I would like to download the paid version of ardour 8.10, not the demo. I have forgotten how to do this. Can someone help me with this. Thank you very much.
Start at http://ardour.org/download.html.
Then pay at least $1, of if you are a subscriber: first log in.
But I am not asked to pay $45 there. Where does that happen?
Click the green button labeled “Ready-to-Run Program”.
On the next screen, choose your OS and click the green button labeled “Download Ardour…”. On the next screen, click the blue button labeled “Pay One Time” that is underneath this wording:
"Single Payment
If you choose to pay less than US$45, you will get the current version and updates (e.g. buy version 7.0, get access to 7.1, 7.2, etc. but not 8.0).
If you choose to pay US$45 or more: get the current version, updates and the next major version, plus access to nightly (development) builds."
When you get to the next screen, enter whatever amount you want into the box beside:
“I choose to pay US$”
1 Like
Thank you for your feedback.
But exactly this window does not appear after downloading 
That suggests to me that you are already logged in when you click the green “Download Ardour…” button. Are you a subscriber? I am, and if I am already logged in on that page, the “Download Ardour…” button starts the download immediately, and I receive the full (non-demo) version in my Downloads folder. What happens when you click the “Download Ardour…” button? Have you paid for any versions of Ardour in the past? If you purchased an earlier version of 8.0+, you will not be asked to pay again for minor version updates.
Ardour is downloaded and nothing else. I don’t think I have a subscription. I paid $45 for the 7.2 and eventually got the 8.2. Now I wanted the 8.10 and paid $45 for it.
It could be that I didn’t understand something and that 8.10 is not a demo 
The canonical way to find out:
Start Ardour,… Menu > Help > About > Config
See if there is
Free/Demo copy: False
Ardour claims not to be a demo, I believe her 
have a nice night and day!
1 Like
Also, if it was a demo, there would be a popup after 10 mins to ask you to get a full version.
I’ve been engaged in MIDI editing with this version recently, and it’s functioning exceptionally well! I’m thrilled with it and would like to extend my gratitude to all the developers and everyone on the Ardour team. Ardour has truly become an impressive DAW! 
6 Likes
I am an audio professional, utilizing exceptional tools: Ardour and Mixbus 10 Pro DAW. While the market features several competitors such as Pro Tools, Reaper, Cubase, and Studio One, Ardour and Mixbus present unique advantages that position them as superior choices for audio production.
Ardour serves as an affordable and user-friendly solution, ideal for audio tasks and editing. Its lightweight architecture ensures stability, which is critical for managing larger projects. Additionally, Ardour’s open-source framework fosters continuous development and strong community support.
Mixbus elevates the analog sound experience, infusing mixes with enhanced sensitivity and warmth. This makes it an appealing alternative, especially when compared to heavier and more costly options like Pro Tools and Cubase. Mixbus’s flexible design facilitates the seamless execution of creative visions.
Operating within a Linux environment further enhances my workflow, providing added efficiency and flexibility. The combination of Ardour’s lightweight functionality and Mixbus’s analog warmth enables me to achieve results that often surpass those of more established DAWs. It raises an interesting question as to why these outstanding tools are not more widely adopted in the audio industry, given the myriad benefits they offer to professionals.
3 Likes
I also make a living in music and sound engineering, but in my case, Ardour/Mixbus is not a one-stop shop, the reason is MIDI. I’m not a good keyboard player but I don’t like the mouse for programming drums and keyboards, to me, it often sounds too static. My take is to play and record part of an instrument, for example, kick and snare first and then HH on the top of that, or the right hand of a piano first and adding other parts after that. In this case, the layers are in the way of an effective workflow - at least for me. So I do the initial MIDI work on another DAW and then import it into Mixbus.
Earlier, I used to use Ardour for tracking live, but for the last five years or so, I have used Mixbus32C (and now Mixbus PRO). For me, this platform works perfectly for tracking, editing, and mixing.
I believe that many people prefer to use the DAW they are used to and that new users tend to follow recommendations. I also think Ardour/Mixbus - if not already - will gain a lot thanks to the connection with SSL and the Audiotonix umbrella.
