An Ardour track/bus type is chosen by its signal source and routing role, not just its name

Ardour offers several track/routing types that differ in what they carry and how they route. An Audio Track records and plays back audio with a user-specified input count. A MIDI Track carries MIDI and plays back through an instrument plugin or external hardware. A Bus does not record directly — it is ‘a pseudo-track where multiple audio tracks can be mixed together for some common processing before being routed to the Master Bus.’ A VCA carries no audio at all; it groups tracks or buses to control gain, solo, and mute collectively. The teachable point is not memorising a list but learning to pick the type by asking two questions: what is the signal source, and what routing role must this strip play? Choosing wrongly — recording onto a Bus, or adding a MIDI Track without an instrument — is a classic beginner error.

Examples

Recording live vocals → Audio Track. Sequencing a software synth → MIDI Track with an instrument plugin. Shared reverb for several tracks → Bus fed by sends. Controlling a whole drum group’s fader → VCA.

Assessment

Given a scenario (recording live vocals, sequencing a software synth, grouping drum tracks for one fader), identify which Ardour track/bus type to use and explain why the alternatives would be incorrect.