Ardour 8.10 DAW is out now, addresses several issues found in version 8.9, introduces minor enhancements, and sets the stage for the upcoming major 9.0 release. Here’s what’s new.
Following the 8.9 release, some users encountered performance issues regarding scheduling disk I/O threads. Ardour 8.10 addresses these performance challenges, making significant improvements to disk I/O, which were notably system-dependent but disruptive where they occurred.
Additionally, drag-and-drop import of Standard MIDI Files now correctly uses the filename again, and content-slipping within regions ensures playback updates in real-time.
The 8.10 release also features minor updates to the non-default color themes, a new MIDI binding map for the M-Audio Axiom 49 MkII, and a new Lua script for duplicating regions on the grid. These changes continue Ardourโs commitment to flexibility and customization for its diverse user base.
As we mentioned, this release will be the final update for the Ardour 8.x series. With development on Ardour 9.0 already underway, users should expect significant new features and enhancements, including improvements from the now-integrated “pianorule” branch.
Ardour 8.10 also benefits from developing features that will come to fruition in version 9.0. One key enhancement is the parallelization of disk I/O, allowing for more efficient use of multiple CPU cores when handling audio and MIDI files. This especially benefits users of modern, fast storage solutions such as NVMe SSDs.
Lastly, as usual, the Ardour development team has tackled numerous bug fixes, improving everything from overdubbing behavior in non-layered mode to sample rate display and playback stability.
Ardour 8.10 Digital Audio Workstation should soon be available as a Flatpak package on Flathub. The release announcement provides detailed information about all changes.
