New Tool (2.7, 2.8): Step Sequencer

esaruoho · September 1, 2011, 6:07pm

I tried to install the newest beta and got

  
'/Users/esaruoho/Library/Preferences/Renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/de.cie-online.StepSequencer.xrnx/' contains an invalid manifest. Expected an empty icon string as 'Icon' or an existing PNG icon path, relative from the bundle path in the global manifest xml.  
  
Please remove this tool or contact the author (Cie [cie@cie-online.de]) for assistance...

What did I do wrong?

Cie · September 3, 2011, 12:50am

esaruoho:

I tried to install the newest beta and got

  
'/Users/esaruoho/Library/Preferences/Renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/de.cie-online.StepSequencer.xrnx/' contains an invalid manifest. Expected an empty icon string as 'Icon' or an existing PNG icon path, relative from the bundle path in the global manifest xml.  
  
Please remove this tool or contact the author (Cie [cie@cie-online.de]) for assistance...

What did I do wrong?

Oh sorry, you did nothing wrong, but I… I forgot the icon.
There is a new version in the first post available. When using multisamples following should be fixed now:

The correct Base-note and its name should be shown. I also improved the pattern loading, so that the first sample in the pattern is always loaded into the step sequencer, regardless if it is visible in the resolution (Editstep). The former behaviour was somehow confusing.
When changing an instrument/sample, all notes of the selected track are changed to the new instrument/sample immediately.

muckleby · September 5, 2011, 10:58pm

This looks amazing!
Big respect.
Do you have any plans to add more tracks?
8 is great but 16 is better

Cie · September 6, 2011, 8:18am

Thank you
The tool already supports unlimited tracks, just as many tracks as you add to your song. The 8-track limit mentioned in the introduction is quite outdated

muckleby · September 6, 2011, 1:43pm

Hey fantastic! Thanks Cie.
Would be cool if the settings were saved with the song, but I guess thats a Tool API thing…

kazakore · September 19, 2011, 2:29pm

Is there any reason why this Tool should stop my preference of Focus Lock being Off being remembered at starting Renoise? I can only assume that Renoise loads it correctly from the Config and then this tool overrides that.

See this thread: [Buggy(?) Tool] Lock Keyboard Focus Not Remembered

Cie · September 26, 2011, 6:43pm

@kazakore: The bug has been fixed.

The beta 1.52 went gold and was uploaded to the tools page.

A Launchpad version, which makes the Launchpad to a hardware step sequencer, will be available beginning october.

kazakore · September 26, 2011, 6:56pm

Must be in quarantine but thanks for the quick work, not that I’ve had any time to try and have any fun with Renoise lately.

Also find it strange it causes the whole page to be unfindable so you can’t even download old versions! Surely previous access shouldn’t be removed, but maybe a note saying a new version is going though the processes…

Cie · October 18, 2011, 1:40pm

Finally, the special Launchpad version is available that shall turn the Launchpad into a Hardware Step Sequencer.
You have complete control of the whole pattern with your Launchpad, regardless of the pattern length and step size you have chosen. You can page through the pattern easily with the left/right and “user2” buttons, change the resolution modes, and scroll through the tracks with the up and down buttons.
It was especially made for live purposes, to be independent from the software plugin and to be capable of editing beats/patterns without the mouse, and jamming around having a nice and quick method to try out different note settings.

Here is a video which shows the Launchpad controlling the plugin.

Some benefits of this version:

page through the tracks: in the demo you see that I have 10 tracks, but the Launchpad has only 8 rows. If you are pressing page up/down, the next/previous tracks are displayed on the Launchpad.
page through the steps: the launchpad has 8 columns each representing a not related to the note resolution set. with the buttons left/right you can navigate through the step length (e.g. if step length 16 is set you can page to the next 8 steps).
page through the pattern: with the page-button you can load the next 8/16/32 steps of the pattern, so if you have a pattern with 64 rows, and a stepsize of 16, you have 4 pages with 16 steps. So you have the complete pattern visible on the Launchpad
moving light: the first row is fixed the moving light and tells you where the current play position is
pattern loading: existing patterns are loaded into the Launchpad (the lights are set up)
changes in the pc gui are directly shown on the Launchpad and vice-versa (bidirectonial editing)

You can get it here.

