Tim Mayberry
b8a6f94325
Makefile Reformat the docs, I explained in a prior commit why this modifies every file git-svn-id: svn://localhost/ardour2/trunk@1463 d708f5d6-7413-0410-9779-e7cbd77b26cf
443 lines
12 KiB
XML
443 lines
12 KiB
XML
<?xml version="1.0" standalone="no"?>
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<!DOCTYPE chapter PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.4//EN" "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.4/docbookx.dtd" [
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]>
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<chapter id="ch-using-existing-audio">
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<title>Using Existing Audio</title>
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<para>
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There are two primary ways to bring data into Ardour: recording it
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within a session from a live sound source or importing pre-existing
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audio files. This section covers the various ways to import audio into a
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session.
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</para>
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<section id="importing-and-embedding">
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<title>Importing and Embedding</title>
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<para>
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Importing and embedding are two different methods of using existing
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audio files on your computer (or network file system) within a
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session. They differ in one key respect:
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</para>
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<variablelist>
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<title></title>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>Importing</term>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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An existing audio file is copied to the session's sounds folder,
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and is converted into the session's native format (WAVE or
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Broadcast WAVE depending on your choice) and sample rate.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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<varlistentry>
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<term>Embedding</term>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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An existing audio file is used as a the source for a region, but
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is not copied or modified in any way.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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</varlistentry>
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</variablelist>
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</section>
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<section id="supported-external-audio-file-formats">
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<title>Supported External Audio File Formats</title>
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<para>
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The list of audio file formats that Ardour can import/embed is quite
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long. It is based on the functionality offered by libsndfile, an
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excellent and widely used software library by Australian programmer
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Erik de Castro Lopo. As libsndfile's capabilities expand, so will
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Ardour's abilities to import (and export) new formats. Ogg/Vorbis (an
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excellent, unpatented and license free audio compression format
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similar to MP3) is planned for the near future. Currently, supported
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formats include:
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</para>
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<itemizedlist>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Microsoft WAV
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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SGI/Apple AIFF/AIFC
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Sun AU/Snd
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Raw (headerless)
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Paris Audio File (PAF)
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Commodore IFF/SVX
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Sphere/NIST WAV
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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IRCAM SF
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Creative VOC
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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SoundForge W64
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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GNU Octave MAT4.4
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Portable Voice Format
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Fasttracker 2 XI
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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HMM Tool Kit HTK
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</para>
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</listitem>
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</itemizedlist>
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<para>
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Sample encodings supported include:
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</para>
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<itemizedlist>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Unsigned and signed 8, 16, 24 and 32 bit PCM
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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IEEE 32 and 64 floating point
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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U-LAW
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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A-LAW
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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IMA ADPCM
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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MS ADPCM
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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GSM 6.10
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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G721/723 ADPCM
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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12/16/24 bit DWVW
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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OK Dialogic ADPCM
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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8/16 DPCM
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</para>
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</listitem>
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</itemizedlist>
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</section>
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<section id="using-audio-files">
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<title> Using audio files as tracks or regions? </title>
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<para>
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When you want to use existing audio files in an Ardour session, the
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first choice you need to make is whether you want to bring the files
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in as tracks or as new regions. Consider the two following scenarios:
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</para>
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<itemizedlist>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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you have an 8 track recording of existing material, with 1 audio
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file per track
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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you have a sample library containing 500 small audio files
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</para>
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</listitem>
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</itemizedlist>
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<para>
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In the first case, your goal is probably to have 8 tracks (at least),
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with each track containing a single audio file. In the second case,
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its a lot more likely that you simply want to be able to use any of
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the samples easily, but do not want any tracks created as a direct
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result of the import/embed. It is very important that you understand
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this distinction: many new users think there should be a "simple" way
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to import existing audio without understanding that the goal of
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importing/embedding is not always the same.
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</para>
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<para>
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Ardour provides two different options when importing. You can
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import/embed audio files as new tracks, or you can import/embed them
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into the region list, where they will be available as regions to put
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into new or existing tracks. You can also insert import/embed audio
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files directly into an existing track.
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</para>
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</section>
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<section id="importing-an-audio-file-as-a-new-track">
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<title> How to import an audio file as a new track </title>
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<para>
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Click on the <guimenuitem>Edit</guimenuitem> item in the editor's menu
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bar. From the popup menu that appears, choose <menuchoice>
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<guimenu>Import</guimenu> <guisubmenu>...as new tracks</guisubmenu>
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</menuchoice>. The Audio Library/File Chooser window will appear.
