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825 lines
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title = "Glossary"
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chapter = false
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weight = 2
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#pre = "<b>1. </b>"
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This glossary offers brief definitions for many or the terms used throuhout the Ardour3 FLOSS Tutorial.
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**Aggregate Device** (Mac OS X)
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: An Aggregate Device is one virtual soundcard made of of two or more
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physical soundcards. PowerBooks and MacBooks made in 2007 or later will
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need this set up in order for **JACK** to have both input and output
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channels. This is set up in the **Audio MIDI Setup** application.
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**AIFF**
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: A sound file format developed by Apple and commonly used for lossless
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and uncompressed audio. AIFF files are compatible with Windows,
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Macintosh and Linux operating systems.
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**ALSA** (Linux)
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: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture. ALSA provides audio and MIDI
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functionality to the Linux operating system.
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**Amplitude** (mixing)
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: The strength of an audio signal. The scale of amplitude is
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**logarithmic**, since it expresses the physical ratio of power between
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one sound and another. Levels in digital audio systems are usually
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represented as the number of Decibels below the clipping point of 0 dB.
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See also **loudness**.
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**Arm** (Track to record/Ardour to record)
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: Action that makes Ardour ready to start recording. Before recording in
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Ardour, one or more tracks need to be armed first, and then Ardour needs
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to be armed itself.
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**Artifacts** (sound)
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: Perceivable distortion or decrease in sound quality generated as a
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by-product of certain signal processing operations. Artefacts are
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usually seen as undesirable or unexpected results of an otherwise
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intentional sound transformation.
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**Attenuation**
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: Reducing the **level** of an audio signal, usually measured using a
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**logarithmic** scale. See also **gain**.
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**Audio MIDI Setup** (Mac OS X)
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: The Audio MIDI Setup utility is a program that comes with the Mac OS X
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operating system for adjusting the computer's audio input and output
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configuration settings and managing MIDI devices.
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**Audio Unit Plugins**
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: Audio Unit (AU) is a plugin architecture in Mac OS X computers. It may
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be thought of as Apple's equivalent to the popular VST plugin format by
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Steinberg. Mac OS X comes with a collection of AU plug-ins such as EQ
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filters, dynamic processors, delay, reverb, time stretch, among others.
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**Audition**
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: The auditioner is a hidden mixer strip which auditioned regions are
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played back through. Auditioning a region will play only that region,
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without processing sends or plugins.
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**Automation**
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: Automation is the automatic adjustment of various parameters such as
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gain, panning or plugin settings. Changes can be made once and then will
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be repeated every time the mix is replayed. Automation in Ardour is
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controlled by automation lines linked to each Track or Bus.
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**Auxiliary Controls**
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: Buttons on the top right side of the controls found in the Editor
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Window: Punch In/Out, Auto Play, Auto Return, Auto Input, Click, Solo,
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and Audition.
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**Amplitude**
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: The level or magnitude of a signal. Audio signals with a higher
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amplitude usually sound louder.
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**Bands** (equalization)
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: The particular frequency regions to be boosted or attenuated in the
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process of **Equalization**.
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**Bars** (music)
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: Same as 'measure', a bar is a metrical unit. In Western notation, it is
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the space comprised between two vertical lines drawn through the staff.
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The specific duration of a bar depends of its **time signature** and the
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current **Tempo** of the music.
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**Bass** (Frequencies)
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: A generic way of referring to the lower frequencies of the **Spectrum**
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of a sound.
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**Beat**
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: The basic pulse underlying a piece of music.
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**Beats per Minute**
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: Beats per minute (BPM) is a measure of Tempo in music. A rate of 60
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beats per minute means that one beat will occur every second; 120 bpm
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equals two beats per second, and so on. BPM indications usually appear
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at the beginning of a traditional musical score as a metronome mark (for
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example, "quarter note equals 60", meaning one quarter note per second).
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**Bit**
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: A bit (**bi**nary dig**it**) is a single number with a value of either 0
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or 1.
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**Bit Depth**
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: Refers to the number of bits used to write a **sample**. In the CD
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standard, each sample of audio is represented by a 16-bit number. This
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gives 2\^16 (two to the power of sixteen = 65,536) possible values that
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a sample can have. A higher bit depth means a greater possible **dynamic
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range**. Studio recordings are usually first made recorded with a bit
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depth of 24 (or even 32) to preserve as much detail before transfer to
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CD. DVDs are made at 24 bit, while video games from the 1980s remain
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famous for their distinctively rough "8 bit sound". Bit depth is also
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referred to as **word length**.
