---
layout: default
title: Misc Tab
menu_title: Misc Tab
---

<p>
  This tab contains settings that do not belong on the other tabs.
</p>

<img src="/files/a4/a4_preferences_misc.png" alt="preferences
misc tab"/>

<ul>
  <li>
    DSP CPU Utilization sets how many cpu processors can be used to do signal
    processing. It can be set to use one up to all processors.
  </li>

  <li>
    <dfn>Undo</dfn>
    <ul>
      <li>
	<strong>Limit undo history</strong> sets how many commands can be undone
	using <kbd class="mod1">Z</kbd> or
	<kbd class="menu">Edit &gt; Undo</kbd>.
      </li>

      <li>
	<strong>Save undo history</strong> sets how many commands are saved so
	they are available to be undone after reopening the session.
      </li>

      <li>
	<strong>Verify removal of last capture</strong> when enabled prompts to
	verify removal the last recording capture when
	<kbd class="menu">Edit &gt; Remove Last Capture</kbd> is executed.
      </li>

      <li>
	<strong>Make periodic backups of the session file</strong> will create a
	backup session file after changes to the timeline. The backup file is
	the session name followed by <em>.ardour.bak</em>. The backup can be
	used to recover from crashes when the session had not been explicitly
	saved.
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>

  <li>
    <dfn>Session Management</dfn>
    <ul>
      <li>
	<strong>Always copy imported files</strong> selects, and then disables,
	the <em>Copy files to session</em> option in the
	<a href="/adding-pre-existing-material/import-dialog/">
	  Add Existing Media</a> dialog.
      </li>

      <li>
	<strong>Default folder for new sessions:</strong> defalts the folder
	where Ardour will create new session folders. This is used in the
	<em>Session Setup</em> dialog displayed by
	<kbd class="menu">Session &gt; New</kbd>.
      </li>

      <li>
	<strong>Maximum number of recent sessions:</strong> determines how many
	of the last opened sessions shows in the <em>Recent Sessions</em> dialog
	displayed by <kbd class="menu">Session &gt; Recent</kbd>.
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      <dfn>Click</dfn>
    </p>
    <ul>
      <li>
	<strong>Click audio file:</strong> sets a user defined sound to be played
	when Ardour's metronome is enabled in the
	<a href="/controlling-playback/using-the-transport-bar/">
	  Transport Bar</a>
      </li>
      <li>
        <strong>Click emphasis audio file:</strong> sets an optional different
	sound to be played on the metronome's downbeat.
      </li>
      <li>
        <strong>Click gain level:</strong> allows the metronome's click sounds
	to be boosted or attenuated.
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>

  <li><dfn>Automation</dfn>
    <ul>
      <li>
	<strong>Thinning factor</strong> ranges from 0 to 1000 with larger
	values storing fewer automation points. Thinning is like lossy
	audio compression, removing data that is less likely to be noticed,
	although the more you remove the more noticable the loss is. The
	advantage to thinning is it reduces CPU requirements.
      </li>
      <li>
	<strong>Automation sampling interval</strong> ranges from 1 to
	1000&nbsp;ms. Determines how frequently the automation input is
	sampled. The shorter the interval the higher the accuracy but also
	the higher the CPU requirements.
      </li>
    </ul>

</ul>