Renoise iOS - again

Ideas & suggestions
21

I mean, at that point, why not just get a laptop? There’s some laptops with pretty good touchscreens. There’s not a lot of good touchscreen capable programs on desktop OSes, but they do exist. I know older Cakewalk Sonar had spent a lot of time trying to get touch working and I think Bitwig has as well? It’s been a while since I’ve looked into that.

But, yeah, if you’re going to have a portable system that has a keyboard and/or touchpad built in, why not just go with a laptop?

Also, caveat emptor, I much prefer my iPad to a laptop and much prefer my desktop to a laptop. So, I totally get the “I don’t want to use a laptop” thing. But, for something like a tracker, touchscreens just feel wonky and like you’re just using some awful workaround just to get it to work.

22

Maybe the popularity (?) of the Polyend Tracker and other devices will spark widespread interest in tracking as a modern alternative to other DAWs.

I don’t know that Renoise specifically needs to support mobile devices, but as long as it can import and export project formats from other trackers, I can see a tracker that’s MEANT for touchscreens might be compelling. I’ve tried SunVox on my Android and the interface is actually really difficult to use on a small touchscreen. If there was a mobile app that made optimal use of the touchscreen and all the other accelerometers, mics, cameras, etc in a smartphone, I’d be interested. Otherwise, I’d rather use more touch-friendly apps (like Oval Synth) on my phone for creating samples that I can then track with when i get home.

I watched a demo of the Polyend and definitely appreciated the simplified workflow that makes use of the physical buttons on the device, while also realizing that desktop Renoise does so much more!

2 Likes
23

Have you seen the NerdSeq Portable? Also, #CaveatEmptor, I absolutely LOVE my NerdSeq in my eurorack setup, so, I’m kinda real biased. I kinda really want both the NerdSeq Portable and the Polyend Tracker!!

And, as for a tracker really designed with touch as the main interaction, SidTracker64 is just that. I’m still not really keen on it. I really WANTED to love it, but, again, it just feels clunky. I think because trackers are just SO very keyboard driven that translated that to a touchscreen is always going to feel awkward … at least to me. I hope someone can prove me wrong, because I’d kill to have an iOS tracker that felt just great to use.

Edit: damnit … the SidTracker folks made a gameboy style tracker for iOS as well?! guess they’re getting MORE of my money

Second Edit: ok, the gameboy tracker isn’t out yet … buuuuuuuuuuuuut, DefleMask is ALSO on iOS now?! Gonna get that as see how THAT feels on an iPad.

1 Like
24

@jayneural I really was teasing/joking with you before about the screen size, as I’m 41, wearing glasses that have bifocals in 'em, and my near-sightedness is in the old-man territory. I thought the old-man language (playing grab-ass with your Nintendos, strap on an iPad) would have given you a clue :smiley: I mean, c’mon, I called an iPad a Nintendo…

Anyway, here’s why a portable screen would not work - for me - emphasis on for me. Renoise saved me from a coding DAW environment, due to the style of music I wanted to make.

Take a look at how this compositional tool “SMC Tool” looks in Renoise. My screen’s not gigantic, but it’s about 31". This video is me testing out a tool and showing what it does within the sampler’s environment. Look at all those knobs and sliders, and all that other stuff just floating around the edges of the screen. Where’s that going to go?

No touch-pad, touch-screen, stylus is going to help with the amount of controls that anybody needs to access all this stuff. Unless, of course, Renoise is re-written entirely for iOS and other portable devices and their OS’s. Then the user is swiping from screen to screen. Something will get lost, for sure. For example, check out the iPad app iDensity. Great granular software, beautiful ambient stuff can be coaxed from it - if you have the patience to move from each of the screens.

Now, if you’re making boom-boom music with drum samples and just need a grid like the sequencer Renoise initially presents you with - you’ve got a good idea. For those that want more, yeah, the iPad is a fun device, but not ideal for in-depth editing. The keyboard control is what makes Renoise ideal. That’s where @cykranosh’s suggestion of maybe just getting a laptop would be an easier route. iPad - I love mine. It’s great for instant communication and 'net surfing. The occasional photo and some fun stuff like Paint '98. Music? I always worry it’s going to get lost, and then I worry - will it actually transfer? Extra steps? Why? :smiley:

And, that Polyend sequencer is really nice, as well as some of that monome norns stuff here:

Heck, the monome has ORCA in it here:

Just sayin’ - there is so much stuff that might end up missing in an iPad version of Renoise. Then an end-user like myself would be missing out on so much.

2 Likes
25

I think I missed the SMC tool? I am gonna need to check that out!!

