3>Other Command Line Options</h3>
1113 title: Keyboard and Mouse Shortcuts
1119 title: Default Keyboard Bindings
1120 menu_title: Key Bindings
1125 Almost every available function in Ardour can be bound to a keyboard
1126 shortcut (and those few that cannot will usually respond to an <a
1127 href="/using-control-surfaces/controlling-ardour-with-osc/"><abbr
1128 title="Open Sound Control">OSC</abbr> command</a>). Ardour comes with a
1129 rich set of default <dfn>key bindings</dfn> for the most commonly used
1133 <p>These bindings strive to be <dfn>mnemonic</dfn>, that is, easy and intuitive
1134 to remember, and follow widely accepted conventions. As a general rule,
1135 the first letter of an operation will be used for as a shortcut, if
1136 available. This does not necessarily lead to the best ergonomics for
1137 rapid editing—there are alternative binding sets for that—but it does make it simpler for newcomers to remember some of the most
1138 useful ones, for example<br />
1139 <kbd>S</kbd> for <kbd class="menu">Region > Edit > Split"</kbd>
1141 <kbd>P</kbd> for <kbd class="menu">Transport > Playhead > Playhead to Mouse</kbd>.
1145 Almost every key binding in Ardour can be changed in <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings</kbd>.
1149 The conventions for using modifier keys (<kbd class="mod1">‌</kbd>, <kbd
1150 class="mod2">‌</kbd>, <kbd class="mod3">‌</kbd> etc.) differ among platforms, so we provide different default bindings for each.
1154 title: Mnemonic Bindings for Linux
1160 A printable cheat-sheet with the mnemonic bindings for <dfn>Linux</dfn>
1161 is available for download in
1162 <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheatsheet.pdf">US Letter</a> and
1163 <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheatsheet-a4.pdf">A4</a> paper format.
1167 This set of bindings assumes an en_US keyboard. However, most if not all
1168 bindings will also work on other keyboards when you use the
1169 <kbd>AltGr</kbd> to compose those glyphs that are not directly accessible.
1172 <h2>Transport & Recording Control</h2>
1174 <dl class="bindings">
1175 <dt>destroy last recording</dt>
1176 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Del</kbd></dd>
1177 <dt>engage record</dt>
1178 <dd><kbd class="mod3">r</kbd></dd>
1179 <dt>fast forward</dt>
1180 <dd><kbd class="mod3">→</kbd></dd>
1181 <dt>loop play (the loop range)</dt>
1182 <dd><kbd class="">l</kbd></dd>
1184 <dd><kbd class="mod3">←</kbd></dd>
1185 <dt>set playhead position</dt>
1186 <dd><kbd class="">p</kbd></dd>
1187 <dt>start recording</dt>
1188 <dd><kbd class="mod3">Space</kbd></dd>
1189 <dt>stop (keep loop/range play)</dt>
1190 <dd><kbd class="mod12">Space</kbd></dd>
1191 <dt>stop and destroy</dt>
1192 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Space</kbd></dd>
1193 <dt>toggle auto play</dt>
1194 <dd><kbd class="">5</kbd></dd>
1195 <dt>toggle auto return</dt>
1196 <dd><kbd class="">6</kbd></dd>
1197 <dt>toggle click (metronome)</dt>
1198 <dd><kbd class="">7</kbd></dd>
1199 <dt>toggle playhead follows edits</dt>
1200 <dd><kbd class="mod3">F</kbd></dd>
1201 <dt>toggle playhead tracking</dt>
1202 <dd><kbd class="mod1">F</kbd></dd>
1203 <dt>toggle roll</dt>
1204 <dd><kbd class="">Space</kbd></dd>
1205 <dt>toggle selected track rec-enable </dt>
1206 <dd><kbd class="mod3">b</kbd></dd>
1207 <dt>toggle selected track solo status</dt>
1208 <dd><kbd class="mod2">s</kbd></dd>
1209 <dt>transition to reverse</dt>
1210 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↓</kbd></dd>
1211 <dt>transition to roll</dt>
1212 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↑</kbd></dd>
1215 <h2>Session & File Handling</h2>
1217 <dl class="bindings">
1218 <dt>add track(s) or bus(ses)</dt>
1219 <dd><kbd class="mod13">n</kbd></dd>
1220 <dt>export session</dt>
1221 <dd><kbd class="mod4">e</kbd></dd>
1222 <dt>import audio files</dt>
1223 <dd><kbd class="mod1">i</kbd></dd>
1224 <dt>open a new session</dt>
1225 <dd><kbd class="mod1">n</kbd></dd>
1226 <dt>open a recent session</dt>
1227 <dd><kbd class="mod13">o</kbd></dd>
1228 <dt>open an existing session</dt>
1229 <dd><kbd class="mod1">o</kbd></dd>
1231 <dd><kbd class="mod1">q</kbd></dd>
1232 <dt>save session</dt>
1233 <dd><kbd class="mod1">s</kbd></dd>
1234 <dt>snapshot session</dt>
1235 <dd><kbd class="mod13">s</kbd></dd>
1236 <dt>toggle selected track MIDI input</dt>
1237 <dd><kbd class="mod2">i</kbd></dd>
1240 <h2>Changing What's Visible</h2>
1242 <dl class="bindings">
1243 <dt>fit tracks vertically</dt>
1244 <dd><kbd class="">f</kbd></dd>
1245 <dt>move selected tracks down</dt>
1246 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dd>
1247 <dt>move selected tracks up</dt>
1248 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dd>
1249 <dt>scroll down (page)</dt>
1250 <dd><kbd class="">PgDn</kbd></dd>
1251 <dt>scroll down (step)</dt>
1252 <dd><kbd class="">↓</kbd></dd>
1253 <dt>scroll up (page)</dt>
1254 <dd><kbd class="">PgUp</kbd></dd>
1255 <dt>scroll up (step)</dt>
1256 <dd><kbd class="">↑</kbd></dd>
1257 <dt>toggle editor window mixer</dt>
1258 <dd><kbd class="mod3">e</kbd></dd>
1259 <dt>visual undo</dt>
1260 <dd><kbd class="mod3">z</kbd></dd>
1261 <dt>zoom height to selected region(s)</dt>
1262 <dd><kbd class="mod12">z</kbd></dd>
1263 <dt>zoom height and time to selected region</dt>
1264 <dd><kbd class="mod2">z</kbd></dd>
1266 <dd><kbd class="">=</kbd></dd>
1268 <dd><kbd class="">-</kbd></dd>
1271 <h2>Window Visibility</h2>
1273 <dl class="bindings">
1274 <dt>toggle locations dialog</dt>
1275 <dd><kbd class="mod2">l</kbd>(ell)</dd>
1276 <dt>focus on main clock</dt>
1277 <dd><kbd class="kp">÷</kbd></dd>
1278 <dt>maximise editor space</dt>
1279 <dd><kbd class="mod12">f</kbd></dd>
1280 <dt>switch between editor & mixer window</dt>
1281 <dd><kbd class="mod2">m</kbd></dd>
1282 <dt>show rhythm ferret window </dt>
1283 <dd><kbd class="mod2">f</kbd></dd>
1284 <dt>toggle big clock</dt>
1285 <dd><kbd class="mod2">b</kbd></dd>
1286 <dt>toggle color manager</dt>
1287 <dd><kbd class="mod2">c</kbd></dd>
1288 <dt>toggle editor window</dt>
1289 <dd><kbd class="mod2">e</kbd></dd>
1290 <dt>toggle global audio patchbay</dt>
1291 <dd><kbd class="mod2">p</kbd></dd>
1292 <dt>toggle global midi patchbay</dt>
1293 <dd><kbd class="mod23">p</kbd></dd>
1294 <dt>toggle key bindings editor</dt>
1295 <dd><kbd class="mod2">k</kbd></dd>
1296 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1297 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1298 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1299 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1302 <h2>Editing with Edit Point</h2>
1305 Most edit functions operate on a single <dfn>Edit Point</dfn> (EP). The edit
1306 point can be any of: playhead (default), the mouse or an active marker.
1307 The choice of edit point (by default) also sets the <dfn>Zoom Focus</dfn>.
1310 <dl class="bindings">
1311 <dt>EP to next region sync</dt>
1312 <dd><kbd class="">;</kbd></dd>
1313 <dt>EP to prev region sync</dt>
1314 <dd><kbd class="">'</kbd></dd>
1315 <dt>cycle to next grid snap mode</dt>
1316 <dd><kbd class="">2</kbd></dd>
1317 <dt>cycle to next zoom focus</dt>
1318 <dd><kbd class="">1</kbd></dd>
1319 <dt>insert from region list</dt>
1320 <dd><kbd class="">i</kbd></dd>
1321 <dt>insert time</dt>
1322 <dd><kbd class="mod1">t</kbd></dd>
1323 <dt>move EP to playhead</dt>
1324 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↵</kbd></dd>
1325 <dt>next EP w/marker</dt>
1326 <dd><kbd class="mod1">`</kbd></dd>
1327 <dt>next EP w/o marker</dt>
1328 <dd><kbd class="">`</kbd></dd>
1330 <dd><kbd class="">k</kbd></dd>
1332 <dd><kbd class="">j</kbd></dd>
1333 <dt>trim region end to edit point</dt>
1334 <dd><kbd class="mod3">}</kbd></dd>
1335 <dt>trim region start to edit point</dt>
1336 <dd><kbd class="mod3">{</kbd></dd>
1337 <dt>trim region to end of prev region</dt>
1338 <dd><kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dd>
1339 <dt>trim region to start of next region</dt>
1340 <dd><kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dd>
1341 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1342 <dd><kbd class="">3</kbd></dd>
1343 <dt>use next grid unit</dt>
1344 <dd><kbd class="">4</kbd></dd>
1345 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1346 <dd><kbd class="mod1">3</kbd></dd>
1347 <dt>use next musical grid unit</dt>
1348 <dd><kbd class="mod1">4</kbd></dd>
1351 <h2>Aligning with the Edit Point</h2>
1354 <dfn>Align operations</dfn> move regions so that their start/end/sync
1355 point is at the edit point. <dfn>Relative</dfn> operations just align the first
1356 region and moves other selected regions to maintain relative positioning.
1359 <dl class="bindings">
1360 <dt>align end(s)</dt>
1361 <dd><kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dd>
1362 <dt>align start(s)</dt>
1363 <dd><kbd class="mod14">a</kbd></dd>
1364 <dt>align start(s) relative</dt>
1365 <dd><kbd class="mod4">a</kbd></dd>
1366 <dt>align sync points</dt>
1367 <dd><kbd class="mod3">a</kbd></dd>
1368 <dt>align sync points (relative)</dt>
1369 <dd><kbd class="">a</kbd></dd>
1370 <dt>range end to next prev edge</dt>
1371 <dd><kbd class="mod1">></kbd></dd>
1372 <dt>range end to next region edge</dt>
1373 <dd><kbd class="">></kbd></dd>
1374 <dt>range start to next region edge</dt>
1375 <dd><kbd class="mod1"><</kbd></dd>
1376 <dt>range start to prev region edge</dt>
1377 <dd><kbd class=""><</kbd></dd>
1380 <h2>Edit Point Playback</h2>
1382 <dl class="bindings">
1383 <dt>play edit range</dt>
1384 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Space</kbd></dd>
1385 <dt>play from EP & return</dt>
1386 <dd><kbd class="mod4">Space</kbd></dd>
1387 <dt>play selected region(s)</dt>
1388 <dd><kbd class="">h</kbd></dd>
1390 <h2>Region Operations</h2>
1392 <dl class="bindings">
1393 <dt>duplicate region (multi)</dt>
1394 <dd><kbd class="mod3">d</kbd></dd>
1395 <dt>duplicate region (once)</dt>
1396 <dd><kbd class="mod2">d</kbd></dd>
1397 <dt>export selected region(s)</dt>
1398 <dd><kbd class="mod14">e</kbd></dd>
1399 <dt>increase region gain</dt>
1400 <dd><kbd class="">^</kbd></dd>
1401 <dt>move to original position</dt>
1402 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1403 <dt>mute/unmute</dt>
1404 <dd><kbd class="mod1">m</kbd></dd>
1406 <dd><kbd class="">n</kbd></dd>
1407 <dt>nudge backward</dt>
1408 <dd><kbd class="kp">–</kbd></dd>
1409 <dt>nudge forward</dt>
1410 <dd><kbd class="kp">+</kbd></dd>
1411 <dt>quantize MIDI notes </dt>
1412 <dd><kbd class="">q</kbd></dd>
1413 <dt>reduce region gain</dt>
1414 <dd><kbd class="">&</kbd></dd>
1416 <dd><kbd class="mod2">r</kbd></dd>
1417 <dt>set fade in length</dt>
1418 <dd><kbd class="">/</kbd></dd>
1419 <dt>set fade out length</dt>
1420 <dd><kbd class="">\</kbd></dd>
1421 <dt>set region sync point</dt>
1422 <dd><kbd class="">v</kbd></dd>
1424 <dd><kbd class="">s</kbd></dd>
1425 <dt>toggle fade in active</dt>
1426 <dd><kbd class="mod1">/</kbd></dd>
1427 <dt>toggle fade out active</dt>
1428 <dd><kbd class="mod1">\</kbd></dd>
1430 <dd><kbd class="mod2">t</kbd></dd>
1433 <h2>Generic Editing</h2>
1435 <dl class="bindings">
1437 <dd><kbd class="mod1">c</kbd></dd>
1439 <dd><kbd class="mod1">x</kbd></dd>
1441 <dd><kbd class="">Del</kbd></dd>
1443 <dd><kbd class="mod1">v</kbd></dd>
1445 <dd><kbd class="mod1">r</kbd></dd>
1447 <dd><kbd class="mod1">z</kbd></dd>
1453 There are a few functions that refer to an <dfn>Edit Range</dfn>. The
1454 current edit range is defined using combinations of the possible edit
1455 points: <dfn>playhead</dfn>, <dfn>active marker</dfn>, or <dfn>mouse</dfn>.
1458 <dl class="bindings">
1459 <dt>all after playhead</dt>
1460 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1461 <dt>all before playhead</dt>
1462 <dd><kbd class="mod1">p</kbd></dd>
1463 <dt>all enclosed by edit range</dt>
1464 <dd><kbd class="mod1">u</kbd></dd>
1465 <dt>all present in edit range</dt>
1466 <dd><kbd class="">u</kbd></dd>
1467 <dt>convert edit range to range</dt>
1468 <dd><kbd class="">F6</kbd></dd>
1469 <dt>invert selection</dt>
1470 <dd><kbd class="mod3">i</kbd></dd>
1471 <dt>select all after EP</dt>
1472 <dd><kbd class="mod13">e</kbd></dd>
1473 <dt>select all before EP</dt>
1474 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1475 <dt>select all in loop range</dt>
1476 <dd><kbd class="mod1">l</kbd></dd>
1477 <dt>select all in punch range</dt>
1478 <dd><kbd class="mod1">d</kbd></dd>
1479 <dt>select everything</dt>
1480 <dd><kbd class="mod1">a</kbd></dd>
1481 <dt>select next track/bus</dt>
1482 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↓</kbd></dd>
1483 <dt>select previous track/bus</dt>
1484 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dd>
1487 <h2>Defining Loop, Punch Range and Tempo Changes</h2>
1489 <dl class="bindings">
1490 <dt>set loop range from edit range</dt>
1491 <dd><kbd class="">]</kbd></dd>
1492 <dt>set loop range from region(s)</dt>
1493 <dd><kbd class="mod2">]</kbd></dd>
1494 <dt>set punch range from edit range</dt>
1495 <dd><kbd class="">[</kbd></dd>
1496 <dt>set punch range from region(s)</dt>
1497 <dd><kbd class="mod2">[</kbd></dd>
1498 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from edit range</dt>
1499 <dd><kbd class="">0</kbd></dd>
1500 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from region(s)</dt>
1501 <dd><kbd class="">9</kbd></dd>
1505 title: Mnemonic Bindings for OS X
1510 A <a href="/files/a3_mnemonic_cheat_sheet_osx.pdf">printable cheat sheet</a>
1511 for these bindings is available for download.
1514 <h2>Transport & Recording Control</h2>
1515 <dl class="bindings">
1516 <dt>destroy last recording</dt>
1517 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Del</kbd></dd>
1518 <dt>engage record</dt>
1519 <dd><kbd class="mod3">r</kbd></dd>
1520 <dt>fast forward</dt>
1521 <dd><kbd class="mod3">→</kbd></dd>
1522 <dt>loop play (the loop range)</dt>
1523 <dd><kbd class="">l</kbd></dd>
1525 <dd><kbd class="mod3">←</kbd></dd>
1526 <dt>set playhead position</dt>
1527 <dd><kbd class="">p</kbd></dd>
1528 <dt>start recording</dt>
1529 <dd><kbd class="mod3">space</kbd></dd>
1530 <dt>stop (keep loop/range play)</dt>
1531 <dd><kbd class="mod12">space</kbd></dd>
1532 <dt>stop and destroy</dt>
1533 <dd><kbd class="mod1">space</kbd></dd>
1534 <dt>toggle auto play</dt>
1535 <dd><kbd class="">5</kbd></dd>
1536 <dt>toggle auto return</dt>
1537 <dd><kbd class="">6</kbd></dd>
1538 <dt>toggle click (metronome)</dt>
1539 <dd><kbd class="">7</kbd></dd>
1540 <dt>toggle playhead follows edits</dt>
1541 <dd><kbd class="mod3">f</kbd></dd>
1542 <dt>toggle playhead tracking</dt>
1543 <dd><kbd class="mod1">f</kbd></dd>
1544 <dt>toggle roll</dt>
1545 <dd><kbd class="">space</kbd></dd>
1546 <dt>toggle track rec-enable </dt>
1547 <dd><kbd class="mod3">b</kbd></dd>
1548 <dt>toggle track solo status</dt>
1549 <dd><kbd class="mod2">s</kbd></dd>
1550 <dt>transition to reverse</dt>
1551 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↓</kbd></dd>
1552 <dt>transition to roll</dt>
1553 <dd><kbd class="mod3">↑</kbd></dd>
1555 <h2>Session & File Handling</h2>
1556 <dl class="bindings">
1557 <dt>add track(s) or bus(ses)</dt>
1558 <dd><kbd class="mod13">n</kbd></dd>
1559 <dt>export session</dt>
1560 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1561 <dt>import audio files</dt>
1562 <dd><kbd class="mod1">i</kbd></dd>
1563 <dt>open a new session</dt>
1564 <dd><kbd class="mod1">n</kbd></dd>
1565 <dt>open a recent session</dt>
1566 <dd><kbd class="mod13">o</kbd></dd>
1567 <dt>open an existing session</dt>
1568 <dd><kbd class="mod1">o</kbd></dd>
1570 <dd><kbd class="mod1">q</kbd></dd>
1571 <dt>save session</dt>
1572 <dd><kbd class="mod1">s</kbd></dd>
1573 <dt>snapshot session</dt>
1574 <dd><kbd class="mod13">s</kbd></dd>
1575 <dt>toggle sel. track MIDI input</dt>
1576 <dd><kbd class="mod2">i</kbd></dd>
1578 <h2>Changing What's Visible</h2>
1579 <dl class="bindings">
1580 <dt>fit tracks vertically</dt>
1581 <dd><kbd class="">f</kbd></dd>
1582 <dt>move selected tracks down</dt>
1583 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dd>
1584 <dt>move selected tracks up</dt>
1585 <dd><kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dd>
1586 <dt>scroll down (page)</dt>
1587 <dd><kbd class="">PgDn</kbd></dd>
1588 <dt>scroll down (step)</dt>
1589 <dd><kbd class="">↓</kbd></dd>
1590 <dt>scroll up (page)</dt>
1591 <dd><kbd class="">PageUp</kbd></dd>
1592 <dt>scroll up (step)</dt>
1593 <dd><kbd class="">↑</kbd></dd>
1594 <dt>toggle editor window mixer</dt>
1595 <dd><kbd class="mod3">e</kbd></dd>
1596 <dt>toggle last 2 zoom states</dt>
1597 <dd><kbd class="mod3">z</kbd></dd>
1598 <dt>zoom height to selected region(s)</dt>
1599 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Control+z</kbd></dd>
1600 <dt>zoom height and time to selected region</dt>
1601 <dd><kbd class="mod2">z</kbd></dd>
1603 <dd><kbd class="">=</kbd></dd>
1605 <dd><kbd class="">-</kbd></dd>
1607 <h2>Window Visibility</h2>
1608 <dl class="bindings">
1609 <dt>toggle locations dialog</dt>
1610 <dd><kbd class="mod2">l</kbd></dd>
1611 <dt>focus on main clock</dt>
1612 <dd><kbd class="kp">÷</kbd></dd>
1613 <dt>maximise editor space</dt>
1614 <dd><kbd class="mod12">f</kbd></dd>
1615 <dt>rotate editor & mixer window</dt>
1616 <dd><kbd class="mod2">m</kbd></dd>
1617 <dt>show rhythm ferret window </dt>
1618 <dd><kbd class="mod2">f</kbd></dd>
1619 <dt>toggle big clock</dt>
1620 <dd><kbd class="mod2">b</kbd></dd>
1621 <dt>toggle color manager</dt>
1622 <dd><kbd class="mod2">c</kbd></dd>
1623 <dt>toggle editor window</dt>
1624 <dd><kbd class="mod2">e</kbd></dd>
1625 <dt>toggle global audio patchbay</dt>
1626 <dd><kbd class="mod2">p</kbd></dd>
1627 <dt>toggle global midi patchbay</dt>
1628 <dd><kbd class="mod23">p</kbd></dd>
1629 <dt>toggle key bindings editor</dt>
1630 <dd><kbd class="mod2">k</kbd></dd>
1631 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1632 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1633 <dt>toggle preferences dialog</dt>
1634 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1637 <h2>Editing with Edit Point</h2>
1639 Most edit functions operate on a single <dfn>Edit Point</dfn> (EP). The
1641 point can be any of: playhead (default), the mouse or an active marker.
1642 The choice of edit point (by default) also sets the <dfn>Zoom Focus</dfn>.
1645 <dl class="bindings">
1646 <dt>EP to next region sync</dt>
1647 <dd><kbd class="">;</kbd></dd>
1648 <dt>EP to prev region sync</dt>
1649 <dd><kbd class="">'</kbd></dd>
1650 <dt>cycle to next grid snap mode</dt>
1651 <dd><kbd class="">2</kbd></dd>
1652 <dt>cycle to next zoom focus</dt>
1653 <dd><kbd class="">1</kbd></dd>
1654 <dt>insert from region list</dt>
1655 <dd><kbd class="">i</kbd></dd>
1656 <dt>insert time</dt>
1657 <dd><kbd class="mod1">t</kbd></dd>
1658 <dt>move EP to playhead</dt>
1659 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Return</kbd></dd>
1660 <dt>next EP w/marker</dt>
1661 <dd><kbd class="mod1">^</kbd></dd>
1662 <dt>next EP w/o marker</dt>
1663 <dd><kbd class="">`</kbd></dd>
1665 <dd><kbd class="">k</kbd></dd>
1667 <dd><kbd class="">j</kbd></dd>
1668 <dt>trim region end to edit point</dt>
1669 <dd><kbd class="mod3">}</kbd></dd>
1670 <dt>trim region start to edit point</dt>
1671 <dd><kbd class="mod3">{</kbd></dd>
1672 <dt>trim region to end of prev region</dt>
1673 <dd><kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dd>
1674 <dt>trim region to start of next region</dt>
1675 <dd><kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dd>
1676 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1677 <dd><kbd class="">3</kbd></dd>
1678 <dt>use next grid unit</dt>
1679 <dd><kbd class="">4</kbd></dd>
1680 <dt>use previous grid unit</dt>
1681 <dd><kbd class="mod1">3</kbd></dd>
1682 <dt>use next musical grid unit</dt>
1683 <dd><kbd class="mod1">4</kbd></dd>
1686 <h2>Aligning with the Edit Point</h2>
1688 <dfn>Align operations</dfn> move regions so that their start/end/sync
1689 point is at the edit point. <dfn>Relative</dfn> operations just align
1690 the first region and moves other selected regions to maintain relative
1694 <dl class="bindings">
1695 <dt>align end(s)</dt>
1696 <dd><kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dd>
1697 <dt>align start(s)</dt>
1699 <dt>align start(s) relative</dt>
1700 <dd><kbd class=""></kbd></dd>
1701 <dt>align sync points</dt>
1702 <dd><kbd class="mod3">a</kbd></dd>
1703 <dt>align sync points (relative)</dt>
1704 <dd><kbd class="">a</kbd></dd>
1705 <dt>range end to next prev edge</dt>
1706 <dd><kbd class="mod1">></kbd></dd>
1707 <dt>range end to next region edge</dt>
1708 <dd><kbd class="">></kbd></dd>
1709 <dt>range start to next region edge</dt>
1710 <dd><kbd class="mod1"><</kbd></dd>
1711 <dt>range start to prev region edge</dt>
1712 <dd><kbd class=""><</kbd></dd>
1715 <h2>Edit Point Playback</h2>
1717 <dl class="bindings">
1718 <dt>play edit range</dt>
1719 <dd><kbd class="mod2">Space</kbd></dd>
1720 <dt>play from EP & return</dt>
1721 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Space</kbd></dd>
1722 <dt>play selected region(s)</dt>
1723 <dd><kbd class="">h</kbd></dd>
1725 <h2>Region Operations</h2>
1726 <dl class="bindings">
1727 <dt>duplicate region (multi)</dt>
1728 <dd><kbd class="mod3">d</kbd></dd>
1729 <dt>duplicate region (once)</dt>
1730 <dd><kbd class="mod2">d</kbd></dd>
1731 <dt>export selected region(s)</dt>
1733 <dt>increase region gain</dt>
1734 <dd><kbd class="">^</kbd></dd>
1735 <dt>move to original position</dt>
1736 <dd><kbd class="mod2">o</kbd></dd>
1737 <dt>mute/unmute</dt>
1738 <dd><kbd class="mod1">m</kbd></dd>
1740 <dd><kbd class="">n</kbd></dd>
1741 <dt>nudge backward</dt>
1742 <dd><kbd class="kp">–</kbd></dd>
1743 <dt>nudge forward</dt>
1744 <dd><kbd class="kp">+</kbd></dd>
1745 <dt>quantize MIDI notes </dt>
1746 <dd><kbd class="">q</kbd></dd>
1747 <dt>reduce region gain</dt>
1748 <dd><kbd class="">&</kbd></dd>
1750 <dd><kbd class="mod2">r</kbd></dd>
1751 <dt>set fade in length</dt>
1752 <dd><kbd class="">/</kbd></dd>
1753 <dt>set fade out length</dt>
1754 <dd><kbd class="">\</kbd></dd>
1755 <dt>set region sync point</dt>
1756 <dd><kbd class="">v</kbd></dd>
1758 <dd><kbd class="">s</kbd></dd>
1759 <dt>toggle fade in active</dt>
1760 <dd><kbd class="mod1">/</kbd></dd>
1761 <dt>toggle fade out active</dt>
1762 <dd><kbd class="mod1">\</kbd></dd>
1764 <dd><kbd class="mod2">t</kbd></dd>
1767 <h2>Generic Editing</h2>
1769 <dl class="bindings">
1771 <dd><kbd class="mod1">c</kbd></dd>
1773 <dd><kbd class="mod1">x</kbd></dd>
1775 <dd><kbd class="">Del</kbd></dd>
1777 <dd><kbd class="mod1">v</kbd></dd>
1779 <dd><kbd class="mod1">r</kbd></dd>
1781 <dd><kbd class="mod1">z</kbd></dd>
1786 There are a few functions that refer to an <dfn>Edit Range</dfn>. The
1787 current edit range is defined using combinations of the possible edit
1788 points: <dfn>playhead</dfn>, <dfn>active marker</dfn>, or<dfn>mouse</dfn>.
1791 <dl class="bindings">
1792 <dt>all after playhead</dt>
1793 <dd><kbd class="mod13">p</kbd></dd>
1794 <dt>all before playhead</dt>
1795 <dd><kbd class="mod1">p</kbd></dd>
1796 <dt>all enclosed by edit range</dt>
1797 <dd><kbd class="mod1">u</kbd></dd>
1798 <dt>all present in edit range</dt>
1799 <dd><kbd class="">u</kbd></dd>
1800 <dt>convert edit range to range</dt>
1801 <dd><kbd class="">F6</kbd></dd>
1802 <dt>invert selection</dt>
1803 <dd><kbd class="mod3">i</kbd></dd>
1804 <dt>select all after EP</dt>
1805 <dd><kbd class="mod1">Shift+e</kbd></dd>
1806 <dt>select all before EP</dt>
1807 <dd><kbd class="mod1">e</kbd></dd>
1808 <dt>select all in loop range</dt>
1809 <dd><kbd class="mod1">l</kbd></dd>
1810 <dt>select all in punch range</dt>
1811 <dd><kbd class="mod1">d</kbd></dd>
1812 <dt>select everything</dt>
1813 <dd><kbd class="mod1">a</kbd></dd>
1814 <dt>select next track/bus</dt>
1815 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↓</kbd></dd>
1816 <dt>select previous track/bus</dt>
1817 <dd><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dd>
1819 <h2>Defining Loop, Punch Range and Tempo Changes</h2>
1820 <dl class="bindings">
1821 <dt>set loop range from edit range</dt>
1822 <dd><kbd class="">]</kbd></dd>
1823 <dt>set loop range from region(s)</dt>
1824 <dd><kbd class="mod2">]</kbd></dd>
1825 <dt>set punch range from edit range</dt>
1826 <dd><kbd class="">[</kbd></dd>
1827 <dt>set punch range from region(s)</dt>
1828 <dd><kbd class="mod2">[</kbd></dd>
1829 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from edit range</dt>
1830 <dd><kbd class="">0</kbd></dd>
1831 <dt>set tempo (1 bar) from region(s)</dt>
1832 <dd><kbd class="">9</kbd></dd>
1837 title: System Configuration
1843 title: Ardour Systems
1849 title: The Right Computer System for Digital Audio
1850 menu_title: The Right Computer System
1855 It would be nice to think that you could just go and buy any computer,
1856 install a bit of software on it and start using it to record and create
1857 music. This idea isn't wrong, but there some important details that it
1861 Any computer that you can buy today (since somewhere around the end of
1862 2012) is capable of recording and processing a lot of audio data. It
1863 will come with a builtin audio interface that can accept inputs from
1864 microphones or electrical instruments. It will have a disk with a huge
1865 amount of space for storing audio files.
1868 When you are recording, editing and mixing music, you generally want to
1869 work with very little <dfn>latency</dfn> between the time that
1870 a sound is generated and when you can hear it. When the audio signal
1871 flows through a computer, that means that the computer has to be able to
1872 receive the signal, process it and send it back out again as fast as
1874 And that is where it becomes very important <em>what</em> computer system
1875 you have, because it is <strong>absolutely not</strong> the case that any
1876 computer can do this job well.
1879 Routing audio through a computer will always cause some delay, but if it
1880 is small, you will generally never notice it. There are also ways to work
1881 in which the delay does not matter at all (for example, not sending the
1882 output from the computer to speakers).
1885 The latency that you want for working with digital audio is typically in
1886 the 1–5 ms range. For comparison, if you are sitting 1 m
1887 (3 ft) from your speakers, the time the sound takes to reach your
1888 ears is about 3 ms. Any modern computer can limit the delay to
1889 100 ms. Most can keep it under 50 ms. Many will be able to get
1890 down to 10 ms without too much effort. If you try to reduce the delay
1891 on a computer that cannot meet your goal, you will get clicks and
1892 glitches in the audio, which is clearly extremely undesirable.
1895 <h2>Hardware-related Considerations</h2>
1896 <dl class="wide-table">
1897 <dt>Video interface</dt>
1898 <dd>Poorly engineered video interfaces (and/or their device drivers) can
1899 "steal" computer resources for a long time, preventing the audio interface
1900 from keeping up with the flow of data</dd>
1901 <dt>Wireless interface</dt>
1902 <dd>Poorly engineered wireless networking interfaces (and/or their device
1903 drivers) can also block the audio interface from keeping up with the flow
1905 <dt><abbr title="Universal Serial Bus">USB</abbr> ports</dt>
1906 <dd>If you are using an audio interface connected via USB, and sometimes
1907 even if you are not, the precise configuration of your system's USB ports
1908 can make a big difference. There are many cases where plugging the
1909 interface into one port will work, but using different USB port results
1910 in much worse performance. This has been seen even on Apple systems.
1912 <dt>Internal USB Hubs</dt>
1913 <dd>Ideally, you'd like your USB ports to all connect directly to the
1914 main bus inside the computer. Some laptops (and possibly some
1915 desktop systems) come wired with an internal USB hub between the
1916 ports and the system bus, which can then cause problems for various
1917 kinds of external USB devices, including some models of audio
1918 interfaces. It is very difficult to discover whether this is true or
1919 not, without simplying trying it out.</dd>
1920 <dt><abbr title="Central Processing Unit">CPU</abbr> speed control</dt>
1921 <dd>Handling audio with low latency requires that your processor keeps
1922 running at its highest speed at all times. Many portable systems try to
1923 regulate processor speed in order to save power—for low latency
1924 audio, you want this totally disabled, either in the BIOS or at the OS
1926 <dt>Excessive Interrupt Sharing</dt>
1927 <dd>If your audio interface is forced by your computer to share an
1928 interrupt line (basically a way to tell the CPU that something needs
1929 its attention) with too many, or the wrong, other devices, this can also
1930 prevent the audio interface from keeping up with the flow of data. In
1931 laptops it is generally impossible to do anything about this. In many
1932 desktop systems, it is possible at the BIOS level to reassign interrupts
1933 to work around the problem.</dd>
1934 <dt><abbr title="System Management Interrupt">SMI</abbr>s</dt>
1935 <dd>SMIs are interrupts sent by the motherboard to tell the computer
1936 about the state of various hardware. They cannot safely be disabled,
1937 but they can also take a relatively long time to process. It is better
1938 to have a motherboard which never sends SMIs at all— this is
1939 also a requirement for realtime stock trading systems, which have
1940 similar issues with latency.</dd>
1941 <dt>Hyperthreading</dt>
1942 <dd>This technology is becoming less common as actual multi-core CPUs
1943 become the norm, but it still exists and is generally not good for
1944 realtime performance. Sometimes you can disable this in the BIOS,
1945 sometimes you cannot. A processor that uses hyperthreading will be
1946 less stable in very low latency situations than one without.</dd>
1947 <dt>Excessive vibration</dt>
1948 <dd>This doesn't affect the flow of data to/from the audio interface,
1949 but it can cause the flow of data to/from your disk storage to become
1950 <em>much</em> slower. If you are going to use a computer in an
1951 environment with loud live sound (specifically, high bass volume),
1952 make sure to place it so that the disk is not subject to noticeable
1953 vibration. The vibrations will physically displace the head-write
1954 heads of disk, and the resulting errors will force a retry of the
1955 reading from the disk. Retrying over and over massively reduces the
1956 rate at which data can be read from the disk. Avoid this.</dd>
1965 Ardour is designed to work best with a <dfn>three button mouse</dfn>
1966 equipped with a <dfn>scroll wheel</dfn>.
1970 It can be used with a two button mouse or touchpad, but at least two key
1971 operations will not (easily) be available to you:
1975 <li>time-constrained region copying</li>
1976 <li><a href="/using-control-surfaces/midi-learn/"><abbr title="Musical
1977 Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> bindings</a>
1978 created by "learning" them from incoming MIDI data</li>
1982 You are strongly encouraged to invest in a three-button mouse. You will
1983 find that a good quality mouse (especially one with a weighted,
1984 latchable scroll wheel) will make your use of Ardour vastly more
1985 efficient. They are cheap, and time is not.
1989 For more detailed instructions, see
1990 <a href="/ardours-interface/basic-gui-operations/using-the-mouse/">Using the mouse</a>.
2001 title: Setting Up Your System
2006 Using a general purpose computer for recording digital audio is not
2007 trivial. This chapter will guide you through the basic steps and help
2008 you with some of the most common pitfalls on the way to a reliable and
2009 powerful audio workstation.
2013 title: Platform Specifics
2017 <h2>Platform Specifics</h2>
2020 This section of the manual collects together the collective wisdom
2021 of the user community regarding details of using Ardour on various
2031 <dfn>Ubuntu Linux</dfn> is the most popular variety of Linux in use on desktop
2032 and laptop systems. It has the backing of a for-profit corporation
2033 (Canonical Inc.), a defined philosophy and a huge and
2034 worldwide user base. As a result, it is a common platform for people
2035 who want to use Ardour and other tools for music creation and
2039 <h2>High Level Recommendations for Ubuntu Users</h2>
2041 Currently, installing pro audio applications on vanilla Ubuntu requires
2042 some configuration, in order for the user to gain realtime privilege
2044 Ubuntu Studio, which is an official flavor of Ubuntu, and thus shares
2045 the repositories with Ubuntu, has this already configured.
2046 Other distributions, such as KXStudio, and Dreamstudio are largely based
2047 on Ubuntu, and like Ubuntu Studio, has these settings preconfigured, while
2048 also containing customized versions of Ubuntu packages, which often are
2052 <h2>Installing Ardour</h2>
2054 There may be unintended differences, and even bugs in Ubuntu native
2055 packages, as a result of a different building method. For this reason,
2056 Ardour developers highly recommend you to install the official
2057 ready-to-run version of the program that you can get from <a
2058 href="https://community.ardour.org/download">ardour.org</a>, as Ubuntu native
2059 packages are not supported in official Ardour forums or other
2063 Follow these steps to install the latest version of Ardour.
2065 <li>Download the latest release from <a href="https://community.ardour.org/download">
2066 ardour.org</a>.</li>
2067 <li><kbd class="mouse">Right+Click</kbd> the downloaded file and choose
2069 <li>Click the Permissions tab and check the option "Allow this file to
2070 run as a program"</li>
2071 <li>Close the dialog and double-click the file.</li>
2072 <li>Follow the prompts.</li>
2076 <h2>Problems with the interaction between PulseAudio and JACK</h2>
2078 <h3>Background Info</h3>
2080 Like many distributions, Ubuntu has decided to use <dfn>PulseAudio</dfn> as the
2081 default audio system. PulseAudio is a rich and capable system that
2082 provides excellent services for typical users of Linux on the
2083 desktop. However, it is not capable of the type of performance that
2084 tools like Ardour require and in particular does not offer the
2085 possibility of sending audio between applications that can make the
2086 Linux audio environment a very interesting one.
2089 This would not be a problem if it were not for the fact that JACK
2090 will not run correctly (if at all) if it needs to use the same
2091 soundcard/audio interface that PulseAudio is using. And since on
2092 Ubuntu, PulseAudio is configured by default to always use the
2093 (typically single) audio interface on your computer, this is a bit
2097 The developers of JACK and PulseAudio got together in 2009 and
2098 agreed upon a mechanism by which PulseAudio and JACK could cooperate
2099 in their use of a single soundcard. Whether or not PulseAudio is running by
2100 default, when JACK starts up it sends out a request to use the
2101 soundcard. If PulseAudio is running, it will give up its use of the
2102 soundcard to allow JACK to take over (and can optionally be told to
2103 route its own audio through JACK). When JACK finishes, it sends out
2104 another message, and PulseAudio can once again use the soundcard
2107 <h3>What is the problem?</h3>
2109 The specific issues known at this time for all flavors of Ubuntu
2110 12.04 and 12.10 are:
2113 <li>a bug in PulseAudio that causes it not to give up the
2114 soundcard when JACK asks
2115 (<a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/1163638">LP:
2117 fixed in Ubuntu 13.04).</li>
2122 <samp>Cannot start JACK</samp> (though see the next section for other
2128 These bugs do not affect releases from 13.04, and earlier releases
2129 (12.04 and 12.10) are in the process of being fixed.
2132 <h2>Problems with JACK configuration</h2>
2134 <h3>What is the problem?</h3>
2136 To function as intended, JACK needs to run with access to two
2137 operating system facilities called <dfn>realtime scheduling</dfn> and
2138 <dfn>memory locking</dfn>. This means that you, the user who starts JACK, must be
2139 allowed access to these facilities. By default, Ubuntu does create a
2140 user group that has this permission but—it does not put new
2141 users into this group by default. Read more about why <a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Audio/TheAudioGroup">here</a>.
2142 Consequently, you will not have permission to run JACK in the way you should.
2146 A message like <samp>Cannot lock down memory</samp> in the output from JACK as
2147 it starts up. This output may be hidden in the Messages window of
2148 QJackctrl (aka JACK Control), so you should check there.
2153 Make sure the file /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf exists. If it is
2154 named /etc/security/limits.d/audio.conf.disabled, rename it to the former.
2157 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo usermod -a -G audio
2158 <em>YOUR-LOGIN-NAME</em></kbd>
2160 Then log out and log in again. On Ubuntu Studio the user is a member of audio
2161 group by default, but not on other official flavors.
2164 <h2>Reporting Issues</h2>
2167 Given the difficulties in supporting Ubuntu and the limited time/resources
2168 of the Ardour team, the <dfn>Ubuntu Studio Project</dfn> has requested that
2169 issues and bug reports related to Ubuntu, Ubuntu Studio and other
2170 derivitives be directed to them.
2173 <h3>Contact Information for Ubuntu Studio</h3>
2175 <p><a href="http://ubuntustudio.org">The Ubuntu Studio Homepage</a></p>
2177 <p><a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=335">The Ubuntu Studio Forums.</a></p>
2179 <p><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/MailLists">Information on the Ubuntu Studio Mailing Lists.</a></p>
2181 <p><a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuStudio/IRC">Information on the Ubuntu Studio IRC channel.</a> #ubuntustudio on irc.freenode.net</p>
2184 title: Microsoft Windows
2189 <dfn>Microsoft Windows</dfn> is not currently officially supported. If you are
2190 willing to live with bugs and <b>help to test</b> this platform, read on.
2193 <h2>Installing Ardour</h2>
2197 <li>Download the latest windows build from <a href="http://nightly.ardour.org/">
2198 the nightly build page</a>.</li>
2199 <li>Run the installer and follow the prompts.</li>
2203 <h2>How to help</h2>
2207 <li>Hang out in #ardour-windows on irc.freenode.net. You may ask questions
2208 there and if you can, answer questions that others have.</li>
2209 <li>Keep an eye on the <a href="https://community.ardour.org/forum/27"> Windows
2210 forum</a> and contribute to the discussions there.</li>
2211 <li>Update this manual via pull requests on <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/manual">github<a/>.</li>
2221 Under <dfn>KDE Plasma 5</dfn>, plugin and various other windows will not stay
2222 on top of any main window; therefore a workaround is required.
2225 <h2>Workaround for ancillary windows not staying on top in KDE Plasma 5</h2>
2228 In order to force ancillary windows in Ardour to stay on top, the following
2229 steps are necessary:
2233 <li>Launch the <kbd class="menu">System Settings</kbd> application.</li>
2234 <li>Open <kbd class="menu">Workspace > Window Managment</kbd>.</li>
2235 <li>Select <kbd class="menu">Window Rules</kbd> in the left-hand sidebar. It
2236 should default to the <kbd class="menu">Window matching</kbd> tab.</li>
2237 <li>Click on the <kbd class="button">New...</kbd> button.</li>
2238 <li>On the line that says <kbd class="menu">Window class (application)</kbd>,
2239 set the combo box to <kbd class="menu">Substring Match</kbd> and type <kbd
2240 class="user">ardour</kbd> in the text entry field.</li>
2241 <li>In the list box that is labeled <kbd class="menu">Window types:</kbd>,
2242 click on the option <kbd class="menu">Dialog Window</kbd>, then press and
2243 hold <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> while clicking on the second option <kbd
2244 class="menu">Utility Window</kbd>.</li>
2245 <li>Select the <kbd class="menu">Arrangement & Access</kbd> tab.</li>
2246 <li>Check the box next to the <kbd class="menu">Keep above</kbd> option. On
2247 the same line, select <kbd class="menu">Force</kbd> from the combo box, then
2248 click on the <kbd class="menu">Yes</kbd> radio button for that line.</li>
2249 <li>Click on the <kbd class="button">OK</kbd> button to dismiss the dialog.
2254 At this point you can close the <kbd class="menu">System Settings</kbd>
2258 <h3>Background Info</h3>
2261 <a href="https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=172615#c26">According to one of
2262 the lead KDE developers</a>, they are not willing to follow the <abbr
2263 title="Inter-Client Communication Conventions Manual">ICCCM</abbr> standard
2264 for utility windows. Apparently they are alone in this understanding, as
2265 plugin windows on Ardour under Linux work out of the box on every other <abbr
2266 title="Window Manager">WM</abbr> out there.
2270 Under KDE 4, there was a workaround in Ardour (<kbd class="menu">Preferences
2271 > Theme > All floating windows are dialogs</kbd>) that would "trick"
2272 KDE into forcing certain window types to be on top of their parent windows,
2273 but this no longer works under KDE Plasma 5.
2284 title: Connecting Audio and MIDI Devices
2288 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
2291 title: Using More Than One Audio Device
2296 Ardour will only ever deal with a single <dfn>audio device</dfn>. If you
2297 want to use more than one, you have two choices:
2302 If you want to use Ardour to start JACK (which handles all
2303 audio I/O) you will need to create a "fake" audio device on your
2304 computer the represents all the multiple devices you wish to
2305 use. How to do this is platform dependent and described below.
2308 Use a different tool to start JACK and manage all the devices.
2313 Ardour is fundamentally designed to be a component in a
2314 pro-audio/music creation environment. Standard operating practice
2315 for such setups involves using only a single digital <dfn>sample
2316 clock</dfn> (something counting off the time between audio samples).
2317 This means that trying to use multiple independent soundcards is
2318 problematic, because each soundcard has its own sample clock, running
2319 independently from the others. Over time, these different clocks
2321 out of sync with each other, which causes glitches in the audio. You
2322 cannot stop this drift, although in some cases the effects may be
2323 insignificant enough that some people might not care about them.
2327 Thus in an ideal world you should not use multiple independent
2328 soundcards but instead use a single device with a single clock and all
2329 the inputs, outputs and other features that you need.
2333 Of course, a lot of people don't live in an ideal world, and believe
2334 that software should make up for this.
2339 In CoreAudio, <dfn>aggregate devices</dfn> provide a method to use
2340 multiple soundcards as a single device. For example, you can
2341 aggregate two 8-channel devices so that you can record 16 channels
2346 If you are using a <em>single</em> typical 3rd party
2347 audio interface (such as those from Apogee, RME, Presonus, and many
2348 others), <em>or</em> you are using JackPilot or a similar
2349 application to start JACK, you do not need to worry about this.<br />
2350 You will need to set up an aggregate device only if either
2351 of the following conditions are true:
2354 <li>You want to use two entirely separate
2355 devices <em>and</em> want to start JACK using Ardour.</li>
2356 <li>You want to use your <dfn>builtin audio device</dfn> <em>and</em>
2357 want to start JACK using Ardour.</li>
2358 <li>You want to use more than two entirely separate devices</li>
2362 In the case of your builtin audio device, you will need to create
2363 an aggregate device that combines "Builtin Input" and "Builtin
2364 Output" into one device.
2367 The precise instructions for creating an aggregate device on OS X
2368 have varied from one released to another. Please read <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202000">https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202000</a>
2373 Please see the instructions at <a href="http://jackaudio.org/faq" title="http://jackaudio.org/faq">http://jackaudio.org/faq</a>
2384 title: Preferences and Session Properties
2389 Ardour splits its configuration options into two categories:
2393 Global <dfn>preferences</dfn> control general workflow and system
2394 configuration, and should apply to all sessions. They are located in
2395 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences</kbd> and stored in
2396 Ardour's <dfn>user configuration file</dfn> in your home directory.
2398 <li><dfn>Session properties</dfn> control aspects of the workflow or
2399 configuration that pertain to the current session only. You can find them
2400 in <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>, and they will be stored
2401 in the session file.
2406 title: Global Preferences Dialog
2407 menu_title: Global Preferences
2412 These preferences apply to all Ardour sessions.
2415 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_misc.png" alt="ardour preferences
2420 menu_title: Misc Tab
2425 This tab contains settings that do not belong on the other tabs.
2428 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_misc.png" alt="preferences
2434 <strong>DSP CPU Utilization</strong> sets how many cpu processors can be
2435 used to do signal processing. It can be set to use one up to all
2447 <strong>Limit undo history</strong> sets how many commands can be
2448 undone using <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> or
2449 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Undo</kbd>.
2455 <strong>Save undo history</strong> sets how many commands are saved so
2456 they are available to be undone after reopening the session.
2462 <strong>Verify removal of last capture</strong> when enabled prompts to
2463 verify removal the last recording capture when
2464 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Remove Last Capture</kbd> is executed.
2470 <strong>Make periodic backups of the session file</strong> will create
2471 a backup session file after changes to the timeline. The backup file is
2472 the session name followed by <em>.ardour.bak</em>. The backup can be
2473 used to recover from crashes when the session had not been explicitly
2482 <dfn>Session Management</dfn>
2487 <strong>Always copy imported files</strong> selects, and then disables
2488 changes to, the <em>Copy files to session</em> option in the
2489 <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/import-dialog/">
2490 Add Existing Media</a> dialog.
2496 <strong>Default folder for new sessions:</strong> defalts the folder
2497 where Ardour will create new session folders. This is used in the
2498 <em>Session Setup</em> dialog displayed by
2499 <kbd class="menu">Session > New</kbd>.
2505 <strong>Maximum number of recent sessions:</strong> determines how many
2506 of the last opened sessions shows in the
2507 <em>Recent Sessions</em> dialog displayed by
2508 <kbd class="menu">Session > Recent</kbd>.
2521 <strong>Click audio file:</strong> sets a user defined sound to be
2522 played when Ardour's metronome is enabled in the
2523 <a href="/controlling-playback/using-the-transport-bar/">
2529 <strong>Click emphasis audio file:</strong> sets an optional different
2530 metronome sound to be played on the downbeat.
2535 <strong>Click gain level:</strong> allows the metronome's click sounds
2536 to be boosted or attenuated.
2544 <dfn>Automation</dfn>
2549 <strong>Thinning factor</strong> ranges from 0 to 1000 with larger
2550 values sending fewer automation changes. Thinning is like lossy
2551 audio compression, removing data that is less likely to be noticed,
2552 although the more you remove the more likely the loss will be noticed.
2553 The advantage to thinning is reduced CPU usage.
2558 <strong>Automation sampling interval</strong> ranges from 1 to
2559 1000 ms. Determines how frequently the automation input is
2560 sampled. The shorter the interval the higher the accuracy but also
2561 the higher the CPU requirements.
2569 title: Transport Tab
2570 menu_title: Transport Tab
2575 This tab contains settings that relate to the behavior of the
2576 <a href="/controlling-playback/using-the-transport-bar">Transport Bar</a>
2577 and <a href="/synchronization/">Synchronization</a>.
2580 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_transport.png" alt="preferences
2586 <strong>Keep record-enable engaged on stop</strong> leaves the global
2587 record-enable engaged after transport is stopped. Does not affect track
2588 level record-enable which is never changed on stop.
2594 <strong>Play loop is a transport mode</strong> changes the behavior of the
2595 loop button, turning it into a toggle. When enabled, the loop button does
2596 not start playback but forces playback to always play the loop. Looping
2597 stays engaged when the transport is stopped. Playback continues where the
2598 transport stopped and continues to loop.
2601 When disabled, the loop button starts playing the loop but stop then
2602 cancels loop playback.
2607 <strong>Stop recording when an xrun occurs</strong> will stop the transport
2608 when an xrun occurs during recording, ensuring no audible glitches are
2614 <strong>Create markers where xruns occur</strong> will create a new
2615 <a href="/working-with-markers/">marker</a> when an xrun occurs during
2616 recording at the location of the xrun. This marks where possible xruns
2617 might produce audible glitches when stopping on xruns is disabled.
2622 <strong>Stop at the end of the session</strong> causes the transport to
2623 stop during playback when it reaches the end marker. Behavior during
2624 recording is not changed.
2629 <strong>Do seamless looping</strong> removes any clicks that might
2630 otherwise be audible when the transport moves from the end of the loop
2631 range back to the beginning.
2636 <strong>Disable per-track record disarm while rolling</strong>, when
2637 enabled, will not allow the any track's record-enable to be disarmed
2638 during record, preventing accidentally stopping the recording of a take.
2643 <strong>12dB gain reduction during fast-forward and fast-rewind</strong>
2644 when enabled will reduce the unpleasant increase in perceived volume
2645 that occurs when fast-forwarding or rewinding through some kinds of audio.
2650 <strong>Sync/Slave</strong>
2654 <strong>External timecode source</strong> determines which external
2655 source to use when Ardour is using an external
2656 <a href="/synchronization/">synchronization</a> source. Depending
2657 on the timecode source chosen, additional preference options are
2663 <strong>Match session video frame rate to external timecode</strong>
2664 controls the value of the video frame rate <em>while chasing</em>
2665 an external timecode source.
2668 When enabled, the session video frame rate will be changed to match
2669 that of the selected external timecode source.
2672 When disabled, the session video frame rate will not be changed to
2673 match that of the selected external timecode source. Instead, the
2674 frame rate indication in the main clock will flash red and Ardour
2675 will convert between the external timecode standard and the session
2681 <strong>Sync-lock timecode to clock</strong> can disable drift
2685 When enabled, Ardour will never varispeed when slaved to external
2686 timecode. Sync Lock indicates that the selected external timecode
2687 source shares clock-sync (Black & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with
2688 the audio interface. This options disables drift compensation.
2689 The transport speed is fixed at 1.0. Vari-speed LTC will be ignored
2693 When disabled, Ardour will compensate for potential drift regardless
2694 if the timecode sources shares clock sync.
2699 <strong>Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</strong>, when
2700 enabled, will force Ardour to assume the external timecode source
2701 uses 29.97 fps instead of 30000/1001.
2702 SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97 df as 30000/1001. The spec
2703 further mentions that drop-frame timecode has an accumulated error
2704 of -86 ms over a 24 hour period. Drop-frame timecode would
2705 compensate exactly for an NTSC color frame rate of 30 * 0.9990 (i.e.
2706 29.970000). That is not the actual rate. However, some vendors use
2707 that rate—despite it being against the specs—because the
2708 variant of using exactly 29.97 fps has zero timecode drift.
2715 <strong>LTC Reader</strong> specifies which incoming port will provide
2720 <strong>LTC Generator</strong>
2724 <strong>Enable LTC generator</strong>, when enabled Ardour will
2725 output an LTC timecode signal on it's <em>LTC-out</em> port.
2730 <strong>Send LTC while stopped</strong>, when enabled Ardour will
2731 continue to send LTC information even while the transport (playhed) is
2737 <strong>LTC generator level:</strong> specifies the peak volume of
2738 the generated LTC signal in dbFS. A good value is 0dBu^=-18dbFS in an
2739 EBU calibrated system.
2748 menu_title: Editor Tab
2753 This tab contains settings that affect behavior in the <dfn>Editor</dfn>
2754 window when <a href="/editing-and-arranging">Editing and Arranging</a>.
2757 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_editor.png" alt="preferences
2763 <strong>Allow dragging of the playhead</strong>, when enabled, allows
2764 dragging the playhead with the mouse in the <strong>Editor</strong> window.
2769 <strong>Move relevant automation when audio regions are moved</strong>,
2770 when enabled, causes automation data to stay with a region when the
2771 region is moved inside the playlist. When disabled, the automation is
2772 not affected by movement of regions.
2777 <strong>Show meters on tracks in the editor</strong>, when enabled, shows
2778 a small meter in the <strong>Editor</strong> window with each track. The
2779 meter is shown in the left side area along with the track name and buttons.
2784 <strong>Display master-meter in the toolbar</strong> when enabled displays
2785 a small copy of the master bus meter in the toolbar.
2790 <strong>Default fade shape:</strong> sets which
2791 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/create-region-fades-and-crossfades/">
2792 fade shape</a> is the default.
