As a VST plug-in enthusiast, I have gathered 560 VST effects (and I just did some cleanup). The VST effect list is way too small to be useful here, even if it has a search function. One possibility would be to open a bigger window to select the plug-in from. Also a way to create categories that can be shown or hidden (the way meta and routing devices are now) could be useful. Anyway, the 8 plug-in names it shows now is just not enough. Actually it’s too small to show the plug-ins’ full name, which is problematic when you have names like “xxxxxx mono” and “xxxxxxx stereo” and maybe even “xxxxxxx surround”.
The VST instrument selector is pretty good, making the effect selector like that would be a huge improvement already, though I’d like it to have columns in addition to rows.
I find this a serious issue in Renoise usability, though otherwise the GUI is very efficient.
The plugin browser can be expanded horizontally so that most plugin names get visible, but I agree that some kind of plugin manager would be nice for categorization of different types of vst’s and vsti’s.
I would like to create my own categories in addition to the Native, Routing and Meta. Like: delay, reverb, compressor, destroyer etc because the creators of plugins doesn’t always give the plugins depicting names and I find it very hard to remember loads of plugins just by name.
Cubase also lacks a descent system for plugin categorization, at least SX3 and earlier, havn’t tried Cubase 4. But anyway, in Cubase the plugins by default gets categorized by the folders of the chosen Master Vst-folder, which also gives me headaches because I most often put new plugins, that doesn’t have installer, in a subfolder which I give the same name as the plugin or creator. I would prefer to just throw the dll’s in the folder and then sort it in some kind of manager while I still remember the name of it and what it does.
The Linux version has the names of the plugin developer in front of the plugin name and they are sorted that way.
In secret you can change the entrynames in the CachedVSTs.XML file and manually change the sorting order yourself this way.
But i haven’t tested this thoroughly myself yet.
How about manually creating your own file system on your harddrive to house the plugins, then renoise recreates the file tree? This is how Orion works and it works well.
Would it maybe even be “enough” to have the browser on the left of the interface (as it is for example in EnergyXT/Ableton Live), not covering the whole middle view in Renoise?
Actually its quite useful to have the sample editor open while loading/browsing sample/instruments. This would no longer work then. On the other hand, a better preview of samples in the new disk browser could do the job then as well.
When i’ve owned energyXT in the past i didn’t liked the browser much. I have quite deep nested folders for my samples and i always had to scroll the tiny window from left to right and back or resize it to nearly half screen.
Personally i don’t have the sample editor open while browsing for samples, but that could be just me. If it’s only about a waveform preview, it could be placed at the lower border of the right view maybe, showing a waveform. The left side could be split again too, on the top the main categories for quick target selection and below the folder tree inside that category. The bigger browser could also allow different views, like the usual detail/list types or even allow storing small screenshots of VST plugins and browse them by pictures.
Another thing currently annoying me a little is the management of VST presets. If i want to load a FXP/FXB, the first thing i’m presented with is the own files folder in documents and settings, which i’m never using, then browse to my VST folder, look for the specific VST folder, then presets and choose one. If i load another VST and want to get a preset, navigate a few folders back, specific folder again and so forth. Perfect for me would be, if the starting folder would be the VST folder of the specific VST i want to browse presets for but i suppose not everyone is storing their presets inside the VST folder, so this could be maybe customizable.
The “Render” song button could be maybe moved to the master effects panel on the master track or totally left out, since it’s accessible from the main menu.
I’d even get rid of those little preset buttons. For example in Total Commander it’s possible to store a list of favorite folders and doubleclicking on the file pane header brings up a small menu showing a customized text instead of the paths. I often forget, which paths i’ve stored in those buttons, so i’m relying on the little tooltip to show me the path first.
Edit: One thing about the VST screenshots, i’d probably not overcomplicate it too much, if Renoise would look for a filename inside the folder of the VST and load that as preview it would be fine i think. Similar to media players showing a cd cover called “cover.jpg” or “renoise_preview.jpg”.
“I’d prefer this in conjunction with a bigger browser working similar to the windows explorer. Suggested quite often”
+1
I renamed most of my vst’s so all my compressors are named c… and then the name, like this C…Classic Compressor, all my eq’s called e…bla bla, then if I cant remember what eq I’am looking for I type e. in search and all are listed, some vst’s wont let you rename them, and I’am not sure if this is a good work around, with 560 vst’s there will be a lot of renaming, I only have 73.
I don’t use EnergyXt or Ableton and don’t know how the browser looks in those apps, but if it is similar to Fruityloops then please implement. Maybe make it possible to hide it like with the advanced editor.
It’s useful indeed to have the sample editor open while loading/browsing, I wouldn’t mind keeping the small one for that purpose…but maybe thats overkill and a better solution can be found. Some more visual mock ups would be cool (hint to visual talents lurking here)
A full middle view browser to browse files, setup samples to instruments, and organize plugins.
Not a high priority I think… but even so I would find it ‘very nice to have!’
However, in addition a smaller compact song element browser using only one of the sides in the middle view (like taktik suggested) I would find very useful for drag/drop reasons (think about clips/patterns etc too, when you wanna drag/drop clips/samples/patterns directly to for instance an arranger or the pattern view)
Perhaps something like:
I dunno, i’m not really a friend of those mini browser but the drag’n’drop feature is surely something to keep in mind. How about having a big centralized browser and context specific mini browsers? Or maybe a small side browser, which has an expand to full view feature?
Come’on now, why don’t you just publish the rest of your 1,275 design pictures (and movies) as well? That would at least stimulate our wet dreams…
God, how I’d kill for having your conception made a reality. A large middle browser for the pool of all external songs, samples, clips, patterns, etc – and a right browser for the loaded objects/resources. Drag and drop, yes, one gotta plan ahead… Excellent design.
A big centralized browser for the files would definitely work fine, yes, but using this one also for the VSTs VST Instruments is IMHO not really consistent:
The small browser in the DSP chain works great as long as you only use the internal FX and a few VSTs. A big browser which you have to open all the time gets then on your nerves.
Also its would IMHO be strange that you can not drop VST instruments to the Instruments Tab (where you do the instrument settings), but only to the Instrument list window on top.
What about this instead:
The DiskBrowser stays a plain DiskBrowser, on the left top, fullscreen where ever.
For the Track FX we keep the current small box, but add something like a “browse” button which opens a dialog where you have more place and more options. Same for the VST instruments: The popup stays, a “Browse” button gives you more options.
Beside being bigger, this “Browse” dialog/window should have the ability to
Well, we are talking about the same thing really, just where to put it…
I have nothing against your plan.
But perhaps before starting adding lots of dialog windows, it might be time to think about being able to undock and dock any window in Renoise? It would then be up to the user to decide where he wants to put those big dialog windows/browsers. That would not prevent you from still adding those buttons as shortcuts though…
Add shortcuts to plugins? (Or make all favorites/plugins available in the ‘keys preferences’.
(hint to visual talents lurking here)
