Using xrni with many samples could increase the song file size, saving and loading time much. Is there any way to “link” samples, so the sample is read from the source instead from the song container? When not, it could be a nice feature. A linked sample could be read only in the sample editor, so the source dont needed to be changed and it could be converted back to an embedded sample for the normal default usage. A new setting could be created, which let the user decide how samples are loaded into renoise.
This is definitely something I want, or at least the ability to build an external .xrni. I put up a suggestion here a while back: External XRNI (For Renoise and Redux)
I think it’s pretty important for Redux to be able to do this.
That indeed would be very sweet. Lately I find myself wanting to try different versions of songs, so I’ll make a copy of the xrns file and fiddle with a separate version. Having numerous copies of a file with many larger sample sets eats up disk space on my (apparently overloaded) laptop.
I write a good deal of software and have the habit of using a revision control system (git, lately) to track changes and manage various branches. It’s something I’ve wanted to do with Renoise files but version control tends not to work so well with zip files. I’ve contemplated writing a script to manage unzipping/versioning/rezipping so that git could track specific song changes or the alteration of specific samples.
So there are two (hopefully related) thoughts here.
Using linked samples would make keeping assorted copies of a song less of a disk-space issue. But what might be really cool would be if Renoise could load songs that were unzipped into a folder, they way it is able to load tools that are in folders.
This should allow for the use of symlinks and faster loading/saving since there is no zip management. This would also make using a revision control tool much more practical, especially when the changes are to text-based XML files.
Tracktion asks you if you wanna duplicate that file (and save it to the project folder) or use original (linked) file. Even if the second choice saves Mb it is very dangerous cause editing lets to permanent change of file. But i agree instruments should be loaded this way. If you use some huge drums (like the yamahas drumdrops) it is pain in the _ss to save it and load into every project individually.