1.3. Mouse and Keyboard Bindings
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1.3. Mouse and Keyboard Bindings

1.3.1. Key Bindings

Note that all keyboard bindings can be changed in either the system or the user's Ardour configuration file ($HOME/.ardour/ardour.rc).

1.3.1.1. General Key Bindings

Key Binding Action
Ctrl+w Closes any non-error dialog windows
Alt+e Raise the Editor Window
Alt+m Toggle display of the locations window
Alt+c Toggle display of the options editor
Ctrl+t Add a track or bus
Ctrl+s Save the session
Ctrl+q Quit
Ctrl+u Starts a prefix entry sequence
Ctrl+m Toggle sending MIDI feedback

Table 1.1. General Key Bindings


1.3.1.2. Transport Key Bindings

Key Binding Action
space Toggle transport motion
Ctrl+Shift+space Raise the Editor Window
Shift+r Toggle transport record-enable state
Home Move playhead to start
End Move playhead to end

Table 1.2. Transport Key Bindings


1.3.1.3. Mixer window key bindings

Key Binding Action
right arrow fast forward/faster
Shift+right arrow+space rapid fast forward
Ctrl+right arrow slow fast forward
left arrow rewind/faster
Shift+left arrow rapid rewind
Ctrl+left arrow slow rewind

Table 1.3. Mixer Window Key Bindings


1.3.1.4. Tool Selection

Key Binding Action
r Select Range mode
g Select Gain mode
o Select Object mode
t Select TimeFX mode
z Select Zoom mode

Table 1.4. Tool Selection Key Bindings


1.3.1.5. Moving the Playhead

Key Binding Action
p position playhead at mouse pointer
Return move playhead to edit cursor
Tab move playhead to later region start
Ctrl+Tab move playhead to later region end
` move playhead to earlier region start
Ctrl+` move playhead to next mark
| (keypad) move playhead to previous mark
Ctrl+l center screen around playhead
Ctrl+g goto

Table 1.5. Play Position Key Bindings


1.3.1.6. Moving the Edit Cursor

Key Binding Action
e position edit cursor at mouse pointer
Alt+Return move edit cursor to playhead
[ move edit cursor to earlier region start
Ctrl+[ move edit cursor to earlier region end
] move edit cursor to next region start
Ctrl+] move edit cursor to next region end
””’ move edit cursor to next region sync
; moved edit cursor to previous region sync
F1 move edit cursor to start of range selection (if defined)
F2 move edit cursor to end of range selection (if defined)

Table 1.6. Edit Cursor Position Key Bindings


1.3.1.7. Changing What's Visible

Key Binding Action
left arrow move editor timeline earlier
Ctrl+b move editor timeline earlier
right arrow move editor timeline later
Ctrl+f move editor timeline later
Page_Up scroll track display up
Page_Down scroll track display down
Up arrow step track display up
Down arrow step track display down

Table 1.7. Editor Canvas Key Bindings


1.3.1.8. Zoom Key Bindings

Key Binding Action
= zoom in on timeline
- zoom out on timeline
Z switch zoom focus to playhead

Table 1.8. Editor Zoom Key Bindings


1.3.1.9. Aligning

Key Binding Action
a relative alignment of region sync points or starts
Meta+a absolute alignment of region sync points or starts
Ctrl+Shift+a relative alignment of region ends
Ctrl+Meta+a align region ends

Table 1.9. Editor Aligning Key Bindings


1.3.1.10. Standard Editing

Key Binding Action
Ctrl+z undo
Ctrl+r redo
Ctrl+x cut
Delete cut
Ctrl+c copy
Ctrl+v paste

Table 1.10. Editor Standard Editing Key Bindings


1.3.1.11. Range Operations

Key Binding Action
Keypad Down arrow begin range definition while transport rolls
Keypad Up arrow end range definition while transport rolls
Shift+Tab extend range to end of region
Ctrl+Shift+Tab extend range to start of region
Meta+s duplicate range

Table 1.11. Range Operations Key Bindings


1.3.1.12. Nudging Key Bindings

Key Binding Action
+ (keypad) nudge forward
Ctrl++ (keypad) nudge next forward
- (keypad) nudge backward
Ctrl+- nudge next backward

Table 1.12. Nudging Key Bindings


1.3.1.13. Region Operations Key Bindings

Key Binding Action
s split region(s) at mouse
Alt+s split region(s) at edit cursor
Insert insert selected region (from region list)
Meta+d duplicate region
Alt+r reverse region
Alt+n normalize region

Table 1.13. Region Operation Key Bindings


1.3.1.14. Locations and Marks

Key Binding Action
Enter (keypad) create a new marker at the playhead location
Keypad > move playhead to next marker
Keypad < move playhead to previous marker

Table 1.14. Locations and Marks Key Bindings


1.3.1.15. Miscellaneous

Key Binding Action
l toggle auto loop
f toggle follow playhead

Table 1.15. Miscellaneous Key Bindings


1.3.2. Mouse Operations

Note that the definition of the "Delete" and "Edit" clicks can be redefined by the user, either in their Ardour configuration file ($HOME/.ardour/ardour.rc) or using the Options Editor (Keyboard+Mouse tab).

