Latest revision as of 22:17, 1 December 2025

Phrase Editor

With the Phrase Editor you can compose musical phrases that will be activated when specific notes are played. While Renoise can use phrases to play samples, plugins and MIDI, Redux - as a plugin itself - is restricted to samples and MIDI Output.

There are two methods of creating phrases. The first uses a scaled-down version of the Renoise Pattern Editor, consisting of just a single track and pattern. Besides that difference though, the Tracker Interface method of working is still the same. The second method generates phrases through the Phrase Scripting engine. With this you script what you want the phrase to be - in as simple or complicated a fashion as you like - and it will be automatically generated.

An instrument can feature up to 120 different phrases, one for each available key. Phrases are part of an instrument (.xrni) and so are loaded/saved along with any samples and other instrument data. Individual Phrases (.xrnz) and Scripts (.lua) can be loaded and saved as presets using the drop-down menu located at the top-right corner.

Creating Phrases

If an instrument does not have an existing phrase then the button will need to be pressed (holding ‘Alt’ will create a script).

While the Phrase Editor is open, by default notes played with the computer keyboard will play the instrument as if no phrase exists, allowing you to enter notes and commands as normal without triggering the phrase you're working on. However, this can be changed by focussing on the on-screen keyboard.

Notes played via a MIDI device or the on-screen keyboard will trigger the phrase itself. Recording notes and effects is done by the exact same method used for the Pattern Editor. The phrase length (number of lines) is changed by altering the value in the box at the top-left corner of the phrase. A phrase can be renamed by double-clicking on its name at the top of the phrase and typing in a new one.

Pattern Editor Effect Variations (Renoise only)

A few Effect Commands will behave differently when used in the Renoise Pattern Editor to affect a phrase:

-Bxx - Play phrase backwards (xx = 00) or forwards (xx = 01).
-Sxx - Trigger phrase from line xx.
-Ixx, -Oxx, -Txy - Will also affect any Plugin or MIDI playing in the phrase.

Phrase Editor Options

These options are found at the bottom of the Phrase Editor interface. The drop down menus can quickly insert notes or commands into the relevant sections, while the sliders will insert values.

Edit Step: Sets how many lines the cursor should skip down in the Phrase Editor when entering a note or effect.
##/Vol/Pan/Dly/FX: Toggles the sample/channel, volume, panning, delay and local FX sub-columns.

Automatically Generating A Phrase

It's possible to automatically generate a phrase using notes and effect commands from the Pattern Editor. Right-click on the track/column you would like to source from and choose 'Create Phrase' from the Track/Column sub-menu. Alternatively, select an area and choose 'Create Phrase' from the Selection sub-menu. Note that this method is restricted to sourcing from a single instrument in a single track.

Phrase Controls

With the controls at the bottom-right of the interface you can select phrases from the grid and preview them with the play and stop buttons. The +/- buttons can be used to insert a new phrase (holding ‘Alt’ will create a script) or delete the selected phrase. It's also possible to duplicate a phrase by right-clicking on it and selecting 'Duplicate' from the menu.

The three buttons at the bottom-right are used to either turn phrases off entirely or select the playback method. Program mode is usually a good choice, as it allows unrestricted access to the entire range of the MIDI keyboard. For convenient access to phrases in Program mode, it's recommended to assign the various programs to separate buttons on your MIDI controller. If your host supports the recording of program changes, it should be possible to capture a performance where you switch programs on-the-fly.

The Zxx effect command or an *Instrument Macros device can be used to automatically change an instrument's phrase as the song is playing.

Phrases in Keymap Mode

In Keymap mode, phrases can be played across a range of keys and are shown spanning this range above the keyboard. A phrase can be selected by left-clicking on it, making it the active phrase with a highlighted color and its properties displayed above the keyboard. You can shrink/expand the range of an active phrase by click-dragging its left or right edge, though phrases cannot overlap each other. Click-dragging the phrase body (not the edges) will move it around.

If you hold down "Left Shift" and left-click on another phrase, both this and the active phrase are selected, along with any phrases between them. When multiple phrases are selected, any changes made to the active phrase will also affect the others.

To insert additional phrases just double-click on a blank space in the phrase area above the keyboard. If there is no blank space, you will need to shrink an existing phrase to make room (phrase ranges cannot overlap). A phrase can be deleted or duplicated by right-clicking on it and selecting the appropriate option from the context menu. Phrases can also be duplicated by holding Ctrl and click-dragging to a blank area of suitable size (the duplication will fail if the area is too small).