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**Buffer Size** (JACK)
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: The buffer is a section of memory specifically allotted to temporary
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signal data. Small buffer sizes allow a lower latency and so are needed
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when using audio applications that require real-time interaction. The
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drawback is that CPU consumption for the system is higher with smaller
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buffer sizes. Larger buffers (like 512 or 1024) can be used when there
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is no such requirement.
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**Built-in Input and Output**
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: These are the default interfaces for getting sound in and out of your
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computer if you don't have an external sound card. In a laptop, they are
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the common input (mic) and output (headphone) connections.
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**Bus**
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: A bus is similar to a **Track** except that it does not contain its
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own regions. You cannot record directly into a bus or drag regions into
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it. The Mixer Strip vertically represents the signal flow of a bus,
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whereas the Main Canvas horizontally displays time-based information for
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each bus (such as automation lines).
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**BWF**
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: Broadcast Wave Format (BWF) is an extension of the popular Microsoft
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WAVE audio format and is the recording format of most file-based
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non-linear digital recorders used for motion picture and television
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production. This file format allows the inclusion of metadata to
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facilitate the seamless exchange of sound data between different
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computer platforms and applications.
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**CAF**
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: CAF (Core Audio Format) is a file format for storing audio, developed by
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Apple. It is compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 and higher. The Core Audio
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Format is designed to overcome limitations of older digital audio
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formats, including AIFF and WAV. Just like the QuickTime .mov file
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format, a .caf file format can contain many different audio formats,
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metadata tracks, and much more data.
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**Center Frequency**
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: In some EQ plugins, the user has the possibility of choosing the center
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frequency for each of the Frequency Bands. The center frequency of a
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Band will be the one most sharply attenuated or reinforced by the
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equalizer for that specific band. Frequencies surrounding the center
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frequency will be less affected.
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**Click** (Mouse)
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: In this manual, it specifically means to click on the left button of
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your mouse. Whenever the right button is required, the action is
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referred to as "right-click".
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**Clipping**
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: Clipping occurs when a signal is too high in level to be reproduced. Any
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samples too high in level will simply be truncated, resulting in
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**distortion**, loss of audio detail, and artefact **frequencies** which
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were not present in the original sound.
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**Clipping Point**
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: The clipping point of a digital system is referred to as 0 dB, and
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the level of any sound is measured in how far below the clipping point
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it is (-10 dB, -24 dB, etc).
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**Clocks**
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: The two big numerical displays near the top of the Editor Window. They
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can display the time in a number of formats: Timecode, Bars:Beats,
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Minutes:Seconds, and Samples.
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**Compile**
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: FLOSS applications are distributed as source code, which is
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human-readable but cannot be run as an actual application. To turn this
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source code into a running application, it must first be Compiled. When
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you download a disk image for Mac OS X or a software package from your
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distribution (such as Ubuntu, Debian or Fedora), it has been compiled
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for you already. However, if you wish to add features (such as support
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for **VST Plugins**) which your distribution does not provide, then you
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must Compile the application from source code yourself.
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**Compression**(DSP)
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: Essentially, compression makes the quiet parts of a signal louder
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without changing the level of
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the louder parts. This entails a reduction of the actual dynamic range:
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a compressed sound is less dynamic (has a smaller range of levels)
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**Compression** (data)
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: Like any other data, audio data can be compressed so that it uses less
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hard disk space. Compression such as FLAC, ALAC, or MLP reduce the size
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of audio files compared to WAV or AIFF without changing the data, which
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is referred to as lossless compression. Audio can be compressed to a
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still smaller size by using lossy compression such as MP3, Ogg Vorbis or
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AAC but this is achieved by removing data which can have an audible
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effect.
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**Connections Manager**(JACK)
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: The window in Jack that allows to manage all connections between audio
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inputs and outputs.
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**CoreAudio**(Mac OS X)
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: CoreAudio provides audio functionality to the Mac OS X operating system.
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**Cursor Modes**
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: These are the six buttons just below the Transport commands in the
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Editor Window. The six different functions that the mouse pointer can
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have in Ardour are: Select/Move Objects, Select/Move Ranges, Select Zoom
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Range, Draw Gain Automation, Stretch/Shrink Regions, Listen to Specific
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Regions.
