Ubuntu Manpage: jack_mixer - A graphical multi-channel audio mixer for JACK

NAME

       jack_mixer - A graphical multi-channel audio mixer for JACK

SYNOPSIS

       jack_mixer.py [-h] [-c FILE] [-d] [NAME]

DESCRIPTION

       This manual page documents the jack_mixer command.

       jack_mixer  is  a  multi-channel audio mixer application for the JACK Audio Connection Kit
       with a graphical user interface and has a look  &  handling  similar  to  hardware  mixing
       desks.

OPTIONS

       Positional arguments:
          NAME                  set JACK client name

       Optional arguments:

          -h, --help
                 show this help message and exit

          -c FILE, --config FILE
                 load mixer project configuration from FILE

          -d, --debug
                 enable debug logging messages

GUI USAGE

After starting jack_mixer, you need to create at least one input and one output channel
via the respective entries in the "Mixer" menu (see section MAIN MENU).

Then connect your audio sources to the jack_mixer's JACK audio input ports (see section
JACK AUDIO AND MIDI PORTS) using jack_connect or GUI tools like the QJackCtl's connections
window, Catia, Carla, etc. Connect the monitor channel output port(s) or the output ports
of the output channels to the input ports of your audio interface or any other JACK audio
input ports.

Then adjust input and output channel volume levels and balance as required using the fader
controls in each channel strip (see section MOUSE BINDINGS for ways to to control the
faders and routing).

JACK AUDIO AND MIDI PORTS
• For each input channel, jack_mixer will create one (if it is a mono channel) or two
(stereo) JACK audio input ports. The input port(s) will be named like the input channel
strip, if it is a mono channel, or with an " L" resp. " R" suffix, it it is a stereo
channel.

• Optionally, for each input channel, it creates a direct, post-fader audio output port
(mono) or pair of output ports (stereo). These are named the same as their input port(s)
with " Out" resp. " Out L" / "Out R" appended.

• For each output channel it will create one (mono) or two (stereo) audio output ports.

• Additionally it will create one pair of audio monitor ports named "Monitor L" and
"Monitor R".

• If jack_mixer was compiled with JACK MIDI support, it will also create one MIDI input
("midi in") and one MIDI output ("midi out") port.

MAIN MENU
Main Menu:

Use the Mixer menu to:

• Add an input or output channel.

• Add an output channel.

• Open a file with a preset mixer layout.

• Save the current mixer layout to an XML file.

• Exit jack_mixer.

Use the Edit menu to:

• Change the properties of an input or output channel.

• Remove an input or output channel.

• Toggle all channel strips between wide and narrow view.

• Clear the current mixer layout, i.e. remove all input and output channels.

• Open the setting preferences dialog.

Use the Help menu to show jack_mixer's about dialog.

MOUSE BINDINGS
Main window:

• Left-click and drag the vertical divider line horizontally to set the size distribution
of the left and right panels for the input and output channel strips. If a panel
contains more channel strips than can be fit into its horizontal size, horizontal
scrollbars will be available at the bottom of the panel.

Channel strip header:

• Double click the channel strip header to open the channel properties dialog.

• Ctrl+left-click the channel strip header to toggle the channel strip between wide and
narrow view.

• Left-click and drag the channel strip header horizontally to re-order channel strips.
This doesn't effect the order of the JACK output ports and input channels are always
arranged on the left side of the main jack_mixer window and output chanels on the right
side.

Control groups (input channels):

Each input channel header has a control group for each output channel, which has the same
background color and label as the corresponding output channel header.

Each output channel control group shows a pre/post-fader ("P") and a mute ("M") button
and, optionally, a solo ("S") button.

• Left-click the pre/post-fader ("P") button to toggle the signal sent to the
corresponding output channel between the post-fader (off) and pre-fader (on) signal of
the input channel.

• Left-click the mono ("M") button to mute the signal from the input channel going to the
corresponding output channel.

• Left-click the solo ("S") button to solo the input channel for the corresponding output
channel. i.e. only the signal from this input channel (plus any other soloed channels)
is going to this output channel.

Volume read-out and peak-indicator:

• Left-click the volume level read-out to enter a value manually and press Enter to set
it.

• Left/right-click the peak volume level read-out to reset the over-zero indication.

• Middle-click the peak volume level read-out to set the volume level to peak at 0 dB at
the current signal input level.

