How to attract more people into tracking?

General Discussion
61

I went to JSConf Budapest a few weeks ago. There were some speakers over there, using the Web audio API to create music. After talking to them they were quite interested in trying Renoise. Strangely enough they hadn’t used any type of DAW before.

I think a Tracker suits a dev better. They are usually not scared of a steap(er) learning curve. And know what benefits the keyboard type interface can have over fully graphical editors. It’s kinda like using VIM :o(but not really)

Anyways, I was thinking to write some web-based tracker using the web audio API and maybe see if it can somehow integrate with other web/ midi devices using web midi. Creating such things should also spread the word about trackers.

Huh. The idea that Renoise’s interface is more intuitive to developers is really interesting, and something I never really considered.

62

The main reason I love Renoise is because it is a utility oriented program rather than a ‘magic music maker’ such as Ableton. Selling out to try and appeal to the shall we say ‘corporate minded’ music producers will not ensure the longevity of the community or the development of the program.

I think it is a more of a matter of finding the right people and teaching them the benefits of investing their time into learning the program.

Next week I hosting a Renoise skill share with 3 friends, two of whom are local DJs. I also recently taught Renoise to a friend who has little music background who said that he thought the program was more intuitive than ableton.

63

Epic cat fight video attracted 5 million people on youtube, maybe it works here as well?

64

The main reason I love Renoise is because it is a utility oriented program rather than a ‘magic music maker’ such as Ableton.

Agree with most of what you said, but not how you describe Live. To me, Renoise and Live are both relatively ‘alternative’ in their approach to music making, at least when compared to the traditional DAW model. And when asked, I often end up recommending Live because it’s so focused on the idea of actually playing music. Yeah, herecy, I know…but, that’s where most people come from and how they understand music.

But every now and then you meet a person who can formulate clear musical intent in their head and then Renoise, being more of a composers software, suddenly becomes interesting. Because so much of a tracker is in looking at the details, you simply have to be able to keep that overview, somehow. But I think this also causes you to use your ears more.

Myself, I’m sort of inbetween these worlds. I really am most productive when in the old-school tracker composing mood, but I also enjoy creating “live tools” that open up new ways of using our software.

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Agree with most of what you said, but not how you describe Live. To me, Renoise and Live are both relatively ‘alternative’ in their approach to music making, at least when compared to the traditional DAW model. And when asked, I often end up recommending Live because it’s so focused on the idea of actually playing music. Yeah, herecy, I know…but, that’s where most people come from and how they understand music.

But every now and then you meet a person who can formulate clear musical intent in their head and then Renoise, being more of a composers software, suddenly becomes interesting. Because so much of a tracker is in looking at the details, you simply have to be able to keep that overview, somehow. But I think this also causes you to use your ears more.

Myself, I’m sort of inbetween these worlds. I really am most productive when in the old-school tracker composing mood, but I also enjoy creating “live tools” that open up new ways of using our software.

The individual approach is always better imo.The artist needs to be comfortable with their tools and choice of Daw etc. It works best as an individuals personal preference. It should feel intuitive. It is good to eliminate any stumbling blocks in the creative process and hence it also helps to be very familiar with your Daw/tools. I don’t use live much now, though for performances it became a go to for quite a while. When it first came out, I and most everyone i knew adopted it into their sets. It was a game changer for me back then, and provided a new way to work that many became comfortable with.

As i grew, I felt like I needed something more and stumbled across renoise. It helped me to approach the creative process in a different way, yet felt strangely familiar. I saw the possibilities of growth in my own process and committed to learning, despite the steep curve. With these things in mind, i got results very quickly. Each new experimentation or song, something new is uncovered. It grows with me or I with it, and i can build on it, there is a community building on it. It fills a unique niche so well, that for me it makes creating that much more enjoyable.

It is a big part of why I am writing freely and consistently. It is now for me, invaluable for composition.

It has indeed caused me to use my ears more and this has been so beneficial. I had not anticipated that when I was initially drawn to renoise.

I too use other software (mostly for recording and post prod), though I compose now in renoise.

Identifying the way in which works best for me to create, has really helped. Whatever ways in which I, you or anyone choose to create is right. If it sounds good, it is good :wink:

66

there is a community building on it

What community ?

It certainly has very little online presence, once in a while some old school user will pop his head of his cage to bitch at somebody with an FR, but beyond that they only come out of the woodwork when a new update arrives (We all know how rarely that is)

Am i missing some other online community where Renoise is this big proposition ?

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^^I think there is a community, mostly centred around this forum. The users have the ability and do contribute to tools that increase the functionality of the software. I don’t know about the other stuff you mentioned.

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Well if the strength of Renoises community is the strength in this strength of this forum, then the developers should give up right now, they have about twenty active users, not sure what the IRC is like nowadays, but that was super active a couple years back, full of people, about two of them actually ever made tunes with Renoise, but hey if you said Piano Roll, they would all pile in like it was Friday night at the chicken ranch hahaha.

Atypical Renoise users “Don’t do that it’s not Tracker, Right i am off to make a tune in Ableton” hahaha

69

I have had a different experience here. Every query was answered and my knowledge expanded. I also have noted many developments in things like tools that opened up possibilities and of which, I now use. Maybe there are currently a small amount of people contributing, but it has been invaluable to me. I don’t doubt your experience, mine has just been different.

70

Let them watch the matrix with all the numbers scrolling vertically, then give them gold nuggets.

71

My view on this is that conformity usually wins in business. Trackers were right back at the evolution of computer music production but got overshadowed by a business model that took the tape based recording scenario and put ii in software a la Cubase, Protools etc. That quickly became the norm and trackers were derided as nerdish etc. I own FL Studio and Studio One, but I can’t work in that way anymore, it sucks. And one of the reasons I think it sucks is because it’s based on on tired and boring linear concept that music software big business will tell you is this is how music is recorded. Renoise is the anarchist of the DAW world sticking a middle finger up at the elitist corporation world of music software and I will join it in baring my arse at the expensive, bloated crash-ridden piano roll hell that it represents!