I’d like to change the layout in renoise from a piano to something like a midi box, matrix, monome style. What parts of renoise handle this. Meaning, where do i start reading? thanks
seems like the best thing you could do is to map your “matrix” style midi controller to specific notes, then map the samples you want on those notes in an instrument in renoise. That is what you would essentially be doing anyway, the only real difference is the picture of the interface that your seeing on the screen. 
yeah, thats pretty disgusting 
… I’m a programmer, and willing to code if must be. but yeah, if not possible, it seems the only option is the one you gave. but it becomes less intuitive and you need a mental gateway in the brain to translate from the button you are pressing on your controller and what shows up in software on the piano
I’m not entirely sure I understood what you are asking for, otherwise I should think you could even puke if you look at a pianoroll…? Could you point me to the GUI of an application which handles it as you like?
A piano is a linear representation of the notes in each octave. You can’t get much simpler than that.
I wouldn’t mind seeing matrix style MIDI mapping, but what if somebody else feels more comfortable with seeing notes laid out in intervals of five half steps like a guitar? I believe there’s a saying that if you try to please everyone, you will lose your ass.
Besides, does the fact that we enter note values instead of numerical values bother you? You realize that in order to enter notes, you are required to understand the layout of a piano, because the musical keyboard (Renoise’s input system) is laid out like a piano. Also, music theory, MIDI, Renoise and the piano are fairly intertwined. If Renoise was not, at least in part, based around the piano, it would not be Renoise.