manual/_manual/22_using-control-surfaces/01_controlling-ardour-with-osc.html

---
layout: default
title: Controlling Ardour with OSC
---                        


  
  
<p>Ardour is probably one of the most OSC-controllable audio applications around, but as with all OSC-controllable apps, you can't do much without knowing what messages can be sent. This document describes the various categories of messages that Ardour understands. It is subject to change, particular the "Actions" part below, since this relates to the GTK GUI for Ardour rather than the backend.</p>
<h2>Connecting to Ardour via OSC</h2>
<p>
OSC support is not enabled by default, but can be turned on via <code>Edit &gt; Preferences &gt; User Interaction</code>. Once enabled, Ardour will listen on port 3819 by default. This port number can be changed by editing $ARDOUR_CONFIG and adding this line within the &lt;Config&gt; section:</p>
<pre>
  &lt;Option name="osc-port" value="YourChoiceHere"/&gt;
</pre>
<h2>Transport Control</h2>
<dl class="wide-table">
<dt>/ardour/transport_stop
<dt>/ardour/transport_play
<dt>/ardour/set_transport_speed [transport_speed]
</dt>
</dt>
</dt>
<dd>where [transport_speed] is a float rangin from -8 to 8.
</dd>
<dt>/ardour/ffwd
<dt>/ardour/rewind
<dt>/ardour/goto_start
<dt>/ardour/goto_end
<dt>/ardour/add_marker
</dt>
</dt>
</dt>
</dt>
</dt>
<dd>(adds marker to the current transport position)
</dd>
<dt>/ardour/next_marker
<dt>/ardour/prev_marker
<dt>/ardour/locate [sample_pos] [with_roll]
</dt>
</dt>
</dt>
<dd>where [sample_pos] is the target position and [with_roll] is a bool/integer (whether you want transport to be kept rolling or not).
</dd>
<dt>/ardour/loop_toggle<br>
</dt>
</dl>
<h2>Editing-related</h2>
<dl class="wide-table">
<dt> /ardour/undo
<dt> /ardour/redo
<dt> /ardour/save_state
</dt>
</dt>
</dt>
<dd>(this is regular Session _&gt; Save operatio)<br>
</dd>
</dl>
<h2>Recording control</h2>
<dl class="wide-table">
<dt> /ardour/toggle_punch_in
<dt> /ardour/toggle_punch_out
<dt> /ardour/rec_enable_toggle
<dt> /ardour/toggle_all_rec_enables
</dt>
</dt>
</dt>
</dt>
<dd>(toggles all tracks recording state). !currently toggles on but not off for 2.0 branch.<br>
</dd>
</dl>
<h2>Track specific operations</h2>
<p>
For each of the following, [remote_id] is the remote_id or the track
</p>
<dl class="wide-table">
<dt> /ardour/routes/mute [remote_id] [mute_st]
</dt>
<dd>where [mute_st] is a bool/int representing the desired mute state of the track
</dd>
<dt> /ardour/routes/solo [remote_id] [solo_st]
</dt>
<dd>where [solo_st] is a bool/int representing the desired solo state of the track
</dd>
<dt> /ardour/routes/recenable [remote_id] [rec_st]
</dt>
<dd>where [rec_st] is a bool/int representing the desired rec state of the track
</dd>
<dt> /ardour/routes/gainabs [remote_id] [gain_abs]
</dt>
<dd>where [gain_abs] is a float ranging from 0 to 2 (0 being -infinite, 1 being 0dB and 2 being +6dB).
