Automation - Recording In High Resolution

The high resolution regarding drawing Automation curves is awesome and puts controlling synthesizers finally to a quite professional level. But what I would like to be able is the other way round: Recording Automation curves in the high resolution (maybe by default in the highest possible resolution) via an external (Midi-) controller (like a knob, slider, wheel etc.).
At the moment, when recording controller changes, the values are recorded as pattern commands directly into the pattern. So you have only the resolution of the given pattern (what is “1” in the new Automation resolution) and leads to a lot of missing values.
So my purpose would be to record the movements of an external controller directly as Automation curve in the highest resolution instead of pattern-commands. What do you think?

I don’t have a controller with me to test it, but what if you record the automation straight to envelopes instead of the pattern editor, what will be the resolution than?

Resolution will be lines as well. It’s a good suggestion.

+100!

I was really hyped when I read about the increased automation resolution and the first thing I tried was recording a part on my MIDI controller with lots of fast knob twiddling. I was really sad to see that all controller changes in-between lines were lost in the automation lane.

Yay, definitely a good and obvious suggestion. Simply didn’t made it into the first beta - yet. Same for quantization of existing automation data.

Maybe it would make sense to use the pattern editors quantize settings also for the automation with when recording? Always recording in sub line precision definitely also can be annoying.

probably i an missing something, anyway you can already record automations to envelopes1 there is an icon on the lower left corner of the pattern editor in order to enable this (i’m on handy phone now so i can’t give you better explanation, sorry)

This optionality would be excellent. I like what is suggested.

I think it might be better to have a separate quantize option for the automation alone. I can imagine scenarios where one would need quantized automation so it’s definitely good to have this, but it’s also possible one would want to record quantized notes with non-quantized automation (i.e. a snappy lead part with lots of modulation wheel play).

EDIT: Then again, you can always quantize the notes later, so you might as well pair the note/automation quantization under the existing setting.

Yes this is welcome addition, I tried to record wind controller and was going to type a bug report, good I found this thread first.

Regarding resolution I think it would be good if drawing/editing/recording would work at selected resolution regardless of zoom level (at least drawing seems to be affected by view area which is annoying).

On a related note it would be nice to be able to record all incoming MIDI CCs into lanes without mapping them first to parameters (so that aftertouch would go to aftertouch automation lane, breath to breath etc - it’s a timesaver).

+1

Would be really nice.

Doesn’t want to start a new thread…But i think that many ppl should agree if i suggest an ability to copy whole track automation curve (of highlited parameter)!
I think this is super-important tool to have in Renoise, and i really miss it (or am i missing some hidden ability to do that?)

Can be done. Make sure the automation editor has focus (little red brackets around it - middle mouse click in it for example to get focus) and press ctrl+a to select all. Move to the next pattern and press ctrl+v to paste the selection.

No no…You have described pattern to pattern, but i mean whole track to whole track…
Like if you have song with 666 patterns, track 1 with volume automation around whole track, which you want to copy on track 2 exactly as it is…
Copying each pattern is a very time-eating process for a long track!


I’d wish to have something like ‘copy’ option in this menu here.

Go to Advanced Edit.

Deselect every but Automation.

Select Track In Song.

Copy Track (Shift+F4)

Move to new track and Paste Track (Shift+F5)

Surely that does what you want, no?

Go to the pattern matrix, hit left control, then drag the specific track to any other track you like (either same pattern or other pattern) and simply drop. Everything copied including automation. You can remove what you don’t need/want.
Fast and not too cumbersome. You can select the second copy as well and then duplicate the whole selection again, copying multiple tracks in one movement that was what the pattern matrix was also designed for.

Think I’ve just realised my above doesn’t actually work (Maybe for Track/Pan DSP only?) as obviously tracks have different DSP Chains most of the time.

Think more "I want to copy a whole Song’s length of Automation from Parameter A to Parameter B, whether it be in the same Track or a different one…

kazakore
Your method works well, but you have alredy understand, that i’d like to do this: “I want to copy a whole Song’s length of Automation from Parameter A to Parameter B, whether it be in the same Track or a different one…”

vV
As an option it will do, but what if i don’t need to change the whole song structure, notes etc etc, what if i just need to copy the envelope (on a whole song length) of just one parameter to completely different track, and use it with completely different device or parameter?

And this is SUPER-IMPORTANT tool to use!

For example now i have a song made with a previous version of plugin, and with the never version of this plugin CC parameters are different…
Now you can see the application of this tool, i can spend weeks to manually copy pattern by pattern, parameter by parameter…OR

You can put something like copy all envelopes in song in this menu, for every selected parameter…This could save lifes actually!

And also it would be even better if you’ll add an ability to select multiple patterns in automation editor at once, to copy only the selected track’s curves…This could be done with a copy all selected envelopes in song button or something similar.
This is just an idea, but copy all envelopes in song is an actual need!

I wish you could draw over multiple patterns! Rather than just the quick line tool, which really doesn’t cure the problem. Why does one specific pattern always have to be active in the Automation window? It should just let us draw, select, copy and paste at any arbitrary points over multiple patterns. Although I can understand it’s useful to tie to Edit position at a lot of time, there are also time (when zoomed full out for eg) when it really isn’t. I’m guess this is a big part of why…

Matrix now lets us copy and paste multiple patterns worth of a single/selection of track(s) please introduce something similar with Automation.

I guess it may be tool time then… :)

If the Advanced Edit content-masking would apply to the pattern matrix as well, it would already make life a lot more easier.