Best way to mute / delete a bunch of lines in several (but not all) tracks

Very often I wonder if there’s an easy method to mute or delete the instruments of a bunch of lines in several tracks. I usually mark the notes with the mouse and cut them, but is there something more fast? Let’s say delete all notes between Line 10-15 in track 1-12. What would help here if it would be possible to reduce the number of lines per pattern from the top, but not from the end. I guess that’s not possible due to Renoise design, at least this is what I read here somewhere.

Steps:

  1. Pattern Editor.
  2. Define an area selection.
  3. Deploy Advanced Pattern Editor Operations (right panel).
  4. Configure “Selection in Pattern”.
  5. Inside “Instruments” subpanel: insert the index of the instrument in: “Src instr.” and press “delete” button.

I recommend that you review all advanced operations capabilities. Make tests.

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Ok, that works, but you still have to select each instrument that you want to delete. Another option like “mute” would be great. Then one could mute all and unmute just the one which should stay.

Renoise is quite focused on using one instrument per track. If you get used to that, you will not have to do this kind of operations. You can automate all those things much easier.

It is much easier to control a track than an instrument. A track is only in one place. An instrument can be on a multitude of tracks at once, which is a bit confusing.

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If you organized the tracks in groups, you could better control the lines through the group, using volume parameters. But that requires some prior organization.

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Ok I see. I usuallly use 1 instrument per track as using instruments on multiple tracks can cause issues (e.g. with monophonic vsts).

Hey lilith (great name btw)! Not in front of my renoise comp right now, but think you might be able to highlight a selection of lines on a track using shift, then hold shift and try to tab over to the other tracks you want to delete notes from then cut.

Actually have been thinking about this a lot lately - particularly w/ wanting to have a section of multiple tracks drop out. Let me know if this works/if you find another method - def something I wish I could do easily!

Hi, just tested it and it doesn’t work.

I still do not know if I understand very well what you want to do

Does not it serve you to erase everything that there is of the selection? Select an area with the mouse and press Shift + Del. This will erase everything in that area. But I understand that this you already knew how to do it.

By doing this you can leave empty specific pieces between tracks.

That works and it is what I was looking for. But it deleted the selection of all tracks, so I have to add the parts again that should not be deleted.

A detail. If you hide the columns of notes or effects, the information it contains will not be erased. Then you can show those columns again. Maybe this will help you.

Ooops… Is hiding column native Renoise function? I don’t find how to hide e.g. a column.

You can hide the note columns, always from right to left, not randomly. The same with the effects columns. The sub-columns of volume, panning, delay and sfx can also be hidden.

It would be nice if you made a screenshot of the data you want to select and, within the selection, what data you want to keep.

Just as a simple example:

I want to delete everything except of e.g. the “Hat” notes. Ah I see. Ok I can hide starting from the second column, but not the first, but this would a work around.

At the top left of the note column, it has a triangle pointing to the left. This icon will close the entire track. That may help.

Edit: No, this does not help.

I tried this, but those “closed” notes get also deleted.

Good. You can do a trick.
You can swap the note column 1 for the note column 2. Then, hide the note column 2.

That is, you can use the note columns to the right to make “backup copies” of the notes.

If you learn to drag the note columns, it will help you.

To drag a note column, place the mouse pointer where it says “Note”. A hand will appear. Drag then.

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Great, thanks! That’s handy indeed.

All right. It is very likely that many users do not even know that this exists… :slight_smile:

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A bit strange though: I have to move the notes to the beginning of the third column in order to move them to the second column.