Is someone using Traktor controllers with Renoise? And my other beginner questions

Help, Support & Bugs Beginners Questions - Renoise
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Hello fellow kids!
During the last two weeks I bought a Traktor F1, an X1 and a Z1 controller for my DJing.

I’m just getting into Renoise currently. Since I’m new to the production side of things for now my main focus is on creating remix set loops for Traktor (possibly stems too). I feel like that’s a goal that will lead to actual results instead of tons of unfinished “songs” and being overwhelmed by the learning curve. (I’m focusing on the genres of 80s electronic (library) music, and musically-not-boring “synthwave”. Recently discovering @mitch_murder’s completely Renoise-based work (and writing him on SoundCloud) really spurred my will to get creative in and with those genres. Renoise immediately, finally, looked like a tool I could actually like to use. So far it didn’t disappoint.)

So I was wondering whether those controllers could also be useful for working with Renoise. I don’t have any midi maps yet and only tried some extremely simple stuff. In fact I only started looking into the topic of setting up controllers yesterday, because I’m also trying to decide whether a really simple master keyboard (M-Audio Mini32 Mk3, #1 choice, laptop-sized vs. Akai MPK Mini Mk2, a bit larger but has some knobs and pads) could be enough, since I should be able to repurpose my three Traktor controllers, at least for now. (I’m currently using an inherited Behringer UMX40 keyboard, but it’s wayyy too big, the keys are loud(!), and the knobs are all sticky and yucky.)

I was very intrigued by a user’s mention of controlling the pattern sequencer with the X1. Unfortunately that post is 10 years old. @empolo, if you’re still here please raise your hand. I haven’t looked in-depth into the pattern sequencer yet, so it still is a bit of a mystery to me. Sounds like this setup might also possibly serve in a live situation? Other than that do people even use external controllers (except keyboards) with Renoise? And what for, maybe to record some automations?

In short, if someone has any midi maps to share for those controllers and if/how you use them with Renoise that could be very helpful for me (and hopefully others too). Also I’d appreciate some tips for my general scenario and choice of minimal master keyboard controller.

Be well, all of you. Thank you.

1 Like
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Well, couple things come to mind.

I’ve used my laptop and two technics 1200’s to create mixtapes and perform live.
Mostly loading up a single pattern and turning tracks on and off or just highlighting
a sample and triggering, this works quite well really …wonder if it would work on one
of the pad/table things… just easier to carry 99% of the people dancing dont even
see what youve got goin on in the dj booth.

Now that I’m new to Renoise it is very tempting to just jack my mixer out to my
line in and add the audio input device to layer effects to the whole mix as well
as perform the methods as described above.

The other way ive used Renoise in tandum with a controller so far is for entering
scales and arps from a MIDI keyboard into the pattern editor as well as play instruments
live since there were some nice instruments bundled in the backstage (thanks for that!).

Beyond that… look out for MIDI 2 support, both in Renoise and MIDI gear, apparently,
it makes punching in those annoying CC numbers thing a thing of the past.

Have fun, thanks for the question.