Version 2.2 of Ardour has been released for Linux (source), with several significant new features and lots of bug fixes. The editing model has been significantly improved for much faster workflow, and Ardour now uses the Rubber Band library for timestretching (and offers pitchshifting as well).

The native Mac OS X version is not yet available directly although it is possible to get hold of it if you are keen to give it a try. It now has support for AudioUnits, which should appeal to many of you! More details here.

New Features:

• New editing model includes removal of edit cursor, addition of "edit point" & "edit range" concepts (more details).
• New meter colors.
• Level meters added to editor tracks.
• New keybinding editor (mostly for OS X native, where menu-driven keybindings are not available, but useful with X11 too).
• Use Rubber Band for timestretch instead of SoundTouch.
• Rubber Band-based pitch shifting.
• Ability to lock markers/locations.
• Duplicate now operates without a "count" dialog by default (count dialog still available via Alt-d).
• Splice mode is now something closer to ProTools shuffle mode.
• Simplified the CD toc/cue creation process by allowing regular cd location markers (not only range markers) to indicate CD track boundaries. The previous functionality of markers serving as track indexes within ranges is unaffected.
• Added cd marker ruler, which displays and allows quick addition of cd track markers/ranges when visible, otherwise the cd markers are shown in the normal mark/range rulers.
• New focus-on-primary clock command.
• New 1-touch/click recording command.
• New zoom-to-region command.
• New toggle-zoom command.
• Play-selected-regions now plays in-place.
• Scroll left&right now work.
• Alt-scroll up/down simulates scroll left/right for users with pointing devices that lack this.
• Possible to link region&track selection, or not.
• Per-keyboard layout bindings files are now possible (e.g. ANSI, German, UK etc).
• New play-at-edit-point-and-return command.
• New goto-marker-N commands.
• New session dialog only appears when necessary.
• Tempo handling now allows specifying the note used as the beat type so that 80bpm doesn't have to mean just one thing.
• Shift-click now extends region selection vertically across tracks.
• Scroll events on rulers now zoom the track display.
• Add -d/--disable-plugins startup flag to disable all plugins and allow reloading broken sessions.

Fixes and minor details:

• Add scons uninstall target.
• Don't read data from disk associated with 100% obscured regions.
• Prevent plugins from appearing twice on the automation submenu.
• Make "Hide all automation" work again.
• Fix crash when tracks/busses have more outputs than the control out bus.
• Make region selection obey edit groups.
• Fix crash caused by invalidated crossfade.
• New ancestral data for length + position stored for regions.
• Correct peak file generation for imported files.
• New mouse zoom focus.
• Mouse scrubbing becomes mouse shuttle control.
• Improve dragging of region gain line.
• Prevent CD marker from being set at frame zero.
• Stop import dialog from trying to play files that are not soundfiles.
• Fix crash caused by deleting markers.
• Edit point clock will move the selected marker.
• Move location bar to bottom row of rulers.
• Sync point indicators extend across entire region height.
• Fix crash caused by crash removal.
• Fix memory leaks in audiofile.
• Don't put NDF/DF in clocks if there is no DF/NDF alternative.
• Make deselect-all and invert-selection operations work properly.
• Deep, deep fix for what do if we can't run process() because of work in other threads; may stop crashes in TAP Echo and other plugins, not to mention other nonsense.
• Fix waveview display on the crossfade editor.
• Make rec-enable MIDI bindable again.
• Numerous fixes and small improvements to Mackie Control support.
• Prevent export from starting up when disconnected from JACK.
• Import dialog on OS X native version includes shortcuts to the Garageband loops and sampler files.
• Fix crash caused by diskstreams having more channels than their track's port count.
• Report duplicate port errors during session loading more usefully.
• Do not do disk i/o from inactive tracks.
• New german translation.
• Updated swedish translation.
• Dozens of other smaller bugs, buglets and annoyances fixed.