Transport Panel

Transport Panel

Found at the top-left of the Renoise interface, the Transport Panel allows you to control song playback and alter other relevant global options.

Song Controls

- Start playing the song or pattern.

- Toggle pattern looping, which constantly repeats the current pattern.

- Stop song/pattern playback. Click twice or right-click to activate Panic: stopping all sounds immediately.

- Toggle Edit Mode. With Edit Mode enabled, all notes played via the keyboard are recorded into the pattern/phrase. Notes can be recorded into the Pattern Editor while the song is stopped or as it is playing (if Pattern Follow is on).

- Toggle Pattern Follow mode. When enabled, the cursor will follow the playback position down the pattern as the song plays. This allows you to record "live", inserting notes at the current point in the song. When disabled, you can freely move the cursor around as the song plays, inserting notes and making edits wherever you like (most useful with pattern looping on).

- Toggle the metronome. Extra metronome options are available in the Options and Song -> Song Options menus in the Upper Status Bar.

Song Parameters

- Block Loop: This causes a section of the current pattern to be looped and works independent of the full pattern loop option. The value box to the right allows you to adjust the exact fraction size of the looping section. If you need to concentrate on recording and editing only a small section of a pattern, then this option can be very useful.

- Beats per Minute: The current tempo of the song, also known as BPM. As well as whole numbers, the value box can accept numbers with a decimal point, e.g. 125.5. To do this, double click on the value box and enter a new BPM value with the keyboard. To adjust the tempo as the song is playing, you can use the Effect Command ZTxx, where xx is the new BPM in hexadecimal. This can also be Automated on the Master Track.

- Lines per Beat: This changes the number of lines in the Pattern 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 also be adjusted as the song is playing via the Effect Command ZLxx, where xx is the new LPB value in hexadecimal. This can also be Automated on the Master Track.

- Computer Keyboard Velocity: When enabled, the computer keyboard will play and record notes at the velocity set in the value box. When disabled, only notes will be inserted, leaving the existing velocity value untouched.

- Keyboard Octave: The current octave of both the computer keyboard and external MIDI keyboard. Moving this value up and down alters the octave of the notes played and hence their pitch. Please see Playing Notes with the Computer Keyboard for more information about playing and recording notes with the computer keyboard.

- Selected Instrument: If the Instrument Selector is hidden then the currently selected instrument will be displayed here instead. The drop-down menu can be used to select from the list of available instruments.