Just in time for a new decade, Renoise 2.5 BETA is here.

New features

• Pattern Matrix: A birds eye view and editor of the song
• Cross Track Routing for “Meta Devices” and new devices like the “Signal Follower”, which allows you to sidechain other tracks parameters
• Plugin Grabber: Render Plugin Instruments to Renoise Instruments, Samples
• Vastly Improved MIDI Mapping
• A Bunch of New Internal Effects
• And much more…

A detailed description of the new features can be found at the Renoise 2.5 launch page.

Download

Beta versions are exclusive to registered users. If you are a registered user, you can get the beta from the Renoise Backstage.

Pricing and Availability

The first public 2.5 versions will be release candidates. The final version is expected to be released at the beginning of next year.

The price of Renoise will change from 49 Euro to 59 Euro when the final version is released. Everyone that buys Renoise 2.5 before the final version will get Renoise for the old price of 49 Euro. This covers upgrades up until and including version 3.5.

Those who registered Renoise before version 1.5, can update their license in the backstage. The price for a full versions upgrade is 39 EUR.

More information can be found at the Renoise Order page.

With the help of Achenar (i.e. Earthen Records), we’ve produced a new video for beginners. Check out the Renoise Homepage to watch it. Me personally? I’m a fan of the thick Scottish accent. There’s even a Japanese (日本語) version on YouTube (click the triangular button in the bottom right corner, and turn ON the captions). Pass it on.

The results of the Efficient Music Compo have been calculated and the winner was announced in a live internet radio show. For those who missed it, you can download it now: Efficient Music Compo Show [50MB].

Check out the complete list of Efficient Music Compo Results.

Peter Kirn from CDM has posted a summary of the compo and picked a winner for the Renoise license. Read the full story here: Tracker Tracks: Winners of the Efficient Music Competition Span Genres, Moods.

The The Efficient Music Competition is almost over and we want YOU to vote. The submitted songs combine awesomeness with low CPU usage which is exactly what we are looking for. All that remains is picking the winning song. Vote now – the voting booths are closing this Sunday.

We will conclude the Efficient Music Competition with an internet radio show hosted by MC Ron from Indamixx. He is going to broadcast a selection of the songs in record chart style. The show starts with the low tiers and moves up to the number one. The winner of the competition gets the Indamixx Netbook. The radio station will be at http://www.indamixx.com/indamixx-radio.html under channel “Renoise Competition”. Stay tuned for the exact broadcast time.

Note that the competitions songs are also excellent learning material. Just in case you’re looking for examples in the form of self-contained Renoise XRNS songs that don’t rely on VSTs… Well, here they are.

The “optimize your song like hell” aka Renoise/Indamixx/CDM compo has a new name; The Efficient Music Competition. We have just opened a new mini-site on renoise.com, where you can upload and download songs, discuss optimization techniques and vote for competition entries – in a special kind of way.

Together with the new website and new name, we have a new deadline as well: October 25th.

The Efficient Music Competition mini-site

The goal of the competition remains the same. You have to write a song in Renoise that is efficient enough to run on a netbook. One would think that’s not too hard, considering trackers have been around since man made fire and PCs had the brainpower of a cobblestone. It appears we have been spoiled with high quality effects nowadays, turning the concept into a worthy challenge.

I cooked up a little Renoise tutorial for beginners using the “How to make a jerkin’ beat step-by-step tutorial” at Indamixx.com. Count the amount of times I say “alright” and win a prize.

Speaking of Indamixx, we are running a challenging music contest. We are giving away one of their Netbooks for the best low-power Renoise song. Go to CreateDigitalMusic for the details. You need to send in your music before 15 October.

Three strikes, you’re out! Mutant Breaks Compo 2009 “RBI Baseball” is over and we have the results. Blac Waldo – Chicken Eggz 2.0 struck gold, Spodnik – Drail is a close second.

Song downloads are here: Songs from Mutant Breaks Compo 2009 “RBI Baseball”. Check it out if you love sick shit, crazy chopped-up breakbeats and bass lines that give your bowels a proper rinse. A must-have collection for the distinguished gentleman.

Now it’s time to pull the tracker trickery out of your magic hat to win that tasty Indamixx Netbook with your sustainable, low CPU, green power Renoise smash hit! Indamixx + Renoise + CDM Music Production Contest

Trackers have always been about getting the most out of little. Big productions from tiny bed rooms. Epic songs in kilobytes rather than megabytes. And most importantly, all that through your personal computer instead of a multi-million dollar studio.

Lately we’ve been spoiled with elaborate plugins, unlimited channels and an ever more powerful growing CPU. At the cost of the true ninja tracker spirit.

So here’s a competition in honor of the tracker legacy. We’d like you to create a kick-ass song, using computer resources as efficiently as possible. In fact, you will need to optimize the hell out of your song if you want to win the grand prize: an Indamixx Netbook

To enter this competition, go to Create Digital Music.

Deadline: October 15

We’ll launch a public upload, comment and voting system soon.

Update: Results and song downloads

The most unorganized Renoise competition is back for round two. This year’s confusing and slightly erotic “RBI BASSBALL” theme is sure to delight chiptune aficionados everywhere. With one slight twist: no chiptunes allowed.

SAY NO TO CHIPTUNES – SAY YES TO MUTANT BREAKS

Calling out to all the IDM / breakbeat / breakcore / bassline heads out there. A panel of hand picked profesional alcoholics and drug addicts eagerly await the opportunity to judge you.

Rules

* Breakbeats, basslines, any tempo, any thing
* Some proof that Renoise was involved with production, an MP3/OGG file
* The track that appears in the most top 3 lists wins

Prize

The winner may choose 1 of the following:

* Registered copy of Renoise
* Renoise T-Shirt and Mouse pad
* Each judge chooses a CD they like or are involved with, I buy and ship the pile to the winner

How to join

Upload your song somewhere and post the link in the Mutant Breaks 2009 thread.

Deadline

Songs must be entered by August 24th, 2009

Tat dads.

Renoise 2.1 Final has just been released. For this version we have made it easier to integrate Renoise with your studio. We also made live performing a lot more interesting.

The idea behind 2.1 is that until Renoise has features like a piano-roll, an arranger and audio file streaming, you should at least be able to use them through external means. That is why we have added routing features to connect Renoise to other audio applications. With ReWire on Windows and MacOSX, and the Jack Transport protocol on Linux, you can finally combine the best things about trackers and sequencers.

Performing live with Renoise is more flexible than ever. First of all, you can keep editing a pattern while the song continues to play. That makes it possible to do some last minute changes before playback actually reaches that pattern. Secondly, you will be able to queue patterns. When playback reaches the end of the pattern, it will ignore your pre-baked sequence and go to the blinking pattern instead. It’s like going off-road: if your audience likes it, why not take the scenic route?

To top it off we threw in a couple of new devices. The ominously named Hydra Device multiplexes movements from one slider to a maximum of 9 outputs. Mythological experts know why 9 of them. The Key-Tracking Device modulates any parameter according to an incoming note pitch. Real nice for frequency dependent effects. And finally, the MIDI-Control Device is a pimped up replacement for the MIDI CC Device. You can now send and automate several non-CC parameters to MIDI Instruments, such as Pitchbend, Channel Pressure and Program Change.

More details about this release: What’s new in Renoise 2.1

Maybe you have a different DAW of choice, but you are interested in creating music from a different point of view? With ReWire and Jack Transport, Renoise excels along your other audio applications. Download a demo from our website and give it a try: Renoise Demos for Windows, MacOSX and Linux