Renoise - what makes it so special?

[bouncingfish]

I've been seeing lots of people using Renoise lately.
To me (Logic user) it looks cool but I still haven't understood what differs it from other DAWs and and why so many are using it!
Googled it and that, but I didn't find anything unexpected at all ("It's a digital audio workstation that is great and it has many great features yes yes good good").
Would anyone mind explaining it to me?
It looks cool as shit.

[Genevieve]

The point of using Renoise over other DAWs is its workflow. It's much quicker and flexible, especially if you're using samples. You don't have to spend much time automating this and that using your mouse and doing prepwork on samples. If you want to microcut a sample, you can use keyboard commands. If you want to turn effects on or off or automate them, you can use commands too. You don't go back and forth between your mouse and keyboard as much. A beat basically writes itself. Think of it as a hyper detailed, vertical, step-sequencer.

Composing and arranging is much easier on it because it looks at the computer and says 'this is how you use a computer most effectively' and the whole DAW is developed with how you can best use a computer in mind to make music.

Most DAWs look at a studio and say 'this is how you make music' and they try to fit that into a computer. Which I think is a less straight forward workflow.

[bouncingfish]

The point of using Renoise over other DAWs is its workflow. It's much quicker and flexible, especially if you're using samples. You don't have to spend much time automating this and that using your mouse and doing prepwork on samples. If you want to microcut a sample, you can use keyboard commands. If you want to turn effects on or off or automate them, you can use commands too. You don't go back and forth between your mouse and keyboard as much. A beat basically writes itself. Think of it as a hyper detailed, vertical, step-sequencer.

Composing and arranging is much easier on it because it looks at the computer and says 'this is how you use a computer most effectively' and the whole DAW is developed with how you can best use a computer in mind to make music.

Most DAWs look at a studio and say 'this is how you make music' and they try to fit that into a computer. Which I think is a less straight forward workflow.

Ah, that sounds awesome!
Thanks mate!

[rockonin]

I watched a video on youtube on renoise for the first time, and the layout was really alien to me, it looked so mathematical lol

[NorthernClash]

The point of using Renoise over other DAWs is its workflow. It's much quicker and flexible, especially if you're using samples. You don't have to spend much time automating this and that using your mouse and doing prepwork on samples. If you want to microcut a sample, you can use keyboard commands. If you want to turn effects on or off or automate them, you can use commands too. You don't go back and forth between your mouse and keyboard as much. A beat basically writes itself. Think of it as a hyper detailed, vertical, step-sequencer.

Composing and arranging is much easier on it because it looks at the computer and says 'this is how you use a computer most effectively' and the whole DAW is developed with how you can best use a computer in mind to make music.

Most DAWs look at a studio and say 'this is how you make music' and they try to fit that into a computer. Which I think is a less straight forward workflow.

That's pretty much it. The pattern effect commands and sample editor make everything so much easier.

[Genevieve]

I watched a video on youtube on renoise for the first time, and the layout was really alien to me, it looked so mathematical lol

Yeah it just looks like that but once you get the hang of it it's actually really easy. Like, you need to only do it once and you get it!

You can also churn out a banger without using the commands once and at first I was kind of afraid of them, but now I can have upto 5 or 6 rows of commands at once :p

If anyone wants a step-by-step explanation of Renoise I could make a little screenshot of a tune and highlight the commands

[Hostile Invasion]

I watched a video on youtube on renoise for the first time, and the layout was really alien to me, it looked so mathematical lol

Yeah it just looks like that but once you get the hang of it it's actually really easy. Like, you need to only do it once and you get it!

You can also churn out a banger without using the commands once and at first I was kind of afraid of them, but now I can have upto 5 or 6 rows of commands at once :p

If anyone wants a step-by-step explanation of Renoise I could make a little screenshot of a tune and highlight the commands

I've just downloaded the demo because I thought Renoise looked interesting. I'd like to see!

[bouncingfish]

I watched a video on youtube on renoise for the first time, and the layout was really alien to me, it looked so mathematical lol

Yeah it just looks like that but once you get the hang of it it's actually really easy. Like, you need to only do it once and you get it!

You can also churn out a banger without using the commands once and at first I was kind of afraid of them, but now I can have upto 5 or 6 rows of commands at once :p

If anyone wants a step-by-step explanation of Renoise I could make a little screenshot of a tune and highlight the commands

You guys are making me want this!

