10.3. Using a Frontier Design Tranzport

10.3.1. Enabling a Tranzport

Ardour 2.0 can currently use a single Tranzport controller. Ensure that the device is plugged into a functional USB port. On Linux you will need to take steps to ensure that non-administrative users can access the device. Note that this feature is not available in Ardour 0.99.x.

In the Options menu, navigate into the Control Surfaces submenu. Click on the "Tranzport" option to enable use of the control surface within Ardour. To disable it, click on this item a second time.

10.3.2. Tranzport Buttons and Datawheel functions

Key Normal Click Shift Click

REW

Rewind

Go to start

FFWD

Fast forward

Go to end

STOP

Stop

Enter *

PLAY

Play

Save

RECORD

Record

   

PREV

Go to previous marker

Zoom full

ADD

Add marker at current location

NEXT

Go to next marker

Select normal, scrub or shuttle mode

   

IN

Zoom In

OUT

Zoom Out

PUNCH

LOOP

Select gain/pan/master level mode

   

< TRACK

Previous track

TRACK >

Next track

REC

Toggle track's record enable on/off

Clear all track record arming

MUTE

Toggle track's mute status on/off

Clear all mutes

SOLO

Toggle track's solo status on/off

Clear all solos

UNDO

Undo

Redo

   

DATA WHEEL

scroll timeline, scrub or shuttle

adjust track gain, track pan or master gain

   

FOOTSWITCH

Table 10.1. Tranzport Functions


10.3.3. Normal, Scrub and Shuttle Modes

In Ardour, the Tranzport in has 3 different modes of operation termed "timeline", "scrub" and "shuttle".

Tranzport Modes of Operation

Timeline

the data wheel scrolls the timeline in the editor window back and forth.

Scrub

the data wheel is used to scrub audio data back and forth.

Shuttle

the data wheel is used to control varispeed playback. Turning the data wheel clockwise increases the playback speed in a forward direction. Counter-clockwise decreases the speed and will reverse playback. Shuttle mode as several important features:

  • While in Shuttle mode the actual playback speed will be displayed in the top right corner of the LCD as a percentage of real-time, ie. +100% is normal playback speed.

  • Press STOP to automatically set the Shuttle speed to 0%.

  • Press PLAY to automatically set the Shuttle speed to +100%.

  • Press and hold SHIFT to momentarily toggle the TranzPort into Scrub mode. Releasing the SHIFT button will return to Shuttle mode at 0% speed. This combination of functions is very useful for quickly moving through an audio track and accurately locating points hit points.

  • Pressing ADD will drop a marker at the current location and exit Shuttle mode