2797 <strong>Regions in active edit groups are edited together:</strong> sets
2798 the criteria to see if editing actions apply to tracks grouped together
2804 <strong>Make rubberband selection rectangle snap to the grid</strong> when
2805 enabled uses the grid when
2806 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/select-regions/">selecting regions</a>
2807 with a rubberband rectangle.
2812 <strong>Show waveforms in regions</strong> when enabled shows a visual
2813 representation of the region's audio waveform. Changes to this setting
2814 take affect after restarting Ardour.
2819 <strong>Show gain envelopes in audio regions:</strong> sets the criteria
2820 for displaying the gain envelope in audio regions.
2825 <strong>Waveform scale:</strong> when waveforms are shown in audio region
2826 they can be displayed using a <em>linear</em> or a <em>logarithmic</em>
2828 See <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/waveform-display/">
2829 Waveform disply</a>.
2834 <strong>Waveform shape:</strong> when waveforms are shown in audio region
2835 they can be displayed using a <em>traditional</em> or a <em>rectified</em>
2837 See <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/waveform-display/">
2838 Waveform disply</a>.
2843 <strong>Waveform Clip Level (dBFS):</strong> sets the level at which the
2844 waveform shown in an audio region will be drawn in red to indicate
2845 clipping. Setting lower than 0.0 dBFS can be useful if any tool in
2846 the audio chain has problems near 0.0 dBFS.
2851 <strong>Show waveform for audio while it is being recorded</strong> when
2852 enabled, will draw the audio waveform in regions being recorded. When
2853 disabled only a region block will be drawn while recording reducing CPU
2859 <strong>Show zoom toolbar</strong> when enabled shows a toolbar for
2860 zoom functions. When disabled the zoom commands are still available
2861 with keyboard short-cuts and the View menu. Changes to this setting
2862 take affect after restarting Ardour.
2867 <strong>Update editor window during drags of the summary</strong> when
2868 enabled the contents of the editor window will redraw the tracks area
2869 as the selection rectangle in the summary area is moved or resized. The
2870 summary area is at the bottom of the editor and shows an overview of all
2871 regions on the timelime.
2876 <strong>Name new markers</strong> when enabled, popup a dialog when a new
2877 <a href="/working-with-markers/">marker</a> is created. This allows
2878 markers to be named as they are created.
2883 <strong>Auto-scroll editor window when dragging near its edges</strong>
2884 when enabled will scroll the editor window automatically when dragging a
2885 region. This can make it easier to see where to position the region.
2890 <strong>After splitting selected regions, select</strong> determines which,
2891 if any, regions are selected after a split operation. The options are no
2892 regions, the regions created by the split, and if more than one region
2893 was selected to start with, the existing selection and the new regions.
2894 Changes to this setting take affect after restarting Ardour.
2901 menu_title: Audio Tab
2906 This tab contains settings for handling audio.
2909 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_audio.png" alt="preferences
2915 <strong>Buffering</strong> settings determine how many seconds of audio
2916 off of disk will be buffered in memory. Longer settings reduce the risk
2917 of buffer under-runs but consume more memory. The default value is
2924 <strong>Playback</strong> sets how many seconds of audio Ardour will
2925 buffer during playback.
2930 <strong>Recording</strong> sets how many seconds of audio Ardour will
2931 buffer during recording.
2939 <strong>Monitoring</strong>
2944 <strong>Record monitoring handled by:</strong> determines whether
2945 Ardour provides monitoring of incoming audio or whether
2946 monitoring is provided by hardware. See
2947 <a href="/recording/monitoring/">Monitoring</a> for more information.
2952 <strong>Tape machine mode</strong> when enabled defaults new audio
2953 tracks to tape machine mode. See
2954 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">Track Types</a>
2955 for more information.
2963 <strong>Conection of tracks and busses</strong>
2968 <strong>Auto-connect master/monitor busses</strong>
2973 <strong>Connect track inputs:</strong>
2978 <strong>Connect track and bus outputs:</strong>
2986 <strong>Denormals</strong> are a specific type of very small numbers that
2987 can cause issues with CPU consumption when using some plugins in some
2991 Ardour provides two methods of handling the issue. Try different
2992 combinations of these settings to to find the setting that minimizes CPU
2998 <strong>Use DC bias to protect against denormals</strong> adds a small
2999 constant value to numbers to move the numbers away from zero.
3004 <strong>Processor handling</strong>, if the computer's hardware
3005 supports it, offers two methods that can be used individually or
3006 combined. Flush to zero and denormals are zero.
3014 <strong>Plugins</strong>
3019 <strong>Silence plugins when the transport is stopped</strong>
3024 <strong>Make new plugins active</strong> when enabled, will activate
3025 a plugin when it is added to a track or bus
3026 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">Processor Box</a>.
3034 <strong>Regions</strong>
3039 <strong>Enable automatic analysis of audio</strong>
3044 <strong>Replicate missing region channels</strong>
3052 title: Solo/Mute Tab
3053 menu_title: Solo/Mute Tab
3058 This tab contains settings that affect the use of
3059 <a href="/mixing/muting-and-soloing/">solo, muting</a>, and
3060 <a href="/mixing/panning/">panning</a>.
3063 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_solomute.png" alt="preferences
3069 <strong>Solo</strong>
3074 <strong>Solo-in-place mute cut</strong> sets the attenuation of the
3075 the other tracks when another track is soloed in place. This setting
3076 is also available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor section.
3081 <strong>Solo controls are Listen controls</strong> when enabled the
3082 soloed track is soloed only on the monitor bus, the master fader mix
3083 is not affected by the solo. This option can also be set by enabling
3084 pre-fader listen or after-fader listen in the <strong>Mixer</strong>
3090 <strong>Listen Position:</strong> determines what is listened to when
3091 the solo controls are used as listen controls. The options are
3092 after-fader or pre-fader.
3097 <strong>PFL signals come from:</strong> determines whether the
3098 pre-fader listen position is before or after the pre-fader processors.
3103 <strong>AFL signals come from:</strong> determines whether the
3104 after-fader listen position is before or after the after-fader
3110 <strong>Exclusive solo</strong> when enabled will only solo that last
3111 track selected for solo. Previously soloed tracks will be un-soloed.
3112 This setting is also available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor
3118 <strong>Show solo muting</strong> when enabled outlines the mute
3119 button on tracks and busses when another track is soloed.
3124 <strong>Soloing overrides muting</strong> when enabled allows a track
3125 to be heard when it is soloed while muted. This setting is also
3126 available from the <strong>Mixer</strong> monitor section.
3134 <strong>Default track/bus muting options</strong> sets the muting options
3135 for a newly created tracks or bus. The mute options for an existing track
3136 or bus are changed by the right-click context menu on a mute button.
3141 <strong>Mute affects pre-fader sends</strong> when enabled pre-fader
3142 sends will be muted by default.
3147 <strong>Mute affects post-fader sends</strong> when enabled post-fader
3148 sends will be muted by default.
3153 <strong>Mute affects control outputs</strong> when enabled control
3154 outputs are muted by default.
3159 <strong>Mute affects main outputs</strong> when enabled main outputs
3160 are muted by default.
3168 <strong>Send Routing</strong> affects
3169 <a href="/signal-routing/aux-sends/">aux and external sends</a>.
3174 <strong>Link panners of Aux and External Sends with main panner by
3175 default</strong> When enabled, sends follow the channel panner.
3178 When disabled, sends can panned independently of the channel panner
3179 and fader. Double clicking the send in the processor box toggles
3180 the main panner and fader between the aux send and the channel.
3189 menu_title: MIDI Tab
3194 This tab contains settings related to the use of MIDI inside Ardour.
3197 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_midi.png" alt="preferences
3203 <strong>MIDI read-ahead time</strong>
3209 <strong>Send MIDI Clock</strong> when enabled Ardour will generate MIDI
3210 clock on the <code>ardour:MIDI clock out</code> JACK port.
3216 <strong>Send MIDI Time Code</strong> when enabled Ardour will generate MIDI
3217 time code on the <code>ardour:MTC out</code> JACK port.
3223 <strong>Percentage either side of normal transport speed to transmit MTC:</strong> MIDI time code generation will be disabled when the transport speed is
3224 greater than normal sped plus this percentage or less than normal minus
3231 <strong>Obey MIDI Machine Control commands</strong> when enabled Ardour
3232 will respond to MIDI Machine Control commands received on the
3233 <code>ardour:MMC in</code> JACK port.
3239 <strong>Send MIDI Machine Control commands</strong> when enabled Ardour
3240 will send MIDI Machine Control commands on the <code>ardour:MMC out</code>
3247 <strong>Send MIDI control feedback</strong>
3253 <strong>Inbound MMC device ID:</strong> is the only device ID Ardour will
3254 respond to when an MMC command is received on the
3255 <code>ardour:MMC in</code> JACK port.
3261 <strong>Outbound MMC device ID:</strong> is the MIDI device ID Ardour will
3262 use when it sends MMC commands.
3268 <strong>Initial program change:</strong> Ardour will send a MIDI program
3269 change message on the <code>ardour:MMC out</code> JACK port when a session
3270 is loaded and whenever this field is changed. A value of -1 is for don't
3271 send any program change message.
3277 <strong>Display first MIDI bank/program as 0</strong>
3283 <strong>Never display periodic MIDI messages</strong>
3289 <strong>Sound MIDI notes as they are selected</strong>
3295 <strong>Midi Audition Synth</strong>
3301 title: User Interaction Tab
3302 menu_title: User Interaction Tab
3307 This tab contains settings that affect the user's interaction with
3308 <a href="/ardours-interface">Ardours interface</a>.
3311 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_interaction.png" alt="preferences
3312 user interaction tab"/>
3317 <strong>Use translations</strong>
3322 <strong>Keyboard</strong>
3327 <strong>Edit using:</strong> Use this keyboard and mouse combination
3328 to edit a region's name, and for audio, the region gain.
3333 <strong>Delete using:</strong>
3338 <strong>Insert note using</strong> Using this mouse and keyboard
3339 combination allows MIDI note drawing while the <strong>Editor</strong>
3345 <strong>Ignore snap using:</strong> This mouse and keyboard combination
3346 temporarily changes the
3347 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid/">snap mode</a> to
3348 <strong>No Grid</strong>.
3353 <strong>Keyboard layout:</strong>
3361 title: Control Surfaces Tab
3362 menu_title: Control Surfaces Tab
3367 This tab contains settings for control surfaces. Also see
3368 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/">Using Control Surfaces</a>.
3371 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_control_surfaces.png" alt="preferences
3372 control surfaces tab"/>
3375 Enable a <dfn>Control Surface Protocol</dfn> and double-click on it to edit
3376 protocol specific settings. Enable feedback to allow Ardour to send position
3377 information back to a control surface.
3381 <strong>Control surface remote ID:</strong> can follow the order of the mixer
3382 or be user assigned.
3387 menu_title: Video Tab
3392 This tab contains settings related to handling of Video.
3395 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_video.png" alt="preferences
3401 <strong>Advanced Setup (remote video server)</strong>
3406 <strong>Video Server URL:</strong>
3411 <strong>Video Folder:</strong>
3418 <strong>Show Video Export Info before export</strong>
3423 <strong>Show Video Server Startup Dialog</strong>
3430 menu_title: Plugins Tab
3435 This tab contains settings that control the discovery and availability of
3439 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_plugins.png" alt="preferences
3445 <strong>General</strong>
3450 <strong>Scan for Plugins</strong> will initiate an immediate scan of
3451 the system for available plugins.
3456 <strong>Always Display Plugin Scan Progress</strong> When enabled a
3457 popup window showing plugin scan progress is displayed for indexing
3458 (cache load) and discovery (detect new plugins).
3463 <strong>Scan Time Out</strong> Specify the default timeout for plugin
3464 instantiation in 1/10 seconds. Plugins that require more time to load
3465 will be blacklisted. A value of 0 disables the timeout.
3473 <strong>VST</strong>
3478 <strong>Clear VST Cache</strong> Remove all VST plugins from the list
3479 of plugins available to be inserted into the processor box.
3484 <strong>Clear VST Blacklist</strong> Make blacklisted VST plugins
3485 available to be added to the processor box.
3490 <strong>Scan for [new] VST Plugins on Application Start</strong> When
3491 enabled new VST plugins are searched, tested and added to the cache
3492 index on application start. When disabled new plugins will only be
3493 available after triggering a 'Scan' manually.
3498 <strong>Linux VST Path:</strong> Launch a dialog to manage the
3499 directories that will be searched for Linux VST plugins.
3513 This tab contains settings that affect
3514 <a href="/ardours-interface/">Ardour's Interface</a>.
3517 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_gui.png" alt="preferences
3523 <strong>Graphically indicate mouse pointer hovering</strong>
3528 <strong>Use name highlight bars in region display</strong> When enabled the
3529 region name is displayed, in the editor, in it's own bar at the bottom of
3530 the region. When disabled, the region name is display at the top of the
3531 region, possibly over audio waveforms or MIDI notes.
3536 <strong>Font scaling</strong> allows the display size of some text in the
3537 user interface to be scaled up or down. May require a restart to take
3543 <strong>Update transport clock display at FPS</strong> when enabled the transport clock
3544 will update at the synchronization framerate instead of the default 100 ms rate.
3549 <strong>Lock timeout</strong> Lock GUI after this many idle seconds (zero to never
3550 lock). GUI may also be locked with <kbd class="menu">Session > Lock</kbd>. When
3551 locked a dialog will display a "Click to unlock" button.
3556 <strong>Mixer Strip</strong> Enable (checked) or disable (unchecked) display of
3557 controls in the mixer strip. Controls whose display can be toggled are
3558 <strong>Input</strong>, <strong>Phase Invert</strong>,
3559 <strong>Record & Monitor</strong>, <strong>Solo Iso/Lock</strong>,
3560 <strong>Output</strong>, and <strong>Comments</strong>.
3565 <strong>Use narrow strips in the mixer by default</strong> When enabled, new mixer
3566 strips are created in narrow format. When disabled, they are created in wide format.
3567 Existing mixer strips width can be toggled with the width control at the top left of
3575 menu_title: Metering Tab
3580 This tab contains settings that affect <a href="/ardours-interface/meters/">
3581 Metering</a> in Ardour.
3584 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_metering.png" alt="preferences
3590 <strong>Peak hold time:</strong> Some meter types that have a peak
3591 indicator that has a user controlled hold time. The options are off, short,
3597 <strong>DPM fall-off:</strong>
3602 <strong>Meter line-up level; 0 dBu:</strong>
3607 <strong>IEC1/DIN Meter line-up level; 0 dBu:</strong>
3612 <strong>VU Meter standard:</strong>
3617 <strong>Peak threshold[dBFS]:</strong>
3622 <strong>LED meter style</strong>
3629 menu_title: Theme Tab
3634 This tab contains settings that change the visual appearence of Ardour.
3637 <img src="/images/a4_preferences_theme.png" alt="preferences
3643 <strong>Restore Defaults</strong> When clicked will change all settings
3644 on the Theme tab back to Ardour's default values.
3649 <strong>All floating windows are dialogs</strong> When enabled Ardour will
3650 use type "Dialog" for all floating windows instead of using type
3651 "Utility" for some of them. This may help usability with some
3652 window managers. This setting requires a restart of Ardour to take effect.
3657 <strong>Transient windows follow front window</strong> When enabled
3658 transient windows will follow the front window when toggling between the
3659 editor and mixer. This setting requires a restart of Ardour to take effect.
3664 <strong>Draw "flat" buttons</strong> When enabled button controls
3665 in the user interface will be drawn with a flat look. When disabled button
3666 controls will have a slight 3D appearence.
3671 <strong>Blink Rec-Arm buttons</strong> When enabled the record-armed
3672 buttons on tracks will blink when they are armed but not currently
3673 recording. When disabled the record-armed buttons on tracks will be
3674 outlined in red instead of blinking.
3679 <strong>Color regions using their track's color</strong> When enabled
3680 the background color of regions in the editor will be displayed using the
3681 the color assigned to the track. When disabled the default region
3682 background color will be used.
3687 <strong>Show waveform clipping</strong> When enalbled the waveform
3688 displayed will show peaks marked in red if they exceed the clip level. The
3689 Waveform Clip Level is set with a slider on the Preferences
3690 <a href="/preferences-and-session-properties/preferences-dialog/editor/">
3696 <strong>Icon Set</strong> Changes the mouse cursor icons used to indicate
3697 different tool modes in the editor. An example would be the icons used to
3698 indicate whether the cursor will select a region or change the length of a
3704 <strong>Waveforms color gradient depth</strong> Determines how much
3705 gradient effect is applied to audio waveforms displayed in the editor.
3706 Values range from 0.00, no graident effect, to 0.95, maximum effect.
3711 <strong>Timeline item gradient depth</strong> Determines how much
3712 gradient effect is applied to the backgrounds of regions displayed in the
3713 editor. Values range from 0.00, no graident effect, to 0.95, maximum
3719 <strong>Colors</strong> The color of an item in the user interface is
3720 determined by which named color is assigned to it, the color displayed for
3721 each named color in the palette, and in some cases, the transparency of
3727 <strong>Items</strong> Each display item has a named color assigned to
3728 it from the palette. Example color names are
3729 "meter color9" and "color 4".
3732 Click on an item's color example to change the named color choice.
3737 <strong>Palette</strong> Hover over a color to display it's name. Click
3738 on a color to open a color chooser dialog.
3743 <strong>Transparency</strong> Some items have a transparency value.
3744 Transparency can be changed from opaque to totally transparent.
3752 title: Session Properties Dialog
3753 menu_title: Session Properties
3757 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_timecode.png" alt="session properties dialog"/>
3760 This dialog allows you to change settings for the current session. These
3761 settings are initially set from the template used to create the session. To
3762 open the dialog use <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>
3767 menu_title: Timecode Tab
3771 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_timecode.png" alt="session properties timecode tab"/>
3774 This tab is used to change how Ardour interprets and manipulates timecode.
3779 Timecode Settings lets you set the number of frames per second
3780 and pull up/down to match the timecode used other synchronized systems.
3783 External Timecode Offsets allows Ardour to a fixed offset from other
3784 synchronized systems. <dfn>Slave Timecode offset</dfn> adds the
3785 specified offset to the recieved timecode (MTC or LTC).
3786 <dfn>Timecode Generator offset</dfn> adds the specified offset to
3787 the timecode generated by Ardour (so far only LTC).
3790 Jack Transport / Time Settings determines whether Ardour controls
3791 Bar|Beat|Tick and other information for Jack.
3797 menu_title: Sync Tab
3801 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_sync.png" alt="session properties sync tab"/>
3804 This tab is used to modify the timecode settings when working with video to
3805 use the imported video's timecode settings instead of the session defaults.
3810 menu_title: Fades Tab
3814 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_fades.png" alt="session properties fades tab"/>
3817 Change how Ardour works with region crossfades.
3822 <dfn>Destructive crossfade length</dfn> is used when an operation on a
3823 region is destructive, such as when recording in a track is in tape mode.
3826 When <dfn>Region fades</dfn> <strong>active</strong> is checked, the
3827 region fades set up in the mixer are used during playback. When unchecked,
3828 the fades are ignored.
3831 When <strong>Region fades visible</strong> is checked the region fades are visible
3832 in the the <strong>Editor</strong>.
3838 menu_title: Media Tab
3842 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_media.png" alt="session properties media tab"/>
3845 Change how sound is stored on disk. These options do not change how sound is handled
3851 <dfn>Sample format</dfn> defaults to 32-bit floating point, the same as
3852 the internal representation. 24 and 16-bit integer representation are
3856 <strong>File type</strong> options are WAVE, WAVE-64, and CAF.
3861 title: Locations Tab
3862 menu_title: Locations Tab
3866 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_locations.png" alt="session properties locations tab"/>
3869 These options add file locations that will be searched to find the audio and
3870 midi files used by the session. This is useful when the files have been
3871 imported into the session but not copied into the session.
3875 To add a location, navigate to the directory where the files are stored.
3876 Drill down into the directory and then click open. The directory will
3877 show up in the dialog. The remove button next to the added directory can be used
3878 to remove it from the search path.
3882 title: Filenames Tab
3883 menu_title: Filenames Tab
3887 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_filenames.png" alt="session properties filenames tab"/>
3890 This tab is used to change how Ardour names recorded regions.
3891 If <dfn>Prefix track number</dfn> is selected a unique number will appear on each track
3892 in the <dfn>Editor</dfn> window and will prefix the region name. If the track number
3893 is 2 and the region would have been Gtr-1.1 with track number prefix turned on the region
3894 will be named 2_Gtr-1.1 instead. See XX for base of the region name.
3898 If <dfn>Prefix take name</dfn> is selected and the <dfn>Take name</dfn> has Take1 the region
3899 will have the name Take1_Gtr-1.1 instead. If both boxes are checked the name will be
3900 Take1_2_Gtr-1.1 instead.
3904 When <dfn>Prefix take name</dfn> is enabled, the first time a track is recorded it will
3905 have the specified take name. When recording is stopped, any trailing number on the
3906 end of the take name will incremented by 1. If the track name specified doen't have
3907 a number on the end, the number 1 will be suffixed.
3911 title: Monitoring Tab
3912 menu_title: Monitoring Tab
3917 Provides options affecting monitoring.
3920 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_monitoring.png" alt="session properties monitoring tab"/>
3923 The <strong>Track Input Monitoring automatically follows transport state</strong>
3924 affects how input monitoring is handling. See
3925 <a href="/recording/monitoring/monitor-setup-in-ardour/">Monitor Setup in Ardour</a>.
3928 <img class="left" src="/images/a4_monitoring_section.png" alt="monitoring section"/>
3931 The 'Use monitor section' displays an extra section in the <strong>Mixer</strong>
3932 window that is modelled on the similiarly named section on large analog consoles.
3936 title: Meterbridge Tab
3937 menu_title: Meterbridge Tab
3942 The meters from audio tracks always display in the <dfn>Meterbridge</dfn>.
3943 This tab changes what additional controls are also displayed.
3946 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_meterbridge.png" alt="session properties meterbridge tab"/>
3950 <dfn>Route Display</dfn> has options for showing midi tracks, busses, and the master bus.
3953 <dfn>Button Area</dfn> has options for adding record enable, mute, solo, and input monitor buttons.
3956 <dfn>Name Labels</dfn> adds the track name and, if numbers are enabled on the filenames tab, the number.
3960 <img src="/images/a4_meterbridge_full.png" alt="image of meterbidge with all options on"/>
3964 menu_title: Misc Tab
3969 This tab has several things that don't fit on the other tabs.
3972 <img src="/images/a4_session_properties_misc.png" alt="session properties misc tab"/>
3976 <dfn>MIDI Options</dfn>
3979 If <dfn>MIDI region copies are independent</dfn> is selected, when a
3980 MIDI region is copied or duplicated, the new region is not linked to
3981 the region it was copied from. If it is not selected, the copied regions
3982 are linked and any editing of one of the linked regions changes all
3983 of the linked regions.
3986 The <dfn>Editor</dfn> can be configured to handle overlapping MIDI notes
3989 <li>never allow them</li>
3990 <li>don't do anything in particular</li>
3991 <li>replace any overlapped existing notes</li>
3992 <li>shorten the overlapped existing note</li>
3993 <li>shorten the overlapped new note</li>
3994 <li>replace both overlapping notes with a single note</li>
4000 <dfn>Glue to bars and beats</dfn>
4002 <li>New markers can be glued to bars and beats</li>
4003 <li>New regions can be glued to bars and beats</li>
4007 Settings from the session properties dialogs can be saved to the
4008 default session template.
4020 title: Controlling Ardour with OSC
4022 include: controlling-ardour-with-osc.html
4026 title: Controlling Ardour with OSC (Ardour 4.7 and Prior)
4028 include: controlling-ardour-with-osc-4.7-and-prior.html
4032 title: OSC Feedback With Ardour
4037 Feedback from the Ardour to the the control surface is very useful for
4038 a number of things. Motor faders need to know where the the track
4039 they have been attached to is at before they were assigned otherwise
4040 the DAW fader will jump to where the controller fader is. Likewise,
4041 the buttons on each strip need to know what their value is so they can
4042 light their LED correctly. Transport controls should let you know if
4043 they are active too. This is what feedback is all about.
4047 Ardour does feedback by sending the same path back that is used to
4048 control the same function. As such any controls that have feedback
4049 have a parameter that is the value of the control or it's state
4050 (on or off). In the case of OSC paths listed on the main OSC page
4051 as having no parameter, if they have feedback, they will also work
4052 with a 1 for button press and 0 for button release. This is because
4053 many OSC controllers will only use exactly the same path for feedback
4054 as for control. For example:
4057 <dl class="bindings">
4058 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop</kbd></dt>
4062 <p>can be used also in the form:</p>
4064 <dl class="bindings">
4065 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop <em>press</em></kbd></dt>
4066 <dd>where <em>press</em> is an int/bool indicating if the button is pressed or not.</dd>
4070 The feedback does not have the same meaning as the control message.
4071 Where the button release sent to Ardour will be ignored and has no
4072 meaning. Both states have meaning in feedback to the controller.
4073 The feedback will be:
4076 <dl class="bindings">
4077 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4078 <dd>where <em>state</em> is an int/bool indicating if the transport is stopped or not.</dd>
4081 With feedback turned on, OSC control commands that try to change a
4082 control that does not exist will get feedback that resets that control
4083 to off. For example, sending a /strip/recenable to a buss will not work
4084 and Ardour will try to turn the controller LED off in that case. Also
4085 note that Pan operation may be limited by pan width in some cases.
4086 That is with pan width at 100% (or -100%) there is no pan position
4090 It may come as a surprise, but feedback often generates more network
4091 traffic than control itself does. Some things are more obvious like
4092 head position or meters. But even a simple button push like transport
4093 start sends not only a signal to turn on the play LED, but also one to
4094 turn off the stop LED, the Rewind LED, the Fast Forward LED and the
4095 Loop LED. That is still minor, think instead of a surface refresh
4096 such as happens when the surface is first connected and then most of
4097 that happens every time the fader strips are banked. This is why
4098 feedback is enabled in sections so that as little feedback as is
4099 actually needed is sent. This is also a consideration if the surface
4100 is connected via wifi.
4102 <h2>List of OSC feedback messages</h2>
4104 <h3>Feedback only</h3>
4106 These messages are feedback only. They are sent as status from Ardour
4107 and some of them may be enabled separately from other feedback. See:
4108 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/controlling-ardour-with-osc/calculating-feedback-and-strip-types-values/">
4109 Calculating Feedback and Strip-types Values.</a>
4112 See strip section below for info about ssid and wrapping it into the
4113 path. Also /master and /monitor support what the /strip does.
4116 In the case where Gainmode is set to position, the track name will
4117 show the dB value while values are changing.
4119 <dl class="bindings">
4120 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/name <em>ssid</em> <em>track_name</em></kbd></dt>
4121 <dd>where <em>track_name</em> is a string representing the name of the track</dd>
4122 <dt><kbd class="osc">/session_name <em>session_name</em></kbd></dt>
4123 <dd>where <em>session_name</em> is a string representing the name of the session</dd>
4124 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/meter <em>ssid</em> <em>meter</em></kbd></dt>
4125 <dd>where <em>meter</em> is a value repesenting the current audio level.
4126 (the exact math used is determined by the feedback bits set)</dd>
4127 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/signal <em>ssid</em> <em>signal</em></kbd></dt>
4128 <dd>where <em>signal</em> is a float indicating the instantaneous
4129 audio level is -40dB or higher.</dd>
4130 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/smpte <em>time</em></kbd></dt>
4131 <dd>where <em>time</em> is a string with the current play head time. Seconds as per smpte.</dd>
4132 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/bbt <em>beat</em></kbd></dt>
4133 <dd>where <em>beat</em> is a string with the current play head bar/beat.</dd>
4134 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/time <em>time</em></kbd></dt>
4135 <dd>where <em>time</em> is a string with the current play head time. Seconds are in milliseconds</dd>
4136 <dt><kbd class="osc">/position/samples <em>samples</em></kbd></dt>
4137 <dd>where <em>samples</em> is a string with the current play head position in samples.</dd>
4138 <dt><kbd class="osc">/heartbeat <em>LED</em></kbd></dt>
4139 <dd>where <em>LED</em> is a float that cycles 1/0 at 1 second intervals.</dd>
4140 <dt><kbd class="osc">/record_tally <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4141 <dd>Some record enable is true or "ready to record". For a "Recording" sign at studio door.</dd>
4144 <h3>Transport Control</h3>
4145 <dl class="bindings">
4146 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_stop <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4147 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport is stopped</dd>
4148 <dt><kbd class="osc">/transport_play <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4149 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport speed is 1.0</dd>
4150 <dt><kbd class="osc">/ffwd <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4151 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport is moving forward but not at speed 1.0</dd>
4152 <dt><kbd class="osc">/rewind <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4153 <dd><em>state</em> is true when transport speed is less than 0.0</dd>
4154 <dt><kbd class="osc">/loop_toggle <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4155 <dd><em>state</em> is true when loop mode is true</dd>
4156 <dt><kbd class="osc">/cancel_all_solos <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4157 <dd>Where <em>state</em> true indicates there are active solos that can be canceled.</dd>
4160 <h3>Recording control</h3>
4161 <dl class="bindings">
4162 <!--dt><kbd class="osc">/toggle_punch_in</kbd></dt>
4164 <dt><kbd class="osc">/toggle_punch_out</kbd></dt>
4166 <dt><kbd class="osc">/rec_enable_toggle <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4167 <dd>Master record enabled.</dd>
4170 <h3>Master and monitor strips</h3>
4172 Master and monitor strips are similar to track strips but do not use
4173 the SSID. Rather they use their name as part of the path:
4175 <dl class="bindings">
4176 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/gain <em>dB</em></kbd></dt>
4177 <dd>where <em>dB</em> is a float ranging from -193 to +6 representing the actual gain of master in dB</dd>
4178 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/fader <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4179 <dd>where <em>position</em> is an int ranging from 0 to 1023 representing the fader control position</dd>
4180 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/trimdB <em>dB</em></kbd></dt>
4181 <dd>where <em>dB</em> is a float ranging from -20 to +20 representing the actual trim for master in dB</dd>
4182 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/pan_stereo_position <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4183 <dd>where <em>position</em> is a float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual pan position for master</dd>
4184 <dt><kbd class="osc">/master/mute <em>yn</em></kbd></dt>
4185 <dd>where <em>yn</em> is a bool/int representing the actual mute state of the Master strip</dd>
4186 <dt><kbd class="osc">/monitor/gain <em>dB</em></kbd></dt>
4187 <dd>where <em>dB</em> is a float ranging from -193 to 6 representing the actual gain of monitor in dB</dd>
4188 <dt><kbd class="osc">/monitor/fader <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4189 <dd>where <em>position</em> is an int ranging from 0 to 1023 representing the fader control position</dd>
4192 <h3>Track specific operations</h3>
4194 For each of the following, <em>ssid</em> is the surface strip ID for the track
4197 Some Surfaces (many Android applets) are not able to deal with more
4198 than one parameter in a command. However, the two parameter commands
4199 below can also be sent as /strip/command/ssid param. Feedback can be
4200 set to match this with the /set_surface/feedback <em>state</em>
4202 href="/using-control-surfaces/controlling-ardour-with-osc/calculating-feedback-and-strip-types-values/">
4203 Calculating Feedback and Strip-types Values.</a>
4206 <dl class="bindings">
4207 <dt><kbd class="osc">/bank_up <em>LED</em></kbd></dt>
4208 <dd>where <em>LED</em> is a bool that indicates another bank_up operation is possible.</dd>
4209 <dt><kbd class="osc">/bank_down <em>LED</em></kbd></dt>
4210 <dd>where <em>LED</em> is a bool that indicates another bank_down operation is possible.</dd>
4211 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/name <em>ssid</em> <em>track_name</em></kbd></dt>
4212 <dd>where <em>track_name</em> is a string representing the name of the track
4213 (note there is no coresponding command to set the track name)</dd>
4214 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/mute <em>ssid</em> <em>mute_st</em></kbd></dt>
4215 <dd>where <em>mute_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual mute state of the track</dd>
4216 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/solo <em>ssid</em> <em>solo_st</em></kbd></dt>
4217 <dd>where <em>solo_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual solo state of the track</dd>
4218 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/monitor_input <em>ssid</em> <em>monitor_st</em></kbd></dt>
4219 <dd>where <em>monitor_st</em> is a bool/int. True/1 meaning the track is force to monitor input</dd>
4220 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/monitor_disk <em>ssid</em> <em>monitor_st</em></kbd></dt>
4221 <dd>where <em>monitor_st</em> is a bool/int. True/1 meaning the track is force to monitor disk,
4222 where both disk and input are false/0, auto monitoring is used.</dd>
4223 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/recenable <em>ssid</em> <em>rec_st</em></kbd></dt>
4224 <dd>where <em>rec_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual rec state of the track</dd>
4225 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/record_safe <em>ssid</em> <em>rec_st</em></kbd></dt>
4226 <dd>where <em>rec_st</em> is a bool/int representing the actual record safe state of the track</dd>
4227 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/gain <em>ssid</em> <em>gain</em></kbd></dt>
4228 <dd>where <em>gain</em> is a float ranging from -193 to 6 representing the actual gain of the track in dB.</dd>
4229 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/fader <em>ssid</em> <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4230 <dd>where <em>position</em> is an float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual fader position of the track.</dd>
4231 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/trimdB <em>ssid</em> <em>trim_db</em></kbd></dt>
4232 <dd>where <em>trim_db</em> is a float ranging from -20 to 20 representing the actual trim of the track in dB.</dd>
4233 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/pan_stereo_position <em>ssid</em> <em>position</em></kbd></dt>
4234 <dd>where <em>position</em> is a float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual pan position of the track</dd>
4236 <h3>Selection Operations</h3>
4238 Selection feedback is the same as for strips, only the path changes
4239 from <em>/strip</em> to <em>/select</em> and there is no <em>ssid</em>.
4240 there are some extra feedback and commands that will be listed here.
4242 <dl class="bindings">
4243 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/n_inputs <em>number</em></kbd></dt>
4244 <dd>where <em>number</em> number of inputs for this strip</dd>
4245 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/n_outputs <em>number</em></kbd></dt>
4246 <dd>where <em>number</em> number of outputs for this strip</dd>
4247 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/comment <em>text</em></kbd></dt>
4248 <dd>where <em>text</em> is the strip comment</dd>
4249 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/solo_iso <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4250 <dd>where <em>state</em> is a bool/int representing the Actual solo isolate state of the track</dd>
4251 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/solo_safe <em>state</em></kbd></dt>
4252 <dd>where <em>state</em> is a bool/int representing the actual solo safe/lock state of the track</dd>
4253 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/polarity <em>invert</em></kbd></dt>
4254 <dd>where <em>invert</em> is a bool/int representing the actual polarity of the track</dd>
4255 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/pan_stereo_width <em>width</em></kbd></dt>
4256 <dd>where <em>width</em> is a float ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual pan width of the track</dd>
4257 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/send_gain", <em>sendid</em> <em>send_gain</em></kbd></dt>
4258 <dd>where <em>sendid</em> = nth_send, <em>send_gain</em>is a float
4259 ranging from -193 to +6 representing the actual gain in dB for the send</dd>
4260 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/send_fader", <em>sendid</em> <em>send_gain</em></kbd></dt>
4261 <dd>where <em>sendid</em> = nth_send, <em>send_gain</em>is a float
4262 ranging from 0 to 1 representing the actual position for the send as a fader</dd>
4263 <dt><kbd class="osc">/select/send_name <em>sendid</em> <em>send_name</em></kbd></dt>
4264 <dd>where <em>send_name</em> is a string representing the name of the buss
4265 this send goes to.</dd>
4267 <h3>Menu actions</h3>
4269 Every single menu item in Ardour's GUI is accessible via OSC. However,
4270 there is no provision for returning the state of anything set this way.
4271 This is not a bad thing as most menu items either do not have an on/off
4272 state or that state is quite visible. Binding that affect other parameters
4273 that OSC does track will show on those OSC controls. Examples of this
4274 might be track record enable for tracks 1 to 32, play or stop.
4278 title: Calculating Feedback and Strip-types Values
4283 <em>/set_surface</em> has two values the user needs to calculate before
4284 use. In general these will not be calculated at run time, but
4285 beforehand. There may be more than one button with different values
4286 to turn various kinds of feedback on or off or to determine which
4287 kinds of strips are currently viewed/controlled.
4291 Both ,<em>feedback</em> and <em>strip-types</em> use bitsets to keep
4292 track what they are doing. Any number in a computer is made out of
4293 bits that are on or off, but we represent them as normal base 10
4294 numbers. Any one bit turned on will add a unique value to the
4295 number as a whole. So for each kind of feedback or strip type
4296 to be used, that number should be added to the total.
4299 <h3>strip_types</h3>
4302 strip_types is an integer made up of bits. The easy way to
4303 deal with this is to think of strip_types items being worth a number and
4304 then adding all those numbers together for a value to send.
4305 Strip Types will determine What kind of strips will be included in
4306 bank. This would include: Audio, MIDI, busses, VCAs, Master, Monitor
4307 and hidden or selected strips.
4343 Selected and Hidden bits are normally not needed as Ardour defaults to
4344 showing Selected strips and not showing Hidden strips. The purpose of
4345 these two flags is to allow showing only Selected strips or only
4346 Hidden strips. Using Hidden with other flags will allow Hidden strips
4347 to show inline with other strips.
4350 Some handy numbers to use might be: 15 (all tracks and buses), 31
4351 (add VCAs to that). Master or Monitor strips are generally not useful
4352 on a surface that has dedicated controls for these strips as there are
4353 /master* and /monitor* commands already. However, on a surface with
4354 just a bank of fader strips, adding master or monitor would allow
4355 access to them within the banks. Selected would be useful for working
4356 on a group or a set of user selected strips. Hidden shows strips the
4360 Audio Aux? say what? I am sure most people will have noticed that they
4361 can find no <em>Aux</em> strips in the Ardour mixer. There are none.
4362 There are buses that can be used a number of ways. From analog days,
4363 in OSC a bus is something that gets used as a sub mix before ending up
4364 going to Master. An auxiliary bus is used like a separate mixer and
4365 it's output goes outside the program or computer to be used as:
4366 a monitor mix, a back up recording, or what have you. In OSC where
4367 controller strips may be limited, it may be useful not to use up a
4368 strip for an aux that is not really a part of the mix. It is also
4369 useful to get a list of only aux buses if the control surface is a
4370 phone used to provide talent monitor mix control on stage. Each
4371 performer would be able to mix their own monitor. The user is free
4372 to enable both buses and auxes if they would prefer.
4376 <p>Feedback is an integer made up of bits. The easy way to
4377 deal with this is to think of feedback items being worth a number and
4378 then adding all those numbers together for a value to send.
4382 1 - Button status for strips.
4385 2 - Variable control values for strips.
4388 4 - Send SSID as path extension.
4391 8 - heartbeat to surface.
4394 16 - Enable master section feedback.
4397 32 - Send Bar and Beat.
4403 128 - Send meter as dB (-193 to +6) or 0 to 1 depending on gainmode
4406 256 - Send meter a 16 bit value where each bit is a level
4407 and all bits of lower level are on. For use in a LED strip. This
4408 will not work if the above option is turned on.
4411 512 - Send signal present, true if level is higher than -40dB
4414 1024 - Send position in samples
4417 2048 - Send position in time, hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds
4420 8192 - Turn on extra select channel feedback beyond what a /strip supports
4424 So using a value of 19 would turn on feedback for strip and master
4425 controls, but leave meters, timecode and bar/beat feedback off.
4429 title: Parameter Types in OSC
4434 An OSC message is laid out in this form:
4438 /path/of/command type parameter
4442 The type is there to indicate what the parameter is. This gives
4443 the idea that parameter types are quite strict and if the command
4444 requires an Integer <em>"i"</em> then the controller had better send it.
4445 However, the checking of the parameter type is left to the receiving
4450 What this means in practical terms is that the surface can get away
4451 with sending the wrong type of parameter. There are some places
4452 where that just doesn't make sense. For example, a parameter that
4453 is specified as a Float with a range of 0 to 1, could be sent as
4454 an Integer, but would only have full scale and minimum value with
4455 nothing in between. This is not much use for a fader, though ok for
4460 There are a number of OSC controllers based on iOS and Android
4461 tablets that only send or receive parameters as floats or text.
4462 These controllers should have no problem sending bool or int values
4463 as floats. Ardour will interpret the values as required.
4467 title: Selection/Feedback Expansion Considerations in OSC
4472 Ardour does not send every possible feedback value for each channel.
4473 It does send expanded information on the selected channel. There are
4474 also extra commands for the selected strip. All the feedback and
4475 select commands have their own path <em>/select</em>.
4476 This means that for the selected channel the surface does not have to
4477 keep track of the strip ID. The /select strip will follow the
4478 "current mixer strip" in the GUI editor window.
4481 There are two major uses for this:
4483 <li>Single strip control surfaces. Using
4484 <em>/access_action Editor/select-next-route</em> or
4485 <em>/access_action Editor/select-prev-route</em>
4486 to step through the mixer strips.</li>
4487 <li>Using a "Super strip" section of knobs to control parts
4488 of the strip that are changed less often such as polarity, sends or
4489 plugin parameters.</li>
4493 Selection in Ardour's OSC implementation are complicated by the
4494 possibility of using more than one OSC controller at the same time.
4495 User "A" may select strip 4 and use a selected controller to make
4496 changes to that strip. User "B" may subsequently select strip 7 to
4497 make changes on. This leaves user "A" making changes to strip 7
4498 which they did not choose.
4502 For this reason Ardour offers local expansion aside from the GUI
4503 selection. Local expansion only affects the one OSC controller. GUI
4504 selection is global and affects all controllers using GUI selection
4509 In general, in a one user situation where that one user may use either
4510 the OSC surface or the GUI, using GUI based selection makes the most
4511 sense. This is the default because this is the more common use.
4515 When there is more than one operator, then expansion only is the
4516 mode of choice. It may make sense for one of the surfaces to
4517 use GUI selection where the operator is also using the GUI for some
4518 things. However, the set up should be carefully analyzed for the
4519 possibility of selection confusions. Expansion should be
4520 considered the <em>safe</em> option.
4524 It is always ok to use expansion on the surface even in a one
4525 user scenario. This allows the user to use GUI and surface selection
4530 It is also possible to use both if desired. /strip/select will ways
4531 set the GUI select, but /strip/expand will set the select feedback
4532 and commands locally without changing the GUI select. Another
4533 /strip/expand or a /strip/select will override that expand command
4534 and releasing the /strip/expand or /select/expand (setting it to 0 or
4535 false) will set the /select set of commands/feedback back to whichever
4536 strip the GUI has selected at that time. This could be used to switch
4537 between the GUI select and the local expand to compare two strips
4542 title: Using the OSC Setup Dialog
4547 Starting with Ardour 5.1 OSC has a graphic setup dialog. This dialog
4548 can be accessed from Preferences->Control Surfaces. Select OSC and
4549 click on the Show Protocol Settings.
4553 The Ardour OSC dialog has three tabs. The main tab, the Strip Types
4554 tab and the Feedback tab.
4558 Many OSC devices get their IP from a DHCP making it difficult to set
4559 an IP in Ardour's OSC settings. Therefore, most of the settings are
4560 <em>default</em> settings. Values are set and the next OSC surface to
4561 send a /set_surface* message to Ardour will use those settings. An OSC
4562 surface that has previously sent a message to Ardour will retain the
4563 settings it already had. The <em>Clear OSC Devices</em> will reset all
4564 device settings. A <em>/refresh</em> message will both reset the
4565 device settings as well as set that device to any new settings. The
4566 Use of <em>/set_surface</em> will override all settings except
4570 <h2>Dialog settings</h2>
4572 <h3>OSC setup tab</h3>
4575 <img alt="the OSC configuration dialog"
4576 src="/images/osc-dialog.png">
4579 <h4>Connection:</h4>
4582 This field is informational only. It shows where Ardour will receive
4583 OSC messages. The system Name and the Port are the most important parts.
4589 This drop down allows the choice of Auto or Manual outbound port
4590 setting. The default Auto port mode, will send OSC messages back to
4591 the port messages from that surface are received from. This setting
4592 allows two surfaces on the same IP to operate independently. However,
4593 there are a number of OSC control surfaces that do not monitor the
4594 same port they send from and in fact may change ports they send from
4595 as well. Manual allows the outgoing port (the port the surface will
4596 receive on, to be manually set. In Manual port mode only one control
4597 surface per IP can work. Most phone or tablet OSC controllers like
4598 touchOSC or Control need Manual port mode. More than one controller
4599 can be used so long as each has it's own IP.
4602 <h4>Manual Port:</h4>
4605 This is an Entry box for setting the outgoing port when in
4612 This sets the default bank size for the next surface to send a
4613 <em>/set_surface/*</em> OSC message. Bank size 0 (the default) sets
4614 no banking and allows controlling all strips included in strip_types
4621 Sets the faders (and sends faders) feedback math to position where a
4622 value between 0 and 1 represents the fader position of the same fader
4623 in the mixer GUI or dB where the feedback from fader movement will be
4624 returned as a dB value. When the Gain Mode is set to position, the
4625 /*/name feedback for the channel will show dB values in text while the
4626 fader is being adjusted and then return the the name text.
4630 For debugging purposes this allows logging either good OSC messages
4631 Ardour receives or invalid messages received or none.
4635 Ardour now allows the use of preset settings. The default settings
4636 used are the settings from the last session or the factory defaults
4637 the first time OSC is enabled. As soon as any of these settings are
4638 changed, the Preset will change to "User" and the new settings will be
4639 save to the osc directory Ardour configuration directory as
4640 <em>user.preset</em>. This preset file can be renamed for future use.
4641 It is suggested to also change the name value inside to avoid confusion
4642 in the preset listing. Ardour will ship with some of it's own presets
4643 that go with some popular OSC control and map combinations.
4645 <h4>Clear OSC Devices</h4>
4647 This button clears operating device profiles so that Ardour will reset
4648 all devices settings to use the new defaults from changed settings. a
4649 device may still override these new settings with the /set_surface set
4650 of commands. The reason for setting defaults settings is that some OSC
4651 controllers are not able to send more than one parameter at a time and
4652 so having correct defaults allows one "Connect" button rather than 4.
4654 <h3>Default Strip Types tab</h3>
4656 <img alt="the Default Strip Types tab"
4657 src="/images/osc-strip-types.png">
4660 This allows selecting which of Ardour's mixer strips will be available
4661 for control. The Factory default is all strips except master, monitor
4662 and hidden strips. If it is desired to only see input tracks the
4663 others can be deselected. It is also possible to change these settings
4664 from the control surface. A set of buttons could select showing only
4665 inputs or only buses. If a group is selected in the GUI then showing
4666 only selected strips will show only that group. Showing hidden tracks
4667 is handy for cases where a groups of tracks that grouped to a bus or
4668 controlled by a VCA are hidden, but one of those tracks needs a tweak.
4671 <h3>Default Feedback tab</h3>
4674 <img alt="the Default Feedback tab"
4675 src="/images/osc-feedbackdefault.png">
4679 This allows setting up which controls provide feedback. The Factory
4680 default is none. If the controller is unable to receive feedback, this
4681 should be left blank. In the case of metering, Metering as a LED strip
4682 only works if Metering as a Float is disabled.
4686 title: Querying Ardour with OSC
4691 In order to make a custom controller that knows what strips Ardour
4692 has, the controller needs to be able to query Ardour for that
4693 information. These set of commands are for smarter control surfaces
4694 That have the logic to figure out what to do with the information.
4695 These are not of value for mapped controllers like touchOSC and
4696 friends. The controller will need to send these queries to ardour
4697 as often as it needs this information. It may well make sense to use
4698 regular feedback for things that need to be updated often such as
4699 position or metering.
4700 Here are the commands used to query Ardour:
4703 <dl class="bindings">
4704 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/list</kbd></dt>
4705 <dd>Ask for a list of strips</dd>
4706 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/sends <em>ssid</em></kbd></dt>
4707 <dd>Asks for a list of sends on the strip <em>ssid</em></dd>
4708 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/receives <em>ssid</em></kbd></dt>
4709 <dd>Asks for a list of tracks that have sends to the strip <em>ssid</em> points to</dd>
4710 <dt><kbd class="osc">/strip/plugin/list <em>ssid</em></kbd></dt>
4711 <dd>Asks for a list of plug-ins for strip <em>ssid.</em></dd>
4712 <dt><kbd class="osc">/plugin/descriptor <em>ssid</em> <em>piid</em></kbd></dt>
4713 <dd>Asks for a list of descriptors for plug-in <em>piid</em> on strip <em>ssid</em></dd>
4716 <h3>A list of strips</h3>
4719 <code>/strip/list</code> asks Ardour for a list of strips that the
4720 current session has. Ardour replies with a message for each
4721 strip with the following information:
4725 <li>Number of inputs</li>
4726 <li>Number of outputs</li>
4727 <li>Muted (bool)</li>
4728 <li>Soloed (bool)</li>
4729 <li>Ssid (strip number)</li>
4730 <li>Record enabled (bool)</li>
4732 After all the strip messages have been sent, one final message is
4735 <li>The text <code>end_route_list</code></li>
4736 <li>The session frame rate</li>
4737 <li>The last frame number of the session</li>
4740 <p class="note">A bus will not have a record enable and so a bus message
4741 will have one less parameter than a track. It is the controllers
4742 responsability to deal with this.
4745 <h3>A list of sends</h3>
4747 <code>/strip/sends <em>ssid</em></code> asks Ardour for a list of
4748 sends for strip number ssid. The reply is sent back to the
4749 controller as one message with the following information:
4751 <li>Ssid that information is for</li>
4752 <li>Each send's information:</li>
4754 <li>The send's target bus ssid</li>
4755 <li>The send's target bus name</li>
4756 <li>The send id for this strip</li>
4757 <li>The send gain as a fader possition</li>
4758 <li>The Send's enable state</li>
4763 The controller can tell how many sends there are from the number of
4764 parameters as each send has 5 parameters and there is one extra for
4768 <h3>A list if tracks that send audio to a bus</h3>
4770 <code>/strip/receives <em>ssid</em></code> will return a list of
4771 tracks that have sends to the bus at the ssid. The reply will
4772 contain the following information for each track conntected to this
4775 <li>The ssid of the track sending</li>
4776 <li>The name of the sending track</li>
4777 <li>The id of the send at that track</li>
4778 <li>It's gain in fader possition</li>
4779 <li>The send's enable state</li>
4783 <h3>A list of plug-ins for strip</h3>
4785 <code>/strip/plugin/list <em>ssid</em></code> will return a list of
4786 plug-ins that strip ssid has. The reply will contain the following
4789 <li>Ssid that information is for</li>
4790 <li>Each plugin's information:</li>
4792 <li>The plug-in's id</li>
4793 <li>The plug-in's name</li>
4798 <h3>A list of a plug-in's parameters</h3>
4800 <code>/plugin/descriptor <em>ssid</em> <em>piid</em></code> will
4801 return the plug-in parameters for ppid plug-in on the ssid strip. The
4802 reply will contain the following information:
4804 <li>Ssid of the strip the plug-in is in</li>
4805 <li>The plug-in id for the plug-in</li>
4806 <li>The plug-in's name</li>
4807 <li>Information about each parameter</li>
4809 <li>The parameter id</li>
4810 <li>The parameter's name</li>
4811 <li>A bitset of flags (see below)</li>
4813 <li>Minimum value</li>
4814 <li>Maximum value</li>
4815 <li>The number of scale points</li>
4816 <li>zero or more scale points of one value and one string each</li>
4817 <li>The current parameter value</li>
4823 The flag bitset above has been defined as (from lsb):
4825 <li>0 - enumeration</li>
4826 <li>1 - integer step</li>
4827 <li>2 - logarithmic</li>
4828 <li>3 - max unbound</li>
4829 <li>4 - min unbound</li>
4830 <li>5 - sample rate dependent</li>
4831 <li>6 - toggled</li>
4832 <li>7 - controllable</li>
4837 While this seems complex, it is really not that bad. Minimum, maximum and value will in most cases give you all you need.
4841 title: Devices using Mackie/Logic Control Protocol
4842 menu_title: Mackie/Logic Control Devices
4847 This will walk you through the process of configuring and using
4848 a MIDI control surface with Ardour that uses the <dfn>Mackie Control
4849 protocol</dfn> (MCP) or <dfn>Logic Control protocol</dfn>. Devices that
4850 have been tested and are known to work include the SSL Nucleus, Mackie
4851 Control Pro (plus extenders), Behringer devices in Mackie/Logic mode,
4852 and Steinberg CMC devices.
4855 <h2>Enabling Mackie Control in Ardour</h2>
4858 Navigate to <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Control Surfaces</kbd>.
4859 Double-click on <kbd class="menu">Mackie Control</kbd> to see the setup dialog:
4862 <img src="/images/missing.png" alt="Mackie Control Setup Dialog" />
4865 From the selector at the top, choose the type of device you are using.
4867 href="/using-control-surfaces/devices-using-mackielogic-control-protocol/devices-not-listed/">
4868 What to do if your device is not listed</a>).
4872 Once your setup is complete, click "OK" to close the dialog. Now click
4873 on the enable checkbox for "Mackie Control".
4876 <h2>Connecting control surface and Ardour MIDI ports</h2>
4879 If you are using a device that uses ipMIDI, such as the SSL Nucleus, no
4880 MIDI port connections are required—Ardour and your control
4881 surface will be able to talk to each other automatically.
4885 If you are using a device that uses normal MIDI (via a standard MIDI or
4886 USB cable), you need to connect Ardour's Mackie Control in and out ports
4887 to the MIDI ports leading to and coming from the control surface.
4891 When you have made these connections once, Ardour will recreate them
4892 for you in the future, as long as you leave Mackie Control enabled.
4895 <h2>Customizing your control surface</h2>
4898 Every possible Mackie Control button can be bound to any action present
4899 in Ardour's GUI. Please check your control surface page for suggestions.
4902 <h2>Preparing your device for use with Ardour</h2>
4905 Most interfaces will require some configuration to send and respond to
4910 When setting up the control surface, do <em>not</em> use "Pro Tools"
4911 mode. Pro Tools is the only DAW that still requires HUI. The rest of
4912 world uses Mackie Control Protocol. Ardour does not support HUI.
4916 title: Behringer devices in Mackie/Logic Control Mode
4917 menu_title: Behringer devices
4921 <h2>Behringer BCF-2000 Faders Controller</h2>
4924 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000"
4925 src="/images/BCF2000.png">
4929 The Behringer BCF-2000 Fader Controller is a control surface with 8 motorized
4930 faders, 8 rotary encoders and 30 push buttons. The device is a class
4931 compliant USB Midi Interface and also has standard Midi DIN IN/OUT/THRU ports.
4932 The device has included a Mackie/Logic Control Emulation Mode since firmware v1.06.
4933 If you're devices firmware is older than v1.06 it will require an update before
4934 Mackie Control Emulation will work as described here.
4938 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000 in Edit Global Mode"
4939 src="/images/BCF2000-EG.png">
4943 In order to put the controller into Mackie/Logic control mode turn on the
4944 unit while holding third button from the left in the top most row
4945 of buttons (under the rotary encoder row). Hold the button down until <dfn>EG</dfn>
4946 or edit global mode is displayed on the LCD screen of the unit. The global parameters
4947 can then be edited using the 8 rotary encoders in the top row.
4951 Encoder #1 sets the operating mode and should be set to <dfn>U-1</dfn> or
4952 USB mode 1 if using with a USB cable connection.
4955 Encoder #3 sets the foot switch mode and should most likely be set to
4956 <dfn>Auto</dfn> to detect how the foot switch is wired.
4959 Encoder #5 sets the device id, if you are using only 1 device the id
4960 should be set to <dfn>ID 1</dfn>. If you are using multiple BCF/BCR2000 each
4961 device is required to be set up sequentially and one at a time.
4964 Encoder #7 controls the MIDI <dfn>Dead Time</dfn> or the amount of milliseconds
4965 after a move has been made that the device ignores further changes, this
4966 should be set to <dfn>100</dfn>.