Changing Triggering Mode

For even greater flexibility, you can switch between these behaviours in real-time. The triggering mode is controlled via MIDI program change events. This illustration shows how the values are distributed:

0 turns phrases Off entirely. 1-126 is Program Mode, with the value selecting a specific phrase. 127 activates Keymap Mode.

Phrase Properties

These options are found just above the keyboard and can be different for each individual phrase.

Edit: (Redux only) Toggle Edit Mode. With Edit Mode enabled, all notes played via the keyboard are recorded into the pattern/phrase.
Beats per Minute: (Redux only) The current tempo of the phrase, also known as BPM. This value is set by the host DAW.
Lines per Beat: This changes the number of lines in the Phrase Editor that make up a musical beat. The higher the LPB, the greater the resolution available to you for editing notes and effects. A phrase's LPB operates independently from the song's LPB.
Shuffle: Shifts the playback timing of each alternate line back and forth to create a 'swinging' feel. Higher values have a more intense effect, while 0% disables it entirely. The playback style is affected by Lines per Beat values above 4, which groups multiple lines together and delays them as a whole instead of individually. You may find it useful to watch our video, Global Groove & Phrase Shuffle.
Autoseek: (Renoise only) During song playback, a phrase is normally only heard once it has been triggered by reaching its position in the pattern. Enabling Autoseek allows the phrase to be heard at any point during song playback without the need for triggering. Note that Autoseeking for samples does not function within a phrase.
Loop: Toggles whether the phrase will loop upon reaching the end.
- Start & End Lines: Specifies the start and end lines of the Loop.
Key Tracking: Sets the behaviour of the phrase across a key range.
- None: The phrase is played exactly the same for all keys.
- Transpose: The pitch of the phrase's notes are transposed to the key played. The playback speed of the phrase is unaffected.
- Offset: Different keys will cause the phrase to begin playing from different lines (lower keys from earlier in the phrase, higher keys from later).
Base Note: The note representing the original pitch of the phrase when "Key Tracking" is set to "Transpose". This can also be changed by right-clicking a note on the keyboard, where the current Base Note is shown as a black circle.

Phrase Scripting

To switch from 'Pattern Phrases' - the Tracker Interface method of working - to 'Script Phrases', just toggle the option at the top of phrase panel:

The Phrase Scripting engine provides an alternative method of creating phrases. Script what you want the phrase to be in the left panel and it will be automatically generated in the right panel. The right panel shows events generated by the script on the stated line numbers with note, volume, panning and delay values, if any are present. If you need more space to view everything, the left and right panels can be resized by click-dragging the separator between them. By default, the options of 'Hover Hints' and 'Autocomplete' are enabled: use the right-click menu to disable them. If you find yourself wanting to increase or decrease the text size in the scripting window, then this can be done with "Ctrl/Cmd + I" or "Ctrl/Cmd + U" when the left panel is focussed.

As with Tools and the Formula device, the scripting language used is Lua, but here you’re able to keep things concise and elegant through the use of mini-notation inspired by Tidal Cycles. Clicking "Read The Docs" at the top of the scripting panel will take you to a complete guide, including a list of the available commands.

To quickly get started with scripting, load in some Preset examples to get an idea of how things work, then try making changes to the script and see what happens to the phrase in the right panel. Creating rhythms, melodic patterns and chords is incredibly easy, while randomisation can be inserted so the phrase plays differently each time.

If you like what you’ve made and want access to the traditional Tracker Interface style of phrase editing - and the other options - just render the script. You can keep generating new versions of a Script phrase and rendering each one to its own individual Pattern phrase.

Input Parameters

To make changes while a song is playing, input parameters can be made available to the user for real-time control or automation via Macros. They can also be assigned to MIDI controllers via MIDI Mapping. When present, any input parameters will be shown beneath the script (or below the comment if the Edit button is disabled).

Script Options

These options are found at the top of the scripting panel.

