Ardour 8.6 DAW Targets Stability with Critical Bug Fixes

Ardour 8.6 Digital Audio Workstation fixes crucial bugs, including a drawing error and a crashing issue with JACK2.

Adour is a powerful, open-source digital audio workstation (DAW) designed to run on Linux, Windows, and macOS. Its user base is comparable to that of music professionals and enthusiasts who use it for recording, editing, and mixing audio tracks.

Whether you’re recording a podcast, making music, or doing sound design, Ardour has powerful features that make your work sound as professional as you want it to.

Just two days after the release of Ardour 8.5, yesterday, the hotfix version, Ardour 8.6, was released. The main focus was on fixing a few critical bugs rather than introducing new features.

Fixes and Enhancements in Ardour 8.6

Among the most critical fixes in this update is the fix of a drawing bug that sneaked through in the previous update (8.5). Ardour 8.6 further fixes an issue concerning crashing when using the popular audio connection kit JACK2.

Ardour 8.6 Digital Audio Workstation
Ardour 8.6 Digital Audio Workstation

Additionally, just a reminder of the new features announced in the Ardour 8.5 release:

  • Improved AAF Import Support: Making it easier for users to import sessions from other DAWs.
  • Enhanced Linux Functionality: Includes automatic handling of SIG32 on Linux to increase debugging ease with Ardour.
  • User Interface Improvements: Avoid showing hidden plugins in the plugin list. Use session-file versions in backup file names.
  • Musical Additions: The General MIDI MIDNAM file now has names for drum pieces and added support for pitch bends in Reasonable Synth.
  • Grid Line Displays: For more complex rhythms, Ardour now displays grid lines for triplets, quintuplets, and septuplets.
  • Bug Fixes: Numerous fixes enhance stability, such as preventing crashes when opening file selection dialogs on certain Linux systems and other specific adjustments to prevent data loss and interface issues.

Ardour 8.6 continues to support all three major operating systems: Linux, Windows, and macOS. This version also makes specific enhancements for macOS, including efficiency improvements and better handling of full-screen operations.

An update to Ardour 8.6 is available for download from the official Ardour website as source code, i.e., one has to compile it by oneself.

However, if you don’t feel like taking the plunge, give it a few days, and this new release should be available as a Flatpak package on Flathub. The announcement provides detailed information about all changes.

Bobby Borisov

Bobby Borisov

Bobby, an editor-in-chief at Linuxiac, is a Linux professional with over 20 years of experience. With a strong focus on Linux and open-source software, he has worked as a Senior Linux System Administrator, Software Developer, and DevOps Engineer for small and large multinational companies.

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