131 lines
5.2 KiB
Markdown
131 lines
5.2 KiB
Markdown
+++
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title = "Using plugins"
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chapter = false
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weight = 4
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+++
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_Plugins_ can be used to enhance or transform the sound of individual tracks.
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They can be applied directly to a single track, or to a group of tracks using
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a _send_. Later in this tutorial, we will discuss some plugins specific to the
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Mixing process, such as _Compressors_, _Limiters_, _Parametric Equalizers_,
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_Reverbs_ and others.
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## Processor Box
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In Ardour terminology, a _processor_ is anything that gets plugged into a mixer
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strip and treats the signal in some way. Ardour provides several built-in
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processors such as the fader or panners. Processors can also be plugins used for
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effects or as instruments, as well as sends or inserts which affect signal
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routing. The arrangement of processors is arbitrary, and there is no limit to
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how many there can be.
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The main space shown in the screenshot above is the _processor box_. The blue
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box fader is in fact a _processor_ that comes by default inside the processor
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box. It represents the fader that you use to control the track's volume. All
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processors are shown as colored rectangles, with a small "LED" beside them that
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lights up when the processor is enabled. The colour of the processor depends on
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its location in the sequence; processors that are pre-fader are colored in red,
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and post-fader processors are colored in green.
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## Adding a Plugin to a Track or a Bus
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Plugins can be added by right-clicking in the processor box of the track or
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bus. A menu of options is presented. From the menu, new processors can be
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inserted.
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The _Plugin Selector_ is a convenient way to browse and choose plugins:
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From the _Plugin Selector_, you can search them by name, type, or other criteria
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available from the drop-down menu. Let's add the reverb plugin called _ACE
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Reverb_:
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Once selected, click **Add** and the plugin will show up in the bottom list of
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"Plugins to be connected". Then click **Insert Plugin(s)**, and they will show
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up in the processor box.
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## Editing Plugin Parameters
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Double-click a plugin to edit its parameters. In this example, we double click
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the "ACE Reverb" red box and get this window:
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Here you can control reverb parameters such as _Blend_ and _Room Size_. The
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effect will apply to all sounds contained in the track.
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{{% notice tip %}}
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Double-click on a slider to switch to numeric input mode, type the new value in,
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then press **Enter** to confirm the change or **Esc** to abort.
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{{% /notice %}}
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## Bypassing Plugins
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To bypass the plugin, press the **Bypass** button in the plugin settings window,
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or simply click the LED of the plugin in the processor box. This turns the
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plugin off and allows the signal to pass by it unaffected. This is useful when
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you want to compare how a track sounds with and without the plugin.
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Bypassed plugins are shown with the LED turned off.
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Right-clicking the plugins will give a menu with several options, including
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_Delete_.
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## Pre-Fader vs Post-Fader
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You have a choice whether you would like to add your plugin before or after the
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fader rectangle in the _processor box_. Pre-fader plugins are inserted in the
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signal path *before* the fader, so that the fader controls the level of the
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signal coming out of the plugin. Post-Fader Plugins are inserted *after* the
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fader: the fader controls the level of the signal going into the plugin.
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For some plugins, Pre- or Post-fader placement does not matter. For others, the
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difference is subtle. For others still, inserting them in the right place is
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absolutely essential (for more details, see for example [this
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thread](https://discourse.ardour.org/t/fader-before-or-after-plugins/100666) at
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the Ardour discussion forum).
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## Plugin Formats
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For those interested in learning more about plugin formats, here's a quick
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overview:
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**LADSPA plugins** are a somewhat obsolete plugin format mainly used on Linux.
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**LV2** is an extensible successor to LADSPA. LV2 plugins are available on
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Linux, Windows, and macOS, should respective developers choose to build them
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for these systems.
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**AU plugins** are the native plugin format for macOS and will only work in
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that operating system.
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**VST plugins** is fairly common on both Windows and macOS. Some VST plugins
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built for Windows can be used on Linux, however they may not function correctly
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and require 3rd party software to run. Others are built natively for Linux and
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tend to work fine.
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More information about using plugins with Ardour can be found
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[in the user manual](http://manual.ardour.org/working-with-plugins/).
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## Continuing
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In this chapter, we learned how to add a plugin to a single track. This is
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useful if that track needs a specific plugin, but if you have a plugin which is
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used for many tracks at the same time, you should continue to the next chapter
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about using sends. You can also continue to the various, plugin-specific
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chapters such as _Dynamics_ and _Equalizing_.
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Next: [USING SENDS](../using-sends)
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