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" ++++ + +In the previous chapter we already discussed that Ardour operates on sessions +that encompass all material you have: audio clips, MIDI clips, all effects +applied to tracks and busses etc. Before we get to actual editing, let's talk +about basics of non-destructive editing, how it's implemented in Ardour, and why +it should give you peace of mind when you do some heavy editing. + +## What does non-destructive editing actually mean? + +In a nutshell, a non-destructive approach to editing means this: whatever you +do, your source material always stays intact. Instead of writing to original +files, a program would rather describe changes you applied, store them in a +project file, and then "replay" them when loading that project. + +## How does it work in Ardour? + +Here is a quick example. Let's record a short audio clip, cut it in half and then drag the right half to the right creating a gap: + +{{< figure src="en/non-destructive-editing-cut-move-example.gif" alt="Cutting and moving a audio region" >}} + +Here is what actually happens here. Ardour creates a region that references the +original audio file and uses all of its data, from the first to the last sample. + +When you split the file in two, Ardour creates two regions, and they both +reference the original file. But now the project file says: the left region +starts at this point in time, begins with the first sample of the original file +and stops at that sample in the middle, and the second region starts at a +different point in time with that sample in the middle of the original file, and +then it stops at the last sample of the original file. + +You can cut an audio region into as many smaller clips as you like, move them around tracks, change their start/end points, stretch or contract them etc. The original audio file will never change on the disk. + +When you save a project, all that information is preserved in the session file. +When you reopen the session, Ardour reads all these references, loads original +files and recreates all edited audio regions from original audio files. That's +what "replaying changes" really means. + +If you don't like the way you edited an original take and you are way too far +into editing to undo the changes, you can start all over again without recording +a new take. For that, you can open the right sidebar by pressing **Shift+L**, go +to the _Sources_ tab, grab the name of the original audio file of the take, drop +it on any track and then move it around, cut etc. + +{{< figure src="en/non-destructive-editing-redo-all-over-again.gif" alt="Redo the editing all over again" >}} + +Moreover, any effects you apply to a track are also non-destructive. Ardour will +apply them to original audio stream and play the result on-the-fly. + +In case of MIDI clips played through a synthesizer, Ardour will use the +synthesizer to render a stream of audio data while the playhead is rolling, +capture that audio stream, apply effects to it, and then play the resulting +audio stream as you go. + +## Differences between audio and MIDI regions + +As you already know, audio files are always intact. But MIDI regions are +different: you can actually edit their contents, and the changes are saved to +MIDI files on the disk. + +One case where this matters is when you want to combine multiple regions into +one. You can do that with audio regions by selecting the ones you want to merge +and them use `Region > Edit > Combine`. This will create a kind of a meta-region +that references N audio files on the disk. + +However you cannot do the same with MIDI regions primarily because they are +editable on disk, and thus combining something that can physically change can +wreak havoc on data continuity. + +## Where does Ardour store source material? + +Consider this generic project. You have here several audio tracks representing +drums, two audio tracks for bass and solo guitar, and a MIDI track for electric +piano. + +{{< figure src="en/session-example.png" alt="PLACEHOLDER SCREENSHOT" >}} + +If you go to the session folder, you'll find there a number of subfolders, +including these two: + +- 'interchange', this is where source audio and MIDI files are stored; +- 'plugins', here Ardour saves the state of every instance of every plugin +used in the project. + +When you record one instrument, every take you do is represented by one physical +audio file per channel. So if you did three takes in a stereo track, you'll have +6 audio files. + +## Does Ardour ever change audio data on disk? + +The only time Ardour does anything to actual audio files on the disk is when you +explicitely tell you to remove audio files that aren't used anywhere in the +project. Typically this is done when you did dozens of takes, you made your +choice and you don't want these files on the disk anymore because they take +space. + +Even then, you do it in two steps. First you go to `Session > Clean-up > +Clean-up Unused Sources` to put unused original files into a trash bin, then you +separately go to `Session > Clean-up > Flush Wastebasket` to actually tell +Ardour to remove unused files physically. + +## Continuing + +Now that you are familiar with basics of non-destructive editing, let's do some +actual arranging and editing. + +Next: [Importing audio](../importing-audio) + + + \ No newline at end of file