With the public release of Renoise 2.8 I think it is time to put the Lauflicht Step Sequencer to the next level, too.
Since the first alpha version over 1.5 years ago, this tool quite evolved, also with the help of the community. So first of all thank you all for the great support, your motivation, new ideas and bug reports. I would be happy if you continue sharing your opinion in this thread.
Besides a lot of small tweaks, the new key features of version 2.0 are the controller matrix, the keyboard mode, and the performance improvement.
As in the old thread, I will post new beta releases and fixes in the first post of this thread from now on.
Features:
8, 16 or 32 steps
unlimited free selectable tracks
set up for each track a sample, sample bank, a vst instrument or a Midi instrument of your choice
set up default values for each step: velocity, delay, note values including ānote OFFā, note length
chord mode: insert up to 3 notes in one track
variable note resolution: 3 modes switchable (for example edit 1/2, 1/4 or 1/16 notes)
quick clear: delete all steps of a track at once
autoload: new patterns are loaded into the plugin/Launchpad display automatically on pattern change
all parameters changeable during play
midi control: All steps of each track and the parameter Editstep and Page can be controlled via midi hardware. Just open MidiMapping in Renoise to assign.
multisample (samplebank) support
instant instrument switch: when selecting another instrument for a track, the notes in the pattern of the appropriate track are changed to the new instrument automatically
keyboard mode: The basic goal of the virtual keyboard is to create melodies and chords in a much more easier way. The keyboards starts with the note āCā and reflects a complete octave range, up to the note āBā (aka āHā). To determine the length of a note you can use the key āOffā.
create a melody: To set a note, simply press on a key on the virtual keyboard, and then on a step in the sequencer. The selected note is shown below the keyboard. To change the octave just press Oct+/Oct-.To create a melody just repeat pressing a key and a step alternating as long as you are finished.
Tip: You can also map every key of the virtual keyboard (including octave up/down buttons) to a key of a hardware midi-keyboard. So you can combine setting a note value on your midi-keyboard and push a step to set the note value.
to create chords: just switch to another note number below the keyboard and set the note value for every of up to three notes. If finished, click on a step in a track to set the chord.
powerful controller matrix: control up to 8 different parameters per track, like Filter-Cutoff, Velocity, Delay, any midi/vsti cc parameter of every single step in real-time. Even the note values (including note length) of the track can be controlled! So it is very easy and a lot of fun to change the notes of a melody while playing the pattern. Playing around with these parameters in the matrix will often give some unexpected and great results, which will boost the variety of your track. Furthermore you can assign every step of the matrix to your favorite midi-controller. With a midi-controller with at least 8 or 16 knobs (like Doepfer Pocket Dial, Korg nanoKontrol2, Behringer BCR2000 or similar) the matrix can be controlled in an excellent way.
improved performance, e.g. faster loading notes into the step sequencer on pattern change.
optional version with Launchpad integration available
controller matrix: āNone: Noneā is selected by default if there was no parameter chosen to control
fixed error on track insertion
using groups should be possible now
Launchpad Edition:
There is a special Launchpad edition available which turns your Launchpad into an independent Hardware Step Sequencer. This means, if you have set up the tracks and samples, you do not need the step sequencer gui on the pc monitor anymore, you simply can create sequences without the mouse. You can control the complete pattern with the Launchpad:
real moving light: the first row reflects the moving light to show the current play position
complete bidrectional editing: all changes made with the Launchpad (e.g. setting a step) are visible in the software plugin at once - and vice versa
bidirectional Launchpad pattern control: scroll through the tracks with up/down buttons, make the next steps visible with left/right buttons and the ānext pageā button
keyboard mode: setting the note value with a virtual keyboard displayed on the Launchpad display
autoload: new patterns are loaded into the Launchpad display automatically on pattern change
Just trying to map out the steps of each track to the notes on my Axiom 25. Iām assigning steps 1-16 of track 1 to C-0 through D-2 (white keys only, for simplicity) and Iām not getting any response. I can, however, check the notes on/off manually and set up patterns that way, so I know your tool is working properly that farā¦ Iām assuming this is user error, but do you have any pointers? It may be some setting in Renoise Iām overlooking, but I thought Iād ask you first. I can taste the potentialā¦
Thank you for the report, but I can not reproduce it. Could you please give me the procedure in detail, if possible?
Indeed there was missing the midi trigger-event for setting steps. I have added it in the new version. You simply have to click on MidiMap, then on a step, and then press a key on your Axiom. The mode should be āTrigger (Switch On then Off)ā.
It crashes for me when adding a new track as well, here are the error screens. This happens if the track is playing or not:
If it is playing, I also get this error first before the last one:
The procedure is: Step Sequencer is enabled, I click on the Renoise interface to focus on it, and I press cmd-T for a new track. Mac OSX 64 Bit Renoise 2.8. Iām using the Launchpad version.
