ardour-automator

name	ardour-automator
category	daw-master
description	Headless Ardour DAW automation via Lua scripting and CLI.
triggers	[]
provides	["run_script","probe","export","arpeggiators"]

Ardour Automator Skill

Wraps Ardour's headless operation modes:

• ardour8-lua / ardour6-lua — Lua scripting interpreter (versioned binaries preferred)
• luasession — headless session access
• ardour --script — run Lua scripts (legacy, may not be available in all builds)

Functions

• run_script(script_path, session_path=None, dry_run=False, cleanup=False) — Execute a Lua automation script
• probe(session_path) — Get session metadata (tracks, duration, tempo)
• export(session_path, output_path, format="wav", dry_run=False) — Render session or stems
• arpeggiators subskill — three parameterized arpeggiator generators (simple, Barlow, raptor)

Arpeggiators subskill

The arpeggiators module provides Lua script generators for three classic arpeggiator DSP plugins by Albert Gräf, copied from his ardour-lua collection.

All functions return a complete Lua script as a string. Use the convenience runners (run_simple_arp(), run_barlow_arp(), run_raptor_arp()) to render a script to a temporary file and execute it via run_script() automatically.

Simple Arp (simple_arp)

Basic monophonic arpeggiator with up/down/exclusive/inclusive/order/random patterns.

• render_simple_arp(division=2, octave_up=0, octave_down=0, pattern=1, ...) → str
• run_simple_arp(dry_run=False, cleanup=False, **render_kwargs) → dict

Key parameters:

• division: beat subdivisions (1–16)
• pattern: 1=up, 2=down, 3=exclusive, 4=inclusive, 5=order, 6=random
• latch / sync: boolean modes

Barlow Arp (barlow_arp)

Uses indispensability theory (Barlow) to accentuate notes rhythmically. Includes velocity and filter accentuation based on metric weight.

• render_barlow_arp(division=1, pattern=1, min_vel=60, max_vel=120, min_filter=0.0, max_filter=1.0, ...) → str
• run_barlow_arp(dry_run=False, cleanup=False, **render_kwargs) → dict

Key parameters:

• min_filter / max_filter: filter pulses by indispensability weight [0,1]
• division: note value (1=whole, 4=quarter, 7=32nd)
• debug: verbosity (0–2)

Raptor Arp (raptor_arp)

Advanced random arpeggiator with harmonicity-based filtering, step width, density, and uniqueness control.

• render_raptor_arp(division=1, mode=0, min_vel=60, max_vel=120, velmod=0, gain=0.5, ...) → str
• run_raptor_arp(dry_run=False, cleanup=False, **render_kwargs) → dict

Key parameters:

• mode: 0=random, 1=up, 2=down, 3=up-down, 4=down-up, 5=outside-in
• pref, pmin, pmax, pmod: pitch select filter
• hmin, hmax, hmod: harmonicity filter
• smin, smax, smod: step width / density filter
• nmax, uniq: repetition limit / uniqueness filter
• raptor: enable raptor algorithm (0/1)

Example

from ardour_automator import arpeggiators as arp

# Generate and run a Barlow arpeggiator on a running Ardour session
result = arp.run_barlow_arp(
    division=4,          # 1/4 notes
    pattern=3,           # exclusive up/down
    min_filter=0.3,      # accent stronger pulses
    max_filter=0.9,
    latch=1,
    dry_run=False,
)