Ardour 9.0, a free audio editor for multichannel recording, processing, and mixing, has been released. Ardour features a multi-track timeline, unlimited undo capabilities throughout the entire file process (even after closing the program), and support for a variety of hardware interfaces. The program is positioned as a free alternative to professional tools like ProTools, Nuendo, Pyramix, and Sequoia. The code is distributed under the GPLv2 license. Unofficial Linux builds will soon be available in Flatpak format.
Key changes:
- MIDI region editing is now possible in a separate piano roll-style window or in a panel at the bottom of the main window. The separate window opens with a double-click and offers an interface similar to the main timeline, but without unnecessary interface elements and with the ability to view MIDI automation parameters.
- Added support for directly editing MIDI Cue content using a separate opening Piano Roll area with the same MIDI editing operations as on the Timeline.
- Support for direct recording to cue slots has been added for creating real-time loops in the style of Live and Bitwig. You can preset the recording duration (e.g., "record 4 bars") or record until you stop manually. The recording plays back from the next quantization point, such as the beginning of the bar.
- Added the ability to apply a plugin effect only to a specified audio fragment (region). The effect is bound to the region and persists when the region is moved along the timeline.
- A separate window with a perceptual analyzer has been implemented, visualizing the spectrum of several signals in real time, supporting the overlay of tracks on top of each other and allowing you to evaluate the contribution of each track to the overall mix in the selected frequency range.
- A new mode for quickly creating melodies and rhythms has been added. For example, holding down Shift while dragging MIDI notes with the mouse now automatically arranges the notes according to the grid and note settings, while holding Shift+Alt will use note rotation.
- Keyboard control of MIDI automation is now available. Key modifiers, cursor keys, and the Enter key can be used to add new automation control points and change their position and value.
- Added support for importing and exporting mixer strips. Mixer strips can be exported as local (session-level) or global presets for reuse.
- On Linux and Windows platforms, support for interacting with the interface using multi-touch navigation has been implemented.
- The application bar has been updated and reorganized for each context. Editor-specific options have been moved to the toolbar, and advanced options are hidden by default (visibility can be changed in Preferences > Appearance > Application Bar). Buttons have been added to the toolbar to control the display of the left, right, and bottom panels.
- The List panel in the editor window has been redesigned to make it easier to switch between two frequently used tabs, which can be pinned to the top of the panel.
- The New Session dialog has been redesigned to use a tab-based interface that allows you to quickly switch between creating a new session, opening an existing session, and opening a custom session from disk.
- The Ruler Area has been updated to combine several previously separate rulers (with range- and location-based markers) and add buttons for navigating through markers and creating new markers.
- Added support for MIDI files and regions whose duration exceeds the MIDI data (e.g. a 4-bar segment where the last note ends before the end of bar 4).
- By default, the RF64 WAV-compatible audio format is used when recording.
Source: opennet.ru