4969 Encoder #8 controls the MIDI message <dfn>Send Interval</dfn> in milliseconds
4970 and should be set to <dfn>10</dfn>
4974 To exit the <dfn>EG</dfn> mode press the <dfn>Exit</dfn> button. The device is now
4975 ready to use with Ardour.
4978 <h3>Modes of Operation</h3>
4980 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000 Control Modes"
4981 src="/images/BCF2000-Modes.png">
4984 The four buttons arranged in a rectangle and located under the Behringer logo
4985 are the mode selection buttons in Logic Control Emulation Mode,
4986 currently Ardour has implemented support for two of these modes.
4989 The surface can be broken into 8 groups of controls.
4993 <li>The rotary encoders at the top of the device</li>
4994 <li>The first row of buttons under the encoders</li>
4995 <li>The second row of buttons under the encoders</li>
4996 <li>The row of motorized faders<li>
4998 The group of 4 buttons at the top right that will be
4999 referred to here as the <dfn>Shift Group</dfn>
5002 The group of 4 buttons under the <dfn>Shift Group</dfn>
5003 referred to here as the <dfn>Mode Group</dfn>
5006 The group of 2 buttons under the <dfn>Mode Group</dfn>
5007 referred to here as the <dfn>Select Group</dfn>
5010 The group of 4 buttons under the <dfn>Select Group</dfn>
5011 referred to here as the <dfn>Transport Group</dfn>
5015 <h3>Mixer Pan Mode</h3>
5017 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the BCF2000 Control Modes"
5018 src="/images/BCF2000-Pan.png">
5021 This is the standard work mode that organizes the control surface to emulate
5022 a standard mixer layout where controls for each track/bus are arranged vertically.
5023 The order of the faders is either controlled by the order of the tracks in the
5024 mixer or can be set manually by the user.
5028 <dd>Mixer Pans. The red LEDs show the amount of pan left or right</dd>
5029 <dt>First Row of Buttons</dt>
5030 <dd>Mixer Mutes. The button led lights if the track is currently muted</dd>
5031 <dt>Second Row of Buttons</dt>
5032 <dd>Select Active Track/Bus. Currently selected track/bus is indicated by the button led</dd>
5034 <dd>Mixer Gains</dd>
5035 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5037 The top and bottom left buttons are the simply shifts to change the function of other buttons
5040 The top right is the <dfn>Fine Control</dfn> button that allows the increment values sent by
5041 by rotary encoders and faders to be a small value for more precise editing. This button
5042 can also act as a shift button.
5045 The bottom right is the <dfn>Global Shift</dfn> button that allows you to change back to the
5046 standard Mixer Pan view from other views and modes. This button can also act as a shift button.
5049 <dd>The top two buttons functions are not currently implemented in Ardour.</dd>
5050 <dd>The bottom left button sets the device to <dfn>Pan</dfn> mode and should currently be lit</dd>
5052 The bottom right button sets the device to <dfn>Send</dfn> mode but will only allow the switch
5053 if the currently selected track/bus has a send or sends to control.
5055 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5057 In this mode they function as bank select left and right. If your session has more than 8 tracks
5058 the next set of 8 tracks is selected with the right button and the faders will move to match the
5059 current gain settings of that bank of 8 tracks/busses. If the last bank contains less than 8
5060 tracks/busses the unused faders will move to the bottom and the pan lights will all turn
5061 off. An unlimited amount of tracks can be controlled with the device.
5063 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5064 <dd>The upper left button controls <dfn>Rewind<dfn>.
5065 <dd>The upper right button controls <dfn>Fast Foreword</dfn>
5066 <dd>The lower left button controls stop</dd>
5067 <dd>The lower right button controls play</dd>
5071 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the Send Mode"
5072 src="/images/BCF2000-Send.png">
5075 Send mode allows for the top row of encoders to control the sends for a selected channel.
5076 One interesting option is to flip the controls from the encoders to the faders by pressing
5077 the shift 1 button and the global view button at the same time.
5082 In send mode, the encoders control sends from left to right instead of mixer pans.
5083 If there are less than 8 sends the behavior of the encoder will be to continue controlling
5084 the mixer pan. Visually it's indicated by the change in the LED from originating at the 12
5085 o'clock position to originating at the 7 o'clock position. If <dfn>FLIP</dfn> is pressed
5086 the encoder will control the mixer gain for the selected track/bus.
5088 <dt>First row of buttons</dt>
5090 <dt>Second row of buttons</dt>
5094 No change unless <dfn>FLIP</dfn>is pressed then it controls the send for the selected track/bus.
5096 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5098 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5100 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5103 <h3>Mixer Pan While Holding Shift 1</h3>
5105 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the Mixer Mode while holding down shift 1"
5106 src="/images/BCF2000-Shift1.png">
5109 The operations of various buttons change while holding down the <dfn>Shift 1</dfn> button
5114 <dt>First row of buttons</dt>
5115 <dd>These now control the Soloing of each track/bus in the current bank</dd>
5116 <dt>Second row of buttons</dt>
5117 <dd>These now control the Enable Record for each track</dd>
5120 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5124 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5126 These now change the current bank of tracks being controlled over by
5127 one. So if you where controlling tracks 1-8 a push the right
5128 button the surface would now control tracks 2-9 pressing the left
5129 would then shift back to controlling tracks 1-8.
5131 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5132 <dd>The upper left now controls turning on and off <dfn>Loop</dfn> mode.</dd>
5134 The upper right now toggles
5137 <dd>The lower left toggles <dfn>Replace</dfn>.</dd>
5139 The lower right toggles
5140 <dfn>Global Record</dfn>.
5143 <h3>Mixer Pan While Holding Shift 2</h3>
5145 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the Mixer Mode while holding down shift 2"
5146 src="/images/BCF2000-Shift2.png">
5149 The operations of various buttons change while holding down the <dfn>Shift 2</dfn> button
5154 <dt>First row of buttons</dt>
5156 <dt>Second row of buttons</dt>
5157 <dd>These now control setting up different <dfn>Views</dfn>. See bellow for more info</dd>
5160 <dt>Shift Group</dt>
5164 <dt>Select Group</dt>
5165 <dd>Left button controls <dfn>Undo</dfn>(NEEDS VERIFIED)</dd>
5166 <dt>Transport Group</dt>
5176 <img alt="Digramatic Image of the LED display for different Views"
5177 src="/images/BCF2000-Views.png">
5180 <p class="fixme">FIX ME</p>
5188 The Nucleus, from Solid State Logic, is a 16 fader Mackie Control
5189 device that includes many buttons, separate meters, two LCD displays
5190 and other features. The device is not cheap (around US$5000 at the
5191 time of writing), and has some <a href="#design">design features</a>
5192 (or lack thereof) which some Ardour developers find
5193 questionable. Nevertheless, it is a very flexible device, and makes
5194 a nice 16 fader surface without the need to somehow attach an
5195 extender to your main surface.
5198 <h2>Pre-configuring the Nucleus</h2>
5201 Your Nucleus comes complete with a number of "profiles" for a few
5202 well-known DAWs. At the time of writing it does not include one for
5203 Ardour (or related products such as Harrison Mixbus).
5206 We have prepared a profile in which as many buttons as possible send
5207 Mackie Control messages, which makes the device maximally useful
5208 with Ardour (and Mixbus). You can
5209 download <a href="https://community.ardour.org/files/ArdourNucleusProfile.zip">the
5211 and load it to your Nucleus using the <code>Edit Profiles</code>
5212 button in SSL's Nucleus Remote application. Be sure to select it for
5213 the active DAW layer in order to make Ardour work as well as
5214 possible. <em>Note: unfortunately, the Nucleus Remote application
5215 only runs on OS X or Windows, so Linux users will need access to
5216 another system to load the profile. We will provide notes on the
5217 profile settings at a future time.</em>
5220 <h2>Connecting the Nucleus</h2>
5223 Unlike most Mackie Control devices, the Nucleus uses an ethernet
5224 connection to send and receive the MIDI messages that make up the
5225 Mackie Control protocol. Specifically, it uses a technology called
5226 "ipMIDI" which essentially "broadcasts" MIDI messages on a local
5227 area network, so that any connected devices (computers, control
5228 surfaces, tablets etc.) can participate.
5231 All other DAWs so far that support the Nucleus have chosen to do so
5232 by using a 3rd party MIDI driver called "ipMIDI", which creates a
5233 number of "virtual" MIDI ports on your computer. You, the user,
5234 tells the DAW which ports to connect to, and ipMIDI takes care of
5238 Ardour has builtin ipMIDI support, with no need of any 3rd party
5239 packages, and no need to identify the "ports" to connect to in order
5240 to communicate with the Nucleus. This makes setting it up a bit
5241 easier than most other systems.
5244 Unless ... you already installed the ipMIDI driver in order to use
5245 some other DAW with your Nucleus. If ipMIDI is configured to create
5246 any "ports", it is not possible for Ardour's own ipMIDI support to
5247 function. We decided to offer both methods of communicating with
5248 your Nucleus. If you regularly use other DAWs, and appreciate having
5249 ipMIDI permanently set up to communication with the Nucleus—that's
5250 OK, you can tell Ardour to use the ipMIDI driver you already
5251 have. But if you're not using other DAWs with the Nucleus (and thus
5252 have not installed the ipMIDI driver), then you can ignore the
5253 ipMIDI driver entirely, and let Ardour connect directly with no
5257 <h3>Connecting via Ardour's own ipMIDI support</h3>
5259 <p class="alert alert-info">
5260 This is usable only on computers with no 3rd party ipMIDI
5261 driver software installed and configured. If you have the OS X or
5262 Windows ipMIDI driver from nerds.de, it <strong>MUST</strong> be
5263 configured to offer <strong>ZERO</strong> ports before using this
5268 Open <code>Preferences > Control Surfaces</code>. Ensure that the
5269 Mackie protocol is enabled, then double-click on it to open the
5270 Mackie Control setup dialog.
5273 Ensure that the device selected is "SSL Nucleus". The dialog should
5274 show a single numerical selector control below it, defining the
5275 ipMIDI port number to use (it should almost always be left at the
5276 default value of 21928).
5279 Communication is automatically established with the Nucleus and you
5280 need do nothing more.
5283 If this does not work, then make sure your network cables are
5284 properly connected, and that you are <strong>not</strong> running
5285 other ipMIDI software on the computer.
5288 <h3>Connecting via 3rd party ipMIDI support</h3>
5290 <p class="alert alert-info">
5291 This is usable only on computers with 3rd party ipMIDI
5292 driver software installed and configured for (at least) 2 ports.
5296 Open <code>Preferences > Control Surfaces</code>. Ensure that the
5297 Mackie protocol is enabled, then double-click on it to open the
5298 Mackie Control setup dialog.
5301 Ensure that the device selected is "SSL Nucleus (via platform MIDI)". The dialog should
5302 show four combo/dropdown selectors, labelled (respectively):
5305 <li><code>Main Surface receives via</code></li>
5306 <li><code>Main Surface sends via</code></li>
5307 <li><code>1st extender receives via</code></li>
5308 <li><code>1st extender sends via</code></li>
5311 You should choose "ipMIDI port 1", "ipMIDI port 1", "ipMIDI port 2"
5312 and "ipMIDI port 2" for each of the 4 combo/dropdown selectors.
5315 Communication should be automatically established with the Nucleus.
5318 If this does not work, then make sure your network cables are
5319 properly connected, and that you are running the approprate ipMIDI
5320 driver and have configured it for 2 (or more) ports.
5323 <h2><a name="design">Nucleus Design Discussion</a></h2>
5326 You might be reading this part of the manual seeking some guidance
5327 on whether the Nucleus would make a suitable control surface for
5328 your workflows. We don't want to try to answer that question
5329 definitively, since the real answer depends on the very specific
5330 details of your workflow and situation, but we would like to point
5331 out a number of design features of the Nucleus that might change
5337 <dt>No Master Faster</dt>
5338 <dd>It is not possible to control the level of the Master bus or
5339 Monitor section. Really don't know what SSL was thinking here.</dd>
5340 <dt>No dedicated rec-enable buttons</dt>
5341 <dd>You have to press the "Rec" button and convert the per-strip
5342 "Select" buttons into rec-enables</dd>
5343 <dt>No dedicated automation buttons</dt>
5344 <dd>You have to press the "Auto" button and convert the first 4
5345 vpots into 4 automation-related buttons, losing your current view
5346 of the session.</dd>
5347 <dt>No buttons with Mackie-defined "Marker" functionality</dt>
5348 <dd>Mackie's design intentions for the interoperation of the
5349 Marker, rewind and ffwd buttons requires profile editing in order
5350 to function properly.
5352 <dt>No "Dyn" button</dt>
5353 <dd>This is hard to assign in an edited profile. To be fair, other
5354 Mackie Control devices also lack this button.
5360 <dt>Single cable connectivity</dt>
5361 <dd>No need for multiple MIDI cables to get 16 faders</dd>
5362 <dt>Broadcast connectivity</dt>
5363 <dd>Connecting to multiple computers does not require recabling</dd>
5364 <dt>16 faders from a single box</dt>
5365 <dd>No need to figure out how to keep extenders together</dd>
5366 <dt>Meters separated from displays</dt>
5367 <dd>Contrast with the Mackie Control Universal Pro, where meters
5368 interfere with the display
5370 <dt>DAW profiles</dt>
5371 <dd>Easy to flip profiles for use by different DAWs.</dd>
5377 <dt>Ability to make buttons generate USB keyboard events</dt>
5378 <dd>The extent to which this is useful reflects the target DAWs
5379 inability to manage all of its functionality via Mackie Control
5381 <dt>Sophisticated "profile" editing</dt>
5382 <dd>It is nice to be able to reassign the functionality of most
5383 buttons, but this is only necessary because of the relatively few
5384 global buttons on the surface.
5386 <dt>Builtin analog signal path</dt>
5387 <dd>SSL clearly expects users to route audio back from their
5388 computer via the Nucleus' own 2 channel output path, and maybe even
5389 use the input path as well. They take up a significant amount of
5390 surface space with the controls for this signal path, space that
5391 could have been used for a master fader or more Mackie Control
5392 buttons. The USB audio device requires a proprietary driver, so
5393 Linux users can't use this, and OS X/Windows users will have to
5394 install a device driver (very odd for a USB audio device these
5395 days). The analog path also no doubt adds notable cost to the
5396 Nucleus. There's nothing wrong with this feature for users that
5397 don't already have a working analog/digital signal path for their
5398 computers. But who is going to spend $5000 on a Nucleus that
5399 doesn't have this already?</dd>
5403 title: Mackie Control Setup on Linux
5407 <h2>Devices using ipMIDI</h2>
5410 If you are using a device like the SSL Nucleus that uses ipMIDI,
5411 no set up is required other than to ensure that your control surface
5412 and computer are both connected to the same network.
5415 <h2>Devices using conventional MIDI</h2>
5418 Before attempting to use a Mackie Control device that communicates via
5419 a standard MIDI cable or a USB cable, you should ensure that
5420 <a href="/setting-up-your-system/setting-up-midi/midi-on-linux">your Linux
5421 MIDI environment is setup</a>.
5425 title: What to do if your Device is not Listed
5426 menu_title: Unlisted devices
5431 All Mackie Control devices are based on the original Logic Control and the
5432 documentation in the user manual that came with it. The Mackie Control and
5433 the Mackie Control Pro and so on, all use this same protocol. Any units
5434 from other manufactures will also use the same encoding as best the
5435 hardware will allow. If the unit in use has more than one Mackie Control
5436 option, it is best to choose Logic Control or LC. Any Templates for the
5437 buttons should be chosen the same way as the Function key Editor uses these
5438 button names. The "Mackie Control" option should be considered default and
5439 should be tried with any unlisted device before attemping to create a
5440 custom definition file.
5444 title: Working With Extenders
5445 menu_title: Working With Extenders
5450 Extenders will require a custom file as there are no combinations listed
5451 at this time. The best way is to start with the mc.device file and copy it
5452 to a new name such as xt+mc.device and then edit that file. It is best to
5453 name the file with the order the devices are expected to be used in as
5454 the position of the master device is specified in this file.
5458 The two lines of interest are:
5462 <Extenders value="0"/>
5463 <MasterPosition value="0"/>
5467 Add these two lines if they are not present. The <code>Extenders</code>
5468 value is the number of extenders used and should not include the master in
5473 When an <code>Extenders</code> value of greater than 0 is used, extra midi
5474 ports will appear for the extenders to be connected to. The MIDI ports
5475 for the controllers will be named <code>mackie control #1</code>,
5476 <code>mackie control #2</code> and up. The numbers will go from left to
5477 right. That is, from lowest number channel to highest.
5481 The <code>MasterPosition</code> value is the port number the master unit
5482 (with the master fader) is connected to. So if there are three surfaces,
5483 <code><MasterPosition value="1"/></code> will expect the master on
5484 the left, <code><MasterPosition value="2"/></code> would be master
5485 in the middle and <code><MasterPosition value="3"/></code> would be
5486 master on the right. So the position matches the port name.
5490 The default value of <code><MasterPosition value="0"/></code> has
5491 the same effect as <code><MasterPosition value="1"/></code>.
5495 If the <code>MasterPosition</code> value does not properly match the
5496 physcal position and MIDI port, the master fader and global controls will
5497 not work. The master unit will act like an extender.
5501 title: MIDI Binding Maps
5506 Ardour 2.X supported
5507 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/midi-learn"><dfn>MIDI learning</dfn></a>
5508 for more or less any control. This was a nice feature that quite a few other
5509 DAWs are providing by now, but it didn't allow Ardour to work "out of the
5510 box" with sensible defaults for existing commercial MIDI
5511 controllers. In Ardour 3 and later versions, we have augmented the
5512 MIDI learn feature with the ability to load a <dfn>MIDI binding map</dfn>
5513 for a given controller, which can set up an arbitrary number of physical
5514 controls with anything inside Ardour that can be controlled.
5518 Currently (August 2016), we have presets for the following devices/modes:
5522 <li>AKAI MPD-32</li>
5524 <li>AKAI MPKmini</li>
5525 <li>Behringer BCF2000</li>
5526 <li>Behringer BCF2000 (Mackie Emulation mode; better to use
5527 Ardour's actual Mackie Control Protocol support)</li>
5528 <li>Behringer DDX3216</li>
5529 <li>Korg nanoKONTROL (2 layouts)</li>
5530 <li>Korg nanoKONTROL 2 (2 layouts)</li>
5531 <li>Korg Taktile</li>
5532 <li>M-Audio Axiom 25 (2 layouts)</li>
5533 <li>M-Audio Axiom 61</li>
5534 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 49</li>
5535 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 61v3</li>
5536 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 25</li>
5537 <li>M-Audio Oxygen 8v2</li>
5538 <li>Novation Impulse 49</li>
5539 <li>Novation Impulse 61</li>
5540 <li>Novation LaunchControl XL</li>
5541 <li>Novation LaunchKey 25</li>
5542 <li>Roland SI-24</li>
5543 <li>Roland V Studio 20</li>
5544 <li>Yamaha KX25</li>
5546 At this time, new binding maps need to be created with a text editor.
5548 MIDI binding maps are accessible by double-clicking <kbd class="menu">Edit
5549 > Preferences > Control Surfaces > Generic MIDI</kbd>. Ardour will
5550 retain your selection after you choose one.
5553 <h2>Creating new MIDI maps</h2>
5554 <h3>The Basic Concept</h3>
5556 Since the beginning of time (well, sometime early in the 2.X series),
5557 Ardour has had the concept of identifying each track and bus with a
5558 <dfn>remote control ID</dfn>. This ID uniquely identifies a track or bus
5559 so that when messages arrive from elsewhere via MIDI or OSC , we can determine
5560 which track or bus they are intended to control. Ardour has a
5562 href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-ordering/track-ordering-and-remote-control-ids/">number
5563 of ways of assigning remote control IDs</a>, but they don't really matter
5564 very much when creating MIDI binding maps, so we won't discuss that here.
5565 You just need to know that there is a "first track" and its remote control
5568 <h3>Getting Started</h3>
5570 MIDI bindings are stored in files with the suffix ".map" attached to their
5571 name. The minimal content looks like this:
5574 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
5575 <ArdourMIDIBindings version="1.0.0" name="The name of this set of
5577 </ArdourMIDIBindings>
5580 So, to start, create a file with that as the initial contents.
5583 On OS X, Ardour loads midi maps from its binary-bundle folder in
5584 <code>Ardour-<version>/midi_maps/</code> and checks
5585 various other locations as well (defined by the ARDOUR_MIDIMAPS_PATH
5586 environment variable). On GNU/Linux the easiest is to save the file to
5587 <code>~/.config/ardour3/midi_maps/</code>.
5590 <h3>Finding out what your MIDI control surface sends</h3>
5592 This is the most complex part of the job, but its still not very hard.
5593 You need to connect the control surface to an application that will show
5594 you the information that the device sends each time you modify a knob,
5595 slider, button etc. There are a variety of such applications (notably
5596 <code>gmidimon</code> and <code>kmidimon</code>, but you can actually use
5597 Ardour for this if you want. Start Ardour in a terminal window, connect
5598 MIDI ports up, and in the Preferences window, enable "Trace Input" on the
5599 relevant MIDI port. A full trace of the MIDI data received will show up in
5600 the terminal window. (Note: in Ardour3, you get a dedicated, custom dialog
5601 for this kind of tracing.)
5603 <h3>Types of Bindings</h3>
5605 There are two basic kinds of bindings you can make between a MIDI message
5606 and something inside Ardour. The first is a binding to a specific parameter
5607 of a track or bus. The second is a binding to a function that will change
5608 Ardour's state in some way.
5610 <h4>Binding to Track/Bus controls</h4>
5612 A track/bus binding has one of two basic structures
5615 <Binding <em>msg specification</em> uri="<em>... control address ...</em>"/>
5616 <Binding <em>msg specification</em> function="<em>... function name ...</em>"/>
5619 <h4>Message specifications</h4>
5621 You can create a binding for either 3 types of channel messages, or for a
5622 system exclusive ("sysex") message. A channel message specification looks
5626 <Binding channel="1" ctl="13" ....
5629 This defines a binding for a MIDI Continuous Controller message involving
5630 controller 13, arriving on channel 1. There are 16 MIDI channels, numbered
5631 1 to 16. Where the example above says <code>ctl</code>, you can alternatively
5632 use <code>note</code> (to create binding for a Note On message) or
5633 <code>pgm</code> (to create a binding for a Program Change message).
5636 As of Ardour 4.2, <code>enc-r</code>, <code>enc-l</code>, <code>enc-2</code> and
5637 <code>enc-b</code> may be used for surfaces that have encoders that send
5638 offsets rather than values. These accept Continuous Controller messages
5639 but treat them as offsets. These are good for banked controls as they are
5640 always at the right spot to start adjusting. (
5641 <a href="/using-control-surfaces/midi-binding-maps/working-with-encoders/">
5642 Learn more about working with encoders
5646 You can also bind sysex messages:
5649 <Binding sysex="f0 0 0 e 9 0 5b f7" ....
5650 <Binding sysex="f0 7f 0 6 7 f7" ....
5653 The string after the <code>sysex=</code> part is the sequence of MIDI bytes,
5654 as hexadecimal values, that make up the sysex message.
5657 Finally, you can bind a totally arbitrary MIDI message:</p>
5659 <Binding msg="f0 0 0 e 9 0 5b f7" ....
5660 <Binding msg="80 60 40" ....
5663 The string after the <code>msg=</code> part is the sequence of MIDI bytes, as
5664 hexadecimal values, that make up the message you want to bind. Using this is
5665 slightly less efficient than the other variants shown above, but is useful for
5666 some oddly designed control devices.
5670 As of Ardour 4.6 it is possible to use multi-event MIDI strings such as
5671 two event CC messages, RPN or NRPN.
5675 The <code>sysex=</code> and <code>msg=</code> bindings will only work with
5676 <code>function=</code> or <code>action=</code> control addresses. They
5677 will <em>not</em> work with the <code>uri=</code> control addresses.
5678 Controls used with <code>uri=</code> require a <em>Value</em> which is
5679 only available in a known place with channel mode MIDI events.
5682 <h4>Control address</h4>
5684 A <dfn>control address</dfn> defines what the binding will actually control.
5685 There are quite a few different things that can be specified here:
5687 <dl class="wide-table">
5688 <dt>/route/gain</dt>
5689 <dd>the gain control ("fader") for the track/bus</dd>
5690 <dt>/route/trim</dt>
5691 <dd>the trim control for the track/bus (new in 4.1)</dd>
5692 <dt>/route/solo</dt>
5693 <dd>a toggleable control for solo (and listen) of the track/bus</dd>
5694 <dt>/route/mute</dt>
5695 <dd>a toggleable control to mute/unmute the track/bus</dd>
5696 <dt>/route/recenable</dt>
5697 <dd>a toggleable control to record-enable the track</dd>
5698 <dt>/route/panwidth</dt>
5699 <dd>interpreted by the track/bus panner, should control image "width"</dd>
5700 <dt>/route/pandirection</dt>
5701 <dd>interpreted by the track/bus panner, should control image "direction"</dd>
5702 <dt>/route/plugin/parameter</dt>
5703 <dd>the Mth parameter of the Nth plugin of a track/bus
5705 <dt>/route/send/gain</dt>
5706 <dd>the gain control ("fader") of the Nth send of a track/bus</dd>
5708 <p>Each of the specifications needs an address, which takes various forms too. For track-level controls (solo/gain/mute/recenable), the address is one the following:</p>
5709 <dl class="wide-table">
5710 <dt>a number, eg. "1"
5712 <dd>identifies a track or bus by its remote control ID
5714 <dt>B, followed by a number
5716 <dd>identifies a track or bus by its remote control ID within the current bank (see below for more on banks)
5718 <dt>one or more words
5720 <dd>identifies a track or bus by its name
5724 For send/insert/plugin controls, the address consists of a track/bus
5725 address (as just described) followed by a number identifying the plugin/send
5726 (starting from 1). For plugin parameters, there is an additional third
5727 component: a number identifying the plugin parameter number (starting from
5731 One additional feature: for solo and mute bindings, you can also add
5732 <code>momentary="yes"</code> after the control address. This is useful
5733 primarily for NoteOn bindings—when Ardour gets the NoteOn it
5734 will solo or mute the targetted track or bus, but then when a NoteOff
5735 arrives, it will un-solo or un-mute it.
5738 <h4>Bindings to Ardour "functions"</h4>
5740 Rather than binding to a specific track/bus control, it may be useful to
5741 have a MIDI controller able to alter some part of Ardour's state. A
5742 binding definition that does this looks like this:
5745 <Binding channel="1" note="13" function="transport-roll"/>
5748 In this case, a NoteOn message for note number 13 (on channel 1) will
5749 start the transport rolling. The following function names are available:
5751 <dl class="narrower-table">
5753 <code>transport-stop</code>
5755 <dd>stop the transport
5758 <code>transport-roll</code>
5760 <dd>start the transport "rolling"
5763 <code>transport-zero</code>
5765 <dd>move the playhead to the zero position
5768 <code>transport-start</code>
5770 <dd>move the playhead to the start marker
5773 <code>transport-end</code>
5775 <dd>move the playhead to the end marker
5778 <code>loop-toggle</code>
5780 <dd>turn on loop playback
5783 <code>rec-enable</code>
5785 <dd>enable the global record button
5788 <code>rec-disable</code>
5790 <dd>disable the global record button
5793 <code>next-bank</code>
5795 <dd>Move track/bus mapping to the next bank (see Banks below)
5798 <code>prev-bank</code>
5800 <dd>Move track/bus mapping to the previous bank (see Banks below)
5804 <h4>Binding to Ardour "actions"</h4>
5806 You can also bind a sysex or arbitrary message to any of the items
5807 that occur in Ardour's main menu (and its submenus). The best place
5808 to look for the (long) list of how to address each item is in your
5809 keybindings file, which will contain lines that look like this:
5812 (gtk_accel_path "<Actions>/Editor/temporal-zoom-in" "equal")
5815 To create a binding between an arbitrary MIDI message (we'll use a
5816 note-off on channel 1 of MIDI note 60 (hex) with release velocity
5817 40 (hex)), the binding file would contain:
5820 <Binding msg="80 60 40" action="Editor/temporal-zoom-in"/>
5823 The general rule, when taken an item from the keybindings file and
5824 using it in a MIDI binding is to simply strip the
5825 <code><Action></code> prefix of the second field in the
5826 keybinding definition.
5829 <h3>Banks and Banking</h3>
5831 Because many modern control surfaces offer per-track/bus controls
5832 for far fewer tracks & busses than many users want to control,
5833 Ardour offers the relatively common place concept of <dfn>banks</dfn>. Banks
5834 allow you to control any number of tracks and/or busses easily,
5835 regardless of how many faders/knobs etc. your control surface has.<br />
5836 To use banking, the control addresses must be specified using the
5837 <dfn>bank relative</dfn> format mentioned above ("B1" to identify
5838 the first track of a bank of tracks, rather than "1" to identify
5842 One very important extra piece of information is required to use
5843 banking: an extra line near the start of the list of bindings
5844 that specifies how many tracks/busses to use per bank. If the
5845 device has 8 faders, then 8 would be a sensible value to use for
5846 this. The line looks like this:</p>
5848 <DeviceInfo bank-size="8"/>
5851 In addition, you probably want to ensure that you bind something
5852 on the control surface to the <code>next-bank</code> and
5853 <code>prev-bank</code> functions, otherwise you and other users
5854 will have to use the mouse and the GUI to change banks, which
5855 rather defeats the purpose of the bindings.
5857 <h2>A Complete (though muddled) Example</h2>
5859 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
5860 <ArdourMIDIBindings version="1.0.0" name="pc1600x transport controls">
5861 <DeviceInfo bank-size="16"/>
5862 <Binding channel="1" ctl="1" uri="/route/gain B1"/>
5863 <Binding channel="1" ctl="2" uri="/route/gain B2"/>
5864 <Binding channel="1" ctl="3" uri="/route/send/gain B1 1"/>
5865 <Binding channel="1" ctl="4" uri="/route/plugin/parameter B1 1 1"/>
5866 <Binding channel="1" ctl="6" uri="/bus/gain master"/>
5868 <Binding channel="1" note="1" uri="/route/solo B1"/>
5869 <Binding channel="1" note="2" uri="/route/solo B2" momentary="yes"/>
5871 <Binding channel="1" note="15" uri="/route/mute B1" momentary="yes"/>
5872 <Binding channel="1" note="16" uri="/route/mute B2" momentary="yes"/>
5874 <Binding sysex="f0 0 0 e 9 0 5b f7" function="transport-start"/>
5875 <Binding sysex="f0 7f 0 6 7 f7" function="rec-disable"/>
5876 <Binding sysex="f0 7f 0 6 6 f7" function="rec-enable"/>
5877 <Binding sysex="f0 0 0 e 9 0 53 0 0 f7" function="loop-toggle"/>
5879 <Binding channel="1" note="13" function="transport-roll"/>
5880 <Binding channel="1" note="14" function="transport-stop"/>
5881 <Binding channel="1" note="12" function="transport-start"/>
5882 <Binding channel="1" note="11" function="transport-zero"/>
5883 <Binding channel="1" note="10" function="transport-end"/>
5884 </ArdourMIDIBindings>
5887 Please note that channel, controller and note numbers are specified as
5888 decimal numbers in the ranges 1-16, 0-127 and 0-127 respectively
5889 (the channel range may change at some point).
5893 title: Working With Encoders in Ardour
5894 menu_title: Working With Encoders
5899 Encoders are showing up more frequently on controllers. However, they use
5900 the same MIDI events as Continuous Controllers and they have no standard
5901 way of sending that information as MIDI events. Ardour 4.2 has implemented
5902 4 of the more common ways of sending encoder information.
5905 Encoders that send the same continuous values as a pot would are not
5906 discussed here as they are already supported by <code>ctl</code>.
5909 Encoders as this page talks about them send direction and offset that the
5910 DAW will add to or subtract from the current value.
5913 The 4 kinds of encoder supported are:
5917 enc-r: On the bcr/bcf2000 this is called "Relative Signed Bit". The most
5918 significant bit sets positive and the lower 6 signifcant bits are the
5922 enc-l: The bcr2000 calls this "Relative Signed Bit 2". The most
5923 significant bit sets negative and the lower 6 signifcant bits are the
5924 offset. If you are using one of these two and the values are right but
5925 reversed, use the other. This one is the one the Mackie Control Protocol
5929 enc-2: The bcr2000 calls this one "Relative 2s Complement". Positive
5930 offsets are sent as normal from 1 to 64 and negative offsets are sent as
5931 2s complement negative numbers.
5934 enc-b: The bcr2000 calls this one "Relative Binary Offset". Positive
5935 offsets are sent as offset plus 64 and negative offsets are sent as 64
5940 If the wrong one is chosen, either the positive or negative side will act
5941 incorrectly. It is not really possible to auto detect which one the
5942 controller is using. Trial and error is the only way if the specification
5943 of the controller is not known.
5946 Many controllers have more than one choice as well, check the manual for
5958 There are no "best" ways to map an arbitrary MIDI controller for controlling Ardour. There may be very legitimate reasons for different users to prefer quite different mappings.
5962 On every platform that Ardour runs on, there are excellent free-of-charge tools for making connections between MIDI hardware and "virtual" MIDI ports like the ones that Ardour creates and uses. Rather than waste precious developer time replicating these connection/patch managers, we prefer to leverage their existence by having users rely on them to actually connect Ardour to other MIDI devices and software. On OS X, we recommend Pete Yandell's MIDI Patchbay. On Linux, a wide variety of tools are available including QJackctl, aconnect, Patchage, and more.
5968 <li>Enable Generic MIDI control: <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences
5969 > Control Surfaces > Generic MIDI</kbd></li>
5970 <li>Connect Ardour's MIDI port named <samp>control</samp> to whatever
5971 hardware or software you want (using a MIDI patchbay app)</li>
5972 <li><kbd class="mod1 mouse">Middle</kbd>-click on whatever on-screen
5973 fader, plugin parameter control, button etc. you want to control</li>
5974 <li>A small window appears that says "Operate Controller now"</li>
5975 <li>Move the hardware knob or fader, or press the note/key.</li>
5976 <li>The binding is complete. Moving the hardware should control the Ardour fader etc. </li>
5979 <h2>Avoiding work in the future</h2>
5982 If you want the bindings you set up to be used automatically in every session, the simplest thing to do is to use <kbd class="menu">Session > Save Template</kbd>. Then, when creating new sessions, select that template and all the bindings will be automatically set up for you.
5986 title: Using the Presonus Faderport
5987 menu_title: Presonus Faderport
5992 Since version 4.5, Ardour has had full support for the Presonus
5993 Faderport. This is a compact control surface featuring a single
5994 motorized fader, a single knob (encoder) and 24 buttons with fixed
5995 labels. It is a relatively low-cost device that functions very well
5996 to control a single (selected) track or bus, along with a variety of
5997 other "global" settings and conditions.
6000 <h2>Connecting the Faderport</h2>
6003 The Faderport comes with a single USB socket on the back. Connect a
6004 suitable USB cable from there to a USB port on your computer. As of
6005 the end of 2015, you should avoid USB3 ports—these cause erratic
6006 behaviour with the device. This issue might get fixed by Presonus in
6011 Ardour uses the Faderport in what Presonus calls "native" mode. You
6012 do not need to do anything to enable this—Ardour will set the
6013 device to be in the correct mode. In native mode, the Faderport
6014 sends and receives ordinary MIDI messages to/from the host, and the
6015 host understands the intended meaning of these messages. We note
6016 this detail to avoid speculation about whether Ardour supports the
6017 device via the HUI protocol—it does not.
6021 The Faderport will be automatically recognized by your operating
6022 system, and will appear in any of the lists of possible MIDI ports
6023 in both Ardour and other similar software.
6027 To connect the Faderport to Ardour, open the Preferences dialog, and
6028 then click on "Control Surfaces". Click on the "Enable" button
6029 in the line that says "Faderport" in order to activate Ardour's
6030 Faderport support. Then double click on the line that says
6031 "Faderport". A new dialog will open, containing (among other things)
6032 two dropdown selectors that will allow you to identify the MIDI
6033 ports where your Faderport is connected.
6037 <img alt="the Faderport configuration dialog"
6038 src="/images/faderport_dialog.png">
6042 Once you select the input and output port, Ardour will initialize
6043 the Faderport and it will be ready to use. You only need do this
6044 once: once these ports are connected and your session has been
6045 saved, the connections will be made automatically in this and other
6050 You do not need to use the power supply that comes with the
6051 Faderport but without it, the fader will not be motorized. This
6052 makes the overall experience of using the Faderport much less
6053 satisfactory, since the fader will not move when Ardour tells it
6054 to, leading to very out-of-sync conditions between the physical
6055 fader position and the "fader position" inside the program.
6058 <h2>Using the Faderport</h2>
6061 The Faderport's controls can be divided into three groups:
6063 <li>Global controls such as the transport buttons</li>
6065 <li>Controls which change the settings for particular track or
6068 <li>Controls which alter which track or bus is modified by the
6069 per-track/bus controls.</li>
6073 Because the Faderport has only a single set of per-track controls,
6074 by default those controls operate on the first selected track or
6075 bus. If there is no selected track or bus, the controls will do
6079 <h3>Transport Buttons</h3>
6081 The transport buttons all work as you would expect.
6086 When pressed on its own, starts the transport moving backwards. Successive presses
6087 speed up the "rewind" behaviour.
6090 If pressed while also holding the Stop button, the playhead will
6091 return to the zero position on the timeline.
6094 If pressed while also holding the Shift button, the playhead will
6095 move to the session start marker.
6098 <dt>Fast Forward</dt>
6101 When pressed on its own, starts the transport moving faster than normal. Successive presses
6102 speed up the "fast forward" behaviour.
6105 If pressed while also holding the Shift button, the playhead
6106 will move to the session end marker.
6111 Stops the transport. Also used in combination with the Rewind
6112 button to "return to zero".
6116 Starts the transport. If pressed while the transport is
6117 already rolling at normal speed, causes the playhead to jump to
6118 the start of the last "roll" and continue rolling ("Poor man's
6121 <dt>Record Enable</dt>
6122 <dd>Toggles the global record enable setting
6127 <h3>Other Global Controls</h3>
6129 The Mix, Proj, Trns buttons do not obviously correspond any
6130 particular functions or operations in Ardour. We have therefore
6131 allowed users to choose from a carefully curated set of possible
6132 actions that seem related to the button labels in some clear
6133 way. This can be done via the Faderport configuration dialog
6134 accessed via <code>Preferences > Control Surfaces</code>. Each
6135 button has 3 possible actions associated with it:
6137 <li>Plain Press: action to be taken when the button is pressed on
6139 <li>Shift-Press: action to be taken when the button is pressed in
6140 conjunction with the Shift button.</li>
6141 <li>Long Press: action to be taken when the button is pressed on
6142 its own and held down for more than 0.5 seconds.</li>
6144 Click on the relevant drop-down selector to pick an action as you
6148 The User button also has no obvious mapping to specific Ardour
6149 functionality, so we allow users to choose from <em>any</em>
6150 possible GUI action. The menu for selecting the action is somewhat
6151 confusing and it can be hard to find what you're looking
6152 for. However, all possible actions are there, so keep looking!
6158 Possible actions include:
6160 <li>Toggle Editor & Mixer visibility</li>
6161 <li>Show/Hide the Editor mixer strip</li>
6168 Possible actions include:
6170 <li>Toggle Meterbridge visibility</li>
6171 <li>Toggle Session Summary visibility</li>
6172 <li>Toggle Editor Lists visibility</li>
6173 <li>Zoom to session</li>
6182 Possible actions include:
6184 <li>Toggle Locations window visibility</li>
6185 <li>Toggle Metronome</li>
6186 <li>Toggle external sync</li>
6187 <li>Set Playhead at current pointer position</li>
6193 Undo Causes the last operation carried out in the editor to be
6194 undone. When pressed in conjuction with the Shift button, it
6195 causes the most recent undone operation to be re-done.
6200 When pressed on its own, toggles punch recording. If there is no
6201 punch range set for the session, this will do nothing.
6204 When pressed in conjunction with the Shift button, this moves
6205 the playhead to the previous Marker
6211 See above. Any and all GUI-initiated actions can be driven with
6212 by pressing this button on its own, or with a "long" press.
6215 When pressed in conjunction with the Shift button, this will move
6216 the playhead to the next marker.
6222 When pressed on its own, this toggles loop playback. If the
6223 Ardour preference "Loop-is-mode" is enabled, this does nothing
6224 to the current transport state. If that preference is disabled,
6225 then engaging loop playback will also start the transport.
6228 When pressed in conjunction with the Shift button, this will
6229 create a new (unnamed) marker at the current playhead
6236 <h3>Per-track Controls</h3>
6241 This toggles the mute setting of the currently controlled
6242 track/bus. The button will be lit if the track/bus is muted.
6246 This toggles the solo (or listen) setting of the currently
6247 controlled track/bus. The button will be lit if the track/bus is
6248 soloed (or set to listen mode).
6252 This toggles the record-enabled setting of the currently
6253 controlled track/bus. The button will be lit if the track is
6254 record-enabled. This button will do nothing if the Faderport is
6259 The fader controls the gain applied to the currently controlled
6260 track/bus. If the Faderport is powered, changing the gain in
6261 Ardour's GUI or via another control surface, or via automation,
6262 will result in the fader moving under its own control.
6264 <dt>Knob/Dial/Encoder</dt>
6267 The knob controls 1 or 2 pan settings for the current
6268 controlled track/bus. When used alone, turning the knob controls
6269 the "azimuth" or "direction" (between left and right) for the
6270 panner in the track/bus (if any). This is all you need when
6271 controlling tracks/busses with 1 input and 2 outputs.
6274 If controlling a 2 input/2 output track/bus, Ardour's panner
6275 has two controls: azimuth (direction) and width. The width
6276 must be reduced to less than 100% before the azimuth can be
6277 changed. Pressing the "Shift" button while turning the knob
6278 will alter the width setting.
6281 The knob can also be turned while the "User" button is held,
6282 in order to modify the input gain for the currently controlled
6288 Enables playback/use of fader automation data by the controlled track/bus.
6292 Puts the fader for the controlled track/bus into automation
6293 write mode. While the transport is rolling, all fader changes
6294 will be recorded to the fader automation lane for the relevant track/bus.
6298 Puts the fader for the controlled track/bus into automation
6299 touch mode. While the transport is rolling, touching the fader
6300 will initiate recording all fader changes until the fader is
6301 released. When the fader is not being touched, existing
6302 automation data will be played/used to control the gain level.
6306 This disables all automation modes for the currently controlled
6307 track/bus. Existing automation data will be left unmodified by
6308 any fader changes, and will not be used for controlling gain.
6313 <h3>Track Selection Controls</h3>
6315 You can manually change the track/bus controlled by the Faderport by
6316 changing the selected track in Ardour's editor window. If you select
6317 more than 1 track, the Faderport will control the first selected
6318 track and <em>only</em> that track/bus.
6322 <dt>Left (arrow)</dt>
6324 This causes the Ardour GUI to select the previous track/bus
6325 (using the current visual order in the editor window), which
6326 will in turn cause the Faderport to control that track. If there
6327 is no previous track/bus, the selected track/bus is left
6328 unchanged, and the Faderport continues to control it.
6330 <dt>Right (arrow)</dt>
6332 This causes the Ardour GUI to select the next track/bus
6333 (using the current visual order in the editor window), which
6334 will in turn cause the Faderport to control that track. If there
6335 is no next track/bus, the selected track/bus is left
6336 unchanged, and the Faderport continues to control it.
6341 Pressing the Output button causes the Faderport to control
6342 the fader, pan, mute and solo settings of the Master bus. If
6343 your session does not contain a Master bus, it does nothing.
6344 This is a toggle button—pressing it again returns Faderport
6345 to controlling whichever track/bus was selected before the
6346 first press of the Output button.
6349 If your session uses Ardour's monitor section, you can use
6350 Shift-Output to assign it to the Faderport in the same way
6351 that Output assigns the Master bus. This is also a toggle
6352 setting, so the second Shift-Output will return the Faderport
6353 to controlling whichever track/bus was selected before.
6356 If you press Shift-Output after a single press to Output
6357 (i.e. control the Monitor Section while currently controlling
6358 the Master bus) or vice versa (i.e. control the Master bus
6359 while currently controlling the Monitor Section), the press
6360 will be ignored. This avoids getting into a tricky situation
6361 where it is no longer apparent what is being controlled and
6362 what will happen if you try to change it.
6367 The "Bank" button is currently not used by Ardour
6373 title: Using the Ableton Push 2
6374 menu_title: Ableton Push 2
6379 <img alt="the Ableton Push 2 surface" src="/images/push2-main.jpg">
6383 Since version 5.4, Ardour has had extensive support for the Ableton
6384 Push2. This is an expensive but beautifully engineered control
6385 surface primarily targetting the workflow found in Ableton's Live
6386 software and other similar tools such as Bitwig. As of version 5.4, Ardour
6387 does not offer the same kind of workflow, so we have designed our support for the
6388 Push 2 to be used for mixing and editing and musical performance,
6389 without the clip/scene oriented approach in Live. This may change in
6390 future versions of Ardour.
6393 <h2>Connecting the Push 2</h2>
6396 Plug the USB cable from the Push 2 into a USB2 or USB3 port on your
6397 computer. For brighter backlighting, also plug in the power supply
6398 (this is not necessary for use).
6402 The Push 2 will be automatically recognized by your operating
6403 system, and will appear in any of the lists of possible MIDI ports
6404 in both Ardour and other similar software.
6408 To connect the Push 2 to Ardour, open the Preferences dialog, and
6409 then click on "Control Surfaces". Click on the "Enable" button
6410 in the line that says "Ableton Push 2" in order to activate Ardour's
6415 Once you select the input and output port, Ardour will initialize
6416 the Push 2 and it will be ready to use. You only need do this
6417 once: once these ports are connected and your session has been
6418 saved, the connections will be made automatically in this and other
6422 <h2>Push 2 Configuration</h2>
6425 The only configuration option at this time is whether the pads send
6426 aftertouch or polyphonic pressure messages. You can alter this
6427 setting via the Push 2 GUI, accessed by double-clicking on the "Push
6428 2" entry in the control surfaces list.
6431 <img alt="the Push 2 configuration dialog"
6432 src="/images/push2-gui.png">
6435 <h2>Basic Concepts</h2>
6438 With the Push 2 support in Ardour 5.4, you can do the following
6441 <dt>Perform using the 8 x 8 pad "grid"</dt>
6442 <dd>The Push 2 has really lovely pressure-sensitive pads that can
6443 also generate either aftertouch or note (polyphonic) pressure.</dd>
6444 <dt>Global Mixing</dt>
6445 <dd>See many tracks at once, and control numerous parameters for each.</dd>
6446 <dt>Track/Bus Mixing</dt>
6447 <dd>View a single track/bus, with even more parameters for the track.</dd>
6448 <dt>Choose the mode/scale, root note and more for the pads</dt>
6449 <dd>37 scales are available. Like Live, Ardour offers both
6450 "in-key" and "chromatic" pad layouts.</dd>
6453 … plus a variety of tasks related to transport control, selection,
6454 import, click track control and more.
6457 <h2>Musical Performance</h2>
6460 Messages sent from the 8x8 pad grid and the "pitch bend bar" are
6461 routed to a special MIDI port within Ardour called "Push 2 Pads"
6462 (no extra latency is incurred from this routing). Although you can
6463 manually connect this port to whatever you wish, the normal
6464 behaviour of Ardour's Push 2 support is to connect the pads to the
6465 most recently selected MIDI track.
6469 This means that to play a soft-synth/instrument plugin in a given
6470 MIDI track with the Push 2, you just need to select that track.
6474 If multiple MIDI tracks are selected at once, the first selected
6475 track will be used. Note that messages originating from all other
6476 controls on the Push 2 will <em>not</em> not be delivered to the
6477 "Push 2 Pads" port. This makes no difference in practice, because
6478 the other controls do not send messages that are useful for musical
6485 This is the default mode that Ardour will start the Push 2 in. In
6486 this mode, the 8 knobs at the top of the device, the 8 buttons below
6487 them, the video display and the 8 buttons below that are combined to
6488 provide a global view of the session mix.
6492 <img alt="global mix mode on Push2 screen"
6493 src="/images/push2-globalmix.png">
6497 The upper buttons are labelled by text in the video display just
6498 below them. Pressing one of the buttons changes the function of the
6499 knobs, and the parameters that will shown for each track/bus in the
6504 As of Ardour 5.4, the possible parameters are:
6507 <dd>The display shows a knob and text displaying
6508 the current gain setting for the track, and a meter that
6509 corresponds precisely to the meter shown in the Ardour GUI for
6510 that track. Changing the meter type (e.g. from Peak to K12) in the
6511 GUI will also change it in the Push 2 display. The physical knob
6512 will alter track/bus gain.
6515 <dd>The display shows a knob indicating the pan direction/azimuth
6516 for the corresponding track/bus. Turning the physical knob will
6517 pan the track left and right. If the track/bus has no panner
6518 (i.e. it has only a single output), no knob is shown and the
6519 physical knob will do nothing. </dd>
6521 <dd><p>For tracks with 2 outputs, the display will show a knob
6522 indicating the pan width setting for the corresponding
6523 track/bus. The physical knob can be turned to adjust the
6528 Unlike many DAWs, Ardour's stereo panners have "width"
6529 parameter that defaults to 100%. You cannot change the pan
6530 direction/azimuth of a track with 100% width, but must first
6531 reduce the width in order to pan it. Similarly, a track panned
6532 anywhere other than dead center has limits on the maximum
6533 width setting. If these concepts are not familiar to you,
6534 please be aware than many DAWs use a "panner" that actually
6535 implement "balance" and not "panning", hence the difference.
6539 <dd>The display shows a knob indicating the gain level for the
6540 first send in that track. If the track has no send, no knob will
6541 be shown, and the physical knob for that track will do nothing.
6543 <dt>B Sends, C Sends, D Sends</dt>
6544 <dd>Like "A Sends", but for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sends of a
6545 track/bus respectively.
6551 To change which tracks are shown while in global mix mode, use the
6552 left and right arrow/cursor keys just below and to the right of the
6553 display. Tracks and busses that are hidden in Ardour's GUI will also
6554 be hidden from display on the Push 2.
6558 To select a track/bus directly from the Push 2, press the
6559 corresponding button below the display. The track name will be
6560 highlighted, and the selection will change in Ardour's GUI as well
6561 (and also any other control surfaces).
6564 <h3>Soloing and Muting in Global Mix mode</h3>
6567 The Solo and Mute buttons to the left of the video display can be
6568 used to solo and mute tracks while in Global Mix mode. The operation
6569 will be applied to the <em>first</em> currently selected
6574 There are two indications that one or more tracks are soloed:
6576 <li>The solo button will blink red</li>
6577 <li>Track names will be prefixed by "*" if they are soloed, and
6578 "-" if they are muted due to soloing.</li>
6583 To cancel solo, either:
6585 <li>Select the soloed track(s) and press the solo button
6587 <li>Press and hold the solo button for more than 1 second</li>
6593 <p>Track Mix mode allows you to focus on a single track in more detail
6594 than is possible in Global Mix mode. To enter (or leave) Track Mix
6595 mode, press the "Mix" button.
6599 In Track Mix mode, various aspects of the state of the first
6600 selected track/bus will be displayed on the Push 2. Above the
6601 display, the first 4 knobs control track volume (gain), pan
6602 directiom/azimuth, pan width, and where appropriate, track input
6607 Below the display, 7 buttons provide immediate control of mute,
6608 solo, rec-enable, monitoring (input or disk or automatic), solo
6609 isolate and solo safe state. When a a track is muted due to other
6610 track(s) soloing, the mute button will flash (to differentiate from
6611 its state when it is explicitly muted).
6615 The video display also shows meters for the track, which as in
6616 Global Mix mode, precisely match the meter type shown in Ardour's
6617 GUI. There are also two time displays showing the current playhead
6618 position in both musical (beats|bars|ticks) format, and as
6619 hours:minutes:seconds.
6623 To change which track is visible in Track Mix mode, use the
6624 left/right arrow/cursor keys just below and to the right of the
6628 <h2>Scale Selection</h2>
6631 Press the Scale button to enter Scale mode. The display will look
6636 <img alt="track mix mode on Push2 screen"
6637 src="/images/push2-scale.png">
6641 In the center, 37 scales are presented. Scroll through them by
6642 either using the cursor/arrow keys to the lower right of the
6643 display, or the knobs above the display. The scale will change
6644 dynamically as you scroll. You can also scroll in whole pages using
6645 the upper right and upper left buttons above the display (they will
6646 display "<" and ">" if scrolling is possible).
6650 To change the root note of the scale, press the corresponding button
6651 above or below the video display.The button will be lit to indicate
6652 your selection (and the text will be highlighted).
6656 By default, Ardour configures the Push 2 pads to use "in-key" mode,
6657 where all pads correspond to notes "in" the chosen scale. Notes
6658 corresponding to the root note, or the equivalent note in higher
6659 octaves, are highlighted with the color of the current target MIDI
6665 "chromatic" mode, the pads correspond to a continuous sequence of
6666 notes starting with your selected root note. Pads corresponding to
6667 notes in the scale are illuminated; those corresponding to the root
6668 note are lit with the color the current target MIDI track. Other
6669 pads are left dark, but you can still play them.
6673 To switch between them, press button on the lower left of the video
6674 display; the text above it will display the current mode (though it
6675 is usually visually self-evident from the pad lighting pattern).
6679 To leave Scale mode, press the "Scale" button again. You may also
6680 use the upper left button above the display, though if you have
6681 scrolled left, it may require more than one press.
6684 <h2>Specific Button/Knob Functions</h2>
6687 In addition to the layouts described above, many (but not all) of
6688 the buttons and knobs around the edges of the Push 2 will carry out
6689 various functions related to their (illuminated) label. As of Ardour
6692 <dt>Metronome (button and adjacent knob)</dt>
6694 Enables/disables the click (metronome). The knob directly above
6695 it will control the volume (gain) of the click.
6699 Undo or redo the previous editing operation.
6703 Deletes the currently selected region, or range, or
6704 note. Equivalent to using Ctrl/Cmd-x on the keyboard.
6708 If a MIDI region is selected in Ardour, this will open the
6713 Duplicates the current region or range selection.
6717 Enables and disables Ardour's global record enable state.
6721 Starts and stops the transport. Press Shift-Play to return to the session start.
6725 Opens Ardour's Add Track/Bus dialog.
6729 Open's Ardour's import dialog to select and audition existing
6730 audio and MIDI files.
6734 Pressing this button jumps directly to Track Mix mode, with the
6735 master out bus displayed.
6737 <dt>Cursor arrows</dt>
6739 These are used by some modes to navigate within the display (e.g
6740 Scale mode). In other modes, the up/down cursor arrows will
6741 scroll the GUI display up and down, while the left/right cursor
6742 arrows will generally scroll within the Push 2 display itself.
6746 Enables/disables loop playback. This will follow Ardour's "loop
6747 is mode" preference, just like the loop button in the Ardour
6750 <dt>Octave buttons</dt>
6752 These shift the root note of the current pad scale up or down by
6755 <dt>Page buttons</dt>
6757 These scroll Ardour's editor display left and right along the
6760 <dt>Master (top right) knob</dt>
6762 This knob controls the gain/volume of Ardour's main output. If
6763 the session has a monitor saec
6770 title: Configuring MIDI
6776 title: Using External MIDI Devices
6780 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
6784 title: Setting Up MIDI
6788 <h2>What Can Ardour Do With MIDI?</h2>
6790 <dfn><abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital
6791 Interface">MIDI</abbr></dfn> is a way to describe musical
6792 performances and to control music hardware and software.
6794 <p>Ardour can import and record MIDI data, and perform a variety of
6795 editing operations on it. Furthermore, MIDI can be used to control
6796 various functions of Ardour.
