Renoise 3.5 and Redux 1.4 Released

The Renoise team have announced that Renoise v3.5 and Redux v1.4 are now available.

So we've finally arrived at Renoise 3.5, by far the most substantial update since 3.0. Not just when it comes to the power of the new features, but also the sheer number of upgrades and improvements.

General Enhancements

• Phrase Scripting Engine:

  • Experimental new real-time phrase scripting system that allows programmatic creation or live coding of musical phrases using Lua.

  • This feature integrates pattrns, a new open-source project that provides an imperative-style music sequence generator with support for Tidal Cycles' mini-notation.

  • Detailed information, API reference and examples can be found in the pattrns guide.

• Splitter Effect Device:

  • Works just like a Doofer when it comes to adding effects and setting up macros, but has the additional ability of splitting the audio into two sub-signals, each with their own effect chain.

  • The sub-signals can be one of three types: Parallel for two identical copies, Mid/Side separates the mid and side channels of the sound, while Frequency separates it into low and high frequency bands.

• Microtuning Support:

  • Support for MTS-ESP microtuning and Scala tuning files has been added as part of an instrument's native scaling.

  • Renoise sample-based instruments can now act as MTS-ESP clients. You'll need to use an MTS master such as the free MTS-ESP Mini plugin on Windows and MacOS or Surge XT on Linux.

  • Scala tuning files can be used without any additional software and are saved with any instrument or song that uses them.

• Ableton Link Start/Stop:

  • Optional start/stop synchronisation with Ableton Link. (Renoise only).

  • For improved collaboration with other Ableton Link compatible devices and software. Note that start/stop synchronisation must be enabled on all Link peers for them to start/stop together.

• Multi-CPU Performance Enhancements:

  • Significant performance improvements on multi-core systems. (Renoise only).

  • Reduced initial CPU load in complex songs and lowering CPU usage in many songs, allowing you to use more DSP FX and instruments.

• New Factory Content:

  • Fresh presets and additional material contributed by zensphere to inspire new creative workflows.

  • The new content includes a whole bunch of new instruments, samples, doofers, splitters and DSP effect presets.

Redux Enhancements

• MIDI Out: Notes and other instrument data can be sent to the host DAW through MIDI, with the most obvious use being Redux directly controlling other instruments.

• VST3 Support: Redux is now available in VST3 format.

• Preference Sync: Changes in one Redux instance will apply to other running Redux plugin instances.

Tooling & Scripting Enhancements

• Lua API Enhancements: New APIs, bindings and vastly improved UI possibilities for tool developers. (Renoise only).

  See Lua API v6.2 changes for a complete list of changes.

• LuaJIT Interpreter: Replaced Lua 5.1 with LuaJIT for improved performance in Renoise Tools, Formula device, and the Phrase Scripting Engine.

• Scripting Terminal Updates: Adjustable font sizes, better auto-reload functionality with external editors, and improved error navigation.

• LuaLS Language Server Integration: Smarter editing with advanced features like code suggestions and error checking in Renoise's built in script editor.

User Interface Updates

• UI Scaling Options: More fractional scaling settings for better compatibility with HiDPI displays.

• New Pattern Font: Refined visuals for improved readability, especially on HiDPI displays.

• Updated Font Rendering Engine: With enhanced/fixed kerning.

• macOS Fullscreen Mode: Now uses the default macOS fullscreen mode with spaces and tiling options.

Workflow Improvements

• Sample Editor Improvements: Copy/pasting sample selections into new sample buffers now includes basic sample properties as well.

• Instrument List Enhancements: Resizable list with note and sample playback previews. Also indicates the last track the instrument was played on. (Renoise only).

• Browser Enhancements: Hide-able Disk Browser and improved default naming. (Renoise only).

• Mixer Updates: Adjustable meter sizes, RMS and peak level display. (Renoise only).

• Insert Group From Selection: New command (Control + Alt + G) for quick group creation from selected tracks. (Renoise only).

• Notepad Device: Remind yourself, or inform others, of what's going on in an effect chain. Especially handy for complex Doofers and Splitters.

