I think people are just antsy because so many great updates came out this year. We had Ableton 9 with the Push controller, Logic Pro X, Sonar X-3 and Maschine 2.0 with a new flag ship controller. Hard not to feel a bit envious. 
However, Renoise is amazing software. It could stay as it is now forever and I think people would use it for years to come.
…so the alpha testing has begun? 
Is there any way to apply to be in next alpha test group?
Most likely, the answer here is no.
The alpha tester group seems to consist of users who’ve been more or less involved with Renoise since its start some 10+ years ago. I’d guess that some common denominator among them is that they have established some personal contact with taktik at some point, maybe at some demoparty or similar event, and then maintained that contact. I remember having seen at least one photo of taktik, dblue, keith303 (and some other people hanging over some computer screen some years ago) in this forum - so it seems valid to assume these guys know each other and that basically a small group of alpha testers evolved based on informal personal interactions over time.
But I’d also guess that the alpha testers have been selected because of their (proven) ability to actually contribute to the alpha testing process, based on their tracker skills and their mastering of Renoise, or generally based on their own coding skills (demonstrated by publishing third party tools or similar stuff) and the overall interest they’ve shown for contributing to Renoise development (e.g. by offering constructive criticism, finding bugs, and making well structured and well thought out suggestions, etc).
Not only tracker-skills but also needs in music production in general. If new techniques require testing and review, the devteam need specific users having the knowledge for - and are operating almost on a day to day basis with these kind of features in other software / hardware. They also do it extensively in Renoise, but with a lot of trickery and magick. So if this external magick is going to be replaced by core code, it has to be done properly and not half-assed, so user experiences and ideas are much important to help shape the feature(s).
Since nobody knows in advance what is to come in the next version, the dev-team makes their own decision who to add to the alpha testing team which means that applying for such a position won’t give you much of a chance unless you were on their hit-list for your skills/knowledge already.
^ makes sense, really.
Just move on, there are plenty of other music apps out there that have all the features Renoise doesn’t have and you can even Rewire Renoise in if that is your thing.
Renoise is just a tool, if it isn’t doing something now that you want it to do then find something that does.
I would like to add to this that the comment made by Rian is not supported by any facts yet. It’s all just “there is a risk ran run” - can anybody verify whether a risk does indeed exist? And perhaps what that risk may be, whether it is relevant to developers and/or users, and finally is it actually being run?
My body is ready.
Alpha testers…they are the Alpha males of R.
You see, the alpha testers appear from the distant horizon in slow motion, like the 300 spartans with their red mantle cloaks… all muscles, no bloat.
And you’re not among them.
Disturbing.
You have no clue what’s going on. All you can hear is the alpha testers away in the distance, you hear them laughing and having a good time around their warm and cozy camping fire.
“Maybe I could someday become an alpha tester too”, you think.
But your daydreams are so naive. Deep inside you know that you’re too immature to handle any information about that shiny red “R” polishing.
You’re not an alpha person. You’re not even a beta person.
Just think about it. What would really happen if you were allowed to sneak into the alpha testers’ sessions? You would see a candy or toy pop up, and then suddenly disappear.
The alpha testers would say it was for the best of the R. Only the strong will survive. But you would nevertheless cry like a baby: “Where’s my candy? Where’s my toy?”
And the alpha testers would only say: “See, you couldn’t handle it.”
Damn. Way to tell it. Is that art? I think that’s art. Guys, that’s art.
And if we rain arrows of envy on them, then they will test in the shade.
I’ve heard from one of the alpha testers that they are remaking the interface completely. Supposedly they are changing it from vertical to horizontal, mainly because 16:9 screens are more common than 4:3 today. It sounded like some kind of merge between a tracker interface and piano roll with a whole new workflow when he described it - lines becoming columns. First you enter the note, and then you decide at what time they should be played or something like that.
Did you hear, what? 
you can already experiment how Renoise 3 wil look like: just turn your monitor 90 degrees counterclockwise
As long as this allows me to control renoise with my kempston joystick…
I meant no disrespect by my statements. I am a pretty patient guy, I did however purchase Presonus’s Studio One to accommodate things that I miss out on in Renoise( which I love to death btw) So Im sure there are some people who, while they love Renoise and dont really plan on switching, May be enticed by all the new DAW updates that are falling out of the sky. This is what I mean by “risk”
Don’t fall for it guys!!1!~1
Sorry guys, there will not be any Renoise V3.
Fasttracker never got to version 3.
IT tracker never got to version 3.
Madtracker never got to version 3.
There is something with tracker developers and doing a v3 that makes it impossible.
A tracker named v3 simply cannot be done.