6799 <h2>MIDI Handling Frameworks</h2>
6801 MIDI input and output for Ardour are handled by the same "engine"
6802 that handles audio input and output. Up to release 3.5, that means
6803 that all MIDI I/O takes place via JACK. JACK itself uses the
6804 native MIDI support of the operating system to receive and send
6805 MIDI data. The native MIDI support provides device drivers for MIDI
6806 hardware and libraries needed by software applications that want to
6812 <dd> <dfn>CoreMIDI</dfn> is the standard MIDI framework on OSX systems.
6816 <dfn><abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound API">ALSA</abbr> MIDI</dfn>
6817 is the standard MIDI framework on Linux systems.
6822 On Linux systems, <dfn>QJackCtl</dfn> control software displays ALSA MIDI
6823 ports under its "ALSA" tab (it does not currently display CoreMIDI
6824 ports). By contrast, JACK MIDI ports show up under
6825 the <kbd class="menu">MIDI</kbd> tab in QJackCtl.
6828 <h2>JACK MIDI Configuration</h2>
6830 By default, JACK will <strong>not</strong> automatically detect and use existing MIDI
6831 ports on your system. You must choose one of several ways
6832 of <dfn>bridging</dfn> between the native MIDI frameworks
6833 (e.g. CoreMIDI or ALSA) and JACK MIDI, as described in the sections
6838 title: MIDI on Linux
6842 <p>The right approach for using MIDI on Linux depends on which version of
6843 JACK you use. The world divides into:</p>
6846 <dt>Systems using JACK 1, versions 0.124 or later</dt>
6847 <dd>On these systems, just start JACK with the <code>-X alsa_midi</code> server argument. To support legacy control applications, you can also use the <code>-X seq</code> argument to the ALSA backend of JACK and get the exact same results.</dd>
6849 <dd>Use a2jmidid to act as a bridge between ALSA MIDI and JACK. Do not use the <code>-X seq</code> or <code>-X raw</code> arguments—the timing and performance of these options is not acceptable.
6856 <dfn>a2jmidid</dfn> is an application that bridges between the system
6857 <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> ports and
6858 <abbr title="JACK Audio Connection Kit">JACK</abbr>.
6862 First you should make sure that there is no ALSA sequencer support enabled
6863 in JACK. To do that open QJackCtl's <kbd class="menu">Setup</kbd> window.
6867 Set <kbd class="menu">Settings > MIDI Driver</kbd> to <kbd
6868 class="input">none</kbd>.
6869 Then uncheck the <kbd class="optoff">Misc > Enable ALSA Sequencer
6870 support</kbd> option.<br />
6871 Now it's time to restart your jack server before going on.
6874 <h3>Check for a2jmidid availability</h3>
6877 First, check whether a2jmidid is already installed in your system. After
6878 starting your JACK server, go to the command line and type
6881 <kbd class="cmd lin">a2jmidid -e</kbd>
6884 If a2jmidid does not exist, install it with the software manager of your
6885 Linux distribution and try again.
6888 <h2>Check available MIDI ports</h2>
6891 If you have correctly configured JACK for MIDI, then your MIDI ports should appear in
6892 qjackctl under <kbd class="menu">Connections > MIDI </kbd>.
6895 <h3>Making it automatic</h3>
6898 Once you've verified that the ports appear in JACK as expected, you
6899 can make this happen whenever you start JACK.
6902 <p>If you use a newer version of JACK 1, just make sure the -X
6903 alsa_midi or -X seq options are enabled for whatever technique you use
6908 For other versions of JACK,
6909 add <kbd class="input">a2jmidid -e &</kbd> as an "after start-up" script
6910 in the <kbd class="menu">Setup > Options</kbd> tab of QJackCtl, so
6911 that it is started automatically whenever you start JACK.
6914 <p class="fixme">Is this true anymore in Ardour 5? This section may have been relevant in Ardour 3, but it might not be relevant anymore.</p>
6922 In order for CoreMIDI to work with Jack MIDI, a CoreMIDI-to-JACK-MIDI
6924 is required. This feature is available on versions equal to or great than
6925 version 0.89 of JackOSX.
6928 <h2>Routing MIDI</h2>
6930 <h3>Inside Ardour</h3>
6933 MIDI ports show up in Ardour's MIDI connection matrix in multiple
6934 locations. Bridged CoreMIDI ports as well as JACK MIDI ports that have
6935 been created by other software clients will show up under the "Other" tab.
6936 Bridged CoreMIDI hardware ports show up under the "Hardware" tab.
6939 <h3>External Applications</h3>
6942 There are multiple options for connecting MIDI ports outside of Ardour.
6946 <li><a href="http://www.snoize.com/MIDIMonitor/">MIDI Monitor</a> is a handy
6947 tool for doing various MIDI-related tasks.</li>
6948 <li><a href="http://notahat.com/midi_patchbay">MIDI Patchbay</a> lets you
6949 connect ports and filters MIDI data.</li>
6954 title: Ardour's Interface
6960 title: About Ardour's Interface
6965 In Ardour, you work in two main windows: the <dfn>Editor</dfn> and the
6969 <img src="/images/editor_split.png" alt="Ardour's mixer window">
6970 <img src="/images/mixer_split.png" alt="Ardour's editor window">
6972 <ol class="multicol4">
6975 <li>Transport bar & Times</li>
6976 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="4">
6977 <li>Mode switch</li>
6978 <li>The <dfn>Editor</dfn> window</li>
6979 <li>a track's mixer strip</li>
6980 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="7">
6981 <li>Editors List</li>
6982 <li>The <dfn>Mixer</dfn> window</li>
6983 <li>Favorite plugins</li>
6984 </ol><ol class="multicol4" start="10">
6987 <li>Master strip</li>
6992 To switch between those windows, use the buttons (#4 Mode switch in the upper right),
6993 the shortcut <kbd class="mod2">M</kbd>, or the menu
6994 <kbd class="menu">Window > Editor <em>(or Mixer)</em> > Show</kbd>.
6995 Both windows can be visible at the same time (eg. for a multi-monitor
6996 setup) using <kbd class="menu">Detach</kbd> in the same menu.</p>
7004 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
7012 <img src="/images/status-bar.png" alt="The status bar">
7013 <p>The status bar is an informative bar at the top of the window, showing:</p>
7015 <li><dfn>File:</dfn> the file format used in the session, including when recording</li>
7016 <li><dfn>TC:</dfn> is the timecode, i.e. the number of frames per second used by the session (for videos)</li>
7017 <li><dfn>Audio:</dfn> gives the sample rate used in the session, and the latency computed from the buffer size</li>
7018 <li><dfn>Buffers:</dfn> decribe how much data is buffered, see below</li>
7019 <li><dfn>DSP:</dfn> for Digital Sound Processing, shows how much of the CPU is used by Ardour and its plugins</li>
7020 <li><dfn>X:</dfn> shows the number of xruns since Ardour's launch, see below</li>
7021 <li><dfn>Disk:</dfn> reports the remaining hard disk space as the time that can be recorded with the current session setting</li>
7022 <li><dfn>a Clock</dfn> showing the system time</li>
7023 <li><dfn>a Log button</dfn> that indicates if Ardour has encountered any warning or error.</li>
7026 <p>The buffers are labelled as <kbd class="menu">p</kbd> for playback and <kbd class="menu">c</kbd> for capture. If the
7027 system is fast enough, these buffers should be 100% full at all times, showing the system has time to precompute
7028 all the data before delivering it to the audio system. A buffer constantly under 20% is a sign of an underpowered
7029 computer system or of too much processing.</p>
7031 <p>An Xrun (short for buffer over- or under-run) happens when the system has been forced to skip audio frames, e.g. if the latency
7032 asked is too short for the computing power of the machine. It usually results in clicks, pops and crackles if it happens while recording.</p>
7034 <p>The log button turns yellow when a warning is shows, and red when an error occurs. Clicking the log button gives acces to the log.</p>
7037 title: Transport bar and times
7042 Ardour offers many ways to <dfn>control playback</dfn> of your session, including the transport bar, key bindings and remote controls. You can also use markers to define locations or ranges within the session and rapidly move around between them.
7045 <img src="/images/transport-bar.png" alt="Ardour's transport bar" />
7048 If you synchronize Ardour with other devices then some or all of these control methods may be unavailable—depending on the synchronization protocol, Ardour may respond only to commands sent from its master device(s).
7052 The <dfn>Transport Bar</dfn> at the top of the window is made of:
7056 <li><a href="/controlling-playback/using-the-transport-bar/">the Transport Controls</a></li>
7057 <li><a href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays/">the Clocks</a></li>
7058 <li>3 status indicators:
7060 <li><dfn>Solo</dfn>: Blinks when one or more tracks are being soloed, see <a href="/mixing/muting-and-soloing/">Muting and Soloing</a>. Clicking this button disables any active explicit and implicit solo on all tracks and busses.</li>
7061 <li><dfn>Audition</dfn>: Blinks when using the import dialog to audition material.</li>
7062 <li><dfn>Feedback</dfn>: Blinks when Ardour detects a <dfn>feedback loop</dfn>, which happens when the output of an audio signal chain is plugged back to its input. This is probably not wanted and can be dangerous for the hardware and the listener.</li>
7064 <li>A global Meter, showing the level of the Master Output, see <a href="/ardours-interface/meters/">Metering in Ardour</a></li>
7065 <li>the Mode Selector, allowing to switch between Editor and Mixer views, or edit the Preferences.</li>
7069 title: The Transport Bar
7074 The <dfn>Transport Bar</dfn> groups all the actions regarding the control of playback and recording.
7077 <img src="/images/transport.png" alt="The transport controls" />
7080 This bar is made of (from left to right):
7085 <dfn>Midi Panic</dfn>: allows to immediately stop all midi output.
7088 <dfn>Enable/disable Audio Click</dfn>: Toggles (on/off) a click track (metronome) along the <a href="/tempo-meter/tempo-and-meter/">tempo</a>.
7091 <dfn>Go to Start of the Session</dfn>: Jumps back at the beginning of the session, as defined by the <a href="/working-with-markers/">start marker</a>.
7094 <dfn>Go to End of the Session</dfn>: Jumps forward to the end of the session, as defined by the <a href="/working-with-markers/">end marker</a>.
7097 <dfn>Play Loop Range</dfn>: Repeats the defined <a href="/controlling-playback/looping-the-transport/">loop</a> as defined by the <a href="/working-with-markers/loop-range/">Loop range</a>, until the "Stop playback" button is pressed. Clicking the "Play loop Range" button while already active switches to normal Play mode, which allows to exit the loop without stopping and restarting the playback.
7100 <dfn>Play Range/Selection</dfn>: If a range has been defined using the Range Mode button, plays the range, of if an audio or MIDI region is selected, plays this region. In both cases, the playback stops at the end of the range or selected region.
7103 <dfn>Play from playhead</dfn>: Starts the playback and optionally record (more bellow).
7106 <dfn>Stop</dfn>: Whatever the playing mode (loop, range, …) stops all playback. Depending on other settings, some effects (like chorus or reverb) might still be audible for a while.
7109 <dfn>Toggle Record</dfn>: Global switch button to activate/deactivate recording. While active, the button blinks red. The button doesn't start the recording itself: if one or more tracks are marked as record-enabled, pressing the "Play from Playhead" starts the recording on this/these track(s). See <a href="/recording/">Recording</a>.
7113 <p class="fixme">Language in the above paragraphs is awkward</p>
7116 All these actions are bound to keyboard shortcuts, which allows for speedier use and more focused work.
7120 Under these buttons is the <dfn>Shuttle Speed Control</dfn> that allows to scrub through the audio quickly.
7124 The Shuttle Speed Control supports 2 operating modes, that can be chosen with right click > Mode:
7128 <li><dfn>Sprung mode</dfn> that allows for a temporary scrub: it only scubs while the mouse is left clicked on the control.</li>
7129 <li><dfn>Wheel mode</dfn> that allows to set a playback speed until the "Stop" button is pressed, which stops the playback and resets its speed.
7133 The mode is displayed on the right of the control. The current playback speed is shown by a green slider, that is square and centered when the playback speed is normal (1X) and becomes a circle when its changed. The further from the center the slider is set, the faster the playback will scrub in both directions, as displayed on the left of the control.
7137 The 3 vertical buttons on the right of the transport bar control the behaviour of the playhead:
7142 The positional sync button (which might show <dfn>Internal</dfn>, or <dfn>MTC</dfn> or several other values) can be used to control whether or not the transport position and start is controlled by Ardour, or by an external positional synchronization source, such as MIDI Time Code (MTC), Linear Time Code (LTC) or JACK. (see <a href="/synchronization/timecode-generators-and-slaves/">Timecode Generators and Slaves</a>).
7145 <dfn>Follow Edits</dfn> is a toggle that can be used to control whether or not making a selection (range or object) will move the playhead to the start of the selection.
7148 <dfn>Auto Return</dfn> is a toggle switch too. When active, pressing the Stop button returns the playhead to its previous position, and when inactive, pressing Stop keeps the playhead at its current location. Activating Auto Return can be useful for earing back the same part of the audio before and after having tweaked it, without having to loop on it.
7158 <dfn>Clocks</dfn> in Ardour are used to display <dfn>time values</dfn> precisely.
7159 In many cases, they are also one way to edit (change) time values, and in a few
7160 cases, the only way. All clocks share the same basic appearance and functionality,
7161 which is described below, but a few clocks serve particularly important roles.
7164 <h2>Transport Clocks</h2>
7167 In the transport bar of the editor window there are two clocks (unless you
7168 are on a very small screen), that display the current position of the playhead
7169 and additional information related to transport control and the timeline. These
7170 are called the <dfn>transport clocks</dfn>; the left one is the primary
7171 transport clock and the right one is the secondary transport clock.
7172 They look like this:
7175 <img src="/images/a3_new_main_clocks.png" alt="An image of the transport clocks in Ardour 3" />
7178 Editing the time in the transport clocks will reposition the playhead in the same
7179 way that various other editing operations will.
7182 <h3>The Big Clock</h3>
7184 To show the current playhead position in a big, resizable window, activate
7185 <kbd class="menu">Window > Big Clock</kbd>. The big clock is very useful
7186 when you need to work away from the screen but still want to see the playhead
7187 position clearly (such as when working with a remote control device across
7188 a room). The big clock will change its visual appearance to indicate when active
7189 recording is taking place. Below on the left is a screenshot showing a fairly
7190 large big clock window filling a good part of the display, and on the right,
7191 the same clock during active recording.
7193 <a href="/images/bigclock.png"><img src="/images/bigclock.png" height="100" alt="an image of the big clock filling a screen" /></a>Â <a href="/images/bigclock-recording.png"><img src="/images/bigclock-recording.png" height="100" alt="an image of the big clock while recording"
7196 <h3>The Special Role of the Secondary Transport Clock</h3>
7198 On a few occasions Ardour needs to display time values to the user, but there
7199 is no obvious way to specify what units to use. The most common case is the big
7200 cursor that appears when dragging regions. For this and other similar cases,
7201 Ardour will display time using the same units as the secondary clock.
7203 <h4>Why are there two transport clocks?</h4>
7205 Having two transport clocks lets you see the playhead position in two different
7206 time units without having to change any settings. For example, you can see the
7207 playhead position in both timecode units and BBT time.
7210 <h3>Selection and Punch Clocks</h3>
7212 The transport bar also contains a set of 5 clocks that show the current
7213 <dfn>selection range</dfn> and <dfn>punch ranges</dfn>. Clicking on the punch
7214 range clocks will locate to either the beginning or end of the punch range.
7215 Similarly, clicking on the range clocks will locate to either the beginning
7216 or end of the current selection. In this screen shot there is no current
7217 selection range, so the selection clocks show an "off" state.
7220 <img src="/images/selectionpunchclocks.png" alt="An image of the the selection and punch clocks in Ardour 3" />
7222 <h2>Clock Modes</h2>
7224 Every clock in Ardour has four different, selectable <dfn>clock
7225 modes</dfn>. Each mode displays time using different units.
7226 You can change the clock mode by <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking
7227 on the clock and selecting the desired mode from the menu. Some clocks are
7228 entirely independent of any other clock's mode; others are linked so that
7229 changing one changes all clocks in that group. The different modes are:
7233 <dd>Time is shown as <dfn><abbr title="Society of Motion Picture and Television
7234 Engineers">SMPTE</abbr> timecode</dfn> in Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames,
7235 measured from the timecode zero point on the timeline (which may not
7236 correspond to the session start and/or absolute zero on the timeline,
7237 depending on configurable timecode offsets).
7238 The frames value is dictated by either the session <abbr title="Frames Per
7239 Second">FPS</abbr> setting, or, if slaved to an external timecode master,
7240 the master's setting. In the transport clocks, the FPS value is shown below
7241 the time display, along with an indication of the current timecode source
7242 (<samp>INT</samp> means that Ardour is its own timecode source).</dd>
7244 <dd>Time is shown as Bars:Beats:Ticks, indicating <dfn>musical time</dfn> measured
7245 from the start of the session. The transport clocks show the current tempo
7246 in <abbr title="Beats Per Minute">bpm</abbr> and meter below the time
7248 <dt>Minutes:Seconds</dt>
7249 <dd>Time is shown as Hours:Minutes:Seconds.Milliseconds, measured from the
7250 absolute start of the timeline (ignoring the session start and any timecode
7253 <dd>Time is shown as a <dfn>sample count</dfn> from the absolute start of the timeline
7254 (ignoring the session start and any timecode offsets). The number of
7255 samples per second is given by the current sample rate, and in the transport
7256 clocks, this rate is shown below the time display along with any
7257 pullup/pulldown adjustment.</dd>
7260 <h3>Special Modes for the Transport Clocks</h3>
7262 In addition to the time-unit modes mentioned above, each of the two transport
7263 clocks (if you work on a small screen, you may only have one) can be
7264 independently set to display <dfn>Delta to Edit Point</dfn> in whatever time
7265 units its current mode indicates. This setting means that the clock shows the
7266 distance between the playhead and the current edit point, and it may show a
7267 positive or negative value depending on the temporal order of these two points.
7268 The clocks will use a different color when in this mode to avoid confusion.
7271 To switch either (or both!) of the transport clocks into this mode, use
7272 <kbd class="menu"> Edit > Preferences > Transport</kbd> and select
7273 the relevant checkboxes.
7276 Note that when in <samp>Delta to Edit Point</samp> mode, the transport clocks
7280 <h2>Changing clock values with the keyboard</h2>
7282 New values for the clock can be typed in after clicking on the relevant clock.
7283 Clicking on the clock will show a thin vertical cursor bar just to the right
7284 of the next character to be overwritten. Enter time in the same order as the
7285 current clock mode—if the clock is in Timecode mode, you need to enter
7286 hours, minutes, seconds, frames. So, to change to a time of 12:15:20:15 you
7287 would type <kbd class="input">1 2 1 5 2 0 1 5</kbd>. Each number you type will
7288 appear in a different color, from right to left, overwriting the existing value.
7289 Mid-edit, after typing <kbd class="input">3 2 2 2</kbd> the clock might look like this:
7291 <img src="/images/clockedit.png" alt="An image of a clock being edited in Ardour 3" />
7293 To finish the edit, press <kbd>↵</kbd> or <kbd>Tab</kbd>. To exit an
7294 edit without changing the clock press <kbd>ESC</kbd>. If you mis-type an entry
7295 so that the new value would be illegal (for example, resulting in more than 30
7296 frames when Timecode is set to 30 frames per second), the clock will reset at
7297 the end of the edit, and move the cursor back to the start so that you can
7301 <h3>Avoiding the mouse entirely</h3>
7303 There is a shortcut available for those who wish to be able to edit the transport
7304 clocks entirely without the mouse. It can be found in
7305 <kbd class="menu">Window > Key Bindings > Transport > Focus On
7306 Clock</kbd>. If bound to a key (<kbd>÷</kbd> on the numerical
7308 default), then pressing that key is equivalent to clicking on the primary (left)
7309 transport clock, and editing can begin immediately.
7312 <h3>Entering Partial Times</h3>
7314 One detail of the editing design that is not immediately obvious is that it is
7315 possible to enter part of a full time value. Suppose that the clock is in BBT
7316 mode, displaying <samp>024|03|0029</samp>, and you want to alter the value to
7317 the first beat of the current bar. Click on the clock and type
7318 <kbd class="input">0 1 0 0 0 0</kbd>. Similarly, if it is in Minutes:Seconds
7319 mode, displaying <samp>02:03:04.456</samp>, and you want to get to exactly 2
7320 hours, click on the clock and type <kbd class="input">0 0 0 0 0 0 0</kbd> to
7321 reset the minutes, seconds and milliseconds fields.
7324 <h3>Entering Delta Times</h3>
7326 You can also type values into the clock that are intended as a relative change,
7327 rather than a new absolute value. Simply end the edit by pressing
7328 <kbd>+</kbd> or <kbd>-</kbd> (the ones on any keypad will also work). The plus
7329 key will add the entered value to the current value of the clock, minus will
7330 subtract it. For example, if the clock is in Samples mode and displays
7331 <samp>2917839</samp>, you move it back 2000 samples by typing
7332 <kbd class="input">2 0 0 0</kbd> and <kbd>-</kbd>, rather than ending with
7335 <h2>Changing clock values with the mouse</h2>
7337 <h3>Using a scroll wheel</h3>
7340 Position the mouse pointer over the clock, and move the scroll wheel. Moving
7341 the scroll wheel up (<kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>) increases the value
7342 shown on the clock, moving it down (<kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>)
7343 decreases it. The step size is equal to the unit of the field
7344 you are hovering over (seconds, hours, etc.).
7347 <h3>Dragging the mouse</h3>
7350 Position the mouse pointer over the clock, press the left mouse button and drag.
7351 Dragging upwards increases the value shown on the clock, dragging downwards
7352 decreases it, again with a step size equal to the unit of the field you
7363 The <dfn>Editor</dfn> window includes the editor track <dfn>canvas</dfn>
7364 where you can arrange audio and MIDI data along a timeline. This is the
7365 window you will be in while editing and arranging a project. The window
7366 has a general "horizontal" sense to it: the timeline flows from left to
7367 right, the playhead showing the current position in the session moves
7368 from left to right — the window really represents <dfn>time</dfn>
7369 in a fairly literal way.
7373 It is possible to show a single channel strip in the editor window, and
7374 some people find this enough to work on mixing without actually opening
7375 the mixer window. Most of the time though, you will want both of these
7376 windows at various stages of a session's lifetime — sometimes
7377 you'll be focused on editing, sometimes on mixing and possibly some of
7382 This section is a description of the Editor window. To learn more about the
7383 editing workflow, see <a href="fixme">Editing</a>.
7388 title: The Editor Toolbar
7393 <img src="/images/toolbar_split.png" alt="Ardour's editor toolbar">
7395 <ol class="multicol5">
7397 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="2">
7398 <li>Zoom Control</li>
7399 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="3">
7400 <li>Grid Control</li>
7401 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="4">
7403 </ol><ol class="multicol5" start="5">
7410 The Toolbar is made of 5 "zones"
7418 <img src="/images/toolbar-tools.png" alt="Editor toolbar's tools">
7420 <h2>Global Edit mode</h2>
7423 Ardour has a global <dfn>edit mode</dfn> selector at the left of the
7424 Editing toolbar, which affect how regions are moved or copied:
7428 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slide</kbd></dt>
7429 <dd>Regions move freely. Ardour creates overlaps when necessary.</dd>
7430 <dt><kbd class="menu">Ripple</kbd></dt>
7431 <dd>Editing affects the regions to the "right" of the edit (see below).</dd>
7432 <dt><kbd class="menu">Lock</kbd></dt>
7433 <dd>No region motion is permitted (except for "nudge").</dd>
7437 Ripple Edit mode provides the following conveniences:
7439 <li>Deleting a range will move later regions to compensate for the deleted time</li>
7440 <li>Deleting a region will move later regions to compensate for the deleted region's length</li>
7441 <li>Moving a region will move later regions to compensate for the length of the move</li>
7442 <li>Inserting a new region (via dragging or via Paste) will move later regions to the right to compensate</li>
7447 If <kbd class="menu">Snap To Grid</kbd> is enabled, then regions can
7448 only move so that they align with locations determined by the current
7449 snap settings (beats, or seconds, or other region boundaries, etc).
7450 See <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid">Snap To the Grid</a>
7454 <h2>The <em>Smart</em> switch
7457 The <dfn>Smart Mode</dfn> button to the left of the mouse mode buttons
7458 modifies the <dfn>Grab Mode</dfn>. When enabled, the mouse behaves as if it
7459 is in "Range Mode" in the upper half of a region, and in "Grab Mode" in the
7460 lower half. This allows avoiding constant switching between these two modes.
7463 <h2>Mouse Modes</h2>
7464 <dl class="wide-table">
7465 <dt id="object">Grab Mode</dt>
7466 <dd>The <dfn>Grab Mode</dfn> is used for selecting, moving, deleting and
7467 copying objects. When in object mode, the mouse pointer appears as a hand
7468 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. The mouse can now be
7469 used to select and perform operations on objects such as regions, markers etc.
7470 This is the most common mode to work in, as it allows you to select and move regions,
7471 as well as modify automation points on the automation tracks.
7475 <dd>When in <dfn>Range Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a vertical line
7476 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. The mouse will now be
7477 able to select a point or range of time. Time ranges can be selected over
7478 one or several tracks, depending on the selection of your tracks.<br>
7479 If none of your tracks are selected, the Range Tool will operate on all the
7480 session track visualized in the Editor.<br>
7481 If you want to edit only particular tracks, select them before you apply
7485 <dt>Cut Tool Mode</dt>
7486 <dd>When in <dfn>Cut Tool Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a pair of scissors
7487 whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. This tools allows to cut
7488 any region into 2 regions at the mouse cursor, regardless of the Edit Point.<br>
7489 If one or more track(s) is selected, then all the regions on these tracks will
7490 be split at the mouse cursor position.<br>
7491 If no track is selected, then only the region hovered by the mouse cursor will
7494 <dt>Stretch Mode</dt>
7495 <dd>When in <dfn>time fx</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer appears as a
7496 distinctive expanding square symbol whenever it is over the track canvas or
7497 the rulers. This mode is used to resize regions using a timestretch
7498 algorithm. Click on an edge of a region of audio and drag it one way or the other to
7499 stretch or shrink the region.</dd>
7501 <dt>Audition Tool</dt>
7502 <dd>Clicking a region using the <dfn>audition tool</dfn> will play this
7503 region to the control room outputs.
7504 <p>You can also <dfn>scrub</dfn> with this tool by clicking and dragging in
7505 the direction you wish to listen. The amount you drag in one direction or
7506 the other will determine the playback speed.</p>
7510 <dd>When in <dfn>Draw Tool</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer will change to
7511 a pencil. You can then click within an audio region to change the <dfn>gain
7512 envelope</dfn> for that region. This curve is separate from fader automation
7513 for individual tracks. It will remain locked to the region's time, so if the
7514 region is moved, the region gain envelope is moved along with it.<br>
7515 The draw tool works on automation too, allowing the creation and modification
7516 of control points on the automation curves.<br>
7517 Last, it is used on a MIDI region to edit the notes.
7520 <dt>Internal/Region Edit Mode</dt>
7521 <dd>When in <dfn>Internal Edit</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer will change to
7522 cross-hairs. This tool acts on gegion gain and automation as the Draw tool.<br>
7523 on a MIDI region, it allows to lasso-select multiple notes at a time.</dd>
7526 <p class="fixme">Make sure the Internal Edit and Draw tool act as described</p>
7530 title: the Zoom Controls
7534 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-zoom.png" alt="Editor toolbar's zoom">
7536 <p>The zoom controls allow to navigate the session along both the time and track axes.</p>
7538 <p>The drop down <kbd class="menu">Zoom Focus</kbd> menu allows to select a focus
7539 point for the zoom, i.e. the center of the zoom. The choices are :</p>
7542 <li><dfn>Left</dfn> of the screen</li>
7543 <li><dfn>Right</dfn> of the screen</li>
7544 <li><dfn>Center</dfn> of the screen</li>
7545 <li><dfn>Playhead</dfn></li>
7546 <li><dfn>Mouse</dfn></li>
7547 <li><dfn>Edit Point</dfn> as set in the <a href=" fixme ">Edit point</a> control.</li>
7550 <p>The 2 leftmost zoom buttons (<kbd class="menu">−</kbd> and
7551 <kbd class="menu">+</kbd>) use this zoom focus to zoom out and in
7554 <p>The <kbd class="menu">Zoom to session</kbd> button is a handy shortcut to zoom
7555 out or in until all the session (as defined by it's <a href=" fixme ">start/end
7556 markers</a>) fits horizontally.</p>
7558 <p>Changing the <kbd class="menu">Number of visible tracks</kbd> dropdown menu
7559 allows to fit this number of tracks vertically in the screen.<p>
7561 <p class="note">There <em>is</em> a minimal track height to keep it visible, so
7562 according to you screen vertical size, some high number can have no effect.</p>
7564 <p>Inside this menu are 2 handy choices :</p>
7566 <li><dfn>Selected tracks</dfn> that focus on the selected tracks. If the selected
7567 tracks are not contiguous, the unselected tracks inbetween will be hidden, see
7568 the <a href=" fixme ">Track and Bus list</a>.</li>
7569 <li><dfn>All</dfn> that fits all the tracks of the sessions vertically (provided
7570 there's enough screen estate).</li>
7573 <p>The rightmost buttons <kbd class="menu">Shrink tracks</kbd> and
7574 <kbd class="menu">Expand tracks</kbd> reduce or expand the vertical size of the
7575 selected tracks. If no track is selected, all the tracks will be shrunk or
7576 expanded each time the button is pushed.
7579 title: the Grid Controls
7583 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-grid.png" alt="Editor toolbar's grid">
7585 <p class="fixme">Get rid of all the <br>s, they look like shit</p>
7588 Ardour's editor utilizes a <dfn>grid</dfn> to assist in the placement
7589 of regions on the timeline, or with editing functions that need to happen
7590 at a specific point in time. You can choose if you want the cursor and
7591 various objects to snap to this grid, and how you want the snapping to
7592 behave. You can modify the grid units to fit your needs.
7595 <h2>About Snapping</h2>
7597 <p>There are two ways to think about aligning material to a grid.
7598 The first and most obvious one is where an object\'s position is clamped
7599 to grid lines. In Ardour, this is called <dfn>absolute snap</dfn>
7600 and is commonly used when working with sampled material where audio
7601 begins exactly at the beginning of a file, note or region.</br>
7602 The second, <dfn>relative snap</dfn>, is used when an object's position
7603 relative to the grid lines is important. In music, this allows you to
7604 move objects around without changing the "feel" (or timing) of a performance.</br>
7605 Absolute snap is the default method of snapping in Ardour.</br>
7606 While dragging objects you may switch from absolute to relative snap by
7607 pressing the absolute snap modifier key(s).</br>
7608 You may also disable snap entirely by using the snap modifier (see below).</br>
7609 Note that in relative snap mode the reference point is taken to be the distance
7610 to the nearest grid line.</br>
7611 Note also that when an object lies exactly on a grid line, there will be no difference
7612 between relative and absolute snap modes.</br>
7613 The realtive snap and snap modifiers (along with other modifier keys) may be set in
7614 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > User Interaction</kbd></br>
7615 For common use patterns, it is recommended that you assign a unique key for
7616 one snap modifier and two keys for the other in such a way that they share an otherwise unused key.
7617 For example, you may choose the snap modifier to be the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> key and the
7618 relative snap modifier to be the <kbd class="mod2"> </kbd> and <kbd class="mod4"> </kbd> keys.
7623 Using the above modifications, Ardour supports three different modes of snapping to the grid:
7626 <dl class="wide-table">
7627 <dt><kbd class="menu">No Grid</kbd></dt>
7628 <dd>disables the grid. All objects move freely in this mode.</br>
7629 In <kbd class="menu">No Grid</kbd> mode, you may temporarily activate the grid by pressing the
7630 snap modifier (for absolute snap) or switch to relative snap by pressing the relative snap modifier.</dd>
7631 <dt><kbd class="menu">Grid</kbd></dt>
7632 <dd>activates normal snapping. All positions of objects snap to
7633 the grid. (See <a href="#gridunits">Grid Units</a> below
7634 to change the grid). If you try to move an object in "Grid"-mode, it
7635 does not change its position until you move the mouse far enough for the
7636 object to reach the next grid line.</br>
7637 Sometimes you may wish to maintain an objects' position relative to the grid line.
7638 In order to do this, use the "snap relative" modifier.
7639 When holding down this modifier during a drag, the dragged object will jump
7640 while maintaining its original distance from the line.</br>
7641 New objects will always be created at grid points.</br>
7642 Holding down the snap modifier will disable the current grid setting and allow you to move the object freely.</br>
7644 <dt><kbd class="menu">Magnetic</kbd></dt>
7645 <dd>is a less strict type of snapping. Objects can still be moved to any
7646 position, but positions close to the relative or absolute grid points will snap.
7647 In order to move an object very close to a snap point, it may be necessary
7648 to zoom in to prevent snapping to that point, or to use the snap modifier to disable snap completely.</br>
7649 As with Grid mode, the snap modifier will disable snap completely while the
7650 absolute snap modifier will move the "notch" of Magnetic snap to the grid lines.</dd>
7653 <h2>Syncing Regions to the Grid</h2>
7655 By default, a region's beginning will be used as the reference for both types of snapping,
7656 but you can change this behaviour by setting a <dfn>sync point</dfn> in
7657 the region. Select the region(s) and press <kbd>V</kbd>. This will set
7658 the sync point to your edit point.</p>
7660 <h2 id="gridunits">Grid Units</h2>
7662 The selector next to the grid mode selector defines the size of the grid
7663 elements. You can set your grid to several different units:
7665 <dl class="wide-table">
7666 <dt><kbd class="menu">CD Frames</kbd></dt>
7667 <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
7669 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode Frames/Seconds/Minutes</kbd></dt>
7670 <dd>The duration of a frame depends on the timecode settings for the
7672 <dt><kbd class="menu">Seconds/Minutes</kbd></dt>
7673 <dd>These are absolute time units, unaffected by sample rate or timecode settings</dd>
7674 <dt><kbd class="menu">Beats/N</kbd></dt>
7675 <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>
7676 <dt><kbd class="menu">Beats</kbd></dt>
7677 <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>
7678 <dt><kbd class="menu">Bars</kbd></dt>
7679 <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>
7680 <dt><kbd class="menu">Markers</kbd></dt>
7681 <dd>The grid lines are the markers.</dd>
7682 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Starts</kbd></dt>
7683 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region start points (see below).</dd>
7684 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Ends</kbd></dt>
7685 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region end points (see below).</dd>
7686 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Syncs</kbd></dt>
7687 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region sync points.</dd>
7688 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region Bounds</kbd></dt>
7689 <dd>The grid lines are constructed from region start or end points.</dd>
7693 To use Region starts/ends/syncs/bounds as snap choices, you must have
7698 <li><em>No</em> tracks selected, which means that Ardour snaps to regions on any track, or </li>
7699 <li>Several tracks selected, which means that Ardour only snaps to regions on those selected tracks.</li>
7703 If you are moving items on a track, and only the current track is selected,
7704 then you will only be able to snap to other regions on the same track.
7705 This means that enabling
7706 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor > Link Selections of Regions and
7707 Tracks</kbd> will make the "Region" grid unit unusable. Avoid the use of this option if
7708 you are going to use any of the Region grid units.
7713 title: the Edit Point Control
7717 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-editpoint.png" alt="Editor toolbar's Edit Point">
7720 Editing operations in a Digital Audio Workstation like Ardour can be broken
7721 down according to how many points on the timeline are required to carry the
7722 operation out. Splitting a region for example, requires just one position
7723 on the timeline (the one where the split will happen). Cutting out a time
7724 range requires two positions, one for the start of the cut and one for the end.
7728 In Ardour the <dfn>edit point</dfn> is the location where most single-point
7729 editing operations take place. It can be set to either of the following:
7733 <li>the <dfn>Playhead</dfn> position</li>
7734 <li>the selected (or "active") <dfn>Marker</dfn></li>
7735 <li>the position of the <dfn>Mouse</dfn> (or touch) pointer</li>
7739 The default edit point is the location of the pointer.
7743 There are 2 keybindings available to cycle through the edit point options.
7744 The most common workflow tends to involve switching back and forth between
7745 the playhead and mouse as the edit point. Press the grave accent key
7746 <kbd>`</kbd> to switch between these two. Use <kbd class="mod1">`</kbd> to
7747 cycle through all three choices (including the selected marker). You can
7748 also switch the edit point using a combo-selector just right of the snap/grid
7752 <p class="fixme">Add images</p>
7757 title: the Nudge Controls
7761 <img class="left" src="/images/toolbar-nudge.png" alt="Editor toolbar's Nudge">
7764 If there are no selected objects, the <dfn>nudge controls</dfn> can be
7765 used to move the playhead backward or forward by a fixed amount. The left
7766 and right buttons move either backward or forward in time, and the small
7767 clock to the left of these buttons sets the amount of time to nudge by.
7768 As with all other clocks, you can right-click on the clock to choose the
7769 time representation you want to use.
7773 Note that this is a secondary purpose of the nudge controls—it is
7774 usually used to move selected <dfn>objects</dfn> by specific distances, rather than
7781 title: Editor's Lists
7786 At the right of the editor is an optional area which provides one of a
7787 range of useful lists of parts of your session. It is not shown by default
7788 when you first start using Ardour. The <dfn>Editor list</dfn> can be hidden
7789 or shown using <kbd class="menu">View > Show Editor List</kbd>. The very
7790 right-hand side of the list gives a selection of tabs which are used to
7791 choose the list to view. The left-hand border of the list can be dragged to
7792 vary the width of the list.
7802 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:
7806 <dt>Position</dt><dd>position of the start of the region on the global timeline</dd>
7807 <dt>End</dt><dd>position of the region on the global timeline</dd>
7808 <dt>Length</dt><dd>duration of the region</dd>
7809 <dt>Sync</dt><dd>position of the sync point, relative to the start of region (can be negative)</dd>
7810 <dt>Fade In</dt><dd>duration of the fade in. Can't be less than 1 ms, to avoid clipping.</dd>
7811 <dt>Fade Out</dt><dd>duration of the fade out (positive value, ≥ 1 ms).</dd>
7815 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.
7819 At the right of the list are four columns of flags that can be altered:
7824 <dd>whether the region position is locked, so that it cannot be moved.</dd>
7826 <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>
7828 <dd>whether the region is muted, so that it will not be heard.</dd>
7830 <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>
7834 Hovering the mouse pointer over a column heading shows a tool-tip which can be handy to remember what the columns are for.
7838 A handy feature of the region list is that its regions can be dragged and dropped into a suitable track in the session.
7842 title: Tracks & Busses List
7847 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:
7851 <dt id="visible">V</dt>
7852 <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>
7853 <dt id="active">A</dt>
7854 <dd>whether the track or bus is active; unactive tracks will not play, and will not consume any CPU.</dd>
7855 <dt id="input">I</dt>
7856 <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>
7857 <dt id="record">R</dt>
7858 <dd>whether the track is record-enabled.</dd>
7859 <dt id="record-safe">RS</dt>
7860 <dd>whether the track is record safe; a record safe track cannot be armed for recording, to protect against a mistake.</dd>
7861 <dt id="mute">M</dt>
7862 <dd>whether the track is muted.</dd>
7863 <dt id="solo">S</dt>
7864 <dd>track solo state.</dd>
7865 <dt id="solo-isolated">SI</dt>
7866 <dd>track solo-isolated state.</dd>
7867 <dt id="solo-safe">SS</dt>
7868 <dd>solo safe state. </dd>
7872 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.
7876 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.
7880 title: Snapshot List
7885 This list gives the snapshots that exist of this session. Clicking on a snapshot
7886 name will load that snapshot.
7890 See <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working with Sessions</a> for more
7891 information on snapshots.
7895 title: Track & Bus Group List
7900 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>.
7904 The columns in this list are as follows:
7909 <dd>the colour that the group uses for its tab in the editor.</dd>
7911 <dd>the group name.</dd>
7913 <dd>whether the tracks and busses in the group are visible.</dd>
7915 <dd>whether the group is enabled.</dd>
7917 <dd>ticked if the constituents of the group are sharing gain settings.</dd>
7919 <dd>ticked if shared gains are relative.</dd>
7921 <dd>ticked if the constituents share mute status.</dd>
7923 <dd>ticked if the constituents share solo status.</dd>
7925 <dd>ticked if the constituents share record-enable status.</dd>
7927 <dd>whether the constituents share monitor settings.</dd>
7929 <dd>whether the constituents are selected together.</dd>
7931 <dd>whether the constituents share active status. </dd>
7935 title: Ranges & Marks List
7940 For information on this list see
7941 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges
7942 & Marks List</a> in the "Working with Markers" section of the manual.
7975 The <dfn>Mixer</dfn> window on the other hand represents signal flow and
7976 is the window you will probably be using most when mixing a session. It
7977 includes <dfn>channel strips</dfn> for each track and bus in your session.
7978 It has a general "vertical" sense to it: signals flow from the top of each
7979 channel strip through the processing elements in the strip to reach the
7980 output listed at the bottom.
7992 title: Sessions & Tracks
8004 title: New/Open Session Dialog
8007 <p class="fixme">Info is out of date, image needs updating</p>
8010 The initial <dfn>Session</dfn> dialog consists of several consecutive pages:
8013 <h2>Open Session Page</h2>
8015 On this page, you can open an <dfn>existing session</dfn>. You can also
8016 open any <a href="/working-with-sessions/snapshots/">snapshot</a> of a
8017 particular session by clicking on the arrow next to the session name to
8018 display all snapshots, and then selecting one. If your session is
8019 not displayed in the Recent Sessions list, the <kbd class="menu">Other
8020 Sessions</kbd> button will bring up a file selection dialog to navigate
8021 your hard drive.<br />
8022 Alternatively, you can opt to create a <kbd class="menu">New
8026 <h2>New Session page</h2>
8028 Here you can type in the name of a session, select a folder to save in, and
8029 optionally use an existing <a href="/working-with-sessions/session-templates/">template</a>.
8032 Under <dfn>Advanced Options</dfn>, you can select whether you wish to create
8033 a Master Bus, or a Control Bus, and how many channels you wish either to have.
8034 You can also decide whether you want Ardour to automatically connect all inputs
8035 to the physical ports of your hardware. Ardour will do so
8036 sequentially and in round-robin fashion, connecting the first track's
8037 input to the first input of your hardware and so on. When Ardour has used
8038 all available hardware inputs, it will begin again with the first physical
8040 You can limit the number of channels on your physical hardware that Ardour
8044 By default Ardour will connect all tracks and busses to the Master Bus if
8045 there is one. However you can also tell it to automatically connect each
8046 output to the physical outputs of your interface or sound card, and limit
8047 the number of physical outputs used, as above.
8050 <h3>Audio/MIDI Setup</h3>
8052 <img class="right" src="/images/Audio-MIDI_Setup.png" alt="The Audio+MIDI
8056 This page is not displayed if <abbr title="JACK Audio Connection
8057 Kit">JACK</abbr> is already running when you start
8058 Ardour. It provides a simple interface to configure JACK, which
8059 will then be started by Ardour. For more control and options regarding
8060 JACK, it is recommended that you start JACK before using Ardour, via a
8061 JACK control application such as QJackCtl (sometimes called "Jack
8062 Control"), JackPilot, etc.
8065 <dt>Audio System</dt>
8066 <dd>Currently, the only option here is <kbd class="menu">JACK</kbd>. In the future, native
8067 hardware access may be supported.</dd>
8070 On Mac OS X this will typically be <kbd class="menu">CoreAudio</kbd>. On Linux usually
8071 this will be either <kbd class="menu"><abbr title="Free Firewire Audio Driver fOr
8072 linux">FFADO</abbr></kbd>
8073 or <kbd class="menu"><abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound
8074 Architecture">ALSA</abbr></kbd>, depending on whether or not you are
8075 utilizing a firewire device. Advanced users on all platforms may also
8076 use <kbd class="menu">NetJack</kbd> which provides network audio I/O.
8079 <dd>The selector should show all availiable interfaces provided by the
8080 driver above and which are capable of duplex operation.
8082 If you are using an Intel Mac running OS X and the builtin audio
8084 first <a href="setting-up-your-system/using_more_than_one_audio_device/">merge
8085 its separate input and output devices into a single "aggregate
8086 device"</a> before Ardour will be able to use it.
8089 <dt>Sample Rate</dt>
8091 The selector will allow you to select from any sample rate
8092 supported by the device selected above it.
8094 <dt>Buffer Size</dt>
8096 You can adjust the size of the buffer used by your audio interface
8097 to allow for either lower latency, or lower CPU usage and higher
8100 <dt>Input/Output Channels</dt>
8102 Here you can specify the number of hardware channels to use. The
8103 default is <kbd class="menu">all available channels</kbd>.</dd>
8104 <dt>Hardware Input/Output Latency</dt>
8105 <dd>Specify the hardware delay in samples for precise latency compensation.</dd>
8108 This button guides you through a semi-automated process to obtain
8109 precise hardware latency measurements for the above option.</dd>
8110 <dt>MIDI System</dt>
8112 Select the MIDI driver to use. On Mac OS X, this will be <kbd
8113 class="menu">CoreMIDI</kbd>. On Linux, you can change between two legacy
8114 ALSA drivers or the (preferred) new JACK+ALSA implementation.</dd>
8118 title: What's in a Session?
8123 The <dfn>Session</dfn> is the fundamental document type that is created and
8124 modified by the Ardour workstation. A Session is a folder on your computer
8125 filesystem that contains all the items that pertain to a particular project
8126 or "recording/editing/mixing session".
8130 The Session folder includes these files and folders:
8134 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.ardour</code> the main session snapshot</li>
8135 <li><code>*.ardour</code>, any additional snapshots </li>
8136 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.ardour.bak</code>, the auto-backup snapshot</li>
8137 <li><code><em>session_name</em>.history</code>, the undo history for the session </li>
8138 <li><code>instant.xml</code>, which records the last-used zoom scale and other metadata</li>
8139 <li><code>interchange/</code>, a folder which holds your raw audio and MIDI
8140 files (whether imported or recorded)</li>
8141 <li><code>export/</code>, a folder which contains any files created by the
8142 <kbd class="menu">Session > Export</kbd> function</li>
8143 <li><code>peaks/</code>, a folder which contains waveform renderings of
8144 all audio files in the session</li>
8145 <li><code>analysis/</code>, a folder which contains transient and pitch
8146 information of each audio file that has been analysed</li>
8147 <li><code>dead sounds/</code>, a folder which contains sound files which
8148 Ardour has detected are no longer used in the session (during a <kbd
8149 class="menu">Session > Clean-up > Clean-up Unused Sources</kbd>
8150 operation, will be purged by <kbd class="menu">Flush Waste Basket</kbd>)</li>
8153 A session combines some setup information (such as audio and MIDI routing,
8154 musical tempo & meter, timecode synchronization, etc.) with one or more
8155 Tracks and Buses, and all the Regions and Plug-Ins they contain.
8159 title: Where Are Sessions Stored?
8164 <dfn>Sessions</dfn> are stored in a single folder on your computer's filesystem.
8168 The first time you run Ardour, you will be asked where you would like the
8169 default location for sessions to be, with the initial choice being your
8174 After the first-run dialog, you can still change the default location at
8175 any time via <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Session
8176 Management</kbd>. You can also specify a particular (different) location for
8177 a session when creating it, in the
8178 <a href="/working-with-sessions/new-session-dialog/">New Session dialog</a>.
8182 title: Backup and Sharing of Sessions
8187 An Ardour session is stored in a single folder on your computer's filesystem.
8188 This makes <dfn>backup</dfn> very easy—any tool capable of backing up
8189 a folder can be used to backup a session. You pick the location of a session
8190 when it is created—by default it will be in your default session location,
8191 which can be altered via <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Misc > Session
8196 There is one complication: a session may reference media files that are stored
8197 outside of the session folder, if the user has opted not to select <kbd
8198 class="optoff">Session > Import > Copy to Session</kbd> during
8199 import. Backing up a session with embedded files will not create a
8200 copy of the session containing those files.
8204 The single folder approach also makes sharing a project easy. Simply copy the session
8205 folder (onto a storage device, or across a network) and another Ardour user (on any
8206 platform) will be able to use it. The limitation regarding embedded files applies to
8207 session sharing as well.
8211 title: Interchange with other DAWs
8216 It has never been particularly easy to move sessions or projects from one
8217 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr> to another. There are two
8218 <dfn>interchange standards</dfn> that have reasonably widespread support:</p>
8220 <li>OMF (Open Media Framwwork), also known as OMFI. Developed and controlled
8221 by Avid, never standardized</li>
8222 <li>AAF (Advanced Authoring Format). Developed by a consortium of media-related
8226 In practice both of these standards have such complex and/or incomplete
8227 specifications that different DAWs support them only partially,
8228 differently, or not at all.
8230 <h2>Moving an Ardour session to another DAW</h2>
8231 <p>To move an Ardour session to another DAW, you have 3 basic choices:</p>
8233 <li>Copy the interchange folder</li>
8234 <li>Stem exports</li>
8235 <li>Use AATranslator</li>
8237 <h3>Moving another DAW session to Ardour</h3>
8238 <p>To move a session from another DAW to Ardour, you have 2 basic choices:</p>
8240 <li>Stem exports</li>
8241 <li>Use AATranslator</li>
8245 title: Copying The Interchange Folder
8250 All media in a session folder is stored in a sub-folder called
8251 <samp>interchange</samp>. Below that is another folder with the name
8252 of the session. You can copy either of these to another location and
8253 use the files within them with any other application, importing them
8254 all into a project/session. You will lose all information about regions,
8255 tracks, and timeline positioning, but all the data that Ardour was working
8256 with will be present in the other DAW. Nothing below the interchange
8257 folder is specific to Ardour—any DAW or other audio/MIDI
8258 application should be able to handle the files without any issues.
8267 <dfn>Stem exports</dfn> are covered fully in the
8268 <a href="/exporting">Export</a> chapter. A stem export creates one file
8269 per track, starting at the beginning of the session. You can then import
8270 each track into another DAW and begin working on it. You lose all data
8271 except the actual audio/MIDI (no plugins, no automation). This is one of
8272 the most common methods of interchange because it works between all DAWs.
8276 title: Using AATranslator
8281 <dfn>AATranslator</dfn> is a Windows
8282 application that can convert sessions/projects from many diffferent DAWs
8283 into other formats. At the present time (December 2016), it can read and
8284 write Ardour 2.X sessions, and can read Ardour 3 sessions.
8287 The program runs very well on Linux using
8288 <a href="http://www.winehq.org/">Wine</a> (a Windows environment for Linux).
8289 There are equivalent solutions for running Windows applications on OS X,
8290 but we have no experience with them at this time. Ardour users have reported
8291 great results using AATranslator on Ardour 2.X sessions.</p>
8293 The <a href="http://www.aatranslator.com.au/">AATranslator website</a>
8294 has full details on supported formats and DAWs. The list includes
8295 ProTools, Live, Reaper, OMF, AAF and many more.
8298 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).
8302 title: Renaming a Session
8307 Use <kbd class="menu">Session > Rename</kbd> to give your session a
8308 new name. A dialog will appear to ask you for the new name.
8312 This operation does <strong>not</strong> make a new session folder —
8313 the existing session folder and relevant contents are renamed. If your
8314 session was not saved before a rename operation, it will be saved
8315 automatically and then renaming will continue.
8319 Ardour's <kbd class="menu">Session > Save As</kbd> operation will not
8320 make a new copy of the session folder and its contents. All it does is
8321 create a new session file.
8325 title: Session Templates
8330 <dfn>Session templates</dfn> are a way to store the setup of a session
8331 for future use. They do not store any <em>audio</em> data but can store:
8335 <li>The number of tracks and busses, along with their names</li>
8336 <li>The plugins present on each track or bus (if any)</li>
8337 <li>All I/O connections</li>
8340 <h2>Creating a Session Template</h2>
8343 Choose <kbd class="menu">Session > Save Template</kbd>. A dialog will ask
8344 you for the name of the new template.
8347 <h2>Using a Session Template</h2>
8350 In the New Session dialog, choose the desired template from the combo
8355 Note that you can also use an existing session as a template, without
8356 saving it as one. This is available as an option in the New Session dialog.
8357 Doing this will not alter the existing session at all, but will use its track,
8358 bus and plugin configuration just like a template.
8362 See also <a href="/missing">Track & Bus templates</a> for information
8363 on templates for individual tracks or busses.
8366 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
8374 Sometimes you will want to save a <dfn>snapshot</dfn> of the current state of a session for possible
8375 use in the future. For example, you may be about to change the entire
8376 arrangement of a piece, or drastically alter the signal processing, and
8377 want a reference to come back to, should that not work out.
8381 This is easily accomplished using <kbd class="menu">Session >
8383 A small dialog will appear, allowing you to enter a name for the snapshot.
8384 The default name is based on the current date and time.<br />
8385 You can create any number of snapshots.
8389 Creating a snapshot does <strong>not</strong> modify your session,
8390 nor does it save your session. Instead, it saves an alternate version
8391 of the session, within the session folder. The snapshot shares all data
8392 present in the session.
8396 After creating a snapshot, you can continue working on the session and
8397 save it normally using <kbd class="menu">Session > Save</kbd> and any
8398 existing snapshots will remain unchanged.
8401 <h2>Switching to a Snapshot</h2>
8404 If you are already working on a session and want to to switch to an
8405 existing snapshot, navigate the Snapshots tab of the
8406 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor List</a>.
8407 Find the name of the snapshot in the list and click it. Ardour will switch
8408 to the snapshot. If there are unsaved changes in the current session, Ardour will
8409 ask what you want to do.
8412 <h2>Starting Ardour With a Snapshot</h2>
8415 Since a snapshot is just another session file stored within the session
8416 folder, you can specify that "version" when loading an existing session.
8417 The browser in the "Open Session" dialog will show an expander arrow for
8418 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
8419 snapshot you want to load.
8422 <h2>Saving and Switching to a Snapshot</h2>
8425 Sometimes you may want to create a snapshot and then have all future
8426 edits and modifications saved to that snapshot rather than the main
8427 session. This is easily done using <kbd class="menu">Session > Save
8428 As</kbd>. This does not create a new session folder, but saves your
8429 session as a new snapshot and then switches the "current snapshot"
8430 to the newly created one. All subsequent saves of the session will
8431 be stored in this new snapshot, and existing snapshots (and the main
8432 session) will be left unaffected.
8441 Sessions can have various items of metadata attached to them, via
8442 <kbd class ="menu">Session > Metadata > Edit Metadata...</kbd> and
8443 <kbd class ="menu">Session > Metadata > Import Metadata...</kbd>.
8446 <h2>Edit Session Metadata Dialog</h2>
8448 <img src="/images/edit-session-metadata.png" />
8450 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
8453 title: Cleaning up Sessions
8458 Recording and editing any serious session might leave the session with some
8459 unused or misplaced files here and there. Ardour can help deal with this clutter thanks
8460 to the tools located in the <kbd class="menu">Session > Clean-up</kbd> menu.
8463 <h2 id="bring_all_media_into_session_folder">Bring all media into session folder</h2>
8466 When <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/">importing media files</a>, if
8467 the <kbd class="option">Copy files to session</kbd> hasn't been checked, Ardour uses
8468 the source file from its original destination, which can help avoiding file duplication.
8469 Nevertheless, when the session needs to be archived or transfered to another computer, moving
8470 the session folder won't move those <em>external</em> files as they are not in the folder, as seen
8471 in <a href="/working-with-sessions/backup-and-sharing-of-sessions/">Backup and sharing of sessions</a>.
8475 Using the <kbd class="menu">Bring all media into session folder</kbd> menu ensures
8476 that all media files used in the session are located inside the session's folder, hence avoiding
8477 any missing files when copied.
8480 <h2 id="reset_peak_files">Reset Peak Files</h2>
8483 Ardour represents audio waveforms with peak files, that are graphical images generated from the
8484 sound files. This generation can be time and CPU consuming, so it uses a cache of the generated
8485 images to speed up the display process. To watch for files modification, Ardour relies on the file-modification
8486 time. If an external file is embedded in the session and that file changes, but the system-clock is skewed
8487 or it is stored on an external USB disk (VFAT), Ardour can't know the change happend, and will still use its
8488 deprecated peak files.