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**Decibels**
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: Decibel is a logarithmic scale used to measure many quantities,
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including the **gain**, **level** or **loudness** of a signal. Decibel
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is usually abbreviated to dB and in digital audio usually denotes how
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far under 0 dBFS (the **clipping** point of a system) a signal is.
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**Delay**(effect)
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: The amount of time between one event and another. As an audio effect, a
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delay takes an incoming sound signal and delays it for a certain length
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of time. When mixed with the original sound, an "echo" is heard. By
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using **feedback** to return the delayed signal back into the delay
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(usually after lowering its **gain**), multiple echos with a **decay**
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result.
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**Destructive Editing/Recording**
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: Destructive actions are those that permanently modify or erase the
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original data (sound files) in the course of editing or recording.
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**Distortion**
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: Distortion occurs when an audio signal is changed in some way that
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produces **frequencies** not present in the original. Distortion can be
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deliberate or unwanted, and can be produced by driving the signal to a
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**clipping**point, or by using mathematical transformations to alter the
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shape (or "waveform") of the signal (usually referred to as
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"waveshaping").
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**Disk Image (.dmg)**
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: A disk image is a single file containing the complete contents and
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structure representing a data storage medium or device. By
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double-clicking on a .dmg file on a Mac, a virtual device will be
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mounted to your Desktop (it will look as if you had inserted a USB
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device or a DVD, for example). Many software installers in OS X are
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available as .dmg files.
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**Driver**(JACK)
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: Software written to control hardware. CoreAudio is the Mac sound driver.
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ALSA is the most common Linux driver.
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**DSP**
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: Digital Signal Processing.
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**Dynamic Range**
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: Used to refer to the difference between the loudest and the quietest
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sound that can possibly recorded, as well as the amount of detail which
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can be heard in between those extremes. Sounds which are too quiet to be
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recorded are said to be below the **noise floor**of the recording system
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(microphone, recorder, sound card, audio software, etc). Sounds which
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are too loud will be **distorted**or **clipped**.
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**Edit** **Modes**
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: The three available Edit Modes (**Slide Edit**, **Slice Edit**, and
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**Lock Edit**) control the behavior of editing operations in the **Main
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Canvas**.
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**Edit Point**
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: The point in the Main Canvas where an action such as Paste takes place.
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This can be the Mouse, the Playhead or a Marker.
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**Editor Window**
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: Ardour provides two ways of viewing a session: the Editor and the Mixer.
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The Editor represents the time based aspects of a session: it shows
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tracks and busses as horizontal timeline displays, with material within
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the tracks (audio, MIDI, video, automation data, etc.) arranged along
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the horizontal (time) axis.
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**EQ**
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: See Equalization.
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**Equalization**
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: Equalization (EQ) is the process of adjusting the relative levels of
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different frequencies in a recording or signal. In other words, it is
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the process of boosting or attenuating the various frequency bands of a
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sound according to a chosen artistic goal.
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**Filter**
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: A type of signal processing that supresses some frequencies.
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**Floating Point Numbers**
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: It is simply a number with a decimal point. "Floating Point" refers to
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the specific technique the computer uses to represent a larger range of
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integer and non-integer values.
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**FLAC**
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: An open source lossless audio format generally compatible with Linux,
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Windows and Macintosh. Unlike AIFF and WAV, FLAC is a compressed format,
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allowing file sizes to be reduced.
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**FLOSS**
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: FLOSS stands for Free Libre Open Source Software. FLOSS Manuals is a
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collection of manuals about free and open source software together with
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the tools used to create them and the community that uses those tools.
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They include authors, editors, artists, software developers, activists,
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and many others.
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**Format** (audio file)
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: The types of sound file that sounds are saved as. Among the most common
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are AIFF, WAV, FLAC, mp3 and Ogg Vorbis.
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**fps**
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: Frames Per Second. Frame rate, or frame frequency is the frequency
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(rate) at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images
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called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video
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cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems. Frame rate is most
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often expressed in frames per second (FPS).
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**Frequency**
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: Refers to the number of times an oscillation occurs in one second.
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Frequency is measured in **Hertz**, and is correlated to the **pitch**
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of a sound. Frequency is a **linear** scale, while pitch is
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**logarithmic**. The pitch 'A' above the middle C has a frequency of 440
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Hz. The 'A' one octave above is twice that frequency (880 Hz).
