Setting up the timeline

Because different users will want to use Ardour for different tasks, the way time is measured in the application can be changed.

Users creating audio plays, documentaries, reportages or soundscapes may wish to use Minutes and Seconds, for example, while those recording bands or producing electronic music will most likely use Bars and Beats. Video producers will find a frames-per-second Timecode handy, while those wishing for extreme precision may even want to use Samples. All of these can be viewed in Ardour and used as a means to organize your regions and edits.

Primary and Secondary Clocks

There are two clocks near the top of the Editor Window which can display the time in a number of formats: Timecode, Bars:Beats, Minutes:Seconds and Samples. Right-click to change the format of each of the two clocks.

These are called the transport clocks. The left one is the primary transport clock and the right one is the secondary transport clock. The advantage of having two transport clocks is that you see the playhead position in two different time units without having to change any settings.

To the right of these two clocks you see the “mini-timeline”, also called “navigation timeline”. Check the Ardour Manual for more informaion on clocks and the mini-timeline.

Snap Modes

The Snap Mode menus are found just below the Clocks to the right. They control the amount Quantization of the time grid, i.e., the amount of “snap” an audio Region has to the type of grid you have chosen.

When No Grid is selected, Regions may be moved freely around within the Tracks. When Grid is selected, Regions will “snap” to the nearest Grid Point. When Magnetic is selected, Regions can be moved freely but will “snap” to a Grid Point when they are moved very close to one.

The middle Units menu is used to select what the Grid Points will be, such as Beats, Bars, Marks, Minutes, Seconds, various aspects of the SMPTE Timecode, or the edges of Regions. 

Timeline

The Timeline is located below the Snap Mode menus, just above the Main Canvas. By Right-Clicking on the Timeline labels (i.e., right-click on the left-side area where the words “Timecode, Bar:Beats, Meter” etc are displayed), you can set the check boxes to show or hide the different types of time information.

Minutes/Seconds

To view Minutes and Seconds on the Timeline, right-click the Timeline labels and select Mins:Secs.

Bars/Beats

To view Bars and Beats on the Timeline, right-click the Timeline and select Bars & Beats.

It is possible to set a Meter and Tempo for the entire Ardour session, as well as to change them at different points in the same session. For more information on this, please see the Setting Up the Meter chapter.

Timecode

To work with SMPTE video Timecode, first you need to set the Timecode fps (Frames per Second). This can be found in the Timecode tab of the Session Properties window (menu Session > Properties or the Alt + O shortcut).

Once you have done that, make sure you make the Timecode ruler visible by right-clicking in the Timeline and checking the Timecode box.

Continuing

Now that you’ve set up the Timeline, continue on to the chapter on creating tracks and busses to add one or more Tracks to your Session.

Next: CREATING A TRACK OR BUS