Hm, you can view the layers in stacked mode, then do loop recording, eventually select and merge them into a single layer.
Just tried it with the built-in virtual keyboard and a drum kit in Ardour 8.10
Might not be exactly what other DAWs offer (actually I do not know) but maybe very close?
(I assume they record everything into one single layer by default, do they?)
I know, but to me, that’s a workaround, and as such: a flow killer.
Yes, several DAWs and sequencers allow (loop) recording in one layer and it’s in my belief probably a common way to do it. I hope it will come to this platform as well because I love this environment and the convenience of working in one program.
2 Likes
Absolutely, I agree.
But the basic functionality exists, combining that should not be too difficult, hopefully.
Unfortunately my coding skills are rather limited.
And I also agree - while I prefer mouse entry, 'cause I cannot play kbd at all - I think this
process would be very essential for many users that use virtual instruments.
Because Ardour on Windows (the largest potential platform by far) is not really promoted especially not by the developers… Many Windows inquiries are met with (I’m paraphrasing) “we make Ardour builds for Windows but none of the developers use it on Windows and we’re pretty ambivalent about how it will work on Windows but we may try to help you”. I completely understand the reasons for this but it doesn’t come across as exactly warm and fuzzy and then when your average Windows User goes to install Ardour it’s not certified or notarized or whatever and gives the expected potentially unsettling warnings. Although I’ve never used a Mac, it’s also a niche platform and from the outside looking in it seems a significant number of Mac Users live in a commercial platform silo where open-source software only gets attention from true geeks or software hipsters and I would guess that Mac has less geek-curious Users than the other two platforms and actual top-tier professional production facilities are probably 100% Mac-based and value making money with production hours over experimenting with unvetted software.
3 Likes
I mainly use Bitwig on Linux and Windows. I think it’s the most versatile, especially for electronic music production and modulation. Bitwig also offers plenty of great built-in instruments and effects that can be freely modified. I used to use Ableton Live and I still use it occasionally, but Bitwig has moved up to par and even passed.
I have no coding skills. I mainly use the Novation Launchpad and the Akai MIDI controller, but for example Renoise, which I also like a lot, the computer keyboard works best with Renoise. I also use the keyboard and mouse a lot in Ardour.
I agree with @josander. Loop recording in Ardour is one of its less elegant features and especially when it comes to editing a (multi layer) loop recorded midi part, it’s a bit clunky.
It would be really useful to be able to loop record parts like drums and get it all in one when the recording is stopped, like the way people wrote parts with traditional hardware drum machines. It should be possible to plug a drum box into Ardour and obtain the same midi/musical result without extra steps.
Getting basic functions like this really smooth and easy would be a major step forward. Many DAW reviews say Ardour has a tough learning curve.
Having said that I wouldn’t swap Ardour for any other DAW.
3 Likes
(small rant about the learning curve, nothing against you @merryl0 - felt smart, might delete later)
People suggesting they can actually compare learning curves never cease to amaze me. The learning curve of a DAW is a function of the integral over time of its differences with the rest of the existing DAWs, divided by its user base (or something like it), or a function of the differences between another DAW you know and this one.
When Live came, there was nothing like it. Its learning curve was hard. Nowadays this is an “industry standard” in many productions that i encounter. Is it still hard now ? No, it’s so common that it’s almost weird when a DAW doesn’t have clip launching/grid interface (erm ᵃʳᵈᵒᵘʳ). Plethoras of controllers are based on it. Is it perfect, logical, natural ? No. Don’t get me started with the dummy clips trick, the 12 return tracks limit and the whole set of issues resolved with the inclusion of M4L.
Loop recording is hard. What works for audio might not work for midi. People have different workflows, come from different DAWs. Should Ardour be for everyone and aim to cover extensively every workflow with each minute variation required by each individual ? Maybe. If yes, is it feasible though, or simply worth the energy ?
Disclaimer : i am SO used to Live’s midi loop recording i’m in shock each time i have to use something else.
2 Likes