8492 Using the <kbd class="menu">Reset Peak Files</kbd> menu allows to reset this cache, which frees up disk space,
8493 and forces the re-creation of the peak files used in the session. It can prove useful if some waveforms
8494 are not used anymore, or if a graphical or time glitch happens.
8497 <h2 id="clean_up_unused_sources">Clean-up Unused Sources...</h2>
8500 Recording usually lefts a lot of unused takes behind, be it in midi or audio form, that can clutter
8501 the Region List, and eat up a lot of hard drive space. While its generally a good practice to keep as
8502 many things as possible while recording, when transferring or archiving the session, some clean up can
8503 help a lot in reducing the sessions clutter and size.
8507 Selecting <kbd class="menu">Clean-up Unused Sources...</kbd> will force Ardour to detect those unused waveforms
8508 by looking for unused regions, and (through a prompt) for unused playlists. The media files won't be destroyed, though.
8509 At this stage, they are just copied in a particular place of the session path (namely, in the <code>dead sounds/</code>
8513 <h2 id="flush_wastebasket">Flush Wastebasket</h2>
8516 Although Ardour is a <em>non-destructive</em> audio-editor, it allows for a very careful destruction of unused media materials.
8517 This function is closely linked to the previous one. When the unused sources have been cleaned up and quarantined, the
8518 <kbd class="menu">Flush Wastebasket</kbd> menu will allow for their physical destruction.
8522 As a safeguarding mechanism though, Flushing the wastebasket in impossible in the same working session as the Cleaning up of unused sources:
8523 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
8524 any mistake (unlikely, but better safe than sorry), and that the user is absolutely sure of what he does.
8528 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.
8532 title: Copying versus Linking
8537 <dfn>Copying</dfn> and <dfn>linking</dfn> are two different methods of
8538 using existing audio files on your computer (or network file system)
8539 within a session. They differ in one key aspect:
8545 An existing media file is copied to the session's audio folder, and
8546 if necessary converted into the session's native format.
8550 For audio files, you can control the choice of this format (eg. WAVE
8551 or Broadcast WAVE). Audio files will also be converted to the session
8552 sample rate if necessary (which can take several minutes for larger
8557 MIDI files will already be in SMF format, and are simply copied into
8558 the session's MIDI folder.
8564 A link to an existing media file somewhere on the disk is used as a the
8565 source for a region, but the data is <strong>not copied or modified</strong>
8570 While linking is handy to conserve disk space, it means that your session
8571 is <dfn>no longer self-contained</dfn>. If the external file moves, it
8572 will become unavailable, and any changes to it from elsewhere will affect
8573 the session. A backup of the session directory will miss linked files.
8577 You can choose to copy or link files into your session with the
8578 <kbd class="option">Copy file to session</kbd> option in the Import
8583 <img class="left" src="/images/225-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
8584 ← This file will be imported in the audio/MIDI folder of your session.
8588 <img class="left" src="/images/226-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
8589 ← This file won't be copied.
8593 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.
8597 title: Adding Pre-existing Material
8602 There are several ways to importing an audio or MIDI file into a
8606 <li><kbd class="menu">Session > Import</kbd></li>
8607 <li>Region List context menu: <kbd class="menu">Import To Region List</kbd></li>
8608 <li>Track context menu: <kbd class="menu">Import Existing Media</kbd>
8612 These methods are all equivalent: they open the <a
8613 href="/adding-pre-existing-material/import-dialog/">Add Existing Media</a>
8617 Finally, you can also easily import files into your project by dragging
8618 and dropping a file from some other application (e.g. your platform's
8619 file manager). You can drag onto the
8620 <dfn>Region List</dfn>, into the desired <dfn>track</dfn> or into empty
8621 space in the editor track display.<br />
8622 The file will be imported and copied
8623 into your session, and placed at the position where the drag ended.
8627 title: Import Dialog
8632 Many sessions will require the use of <dfn>existing material</dfn>,
8633 whether it consists of audio and/or MIDI data. Using existing samples,
8634 loops and riffs from files stored on your system can be the basis for
8635 a new session, or a way to deepen and improve one that is already
8640 You can import audio and MIDI data into your session with the
8641 <dfn>Add Existing Media</dfn> dialog.
8644 <p class="fixme">Update image, possibly update content if out of date</p>
8645 <img src="/images/209-ARDOUR_1_2_1.png" />
8647 <h2>The Soundfile Information Box</h2>
8650 This box will display information about the currently selected file:
8654 <li>number of channels,</li>
8655 <li>sample rate,</li>
8656 <li>file format,</li>
8658 <li>embedded timestamp (applies to some professional formats such as
8659 Broadcast WAVE), and</li>
8660 <li>tags (attached metadata to help categorize files in a library).</li>
8664 If the sample rate differs from the current session rate, it is displayed
8665 in red, which indicates that the file must be resampled before
8666 importing. Resampling is controlled by the <kbd class="menu">Conversion quality</kbd> option described below.
8672 Files can be auditioned before importing. The slider under the play and
8673 stop buttons allows you to scrub around, a fader on the right side allows
8674 you to control the playback volume.
8677 <h2>Importing options</h2>
8680 You can import files into new, automatically created tracks, to the region
8681 list (from where you can manually drag them into a track), or as new
8682 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">Tape tracks</a> with the
8683 <kbd class="menu">Add new files as...</kbd> option.
8687 New files will be inserted at either the file timestamp (if available,
8688 zero by default), at the <a href="/missing">edit point</a>, at the
8689 playhead, or at the start of the session, as specified in <kbd
8690 class="menu">Insert at...</kbd>.
8694 The Channel <kbd class="menu">mapping</kbd> is either "one track/region per
8695 file", or "one track/region per channel". The latter splits multichannel
8696 source files into mono regions. If you have selected multiple files and are importing them into a track,
8697 you can also choose whether to sequence all files into a single track in
8698 the order of selection, or to create as many tracks as there are files to
8703 The <kbd class="menu">Conversion quality</kbd> drop-down controls the
8704 quality of the resampling process, if the sampling rate of the source file
8705 differs from the session rate.
8709 Finally, and most importantly, you can decide whether to <kbd
8710 class="option">Copy files to session</kbd>, or to link them. Please read
8711 <a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/copying-versus-linking/">Copying
8712 versus Linking</a> for details.
8716 title: Searching and Importing From Freesound
8717 menu_title: Freesound Search/Import
8721 <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>
8724 <a href="http://www.freesound.org"
8725 title="http://www.freesound.org"><dfn>Freesound</dfn></a>
8726 is an online repository of searchable sound files licensed under
8727 Creative-Commons term. The <kbd class="menu">Search Freesound</kbd> tab
8728 of the import dialog allows you to search the Freesound database,
8729 and to download and audition files directly.
8734 <dd>Enter metadata tags that you would like to search for. You may enter
8735 multiple search terms separated by spaces. For example,
8736 <kbd class="input">drums 120bpm</kbd> will search for files that are tagged
8737 <samp>drums</samp>, <samp>120bpm</samp>, or both.</dd>
8739 <dd>Choosing one of the sort options will cause Freesound to return the list
8740 of available files sorted accordingly. This can save time if you know (for
8741 example) the sound you need is very short.</dd>
8743 <dd>Click this button to initiate the search. Freesound will begin returning
8744 pages of information, with 20 items per page. The <kbd
8745 class="menu">Stop</kbd> button interrupts the download.</dd>
8746 <dt>The file list</dt>
8747 <dd>Click on a file to download it from Freesound. Double-click the file to
8748 auto-play it in the auditioner.</dd>
8752 Files imported with Freesound will automatically include any tags that are
8753 associated with the file, and these tags will be included in a search when
8754 you use the <kbd class="menu">Search Tags</kbd> tab.
8758 title: Searching for Files Using Tags
8763 A <dfn>tag</dfn> is bit of information, or metadata, that is associated
8764 with a data file. Specifically, tags are keywords or terms that you feel
8765 have some relevance to a particular soundfile. Ardour can store these tags
8766 in a searchable <dfn>database</dfn> so that you can quickly search for sounds
8767 based on the tags that you have assigned to them.
8771 For example you can assign the term <kbd class="input">120bpm</kbd> to a
8772 sound, and then when you search for this tag, the file will appear in the
8773 search list. Tags are independent of the filename or anything else about
8774 the file. Tags, and the file paths that they are associated with, are
8775 stored in a file called <samp>sfdb</samp> in your Ardour user folder.
8779 To <dfn>add tags</dfn> to a given file, open the <kbd class="menu">Session >
8780 Import</kbd> dialog, select the file in the browser, and type new tags into tag
8781 area in the soundfile information box on the right. Tags are stored when the
8782 input box loses focus, there is no need to explicitly save them.
8786 You can <dfn>search</dfn> for specific tags in the <kbd
8787 class="menu">Search Tags</kbd> tab of the same dialog. Files which have
8788 been tagged with the relevant terms will appear in the results window.
8789 Selected files can be auditioned and marked with additional tags if
8794 title: Supported File Formats
8799 The list of audio file formats that Ardour can understand is quite long.
8800 It is based on the functionality offered by <dfn>libsndfile</dfn>, an excellent and
8801 widely used software library by Australian programmer Erik de Castro Lopo.
8802 As libsndfile's capabilities expand, so will Ardour's abilities to import
8803 (and export) new formats. Ardour supports all common audio file formats,
8804 including WAV, AIFF, AIFC, CAF, W64 and BWF, with all typical sample formats
8805 (8-, 16-, 24-, 32-bit integer, floating point, and more).
8809 You can find a full list of libsndfile's supported formats
8810 <a href="http://www.mega-nerd.com/libsndfile/#Features">here</a>.
8814 For MIDI import, Ardour will read any Standard MIDI Format (SMF) file.
8830 Ardour offers three <dfn>track types</dfn> depending on the type of
8831 data they contain, and differentiates between three <dfn>track modes</dfn>,
8832 depending on their recording behaviour.
8835 <h2>Track types</h2>
8838 An Ardour track can be of type <dfn>audio</dfn> or <dfn>MIDI</dfn>,
8839 depending on the <dfn>data</dfn> that the track will primarily record
8840 and play back. <em>However, either type of track can pass either
8841 type of data.</em> Hence, for example, one might have a MIDI track that
8842 contains an instrument plugin; such a track would record and play back
8843 MIDI data from disk but would produce audio, since the instrument plugin
8844 would turn MIDI data into audio data.
8848 Nevertheless, when adding tracks to a session, you typically have an idea
8849 of what you need to use the new tracks for, and Ardour offers you three
8853 <dl class="narrower-table">
8855 <dd>An <dfn>Audio Track</dfn> is created with a user-specified number of
8856 inputs. The number of outputs is defined by the master bus channel count
8857 (for details see <a href="#channelconfiguration">Channel Configuration</a>
8858 below). This is the type of track to use when planning to work with
8859 existing or newly recorded audio.</dd>
8861 <dd>A <dfn>MIDI track</dfn> is created with a single MIDI input, and a
8862 single MIDI output. This is the type of track to use when planning to
8863 record and play back MIDI. There are several methods to enable playback
8864 of a MIDI track: add an instrument plugin to the track, connect the
8865 track to a software synthesizer, or connect it to external MIDI hardware.
8867 If you add an instrument plugin, the MIDI track outputs audio instead
8871 <dd>There are a few notable plugins that can usefully accept both <dfn>Audio
8872 and MIDI</dfn> data (Reaktor is one, and various "auto-tune" like plugins
8873 are another). It can be tricky to configure this type of track manually,
8874 so Ardour allows you to select this type specifically for use with such
8875 plugins. It is <em>not</em> generally the right choice when working normal
8876 MIDI tracks, and a dialog will warn you of this.</dd>
8880 title: Adding Tracks, Busses and VCAs
8884 <img class="right" src="/images/add-track-or-bus.png" alt="the add-track dialog" />
8887 A track, bus or VCA can be added to a session in various ways:
8891 <li>Choose <kbd class="menu">Track > Add Track, Bus or VCA...</kbd>.</li>
8892 <li><kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-click in an empty part of the track controls area.</li>
8893 <li>Click the <kbd class="menu">Plus (+)</kbd> button underneath the list of tracks in the mixer.</li>
8897 Any of these actions will open the Add Track/Bus/VCA dialog.
8902 <dd>Here you can select the number of tracks, busses or VCAs you wish to create, and
8903 their <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">types</a>.</dd>
8905 <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>
8906 <dt>Configuration</dt>
8907 <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>
8908 <dt>Record mode</dt>
8909 <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>
8911 <dd>This option is only available for MIDI tracks and busses and lets you select a
8912 default instrument from the list of available plugins.</dd>
8914 <dd>Tracks and busses can be assigned groups so that a selected range of
8915 operations are applied to all members of a group at the same time (selecting
8916 record enable, or editing, for example). This option lets you assign to an
8917 existing group, or create a new group.</dd>
8919 <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>
8920 <dt>Output Ports</dt>
8921 <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>
8925 New tracks appear in both the editor and mixer windows. The editor window
8926 shows the timeline, with any recorded data, and the mixer shows just the
8927 processing elements of the track (its plugins, fader and so on).
8930 <h2>Removing Tracks and Busses</h2>
8933 To <dfn>remove</dfn> tracks and busses, select them, <kbd
8934 class="mouse">right</kbd>-click and choose <kbd
8935 class="menu">Remove</kbd>
8936 from the menu. A warning dialog will pop up, as track removal cannot be undone;
8937 use this option with care!
8941 title: Selecting Tracks
8946 Tracks are <dfn>selected</dfn> by clicking on the Track header at the left
8947 of the Editor window. You can select multiple tracks with <kbd class="mod1
8948 mouse">Left</kbd> clicks, or a range of consecutive tracks with <kbd
8949 class="mod3 mouse">Left</kbd>.
8952 By default, <dfn>selecting regions</dfn> has no impact on
8953 <dfn>track selection</dfn>.
8954 You can select a track, then select a region in another track
8955 (or vice versa) and both selections will co-exist happily.
8956 Operations that are applied to tracks will use the track selection,
8957 and those that apply to regions will use the region selection.
8958 Similarly, deselecting a region will not deselect the track it
8959 is in (if that track was selected).
8962 In some workflows, and particularly if you have experience with
8963 other <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s, this
8964 is not the most comfortable way to work. You may prefer to work
8965 in a style where selecting a region will also select the track
8966 that the region is in. Similarly, when the last selected region
8967 in a track is deselected, the track will also become unselected.
8970 To control this behaviour, set <kbd class="menu">Edit >
8971 Preferences > Editor > Link selection of regions and tracks</kbd>.
8975 title: Controlling Track Appearance
8980 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.
8984 title: Layering Display
8988 <img class="right" style="clear:both" src="/images/track-layer-dialog.png"
8989 alt="Track layering menu" />
8992 Ardour allows arbitrary <dfn>layering</dfn> of regions—you can
8993 have as many regions you wish at a given position. By default, the regions are
8994 <dfn>overlaid</dfn> in the editor window, to save vertical space.
8998 However, this display mode can be confusing for tracks with many overdubs,
8999 because its not obvious in which order the overdubs are layered. Although
9000 there are other methods of moving particular regions to the top of an
9001 overlapping set, and although Ardour also has playlists to let you manage
9002 <a href="/working-with-playlists/playlist_usecases/">takes</a> a bit more
9003 efficiently than just continually layering,
9004 there are times when being able to clearly see all regions in a track without
9005 any overlaps is reassuring and useful.
9009 Here is an image of a track with a rather drastic overdub situation,
9010 viewed in normal <dfn>overlaid mode</dfn>:
9013 <img src="/images/a3_overlaps_layered.png" alt="overlapping regions in overlaid mode" />
9016 To change this display, right click on the track header, and you'll see
9017 the menu displayed above. There are two choices for layers. <kbd
9018 class="menu">overlaid</kbd> is currently selected. Click on <kbd
9019 class="menu">stacked</kbd> and the track display changes to this:
9022 <img src="/images/a3_layers_stacked.png" alt="overlapping regions in stacked mode" />
9025 You can still move regions around as usual, and in fact you can
9026 even drag them so that they overlay each again, but when you
9027 release the mouse button, things will flip back to them all being
9028 stacked cleanly. The number of <dfn>lanes</dfn> for the track is determined by
9029 the maximum number of regions existing in any one spot throughout
9030 the track, so if you have really stacked up 10 overdubs in one spot,
9031 you'll end up with 10 lanes. Obviously, using a large track height
9032 works much better for this than a small one.
9041 New tracks in Ardour are assigned a random color from a pastel color
9042 palette, so they should never end up being particularly bright or
9046 <h2>Changing the color of specific tracks</h2>
9049 Select the tracks whose color you wish to change. Context-click
9050 on the track header of one of them. From the context menu, select
9051 <kbd class="menu">Color</kbd> and pick a hue to your taste in the
9052 color dialog. Every selected track will be re-colored.
9056 Note that if you are only changing one track, context-clicking on
9057 that track's header will be enough to select it, saving the extra
9061 <h2>Changing the color of all tracks in a group</h2>
9064 Tracks that belong to a
9065 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups">track/bus group</a>
9066 can share a common color by enabling the <kbd
9067 class="option">Color</kbd> option for the group. With this enabled,
9068 any color change will be propagated to all group members.
9072 You can also explicitly change the group color by context-clicking
9073 on the group tab in the Mixer, selecting <kbd class="menu">Edit
9074 Group...</kbd> and then clicking on the Color selector in that dialog
9084 Depending on the stage of your production, you may require a quick
9085 overview over as many tracks as possible, a detailed view into just a
9086 few, or a combination of the two. To facilitate this, the
9087 <dfn>height</dfn> may be configured individually for each track in
9092 A context click on a track header will display the
9093 <kbd class="menu">Height</kbd> menu, and allow you to choose from a
9094 list of standard sizes. All selected tracks will be redrawn using that
9099 Alternatively, select the tracks you wish to resize. Move the pointer
9100 to the bottom edge of one track header. The cursor will change to a
9101 two-way vertical arrow shape. <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag to
9102 dynamically resize all selected tracks.
9105 <h2>Fit to the Editor Window</h2>
9108 Select the tracks you wish to display in the Editor window.
9109 Choose <kbd class="menu">Track > Height > Fit Selected Tracks</kbd>
9110 or use the keyboard shortcut, <kbd>f</kbd>. Ardour adjusts the track
9111 heights and view so that the selected tracks completely fill the vertical
9112 space available, unless the tracks cannot be made to fit even at the smallest
9117 You can use <dfn>Visual Undo</dfn> (default shortcut: <kbd class="mod3">Z</kbd>
9118 to revert this operation.
9122 title: Waveform display
9127 The display of <dfn>waveforms</dfn> (or, more correctly, <dfn>peak
9128 envelopes</dfn>, since the actual waveform is only visible at the highest
9129 zoom levels) is configurable via the <kbd
9130 class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor</kbd> dialog, to support
9131 different usecases and user preferences. The following options are
9135 <dl class="wide-table">
9136 <dt>Show waveforms in regions</dt>
9137 <dd>By default, Ardour draws waveforms within audio regions. Disable this
9138 option to hide them.</dd>
9139 <dt>Waveform scale</dt>
9143 <dd>This is the traditional <dfn>linear</dfn> (1:1) display of the
9144 peak envelope, or, at higher zoom levels, the individual samples.</dd>
9145 <dt>Logarithmic</dt>
9146 <dd>Alternatively, you can use a <dfn>logarithmic</dfn> display of the
9147 peak envelope. This will give you a better idea of program loudness (it is similar
9148 to dBs) and plot soft passages more clearly, which is useful for soft
9149 recordings or small track height.</dd>
9152 <dt>Waveform shape</dt>
9155 <dt>Traditional</dt>
9156 <dd>The <dfn>zero</dfn> line appears in the middle of the display and waveforms
9157 appear as positive and negative peaks above <em>and</em> below.</dd>
9159 <dd>The zero line appears at the bottom of the display and waveforms appear
9160 as absolute peaks <em>above</em> the line only.</dd>
9166 title: Controlling Track Ordering
9171 Ardour does not impose any particular ordering of tracks and busses in
9172 either the editor or mixer windows. The default arrangements are as follows:
9176 In the <dfn>Editor</dfn>, the Master bus will always be on top unless
9177 hidden. Tracks and busses will appear in their initial order, from top to
9178 bottom. The monitor section (if used) will never be visible in the editor
9183 In the <dfn>Mixer</dfn>, the tracks and busses will be displayed in their
9184 initial order, from left to right. The Master bus is always on the far
9185 right and occupies its own pane, so that it is always visible no matter
9186 how you scroll the other mixer strips. If a Monitor section is used,
9187 it shows up at the right edge of the mixer window, from where it can be
9188 torn off into a separate window.
9192 title: Reordering Tracks
9197 The <dfn>track ordering</dfn> of the Editor and Mixer is <dfn>synchronized</dfn>: if you
9198 reorder in one window, the ordering in the other window will follow.
9201 <h2>Reordering in the Editor Window</h2>
9204 Select the tracks you want to move. Then use<br />
9205 <kbd class="menu">Track > Move Selected Tracks Up</kbd>
9206 (shortcut: <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd>) or<br />
9207 <kbd class="menu">Track > Move Selected Tracks Down</kbd>
9208 (shortcut: <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd>).
9212 Alternatively, you can use the <kbd class="menu">Tracks & Busses</kbd>
9214 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/">Editor
9215 Lists</a>, if visible.
9216 Here, you can freely drag-and-drop tracks and busses into any order you prefer.
9219 <h2>Reordering in the Mixer Window</h2>
9222 Within the <kbd class="menu">Strips</kbd> pane at the top left of the
9223 Mixer window, you can freely drag-and-drop tracks and busses into any
9227 <h2>"Collecting" Group Members</h2>
9230 Tracks and Busses that are members of a group can be reordered so that they
9231 display contiguously within the Editor and Mixer windows. Context-click on
9232 the group tab and choose <kbd class="menu">Collect</kbd>.
9235 <h2>Ordering of New Tracks</h2>
9238 When <dfn>adding new tracks</dfn>, the current selection determines their
9239 placement. New tracks will be placed after the rightmost (in the mixer) or
9240 bottom-most (in the editor) selected track. If no tracks are selected, new
9241 tracks will be added at the end.
9245 Because new tracks are automatically selected, you can quickly reorder them
9246 in the editor window via the keyboard shortcuts after adding them (see above).
9250 title: Track Ordering and Remote Control IDs
9255 Every track and bus in Ardour is assigned a <dfn>remote control ID</dfn>.
9256 When a <a href="/using-control-surfaces/">control surface</a> or any other
9257 remote control is used to control Ardour, these IDs are used to identify
9258 which track(s) or buss(es) are the intended target of incoming commands.
9262 By default, remote IDs will be assigned to tracks and busses in the order
9263 that they are created, starting from 1. The master bus and monitor section
9264 have their own unique IDs (318 and 319).
9268 Ardour provides two methods to control remote control IDs, which can be
9269 chosen via <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Control Surfaces
9270 > Control surface remote ID</kbd>:
9273 <dl class="wide-table">
9274 <dt>follows order of mixer</dt>
9275 <dd>This will reset the remote control IDs to match the mixer and editor
9276 track order order, starting with rcID 1. Manual assignment of rcIDs is
9278 <dt>assigned by user</dt>
9279 <dd>When enabled, the remote control ID is completely independent of the
9280 ordering in either window, and may be changed manually by the user via the
9281 <kbd class="menu"><em>trackname</em> > Remote Control ID...</kbd>
9282 dialog in each mixer strip.
9291 <p>A typical control area or <dfn>bus header<dfn> is shown below:</p>
9293 <img src="/images/typical-bus-controls.png" alt="bus controls" />
9296 At the top-left of the controls is the name of the bus, which can be
9297 edited by double-clicking on it. The new name must be unique within the
9298 session. Underneath the name is a copy of the bus' main level fader.
9299 The control buttons to the right-hand side are:
9303 <dt id="mute">M</dt>
9304 <dd><dfn>Mute</dfn>—click to mute the bus. Right-click to display
9305 a menu which dictates what particular parts of the bus should be muted.</dd>
9306 <dt id="solo">S</dt>
9307 <dd><dfn>Solo</dfn>—solo the bus. The behaviour of the solo system
9308 is described in detail in the section <a
9309 href="/mixing/muting-and-soloing/">Muting and Soloing</a>.</dd>
9310 <dt id="automation">A</dt>
9311 <dd><dfn>Automation</dfn>—opens the automation menu for the
9312 bus. For details see <a href="/automation/">Automation</a>.</dd>
9313 <dt id="group">G</dt>
9314 <dd><dfn>Group</dfn>—lets you assign the bus to an existing or a
9315 new group. For details see <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">Track and bus groups</a>. </dd>
9319 title: Audio Track Controls
9324 A typical control area or <dfn>track header</dfn> for an audio track is
9328 <img src="/images/typical-audio-track-controls.png" alt="audio track controls"
9332 An audio track has the same
9333 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls">controls as a bus</a>, with the
9334 addition of two extras.
9338 <dt id="record" style="color:red;font-weight:bold;">[•]</dt>
9339 <dd><dfn>Record</dfn>—The button with the pink circle arms the track
9340 for recording. When armed, the entire button will turn pink, and change to
9341 bright red as soon as the transport is rolling and the track is recording.</dd>
9342 <dt id="playlist">p</dt>
9343 <dd><dfn>Playlist</dfn>—Opens a playlist menu when clicked. The menu
9344 offers various operations related to the track's <a
9345 href="/working-with-playlists/">playlist</a>.
9350 title: MIDI Track Controls
9354 <p>A typical <dfn>MIDI track header</dfn> looks like this:</p>
9356 <img src="/images/typical-midi-track-controls.png" alt="midi track controls"
9360 To see the full set of MIDI track controls, you need to increase the
9361 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/track-height/">track height</a>
9362 beyond the default. MIDI tracks show only a few of the control elements
9363 when there is insufficient vertical space.
9367 A MIDI track has the same basic
9368 <a href="/working-with-tracks/audio-track-controls">controls as an audio track</a>,
9369 with the addition of two extra elements. The set of buttons below the main track
9370 controls the <dfn>MIDI channel</dfn>(s) that will be visible in the editor. A MIDI track's
9371 data may span any number of the 16 available MIDI channels, and sometimes it is
9372 useful to view only a subset of those channels; different instruments may,
9373 for example, be put on different channels. Clicking on a channel number toggles
9378 To the right of the MIDI track controls is a representation of a piano keyboard
9379 called the <dfn>scroomer</dfn> (a portmanteau of scrollbar and zoomer). This performs several functions:
9383 <li>The scrollbar controls the range of pitches that are visible on the
9384 track, as visualized by the piano keyboard.</li>
9385 <li>Dragging the body of the scrollbar up and down displays higher or lower
9387 <li>Dragging the scrollbar handles zooms in and out and increases and decreases the range of visible pitches.</li>
9388 <li>Clicking on the piano plays the corresponding MIDI note for reference.</li>
9392 To edit the contents of a MIDI track see <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-midi/">Edit
9397 title: Track Context Menu
9402 Within the editor window, context-click (right-click) on either a region
9403 or empty space within a track to display the <dfn>track context menu</dfn>.
9404 The context menu provides easy access to many track-level operations.
9408 If you click on a <dfn>region</dfn>, the first item in the menu is the name of the
9409 region. If you click on a
9410 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/layering-display/">layered region</a>,
9411 the next item in the menu is <kbd class="menu">Choose Top</kbd>. If selected,
9412 you will see a dialog that allows you to change the vertical order of layers
9413 at that point. See <a href="/missing">Controlling Region Layering</a> for more details.
9414 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9418 The rest of the track context menu is structured as follows:
9421 <dl class="narrower-table">
9424 <dl class="narrower-table">
9425 <dt>Play from Edit Point</dt>
9426 <dd>Play from the location of the current <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a>.</dd>
9427 <dt>Play from Start </dt>
9428 <dd>Play from the start of the session</dd>
9429 <dt>Play Region(s)</dt>
9430 <dd>Plays the duration of the session from the start of the earliest selected region to the end of the latest selected region</dd>
9435 <dl class="narrower-table">
9436 <dt>Select All in Track</dt>
9437 <dd>Selects all regions in a track</dd>
9438 <dt>Select All Objects</dt>
9439 <dd>Selects all regions in the session</dd>
9440 <dt>Invert Selection in Track</dt>
9442 <dt>Invert Selection</dt>
9444 <dt>Set Range to Loop Range</dt>
9446 <dt>Set Range to Punch Range</dt>
9448 <dt>Select All After Edit Point</dt>
9450 <dt>Select All Before Edit Point</dt>
9452 <dt>Select All After Playhead</dt>
9454 <dt>Select All Before Playhead</dt>
9456 <dt>Select All Between Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
9458 <dt>Select All Within Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
9460 <dt>Select Range Between Playhead and Edit Point</dt>
9466 <dl class="narrower-table">
9475 <dt>Align Relative</dt>
9479 <dt>Insert Selected Region</dt>
9481 <dt>Insert Existing Media</dt>
9485 <dl class="narrower-table">
9486 <dt>Nudge Entire Track Later</dt>
9488 <dt>Nudge Track After Edit Point Later</dt>
9490 <dt>Nudge Entire Track Earlier</dt>
9492 <dt>Nudge Track After Edit Point Earlier</dt>
9501 <i>This text here to prevent following FIXME from corrupting the above table</i>
9503 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
9507 title: Grouping Tracks
9513 title: Track and Bus Groups
9518 Tracks and busses can be put into <dfn>groups</dfn>. Members of a group
9519 can share various settings—useful for managing tracks that are closely
9520 related to each other. Examples might include tracks that contain
9521 multiple-microphone recordings of a single source (an acoustic guitar,
9522 perhaps, or a drum-kit).
9526 You can group tracks and busses in various ways. In the editor window,
9527 a track's controls might look like these:
9530 <img class="left" src="/images/track-in-group.png" alt="track headers for a group" />
9533 The green tab to the left of the track header indicates that this track
9534 is in a group called <samp>Fred</samp>. You can drag these tabs to add
9535 adjacent tracks to a group.
9538 <h2>Create New Groups</h2>
9541 There are several ways to <dfn>create groups</dfn> for tracks and bussess:
9545 <li>Context-click on the group tab and use one of the <kbd
9546 class="menu">Create...</kbd> options there. You can create a group with
9547 no members, or one that starts with the currently selected tracks, or
9548 record-enabled tracks, or soloed tracks.</li>
9549 <li>Alternatively, click the ‘g’ button on a track header to open the
9550 Group menu. The menu lists the available groups. Selecting one of these
9551 groups will add the track or bus to that group. The menu also lets you
9552 create a new group.</li>
9553 <li>Finally, the Groups tab of the
9554 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor Lists</a>
9555 or the Mixer Window has a <kbd class="menu">plus (+)</kbd> button at the
9556 bottom of the list. Click on the plus sign to create a new group.</li>
9559 <h2>Remove Groups</h2>
9562 Context-click on a <dfn>group tab</dfn> and select <kbd class="menu">Remove
9563 Group</kbd> from the menu. Removing a group does <em>not</em> remove
9564 the members of a group.
9568 You can also remove groups by selecting them in the Groups tab of the
9569 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists">Editor Lists</a>
9570 or Mixer Window and then pressing the <kbd class="menu">minus (-)</kbd>
9571 button at the bottom of the list.
9574 <h2>Add/Remove Tracks and Busses From a Group</h2>
9577 Click the <kbd class="menu">g</kbd> button to display a menu with a list
9578 of the available groups. Select one of these groups to add the track or bus
9579 to that group. Select <kbd class="menu">No Group</kbd> to remove it.
9583 Alternatively, you can also drag a group tab to add or remove tracks from
9587 <h2>Activate/Deactivate Groups via the Group Tab</h2>
9590 Clicking on a group tab toggles the group between being active and inactive.
9591 An inactive group has no effect when editing its members. An active group
9592 will share its configured properties across its members. Tabs for disabled
9593 groups are coloured grey.</p>
9595 <h2>Modify Group Properties</h2>
9598 To edit the properties of a group, context-click on its tab and choose
9599 <kbd class="menu">Edit Group…</kbd>. This opens the track/bus group dialog,
9600 which is also used when creating new groups:
9603 <img class="right" src="/images/route-group-dialogue.png" alt="the track/bus group dialog" />
9605 <h3>Group Color</h3>
9608 Click on the color selector button to change a group's colour. This affects
9609 the colour of the group's tab in the editor and mixer windows. The color does
9610 <em>not</em> affect the color of the group members unless you also enable the
9611 shared <kbd class="menu">Color</kbd> property.
9614 <h3>Shared Properties</h3>
9617 <kbd class="option">Gain</kbd> means that the track faders will be synced to
9618 always have the same value; <kbd class="option">Relative</kbd> means that the
9619 gain changes are applied relative to each member's current value. If, for
9620 example, there are two tracks in a group with relative gain sharing, and their
9621 faders are set to -3 dB and -1 dB, a change of the first track to a
9622 gain of -6 dB will result in the second track having a gain of
9623 -4 dB (the <em>difference</em> of the gains remains the same).
9627 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls/#mute"><kbd class="option">Muting</kbd></a>,
9628 <a href="/working-with-tracks/bus-controls/#solo"><kbd class="option">Soloing</kbd></a>,
9629 <a href="/working-with-tracks/audio-track-controls/#record"><kbd class="option">record enable</kbd></a>,
9630 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/tracks--busses-list/#active"><kbd class="option">active state</kbd></a>,
9631 <a href="/working-with-tracks/controlling-track-appearance/track-coloring/"><kbd class="option">colour</kbd></a> and
9632 <a href="/recording/monitoring/"><kbd class="option">monitoring</kbd></a>
9633 are all straightforward. They simply mean that all member tracks or busses will
9634 share the same settings in these respects.
9638 <kbd class="option">Selection</kbd> means that if a region is selected or
9639 deselected on one member track, <a
9640 href="/working-with-regions/corresponding-region-selection/">corresponding
9641 regions</a> on other member tracks
9642 will be similarly selected. Since region editing operations are applied to all
9643 currently selected regions, this is the way to make edits apply across all tracks in the group.
9646 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9648 <h3>Group Tab Context Menu</h3>
9650 <p>Context-clicking on the group tab offers a further menu of group-related actions. </p>
9652 <dl class="wide-table">
9653 <dt>Create a New Group</dt>
9654 <dd>create a new group</dd>
9655 <dt>Create New Group from...</dt>
9656 <dd> create a new group and automatically add ...
9657 <dl class="narrower-table">
9659 <dd>all currently selected tracks and busses</dd>
9660 <dt>Rec-enabled</dt>
9661 <dd>all currently record-enabled tracks</dd>
9663 <dd>all currently soloed tracks and busses</dd>
9666 <dt>Collect Group</dt>
9667 <dd>moves all the member tracks so that they are together in the editor window</dd>
9668 <dt>Remove Group</dt>
9669 <dd>removes the group (and only the group, not its members).</dd>
9670 <dt>Add New Subgroup Bus</dt>
9671 <dd> creates a bus (giving it the name of the group) and connects the output of each member to the new bus.
9673 <dt>Add New Aux Bus</dt>
9674 <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>
9675 <dt>Fit to Window</dt>
9676 <dd> will zoom the member tracks so that they fill the editor window.</dd>
9677 <dt>Enable All Groups</dt>
9678 <dd>makes all group active, including any hidden groups.</dd>
9679 <dt>Disable All Groups</dt>
9680 <dd>makes all groups inactive, including any hidden groups.</dd>
9685 title: Importing and Exporting Session Data
9691 title: File and Session Management and Compatibility
9697 title: Playback & Recording
9703 title: Playing Back Track Material
9711 title: Looping the Transport
9716 When the <dfn>loop transport</dfn> button is pressed, the playhead will
9717 jump the start of the loop range, and continue to the end of that range
9718 before returning to the start and repeating.
9719 While looping, a light green area is displayed in the time ruler over
9720 the tracks to show the loop range.
9724 By default, looping is bound to the <kbd>l</kbd> key.
9728 For more information on defining and altering the loop range see
9729 <a href="/working-with-markers/the-loop-range">Loop Range Markers</a>.
9732 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9735 title: Positioning the Playhead
9740 The <dfn>playhead</dfn> is a vertical line with two arrows at each end
9741 that indicates the current position of playback.
9744 <h2>Positioning the playhead at the current pointer position</h2>
9747 Pressing <kbd>P</kbd> will set the playhead to the current position of
9748 the mouse pointer, if it is within the editor track area.
9751 <h2>Positioning the playhead on the timeline</h2>
9754 A <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> click anywhere on the timeline (rulers)
9755 will move the playhead to that position.
9758 <h2>Positioning the playhead with the transport clocks</h2>
9761 Click on either the primary or secondary transport clock and
9762 <a href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays">edit their value</a>
9763 to move the playhead to a specific position.
9766 <h2>Positioning the playhead at a marker</h2>
9769 Click <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd> on the marker and select either
9770 <kbd class="menu">Locate to here</kbd> or <kbd class="menu">Play from
9775 The playhead can also be moved backward and forward through the markers by
9776 respectively pressing the <kbd>Q</kbd> and <kbd>W</kbd> keys. Pressing
9777 <kbd>Home</kbd> and <kbd>End</kbd> will move the playhead to the special
9778 markers <dfn>start</dfn> and <dfn>end</dfn>, respectively.
9782 title: Using Key Bindings
9787 Ardour has many available commands for playback control that can be bound
9788 to keys. Many of them have default bindings, some do not, so the list below
9789 shows both the default bindings and internal command names.
9792 <dl class="wide-table">
9793 <dt><kbd>Space</kbd></dt>
9794 <dd>switch between playback and stop.</dd>
9795 <dt><kbd>Home</kbd></dt>
9796 <dd>Move playhead to session start marker</dd>
9797 <dt><kbd>End</kbd></dt>
9798 <dd>Move playhead to session end marker</dd>
9799 <dt><kbd>→</kbd></dt>
9801 <dt><kbd>←</kbd></dt>
9803 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
9804 <dd>Move playhead to start of the timeline</dd>
9807 <p>Commands without default bindings include:</p>
9809 <p class="fixme">Add content</p>
9820 title: Track Recording Modes
9825 The <dfn>Recording mode</dfn> is a per-track property (applies to audio
9826 tracks only) that affects the way that recording new material on top of
9827 existing material ("overdubbing") operates <em>in that track</em>.
9830 <h2 id="trackmodes">Track Modes</h2>
9833 Audio tracks in Ardour have a <dfn>mode</dfn> which affects how they behave
9837 <dl class="narrower-table">
9839 <dd>Tracks in <dfn>normal mode</dfn> will record non-destructively—new
9840 data is written to new files, and when overdubbing, new regions will be
9841 layered on top of existing ones. This is the recommended mode for most
9844 <dt>Non-Layered</dt>
9845 <dd>Tracks using <dfn>non-layered mode</dfn> will record non-destructively—new data is written to new files, but when overdubbing,
9847 regions are trimmed so that there are no overlaps. This does not affect
9848 the previously recorded audio data, and trimmed regions can be expanded
9849 again at will. Non-layered mode can be very useful for spoken word material,
9850 especially in combination with <a href="/editing-and-arranging/change-region-lengths/pushpull-trimming">push/pull trimming</a>.
9852 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
9856 <dd><dfn>Tape-mode</dfn> tracks do <strong>destructive</strong> recording:
9857 all data is recorded to a single file and if you overdub a section of existing
9858 data, the existing data is destroyed irrevocably—there is no undo.
9859 Fixed crossfades are added at every punch in and out point. This mode can be
9860 useful for certain kinds of re-recording workflows, but it not suggested for normal
9864 <img class="right" src="/images/a3_nonlayered_example.png" alt="normal and non-layered overdubbing comparision"
9868 The screenshot on the right shows the subtle difference between an overdub
9869 in <dfn>normal mode</dfn> (upper track) and one in <dfn>non-layered mode</dfn>
9870 (lower track). Both tracks were created using identical audio data.
9874 The upper track shows a new region which has been <dfn>layered on
9875 top</dfn> of the the existing (longer) region. You can see this if you look
9876 carefully at the region name strips. The lower track has split the existing
9877 region in two, trimmed each new region to create space for the new overdub,
9878 and inserted the overdub region in between.
9881 <h2 id="channelconfiguration">Channel Configuration</h2>
9884 Ardour tracks can have any number of inputs and any number of outputs, and
9885 the number of either can be changed at any time (subject to restrictions
9886 caused by any plugins in a track). However it is useful to not have to
9887 configure this sort of thing for the most common cases, and so the
9888 <a href="/working-with-tracks/adding-tracks">Add Tracks</a> dialog allows you
9889 to select "Mono", "Stereo" and few other typical multichannel presets.
9890 The name of the preset describes the number of <dfn>input channels</dfn>
9891 of the track or bus.
9895 If you have configured Ardour to automatically connect new tracks and
9896 busses for you, the number of outputs will be determined by the number of
9897 inputs of the <dfn>master <a
9898 href="/introducing-ardour/understanding-basic-concepts-and-terminology/#busses">bus</a></dfn>,
9899 to which the track outputs will be connected.
9903 For example, if you have a two-channel master bus, then a Mono track has one
9904 input and two outputs; a Stereo track has two inputs and two outputs.
9908 Setting <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Audio
9909 > Connection of Tracks and Busses</kbd> to <kbd
9910 class="menu">manual</kbd> will leave tracks disconnected by default
9911 and there will be as many outputs as there are inputs. It is up to you to
9912 connect them as you wish. This is not a particularly useful way to work
9913 unless you are doing something fairly unusual with signal routing and
9914 processing. It is almost always preferable to allow Ardour to make
9915 connections automatically, even if some of them have to be changed manually
9921 title: Audio Recording
9932 When recording, it is important that performers hear themselves, and to
9933 hear any pre-recorded tracks they are performing with.
9934 Audio recorders typically let you <dfn>monitor</dfn> (i.e. listen to)
9935 the input signal of all tracks that are armed for recording, and playing
9936 back the unarmed tracks.
9940 title: Latency Considerations
9946 In the days of analog tape recording, the routing of monitor signals was
9947 performed with relays and other analog audio switching devices. Digital
9948 recorders have the same feature, but may impart some
9950 href="/synchronization/latency-and-latency-compensation/"><dfn>latency</dfn></a>
9951 (delay) between the time you make a noise and the time that you hear it
9952 come back from the recorder.
9956 The latency of <em>any</em> conversion from analog to digital and back to
9957 analog is about 1.5–2 ms. Some musicians claim that even the
9958 basic <abbr title="Analog to Digital to Analog">A/D/A</abbr> conversion
9959 time is objectionable. However even acoustic instruments such as the piano
9960 can have approximately 3 ms of latency, due to the time the sound
9961 takes to travel from the instrument to the musician's ears. Latency below
9962 5 ms should be suitable for a professional recording setup. Because
9963 2 ms are already used in the A/D/A process, you must use extremely low
9964 <dfn>buffer sizes</dfn> in your workstation <abbr title="Input/Output">I/O</abbr>
9965 setup to keep the overall latency below 5ms. Not all
9966 <a href="/setting-up-your-system/the-right-computer-system-for-digital-audio">computer audio systems</a>
9967 are able to work reliably at such low buffer sizes.
9971 For this reason it is sometimes best to route the monitor signal
9972 through an external mixing console while recording, an approach taken by
9973 most if not all professional recording studios. Many computer I/O devices
9974 have a hardware mixer built in which can route the monitor signal "around"
9975 the computer, avoiding the system latency.
9979 In either case, the monitoring hardware may be digital or analog. And in
9980 the digital case you will still have the A-D-A conversion latency of
9985 title: Monitor Signal Flow
9986 menu_title: Signal Flow
9991 There are three basic ways to approach monitoring:
9994 <h3>External Monitoring</h3>
9996 <p><img class="right" src="/images/external-monitoring.png" /></p>
9999 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.
10002 <h3>JACK-Based Hardware Monitoring</h3>
10004 <p><img class="right" src="/images/jack-monitoring.png" /></p>
10007 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.
10010 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
10012 <h3>Software Monitoring</h3>
10014 <p><img class="right" src="/images/ardour-monitoring.png" /></p>
10017 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.
10021 title: Monitor Setup in Ardour
10022 menu_title: Setup in Ardour
10027 Ardour has three main settings which affect how
10028 monitoring is performed. The first is
10029 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Audio >
10030 Record monitoring handled by</kbd>. There are two or three
10031 options here, depending on the capabilities of your hardware.
10035 The other two settings are more complex. One is
10036 <kbd class="menu">Tape machine mode</kbd>, found in the
10037 same dialog, and the other is the
10038 <kbd class="option">Session > Properties > Monitoring
10039 automatically follows transport state</kbd> setting.
10043 Monitoring also depends on the state of the track's record-enable button,
10044 the session record-enable button, and on whether or not the transport is
10048 <h2>Software or Hardware Monitoring Modes</h2>
10051 If Ardour is set to <dfn>external monitoring</dfn>, the explanation of
10052 Ardour's monitoring behaviour is simple: it does not do any.
10055 <h2>Monitoring in Non-Tape-Machine Mode</h2>
10058 When <dfn>Tape-Machine mode is off</dfn>, and a track is armed,
10059 Ardour <em>always</em> monitors the live input, except in one case:
10060 the transport is rolling, the session is not recording, and
10061 <dfn>auto-input</dfn>
10062 is active. In this case only, you will hear playback from an armed track.
10066 Unarmed tracks will play back their contents from disc, unless the
10067 transport is stopped <em>and</em> <dfn>auto-input</dfn> is enabled.
10068 In this case, the track monitors its live input.
10071 <h2>Monitoring in Tape-Machine Mode</h2>
10074 In <dfn>Tape-Machine mode</dfn>, things are slightly simpler: when a
10075 track is armed, its behaviour is the same as in non-tape-machine mode.
10079 Unarmed tracks however will always just play back their contents from
10080 disk; the live input will never be monitored.
10085 title: MIDI Recording
10091 title: Punch Recording Modes
10097 title: Working With Markers
10102 It is very useful to be able to tag different locations in a session for
10103 later use when editing and mixing. Ardour supports both
10104 <dfn>locations</dfn>, which define specific positions in time,
10105 and <dfn>ranges</dfn> which define a start and end position in time.
10109 In addition to the standard location markers, there are three kinds of
10115 <dfn>CD markers</dfn> are locations that are restricted to legal
10116 <dfn>CD sector boundaries</dfn>. They can be used to add track index
10117 markers to compact disc images.
10120 The <dfn>Loop range</dfn> defines the start end end points for Looping.
10123 The <dfn>punch range</dfn> defines the in and out points for punch
10129 title: Creating Location Markers
10134 <dfn>Location Markers</dfn> appear in the <dfn>Locations ruler</dfn> at the top
10135 of the timeline. The <dfn>start</dfn> and <dfn>end</dfn> markers appear
10136 automatically, but you can create custom markers at any position in a
10141 To add a marker at the <strong>current playhead position</strong>, press
10142 <kbd>Num-↵</kbd> (the Enter key on the numeric keypad).
10143 Alternatively, use <kbd class="menu">Transport > Markers > Add
10144 Mark from Playhead</kbd>.
10148 To add a marker at an <strong>arbitrary location</strong> on the timeline,
10149 navigate to the desired position, right-click on the Locations ruler and
10150 select <kbd class="menu">New Location Marker</kbd>.
10151 You can also go to the Editor list, click <kbd class="menu">New
10152 Marker</kbd> and use the clock widget to set its position.
10157 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
10159 and <a href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays/"> Using
10160 Ardour Clock Displays</a>.
10164 title: Creating Range Markers
10168 <p class="fixme">Add images</a>
10171 <dfn>Range markers</dfn> are essentially two location markers the are grouped
10172 together to mark the beginning and end of a section in the timeline.
10175 <h2>Creating a Range on the timeline</h2>
10178 To create a new <dfn>range</dfn>, right-click on the
10179 Ranges ruler at the top of the timeline, then select
10180 <kbd class="menu">New Range</kbd>.
10181 Two markers with the same name will appear along the ruler.
10182 Both marks can be moved along the timeline by clicking and dragging
10183 them to the desired location.
10187 It is also possible to create range markers from a selected range or
10188 region in the Editor window, or to use the <kbd class="menu">Ranges
10189 & Marks List</kbd> in the Editor list.
10193 title: Ranges & Marks List
10198 The <dfn>Ranges & Marks List</dfn> is a tab in the <dfn>Editor
10199 Lists</dfn> area on the right of the Editor window. If the editor
10200 list area isn't visible it can be enabled by checking
10201 <kbd class="option">View > Show Editor List</kbd>.
10202 The Ranges & Marks list can be used as a single point
10203 of control for all range and location markers (including the punch and
10204 loop ranges), or as a supplement to other methods of working with them.
10207 <h2>Common elements</h2>
10210 Each section has a set of <dfn>editable <a
10211 href="/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays/">clock widgets</a></dfn>
10213 the location of a marker, or the start, end, and duration times of a range,
10214 respectively.<br />
10215 The <kbd class="menu">Use PH</kbd> buttons allow you to set
10216 the corresponding clock to the current playhead position.
10217 A <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd> click on any of the clocks will move
10218 the playhead to that location. Both functions are also available from the
10219 clock context menus.<br />
10220 Right clicking on any of the clocks brings up a context menu that allows
10221 changing of the display between Timecode, Bars:Beats, Minutes:Seconds,
10225 The <kbd class="menu">—</kbd> (subtract) button in front of each
10226 user-defined range or marker in the list allows that particular item to
10227 be removed. The name fields of custom ranges and markers can be edited.
10230 The <kbd class="option">Hide</kbd> checkboxes make markers and ranges invisible
10231 on the respective ruler to reduce visual clutter; the markers remain
10232 active however, and can be used normally.<br />
10233 Selecting <kbd class="option">Lock</kbd> prevents the respective marker
10234 from being moved until unlocked.
10235 Where applicable, <kbd class="option">Glue</kbd> fixes the marker position
10236 relative to the current musical position expressed in bars and beats, rather
10237 than the absolute time. This will make the respective marker follow
10238 changes in the tempo map.
10241 At the bottom of the list are buttons to add new markers or ranges.
10243 <h2>List sections</h2>
10246 <dt>Loop/Punch Ranges</dt>
10247 <dd>This list shows the current <dfn>loop</dfn> and <dfn>punch</dfn> range
10248 settings. Since these are built-in ranges, you cannot rename or remove them.</dd>
10249 <dt>Markers (Including CD Index)</dt>
10250 <dd>This section lists the session's <dfn>markers</dfn>. By ticking <kbd
10251 class="option">CD</kbd>, you instruct Ardour to create a <dfn>CD track
10252 index</dfn> from this marker, which will be included in the TOC or CUE file when you
10254 <dt>Ranges (Including CD Track Ranges)</dt>
10255 <dd>This is the list of <dfn>ranges</dfn> (including <dfn>CD track
10256 ranges</dfn>). Ticking <kbd class="option">CD</kbd> will convert
10257 the range to a <dfn>CD track</dfn>, which will again be included in
10258 exported TOC or CUE files. This is relevant for Disk-At-Once recordings
10259 that may contain audio data between tracks.</dd>
10263 title: Moving Markers
10267 <h2>Single marker</h2>
10270 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click and drag to move a single marker to a
10271 new location on the timeline.
10274 <h2>Multiple markers</h2>
10277 It is possible to move multiple markers by the same distance. <kbd
10278 class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click each marker you want to move, then drag
10279 one of the selected markers to a new location. All selected markers will
10280 then move together. Note that the markers are bounded by the zero point on
10281 the timeline. In other words, the first marker in your selection cannot move
10282 to the left of zero on the timeline.
10285 <h2>Both ends of a range marker</h2>
10288 <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd>-drag either end of the range marker. The
10289 other end will move by the same distance.
10293 title: The Loop Range
10297 <p class="fixme">Missing content</a>
10300 The <dfn>loop range</dfn> is a special range that defines the start and end points
10301 for loop play, which can be enabled in the transport bar.
10305 It can be defined via the <a href="/missing">timeline</a> or the <a
10306 href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
10310 <p class="fixme">Broken links</a>
10313 title: Marker Context Menu
10318 <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking a marker in the timeline opens the
10319 marker context menu. From this menu, you can:
10322 <dt>Locate to Here</dt>
10323 <dd>Move the playhead to this marker's position.</dd>
10324 <dt>Play from Here</dt>
10325 <dd>start playback from this marker's position.</dd>
10326 <dt>Move Mark to Playhead</dt>
10327 <dd>Move this marker to the current playhead position.</dd>
10328 <dt>Create Range to Next Marker</dt>
10329 <dd>Create a range marker between this location and the next one along on
10332 <dd>Hide this marker from the view. It can be made visible again from the
10333 <kbd class="menu">Window > Locations</kbd> window or the <a
10334 href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks
10337 <dd>Change the name of the marker.</dd>
10339 <dd>If this is ticked, it will be impossible to drag the marker's
10340 position; useful if you want to prevent accidental movements.</dd>
10341 <dt>Glue to Bars and Beats</dt>
10342 <dd>If this is ticked, the marker will maintain its position in bars and
10343 beats even if there are changes in tempo and meter.</dd>
10345 <dd>Removes the marker. </dd>
10349 There are also a few options in <kbd class="menu">Transport > Active
10350 Mark</kbd>. These options apply to the currently selected location marker,
10351 and move it to a nearby region boundary, region sync point, or to the
10360 <p class="fixme">Missing content</a>
10363 The <dfn>punch range</dfn> is a special range used to define where
10364 recording will start and/or stop during a <dfn>punch</dfn>.
10368 It can be defined on the <a href="/missing">timeline</a> or in the
10369 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks</a>
10373 <p class="fixme">Broken links</a>
10383 title: Editing Basics
10389 title: Working With Regions
10393 <h2>Working With Regions</h2>
10396 <dfn>Regions</dfn> are the basic elements of editing and composing in
10397 Ardour. In most cases, a region represents a single contiguous section
10398 of one or more media files. Regions are defined by a fixed set of attributes:
10402 <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr>
10403 <dfn>source file(s)</dfn> they represent,</li>
10404 <li>an <dfn>offset</dfn> (the "start point") in the audio or MIDI file(s), and</li>
10405 <li>a <dfn>length</dfn>.</li>
10408 When placed into a playlist, they gain additional attributes:
10411 <li>a <dfn>position</dfn> along the timeline, and</li>
10412 <li>a <dfn>layer</dfn>.</li>
10415 There are other attributes as well, but they do not <em>define</em> the
10416 region. Things you should know about regions:
10419 <h3>Regions Are Cheap</h3>
10421 By themselves, regions consume very little of your computer's resources.
10422 Each region requires a small amount of memory, and represents a rather
10423 small amount of CPU work if placed into an active track. So, don't worry
10424 about creating regions whenever you need to.
10427 <h3>Regions Are Not Files</h3>
10429 Although a region can represent an entire audio file, they are never
10430 equivalent to an audio file. Most regions represent just parts of an audio
10431 file(s) on disk, and removing a region from a track has nothing to do with
10432 removing the audio file(s) from the disk (the <kbd
10433 class="menu">Destroy</kbd> operation, one of Ardour's few destructive
10434 operations, can affect this). Changing the length of a region has no effect
10435 on the audio file(s) on disk. Splitting and copying regions does not alter
10436 the audio file in anyway, nor does it create new audio files (only
10437 <dfn>recording</dfn>,
10438 and the <kbd class="menu">Export</kbd>, <kbd class="menu">Bounce</kbd> and
10439 <kbd class="menu">Reverse</kbd> operations create new audio files).</p>
10442 title: Region Naming
10447 <dfn>Region names</dfn> are initially derived from either</p>
10449 <li>the name of the playlist for which they were recorded,</li>
10450 <li>the name of the track for which they were recorded, or</li>
10451 <li>the name of the embedded/imported file they represent.</li>
10454 It appears that recorded regions are always named after the track, not the
10455 active playlist in that track.
