From cb413146428ce5db5e281d70f2b3b7df27c1aaab Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Paul Davis Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:06:50 +0000 Subject: merge 3.0 from 2.0-ongoing@3243 git-svn-id: svn://localhost/ardour2/branches/3.0@3248 d708f5d6-7413-0410-9779-e7cbd77b26cf --- manual/xml/using_existing_audio.xml | 465 +++++++++++++----------------------- 1 file changed, 167 insertions(+), 298 deletions(-) (limited to 'manual') diff --git a/manual/xml/using_existing_audio.xml b/manual/xml/using_existing_audio.xml index 1aba2db49d..e3ab54d40a 100644 --- a/manual/xml/using_existing_audio.xml +++ b/manual/xml/using_existing_audio.xml @@ -1,46 +1,43 @@ - - - - + + Using Existing Audio - - There are two primary ways to bring data into Ardour: recording it - within a session from a live sound source or importing pre-existing - audio files. This section covers the various ways to import audio into a - session. - + + There are two primary ways to bring data into Ardour: recording it + within a session from a live sound source or importing pre-existing audio + files. This section covers the various ways to import audio into a + session.
Importing and Embedding - - Importing and embedding are two different methods of using existing - audio files on your computer (or network file system) within a - session. They differ in one key respect: - + + Importing and embedding are two different methods of using existing + audio files on your computer (or network file system) within a session. + They differ in one key respect: - Importing + - - An existing audio file is copied to the session's sounds folder, - and is converted into the session's native format (WAVE or - Broadcast WAVE depending on your choice) and sample rate. - + An existing audio file is copied to the session's sounds + folder, and is converted into the session's native format (WAVE or + Broadcast WAVE depending on your choice) and sample rate. At this + time, no control over the conversion process is offered. If sample + rate conversion is required, it will be carried out at the highest + quality that Ardour can provide. This means that it can be rather + slow (many minutes to import an audio file lasting a few + minutes). Embedding + - - An existing audio file is used as a the source for a region, but - is not copied or modified in any way. - + An existing audio file is used as a the source for a region, + but is not copied or modified in any way. @@ -48,395 +45,267 @@
Supported External Audio File Formats - - The list of audio file formats that Ardour can import/embed is quite - long. It is based on the functionality offered by libsndfile, an - excellent and widely used software library by Australian programmer - Erik de Castro Lopo. As libsndfile's capabilities expand, so will - Ardour's abilities to import (and export) new formats. Ogg/Vorbis (an - excellent, unpatented and license free audio compression format - similar to MP3) is planned for the near future. Currently, supported - formats include: - + + The list of audio file formats that Ardour can import/embed is quite + long. It is based on the functionality offered by libsndfile, an excellent + and widely used software library by Australian programmer Erik de Castro + Lopo. As libsndfile's capabilities expand, so will Ardour's abilities to + import (and export) new formats. Ogg/Vorbis (an excellent, unpatented and + license free audio compression format similar to MP3) is planned for the + near future. Currently, supported formats include: - - Microsoft WAV - + Microsoft WAV - - SGI/Apple AIFF/AIFC - + SGI/Apple AIFF/AIFC - - Sun AU/Snd - + Sun AU/Snd - - Raw (headerless) - + Raw (headerless) - - Paris Audio File (PAF) - + Paris Audio File (PAF) - - Commodore IFF/SVX - + Commodore IFF/SVX - - Sphere/NIST WAV - + Sphere/NIST WAV - - IRCAM SF - + IRCAM SF - - Creative VOC - + Creative VOC - - SoundForge W64 - + SoundForge W64 - - GNU Octave MAT4.4 - + GNU Octave MAT4.4 - - Portable Voice Format - + Portable Voice Format - - Fasttracker 2 XI - + Fasttracker 2 XI - - HMM Tool Kit HTK - + HMM Tool Kit HTK - - Sample encodings supported include: - + Sample encodings supported include: - - Unsigned and signed 8, 16, 24 and 32 bit PCM - + Unsigned and signed 8, 16, 24 and 32 bit PCM - - IEEE 32 and 64 floating point - + IEEE 32 and 64 floating point - - U-LAW - + U-LAW - - A-LAW - + A-LAW - - IMA ADPCM - + IMA ADPCM - - MS ADPCM - + MS ADPCM - - GSM 6.10 - + GSM 6.10 - - G721/723 ADPCM - + G721/723 ADPCM - - 12/16/24 bit DWVW - + 12/16/24 bit DWVW - - OK Dialogic ADPCM - + OK Dialogic ADPCM - - 8/16 DPCM - + 8/16 DPCM
- Using audio files as tracks or regions? - - When you want to use existing audio files in an Ardour session, the - first choice you need to make is whether you want to bring the files - in as tracks or as new regions. Consider the two following scenarios: - + Using audio files as tracks or regions? + + When you want to use existing audio files in an Ardour session, the + first choice you need to make is whether you want to bring the files in as + tracks or as new regions. Consider the two following scenarios: - - you have an 8 track recording of existing material, with 1 audio - file per track - + you have an 8 track recording of existing material, with 1 audio + file per track - - you have a sample library containing 500 small audio files - + you have a sample library containing 500 small audio + files - - In the first case, your goal is probably to have 8 tracks (at least), - with each track containing a single audio file. In the second case, - its a lot more likely that you simply want to be able to use any of - the samples easily, but do not want any tracks created as a direct - result of the import/embed. It is very important that you understand - this distinction: many new users think there should be a "simple" way - to import existing audio without understanding that the goal of - importing/embedding is not always the same. - - - - Ardour provides two different options when importing. You can - import/embed audio files as new tracks, or you can import/embed them - into the region list, where they will be available as regions to put - into new or existing tracks. You can also insert import/embed audio - files directly into an existing track. - -
- -
- How to import an audio file as a new track - - Click on the Edit item in the editor's menu - bar. From the popup menu that appears, choose - Import ...as new tracks - . The Audio Library/File Chooser window will appear. - After you have made your selection of files to import, click the - button at the bottom of that window (it will say something like - "Import selected regions as new tracks"). - -
