--- layout: default title: Track Recording Modes ---
"Recording mode" is a per-track property (audio tracks only) that affects the way that recording new material on top of existing material ("overdubbing") operates in that track. Ardour offers 3 different recording modes:
To change the recording mode of a track, right click on its track header to get the context menu:
Below is a screenshot that shows the subtly different results of an overdub in normal and non-layered mode. Both tracks were created using identical audio data.
The upper track is in normal mode, and the overdub (the middle shorter region, selected) has created a new region which if you look carefully has been layered on top of the the existing (longer) region.
The lower track is in non-layered mode, and rather than overlay the overdub region, it split the existing region and inserted the new one in between.
Non-layered mode is extremely useful when combined with push/pull trimming.