Also, when you enable the keyboard on the Launchpad, it gets confused about what row it is displaying and begins to edit 2 rows above where it was previously, while showing the lights for the row that was already there.
This should be fixed in the new version 2.02 Edit: removed outdated version. See first post for latest version.
This is no bug When you have enabled the keyboard mode, the two last rows represent the virtual keyboard. We now have only 5 instead of 7 rows visible with steps. The StepSequencer recalculates the page mapping of the tracks, so that you can use the up/down button to scroll through the tracks and use the keyboardmode for every track. I assume you were on page 2, having tracks 8-14 visible, then pressed the keyboard mode. After recalculation, the first page represents tracks 1-5, the second page (on which you are still), 6-10. So here is the 2 row shift.
I agree that it might be confusing, but otherwise you can not scroll through all tracks and can not use the keyboard mode for all tracks, if it is enabled. So when keyboard mode enabled, on every page there are 5 tracks visible only.
The issue with the keyboard mode is still buggy for me, as even though the rows get recalculated, the display does not update to reflect this. So I am still looking at the same step pattern, even though it is attempting to edit 2 rows up. The same thing happens when entering the step through the checkbox UI.
Iām also seeing an issue now where the row is dissociated from the instrument, so even though I am placing notes on Track 09, which is mapped to a specific instrument, it is defaulting to the first instrument in my instrument list. Reopening the project and relaunching Lauflicht fixes this. Iām not sure what I did to make it happen, other than adding tracks and generally playing with keyboard more. I did not add or move around any instrument mappings.
I write software for a living, so Iāll continue to attempt to be as verbose as possible.
1st off let me say this (and you) rocks, iāve been using it since the beta and it just keeps getting better. it makes putting beats together far too fun and easy
Sadly iāve got a bug though, iāve uploaded a screenshot to http://i.imgur.com/lRVoh.png if you could have a look it would be awesome
Thank you for the helpful screenshot. Could you please try version 2.02 above and try to reproduce? I assume the error appeared as you tried to add a track which causes some errors in 2.0. If not, could you please post again a screenshot and I will have a look.
Iāve tried 2.02 and the version listed at the top of the page (both 64bit). All the tracks are in place before I launch the step sequencer, the bug occurs when I try to add a note to the snare track as you can see the box is highlighted in row 3, column 5 but not checked. Iām using the 64bit 2.8 latest release
If you need any more info or want me to try out any steps just let me know
Thanks, I investigated it and the error appears if you are using groups; and because each group is internally handled as a track. If you set a note in your case in the third track, the tool tries to insert a note into the track with internal number 3. That is the āKickā-Group track and results in an error because there can not be inserted any notes.
To fix this, this will take some time. Please do not use groups if possible meanwhile.
Ok Cie, a couple questions. Apologies in advance if any of this is blatantly possible or RTFMable, I havenāt had a whole lot of time to sit down and try, so I just think about it throughout the dayā¦
First, I got a behringer BCR2000 when looking for a general midi controller that would let me map out a lot of parameters. Itās incredibly deep, as you probably know (24 static encoders, 4 groups of 8 push-button encoders and 16 buttons -per patch; 32 patchesā¦ ) and seems to have effectively an infinite amount of uses. Iām still figuring out how to interface it with my setup, but I have one specific idea for a setup with it and your step sequencer.
Iād like to have one BCR patch to control as much of your step sequencer as possible. Iām assuming it wouldnāt be too hard to get the 16 buttons to function as step on/off buttons. I know thatās probably no problem - but hereās where it gets a bit more specific.
-Is it possible to have a button on the BCR move up (and another down) through the tracks in Lauflicht?
-If so, when scrolling between tracks would the active steps of each be recalled on the BCR button LEDs (fed-back to the BCR, I guess)?
-And, can the velocity of the track be changed with midi (mapped to a knob)?
Again, sorry for any blatant yes or no answersā¦ just being an anxious newbie, haha! Iām hoping most of this is possible through Lua if not something easierā¦ Thanks again!
Cheers!
When you have enabled the keyboard mode, the two last rows represent the virtual keyboard. We now have only 5 instead of 7 rows visible with steps. The StepSequencer recalculates the page mapping of the tracks, so that you can use the up/down button to scroll through the tracks and use the keyboardmode for every track. I assume you were on page 2, having tracks 8-14 visible, then pressed the keyboard mode. After recalculation, the first page represents tracks 1-5, the second page (on which you are still), 6-10. So here is the 2 row shift.
) and seems to have effectively an infinite amount of uses. Iām still figuring out how to interface it with my setup, but I have one specific idea for a setup with it and your step sequencer.