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copy-edit chapters 1+2. mostly NOOPs (whitespace), some minor fixes and markup improvements. test case for new style guide.

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3
STYLE_GUIDE
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@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ normal text flow, or asides. Currently rendered in a gray box.
use for potentially dangerous situations involving data loss, malfunction,
or sound quality issues. Currently rendered in a red box.
Check _manual/01_welcome-to-ardour/02_about-ardour-documentation.html, it
serves as a style and markup guide.
4. Element use
==============

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_manual/01_welcome-to-ardour/01_about-ardour/01_isnt-this-a-really-complicated-program.html
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layout: default
title: Isn't This A Really Complicated Program?
---
<p>There is no point in pretending that Ardour is a simple, easy to use program. The development group has worked hard to try to make simple things reasonably easy, common tasks quick, and hard and/or uncommon things possible. There is no doubt that we have more to do in this area, as well as polishing the user interface to improve its intuitiveness and work flow characteristics. At the same time, multi-track, multi-channel, non-linear, non-destructive audio editing is a far from simple process. Doing it right requires not only a good ear, but a solid appreciation for basic audio concepts and a robust mental model/metaphor of what you are doing. Ardour is not a simple "audio recorder" - you can certainly use it to record stereo (or even mono) material in a single track, but the program has been designed around much richer capabilities than this.</p>
<p>Some people complain that Ardour is not "intuitive" to use - its lead developer has <a href="http://ardour.org/node/3322">some thoughts on that</a>.</p>
<p>
There is no point in pretending that Ardour is a simple, easy to use
program. The development group has worked hard to try to make simple
things reasonably easy, common tasks quick, and hard and/or uncommon
things possible. There is no doubt that we have more to do in this
area, as well as polishing the user interface to improve its
intuitiveness and work flow characteristics.
</p>
<p>
At the same time, multi-track, multi-channel, non-linear,
non-destructive audio editing is a far from simple process. Doing it
right requires not only a good ear, but a solid appreciation of
basic audio concepts and a robust mental model/metaphor of what you
are doing. Ardour is not a simple "audio recorder" - you can
certainly use it to record stereo (or even mono) material in a
single track, but the program has been designed around much richer
capabilities than this.
</p>
<p>
Some people complain that Ardour is not "intuitive" to use - its
lead developer has
<a href="http://ardour.org/node/3322">some thoughts on that</a>.
</p>

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_manual/01_welcome-to-ardour/01_about-ardour/02_why-write-a-daw-for-linux.html
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title: Why Write a DAW for Linux?
---
<p>It is fairly understandable that existing proprietary DAWs do not run on Linux, given the rather small (but growing) share of the desktop market that Linux has. However, when surveying the landscape of "popular operating systems", we find:</p>
<p>
It is fairly understandable that existing proprietary DAWs do not run on
Linux, given the rather small (but growing) share of the desktop market
that Linux has. However, when surveying the landscape of "popular
operating systems", we find:
</p>
<ul>
<li>older versions of Windows: plagued by abysmal stability and appalling security
</li>
<li>newer versions of Windows seem stable but still suffer from security problems
</li>
<li>OS X: an amazing piece of engineering that is excellent for audio work but only runs on proprietary hardware and still lacks the flexibility and adaptability of Linux.
</li>
<li>older versions of Windows: plagued by abysmal stability and
appalling security</li>
<li>newer versions of Windows seem stable but still suffer from
security problems</li>
<li>OS X: an amazing piece of engineering that is excellent for
audio work but only runs on proprietary hardware and still lacks the
flexibility and adaptability of Linux.</li>
</ul>
<p>Security matters today, and will matter more in the future as more and more live or semi-live network based collaborations take place.</p>
<p>Let's contrast this with Linux, an operating system which:</p>
<p>
Security matters today, and will matter more in the future as more and
more live or semi-live network based collaborations take place.