Volume meter:

• Left-click the pre-fader ("PRE") button below the volume meter to switch the signal,
which is metered, from post-fader (off) to pre-fader (on).

(not yet implemented)

Volume slider:

• Left-click and drag vertically anywhere in the slider area to set the channel output
volume level.

• Scroll the mouse wheel up or down over the slider area to increase or decrease the
volume level.

• Right-click anywhere in the slider area to move the volume level slowly towards the
click position.

• Double click to set the volume level to -inf.

• Ctrl+left-click to set the volume level to 0 dBFS.

Balance slider:

• Left-click and drag horizontally anywhere in the slider area to set the balance between
the left and right channel of the output signal.

• Scroll the mouse wheel up or down over the slider area to move the balance to right or
left.

• Right-click anywhere in the slider area to move the balance slowly towards the click
position.

• Double click to set the left/right balance to center.

Channel buttons:

• Left-click the mono ("M") button to mute signal from channel going to all output
channels (including direct channel outs).

• Ctrl+left-click the mono ("M") button for "exclusive" mute, i.e. the mute function will
be activated on this input or output channel only and deactivated on all other input
resp. output channels.

• Left-click the solo ("S") button to solo an input channel, i.e. only the signal from
this channel is going to all output channels (including the direct outputs of the
channel).

The solo function is cumulative, i.e. you can activate solo on more than one input
channel and the signals from all soloed channels will be going to each output channel.

Output channels have no solo button.

• Ctrl+left-click the solo ("SM") button for "exclusive" solo, i.e. the solo function will
be activated on this channel only and deactivated on all other input channels.

• Right-clicking the mute ("M") button acts like left-clicking but also synchronizes the
muted state on all output channel control groups of the channel with the main channel
mute button.

Output channel control groups, where the mute function was already active before
righ-clicking the mute button are unaffected, i.e. it will stay activated.

• Right-clicking the solo ("S") button acts like left-clicking but also synchronizes the
soloed state on all output channel control groups of the channel with the main channel
solo button.

Output channel control groups, where the solo function was already active before
righ-clicking the solo button are unaffected, i.e. it will stay activated.

• Left-click the monitor ("MON") button, to toggle monitoring. If monitoring is on, the
(post-fader) signal from the channel is sent to the "Monitor L/R" outputs. The monitor
function is exclusive, i.e. activating monitoring on a channel, will turn off monitoring
on any other channel.

COMPATIBILITY

       jack_mixer is fully compatible with the New Session Manager (NSM)  protocol  and  provides
       Level  1  (L1)  support  for the LADISH protocol. When running as an NSM client, the mixer
       layout and current state will be saved in the NSM session.  When started as an  L1  client
       by  LADISH,  the mixer layout and current state will be saved in the LADISH studio session
       or project (the first time LADISH requests jack_mixer to save a project, it  will  open  a
       "Save as" dialog).

FILES

       <XDG_CONFIG_HOME>/jack_mixer/preferences.ini
              This file stores global settings for jack_mixer.

ENVIRONMENT

       LANGUAGE, LC_ALL, LC_MESSAGES, and LANG
              The  first  of  these  environment  variables  set  to a non-empty value is used to
              determine the language(s) for loading gettext translation files if the language  is
              not  set  in  the  global  settings.  The value should be a colon separated list of
              language codes.

       LOCALEDIR
              With this environment variable, the base  directory  for  the  gettext  translation
              files  can  be  changed  from  the  default  set  at compile time, which is usually
              <prefix>/share/locale.

       JACK_MIXER_DEBUG
              When this environment variable is set, the logging level in the Python layer is set
              to DEBUG unless it is overwritten by the -d|--debug command line switch.

       NSM_URL
              When this environment variable is set, jack_mixer will act as a New Session Manager
              (NSM) session client.

SIGNALS

       SIGUSR1
              In accordance with Level 1 support of LADISH, jack_mixer saves  the  current  mixer
              layout and state on receiving a USR1 signal.

       SIGINT | SIGTERM
              When  receiving  an INT or TERM signal, jack_mixer will either exit the application
              immediately or, if enabled in the preferences, will  show  a  confirmation  dialog,
              allowing the user to either quit or cancel the action.

AUTHOR

       Nedko  Arnaudov  <nedko@arnaudov.name>  (original author), Frédéric Peters <fpeters@0d.be>
       (current maintainer).

COPYRIGHT

       GNU General Public License Version 2