10458 <h2>Whole File Region Names</h2>
10460 These are not audio files, but regions that represent the full extent of an
10461 audio file. Every time a new recording is done, or a new file is imported
10462 to the session, a new region is created that represents the <dfn>entire audio
10463 file</dfn>. This region will have the name of the track/playlist/original file,
10464 followed by a "-", then a number plus a dot and then a number.
10467 For <dfn>recorded regions</dfn>, the number will increase each time a new recording
10468 is made. So, for example, if there is a playlist called
10469 <samp>Didgeridoo</samp>, the
10470 first recorded whole file region for that playlist will be called
10471 <samp>Digderidoo-1</samp>. The next one will be <samp>Digeridoo-2</samp> and so on.
10474 For <dfn>imported regions</dfn>, the region name will be based on the original file
10475 name, but with any final suffix (e.g. ".wav" or ".aiff") removed.
10478 Normally, whole file regions are not inserted into tracks or playlists,
10479 but regions derived from them are. The whole-file versions live in the
10480 editor region list where they act as an organizing mechanism for regions
10481 that are derived from them.
10484 <h2>Normal Region Names</h2>
10486 When a region is inserted into a track and playlist, its initial name will
10487 end in a <dfn>version number</dfn>, such as <samp>.1</samp>. For a recorded region,
10488 if the whole file region was <samp>Hang drum-1</samp>, then the region in
10489 the track will appear with the name <samp>Hang drum-1.1</samp>. For an
10490 imported region, if the whole file region was <samp>Bach:Invention3</samp>,
10491 then the region in the track will appear with the name
10492 <samp>Bach:Invention3.1</samp>.
10495 <h2>Copied Region Names</h2>
10497 If you <dfn>copy a region</dfn>, it initially shares the same name as the original.
10498 When you perform an operation modifies one of the copies, Ardour will
10499 increment the version number on the particular copy that changed.
10502 <h2>Renaming Regions</h2>
10504 You can <dfn>rename a region</dfn> at any time. Use the region context menu to
10505 pop up the <kbd class="menu">Rename</kbd> dialog. The new name does not need to
10506 have a version number in it (in fact, it probably should not). Ardour will add a
10507 version number in the future if needed (e.g. if you copy or split the region).
10511 title: Corresponding Regions Selection
10516 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups/">Track Groups</a> have
10517 a property titled <kbd class="option">Select</kbd> which, if enabled, cause
10518 Ardour to propagate a region selection in one track of a group to the
10519 <dfn>corresponding regions</dfn> of the other tracks in that group.
10522 For example, let's assume you have used multiple microphones to record a
10523 drum kit to multiple tracks. You have created a track group, added all the
10524 drum tracks, enabled the group and enabled the Select property for the group.
10525 When you select a region in one of the drum tracks, Ardour will select the
10526 corresponding region in every other drum track in the group, which in turn
10527 means that a subsequent edit operation will affect all the grouped drum
10531 <h2>How Ardour Decides Which Regions are "Corresponding"</h2>
10533 Regions in different tracks are considered to be corresponding for the purposes
10534 of sharing <dfn>selection</dfn> if they satisfy <em>all</em> the following criteria:
10537 <li>Each region starts at the <dfn>same offset</dfn> within its source file,</li>
10538 <li>each region is located at the <dfn>same position</dfn> on the timeline, and</li>
10539 <li>each region has the <dfn>same length</dfn>.</li>
10542 <h2>Overlap Correspondence</h2>
10544 Sometimes, the rules outlined above are too strict to get Ardour to do what you
10545 want. Regions may have been trimmed to slightly different lengths, or positioned
10546 slightly differently, and this will cause Ardour to not select regions in other
10547 grouped tracks.</p>
10549 In this case, change
10550 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Editor > Regions in
10551 active edit groups are edited together:</kbd> to <kbd
10552 class="menu">whenever they overlap in time</kbd>. With this option enabled, r
10553 egions in different tracks will be considered equivalent for the purposes of selection if they
10554 <dfn>overlap</dfn>. This is much more flexible and will cover almost all of the
10555 cases that the fixed rules above might make cumbersome.
10559 title: Region Context Menu
10563 <p class="fixme">Need to add detail to the context menu table to describe what the options do</p>
10566 In the editor window, right clicking (context clicking) on a region
10567 displays a menu with <dfn>track and region operations</dfn>. The menu begins with the
10568 name of the region, or <kbd class="menu">Selected Regions</kbd> if multiple
10569 regions are selected.
10572 If there is more than one region layered at the point where you clicked, the
10573 menu will also contain an item <kbd class="menu">Choose Top</kbd>. This
10574 dialog lets you select which region you want on the top <dfn>layer</dfn>. See
10575 <a href="manual/region_layering">Adjusting Region Layering</a> for more details.
10578 Below these items is the rest of the
10579 <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-context-menu">Track Context Menu</a>, which
10580 provides access to <dfn>track-level operations</dfn>. To see the contents
10581 of the region context menu, select the region name or "Selected Regions", and
10582 the following submenu structure appears:
10584 <dl class="narrower-table">
10589 <dt>Properties</dt>
10595 <dl class="wide-table">
10602 <dt>Make Mono Regions</dt>
10608 <dt>Pitch Shift</dt>
10612 <dt>Close Gaps</dt>
10614 <dt>Place Transients</dt>
10616 <dt>Rhythm Ferret</dt>
10618 <dt>Strip Silence</dt>
10624 <dl class="wide-table">
10625 <dt>Move To Original Position</dt>
10629 <dt>Glue to Bars and Beats</dt>
10631 <dt>Snap Position to Grid</dt>
10633 <dt>Set Sync Position</dt>
10635 <dt>Remove Sync</dt>
10637 <dt>Nudge Later</dt>
10639 <dt>Nudge Earlier</dt>
10641 <dt>Nudge Later by capture offset</dt>
10643 <dt>Nudge Earlier by capture offset</dt>
10649 <dl class="wide-table">
10650 <dt>Trim Start at Edit Point</dt>
10652 <dt>Trim End at Edit Point</dt>
10654 <dt>Trim to Loop</dt>
10656 <dt>Trim to Punch</dt>
10658 <dt>Trim to Previous</dt>
10660 <dt>Trim to Next</dt>
10666 <dl class="wide-table">
10667 <dt>Raise to Top</dt>
10673 <dt>Lower to Bottom</dt>
10679 <dl class="wide-table">
10680 <dt>Set Loop Range</dt>
10682 <dt>Set Punch Range</dt>
10684 <dt>Add Single Range Marker</dt>
10686 <dt>Add Range Marker per Region</dt>
10688 <dt>Set Range Selection</dt>
10694 <dl class="wide-table">
10701 <dt>Reset Envelope</dt>
10703 <dt>Envelope Active</dt>
10709 <dl class="wide-table">
10720 <dl class="wide-table">
10723 <dt>Multi-Duplicate</dt>
10725 <dt>Fill Track</dt>
10731 <dt>Bounce (without processing)</dt>
10733 <dt>Bounce (with processing)</dt>
10735 <dt>Spectral Analysis</dt>
10742 title: Common Region Edit Operations
10743 menu_title: Region Editing
10748 This section covers a set of <dfn>region editing operations</dfn>
10749 that you are likely to use often while working on a session.
10750 Depending on your work habits (and experience of other
10751 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s) you will find
10752 some of these operations critical while others are used only rarely.
10756 You can carry out all of these operations from the keyboard (see
10757 <a href="/default-keyboard-bindings">Default Keyboard Shortcuts</a>
10758 for a list). Equivalent operations can be performed with the mouse
10763 You may want to review your understanding of
10764 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">the edit point/range</a> and
10765 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/which-regions-are-affected">which regions will be affected by region operations</a>.
10768 <dl class="wide-table">
10769 <dt><kbd class="menu">Spot (Align)</kbd></dt>
10770 <dd>Move selected regions to the edit point.</dd>
10771 <dt><kbd class="menu">Split</kbd></dt>
10772 <dd>Split selected regions at the edit point.</dd>
10773 <dt><kbd class="menu">Trim Start</kbd></dt>
10774 <dd>Adjust the start of selected regions to the edit point (or as close as
10776 <dt><kbd class="menu">Trim End</kbd></dt>
10777 <dd>Adjust the end of selected regions to the edit point (or as close as
10779 <dt><kbd class="menu">Duplicate</kbd></dt>
10780 <dd>Make a copy of each selected region and position it immediately after the
10782 <dt><kbd class="menu">Crop</kbd></dt>
10783 <dd>Truncate selected regions to the edit range.</dd>
10784 <dt><kbd class="menu">Separate</kbd></dt>
10785 <dd>Split selected regions at both ends of the edit range.</dd>
10786 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Fade In</kbd></dt>
10787 <dd>Adjust selected audio regions' fade in to end at the edit point.</dd>
10788 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Fade Out</kbd></dt>
10789 <dd>Adjust selected audio regions' fade out to end at the edit point.</dd>
10790 <dt><kbd class="menu">Toggle Fade In</kbd></dt>
10791 <dd>Turn selected audio regions' fade in on or off.</dd>
10792 <dt><kbd class="menu">Toggle Fade Out</kbd></dt>
10793 <dd>Turn selected audio regions' fade out on or off.</dd>
10794 <dt><kbd class="menu">Play Region</kbd></dt>
10795 <dd>Play session from the start of the earliest selected region.</dd>
10796 <dt><kbd class="menu">Zoom To Region</kbd></dt>
10797 <dd>Zoom horizontally so that the selected regions span the editor track
10799 <dt><kbd class="menu">Set Sync Point</kbd></dt>
10800 <dd>Set the sync point of all selected regions to the edit point.</dd>
10801 <dt><kbd class="menu">Insert</kbd></dt>
10802 <dd>Inserts the currently selected regions in the Region List at the edit
10807 title: Copy Regions
10811 <h2>Copy a Single Region</h2>
10814 To copy a region, make sure you are in object mouse mode. Move the mouse
10815 pointer into the region and <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag. Ardour
10816 creates a new region and follows the mouse pointer as it moves. See
10817 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/move-regions/">Move Regions</a> for more
10818 details on moving the copied region.
10821 <h2>Copy Multiple Regions</h2>
10824 To copy multiple regions, select them before copying. Then
10825 <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag one of the selected regions. All the
10826 regions will be copied and as they move. The copied regions will keep their
10827 positions relative to each other.
10830 <h2>Fixed-Time Copying</h2>
10833 If you want to copy region(s) to other track(s) but keep the copies at the
10834 exact position on the timeline as the originals, simply use
10835 <kbd class="mouse mod1">Middle</kbd>-drag instead.
10840 title: Move Regions With the Mouse
10845 To move or copy a region, make sure you are in object mode. If you are
10846 using smart mode, the pointer must be in the lower half of the region
10847 to begin a move or copy operation.
10851 Move the pointer into the region, use a <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag.
10852 The region will follow the pointer as you move it around. By default,
10853 the region can move freely along the timeline.
10857 To move a region from one track to another, simply start a move as
10858 described above, but move the pointer into the desired track. The
10859 region will follow the pointer. Note that if you have other kinds of
10860 tracks visible, the region will remain where it is as the pointer
10861 moves across them, and will then jump to the new track. This serves as
10862 a visual reminder that you cannot drag an audio region into an automation
10863 track or a bus, for example.
10866 <h2>Move Multiple Regions</h2>
10869 To move multiple regions, select them before moving. Then
10870 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag one of the selected regions. All the
10871 regions will move, keeping their positions relative to each other.
10874 <h2>Fixed-Time Motion</h2>
10877 Sometimes, you want to move a region to another track, but keeping its
10878 position along the timeline exactly the same. To do this, use
10879 <kbd class="mouse">Middle</kbd>-drag instead.
10883 title: Align (Spot) Regions
10888 Aligning regions (sometimes called "spotting") means moving one or more
10889 regions based on a defined location, which in Ardour is always the
10890 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a>. An
10891 alignment operation moves the region(s) so that some part of the region
10892 is positioned at the edit point. Available alignment commands include:
10895 <dl class="wide-table">
10896 <dt>Align Region starts <kbd class="mod14">a</kbd></dt>
10897 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that their start is located at the current edit point</dd>
10898 <dt>Align Region ends <kbd class="mod2">a</kbd></dt>
10899 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that the end is located at the current edit point</dd>
10900 <dt>Align Region sync points <kbd>Shift-a</kbd></dt>
10901 <dd>Selected region(s) are moved so that their sync point is located at the current edit point</dd>
10902 <dt>Align Region starts relative <kbd class="mod4">a</kbd></dt>
10903 <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>
10908 title: Edit Mode and Tools
10914 title: Which Regions Are Affected?
10915 menu_title: Affected Regions
10919 <p class="fixme">This one is alone in its chapter. Find him a place somewhere else.</p>
10922 This section explains the rules used to decide which regions are affected
10923 by editing operations. You don't really have to understand them—hopefully
10924 things will Just Work™—but it may be useful eventually to understand the rules.
10928 Editing operations in Ardour either operate on a single point in time
10929 (<kbd class="menu">Split</kbd> being the obvious example) or on two
10930 points (which can also be considered to be a range of sorts); <kbd
10931 class="menu">Separate</kbd> is a good example of this.
10935 Most operations will operate on the currently selected region(s), but if
10936 no regions are selected, the region that the mouse is in will be used
10937 instead. Single-point operations will generally pick a set of regions to
10938 use based on the following rules:
10942 <li> If the edit point is 'mouse', then
10944 <li>if the mouse is over a selected region, or no region, use all selected
10946 <li>if the mouse is over an unselected region, use just that region.</li>
10949 <li> For all other edit points
10952 use the selected regions <em>and</em> those that are both
10953 under the edit position <em>and</em> on a selected track,
10954 or on a track which is in the same active edit-enabled route group
10955 as a selected region.
10962 The rationale here for the two different rules is that the mouse edit point
10963 is special in that its position indicates both a time and a track; the other
10964 edit points (Playhead, Marker) indicate a time only.
10969 title: Making Selections
10975 title: Select Regions
10979 <p class="fixme">Remove all "you" references FFS</p>
10982 Many editing operations in Ardour require you to first <dfn>select one or more
10983 regions</dfn> that you want to change in some way. You can select a single region,
10984 or multiple regions, including regions in different tracks. When you select
10985 a region, it will appear in a darker color than unselected regions.
10989 Note that if a track is a member of a group that is active and has the
10990 <kbd class="option">Select</kbd> property enabled, then Ardour will attempt to
10991 match whatever selections you make in one track across every other track of the
10993 <a href="/working-with-regions/corresponding-regions-selection/">Corresponding
10994 Regions Selection</a> for more information on precisely how selections will be
10995 propagated to other tracks.
10998 <h2>Region Selection and Track Selection</h2>
11002 <a href="/working-with-tracks/selecting-tracks/region-and-track-selection">Region & Track Selection</a>
11003 for more information on how selecting regions and selecting tracks interact.
11006 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
11008 <h2>Select a Region</h2>
11011 Confirm that you are using the
11012 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#object">Object tool</a>,
11013 then click on a region to select it. If
11014 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#smartmode">smart mode</a>
11015 is enabled, click in the lower half of the region.
11018 <h2>Deselect a Region</h2>
11021 Confirm you are using the
11022 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#object">Object tool</a>,
11023 then <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click the region. If
11024 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/the-editing-toolbar/#smartmode">smart mode</a>
11025 is enabled, click in the lower half of the region.
11029 Note that a <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd> click simply toggles the
11030 selected status of an object, so it can be used to select unselected regions
11034 <h2>Select Multiple Regions in a Track</h2>
11036 <p>Do one of the following:</p>
11039 <li><kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click each region, or</li>
11041 drag a rubberband box from an empty point in a track before the first
11042 region you wish to select to a point within or after the last region
11043 you wish to select (you can <kbd class="mouse mod1">left</kbd>-drag to do this
11044 multiple times), or,
11047 if the regions are all adjacent to one another, click the first region
11048 you wish to select, then <kbd class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-click the last
11049 region you wish to select.
11053 <h2>Select All Regions in a Track</h2>
11056 Context-click the track, and in the context menu, navigate to
11057 <kbd class="menu">Select > Select All In Track</menu>.
11061 See the <a href="/working-with-tracks/the-track-context-menu">Track Context Menu</a>
11062 for more information on other per-track selection operations that are available.
11065 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
11067 <h2>Select Multiple Regions Across Different Tracks</h2>
11070 <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-click or <kbd class="mouse
11071 mod3">Left</kbd>-click the regions you wish to select.
11074 <h2>Select a Region From the Region List</h2>
11077 Click the name of the region in the
11078 <a href="/ardours-interface/introducing-the-editor-window/editor-lists/region-list/">Region List</a>.
11079 Note that this will do nothing for whole-file regions, since they do not exist
11080 anywhere in a playlist or track.
11085 title: Editing Clips and Selections
11090 title: Trimming Regions
11094 <p class="fixme">Add images, description of mouse cursor changes that signal this type of editing</p>
11097 Changing the <dfn>length</dfn> of a region is a very common editing
11098 operation, often known as <dfn>trimming</dfn>. There are several ways
11099 to accomplish this with Ardour, and some very useful specialized trimming
11103 <h2>Drag-Trimming With the Mouse</h2>
11106 In object mode, move the pointer near the beginning or end of the region.
11107 The cursor will change to indicate that trimming is possible, and you then
11108 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag the edge of the region.
11112 Trimming will obey <a href="/editing-and-arranging/snap-to-the-grid/">Snap settings</a>.
11115 <h2>Click Trimming With the Mouse</h2>
11118 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click in the colored bar at the bottom of a region.
11119 If you are nearer to the start of a region, this will trim the start time to the
11120 position of the pointer. If you are nearer to the end of a region, it will trim the
11124 <h2>Keyboard Shortcuts for Trimming</h2>
11126 There are several commands for region trimming. Some use the
11127 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a> to determine where
11128 to trim to. Some are not bound to any keys by default (but could be via the
11129 Keybindings Editor).
11132 <dl class="wide-table">
11133 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-front</kbd> <kbd>j</kbd></dt>
11134 <dd>Trim selected region(s) start to edit point.</dd>
11135 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-end</kbd> <kbd>k</kbd></dt>
11136 <dd>Trim selected region(s) end to edit point.</dd>
11139 <h2 id="trimtonextprevious">Trim to Next/Previous Region</h2>
11142 Sometimes you just want to extend the start or end of region so that it reaches
11143 the end or start of an adjacent region. There is now an operation accessible
11144 from the region context menu, under <kbd class="menu">Edit >Trim > Trim to
11145 Next</kbd> or <kbd class="menu">Edit > Trim > Trim to Previous</kbd>. This
11146 will extend the selected regions so they directly adjoin their neighbours, unless
11147 their source files are not long enough, in which case they will be extended to the
11148 maximum possible. Trim to Next will extend the end of the selected regions to the
11149 start of the next region; Trim to Previous will extend the start of the selected
11150 regions to the end of the previous region.
11153 <dl class="wide-table">
11154 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-to-previous-region</kbd> <kbd class="mod1">j</kbd></dt>
11155 <dd>Trim the start of selected region(s) to the end of the previous
11157 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-to-next-region</kbd> <kbd class="mod1">k</kbd></dt>
11158 <dd>Trim the end of selected region(s) to the start of the following
11162 <h2>Other Possible Commands for Trimming</h2>
11165 These are not bound to any keys by default, but could be via the Keybindings
11166 Editor. They can also be sent via OSC or other control protocols.
11169 <dl class="wide-table">
11170 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-region-to-loop</kbd></dt>
11171 <dd>Trim region to match the current loop range.</dd>
11172 <dt><kbd class="menu">Region/trim-region-to-punch</kbd></dt>
11173 <dd>Trim region to match the current punch range.</dd>
11177 title: Push/Pull Trimming
11182 Normally, when you trim regions by dragging with the mouse, it affects
11183 only the selected regions. Their lengths are directly affected by the
11184 trim operation, but nothing else is. Sometimes though, you might like
11185 to trim a region that directly adjoins another, and keep this relationship
11186 the same—you are not trying to make one of the regions extend
11187 over the other—you would like the junction to move in one
11188 direction or the other as part of the trim. This requires trimming both
11189 regions on either side of the junction, in opposite directions.
11190 <dfn>Push/Pull trim</dfn>, activated by pressing shift key before
11191 starting the drag, will do just that. Here's a few pictures to show the
11192 difference in the results of a normal trim and push/pull trim. First,
11193 the initial situation:
11196 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_before_trim.png" alt="region arrangement before trim" /></p>
11199 Here is what happens after we trim the right hand (selected) region by
11200 dragging its starting position earlier:
11203 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_trim.png" alt="region arrangement after a trim" /></p>
11206 You can see that it now overlaps the earlier region and a crossfade has
11207 been created between them.
11211 Lets look now at what happens if we do the same trim, but <kbd
11212 class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-dragging to turn it into a push-pull trim instead:
11215 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_push_trim.png" alt="region arrangement after a push trim" /></p>
11218 There is no overlap, and the end of the earlier region has been moved
11219 along with the start of the later region, so that they still directly
11224 title: Separate Under
11229 You may have a situation where you have positioned one region over another,
11230 and you just want to cut the lower region so that it directly adjoins both
11231 ends of the overlapping one, with no overlaps. To do this, select the upper
11232 region, then choose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Separate > Separate
11233 Under</kbd>. This will split the lower region so that it no longer overlaps
11234 the upper region at all.
11238 Here is an example where we start with a short region placed so that it
11239 overlaps a longer region:
11242 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_before_separate_under.png" alt="region arrangement before separate under" /></p>
11245 When we perform the <dfn>Separate Under</dfn> edit, the lower region splits
11246 in two, with boundaries exactly positioned at the edges of the upper region:
11249 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_after_separate_under.png" alt="region arrangement after separate under" /></p>
11252 If the upper region covers only one end of the lower region, then this
11253 operation is equivalent to
11254 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/change-region-lengths/#trimtonextprevious">Trim to Next/Previous Region</a>, depending on which end is covered.
11258 title: Separate Range
11262 <p class="fixme">Add example with images; 1p ≥ 1,000w</p>
11265 A final new editing feature is an operation in the context menu of a
11266 range labeled <kbd class="menu">Separate Regions Under Range</kbd>.
11267 This splits any selected regions that are covered by the range at both
11268 ends of the range (or just one, if the range only covers part of the
11269 region). This makes it easy to generate regions that correspond
11270 precisely to a range.
11274 title: Strip Silence from Audio Regions
11275 menu_title: Stripping Silence
11280 From the region context menu, choose <kbd class="menu">Edit > Strip
11281 Silence</kbd> to detect silence (based on a user-chosen threshold in
11282 <abbr title="Decibels relative to Full Scale">dBFS</abbr>), split a
11283 region based on the boundaries of the silent segments, and remove the
11284 silence. You can also specify a minimum length for silence—useful
11285 when editing very percussive material and just needing to automatically trim
11286 the ends of a region. The dialog looks like this:
11290 <img src="/images/a3_strip_silence.png" alt="strip silence dialog" />
11294 The edit applies to all selected regions, allowing batch processing.
11295 You can also see in the screenshot how the main editor window is used
11296 to show silent segments and report the number and durations of the
11302 title: Fades and Crossfades
11308 title: Create Region Fades and Crossfades
11312 <p class="fixme">Add images--an image is worth more than 1,000 words</p>
11315 Every Region has a fade-in and fade-out. By default, the region fade
11316 is very short, and serves to de-click the transitions at the start and
11317 end of the region. By adjusting the regions fade length, a more
11318 gradual transition can be accomplished.
11321 <h2>Region Fades</h2>
11324 <dfn>Region fades</dfn> are possible at the beginning and end of
11325 all audio regions. In object mode, a grip appears at the top left and
11326 top right of an audio region when the cursor hovers over it. Placing
11327 the cursor over the top of the grip displays the region fade cursor
11328 tip. Click and drag the grip left or right in the timeline to
11329 adjust the length of the fade.
11332 <h2>Crossfades</h2>
11335 <dfn>Crossfades</dfn> refer to the behavior when you want to make
11336 a smooth transition (mix) from one audio region to another on the same
11337 track. Historically, this was done by splicing 2 pieces of analog
11338 tape together, and this concept was carried forward into digital
11339 editing. Each track is a sequence of sound files (regions). If
11340 two regions are butted against each other, there needs to be a method
11341 to splice them smoothly together. The crossfade allows one region
11342 to fade smoothly out, while the next region fades smoothly in, like 2
11343 pieces of tape that have been cut at and angle, and overlapped.
11347 But Ardour uses a more refined "layered" editing model, and
11348 therefore it is possible for multiple regions to be stacked on a single
11349 location with arbitrary overlaps between different layers. For
11350 this reason, crossfades must be implemented differently. We can't
11351 assume that a crossfade is an entitry that exists between 2 regions;
11352 instead each region must have its own associated crossfades at each
11353 end, and the topmost region must always crossfade down to the
11354 underlying region(s), if any.
11358 Ardour solves this problem by putting a crossfade at the beginning
11359 and end of every region. The fades of the bottom-most region are
11360 first rendered, and then each region is rendered on top of the one
11361 below it, with fades at the end of each region providing a crossfade to
11362 the region(s) beneath it.
11366 It is important to understand that region fades <em>are</em> crossfades. When one region has
11367 another region or multiple regions beneath its fade area, then you will
11368 hear the topmost region fade-out be mirrored as a fade-in on the
11369 underlying region(s). The grip for the topmost region will allow
11370 changing the length and type of the crossfade into the underlying
11371 region(s). In this way you can create a complicated series of
11372 crossfades, and then layer another region atop the others, and fade
11373 into <em>that</em> complicated series.
11375 <p class="fixme">An image here would probably help.</p>
11378 If a region doesn't have any region(s) under it, then the region is
11379 crossfaded to silence; for convenience we call this a "fade"
11380 rather than a crossfade.
11383 <h2>Fade Shapes</h2>
11385 To activate/deactivate or change the shape of a region's fade-in or
11386 fade-out, hover the cursor over the region fade grip till the cursor tip
11387 indicates region fade editing and context-click to bring up a context
11388 menu. In the context menu there is a list of options for the
11389 region fade. <kbd class="menu">Activate/Deactivate</kbd> enables and
11390 disables the region fade.
11394 Because each fade is also a crossfade, it has an inverse fade shape
11395 for the audio beneath the fade. It is important to know how the
11396 shapes differ, and which are most suitable for various editing tasks.
11400 The different types of fades are:
11403 <dl class="narrower-table">
11404 <dt><kbd class="menu">Linear</kbd></dt>
11405 <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>
11406 <dt><kbd class="menu">Constant Power</kbd></dt>
11407 <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>
11408 <dt><kbd class="menu">Symmetric</kbd></dt>
11409 <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>
11410 <dt><kbd class="menu">Fast</kbd></dt>
11411 <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>
11412 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slow</kbd></dt>
11413 <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>
11417 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.
11421 These fade curves are developed to provide a range of common uses, and
11422 are developed with the least possible amount of changes in the "slope"
11423 of the line. This provides artifact-free crossfades. Some
11424 DAWs provide complicated fade editors with parametric "spline" controls
11425 of the fade curves. While it might be interesting to develop a
11426 fade curve with a faster cutoff, the mathematical difference between
11427 this and simply shortening the fade is vanishingly small; the
11428 amount of effort to shorten the fade is much easier than fooling around with a
11429 crossfade editor dialog.
11440 title: Understanding Playlists
11445 A <dfn>playlist</dfn> is a list of regions ordered in time. It defines
11446 which parts of which source files should be played and when. Playlists
11447 are a fairly advanced topic, and can be safely ignored for many types
11448 of audio production. However, the use of playlists allows the audio
11449 engineer more flexibility for tasks like multiple takes of a single
11450 instrument, alternate edits of a given recording, parallel effects such
11451 as reverb or compression, and other tasks.
11454 Each audio <dfn>track</dfn> in Ardour is really just a mechanism for
11455 taking a playlist and generating the audio stream that it represents.
11456 As a result, editing a track really means modifying its playlist in
11457 some way. Since a playlist is a list of regions, most of the
11458 modifications involve manipulating regions: their position, length
11459 and so forth. This is covered in the chapter
11460 <a href="/working-with-regions/">Working With Regions</a>.<br />
11461 Here, we cover some of the things you can do with playlists as objects
11462 in their own right.
11465 <h2>Tracks are not Playlists</h2>
11467 It is important to understand that a track <em>is not</em> a playlist.
11468 A track <em>has</em> a playlist. A track is a mechanism for generating
11469 the audio stream represented by the playlist and passing it through a
11470 signal processing pathway. At any point in time, a track has a single
11471 playlist associated with it. When the track is used to record, that
11472 playlist will have one or more new regions added to it. When the track
11473 is used for playback, the contents of the playlist will be heard.
11474 You can change the playlist associated with a track at (almost) any
11475 time, and even share playlists between tracks.
11479 If you have some experience of other
11480 <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAW</abbr>s, then you might
11481 have come across the term <dfn>"virtual track"</dfn>, normally defined as a track
11482 that isn't actually playing or doing anything, but can be
11483 mapped/assigned to a real track. This concept is functionally
11484 identical to Ardour's playlists. We just like to be little more
11485 clear about what is actually happening rather than mixing old and
11486 new terminology ("virtual" and "track"), which might be confusing.</p>
11488 <h2>Playlists are Cheap</h2>
11491 One thing you should be clear about is that playlists are cheap. They
11492 don't cost anything in terms of CPU consumption, and they have very
11493 minimal efforts on memory use. Don't be afraid of generating new
11494 playlists whenever you want to. They are not equivalent to tracks,
11495 which require extra CPU time and significant memory space, or audio
11496 files, which use disk space, or plugins that require extra CPU time.
11497 If a playlist is not in use, it occupies a small amount of memory, and
11502 title: Playlist Operations
11507 In the track header (editor window, left pane) is a button labelled <kbd
11508 class="menu">p</kbd> (for "Playlist"). If you click on this button, Ardour
11509 displays the following menu:
11512 <dl class="wide-table">
11513 <dt>(Local Playlists)</dt>
11514 <dd>Shows all of the playlists associated with this track, and indicates
11515 the currently selected playlist</dd>
11517 <dd>Displays a dialog to rename the current playlist</dd>
11519 <dd>Creates a new empty playlist, and the track switches to the new playlist</dd>
11521 <dd>Creates a new playlist that is a copy of the current playlist; the track switches to the new playlist</dd>
11522 <dt>Clear Current</dt>
11523 <dd>Removes all regions from the current playlist</dd>
11524 <dt>Select From All</dt>
11525 <dd>Displays a playlist browser to manually choose which playlist this track should use. (You can even select playlists from other tracks here)</dd>
11528 <h2>Renaming Playlists</h2>
11531 Playlists are created with the name of the track of which they are
11532 associated, plus a version number. So, the first playlist for a track
11533 called "Cowbell" will be called <samp>Cowbell.1</samp>. This name will
11534 be used to define the names of any regions added to the playlist by
11535 recording. You can change the name at any time, to anything you want.
11536 Ardour does not require that your playlist names are all unique, but it
11537 will make your life easier if they are. Suggested examples of user-assigned
11538 names for a playlist might include <kbd class="input">Lead Guitar, 2nd
11539 take</kbd>, <kbd class="input">vocals (quiet)</kbd>,
11540 and <kbd class="input">downbeat cuica</kbd>. Notice how these might be
11541 different from the associated track names, which for these examples might
11542 be <kbd class="input">Lead Guitar</kbd>,
11543 <kbd class="input">Vocals</kbd> and <kbd class="input">Cuica</kbd>. The
11544 playlist name provides more information because it is about a specific
11545 version of the material that may (or may not) end up in the final version
11550 If you are going to rename your playlists, do so before recording new
11555 It appears that recorded regions are not named after the playlist, but
11559 <h2>Sharing Playlists</h2>
11562 It is entirely possible to <dfn>share playlists</dfn> between tracks. The only
11563 slightly unusual thing you may notice when sharing is that edits to the
11564 playlist made in one track will magically appear in the other. If you
11565 think about this for a moment, its an obvious consequence of sharing.
11566 One application of this attribute is parallel processing, described
11571 You might not want this kind of behaviour, even though you still want
11572 two tracks to use the same (or substantially the same) playlist. To
11573 accomplish this, select the chosen playlist in the second track, and
11574 then use New Copy to generate an <dfn>independent copy</dfn> of it for
11575 that track. You can then edit this playlist without affecting the original.
11579 title: Playlist Usecases
11583 <h3>Using Playlists for Parallel Processing</h3>
11586 One of the uses of playlists is to apply multiple effects to the same
11587 audio stream. For example, let's say you would like to apply two
11588 different non-linear effects such as distortion or compression to the
11589 same audio source (for linear effects, you could just apply them one after
11590 the other in the same track).<br />
11591 Create a new track, apply the original track's playlist, and
11592 then apply effects to both tracks independently.
11596 The same result could be achieved by feeding your track to multiple busses which
11597 then contain the processing, but this increases the overall latency,
11598 complicates routing and uses more space in the Mixer window.
11601 <h2>Using Playlists for "Takes"</h2>
11604 Using Playlists for <dfn>takes</dfn> is a good solution if you are going
11605 to need the ability to edit individual takes, and select between them.
11609 Each time you start a new take, create a new playlist with
11610 <kbd class="menu">p > New</kbd>
11611 Later, you can Select your way back to previous or later takes as
11616 If you want to create a composite edit from multiple takes, create a new
11617 track to assemble the final version, and "cherry pick" from the playlists
11618 in the original track by copying regions over as required.
11622 Alternatively, record each successive take on top of the
11623 others in "layers" and then edit them using the layer tools, explained
11627 <h2>Using Playlists for Multi-Language Productions</h2>
11630 The same approach as for takes is useful when you are recording or
11631 editing content in multiple versions, such as dubbed movie dialog in
11632 several languages, and you want all versions on the same track, to
11633 get the same processing. <br />
11634 Select the appropriate language before exporting the session.
11639 title: Rhythm Ferret
11651 title: MIDI Editing
11662 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.
11665 <h2>Key features of Ardour MIDI handling</h2>
11669 All editing is done in-place, in-window. There is no separate piano roll window or pane. Edit notes right where you see them.
11672 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.
11675 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.
11678 Full automation for MIDI tracks, integrated with the handling of all MIDI <abbr title="Continuous Controller">CC</abbr> data for each track.
11681 Controllers (CC data) can be set to discrete or continuous modes (the latter will interpolate between control points and send additional data).
11684 There is a <em>Normal</em> and a <em>Percussive</em> mode for note data editing.
11687 The <dfn>scroomer</dfn> is a combination scroll/zoom tool for altering
11688 the zoom level and range of visible MIDI data.
11692 <h2>Notable Differences</h2>
11696 Fader (volume) control currently operates on transmitted MIDI data, not by sending CC #7.
11699 All note/data editing is per-region. There are no cross-region operations at this time.
11702 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.
11707 title: Fundamental Concepts
11711 <p class="fixme">Check to see if this is still true for v5</p>
11713 <p>Ardour's MIDI editing is based on two basic principles:</p>
11716 <li>Editing should be done without having to enter a new window</li>
11718 Editing should be able to carried out completely with the keyboard,
11719 or completely with the mouse, or with any combination of the two.
11724 Currently, MIDI editing is primarily restricted to note data. Other
11725 kinds of data (controller events, sysex data) are present and can be
11726 added and deleted, but not actually edited.
11729 <h2>Fundamentals of MIDI Editing in Ardour 3</h2>
11732 MIDI, just like audio, exists in <dfn>regions</dfn>. MIDI regions
11733 behave like audio regions: they can be moved, trimmed, copied (cloned),
11734 or deleted. Ardour allows either editing MIDI (or audio) regions, or MIDI
11735 region content (the notes), but never both at the same time. The
11736 <kbd>e</kbd> key (by default) toggles between <dfn>region level</dfn>
11737 and <dfn>note level</dfn> editing, as will double-clicking on a MIDI region.
11741 One very important thing to note: editing note information in Ardour
11742 occurs in only a single region. There is no way currently to edit in note
11743 data for multiple regions at the same time, so for example you cannot select
11744 notes in several regions and then delete them all, nor can you copy-and-paste
11745 notes from one region to another. You can, of course, copy and paste the
11746 region(s), just as with audio.
11750 title: Create MIDI Tracks
11755 To create a new <dfn>MIDI track</dfn>, choose <kbd class="menu">Session >
11756 Add Track/Bus</kbd>. In the Add Track/Bus dialog, pick <kbd class="menu">MIDI
11757 Track</kbd> from the combo selector at the upper right.
11761 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.
11764 <p class="fixme">Remove "you" language</p>
11767 title: Create MIDI Regions
11772 Although recording MIDI is a common way to create new MIDI regions, it is
11773 often desirable to do so as part of editing/arranging.
11777 To create a new MIDI region, simply <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-click in
11778 a MIDI track. A region will be created that is one bar long. It can
11779 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/changing-region-lengths">trimmed</a> to any
11783 <p class="fixme">Broken link</p>
11786 Once a region has been created, <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-midi/add-new-notes">notes can be added</a> to it.
11790 title: Add New Notes
11794 <h2>Adding new notes</h2>
11797 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.
11800 <p>So, to summarize:</p>
11802 <dl class="wide-table">
11803 <dt>Selecting, moving, copying, trimming, deleting <em>regions</em></dt>
11805 leave <kbd class="menu">Note Level Editing</kbd> disabled, use object,
11806 range or other mouse modes
11808 <dt>Selecting, moving, copying trimming, deleting <em>notes</em></dt>
11809 <dd>enable <kbd class="menu">Note Level Editing</kbd>and use mouse object mode</dd>
11810 <dt>Adding new notes</dt>
11812 enable "Note Level Editing" and then either
11814 <li>use mouse object mode and <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>-drag,
11816 <li>use mouse draw mode.</li>
11821 <!-- FIXME: This is needed to keep the table from sucking up the following note's styling. Probably need a fix in the CSS. -->
11825 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.
11829 title: Change Note Properties
11834 Details about a selected note can be viewed by context-clicking on it. The
11835 dialog that pops up will also allow modification of all the properties of the
11836 selected note(s). Individual properties can be modified more efficiently using
11837 the techniques described below:
11841 <dt>Moving notes</dt>
11843 Right arrow and Left arrow move the selected note(s) early and later in time.
11845 <dt>Changing pitch values</dt>
11847 <kbd>↑</kbd> increases the pitch of the selected notes.<br />
11848 <kbd>↓</kbd> reduces the pitch of the selected notes.<br />
11849 If any of the selected notes are already at the maximum or minimum value,
11850 no changes will be made to any of the notes, to preserve relative pitches.
11851 This can be overridden with <kbd class="mod2">‌</kbd>. The default shift
11852 distance is one semitone. Use <kbd class="mod3">‌</kbd> to alter this to
11855 <dt>Changing velocity values</dt>
11857 <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd> increases the velocity of the selected notes.
11859 <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd> reduces the velocity of the selected
11861 If any of the selected notes are already at the maximum or minumum value,
11862 no changes will be made to any of the notes, to preserve relative velocities.
11863 This can be overridden with <kbd class="mod2">‌</kbd>.
11864 Presssing <kbd>v</kbd> will popup a dialog that will allow the setting of
11865 the absolute velocity value of each selected note. Finally, the scroll wheel
11866 <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> <kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> will also
11867 adjust notes in the same way as the arrow keys.
11868 <p class="note">Like the arrow keys, it only affects selected notes, not the note the pointer is over.</p>
11870 <dt>Changing channel</dt>
11872 Press <kbd>c</kbd> to bring up a dialog that allows viewing and altering the
11873 MIDI channel of the selected notes. If the selected notes use different
11874 channels, they will all be forced to the newly selected channel.
11876 <dt>Changing start/end/duration</dt>
11878 <kbd>,</kbd> (comma) will alter the start time of the note. <br />
11879 <kbd>.</kbd> (period) will alter the end time of the note. Both keys will by
11880 default make the note longer (either by moving the start earlier or the end
11881 later). For the opposite effect, use <kbd class="mod1">,</kbd>/<kbd
11882 class="mod1">.</kbd>. The note will be altered by the current grid setting.
11883 To change the start/end positions by 1/128th of a beat, use the <kbd
11884 class="mod2">‌</kbd> modifier in addition to these shortcuts.
11886 <dt>Quantization</dt>
11888 <kbd>q</kbd> will quantize the selected notes using the current quantize
11889 settings. If the quantize settings have not been set for this session yet,
11890 the quantize dialog will appear. <kbd class="mod2">q</kbd> will display the
11891 quantize dialog to allow resetting of the quantize settings, and then
11892 quantize the selected notes. The default quantize settings are: quantize
11893 note starts to the current grid setting, no swing, no threshold, full
11896 <dt>Step Entry, Quantize etc.</dt>
11897 <dd><em>missing</em></dd>
11900 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
11903 title: Handling Overlapping Notes
11904 menu_title: Overlapping Notes
11909 Every MIDI note consists of two messages, a NoteOn and a NoteOff. Each one
11910 has a note number and a channel (also a velocity, but that isn't relevant
11911 here). The MIDI standard stresses that it is invalid to send a second NoteOn
11912 for the same note number on the same channel before a NoteOff for the first
11913 NoteOn. It is more or less impossible to do this with a physical MIDI
11914 controller such as a keyboard, but remarkably easy to trigger when editing
11915 in a DAW—simply overlapping two instances of the same note will do it.
11919 Ardour offers many options for how to deal with instances where you overlap
11920 two instances of the same note. Which one to use is a per-session property
11921 and can be modified from <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties > Misc > MIDI
11925 <dl class="wide-table">
11926 <dt>never allow them</dt>
11927 <dd>Edits that would create note overlaps are not allowed</dd>
11928 <dt>don't do anything in particular</dt>
11929 <dd>Ardour leaves overlapping notes alone—the behaviour of a MIDI receiver (plugin or hardware) is undefined</dd>
11930 <dt>replace any overlapped existing note</dt>
11931 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, remove the one that wasn't being moved</dd>
11932 <dt>shorten the overlapped existing note</dt>
11933 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, shorten the one that wasn't moved so that there is no overlap</dd>
11934 <dt>shorten the overlapping new note</dt>
11935 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, shorten the one that was moved so that there is no overlap</dd>
11936 <dt>replace both overlapping notes with a single note</dt>
11937 <dd>When one note is moved to overlap another, merge them both to form one (longer) note</dd>
11941 Changing the option in use will not retroactively make changes—it will
11942 only affect new note overlaps created while the option remains chosen.
11945 <p class="warning">
11946 Ardour does not check for note overlaps across tracks or even across regions.
11947 If you create these, it is your responsibility to deal with the consequences.
11951 title: Note Cut, Copy and Paste
11956 While in note edit mode, selected notes can be cut using
11957 <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>, copied with <kbd class="mod1">c</kbd> and
11958 deleted with <kbd>Delete</kbd>, just as regions can. Once cut or
11959 copied, they can be pasted at the edit point using
11960 <kbd class="mod1">v</kbd>.
11964 title: Note Selection
11968 <h2>Selecting/Navigating note-by-note</h2>
11971 Tab selects the next note. <kbd class="mod1">Tab</kbd> selects the previous
11972 note. <kbd class="mod3">Tab</kbd> or <kbd class="mod13">Tab</kbd> adds
11973 the next/previous note to the selection.
11976 <h2>Selecting notes with the mouse</h2>
11979 While in mouse object mode, you can click on a note to select it. Once you
11980 have selected one note, <kbd class="mouse mod3">Left</kbd>-click on another
11981 to select all notes between them. To add or remove a note to/from the
11982 selection, click <kbd class="mouse mod1">Left</kbd>. You can also click and
11983 drag outside of a note to <dfn>rubberband select</dfn> a series of notes.
11987 Three different selection operations are possible if you switch to mouse
11993 Vertical drags within the MIDI region will select all notes within the
11994 spanned note range.
11997 Clicks on the piano header of the track (if visible—the track must
11998 be tall enough to display it) will select all occurences of that note.
12001 Drags on the piano header of the track will select all notes within the
12002 spanned note range.
12006 <h2>Listening to Selected Notes</h2>
12009 If <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI > Sound MIDI notes
12010 as they are selected</kbd> is enabled, Ardour will send a pair of
12011 NoteOn/NoteOff messages through the track, which will typically allow you to
12012 hear each note as it is selected.
12016 title: Quantize MIDI
12020 <p class="fixme">Needs fleshing out; this is a bit thin at the moment</p>
12022 <p><img class="right" src="/images/a3_quantize.png" alt="quantize dialog" /></p>
12024 <p>Accessed via <kbd>q</kbd>, the dialog includes:</p>
12027 <li>Options for grid, legato and groove quantize</li>
12028 <li>Snap note start, or end</li>
12029 <li>Snap to current grid, or many beat subdivisions</li>
12030 <li>Quantize threshold (how far away from a chosen position a note must be in order to be quantized)</li>
12031 <li>Strength (how close to move a note to its new position, as a percentage of the nominal distance)</li>
12041 Sometimes editing MIDI data directly from a connected MIDI device like a musical
12042 keyboard or pad controller is desired; sometimes using the mouse is. Sometimes
12043 the fine-grained control, precision and speed of entry that comes from using a
12044 custom note entry dialog is; the <dfn>Step Entry</dfn> dialog aims to be the
12049 The step entry dialog is accessed via a right click context menu on the
12050 rec-enable button, because step entry is related to <em>recording</em> MIDI
12051 data—step editing and recording MIDI via the track's MIDI port cannot be
12052 done simultaneously.
12055 <p class="center"><img src="/images/a3_step_entry.png" /></p>
12057 <p>The dialog (closely modeled after Logic's) contains:</p>
12061 Chord entry switch (successive notes are stacked in a chord until
12062 it is released)</li>
12063 <li>Note length selectors</li>
12064 <li>Triplet toggle</li>
12065 <li>Normal, single, double and triple dotted note selectors</li>
12066 <li>Sustain button</li>
12069 <li>Insert a rest of the current selected note duration</li>
12070 <li>Insert a rest of the current grid step size</li>
12071 <li>Move back to the last inserted note</li>
12072 <li>Move forward to the next beat, or bar</li>
12073 <li>Move forward to the edit point</li>
12076 <li>Dynamics controls from pianississimo to fortississimo</li>
12077 <li>Channel selector</li>
12079 Explicit numerical velocity selector, for more precise control
12080 than the dynamics selectors offer
12082 <li>Octave selector</li>
12083 <li>Buttons to add bank or program change events</li>
12084 <li>a full 10 octave virtual keyboard</li>
12088 More or less all actions in the step entry dialog can be driven directly from
12089 the keyboard, so moving back and forth from keyboard to mouse to do complex data
12090 insertion is unnecessary.
12094 title: Patch Change
12099 A <dfn>patch change</dfn> is Ardour's description for a combination
12100 of MIDI program change and bank select messages, that (typically)
12101 instruct a synthesizer or sampler to select a different sound to use
12102 on a particular channel.
12106 Patch changes are shown within MIDI regions as small rectangles or
12107 <dfn>flags</dfn>, as shown below:
12110 <p class="fixme">Add missing images</p>
12112 <h2>Inserting Patch Changes</h2>
12116 <a href="/editing-and-arranging/edit-point">edit point</a> is
12117 located where the patch change should be (within an existing
12118 MIDI region). Context click, and from the MIDI region's context menu,
12119 select <kbd class="menu">MIDI > Insert Patch Change</kbd>. A
12120 dialog will appear allowing the setting of the bank and program values.
12123 <h2>Modifying Patch Changes</h2>
12126 Context-clicking on a patch change will bring up the same dialog that
12127 was used to create it, allowing the modification of the program and/or bank
12132 The mouse wheel can also be used: <kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd>/<kbd
12133 class="mouse">⇓</kbd> on the patch change will alter the program
12134 number, <kbd class="mouse mod1">⇑</kbd>/<kbd
12135 class="mouse mod1">⇓</kbd> will modify the bank number.
12138 <h2>Moving Patch Changes</h2>
12141 Just <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag on the patch change to move it
12145 <h2>Removing Patch Changes</h2>
12148 Put the mouse pointer into the rectangular area, and press <kbd>Del</kbd>
12149 or use the delete mouse button operation. This will remove the patch change
12150 (the operation can be undone).
12153 <h2>Names for Patch Numbers: MIDNAM files</h2>
12156 …mising…
12159 <p class="fixme">Add missing content</p>
12162 title: Independent and Dependent MIDI Region Copies
12163 menu_title: Copy MIDI Region
12168 When <dfn>copying a MIDI region</dfn>, Ardour has to decide whether to make the
12169 copy refer to the same data as the original or not. If it does refer
12170 to the same data, then editing either the copy or the original will
12171 affect the both of them. If it refers to an independent copy of the
12172 data then each one can be edited without affecting the other.
12175 <h2>Changing dependent/independent copying for the entire session</h2>
12178 <kbd class="menu">Sesson > Properties > Misc > MIDI region copies are
12179 independent</kbd> can be used to control the default behaviour when
12180 making a copy of a MIDI region.
12184 When enabled, every new copy of a MIDI
12185 region results in a copy being made of the MIDI data used by the
12186 region, and the new copy of the region will refer to that data.
12190 When disabled, every new copy of a MIDI region will refer to the same
12191 MIDI data, and thus editing any copy will change the contents of all
12196 Changing the status of this option has no effect on the existing
12197 dependent/independent status of existing region copies.
12200 <h2>Making an existing copy of a MIDI region independent</h2>
12203 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.
12207 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.
12211 title: Automating MIDI - Pitch bending and aftertouch
12212 menu_title: Automating MIDI
12217 Adding pitch bending or aftertouch can add a lot of subtlety to an otherwise plain sounding midi region and help humanize it.
12220 <img src="/images/MIDI_pitch_bending.png" alt="Automation: pitch bending" />
12223 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>.
12227 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.
12231 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.
12235 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).
12239 title: Transforming MIDI - Mathematical operations
12240 menu_title: Transforming MIDI
12245 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.
12248 <p class="center"><img src="/images/MIDI_transform.png" alt="MIDI transformation" /></p>
12251 To access the Transform tool, right click the MIDI region > <em>name_of_the_region</em> > MIDI > Transform...
12255 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.
12259 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:
12263 <li>Set velocity to this note's velocity</li>
12264 <li>+ a random number from 1 to 20</li>
12265 <li>- a random number from 1 to 20</li>
12268 <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>
12271 The properties that can be computed are:
12275 <li>note number (eg C2 is note number 24, C#2 is 25 and so on)</li>
12276 <li>velocity (the global intensity of the note, between 0 and 127)</li>
12277 <li>start time (in beats)</li>
12278 <li>length (in beats)</li>
12283 and the calculation may be based on the following properties:
12287 <li>this note's</li>
12288 <li>the previous note's</li>
12289 <li>this note's index (number of the note, i.e. the first one is 0, the second is 1, etc.)</li>
12290 <li>exactly (for a constant value, between 1 and 127)</li>
12291 <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>
12292 <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>
12296 The mathematical operators can be:
12300 <li>+ (addition)</li>
12301 <li>- (substration)</li>
12302 <li>* (multiplication)</li>
12303 <li>/ (euclidian division)</li>
12304 <li>mod (rest of the euclidian division)</li>
12308 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.
12312 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.
12317 title: MIDI Editors
12323 title: MIDI Scene Automation
12328 Ardour is capable of being used to both record and deliver MIDI
12329 "scene" automation. These are MIDI messages typically used to switch
12330 presets or "scenes" on a variety of external equipment (or
12331 software), including lighting and other audio/video tools. A common
12332 use case is to automatically change presets between songs or to change
12333 lighting conditions based on a specific position on the timeline.
12337 Each change from one scene to another is represented by a marker in
12342 Technically, scene changes are delivered as a combination of bank and
12343 program change MIDI messages. MIDI allows for 16,384 banks, each with
12347 <h2>Recording Scene Changes</h2>
12350 Ardour has a dedicated MIDI port named "Scene In". Connect this port
12351 to whatever source(s) of MIDI scene (bank/program change) messages you
12356 Whenever the global record enable button is engaged and Ardour's
12357 transport is rolling, a new marker will be created for each scene
12358 change message received via the "Scene In" port.
12362 If two different scene changes are received within a certain time
12363 period, only the later one will be recorded as a new marker. The
12364 default threshold for this is one millisecond.
12368 If a scene change message is received while the playhead is close to
12369 an existing marker with an associated scene change, the recording
12370 process will alter the scene change in the existing marker rather than
12371 adding a new one. The default threshold for this "proximity" test is one
12375 <h2>Manually Creating Scene Changes</h2>
12378 This feature is not currently implemented.
12381 <h2>Playing back Scene Changes</h2>
12384 Ardour has a dedicated MIDI port named "Scene Out". Connect this port
12385 to wherever you wish to send MIDI scene (bank/program change) messages.
12389 When the global record enable button is
12390 <em>not</em> enabled, the relevant message(s) will be sent via the
12391 "Scene Out" port as the playhead rolls past each marker with a scene
12392 change associated with it.
12395 <h2>Editing Scene Changes</h2>
12398 This feature is not currently implemented.
12401 <h2>Disabling Scene Changes</h2>
12404 This feature is not currently implemented.
12409 title: Score Editor
12415 title: MIDI Event List
12427 title: Time, Tempo and Meter
12433 title: Tempo and Meter
12438 Tempo and meter belong together. without both, there is no way to know where a beat lies in time.
12442 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.
12446 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.
12450 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>.
12456 Tempo can be adjusted in several ways:
12460 <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>
12461 <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.
12462 This is the preferred way to match the tempo to previously recorded material.</li>
12465 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.
12468 <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>
12472 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.
12476 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).
12480 A tempo may be ramped or constant.
12482 <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>
12483 <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.
12489 <img src="/images/constant-tempo.png" alt="A constant tempo displaying the tempo at the playhead in the audio clock">
12491 A series of constant tempo markers. The tempo at the playhead position is the same as the previous tempo.
12495 <img src="/images/ramped-tempo.png" alt="A ramped tempo displaying the tempo at the playhead in the audio clock">
12497 A ramped tempo marker. The tempo at the playhead position is approaching the second tempo. Because the playhead is equidistant (in beats) between the
12498 two markers, the tempo at the playhead is the average of the two.
12502 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).
12506 To copy a tempo, hold down the primary modifier and drag the tempo desired to be copied.
12512 Meter positions beats using the musical pulse of a tempo, and groups them into bars using its number of divisions per bar.
12516 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.
12520 New meters are locked to music. They may only occur on a bar line if music locked.
12524 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.
12528 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.
12531 <li>To change a meter, double click it. A dialog will appear.</li>
12532 <li>To copy a meter, hold down <kbd class="mod1"></kbd> and drag it.</li>
12535 title: Techniques for Working with Tempo and Meter
12539 <h3>Techniques </h3>
12542 As a general approach, the best way to control tempo ramps is to use them in pairs.
12546 Lets imagine we want to match the click to a drum performance recorded in 'free time'.
12550 The first thing we need to do is determine where the first beat is. Drag the first meter to that position.
12554 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.
12558 We then locate bar 4 in the BBT ruler and while holding the constraint modifier, drag it to bar 4 in the drum performance.
12562 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.
12566 Now while dragging any beat <strong>after</strong> the second new tempo, watch the drum audio and tempo lines until they align.
12570 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.
12574 Again, some time later the click will not align. I didn't say this was easy.
12578 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.
12582 In a general sense, adding tempo markers in pairs allows you to 'pin' your previous work while you move further to the right.
12585 <h3>Another use case: matching accelerando</h3>
12588 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).
12592 Find a starting tempo by listening to the click while you drag the meter's tempo vertically using the constraint modifier.
12596 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.
12600 Add a tempo at bar 4.
12604 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.
12608 Notice what happened: The second tempo was changed.<br />
12609 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.
12613 If the ramp doesn't feel right, you may add more points within it and keep adjusting beat positions in a similar manner.
12619 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.
12624 title: Memory Locations
12630 title: Arranging Regions
12636 title: Region Loops and Groups
12648 title: Basic Mixing
12654 title: Metering in Ardour
12658 <h2>Introduction</h2>
12661 An engineer reading and using audio level meters compares to a musician
12662 reading or writing sheet-music. Just like there are virtuoso musicians
12663 who can't read a single note, there are great sound-engineers who just
12664 go by their ears and produce great mixes and masters without ever looking
12669 Yet, if you want to work in or with the broadcast industry, it is
12670 usually unavoidable to use meters.