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**Gain**
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: Increasing the **level**of an audio signal, usually measured using a
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**logarithmic** scale. See also **attenuation**.
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**Grid**
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: The Grid is a system of points that a Region might snap to while editing
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it. The Grid can be "No Grid", "Grid" or "Magnetic".
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**Grid Points**
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: The points in the **Grid** which Regions will snap to when it is active.
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Grid Points may be minutes, seconds, video frames, bars, beats or some
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multiple of beats.
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**Hertz**
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: A term used to describe the number of times something occurs in one
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second. In digital audio, it is used to describe the **sampling rate**,
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and in acoustics it is used to describe the **frequency** of a sound.
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Thousands of Herz are described as kHz (kilo Herz).
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**High Shelf**
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: In an **Equalizer**, a **Shelf** cuts or boosts everything above (High
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Shelf) or below (Low Shelf) a specific frequency.
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**Headroom**
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: The range of **Decibels** between the region's maximum **Peak**and the
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**Clipping Point** is commonly referred to as **Headroom**. It is common
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recording practice to keep approximately three to six Decibels of
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Headroom between the maximum of your signal and the Clipping Point.
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**Jack Audio Connection Kit (JACK)**
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: JACK is a low-latency audio system which manages connections between
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Ardour and the soundcard of your computer, and between Ardour and other
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JACK-enabled audio programs on your computer. You must install JACK for
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Linux or JackOSX before you can use Ardour.
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**JackOSX** (OS X)
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: The name of the version of **JACK** that runs on Mac OS X. See **JACK**
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for more details.
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**JackPilot**
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: The control interface that comes with JackOSX.
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**Jack Server**
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: The Jack Server is the "engine" or "backend" of the Jack Audio
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Connection Kit.
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**Jack Router**
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: The Jack Router allows audio to be routed from one application to
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another using the **Jack Server**.
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**JAMin**
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: JAMin is the Jack Audio Connection Kit Audio Mastering interface. JAMin
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is an open source application designed to perform professional audio
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mastering of stereo input streams. It uses **LADSPA** for digital signal
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processing (DSP).
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**LADSPA Plugins**
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: Linux Audio Developer Simple Plugin API (LADSPA) is a standard that
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allows software audio processors and effects to be plugged into a wide
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range of audio synthesis and recording packages. For instance, it allows
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a developer to write a reverb program and bundle it into a LADSPA
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"plugin library." Ordinary users can then use this reverb within any
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LADSPA-friendly audio application. Most major audio applications on
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Linux support LADSPA.
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**Latency**
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: Latency is the amount of time needed to process all the samples coming
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from sound applications on your computer and send it to the soundcard
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for playback, or to gather samples from the sound card for recording or
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processing. A shorter latency means you will hear the results quicker,
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giving the impression of a more responsive system. However, with a
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shorter latency you also run a greater risk of **glitches** in the audio
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because the computer might not have enough time to process the sound
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before sending it to the soundcard. A longer latency means fewer
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glitches, but at the price of a slower response time. Latency is
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measured in milliseconds.
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**Limiting**
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: The process by which the amplitude of the output of a device is
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prevented from exceeding a predetermined value.
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**Linear**
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: A scale of numbers which progresses in an additive fashion, such as by
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adding one (1, 2, 3, 4...), two (2, 4, 6, 8...) or ten (10, 20, 30,
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40...). Multiplying an audio signal, for example, by either a linear or
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a logarithmic scale will produce very different results. The scale of
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**frequency** is linear, while the scales of **pitch** and **gain** are
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logarithmic.
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**Linux kernel**
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: The core of the GNU/Linux operating system. In a **Real-time System**,
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this kernel is usually **Compiled**with new parameters which speed up
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the use of audio applications in the system.
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**Lock Edit**
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: One of the three available **Edit Modes**, Lock Edit is similar to
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**Slice Edit**, but regions will remain at their original positions
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regardless of any edit operation performed.
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**Logarithmic**
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: A scale of numbers which progresses according to a certain ratio, such
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as exponentially (2, 4, 8, 16, 256...). Both scales of **pitch** and
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**gain** are logarithmic, while the scale of **frequency** is linear.
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**Lossless**
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: See **Compression** (data)
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**Lossy**
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: See Compression (data)
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**Loudness**
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: Unlike **amplitude**, which expresses the physical power of a sound,
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loudness is the perceived strength of a sound. Tones at different
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frequencies may be perceived as being at different loudnesses, even if
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they are at the same amplitude.
