Edit on GitHub

Transport Tab

This tab contains settings that relate to the behavior of the Transport Bar and Synchronization.

preferences transport tab

  • Keep record-enable engaged on stop leaves the global record-enable engaged after transport is stopped. Does not affect track level record-enable which is never changed on stop.

  • Play loop is a transport mode changes the behavior of the loop button, turning it into a toggle. When enabled, the loop button does not start playback but forces playback to always play the loop. Looping stays engaged when the transport is stopped. Playback continues where the transport stopped and continues to loop.

    When disabled, the loop button starts playing the loop but stop then cancels loop playback.

  • Stop recording when an xrun occurs will stop the transport when an xrun occurs during recording, ensuring no audible glitches are recorded.

  • Create markers where xruns occur will create a new marker when an xrun occurs during recording at the location of the xrun. This marks where possible xruns might produce audible glitches when stopping on xruns is disabled.

  • Stop at the end of the session causes the transport to stop during playback when it reaches the end marker. Behavior during recording is not changed.

  • Do seamless looping removes any clicks that might otherwise be audible when the transport moves from the end of the loop range back to the beginning.

  • Disable per-track record disarm while rolling, when enabled, will not allow the any track's record-enable to be disarmed during record, preventing accidentally stopping the recording of a take.

  • 12dB gain reduction during fast-forward and fast-rewind when enabled will reduce the unpleasant increase in perceived volume that occurs when fast-forwarding or rewinding through some kinds of audio.

  • Sync/Slave

    • External timecode source determines which external source to use when Ardour is using an external synchronization source. Depending on the timecode source chosen, additional preference options are available.

    • Match session video frame rate to external timecode controls the value of the video frame rate while chasing an external timecode source.

      When enabled, the session video frame rate will be changed to match that of the selected external timecode source.

      When disabled, the session video frame rate will not be changed to match that of the selected external timecode source. Instead, the frame rate indication in the main clock will flash red and Ardour will convert between the external timecode standard and the session standard.

    • Sync-lock timecode to clock can disable drift compensation.

      When enabled, Ardour will never varispeed when slaved to external timecode. Sync Lock indicates that the selected external timecode source shares clock-sync (Black & Burst, Wordclock, etc) with the audio interface. This options disables drift compensation. The transport speed is fixed at 1.0. Vari-speed LTC will be ignored and cause drift.

      When disabled, Ardour will compensate for potential drift regardless if the timecode sources shares clock sync.

    • Lock to 29.9700 fps instead of 30000/1001, when enabled, will force Ardour to assume the external timecode source uses 29.97 fps instead of 30000/1001. SMPTE 12M-1999 specifies 29.97 df as 30000/1001. The spec further mentions that drop-frame timecode has an accumulated error of -86 ms over a 24 hour period. Drop-frame timecode would compensate exactly for an NTSC color frame rate of 30 * 0.9990 (i.e. 29.970000). That is not the actual rate. However, some vendors use that rate—despite it being against the specs—because the variant of using exactly 29.97 fps has zero timecode drift.

  • LTC Reader specifies which incoming port will provide the LTC signal.

  • LTC Generator

    • Enable LTC generator, when enabled Ardour will output an LTC timecode signal on it's LTC-out port.

    • Send LTC while stopped, when enabled Ardour will continue to send LTC information even while the transport (playhed) is not moving.

    • LTC generator level: specifies the peak volume of the generated LTC signal in dbFS. A good value is 0dBu^=-18dbFS in an EBU calibrated system.