---
title: Status indicators and Mode buttons
---

<img src="/images/status-and-mode-buttons.png" alt="The Status buttons, the Mode buttons and " />

<p>
  The <dfn>Status</dfn> buttons show the current session state:
</p>

<dl>
  <dt>Solo</dt><dd>Blinks when one or more tracks are being soloed, see <a href="/mixing/muting-and-soloing/">Muting and Soloing</a>. Clicking this button disables any active explicit and implicit solo on all tracks and busses. Clicking this button desactivates the solo on every track/bus.</dd>
  <dt>Audition</dt><dd>Blinks when some audio is auditionned, e.g. by using the import dialog, or using the <kbd class="menu">Audition</kbd> context menu in the <a href="/ardours-interface/editor-lists/region-list/">Regions List</a>. Clicking this button stops the auditionning.</dd>
  <dt>Feedback</dt><dd>Blinks when Ardour detects a <dfn>feedback loop</dfn>, which happens when the output of an audio signal chain is plugged back to its input. This is probably not wanted and can be dangerous for the hardware and the listener.</dd>
</dl>

<p>
  The Mode Selector allows switching between Editor, Mixer and the Preferences window.
  If a window is detached, the corresponding button is lit in blue. Clicking the botton
  switches the detached window visibility.
</p>

<p>
  The global meter shows the levels of the master's output. Its the same meter that sits
  in the <a href="/ardours-interface/the-master-bus-strip/">Master's Mixer strip</a>,
  and also shows a peak indicator, that turns red when  any level exceeds 0dB. It can
  be reset by a <kbd class="mouse">Left</kbd> click.
</p>