<scripttype=text/javascript>varbaseurl="https://prokoudine.github.io/ardour-tutorial/en"</script><scripttype=text/javascriptsrc=/ardour-tutorial/js/search.js?1650836361></script></div><sectionid=homelinks><ul><li><aclass=paddinghref=/ardour-tutorial/en/><iclass="fas fa-home"></i> Home</a></li></ul></section><divclass=highlightable><ulclass=topics><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/introduction/title=Introductionclass=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/introduction/><b>1. </b>Introduction</a><ul><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/introduction/conventions/title=Conventionsclass=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/introduction/conventions/>Conventions</a></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/introduction/what-is-digital-audio/title="What is digital audio?"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/introduction/what-is-digital-audio/>What is digital audio?</a></li></ul></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/title="Getting started"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/><b>2. </b>Getting started</a><ul><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/starting-ardour-on-ubuntu/title="Starting Ardour"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/starting-ardour-on-ubuntu/>Starting Ardour</a></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/overview-of-the-interface/title="Overview of the Interface"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/overview-of-the-interface/>Overview of the Interface</a><ul><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/overview-of-the-interface/editor-window/title="Editor window"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/overview-of-the-interface/editor-window/>Editor window</a></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/overview-of-the-interface/mixer-window/title="Mixer window"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/overview-of-the-interface/mixer-window/>Mixer window</a></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/overview-of-the-interface/recorder-window/title="Recorder window"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/overview-of-the-interface/recorder-window/>Recorder window</a></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/overview-of-the-interface/cue-window/title="Cue window"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/overview-of-the-interface/cue-window/>Cue window</a></li></ul></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/creating-tracks-and-busses/title="Creating tracks and busses"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/creating-tracks-and-busses/>Creating tracks and busses</a></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/importing-audio/title="Importing audio"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/importing-audio/>Importing audio</a></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/setting-up-the-timeline/title="Setting up the timeline"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/getting-started/setting-up-the-timeline/>Setting up the timeline</a></li></ul></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/recording-audio/title=Recordingclass=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/recording-audio/><b>3. </b>Recording</a><ul><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/recording-audio/recording-audio/title="Recording audio"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/recording-audio/recording-audio/>Recording audio</a></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/recording-audio/understanding-routing/title="Understanding routing"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/recording-audio/understanding-routing/>Understanding routing</a></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/recording-audio/routing-between-applications/title="Routing between applications"class=dd-item><ahref=/ardour-tutorial/en/recording-audio/routing-between-applications/>Routing between applications</a></li></ul></li><lidata-nav-id=/ardour-tutorial/en/editing-sessions/title="Editing sessions"class="dd-item
</span></div><divclass=progress><divclass=wrapper><navid=TableOfContents><ul><li><ahref=#time-stretching-a-region-to-fit-the-loop>Time-Stretching a Region to Fit the Loop</a></li><li><ahref=#continuing>Continuing</a></li></ul></nav></div></div></div></div><divid=head-tags></div><divid=body-inner><h1>Stretching & shrinking regions</h1><p>Regions can be stretched or shrunk in length without changing their pitch by
using the <em>Stretch/Shrink Regions</em> tool (<strong>T</strong> shortcut, for “Time-stretch”).</p><figure><imgsrc=en/ardour7-stretch-shrink-edit-mode.pngalt="Stretch/Shrink Regions tool"></figure><p>A small adjustment to the length of a region may not cause noticeable sound
<em>artifacts</em>. However, the more extreme the change in length, the more obvious
the effect of processing on the sound.</p><p>To use <em>Stretch/Shrink Regions</em>, place your cursor on top of the region, and
then click-drag left or right. While dragging, you will see a highlighted area
which represents the new duration to which the region will be shrunk or
stretched when you release the mouse at the current position. Ardour will also
display the new duration of the region next to the highlighted area in units of
the primary clock.</p><figure><imgsrc=en/ardour7-stretch-shrink-highlight.pngalt="Stretching highlight"></figure><h2id=time-stretching-a-region-to-fit-the-loop>Time-Stretching a Region to Fit the Loop</h2><p>In the image below, we’ve added another sound sample—this time, a <ahref=https://freesound.org/people/walkerbelm/sounds/1168/>synthesizer
line from freesound.org</a>
to the rhythmic passage we composed in the <em>Creating Looped Sections</em> chapter.</p><p>After importing this synth line, you will see that the length of the new region
doesn’t match the existing rhythm we’ve already created. It’s too long to be one
bar and too short to be two bars. More importantly, while the first note matches
the beginning of the kick drum’s sound above, the second note is clearly
off-beat.</p><figure><imgsrc=en/ardour7-stretch-shrink-1.pngalt="Non-matching regions"></figure><p>We can correct this by using the <em>Stretch/Shrink</em> tool. Select the region you
wish to stretch, switch to the tool, click on the right side of the region, then
drag the cursor until the newly created highlight area matches the new length,
that is, all the way to the second bar (again assisted by the <em>Grid</em> settings).</p><figure><imgsrc=en/ardour7-stretch-shrink-action.pngalt=Stretching></figure><p>When you release the mouse button, the <em>Time Stretch Audio</em> dialog appears. You
can experiment with different settings for the <em>Time Stretch</em> operation. Each
will affect the sound in a different way. It’s a good idea to try different
stretch settings to find out which one gives you the result you’re most happy
with.</p><figure><imgsrc=en/ardour7-stretch-shrink-2.pngalt="Time Stretch Audio dialog"></figure><p>Click <strong>Stretch/Shrink</strong> in the <em>Time Stretch Audio</em> dialog to start the
operation.</p><p>When the operation is complete, the region of the synthesizer line will now be
exactly two bars long and should fit in with the rhythm we already created with
the drum samples.</p><figure><imgsrc=en/ardour7-stretch-shrink-3.pngalt="Stretched audio region"></figure><h2id=continuing>Continuing</h2><p>This was the last chapter of the <em>Editing Regions</em> section. Next we go into
