Update the Mixer Strip section

content/mixing-sessions/the-mixer-strip/index.en.md

@@ -2,156 +2,199 @@
 title = "The mixer strip"
 chapter = false
 weight = 1
-#pre = "<b>1. </b>"
 +++
 
-**Mixing** is the process of converting multiple Tracks into a **Stereo
-Mix** where all the instruments can be heard clearly.
+_Mixing_ is the process of converting multiple tracks into a stereo or a
+multi-channel mix where all the instruments can be heard clearly.
 
 ## Mixing Tools
 
-**Levels**, **Panning**, **Equalization** (**EQ**), and **Compression** are the main
-tools used to achieve a good Mix. In addition to these core tools, a
-wide range of Plugin effects can also be used to enhance the sound, such
-as **Reverb** and **Delay**.  
+_Levels_, _panning_, _equalization (EQ_), and _compression_ are the main tools
+used to achieve a good mix. In addition to these core tools, a wide range of
+plugin effects can also be used to enhance the sound, such as _reverb_ and
+_delay_.  
 
 ## Introducing the Mixer Strip
 
-The **Mixer Strip** is the vertical column that contains various
-controls related to signal flow. Each Track and Bus in Ardour has its
-own Mixer Strip. The Mixer Strip is also the main tool we will use in
-the process of Mixing our Tracks. In this chapter, we will get a general
-overview of the Mixer Strip, with each section described. We will also
-provide references to chapters containing information specific to each
-aspect of the Mixer Strip.
+The _mixer strip_ is the vertical column that contains various controls related
+to signal flow. Each track and bus in Ardour has its own mixer strip. The mixer
+strip is also the main tool we will use in the process of mixing our Tracks. In
+this chapter, we will get a general overview of the mixer strip, with each
+section described. We will also provide references to chapters containing
+information specific to each aspect of the mixer strip.
 
 ## The Mixer Strip from Top to Bottom
 
-Mixer Strips can be accessed from both the **Editor Window** and the
-**Mixer Window** (shortcut "*Alt*" + "*M*" to toggle between the two). Mixer Strips in either
-window (Editor or Mixer) mirror each other: any actions performed on a
-Mixer Strip in the Mixer Window will be reflected in the corresponding
-Mixer Strip in the Editor Window, and vice-versa. The Editor Window and
-Mixer Window are more fully explained in the **An Overview of the
-Interface** chapter. 
+Mixer strips can be accessed from both the _Editor_ window and the _Mixer_
+window (shortcut **Alt+M** to toggle between the two). Mixer strips in either
+window (_Editor_ or _Mixer_) mirror each other: any actions performed on a mixer
+strip in the _Mixer_ window will be reflected in the corresponding mixer strip
+in the _Editor_ window, and vice-versa. The editor window and _Mixer_ window are
+more fully explained in the _An Overview of the Interface_ chapter. 
 
-In the **Editor Window**, you can see the Mixer Strip of the currently
-selected track on the left side of the window. If you don't see it, hit
-"*Shift*" + "*E*" to display the Editor Mixer Strip.
+In the _Editor Window_, you can see the mixer strip of the currently selected
+track on the left side of the window. If you don't see it, hit **Shift+E** to
+display the Editor's mixer strip.
 
 ### Overview
 
-Here we see the entire Mixer Strip, as it would appear in either the
-Editor Window or the Mixer Window. 
+Here we see the entire mixer strip, as it would appear in either the _Editor_
+window or the _Mixer_ window. 
 
 ![strip1](en/Ardour4_Mixer_Strip_1.png) 
 
 ### Regular & Narrow Modes
 
-The Mixer Strip can be switched between  the regular width and a more
-narrow width to conserve space. The very top part of the Mixer Strip,
-pictured below, switches between regular and narrow modes using the left
-button. The right button hides the Mixer Strip entirely. 
+The mixer strip can be switched between  the regular width and a more narrow
+width to conserve space. The very top part of the mixer strip, pictured below,
+switches between regular and narrow modes using the left button. The button with
+an eye icon hides the mixer strip entirely (you can re-enable it later).
+ 
+![strip top](en/ardour7-narrow-wide-strip.png)
 
-![strip top](en/Ardour4_Mixer_Strip_Top.png) 
+You can easily spot differences between narrow and regular modes: shorter
+captions on buttons, no legend for the peak meter etc.
 