Edit: When disabled, the script editor will be hidden and replaced by the script’s main comment, if there is one.
Commit/Auto-Commit: When Auto-Commit is enabled, script changes will be automatically applied. When disabled, changes must be manually applied by clicking the Commit button or with the shortcut "Ctrl/Cmd + Return" (when the scripting panel is focussed).
Read The Docs: Takes you to a complete Phrase Scripting guide, including a list of the available commands.
Render: Renders the script into a Pattern phrase, using the LPB and Event Count values. Depending on the script, the render may not exactly match previous script playback. The drop-down menu selection sets whether the render will overwrite the currently selected phrase or create a new phrase.
Copy Phrase: Copies the phrase generated by the script into the clipboard, allowing it to be pasted into other phrases or the Pattern Editor.
LPB: The number of lines that make up a beat in the generated phrase. Set this below 1 to use the song’s LPB.
Event Count (#): The number of Events (something the script will generate on a particular line) that are used for the phrase.

Script Properties

The phrase properties are more limited when scripting, with BPM for Redux, Autoseek for Renoise and Key Tracking for both.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 = Phrase Editor =
-Time runs vertically in a tracker, moving down line-by-line from the top of a phrase to the bottom. So during playback of a phrase, the notes or commands found in each line are triggered in sequence. With the Phrase Editor you can compose musical phrases that will be activated when specific notes are played. Phrases are created using a scaled-down version of the Renoise [[Pattern Editor]], consisting of just a single pattern.
+With the Phrase Editor you can compose musical phrases that will be activated when specific notes are played. While Renoise can use phrases to play [[Sampler|samples]], [[Plugin|plugins]] and [[MIDI]], Redux - as a plugin itself - is restricted to samples and [[MIDI#MIDI_Output|MIDI Output]].
-An instrument can feature up to 120 different phrases, one for each key. Phrases are part of an instrument (.xrni) and so are loaded/saved along with any samples and other instrument data.
+There are two methods of creating phrases. The first uses a scaled-down version of the Renoise [[Pattern Editor]], consisting of just a single track and pattern. Besides that difference though, the [[Tracker Interface]] method of working is still the same. The second method generates phrases through the [[#Phrase Scripting|Phrase Scripting]] engine. With this you script what you want the phrase to be - in as simple or complicated a fashion as you like - and it will be automatically generated.
-The Phrase Editor interface is different between Renoise and Redux for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Renoise phrases can be constructed using any combination of an instrument's [[Sampler|sample]], [[Plugin|plugin]] and [[MIDI]] components, whereas Redux only uses [[Sampler|samples]]. Secondly, there is much more emphasis on using phrases in Redux, so both the interface and the options available are more advanced. However, most of these improvements will make their way into the next version of Renoise.
+An instrument can feature up to 120 different phrases, one for each [[#Phrase in keymap mode|available key]]. Phrases are part of an instrument (.xrni) and so are loaded/saved along with any samples and other instrument data. Individual Phrases (.xrnz) and Scripts (.lua) can be loaded and saved as presets using [[Libraries#Specific Preset Types|the drop-down menu located at the top-right corner]].
-Phrases can also be loaded and saved as presets using [[Specific Preset Types|the drop-down menu located at the top right corner]].
+[[Image:3.5_phrases.png]]
-[[Image:dux1.0_phraseeditor.gif]]
 == Creating Phrases ==
-The Phrase Editor can be opened in Renoise by pressing its button to right of the [[Instruments#Keyboard|keyboard]]. In Redux, just click on the Phrases tab. If an instrument does not have an existing phrase then the [[Image:3.0_phraseeditor-createphrase.png|text-bottom]] button will need to be pressed. In Renoise, On/Off buttons will appear above the Phrase Editor button to enable/disable an instrument's phrases.
+If an instrument does not have an existing phrase then the [[Image:3.5_phraseeditor-createphrase.png|text-bottom]] button will need to be pressed ''(holding ‘Alt’ will create a [[#Phrase Scripting|script]])''.
