94 lines
3.2 KiB
HTML
94 lines
3.2 KiB
HTML
---
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layout: default
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title: Using More Than One Audio Device
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---
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<p>
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Ardour will only use a single interface. If you want to use more
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than one interface you have two choices:
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<ol>
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<li>
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If you want to use Ardour to start JACK (which handles all
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audio I/O) you will need to create a "fake" audio device on your
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computer the represents all the multiple devices you wish to
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use. How to do this is platform dependent and described below.
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</li>
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<li>
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Use a different tool to start JACK and manage all the devices.
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</li>
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</ol>
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</p>
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<p>
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Ardour is fundamentally designed to be a component in a
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pro-audio/music creation environment and standard operating practice
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for such setups involves using only a single digital sample "clock"
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(something counting off the time between audio samples). This means
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that trying to use multiple independent soundcards is problematic,
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because each soundcard has its own sample clock, running independently
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from the others. Over time, these different clocks drift out of sync
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with each other, and cause glitches in the audio. You can't stop this
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drift, although in some cases the effects may be insignificant enough
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that some people might not care about them.</p>
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<p>
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Thus in an ideal world you should not use multiple independent
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soundcards but instead use a single device with a single clock and all
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the inputs, outputs and other features that you need.
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</p>
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<p>
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Of course, a lot of people don't live in an ideal world, and believe that software should make up for this.
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</p>
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<h3>OS X</h3>
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<p>
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Aggregate devices provide a method to use multiple soundcards as
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a single device. For example, you can "aggregate" 2 different
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8-channel devices so that you can record 16 channels into Ardour.
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</p>
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<p>
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If you are using a <strong>single</strong> typical 3rd party
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audio interface (such as those from Apogee, RME, Presonus, and many
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others), <strong>OR</strong> you are using JackPilot or a similar
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application to start JACK, you do not need to worry about this.
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</p>
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<p>You will need to set up an aggregate device <strong>ONLY</strong> if either of the following conditions are true:</p>
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<ul>
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<li>You want to use two entirely separate
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devices <strong>AND</strong> want to start JACK using Ardour.</li>
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<li>You want to use your builtin audio device <strong>AND</strong>
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want to start JACK using Ardour.</li>
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<li>You want to use more than two entirely separate devices</li>
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</ul>
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<p>In the case of your builtin audio device, you will need to create
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an aggregate device that combines "Builtin Input" and "Builtin
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Output" into one device.
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</p>
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<p>The precise instructions for creating an "aggregate device" on OS X have varied from one released to another.</p>
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<dl class="wide-label">
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<dt>OS X 10.5</dt>
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<dd>
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Please read <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1215">http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1215</a>
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</dd>
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<dt>OS X 10.6 or later</dt>
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<dd>
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Please read <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3956">http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3956</a>
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</dd>
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</dl>
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<h3>Linux</h3>
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<p>
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Please see the instructions at <a href="http://jackaudio.org/faq"
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title="http://jackaudio.org/faq">http://jackaudio.org/faq</a>
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</p>
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