Sampler Keyzones

Sample Keyzones

The Sample Keyzones tab is used to create keymaps for sample-based instruments across a variety of key ranges and velocities. It is also possible to create and overlap zones for instruments with multiple samples. This can be done for both Note-On (key press) and Note-Off (key release) inputs, via separate layers.

The Interface

The Sample Keyzones interface consists of a large central section showing the zones above a keyboard, with various options above and below. The keyboard represents the various notes that can be played within Renoise along the horizontal plane, while the velocity key-press range of 00-80 is shown vertically. This grid is used to create the range of the keyzones for an instrument.

Placing the mouse pointer over the grid or keyboard and scrolling the mouse wheel will zoom in/out, giving you access to more/less detail horizontally. The scrollbar beneath the keyboard can be used to move around while zoomed in.

The keys of the keyboard can played by left-clicking on them. Playing via the computer/MIDI keyboard will show the current key being pressed with a highlighted colour. Right clicking on a key will change the Base Note of the current zone, transposing its pitch, an option that can also be adjusted via the value box in the bottom left corner of the interface.

Creating Keyzones

Selecting & Adjusting the Zones

The shaded area(s) within the grid represents the velocity and key zone that will trigger the assigned sample(s). A zone can be selected by left-clicking on it or using the zone selection menu in the top left of the interface. You can also select the desired sample and its associated zone in the Instrument Settings tab. Multiple zones can selected at once by either Ctrl + left-click-ing individually or Shift + left-click-ing to select a range. The currently selected zone(s) will be highlighted.

As the notes are played on the keyboard, the zones of corresponding samples are automatically selected. You can turn this behaviour off by unchecking the box at the top left corner of the interface.

The range of a selected zone can be adjusted by left-click-dragging its edge or changing the values shown in the bottom left of the interface. A selected zone can also be moved around as whole by left-clicking on it and moving the mouse while holding the button down. It is possible to have overlapping zones, so that multiple samples can be triggered at once with a single key.

Inserting & Deleting Zones

To insert a new keyzone, place the mouse pointer over the vertical column of the key you would like to be used and right-click to open the context menu. From the "Insert New" sub-menu, select the sample you would like to use this new zone for. A single sample can have multiple zones spread around the grid. They also have the possibility of overlapping, which will simultaneously trigger the same sample multiple times.

A zone can be deleted by selecting it and pressing "Delete" or "Backspace", or using the right-click menu and selecting "Remove".

Automatically Assigning Zones to Samples

Pressing the Distribute button in the top right corner of the interface will evenly distribute the number of samples in an instrument across the entire key range.

Just to the left of this, the Drumkit button will assign each sample to a single key, starting from the note selected in the value box to the right. Using the down arrow button just to the right of the Drumkit button, two additional options can be selected. "Use White Keys Only", will obviously only assign zones to the white keys, while "First Octave for Transposing" will assign an entire octave to the first sample of the instrument.

Using Instrument Envelopes

At the bottom right corner of the interface is the "Use Instrument Envelopes" checkbox. With this you can enable and disable the use of the Instrument Envelopes for each individual keyzone.

Note On/Off Layers

At the top left of the interface are two buttons that switch the grid focus between creating keyzones for Note-On and Note-Off inputs. This gives you the option of triggering samples for both the pressing and releasing of a key. The Bassnote and Use Instrument Envelopes options also function independently between layers.

By having a note with no keyzone in the Note-On layer, but with one in Note-Off, it is possible to have no sound played when a key is pressed, only when released.