12674 Audio level meters are very powerful tools that are useful in every
12675 part of the entire production chain:
12679 <li>When tracking, meters are used to ensure that the input
12680 signal does not <dfn>overload</dfn> and maintains reasonable
12681 <dfn>headroom</dfn>.</li>
12682 <li>Meters offer a <dfn>quick visual indication</dfn> of a
12683 activity when working with a large number of tracks.</li>
12684 <li>During mixing, meters provide an rough estimate of the
12685 <dfn>loudness</dfn> of each track.</li>
12686 <li>At the mastering stage, meters are used to check
12687 compliance with upstream <dfn>level</dfn> and <dfn>loudness
12688 standards</dfn> and to optimize the <dfn>loudness range</dfn>
12689 for a given medium.</li>
12692 <h2>Meter Types</h2>
12695 A general treatise on metering is beyond the scope of this
12696 manual. It is a complex subject with a history...
12697 For background information and further reading we recommend:
12701 <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>
12702 <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_programme_meter#Table_of_characteristics">Wikipedia: Peak programme meter</a>—overview of meter types.</li>
12703 <li>"Audio Metering: Measurements, Standards and Practice: Measurements, Standards and Practics", by Eddy Brixen. ISBN: 0240814673</li>
12704 <li>"Art of Digital Audio", by John Watkinson. ISBN: 0240515870</li>
12708 There are different metering standards, most of which are available in Ardour. In short:
12712 <dt>Digital peak-meter</dt>
12713 <dd>A <dfn>Digital Peak Meter</dfn> displays the absolute maximum signal
12714 of the raw audio PCM signal (for a given time). It is commonly used when
12715 tracking to make sure the recorded audio never clips. To that end, DPMs
12716 are always calibrated to 0 <abbr title="DeciBel Full
12717 Scale">dBFS</abbr>, or the maximum level that can be represented digitally
12718 in a given system. This value has no musical reason whatsoever and depends
12719 only on the properties of the signal chain or target medium. There are
12720 conventions for <dfn>fall-off-time</dfn> and <dfn>peak-hold</dfn>, but no
12721 exact specifications.
12723 Various conventions for DPM fall-off times and dBFS line-up level can be
12724 chosen in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI</kbd>.
12728 <dt>RMS meters</dt>
12729 <dd>An <dfn><abbr title="Root Mean Square">RMS</abbr>-type meter</dfn>
12730 is an averaging meter that looks at the energy in the signal. It
12731 provides a general indication of loudness as perceived by humans. Ardour
12732 features three RMS meters, all of which offer additonal peak indication.
12734 <li><dfn>K20</dfn>: A meter according to the K-system introduced by Bob
12735 Katz, scale aligned to -20 dBFS, rise/fall times and color schema
12736 according to spec.</li>
12737 <li><dfn>K14</dfn>: Same as K20 with scale aligned to -14 dBFS.</li>
12738 <li><dfn>K12</dfn>: Same as K20 with scale aligned to -12 dBFS (since 3.5.143).</li>
12739 <li><dfn>Peak + RMS</dfn>: standard RMS, customizable via
12740 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Metering</kbd></li>
12745 <dd><dfn><abbr title="International Electrontechnical Commission">IEC</abbr>-type
12746 <abbr title="Peak Programme Meters">PPM</abbr>s</dfn> are a mix between DPMs and
12747 RMS meters, created mainly for the purpose of
12748 interoperability. Many national and institutional varieties exist (<abbr
12749 title="European Broadcasting Union">EBU</abbr>, <abbr title="British Broadcasting
12750 Corporation">BBC</abbr>, <abbr title="Deutsche Industrie-Norm">DIN</abbr>).
12752 These loudness and metering standards provide a common point of
12753 reference which is used by broadcasters in particular so that the
12754 interchange of material is uniform across their sphere of influence,
12755 regardless of the equipment used to play it back.
12758 For home recording, there is no real need for this level of
12759 interoperability, and these meters are only strictly required when
12760 working in or with the broadcast industry. However, IEC-type meters have
12761 certain characteristics (rise-time, ballistics) that make them useful
12762 outside the context of broadcast.
12765 Their specification is very exact, and consquently, there are no
12766 customizable parameters.
12771 <dd><dfn><abbr title="Volume Unit">VU</abbr> meters</dfn> are the dinosaurs (1939)
12772 amongst the meters. They react very slowly, averaging out peaks.
12773 Their specification is very strict (300ms rise-time, 1–1.5% overshoot,
12774 flat frequency response). Ardour's VU meter adheres to that spec, but for
12775 visual consistency it is displayed as a bar-graph rather than needle-style
12780 <h2>Ardour Specifics</h2>
12782 <img class="right" src="/images/mixer-meter-context-menu.png" alt="mixer strip meter context menu" />
12785 Meters are available in various places in ardour:
12789 <li>The mixer window features fixed height meters for each <dfn>channel strip</dfn>.</li>
12790 <li>There are small (narrow) meters on each <dfn>track-header</dfn> in the editor window.</li>
12791 <li>There are variable height meters in the <dfn>meterbridge window</dfn>.</li>
12792 <li>Optionally, a fixed-size <dfn>master meter</dfn> can be displayed in the main toolbar.</li>
12793 <li>Various other locations (<dfn>file import</dfn>, <dfn>sends</dfn>) have level-meters.</li>
12797 They all share the same configuration and color-theme which is available in
12798 preferences and the theme-manager. Settings for the Peak and RMS+Peak meters
12799 as well as VU meter standards are found in
12800 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Metering</kbd>.
12804 The type of meter and the <dfn>metering point</dfn> (the place in the signal chain
12805 where the meter taps the signal) are configurable in the context menu of each meter.
12806 Depending on the <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > GUI > Mixer
12807 Strip</kbd> settings, the metering point is also accessible via a button in
12811 <img class="right" src="/images/meter-preferences.png" alt="" />
12814 Regardless of meter type and standard the meter display will highlight red if
12815 the signal on the given channel exceeds the configured peak threshold.
12819 <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> on the peak-indicator button resets the
12820 <dfn>peak-hold indicator</dfn> of a single channel.<br />
12821 <kbd class="mod1 mouse">Left</kbd> resets a whole <dfn>group</dfn>, and<br/>
12822 <kbd class="mod13 mouse">Left</kbd> resets all meters.
12825 <h2>Overview of meter types</h2>
12828 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.
12831 <img class="right" style="max-width:45%;height:400px;" src="/images/needle-meters-18.png"
12832 alt="Needle-style meters as external LV2 plugins" />
12833 <img style="max-width:45%; height:400px" src="/images/meter-types-18.png"
12834 alt="Bar-graph meters in Ardour" />
12838 Due to layout concerns and consistent look &Â feel, all meters available in
12839 Ardour itself are bar-graph type meters. Corresponding needle-style meters—which take up more visual screen space—are available as
12840 <a href="https://github.com/x42/meters.lv2/">LV2 plugins</a> (see image on the upper right).
12844 title: Signal Routing
12849 Ardour does most of its internal <dfn>signal routing</dfn> via JACK:
12850 all track and bus inputs and outputs are JACK ports, as are sends and
12851 inserts—which means they can be tapped into by other JACK clients.
12852 Only the signal flow inside a track or bus (i.e. from <a
12853 href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">processor to processor</a>) is
12854 handled internally.
12858 By default, Ardour will create the following connections:
12863 <dfn>Track inputs</dfn> are optionally auto-connected to hardware inputs, in round robin order, depending on the setting you chose in the
12864 <a href="/working-with-sessions/new-session-dialog"><kbd
12865 class="menu">Session > New Session</kbd> dialog</a>.
12868 <dfn>Bus inputs</dfn> are left disconnected.
12871 The number of <dfn>track and bus outputs</dfn> are equal to the number
12872 of inputs of the master bus.
12875 Track and bus outputs are always auto-connected to the master bus inputs.
12878 Master bus outputs are connected to hardware outputs.
12883 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.
12887 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.
12891 title: Busses and VCAs
12896 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.
12902 An Ardour bus can be considered a virtual track, as in a track that doesn't have a playlist (so, no regions).
12906 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.
12910 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.
12913 <p class="note">Note that the Master strip, which by default receives the output from all tracks, <em>is</em> a bus itself.</p>
12915 <h3>Audio Busses vs MIDI Busses</h3>
12918 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.
12922 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.
12926 Depending on the user's workflow and the way busses are used, 2 possibilities exists:
12929 <h3>Connecting a track to a bus via outputs</h3>
12931 <img class="right" src="/images/connecting_bus_output.png" alt="Connecting a bus through a track's outputs">
12934 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).
12938 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.
12941 <h3>Connecting a track to a bus via Sends</h3>
12943 <img class="left" src="/images/connecting_bus_send.png" alt="Connecting a bus through a send">
12946 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>.
12950 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.
12954 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.
12959 <img class="left" src="/images/vcas.png" alt="VCAs strips">
12962 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.
12966 It allows to use either or both of the conventions for combining multiple masters:
12970 <li>Nest VCAs (VCA 2 controls VCA 1 etc.)</li>
12971 <li>Chain VCAs (VCA 1 and VCA2 both control track or bus N)</li>
12974 <h3>Using a VCA strip</h3>
12977 A VCA strip is made of (from top to bottom in the screenshot):
12981 <li><dfn>1</dfn>: number of the VCA</li>
12982 <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>
12983 <li><dfn>M</dfn>: mutes the VCA</li>
12984 <li><dfn>S</dfn>: solos the VCA</li>
12985 <li><dfn>A level meter</dfn>: allows to adjust the level of the VCA</li>
12986 <li><dfn>~vca~</dfn>: a VCA button to optionally connect to another VCA</li>
12990 Right-clicking the name button shows a context menus comprised of:
12994 <li><kbd class="menu">Rename</kbd>: Renames the VCA</li>
12995 <li><kbd class="menu">Color...</kbd>: Changes the color of the VCA button in the tracks connected to this one</li>
12996 <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>
12997 <li><kbd class="menu">Remove</kbd>: Deletes this VCA</li>
13000 <h3>Connecting to a VCA strip</h3>
13002 <img class="left" src="/images/connecting_to_vca.png" alt="Connecting to VCA">
13005 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.
13009 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.
13018 <dfn>Auxilliary sends</dfn> are <a
13019 href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">processors</a> in a bus or
13020 track channel strip. They tap the signal at a specific point in the signal
13021 flow (pre-fader, post-fader, before or after EQs and other plugins, etc.)
13022 and send a copy of that signal somewhere else, without affecting the
13023 normal signal flow downwards to the channel fader.
13027 Usually, aux sends from several tracks are collectively sent to a
13028 dedicated <dfn>Aux bus</dfn> in Ardour, to create a monitor mix for a
13029 musician, or to feed an effect unit. The output of such a bus might
13030 be routed to separate hardware outputs (in the case of headphone or monitor
13031 wedge mixes), or returned to the main mix (in the case of an effect).
13035 Since sends are JACK ports, it is also possible to send the tapped signal
13036 somewhere else directly, which is not usually possible on hardware mixers
13037 (see <a href="/signal-routing/external-sends/">External Sends</a>).
13041 It may be useful to
13042 <a href="/signal-routing/comparing-aux-sends-and-subgroups">compare and contrast</a>
13043 the use of aux sends with <a href="/signal-routing/subgrouping">subgrouping</a>.
13046 <h2>Adding a new aux bus</h2>
13049 Choose <kbd class="menu">Session > Add New Track or Bus</kbd>. In the
13050 <kbd class="menu">New Track & Bus</kbd> dialog, select "Busses" in the Track/Bus
13051 selector at the upper right.
13054 <h2>Adding a send to an aux bus</h2>
13057 Context-click on the processor box for the track you want to send to the bus, and
13058 choose <kbd class="menu">New Aux Send</kbd>. From the submenu, choose the bus you
13059 want to send to. A send will be added (and will be visible in the processor box).
13060 Note that the submenu may be empty if you have not created a bus yet.
13063 <h3>Pre-fader and Post-fader Aux Sends</h3>
13066 Depending on whether you context-click above or below the fader in the processor box,
13067 the new aux send can be placed before or after the fader in the channel strip.
13068 <dfn>Post-fader</dfn> aux sends are typically used when using an aux for shared signal
13069 processing (FX), so that the amount of effect is always proportional to
13070 the main mix fader. <dfn>Pre-fader</dfn> sends ensure that the level sent to the bus
13071 is controlled <em>only</em> by the send, not the main fader—this is typical
13072 when constructing headphone and monitor wedge mixes.
13075 <h2>Adding a new aux bus and sending a Track Group to it</h2>
13078 You can add aux sends to all members of a group and connect them to a new aux bus
13079 with a single click. After creating the track group (and adding tracks to it),
13080 context-click on the group tab and choose either
13081 <kbd class="menu">Add New Aux Bus (pre-fader)</kbd> or
13082 <kbd class="menu">Add New Aux Bus (post-fader)</kbd>. A new aux bus will be created,
13083 and a new aux send added to every member of the track group that connects to
13087 <p class="fixme">Add images, fix factual inaccuracies</p>
13088 <h2>Altering Send Levels</h2>
13091 You can alter the amount of the signal received by a send that it delivers to the bus
13092 it connects to. There are three approaches to this:
13095 <h3>Use the Send Fader</h3>
13098 Every send processor has a small horizontal fader that can be adjusted in the usual way. It is
13099 not very big and so this can be a little unsatisfactory if you want very fine control
13100 over the send level.
13103 <h3>Mapping the Main Fader</h3>
13106 Double-clicking on the send in the processor box will allow you to use the
13107 big fader of the mixer strip to control the send. The visual appearance of
13108 the mixer strip will change to reflect this. Double-click the send again to
13109 revert back to normal function for the strip.
13112 <h3>Map Aux Sends To Main Faders</h3>
13115 Pressing the button marked <kbd class="menu">Aux Sends</kbd> on a aux bus will
13116 alter the channel strip for every track or bus that feeds the aux bus. Many
13117 aspects of the strip will become insensitive and/or change their visual
13118 appearance. More importantly, the main fader of the affected channel strips
13119 will now control the send level and <strong>not</strong> the track gain.
13120 This gives a larger, more configurable control to alter the level. Click the
13121 <kbd class="menu">Aux Sends</kbd> button of the aux bus again to revert the
13122 channel strips to their normal use.
13125 <h2>Disabling Sends</h2>
13128 Clicking on the small "LED" in the send display in the processor box of the
13129 channel strip will enable/disable the send. When disabled, only silence will
13130 be delivered to the aux bus by this track. When enabled, the signal arriving
13131 at the send will be delivered to the aux bus.
13134 <h2>Send Panning</h2>
13137 Send panners can be configured to either be independent of the main
13138 panner, or to follow it. The latter could be useful for Reverb effects, or
13139 for in-ear monitor mixes delivered in stereo.
13143 title: Comparing Aux Sends and Subgroups
13144 menu_title: Auxes vs. Groups
13149 Auxes and Subgroups share a common concept—they both provide a way
13150 for one or more tracks (or busses) to send their signal to a single bus so
13151 that common signal processing can be applied to the mix of their signals.
13155 <dfn>Aux sends</dfn> leave the existing signal routing to the main mix in place,
13156 and are typically used to create a separate mix to send to (for example)
13157 monitors or headphones (for performer monitor mixes):
13160 <img width="300px" src="/images/a3_aux_routing.png" alt="aux signal routing" />
13163 <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.
13166 <img width="300px" src="/images/a3_subgroup_routes.png" alt="sub group signal routing" />
13169 title: External Sends
13174 Like a normal aux send, an <dfn>external send</dfn> taps the signal at a
13175 specific within a channel strip, but delivers it to an external application
13176 or piece of hardware rather than an Ardour bus. By itself, an external
13177 send has no effect whatsoever on the audio signals within Ardour—it is a one-way signal routing that leaves all existing signal processing
13182 Most people will not have much use for this, but it can be useful if you
13183 want to experiment with external applications or hardware signal processing
13187 <h2>Adding an External Send</h2>
13190 Context-click on the
13191 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box">processor box</a> in a
13192 channel strip (at the desired location, pre or post fader) and choose
13193 <kbd class="menu">Add new External Send</kbd>. A dialog will appear
13194 containing the standard Ardour
13195 <a href="/signal-routing/the-patchbay"><dfn>patchbay</dfn></a> to allow
13196 you to connect the send to the desired destination.
13199 <p class="fixme">Broken links</p>
13201 <h2>Removing an External Send</h2>
13203 <p>You can remove an external send in several ways:</p>
13206 <li><kbd class="mouse mod3">Right</kbd>-click the send in the processor box.</li>
13207 <li>Position the pointer over the send and press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key.</li>
13208 <li>Position the pointer over the send and press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>.</li>
13209 <li>Context-click the send and choose either <kbd class="menu">Cut</kbd> or
13210 <kbd class="menu">Delete</kbd>.</li>
13213 <h2>Altering Send Levels</h2>
13216 Just below the send in the processor box is a small fader that can be used
13217 like all other faders in Ardour to control the gain applied to the signal
13218 delivered by the send. Drag it to alter the level, Shift-click to restore
13219 to unity (0dB) gain.
13222 <h2>Disabling Sends</h2>
13225 Click the small "LED" in the send display within the processor box to turn
13226 it on and off. When turned off, silence will be delivered to the send. When
13227 turned on, the signal within the channel strip will be delivered.
13230 <h2>Editing Send Routing</h2>
13233 Double-clicking or Edit-clicking on the send in the processor box will
13234 redisplay the patchbay dialog that allows you full control over the routing
13244 <dfn>Inserts</dfn> are signal tap points that can be placed anywhere
13245 inside a channel strip. Unlike Auxes, they will interrupt the signal flow,
13246 feeding the signal from before the insert point to its <dfn>Insert
13247 send(s)</dfn>, and connecting the remainder of the channel strip to the
13248 <dfn>Insert return(s)</dfn>, both of which are JACK ports which are
13249 visible to other JACK applications.
13253 Inserts are the JACK equivalents of normalized switching jacks on an
13258 An insert allows you to either use a special external DSP JACK
13259 application that is not available as a plugin, or to splice an external
13260 analog piece of gear into your channel strip, such as a vintage
13261 compressor, tube equalizer, etc. In the latter case, you would first
13262 connect your inserts to a pair of hardware ports, which are in turn
13263 connected to the outboard gear.
13267 To disable (bypass) an insert, click on its LED in the processor box.
13271 When you create an insert, the signal will be interrupted until you make
13272 the relevant connections to the insert ports!
13276 Inserts will incur an additional JACK period of latency, which can be
13277 measured and compensated for during mixing, but not during tracking!
13286 <dfn>Subgrouping</dfn> (sometimes known as "Grouping" or "Audio Grouping")
13287 is a way to collect related signals together to apply some common
13288 treatment, before sending them on to the main mix. One standard
13289 application is to group several tracks belonging to the same instrument or
13290 section (such as a drumkit or horn section), to be able to adjust their
13291 volume with a single fader, after their inner balance has been set using
13296 To create a subgroup from an existing Track/Bus group, context-click on
13297 the relevant <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-and-bus-groups">group tab</a>,
13298 and choose <kbd class="menu">Add new subgroup bus</kbd>. A new bus will be
13299 created and every member of the track group will have its outputs disconnected
13300 from other destinations and then connected to the new bus inputs. The bus
13301 outputs will feed the master bus unless you have selected manual connections
13302 for the session. The bus will be named after the track group name.
13306 Alternatively, you can create a group manually, by first adding a new bus,
13307 then, for each track you want to feed the subgroup bus, disconnect its outputs
13308 from the master and connect it to the inputs of the subgroup bus instead.
13309 You can do this in the global audio patchbay or a track by track basis via the
13310 output button of each track's channel strip.
13314 To remove a subgroup (bus), context-click on the track group tab, and select
13315 <kbd class="menu">Remove subgroup bus</kbd>. You can also simply delete the
13316 bus itself. Note that this operation will <strong>not</strong> restore signal
13317 routing to the way it was before the addition of the subgroup bus—tracks
13318 that had been subgrouped will be left with their main outputs disconncted.
13327 The <dfn>patchbay</dfn> is the main way to make connections to, from and
13328 within Ardour's mixer.
13332 Notable exceptions are internal aux sends and connections to the monitor bus (if
13333 you are using one): these cannot be controlled from a patchbay, and are
13334 basically not under manual control at all.
13337 <img class="right" src="/images/connection-manager.png" alt="an example patchbay" />
13340 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.
13344 Both sources and destinations are divided up into groups, with each group being given a tab:
13347 <dl class="narrower-table">
13350 These are ports which are connected to a physical piece of hardware (a sound card or MIDI interface).</dd>
13351 <dt>Ardour Busses</dt>
13352 <dd>All ports belonging to busses.</dd>
13353 <dt>Ardour Tracks</dt>
13354 <dd>All ports belonging to tracks.</dd>
13355 <dt>Ardour Misc</dt>
13357 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.
13361 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>
13365 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.
13369 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).
13373 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.
13376 <h2>Variants on the Patchbay</h2>
13379 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>.
13383 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.
13386 <h2>Other patchbay features</h2>
13389 Context-clicking on a port name in the connection manager opens a menu which provides a few handy options:
13392 <dl class="wide-table">
13393 <dt><kbd class="menu">Add audio port</kbd> and <kbd class="menu">Add MIDI port</kbd></dt>
13395 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.
13397 <dt><kbd class="menu">Remove</dt>
13399 Removes the given port, if possible. <kbd class="mouse mod3">Right</kbd>-clicking a port will do the same.
13401 <dt><kbd class="menu">Disconnect all from…</kbd></dt>
13402 <dd>Disconnects everything from the given port.</dd>
13403 <dt><kbd class="menu">Rescan</kbd></dt>
13405 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.
13407 <dt><kbd class="menu">Show individual ports</kbd></dt>
13409 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.
13411 <dt><kbd class="menu">Flip</kbd></dt>
13413 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.
13418 title: Track/Bus Signal Flow
13425 In each individual Track or Bus the signal flow is top to bottom. Consider the following diagram:
13428 <p class="center"><img width="360px" src="/images/track_signal_routing.png" alt="track signal routing" /></p>
13431 Trim, Fader and Panner are provided by Ardour. The Processor-Box can hold 3rd Party Plugins or host-provided redirects (insert, aux-send,..).
13434 <p class="fixme">Where is the processor box in that image?</p>
13437 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.
13438 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.
13442 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.
13446 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.
13449 <h2>Strict I/O</h2>
13452 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.
13456 <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.
13457 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>
13458 <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).
13459 Required ports are automatically added, excess ports are removed. The user cannot manually add/remove output ports.</li>
13463 Strict I/O is set when creating the track and can later be en/disabled dynamically in the context menu of every mixer strip.
13466 <p class="center"><img src="/images/strict_io_routing.png" alt="strict i/o routing" /></p>
13469 There are two exceptions to the above rule 1.
13473 <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,
13474 which trickle down the processor chain to all follow up plugins as inputs and in turn force their outputs to match.</li>
13475 <li>Side chain inputs are not affected by strict I/O</li>
13478 <h2>Customizing the Signal Flow</h2>
13481 The signal flow though the mixer can be customized at every processor node via "Pin Configuration" in the context menu of every processor.
13482 User customization override all automatic (flexible/strict I/O mode) inferred output port settings for the given processor.
13483 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.
13487 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:
13490 <p class="center"><img src="/images/left_right_eq.png" alt="separate left/right Eq" /></p>
13493 title: Muting and Soloing
13498 Each track and bus has two buttons which have important implications
13499 for signal flow: <dfn>mute</dfn> and <dfn>solo</dfn>. The behaviour
13500 of these buttons is configurable in Ardour, to suit different studio
13504 <h2>Without a monitor bus</h2>
13507 If you are using Ardour without a monitor bus, there is only one way
13508 in which mute and solo will work:
13513 Mute on a track or bus will mute that track on the master bus,
13514 so that it will not be heard.
13517 Solo on a track or bus will solo that track or bus and mute all
13518 others. Soloing a bus will also solo any tracks or
13519 busses which feed that bus.
13523 <h2>With a monitor bus</h2>
13526 For setups with a monitor bus, you have more options, mostly
13527 governed by the setting of the
13528 <kbd class="option">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd> option
13529 in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Solo / mute.
13533 With <kbd class="optoff">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd>
13534 unticked, behaviour is almost exactly the same as the situation
13535 without a monitor bus. Mute and solo behave the same, and the monitor
13536 bus is fed from the master bus, so it sees the same thing.
13540 With <kbc class="option">Solo controls are Listen controls</kbd>
13541 ticked, the master and monitor busses behave differently. In this
13542 mode, solo controls are more properly called <dfn>listen</dfn>
13543 controls, and Ardour's solo buttons will change their legend from
13544 <samp>S</samp> to either <samp>A</samp> or <samp>P</samp> to
13549 Now, without any mute or listen, the monitor bus remains fed by
13550 the master bus. Also:
13555 Mute will mute the track or bus, so that it will not be heard
13556 anywhere (neither on the master nor monitor busses), much as before.
13559 Listen will disconnect the monitor bus from the master bus, so
13560 that the monitor bus now only receives things that are "listened to".
13561 Listen will not perform any muting, and hence the master bus will
13562 not be affected by a listened track or bus.
13567 When solo controls are listen controls, the listening point can be set
13568 to either After-Fade Listen (AFL) or Pre-Fade Listen (PFL). The precise
13569 point to get the signal from can further be configured using the
13570 <kbd class="menu">PFL signals come from</kbd> and
13571 <kbd class="menu">AFL signals come from</kbd> options.
13575 The solo-mute arrangement with a monitor bus is shown below:
13578 <img src="/images/solo-mute.png" alt="mute/solo signal flow" />
13581 Here we have a number of tracks or busses (in orange). Each one has an
13582 output which feeds the master bus. In addition, each has PFL and AFL
13583 outputs; we have a choice of which to use. PFL/AFL from each track or
13584 bus are mixed. Then, whenever anything is set to AFL/PFL, the monitor out
13585 becomes just those AFL/PFL feeds; the rest of the time, the monitor out is
13586 fed from the master bus.
13590 In this scheme Solo has no effect other than to mute other non-soloed tracks;
13591 with solo (rather then listen), the monitor out is fed from the master bus.
13594 <h2>Other solo options</h2>
13597 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Solo / Mute</kbd> has some
13601 <h3>Solo-in-place mute cut</h3>
13604 When using solo-in-place (SiP), in other words when soloed tracks are being
13605 listened to on the master bus, this fader specifies the gain that will be
13606 applied to other tracks in order to mute them. Setting this level to
13607 -∞&nbdp;dB will mean that other tracks will not be heard at all; setting to
13608 some higher value less than 0dB means that other non-soloed tracks will be h
13609 eard, just reduced in volume compared to the soloed tracks. Using a value
13610 larger than -∞dB is sometimes called "Solo-In-Front" by other DAWs, because
13611 the listener has the sense that soloed material is "in front" of other
13612 material. In Ardour, this is not a distinct mode, but instead the mute cut
13613 control offers any level of "in-front-ness" that you might want to use.
13616 <h3>Exclusive solo</h3>
13619 If this is enabled, only one track or bus will ever be soloed at once; soloing
13620 track B while track A is currently soloed will un-solo track A before soloing
13624 <h3>Show solo muting</h3>
13627 If this is enabled, the mute button of tracks and busses will be drawn
13628 outlined to indicate that the track or bus is muted because something else
13629 is soloed. This is enabled by default, and we recommend that you leave it
13630 that way unless you are extremely comfortable with Ardour's mute/solo
13634 <h3>Soloing overrides muting</h3>
13637 If this is enabled, a track or bus that is both soloed and muted will behave
13638 as if it is soloed.
13641 <h3>Mute affects…</h3>
13644 These options dictate whether muting the track will affect various routes out
13645 of the track; through the sends, through the control outputs (to the monitor
13646 bus) and to the main outputs.
13655 <dfn>Panning</<dfn> is the process of distributing one or more signals
13656 across a series of outputs so that the listener will have the
13657 experience of them coming from a particular point or area of the
13658 overall listening field.
13662 It is used to create a sense of space and/or a sense of motion in an
13663 audio mix. You can spread out different signals across the space, and
13664 make them move over time.
13667 <h2>Types of Panners</h2>
13670 The way a panner works depends a great deal on how many signals it
13671 is going to process and how many outputs it will send them to. The
13672 simplest case is distributing a single signal to 2 outputs, which is
13673 the common case when using a "mono" track and a stereo speaker
13678 But panning in Ardour could theoretically involve distributing any
13679 number of signals to any number of ouputs. In reality, Ardour does
13680 not have specific panners for each different situation. Currently,
13681 it has dedicated panners for the following situations:
13685 <li>1 signal distributed to 2 outputs (the mono panner)</li>
13686 <li>2 signals distributed to 2 outputs (the stereo panner)</li>
13687 <li>N signals distributed to M outputs (the VBAP panner)</li>
13691 Even for each of these cases, there are many different ways to
13692 implement panning. Ardour currently offers just one solution to each
13693 of these situations, but in the future will offer more.
13697 In addition to the panners, Ardour has a balance control for subtle
13698 corrections to existing stereo images.
13707 The default <dfn>mono panner</dfn> distributes 1 input to 2 outputs. Its
13708 behaviour is controlled by a single parameter, the <dfn>position</dfn>. By
13709 default, the panner is centered.
13712 <h2>Mono Panner User Interface</h2>
13714 <img src="/images/mono-panner-annotated.png" alt="image of the mono panner"/>
13717 The mono panner looks a quite similar to the
13718 <a href="/mixing/panning/stereo_panner">stereo panner</a>
13719 interface. The difference is that the L/R labels in the lower half
13720 of the mono panner do not move because there is no "width" to
13724 <h2>Using the mouse</h2>
13726 <p>To change the position smoothly, press the right button and drag
13727 anywhere within the panner. <em>Note: you do not need
13728 to grab the position indicator in order to drag</em>
13733 <dt>Reset to defaults</dt>
13734 <dd>Click <kbd class="mod3 mouse">right</kbd></dd>
13736 <dt>Change to a "hard left"</dt>
13737 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the left side
13740 <dt>Change to a "hard right"</dt>
13741 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the right side
13744 <dt>Set the position to center</dt>
13745 <dd>Double Click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the middle of the panner</dd>
13748 <h2>Keyboard bindings</h2>
13751 When the pointer is within a mono panner user interface, the following keybindings are available to operate on that panner:
13755 <dt><kbd>←</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">←</kbd></dt>
13756 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
13757 <dt><kbd>→</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">→</kbd></dt>
13758 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the right</dd>
13759 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
13760 <dd>reset position to center</dd>
13763 <h2>Using the scroll wheel/touch scroll</h2>
13766 When the pointer is within a mono panner user interface, the scroll wheel may be used as follows:
13770 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> or <kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
13771 <dd>move position to the left by 1°</dd>
13772 <dt><kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇑</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
13773 <dd>move position to the left by 5°</dd>
13774 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> or <kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
13775 <dd>move position to the right by 1°</dd>
13776 <dt><kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇓</kbd> or <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
13777 <dd>move position to the right by 5°</dd>
13781 title: Balance Control
13786 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.
13789 <img class="left" src="/images/stereo-balance.png" alt="Stereo Balance
13793 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.
13797 While the balance control is considerably less flexible than the stereo panner, it works with arbitrary content without danger of introducing comb filter artifacts.
13801 title: Stereo Panner
13806 The default <dfn>stereo panner</dfn> distributes two inputs to two outputs. Its
13807 behaviour is controlled by two parameters, <dfn>width</dfn> and
13808 <dfn>position</dfn>. By default, the panner is centered at full width.
13812 The stereo panner assumes that the signals
13813 you wish to distribute are either uncorrelated (i.e. totally
13814 independent), or that they contain a stereo image which is
13815 <dfn>mono-compatible</dfn>, such as a co-incident microphone recording, or a
13816 sound stage that has been created with pan pots.<sup><a href="#caveat">*</a></sup>
13820 With the default values it is not possible to alter the position,
13821 since the width is already spread entirely across both outputs. To
13822 alter the position, you must first reduce the width.
13825 <h2>Stereo Panner User Interface</h2>
13827 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-annotated.png" alt=""/>
13830 The <dfn>panner user interface</dfn> consists of three elements, divided between
13831 the top and bottom half. Click and/or drag in the top half to
13832 control position; click and/or drag in the bottom half to control
13833 width (see below for details).
13837 In the top half is the position indicator, which shows where the
13838 center of the stereo image is relative to the left and right
13839 edges. When this is the middle of the panner, the stereo image is
13840 centered between the left and right outputs. When it all the way to
13841 the left, the stereo image collapses to just the left speaker.
13845 In the bottom half are two signal indicators, one marked "L" and the
13846 other "R". The distance between these two shows the width of the
13847 stereo image. If the width is reduced to zero, there will only be a
13848 single signal indicator marked "M" (for mono), whose color will
13849 change to indicate the special state.
13853 It is possible to invert the outputs (see below) so that whatever
13854 would have gone to the right channel goes to the left and vice
13855 versa. When this happens, the entire movable part of the panner
13856 changes color to indicate clearly that this is the case.
13859 <h3>Position vs. L/R</h3>
13862 Although the implementation of the panner uses the "position"
13863 parameter, when the user interface displays it numerically, it shows
13864 a pair of numbers that will be familiar to most audio engineers.
13868 <tr><th>Position</th><th>L/R</th><th>English</th></tr>
13869 <tr><td>0</td><td>L=50% R=50%</td><td>signal image is midway between
13870 left and right speakers</td></tr>
13872 <tr><td>-1</td><td>L=100% R=0%</td><td>signal image is entirely
13873 at the left speaker</td></tr>
13875 <tr><td>1</td><td>L=0% R=100%</td><td>signal image is entirely
13876 at the right speaker</td></tr>
13880 One way to remember this sort of convention is that the middle of the
13881 USA is not Kansas, but "Los Angeles: 50% New York: 50%".
13884 <h3>Examples In Use</h3>
13887 <tr><th>Appearance</th><th>Settings</th></tr>
13888 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner.png"></td><td>Width=100%,
13889 L=50 R=50</td></tr>
13890 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-zero.png"></td><td>Width=0%,
13891 L=50 R=50</td></tr>
13892 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-inverted.png"></td><td>Width=-100%, Position = 0 (center)</td></tr>
13893 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-right.png"></td><td>Width=36%,
13894 L=44 R=56</td></tr>
13895 <tr><td><img src="/images/stereo-panner-hard-right.png"></td><td>Width=0%,
13896 L=0 R=100</td></tr>
13899 <h4>Using the mouse</h4>
13902 Mouse operations in the upper half of the panner adjust the position
13903 parameter, constrained by the current width setting.
13906 Mouse operations in the lower half of the panner adjust the width
13907 parameter, constrained by the current position setting.
13910 To change the position smoothly, press the right button and drag
13911 within the top half of the panner, then release. The position will
13912 be limited by the current width setting. <em>Note: you do not need
13913 to grab the position indicator in order to drag.</em>
13916 To change the width smoothly, press the right button and drag
13917 within the lower half of the panner, then release. The width will be
13918 limited by the current position setting. <em>Note: you do not need to
13919 grab the L/R indicators in order to drag.</em>
13924 <dt>Reset to defaults</dt>
13925 <dd>Click <kbd class="mod3 mouse">right</kbd></dd>
13927 <dt>Change to hard left</dt>
13928 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mod2 mouse">right</kbd> in the upper left half
13931 <dt>Change to a hard right</dt>
13932 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mod2 mouse">right</kbd> in the upper right half
13935 <dt>Move position as far left as possible, given width</dt>
13936 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper left half of the
13939 <dt>Move position as far right as possible, given width</dt>
13940 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper right half of the
13943 <dt>Set the position to center</dt>
13944 <dd>Click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the upper middle of the panner</dd>
13946 <dt>Reset to maximum possible width</dt>
13947 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> on the lower left side</dd>
13949 <dt>Invert (flip channel assignments)</dt>
13950 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> on the lower right side</dd>
13952 <dt>Set width to 0°</dt>
13953 <dd>Double click <kbd class="mouse">right</kbd> in the lower middle</dd>
13956 <h4>Keyboard bindings</h4>
13959 When the pointer is within a stereo panner user interface, the following
13960 keybindings are available to operate on that panner:
13964 <dt><kbd>↑</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">↑</kbd></dt>
13965 <dd>increase width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13966 <dt><kbd>↓</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">↓</kbd></dt>
13967 <dd>decrease width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13968 <dt><kbd>←</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">←</kbd></dt>
13969 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
13970 <dt><kbd>→</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1">→</kbd></dt>
13971 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the right</dd>
13972 <dt><kbd>0</kbd></dt>
13973 <dd>reset position to center</dd>
13974 <dt><kbd class="mod2">↑</kbd></dt>
13975 <dd>reset width to full (100%)</dd>
13978 <h4>Using the scroll wheel/touch scroll</h4>
13981 When the pointer is within a stereo panner user interface, the scroll
13982 wheel may be used as follows:
13986 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇐</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇐</kbd></dt>
13987 <dd>increase width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13988 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇒</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇒</kbd></dt>
13989 <dd>decrease width by 1° / 5°</dd>
13990 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇑</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇑</kbd></dt>
13991 <dd>move position 1° / 5° to the left</dd>
13992 <dt><kbd class="mouse">⇓</kbd> / <kbd class="mod1 mouse">⇓</kbd></dt>
13993 <dd>move position 1° / 5°to the right</dd>
13996 <h2><a name="caveat"></a>Stereo panning caveats</h2>
13998 <p class="warning">
13999 The stereo panner will introduce unwanted side effects on
14000 material that includes a time difference between the channels, such
14001 as A/B, ORTF or NOS microphone recordings, or delay-panned mixes.<br />
14002 When you reduce the width, you are effectively summing two highly
14003 correlated signals with a delay, which will cause <dfn>comb filtering</dfn>.
14007 Let's take a closer look at what happens when you record a source at 45° to the
14008 right side with an ORTF stereo microphone array and then manipulate the width.
14012 For testing, we apply a <dfn>pink noise</dfn> signal to both inputs of an Ardour stereo
14013 bus with the stereo panner, and feed the bus output to a two-channel analyser.
14014 Since pink noise contains equal energy per octave, the expected readout is a
14015 straight line, which would indicate that our signal chain does not color the
14019 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-with-ORTF-fullwidth.png" />
14022 To simulate an ORTF, we use Robin Gareus' stereo balance
14023 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
14028 Recall that an <dfn>ORTF</dfn> microphone pair consists of two cardioids
14029 spaced 17 cm apart, with an opening angle of 110°. For a far source at
14030 45° to the right, the time difference between the capsules is 350 μs
14031 or approximately 15 samples at 44.1 kHz. The level difference due to the
14032 directivity of the microphones is about 7.5 dB (indicated by the
14033 distance between the blue and red lines in the analyser).
14037 Now for the interesting part: if we reduce the width of the signal to 50%,
14038 the time-delayed signals will be combined in the panner. Observe what
14039 happens to the frequency response of the left and right outputs:
14042 <img src="/images/stereo-panner-with-ORTF-halfwidth.png" />
14045 You may argue that all spaced microphone recordings will undergo comb
14046 filtering later, when the two channels recombine in the air between the speakers.
14047 Perceptually however, there is a huge of difference: our hearing system is
14048 very good at eliminating comb filters in the real world, where their component
14049 signals are spatially separated. But once you combine them
14050 inside your signal chain, this spatial separation is lost and the brain will
14051 no longer be able to sort out the timbral mess. As usual, you
14052 get to keep the pieces.
14056 Depending on your material and on how much you need to manipulate the width,
14057 some degree of comb filtering may be acceptable. Then again, it may not. Listen
14058 carefully for artefacts if you manipulate unknown stereo signals—many
14059 orchestra sample libraries for example do contain time-delay components.
14064 title: Plugin and Hardware Inserts
14070 title: Working With Plugins
14075 <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".
14079 Ardour supports a variety of different plugin standards:
14082 <dl class="narrower-table">
14083 <dt><abbr title="Linux Audio Developers' Simple Plugin API">LADSPA</abbr></dt>
14084 <dd>An early, simple, lightweight plugin <abbr title="Application
14085 Programming Interface">API</abbr>, audio effects only,
14086 plugins have no editors/GUI of their own (Ardour provides one, however).</dd>
14087 <dt><abbr title="LADSPA Version 2">LV2</abbr></dt>
14088 <dd>An extensible, full-featured plugin API, audio and <abbr
14089 title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr>, plugins can provide their
14090 own <abbr title="Graphical User Interface">GUI</abbr>s; the successor to LADSPA</dd>
14091 <dt><abbr title="Audio Unit">AU</abbr></dt>
14092 <dd>OS X only, full featured, audio and MIDI, plugins can provide their own GUI</dd>
14094 <dt><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr></dt>
14095 <dd>Plugins using Steinberg's VST plugin standard. Varies by platform:
14097 <dt>on Linux</dt><dd>(native) Linux VST plugins fully supported (VST2.4)</dd>
14098 <dt>on Windows</dt><dd>(native) Windows VST plugins fully supported (VST2.4)</dd>
14099 <dt>on OS X</dt><dd>Not supported, unless you use a VST-to-AU
14100 bridge plugin. Similar to Apple's Logic DAW.</dd>
14104 <dt>Windows VST Plugins on Linux</dt>
14105 <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.
14110 title: Processor Box
14114 <p><img class="right" src="/images/processor-box.png" alt="the Processor Box" /></p>
14117 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>.
14121 The arrangement of processors is arbitrary, and there is no limit to how
14122 many there can be. The Processor Box will automagically add a scrollbar to
14123 itself if there are more processors in it than can be shown in the given space.
14127 The main box in the top half of a mixer strip shows the <dfn>processor
14128 box</dfn>. Processors are shown as colored rectangles, with a small "LED" beside
14129 them that lights up when the processor is enabled. The color of the
14130 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).
14134 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.
14137 <h2>Adding Processors</h2>
14139 Processors can be added to the chain by <kbd class="mouse">Right</kbd>-clicking in the processor list, This does three things:
14143 <li>A gap is opened up to indicate the location of the click. The gap shows where any new processors will be inserted.</li>
14144 <li>The processor under the click is selected.</li>
14145 <li>An options menu is presented.</li>
14149 From the menu, new processors can be inserted.
14153 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.
14157 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.
14160 <h2>To Reorder (Move) Processors</h2>
14162 Processors can be re-ordered using drag & drop. Dragging a processor
14163 allows it to be moved around within the chain, or copied to another
14164 processor list on another track or bus.
14167 <h2>To Enable/Disable a Processor</h2>
14169 <p><img class="right" src="/images/processor.png" alt="a typical processor" /></p>
14172 To the left of the name of each processor is a small LED symbol; if this
14173 is lit-up, the processor is active. Clicking on it will deactivate the
14174 processor and effectively bypass it.
14178 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.
14181 <h2>Selecting Processors</h2>
14183 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
14186 <h2>Removing Processors</h2>
14188 Context-click on the processor to be removed, and select <kbd
14189 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.
14193 title: Plugin Manager
14197 <p class="fixme">This needs updating; it was written for v3 or v4, and it's out of date</p>
14200 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.
14203 <p class="center"><img src="/images/plugin-manager.png" alt="Plugin Manager window"/></p>
14206 Displayed for each plugin is the status (normal, favorite, hidden),
14207 name, type, category, creator (author), and the number of audio and MIDI
14208 connections. The plugins can be sorted by clicking on a column header.
14211 <h2>Plugin Display Status</h2>
14214 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>.
14217 <h2>Filtering Listed Plugins</h2>
14220 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.
14223 <h2>Inserting Plugins in the Processor Box</h2>
14226 The bottom half of the plugin manager shows plugins that have been selected
14227 for insertion into the <dfn>Processor Box</dfn>. A plugin can be added by
14228 either double clicking the plugin entry in the top half, or, if already
14229 selected in top half, by clicking <kbd class="button">Add</kbd>.
14233 Plugins can be removed from the bottom half with a double click, or, if
14234 already selected, by clicking <kbd class="button">Remove</kbd>.
14238 title: Favorite Plugins Window
14242 <p><img class="right" src="/images/favorite-plugins.png" alt="Favorite Plugins window"/></p>
14245 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.
14249 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.
14252 <h2 style="clear:both;">Features</h2>
14255 The Favorite Plugins window provides easy access to frequently used plugins:
14259 <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>
14260 <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>
14261 <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>
14263 <p><img class="right" src="/images/mixer-to-fav-dnd.png" alt="Dragging plugin to Favorites window"/></p>
14264 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.
14266 <li>The context-menu allows the deletion of presets or removal of the plugin from the list.</li>
14267 <li>Plugins in the list can be re-ordered using drag & drop. The custom order is saved.</li>
14270 <p style="clear:both;" class="note">
14271 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.
14275 title: Managing Plugin Presets
14279 <p class="fixme">Add images</p>
14282 All plugin control widgets, whether they are created by Ardour or
14283 by the plugin, have a common set of controls at the top of the window.
14284 These include 4 controls for managing <dfn>plugin presets</dfn>.
14287 <h2>What Is a Plugin Preset?</h2>
14290 A <dfn>preset</dfn> for a plugin is simply a saved set of values for
14291 all of a plugin's parameters. If you load a preset, you are restoring
14292 all the parameters of that plugin to the values stored in the preset.
14293 This is an easy, fast way to manage your preferred settings for
14294 particular plugins.
14297 <h2>The Preset Selector</h2>
14300 The <dfn>preset selector</dfn> is a regular selector that can be
14301 clicked to display a list of all known presets for this plugin. This
14302 will include presets that you have created yourself, and for some
14303 plugin formats, presets that come with the plugin itself.
14306 <h2>Load a New Preset</h2>
14309 Click on the preset selector to pop up a menu showing the names of
14310 all available presets. Click on the name of the preset you wish to load.
14311 The preset will be loaded—you may see various controls in the
14312 plugin editor change to reflect the new value of some or all parameters.
14315 <h2>Create a Preset</h2>
14318 To save the current plugin settings as a new preset, click on the
14319 <kbd class="menu">Add</kbd> button at the top of the window. A dialog
14320 will appear to ask for the name of the preset.
14323 <h2>Save a Preset</h2>
14326 If you wish to modify the settings in an existing preset, first use
14327 the preset selector to load the preset, then adjust the settings as
14328 you wish. When done, click the <kbd class="menu">Save</kbd> button
14329 and the new values will be stored, overwriting the previous version
14333 <h2>Delete a preset</h2>
14336 To delete an existing preset, use the preset selector to load the preset.
14337 Click the <kbd class="menu">Delete</kbd> button, and the preset will be
14338 removed. The preset selector turn blank, showing that no preset is
14339 currently loaded (although the settings will stay as they were).
14343 title: Working with Ardour-built Plugin Editors
14347 <p class="fixme">This section needs expansion, and at least one image</p>
14350 To view a plugin editor, double-click on the plugin within the
14351 <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box">processor box</a>.
14352 A new window will appear showing the editor/GUI for the plugin.
14356 If a plugin does not have its own GUI, Ardour will construct a
14357 <dfn>generic plugin editor</dfn> from a small set of common control
14358 elements. Ardour will do this even for plugins that have their
14359 own, if <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences >
14360 GUI > Use Plugins' own interface instead of Ardour's</kbd> is disabled.
14364 The generic UI can be temporarily switched to by context-clicking on
14365 a processor and selecting <kbd
14366 class="menu">Edit with generic controls</kbd>. This will be necessary to
14367 access the <a href="/automation">plugin automation controls</a>.
14371 In the generic UI, any controller can be reset to its default by
14372 <kbd class="mod3 mouse">Left</kbd>-clicking on it.
14376 title: Plugins Bundled With Ardour
14381 Ardour now comes with the following plugins as part of a standard installation:
14384 <dl class="narrower-table">
14385 <dt>a-Amplifier</dt>
14386 <dd>A versatile ±20dB multichannel amplifier</dd>
14387 <dt>a-Compressor</dt>
14388 <dd>A side-chain enabled compressor with the usual controls. Comes in stereo and mono versions</dd>
14390 <dd>A basic single-tap delay line, with tempo sync</dd>
14392 <dd>A nice sounding 4-band parametric EQ with shelves</dd>
14393 <dt>a-Fluid Synth</dt>
14394 <dd>Wraps the Fluidsynth SoundFont2 synthesis engine as a new sample player</dd>
14395 <dt>a-High/Low Pass Filter</dt>
14396 <dd>Independent high and low pass filters with steepness up to 48dB/octave</dd>
14397 <dt>a-Inline Scope</dt>
14398 <dd>A mixer strip inline waveform display</dd>
14399 <dt>a-Inline Spectrogram</dt>
14400 <dd>A mixer strip inline specturm display</dd>
14401 <dt>a-MIDI Monitor</dt>
14402 <dd>A mixer strip inline display to show recent <abbr title="Musical Instrument Digital Interface">MIDI</abbr> events</dd>
14404 <dd>A reverb that finds a balance between sounding good, using a lot of CPU and having too many controls</dd>
14408 title: Getting More Plugins
14413 The following list shows <dfn>plugin packages</dfn>. In some cases, a package contains just one or two plugins; in other cases, dozens.
14416 <h2>Plugins by Standard</h2>
14418 <h3 id="LADSPA">LADSPA</h3>
14421 <li>AMB <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
14422 <li>Blepvco <a href="http://smbolton.com/linux.html">http://smbolton.com/linux.html</a></li>
14423 <li>Blop <a href="http://blop.sourceforge.net">http://blop.sourceforge.net</a></li>
14424 <li>CAPS <a href="http://quitte.de/dsp/caps.html">http://quitte.de/dsp/caps.html</a></li>
14425 <li>CMT <a href="http://www.ladspa.org/cmt/">http://www.ladspa.org/cmt/</a></li>
14426 <li>FIL <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
14427 <li>FOO <a href="http://code.google.com/p/foo-plugins/">http://code.google.com/p/foo-plugins/</a></li>
14428 <li>MCP <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
14429 <li>NJL <a href="https://github.com/tialaramex/njl-plugins">https://github.com/tialaramex/njl-plugins</a></li>
14430 <li>Omins <a href="http://www.nongnu.org/om-synth/omins.html">http://www.nongnu.org/om-synth/omins.html</a></li>
14431 <li>REV <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
14432 <li>SWH <a href="http://plugin.org.uk/">http://plugin.org.uk/</a></li>
14433 <li>TAP <a href="http://tap-plugins.sourceforge.net/">http://tap-plugins.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
14434 <li>VCF <a href="http://users.suse.com/~mana/ladspa.html">http://users.suse.com/~mana/ladspa.html</a></li>
14435 <li>VCO <a href="http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/">http://kokkinizita.linuxaudio.org/linuxaudio/</a></li>
14436 <li>VLevel <a href="http://vlevel.sourceforge.net/about/">http://vlevel.sourceforge.net/about/</a></li>
14437 <li>Vocoder <a href="http://www.sirlab.de/linux/download_vocoder.html">http://www.sirlab.de/linux/download_vocoder.html</a></li>
14438 <li>WASP <a href="http://linux01.gwdg.de/~nlissne/wasp/index.html">http://linux01.gwdg.de/~nlissne/wasp/index.html</a> (mar wanted!)</li>
14439 <li>Nova <a href="http://klingt.org/~tim/nova-filters/">http://klingt.org/~tim/nova-filters/</a></li>
14440 <li>Calf <a href="http://calf.sourceforge.net/">http://calf.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
14441 <li>Socal’s LEET Plugins <a href="http://code.google.com/p/leetplugins/">http://code.google.com/p/leetplugins/</a></li>
14442 <!--<li>Holap synthesizer and DSP effects <a href="http://holap.berlios.de/">http://holap.berlios.de/</a></li>-->
14445 <h3 id="LV2">LV2</h3>
14448 <li>SWH <a href="http://plugin.org.uk/lv2/">http://plugin.org.uk/lv2/</a></li>
14449 <li>ll-plugins <a href="http://ll-plugins.nongnu.org/">http://ll-plugins.nongnu.org/</a></li>
14450 <li>zynadd <a href="http://home.gna.org/zyn/">http://home.gna.org/zyn/</a></li>
14451 <li>Calf <a href="http://calf.sourceforge.net/">http://calf.sourceforge.net/</a></li>
14452 <li>LinuxDSP <a href="http://www.overtonedsp.co.uk/download/linuxdsp-archive/">http://www.overtonedsp.co.uk/download/linuxdsp-archive/</a></li>
14453 <li>Invada Studio <a href="https://launchpad.net/invada-studio/">https://launchpad.net/invada-studio/</a></li>
14456 <h3 id="LinuxVST">Linux VST (LXVST)</h3>
14459 <li>Loomer <a href="http://www.loomer.co.uk/">http://www.loomer.co.uk/</a></li>
14460 <li>Distrho <a href="http://distrho.sourceforge.net/ports.php">http://distrho.sourceforge.net/ports.php</a></li>
14461 <li>Argotlunar <a href="http://argotlunar.info/">http://argotlunar.info/</a></li>
14464 <h2>How do I install plugins?</h2>
14469 <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.
14473 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.
14477 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).
14481 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.
14485 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.
14489 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.
14495 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.
14499 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.
14503 title: Using Windows VST Plugins on Linux
14508 Thanks to the combined work of Torben Hohn, Kjetil Mattheusen, Paul
14509 Davis and a few other developers, it is possible to use Windows
14510 <dfn><abbr title="Virtual Studio Technology">VST</abbr>
14511 plugins</dfn> (that is, plugins in VST format built and distributed
14512 for the Windows platforms) on Ardour running on Linux. (Note: there
14513 is no VST support of any kind on OS X).
14516 <p>However, doing so has three <em>substantial</em> downsides:</p>
14519 <li>It requires a special build of Ardour that is fundamentally
14520 very different from normal builds</li>
14521 <li>Support depends on <a href="http://winehq.org/">Wine</a>,
14522 a Windows "emulator"</li>
14523 <li>As usual with plugins, a crashing plugin will take Ardour down
14524 with it—and crashes in Windows VST plugins are more likely when
14525 used in this way</li>
14529 The dependence on Wine makes it almost impossible for the Ardour
14530 project to support this feature. Wine's functionality generally
14531 improves over time, but any given release of Wine may behave worse
14532 with some or all Windows VST plugins. It may even just crash Ardour
14537 Step back and think about what "using Windows VSTs" really means:
14538 taking bits of software written with only one idea in mind—running
14539 on the Windows platform—and then trying to use them on an entirely
14540 different platform. It is a bit of a miracle (largely thanks to the
14541 incredible work done by the Wine project) that it works at all. But is
14542 this the basis of a stable, reliable DAW for a non-Windows platform?
14543 Getting Ardour on Linux to pretend that its really a Windows
14544 application running on Windows?
14548 We understand that there are many outstanding plugins available as
14549 Windows VSTs and that in many cases, no equivalent is available for
14550 Ardour's Linux-based users. If your workflow is so dependent on those
14551 plugins, then remain on Windows (or potentially consider using an
14552 actual Windows VST host running inside of Wine). If you can make the
14553 effort, you will get a better environment by using a normal build of
14554 Ardour and exploring the world of plugins built to run on Linux
14555 natively. This covers LADSPA, LV2 and Linux VST formats, and even some
14556 outstanding proprietary plugins such as those
14557 from <a href="http://www.loomer.co.uk/">Loomer</a>.
14560 <h2>A Plea To Plugin Manufacturers</h2>
14563 Please consider porting your plugins so that users can enjoy them on
14564 Linux too. Several other commercial plugin developers have already
14565 done this. You can choose between using "Linux VST" (which is what
14566 Loomer and others have done)—you will find toolkits like JUCE that
14567 help to make this fairly easy—or using LV2 format which is
14568 ultimately more flexible but probably more work. We have users—thousands of users—on Linux who would like to use your plugins.
14585 title: Export Dialog
14590 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.
14594 You can also export the outputs of multiple tracks & busses all at once via
14595 <kbd class="menu">Session > Export > Stem Export...</kbd>.
14598 <h2>File Format</h2>
14600 <img src="/images/export-dialog-file-format.png" />
14603 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:
14605 <li>CD (Red Book)</li>
14607 <li>FLAC 24 bit </li>
14608 <li>FLAC 24 bit (tagged)</li>
14609 <li>Ogg_Vorbis</li>
14610 <li>Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
14613 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.
