How To Make Renoise Nearly Perfect (XM, MOD, IT export)

Ideas & suggestions
1

Hi, I am just starting to track. I have been following the demoscene for 7 years, but never took the initiative to create my own music until recently. I just wanted to share some thoughts about Renoise…

First of all, I’m enjoying using it, I am finding it really easy to learn, probably because I have not used any other tracker before (except for Nitrotracker for the Nintendo DS). Even though I am just a noob, I still for some reason feel nostalgic for .mod’s , .xm’s, .it’s, .sid’s and whatever else exists, due to all the great music that I have had the pleasure of hearing in those respective formats.

So it seems that Renoise is here to replace the old trackers… I have no problem with that, except for the lack of one feature, which is as you may have already guessed, the ability to export to .mod, .xm, .it, or whatever. I am no coder but I will make an assumption right now and guess that if a software can read a certain file format then it should be able to write it as well. I have read the reasons behind this move, but I still see this as a limitation. Without intending any insult to the authors whatsoever I will make the following description: Seems kind of Microsofty to me. What really makes Renoise a great software as far as I know is its easy user interface and features that level it next to “professional” sequencers while still retaining the tracking format. If Renoise really is the superior software that people claim it to be , then there can’t be much danger in having compatibility with other tracking programs. I perceive that this exclusion of exporting to classical formats as having a consequence of eventually making them extinct.

You might ask, “Why don’t you just stick to impulse tracker or something?” Because I am a Mac user, and the only tracking program for it is an IT clone, Schism Tracker, which isn’t really working on it for some reason. "Well if you can’t even invest on a crappy pc and use an old tracking program on it, then why do you care that Renoise won’t export to old formats ? Maybe because I want to export to .xm so i can continue tracking some songs on my nintendo when I am not near my mac? Also Because I can imagine that all the other old trackers wish that they could use Renoise while still preserving the smaller dinosaur formats that they love and can’t let go of ? I also imagine that groups sometimes collaborate on one song, and they would like to remain to be able to do so, without having to abandon their tool of choice. So this is my wish: that Renoise would allow exporting to .mod, .it, .xm, s3m, and etc… And If a composer wants to save their songs as .xrns, or render their work to mp3 so nobody rips their samples, then that can be their choice too. And in doing so, will preserve the demo scene, while being the best tracking program there is. Thank you for reading. :yeah:

2

The main problem is like for any software that has been around for a long time: To be backward compatible.
There is a very good reason why you will have problems running old programs on new pc’s without using some 3rd party emulators or some other pretty large workarounds.
The renoise team simply do not have the time to write these ‘emulators’ to be able to have everything backward compatible.
Even the native renoise format do change now and then. And in some rare cases you have to use an old version of Renoise to play back old songs correctly.
Renoise is simply such a sophisticated software already that it is a constant battle to keep things backward compatible and at the same time evolve and make new features.

Renoise only import other formats. But the import is far from perfect. Thats why there is no use to be able to save to other formats.

It would simply be too time-consuming and a limitation to the program to support this.

3

support for saving old formats is a step backwards and I imagine creates a big headache for taktik.

if you want to have some co-existence with nitrotracker and your Mac use milkytracker or something that is made to use the older format.

4

Write your own XM converter. XRNS is human readable, so nothing’s stopping you from making XM export yourself.

5

Thank you for reading (eventually) too.
Conner has a good point, XRNS is an open format, there is not one hair in the way of writing a converter yourself or find a coder who can do this.

6

Oh I see, I’m sorry. I must have misread the “…we dont try to mimic other trackers…” statement as the main reason. Oh well. Thanks for the honest replies. I guess I will just have to dream about it, 'cause I can’t code ! :badteeth:

7

I respect and understand your viewpoints.

I’ve been around the tracking scene since pretty much it began, and personally witnessed and experienced several changes (more like adaptations) throughout the years.

I feel change is good. And I feel change came about because in one way or another that was the overall consensus of the scene. To grow, to improve. To perpetually go forward as opposed to staying stagnant (and limited) in nostalgic chip tune bliss. (or not)

As I’m sure you’re aware, some of the more well known scene trackers from back in the day have moved on to other music making resources like traditional piano roll sequencing. Their current desires demand more then what the tools of yesterday could supply them. Although, I will point out that some of them do use Renoise. I feel it’s because Renoise is actually THE new generation tracker that lends tools that the older trackers can’t even hold a candle to concerning modern technology. Renoise is just a powerhouse. It’s tracking meets 2008.

I’ve been around this tracking scene, I’ve seen what is has to offer from when it began to today. And I have to say, for the most part tracking in that old skool way is dead, gone, buried, we’ll see you in Heaven, hold on to your files.

Change is the law of nature. And I for one embrace it. I would suggest to anyone else they do the same, or else they could be in store for much disappointment.

VIVA LA RENOISE-ALOUTION :)

Okay, that was bad.

8

automated XM export wouldn’t be right solution i think. we all know renoise is professional music creating sw. i use it for writing my ideas, composition, only for final mix and premaster i use other SW… for MOD/XM composition (for intros, pocketPC games) i’m using milkytracker. it’s impossible to code convertor, in the end tracker himself has to do all the job - render samples, set loop points and even rewrite notes and effects.

for example - there is XMtoMOD converter but when i use it, it gives me nothing but mess so i rather do the job by myself…