I’m seriously considering purchasing the new Renoise 2.8, I’m yet to try the demo out but I was just after some user experiences from those who have made the transition from Renoise 1.9 (wow from way back in 2007!?) to Renoise 2.8.
What are the main benefits of upgrading, what new features can I expect and what are the key differences between those 2 seemingly distant versions?
My main issue always seems to be CPU Overload and severe limitations in the number of Direct X/VST plug-ins I can load up. Usually I can get away with maybe 6 when my CPU starts overloading… Does Renoise 2.8 improve CPU efficiency/plug in handling or is that really down to the way the plug-in itself is programmed, which can’t be improved upon by the host application (which in this case is Renoise)?
Hmm, as noone answered yet. I started at 2.7, not 1.9 of course. But what you can expect is: MORE!
More DSP devices in Renoise itself. Improved user interface. Tool/Scripting support, with many community provided tools.
Nifty stuff like Track-Groups and the of course the Pattern Matrix with the aliases, which makes arranging
so much easier.
If you use 1.9 a lot or at least regularily, spending some money on a license upgrade is a no brainer.
I don’t think Renoise, or any host for that matter, can really help a huge amount with the efficiency of third party plugins…
There was a rewrite of the audio engine in one of the interim versions, which did help with Renoise’s own processor usage, but there has also been so many extra features added which may have slowly added a little overhead that I wouldn’t want to say it’s definitely better than 1.9
But there are so many wonderful new features all I can say is try it and see if you like it. User Tools and Scripting
New DSP Effects
New Meta Devices
Much advanced Instruments with layered Keyzones
Track Groups
and much much more!
nu meta device envelope follower meaning you can do SIDECHAIN
track grouping making thing a lot easier
pattern matrix making arrangement a lot easier
tool making tracking a lot easier (you can even now make liveset pa with renoise FUCK YEAH
nu instrument making multisample and layer
som nu cool effect
and i you buy you’ll support the most kickass dev team
You miss out a lot when you stick to 1.9. This includes improved multi-cpu support (I7 HT support), 64-bit support (More RAM if you have it) when discussing performance and capacity.
SYSTEM, AUDIO PLAYBACK & PERFORMANCE - Multiplatform (Win, OSX, Linux) full 32 bits or 64-bit support (becomes a bit faster with the 64 bits version / thanx to a better multicore handling / also breaks the 4 GB barrier).
Use 32bits VST/VSTi plugins on 64bits renoise or 64bits VST/VSTi plugins in 32 bits renoise
Around 5% speed improvement for 32-bit architectures, 10% or more for 64-bit on Linux.
Better overall performance of Renoise’s Audio Engine (up to a 10% boost, maybe even 20% on some old machines like a G4).
Full ReWire Slave & Master support (on Windows & OSX)
New Jack implementation (like the rewire implementation but on Linux).
Open Sound Control (OSC) Server Support (if you want renois to be controlled remotely via osc protocol)
Interface scriptable through a LUA based scripting language, allowing the creation of “tools” (tools extend Renoise like external modules extend Firefox) or … Nibbles
Tools can auto-update themselves when renoise starts
Hyper-threading support for new Intel i5 and i7 CPUs and others
Quicktime is no longer needed to import MP3 files on Windows
MP3 Loading Support on Linux
Support for mono capture devices on OSX
DSSI plugins (like VST plugins for Linux) now handle MIDI note events coming from the GUI
DSSI plugin windows always stay on top of Renoise window
Real-time rendering mode: render MIDI instruments and line-in devices, or hybrid VSTs
Audio headroom per track is now configurable (it was -6dB)
Navigating folders with thousands of XRNX/XRNI files in the internal Disk Browser has been really sped up
Sample Autoseek (the playback engine can start a song at any position and your sample will be played correctly even if triggered before in the previous patterns)
Technically prepares some future audiotrack features and allow easier composition with long vocal recordings, guitar, and long soundscapes.
Better MIDI Mappings (controlers are mapped to multiple DSP parameters for example), with an overview of all defined mappings.
Midi Notes can be mapped to any parameters.
The “Ticks” / “Speed” system has been replaced/improved. Renoise uses now a LPB settings (Lines Per Beat - whan means “how many lines in the pattern make up
a musical beat”), that has to be used with the typical BPM beat-per-mn parameter. The internal precision of the pattern playback engine has been highly
increased.Fractional BPM (like 127.56) can be used (double click on the BPM value). All this also prepares improvements such as a pianoroll that needed
a far more precise timing mechanism.
MISC GUI - Improved and much usable Spectrum Viewer, that now has a “Phase Correlation” Meter in a Phase Scope,
a 2 tracks colored comparison system, a spectrogram view, filled curve or bar view with the ability to setup the refresh frequency
Track and master scopes synced to zero crossings for better readability (it can be manually unactivated)
Pattern Matrix (bird’s eye view) of your songs), with aliases, you can mute, unmute, clone, alias, & propagate your patterns, and you can give header names to sections of your songs
User definable colors for matrix’s tracks. With resizable columns and rows The matrix is optional (no need to use it, when you don’t need it)
Extremely Zoomable Automation view (precision increased to 256 steps per pattern line!)