</dd>
<dt> /ardour/routes/gaindB [remote_id] [gain_db]
</dt>
<dd>where [gain_db] is a float ranging from -400 to 6 representing the desired gain of the track in dB.<br>
</dd>
</dl>
<h2>Menu actions</h2>
<p>
Every single menu item in Ardour's GUI is accessible via OSC. There is<br>
a single common syntax to trigger the action as if it was selected<br>
with the mouse (or keyboard):</p>
<pre>
/ardour/access_action [action_name]
</pre>
<p>The list below shows all available values of [action-name] as of<br>
mid-March 2010 for Ardour 2.X. You can get the current list at any<br>
time by running Ardour with the -b flag.</p>
<ul>
<li> Common/About
</li>
<li> Common/goto-editor
</li>
<li> Common/Quit
</li>
<li> Common/Save
</li>
<li> Common/toggle-editor-mixer-on-top
</li>
<li> Common/ToggleBigClock
</li>
<li> Common/ToggleColorManager
</li>
<li> Common/ToggleInspector
</li>
<li> Common/ToggleKeyEditor
</li>
<li> Common/ToggleLocations
</li>
<li> Common/ToggleMaximalEditor
</li>
<li> Common/ToggleOptionsEditor
</li>
<li> Editor/add-location-from-playhead
</li>
<li> Editor/addExistingAudioFiles
</li>
<li> Editor/align-regions-end
</li>
<li> Editor/align-regions-start
</li>
<li> Editor/align-regions-start-relative
</li>
<li> Editor/align-regions-sync
</li>
<li> Editor/align-regions-sync-relative
</li>
<li> Editor/audition-at-mouse
</li>
<li> Editor/Autoconnect
</li>
<li> Editor/boost-region-gain
</li>
<li> Editor/brush-at-mouse
</li>
<li> Editor/center-edit-cursor
</li>
<li> Editor/center-playhead
</li>
<li> Editor/crop
</li>
<li> Editor/Crossfades
</li>
<li> Editor/CrossfadesFull
</li>
<li> Editor/CrossfadesShort
</li>
<li> Editor/cut-region-gain
</li>
<li> Editor/cycle-edit-point
</li>
<li> Editor/cycle-edit-point-with-marker
</li>
<li> Editor/cycle-snap-choice
</li>
<li> Editor/cycle-snap-mode
</li>
<li> Editor/duplicate-region
</li>
<li> Editor/Edit
</li>
<li> Editor/edit-cursor-to-next-region-sync
</li>
<li> Editor/edit-cursor-to-previous-region-start
</li>
<li> Editor/edit-cursor-to-previous-region-sync
</li>
<li> Editor/edit-cursor-to-range-end
</li>
<li> Editor/edit-cursor-to-range-start
</li>
<li> Editor/edit-to-playhead
</li>
<li> Editor/EditCursorMovementOptions
</li>
<li> Editor/editor-copy
</li>
<li> Editor/editor-cut
</li>
<li> Editor/editor-delete
</li>
<li> Editor/editor-paste
</li>
<li> Editor/EditSelectRangeOptions
</li>
<li> Editor/EditSelectRegionOptions
</li>
<li> Editor/export-region
</li>
<li> Editor/extend-range-to-end-of-region
</li>
<li> Editor/extend-range-to-start-of-region
</li>
<li> Editor/finish-add-range
</li>
<li> Editor/finish-range
</li>
<li> Editor/fit-tracks
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-mark-1
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-mark-2
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-mark-3
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-mark-4
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-mark-5
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-mark-6
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-mark-7
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-mark-8
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-mark-9
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-1
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-2
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-3
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-4
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-5
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-6
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-7
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-8
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-9
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-10
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-11
</li>
<li> Editor/goto-visual-state-12
</li>
<li> Editor/insert-region
</li>
<li> Editor/insert-time
</li>
<li> Editor/invert-selection
</li>
<li> Editor/jump-backward-to-mark
</li>
<li> Editor/jump-forward-to-mark
</li>
<li> Editor/LayerAddHigher
</li>
<li> Editor/Layering
</li>
<li> Editor/LayerLaterHigher
</li>
<li> Editor/LayerMoveAddHigher
</li>
<li> Editor/MeterFalloff
</li>
<li> Editor/MeterHold
</li>
<li> Editor/Monitoring
</li>