</p>
<p>
Let's contrast this with Linux, an operating system which:
</p>
<ul>
<li>can stay up for months (or even years) without issues
</li>
<li>is endlessly configurable down to the tiniest detail
</li>
<li>is not owned by any single corporate entity, ensuring its life and direction are not intertwined with that of a company (for a contrary example, consider BeOS)
</li>
<li>is fast and efficient
</li>
<li>runs on almost any computing platform ever created, including old "slow" systems and new "tiny" systems (e.g. Raspberry Pi)
</li>
<li>is one of the most secure operating systems "out of the box"
</li>
<li>can stay up for months (or even years) without issues</li>
<li>is endlessly configurable down to the tiniest detail</li>
<li>is not owned by any single corporate entity, ensuring its life
and direction are not intertwined with that of a company (for a
contrary example, consider BeOS)</li>
<li>is fast and efficient</li>
<li>runs on almost any computing platform ever created, including
old "slow" systems and new "tiny" systems (e.g. Raspberry Pi)</li>
<li>is one of the most secure operating systems "out of the box"</li>
</ul>
<p>More than anything, however, Ardour's primary author uses Linux and wanted a DAW that ran there.</p>
<p>Having written a DAW for Linux, it turned out to be relatively easy to port Ardour to OS X, mostly because of the excellent work done by the JACK OS X group that ported JACK to OS X. Although OS X has a number of disadvantages compared to Linux, its ease of use and its presence in many studios already makes it a worthwhile platform.</p>
<p>
More than anything, however, Ardour's primary author uses Linux and
wanted a DAW that ran there.
</p>
<p>
Having written a DAW for Linux, it turned out to be relatively easy
to port Ardour to OS X, mostly because of the excellent work done by
the JACK OS X group that ported JACK to OS X.<br />
Although OS X has a number of disadvantages compared to Linux, its
ease of use and its presence in many studios already makes it a
worthwhile platform.
</p>

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layout: default
title: Why is it called Ardour?
---
<p>The name "Ardour" came from considerations of how to pronounce the acronym HDR(Hard Disk Recorder). The most obvious attempt sounds like a vowelless "harder" and it then was then a short step to an unrelated by slightly homophonic word:</p>
<p><em>ardour &ldquo; n 1: a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause); "they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor"; "he felt a kind of religious zeal" [syn: ardor, elan, zeal] 2: intense feeling of love [syn: ardor] 3: feelings of great warmth and intensity; "he spoke with great ardor" [syn: ardor, fervor, fervour, fervency, fire, fervidness] &rdquo;</em></p>
<p>Given the work required to develop Ardour, and the personality of its primary author, the name seemed appropriate even without the vague relationship to HDR.</p>
<p>Years later, another interpretation of "Ardour" appeared, this time based on listening to non-native English speakers attempt to pronounce the word. Rather than "Ardour", it became "Our DAW", which seemed poetically fitting for a Digital Audio Workstation whose source code and design belongs to a group of collaborators.</p>
<p>
The name "Ardour" came from considerations of how to pronounce the acronym
<abbr title="Hard Disk Recorder">HDR</abbr>. The most obvious attempt sounds
like a vowelless "harder" and it then was then a short step to an unrelated
but slightly homophonic word:
</p>
<blockquote>
<dfn>ardour</dfn> n 1: a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of
a person or cause); "they were imbued with a revolutionary ardor"; "he
felt a kind of religious zeal" [syn: ardor, elan, zeal]<br />
2: intense feeling of love [syn: ardor]<br />
3: feelings of great warmth and intensity; "he spoke with great ardor"
[syn: ardor, fervor, fervour, fervency, fire, fervidness]
</blockquote>
<p>
Given the work required to develop Ardour, and the personality of its
primary author, the name seemed appropriate even without the vague
relationship to HDR.
</p>
<p>
Years later, another interpretation of "Ardour" appeared, this time based
on listening to non-native English speakers attempt to pronounce the word.
Rather than "Ardour", it became "Our DAW", which seemed poetically fitting
for a Digital Audio Workstation whose source code and design belongs to a
group of collaborators.
</p>

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title: Why write another DAW?
