Working with Regions
Regions are the basic elements of editing and composing in Ardour. Each
region represents a single, contiguous section of one or more audio files.
Regions are defined by a fixed set of attributes:
the source audio file(s) they represent
a starting point in the audio file(s)
a length
When placed into a playlist,
they gain additional attributes:
a position along the timeline
a layer
There are other attributes as well, but they do not
define the region. Things you should know about regions:
Regions are Cheap
By themselves, regions do not consume hardly any of your computer's
resources. Each region requires a small amount of memory, and represents
a rather small amount of CPU work if placed into an active track. So,
don't worry about creating regions whenever you need to.
Regions are not audio files
Although a region can represent an entire audio file, they are never
equivalent to an audio file. Most regions represent just parts of an
audio file(s) on disk, and removing a region from a track has nothing to
do with removing the audio file(s) from the disk ((the
Destroy operation, one of Ardour's few destructive
operations, can affect this)). Changing the length of a region has no
effect on the audio file(s) on disk. Splitting and copying regions does
not alter the audio file in anyway, nor does it create new audio files
((the Export , Bounce and
Reverse operations do create new audio files)).
Region Naming
Regions are initially named using either:
the name of the playlist for which they were recorded
the name of the embedded/imported audio file they represent
Whole File Region Names
These are not audio files, but regions that represent the full extent of
an audio file. Every time a new recording is done, or a new file is
embedded/imported, a new region is created that represents the entire
audio file(s) This region will have the name of the playlist/original
file, followed by a "-" and then a number.
For recorded regions, the number will increase each time a new recording
is made. So, for example, if there is a playlist called "Didgeridoo", the
first recorded whole file region for that playlist will be called
"Digderidoo-1". The next one will be "Digeridoo-2" and so on.
For imported/embedded files, the region name will be based on the file
name, but with any final suffix (e.g. ".wav" or ".aiff") removed.
Normally, whole file regions are not inserted into tracks/playlists, but
regions derived from them are. The whole-file versions live in the editor
region list where they act as an organizing mechanism for regions that are
derived from them.
Normal Region Names
When a region is inserted into a track/playlist, its initial name will end
in a version number, such as ".1" or ".103". For a recorded region, if the
whole file region was "Hang drum-1", then the region in the track will
appear with the name "Hang drum-1.1". For an imported/embedded region, if
the whole file region was "Bach:Invention3", then the region in the track
will appear with the name "Bach:Invention3.1".
Copied Region Names
If the region is a copy of another region, it will begin life with the
same name as the original. When an operation is carried out that modifies
one of the copies, that particular copy will be renamed by incrementing
the version number.
Renaming Regions
You can rename a region at any time. Use the region context
menu to popup the rename dialog. The new name does not need to
have a version number in it (in fact, it probably should not). The region
will retain its name until it is modified after being copied.
Selecting Regions
In general, operations on regions apply to whichever regions are currently
selected .
To select a single region, click on it using
Button1.
To add an unselected region to the currently selected regions, click on it
using
ShiftButton1.
To remove a selected region from the currently selected regions, click on
it using
ShiftButton1.
Removing Regions
Select the region(s) to be removed. Then press the "Delete" key or use the
standard key binding for "Cut" (
CtrlX by default).
Note that "removing" a region is a non-destructive operation. It has no
effect on the audio file(s) stored on disk. If you really want to
destructively remove the region, use the context menu for the region which
has a "Destroy" item. This is not guaranteed to remove the audio file from
your disk storage, but it generally will.
Moving Regions
To move a region, make sure you are in object mouse
mode. Move the mouse pointer into the waveform display part of the region,
press Button1 and drag. The region will follow the
mouse pointer as you move it around. By default, the region can move freely
along the timeline - see for information on how to
force the region to align to certain kinds of points along the timeline.
To move a region from one track to another, simply start a move as
described above, but move the mouse pointer into the desired track. The
region will follow the mouse pointer. Note that if you have other kinds of
"tracks" visible, the region will remain where it is as the mouse pointer
moves across them, and will then jump to the new track. This serves as a
visual reminder that you cannot drag an audio region into an automation
track or a bus, for example.
Moving more than one region
To move multiple regions, select them before moving. Then click+drag on
one of the selected regions. All the regions will move, keeping their
positions relative to each other.
Fixed-time motion
Sometimes, you want to move a region to another track, but keeping its
position along the timeline exactly the same. To do this, use
Button2 rather than Button1.
Copying Regions
To copy a region, make sure you are in object mouse
mode. Move the mouse pointer into the waveform press the
Ctrl key, keep it down while pressing
Button1 and drag. A new region is created and will
follow the mouse pointer as it moves. See for
more details on moving the copied region around.
Copying more than one region
To copy multiple regions, select them before copying. Then click+drag on
one of the selected regions. All the regions will be copied and as they
move, the will keep their positions relative to each other.
Fixed-time copying
If you want to copy region(s) to other track(s) but keep the copies at the
exact position on the timeline as the originals, simply use
CtrlButton2 instead of
CtrlButton1.