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layout: default
title: External Sends
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  <p>An external send is a way to send the signal from within a channel strip to an external application or piece of hardware. By itself, an external send has no effect whatsoever on the audio signals within Ardour - it is a one-way signal routing that leaves all existing signal processing just as it was.</p>
<p>Most people will not have much use for this, but it can be useful if you want to experiment with external applications or hardware signal processing applications.</p>
<h2>Adding an External Send</h2>
<p>Context-click on the <a href="/working-with-plugins/the-processor-box">processor box</a> in a channel strip and choose <code>Add new External Send</code>. A dialog will appear containing the standard Ardour <a href="/signal-routing/the-patchbay">patchbay</a> to allow you to connect the send to the desired destination. After you are done (or immediately, if you don't know where you want to send to at this point), close the window.</p>
<p>The send will appear in the processor box. Depending on whether you context-clicked above or below the fader, it will either before or after the fader. </p>
<h2>Removing an External Send</h2>
<p>You can remove an external send in several ways:</p>
<ul>
<li>Shift-right-click the send in the processor box
</li>
<li>Position the pointer over the send and press the <kbd>Delete</kbd> key
</li>
<li>Position the pointer over the send and press <kbd class="mod1">x</kbd>
</li>
<li>Context-click the send and choose either <code>Cut</code> or <code>Delete</code>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Altering Send Levels</h2>
<p>Just below the send in the processor box is a small fader that can be used like all other faders in Ardour to control the gain applied to the signal delivered by the send. Drag it to alter the level, Shift-click to restore to unity (0dB) gain. </p>
<h2>Bypassing Sends</h2>
<p>Click the small "led" in the send display within the processor box to turn it on and off. When turned off, silence will be delivered to the send. When turned on, the signal within the channel strip will be delivered.</p>
<h2>Editing Send Routing</h2>
<p>Double-clicking or Edit-clicking on the send in the processor box will redisplay the patchbay dialog that allows you full control over the routing of the send.</p>