---
<p>There are already a number of excellent digital audio workstations. To mention just a few: ProTools, Nuendo, Samplitude, Digital Performer, Logic, Cubase (SX), Sonar, along with several less well known systems such as SADIE, SAWStudio and others. Each of these programs has its strengths and weaknesses, although over the last few years most of them have converged on a very similar set of core features. However, each of them suffers from two problems when seen from the perspective of Ardour's development group:</p>
<p>
There are already a number of excellent digital audio workstations. To
mention just a few: ProTools, Nuendo, Samplitude, Digital Performer, Logic,
Cubase (SX), Sonar, along with several less well known systems such as
SADIE, SAWStudio and others.<br />
Each of these programs has its strengths and weaknesses, although over the
last few years most of them have converged on a very similar set of core
features. However, each of them suffers from two problems when seen from the
perspective of Ardour's development group:
</p>
<ul>
<li> they do not run natively on Linux</li>
<li>they are not available in source code form, making modifications, improvements, bugfixes by technically inclined users or their friends or consultants impossible.</li>
<li>they do not run natively on Linux</li>
<li>they are not available in source code form, making modifications,
improvements, bugfixes by technically inclined users or their friends
or consultants impossible.</li>
</ul>

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@ -3,12 +3,21 @@ layout: default
title: Additional Resources
---
<p>In addition to this documentation, you may to check a variety of other resources.</p>
<h3>Release Notes</h3>
<h3>The Ardour Forums</h3>
<h3>Information about Ardour Support</h3>
<h3>The Ardour Users Mailing List</h3>
<p>In addition to this documentation, you may check a variety of other
resources:</p>
<ul>
<li>the <a href="https://ardour.org/whatsnew.html">Ardour release
notes</a></li>
<li>the <a href="https://community.ardour.org/forums">Ardour
Forums</a></li>
<li>information about <a href="https://community.ardour.org/community">Ardour
Support</a> via mailing lists and IRC (chat)</li>
</ul>
<p>
The IRC channels in particular are where most of the day-to-day
development and debugging is done, and there are plenty of experienced
users to help you if you run into problems.<br />
Please be prepared to hang around for a few hours, the chat is usually
busiest from 19:00UTC to 04:00UTC. If you can, keep your chat window open,
so that you don't miss a belated answer.
</p>

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_manual/02_introducing-ardour/01_creating-music-with-ardour.html
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@ -2,35 +2,113 @@
layout: default
title: Creating Music with Ardour
---
<p>
Ardour can be used in many different ways, from extremely simple to
extremely complex. Many projects will be handled using the following
kind of <dfn>workflow</dfn>.
</p>
<h2>Stage 1: Creating Your Project</h2>
<p>
The first step is to create a new <dfn>session</dfn>, or open an
existing one. A session consists of a folder containing a session file
that defines all the information about the session. All media files used
by the session can be stored within the session folder.
</p>
<p>
More details on sessions can be found in
<a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.
</p>
<p>Ardour can be used in many different ways, from extremely simple to extremely complex. Many projects will be handled using the following kind of workflow.</p>
<h3>Stage 1: Creating Your Project</h3>
<p>The first step is to create a new session, or open an existing one. A session consists of a folder containing a session file that defines all the information about the session. All media files used by the session can be stored within the session folder.</p>
<p>More details on sessions can be found in <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.</p>
<h3>Stage 2: Creating and Importing Audio and MIDI data</h3>
<p>Once you have a session, you will want to add some audio and/or MIDI material to it, which can be done in one of 3 ways:</p>
<h2>Stage 2: Creating and Importing Audio and MIDI data</h2>
<p>
Once you have a session, you will want to add some audio and/or MIDI
material to it, which can be done in one of 3 ways:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Record incoming audio or MIDI data, either via audio or MIDI hardware connected to your computer, or from other applications.
