Oh Yes, Yes Yes

2.5 beta provides exactly what I found missing after playing initially starting to play with renoise (not too far ago, v2.0). I eventually felt that the patterns were holding me back from really building up a song and not just taking the same variation and changing it a little at a time.
With the pattern matrix, I can suddenly build up variations and quickly and efficiently move them around (especially interesting: more patterns at a time), and suddenly I feel productive again! I’m falling a love with renoise all over again!

I spent some time away from tracking, and instead trying out separate softsynths and midi sequencers (rosegarden) that gave me a piano roll and a pattern view, but something didnt feel right. I didnt have the same integrated effects, the effect tracks, the keyboard shortcuts, the well thought-out design combination that is renoise!

I have one single suggestion though, how about letting the patterns in the pattern matrix be individually colored, possibly even automatically using the “visualize repeating slots” functionality that is already there? I just feel the infinity symbol is a little hard to see sometimes.

In summary, I just want to say thanks for renoise, the wait was definitely worth it!

(wow, 3 of 4 paragraphs end with an exclamation mark)

I’m glad you like the matrix…

The colours in the pattern matrix are related to the tracks, the infinity sign is to tell you that the track from the previous pattern is being used / duped / repeated and the gradient coloring is to give you a better visual cue of how large the repetition of that track in the other patterns is.
The only thing left to colour regarding patterns are the sequencer blocks then i guess.

Also, track coloring can be toggled in the pattern editor and in the mixer.

Can the single track view be toggled too ?

If so, what’s the official name of it ?, so I may assign a key to it.

Pattern editor → Options → Single Track Edit Mode

Shift + Alt + s is by default not assigned yet…

Something I always wanted is the signal follower.
More good things: The apps key finally works again in linux.

I just registered (had started with 1.281) without even thinking/hesitating a minute about it.

I think it’d be very useful if the signal follower had a checkbox to invert its behavior.

Same for key-tracking device and Hydra and Velocity device…

Just move the max/min sliders to opposite positions?

Yes but you have to inverse the controlled device as well which is a bit ackward.

If you invert the min and max, it is inverted. I think?

Why I was thinking that it’s not possible… :S
I’m sure that I’ve tried it before and it didn’t work but now it is :D
Oh well…
Thanks!