How do you use plugins with Ardour

Installation & Configuration Linux
#1

I recently got Ubuntu Studio, which comes with ardour and various plugins, but I’m not sure how to use any of them.
One of the plugins I have is blop, a synthetic oscillator. I can’t seem to use it in Ardour at all. Should I use it in JACK and for that matter how do I sequence MIDI steps to create a melody or bass line? Very confused, please help.

#2

PS is there some sort of piano roll equivalent for Linux?

#3

@TekknoGekko: Ardour2 is not a MIDI sequencer and does not support synthesis (sound generating) plugins. Ardour3 does these things but has not yet been released.

#4

Paul,

Will A3 have it’s own sound generating plugins on the MIDI tracks upon it’s release?
Also will it have the capability of inputting data thru a notation editor like RoseGarden?

Rony P.

#5

@rpatros: no to both questions. we don’t ship builtin FX plugins and we won’t ship synths. There will be no notation editor until we merge with the Denemo project. That was a joke.

#6

Ardournemo! Nice!

#7

@rpatros: You can export MIDI file from RG and then import it to ardour, though.

#8

you can also, obviously, import from Denemo or other notation editors or utilities that can produce MIDI.

#9

@Paul,

I have done that but there is not sound output on the midi tracks…does the midi track need to be bound to any synth?

Rony P.

#10

@rpatros; absolutely. MIDI tracks have no sound generating capabilties unless you (a) insert instrument plugins OR (b) connect them to other synths (software or hardware).

#11

@rpatros;
I test Ardour3 alpha for a few weeks now and its MIDI-tracks work very well for me.

Of course I would not recommend you to use it for real projects but it works OK to have a look upon what the release will have to offer.
If you want to test it you can download the standalone bundle for Linux using a recent link posted in the news. I use CALF-LV2-plugins as MIDI-instruments. You can add them the same as FX-plugins in Ardour2. The piano-roll is directly in the MIDI-tracks – once one gets used to it it feels quite nice to edit notes directly in the place they are played in the song.