I have an addition/upgrade to the keyzones and cycle/random and layering behavior in mind. I came to this while building an electric guitar with feedback that is faked with sine samples that need to play in parallel to the guitar samples, and be faded in and out, while I would have wanted the guitar samples be cycling through variations… Oops! I cannot do that in renoise it seems…
I would like to set cycle and random mode not for the whole instrument, but per sample, and assign them to groups that would still sound in parallel. I.e. each sample would either be in no group, or be assigned to a group.
There could be for compatibility reasons a base group that behaves like the old behaviour globally, and that applies for samples with no group, or it could cycle through the groups. Then there could be chosen other groups and have all/random/cycle assignable to them. When the main mode is set to random/cycle and there are groups, renoise could cycle through the groups with that behaviour, or just cycle through the samples that are in no group while running the groups in parallel.
Example: Having 4 samples along full key/vel range, two each in a group, both groups set to cycle mode. There would always 2 samples play, that are being chosen within the groups, where they overlap. from each group one sample would sound! Having a 5th sample full key range that is in no group with the base (group) setting set to “all”, it would always sound in parallel with the other possible 2 of the 4.
This would for example allow for better layering of sounds, while still allowing variations in the samples of the layered sounds. Currently that is not possible.
Also please consider raising polyphony level above 12 (or whatever number it currently is) samples at the same time.
Using note randomization can be approached in two ways:
Redirected randomization when playing a note. That is, it triggers one note but plays another within a specific range.
Simple randomization of notes, when entering them in the pattern editor.
The problem with the first option is that each time you render the song, you will get a different result. This does not happen in the second option.
How about randomizing notes in the pattern editor where you have full control of the final result?
Polyphony involves the ability to sound multiple notes for a time. On a single track, you can sound many more notes for a time. The only limitation is trigger 12 notes exactly at the same time (the same millisecond of trigging). But it is one thing to “reproduce the sound” (polyphony) and another thing to “trigger notes” (time).
Trigger 12 notes of the same instrument at the same time would sound shrill and overdone, even if the instrument were different sounds. In either case, you can use multiple tracks for the same instrument. That’s what groups are for too.
Personally, I have never had the need to fill 12 notes on the same line within a track, occupying the 12 columns of notes. But if the need arises, it is possible to use multiple tracks.
There is also a limit 12 samples per note. If you layer a lot of samples, like when trying to do additive synthesis, then you can quickly run out of samples. renoise just cuts some of the samples, if too many sound at once.
No, my problem is different. I have different samples, versions of the same notes, like guitar stroke up or down. Then I want them to alternate or cycle even with the versions of the keys above and below. and at the same time be able to mix in further samples, that are always the same for each key (for the guitar case, some feedback frequencies).
But I found it seems I can hack a solution with steppers on volume of multiple mod sets! So far it works fine, I really hope thought that the steppers never get out of sync…