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**LV2**
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: LV2 is an open standard for plugins and matching host applications,
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mainly targeted at audio processing and generation. LV2 is a simple but
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extensible successor of LADSPA, intended to address the limitations of
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LADSPA which many applications have outgrown.
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**Main Canvas**
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: In the Editor Window of Ardour, the Main Canvas is the space just below
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the timeline rulers where Tracks and Busses are displayed horizontally.
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**Master Out**
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: A master out is a bus to which all (or most) tracks and other busses
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send their output. It provides a convenient single point of control for
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the output of Ardour, and is a typical location for global effects.
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Master out use is enabled by default, and the master out bus is set up
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to be stereo.
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**Meter**
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: The grouping of strong and weak beats into larger units called bars or
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measures.
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**Mixing**
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: Audio mixing is the process by which a multitude of recorded sounds are
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combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In
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the process, the levels, frequency content, dynamics and panoramic
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position of the source signals are commonly manipulated and effects such
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as reverb may be added.
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|
|
|
**MIDI**
|
|
: MIDI is an industry-standard protocol defined
|
|
in^[](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_Instrument_Digital_Interface#cite_note-0)^
|
|
1982 that enables electronic musical instruments such as keyboard
|
|
controllers, computers and other electronic equipment to communicate,
|
|
control, and synchronize with each other. MIDI allows computers,
|
|
synthesizers, MIDI controllers, sound cards, samplers and drum machines
|
|
to control one another, and to exchange system data. MIDI does not
|
|
transmit audio signals, but simply messages such as note number (pitch),
|
|
velocity (intensity), note-on, and note-off.
|
|
|
|
**Mixer Strip**
|
|
: Each track and bus is represented in the Mixer Window by a vertical
|
|
Mixer Strip** that contains various controls related to signal flow.
|
|
There are two places in Ardour in which you can see mixer strips. The
|
|
mixer window is the obvious one, but you can also view a single mixer
|
|
strip on the left hand side of the Editor (shift + E to hide/view)
|
|
|
|
**Mixer Window**
|
|
: The Mixer shows the session by representing tracks vertically as Mixer
|
|
Strips, with controls for gain, record enable, soloing, plugins etc. The
|
|
Mixer represents the signal flow of Tracks and Busses in an Ardour
|
|
session. The mixer window provides a view that mimics a traditional
|
|
hardware mixing console.
|
|
|
|
**Monitoring**
|
|
: Monitoring is the process of routing a specific mix or submix of your
|
|
session into separate outputs (like headphones). For example, a musician
|
|
being recorded may want to listen to existing material while performing.
|
|
Ardour and JACK make it easy to setup monitor outs since any incoming
|
|
signal can then be delivered back to any output, optionally mixed
|
|
together with other signals and with any kind of sound processing added.
|
|
|
|
**Mono**
|
|
: A mono sound file contains only one channel of audio. A mono track in
|
|
Ardour has only one input and handles mono sound files.
|
|
|
|
**MP3**
|
|
: A lossy, size-compressed sound file **Format**.
|
|
|
|
**Graphic Equalizer/Multi-Band Equalizer**
|
|
: A Graphic (or Multi-Band) Equalizer consists of a bank of sliders for
|
|
boosting or attenuating different frequency of a sound.
|
|
|
|
**Non-destructive Editing/Recording**
|
|
: This is a form of editing where the original content is not modified in
|
|
the course of editing. Behind the scenes, the original sound file is
|
|
kept intact, and your edits are in fact a list of instructions that
|
|
Ardour will use in order to reconstruct the signal from the original
|
|
source when you play it back. For example, creating fade-ins and
|
|
fade-outs on your Regions is a type of non-destructive editing.
|
|
|
|
**Normalize**
|
|
: To normalize an audio signal means to adjust its **Gain** so that it
|
|
peaks at the maximum the sound card allows before **Clipping**.
|
|
|
|
**Normal Mode**
|
|
: See **Track Mode**.
|
|
|
|
**Note value**
|
|
: The proportional duration of a note or rest in relation to a standard
|
|
unit. For instance, a 'quarter note' (crotchet) is so-called because its
|
|
relative duration is one quarter of a whole note (semibreve).
