Ardour 3 is taking shape

The lead developer of Ardour, Paul Davis, has released the first alpha of version 3.0 of the open source audio software. The most important new feature highlighted by the developer is the multi-track recorder's comprehensive MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) support: Ardour 3 will also work as a MIDI sequencer. Notes played on a MIDI device can be recorded as separate tracks and played back via a software synthesizer. Ardour supports instrument plug-ins in Steinberg's VST format, in the AudioUnit format used by Mac OS X, and in LV2, which has succeeded LADSPA as the standard format for Linux.

The Ardour Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) can now use multiple processor cores for signal processing, and the maximum permitted number of cores is adjustable. A "global port matrix" simplifies the routing of signal paths. Exporting has become significantly more flexible: Ardour can now export multiple formats in one go, and version 3 also supports more than two audio channels. Further information can be found on the New features coming in Ardour 3.0 page.

Shortly after the first alpha arrived, the developers issued a second alpha release that addressed several bugs that caused the application to crash. Ardour 3 alpha 2 is available to download as a 32- or 64-bit version for Linux and in source code form. Unlike for the current stable version 2.8 branch, there is no Mac OS X variant: due to insufficient support for a platform-independent development for Mac OS X, the developers have decided that they will only start working on the Mac OS X port once Ardour is in beta testing.

See also:

• New version of Ardour DAW, a 2009 report from The H.

(crve)