🐉 HYDRA SANITY 8.88 — Real-Time Multi-Graph Automation Engine

HYDRA SANITY is a real-time MIDI control and automation layer for Renoise HYDRA DSP devices.

It turns every HYDRA DSP into an independent HYDRA Row with its own MIDI assignment, recording state and automation target. Multiple rows can record, repeat, smooth and protect multiple automation graphs at the same time without flooding Renoise with unnecessary points. The companion MCU MIDI COM tool extends the same workflow to automatically mapped hardware encoders and MCU/PANORAMA rows.

Use HYDRA SANITY when you want to:

• control Renoise automation directly from encoders, faders, Pitch Bend or Aftertouch,
• record notes and several automation graphs in one pass,
• punch automation in from ARM ON,
• keep endless encoders linked to the value currently playing in the graph,
• repeat and update a selected automation phrase with LOOP,
• smooth existing automation while preserving its musical shape,
• automatically remap hardware encoders when the selected Renoise track changes,
• integrate MCU MIDI COM, PANORAMA control and hardware feedback,
• control external hardware parameters from HYDRA automation using absolute MIDI CC output,
• retry a pattern quickly without deleting its automation.

New in 8.88: EXT MIDI output follows the current HYDRA parameter value, Sm softens sharp rewritten transitions, and STOP NO OFF requires a real controller release before STICKY reacquisition at boundaries. The updated GUI groups transport controls, animates the active transport state and shows playback, selection, routing and MIDI information.

Guide map

• Install and open HYDRA SANITY
• Quick Start
• Understand the HYDRA Row
• Choose a GUI mode
• Complete button reference
• Configure MIDI and hardware profiles
• Learn hardware controls
• Choose a recording workflow
• Retry a pattern with DEL TRK
• Use follow
• Use CLK UP
• Understand REC, ARM, STICKY and LEAVE
• Use LOOP, Sm and Aftertouch
• Configure repeat boundaries and STOP NO
• Track-aware instrument auto-switch
• Use MCU MIDI COM, encoder layouts and fader modes
• Troubleshooting
• HYDRA SANITY 8.88 changelog

1. Install and open HYDRA SANITY

Installation

1. Download the .xrnx package.

2. Drag the package into Renoise.

3. Confirm the installation.

4. Open:

   Tools > Zorgan > HYDRA SANITY

The monitoring engine starts when the GUI opens.

Recommended keyboard shortcut

Assign:

Preferences > Keys > Global > Hydra Sanity > Show GUI

A keyboard shortcut is the safest way to open and close the tool.

Optional native Renoise MIDI mapping

You can map a real hardware button to:

Tools > Zorgan > Hydra Sanity > