Ardour, the free and open-source Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), has recently been updated to version 8.0. This update brings several new features and improvements to the software, enhancing its usability for users across Linux, Windows, and macOS platforms, including the latest macOS release, Sonoma.
Among the new features introduced in Ardour 8.0 are “Quick groups,” which allow most mix-related controls to operate on all the selected tracks and busses. This feature simplifies the process of managing multiple tracks and busses simultaneously. Additionally, users can now manage sections of a song with arrangement markers, defining verses, choruses, and bridges, and rearranging or copying them as desired.
The update also introduces the ability to create persistent region groups in the editor window, making multi-region editing easier. Users can now edit velocity easily on a dedicated automation lane, whether dealing with a single note or a chord. The software also allows users to draw automation freely for any controller or press the Control (Command) key to enable line-drawing mode. Users can combine free and line segments as they draw by simply pressing and releasing the Ctrl/Cmd key.
Ardour 8.0 also includes a new tool that fits the tempo map to a human performance. If drum note names are available for a plugin instrument or external device (via a MIDNAM file), users can see those names in the all-new MIDI track header. The update also supports the use of the Novation Launchpad Pro in DAW/Session mode, along with the standalone Sequencer, Note, and Chord modes. Users can also create new interesting progressions with arpeggiator plugins.
It’s important to note that there are no changes to Ardour’s session file format with this release. This means that sessions created with previous versions, particularly those from the 7.x release series, should load with no new issues. If users opt to have Ardour copy over their configuration from 7.x, more files will be copied due to the lack of compatibility issues.
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