-While editing a phrase, notes played with the computer keyboard will play the instrument as normal, but notes played via a MIDI device or the [[Instruments#Keyboard|on-screen keyboard]] will trigger the phrase itself. [[Recording and Editing Notes|Recording notes and effects]] is done by the exact same method used for the [[Pattern Editor]]. The [[#Lines|phrase length (number of lines)]] is changed by altering the value in the box at the top left corner of the phrase. A phrase can be renamed by double-clicking on its name and typing in a new one.
+While the Phrase Editor is open, by default notes played with the computer keyboard will play the instrument as if no phrase exists, allowing you to enter notes and commands as normal without triggering the phrase you're working on. However, this can be changed by [[Keyboard_Shortcuts#Keyboard_Focus_Concept|focussing]] on the [[Instruments#Keyboard|on-screen keyboard]].
-=== Columns ===
+Notes played via a MIDI device or the [[Instruments#Keyboard|on-screen keyboard]] ''will'' trigger the phrase itself. [[Recording and Editing Notes|Recording notes and effects]] is done by the exact same method used for the [[Pattern Editor]]. The [[Tracker Interface#Lines|phrase length (number of lines)]] is changed by altering the value in the box at the top-left corner of the phrase. A phrase can be renamed by double-clicking on its name at the top of the phrase and typing in a new one.
-There are two different types of column in a phrase: note and effect. There can be up to twelve note-columns, which are used to [[Recording_and_Editing_Notes|record instruments by entering notes]]. They also have three extra sub-columns, which are used to control the volume, panning and delay parameters on a per-note basis. The panning and delay sub-columns are not visible by default. To show/hide them you can use the keyboard shortcuts, ''"Left Control/Command + Left Shift + V (Volume), P (Panning), D (Delay)"'', or you can press the corresponding buttons in the [[#Phrase Editor Controls|Phrase Editor Controls]].
+=== Pattern Editor Effect Variations ''(Renoise only)'' ===
-Effect columns are used to apply [[Effect Commands]] that can affect the behaviour of [[Instruments]]. They are set up in the format: ''xxyy'', where ''xx'' defines the effect type (e.g. pitch glide) and ''yy'' defines the effect's value (e.g. the rate of the pitch glide). There can be up to eight master effect-columns and in Redux, an optional local effect-column for each note-column.
+A few [[Effect Commands]] will behave differently when used in the Renoise [[Pattern Editor]] to affect a phrase:
-The image below illustrates the typical layout of a phrase:
+* '''-Bxx''' - Play phrase backwards (xx = 00) or forwards (xx = 01).
+* '''-Sxx''' - Trigger phrase from line xx.
+* '''-Ixx''', '''-Oxx''', '''-Txy''' - Will also affect any [[Plugin]] or [[MIDI]] playing in the phrase.
-[[Image:dux1.0_phrases-columns.png]]
+=== Phrase Editor Options ===
-* '''Note:''' e.g. C-4, A#3. The first two characters represent the musical note, while the third character is the octave number. The notes are not entered letter by letter like a text editor, but like a piano, [[Recording_and_Editing_Notes|using the computer keyboard or a MIDI master keyboard]].
+[[Image:3.5_phrases-options.png]]
-* '''Sample Number:''' ''(Redux only)'' The sample that will play the note. This is automatically entered when the note is recorded, but it can be changed by hand.
-* '''Volume:''' (00-80) - The note velocity/volume, where 00=minimum and 80=maximum. [[Effect Commands#Volume or Panning Column|Additional effects]] can also be triggered from here.
-* '''Panning:''' (00-80) - The panning of the note, where 00=full left, 40=center and 80=full right. In Renoise, this will only be applied to [[Sampler|samples]] ([[MIDI]] and [[Plugin|VST]] plugins will be unaffected by values in this sub-column). [[Effect Commands#Volume or Panning Column|Additional effects]] can also be triggered from here.
-* '''Delay:''' (00-FF) - A time delay added to the note, where 00 is no delay and FF will result in the note being delayed until immediately before the next line.
-* '''Local FX:''' ''(Redux only)'' [[Effect Commands]] entered into this column will only affect the samples being played in this particular note column.
-* '''Master FX:''' [[Effect Commands]] entered into this column will affect the entire phrase.
-==== Adding / Removing Columns ====
+These options are found at the bottom of the Phrase Editor interface. The drop down menus can quickly insert notes or commands into the relevant sections, while the sliders will insert values.
