[ardour-manual] / include / about-ardours-interface.html

<p>
  In Ardour, work is done in two main windows: the <dfn>Editor</dfn> and the
  <dfn>Mixer</dfn>. A third view, the <dfn>Recorder</dfn>, is dedicated to
  the recording process.
</p>

<figure style="width:100%;">
        <img src="/images/editor_map.png" alt="The Editor window" usemap="#editor_map" width="600" height="325">
        <map name="editor_map">
                <area shape="rect" coords="0,0,336,8" href="@@main-menu" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="336,0,600,8" href="@@status-bar" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="0,8,68,28" href="@@transport-bar" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="68,8,108,28" href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="108,8,196,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#latency-compensation-info" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="196,8,228,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#playhead_options" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="228,8,348,28" href="@@transport-clocks" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="348,8,368,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#status_indicators" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="368,8,384,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#monitor_section_info" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="384,8,428,28" href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="428,8,552,28" href="@@mini-timeline" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="552,8,600,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#mode_selector" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="0,28,36,324" href="@@audiomidi-mixer-strips" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="36,28,144,36" href="@@toolbox" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="144,28,188,36" href="@@grid-controls" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="188,28,240,36" href="@@nudge-controls" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="516,28,600,36" href="@@zoom-controls" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="476,36,600,60" href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="476,60,600,324" href="@@editor-lists" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="36,36,476,76" href="@@ruler" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="36,296,476,324" href="@@summary" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="36,76,44,296" href="@@track-and-bus-groups" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="44,136,476,156" href="@@audio-track-controls" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="44,96,476,136" href="@@midi-track-controls" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="44,156,476,176" href="@@automation" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="44,176,476,196" href="@@audio-track-controls" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="44,196,476,236" href="@@bus-controls" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="44,236,476,296" href="@@control-masters-mixer-strips" />
        </map>

        <img src="/images/mixer_map.png" alt="The Mixer window" usemap="#mixer_map" width="600" height="325">
        <map name="mixer_map">
                <area shape="rect" coords="0,0,336,8" href="@@main-menu" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="336,0,600,8" href="@@status-bar" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="0,8,68,28" href="@@transport-bar" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="68,8,108,28" href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="108,8,196,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#latency-compensation-info" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="196,8,228,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#playhead_options" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="228,8,348,28" href="@@transport-clocks" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="348,8,368,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#status_indicators" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="368,8,384,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#monitor_section_info" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="384,8,428,28" href="@@selection-and-punch-clocks" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="428,8,552,28" href="@@mini-timeline" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="552,8,600,28" href="@@other-toolbar-items#mode_selector" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="0,28,121,154" href="@@favorite-plugins-window" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="0,154,121,237" href="@@strips-list" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="0,237,121,324" href="@@groups-list" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="121,28,432,33" href="@@track-and-bus-groups" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="514,28,548,324" href="@@master-bus-strip" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="548,28,599,324" href="@@monitor-section" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="432,28,474,324" href="@@control-masters-mixer-strips" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="263,33,333,324" href="@@audiomidi-busses-mixer-strips" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="121,33,263,324" href="@@audiomidi-mixer-strips" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="474,28,514,324" href="@@foldback-strip" />
                <area shape="rect" coords="333,33,343,324" href="@@adding-tracks-busses-and-vcas" />
        </map>

  <figcaption>
                The Editor and Mixer windows. Clicking on a section accesses its
                description.
        </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  The Editor, Mixer and Recorder share the same toolbar (the top of the 
  window). The sections displayed in this toolbar can be customized to 
  the user's workflow, by checking options in <kbd class="menu">Preferences
  &gt; Appearance &gt; Toolbar</kbd>.
</p>

<p>
  Switching between the Editor and the Mixer windows is done:
</p>
<ul>
        <li>with the <a href="@@other-toolbar-items#mode_selector">Mode Selector
                buttons</a> in the upper right</li>
        <li>with the <kbd class="mod2">M</kbd> shortcut</li>
        <li>with the menu <kbd class="menu">Window &gt; Editor <em>(or Mixer)</em>
                &gt; Show</kbd>.</li>
</ul>

<p>
  Both windows can be visible at the same time (e.g. for a multi-monitor
  setup) using <kbd class="menu">Window &gt; Editor <em>(or Mixer)</em>
  &gt; Detach</kbd> option in the same submenu.
</p>

<h2>The Editor</h2>

<p>
  The <dfn>Editor</dfn> window includes the editor track <dfn>canvas</dfn>
  where audio and MIDI data can be arranged along a timeline. This is the
  window where editing and arranging a project is done. The window
  has a general "horizontal" sense to it: the timeline flows from left to
  right, the playhead showing the current position in the session moves
  from left to right&mdash;the window really represents <dfn>time</dfn>
  in a fairly literal way.
</p>
<p>
  It is possible to show a single channel strip in the editor window, and
  some people find this enough to work on mixing without actually opening
  the mixer window. Most of the time though, both of these windows will be
  needed at various stages of a session's lifetime.
</p>

<h2>The Mixer</h2>

<p>
  The <dfn>Mixer</dfn> window represents signal flow and is the window that will
  probably be used most when mixing a session. It
  includes <dfn>channel strips</dfn> for each track and bus in the session.
  It has a general "vertical" sense to it: signals flow from the top of each
  channel strip through the processing elements in the strip to reach the
  output listed at the bottom.
</p>
<p>
  To learn more about the process of mixing, see <a href="@@basic-mixing">Mixing</a>.
</p>

<h2>The Recorder</h2>

<p>
  The <dfn>Recorder</dfn> window is a very specialized view that provides
  a compact view of all track's record and monitor status, and a simplified
  timeline that keeps everything in view at once. Most of the information
  that is shown in this mode is already available in Mixer or Editor mode,
  but the Recorder aims at having everything in sight and under control 
  while tracking a performance. 
</p>
<p>
  The Recorder is covered in great detail in <a href="@@recorder">its own
  page</a>.
</p>