manual/include/foldback-strip.html

<figure class="right">
    <img src="/images/foldback-gui.png" alt="The Foldback strip">
    <figcaption>
      The Foldback strip
    </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  The <dfn>Foldback section</dfn> is an optional feature that provides stage monitoring mixes.
  Many times the main mix is used for this purpose is a setup with only the control room. However,
  for a separate studio and multiple monitor mixes for in-ear use, a separate set of Foldback
  buses provides that flexibility.
</p>
<p class=note>
	The Foldback bus was added in Ardour Version 6.0.
</p>
<p>
	These foldback buses may be mono for a stage monitor wedge or stereo to allow
	in-ear or headphones to have different mixes for each ear, such as one's self in one
	ear and the rest of the music in the other.
</p>
<p>
  A Foldback bus can be created in the same manner as any other bus is created, from the
  <kbd class="menu">Track &gt; Add Track, Bus or VCA</kbd> Window. Once at least one
  Foldback bus has been created, the Foldback strip will appear in the mixer window.
</p>
<p>
	Foldback sends can be created From the processor box context menu by selecting
	<kbd class="menu">New Foldback Send</kbd> and then the Foldback bus desired.
	<img alt="create send" src="/images/foldbacksend">
	A second method is to select all the source channels and then use the Foldback
	bus sendbox context menu and select either <kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks</kbd>
	or <kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks and Buses</kbd>.
</p>
<p>
  The <kbd class="menu">View &gt; Mixer: Show Foldback Strip</kbd> checkbox will determine if the
  Foldback strip is visible. The Foldback strip appears Just to the left of the Master strip in the
  Mixer window. It comprises:
</p>
<ol>
  <li>Previous and Next buttons</li>
  <!--li>Detach/attach control. This separates the Foldback strip into its own floating window</li-->
  <li>Hide button</li>
  <li>Foldback bus name button</li>
  <li>Invert button</li>
  <li>Show sends button</li>
  <li>Send controls</li>
  <li>Bus pan control</li>
  <li>Processor box</li>
  <li>Listen button</li>
  <li>Foldback bus level control</li>
  <li>Foldback bus output routing</li>
  <li>Comments button</li>
</ol>

<h2>Previous and Next</h2>

<p>
	The Previous button shows the previous Foldback bus in the Foldback strip.
	The Next button shows the next Foldback strip. The button will be disabled
	if there are no more Foldback buses in that direction.
</p>

<h2>Hide</h2>
<p>
	The hide button hides the Foldback strip when not being adjusted.
	The Foldback strip can be shown again from the main menu
	<kbd class="menu">View &gt; Mixer: Show Foldback Strip</kbd> item.
</p>

<h2>Name button</h2>
<p>
	The name button shows the name of the current Foldback bus. It has two
	menus the Foldback bus selection menu, activated with a mouse button 1
	click and the context menu, activated with a mouse button 3 click. The
	context menu has these items in it:
</p>
<ul>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Comments</kbd> is the same as the Comments button
  at the bottom of the strip</li>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Outputs</kbd> shows the output routing grid</li>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Save as a template</kbd> opens the template save
  dialog. The template saved has the same number of channels and the same
  processors but does not have any sends selected.</li>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Rename</kbd> shows a rename dialog that allows the Foldback
  bus name to be renamed</li>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Active</kbd> toggles The active status of the current
  Foldback bus</li>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Protect Against Denormals</kbd> turns on denormal
  protection for the current Foldback bus</li>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Remove</kbd> will remove the current Foldback bus</li>
</ul>

<h2>Invert Buttons</h2>
<p>
	The invert buttons (one for each channel) invert the audio signal. This
	may be useful in some situations for controlling feedback. However,
	proper microphone and monitor placement or the use of head phones
	or in ear monitoring will be more effective.
</p>

<h2>Show Sends</h2>
<p>
	Show sends allows the send levels and pan to be controlled from the
	originating track by using the main fader for the track. The fader and
	pan controls will change color to indicate this mode and the show sends
	button will flash to indicate this mode. Changing the current Foldback
	bus will disable this mode.
</p>

<h2>The Send Box</h2>
<p>
	The send box shows controls for each send. There is a context menu available
	by clicking mouse button 3 anywhere in the send box.
</p>
<ul>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks</kbd> creates Foldback sends on each
  selected track that feed the current Foldback bus</li>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Assign Selected Tracks and Buses</kbd> creates Foldback sends on each
  selected track and bus that feed the current Foldback bus</li>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Copy track/bus gains to sends</kbd> Sets the gain on the send to be the
  same as the gain of the track or bus the send comes from for the current
  Foldback bus</li>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Set sends gain to -inf</kbd> sets the gain on all sends
  for the current Foldback bus to -inf (the lowest gain possible)</li>
  <li><kbd class="menu">Set sends gain to 0dB</kbd> sets the gain on all sends
  for the current Foldback bus to 0dB</li>
</ul>

<h3>The Send Control Block</h3>
<p>
	<img src="/images/foldback-send.png" alt="The Foldback send">
</p>
<p>
	There is a send control block for every send to the current Foldback
	bus. The Send control block features three controls:
</p>
<ul>
	<li>The button which shows the Foldback bus' name, has an active "LED"
	indicator that can be clicked to enable or disable that send and has
	a menu (mouse button 1) with items for that send:
	<ul>
		<li><kbd class="menu">Copy track/bus gain to send</kbd> Sets the gain
		on the send to be the same as the gain of the track or bus the send
		comes from for the current Foldback bus</li>
		<li><kbd class="menu">Set send gain to -inf</kbd> sets the send gain
		for the current Foldback bus to -inf (the lowest gain possible)</li>
		<li><kbd class="menu">Set send gain to 0dB</kbd> sets the send gain
		for the current Foldback bus to 0dB</li>
		<li><kbd class="menu">Remove This Send</kbd> removes the send from the
		sending track or bus.</li>
	</ul></li>
	<li>The knob, only present on a stereo Foldback bus, which controls
	the pan azimuth</li>
	<li>The horizontal slider which control the level input from that channel</li>
</ul>

<h2>The Pan Control</h2>
<p>
	This is just like every other track or bus strip and works the same way.
</p>

<h2>The Processor Box</h2>
<p>
	This processor box is the same as on the other tracks and buses and allows
	for adding things like reverb to the Foldback mix without writing it to the track.
	It would also be possible to add in sound from a reverb bus instead.
</p>

<h2>The Listen Button</h2>
<p>
	This is only available in PFL or AFL mode as it uses the same code as
	the solo on other tracks and buses. It allows the control room monitor
	or headphones to hear what the performer will hear in their monitor.
</p>

<h2>The Foldback Level Knob</h2>
<p>
	This controls the output level being sent to the stage monitor.
</p>

<h2>The Output Port Selector</h2>
<p>
	This is similar to the output selectors on the tracks and buses. It
	differs in only a few ways. First it is never automatically connected.
	A Foldback bus is always meant to be directly connected to an output
	device and never to master or the monitor bus. The choices shown
	Therefore reflect this.
</p>
<h2>The Comment Button</h2>
<p>
	Just like the track and bus comment button, this allows opening a
	window to type in notes about the current Foldback bus for future
	reference.
</p>