*Sample FX device

Ideas & suggestions
1

Imagine.

The *Sample FX device is a feature that melts the power of pattern commands & the power of those *devices you can find in DSP chains.

On the bottom left, in the Tracks DSP tab, you could find a new device, the *Sample FX device, that only works with pure native sample-based Renoise Instruments.

You could first find a special listbox, featuring the names of every typical pattern effects commands you allready know and use.

This listbox is built like some other selection boxes, with a small star ★ that allows users to define their favourite effects. By default, all the effects are favourites.

samplefx.gif873×291

On the bottom of the device you can define the sample-based instrument that the device will process.

And on the right side, 2 sliders for the xx and/or the yy parameters.

Behaviours :

  • each items of the device, including the instrument’s number, and items from the listbox, and also sliders, can be modulated at first with other *meta-devices (example : *LFO), and with Automation curves. When a parameter is modulated, the typical checkbox :ballot_box_with_check: appears as usual on the right side. Only the favourite effects can be selected through modulations of the listbox item.

  • when a command is selected in the listbox, 1 or 2 sliders can be activated, respectively defining the xx & yy parameters. When a command only requires one xx parameter, the yy slider is unactivated and shown in gray. Under each slider, Renoise automatically displays the possible min/max parameters’ values.

  • when you’ve got similar FX commands both in the pattern editor & in the *Sample FX device, you can decide if those pattern commands are unactivated by the *Sample FX DSP - or not : with the “ignore similar commands” checkbox located under the sliders.

  • when you check the “ignore instrument’s number” checkbox, the devices applies its effect on every sample based instruments in the track, whatever it is, for each pattern line.

The benefits of this kind of device would be to create some new kinds of controls, for the well know pattern effects commands, and possibly new kinds of modulations of their respective parameters, including vibrato / tremolo modulations through mouse and the *X/Y device, ,including Glide modulations through *Singnal follower inputs, including randomly change favourite effects in the listbox and create some new kinds of madness.

Notes about the way to control CPU overloads with this device :

  • The *Sample FX device can only control samples in just one track, and not in all the existing tracks at once.

  • The number of *Sample FX devices allowed in one Track DSP chain, is 8 - the number of pattern effects columns added with the “+” button at the top of edited track. For example, if you’ve got 3 pattern effects columns in a track, then you can add 5 *Sample FX devices, nothing more. If you have 6 pattern effects columns in a track, then you can just add 2 *Sample FX devices nothing more. If you previously added 8 *Sample DSP devices in your chain, and if you insert a new sample effect column in your track, the last *Sample FX device is unactivated and you’ll be able to re-activate it only when deleting the last effect column with the “-” button.

  • During the first sample processings on each track the Renoise playback routine should have to check first modulators states (i.e. meta devices, automations…), then check the *Sample FX states, then process the pattern effect commands, plus the *Sample FX commands, and then pass the resulting signal to the DSP track chains.

2

Really cool idea!!! although I would say this does not go in a separate device, but more an expansion slot (like envelopes part in instr. properties) of the pre-mixer. It’s really the Renoise sampler (which kind of ‘hides in the mixer device’ how I see it) kind of doing all these things already. But making them modulate-able is an awesome idea.

3

I didn’t thought about “expanding” the pre-mixer view, and being able to place some *Sample FX devices in this additionnal space, but yeah that’s a good idea, :rolleyes: it makes sense because I see this special *device as something that works before the other standard devices in every chain.

I think that doing something like that will be a usefull step forward in the direction of better native Renoise Instruments generally speaking.

For example, for now we’re using some Envelopes in the Instruments Settings to modulate pitch, volume, panning, and some basic filters. But these modulations are too “static” and affect every track. If this kind of *device is implemented, those modulations more will become “dynamic” and flexible so that you’ll be able to chose precisely one specific behaviour for each track.

I remember I also previously though about a new kind of SXRNI file format, “super-extended renoise instruments”, i.e. xml files containing both xrni information AND xrnt chains, so that when you load a .sxrni file it loads of course an instrument, but it also adds a new track, and it loads a defined chain in this new track. I easily imagine that chains containing *Sample FX devices would simply allow to build more more powerfull and precise pitch moves or transgated sounds, will allow the usage of the full 26 high quality DSP devices bundled in Renoise.