manual/include/session-properties.html

<figure class="right">
<img src="/images/session_properties.png" alt="The Session Properties window">
<figcaption>The Session Properties window</figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  <dfn>Session properties</dfn> control aspects of the workflow or
  configuration that pertain to the current session only; these settings are
  initially set from the template used to create the session. They can be found
  in <kbd class="menu">Session &gt; Properties</kbd>, and are stored in the
  session file.
</p>

<p>
  Preferences are grouped by category:
</p>

<ul>
  <li><a href="#properties-timecode">Timecode</a></li>
  <li><a href="#properties-sync">Sync</a></li>
  <li><a href="#properties-fade">Fades</a></li>
  <li><a href="#properties-media">Media</a></li>
  <li><a href="#properties-locations">Locations</a></li>
  <li><a href="#properties-filenames">Filenames</a></li>
  <li><a href="#properties-monitoring">Monitoring</a></li>
  <li><a href="#properties-meterbridge">Meterbridge</a></li>
  <li><a href="#properties-misc">Misc</a></li>
</ul>

<h2 id="properties-timecode">Timecode</h2>

<ul>
  <li>
    <dfn>Timecode Settings</dfn>
    <ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Timecode frames-per-second</dfn>: defines how many frames of
				timecode are in one second. This can differ from the actual frame rate
				depending on the standard used.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Pull-up / pull-down</dfn>: sets the speed correction to match one
				actual second, e.g. a 4.1667 pull-up matches a 24fps cinema movie to a
				25 fps PAL TV broadcast format.
			</li>
    </ul>
	</li>
	<li>
		<dfn>Ext Timecode Offsets</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Slave Timecode offset</dfn>: when an external timecode source is used,
				adds or substracts the specified offset to the received timecode (MTC or LTC).
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Timecode Generator offset</dfn>: adds the specified offset to
				the timecode generated by Ardour (so far only LTC) before sending it to
				the external synchronized system.
			</li>
		</ul>
  </li>
  <li>
		<dfn>JACK Transport/Time Settings</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Ardour is JACK Time Master (provides Bar|Beat|Tick and other information
				to JACK)</dfn>: aside from synchronizing any JACK slave, Ardour can also
				provide musical time information (Bar/Beat/Tick) for the current absolute
				position for all the JACK-aware clients (N.B. the first jack client that
				asks for this wins).
			</li>
		</ul>
  </li>
</ul>

<h2 id="properties-sync">Sync</h2>

<ul>
	<li>
		<dfn>A/V Synchronization</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Use Video File's FPS Instead of Timecode Value for Timeline and Video
				Monitor</dfn>: when checked, uses the timecode FPS value of the standard
				used by the video file instead of forcing the FPS set in the <a href="#properties-timecode">
				Timecode tab</a>.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Apply Pull-Up/Down to Video Timeline and Video Monitor (Unless using
				JACK-sync)</dfn>: allows to apply the pull-up/down as set in the <a href="#properties-timecode">
				Timecode tab</a> to the <a href="@@video-timeline-and-monitoring">video
				timeline</a> as displayed in the editor and to the Video Monitor, resulting
				in a shorter/longer video in the editor and a speed-up/down in the Video
				Monitor.
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<h2 id="properties-fade">Fades</h2>

<ul>
	<li>
		<dfn>Audio Fades</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Declick when transport starts and stops</dfn>: creates an artificial
				fade in/out when starting or stopping playback, to avoid the 'click' sound
				resulting in starting it at a non zero value.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Declick when monitor state changes</dfn>: also creates an artificial
				fade in/out to avoid clicks when a parameter in the monitor changes.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Region fades active</dfn>: when checked, Ardour applies the region
				<a href="@@create-region-fades-and-crossfades">crossfades</a> to each
				region's start and end. When unchecked, no fades are applied, and clicks
				may be heard at regions boundaries.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Region fades visible</dfn>: when checked, the region fades are visible
				in the the Editor. Unchecking may increase readability for sessions made
				of a lot of tiny regions.
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<h2 id="properties-media">Media</h2>

<p>
	Change how sound is stored on disk. These options do not change how sound is handled
  internally.
</p>

<ul>
	<li>
		<dfn>Audio File Format</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Sample format</dfn>: defaults to 32-bit floating point, the same as
				the internal representation. 24 and 16-bit integer representation are
				also available, for more lightweight sessions at the cost of a reduced
				audio definition.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>File type</dfn>: defines what format is used to store the audio
				files. The default is WAVE, and can be changed to Broadcast Wave to
				store metadata and timecodes, <abbr title="Core Audio
				Format">CAF</abbr> to overcome WAVE's limitation to 4Gb in size, RF64
				to add more channels, etc. The chosen format is usually very
				workflow-specific.
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<h2 id="properties-locations">Locations</h2>

<p>
	These options add file locations that will be searched to find the audio and
  midi files used by the session. This is useful when the files have been
  imported into the session but not copied into the session.
</p>