You might wonder why we say Button1 ? Here is an

1.3.2.1. Generic Mouse Actions

Mouse Action Result
Button3 click Show context menu for clicked-upon item
"Delete" click ( Shift+Button3 ) Remove clicked upon item
"Edit" click (Ctrl+Button3) Edit clicked upon item (if possible)
"snap modifier" (Mod3) allow continuous dragging when snap-to is selected

Table 1.16. Range Operations Key Bindings


These generic mouse actions can be changed from the options window

1.3.2.2. Mouse Wheel Actions

Mouse Action Result
Mouse Wheel scroll editor window up/down (except in Zoom mode)
Alt+Mouse Wheel scroll editor window left/right
Ctrl+Mouse Wheel zoom in/out
Shift+Mouse Wheel step track height

Table 1.17. Mouse Wheel Actions


Note

The mouse wheel also moves the faders and other controls. In Zoom mode the mouse wheel zooms instead of scrolling the window.

1.3.2.3. Object Mode

1.3.2.3.1. Region Operations

A region has several areas in its on-screen representation:

  • the waveform (the majority of the region's display area, normally)

  • the trim bar (the colored bar below the waveform)

  • the name (in the trim bar, text)

  • the fade handles (small squares that default to the upper left + right corners)

  • the fade shape (filled or empty curves representing fade in + fade out)

  • the gain envelope (hidden by default)

Mouse operations on each area will do different things.

Mouse Action Result
Button1 click on waveform select region
Shift+Button1 click add region to selection, or deselect it if selected
Button1 drag on "empty space" rubber-band selection of regions
Ctrl+Alt+Button1 drag on region rubber-band selection of regions
Button1 click in trim bar set start of region
Button2 click in trim bar set end of region
Button1 drag near ends of trim bar adjust start/end of region
Ctrl+Button1 drag in trim bar move audio inside region
Button1 drag move region
Ctrl+Button1 drag copy region and move copy
Button2 drag fixed time move (for transfer to other tracks)
Ctrl+Button2 drag fixed time copy+move
Shift+Button2 click raise region
Alt+Shift+Button2 click lower region

Table 1.18. Region Operations


1.3.2.3.2. Automation Operations

In general Button2-drag will do a constrained drag: control points will stay at the same position in time if dragged up and down and they will stay at the same value if dragged sideways.

Mouse Action Result
Button1 click in automation track add a new control point to the line
Button1 drag in an automation track rubber-band select control points
Button1 drag on control point move control point
Button1 drag on line move line segment vertically
Button2 drag on control-point constrained adjustment
Ctrl+Button1 drag on control point move control point+all later points move with the same time displacement
Ctrl+Button2 drag on control point constrained move control point + move all later points with the same time displacement

Table 1.19. Region Operations


1.3.2.4. Region Gain Mode

Mouse Action Result
Button1 click add a new control point to the gain envelope
Button1 drag on control point move control point
Button1 drag on line move line segment
Ctrl+Button1 drag on control point move control point+all later points

Table 1.20. Region Gain Envelope Operations


1.3.2.5. Range Mode

Mouse Action Result
Button1 drag outside of a range define a range
Button1 drag on range handles change start/end of a range
Shift+Button1 drag define an additional range
Button2 click on another track move range to another track
Shift+Button1 click on another track extend range to another track
Ctrl+Button1 drag move continuous part of range
Alt+Button1 click seperate range into a new region

Table 1.21. Range Operations


1.3.2.6. Zoom Mode

Mouse Action Result
Button1 drag define the new visible area
Button1 click zoom in
Button2 click zoom out
Ctrl+Button2 click zoom to session

Table 1.22. Zoom Operations


1.3.2.7. Ruler Operations

Mouse Action Result
Button1 click in marker, tempo, meter ruler create a new marker
Button1 drag on a marker move marker
Ctrl+Button1 drag on loop or punch mark move both ends of range at once
Ctrl+Shift+Button1 click in marker hide marker but do not remove it

Table 1.23. Marks, Locations


Mouse Action Result
Button1 drag define a new punch or loop range
other operations as for marks and locations above  

Table 1.24. Punch/Loop Ranges


1.3.2.8. Mixer Controls

Mouse Action Result
Button1 click toggle for the track (or the entire mix group when the group is active)
Button2 click momentary switch
Ctrl+Button1 click toggle for the entire mix group when the group is not active
Shift+Ctrl+Button1 click toggle for all the tracks and busses
Ctrl+Button2 click learn MIDI control

Table 1.25. Solo, Mute and Rec enable buttons


Mouse Action Result
Shift+Button1 click toggle "lock" of current solo state ("solo safe")
Ctrl+Alt+Button1 click solo only this track or active group, unsolo all others

Table 1.26. Solo Buttons Only


Mouse Action Result
Button1 drag operate fader
Ctrl+Button1 drag finer control
Alt+Ctrl+Button1 drag finest control
Shift+Button1 click reset fader
Ctrl+Button2 click learn MIDI control

Table 1.27. Faders


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