• EQ5 & EQ10 Enhancements: Channel selection is now always available and there's two new options for applying the EQ to only the Mid or Side channels.

• Instrument Automation: This device now has 'target' buttons which allow clicking on an external plugin GUI to assign a parameter (if supported by the plugin).

• Piano In Phrase Editor: Can now be focused by clicking on it or via 'Control + Tab', so instead of playing single notes or editing, keypresses will play the phrase.

• Phrases & Multitimbral Plugins: If an instrument is using Plugin or MIDI, the Phrase Editor's sample column can now direct notes to a specific MIDI channel. This is huge for multi-timbral plugins, since this is an alternative to aliasing across multiple instruments.

• MIDI Controlled Macros: An instrument's macros can now be controlled by MIDI CC#70-77.

• Pattern Editor Selection Operations: The pattern and phrase editor will use the note or FX under the cursor when there's no selection set.

• Pattern Editor Pasting: Now automatically enables columns from the clipboard content.

• Formula Device: Has the Tool enhancements mentioned above and a new External Editor.

• MIDI Octave Transpose Option: A new button in the Transport Panel toggles whether MIDI notes from external keyboards will be transposed by the Octave setting.

• Windows WASAPI: Added support for mono devices, enhanced automatic audio channel conversions. (Renoise only).

VST3 Compatibility & Fixes

• Track names and colors will be passed to VST3 plugins that support it.
• Beat positions of patterns are passed as bar start to plugins. Signature changes are guessed from pattern lengths.
• VST3 parameter set change issues/crashes: Resolved parameter set change errors in plugins like Reaktor VST3 (Forum Link).
• Korg VST3 plugin should now display correctly on Windows. (Forum Link).
• PlugdataFX VST3 crash (Forum Link).
• Linux VST3 plugins scanning issue (Forum Link).

Other Bug Fixes

• Beatsync crash with time-stretch and texture mode (Forum Link).
• Possibly wrong applied volume I/O commands with phrases (Forum Link).
• Key Tracker inconsistencies (Forum Link).
• Convolver reload activation issue (Forum Link).
• Repeater BPM sync failure (Forum Link).
• Faulty Mono In mpReverb DSP FX (Forum Link).
• MixerEQ mid frequency display was wrong (Forum Link).
• Filter modulated ghost notes causing noisy pops (Forum Link).
• Stepper Length can be 257 steps (instead of 256) (Forum Link).
• External editor resizing quirk for modulation macros (Forum Link) (Renoise only).
• Right clicking DSP effect bypass now respects "Record into Envelopes" settings (Renoise only).
• Stop FX command now works in Send tracks (Forum Link) (Renoise only).
• Send Receiver now always matches routing when automated by Meta devices (Forum Link).
• Copy/Paste issues between Renoise and other apps on Linux with Wayland (Forum Link) (Renoise only).
• Holding Shift Doesn't Stay On Line in Sample FX Column (Forum Link).
• Changing parameters in sandboxed plugin editors caused a flood of "Change Value" undo steps.

System Requirement Updates

• Windows: Windows 10 or later, 64-bit.
• macOS: Intel or Apple Silicon based Mac with macOS 11.0 or later.
• Linux x86_64: glibc 2.31 or later and X.org 7.1+ (e.g. Ubuntu 20 LTS or later).
• Linux arm64: glibc 2.28 or later and X.org 7.1+. (e.g. Debian 10, Raspberry Pi 64-bit OS).

Redux is available as a 64-bit VST3 on all supported platforms, and Audio Unit plugin for macOS.

Linux ARM 32-bit (armhf) builds for the Raspberry PI have been dropped. Use a 64-bit based OS instead. Support for ReWire was dropped from Renoise as well, as there are hardly any other ReWire-compatible DAWs left.

Price Updates

Renoise licenses are valid for a full version number and Renoise 2.5 got released nearly a decade ago, so this update will be free for most existing Renoise users. The Redux update is free to all existing Redux users.

For new supporters, the prices (plus local VAT) are now:

• Renoise: EUR 76,00, USD 88.00.
• Redux: EUR 48,00, USD 56.00.

YouTube.com/watch?v=9c9Qq5LieBY