102 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
102 lines
4.1 KiB
Markdown
+++
|
|
title = "Setting up the timeline"
|
|
chapter = false
|
|
weight = 5
|
|
#pre = "<b>1. </b>"
|
|
+++
|
|
|
|
Once you import some audio files to Ardour, play them back and start
|
|
familiarizing yourself with the user interface, you might want finetuning
|
|
various parts of the user interface for your needs. The timeline settings are
|
|
one of the obvious options there, because what you want to see on the timeline
|
|
largely depends on the kind of material you work on.
|
|
|
|
Users creating audio plays, documentaries, reportages or soundscapes may wish
|
|
to use minutes and seconds for units, 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.
|
|
|
|
Let's talk about setting up clocks, snapping, and timeline rulers.
|
|
|
|
## 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.
|
|
|
|
If you never need the second clock, you can disable it entirely. Go to
|
|
`Edit > Preferences > Appearance > Toolbar` and disable the _Display Secondary
|
|
Clock_ checkbox.
|
|
|
|
Please check the Ardour manual for more information on
|
|
[clocks](http://manual.ardour.org/ardours-interface/using-ardour-clock-displays/).
|
|
|
|
## Snap Modes
|
|
|
|
Snapping settings are located just below the clocks to the right. They control
|
|
the _quantization_ of the time grid, i.e., to which units the timeline grid is
|
|
divided and to what extent audio regions and MIDI notes get snapped when
|
|
snapping is enabled. E.g. you can snap to whole seconds when you drag an audio
|
|
region around or you could snap to 1/16 of a bar when creating or editing MIDI
|
|
notes.
|
|
|
|
There is one global switch, _Snap_, and then a drop-down list of grid
|
|
quantization presets: _Bar_, _1/4 note_, _1/8 note_ etc., _Triplets_,
|
|
_Timecode_, _Minutes and Seconds_, _CD frames_, and more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When _No Grid_ quantization preset is selected, there is no grid displayed on
|
|
the tracks/busses canvas. In that case, with snapping off, nothing will snap.
|
|
And with snapping enabled, regions and notes will only snap to location markers.
|
|
|
|
## Timeline
|
|
|
|
The _timeline_ is located below the snapping settings, 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](../creating-a-track-or-bus)
|