-To add/remove Note or Effect columns, you can use the [[Image:dux1.0_tracks-add-delete.png]] buttons at the top of the phrase. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut, ''"Left Control/Command + Left Shift + left/right arrow key"'' to either add/remove a Note or Effect column, depending on where the cursor is (place it where you would like that column type to be duplicated).
+* '''Edit Step:''' Sets how many lines the cursor should skip down in the Phrase Editor when entering a note or effect.
+* '''##/Vol/Pan/Dly/FX:''' Toggles the [[Tracker Interface#Columns|sample/channel, volume, panning, delay and local FX sub-columns]].
-=== Pattern Editor Effect Variations ''(Renoise only)'' ===
+=== Automatically Generating A Phrase ===
-A few commands will behave differently when used in the Renoise [[Pattern Editor]] to affect a phrase:
+It's possible to automatically generate a phrase using notes and effect commands from the Pattern Editor. Right-click on the track/column you would like to source from and choose 'Create Phrase' from the Track/Column sub-menu. Alternatively, [[Tracker_Interface#Navigating_.26_Selecting|select an area]] and choose 'Create Phrase' from the Selection sub-menu. Note that this method is restricted to sourcing from a single instrument in a single track.
-* '''0Bxx''' - Play phrase backwards (xx = 00) or forwards (xx = 01).
-* '''0Sxx''' - Trigger phrase from line xx.
-* '''0Ixx''', '''0Oxx''', '''0Txy''' - Will also affect any [[Plugin]] or [[MIDI]] playing in the phrase.
-=== Lines ===
+== Phrase Controls ==
-Each individual phrase can have a different length, from 1 to 512 lines, which can be changed by altering the value in the box at the top left of the Phrase Editor: [[Image:dux1.0_phrases-lines.png|text-bottom]]
+[[Image:3.5_phrases-controls.png]]
-==== Lines, Beats and Pattern Resolution ====
+With the controls at the bottom-right of the interface you can select phrases from the grid and preview them with the play and stop buttons. The +/- buttons can be used to insert a new phrase ''(holding ‘Alt’ will create a [[#Phrase Scripting|script]])'' or delete the selected phrase. It's also possible to duplicate a phrase by right-clicking on it and selecting 'Duplicate' from the menu.
-In the [[#Phrase Properties|Phrase Properties panel]] there is an LPB option, which changes the number of lines in the Phrase Editor that make up a musical beat. The higher the LPB, the greater the resolution available to you for editing notes, effects and automation. This can be can be a different value for each individual phrase.
+The three buttons at the bottom-right are used to either turn phrases off entirely or select the playback method. Program mode is usually a good choice, as it allows unrestricted access to the entire range of the MIDI keyboard. For convenient access to phrases in Program mode, it's recommended to assign the various programs to separate buttons on your MIDI controller. If your host supports the recording of program changes, it should be possible to capture a performance where you switch programs on-the-fly.
-By default the LPB is 4, meaning that placing a note on every highlighted line will create a simple 4/4 beat in a pattern that is 16 lines long.  How many lines you use for a beat is totally up to you, but it can be important to get it correct if you're using Renoise/Redux to interact with other beat-based instruments or sequencers, (e.g. plugins which use beat timings) or when syncing a song/phrase with other applications via ReWire.
+The [[Effect_Commands#Instrument_Commands|Zxx effect command]] or an [[Meta_Devices#.2AInstrument_Macros|*Instrument Macros device]] can be used to automatically change an instrument's phrase as the song is playing.
-When working with time signatures other than 4/4, it's useful to set your number of lines in a pattern to a factor of the time signature's numerator multiplied by the LPB. For example, when working in 3/4 and a LBP of 4, you could use a pattern length of 12, 24 or 48; when working in 5/4 you could use a pattern length of 20 or 40 etc. This will allow you to place your notes on exact phrase lines without having to delay notes with the delay column.
+=== Phrases in Keymap Mode ===
+[[Image:3.5_phrases-keymap.png]]
-== Phrases In Redux ==
+In Keymap mode, phrases can be played across a range of keys and are shown spanning this range above the [[Instruments#Keyboard|keyboard]]. A phrase can be selected by left-clicking on it, making it the active phrase with a highlighted color and its [[#Phrase Properties|properties]] displayed above the keyboard. You can shrink/expand the range of an active phrase by click-dragging its left or right edge, though phrases cannot overlap each other. Click-dragging the phrase body (not the edges) will move it around.