<li> Editor/move-selected-tracks-down
</li>
<li> Editor/move-selected-tracks-up
</li>
<li> Editor/multi-duplicate-region
</li>
<li> Editor/mute-unmute-region
</li>
<li> Editor/naturalize-region
</li>
<li> Editor/normalize-region
</li>
<li> Editor/nudge-backward
</li>
<li> Editor/nudge-forward
</li>
<li> Editor/nudge-next-backward
</li>
<li> Editor/nudge-next-forward
</li>
<li> Editor/nudge-playhead-backward
</li>
<li> Editor/nudge-playhead-forward
</li>
<li> Editor/pitch-[Shift]-region
</li>
<li> Editor/pitch-shift-region
</li>
<li> Editor/play-edit-range
</li>
<li> Editor/play-from-edit-point-and-return
</li>
<li> Editor/play-selected-regions
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-backward-to-grid
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-forward-to-grid
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-to-edit
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-to-next-region-boundary
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-to-next-region-boundary-noselection
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-to-next-region-sync
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-to-next-region-sync
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-to-previous-region-boundary
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-to-previous-region-boundary-noselection
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-to-previous-region-sync
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-to-range-end
</li>
<li> Editor/playhead-to-range-start
</li>
<li> Editor/PullupMinus1
</li>
<li> Editor/PullupMinus4
</li>
<li> Editor/PullupMinus4Minus1
</li>
<li> Editor/PullupMinus4Plus1
</li>
<li> Editor/PullupNone
</li>
<li> Editor/PullupPlus1
</li>
<li> Editor/PullupPlus4
</li>
<li> Editor/PullupPlus4Minus1
</li>
<li> Editor/PullupPlus4Plus1
</li>
<li> Editor/redo
</li>
<li> Editor/RegionEditOps
</li>
<li> Editor/remove-last-capture
</li>
<li> Editor/reverse-region
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-1
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-2
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-3
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-4
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-5
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-6
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-7
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-8
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-9
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-10
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-11
</li>
<li> Editor/save-visual-state-12
</li>
<li> Editor/scroll-tracks-down
</li>
<li> Editor/scroll-tracks-up
</li>
<li> Editor/select-all
</li>
<li> Editor/select-all-after-edit-cursor
</li>
<li> Editor/select-all-after-playhead
</li>
<li> Editor/select-all-before-edit-cursor
</li>
<li> Editor/select-all-before-playhead
</li>
<li> Editor/select-all-between-cursors
</li>
<li> Editor/select-all-in-loop-range
</li>
<li> Editor/select-all-in-punch-range
</li>
<li> Editor/select-all-within-cursors
</li>
<li> Editor/select-next-route
</li>
<li> Editor/select-prev-route
</li>
<li> Editor/select-range-between-cursors
</li>
<li> Editor/selected-marker-to-next-region-boundary
</li>
<li> Editor/selected-marker-to-previous-region-boundary
</li>
<li> Editor/separate
</li>
<li> Editor/set-edit-point
</li>
<li> Editor/set-fade-in-length
</li>
<li> Editor/set-fade-out-length
</li>
<li> Editor/set-loop-from-edit-range
</li>
<li> Editor/set-loop-from-region
</li>
<li> Editor/set-playhead
</li>
<li> Editor/set-punch-from-edit-range
</li>
<li> Editor/set-punch-from-region
</li>
<li> Editor/set-region-sync-position
</li>
<li> Editor/set-tempo-from-edit-range
</li>
<li> Editor/set-tempo-from-region
</li>
<li> Editor/show-editor-mixer
</li>
<li> Editor/Smpte24
</li>
<li> Editor/Smpte25
</li>
<li> Editor/Smpte30
</li>
<li> Editor/Smpte30drop
</li>
<li> Editor/Smpte60
</li>
<li> Editor/Smpte2997
</li>
<li> Editor/Smpte5994
</li>
<li> Editor/Smpte2997drop
</li>
<li> Editor/Smpte23976
</li>
<li> Editor/Smpte24976
</li>
<li> Editor/snap-magnetic
</li>
<li> Editor/snap-normal
</li>
<li> Editor/SnapMode
</li>
<li> Editor/SnapTo
</li>
<li> Editor/Solo
</li>
<li> Editor/split-region
</li>
<li> Editor/start-range