|
|
|
|
**Octave** (music)
|
|
: A distance of 12 semitones between two notes. In **Hertz**, the ratio of
|
|
an octave is 2:1. For example, the note 'A' above the middle C has a
|
|
frequency of 440 Hz. The note 'A' one octave above is 880 Hz, and one
|
|
octave below is 220 Hz.
|
|
|
|
**Ogg Vorbis**
|
|
: An open source lossy, size-compressed sound file format.
|
|
|
|
**Panning**
|
|
: Panning is the location of sounds in the **Stereo Field**.
|
|
|
|
**Parametric Equalizer**
|
|
: The Parametric Equalizer is the most versatile type of**EQ** used for
|
|
**Mixing** because of its extensive control over all the parameters of
|
|
filtering.
|
|
|
|
**Peaks**
|
|
: Peaks are a graphical representation of the maximum **Levels** of a
|
|
**Region**.
|
|
|
|
**Peak Meters**
|
|
: Peak Meters are a running representation of the maximum Levels of a
|
|
Region, and are located next to the Fader in the Mixer Window, and also
|
|
in the Track Mixer, of each Track.
|
|
|
|
**Pitch**
|
|
: Pitch represents the perceived fundamental frequency of a
|
|
sound.^[](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_(music)#cite_note-0)^^^It
|
|
is one of the three major auditory attributes of sounds along with
|
|
loudness and timbre. In MIDI, pitch is represented by a number between 0
|
|
and 127, with each number representing a key on a MIDI keyboard. The
|
|
relation of pitch to **Frequency** is **Logarithmic**. This means that a
|
|
sound which is heard as one **Octave**(+12 MIDI notes) above another one
|
|
is twice the frequency in Hz, while a sound one octave below (-12 MIDI
|
|
notes) is half the frequency.
|
|
|
|
**Playhead**
|
|
: In Ardour, the Playhead is the red line that moves in time (i.e., left
|
|
to right) to indicate the current playback position.
|
|
|
|
**Plugin**
|
|
: In computing, a plugin consists of a computer program that interacts
|
|
with a host application (in this case, Ardour) to provide a certain
|
|
function "on demand", usually a very specific one. Reverb, filters, and
|
|
equalizers are examples of plugins that can be used in Ardour in
|
|
association with Tracks or Busses.
|
|
|
|
**Portaudio**
|
|
: A free and open source set of **audio drivers**for Linux and Mac OS X.
|
|
|
|
**Post-Fader** (Plugin or Send)
|
|
: In the Mixer Strip, the post-fader area is the black space below the
|
|
gain slider, to which plugins or sends can be added. The input of these
|
|
plugins and sends will be the signal *after* any manual or automated
|
|
gain change (thus "post-fader").
|
|
|
|
**Pre-Fader** (Plugin or Send)
|
|
: In the Mixer Strip, the pre-fader area is the black space above the gain
|
|
slider, to which plugins or sends can be added. The input of these
|
|
plugins and sends will be the incoming signal *before* it is affected by
|
|
any manual or automated gain changes controlled by the slider (thus
|
|
"pre-fader").
|
|
|
|
**Quantization**
|
|
: In signal processing, quantization may refer to bit depth (see **bit
|
|
depth** definition). In MIDI, quantization refers to the process of
|
|
aligning notes to a precise temporal grid. This results in notes being
|
|
set on beats or exact fractions of beats. MIDI sequencers typically
|
|
include some type of quantization function.
|
|
|
|
**Range**
|
|
: A segment of time. Ranges are created with the Select/Move Ranges tool
|
|
and may include one or more tracks. Loop and punch ranges are special
|
|
types of ranges that are created and manipulated with the loop/punch
|
|
ranges meter.
|
|
|
|
**Real-time System**(Linux)
|
|
: In a **Real-time System**, the **Linux kernel** is usually recompiled
|
|
(rebuilt) with new parameters, and other settings in the system are
|
|
optimized which speed up the use of audio applications in the system.
|
|
|
|
**Regions**
|
|
: Regions are the basic elements of editing and composing in Ardour. Each
|
|
region represents all or part of an audio file. Removing a region from a
|
|
track does not remove the audio file from the disk.
|
|
|
|
**Region List**
|
|
: The region list is located at the right hand side of the Editor Window
|
|
and it shows all the regions associated with the session.
