New Tool (2.7, 2.8): Step Sequencer

[esaruoho]

@Cie

Ok, but this would be a completly other tool. You also have to visualize which function on which step has to be triggered, also a selection of the available “functions”. Somehow this reminds me of the tool Glitch

I know, that’s why I was requesting a bare-bones “please just show me how to step and run a function” and would have taken it from there…

[Cie]

Sorry I got really no time for that atm. I think a better approach, as your tool is quite different from mine, would be to go through the very good tutorials and build your tool from scratch. If you have special questions you can of course pm me.

[esaruoho]

Ok, having used stepsequencer a bit now, all I can say is woah.

I have a few questions/thoughts.

1. If StepSequencer is on - clicking on notes in StepSeq-tool takes them to Pattern Editor. If, however, Pattern Editor and StepSeq are open, inputting notes to Pattern Editor does not get read to StepSeq. Could there be a button that “dumps” the current channel’s note + effect data into StepSeq?

2. If I have a 24 row pattern, and want to use StepSeq, I get the choices of 16 or 32 (or so). Could there be 64 or 128, please?
   2.1) Would it please be possible to have a switch which “dislocates” stepsequencer from “regularplay”. What I’m trying to mean here is: when you have a 32 row pattern, and it plays, and it’s the only order list pattern, it will play 32 rows and loop. StepSeq will also play 32 rows and go back to playing row 1 again. I’d like to propose that there be a way to disconnect StepSeq from play, i.e. have a switch which suggests: hi, don’t listen to playback position, but listen to playback “timer” (the track is playing - time is constantly going forwards) and do your thing. Then a 8 row real-pattern could have a nice 32rowStepSeq-pattern playing from the StepSeq. Then it’d be possible to wrap this to a 32 row pattern, where the 8 row real-pattern data would “just loop” the 32 rows.
   2.2) StepSeq speeds. Would be nice to use as a 1/2 stepper or achieve a really long 128 rows but only with the 16th or 8th notes in use - different resolutions, resulting in longer notes also - ideal for long pad movements.

3. Would EditStep 8, 16, 32 be possible?
   3.1) When changing Editstep from 1 to 2 to 4, it would be graphically pretty to reset the “required” amount of progress-bar-buttons to black-state.

Basically it’d be really lovely to be able to use stepsequencer as a “longer-than-pattern-length” stepper. It doesn’t matter if the resolution gets shot down to note per 1/1.

[ungleichklang (LXNDR TYLR)]

I use Lauflicht now for a while mainly to build my drumtracks.

I would love to use it in a more “live”/experimental way.
ATM you have first to choose the Note/Delay/Velocity … then check a step.
IF some settings are not right I have to edit them in the pattern editor afterwards or change the values, uncheck/check the step again.

I could imagine, even if it changes the whole interface, to add stuff like Note/velocity/delay and Note +1 -1 to each step.
Maybe not in general for all Tracks, but with a button like “advanced” for each track that, if activated shows those features.
This way one could build and experiment with sequences like with hardware step sequencers (Dark Time / MFB Step64).

[looza]

Just tried this out for a while and I love it, have been looking for a decent step sequencer for ages. However, there are a few things that jump to my mind: (Sorry if I mention something already discussed, I did not really read the whole thread)

1. (Small one) Can you please use the highlight-settings in the stepeditor aswell, f.e. making every 4th button slightly brighter. It’s really hard to see your downbeats with a steplength of 32.

2. (Big one) Can you somehow make this tool use note columns instead of tracks? I usually keep my drums in one track and use note-columns, and this tool does not really support that. I have my base in the first column, snare in the second, the hi hats in the third and so on. Maybe just introduce a tab next to the track where I pick my column.

3. (Big one) A “sandbox”-mode would be awesome. It should basically be a temporary buffer. When I enter it it copies the current settings in the pattern. Then I can play around with it without actually changing the pattern and if I am happy I press “save” and it’s writing the current settings into the pattern. Preferrably the length should be adjustable, so I could edit f.e. 16 steps and when I save it it just loops this 16-step drumpattern into the current renoise pattern.

4. (not sure if possible) User-Experience wise and because I have seen people request velocity: Add a click-drag-function. I click and while keeping the mouse pressed drag the mouse to f.e. change the velocity. For extra bonus points make this work with note-delay in both directions, this would be awesome.

[Cie]

Thank you for using and your suggestions

@esaruoho

1. If StepSequencer is on - clicking on notes in StepSeq-tool takes them to Pattern Editor. If, however, Pattern Editor and StepSeq are open, inputting notes to Pattern Editor does not get read to StepSeq. Could there be a button that “dumps” the current channel’s note + effect data into StepSeq?