[Genevieve]

Shit I forgot to do it, I'll try doing it tomorrow. :0

[smalltock]

I have been very interested in Renoise, lately.

[Artie_Fufkin]

Hexadecimal, interpolation, 09xx (just recently learned it got changed to 0Sxx, )
oh my.

It's really not that complicated and if you use vsts primarily, you probably won't have to learn how to use the pattern effect commands much. I prefer not to make my patterns all cluttered with command effects unless I'm getting crazy with samples. like experimenting with timestretching/granular resynthesis with the 09xx effects.

If you type in anything in the pattern, it will show what it means in the bottom left corner and will tell you how to use it. If you have any questions, I'll be glad to help.

But what makes it special for me is how fast I can work with it. Navigating through the lines and tracks with the arrow keys, tab, home, end, page up, page down, delete keys is so much faster than using a mouse. You're moving through the lines of the grid, perfectly snapped and don't have to worry about getting a mouse cursor in just the right spot.

Just to go through the keystrokes I would use for example:
1. After loading up the 808 instrument the comes with renoise into instrument slot 00, hit escape to turn on editing mode, start tapping Z(first note, C on the computer keyboard for playing notes like a music keyboard) and delete to insert the bass drum notes and spaces in between(you can get into a groove with this, it's much better imo than clicking into a piano roll for midi drums).
2. Ctrl+T - Create a new Track. Do the same, but with the S key for the snare sample.
3. Ctrl+T for the third track. Just hold down V and editstep will create a constant hi hat loop for you in a second or two. I just inserted 32 hi hat notes like that. bam. I didn't have to click 32 times into a piano roll. Or click 4 times and copy and paste and copy paste and..... wow, like who thought piano rolls were a good idea in the first place?

And I just created a simple little drum loop. Press escape to turn off editing mode and press spacebar to play and listen to that beat you just made in less than a minute. Really if you just try it for yourself, you'll see how nice it is.
Also the tutorials and demo songs are great for learning how to use renoise, how to make certain sounds, and great to steal samples from.
And theres the Renoise Q and A thread http://dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=1212509

[__________]

It works on Linux too!

Really cool piece of software. I enjoyed using it for a while on my laptop, definitely the best DAW for Linux I've used. I'd still use it but I didn't like parts of the GUI.

[smalltock]

I just downloaded the Linux binary for Renoise. I can tell that the developers approached music production differently than other software sequencers. Also, the demo song is long as hell. I've been listening for eight minutes.

[deadly_habit]

That's because it's not a sequencer, it's a tracker.
Most people who grew up with Ataris or Amigas are familiar with them.

[2mb1o]

yep, workflow and sample manipulation !
It's a good tool if you like to work fast, with keybord and if you hate zooming/unzooming all the time.

With Renoise you can also work at insane BPM or strange signature (11/4 or what you want).
Its also interesting to see all keys of melodic part at the same time than clips with a fake pianoroll one by one.

[misk]

you can do things with Renoise that would take forever in any "normal" DAW. also, Renoise 3.0 beta is out. This software kicks EVERYTHING'S ass. more modular than Live, sounds better than any DAW i've heard, and the sample manipulation with the new instrument options is fucking DEEEEEEEEEEP. you could easily write a tune with one sample.

[wolf89]

I just downloaded the Linux binary for Renoise. I can tell that the developers approached music production differently than other software sequencers. Also, the demo song is long as hell. I've been listening for eight minutes.

It's actually a really old approach though.

Personally I'm not sure if I like renoise too much. I mean as someone who got into music playing guitar typing in rows of numbers is even further away from that than most other DAWs about now. However it is very flexible. Doesn't force you into blocks and loops as much and it's very good for chopping breaks and stuff. I think for anything like that I could see myself using it. Maybe for making drums for a grime tune too. Writing melodies is interesting too because it's way easier to see what's happening compared to looking at piano rolls

For techno and stuff I like jamming on hardware to make sounds and then doing lots of weird processing on stuff and can't be arse typing numbers and shit then.

[nowaysj]

It's actually a really old approach though.

So you are saying it is better?

[wolf89]

No it depends on what you're doing.

Personally I'd use it if I was trying to make something kind of jungle influenced.

[misk]

it's the only piece of software i've ever used where you become so comfortable with the tool that the interface between you and your musical ideas disappears