</li>
<li>Create new MIDI data using the mouse and/or various dialogs
</li>
<li>Import existing media files into the session
</li>
<li>Record incoming audio or MIDI data, either via audio or MIDI hardware
connected to your computer, or from other applications.</li>
<li>Create new MIDI data using the mouse and/or various dialogs</li>
<li>Import existing media files into the session</li>
</ul>
<p>MIDI recordings consist of "performance data" ("play note X at time T") rather than actual sound. As a result, they are more flexible than actual audio, since the precise sound that they will generate when played depends on where you send the MIDI to. Two different synthesizers may produce very different sound in response to the same incoming MIDI data.</p>
<p>Audio recordings can be made from external instruments with electrical outputs (keyboards, guitars etc.) or via microphones for acoustic instruments. </p>
<p>Ardour uses the JACK Audio Connection Kit for all audio and MIDI I/O, which means that recording audio/MIDI from other applications is fundamentally identical to recording audio/MIDI from your audio/MIDI hardware.</p>
<h3>Stage 3: Editing and Arranging</h3>
<p>Once you have some material within the session, you can start to arrange it in time. This is done in one of the two main windows of Ardour, the Editor window.</p>
<p>Your audio/MIDI data appears in chunks called "regions", which are arranged into horizontal lanes called "tracks". Tracks are stacked vertically in the Editor window. You can copy, shorten, move, and delete regions without changing the actual data stored in the session at all - Ardour is a <em>non-destructive</em> editor. (Almost) nothing that you do while editing will ever modify the files stored on disk (except the session file itself). </p>
<p>You can also carry out many transformations to the contents of regions, again without altering anything on disk. You can alter/move/delete MIDI notes, and remove silence from audio regions, for example.</p>
<h3>Stage 4: Mixing and Adding Effects</h3>
<p>Once you have the arrangement of your session mostly complete, you will typically move on to the <em>mixing</em> phase. <em>Mixing</em> is a broad term to cover the way the audio signals that your session generates during playback and processed and added together into a final result that you actually hear. It can involve altering the relative levels of various parts of the session, adding effects that improve or transform certain elements, and others that bring the sound of the whole session to a new level.</p>
<p>Ardour will allow you to automate changes to any mixing parameters (such as volume, panning, and effects controls) - it will record the changes you make over time, using a mouse or keyboard or some external control device, and can play back those changes later. This is very useful because often the changes you need, even for just one track, will vary in one part of a session compared to another - rather than a single new setting for the volume, you will often need increases followed by decreases (for example, to track the changing volume of a singer). Using automation can make all of this relatively simple.</p>
<h3>Stage 5: Export</h3>
<p>Once you are really satisfied with the arrangement and mix of your session, you will typically want to produce a single audio file that contains a ready-to-listen to version of the work. Ardour will allow you to <em>export</em> audio files in a variety of formats (simultaneously in some cases). This exported file would typically be used in creating a CD, or be the basis for digital distribution of the work.</p>
<p>Of course sometimes you will want to do export material that isn't finished yet, for example to give a copy to someone else to try to mix on their own system. Ardour will allow you to export as much of a session as you want, at any time, in any supported format.</p>
<p>
<dfn>MIDI recordings</dfn> consist of performance data ("play note X at
time T") rather than actual sound. As a result, they are more flexible
than actual audio, since the precise sound that they will generate when
played depends on where you send the MIDI to.<br />
Two different synthesizers may produce very different sound in response
to the same incoming MIDI data.
</p>
<p>
<dfn>Audio recordings</dfn> can be made from external instruments with
electrical outputs (keyboards, guitars etc.) or via microphones from
acoustic instruments.
</p>
<p>
Ardour uses the <dfn>JACK Audio Connection Kit</dfn> for all audio and
MIDI I/O, which means that recording audio/MIDI from other applications
is fundamentally identical to recording audio/MIDI from your audio/MIDI
hardware.
</p>
<h2>Stage 3: Editing and Arranging</h2>
<p>
Once you have some material within the session, you can start to arrange
it in time. This is done in one of the two main windows of Ardour, the
<dfn>Editor</dfn> window.
</p>
<p>
Your audio/MIDI data appears in chunks called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which
are arranged into horizontal lanes called <dfn>tracks<dfn>. Tracks are
stacked vertically in the Editor window. You can copy, shorten, move,
and delete regions without changing the actual data stored in the session
at all &mdash; Ardour is a <dfn>non-destructive</dfn> editor. (Almost)
nothing that you do while editing will ever modify the files stored on
disk (except the session file itself).
