---
title: Toolbox
---

<img src="/images/toolbar-tools.png" alt="Editor toolbar's tools, aka toolbox">

<h2>Global Edit mode</h2>

<p>
  Ardour has a global <dfn>edit mode</dfn> selector at the left of the
  Editing toolbar, which affect how regions are moved or copied:
</p>

<dl>
  <dt><kbd class="menu">Slide</kbd></dt>
  <dd>Regions move freely. Ardour creates overlaps when necessary.</dd>
  <dt><kbd class="menu">Ripple</kbd></dt>
  <dd>Editing affects the regions to the "right" of the edit (see below).</dd>
  <dt><kbd class="menu">Lock</kbd></dt>
  <dd>No region motion is permitted (except for "nudge").</dd>
</dl>

<p>
  Ripple Edit mode provides the following conveniences:
  <ul>
    <li>Deleting a range will move later regions to compensate for the deleted time</li>
    <li>Deleting a region will move later regions to compensate for the deleted region's length</li>
    <li>Moving a region will move later regions to compensate for the length of the move</li>
    <li>Inserting a new region (via dragging or via Paste) will move later regions to the right to compensate</li>
  </ul>
</p>

<p class="note">
  If <kbd class="menu">Snap To Grid</kbd> is enabled, then regions can
  only move so that they align with locations determined by the current
  snap settings (beats, or seconds, or other region boundaries, etc).
  See <a href="/ardours-interface/the-grid-controls/">Snap To the Grid</a>
  for details.
</p>

<h2>The <em>Smart</em> switch

<p>
  The <dfn>Smart Mode</dfn> button to the left of the mouse mode buttons
  modifies the <dfn>Grab Mode</dfn>. When enabled, the mouse behaves as if it
  is in "Range Mode" in the upper half of a region, and in "Grab Mode" in the
  lower half. This allows avoiding constant switching between these two modes.
</p>

<h2>Mouse Modes</h2>

<dl class="wide-table">
  <dt id="object">Grab Mode</dt>
  <dd>The <dfn>Grab Mode</dfn> is used for selecting, moving, deleting and
  copying objects. When in object mode, the mouse pointer appears as a hand
  whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. The mouse can now be
  used to select and perform operations on objects such as regions, markers etc.
  This is the most common mode to work in, as it allows you to select and move regions,
  as well as modify automation points on the automation tracks.</dd>

  <dt>Range Mode</dt>
  <dd>When in <dfn>Range Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a vertical line
  whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. The mouse will now be
  able to select a point or range of time. Time ranges can be selected over
  one or several tracks, depending on the selection of your tracks.<br>
  If none of your tracks are selected, the Range Tool will operate on all the
  session track visualized in the Editor.<br>
  If you want to edit only particular tracks, select them before you apply
  the range tool.</dd>

  <dt>Cut Tool Mode</dt>
  <dd>When in <dfn>Cut Tool Mode</dfn>, the mouse pointer appears as a pair of scissors
  whenever it is over the track canvas or the rulers. This tools allows to cut
  any region into 2 regions at the mouse cursor, regardless of the Edit Point.<br>
  If one or more track(s) is selected, then all the regions on these tracks will
  be split at the mouse cursor position.<br>
  If no track is selected, then only the region hovered by the mouse cursor will
  be split.</dd>

  <dt>Stretch Mode</dt>
  <dd>When in <dfn>time fx</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer appears as a
  distinctive expanding square symbol whenever it is over the track canvas or
  the rulers. This mode is used to resize regions using a timestretch
  algorithm. Click on an edge of a region of audio and drag it one way or the other to
  stretch or shrink the region.</dd>

  <dt>Audition Tool</dt>
  <dd>Clicking a region using the <dfn>audition tool</dfn> will play this
  region to the control room outputs.<br>
  You can also <dfn>scrub</dfn> with this tool by clicking and dragging in
  the direction you wish to listen.  The amount you drag in one direction or
  the other will determine the playback speed.</dd>

  <dt>Draw Tool</dt>
  <dd>When in <dfn>Draw Tool</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer will change to
  a pencil. You can then click within an audio region to change the <dfn>gain
  envelope</dfn> for that region. This curve is separate from fader automation
  for individual tracks. It will remain locked to the region's time, so if the
  region is moved, the region gain envelope is moved along with it.<br>
  The draw tool works on automation too, allowing the creation and modification
  of control points on the automation curves.<br>
  Last, it is used on a MIDI region to edit the notes.</dd>

  <dt>Internal/Region Edit Mode</dt>
  <dd>When in <dfn>Internal Edit</dfn> mode, the mouse pointer will change to
  cross-hairs. This tool acts on gegion gain and automation as the Draw tool.<br>
  On a MIDI region, it allows to lasso-select multiple notes at a time.</dd>
</dl>