Meta Devices

Meta Devices

Meta Devices are effects that modulate or control other device parameters instead of manipulating audio. They can even be linked between different tracks, making for complex and powerful routing possibilities.

Common usages for Meta Devices are applying modulations with the *LFO Device or *Signal Follower Device, controlling plugin instrument automation via the *Automation Device, or sending MIDI to plugins using the *MIDI Control Device. There are also devices which can use various real-time inputs (notes, velocity, audio output etc.) to guide their behaviour, such as the *Key-Tracking Device or *Velocity Device. Finally, there are devices which can also be used to route and control other meta or audio effect parameters via the *XY Pad and *Hydra.

Automation Devices

Renoise offers two automation Meta Devices which can be used to automate MIDI or plugin instruments (VSTs or Audio Units). Unlike other sequencers, instruments in Renoise can be played on any track and, by using such devices, you can bind their automation through Pattern Effect Commands or Graphical Automation.

*Automation Device

The (Plugin) Automation Device directly broadcasts parameter value changes to plugin instruments instead of using MIDI. You can manually select which parameter you want to send or automate. The number of available parameters depends on the plugin instrument. Every plugin has a different parameter set, so the parameters which you can control with an automation device depends on those that are available to you.

Below is an example of the "East-West Symphonic Orchestra" plugin. The "1:" indicates that the parameter is reserved for instrument 1, the "2:" for instrument 2, and so on. But this can be different depending on the specific plugin.

*MIDI Control Device

The MIDI Control Device broadcasts MIDI pitch bend, channel pressure, control change and program change commands to instruments.

By default, up to four parameters can be freely configured per device. If you need more than this, then you can extend the number of parameters up to a total of fourteen by clicking on the small arrow in the lower-right corner.

Every parameter in the device has the following options:

• "Custom Name" for CC: Allows you to name your control change parameters, to specify what the CC number does in your plugin or MIDI instrument. CC numbers can be freely assigned in plugins or MIDI instruments. You will find a MIDI implementation chart in your plugin or MIDI synthesizer's reference manual, describing the available parameters.
• On/Off for PB or CP. A number for CC: Toggles the parameter and specifies the CC number that you want to send.
• MIDI Message Type: Can be PB (pitch bend), CP (Channel Pressure), CC (controller change) or Prg (program change).
• Parameter Value: The actual value that is sent or automated.

The MIDI channel cannot be configured in this device; it always uses the instrument's channel setting.

As soon as a song with a MIDI Control Device is loaded, the device will immediately send out all of its enabled parameter messages. Disabling the parameters or setting them to "Off" avoids sending out any messages for parameters you don't want to.

If you want to control a General MIDI instrument quickly (through parameters like volume, panning etc.), you can do so by selecting the "General MIDI" preset of the MIDI Control Device (click on "Init" and change it to "General MIDI").

Mapping Devices

Mapping Devices can be used to route, cross-link or mix automation from different devices.

*Hydra Device

Imagine you would like to control three different sliders in different tracks, using just a single slider. This is possible via the Hydra device, which allows you to map a single parameter to up to nine destination parameters. This opens up a lot of possibilities for cross-routing or macro automation.

The device is named after the Hydra from Greek mythology, a serpent with nine heads.

• Input: The parameter to be mapped to the destination parameters. This value can either be changed by moving the slider in the GUI, by Pattern Effect Commands or via Graphical Automation.
• Dest: The parameter which you want to map to. As soon as a valid connection is made, the Min and Max values will appear and the destination becomes active. To invert a mapping (e.g. control volume from 0 dB to -INF dB, instead of -INF dB to 0 dB), simply swap the Min and Max values.
• Scaling: The scaling that will be applied from the input to the destination. By default, the input will be mapped linearly, but you can also select from two exponential and two logarithmic scales.

*XY Pad

The XY Pad is a small Hydra Device which only maps two destination parameters, but offers a two dimensional XY pad for the automation. With the pad you can easily control two parameters at once.

• X/Y Axis Setup: Configure the X axis destination parameter or the Y axis destination parameter.
• Dest & Scaling: See *Hydra Device.
• Auto Reset: Toggles whether releasing the mouse button on the XY pad will cause the device to jump back to the specified values, much like an auto-centring joystick.

Modulation Devices

Modulation Devices, as the name suggests, modulate other effect parameters. They can be triggered and synced by pattern effect commands, automation, velocity values and even note values and volume envelopes of audio data.

*LFO Device

The LFO Device allows you to easily create a constantly looping Automation. Any effect parameters can be modulated this way, even those of plugin effects or instruments which cannot normally be modulated within the plugin itself.

LFO Device using a sine wave:

LFO Device using a custom shape:

• Reset: Left-clicking resets the LFO's current phase, while right-clicking will automate the reset by placing a command in the current track's effect column. LFOs run constantly, even while the song is stopped. In order to sync the LFO's cycle to the song, you have to automate the "Reset" button. See below for more details.

• Modulation shape:
  • File:Vvoois renoise lfo sine.png - Sine wave oscillator.
  • File:Vvoois renoise lfo saw.png - Sawtooth oscillator.
  • File:Vvoois renoise lfo pulse.png - Pulse oscillator.
  • File:Vvoois renoise lfo random.png - Random oscillator.
  • File:Vvoois renoise lfo custom.png Allows you to draw a custom waveform. If you set the custom wavelength to match the Frequency value, then one automation grid point becomes equal to one Pattern Editor line.