</p>
<p>
You can also carry out many <dfn>transformations</dfn> to the contents
of regions, again without altering anything on disk. You can alter,
move, and delete MIDI notes, and remove silence from audio regions, for
example.
</p>
<h2>Stage 4: Mixing and Adding Effects</h2>
<p>
Once you have the arrangement of your session mostly complete, you will
typically move on to the <dfn>mixing</dfn> phase. Mixing is a broad term
to cover the way the audio signals that your session generates during
playback and processed and added together into a final result that you
actually hear. It can involve altering the relative levels of various
parts of the session, adding effects that improve or transform certain
elements, and others that bring the sound of the whole session to a new
level.
</p>
<p>
Ardour will allow you to <dfn>automate</dfn> changes to any mixing
parameters (such as volume, panning, and effects controls) - it will
record the changes you make over time, using a mouse or keyboard or some
external control device, and can play back those changes later. This is
very useful because often the settings you need will vary in one part of
a session compared to another &mdash; rather than using a single setting
for the volume, you may need increases followed by decreases (for example,
to track the changing volume of a singer). Using automation can make all
of this relatively simple.
</p>
<h2>Stage 5: Export</h2>
<p>
Once you are really satisfied with the arrangement and mix of your
session, you will typically want to produce a single audio file that
contains a ready-to-listen to version of the work. Ardour will allow you to
<dfn>export</dfn> audio files in a variety of formats (simultaneously in
some cases). This exported file would typically be used in creating a CD,
or be the basis for digital distribution of the work.
</p>
<p>
Of course sometimes you will want to do export material that isn't finished
yet, for example to give a copy to someone else to try to mix on their own
system. Ardour will allow you to export as much of a session as you want, at
any time, in any supported format.
</p>

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title: Understanding Basic Concepts and Terminology
---
<p>
This section will help you get acquainted with the basic terminology and
concepts associated with Ardour. More detailed information on each aspect
of the program is provided in later chapters.
</p>
<p>This section will help you get acquainted with the basic terminology and concepts associated with Ardour. More detailed information on each aspect of the program is provided in later chapters.</p>
<h2>Sessions</h2>
<p>
An <dfn>Ardour session</dfn> is a container for an entire project. A
session may contain an arbitrary number of <dfn>tracks</dfn> and
<dfn>busses</dfn> consisting of audio and MIDI data, along with
information on processing those tracks, a mix of levels, and everything
else related to the project. A session might typically contain a song, or
perhaps an entire album or a complete live recording.
</p>
<p>
Ardour sessions are held in directories; these directories contain one or
more <dfn>session files</dfn>, some or all of the audio and MIDI data and
a number of other state files that Ardour requires. The session file
describes the structure of the session, and holds automation data and
other details.
</p>
<p>
Ardour's session file is kept in XML format, which is advantageous as it
is somewhat human-readable, and human-editable in a crisis. Sound files
are stored in one of a number of optional formats, and MIDI files as SMF
(standard MIDI format).
</p>
<p>
It is also possible for Ardour sessions to reference sound and MIDI files
outside the session directory, to conserve disk space and avoid
unnecessary copying if the data is available elsewhere on the disk.
</p>
<p>
Ardour has a single current session at all times; if Ardour is started
without specifying one, it will offer to load or create one.
</p>
<p>
More details can be found at
<a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.
