manual/include/newopen-session-dialog.html

<p>
  The initial <dfn>Session</dfn> dialog, displayed at each start of Ardour, consists
  of several consecutive pages:
</p>

<h2>Open Session Page</h2>

<figure class="left">
  <img class="mini" src="/images/session_setup.png" alt="The Session Setup Dialog">
  <figcaption>
    The Session Setup Dialog
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  On this page, an <dfn>existing session</dfn> can be opened. Any <a href="@@snapshots">snapshot</a>
  of a particular session can also be accessed by clicking on the arrow next to
  the session name to display all snapshots, and then selecting one.

</p>
<p>
  If the session is not displayed in the Recent Sessions list, the <kbd
  class="menu">Other Sessions</kbd> button will bring up a file selection dialog
  to navigate the file system.
</p>
<p>
  Alternatively, a <kbd class="menu">New Session</kbd> can be created.
</p>

<h2 class="clear">New Session page</h2>

<figure class="left">
  <img class="mini" src="/images/session_new.png" alt="The New Session Dialog">
  <figcaption>
    The New Session Dialog
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<figure class="right">
  <img class="mini" src="/images/template_setup.png" alt="One of the Template Setup Dialogs">
  <figcaption>
    One of the Template Setup Dialogs
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  This page allows to type in the name of a session, select a folder to save it in, and
  optionally use an existing <a href="@@session-templates">template</a>.
</p>
<p>
  The different templates, both the "factory" ones and the ones created by the user,
  are easily available on the left-side panel. Depending on the chosen template,
  a specific Template Settings window may be shown, allowing the user to fine-tune
  the details of the template and/or choose between the different options of the
  template.
</p>

<p>
  Templates can be huge time savers when working on similar projects, or on
  usual projects, as they allow to preset and tweak a lot of the <a
  href="@@session-properties-dialog">session properties</a>, (like the
  availability of a <a href="@@monitor-section">monitoring section</a>,
  connection to a Master Bus, etc.), and handle the creation of <a
  href="@@adding-tracks-busses-and-vcas">tracks</a> of any kind.
</p>
<p>
  The <kbd class="menu">Empty Template</kbd> preset allows to create a session
  "from scratch". Everything a session template does can be done manually
  &mdash;albeit more tediously&mdash; and the resulting sessions will not differ
  whatsoever.
</p>
<p>
  As of Ardour 5.12, which introduced the new template dialog, the factory templates are:
</p>

<table class="dl">
  <tr><th><kbd class="menu">Empty Template</kbd></th>
      <td>Creates an empty session with no tracks and no monitoring. A stereo Master Bus is created, and any track created defaults to output on this bus.</td></tr>
  <tr><th><kbd class="menu">Advanced Session</kbd></th>
      <td>Like the Empty Template, but adds the ability to easily manage the Master bus (channels, hardware connection, and track autoconnection), and the creation of a monitoring section.</td></tr>
  <tr><th><kbd class="menu">Recording Session</kbd></th>
      <td>Like the Empty Template, but allows the fast creation of a number of tracks, optionally ready to record.</td></tr>
  <tr><th><kbd class="menu">Live Band</kbd></th>
      <td>Fast tracks the creation of usual tracks for a band setup (vocals, guitars, piano, ...), and optionally adds usual effects on these tracks.</td></tr>
</table>

<p>
  Selecting a template will display its description in the right-side panel, while
  hovering over a template name will show a tooltip indicating if it is a factory
  template, or, if it is a user-created one, which version of Ardour was used to
  create it.
</p>
<p>
  Whether or not a template is used, and before the "Template Setup" dialog, the
  Audio/MIDI Setup will be shown.
</p>

<h2 class="clear">Audio/MIDI Setup</h2>

<figure class="left">
  <img class="mini" src="/images/Audio-MIDI_Setup.png" alt="The Audio/MIDI Setup Dialog"/>
  <figcaption>
    The Audio/MIDI Setup Dialog
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  This window exposes the different audio options to be used by Ardour for the
  current work session, for hardware and software and is made of:
</p>

<table class="dl">
  <tr><th>Audio System</th>
  <td>Depending on the operating system, Ardour can possibly use different audio
    systems, e.g. on Linux, both <abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound Architecture">
    ALSA</abbr> and <abbr title="JACK Audio Connection Kit">JACK</abbr> are
    available.
 </td></tr>
  <tr><th>Driver</th>
  <td>
    On Mac OS X this will typically be <kbd class="menu">CoreAudio</kbd>. On Linux usually
    this will be either <kbd class="menu"><abbr title="Free Firewire Audio Driver fOr
    linux">FFADO</abbr></kbd>
    or <kbd class="menu"><abbr title="Advanced Linux Sound
    Architecture">ALSA</abbr></kbd>, depending on whether or not a firewire device
    is used. Advanced users on all platforms may also
    use <kbd class="menu">NetJack</kbd> which provides network audio I/O.
  </td></tr>
  <tr><th>Device</th>
  <td>The selector should show all available interfaces provided by the
  driver above and which are capable of duplex operation.
  <p class="warning">
    When using an Intel Mac running OS X and the builtin audio
    interface, its separate input and output devices must be <a href="@@using-more-than-one-audio-device">
    merged</a> first into a single "aggregate device" before Ardour will be able
    to use it.
   </p>
  </td></tr>
  <tr><th>Sample Rate</th>
  <td>
    The selector will allow to select from any sample rate supported by the device
    selected above it.
  </td></tr>
  <tr><th>Buffer Size</th>
  <td>
    The size of the buffer used by the audio interface can be adjusted
    to allow for either lower latency, or lower CPU usage and higher
    latency.
  </td></tr>
  <tr><th>Input/Output Channels</th>
  <td>
    Specifies the number of hardware channels to use. The
    default is <kbd class="menu">all available channels</kbd>.</td></tr>
  <tr><th>Hardware Input/Output Latency</th>
  <td>Specify the hardware delay in samples for precise latency compensation.</td></tr>
  <tr><th>Calibrate</th>
  <td>
    This button runs a semi-automated guided process to obtain
    precise hardware latency measurements for the above option.</td></tr>
  <tr><th>MIDI System</th>
  <td>
    Selects the MIDI driver to use. On Mac OS X, this will be <kbd
    class="menu">CoreMIDI</kbd>. On Linux, it can be changed between two legacy
    ALSA drivers or the (preferred) new JACK+ALSA implementation.</td></tr>
</table>