 ### Track Name and Routing Button
 
-Continuing from top to bottom, the next section of the Mixer Strip
-contains three narrow regions. The first of these regions shows the name of the Track (that's the word
-"*Audio 1*" in the image below). The next region, named "*1*" in the image below,
-is a button which allows access to the input Routing. Please see the
-**Understanding Routing** and **Recording Audio** chapters for more
-information on input Routing. The last narrow region controls phase
-reversing (we won't go into details on this topic in this tutorial). 
+Continuing from top to bottom, the next section of the mixer strip contains
+three narrow regions. The first of these regions shows the name of the track
+(that's the word "Audio 1" in the image below). The next region, named "1" in
+the image below, is a button which allows access to the input routing. Please
+see the _Understanding Routing_ and _Recording Audio_ chapters for more
+information on input routing. The last narrow region controls phase reversing
+(we won't go into details on this topic in this tutorial). 
 
 ![strip 2](en/Ardour4_Mixer_Strip_2.png) 
 
 ### Processor Box 
 
-The large black region at the bottom of this section is the **Processor
-Box**. This is where you can add Plugins, for example. The processor box
-will always contain a blue Fader 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. Please see **Using Plugins** and
-**Using Sends** for a detailed discussion of this area.
+The large black region at the bottom of this section is the _processor box_.
+This is where you can add plugins, for example. The signal flow in the mixer
+strip is top-to-bottom. It starts with the input on top, the topmost plugin in
+the box is the first one in the effects chain, the one in the bottom is the one
+applied last.
 
-The next portion of the Mixer Strip includes controls for Panning,
-Record, Mute, and Solo, among others.
+The processor box will always contain a blue fader 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. Please see _Using Plugins_ and
+_Using Sends_ for a detailed discussion of this area.
 
-![strip 4](en/Ardour4_Mixer_Strip_3.png) 
+{{< figure src="en/ardour7-inline-views-and-controls.png" alt="Inline view and controls" >}}
+
+There are additional views and controls possible in the processor box, as seen
+on the screenshot above:
+
+1. _Inline displays_. Some plugins can display a mini-overview of their
+settings, e.g. an equalizer can display a preview of how various frequency bands
+are affected. And some plugins are written with just this objective in mind — to
+provide a quick overview of something in the mixer strip. Ardour comes with two
+such plugins, an inline scope and an inline spectrogram.
+
+2. _Plugin controls_. It's possible to add controls to various plugins in a
+mixer strip. That way, for the settings that you tweak most often, you don't
+need to open a plugin's window every time, you can just drag a slider left and
+right with your mouse or scroll the mouse wheel when hovering a control. Press
+**Ctrl** to make smaller increments when dragging or scrolling.
+
+To control both these features, use _Controls_ submenu in the right-click menu
+of a plugin. As inline displays are enabled by default, all you can do is
+disable it (and then enable back). To enable a control for a plugin, simply click on its name in the menu.
+
+{{< figure src="en/ardour7-plugin-controls-submenu.png" alt="Controls submenu in Ardour 7" >}}
+
+{{% notice tip %}}
+To enable multiple controls for a plugin, the most convenient way is to open the
+right click menu, hover a control and press **Spacebar** on your keyboard, hover
+the next control, press **Spacebar** again etc.
+{{% /notice %}}
+
+The next portion of the mixer strip includes controls for panning, record, mute,
+and solo, among others.
 
 ### Panning
 
-Panning has to do with placement of sounds anywhere between Left and Right
-speakers. Please refer to the **Panning** chapter for more information.
+Panning commonly has to do with placement of sounds anywhere between left and
+right speakers to help separating instruments from one another by placing them
+in different parts of a virtual room.
 
-### Solo 
+Depending on the amount of channels in a track, Ardour will provide a dedicated
+user interface to control panning. In the screenshot below, a mono track is on
+the left and a stereo track is on the right:
 
-When a Track or Bus is on **Solo**, all the other Tracks or Busses which
-are not likewise on Solo will be inaudible through the Master Bus or the
-Audition. We can also find a miniaturized Solo Button in the Track
-Mixer. Note that soloing a bus will not silence any tracks and
-vice-versa. 
+{{< figure src="en/ardour7-mono-vs-stereo-panning.png" alt="Mono vs. stereo panning" >}}
 
-When any Track or Bus is on Solo, the **Solo Indicator** in the
-Auxiliary Controls menu will flash red. Clicking the Solo Indicator
-while it is flashing will deactivate every Solo in the Session.
+Please refer to the _Panning_ chapter for more information.
 
-![strip 5](en/Ardour4_Mixer_Strip_4.png) 
+### Soloing and Muting
 
-### Mute
+Tracks and busses can have two additional related states: soloing and being
+muted.
 
