Ardour session configuration

In this article, we will show you how to configure Ardour session to work with ZYLIA Studio PRO. Briefly, we connect a 19-channel track with “output” tracks for virtual microphones (and leave out the connection to a master) and then route “output” tracks to a master bus.

ZYLIA Studio PRO is 64-bit VST/AU plugin – it requires a 64-bit version of Ardour.

Mixing

Create a new session. In Audio/MIDI Setup choose your audio system and a driver.
Set sample rate to 48 kHz (1) and press Start

Ardour midi setup

Now we can import 19-channel recording. Click on Session menu and pick Import (or just press Ctrl/Cmd+I).
Choose your recording. To import it correctly change Mapping to a one track per file option.

Ardour add existing media window

It’s important to bypass Ardour panner for this track (right-click on panner icon and enable Bypass).

Ardour panner bypass

Add ZYLIA Studio PRO plugin – open Plugin manager (right-click on INPUT TRACK → New Plugin → Plugin Manager), double-click ZYLIA Studio PRO and click Insert Plugin.

Ardour plugin manager

After creating the “input” track for ZYLIA Studio PRO it’s time to make some “output” tracks. To add them just right-click on a free space in mixer or editor view and make as many as you need (remember – one track per each ZYLIA Studio PRO virtual microphone).

Ardour add track

Now the most complicated thing – routing. Open Audio Connection Manager (Window → Audio Connections or Alt+P). In this window you can see a matrix of Sources and Destinations.

We want to route our “output” tracks to Master Bus, so choose Ardour Tracks as Sources and Ardour Buses as Destinations and connect them (green dots).

Ardour connection manager master

Then, choose Ardour Tracks as Destinations and connect the output of Virtual microphone (“input” track out) with Z1 “output” track in.

Ardour connection manager

Add some virtual microphones, enable “output” tracks monitoring and have fun mixing

Ardour virtual microphones

Recording

Plug in ZM-1 microphone and create a session. In Audio/MIDI Setup choose ZM-1 as your input device 
(Windows users should pick ASIO as their driver). Remember to set sample rate to 48 kHz.

Ardour midi setup

Next, add a track for your 19-channel recording (right-click on free space in the mixer). Choose a custom track configuration.

Ardour add track

Now you can add to this track nineteen channels by clicking on “-” button (picture below) and picking Add audio port (unfortunately, you can add just one channel at once).

Ardour add audio port

To route signal from ZM-1 open Audio Connection Manager (Window → Audio Connections or Alt+P). As Sources pick Hardware tab and as Destinations Ardour Tracks tab and connect a 19-channel track with ZM-1 (green dots).

Ardour connection manager

Now you can arm your track and record.

Input monitoring is possible for macOS users – create aggregate device and choose it as your audio device.

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