|
|
|
|
**Reverberation**
|
|
: Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after
|
|
the original sound source is
|
|
removed.^[](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverberation#cite_note-0)^^^A
|
|
reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an
|
|
enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then
|
|
slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air. Digital
|
|
reverberation can be added to a sound in Ardour through the use of
|
|
plugins.
|
|
|
|
**Right Click** (mouse)
|
|
: Click on the right button of your mouse.
|
|
|
|
**Routing**
|
|
: Routing is sending an audio signal from somewhere to somewhere else.
|
|
Signals can be routed not only from the outside world into Ardour and
|
|
vice-versa, but also within Ardour itself (for example, from a Track to
|
|
a Bus).
|
|
|
|
**Rulers**
|
|
: Rulers are the thin horizontal bars that display the time line, helping
|
|
to see when exactly a region or sound starts or stops. Also displayed
|
|
with the rulers are the meter and tempo markers, the location markers,
|
|
the range markers and the loop/punch ranges.
|
|
|
|
**Sample** (data)
|
|
: In digital audio, a sample is the smallest possible segment of a
|
|
recorded sound. In CD audio, for example, it takes 44,100 samples to
|
|
make one second of recorded sound, and so we can say that the **sampling
|
|
rate** is 44,100 **Hertz**. Samples also have a **bit depth** which
|
|
determines the **dynamic range** that is possible to record and
|
|
playback. Common bit depths are 16 (for CD audio), 24 (for studio
|
|
recording and DVDs) or 32 (for sounds inside the computer).
|
|
|
|
**Sample** (music)
|
|
: In electronic music, the word sample can mean any portion of sound
|
|
extracted from an existing piece of music to be reused in a new
|
|
composition.
|
|
|
|
**Sampler**
|
|
: An electronic music instrument or software which plays back a recorded
|
|
sound (or **sample**) whenever it is sent a **note** message. The
|
|
**pitch** of the note determines how fast or slow the sample is played
|
|
back, which emulates the pitch changes in other instruments. Samples can
|
|
be looped (played over and over) and one-shot (played once).
|
|
|
|
**Sampling Rate**
|
|
: The rate at which the computer records and plays back sound, which is
|
|
measured in **Hertz**representing the number of **samples**per second.
|
|
CD audio is recorded and played at 44,100 Hz (or 44.1 kHz), while DVD
|
|
audio runs at 96,000 Hz (96 kHz) and cheap consumer gadgets like voice
|
|
recorders, video games, mobile phones, toys and some MP3 players often
|
|
use a rate of 22,050 Hz (22.05 kHz) or even less. The sampling rate
|
|
determines the highest **frequency** that can be recorded or played,
|
|
which is expressed by the Nyquist number (half the sampling rate).
|
|
Playing back sounds at a different sampling rate then they were recorded
|
|
at will result in hearing that sound at the "wrong speed".
|
|
|
|
**Send**
|
|
: An optional auxiliary output for a track or bus.
|
|
|
|
**Session**
|
|
: A session is all of the information that constitutes one project in
|
|
Ardour. Each session is saved in its own folder containing all the
|
|
audio, region and parametric data, and a master file with the .ardour
|
|
extension.
|
|
|
|
**Shelf**
|
|
: In an **Equalizer**, a **Shelf** cuts or boosts everything above (High
|
|
Shelf) or below (Low Shelf) a specific frequency.
|
|
|
|
**Slice Edit**
|
|
: One of the three available **Edit Modes**, Slice Edit does not allow
|
|
dragging regions around, but still allows you to perform slice
|
|
operations (such as cut, paste, and split). Space between regions will
|
|
be kept constant after any edit operation that affects it. If you delete
|
|
the second half of a region, for example, any subsequent regions on the
|
|
same track will automatically move back in the time grid.
|
|
|
|
**Slide Edit**
|
|
: Another one of the three available **Edit Modes**, Slide Edit is the
|
|
default mode. It allows you to drag regions around horizontally (within
|
|
the same track) and vertically (between tracks).
|
|
|
|
**SMPTE timecode**
|
|
: : A set of cooperating standards to label individual frames of video
|
|
or film with a timecode defined by the Society of Motion Picture and
|
|
Television Engineers. Timecodes are added to film, video or audio
|
|
material, and have also been adapted to synchronize music. They provide
|
|
a time reference for editing, synchronization and identification.
|
|
|
|
**Snap Mode**
|
|
: The **Snap Mode** menus are found just below the **Clocks**. 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.