-[[Image:dux1.0_phrases-controls.png]]
+If you hold down "Left Shift" and left-click on another phrase, both this and the active phrase are selected, along with any phrases between them. When multiple phrases are selected, any changes made to the active phrase will also affect the others.
-With the controls at the bottom right of the interface you can select phrases from the grid, create or delete phrases (+/- buttons), preview them with the play and stop buttons and choose their playback method. Program mode is usually a good choice, as it allows unrestricted access to the entire range of the MIDI keyboard. For convenient access to phrases in Program mode, it's recommended to assign the various programs to separate buttons on your MIDI controller. If your host supports the recording of program changes, it should be possible to capture a performance where you switch programs on-the-fly.
+To insert additional phrases just double-click on a blank space in the phrase area above the [[Instruments#Keyboard|keyboard]]. If there is no blank space, you will need to shrink an existing phrase to make room (phrase ranges cannot overlap). A phrase can be deleted or duplicated by right-clicking on it and selecting the appropriate option from the context menu. Phrases can also be duplicated by holding Ctrl and click-dragging to a blank area of suitable size (the duplication will fail if the area is too small).
+=== Changing Triggering Mode ===
-== Phrases in Renoise and Redux Keymap Mode ==
+For even greater flexibility, you can switch between these behaviours in real-time. The triggering mode is controlled via [[MIDI#MIDI_Messages|MIDI program change events]]. This illustration shows how the values are distributed:
-[[Image:3.0_phraseeditor-phrases.png]]
+[[Image:dux1.0_phrases-triggeringmodes.png]]
-Phrases can be played across a range of keys and are shown spanning this range above the [[Instruments#Keyboard|keyboard]]. A phrase can be selected by left-clicking on it, making it the active phrase with a highlighted colour and its [[#Phrase Properties|properties]] displayed above the keyboard. You can shrink/expand the range of an active phrase by click-dragging its left or right edge, though phrases cannot overlap each other. Click-dragging the phrase body (not the edges) will move it around.
+turns phrases Off entirely. 1-126 is Program Mode, with the value selecting a specific phrase. 127 activates Keymap Mode.
-If you hold down "Left Shift" and left-click on another phrase, both this and the active phrase are selected, along with any phrases between them. When multiple phrases are selected, any changes made to the active phrase will also affect the others.
-To insert additional phrases just double-click on a blank space in the phrase area. If there is no blank space, you will need to shrink an existing phrase to make room (phrase ranges cannot overlap). A phrase can be deleted or duplicated by right-clicking on it and selecting the appropriate option from the context menu. Phrases can also be duplicated by holding Ctrl and click-dragging to a blank area of suitable size (the duplication will fail if the area is too small).
+== Phrase Properties ==
+[[Image:3.2_phrases-properties.png]]
+[[Image:dux1.1_phrases-phraseproperties.png]]
-== Changing Triggering Mode ==
+These options are found just above the [[Instruments#Keyboard|keyboard]] and can be different for each individual phrase.
-For even greater flexibility, Redux allows you to switch between these behaviours in real-time. The triggering mode is controlled via MIDI program change events. This illustration shows how the values are distributed:
+* '''Edit:''' ''(Redux only)'' Toggle [[Recording_and_Editing_Notes#Edit_Mode|Edit Mode]]. With [[Recording_and_Editing_Notes#Edit_Mode|Edit Mode]] enabled, all notes played via the keyboard are recorded into the pattern/phrase.
+* '''Beats per Minute:''' ''(Redux only)'' The current tempo of the phrase, also known as BPM. This value is set by the host DAW.
+* '''Lines per Beat:''' This changes the number of lines in the Phrase Editor that make up a musical beat. The higher the LPB, the greater the resolution available to you for editing notes and effects. A phrase's LPB operates independently from the [[Transport Panel|song's LPB]].
+* '''Shuffle:''' Shifts the playback timing of each alternate line back and forth to create a 'swinging' feel. Higher values have a more intense effect, while 0% disables it entirely. The playback style is affected by Lines per Beat values above 4, which groups multiple lines together and delays them as a whole instead of individually. You may find it useful to watch our video, [https://youtu.be/lvTrl0rXzMU Global Groove & Phrase Shuffle.]