There are two ways to refresh the note view of the StepSequencer: Either close it and reopen it again; or change the pattern sequence one up and back to your initial pattern.

2. If I have a 24 row pattern, and want to use StepSeq, I get the choices of 16 or 32 (or so). Could there be 64 or 128, please?
   2.1) Would it please be possible to have a switch which “dislocates” stepsequencer from “regularplay”. What I’m trying to mean here is: when you have a 32 row pattern, and it plays, and it’s the only order list pattern, it will play 32 rows and loop. StepSeq will also play 32 rows and go back to playing row 1 again. I’d like to propose that there be a way to disconnect StepSeq from play, i.e. have a switch which suggests: hi, don’t listen to playback position, but listen to playback “timer” (the track is playing - time is constantly going forwards) and do your thing. Then a 8 row real-pattern could have a nice 32rowStepSeq-pattern playing from the StepSeq. Then it’d be possible to wrap this to a 32 row pattern, where the 8 row real-pattern data would “just loop” the 32 rows.
   2.2) StepSeq speeds. Would be nice to use as a 1/2 stepper or achieve a really long 128 rows but only with the 16th or 8th notes in use - different resolutions, resulting in longer notes also - ideal for long pad movements.

This is not possible unfortunately.
Extending the step-length to 64/128 would be too much for the screen I think, and several tries to implement it made the tool too buggy for a quick solution.

3. Would EditStep 8, 16, 32 be possible?

That would make sense only if you have a pattern length > 128.

3.1) When changing Editstep from 1 to 2 to 4, it would be graphically pretty to reset the “required” amount of progress-bar-buttons to black-state.

This depends on the patternlength you have. If there is patternlength>=64, all progress-bar-buttons will be used, unless you have activated a block-play.
Anyway that would be quite nice.

@esaruoho

I could imagine, even if it changes the whole interface, to add stuff like Note/velocity/delay and Note +1 -1 to each step.
Maybe not in general for all Tracks, but with a button like “advanced” for each track that, if activated shows those features.
This way one could build and experiment with sequences like with hardware step sequencers (Dark Time / MFB Step64).

Interesting idea. But I think this would blow up the GUI of the tool. I have not come to an idea how to create a design without headache. There would be too much parameters for every step.

@esaruoho

1. (Small one) Can you please use the highlight-settings in the stepeditor aswell, f.e. making every 4th button slightly brighter. It’s really hard to see your downbeats with a steplength of 32.

Unfortunately that is not possible for the steps, as I use checkboxes and it is not possible to program checkboxes to have another background color than the default. But I can recolor the buttons of the sequencer lights.
I have made an update; please download it from the first post.

2. (Big one) Can you somehow make this tool use note columns instead of tracks? I usually keep my drums in one track and use note-columns, and this tool does not really support that. I have my base in the first column, snare in the second, the hi hats in the third and so on. Maybe just introduce a tab next to the track where I pick my column.

Sorry that would not fit into the design of the tool. I know there are good reasons to use one track with several columns for drums (I used to do it also), but then I switched to use one track for every single drum sound, because you can have unlimited EQs/Effects/whatever for every single drum sound. In my point of view this is quite essential for good mastering. But this is another discussion.

3. (Big one) A “sandbox”-mode would be awesome. It should basically be a temporary buffer. When I enter it it copies the current settings in the pattern. Then I can play around with it without actually changing the pattern and if I am happy I press “save” and it’s writing the current settings into the pattern. Preferrably the length should be adjustable, so I could edit f.e. 16 steps and when I save it it just loops this 16-step drumpattern into the current renoise pattern.

The tool is bound to the notes of the pattern and the pattern play, so this is not possible.

4. (not sure if possible) User-Experience wise and because I have seen people request velocity: Add a click-drag-function. I click and while keeping the mouse pressed drag the mouse to f.e. change the velocity. For extra bonus points make this work with note-delay in both directions, this would be awesome.

I am not sure if I understand you right. When I am clicking on the e.g. velocity, hold it, and move the mouse, the values are changed automatically already. But I guess you mean something else?

EDIT: added new version v1.51 to first post

[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?

[Cie]

@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:

Seems to be a bit buggy when it comes to multisample instruments: C-4 is assigned to all samples, although it selects it properly if i switch away and back.

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]

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

[Cie]

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]

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

[kazakore]

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]

@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]

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.

Access denied
You are not authorized to access this page

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]

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]

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]

@gelabs

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

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]

[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]

@sinisterbrain

Renoise LOG> Error Message: main.lua: bad header in precompiled chunk
…
I’m researching on google with the keywords:
“lua windows linux bad header in precompiled chunk”

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]

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