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3 <!DOCTYPE section PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.4//EN" "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.4/docbookx.dtd" [
7 <section id="sn-working-with-regions">
8 <title>Working with Regions</title>
10 Regions are the basic elements of editing and composing in Ardour. Each
11 region represents a single, contiguous section of one or more audio
12 files. Regions are defined by a fixed set of attributes:
18 the source audio file(s) they represent
24 a starting point in the audio file(s)
37 <glossterm linkend="gt-playlist">playlist</glossterm>, they gain
38 additional attributes:
44 a position along the timeline
56 There are <emphasis>other attributes</emphasis> as well, but they do not
57 define the region. Things you should know about regions:
63 <term>Regions are Cheap</term>
66 By themselves, regions do not consume hardly any of your
67 computer's resources. Each region requires a small amount of
68 memory, and represents a rather small amount of CPU work if placed
69 into an active track. So, don't worry about creating regions
76 <term>Regions are not audio files</term>
79 Although a region can represent an entire audio file, they are
80 never equivalent to an audio file. Most regions represent just
81 parts of an audio file(s) on disk, and removing a region from a
82 track has nothing to do with removing the audio file(s) from the
83 disk ((the <emphasis>Destroy</emphasis> operation, one of Ardour's
84 few destructive operations, can affect this)). Changing the length
85 of a region has no effect on the audio file(s) on disk. Splitting
86 and copying regions does not alter the audio file in anyway, nor
87 does it create new audio files ((the <emphasis>Export</emphasis> ,
88 <emphasis>Bounce</emphasis> and <emphasis>Reverse</emphasis>
89 operations do create new audio files)).
95 <section id="region-naming">
96 <title>Region Naming</title>
98 Regions are initially named using either:
104 the name of the playlist for which they were recorded
110 the name of the embedded/imported audio file they represent
115 <section id="whole-file-region-names">
116 <title>Whole File Region Names</title>
118 These are not audio files, but regions that represent the full
119 extent of an audio file. Every time a new recording is done, or a
120 new file is embedded/imported, a new region is created that
121 represents the entire audio file(s) This region will have the name
122 of the playlist/original file, followed by a "-" and then a number.
126 For recorded regions, the number will increase each time a new
127 recording is made. So, for example, if there is a playlist called
128 "Didgeridoo", the first recorded whole file region for that playlist
129 will be called "Digderidoo-1". The next one will be "Digeridoo-2"
134 For imported/embedded files, the region name will be based on the
135 file name, but with any final suffix (e.g. ".wav" or ".aiff")
140 Normally, whole file regions are not inserted into tracks/playlists,
141 but regions derived from them are. The whole-file versions live in
142 the editor region list where they act as an organizing mechanism for
143 regions that are derived from them.
147 <section id="normal-region-names">
148 <title>Normal Region Names</title>
150 When a region is inserted into a track/playlist, its initial name
151 will end in a version number, such as ".1" or ".103". For a recorded
152 region, if the whole file region was "Hang drum-1", then the region
153 in the track will appear with the name "Hang drum-1.1". For an
154 imported/embedded region, if the whole file region was
155 "Bach:Invention3", then the region in the track will appear with the
156 name "Bach:Invention3.1".
160 <section id="copied-region-names">
161 <title>Copied Region Names</title>
163 If the region is a copy of another region, it will begin life with
164 the same name as the original. When an operation is carried out that
165 modifies one of the copies, that particular copy will be renamed by
166 incrementing the version number.
170 <section id="renaming-regions">
171 <title>Renaming Regions</title>
173 You can rename a region at any time. Use the <emphasis>region
174 context menu</emphasis> to popup the rename dialog. The new name
175 does not need to have a version number in it (in fact, it probably
176 should not). The region will retain its name until it is modified
182 <section id="selecting-regions">
183 <title>Selecting Regions</title>
185 In general, operations on regions apply to whichever regions are
186 currently <emphasis>selected</emphasis> .
190 To select a single region, click on it using
191 <mousebutton>Button1</mousebutton>.
195 To add an unselected region to the currently selected regions, click
197 <keycombo><keycap>Shift</keycap><mousebutton>Button1</mousebutton></keycombo>.
