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" +++ -**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)