</li>
<li> Editor/step-tracks-down
</li>
<li> Editor/step-tracks-up
</li>
<li> Editor/Subframes
</li>
<li> Editor/Subframes100
</li>
<li> Editor/Subframes80
</li>
<li> Editor/tab-to-transient-backwards
</li>
<li> Editor/tab-to-transient-forwards
</li>
<li> Editor/temporal-zoom-in
</li>
<li> Editor/temporal-zoom-out
</li>
<li> Editor/Timecode
</li>
<li> Editor/toggle-auto-xfades
</li>
<li> Editor/toggle-edit-mode
</li>
<li> Editor/toggle-fade-out-active
</li>
<li> Editor/toggle-fade-out-active
</li>
<li> Editor/toggle-follow-playhead
</li>
<li> Editor/toggle-internal-edit
</li>
<li> Editor/toggle-rhythm-ferret
</li>
<li> Editor/toggle-xfades-active
</li>
<li> Editor/toggle-xfades-visible
</li>
<li> Editor/toggle-zoom
</li>
<li> Editor/ToggleGeneric MIDISurface
</li>
<li> Editor/ToggleGeneric MIDISurfaceFeedback
</li>
<li> Editor/ToggleGeneric MIDISurfaceSubMenu
</li>
<li> Editor/ToggleMeasureVisibility
</li>
<li> Editor/ToggleWaveformsWhileRecording
</li>
<li> Editor/ToggleWaveformVisibility
</li>
<li> Editor/track-record-enable-toggle
</li>
<li> Editor/trim-back
</li>
<li> Editor/trim-from-start
</li>
<li> Editor/trim-front
</li>
<li> Editor/trim-to-end
</li>
<li> Editor/undo
</li>
<li> Editor/View
</li>
<li> Editor/zoom-to-region
</li>
<li> Editor/zoom-to-region-both-axes
</li>
<li> Editor/zoom-to-session
</li>
<li> Editor/ZoomFocus
</li>
<li> JACK/JACK
</li>
<li> JACK/JACKDisconnect
</li>
<li> JACK/JACKReconnect
</li>
<li> JACK/JACKLatency32
</li>
<li> JACK/JACKLatency64
</li>
<li> JACK/JACKLatency128
</li>
<li> JACK/JACKLatency256
</li>
<li> JACK/JACKLatency512
</li>
<li> JACK/JACKLatency1024
</li>
<li> JACK/JACKLatency2048
</li>
<li> JACK/JACKLatency4096
</li>
<li> JACK/JACKLatency8192
</li>
<li> Main/AddTrackBus
</li>
<li> Main/AudioFileFormat
</li>
<li> Main/AudioFileFormatData
</li>
<li> Main/AudioFileFormatHeader
</li>
<li> Main/CleanupUnused
</li>
<li> Main/FlushWastebasket
</li>
<li> Main/Close
</li>
<li> Main/ControlSurfaces
</li>
<li> Main/Export
</li>
<li> Main/ExportRangeMarkers
</li>
<li> Main/ExportSelection
</li>
<li> Main/ExportSession
</li>
<li> Main/Help
</li>
<li> Main/KeyMouse Actions
</li>
<li> Main/Metering
</li>
<li> Main/MeteringFallOffRate
</li>
<li> Main/MeteringHoldTime
</li>
<li> Main/New
</li>
<li> Main/Open
</li>
<li> Main/Options
</li>
<li> Main/Recent
</li>
<li> Main/SaveTemplate
</li>
<li> Main/Session
</li>
<li> Main/Snapshot
</li>
<li> Main/TransportOptions
</li>
<li> Main/Windows
</li>
<li> MouseMode/set-mouse-mode-gain
</li>
<li> MouseMode/set-mouse-mode-object
</li>
<li> MouseMode/set-mouse-mode-range
</li>
<li> MouseMode/set-mouse-mode-timefx
</li>
<li> MouseMode/set-mouse-mode-zoom
</li>
<li> options/DoNotRunPluginsWhileRecording
</li>
<li> options/FileDataFormat24bit
</li>
<li> options/FileDataFormatFloat
</li>
<li> options/FileHeaderFormatBWF
</li>
<li> options/FileHeaderFormatCAF
</li>
<li> options/FileHeaderFormatWAVE
</li>
<li> options/FileHeaderFormatWAVE64
</li>
<li> options/GainReduceFastTransport
</li>
<li> options/InputAutoConnectManual
</li>
<li> options/InputAutoConnectPhysical
</li>
<li> options/LatchedRecordEnable
</li>
<li> options/LatchedSolo
</li>
<li> options/MeterFalloffFast
</li>
<li> options/MeterFalloffFaster
</li>
<li> options/MeterFalloffFastest
</li>
<li> options/MeterFalloffMedium
</li>
<li> options/MeterFalloffOff
</li>
<li> options/MeterFalloffSlow
</li>
<li> options/MeterFalloffSlowest
</li>
<li> options/MeterHoldLong
</li>
<li> options/MeterHoldMedium
</li>
<li> options/MeterHoldOff
</li>
<li> options/MeterHoldShort
</li>
<li> options/OutputAutoConnectManual
</li>
<li> options/OutputAutoConnectMaster
</li>
<li> options/OutputAutoConnectPhysical
</li>
<li> options/RegionEquivalentsOverlap
</li>
<li> options/SendMMC
</li>
<li> options/SendMTC
</li>
<li> options/ShowSoloMutes
</li>
<li> options/SoloInPlace
</li>
<li> options/SoloViaBus
</li>
<li> options/StopPluginsWithTransport
</li>
<li> options/StopRecordingOnXrun
</li>
<li> options/StopTransportAtEndOfSession
</li>
<li> options/UseExternalMonitoring
</li>
<li> options/UseHardwareMonitoring
</li>
<li> options/UseMMC
</li>
<li> options/UseSoftwareMonitoring
</li>
<li> options/VerifyRemoveLastCapture
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/activate