- -
- How to embed an audio file as a new track -
- Drag-n-Drop - - If you use a file manager such as Nautilus or Konqueror ((basically, - any tool that uses standard "list-of-URL's" encoding for - drag-n-drop)), the simplest method to import files as tracks is to - drag-n-drop. Select the files you want to embed in the file manager, - drag the selection into Ardour and drop it over an area of the - editor's track/arrange display where there are no tracks. The files - will be embedded as 1 new track per file. - -
- -
- Edit menu - - Click on the Edit item in the editor's - menu bar. From the popup menu that appears, choose - Embed ...as new tracks - . The Audio Library/File Chooser window will appear. - After you have made your selection of files to embed, click the - button at the bottom of that window (it will say something like - "Embed selected regions as new tracks"). 1 new track will be created - for each file. - -
-
- -
- Importing as a new region - -
- -
- Embedding as a new region - - -
- Drag-n-Drop - -
- -
- Region List Menu - -
+ In the first case, your goal is probably to have 8 tracks (at + least), with each track containing a single audio file. In the second + case, its a lot more likely that you simply want to be able to use any of + the samples easily, but do not want any tracks created as a direct result + of the import/embed. It is very important that you understand this + distinction: many new users think there should be a "simple" way to import + existing audio without understanding that the goal of importing/embedding + is not always the same. + + Ardour provides two different options when importing. You can + import/embed audio files as new tracks, or you can import/embed them into + the region list, where they will be available as regions to put into new + or existing tracks. You can also insert import/embed audio files directly + into an existing track.
How to import/embed - - Begin by clicking on the titlebar of the region list in the editor - window. Select Import from the menu that - appears, and the Sound File Database will be displayed. See sfdb for - more details on using this dialog. - - - - Once you have found and selected the files you want to import, click - the "Import Selected" button on the SFDB dialog. Each selected audio - file will be copied into the session's sounds folder, converted into - the session's native format and sample rate. One or more new regions - will be placed in the "External" section of the region list, either - one per channel of each file or, if "create multichannel regions" was - selected in the SFBD dialog, one per file. - - - - If you use Nautilus as your file manager, you can easily import files - into your project by dragging them onto the desired track, then - releasing the mouse button. The file will then be - embedded into your session. - - - - At this time, no control over the conversion process is offered. If - sample rate conversion is required, it will be carried out at the - highest quality that Ardour can provide. This means that it can be - rather slow (many minutes to import an audio file lasting a few - minutes). - + + There are three pathways for importing/embedding an audio file into + a session. One is initiated from the File menu, one is initiated from the + track context menu, and one is initiated from the region list. These + methods are all equivalent: they open the file import dialog. Once the + dialog is open, you can choose to add new audio as new tracks, as regions + in the region list, or as audio in the selected track. You can change this + behavior once the dialog is opened. + + + If you want to import a file directly into an existing track, + you must have the track selected in the editor before beginning the + import. + If you use Nautilus as your file manager, you can easily + import files into your project by dragging them onto the desired track, + then releasing the mouse button. The file will then be embedded into your session.
- How to embed a file - - There are two pathways for embedding an audio file into a session. One - is initiated from the region list, and simply creates one or more new - regions. The other is initiated from a specific track, and not only - adds regions to the region list, but also inserts them into the - track's playlist. - + Working with Tags + + A "tag" is bit of information, or metadata, + that is associated with a data file. Specifically, tags are keywords or + terms that you feel have some relevance to a particular soundfile. Ardour + can store these tags in a seachable database so that you can quickly + search for sounds based on the tags that you have assigned to them. For + example you can assign the term "120bpm" to a sound, and then when you + search for this tag, the file will appear in the search list. Tags are + independent of the filename or anything else about the file. Tags, and the + file paths that they are associated with, are stored in a file called + "sfdb" in your Ardour user folder.
- Embedding via the region list + Adding tags to a file + - - click with 1 on the region list title bar. - - - - - Select Import audio file from the menu that appears. - - - - - The SFDB dialog appears. - - - - - Select the files you want to import - + Select a file in the import dialog. + - - then click on the Embed Selected button. - + Enter the tags in the box to the right labeled "Tags". - - New regions are added to the External section of the region list. - + + Tags are stored when the input box loses focus, there is no reason + to explicitly "save" them.
- Embedding from a track + Searching for files using tags + - - in the track you want to add the audiofile to.The track context - menu will appear. - - - - - Select EditInsert external sndfile from this menu. The SFDB - dialog appears. - - - - - Select the files you want to import - + Select the "Search Tags" tab on the import dialog. + - - then click on the Embed Selected button. - + Enter the tag(s) to search for and press "Search". - - New regions are added to the "External" section of the region list, - and one is inserted into the track from which the embed was started. - + + Files which have been "tagged" with the input terms will appear in + the results window. You can audition these files and apply tags to them + from this window.
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