[Ardour-Users] What is this button for?

[John Emmas]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Davis"
>
> There is a lot of confusion with terminology in ardour at present
> connected with the use of the word "range".
>
> [...]
>
> When the mouse is in "range mode" (after pressing "r"),
> press-drag-release on a track will create a "range" that is indicated
> by a pale white-yellowish overlay on the selected tracks. This is the
> range that the "diode" button will play.
>
Thanks for the explanation Paul.  As you say, Ardour seems to have two
different entities, both called a "range".  Let's call them pale ranges and
green ranges for the sake of distinction.

Firstly, my mouse seems to be permanently in "range mode" (in other words
I don't need to initiate this by pressing 'r').  I guess there must be a way
to latch and unlatch it but I couldn't find anything in the options or
preferences.

Anyway, that aside, creating a pale range works exactly as you described.
The "diode button" does indeed play the pale range and if I create a new
pale range, the new range is the one to get played.

It's the green ranges that are confusing....  I can play a green range by
right-clicking either of its markers and choosing "Play range" from the
popup menu.  The green range gets played once, without affecting any pale
range that already exists.  OTOH if I choose "Select range" (from the same
popup menu) the pale range "overlays" the green range (at least, visually).
The problem is that the pale range's start and end points don't get updated.
Therefore, clicking the diode button still plays between the old start and
end points which are now meaningless.

Also (as i mentioned earlier) it's confusing that keyboard 'r' isn't a
one-shot operation but seems to latch.  Therefore if you create a pale range
and then you left-click anywhere else on the canvas, you lose the range that
you just created.  Is that intentional?  I suppose you get used to it but it
can be quite frustrating at first.

John