14617 You can also create a 'Preset' consisting of one or more formats. Ardour provides some ready-made presets, too:
14619 <li>CD + DVD-A</li>
14621 <li>CD + FLAC (tagged)</li>
14622 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC (tagged)</li>
14623 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis</li>
14624 <li>CD + Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
14626 <li>DVD-A only</li>
14628 <li>FLAC (tagged)</li>
14629 <li>Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC</li>
14630 <li>Ogg_Vorbis + FLAC (tagged)</li>
14631 <li>Ogg_Vorbis </li>
14632 <li>Ogg_Vorbis (tagged)</li>
14636 <h3>Soundcloud upload</h3>
14639 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.
14642 <img src="/images/soundcloud-upload.png" />
14646 <dt>Make files public</dt><dd>Choose whether to make uploaded files available to anyone via the Soundcloud web site.</dd>
14647 <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>
14648 <dt>Make files downloadable</dt><dd>Choose whether to allow downloading of files uploaded to Soundcloud.</dd>
14654 <img src="/images/export-dialog-timespan.png" />
14657 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.
14663 <img src="/images/export-dialog-channels.png" />
14666 Here you can choose which outputs (tracks or busses) should be sent to the exported file.
14669 <h2>Stem Export</h2>
14671 <img src="/images/export-dialog-stem-export.png" />
14674 If you chose 'Stem Export', the 'Channels' tab appears slightly differently:
14675 in this case each chosen channel (track or bus) is exported to its own file,
14676 instead of all channels being mixed together into a single file. You can
14677 choose to export either the region contents or the track output here in this
14682 title: Export Format Profiles
14686 <h2>Export Format Profiles</h2>
14689 An Export Format Profile specifies the file format in which Ardour will export
14690 audio files, and also other audio file export options.
14694 Export Format Profiles are edited via the 'Edit Export Format Profile' dialog.
14697 <img src="/images/edit-export-format-profile.png" />
14702 If enabled, peak levels of exported files will be normalized to the level chosen here.
14705 <h3>Trim/Add silence at start/end</h3>
14710 <h3>Compatibility/Quality/File format/Sample rate</h3>
14712 <h4>Compatibility</h4>
14715 Selecting an item in the 'Compatibility' column will display options in the
14716 other columns that are incompatible with that item in red.
14722 The appropriate item in the 'Quality' column will be highlighted when you
14723 choose a file format. Clicking on items in the 'Quality' column currently
14724 doesn't seem to do anything useful.
14727 <h4>File format</h4>
14730 This column contains a list of Ardour's supported export file types. Click on
14731 the format you want to use.
14734 <h4>Sample rate</h4>
14737 You can explicitly choose the sample rate of your exported files here, or
14738 choose 'Session rate' to export in the current session's sample rate, without
14739 sample rate conversion.
14742 <h4>Sample rate conversion quality</h4>
14745 If your chosen sample rate does not match the current session's sample rate,
14746 choose the sample rate conversion quality here. Better quality options are
14753 Options relevant to the chosen file format will appear here.
14754 Categories of audio file format are:
14756 <li>Linear encoding</li>
14757 <li>Broadcast Wave</li>
14758 <li>Ogg Vorbis</li>
14764 Available options include a selection of the following:
14767 <h4>Sample Format</h4>
14770 Choose the bit depth of exported files.
14776 If the exported files bit depth is less than Ardour's native bit depth,
14777 choose the dithering algorithm to use.
14780 <h4>Create CUE file/Create TOC file</h4>
14783 As well as exporting an audio file, create a file (in CUE or TOC format
14784 respectively) containg CD track information, as defined in the
14785 <a href="/working-with-markers/rangesmarks-list/">Ranges & Marks List</a>.
14788 <h4>Tag with session's metadata</h4>
14791 If the exported file format supports metadata, use data entered in the
14792 <a href="/working-with-sessions/metadata/">Session Metadata</a>
14793 window to tag the exported files.
14799 The 'Label' field lets you choose the name which will be shown for this format
14800 in the drop-down list of export formats in the 'File Formats' tab of the
14801 <a href="/exporting/export-dialog/">Export dialog</a>.
14804 <h3>Command to run post-export</h3>
14807 If this is not blank, it is considered as a command to be run after the export
14808 of each file. Either the command must exist in $PATH, or you can specify an
14809 absolute path to an executable file here.
14813 Certain sequences are allowed here to stand for the exported file name and the
14814 like. Currently these are:
14816 <dt><code>%f</code></dt>
14817 <dd>Full path & filename of the exported audio file</dd>
14818 <dt><code>%d</code></dt>
14819 <dd>Directory containing the exported audio file (including trailing directory separator)</dd>
14820 <dt><code>%b</code></dt>
14821 <dd>Basename of the exported audio file (without extension)</dd>
14822 <dt><code>%s</code></dt>
14823 <dd>Path to the current session file</dd>
14824 <dt><code>%n</code></dt>
14825 <dd>Name of the current session file</dd>
14826 <dt><code>%%</code></dt>
14827 <dd>A literal percent sign</dd>
14832 Any part of the command-line enclosed in double-quotes (") will be used as-is.
14843 title: Ardour Setup for Surround
14849 title: Multichannel Tracks and Signal Routing
14855 title: Surround Panning and Mixing
14865 <p class="warning">
14866 Ardour's VBAP panner is currently in development, and its semantics may
14867 change in the near future, possibly affecting your mixes. Please do not
14868 rely on it for important production work while the dust settles.
14872 <dfn><abbr title="Vector-base Amplitude Panning">VBAP</abbr></dfn>
14873 is a versatile and straightforward method to pan a source around over an
14874 arbitrary number of speakers on a horizontal polygon or a 3D surface,
14875 even if the speaker layout is highly irregular.
14878 <h2>Basic concepts</h2>
14881 VBAP was developed by Ville Pulkki at Aalto University, Helsinki, in 2001.
14882 It works by distributing the signal to the speakers nearest to the desired
14883 direction with appropriate weightings, aiming to create a maximally sharp
14884 phantom source by using as few speakers as possible:
14888 <li>one speaker, if the desired direction coincides with a speaker
14890 <li>two speakers, if the desired direction is on the line between two
14892 <li>and three speakers in the general 3D case.</li>
14896 Thus, if you move the panner onto a speaker, you can be sure that only
14897 this speaker will get any signal. This is handy when you need precise
14902 The drawback of VBAP is that a moving source will constantly change its
14903 apparent sharpness, as it transitions between the three states mentioned
14908 A <dfn>horizontal</dfn> VBAP panner has one parameter, the <dfn>azimuth
14909 angle</dfn>. A <dfn>full-sphere</dfn> panner offers an additional
14910 <dfn>elevation angle</dfn> control.
14914 More elaborate implementations of VBAP also include a
14915 <dfn>spread</dfn> parameter, which will distribute the signal over a
14916 greater number of speakers in order to maintain constant (but no longer
14917 maximal) sharpness, regardless of position. Ardour's VBAP panner does not
14918 currently include this feature.
14921 <h2>Speaker layout</h2>
14924 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.
14927 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-5.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
14928 panner with 5 outputs"/>
14931 Ardour currently uses a simplified approach: if a track or bus has more
14932 than two output channels (which implies stereo), it assumes that you
14933 have N speakers distributed in a regular N-gon. That means that for
14934 irregular layouts such as 5.1 or 7.1, the direction you dial in will
14935 differ a bit from the actual auditory result, but you can still achieve
14936 any desired spatialisation.
14939 <h3>Experimental 3D VBAP</h3>
14941 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-10.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
14942 panner with 10 outputs, in experimental 3D mode"/>
14945 For tracks with 10 outputs, Ardour will currently assume a 3-dimensional
14946 speaker layout corresponding to Auro-3D 10.1, which is a horizontal 5.1
14947 system, four elevated speakers above L, R, Ls, and Rs, and an additional
14948 "voice-of-god" speaker at the zenith.
14951 <h2>N:M panning</h2>
14953 <img src="/images/VBAP-panner-4in5.png" class="small right" alt="The VBAP
14954 panner in 4 in, 5 out mode"/>
14957 For tracks and busses with more than one input, Ardour will (for now) assume that
14958 you wish to distribute the inputs symmetrically along the latitude around
14959 the panner direction. The width parameter controls the opening angle of
14960 the distribution sector.
14965 title: Sync & Video
14971 title: Working with Synchronization
14977 title: On Clock and Time
14982 <dfn>Synchronization</dfn> in multimedia involves two concepts which are
14983 often confused: <dfn>clock</dfn> (or speed) and <dfn>time</dfn> (location
14988 A <dfn>clock</dfn> determines the speet at which one or more systems
14989 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.
14993 Time or <dfn>timecode</dfn> specifies an absolute position on a timeline,
14994 such as <code>01:02:03:04</code> (expressed as Hours:Mins:Secs:Frames). It is
14995 actual <em>data</em> and not a clock <em>signal</em> per se.
14996 The granularity of timecode is <dfn>Video Frames</dfn> and is an order of
14997 magnitude lower than, say, Word Clock which is counted in
14998 <dfn>samples</dfn>. A typical frame rate is 25 <abbr title="frames
14999 per second">fps</abbr> with a period of
15001 In the case of 48 kHz and 25 fps, there are 1,920 audio samples
15006 The concepts of clock and timecode are reflected in JACK and Ardour:
15010 JACK provides clock synchronization and is not concerned with time code
15011 (this is not entirely true, more on jack-transport later).
15012 On the software side, jackd provides sample-accurate synchronization
15013 between all JACK applications.
15014 On the hardware side, JACK uses the clock of the audio-interface.
15015 Synchronization of multiple interfaces requires hardware support to sync
15017 If two interfaces run at different clocks the only way to align the
15018 signals is via re-sampling (SRC—Sample Rate Conversion), which is
15019 expensive in terms of CPU usage and may decreases fidelity if done
15024 Timecode is used to align systems already synchronized by a clock to
15025 a common point in time, this is application specific and various
15026 standards and methods exist to do this.
15030 To make things confusing, there are possibilities to synchronize clocks
15031 using timecode. e.g. using mechanism called <dfn>jam-sync</dfn> and a
15032 <dfn>phase-locked loop</dfn>.
15036 An interesting point to note is that LTC (Linear Time Code) is a
15037 Manchester encoded, frequency modulated signal that carries both
15038 clock and time. It is possible to extract absolute position data
15043 title: Latency and Latency-Compensation
15044 menu_title: Latency
15050 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latency_%28audio%29"><dfn>Latency</dfn></a>
15051 is a system's reaction time to a given stimulus. There are many factors that
15052 contribute to the total latency of a system. In order to achieve exact time
15053 synchronization all sources of latency need to be taken into account and
15057 <h2>Sources of Latency</h2>
15059 <h3>Sound propagation through the air</h3>
15062 Since sound is a mechanical perturbation in a fluid, it travels at
15063 comparatively slow <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound">speed</a>
15064 of about 340 m/s. As a consequence, your acoustic guitar or piano has a
15065 latency of about 1–2 ms, due to the propagation time of the sound
15066 between your instrument and your ear.
15069 <h3>Digital-to-Analog and Analog-to-Digital conversion</h3>
15072 Electric signals travel quite fast (on the order of the speed of light),
15073 so their propagation time is negligible in this context. But the conversions
15074 between the analog and digital domain take a comparatively long time to perform,
15075 so their contribution to the total latency may be considerable on
15076 otherwise very low-latency systems. Conversion delay is usually below 1 ms.
15079 <h3>Digital Signal Processing</h3>
15082 Digital processors tend to process audio in chunks, and the size of that chunk
15083 depends on the needs of the algorithm and performance/cost considerations.
15084 This is usually the main cause of latency when you use a computer and one you
15085 can try to predict and optimize.
15088 <h3>Computer I/O Architecture</h3>
15091 A computer is a general purpose processor, not a digital audio processor.
15092 This means our audio data has to jump a lot of fences in its path from the
15093 outside to the CPU and back, contending in the process with some other parts
15094 of the system vying for the same resources (CPU time, bus bandwidth, etc.)
15097 <h2>The Latency chain</h2>
15099 <img src="/images/latency-chain.png" title="Latency chain" alt="Latency chain" />
15102 <em>Figure: Latency chain.</em>
15103 The numbers are an example for a typical PC. With professional gear and an
15104 optimized system the total roundtrip latency is usually lower. The important
15105 point is that latency is always additive and a sum of many independent factors.
15109 Processing latency is usually divided into <dfn>capture latency</dfn> (the time
15110 it takes for the digitized audio to be available for digital processing, usually
15111 one audio period), and <dfn>playback latency</dfn> (the time it takes for
15112 In practice, the combination of both matters. It is called <dfn>roundtrip
15113 latency</dfn>: the time necessary for a certain audio event to be captured,
15114 processed and played back.
15118 It is important to note that processing latency in a jackd is a matter of
15119 choice. It can be lowered within the limits imposed by the hardware (audio
15120 device, CPU and bus speed) and audio driver. Lower latencies increase the
15121 load on the system because it needs to process the audio in smaller chunks
15122 which arrive much more frequently. The lower the latency, the more likely
15123 the system will fail to meet its processing deadline and the dreaded
15124 <dfn>xrun</dfn> (short for buffer over- or under-run) will make its
15125 appearance more often, leaving its merry trail of clicks, pops and crackles.
15129 The digital I/O latency is usually negligible for integrated or
15130 <abbr title="Periphal Component Interface">PCI</abbr> audio devices, but
15131 for USB or FireWire interfaces the bus clocking and buffering can add some
15136 <h2>Low Latency usecases</h2>
15139 Low latency is <strong>not</strong> always a feature you want to have. It
15140 comes with a couple of drawbacks: the most prominent is increased power
15141 consumption because the CPU needs to process many small chunks of audio data,
15142 it is constantly active and can not enter power-saving mode (think fan-noise).
15143 Since each application that is part of the signal chain must run in every
15144 audio cycle, low-latency systems will undergo<dfn>context switches</dfn>
15145 between applications more often, which incur a significant overhead.
15146 This results in a much higher system load and an increased chance of xruns.
15150 For a few applications, low latency is critical:
15153 <h3>Playing virtual instruments</h3>
15156 A large delay between the pressing of the keys and the sound the instrument
15157 produces will throw-off the timing of most instrumentalists (save church
15158 organists, whom we believe to be awesome latency-compensation organic systems.)
15161 <h3>Software audio monitoring</h3>
15164 If a singer is hearing her own voice through two different paths, her head
15165 bones and headphones, even small latencies can be very disturbing and
15166 manifest as a tinny, irritating sound.
15169 <h3>Live effects</h3>
15172 Low latency is important when using the computer as an effect rack for
15173 inline effects such as compression or EQ. For reverbs, slightly higher
15174 latency might be tolerable, if the direct sound is not routed through the
15178 <h3>Live mixing</h3>
15181 Some sound engineers use a computer for mixing live performances.
15182 Basically that is a combination of the above: monitoring on stage,
15183 effects processing and EQ.
15187 In many other cases, such as playback, recording, overdubbing, mixing,
15188 mastering, etc. latency is not important, since it can easily be
15189 compensated for.<br />
15190 To explain that statement: During mixing or mastering you don't care
15191 if it takes 10ms or 100ms between the instant you press the play button
15192 and sound coming from the speaker. The same is true when recording with a count in.
15195 <h2>Latency compensation</h2>
15198 During tracking it is important that the sound that is currently being
15199 played back is internally aligned with the sound that is being recorded.
15203 This is where latency-compensation comes into play. There are two ways to
15204 compensate for latency in a DAW, <dfn>read-ahead</dfn> and
15205 <dfn>write-behind</dfn>. The DAW starts playing a bit early (relative to
15206 the playhead), so that when the sound arrives at the speakers a short time
15207 later, it is exactly aligned with the material that is being recorded.
15208 Since we know that play-back has latency, the incoming audio can be delayed
15209 by the same amount to line things up again.
15213 As you may see, the second approach is prone to various implementation
15214 issues regarding timecode and transport synchronization. Ardour uses read-ahead
15215 to compensate for latency. The time displayed in the Ardour clock corresponds
15216 to the audio-signal that you hear on the speakers (and is not where Ardour
15217 reads files from disk).
15221 As a side note, this is also one of the reasons why many projects start at
15222 timecode <samp>01:00:00:00</samp>. When compensating for output latency the
15223 DAW will need to read data from before the start of the session, so that the
15224 audio arrives in time at the output when the timecode hits <samp>01:00:00:00</samp>.
15225 Ardour3 does handle the case of <samp>00:00:00:00</samp> properly but not all
15226 systems/software/hardware that you may inter-operate with may behave the same.
15229 <h2>Latency Compensation And Clock Sync</h2>
15232 To achieve sample accurate timecode synchronization, the latency introduced
15233 by the audio setup needs to be known and compensated for.
15237 In order to compensate for latency, JACK or JACK applications need to know
15238 exactly how long a certain signal needs to be read-ahead or delayed:
15241 <img src="/images/jack-latency-excerpt.png" title="Jack Latency Compensation" alt="Jack Latency Compensation" />
15244 <em>Figure: Jack Latency Compensation.</em>
15248 In the figure above, clients A and B need to be able to answer the following
15254 How long has it been since the data read from port Ai or Bi arrived at the
15255 edge of the JACK graph (capture)?
15258 How long will it be until the data writen to port Ao or Bo arrives at the
15259 edge of the JACK graph (playback)?
15264 JACK features an <abbr title="Application Programming Interface">API</abbr>
15265 that allows applications to determine the answers to above questions.
15266 However JACK can not know about the additional latency that is introduced
15267 by the computer architecture, operating system and soundcard. These values
15268 can be specified by the JACK command line parameters <kbd class="input">-I</kbd>
15269 and <kbd class="input">-O</kbd> and vary from system
15270 to system but are constant on each. On a general purpose computer system
15271 the only way to accurately learn about the total (additional) latency is to
15275 <h2>Calibrating JACK Latency</h2>
15278 Linux DSP guru Fons Adriaensen wrote a tool called <dfn>jack_delay</dfn>
15279 to accurately measure the roundtrip latency of a closed loop audio chain,
15280 with sub-sample accuracy. JACK itself includes a variant of this tool
15281 called <dfn>jack_iodelay</dfn>.
15285 Jack_iodelay allows you to measure the total latency of the system,
15286 subtracts the known latency of JACK itself and suggests values for
15287 jackd's audio-backend parameters.
15291 jack_[io]delay works by emitting some rather annoying tones, capturing
15292 them again after a round trip through the whole chain, and measuring the
15293 difference in phase so it can estimate with great accuracy the time taken.
15297 You can close the loop in a number of ways:
15302 Putting a speaker close to a microphone. This is rarely done, as air
15303 propagation latency is well known so there is no need to measure it.
15306 Connecting the output of your audio interface to its input using a
15307 patch cable. This can be an analog or a digital loop, depending on
15308 the nature of the input/output you use. A digital loop will not factor
15309 in the <abbr title="Analog to Digital, Digital to Analog">AD/DA</abbr>
15315 Once you have closed the loop you have to:
15319 <li>Launch jackd with the configuration you want to test.</li>
15320 <li>Launch <kbd class="input">jack_delay</kbd> on the commandline.</li>
15321 <li>Make the appropriate connections between your jack ports so the loop is closed.</li>
15322 <li>Adjust the playback and capture levels in your mixer.</li>
15326 title: Timecode Generators and Slaves
15331 Ardour supports three common timecode formats:
15332 <abbr title="Linear/Longitudinal Time Code"><dfn>LTC</dfn></abbr>,
15333 <abbr title="MIDI Time Code"><dfn>MTC</dfn></abbr>, and
15334 <dfn>MIDI Clock</dfn>, as well as
15335 <dfn>JACK-transport</dfn>, a JACK-specific timecode implementation.
15339 Ardour can generate timecode and thus act as timecode <dfn>master</dfn>,
15340 providing timecode information to other applications. Ardour can also be
15341 <dfn>slaved</dfn> to some external source in which case the playhead
15342 follows the incoming timecode.
15346 Combining the timecode slave and generator modes, Ardour can also
15347 <dfn>translate</dfn> timecode. e.g create LTC timecode from incoming MTC.
15350 <h2>Ardour Timecode Configuration</h2>
15353 Each Ardour session has a specific timecode frames-per-second setting which
15354 is configured in <kbd class="menu">session > properties >
15355 timecode</kbd>. The selected timecode affects the timecoderuler in the main
15356 window as well as the clock itself.
15360 Note that some timecode formats do not support all of Ardour's available
15361 fps settings. MTC is limited to 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 fps.
15365 The video pull-up modes change the effective samplerate of Ardour to allow
15366 for changing a film soundtrack from one frame rate to another. The concept is
15367 beyond the scope of this manual, but Wikipedia's entry on
15368 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecine">Telecine</a>
15369 may get you started.
15372 <h2>Ardour Timecode Generator Configuration</h2>
15375 This is pretty straightforward: simply turn it on. The MTC and MIDI-Clock
15376 generator do not have any options. The LTC generator has a configurable
15377 output level. JACK-transport cannot be <em>generated</em>. Jack itself is
15378 always synced to its own cycle and cannot do varispeed—it will
15379 always be synced to a hardware clock or another JACK master.
15383 The relevant settings for timecode generator can be found in
15384 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI Preferences</kbd> (for MTC,
15386 <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Transport Preferences</kbd>
15391 The timecode is sent to jack-ports <code>ardour:MTC out</code>,
15392 <code>ardour:MIDI clock out</code> and <code>ardour:LTC-out</code>. Multiple
15393 generators can be active simultaneously.
15397 Note that, as of Jan 2014, only the LTC generator supports latency
15398 compensation. This is due to the fact the Ardour MIDI ports are not
15399 yet latency compensated.
15403 In <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>, it is possible to
15404 define an offset between Ardour's internal time and the timecode sent.
15405 Currently only the LTC generator honors this offset.
15409 Both LTC and MTC are limited to 30 fps. Using frame rates larger
15410 than that will disable the generator. In both cases also only 24, 25,
15411 29.97df (drop-frame) and 30 fps are well defined by specifications (such as
15412 SMPTE-12M, EU and the MIDI standard).
15415 <h3>MTC Generator</h3>
15418 The <dfn>MTC generator</dfn> has no options. Ardour sends full MTC
15419 frames whenever the transport is relocated or changes state (start/stop).
15420 MTC <dfn>quarter frames</dfn> are sent when the transport is rolling and
15421 the transport speed is within 93% and 107%.
15424 <h3>LTC Generator</h3>
15427 The level of the <dfn>LTC generator</dfn> output signal can be configured
15428 in in the <kbd class="menu">Preferences > Transport</kbd> dialog. By
15429 default it is set to -18 dBFS, which corresponds to 0dBu in an EBU
15434 The LTC generator has an additional option to keep sending timecode even
15435 when the transport is stopped. This mode is intended to drive analog tape
15436 machines which unspool the tape if no LTC timecode is received.
15440 LTC is send regardless of Ardour's transport speed. It is accurately
15441 generated even for very slow speeds (<5%) and only limited by the
15442 soundcard's sampling-rate and filter (see
15444 href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbs_phenomenon#Signal_processing_explanation">Gibbs phenomenon</a>)
15448 <h2>Ardour Slave Configuration</h2>
15451 The timecode source can be switched with the button just right of
15452 Ardour's main clock. By default it is set to <kbd
15453 class="menu">Internal</kbd> in which case Ardour will ignore any external
15454 timecode. The button allows to toggle between Internal and the configured
15455 timecode source which is chosen in <kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences
15456 > Transport</kbd>.
15460 When Ardour is <dfn>chasing</dfn> (synchronizing to) an external timecode
15461 source, the following cases need to be distinguished:
15465 <li>the timecode source shares the clock</li>
15466 <li>the timecode source is independent (no wordclock sync)</li>
15472 <li>the timecode source uses the same FPS setting as Ardour</li>
15473 <li>the timecode source runs at different frames-per-second</li>
15477 In both cases the first option is preferred: clock sync + same FPS setting.
15480 <h3>Frames-per-second</h3>
15483 If the frames-per-second do not match, Ardour can either re-calculate
15484 and map the frames, or the configured FPS (<kbd class="menu">Session >
15485 Properties</kbd>) can be changed automatically while the slave is active.
15486 The behavior is configured with the checkbox <kbd class="option">Edit
15487 > Preferences > Transport > Match session video frame rate to
15488 external timecode</kbd>.
15492 When enabled, the session video frame rate will be changed to match that
15493 of the selected external timecode source. When disabled, the session video
15494 frame rate will not be changed to match that of the selected external
15495 timecode source. Instead the frame rate indication in the main clock will
15496 flash red, and Ardour will convert between the external timecode standard
15497 and the session standard.
15500 <p class="warning">
15501 29.97 drop-frame timecode is another corner case. While the SMPTE 12M-1999
15502 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001 frames per second, not all hardware devices
15503 follow that standard. The checkbox
15504 <kbd class="option">Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</kbd> allows
15505 to use a compatibility mode for those devices.
15509 When enabled, the external timecode source is assumed to use 29.970000 fps
15510 instead of 30000/1001. SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001. The
15511 <abbr title="specification">spec</abbr> further mentions that drop-frame
15512 timecode has an accumulated error of -86 ms over a 24-hour period.
15513 Drop-frame timecode would compensate exactly for a NTSC color frame rate
15514 of 30 * 0.9990 (ie 29.970000). That is <em>not</em> the actual rate. However,
15515 some vendors use that rate—despite it being against the specs—because the variant of using exactly 29.97 fps yields zero timecode
15519 <h3>Clock Sync Lock</h3>
15522 As described in the
15523 <a href="http://manual.ardour.org/synchronization/on-clock-and-time/">On Clock and Time</a>
15524 chapter, timecode and clock are independent. If the external timecode
15525 source is not in sample-sync with the audio hardware (and JACK), Ardour
15526 needs to run at varispeed to adjust for the discrepancy.
15530 The checkbox <kbd class="option">External timecode is sync locked</kbd>
15531 allows to select the behavior according to your setup. When enabled, it
15532 indicates that the selected external timecode source shares sync (Black
15533 & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with the audio interface.
15537 In other words: if enabled, Ardour will only perform initial
15538 synchronization and keep playing at speed 1.0 instead of vari-speed
15539 adjusting to compensate for drift.
15543 Note that vari-speed is unavailable when recording in Ardour, and all
15544 tracking happens at speed 1.0. So if you want to record in sync with
15545 external timecode it must be sample-locked or it will drift over time.
15548 <h3>MIDI Clock</h3>
15551 <dfn>MIDI Clock</dfn> is not a timecode format but tempo-based time. The
15552 absolute reference point is expressed as beats-per-minute and Bar, Beat
15553 and Tick. There is no concept of sample-locking for MIDI clock signals.
15554 Ardour will vari-speed if necessary to chase the incoming signal.
15558 Note that the MIDI Clock source must be connected to the
15559 <code>ardour:MIDI clock in</code> port.
15562 <h3>LTC—Linear Timecode</h3>
15565 The <dfn>LTC</dfn> slave decodes an incoming LTC signal on a JACK audio
15566 port. It will auto-detect the frame rate and start locking to the signal
15567 once two consecutive LTC frames have been received.
15571 The incoming timecode signal needs to arrive at the
15572 <code>ardour:LTC-in</code> port. Port-connections are restored for each
15573 session and the preference dialog offers an option to select it for all
15578 Ardour's transport is aligned to LTC-frame start/end positions according
15579 to the SMPTE 12M-1999 specification, which means that the first bit of an
15580 LTC-Frame is aligned to different Lines of a Video-Frame, depending on the
15581 TV standard used. Only for Film (24fps) does the LTC-Frame directly match
15582 the video Frame boundaries.
15585 <img src="/images/ltc-transport-alignment.png" title="LTC frame alignment" alt="LTC frame alignment"/>
15586 <p><em>Figure: LTC frame alignment for the 525/60 TV standard</em></p>
15589 Ardour supports vari-speed and backwards playback but will only follow
15590 speed changes if the <kbd class="optoff">sync locked</kbd> option is
15595 While Ardour is chasing LTC, the main transport clock will display the
15596 received Timecode as well as the delta between the incoming signal and
15597 Ardour's transport position.
15601 A global offset between incoming timecode and Ardour's transport can be
15602 configured in <kbd class="menu">Session > Properties</kbd>.
15606 The user-bits in the received LTC frame are ignored.
15609 <h3>MTC—MIDI Timecode</h3>
15612 Ardour's MTC slave parses <dfn>full timecode messages</dfn> as well as
15613 MTC <dfn>quarter-frame messages</dfn> arriving on the
15614 <code>ardour:MTC in</code> port. The transport will only start rolling
15615 once a complete sequence of 8 quarter frames has been received.
15619 Ardour supports vari-speed and backwards playback but will only follow
15620 MTC speed changes if the <kbd class="optoff">sync locked</kbd> option
15625 When Ardour is chasing MTC, the main transport clock will display the
15626 received Timecode as well as the delta between the incoming signal and
15627 Ardour's transport position.
15630 <h3>JACK Transport</h3>
15633 When slaved to jack, Ardour's transport will be identical to
15634 JACK-transport. As opposed to other slaves, Ardour can be used to control
15635 the JACK transport states (stopped/rolling). No port connections need to
15636 be made for jack-transport to work.
15640 JACK-transport does not support vari-speed, nor offsets. Ardour does not
15641 chase the timecode but is always in perfect sample-sync with it.
15645 JACK-transport also includes temp-based-time information in Bar:Beats:Ticks
15646 and beats-per-minute. However, only one JACK application can provide this
15647 information at a given time. The checkbox
15648 <kbd class="option">Session > Properties > JACK Time Master</kbd>
15649 configures Ardour to act as translator from timecode to BBT information.
15653 title: Overview of all Timecode related settings
15654 menu_title: Overview of Timecode settings
15659 Timecode settings are accessed from the menu in three places:
15663 <li><kbd class="menu">Session > Properties > Timecode</kbd></li>
15664 <li><kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > Transport</kbd></li>
15665 <li><kbd class="menu">Edit > Preferences > MIDI</kbd></li>
15668 <h2>Timecode Settings</h2>
15670 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode frames-per-second</kbd></dt>
15672 Configure timecode frames-per-second (23.976, 24, 24.975, 25, 29.97,
15673 29.97 drop, 30, 30 drop, 59.94, 60). Note that all fractional
15674 framerates are actually fps*(1000.0/1001.0).
15676 <dt><kbd class="menu">Pull up/down</kbd></dt>
15678 Video pull-up modes change the effective samplerate of Ardour to
15679 allow for changing a film soundtrack from one frame rate to another.
15680 See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecine">Telecine</a>
15682 <dt><kbd class="menu">Slave Timecode offset</kbd></dt>
15684 The specified offset is added to the received timecode (MTC or
15687 <dt><kbd class="menu">Timecode Generator offset</kbd></dt>
15689 Specify an offset which is added to the generated timecode (so far only LTC).
15691 <dt><kbd class="option">JACK Time Master</kbd></dt>
15693 Provide Bar|Beat|Tick and other information to JACK.
15696 <p>These settings are session specific.</p>
15699 <h2>Transport Preferences</h2>
15701 <dt><kbd class="menu">External timecode source</kbd></dt>
15703 Select timecode source: JACK, LTC, MTC, MIDI Clock
15705 <dt><kbd class="option">Match session video frame rate to external timecode</kbd></dt>
15707 This option controls the value of the video frame rate <em>while
15708 chasing</em> an external timecode source. When enabled, the
15709 session video frame rate will be changed to match that of the selected
15710 external timecode source. When disabled, the session video frame rate
15711 will not be changed to match that of the selected external timecode
15712 source. Instead the frame rate indication in the main clock will flash
15713 red and Ardour will convert between the external timecode standard and
15714 the session standard.
15716 <dt><kbd class="option">External timecode is sync locked</kbd></dt>
15718 Indicates that the selected external timecode source shares sync (Black
15719 & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with the audio interface.
15721 <dt><kbd class="option">Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001</kbd></dt>
15723 The external timecode source is assumed to use 29.97 fps instead of
15724 30000/1001. SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97df as 30000/1001. The spec
15725 further mentions that drop-frame timecode has an accumulated error of -86ms
15726 over a 24-hour period. Drop-frame timecode would compensate exactly for a
15727 NTSC color frame rate of 30 * 0.9990 (ie 29.970000). That is not the actual
15728 rate. However, some vendors use that rate—despite it being against
15729 the specs—because the variant of using exactly 29.97 fps has zero
15732 <dt><kbd class="menu">LTC incoming port</kbd></dt>
15734 Offers a session agnostic way to retain the LTC port connection.
15736 <dt><kbd class="option">Enable LTC generator</kbd></dt>
15737 <dd>Does just what it says.</dd>
15738 <dt><kbd class="option">Send LTC while stopped</kbd></dt>
15740 Enable to continue to send LTC information even when the transport
15741 (playhead) is not moving. This mode is intended to drive analog tape
15742 machines which unspool the tape if no LTC timecode is received.
15744 <dt><kbd class="menu">LTC generator level</kbd></dt>
15746 Specify the Peak Volume of the generated LTC signal in dbFS. A good value
15747 is 0 dBu (which is -18 dbFS in an EBU calibrated system).
15750 <p>These settings are common to all sessions.</p>
15753 <h2>MIDI Preferences</h2>
15755 <dt><kbd class="option">Send MIDI Timecode</kbd></dt><dd>Enable MTC generator</dd>
15756 <dt><kbd class="option">Send MIDI Clock</kbd></dt><dd>Enable MIDI Clock generator</dd>
15758 <p>These settings are also common to all sessions.</p>
15762 title: Working with Field Recorders in Ardour
15768 title: Working with Video in Ardour
15774 title: Video Timeline and Monitoring
15779 Ardour offers a <dfn>video timeline</dfn> and <dfn>video monitoring</dfn>
15780 for convenient audio mixing and editing to video, in order to produce
15781 film soundtracks and music videos, or perform TV postproduction tasks.
15785 The video capabilities are:
15789 <li>Import a single video and optionally extract the soundtrack from it.</li>
15790 <li>Provide a video monitor window, or full-screen display, of the
15791 imported video in sync with any of the available Ardour timecode
15793 <li>Display a frame-by-frame (thumbnail) timeline of the video.</li>
15794 <li>Allow for a configurable timecode offset.</li>
15795 <li><em>Lock</em> audio regions to the video.</li>
15796 <li>Move audio regions with the video at video-frame granularity.</li>
15797 <li>Export the video, trim start and end, add blank frames and/or
15798 multiplex it with the soundtrack of the current session.</li>
15802 The setup of the video subsystem is modular and can be configured
15803 in different ways, including:
15807 <li>One machine for all video decoding, video monitoring and audio editing
15809 <li>Two machines, one for video monitoring, one for Ardour</li>
15810 <li>Three machines, separate video server (for timeline decoding
15811 and file archive), dedicated video monitor, and Ardour</li>
15815 Ardour does <em>not</em>:
15819 <li>allow for more than one video to be loaded at a time.</li>
15820 <li>provide video editing capabilities</li>
15824 title: Video Timeline Setup
15829 No configuration is required if you intend to run everything on a single
15830 machine, and if you acquired Ardour from
15831 <a href="http://www.ardour.org"
15832 title="http://www.ardour.org">http://www.ardour.org</a>.
15833 Everything is pre-configured and included with the download/install.
15836 <h2>Single Machine</h2>
15839 If you compile Ardour from source, or have installed it from a 3rd party
15840 repository, three additional tools will need to be installed manually,
15841 which are used by Ardour to provide video features:
15845 <li>xjadeo (the video monitor application): <a href="http://xjadeo.sf.net"
15846 title="http://xjadeo.sf.net" rel="nofollow">http://xjadeo.sf.net</a></li>
15847 <li>harvid (a video decoder used for the thumbnail timeline): <a
15848 href="http://x42.github.com/harvid/" title="http://x42.github.com/harvid/"
15849 rel="nofollow">http://x42.github.com/harvid/</a></li>
15850 <li>ffmpeg, ffprobe (used to import/export video, extract soundtracks and
15851 query video information): <a href="http://ffmpeg.org" title="http://ffmpeg.org"
15852 rel="nofollow">http://ffmpeg.org</a></li>
15856 Ardour requires xjadeo ≥ version 0.6.4, harvid ≥ version 0.7.0 and ffmpeg (known to work versions: 1.2, 2.8.2)
15860 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>.
15864 All four applications need to be found in <code>$PATH</code> (e.g.
15865 <code>$HOME/bin</code> or <code>/usr/local/bin</code>). For convenience the
15866 binary releases of harvid include ffmpeg_harvid and ffprobe_harvid, but if
15867 your distribution provides suitable ffmpeg commands you can also just create
15871 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo ln -s /usr/bin/ffmpeg /usr/bin/ffmpeg_harvid</kbd>
15872 <kbd class="cmd lin">sudo ln -s /usr/bin/ffprobe /usr/bin/ffprobe_harvid</kbd>
15875 Binary releases are available from ardour.org as well as an installer script:
15876 <a href="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/blob/master/tools/videotimeline/install_video_tools.sh"
15877 title="https://github.com/Ardour/ardour/blob/master/tools/videotimeline/install_video_tools.sh"
15878 rel="nofollow">install_video_tools.sh</a>.
15882 The easiest way to install the video-utilities is by running the following
15883 line in a terminal:
15886 <kbd class="cmd lin">sh -c "$(curl -s -L http://git.io/tVUCkw)"</kbd>
15888 <h2>Studio Setup</h2>
15891 Please read the info in the previous section to familiarize yourself with
15892 the tools involved first. Setting up a proper A/V post-production studio
15893 can be a complicated task. As much as we streamline and simplify the
15894 <em>single machine</em> setup, the <dfn>studio setup</dfn> is focused on modularity.
15899 <li>Synchronization ardour → video-display-box should be accomplished by external
15900 means jack-transport(netjack), MTC, LTC
15901 (<abbr title="Open Sound Control—"postmodern MIDI"">OSC</abbr> and/or
15902 ssh-pipe work but introduce additional latency + jitter)</li>
15903 <li>Ardour launches <code>XJREMOTE</code> (environment variable, default 'xjremote' which comes with xjadeo).</li>
15904 <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>
15905 <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>
15906 <li>If the video server runs remotely, Ardour needs to be configured in Ardour > Preference > Video (hostname of the video-server).</li>
15907 <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>
15911 title: Transcoding, Formats & Codecs
15916 This chapter provides a short primer on video files, formats and
15917 codecs – because it is often cause for confusion:
15921 A video file is a <dfn>container</dfn>. It usually contains one
15922 <dfn>video track</dfn> and one or more <dfn>audio tracks</dfn>.
15923 How these tracks are stored in the file is defined by the
15924 <dfn>file format</dfn>. Common formats are
15925 avi, mov, ogg, mkv, mpeg, mpeg-ts, mp4, flv, or vob.
15929 Each of the tracks by itself is encoded using a <abbr
15930 title="Coder-Decoder"><dfn>Codec</dfn></abbr>. Common video codecs
15931 are h264, mpeg2, mpeg4, theora, mjpeg, wmv3. Common audio codecs are
15932 mp2, mp3, dts, aac, wav/pcm.
15936 Not all codecs can be packed into a given format. For example the
15937 mpeg format is limited to mpeg2, mpeg4 and mp3 codecs (not entirely true).
15938 DVDs do have stringent limitations as well. The opposite would be .avi;
15939 pretty much every audio/video codec combination can be contained in an avi
15944 To make things worse, naming conventions for video codecs and formats are
15945 often identical (especially MPEG ones) which leads to confusion.
15946 All in all it is a very wide and deep field. Suffice there are different
15947 uses for different codecs and formats.
15950 <h2>Ardour specific issues</h2>
15953 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.
15957 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).
15961 The export dialog includes presets for common format and codec combinations (such as DVD, web-video,..). If in doubt use one of the presets.
15965 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.
15969 title: Workflow & Operations
15973 <h2>Overview of Operations</h2>
15975 <dl class="wide-table">
15976 <dt><kbd class="menu">Session > Open Video</kbd></dt>
15977 <dd>Add/replace a video to/on the timeline</dd>
15978 <dt><kbd class="menu">Window > View Monitor</kbd></dt>
15979 <dd>Open/close external video monitor window</dd>
15980 <dt><kbd class="menu">View > Video Monitor > …</kbd></dt>
15981 <dd>Various settings of the video monitor</dd>
15982 <dt><kbd class="menu">Session > Export > Video</kbd></dt>
15983 <dd>Export session and multiplex with video-file</dd>
15984 <dt><kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd>-drag the video in the timeline</dt>
15985 <dd>Re-align video and move 'locked' audio-regions along</dd>
15986 <dt>Context-menu on the video-timeline: <kbd class="menu"> 'lock'</kbd></dt>
15987 <dd>Prevent accidental drags</dd>
15988 <dt>Audio region context menu: <kbd class="menu">Position > Lock to video</kbd></dt>
15989 <dd>Mark audio region(s) to be moved along with the video.</dd>
15992 <h2>Adding Video</h2>
15995 Adding video is a two-step process: select a video file, and choose
15996 import mode and optionally select an audio track to extract.
16000 The first step is rather straight-forward. The panel on the right side
16001 allows to seek through the video and displays basic file information.
16002 It is also useful to check if the video format/codec is supported:
16005 <img src="/images/a3_video_open.png" alt="video-open-dialog" width="300" />
16008 The second step analyzes the video file in more detail and offers import options:
16012 <dt><kbd class="menu">Import/Transcode to Session</kbd></dt>
16013 <dd>This is the default. The video will be imported in a suitable
16014 video format/codec for the timeline and video monitor and saved inside the
16015 session folder. A location other than the session folder can also be
16016 chosen (external disk, or network storage of the video server on a different
16018 <dt><kbd class="menu">Reference from Current Location</kbd></dt>
16019 <dd>Only useful for opening files that were previously encoded (are already
16020 in a good format/codec). Use with care.</dd>
16021 <dt><kbd class="menu">Do not Import Video</kbd></dt>
16022 <dd>Useful for extracting audio only.</dd>
16025 <img src="/images/a3_video_import.png" alt="Video Import Dialog" width="300" />
16028 By default the video is imported using the original width/height.
16029 If it is a large video (e.g. full-HD) it makes sense to scale it down
16030 to decrease the CPU load and disk I/O required to decode and play the
16032 A small, low-quality representation of the image is usually sufficient
16033 for editing soundtracks. The default bitrate in kbit/sec is set to use
16034 0.7 bits per pixel. (Compare: the average DVD medium uses 5000 kbit/s;
16035 at PAL resolution this is about 0.5 bits per pixel. But the DVD is
16036 using the <dfn>mpeg2</dfn>—a denser compression algorithm than the
16037 <dfn>mjpeg</dfn> codec used by Ardour.)
16040 <h2>Working with A/V</h2>
16046 <img src="/images/a3_videotimeline.png" alt="Video Timeline" width="600" />
16048 <h2 id="export">Exporting Video</h2>
16051 The video export will take audio from the current Ardour session and
16052 multiplex it with a video file. The soundtrack of the video is taken from
16053 an audio export of Ardour's master bus.
16057 An arbitrary video file can be chosen. For high quality exports, the
16058 original file (before it was imported into the timeline) should be used.
16059 This is the default behaviour if that file can be found. If not, Ardour
16060 will fall back to the imported proxy-video which is currently in use
16061 on the timeline. Any existing audio tracks on this video file are stripped.
16065 The range selection allows to cut or extend the video. If the session is
16066 longer than the video duration, black frames are prefixed or appended to
16067 the video. (Note: this process may fail with non-standard pixel aspect
16068 ratios). If Ardour's session range is shorter, the video will be cut accordingly.
16072 Audio samplerate and normalization are options for Ardour's audio exporter.
16073 The remaining settings are options that are directly passed on to ffmpeg.
16077 The file format is determined by the extension that you choose for it
16078 (.avi, .mov, .flv, .ogv, .webm,...)
16079 Note: not all combinations of format, codec, and settings produce files
16080 which are according to specifications. For example, flv files require
16081 sample rates of 22.1 kHz or 44.1 kHz, mpeg containers can not
16082 be used with ac3 audio-codec, etc. If in doubt, use one of the built-in
16086 <img src="/images/a3_video_export.png" alt="Video Export Dialog" width="300" />
16089 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.
16100 title: Lua Scripting in Ardour
16106 title: Lua Scripting
16111 Starting with version 4.7.213, Ardour supports Lua scripts.
16114 <p class="warning">
16115 Lua Integration is Work in Progress and far from complete.
16119 title: Scripting Documentation
16123 <p class="warning">
16124 This Documentation is Work in Progress and far from complete. Also the documented API may be subject to change.
16130 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.
16134 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.
16138 Cases like this call for means to extend the DAW without actually changing the DAW itself. This is where scripting comes in.
16142 "Scripting" refers to tasks that could alternatively be executed step-by-step by a human operator.
16146 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.
16150 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.
16156 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.
16160 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:
16163 <div style="width:80%; margin:.5em auto;">
16164 <div style="width:45%; float:left;">
16167 session->set_transport_speed (1.0);
16170 <div style="width:45%; float:right;">
16173 Session:set_transport_speed (1.0)
16178 <div style="clear:both;"></div>
16181 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.
16185 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.
16189 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>.
16192 <h2>Integration</h2>
16195 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).
16200 In Ardour's case Lua is available:
16204 <dt>Editor Action Scripts</dt><dd>User initiated actions (menu, shortcuts) for batch processing</dd>
16205 <dt>Editor Hooks/Callbacks</dt><dd>Event triggered actions for the Editor/Mixer GUI</dd>
16206 <dt>Session Scripts</dt><dd>Scripts called at the start of every audio cycle (session, real-time)</dd>
16207 <dt>DSP Scripts</dt><dd>Audio/Midi processor—plugins with access to the Ardour session (per track/bus, real-time)</dd>
16208 <dt>Script Console</dt><dd>Action Script commandline</dd>
16212 There are is also a special mode:
16216 <dt>Commandline Tool</dt><dd>Replaces the complete Editor GUI, direct access to libardour (no GUI) from the commandline.<br/>
16217 <em>Be aware that the vast majority of complex functionality is provided by the Editor UI.</em></dd>
16220 <h2>Managing Scripts</h2>
16223 Ardour searches for Lua scripts in the <code>scripts</code> folder in <code>$ARDOUR_DATA_PATH</code>, Apart from scripts included directly with Ardour, this includes
16227 <tr><th>GNU/Linux</th><td><code>$HOME/.config/ardour5/scripts</code></td></tr>
16228 <tr><th>Mac OS X</th><td><code>$HOME/Library/Preferences/Ardour5/scripts</code></td></tr>
16229 <tr><th>Windows</th><td><code>%localappdata%\ardour5\scripts</code></td></tr>
16232 <p>Files must end with <code>.lua</code> file extension.</p>
16234 <p>Scripts are managed via the GUI</p>
16237 <dt>Editor Action Scripts</dt><dd>Menu → Edit → Scripted Actions → Manage</dd>
16238 <dt>Editor Hooks/Callbacks</dt><dd>Menu → Edit → Scripted Actions → Manage</dd>
16239 <dt>Session Scripts</dt><dd>Menu → Session → Scripting → Add/Remove Script</dd>
16240 <dt>DSP Scripts</dt><dd>Mixer-strip → context menu (right click) → New Lua Proc</dd>
16241 <dt>Script Console</dt><dd>Menu → Window → Scripting</dd>
16244 <h2>Script Layout</h2>
16247 <li>Every script must include an <code>ardour</code> descriptor table. Required fields are "Name" and "Type".</li>
16248 <li>A script must provide a <em>Factory method</em>: A function with optional instantiation parameters which returns the actual script.</li>
16249 <li>[optional]: list of parameters for the "factory".</li>
16250 <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>
16253 <p>A minimal example script looks like:</p>
16256 <pre><code class="lua">
16258 ["type"] = "EditorAction",
16262 function factory (unused_params)
16264 Session:goto_start() -- rewind the transport
16271 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):
16275 <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>
16276 <dt>name [required]</dt><dd>Name/Title of the script</dd>
16277 <dt>author</dt><dd>Your Name</dd>
16278 <dt>license</dt><dd>The license of the script (e.g. "GPL" or "MIT")</dd>
16279 <dt>description</dt><dd>A longer text explaining to the user what the script does</dd>
16283 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>.
16286 <h3>Action Scripts</h3>
16289 Action scripts are the simplest form. An anonymous Lua function is called whenever the action is triggered. A simple action script is shown above.
16292 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.
16295 <h3>Session Scripts</h3>
16298 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
16302 <pre><code class="lua">
16304 ["type"] = "session",
16305 name = "Example Session Script",
16307 An Example Ardour Session Script.
16308 This example stops the transport after rolling for a specific time.]]
16311 -- instantiation options, these are passed to the "factory" method below
16312 function sess_params ()
16315 ["print"] = { title = "Debug Print (yes/no)", default = "no", optional = true },
16316 ["time"] = { title = "Timeout (sec)", default = "90", optional = false },
16320 function factory (params)
16321 return function (n_samples)
16322 local p = params["print"] or "no"
16323 local timeout = params["time"] or 90
16325 if p ~= "no" then print (a, n_samples, Session:frame_rate (), Session:transport_rolling ()) end -- debug output (not rt safe)
16326 if (not Session:transport_rolling()) then
16331 if (a > timeout * Session:frame_rate()) then
16332 Session:request_transport_speed(0.0, true)
16339 <h3>Action Hooks</h3>
16342 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).
16346 <pre><code class="lua">
16348 ["type"] = "EditorHook",
16349 name = "Hook Example",
16350 description = "Rewind On Solo Change, Write a file when regions are moved.",
16353 function signals ()
16354 s = LuaSignal.Set()
16357 [LuaSignal.SoloActive] = true,
16358 [LuaSignal.RegionPropertyChanged] = true
16364 function factory (params)
16365 return function (signal, ref, ...)
16366 -- print (signal, ref, ...)
16368 if (signal == LuaSignal.SoloActive) then
16369 Session:goto_start()
16372 if (signal == LuaSignal.RegionPropertyChanged) then
16374 file = io.open ("/tmp/test" ,"a")
16376 io.write (string.format ("Region: '%s' pos-changed: %s, length-changed: %s\n",
16378 tostring (pch:containsFramePos (ARDOUR.Properties.Start)),
16379 tostring (pch:containsFramePos (ARDOUR.Properties.Length))
16388 <h3>DSP Scripts</h3>
16390 <p>See the scripts folder for examples for now.</p>
16392 <p>Some notes for further doc:</p>
16395 <li>required function: <code>dsp_ioconfig ()</code>: return a list of possible audio I/O configurations—follows Audio Unit conventions.</li>
16396 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_dsp_midi_input ()</code>: return true if the plugin can receive midi input</li>
16397 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_params ()</code>: return a table of possible parameters (automatable)</li>
16398 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_init (samplerate)</code>: called when instantiation the plugin with given samplerate.</li>
16399 <li>optional function: <code>dsp_configure (in, out)</code>: called after instantiation with configured plugin i/o.</li>
16400 <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>
16401 <li>plugin parameters are handled via the global variable <code>CtrlPorts</code>.</li>
16402 <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>
16403 <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>
16406 <h2>Accessing Ardour Objects</h2>
16409 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.
16413 Every Lua interpreter can access it via the global variable <code>Session</code>.
16417 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.
16421 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.
16427 <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>
16428 <li>Scripts, once loaded, are saved with the Session (no reference to external files). This provides for portable Sessions.</li>
16429 <li>Lua Scripts are never executed directly. They provide a "factory" method which can have optional instantiation parameters, which returns a lua closure.</li>
16430 <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>
16434 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:
16438 <li>Editor Actions run in a single instance interpreter in the GUI thread.</li>
16439 <li>Editor Hooks connect to libardour signals. Every Callback uses a dedicated lua interpreter which is in the GUI thread context.</li>
16440 <li>All Session scripts run in a single instance in the main real-time thread (audio callback)</li>
16441 <li>DSP scripts have a separate instance per script and run in one of the DSP threads.</li>
16445 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.
16448 <h2>Current State</h2>
16450 <p>Fully functional, yet still in a prototyping stage:</p>
16453 <li>The GUI to add/configure scripts is rather minimalistic.</li>
16454 <li>The interfaces may change (particularly DSP, and Session script <code>run()</code>.</li>
16455 <li>Further planned work includes:
16457 <li>Built-in Script editor (customize/modify Scripts in-place)</li>
16458 <li>convenience methods (wrap more complex Ardour actions into a library). e.g set plugin parameters, write automation lists from a lua table</li>
16459 <li>Add some useful scripts and more examples</li>
16460 <li>Documentation (Ardour API), also usable for tab-exansion, syntax highlighting</li>
16461 <li>bindings for GUI Widgets (plugin UIs, message boxes, etc)</li>
16469 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...
16472 <h3>Editor Console Examples</h3>
16475 <pre><code class="lua">
16476 print (Session:route_by_remote_id(1):name())
16478 a = Session:route_by_remote_id(1);
16481 print(Session:get_tracks():size())
16483 for i, v in ipairs(Session:unknown_processors():table()) do print(v) end
16484 for i, v in ipairs(Session:get_tracks():table()) do print(v:name()) end
16486 for t in Session:get_tracks():iter() do print(t:name()) end
16487 for r in Session:get_routes():iter() do print(r:name()) end
16490 Session:tempo_map():add_tempo(ARDOUR.Tempo(100,4), Timecode.BBT_TIME(4,1,0))
16493 Editor:set_zoom_focus(Editing.ZoomFocusRight)
16494 print(Editing.ZoomFocusRight);
16495 Editor:set_zoom_focus(1)
16498 files = C.StringVector();
16499 files:push_back("/home/rgareus/data/coding/ltc-tools/smpte.wav")
16501 Editor:do_import(files, Editing.ImportDistinctFiles, Editing.ImportAsTrack, ARDOUR.SrcQuality.SrcBest, pos, ARDOUR.PluginInfo())
16504 Editor:do_import(C.StringVector():add({"/path/to/file.wav"}), Editing.ImportDistinctFiles, Editing.ImportAsTrack, ARDOUR.SrcQuality.SrcBest, -1, ARDOUR.PluginInfo())
16506 # called when a new session is loaded:
16507 function new_session (name) print("NEW SESSION:", name) end
16510 # read/set/describe a plugin parameter
16511 route = Session:route_by_remote_id(1)
16512 processor = route:nth_plugin(0)
16513 plugininsert = processor:to_insert()
16515 plugin = plugininsert:plugin(0)
16516 print (plugin:label())
16517 print (plugin:parameter_count())
16519 x = ARDOUR.ParameterDescriptor ()
16520 _, t = plugin:get_parameter_descriptor(2, x) -- port #2
16522 print (paramdesc.lower)
16524 ctrl = Evoral.Parameter(ARDOUR.AutomationType.PluginAutomation, 0, 2)
16525 ac = plugininsert:automation_control(ctrl, false)
16526 print (ac:get_value ())
16527 ac:set_value(1.0, PBD.GroupControlDisposition.NoGroup)
16529 # the same using a convenience wrapper:
16530 route = Session:route_by_remote_id(1)
16531 proc = t:nth_plugin (i)
16532 ARDOUR.LuaAPI.set_processor_param (proc, 2, 1.0)
16537 <h3>Commandline Session</h3>
16540 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.
16544 <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.
16548 <pre><code class="lua">
16549 for i,_ in AudioEngine:available_backends():iter() do print (i.name) end
16551 backend = AudioEngine:set_backend("ALSA", "", "")
16552 print (AudioEngine:current_backend_name())
16554 for i,_ in backend:enumerate_devices():iter() do print (i.name) end
16556 backend:set_input_device_name("HDA Intel PCH")
16557 backend:set_output_device_name("HDA Intel PCH")
16559 print (backend:buffer_size())
16560 print (AudioEngine:get_last_backend_error())
16562 s = load_session ("/home/rgareus/Documents/ArdourSessions/lua2/", "lua2")
16563 s:request_transport_speed (1.0)
16564 print (s:transport_rolling())
16573 title: Class Reference
16575 include: class_reference.html