Ardour 6.3 released

Ardour 6.3 is now available. This is mostly a maintenance release, but the new Loudness Analysis feature will be very useful to some users. The usual steady drip-drip of bug fixes continues, and thanks to Ayan Shafqat, we now have up to date super-optimized metering code for Linux on both x86(64) and ARM platforms (Metering is the most computationally expensive thing that Ardour itself does).

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Release notes for other older versions are linked in the list below.

New Features

  • Loudness Analyzer & Normalizer (see Preferences > Mixer > Master). Calculates the Loudness (LUFS) of the session (or a range selection), and add a gain-stage to the master-bus to normalize the loudness according to various standards. There's also an additional "Conformity Check" for many common distribution targets (YouTube, SoundCloud etc. etc.). Thanks to Ardour/Mixbus user BachStudies for the nerdsniping encouragement and design ideas for this feature.

    screenshot of the loudness analysis dialog
  • AVX-optimized metering code for Linux.
  • Neon-optimized metering code for ARM platforms.
  • Double-click on track header (in Editor view) expands and contracts track height.
  • Inactive tracks (in Editor view) now only show the track name, to emphasize their inactive state.
  • Compile-time option to use SoundTouch for vocal time stretching (this is not currently enabled for ardour.org builds).

Improvements

  • Foldback busses now default to pre-fader position, as intended.
  • Added full GUI for setting foldback bus position to pre/post fader.
  • Allow name and path column in editor source list to be manually resizable.
  • Nudge forward and backward key bindings now work in the editor.
  • Engaging loop play while rolling with no audio tracks now works.
  • Dramatically speed up MIDI file loading by removing the seconds/time API from libsmf. An example "black MIDI" file with 24,134 tempo changes now takes 5 seconds instead of 5 minutes to load.
  • Slider controller (used in many places in the GUI) now accepts dB when it controls gain, rather than a simple numerical gain coefficient.
  • Do not auto-save when importing video.
  • Fix audible amplitude modulation in de-click fade.
  • If Ardour is the JACK Transport time master, it now supplies the bar start tick data.
  • Ardour's custom knob in the GUI now shows when it is insensitive to user-interaction.
  • Do not include VST parameters marked as non-automatable in list of automatable parameters.
  • Prompt user for name when doring Range or Region bounces
  • Add capture-for and channel count columns to the editor Source list.
  • Allow editing the name field in the editor Source list to tbe edited.
  • When consolidating a range of MIDI data, the new region should fill the range, not stop at the end of the existing MIDI content.
  • Add a take-ID to bounced regions, so that multitrack bounces can be sorted/recognized in a list.

Bug Fixes

  • Auto-play when locating to session start is now honored (again).
  • No more (small) delay when starting to record while already rolling.
  • Various fixes related to auto-connecting track outputs, particularly MIDI tracks.
  • AudioUnits: do not call render callback for disconnected busses (fixes various 3rd party plugins).
  • Ensure audio engine is active when doing plugin scans, since some 3rd party plugins try to access it (indirectly).
  • Windows version now set HiDPI settings (may fix font aliasing issues on that platform).
  • Fixed crash when removing master bus output channels.
  • MIDI capture alignment fixed.
  • Fix crashes when editing automation points.
  • Fix occasional deadlock at session close.
  • Fix occasional issues with mute button visibility in Master bus mixer strip.

Control Surfaces

  • New MIDI binding map for AKAI MPK249.
  • New MIDI binding map for Arturia Minilab Mk II.
  • Browser-based (WebSockets Javascript):
    • Many improvements in stability, usability and what is represented in the browser control surface .
  • OSC:
    • panner type can be set (within the limits derived from I/O configuration).
    • panner type feedback added.
    • automation control for pan and trim gain added.
    • toggle-roll can be used to pause or return to start, as expected.
    • bug fixes.

Lua Scripts

  • Lua bounce script improved.
  • Lua meter point script fixed.
  • Lua access to Transport State machine provided.
  • Improvements to "List Plugins" script, which is now automatically loaded at startup.

Included Plugins

  • Polyphony count for a-fluid (SF2 player) increased .
  • Add crossfade and A/B plugins.

Translation Updates

  • German.
  • Italian.
  • French.

Contributors

Robin Gareus, Ben Loftis, Ayan Shafqat, Hubert Figuière, Iurie Nistor, Justin Hoffman, Len Ovens, Luciano Iam, Nikolaus Gullotta, Peter Kovář, Stefan Westerfeld, mx, Paul Davis

Translators

Edgar Aichinger (German), Vincenzo Reale (Italian), Olivier Humbert (French)

Theme Updates

mr_glitch (new "recbox" theme)