|
|
|
|
**Snapshots**
|
|
: Saving a snapshot in Ardour is similar to saving the session to a new
|
|
file to avoid overwriting the original session file. A snapshot contains
|
|
the current state of your work, while sharing all the audio and data
|
|
files of the Session. If you were trying to find a "Save As" function in
|
|
Ardour, saving a snapshot is probably what you are looking for.
|
|
|
|
**Solo**
|
|
: Toggle switch found in track controls and mixer strips. When toggled on,
|
|
only solo tracks will send output. Several tracks can be marked solo at
|
|
once. The general Solo button (top row of controls in the Editor Window)
|
|
can be used to un-solo all soloed tracks at once.
|
|
|
|
**Spectrum**
|
|
: The representation of a signal in terms of its frequency components.
|
|
|
|
**Stereo**
|
|
: A stereo sound file contains two channels of audio (usually known as
|
|
Left and Right channels). A stereo track in Ardour has two inputs and
|
|
outputs, in order to record and playback stereo files.
|
|
|
|
**Stereo Field**
|
|
: Stereo field is the perception of spatial location of sounds based on a
|
|
sound reproduction system of 2 channels (Left and Right).
|
|
|
|
**Take**(recording)
|
|
: A sequence of sound recorded continuously at one time.
|
|
|
|
**Tape Mode**
|
|
: See **Track Mode**.
|
|
|
|
**Tempo**(music)
|
|
: The rate at which beats occur. Precise Tempo indications are measured in
|
|
**bpm** (beats per minute), although subjective indications are also
|
|
common in scores (Allegro, Adagio, Very Fast, etc).
|
|
|
|
**Terminal**
|
|
: A "terminal" is the text-based interface that allows to operate a
|
|
computer by typing commands into it. Most computer users today rely
|
|
solely on a graphical interface to control their systems. Both Mac OS X
|
|
and Linux though, include a terminal which may make some tasks easier
|
|
for some users.
|
|
|
|
**Timecode**
|
|
: A time code is a sequence of numeric codes generated at regular
|
|
intervals by a timing system. The SMPTE family of timecodes is almost
|
|
universally used in film, video and audio production.
|
|
|
|
**Time Signature** (music)
|
|
: A sign placed at the start of a piece of music (after the clef and key
|
|
signature) or during the course of it, indicating the meter of the
|
|
music.
|
|
|
|
**Track**
|
|
: A Track is the place to where you can drag a **Region** from your
|
|
**Region List**and where you can record sounds coming from an
|
|
outside source. The Mixer Strip vertically represents the signal flow of
|
|
a track, whereas the Main Canvas horizontally displays time-based
|
|
information for each track.
|
|
|
|
**Track Mode**
|
|
: **Track Mode** gives you a choice between **Normal Mode** and **Tape
|
|
Mode**. Normal Mode creates a new Region for each Recording **Take**,
|
|
while **Tape Mode** destructively records--in other words the previous
|
|
Take of a Track is eliminated with each new Take.
|
|
|
|
**Transport**
|
|
: The buttons located on the upper left corner of the Editor Window, with
|
|
controls such as Rewind, Play, Stop.
|
|
|
|
**Treble**(frequencies)
|
|
: Generic way of referring to high frequencies of the **Spectrum** of a
|
|
sound.
|
|
|
|
**VST (Virtual Studio Technology)**
|
|
: [Steinberg](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steinberg) VST is an
|
|
interface for integrating software audio synthesizer and effect plugins
|
|
with audio editors and digital workstations such as Ardour. VST and
|
|
similar technologies use digital signal processing to simulate
|
|
traditional recording studio hardware with software. Thousands of
|
|
plugins exist, both commercial and freeware. VST was created by
|
|
Steinberg.
|
|
|
|
**WAV**
|
|
: A sound file format developed by Microsoft and IBM and commonly used for
|
|
lossless and uncompressed audio. WAV files are compatible with Windows,
|
|
Macintosh and Linux operating systems.
|
|
|
|
**Waveform**
|
|
: The time-domain visual representation of a sound. Waveforms are drawn
|
|
inside the colored rectangles representing Regions in the Main Canvas.
|
|
|
|
**Word length**
|
|
: See **Bit Depth**.
|
|
|
|
**Appendices:**
|
|
[FURTHER HELP](../further-help) ||
|
|
[LINKS](../links) ||
|
|
[CREDITS](../credits)
|