201 To remove a selected region from the currently selected regions, click
203 <keycombo><keycap>Shift</keycap><mousebutton>Button1</mousebutton></keycombo>.
207 <section id="removing-regions">
208 <title>Removing Regions</title>
210 Select the region(s) to be removed. Then press the "Delete" key or use
211 the standard key binding for "Cut" (
212 <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>X</keycap></keycombo> by
217 Note that "removing" a region is a non-destructive operation. It has
218 no effect on the audio file(s) stored on disk. If you really want to
219 destructively remove the region, use the context menu for the region
220 which has a "Destroy" item. This is not guaranteed to remove the audio
221 file from your disk storage, but it generally will.
225 <section id="moving-regions">
226 <title>Moving Regions</title>
228 To move a region, make sure you are in <emphasis>object</emphasis>
229 mouse mode. Move the mouse pointer into the waveform display part of
230 the region, press <mousebutton>Button1</mousebutton> and drag. The
231 region will follow the mouse pointer as you move it around. By
232 default, the region can move freely along the timeline - see
233 <xref linkend="sn-snap-settings"/> for information on how to force the
234 region to align to certain kinds of points along the timeline.
238 To move a region from one track to another, simply start a move as
239 described above, but move the mouse pointer into the desired track.
240 The region will follow the mouse pointer. Note that if you have other
241 kinds of "tracks" visible, the region will remain where it is as the
242 mouse pointer moves across them, and will then jump to the new track.
243 This serves as a visual reminder that you cannot drag an audio region
244 into an automation track or a bus, for example.
247 <section id="moving-more-than-one-region">
248 <title>Moving more than one region</title>
250 To move multiple regions, select them before moving. Then click+drag
251 on one of the selected regions. All the regions will move, keeping
252 their positions relative to each other.
256 <section id="region-fixed-time-motion">
257 <title>Fixed-time motion</title>
259 Sometimes, you want to move a region to another track, but keeping
260 its position along the timeline exactly the same. To do this, use
261 <mousebutton>Button2</mousebutton> rather than
262 <mousebutton>Button1</mousebutton>.
267 <section id="copying-regions">
268 <title>Copying Regions</title>
270 To copy a region, make sure you are in <emphasis>object</emphasis>
271 mouse mode. Move the mouse pointer into the waveform press the
272 <keycap>Ctrl</keycap> key, keep it down while pressing
273 <mousebutton>Button1</mousebutton> and drag. A new region is created
274 and will follow the mouse pointer as it moves. See
275 <xref linkend="moving-regions"/> for more details on moving the copied
279 <section id="copying-more-than-one-region">
280 <title>Copying more than one region</title>
282 To copy multiple regions, select them before copying. Then
283 click+drag on one of the selected regions. All the regions will be
284 copied and as they move, the will keep their positions relative to
289 <section id="region-fixed-time-copying">
290 <title>Fixed-time copying</title>
292 If you want to copy region(s) to other track(s) but keep the copies
293 at the exact position on the timeline as the originals, simply use
294 <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><mousebutton>Button2</mousebutton></keycombo>
296 <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><mousebutton>Button1</mousebutton></keycombo>.
301 <section id="trimming-regions">
302 <title>Trimming Regions</title>
306 <section id="auditioning-regions">
307 <title>Auditioning Regions</title>
311 <section id="region-gain-envelopes">
312 <title>Region Gain Envelopes</title>
316 <section id="region-context-menu">
318 <title>Region Context Menu</title>
320 If you context-click on a region, a popup menu will appear. At or near
321 the top of that menu is a list of all regions that exist in the
322 clicked-upon track under the mouse pointer. Each region entry (shown
323 by name) points to a submenu that contains region-specific operations:
329 <term><guilabel>Popup region editor</guilabel></term>
332 creates and displays the editor for this region, allowing even
333 more specific control over the region than this menu
339 <term><guilabel>Raise to top layer</guilabel></term>
342 moves the region to the top layer of this track (works only in
343 "Most recently added/moved/trimmed regions are higher"
344 <emphasis>layer mode</emphasis>
350 <term><guilabel>Lower to bottom layer</guilabel></term>
353 moves the region to the bottom layer of this track (works only
354 in "Most recently added/moved/trimmed regions are higher"
355 <emphasis>layer mode</emphasis>
361 <term><guilabel>Define sync point</guilabel></term>
364 if the edit cursor is within this region, defines the region
365 sync point at the edit cursor location.
