Workflow?Tell me yours.

Happy new year friends!!So basically i still haven’t managed to get a good workflow in Renoise but i will get there eventually.I thought it would be very interesting to know your workflow and maybe try some different approach.

Seems to be an interesting question, but can you precise? What do you mean with workflow?

How you work?Anything from what tools to bpm to time signature i really dont mind.This topic could be a mind opener for many of us.

Usually I start with drums, then I’m adding stuff to get something of a climax. I duplicate the stuff and at the beginning I´m taking parts away again to get a slow build-up. Then I start modifying smaller parts to make transitions, changing chord progressions, etc. etc.

It depends on what I have in my head when starting out with a new track. If I have a nice beat in mind I start with drums, if I feel a certain bassline I start with bass or if I have a nice melody in my head I start with that. I usually construct the part that I want to build upon first and move from there. Normally my second instrument to add is the bassline or the drums. If I have no ideas I just sit around and play on my MIDI keyboard for a while, trying out different instruments until something feels right.

My biggest problem is that once I have a basic pattern down I find it a little hard to know where to go from there sometimes, especially if I need to build up to it. Moving forwards in a song is easier than moving backwards. This is why I often try to make my ideas start out as early as possible in the song, so that I don’t have to move backwards too much. When constructing the song I don’t add too much fluff at first, and I try to refrain from tweaking things too much at first.

Watching other producers workflow helps alot to improve the own one and to learn new things.

Sadly there aren’t much Renoise streams out there. I can recommend following two:

These videos are abit outdated, but shows some basic work with a tracker in a fast way.

Watching other producers workflow helps alot to improve the own one and to learn new things.
Sadly there aren’t much Renoise streams out there. I can recommend following two:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ5jTaXywuM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0JT9MXoS9I

These videos are abit outdated, but shows some basic work with a tracker in a fast way.

Yes it is sad that there are not many good tutorials for Renoise out there.I have seen all of them believe me
.I plan to do something about that when i am really comfortable with Renoise.

I start by sampling from a few tracks. Starting with drums/pads always ending up taking me to a similar place.

Usually I start with drums, then I’m adding stuff to get something of a climax. I duplicate the stuff and at the beginning I´m taking parts away again to get a slow build-up. Then I start modifying smaller parts to make transitions, changing chord progressions, etc. etc.

my workflow its a lot similar to yours :slight_smile:

lately ive been trying to avoid the super loop and starting to write with a bit of planning ahead even if it turn tu be a shitty arrangement but in doing so i dont repeat myself to much :slight_smile:

but yeah usually ill just make an 8 bar thing maybe 16 bars and building from the intro introducing the different sounds

I have not produced much yet, but I think I have found a nice path for me. What I find most relaxed way of composing is a path of succesive shaping, starting with raw ideas and refining them until a complete piece is at the end, while always following the inspiration of the moment. I don’t start with a vision and end with the exact result…things are always shifting and moving, the final result is an outcome of the whole path of creating it, and not of an initial idea. In short: I have no Idea where it will take me when I start a project, I just keep on trying to make better what is before my eyes and ears systematically until I feel it is finished.

1st start is a sketch, some noodling out with one instrument, a beat, or some chord progression, a core of melody, or some special instrumet that sounds interesting… sometimes I begin with an idea, or stuff like vocal parts sequenced to a dummy beat, or special samples, sometimes it is just result of noodling around while doing sound design. I then try to get together some interesting and matching instruments from previous sound design sessions. My instruments initially already sound quite full and may have room/space/mix works and definition inside, so each instrument was made with certain roles in a song already in mind. If I lack the right instruments in my stash, I migh slide in sound design sessions for creating some instruments with specific targets in mind.

then I try to make one or multiple 4-16 bar loops out of different instruments, tuning the instruments to match well against each other, until I have a set that sounds complete. this is not nessicarily the final idea, it is just for probing possibilities of the sounds. I play around with instruments, making them fit against each other, adding from stash and removing what just won’t work.

when I have this basics, I try to roll out what I’ve got by copying the loops in sequencer, until I have filled whole song structure. either I now make up that structure, or I follow the initial vocals or chord progression ideas.

this base is then succeedingly filled and resequenced. I might add other instruments or redo whole parts, trying out ideas, keeping what seems to fit. I might play around with details in the structure, add or remove parts, add accents here and there.

then follows a phase of tuning things, adding variations to anything, doing subtle modulations like pitch bends or so, or adding or tuning some special fx. sometimes I go back to previous steps, when I feel the need to try out something different, or whenever I encounter spontaneous inspirations on how to make the already existant parts better.

now after a while the whole musical stuff is ready, no more ideas on how to make it more complete. in previous steps I might have already matched the instruments and added sidechaining etc. alongside as the song grew, but now come intense mixing sessions where I try to make a balanced final mix, tuning all the paramenters until I’m satisfied with everything blending together well.

the mix is then mastered, giving a bit more phatness, loudness, but also adding subtle character to the sound signature. Sometimes I feel there was something subotimal in the mix, and I have to go back and readjust.

I am so glad i started this thread!!Maybe share on what tools do you use also.Thanks