The current solution where midi controllers like mod wheel, pitch bend and aftertouch all record into the same column(s) is a broken solution. Plain and simple. Renoise wasn’t designed around midi, and this is where it shows the most (if you ask me).
The problem, the way i see it, is that traditional pattern effect commands aren’t an effective way to display midi commands. They look downright arcane on first glance. Midi takes up too much space.
This is just immediatly off the top of my head, and i’m at work so i couldn’t really do anything more thought out. The idea is that midi is ALWAYS recorded into automation, and shown in patterns as a more abstract column where values are displayed as gradients (gray being “neutral” for bipolar values) over icons or letters. A variable length value “widget” pops up if the cursor is within a track with midi, with click drag controls for all values. Clicking an icon of the midi column brings you to that parameter’s automation graph.
Again, this is probably not workable or even wise. But i’m throwing it out there anyway.
Not a bad idea. The midi implementation and some other fx’s as well are not optimal. The aftertouch was a last minute implementation.
One of the ideas being discussed a bit is to have dedicated fx columns.
They are slim and do not need a syntax as they only control one thing.
This way you can also show these columns graphically in the automation window. In fact they are always ‘stored there’ in the device. So for instance by clicking a checkbox beside the slider in a device, you would see this parameter as a dedicated column in the pattern editor. This data is the same data you will see in the automation window (synched).
This will however not be perfect before we get better line resolution, that will only happen when we have pattern zooming.
Yeah i guess what i’m suggesting is a fix for the problem that occurs when trying to record more than one midi modulation source at once (pitch, mod wheel or aftertouch), which is a very real handicap right now that looms larger than increased resolution.
Or maybe it’s just me that wants to use these things together?
I do like the idea of a new column per effect. But wouldn’t that become really crowded?
The only ‘fix’ right now is to add these to a either the MidiCC device, or a new device. Together with an option to either record as pattern fx or to this device.
Not really, just think of it. Only two digits (perhaps 4) per column (they are dedicated remember).
How many would you really need? 2,3 or 4? thats not so space consuming. Also remember that it will be less typing for you (you only need to type the value). And you can hide them anytime.
And it’s compatible with the multi-fx columns we have now. So they are optional in that sense.