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/activate_all
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/clear
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/copy
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/cut
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/deactivate
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/deactivate_all
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/deselectall
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/edit
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/newinsert
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/newplugin
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/newsend
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/paste
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/rename
</li>
<li> redirectmenu/selectall
</li>
<li> RegionList/RegionListSort
</li>
<li> RegionList/RegionListSort
</li>
<li> RegionList/rlAudition
</li>
<li> RegionList/rlHide
</li>
<li> RegionList/rlRemove
</li>
<li> RegionList/rlShowAll
</li>
<li> RegionList/rlShowAuto
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortAscending
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortByRegionEndinFile
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortByRegionLength
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortByRegionName
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortByRegionPosition
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortByRegionStartinFile
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortByRegionTimestamp
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortBySourceFileCreationDate
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortBySourceFileLength
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortBySourceFileName
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortBySourceFilesystem
</li>
<li> RegionList/SortDescending
</li>
<li> ShuttleActions/SetShuttleUnitsPercentage
</li>
<li> ShuttleActions/SetShuttleUnitsSemitones
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-asixteenthbeat
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-bar
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-beat
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-cd-frame
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-edit-cursor
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-eighths
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-frame
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-mark
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-minutes
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-quarters
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-region-boundary
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-region-end
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-region-start
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-region-sync
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-seconds
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-smpte-frame
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-smpte-minutes
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-smpte-seconds
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-thirds
</li>
<li> Snap/snap-to-thirtyseconds
</li>
<li> Transport/focus-on-clock
</li>
<li> Transport/Forward
</li>
<li> Transport/GotoEnd
</li>
<li> Transport/GotoStart
</li>
<li> Transport/GotoZero
</li>
<li> Transport/Loop
</li>
<li> Transport/PlaySelection
</li>
<li> Transport/Record
</li>
<li> Transport/record-roll
</li>
<li> Transport/Rewind
</li>
<li> Transport/ToggleAutoInput
</li>
<li> Transport/ToggleAutoPlay
</li>
<li> Transport/ToggleAutoReturn
</li>
<li> Transport/ToggleClick
</li>
<li> Transport/TogglePunchIn
</li>
<li> Transport/TogglePunchOut
</li>
<li> Transport/ToggleRoll
</li>
<li> Transport/ToggleRollForgetCapture
</li>
<li> Transport/ToggleRollMaybe
</li>
<li> Transport/ToggleTimeMaster
</li>
<li> Transport/ToggleVideoSync
</li>
<li> Transport/TransitionToReverse
</li>
<li> Transport/TransitionToRoll
</li>
<li> Zoom/zoom-focus-center
</li>
<li> Zoom/zoom-focus-edit
</li>
<li> Zoom/zoom-focus-left
</li>
<li> Zoom/zoom-focus-playhead
</li>
<li> Zoom/zoom-focus-right
</li>
</ul>