Double clicking on parameters name will reset the parameter to its default value
Drag & Drop of external files (into the Renoise Window) is possible
New helpful short names for LFO, Automate, Send and Velocity Devices in the Mixer view (showing what they control, etc…)
Added a “Show only used Automation” option to the automation list
More fluid / smooth pattern scrolling during the playback, auto-centering the tracks name for better readability
FX, PLUGINS & NATIVE DEVICES
Mac OSX: Added support for Audio Unit (AU) Plugins
Improved VST (and also now AU) or compatibility: a “static buffer” compatibility option for VSTs, AUs that will less often be needed now. Audio Plugin Crash Guards for OSX
APDC : automatic plugin delay compensation, that fixes automatically latencies problems ; you won’t have to manually tune your tracks when they are slightly delayed due to heavy routings and CPU consuming plugins
Favourite system for your DSP / plugins devices
Devices that can be renamed
All “Meta Devices” can support cross track routings (allowing for example sidechainings i.e. controling parameters of another dsp located in another track or send track)
Cross track routing) can be visualized in the mixer for the currently selected FX
DSP : Filter (third version that replaces the Filter 2 that has been deprecated)
Four models : with LowPass, HighShelf, BandPass, BandReject, LowShelf and HighPass) modes:
– a standard, precise and fast 24dB Biquad filter
– an experimental, fast and “fruity” 24dB Moog filter emulation
– a 4 stage Butterworth filter, for precise and ultra sharp cutoffs
– a 8 stage Butterworth filter, for ultra precise and ultra sharp cutoffs
DSP : RingMod that replaces the Filter2’s RingMod mode
DSP : “Scream Filter” that replaces the Filter2 Dist Comp modes, but with more options than before
the Stereo Expander now has a “Mono Mix” switch
DSP Cabinet Simulator, an IR based bass & amp simulator, with a tube, an eq, and a preamp
META DEVICE : a LFO “Reset” parameter can now be automated by other cross track routed device.
A “one-shot” option to the LFO device when running a custom allows to start a custom envelope.
META DEVICE : Hydra, that connects itself to up to 9 other parameters - allowing you to change multiple settings with just one input slider
or automation.
META DEVICE : Keytracker, that modulates parameters depending on an instruments key (note) value.
META DEVICE : Signal Follower (listens to incoming audio from a track, and transfers this signal to any automation parameter).
META DEVICE : XY-Pad that lets you link two parameters onto a sweet looking X/Y pad.
META DEVICE : Meta Mixer allowing blending of modulation signals into one output
META DEVICE : Instr. Midi Control (that replaces the old “MIDI-CC Device”, that has with Pitchbend,
Channel Pressure, Program Change & regular controller (CC) all available in a single device.
ROUTING : Multiband Send device (a crossover filter that allows you to build for example multiband compressers)
DSP Comb filter
DSP Multitap delay (spaced out filtered echo madness)
DSP Repeater (granular stutter)
DSP Exciter
Better EQs (bigger graphs) and all is draggable & automatable (Q, freqs, bands)
Load and Save DSP chains from the device chain and device context menu
FX devices can now be minimized in the DSP chains
PATTERN EDITION
Thanx to the increase of the pattern playback engine precision (cf : LPB replaces ticks/speed) you’ve got now
a new “delay” column next to pan and volume that allows ultra precise delays in the same row
and now more realistic / humanized realtime notes input (through AZERTY or MIDI keyboards)
Mnemonics for pattern effects from A to Z instead of the old Hexa. cryptic numbers (easier to understand)
Track Groups & Collapsing (use 6 nested sub levels)
Color picker for top tracks and adjustable background colors
now you’ve got Tremolo, Auto Pan, “Set Envelope Position” (like in your old’n’good tracker)
Some pattern effects work in the master channel, or in group tracks
34 DSP devices can now be addressed via pattern commands 1xyy-Yxyy
MIDI Input can now be routed to individual instruments and tracks
MIDI chords create multiple columns in patterns and chords are properly created on the fly
Pre-count metronome option for recording
Decoupled Sequencer Playback mode : if you wanna edit a pattern while other patterns are playing.
(happens when you turn off the “Pattern Follow” option).
Live Pattern Triggering (scheduling the playback of pattern, live).
INSTRUMENTS EDITION
VSTi Plugin Grabber, that renders each virtual instrument note and stores it in an automatically generated multisampled instrument.
With a smooth auto looping via crossfading, or a customizable note, tail duration with auto cropping or fading
Keyzone GUI editor per instrument (supporting mapping of overlapping multisamples, velocity, & key off)
MIDI Input that can be routed to individual instruments and / or tracks
Memorize last used bank/preset paths per VST plug-in
Sample envelopes with Points, Linear and Curve drawing modes
Autofade setting per sample for quickly fading beginning and end of samples
Select multiple samples and batch edit properties
SAMPLE EDITOR
OS Sample-Clipboard support (Windows only): Exchange (Copy/paste) samples
with your favorite sample editor
Added mono mix modes to the “Adjust Sample” dialog
Added “Copy into New Sample/Instrument” actions
Added a “Mix-Paste” (modulate/add) action
Better (unique) names for newly created or rendered samples
Added a “markers” Snapping option which currently only snaps to the loop
Added an option to auto-select the currently played back “sample split”
Edit Left & right channels separately like in Soundforge
Zoom level & current selection are remembered per sample
Sample slicer, that automatically creates drumkits with non editable subsamples,
automatic transients detection, the slicer can also destruct and render slices into
editable individual samples, uses new “markers” working like custom offsets,
and allowing the precise placement for recordings like vocals, guitar parts or
soundscapes in patterns, both through a new 0Sxx command or through
the keyboard (triggering subsamples)
Subsample properties like loop, volume etc can be edited for each slice
Well the first thing that comes to mind is the pattern matrix and alias slots, I couldn’t go back to using Renoise without those now. Better sample editor, and the effects command have been streamlined.