<ul>
	<li>
		<dfn>File Locations</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Search for audio files in</dfn>: allows to add a location to look
				for audio files. Adding a location is done by navigating to the
				directory where the files are stored, selecting it and clicking <kbd
				class="menu">Open</kbd>. The directory will show up in the dialog. The
				<kbd class="menu">Remove</kbd> button next to the added directory can
				be used to remove it from the search path. Multiple paths can be added
				this way.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Search for MIDI files in</dfn>: is exactly the same, but for MIDI files.
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<h2 id="properties-filenames">Filenames</h2>

<p>
	 This tab is used to change how Ardour names recorded regions.
</p>

<ul>
	<li>
		<dfn>File Naming</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Prefix Track number</dfn>: when checked, a unique number will
				appear on each track in the Editor window and will prefix the region
				name. If the track number is <samp>2</samp> and the region would have
				been named <samp>Gtr-1.1</samp>, with track number prefix turned on the
				region will be named <samp>2_Gtr-1.1</samp> instead. See <a
				href="@@region-naming">Region Naming</a>.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Prefix Take Name</dfn>: when enabled, the first time a track is
				recorded it will have the specified take name. When recording is
				stopped, any trailing number on the end of the take name will be
				incremented by 1. If the specified track name doesn't have a number on
				the end, the number <samp>1</samp> will be suffixed.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Take name</dfn> specifies what name is prefixed if <kbd
				class="option">Prefix Take Name</kbd> is checked.
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
</ul>


<h2 id="properties-monitoring">Monitoring</h2>

<p>
	 Provides options affecting monitoring.
</p>

<ul>
	<li>
		<dfn>Monitoring</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Track Input Monitoring automatically follows transport state
				("auto-input")</dfn>: affects how input monitoring is handling. See <a
				href="@@monitor-setup-in-ardour">Monitor Setup in Ardour</a>
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Cue containing clips disables implicit (auto) disk monitoring
				for the track</dfn>: affects monitor playback.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Use monitor section in this session</dfn>: when enabled, displays
				an extra section in the Mixer window that is modelled on the similarly
				named section on large analog consoles. More information can be found
				on the <a href="@@monitor-section">Monitor Section</a> page.
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
</ul>


<h2 id="properties-meterbridge">Meterbridge</h2>

<p>
	This tab changes what controls are displayed in the Meterbridge that is
	available in the <kbd class="menu">Window &gt; Meterbridge</kbd> menu.
</p>

<ul>
	<li>
		<dfn>Display Options</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Show Midi Tracks</dfn>: displays/hides MIDI tracks
				(even when no synth, hence no audio output exists)
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Show Busses</dfn>: displays/hides
				<a href="@@track-types">Busses</a> tracks
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Include Master Bus</dfn>: displays/hides the
				<a href="@@master-bus-strip">Master Bus</a>
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
		<dfn>Button Area</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Rec-enable Button</dfn>: displays/hides the record arm button (for audio
				and MIDI tracks only)
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Mute Button</dfn>: displays/hides the mute button (for all
				tracks/busses types)
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Solo Button</dfn>: same for solo
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Monitor Buttons</dfn>: displays/hides the two (input and playback)<a
				href="@@monitoring">monitoring</a> buttons, selecting what is played at
				record and playback time.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Fader as Gain Knob</dfn>: displays/hides a rotary button
				to control the gain of the channel.
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
		<dfn>Name Labels</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Track Name</dfn>: adds the tracks' names below the buttons.
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<h2 id="properties-misc">Misc</h2>

<p>
	This tab has several things that don't fit on the other tabs.
</p>

<ul>
	<li>
		<dfn>MIDI Options</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Draw tool creates opaque MIDI regions</dfn>: if selected, creates
				MIDI regions that, when placed on top of other regions, don't mix with
				content below during playback.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>MIDI region copies are independent</dfn>: if selected, when a MIDI
				region is copied or duplicated, the new region is not linked to the
				region it was copied from. If it is not selected, the copied regions
				are linked and any editing done on one of the linked regions changes
				all of the linked regions.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Policy for handling overlapping notes on the same MIDI channel:</dfn>
				selects how Ardour reacts to possibly conflicting MIDI notes:
					<ul>
						<li>never allow them</li>
						<li>don't do anything in particular</li>
						<li>replace any overlapped existing	notes</li>
						<li>shorten the overlapped existing note</li>
						<li>shorten	the overlapping new note</li>
						<li>replace both overlapping notes with a	single note</li>
					</ul>
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
		<dfn>Glue to Bars and Beats</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Glue new markers to bars and beats</dfn>: if checked, a newly
				created marker will always be placed at the nearest musical time
				instead of right where the mouse pointer is.
			</li>
			<li>
				<dfn>Glue new regions to bars and beats</dfn>: same as above, for regions.
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
		<dfn>Metronome</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Always count-in when recording</dfn>: when checked, waits for two
				bars before the actual recording begins. The Metronome will tick (even if
				disabled) during the count-in. Same as recording with <kbd
				class="menu">Transport &gt; Record w/Count-In</kbd>.
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
		<dfn>Defaults</dfn>
		<ul>
			<li>
				<dfn>Use these settings as defaults</dfn>: clicking this button makes all
				the present Session Properties default, by recording them in the
				default session template.
			</li>
		</ul>
	</li>

</ul>