manual/_manual/15_editing-and-arranging/01_edit-point.html

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layout: default
title: Edit Point
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<p>
  Editing operations in a Digital Audio Workstation like Ardour can be broken 
  down according to how many points on the timeline are required to carry the 
  operation out. Splitting a region for example, requires just one position 
  on the timeline (the one where the split will happen). Cutting out a time 
  range requires two positions, one for the start of the cut and one for the end. 
</p>
<p>
  In Ardour the <dfn>edit point</dfn> is the location where most single-point 
  editing operations take place. It can be set to either of the following:
</p>
<ul>
  <li>the <dfn>playhead</dfn></li>
  <li>the position of the <dfn>pointer</dfn> (mouse or touch)</li>
  <li>the selected (or "active") <dfn>marker</dfn></li>
</ul>
<p>
  The default edit point is the location of the pointer.
</p>
<p>
  There are 2 keybindings available to cycle through the edit point options. 
  The most common workflow tends to involve switching back and forth between 
  the playhead and mouse as the edit point. Press the grave accent key 
  <kbd>`</kbd> to switch between these two. Use <kbd class="mod1">`</kbd> to 
  cycle through all three choices (including the selected marker).  You can 
  also switch the edit point using a combo-selector just right of the snap/grid 
  unit selector.
</p>

<h2>Implicit Range</h2>

<p>
  In addition to explicit range selections made with the Range tool, Ardour 
  also provides an <dfn>implicit edit range</dfn>. This edit range can be 
  very useful if you want to edit by ear, rather than by mouse. If neither a
  regions nor an explicit range is selected, then any editing operation that 
  requires a range (such as "separate") will use the implicit edit range.
</p>
<p>
  The implicit range is the area between the current edit point and some other position. 
  In most cases it is either
</p>
<ul>
  <li>the area between the mouse and the playhead, or</li>
  <li>the area between a selected marker and the mouse or playhead.</li>
</ul>
<p>
  Which of these is true depends on which edit point setting you are using (Mouse, 
  Playhead or Marker) and whether there is a selected marker at that time.
</p>