Instrument Selector

Instrument Selector

The instrument selector in Renoise organizes all available instruments and samples in a song.

Unlike in other sequencer, an instrument in Renoise (like for example a piano sound) is not not necessary bound to a track: you can play the piano instruments on any track you want. In case of sample based instruments, even on multiple tracks simultaneously. Thats why the instrument selector also plays such an important role in Renoise next to the tracks.

The selected instrument in the list, is the one that is currently played back and recorded when editing or recording notes into patterns.

The Pattern Editor refers to instruments by using the number noted in the selector on the left side.

Instruments in Renoise

An instrument in Renoise may be one of the following, or all together:

• one or multiple audio samples set up in the Instrument Settings, possibly layered and modulated in the Instrument Editor
• a plugin instrument (VST or Audio Unit) as set up and loaded in the Instrument Settings
• a MIDI instrument (VST or Audio Unit) as set up in the Instrument Settings

Instrument Selector Overview

Above you see two lists: The upper numbered list is the list of instruments, the list below a list of samples that may be loaded for an instrument. In case of an plugin or MIDI instrument, the sample list will be empty.

The separator line between the sample and instrument list can be dragged with the mouse, so you can make yourself more or less space for the list of samples.

On the left of the list are some common and often used operations:

• +/- : Add or remove an instrument to/from the list
• Cut: Copy, the remove an instrument
• Copy: Copy an instrument to the clipboard (to paste it later on)
• Paste: Paste a previously copied instrument (for example to duplicate it)
• +/-: Add or remove a sample for the currently selected instrument

Modifying, Copy/Pasting Instruments

Right clicking on the selector gives you some more options. Please note that there are two context menus, one for the instrument list, one for the sample list.

• Rename: Give an instrument a new name
• Render Plugin To Instrument: Available for plugin instruments only. This will create a sample based instrument out of the selected plugin instrument. Rendering happens in place, replaces the plugin instrument and finally unloads it. This way you can for example share your song with others.
• Render Plugin To New Instrument: Again available for plugin instruments only. This will create a new sample based instrument out of a plugin instrument, keeping the original instruments untouched.
• Delete unused Instruments: Will unload and remove all instruments in the song, which are not used, not referenced in the song (any patterns).
• Delete unused Samples: Will unload and remove all samples within instruments the song, which are not used, not referenced in the song (any patterns).
• Save Instrument As...: Export an instrument to a file for later use and import. This can also be done in the Disk Browser.

Drag and Drop

The instrument list can be reorganized by drag and dropping instruments around in the Instrument Selector. Same goes to samples. When doing so, Renoise will always automatically adjust the song, so that the samples are correctly played back as before. If you want to swap, replace once instruments with another, you can do so by copy/pasting it, or by remapping it in the Advanced Edit.

Samples can also be drag and dropped from the Disk Browser to the instrument or sample list. Dragging multiple samples into the sample list automatically loads up multiple samples, creates a multi sample instrument.

Sample or instrument files can also be drag and dropped from the Explorer on Windows or Finder on OSX. Please note that then always the currently selected instrument will be overwritten.

Shortcuts

Because Instruments play such an important role in Renoise, you should consider remembering and using the most important ones:

• ALT + UP/DOWN: Select previous/next instrument in the list
• NUMPAD KEYS 1-9: Select first to ninth instrument in the list.
• NUMPAD +/-: Select next or previous page in the selector (then again the numpad numbers to choose an instrument)