+* '''Autoseek:''' ''(Renoise only)'' During song playback, a phrase is normally only heard once it has been triggered by reaching its position in the pattern. Enabling Autoseek allows the phrase to be heard at any point during song playback without the need for triggering. Note that [[Sampler#Sample Properties|Autoseeking for samples]] does not function within a phrase.
+* '''Loop:''' Toggles whether the phrase will loop upon reaching the end.
+** '''Start & End Lines:''' Specifies the start and end lines of the Loop.
+* '''Key Tracking:''' Sets the behaviour of the phrase across a key range.
+** '''None:''' The phrase is played exactly the same for all keys.
+** '''Transpose:''' The pitch of the phrase's notes are transposed to the key played. The playback speed of the phrase is unaffected.
+** '''Offset:''' Different keys will cause the phrase to begin playing from different lines (lower keys from earlier in the phrase, higher keys from later).
+* '''Base Note:''' The note representing the original pitch of the phrase when ''"Key Tracking"'' is set to ''"Transpose"''. This can also be changed by right-clicking a note on the [[Instruments#Keyboard|keyboard]], where the current Base Note is shown as a black circle.
-[[Image:dux1.0_phrases-triggeringmodes.png]]
-turns phrases Off entirely. 1-126 is Program Mode, with the value selecting a specific phrase. 127 activates Keymap Mode.
+== Phrase Scripting ==
+[[Image:3.5_phrases-script.png]]
+To switch from 'Pattern Phrases' - the [[Tracker Interface]] method of working - to 'Script Phrases', just toggle the option at the top of phrase panel: [[Image:3.5_phrases-patternscript-script.png]]
-== Phrase Editor Controls ==
+The Phrase Scripting engine provides an alternative method of creating phrases. Script what you want the phrase to be in the left panel and it will be automatically generated in the right panel. The right panel shows events generated by the script on the stated line numbers with note, volume, panning and delay values, if any are present. If you need more space to view everything, the left and right panels can be resized by click-dragging the separator between them. By default, the options of 'Hover Hints' and 'Autocomplete' are enabled: use the right-click menu to disable them. If you find yourself wanting to increase or decrease the text size in the scripting window, then this can be done with ''"Ctrl/Cmd + I"'' or ''"Ctrl/Cmd + U"'' when the left panel is [[Keyboard_Shortcuts#Keyboard_Focus_Concept|focussed]].
-=== Renoise ===
+[[Image:3.5_phrases-script-rightpanel.png]]
-[[Image:3.0_phraseeditor-topoptions.png]]
+As with [[Tools]] and the [[Meta Devices#*Formula|Formula]] device, the scripting language used is [https://www.lua.org Lua,] but here you’re able to keep things concise and elegant through the use of mini-notation inspired by [https://tidalcycles.org/docs/reference/mini_notation Tidal Cycles.] Clicking "Read The Docs" at the top of the scripting panel will take you to [https://renoise.github.io/pattrns/ a complete guide,] including a list of the available commands.
-These options are found at the top of the Phrase Editor interface.
+To quickly get started with scripting, load in some [[Libraries#Specific Preset Types|Preset examples]] to get an idea of how things work, then try making changes to the script and see what happens to the phrase in the right panel. Creating rhythms, melodic patterns and chords is incredibly easy, while randomisation can be inserted so the phrase plays differently each time.
-* '''Play:''' Start/stop playing the phrase.
+If you like what you’ve made and want access to the traditional [[Tracker Interface]] style of phrase editing - and the other options - just render the script. You can keep generating new versions of a Script phrase and rendering each one to its own individual Pattern phrase.
-* '''Stop:''' Stop phrase playback.
-* '''Record:''' Toggle [[Recording_and_Editing_Notes#Edit_Mode|Edit Mode]]. With [[Recording_and_Editing_Notes#Edit_Mode|Edit Mode]] enabled, all notes played via the keyboard are recorded into the phrase. Notes can be recorded either while the phrase is stopped or playing.
-* '''Edit Step:''' Sets how many lines the cursor should skip down in the Phrase Editor when entering a note or effect.
+=== Input Parameters ===
-* '''Vol/Pan/Dly:''' Toggles the [[Pattern Editor#Columns|volume, panning and delay sub-columns]].
-* '''FX:''' Quickly show and add [[Effect Commands]].
-* '''Presets:''' Load and save phrase presets.
+[[Image:3.5_phrases-script-inputparameters.png]]