</p>
<h3>Sessions</h3>
<p>An Ardour session is a container for an entire project. A session may contain an arbitrary number of tracks and busses consisting of audio and MIDI data, along with information on processing those tracks, a mix of levels, and everything else related to the project. A session might typically contain a song, or perhaps an entire album or a complete live recording.</p>
<p>Ardour sessions are held in directories; these directories contain one or more session files, some or all of the audio and MIDI data and a number of other state files that Ardour requires. The session file describes the structure of the session, and holds automation data and other details.</p>
<p>Ardour's session file is kept in XML format, which is advantageous as it is somewhat human-readable, and human-editable in a crisis. Sound files are stored in one of a number of optional formats, and MIDI files as SMF (standard MIDI format).</p>
<p>It is also possible for Ardour sessions to reference sound and MIDI files outside the session directory.</p>
<p>Ardour has a single current session at all times; if Ardour is started without specifying one, it will offer to load or create one. </p>
<p>More details can be found at <a href="/working-with-sessions">Working With Sessions</a>.</p>
<h2>Tracks</h2>
<p>
A <dfn>track</dfn> is a concept common to most
<abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAWs</abbr>, and also used in
Ardour. Tracks can record audio or MIDI data to disk, and then replay
it with processing. They also allow the audio or MIDI data to be edited
in a variety of different ways.
</p>
<p>
In a typical pop production, one might use a track each for the kick
drum, another for the snare, more perhaps for the drum overheads and
others for bass, guitars and vocals.
</p>
<p>
Ardour can record to any number of tracks at one time, and then play
those tracks back. On playback, a track's recordings may be processed by
any number of plugins, panned, and its level altered to achieve a
suitable mix.
</p>
<p>
A track's type is really only related to the type of data that it stores
on disk. It is possible, for example, to have a MIDI track with a
synthesizer plugin which converts MIDI to audio. Even though the track
remains MIDI (in the sense that its on-disk recordings are MIDI), its
output may be audio-only.
</p>
<p>
More details can be found at
<a href="/working-with-tracks">Working With Tracks</a>.
</p>
<h3>Tracks</h3>
<p> A track is a concept common to most <abbr title="Digital Audio Workstation">DAWs</abbr>, and also used in Ardour. Tracks can record audio or MIDI data to disk, and then replay it with processing. They also allow the audio or MIDI data to be edited in a variety of different ways.</p>
<p>In a typical pop production, one might use a track each for the kick drum, another for the snare, more perhaps for the drum overheads and others for bass, guitars and vocals.</p>
<p>Ardour can record to any number of tracks at one time, and then play those tracks back. On playback, a track's recordings may be processed by any number of plugins, panned, and its level altered to achieve a suitable mix.</p>
<p>A track's type is really only related to the type of data that it stores on disk. It is possible, for example, to have a MIDI track with a synthesizer plugin which converts MIDI to audio. Even though the track remains &lsquo;MIDI&rsquo;, in the sense that its on-disk recordings are MIDI, its output may be audio-only.</p>
<p>More details can be found at <a href="/working-with-tracks">Working With Tracks</a>.</p>
<h2 id="busses">Busses</h2>
<p>
<dfn>Busses</dfn> are another common concept in both DAWs and hardware
mixers. They are similar in many ways to tracks; they process audio or
MIDI, and can run processing plugins. The only difference is that their
input is obtained from other tracks or busses, rather than from disk.
</p>
<p>
One might typically use a bus to collect together the outputs of related
tracks. Consider, for example, a 3-track recording of a drum-kit; given
kick, snare and overhead tracks, it may be helpful to connect the output
of each to a bus called "drums", so that the drum-kit's level can be set
as a unit, and processing (such as equalisation or compression) can be
applied to the mix of all tracks. Such buses are also called
<dfn>groups</dfn>.
</p>
<h3 id="busses">Busses</h3>
<p>Busses are another common concept in both DAWs and hardware mixers. They are similar in many ways to tracks; they process audio or MIDI, and can run processing plugins. The only difference is that their input is obtained from other tracks or busses, rather than from disk.</p>
<p>One might typically use a bus to collect together the outputs of related tracks. Consider, for example, a 3-track recording of a drum-kit; given kick, snare and overhead tracks, it may be helpful to connect the output of each to a bus called &lsquo;drums&rsquo;, so that the drum-kit's level can be set as a unit, and processing (such as equalisation or compression) can be applied to the mix of all tracks.</p>
<h2>Regions</h2>
<p>
A track may contain many segments of audio or MIDI. Ardour contains
these segments in things called <dfn>regions</dfn>, which are
self-contained snippets of audio or MIDI data. Any recording pass, for
example, generates a region on each track that is enabled for recording.
