Dear Developers, Mercy It Users! :)

Just one little checkbox in config, “enable IT mode”, please! :)
What I mean?

  1. multi digit values input method;
  2. commands and effects notation.

First one is even more important.
Imagine the situation: you need to set volumes 16, 24 and 32 for 3 notes placed on rows 1, 2 and 3.
Wich keys on you keyboard you need to press (row step = 1 by default)? On Impulse Tracker these keys are: 1,6, 2,4, 3,2. Done. Now, how many keys you need to press in Fast Tracker and Renoise? You can say: type all first digits, press arrow up few times, right arrow then and type second digits… Well, but if I need to set volumes for 30 notes, how can I keep in mind all values, especially if I still don’t know wich value I want to input for next note (some kind of improvisation)?
Solution is “Impulse Tracker input method”: switch row only after whole multidigit value typed (don’t forget automaticly move cursor right after every digit typed and go back to first digit when row switched to next).

Commands and effects notation are more simple to describe.
O = offset, B = breake, P = panning, etc., see Scream Tracker 3 or Impulse Tracker documentation.
Is it really needed? Beleave me, a lot of musicians still use Impulse Tracker under emulators or even use additional “old DOS computer” for tracking. Because they have no alternative. Except ModPlug wich can’t give that true tracker feeling because of its interface. So, Renoise can save IT/ST3-people.

I hear ya buddy. Im new too here, switching from IT. I think best thing now is to get on the “bus” and relearn. After 2 weeks the interface is pretty natural. In 5 months it will become as and extension of your cerebrum and your IT -impulses will be no more.

For the two digit entry I now go into 0-step-add mode (bind a good key to it for easy access) and just move around with arrow-keys. It works better and better for me.

However there are some really good features from IT that would be really great to have in Renoise. Like we ITers are also used to have most of “advanced edit” menu at our fingertips. Hopefully this is on the way.

No, it works complitely different. Try to count how much keys you need to press in that example (look at my prev. message), even with “0-step-add mode”. FT-like input method really makes work few times slower. Yes, I can relearn to drive Fiat after Ferrari, but… Why don’t simply add a good feature to a good tracker?

Without knowing exactly how IT worked… wouldn’t it be a nice solution to use the IT way if left shift is held, since it already works this way when entering several notes on a line?

  1. i know this behaviour from modplug, but i wouldn’t say it’s superior, for me it’s handy in 50% of all cases, but impractical in the other half. so it’s kinda balanced.

  2. i don’t really understand what you mean… are you really saying that a lot musicians are FORCED to use dos trackers, because they cannot remember the effects notation of other trackers?
    it’s not that 32756412970 different commands had to be learned…

Yes, so why don’t implement this feature and make it switchable on/off in config? All IT users will thank developers for years :)

About IT notation… Well, it’s like learn foreign language. Of course, it is possible, and you’ll speak on it, but you’ll THINK on native language anyway. It is clear and if you think that thousands of musicians who still use Impulse Tracker or ModPlug are just a morrons… :)

I have found that when speaking English for a couple of weeks I start to think in English :D

should we then change the title tag of our site to “An Impulse Tracker like…”? :rolleyes:

About command names:
yes, some of them are sort of cryptic, and indeed, in the past, some people (probably me myself :)) have suggested to make them configurable, but with time, people accustomed to them.

People new to trackers have instead never complained about them, expecially because there is a bottom line hint which tells us which command we are typing.

In the end I think that, if this commands would ever change, they should be made configurable exactly in the same ways as any other shortcut is in ReNoise.

Actually, I’d really appreciate being able to enter effect numbers and vol/panning numbers the way Manwe describes IT does it. But I guess I’m quoting you out of context :ph34r:

I do know what you feel though manwe there are many extensions of the mind that are missing in Renoise for us ITers. But then the amount of new extensions with hotkeys are greater.

I have advocated a few interface features from IT in “ideas & suggestions” myself. Having tracked the ScreamTracker->Impulse tracker road, since '93 its hard to give up my reflexes reaching for that ALT-Y, ALT-B, ALT-S etc. Because those were damn good reflexes bound to very powerful functions.

Just to be clear. Im with you on this suggestions Manwe, especially the value-entering and I hope that this and other IT-suggestions can be weighed in fairly in the “new features poll”. Im not sure if regular users can submit to these yet, or if they are chosen by the gurus.

BTW there are actually many ITers in the Renoise community.

I vote for adding the option for IT-style value-editing. I’d find this very handy. Enabling this mode by holding down ‘shift’ (or another modifier-key) would combine the benefits of the two editing modes in a reasonable and convenient way.

This would be great! I’m missing this feature very much from IT and the suggestion to edit IT-like by holding down shift would be a dream come true! :dribble:

by the way, I wonder why I.T. developer never had mercy for FT2 users… :rolleyes:

Agree, very much! :D

I think I’d prefer the checkbox for selecting the method rather than a modifier key. The latter would be maybe a bit “uncomfortable”. but, we can have both, right?

What would be the disatvantages of entering the values that way?

“I vote for adding the option for IT-style value-editing. I’d find this very handy. Enabling this mode by holding down ‘shift’ (or another modifier-key) would combine the benefits of the two editing modes in a reasonable and convenient way.”

I agree with the modifier key idea … I always find myself annoyed at this, especially when I have an accidental spacing of, say, seven.

I would love this too. PLEASE!!