There is also an own forum thread

gelabs · October 29, 2011, 3:23pm

Hello,

I get a “main.lua: bad header in precompiled chunk” error when trying to use this tool.

I guess it is related to my system, which is Linux Debian 64bit, and the fact that this tool is precompiled on a 32bit-system, or something.
Could it be possible for you to compile the stepsequencer on 64bit ?

Thanks

Cie · October 31, 2011, 6:48pm

Hi gelabs,
I have recompiled it on my 64bit Windows system and attached it to this rpely. Could you give it a try please?
2475 de.cie-online.StepSequencer.xrnx

sinisterbrain · October 31, 2011, 7:09pm

[quote=“Cie, post:97, topic:29567”]
Hi gelabs,
I have recompiled it on my 64bit Windows system and attached it to this rpely. Could you give it a try please?
2475 de.cie-online.StepSequencer.xrnx

Same error as above. Here are my renoise logs:

Renoise LOG> Application: Dropped file (1 from 2): ‘/home/USER/Downloads/de.cie-online.StepSequencer.xrnx’
Renoise LOG> Application: Skipped dropped file (2 from 2). No valid filename
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/com.mxb.BatchRender.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/com.mxb.ReSynth.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/com.nisanmol.GrooveTool.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/com.noisebeuter.ZynZilla.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/com.renoise.Duplex.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/com.renoise.EpicArpeggiator.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/com.renoise.GridPie.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/com.renoise.NotesStrum.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/com.renoise.Progressor.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/com.renoise.ScaleFinder.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/com.renoise.TempoTap.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/de.cie-online.StepSequencer.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingEngine: main.lua: bad header in precompiled chunk

Renoise LOG> Error Message: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/de.cie-online.StepSequencer.xrnx/’ failed to load.
Renoise LOG> Error Message: Please remove this tool or contact the author (Cie [cie@cie-online.de]) for assistance…
Renoise LOG> Error Message: main.lua: bad header in precompiled chunk
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/ledger.scripts.ClearJunkData.xrnx/’…
Renoise LOG> ScriptingTools: Initializing Scripting Tool: ‘/home/USER/.renoise/V2.7.2/Scripts/Tools/ledger.scripts.ConvertInstrumentNumber.xrnx/’…

$ uname -a

Linux Agamemnon 2.6.38-11-generic #50-Ubuntu SMP Mon Sep 12 21:17:25 UTC 2011 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I’m researching on google with the keywords:
“lua windows linux bad header in precompiled chunk”

sinisterbrain · October 31, 2011, 7:43pm

This appears to be caused by the version of Lua used to combile the tool.

https://crawl.develz.org/mantis/view.php?id=3079

It was marked as “fixed” in January 2011, so if it’s compiled with an updated version of Lua it shouldn’t be an issue (theoretically).

gelabs · October 31, 2011, 11:18pm

Same error here with your new file.

Packages installed on my system ( Linux 3.0.0-6.dmz.1-liquorix-amd64 #1 ZEN SMP PREEMPT Tue Oct 4 23:50:40 CDT 2011 x86_64 GNU/Linux )

liblua5.1-0 : Version : 5.1.4-10
liblualib50 : Version : 5.0.3-6
liblua5.2-0 : Version : 5.2.0~beta-1
liblua50 : Version : 5.0.3-6

Cie · November 1, 2011, 2:02pm

Thanks for the investigation and info!

well this is strange. I tried another binary distribution, for windows64:
http://luabinaries.sourceforge.net/download.html
and when compiling and adding to my renoise, I have your bad header in precompiled chunk error.

If I compile it with the win32 distribution on the same page, it works.
I am a little bit puzzled, because I have definately a win64 system.

