The display of waveforms (or, more correctly, peak envelopes, since the actual waveform is only visible at the highest zoom levels) is configurable via the Edit > Preferences > Editor dialog, to support different usecases and user preferences. The following options are available:
| Show waveforms in regions | By default, Ardour draws waveforms within audio regions. Disable this option to hide them. | |
|---|---|---|
| Waveform scale | Linear | This is the traditional linear (1:1) display of the peak envelope, or, at higher zoom levels, the individual samples. |
| Logarithmic | Alternatively, a logarithmic display of the peak envelope can be used. This will give a better idea of program loudness (it is similar to dBs) and plot soft passages more clearly, which is useful for soft recordings or small track height. | |
| Waveform shape | Traditional | The zero line appears in the middle of the display and waveforms appear as positive and negative peaks above and below. |
| Rectified | The zero line appears at the bottom of the display and waveforms appear as absolute peaks above the line only. | |