-* '''X:''' Close the Phrase Editor.
-=== Redux ===
+To make changes while a song is playing, input parameters can be made available to the user for real-time control or automation via [[Sampler#Macros|Macros]]. They can also be assigned to MIDI controllers via [[MIDI Mapping]]. When present, any input parameters will be shown beneath the script (or below the comment if the Edit button is disabled).
-[[Image:dux1.0_phrases-options.png]]
+=== Script Options ===
-These options are found at the bottom of the Phrase Editor interface. The drop down menus can quickly insert notes or commands into the relevant sections, while the sliders will insert values.
+[[Image:3.5_phrases-scriptoptions.png]]
-* '''Edit Step:''' Sets how many lines the cursor should skip down in the Phrase Editor when entering a note or effect.
+These options are found at the top of the scripting panel.
-* '''##:''' Toggles the sample sub-column.
-* '''Vol/Pan/Dly:''' Toggles the [[Pattern Editor#Columns|volume, panning and delay sub-columns]].
-* '''FX:''' Toggle the effect column for the individual note columns.
-== Phrase Properties ==
+* '''Edit:''' When disabled, the script editor will be hidden and replaced by the script’s main comment, if there is one.
+* '''Commit/Auto-Commit:''' When Auto-Commit is enabled, script changes will be automatically applied. When disabled, changes must be manually applied by clicking the Commit button or with the shortcut ''"Ctrl/Cmd + Return" (when the scripting panel is [[Keyboard_Shortcuts#Keyboard_Focus_Concept|focussed]])''.
+* '''Read The Docs:''' Takes you to [https://renoise.github.io/pattrns/ a complete Phrase Scripting guide], including a list of the available commands.
+* '''Render:''' Renders the script into a Pattern phrase, using the LPB and Event Count values. Depending on the script, the render may not exactly match previous script playback. The drop-down menu selection [[Image:3.5_interface-dropdown.png|text-bottom]] sets whether the render will overwrite the [[#Phrase Controls|currently selected phrase]] or create a new phrase.
+* '''Copy Phrase:''' Copies the phrase generated by the script into the clipboard, allowing it to be pasted into other phrases or the [[Pattern Editor]].
+* '''LPB:''' The number of lines that make up a beat in the generated phrase. Set this below 1 to use [[Transport Panel|the song’s LPB]].
+* '''Event Count (#):''' The number of Events ''(something the script will generate on a particular line)'' that are used for the phrase.
-[[Image:dux1.0_phrases-phraseproperties.png]]
+=== Script Properties ===
-These options are found just above the [[Instruments#Keyboard|keyboard]] and can be different for each individual phrase.
+[[Image:3.5_phrases-scriptproperties.png]]
-* '''Edit:''' ''(Redux only)'' Toggle [[Recording_and_Editing_Notes#Edit_Mode|Edit Mode]]. With [[Recording_and_Editing_Notes#Edit_Mode|Edit Mode]] enabled, all notes played via the keyboard are recorded into the pattern/phrase.
+The [[#Phrase Properties|phrase properties]] are more limited when scripting, with BPM for Redux, Autoseek for Renoise and Key Tracking for both.
-* '''Beats per Minute:''' ''(Redux only)'' The current tempo of the phrase, also known as BPM. This value is set by the host DAW.
-* '''Lines per Beat:''' This changes the number of lines in the Phrase Editor that make up a musical beat. The higher the LPB, the greater the resolution available to you for editing notes and effects. A phrase's LPB operates independently from the [[Transport Panel|song's LPB]].
-* '''Shuffle:''' Shifts the playback timing of lines back and forth to create a 'swinging' feel. Higher values have a more intense effect, while 0% disables it entirely.
-* '''Loop:''' Toggles whether the phrase will loop upon reaching the end.
-** '''Start & End Lines:''' ''(Redux only)'' Specifies the start and end lines of the Loop.
-* '''Key Tracking:''' Sets the behaviour of the phrase across a key range.
-** '''None:''' The phrase is played exactly the same for all keys.
-** '''Transpose:''' The pitch of the phrase's notes are transposed to the key played. The playback speed of the phrase is unaffected.
-** '''Offset:''' Different keys will cause the phrase to begin playing from different lines (lower keys from earlier in the phrase, higher keys from later).
-* '''Base Note:''' The note representing the original pitch of the phrase when ''"Key Tracking"'' is set to ''"Transpose"''. ''Renoise only: This can also be changed by right-clicking a note on the [[Instruments#Keyboard|keyboard]], where the current Base note is shown as a black circle''.

Phrase Editor: Difference between revisions