manual/include/bundled-plugins-utilities.html

<h2 id="ace-amplifier">ACE Amplifier</h2>

<p>
  This plugin can adjust gain by +/- 20dB anywhere in the processor box.
  It's typically useful in scenarios where a plugin's output needs to be
  adjusted, but the plugin does not provide its output level control.
</p>

<p>
  <em>Gain</em> is the only available setting. It can be set in the generic
  plugin editor dialog or adjusted on the respective automation lane.
</p>

<h2 id="ace-a-b-switch-cross-fade">ACE A/B Switch and ACE Cross Fade</h2>

<p>
  These two plugins are very similar and allow switching between two plugins
  earlier in the processing chain using an automation lane and custom pin
  connections.
</p>
<p>
  In the example below, the processor box for a 1-channel track has two
  <em>ACE Delay</em> plugins processing the input differently. Each plugin
  has one manually added output so that the original signal would flow into
  one instance of a plugin while bypassing the other one. All two resulting
  outputs then flow into the ACE A/B Switch plugin. Input 1 is considered the
  A version, input 2 is the B version.
</p>

<figure>
  <img style="width:50%;" src="/images/a-b-switch-pin-connections.png"
  alt="Pin Connections for ACE A/B Switch">
  <figcaption>
    Pin Connections for ACE A/B Switch
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  Both ACE A/B Switch and ACE Cross Fade will default to the A version. Using
  an automation lane, it's switch to the B version and back. This is where the
  difference between the two plugins comes into play.
</p>

<p>
  With ACE A/B Switch, the switch is instant, it's either A or B:
</p>

<figure>
  <img style="width:75%;" src="/images/a-b-switch-lane.png"
  alt="Pin Connections for ACE A/B Switch">
  <figcaption>
    Pin Connections for ACE A/B Switch
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  With ACE Cross Fade, however, it's possible to gradually transition to the
  B version and then back, mixing A and B signal in different ratios.
</p>

<figure>
  <img style="width:75%;" src="/images/a-b-crossfade-lane.png"
  alt="Pin Connections for ACE Cross Fade ">
  <figcaption>
    Pin Connections for ACE Cross Fade 
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  The plugins support 1-, 2-, and 4-channel configurations:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>Mono out: In 1/2 -&gt; Out 1</li>
  <li>Stereo out: In 1/3 -&gt; Out 1, In 2/4 -&gt; Out 2</li>
  <li>
    Quad out: In 1/5 -&gt; Out 1, In 2/6 -&gt; Out 2, In 3/7 -&gt; Out 3,
    In 4/8 -&gt; Out 4
  </li>
</ul>

<h2 id="ace-mute">ACE Mute</h2>

<p>
  This plugin can mute the signal anywhere in the processing chain as opposed
  to automating the mute state of the track that works on all processed audio
  only. Using <em>ACE Mute</em> in the very beginning of the signal chain means
  that in the muted state no signal is processed by plugins further in the
  processing chain.
</p>

<p>
  <em>ACE Mute</em> has no settings. All user interaction happens
  in the dedicated automation lane:
</p>

<figure>
  <img style="width:75%;" src="/images/a-mute-example.png" alt="Using ACE Mute">
  <figcaption>
    Using ACE Mute
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  Ardour also ships with a variation of <em>ACE Mute</em> called
  <em>ACE Slow Mute</em> that applies a 1 second long fade out/in before/after
  the muting.
</p>

<h2 id="voice-level-activate">Voice/Level Activate</h2>

<p>
  This plugin rolls the transport when the signal level on the plugin's input
  exceeds a user-defined level. A common scenario where this is helpful is
  recording in a home studio where an instrument or a vocal mic is at a distance
  from the computer. Arming a track for recording, toggling recording mode, then
  clapping in front of a mic or plucking a string will roll the transport and
  start recording to a track of choice.
</p>

<figure>
  <img style="width:50%;" src="/images/voice-level-activate.png" alt="Voice/Level Activate">
  <figcaption>
    Voice/Level Activate
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  The only configurable setting is the input level threshold.
</p>

<h2 id="midi-note-mapper">MIDI Note Mapper</h2>

<p>
  Maps arbitrary MIDI notes to others. This affects both note-on and note-off
  events, as well as polyphonic key pressure. A single note can be mapped
  twice, but only the last mapping is used.
</p>

<figure>
  <img style="width:50%;" src="/images/midi-note-mapper.png" alt="MIDI Note Mapper">
  <figcaption>
    MIDI Note Mapper
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<h2>Arpeggiators</h2>

<p>
  Arpeggiators commonly take a chord and play it note by note in a certain
  pattern: up (from the lowest note to the highest note),  down (from the
  highest note to the lowest one), up and down, down and up, or in a random
  fashion.
</p>

<p>
  They also have a number of additional settings like division that
  defines the rate at which an arpeggiator will repeat the pattern. Or the
  number of octaves the arpeggiator will jump between while transposing
  a repeating note.
</p>

<p>
  All three arpeggiators shipped with Ardour&nbsp;— simple arpeggiator, Barlow
  arpeggiator, and Raptor arpeggiator&nbsp;— share these basic settings.
  However, some of their design specifics vary.
</p>

<p>
  The simple arpeggiator allows setting different velocities for notes at the
  bar line, beat line, and subdivisions. It also has a swing setting.
</p>

<figure>
  <img style="width:50%;" src="/images/plugins-arpeggiator-simple.png" alt="Simple arpeggiator">
  <figcaption>
    Simple arpeggiator
  </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>
  The Barlow arpeggiator has sample-accurate triggering and automatically
  adjusts to the current time signature. It also allows setting min and max
  velocity.
</p>

<figure>
  <img style="width:50%;" src="/images/plugins-arpeggiator-barlow.png" alt="Barlow arpeggiator">
  <figcaption>
    Barlow arpeggiator
  </figcaption>
</figure>


<p>
  The Raptor arpeggiator has harmonic controls, input pitch and velocity
  tracking, and a few other features.
</p>

<figure>
  <img style="width:50%;" src="/images/plugins-arpeggiator-raptor.png" alt="Raptor arpeggiator">
  <figcaption>
    Raptor arpeggiator
  </figcaption>
</figure>