---
layout: default
title: Audio Tab
menu_title: Audio Tab
---

<p>
  This tab contains settings for handling audio.
</p>

<img src="/images/a4_preferences_audio.png" alt="preferences
audio tab"/>

<ul>

  <li>
    <p>
      <strong>Buffering</strong> settings determine how many seconds of audio
      off of disk will be buffered in memory. Longer settings reduce the risk
      of buffer under-runs but consume more memory. The default value is
      5.0&nbsp;seconds.
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Playback</strong> sets how many seconds of audio Ardour will
	  buffer during playback.
	</p>
      </li>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Recording</strong> sets how many seconds of audio Ardour will
	  buffer during recording.
	</p>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      <strong>Monitoring</strong>
    </p>
    <ul>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Record monitoring handled by:</strong> determines whether
	  Ardour provides monitoring of incoming audio or whether
	  monitoring is provided by hardware.  See
	  <a href="/recording/monitoring/">Monitoring</a> for more information.
	</p>
      </li>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Tape machine mode</strong> when enabled defaults new audio
	  tracks to tape machine mode. See
	  <a href="/working-with-tracks/track-types/">Track Types</a>
	  for more information.
	</p>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
    <strong>Conection of tracks and busses</strong>
    </p>
    <ul>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Auto-connect master/monitor busses</strong>
	</p>
      </li>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Connect track inputs:</strong>
	</p>
      </li>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Connect track and bus outputs:</strong>
	</p>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
    <strong>Denormals</strong> are a specific type of very small numbers that
    can cause issues with CPU consumption when using some plugins in some
    circumstances.
    </p>
    <p>
      Ardour provides two methods of handling the issue. Try different
      combinations of these settings to to find the setting that minimizes CPU
      consumption.
    </p>
    <ul>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Use DC bias to protect against denormals</strong> adds a small
	  constant value to numbers to move the numbers away from zero.
	</p>
      </li>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Processor handling</strong>, if the computer's hardware
	  supports it, offers two methods that can be used individually or
	  combined. Flush to zero and denormals are zero.
	</p>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
    <strong>Plugins</strong>
    </p>
    <ul>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Silence plugins when the transport is stopped</strong>
	</p>
      </li>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Make new plugins active</strong> when enabled, will activate
	  a plugin when it is added to a track or bus
	  <a href="/working-with-plugins/processor-box/">Processor Box</a>.
	</p>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
    <strong>Regions</strong>
    </p>
    <ul>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Enable automatic analysis of audio</strong>
	</p>
      </li>
      <li>
	<p>
	  <strong>Replicate missing region channels</strong>
	</p>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>
</ul>