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After you have made your selection of files to import, click the
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button at the bottom of that window (it will say something like
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"Import selected regions as new tracks").
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</para>
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</section>
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<section id="embedding-an-audio-file-as-a-new-track">
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<title> How to embed an audio file as a new track </title>
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<section id="embedding-an-audio-file-drag-and-drop">
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<title> Drag-n-Drop </title>
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<para>
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If you use a file manager such as Nautilus or Konqueror ((basically,
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any tool that uses standard "list-of-URL's" encoding for
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drag-n-drop)), the simplest method to import files as tracks is to
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drag-n-drop. Select the files you want to embed in the file manager,
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drag the selection into Ardour and drop it over an area of the
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editor's track/arrange display where there are no tracks. The files
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will be embedded as 1 new track per file.
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</para>
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</section>
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<section id="embedding-audio-file-using-edit-menu">
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<title> Edit menu </title>
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<para>
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Click on the <guimenuitem>Edit</guimenuitem> item in the editor's
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menu bar. From the popup menu that appears, choose <menuchoice>
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<guimenu>Embed</guimenu> <guisubmenu>...as new tracks</guisubmenu>
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</menuchoice>. The Audio Library/File Chooser window will appear.
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After you have made your selection of files to embed, click the
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button at the bottom of that window (it will say something like
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"Embed selected regions as new tracks"). 1 new track will be created
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for each file.
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</para>
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</section>
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</section>
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<section id="importing-audio-as-a-new-region">
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<title> Importing as a new region </title>
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<para></para>
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</section>
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<section id="embedding-audio-as-a-new-region">
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<title> Embedding as a new region </title>
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<para></para>
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<section id="embedding-audio-drag-and-drop">
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<title> Drag-n-Drop </title>
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<para></para>
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</section>
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<section id="embedding-audio-region-list-menu">
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<title> Region List Menu </title>
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<para></para>
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</section>
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</section>
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<section id="how-to-import-embed">
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<title>How to import/embed</title>
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<para>
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Begin by clicking on the titlebar of the region list in the editor
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window. Select <guimenuitem>Import</guimenuitem> from the menu that
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appears, and the Sound File Database will be displayed. See sfdb for
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more details on using this dialog.
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</para>
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<para>
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Once you have found and selected the files you want to import, click
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the "Import Selected" button on the SFDB dialog. Each selected audio
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file will be copied into the session's sounds folder, converted into
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the session's native format and sample rate. One or more new regions
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will be placed in the "External" section of the region list, either
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one per channel of each file or, if "create multichannel regions" was
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selected in the SFBD dialog, one per file.
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</para>
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<para>
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If you use Nautilus as your file manager, you can easily import files
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into your project by dragging them onto the desired track, then
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releasing the mouse button. The file will then be
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<link linkend="gt-embed">embedded</link> into your session.
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</para>
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<para>
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At this time, no control over the conversion process is offered. If
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sample rate conversion is required, it will be carried out at the
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highest quality that Ardour can provide. This means that it can be
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rather slow (many minutes to import an audio file lasting a few
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minutes).
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</para>
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</section>
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<section id="how-to-embed-a-file">
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<title> How to embed a file </title>
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<para>
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There are two pathways for embedding an audio file into a session. One
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is initiated from the region list, and simply creates one or more new
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regions. The other is initiated from a specific track, and not only
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adds regions to the region list, but also inserts them into the
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track's playlist.
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</para>
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<section id="embedding-via-the-region-list">
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<title>Embedding via the region list</title>
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<orderedlist>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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click with 1 on the region list title bar.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Select Import audio file from the menu that appears.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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The SFDB dialog appears.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Select the files you want to import
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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then click on the <guibutton>Embed Selected</guibutton> button.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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</orderedlist>
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<para>
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New regions are added to the External section of the region list.
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</para>
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</section>
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<section id="embedding-from-a-track">
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<title>Embedding from a track</title>
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<orderedlist>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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in the track you want to add the audiofile to.The track context
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menu will appear.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Select EditInsert external sndfile from this menu. The SFDB
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dialog appears.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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Select the files you want to import
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</para>
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</listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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then click on the <guibutton>Embed Selected</guibutton> button.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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</orderedlist>
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<para>
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New regions are added to the "External" section of the region list,
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and one is inserted into the track from which the embed was started.
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</para>
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</section>
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</section>
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<!--
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<xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
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href="Some_Subsection.xml" />
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-->
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</chapter>
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