JACK_MIXER(1) audio JACK_MIXER(1)

jack_mixer - A graphical multi-channel audio mixer for JACK

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

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.

Positional arguments:

NAME set JACK client name

Optional arguments:

show this help message and exit
load mixer project configuration from FILE
enable debug logging messages

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).

  • 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:

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.

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.

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).

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

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

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

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

GNU General Public License Version 2

2021-04-14 19