Linking MIDI controllers to Renoise instruments?

I’m trying to create/use instruments for a MIDI file (not created by me) which prompts Renoise to use controllers for panning and volume and some other stuff. The controllers created upon importing the MIDI file says “No plugin or MIDI instr. selected” (next to “Linked Instrument”), and the only way I found to link the controllers to anything whatsoever, is to use the generic Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth (which is obviously not what I want). If I don’t link to anything, the changes done via controllers has no actual effect on the output.

I don’t have any musical hardware or secondary software synthesizers – I just want to link to instruments that I’ve created from within Renoise itself. Is this not possible?

yes, just use the sampler or plugin tabs in renoise and load whatever sample or VST you want there.