• Dest.: Destination track, effect and parameter, allowing you to specify the parameter to be modulated.

• Amplitude: The maximum range that should be applied to the destination parameter. 100% will modulate the full range.
• Offset: The modulation offset applied to the destination parameter.
• Frequency: The speed of the modulation in Lines per Cycle. For example, an LPC of eight will cycle the LFO once every eight pattern lines.

Syncing LFOs

The "Reset" button can be triggered with the pattern effect command: x7yy, where x stands for the position of the LFO device in the DSP chain (if it's the first device: 1, if the second: 2 etc.) and yy is the offset value:

• 00 restarts the LFO from the beginning.
• 40 restarts the LFO from a quarter of the way through of the cycle.
• 80 restarts the LFO from halfway through the cycle.
• C0 restarts the LFO from three quarters of the way through the cycle.

*Velocity Device

The Velocity Device adds another dimension of control by responding to the velocity values of notes. For example, when modulating a Filter's cutoff value with a Velocity Device, the sound of an instrument can then be drastically altered by pressing the keys harder or softer.

• Instr.: The instrument to be used for input. Selecting "All" will affect every instrument played in the current track.
• Dest.: Destination track, effect and parameter, allowing you to specify the parameter to be modulated.
• Dest. Min: The minimum value to be used from the destination parameter's range.
• Dest. Max: The maximum value to be used from the destination parameter's range.
• Scaling: The scaling that will be applied from the input to the destination. By default, the input will be mapped linearly, but you can also select from two exponential and two logarithmic scales.
• Range: Minimum and maximum velocity range that will be used for input.

*Key-Tracking Device

The Key-Tracking Device works in much the same way as the Velocity Device, except it adjusts a parameter according to note value instead of velocity.

• Instr.: The instrument to be used for input. Selecting "All" will affect every instrument played in the current track.
• Dest.: Destination track, effect and parameter, allowing you to specify the parameter to be modulated.
• Dest. Min: The minimum value to be used from the destination parameter's range.
• Dest. Max: The maximum value to be used from the destination parameter's range.
• Scaling: The scaling that will be applied from the input to the destination. By default, the input will be mapped linearly, but you can also select from two exponential and two logarithmic scales.
• Range: Minimum and maximum velocity range that will be used for input.

Range Modes

In addition to applying a scaling mode to the Key-Tracking Device's range, you can also set up how the range should handle notes:

• Clamp: Each note within the range will trigger an event, while notes outside of the range will be clamped to the specified limits.
• Soft: Notes outside of the range are completely ignored and will not trigger anything.
• Octave: Notes played on different octaves will be handled equally, e.g. a C-5 will have the same effect as a C-4 or C-3.

*Signal Follower Device

The Signal Follower Device analyses a track's audio output via volume tracking, much like compressors do, and then uses it to automate a destination parameter. To set up a side-chaining effect, place the Signal Follower Device in the track you would like to use as a carrier and set the destination parameter as the volume of the Pre-mixer or Gainer in another track.

• Dest.: Destination track, effect and parameter, allowing you to specify the parameter to be modulated.
• Dest. Min: The minimum value to be used from the destination parameter's range.
• Dest. Max: The maximum value to be used from the destination parameter's range.
• Dest. Off: Offsets the destination's min and max values equally by the specified amount. This can be especially useful when you want to automate the modulation.
• Scaling: The scaling that will be applied from the input to the destination. By default, the input will be mapped linearly, but you can also select from two exponential and two logarithmic scales.
• Attack: Attack rate of the volume envelope. Lower values will respond quicker to volume changes in the audio input.
• Release: Release rate of the volume envelope. Higher values will cause the volume tracking to react more softly when the input's volume drops.
• LP Filter: Cutoff frequency of a LowPass Filter applied to the input. Used to restrict the frequency range that will trigger the volume envelope.
• HP Filter: Cutoff frequency of a HighPass Filter applied to the input. Used to restrict the frequency range that will trigger the volume envelope.
• File:Listen filtered input.png: Listen to the filtered input signal only. Gives you a better idea of how the signal will affect the destination parameter.
• L/R/L+R: Select which channel(s) should be used for the input's volume tracking: left (L), right (R) or both (L+R).
• Lookahead: Shifts the envelope back in time by the specified amount, which can be used for snappier attack rates. Activating this will add some latency to the device, so this option will only work if "Automatic Plugin Delay Compensation" is enabled via the "Options" menu.

Cross Track Routing with the Signal Follower

Unlike the other Meta Devices, the Signal Follower cannot affect devices that appear on tracks to the left of its own host track. It is also unable to control effects on the same track as itself, if that device appears before it in the DSP chain. Such tracks and effects will show in the "Dest." box with the suffix: "(N/A)" (i.e. Not Available). This is necessary to ensure that the Signal Follower does not add latency to the song's signal chain. If you want to affect a track or device that currently shows as "(N/A)", then simply reorder the tracks or reorder your effects so that the Signal Follower appears before (to the left of) the desired parameter.