hi. is there an easy way to randomize/humanize note velocity? also, do i need to use velocity when making songs? i would work much much faster if i could just by pass velocity input. but im not sure if this is a bad thing to do.
You can humanize velocity with the advanced edit part. Right-click on volume in the content mask section to solo it and then you can humanize column/track/whole song or whatever by going down the bottom to the Vol/Pan/Delay FX section and changing the Modifier to Humanize.
I don’t usually enter notes with velocity myself. Sometimes I audition a sound with different velocities to get an idea of how it will sound. Normally I’ll go through the volume column with the same edit step I used for the notes and just type like 7,5,6,5,7,5,6,5 for example to quickly add a bit of rhythmic volume.
You can also quickly interpolate the values between two volumes. Ctrl B and E to select a range of lines, the first and last of which need to contain a volume, then Ctrl I or L to interpolate. Works with other things too like pan or effects.
You don’t have to use it, but since instruments are usually set up to reduce in volume according to the velocity, it can add a nice bit of subtle variety.
The other reason is that instruments can also be made to behave and sound differently depending on the note’s velocity. For example, in the library provided with Renoise, the bassdrum, ‘Nano BD Pressure’ will distort/mute its attack sound according to the velocity, while the ‘Acoustic Guitar’ actually plays different sets of samples at different velocities to simulate the way a real guitar is strummed softer/harder.
Velocity is an expression element, that can be used or not. One convention of interpreting it, goes like “how hard something is hit, how hard I hit the key of that midi keyboard…”. Not using it implies having all notes with a fixed velocity, thus all having the same timbre in that respect. A hihat line for example will sound mechanical without velocity/volume action, and can allow deeper rhythm suggestion with. Renoise supports turning velocity entering via midi keyboard off in the preferences, in case you were buggered with “erratic” vel values while entering notes.
What velocity values will do depends on the playback engine. Renoise itself by default applies volume differences by velocity to its samples, this can be turned off also (resulting in full volume for the samples regardless of the vel value of a note). But velocity can also be used for modulating other things, via velocity trackers in instrument modulation or instrument/track effects. It’s creativity of “sound design” what you wish the velocity differences to sound like.
Other instruments (vsts) can of course have their own handling on how velocity acts. Usually it’ll mean some change in timbre simulating “attack strength” like a piano that is hit soft/hard. Many synths will also allow configuring this, or modulating other parameters by velocity.
By tracker way I always used to enter notes of a patter first, and then flip in some velocity/volume variations as deemed fit for a rhythm or melody for me. Like lhaastdaiz described. Found joy now trying to actually hit the keys of a midi keyboard in the right fashion while entering notes to produce it right away (even on offline sequencing). Well, is hard. I suck at playing keyboard.
hi. is there an easy way to randomize/humanize note velocity?
If you are using samples, and want truly random (differently each time you play the song), try this:
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Go to the sample’s modulation > volume domain
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Add an LFO device and set it to random
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Turn the LFO tempo all the waydown (this avoids changing the volume during note playback)
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LFO amplitude will control how wild variations you will get -from subtle to dramatic
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If you need to shift the entire LFO “range” then adjust the “Input” slider to the left
im afraid i don’t understand velocity pattern editing yet. could you guys explain a bit more 
If you are using samples, and want truly random (differently each time you play the song), try this:
Go to the sample’s modulation > volume domain
Add an LFO device and set it to random
Turn the LFO tempo all the waydown (this avoids changing the volume during note playback)
LFO amplitude will control how wild variations you will get -from subtle to dramatic
If you need to shift the entire LFO “range” then adjust the “Input” slider to the left
im using vstis though
…or you can use the Lfo device plus a gain device in the track fx. You can also draw bars into the Lfo, so the Lfo only controls the repeating modulation. Since it is added to the other volume, you can now independently use the pattern velocity or volume. You need to sync the Lfo then by resetting it at the first bar.
hi. is there an easy way to randomize/humanize note velocity?
I use this tool often after programming notes to randomize the velocity in between set limits;
https://forum.renoise.com/t/new-tool-2-8-velocity-randomizer/38684
Think it auto-updates correctly to work in Renoise 3.01.