Regions can be subjected to many editing operations; they may be moved
around, split, trimmed, copied, and so on.
</p>
<p>
More details can be found at
<a href="/working-with-regions">Working With Regions</a>.
</p>
<h3>Regions</h3>
<p>A track may contain many segments of audio or MIDI. Ardour contains these segments in things called regions, which are self-contained snippets of audio or MIDI data. Any recording pass, for example, generates a region on each track that is enabled for recording. Regions can be subjected to many editing operations; they may be moved around, split, trimmed, copied, and so on. </p>
<p>More details can be found at <a href="/working-with-regions">Working With Regions</a>.</p>
<h3>Playlists</h3>
<p>The details of what exactly each track should play back is described by a playlist. A playlist is simply a list of regions; each track always has an active playlist, and can have other playlists which can be switched in and out as required.</p>
<p>More details can be found at <a href="/working-with-playlists">Working With Playlists</a>.</p>
<h2>Playlists</h2>
<p>
The details of what exactly each track should play back is described by a
<dfn>playlist</dfn>. A playlist is simply a list of regions; each track
always has an active playlist, and can have other playlists which can be
switched in and out as required.
</p>
<p>
More details can be found at
<a href="/working-with-playlists">Working With Playlists</a>.
</p>
<h3>Plugins</h3>
<p>Ardour allows you to process audio and MIDI using any number of plugins. These are external pieces of code, commonly seen as VST plugins on Windows or AU plugins on Mac OS X. Generally speaking, a plugin is written using one (and maybe more) standards. Ardour's plugin support is for the following standards:</p>
<h2>Plugins</h2>
<p>
Ardour allows you to process audio and MIDI using any number of
<dfn>plugins</dfn>. These are external pieces of code, commonly seen as
VST plugins on Windows or AU plugins on Mac OS X. Ardour supports
the following plugin standards:
</p>
<dl class="wide-table">
<dt>LADSPA</dt>
<dd>the first major plugin standard for Linux. Many LADSPA plugins are availble, mostly free and open-source.</dd>
<dt>LV2</dt>
<dd> the successor to LADSPA. Lots of plugins have been &lsquo;ported&rsquo; from LADSPA to LV2, and also many new plugins written.</dd>
<dt>VST</dt>
<dd>Ardour supports VST plugins that have been compiled for Linux.</dd>
<dt> AudioUnit (AU)</dt>
<dd>Mac OS X versions of Ardour support AudioUnit (AU) plugins. </dd>
<dt>LADSPA</dt>
<dd>the first major plugin standard for Linux. Many LADSPA plugins are
available, mostly free and open-source.</dd>
<dt>LV2</dt>
<dd>the successor to LADSPA. Lots of plugins have been ported from
LADSPA to LV2, and also many new plugins written.</dd>
<dt>VST</dt>
<dd>Ardour supports VST plugins that have been compiled for Linux.</dd>
<dt>AudioUnit (AU)</dt>
<dd>Mac OS X versions of Ardour support AudioUnit plugins.</dd>
</dl>
<p>Ardour has some support for running Windows VST plugins on Linux, but this is rather complicated, extremely difficult for the Ardour developers to debug, and generally unreliable. If it is at all possible, you are strongly advised to use native LADSPA, LV2 or Linux VST plugins on Linux, or AU on Mac OS X.</p>
<p>More details can be found at <a href="/working-with-plugins">Working With Plugins</a>.</p>
<p>
Ardour has some support for running Windows VST plugins on Linux, but
this is rather complicated, extremely difficult for the Ardour
developers to debug, and generally unreliable, as it requires to run a
large amount of Windows code in an emulated environment.<br />
If it is at all possible, you are strongly advised to use native
LADSPA, LV2 or Linux VST plugins on Linux, or AU on Mac OS X.
</p>
<p>
More details can be found at
<a href="/working-with-plugins">Working With Plugins</a>.
</p>