Audio Recording

This tutorial will help you to get started with Ardour with Jack audio sound server. First, you need to know a few important things before you start doing recording, mixing and mastering projects with Ardour. This digital audio workstation software utilizes JACK, an audio connection kit which is essentially a sound server that you can use to record with as much as low latency as possible. Low latency is important for professional music production, it is why you need to use JACK along with Ardour.

Without JACK, there are no dedicated resources (memory and CPU) in realtime processing provided to Ardour. The result is that during actual multi-track recording session, your tracks will begin to slow down and experience delay/latency or lag. During installation of Ardour, you already configured JACK to operate in real time when needed. This implies that whenever Ardour is running, it connects to JACK which will dedicate a substantial amount of computer system resources for optimal operation. This does not mean that your system will slow down. As long as you do not tweak its default settings and priority assignments, then you will be fine. A very slow operation of Ardour indicates some problem with your settings or configuration.

Second, Ubuntu runs on PulseAudio sound server by default which is essentially the reason why you will be able to hear playbacks of music from Rhythmbox , in Youtube videos, etc. Whenever you turn on the JACK server when you start a session with Ardour; the PulseAudio will be turn off. For a while; unless with some configuration; you will not be able to listen to your Rhythmbox music player and other players unless JACK is properly configured It is why beginners often think JACK is causing problems in their audio. The reality is that, PulseAudio will be disabled once JACK server will be turn on.

Turning off Jack server in Ubuntu

To turn off JACK sound server after you end a session with Ardour. Go to Applications—Sound & Video– Jack Control. This will launched the JACK audio connection kit. To stop JACK server, just click the stop button. Below is the screenshot of the jack GUI when it is turn off:

If you like to know how much latency you have in your Ardour audio workstation, simply launched Ardour (Applications – Sound&Video – Ardour GTK2). Once you see the “Session Control”, click the “Audio Setup” tab. Under “Device” tab you will see this:

By default, Ubuntu audio is using the ALSA (Advanced Linux sound architecture) driver version of your audio device. CA0106 identifies your soundcard. The default session sample rate in Ardour is 48Khz (48000Hz). The latency is provided as 5.3ms.

Opening A Session with Ardour

Supposing you will open your previous session, simply go to “Open Session” tab and then locate the session. Click “Open”. Opening the session will turn on the JACK server. Lets try importing audio to your Ardour session. Go to Session – Import. In the “Add existing audio”, add any wav file and click OK. Since your session sample rate is 48Khz, the sample rate of the WAV file imported will be converted to 48Khz. You can then easily drag the wav audio to start of the track. Supposing I will add a chorus bass track to Ardour, it is shown below:

Removing Tracks

If you wish to remove a track in Ardour, simply right click on it and click “Remove”.

Saving and Existing Ardour

You will go to Session – then click Save. Click exit to close Ardour. Double check if JACK is turned off so that you can use the default PulseAudio server.