---
layout: default
title: Track Recording Modes
---                        


  
  <p>"Recording mode" is a per-track property (audio tracks only) that affects the way that recording new material on top of existing material ("overdubbing") operates <em>in that track</em>. Ardour offers 3 different recording modes:</p>
<dl class="wide-table">
<dt>Normal</dt>
<dd>overdubs write to new files, new regions are layered on top of existing regions (with or without crossfades)</dd>
<dt>Tape mode</dt>
<dd>overdubs destructively write to an existing file, single region per track (fixed crossfades at every punch)</dd>
<dt>Non-Layered mode</dt>
<dd>overdubs write to new audio files, new regions are created but if they overlap with existing regions, the existing regions are trimmed so that there no overlaps</dd>
</dl>
<p>To change the recording mode of a track, right click on its track header to get the context menu:</p>
<p><img src="/files/a3/a3_nonlayered_mode_menu.png" alt="track header context menu"></p>
<p>Below is a screenshot that shows the subtly different results of an overdub in normal and non-layered mode. Both tracks were created using identical audio data. </p>
<p>The upper track is in normal mode, and the overdub (the middle shorter region, selected) has created a new region which if you look carefully has been layered on top of the the existing (longer) region. </p>
<p>The lower track is in non-layered mode, and rather than overlay the overdub region, it split the existing region and inserted the new one in between.</p>
<p><img src="/files/a3/a3_nonlayered_example.png" alt="different results from normal and non-layered recording"></p>
<p>Non-layered mode is extremely useful when combined with <a href="/editing-and-arranging/changing-region-lengths/pushpull-trimming">push/pull trimming</a>.</p>