Hello… i’m a bit confused… i inserted an instance of Kontakt3 into an instrument (keeping the sample already there so they both play)… when i use a volume slide in the tracks where the notes are (0710 followed by a bunch of 0700) the sample fades out as expected but Kontakt does not. i tried using the volume column AND tried placing the volume slide in the MST track but the same thing happens (Kontakt doesn’t fade). is Renoise not doing this right or am i not doing this right?
(PS: it’s a plugin alias, if that matters… Kontakt3 AU set in instrument 03 and aliased on instrument 00… this is on Mac OS X, Renoise 2.6.0 b6)
Hi, effect and volume columns make interaction only with samples (not vst). I think you have to use an Automation device linked to the volume parameter in Kontakt and then use automation to fade out the volume (but you can also use the effect column to control the Automation device: explained there).
VST plugins are based on MIDI communication, and since the MIDI spec does not allow setting the volume except when the note is triggered, this is not possible as such. But perhaps aftertouch could be implemented via the MIDI-Control device (I think IT-Alien has some experience with this) ?
so pitch commands work because they’re translated to midi but volume commands don’t because there’s no relevant midi command for Renoise to map to?
what about midi channel volume? I have used a foot pedal (cc style, not switch) on a midi controller in past & it often is mapped to volume. is that a global cc or midi channel?
I need to fade the instrument on midi channel 2 without fading midi channel 1 (ideally).
if one of you folks were to do this, how would you go about it step by step? I do need a bit of handholding here, sorry.
ps: I was just going to use the “render plugin to samples” feature but the resulting samples sound muddy/dark compared to the actual plugin’s output (why is that? samples always sound darker in trackers compared to externally!).
thanks for everyone’s responses so far. I’m still learning Renoise basics. I was a MOD Plug Tracker user primarily, & originally FastTracker2 (& MODEdit b4 that!). Renoise is super cool! I’m very happy it exists!!!
ok, wait, none of the effects column items work on plugins. not pitch, volume, etc… how do we actually CONTROL a plugin instrument’s pitch, volume, etc? is note and note off all we have control over? the more i try to work with this the more confused i get. Automating track volume did not work at all unless i did it to the master track, which i don’t want to do.
That is very odd. At least the volume column should have influence on velocity. And of course lowering the track volume should work unless you dont have assigned the instrument to another track which i dont know if that is even possible, to be honest.
Some plugs will interpret it as a simple velocity/volume command and nothing more, others might link velocity to the filter in some way but not change the volume at all, and some may even allow you to customise it, etc. It varies from plug-in to plug-in.
It depends almost entirely on what that particular VST/AU plug-in instrument actually supports and responds to.
To send MIDI to an instrument, you can either do it with MIDI pattern commands or with a MIDI Control Device which is much more flexible and easier to use. If the plug-in supports General MIDI and standard controller events such as mod wheel, expression, volume, etc., then you will be able to control these.
To gain more control over the other parameters within the plug-in instrument, you can use an Automation Device. This allows you to map sliders to any of the plug-in parameters (of which there can sometimes be thousands to choose from), and then easily automate those sliders in your patterns or automation envelopes. As I said, it depends on what the plug-in itself actually supports, but you can usually find some kind of volume parameter in the list.
Both the MIDI Control Device and Automation Device can be found in the Track DSPs section.
Here’s a very, very quick .XRNS that uses ASynth VSTi by Antti @ Smartelectronix. It shows some basic pitch bending and some automation of the instrument’s filter.
As dBlue already have given you the basic information.
But with Kontakt i know you can use an automate device to control the volume aspect of the instrument, there is no real need to use a MIDI control device for that, though, this might be possible as well. For the Play plugins, you can send specific volume CC comands to control the output amplification level of the alias, which CC message that is, is described in the specific Play extension manual (The manual for the library that you bought for Play).