Maybe you can try this version, I have compiled with the win64 distribution?
2484 de.cie-online.StepSequencer.xrnx

gelabs · November 1, 2011, 6:29pm

Ok, this version seems to work …
Now I need to learn that thing

Thanks a lot.

Cie · November 1, 2011, 9:19pm

Great! Thank you very much for your help, gelab and sinisterbrain.
I have added this version to the ovierview in the first post if somebody has the same problems.

If you have any questions, feel free to post them.

satobox · November 18, 2011, 4:24am

Hi,

I’ve been led to this thread from here.

Basically I’m not a LaunchPad owner, but I thought of an idea for the LaunchPad Step Sequencer while I was thinking about the Duplex’s Step Seq, so I post it here.

Maybe some people already pointed out though, Cie’s Lauflicht does not have ability to input note pitch and velocity etc to each individual step point.(right?) So I thought about the method, based on the Duplex’s(daxton’s) step sequencer.

This idea may not fit Lauflicht concept, also I don’t know how difficult it is to improve this though, please see this image anyway.

2563

[EDIT]

Additionally, this is a more compact layout idea. Maybe it’s more better since you can set mode buttons until 8. (The resolution of the parameter value will decrease though)

2566

Cie · November 19, 2011, 4:03am

Yes, you are right, that is currently not possible. Thank you very much for your very good idea and effort how to reflect this on the Launchpad.

I will think of it how to implement it… I am currently thinking of splitting it into a “keyboard mode” where you can edit the note value for each step, and a “controller mode” to edit the metadata.
For the controller mode I like the 8-parameter version (you have shown in Edit) more.
I think it makes sense to include this also into the non-launchpad version.

Cie · December 8, 2011, 11:49pm

I would like to introduce a new feature: Keyboard mode

2623

The basic goal of the keyboard is to create melodies and chords in a much more easier way.
The keyboard mode is activated/deactivated by clicking the keys icon next to the Page selection. Now a virtual keyboard of one octave range appears, with Octave up/down buttons and a selection which note number to set (notes 1-3). A text indicates the currently selected note.

to create a melody: To set a note, simply click on a key, and then on a step in the sequencer. To create a melody just repeat this with clicking on a key and a step alternating as long as you are finished.
to create chords: just select another the note number below the keyboard and set your note. If finished, click on a step in a track to set the chord.

more features:

midi mapping: all keys and buttons are midi mapable. So it is possible to assign the octave to a midi keyboard and set the notes with the keyboard instead of clicking with the mouse.
the notes are remembered when closing the keyboard mode or the entire sequencer and opening it again
keyboard mode usable while playing, results are hearable immediately (e.g. when playing live).
if activated, the mode does not affect the other functionalities in any way (setting editstep, page, etc.).
remove note ("–")
the new note affects only the tracks in which a step was set. When leaving the keyboard mode again, the note value in the “Note 1” columns will be set again and not the new note. This prevents setting wrong notes in wrong tracks accidentially.

Launchpad Edition:

I also implemented this feature for the Launchpad Edition, so that you can set notes without the software interface. Apart from that all changes are biderectional: changes on the Launchpad affects the settings in the sequencer interface and vice versa.

Activation:

select session button. When activated the the last two rows, number 7 and 8 are used to control the keyboard mode

Setting the octave:

octave up: button 7-1 (green)
octave down: button 7-8 (green)
octave number: a yellow light in row 8 indicates the currently set octave number and changes if a new octave is set accordingly.

Setting a note:

the red lights of row 7 and 8 represent the virtual keyboard, row 7 the black keys, row 8 the white keys (plus “–”).
current note: the current note is highlighted green

Switch note number:

button 7-9 (play button): yellow=Note 1, green=Note2, red=Note3
if keyboard mode is activated it is still possible to navigate with the page buttons through the tracks and set notes. Instead of 7 tracks, 5 tracks are shown.
if activated, the mode does not affect the other functionalities in any way (setting editstep, page, etc.)

2624

A new beta will be available on Saturday…
Launchpad version owners please just contact me with your article id.