The signal flow though the mixer can be customized at every processor node via "Pin Configuration" in the context menu of every processor. -User customization override all automatic (flexible/strict i/o mode) inferred output port settings for the given processor. -Non-customized plugins downstream will follow suit depending on the selected route mode. e.g. adding an additional output to a plugin on a track set to strict-i/o will trickle down the process chain until the output and result in the addition of an output port. This is useful for example in case of a mono to stereo reverb. +User customization override all automatic (flexible/strict i/o mode) inferred output port settings
++ The Pin Connection window is made of three vertical sections: +
++ By default, the I/O config is set to Automatic, i.e. the Manual Config led light is turned off. + In this mode, the diagram will display the standard input/outputs for this plugin, i.e. the number of ports (input/outputs) is + equal to the number of pins on the plugin, and a 1:1 connection is automatically created. +
++ Adding new instances of the plugin allows to apply this plugin to more inputs or outputs. E.g., a mono effect can be applied + to each channel of a n-channels track by adding as many instances of the plugins as there are input channels (i.e. ports). This + happens automatically when adding e.g. a mono effect to a stereo track: +
++ Output channels can also, in Manual Config mode, be added or removed, be them audio or MIDI. +
+ ++ Notice that using the Pin Connection overrides the I/O config setting (Flexible vs Strict). A processor can, + even in Strict I/O mode, have a different number of outputs than inputs. Non-customized plugins downstream + will follow suit depending on the selected route mode. e.g. adding an additional output to a plugin on a + track set to strict-i/o will trickle down the process chain until the output and result in the addition of + an output port. This is useful for example in case of a mono to stereo reverb.
-One can also bypass plugin instances with a 'trhu' connection. This connection is latency compensated. One example is separate Left/Right channel Equalization using two mono plugins on a stereo track: + The diagram allows to plug together the I/O ports with the plugin pins and other I/O ports, provided they are compatible (MIDI vs audio), just by + dragging/dropping the end connectors on one another. + A dotted connector's line is a "thru" line, that is directly connecting an output to an input without connecting to a pin on + the plugin, hence without any audio modification. Those "thru" connections are latency compensated with regards to those being affected by the plugin, + in order to avoid phasing issues. One example is separate Left/Right channel Equalization using two mono plugins on a stereo track: +
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++ The only way to add inputs to a processor is via Sidechaining from another signal. + This is done by "tapping" the signal from another track/bus at any point. +
++ Adding a sidechain signal in Ardour is as simple as enabling the Sidechain button, + and choosing an Audio or MIDI sidechain in the + Add Sidechain Input lower right hand section. + A new dropdown menu appears, that displays a list of the tracks/bus available to be sidechained, or + for a more complex setup (e.g. sidechaining from hardware directly), the Routing Grid + (also accessible with a Right-click on the dropdown menu). +
++ The sidechain ports can then be connected, as other inputs, to a pin of the plugin, or an output port for a "thru".
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+ Dynamic Processors – such as compressors – in general use the the original + input signal for analysis and operate on the same signal. + Side-chaining uses the signal level of another input to control + the compression level of the original signal. +
++ Effect Processors which have a side-chain input (sometimes also called key input) + have an additional input pin to receive a signal from an external input. + In Ardour that extra input can be connected in the plugin's Pin Configuration + dialog: the signal from one track can be tapped off and used as an input to a + plugin on a different track. This dialog is + accessed via the plugin's context-menu > Pin Connections…. +
++ In case a plugin has a dedicated sidechain input, Ardour automatically + creates a port for the input. This is a normal I/O port which can be fed by any + external signal. + The Pin Configuration dialog is not limited to + processors with a dedicated sidechain input, it also allows to manually create + (or remove) a sidechain input port and provides for flexible connection of the + signal to plugin pins. +
++ The operational flow in the Ardour GUI starts at the processor which is to receive + the signal: a sidechain source is selected, and Ardour creates a dedicated send-processor in the + source processor box, the level of which can be adjusted either in the Pin Configuration window + or directly on the source's send. +
+ ++ One example is the use of a bassdrum track to trigger + the compression on a bass track. The sidechain compressor (a-Compressor) will be placed on + the bass track, and will need to receive the signal from the bassdrum track as + a way to trigger the compression. +
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+ + Here, on the bass track, an a-Compressor has been added, and the + Drum track has been set as the sidechain source. The mixer reflects this + by showing an SC-send processor in the drum track, very similar to a send + The bass track also shows an arrow as one of the a-compressor input. +
++ As a result, in the editor, each peak in the kick drum track triggers the compression on the bass track + and the resulting track shows the compression kicking in on each kick drum peak, hence + reducing the gain. The compression is applied to the bass, but only based on the level of the drum track. +
++ This is commonly used for ducking effect, when e.g. a radio speaker's voice triggers the + compression on the audio playing. +
+ ++ Ardour allows the sidechain sources to be either audio or MIDI tracks/busses. This is + particularly useful when a MIDI signal is used to control an audio effect, like a + vocoder or an auto-tuner, like fat1, + the LV2 port of Fons Adriaensen's Zita AT1 + by Robin Gareus: +
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+ + Here, the MIDI track is inputed to the plugin's MIDI IN pin through a sidechain, + indicating to the plugin what note should the source audio be corrected to. +
+ ++ Notice that in the example above, the output of the "Vocals" track is connected + to the input of the "Corrected" track. We could have chosen to insert the "Vocals" track + content as an audio sidechain too, totally disconnecting the input from the plugin, and + connecting the plugin's input pin to the audio sidechain port. +
+ ++ Sometimes, the effects of a sidechain signal on a plugin can be enhanced by + pre-processing the signal. +
++ In the first example above, if the entire drum part is on one track, + then compressing with this signal as a sidechain will result in every peak triggering the compression, + be them bass drum kicks or snare, cymbals, etc. +
++ In this case, adding an EQ to the drum track with a low pass filter would filter out the peaks + created by the high pitched instruments of the drum kit, and allow for a better triggering, though to + avoid damaging the original drum track, a send to an intermediary track would be better suited + to place the EQ on. This track won't be connected to the Master, as its content is of no musical + interest except for it's use as a trigger, allowing for some extreme EQ. +
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