371 <term><guilabel>Remove sync point</guilabel></term>
378 <term><guilabel>Audition</guilabel></term>
381 plays this region via the
382 <glossterm linkend="gt-auditioner">auditioner</glossterm>
388 <term><guilabel>Export</guilabel></term>
391 exports this region to a new audio file, via the export dialog
392 (thus allowing resampling, dithering, format specification etc.)
398 <term><guilabel>Bounce</guilabel></term>
401 re-records this region (with any plugins/inserts applied) to a
402 new audio file, and replaces the region with one referring to
409 <term><guilabel>Lock</guilabel></term>
412 prevents the region from being moved, trimmed, or modified in
419 <term><guilabel>Unlock</guilabel></term>
422 removes the lock on region modification
428 <term><guilabel>Mute</guilabel></term>
431 makes the region silent during playback
437 <term><guilabel>Unmute</guilabel></term>
444 <term><guilabel>Toggle envelope visibility</guilabel></term>
447 shows/hides the region gain envelope
453 <term><guilabel>Toggle envelope active</guilabel></term>
456 turns the region gain envelope on/off (the line is gray when the
457 envelope is off, green when it is on)
463 <term><guilabel>Original position</guilabel></term>
466 if the region was recorded (and Broadcast WAVE was the native
467 file format) moves the region to its original capture position
473 <term><guilabel>Normalize</guilabel></term>
476 alters the gain processing of the region so that the loudest
483 <term><guilabel>DeNormalize</guilabel></term>
486 undoes the effect of a normalize
492 <term><guilabel>Reverse</guilabel></term>
495 writes the region to a new audio file with the contents
496 reversed, and replaces the region with one referring to the new
503 <term><guilabel>Nudge</guilabel></term>
506 moves the region in various ways
512 <term><guilabel>Nudge fwd</guilabel></term>
515 moves the region forward by the amount shown in the nudge clock
521 <term><guilabel>Nudge bwd</guilabel></term>
524 moves the region backward by the amount shown in the nudge clock
530 <term><guilabel>Nudge fwd by capture offset</guilabel></term>
533 moves the region forward by the same offset that it might have
534 been (incorrectly) adjusted by when captured
540 <term><guilabel>Nudge bwd by capture offset</guilabel></term>
543 moves the region backwards by the same offset that it might have
544 been (incorrectly) adjusted by when captured
550 <term><guilabel>Trim</guilabel></term>
557 <term><guilabel>Start to edit cursor</guilabel></term>
560 adjusts the start of the region to the current position of the
561 edit cursor (if possible)
567 <term><guilabel>Edit cursor to end</guilabel></term>
570 adjusts the end of the region to the current position of the
571 edit cursor (if possible)
577 <term><guilabel>Split</guilabel></term>
580 if the edit cursor is within the region, splits the region at
581 the editor cursor location
587 <term><guilabel>Make mono regions</guilabel></term>
590 if the region is a multi-channel one, creates new regions
591 corresponding to each channel. The new regions are added to the
592 editor's region list, not the track.
598 <term><guilabel>Duplicate</guilabel></term>
601 pops up a dialog allowing the region to be copied 1 or more
602 times. Each copy is placed directly after the original or
609 <term><guilabel>Fill Track</guilabel></term>
612 copies the region as many times as necessary to fill the track
613 to the current session end mark. Each copy is placed directly
614 after the original or previous copy.
620 <term><guilabel>Remove</guilabel></term>
623 remove the region from the track (non-destructive)
629 <term><guilabel>Destroy</guilabel></term>
632 remove the region from the track and the editor region list, and
633 if no other regions are referencing it, remove the audio file
634 that the region is derived from. (
635 <emphasis>DESTRUCTIVE</emphasis> )
642 <xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
643 href="Some_Subsection.xml" />