Renoise 1.8 Beta: Favorite “Tracker” Sequencer Advancing Fast
Updated: I described Renoise as Windows-only; it runs under both Windows and Mac OS X and is even now a Universal Binary for Intel Macs.
Live 6 isn’t the only hot beta this week. Wally reminds us that Renoise, a favorite Windows/Mac tracker-style sequencer. (See Wikipedia’s explanation of trackers if you’re not in the know.)
Renoise takes what’s great about oldskool software trackers and brings them into the modern software era with the kind of niceties we expect from our music software. 1.8, while only a “point” release, includes some major improvements:
- New mixer, for controlling DSP effects and, well, mixing. Now with pre/post monitoring. Unique here: keyboard shortcuts for moving DSP effects around.
- Line in recording for processing DSP in Renoise.
- Direct sampling, by recording right into the SampleEditor.
- XML file format.
- Tighter BPM, smoother automation.
- A la Live 5, searching through effects Apple “Spotlight” style.
- FLAC, OGG, MP3 and M4A support
- Lots of other stuff; see the massive changelog.
If you want to get in on the beta, all you have to do is register:
Renoise – Music Tracking Software
Renoise has two major points going for it: it’s dirt cheap at EUR49.99, and it fuses the precision and speed of tracker editing with modern features. I know there are many loyal users out there; any readers here care to comment?
8 Comments
Leave a CommentMetroSonus
I’m going to have to spend some time with that .. I used to be a big fan of trakkers before I started using fruity loops. This came along at the right time. I’ve been feeling like i’ve wanted another sequencer to work with for a while. Not to jump ship totally, but just to have something else to switch to to change mental gears. This is familiar yet different, thanxs for posting it!
September 28, 2006 @ 6:31 pm
jonesboy
Looks like a nice interface; listened to a bunch of the tracks in the “Songs” section, and they all sounds like music made in a tracker.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, mind you.
September 29, 2006 @ 4:19 pm
Jonathan Brodsky
I bought this one a while back, and didn’t use it. I really miss the tracker interface that buzz had, with it pattern vs. arrangement views.
I have been trying to get back into renoise though, maybe I will make a breakthrough with it some day, and actually finish a track.
I think that the problem with any tracker is that the learning curve is really steep, but if you can get over it, the speed at which you can make songs is unstoppable.
I know that there is at least one (semi)famous user of renoise, venetian snares.
Ok, enough disconnected thoughts.
October 4, 2006 @ 5:14 pm
oleg
good program for trackers musicants.
October 20, 2006 @ 3:57 pm
c64
For those interested in testing the new version there is a public RC available now: http://www.renoise.com/download.php
December 26, 2006 @ 7:10 pm
Gnoe-Tang Clan
The infamous Gnoe-Tang Clan even uses this software, so you know it’s *$*@#! good!
February 28, 2007 @ 10:09 pm
elno
I’ve been a registered user of Renoise for quite some time now, and I think it’s great.
Back in the days, I used OctaMED on the Amiga. Until I discovered Renoise, I didn’t think something that suited my needs existed for the PC.
It’s a great tracker/sequencer. It supports VST, got a built-in sample editor, and it allows me to export the music to uncompressed wav files in 32-bit float, 96KHz. Ok… I never export in that high quality, heh, but it’s nice to have the option! ;)
Actually, it got about 1 million options, far too much to describe here, so I’m just going to say “it’s great”, and leave it to other people to try it out for themselves.
Oh, btw; 1.8.0 Final has been release, so it’s not a beta anymore!
March 27, 2007 @ 4:55 pm
Hoodoo McFiggin
I second the “it’s great” attitude. Once you learn the basics of trackers I feel like things pick up speed really fast. Learning curve might be a bit steep for those used to sequencers, but that’s what all of those great Renoise tutorials are for!
Drum programming on a tracker is incredibly fast and easy, and Renoise therefore lends itself quite well to drill and bass, breakcore, etc – hence the Venetian Snares comment above.
October 3, 2007 @ 4:22 pm
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