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7 <section id="sn-tracks-and-busses">
8 <title>Tracks and Busses</title>
10 This chapter covers basic management of tracks. Tracks are probably the
11 most important objects in Ardour. They represent the fundamental way to
12 playback and record audio, MIDI, and image data.
16 <imagedata fileref="images/signal_flow.png"/>
19 <xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
20 href="adding_tracks.xml" />
21 <xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
22 href="renaming_tracks.xml" />
23 <section id="deleting-tracks">
24 <title>Deleting Tracks</title>
26 Deleting a track is permanent operation that cannot be undone.
27 However, since the audio, MIDI, automation and other data associated
28 with the track will remain as part of the session, and the actual
29 playlist(s) that were in use by the track are still available. for use
30 by other tracks. As a result, although inadvertently deleting a track
31 is inconvenient, it doesn't result in any significant loss of
35 <section id="deleting-a-track">
36 <title>deleting a track</title>
38 Click on the name of the track you want to delete. From the menu
39 that appears, select <guimenuitem>Remove</guimenuitem>. A
40 confirmation dialog will appear to ensure that you really meant to
46 <section id="hiding-tracks">
47 <title>Hiding Tracks</title>
49 The track list on the left edge of the Editor and Mixer can be used to
50 hide or show specific tracks in either or both of those two windows.
51 To hide a track, click to on the tracks name in the relevant track
52 list. To show a track, click on its name in the track list. Visible
53 tracks have their names shown in cyan, hidden ones in orange.
57 You can also hide any track by clicking its hide button
58 (images/hidebutton.ps).
62 Hiding a track in the Editor has no effect on its visibility in the
63 Mixer, and vice versa. Hiding a track in one or both windows does not
64 affect the playback of that track's material.
68 <section id="track-visibility">
69 <title>Track Visibility</title>
70 <section id="showing-all-tracks">
71 <title>Showing all Tracks</title>
73 Click on the titlebar of the track list of the Editor or Mixer. From
74 the menu that appears, select "Show All"
78 <section id="hiding-all-tracks">
79 <title>Hiding all Tracks</title>
81 Click on the titlebar of the track list of the Editor or Mixer. From
82 the menu that appears, select "Hiding All".
86 <section id="showing-classes-of-tracks">
87 <title>Showing certain classes of tracks</title>
89 Click on the titlebar of the track list of the Editor or Mixer. From
90 the menu that appears, select "Show All Audio Tracks", or "Show all
91 Busses" as appropriate.
95 <section id="hiding-classes-of-tracks">
96 <title>Hiding certain classes of tracks</title>
98 Click on the titlebar of the track list of the Editor or Mixer. From
99 the menu that appears, select "Hide All Audio Tracks", or "Hide all
100 Busses" as appropriate.
104 <section id="reordering-tracks">
105 <title>Reordering Tracks</title>
107 Tracks may be reordered by clicking on their name in one of the
108 track lists and dragging it to a new position in the list. Note that
109 the order of tracks in the editor is totally independent of their
115 <section id="io-configuration">
116 <title>I/O Configuration</title>
120 <section id="soloing-tracks">
121 <title>Soloing Tracks</title>
123 "Soloing" a track refers to changing some aspect of the signal flow
124 through Ardour that makes it possible to listen to one (or just a few)
125 tracks at a time. It is often done during mixing and mastering to help
126 an audio engineer listen carefully to parts of the mix.
130 Tracks may be soloed at any time. When one or more tracks are soloed,
131 all non-soloedntracks will no longer be audible.
135 Soloing tracks does not affect the solo status of busses, nor vice
136 versa. That is, soloing a track leaves all busses audible and soloing
137 a track leaves all tracks "audible". You may not actually be able to
138 hear the "audible" material if it is routed through a non-soloed bus.
142 This design is intended to allow FX busses and master outs to be
143 useful even when soloing. Soloing is made significantly more complex
144 by the presence of control outs (see control_outs_soloing for more
145 details on soloing with control outs).
148 <section id="rude-solo-light">
149 <title>Rude Solo Light</title>
151 Whenever one or more tracks are soloed, the "rude solo light" in the
152 transport window will flash. You can cancel any current solos by
153 clicking on the "rude solo light".
157 <section id="solo-modes">
158 <title>Solo modes</title>
160 Ardour has two solo modes.
166 <term>solo latch</term>
169 soloing a track adds it to the set of soloed tracks, so you
170 may have any number of soloed tracks.
176 <term>solo unlatch</term>
179 soloing a track unsolos any other soloed track, so you can
180 have only one soloed track at a time.
187 <section id="changing-solo-mode">
188 <title>Changing Solo Mode</title>
190 To change the solo mode, goto the Options editor (options_editor)
191 and view the <guilabel>Misc</guilabel> tab.
195 <section id="soloing-a-track">
196 <title>Soloing a Track</title>
198 To toggle the solo state of a track, click on the solo button in
199 either the mixer strip for the track or the track controls section
204 To toggle the solo state of all tracks in an edit or mix group, use
205 Ctrl1 on the solo button of a track in the group. If you do this in
206 the Editor, the edit group will be used; in the Mixer, the mix group
211 To toggle the solo state of all tracks, use
212 <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>Shift</keycap><mousebutton>Button1</mousebutton></keycombo>
213 on a track solo button.
217 <section id="solo-safe">
218 <title>Solo safe</title>
220 To protect a track's current solo status, use Shift1 on that track's
221 solo button. The color of the button will change to a pale blue to
222 indicate "solo safe" status. No changes to the solo state for that
223 track are possible until "solo safe" has been unset for the track.
227 <section id="momentary-solo">
228 <title>Momentary solo</title>
230 Use 2 on a track's solo button to solo the track for as long as the
231 mouse button is pressed.
236 <section id="track-display-size">
237 <title>Track Display Size</title>
239 In the editor window, tracks always extend across the full extent of
240 the track display area, but they can have varying heights. In the
241 mixer window, tracks always from the top to the bottom of the mixer
242 (as strips), but they can have varying widths.
245 <section id="changing-editor-track-height">
246 <title>Changing editor track height</title>
250 <section id="changing-mixer-track-width">
251 <title>Changing mixer track width</title>
256 <section id="track-groups">
257 <title>Grouping Tracks</title>
258 <section id="creating-a-track-group">
259 <title>Creating a Group</title>
263 <section id="renaming-track-group">
264 <title>Renaming a Group</title>
268 <section id="changing-members-of-a-track-group">
269 <title>Changing members of a group</title>
273 <section id="deleting-a-track-group">
274 <title>Deleting a Group</title>
279 <section id="track-controls">
280 <title>Track Controls</title>
283 <xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
284 href="default_track_names.xml" />
286 <xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
287 href="Some_Subsection.xml" />