I was thinking about getting back into Renoise from Buzz tracker just for a change in workflow, but I can’t see living without 2 things that last I checked Renoise didn’t have:
Send midi note value to VST effect (assuming effect can do anything with it)
16 bit precision (numbers up to 32767, don’t know the actual name) for VST parameter automation. Not internally for curves, but precise input values.
Is there a “meta” device or something that I may be missing out on that accomplishes these things? Yeah I realize I’m a dork for being such a stickler about these things, but I really love the FT2 style of Renoise!
Why do you need 16 bit precision, the values are interpolated always… I don’t get that Maybe upcoming VST3 will have 16 bit, I don’t know. But I wouldn’t hear any difference, tbh.
I don’t know if we’re talking about the same thing. There should be no interpolation on an integer value for a track column. If I’m not mistaken, the values you can punch in there have a decimal range of 0 - 255 in Renoise. This would represent a faders relative position, having more integers just means more step values for the fader.
I think VSTSDK already uses floats internally for parameter automation so it’s up to the host as to how precise the automation values can be. IMO one of the benefits of trackers as opposed to traditional DAWs is that they allow some degree of precision to automation in the first place by representing the floats up front as a number rather than a line or graph.
I now tried it myself, and yes, VST parameters have 127 steps in Renoise. That is indeed extremely ugly. Strangely the gain device’s gain then has float resolution.
Why is that @taktik ? Or maybe only VST3 supports float resolution?
EDIT: I think now I get it again: It is indeed interpolated, but of course while a line automation, a lot of values are transmitted in a regular(?) interval, and in between this very small interval, a proper interpolation is possible (with minimal delay, which can be compensated by the VST PDC). I don’t know the exact details. If it is interpolated, I think it doesn’t matter, if the resolution only is 8 bit.
The resolution in Renoise’s automation is not quantized. If the parameter is a float, it’s using a floating point resolution - if the parameter is an int it’s using the integer resolution at the parameter’s specified range.
Some plugins may internally quantize their values to 8bit, but that’s not the common case.
When you add an effect that can accept midi input, it will also become available as a “VST effect alias”. Select it inside the plugin selection window in the instrument editor plugin tab. Now select the particular alias and enter notes inside the pattern editor to trigger.
Most plugin effect parameters can be controlled by Automation or through MIDI Mapping. One of the things that cannot be changed by these methods though, is the effect’s preset (or program). Nor will a plugin accept note data. By treating a plugin effect like a plugin instrument though, these things are possible, and this is done by creating an Effect Alias.
Now you can use a MIDI controller or an *Instrument MIDI Control device to send MIDI data to the effect and change the preset as a song is playing. Very few plugin effects accept note data, but for those that do, you can now play and record notes to control how the sound is being processed. The most common example of this are vocoders, but it really just depends on the specific plugin and how it chooses to use incoming note data.
You may find it useful to watch a short video on the subject."