-Any Track or Bus on **Mute** will be inaudible through the Master Bus or
-the Audition. The Track Mixer also contains a miniaturized Mute Button,
-in between the Record Arm Button and the Solo Button. Right-Clicking on
-the Mute Button gives you advanced options for the behavior of the mute
-button.
+Any track or bus on _mute_ will be inaudible through the _Master_ bus or the
+_Audition_. The track mixer also contains a miniaturized **Mute** button, in
+between the **Record Arm** button and the **Solo** button. Right-clicking on the
+**Mute** button gives you advanced options for the behavior of the mute button.
+
+{{< figure src="en/ardour7-mute.png" alt="Mute button in on and off states" >}}
+
+When a track or a bus is _soloing_, all the other tracks and busses are
+inaudible through the _Master_ bus or the _Audition_, unless you solo them. So
+if you need to play just two tracks out of eight, you don't have to mute six
+other tracks, you only need to solo those two. Please note that soloing a bus
+will not silence any tracks and vice-versa. 
+
+{{< figure src="en/ardour7-solo.png" alt="Solo button" >}}
+
+When any track or bus is on solo, the _solo indicator_ in the _Auxiliary
+Controls_ menu will flash red. Clicking the solo indicator while it is flashing
+will deactivate every solo in the session.
+
+{{< figure src="en/ardour7-soloing-flash-button.png" alt="Soloing" >}}
 
 ### Arm Record
 
-The Rec button arms the track for recording, as seen in the **Recording
-Audio** chapter. 
+The _Rec_ button arms the track for recording, as seen in the _Recording Audio_ chapter.
 
+{{< figure src="en/ardour7-arm-rec.png" alt="Arm for recording" >}}
 
 ### Fader, Fade/Peak Meters
 
-The most prominent control present in a Mixer Strip is the **Fader**,
-used to adjust the overall gain for the corresponding Track or Bus. The
-**Peak Meter** shows the Peak Value of the selected track, and is
-located directly to the right of the Fader. Each Peak Meter consists of
-one **Bar Graph** in the case of a Mono Track, and two Bar Graphs in
-case of a Stereo track. The small rectangular field above the meters
-shows the highest Peak Value that has been played on that track so far.
+The most prominent control present in a mixer strip is the _fader_, used to
+adjust the overall gain for the corresponding track or bus. The _peak meter_
+shows the _peak value_ of the selected track, and is located directly to the
+right of the fader. Each peak meter consists of one _bar graph_ in the case of a
+mono track, and two bar graphs in case of a stereo track. The small rectangular
+field above the meters shows the highest peak value that has been played on that
+track so far.
 
 ![strip 7](en/Ardour4_Mixer_Strip_5.png) 
 
-By clicking the right-hand button at the bottom of the Mixer Strip (it
-reads "*post*" in the image above), you will be able to select the
-**Metering Point**, for example the direct "*in*" from the sound card,
-the "*pre*" Fader signal, or the "*post*" fader signal.
+By clicking the right-hand button at the bottom of the mixer strip (it reads
+"post" in the image above), you will be able to select the _metering point_, for
+example the direct "in" from the sound card, the "pre" Fader signal, or the
+"post" fader signal.
 
-As you can see in the image below, there is a smaller version of the
-Mixer Strip in each Track, called the **Track Mixer**, which contains a
-horizontal **Fader**, a vertical **Peak Meter** as well as miniature
-buttons for **Arm Record**, **Mute**, and **Solo**. They all mirror
-those found in the Mixer Strip for that Track.
+As you can see in the image below, there is a smaller version of the mixer strip
+in each track, called the _track mixer_, which contains a horizontal fader, a
+vertical peak meter, as well as miniature buttons for arm record, mute, and
+solo. They all mirror those found in the mixer strip for that track.
 
 ![strip 6](en/Ardour4_Mixer_Strip_6.png) 
 
-Please refer to the chapter on **Mixing Levels** for more detailed
-instruction about using the Fader and Peak Meters.
+Please refer to the chapter on _Mixing Levels_ for more detailed instruction
+about using the fader and peak meters.
 
 ### Routing
 
-Finally, we reach the bottom of the Mixer Strip. Here we find the
-**Output Routing Button**, marked as "*master*" in the earlier
-screenshot, which is discussed in the **Understanding Routing** chapter.
+Finally, we reach the bottom of the mixer strip. Here we find the **Output
+Routing** button, marked as "Master" in the earlier screenshot, because it
+connects to a bus called "Master". This was discussed earlier in the
+_Understanding Routing_ chapter.
 
 ## Continuing
 
-Now that we've had a look at the main areas of the Mixer Strip, we can
-proceed to the **Mixing Levels** chapter to see how we can start to use
-it. 
+Now that we've had a look at the main areas of the mixer strip, we can proceed
+to the _Mixing Levels_ chapter to see how we can start to use it. 
 
 Next: [MIXING LEVELS](../mixing-levels)