I’m running renoise 2.8 on a cheap Linux netbook. Not using it for sound but just to trigger external synths.
It works really well. 30 seconds to boot into renoise and I can use the step sequncer tool to make it a more simple interface. My question is why would you fork out cash for a hardware sequencer e.g. Doepfer dark time when a simple netbook will do the job and a whole lot more. Am I missing something here?
If you use linux you can try Softwerk.
http://softwerk.sourceforge.net/
It mimics Doepher Schaltwerk.
Even it doesnt have any real knobs like original Doepfer, it is great fun.
It has function like “create random pattern from notes from selected scale” or “play notes in random order” etc.
You can automatize parameters with it, you can run patterns by various input signals etc.
Btw Renoise 3 came little closer to it by adding random notes and phrases!
I cant say it is better or worse than Renoise for sequencing (it has less posibilities for sure!) but i´ve found it amazing for experimenting with simpler and more rhytmic melodic lines. I would love to have one hardware sequencer, creating lines would be just pure fun. It is not something i can say about computer (renoise also) where you have to scroll between the notes and look for them. If you have hardware sequencer everything is in front of you, you use more hand that head
Btw. Renoise is also pure fun. And i thing it and fl studio are best sequencer for computer (maybe not for chords ok) so i am just talking about differencies between computer and more traditional hw sequencers.
Btw Arturia beatstep looks like great and affordable small hardware step sequencer.
Thanks Akiz I’ll check that out. I use CC’s in Renoise so I can record all the knob twizzles and play it back.
It helps if your outboard synths support CC messages for all the knobs. No good for hardware synths with nested menus and LCD screens.
for hardware midi sequencer i would buy yamaha qy70 can find cheap ones on ebay
but netbook can do more than any of hardware step sequencers, 30sec to boot seems a bit too much, try earlyer version or renoise 1.9 and maybe turn off plugin scan on startup
30 secs from power button on. Includes Bios → OS → Renoise. Its got an SSD drive. Thought that was pretty good performance for a fifty quid netbook. The CPU barely runs at 4 per cent as well as its only doing Midi.
oh than you
are dressed to compress! i dont really trust that hardware sequencers are better than computer, maybe it feels like you are true pro, if using hardware />
i have 1.2ghz and 1gb ram win 7 with midi keyboard cpu is 8% max making multisampled instruments with native fx and phrases with a latency 4.4ms! i guess whatever millions $$$ you have you cant buy better midi sequencer than renoise and crappy netbook />