Agree, there should be more control over this feature.
Like:
Volume, render method (low quality? high? same as render2disk option?), dry/wet (without having to disable all the effects manually, before rendering).
The volume of the rendered output is halved.
This was done to avoid that the rendered samples easily clip, because clipped values in samples is something that you can never recover. We had used the original untouched volume in the first betas, when we introduced this feature, but then got lots of complains and bug reports that the output of the render is always distorted…
What we could easily do though, is compensating this automatically with a doubled sample volume (the one in the sample properties) - dunno why I haven’t thought of this before.
Would that help to avoid confusion or be even more confusing?
How about…
Leave the volume untouched so that render-to-sample behaves as people expect/want it to, but during the rendering process Renoise can internally monitor the output and check for clipped samples. If more than X clipped samples are detected, then Renoise can pop up a dialog box when the render is finished, saying something such as:
[Renoise has detected clipping in the rendered sample. To avoid this you should lower the master volume.]
I think something like that could keep everyone happy. The rendered sample volume would be as they expected, and if it does happen to clip, then they are informed that it’s their own fault, not the fault of Renoise.
That box would pop up nearly every time you render if we keep the volume untouched (do not halve it by default). When using normalized samples and a few FX you easily generate such clipped samples…
Sure, I understand this, but… people can’t have everything 
If it’s too damn loud, it will clip… people need to realise this.
Ok, how about a new setting in the prefs screen to set the render-to-sample amplitude? By default it would be at -6dB or whatever it currently is, but we could change it to 0dB if really wanted to (and face the consequences of clipping).
Maybe this would be better?
I just think you have to accept that it’s not possible to hold the user’s hand all the way. If you do want to help prevent clipping in this way, it should at least be possible for advanced users to adjust this in the preferences. Otherwise I think you risk alienating a few people who feel frustrated at not being able to disable this behaviour?
.
+1 for the name box (as renaming the rendered selection is ALWAYS a good idea, this is a very good idea. it prevents you from developing lazy habits which easily result in having 50 “rendered selection” samples in one song :0)
hm, it could be turned on and off via a preferences checkbox. it could additionally to the name offer sum quick property options: mono/stereo, sample- and bitrate, volume, basenote and so on, dunno. hm, that’s it for now i think :0
(i took most of the ideas from the “create new sample” box and this thread (as you MAY HAVE NOTICED coughs))
Yeah, makes sense to me, the sample would be half as loud but, with the default volume on the rendered sample’s instrument set to compensate.
What would that dB be? I can’t work it out… 
Try +6dB ? (when master set at 0dB, +3db on rendering when master is maxed)
So I guess the formula is to just double the value of the master (double in dB = +6dB)
so the compensate dB should be: -(“master volume”) +6dB
For instance. If you render when master is set at -5dB:
-(-5dB) +6dB = +11dB
BTW… also remember you have 2 master sliders in the mixer. Pre and Post, and perhaps fx/gainers and stuff…You would have to add those up I think (If my brain is working correct at this hour…)
Hmmm… have to take a better look at this tomorrow…
Me doth think the lady overdoes it on the headroom precautions too much? How about a “no safety belt, no helmet” mode without any of it? Maybe it would suck and nobody would use it, but it would just be switch to turn something off, right?
+1