Tracks

A Track is the fundamental building block of a performance in Arkestra. Each track is a self-contained visual pipeline — it renders independently and contributes its output to the master mix.

Anatomy of a track

Track Fader   ← name, color, fader, blend mode
└── Chain 1   ← active chain (the one currently rendering)
└── Chain 2   ← inactive (instant-swap during performance)
└── Chain 3
    └── Effect 1 → Effect 2 → Effect 3 …

Adding a track

Click Add Track at the bottom of the track list. Choose a track type from the picker.

Track header controls

Control	Function
Name	Double-click to rename
Color swatch	Pick a track color (used in the UI for visual identification)
Fader	Output level for this track — drag to fade in or out
Dry/Wet	Mix ratio between the track’s processed output and the incoming signal (in the inspector). Right-click the fader → Map Dry/Wet to open its mapping panel directly
Blend mode	How this track composites onto the layers below it
Mute (M)	Takes the track out of the mix without moving its fader
Solo (S)	Silences every other track so only soloed tracks (and effect buses) reach the output
Cue	Headphones button in the track inspector header — previews this track on your screen only

Mute and Solo

The M and S buttons sit next to Cue in the track inspector header. They work like a DAW’s mute and solo, and are also in the track’s right-click menu.

• Mute takes the track out of the mix. The fader stays where it is, so unmuting brings the track back at exactly the same level. The button lights up yellow.
• Solo silences every track that isn’t soloed. Solo several tracks to hear just those together. The button lights up blue.
• Effect buses are solo-safe: soloing a layer still runs it through your effect buses, so you see the layer as it will look in the mix. Mute an effect bus directly to bypass it.
• Mute wins over solo — a track that is both muted and soloed stays silent.
• A muted or solo-silenced track stops rendering like a track at fader zero, so it frees up GPU time. It can still be cued.
• Mute and solo are saved with the project and captured by snapshots. The master track has neither.

Mapping Mute, Solo and Cue

All three buttons are mappable like any other toggle. Enter map mode and click the button, or right-click it for the mapping menu (MIDI, keyboard, OSC, LFO, …). A small coloured dot on the button shows it has a mapping. They’re also listed per track in the MIDI hardware layout panel.

A mapped Cue follows its input: on cues the track, off stops cueing it. Use a keyboard Toggle mapping for press-to-cue/press-again-to-stop, or Momentary to cue only while the key is held.

Cue — preview a track without affecting the output

Cue is pre-fader listen for visuals. It lets you build a new look on one track while the audience keeps seeing what is already playing.

1. Pull the track’s fader to zero so it leaves the mix.
2. Select the track, then click the headphones button in the inspector header (or right-click the fader → Cue Track). The button lights up orange.
3. The editor preview now shows that track on its own, marked with an orange CUE badge naming the track. The output window, Syphon, NDI, recording, and laser keep showing the live mix.
4. Build the track as usual — change its source, add effects, tweak parameters. It renders normally, it just isn’t in the mix.
5. When you’re ready, fade the track up. That’s the take — there’s no separate button.

Click the headphones button again, or the ✕ on the badge, to stop cueing.

Notes:

• Only one track can be cued at a time.
• The cue shows the track in isolation — pre-fader, before master effects and the rest of the mix. It is not a preview of the full composite.
• A cued track keeps rendering even at fader zero, so it costs the same GPU time as if it were live. Un-cue it when you’re done.
• On an effect bus track, the cue shows the accumulated canvas after that bus has processed it.
• Cue is live-performance state: it is not saved with the project. (Its mapping is.)
• If you also use Audition mode, the cue wins the preview pane unless you’re auditioning the cued track itself.

Selecting a track

Click the track header to select it. The Chain Slots Bar below updates to show the selected track’s chains.

Track ordering

Tracks render bottom-to-top: the track at the left of the list is the background; tracks to the right composite on top. Drag track headers to reorder.

Next

• Track Types → — what each type does
• Chains & Effect Racks → — stacking and swapping chains