My eyesight isn’t bad, but I usually sit pretty far back from my screens. I wasn’t actually able to even use Renoise until the UI scaling was added. My main monitors are two 24" 16:10 monitors that I sit back from a few feet. So, the tiny interface of Renoise was basically impossible to use for me. I’m usually at 150% or 175% UI scaling. Running it on a laptop with a moderately high screen resolution was also totally unusable for me. I bought right around when 3.0 released (either right before or right after) and I wasn’t able to even USE it until 3.2 came out. :confused:

But, you bring up a really good point, @Neuro_No_Neuro, Renosie on the iPad would lose all the immediate extra stuff in hidden panels / menus / tabs / etc… Not that they’re ever going to make an iOS version, but that’s kinda why I’d just want some sort of stripped down Redux as an AUv3 plugin and not the full Renoise software. Just have the sound engine and call it good.

1 Like
26

Renoise ported to ipad would totally work. it might be only useable with a bluetooth controller and even a bluetooth mouse, but those devices are remarkably wasy to find for an average ios user and COMPLETELY integrated with IOS, therefore it wouldnt be that far of a stretch to imagine.

i would reccomend a port of renoise as directly as possible with as little changes as possible.

some limitations to protect the device from overclocking would be understandable, but i still dont see why you would want to provide ANY changes to the UI.

if ipad users who want a touch exclusive interface don’t use renoise ipad becauase of this, then they can go punch sand, who cares, the renoise ipad app could be done best if the users are expected to provide a keyboard or midi interface.

Auv3 apps could be used in place of VST’s theoretically but i cannot say it would be ‘easy’ as i have never learned the technical differences betwenn auv3 and VST.

IF EXTERNAL VST’s and/or AUv3 PLUGINS DO NOT WORK, RENOISE EXCLUSIVE TOOLS WOULD STILL BE SUFFICIENT!

and yeah, a redux Auv3 port would be sick even if renoise for ipad never comes.

huge fan, love the hard work put into this masterful tool.

27

It would be a kick ass port for sure, anybody who thinks mentioning iOS as a music platform is trolling is dumb as sh*t, iOS has a lot of clever software and is in most of the studios I visit now.

Snobbery it seems is still as ridiculous as it always has been around Renoise users.

28

It’s better than Android for sure (not very hard), but still full of Apple shit. On the other hand there are quite complex synths now available for iOS. I think the most complex currently is Synthmaster…? Is it? I don’t think Renoise ever will come to iOS, because that requires to be fucked by Apple, by choice.

29

It isn’t full of Apple shit at all, unless you mean the couple of apps that ship with iOS, the store costs a little to sell on, but that is the modern world, nothing more.
Android is not the comparator, desktop is, if programmed well it is lower latency than desktop (go see DVS on DJPlayerPro, using an NI interface it has lower latency than a super fast desktop running Traktor with the same interface)
No idea what being fucked by Apple even means, im guessing you mean the cost to sell on the store.

30

It means that

  • you are locked in into Apple’s hell / dictatorship
  • they can anytime remove your app for various pseudo reasons
  • you need to support Apple proprietary standards like AUv3
  • You need to pay and get nothing in return, except extra work
  • You need to adapt your gui fully to proprietary Metal API

Why should the Renoise team do such an effort? It would have to be sold for 250€ then, because this surely is no mass product.

Sure, the core is as solid as macos, and the latency is very good. It could be a full OS. But it isn’t.

31

Apples hell / dictatorship, erm OK
No they can’[t, they can refuse to post the app or updates if it doesn’t pass testing.
Proprietary standards like AUv3, you mean like Renoise already does (AU) in the MacOS version?
Pay and get nothing in return, except for piracy free marketplace.
Adapt the GUI to exactly what it will need for MacOS…oh wait

Why should the Renoise team do such a port, they shouldn’t if they don’t want to, Renoise is a hobby project and this would only ever happen if Tactic was gifted an iPad Pro or something, but it is funny seeing the usual snobbery around here.

It could be a full OS, but it isn’t? do you even know what OS stands for, your microwave has a full OS, just because you don’t like some of it, does not mean it is not a full OS hahaha.

Lets see if we can light this thread up, iOS rules, Linux sucks, there ya go, fill ya boots hahahahaha.

32

Piracy free? You can jailbreak your iOS device and then install any application cracked. Apple reasons for justifying the App Store are purely pseudo reasons, it is not at all about security. It’s about they having control about the machines, and this is not increasing security, it is tampering with security. But obviously you never did your own thoughts about that…

33

OK, good luck :wink:

1 Like
34

There is a very healthy music ecosystem on iOS, now that Nambu is out I have been using Cubasis lately because I love this synth so much. Not to mention all the great plugins I have that cost a fraction of the price. I’m finally sitting down with Drum Computer, it can have some very interesting sounds come out of it. Having Renoise to use Nambu with would be amazing. I already use a keyboard and mouse with my iPad with it hooked up to the same monitor I have my PC hooked up to. I don’t think the mouse support is 100% where it should be but it’s close.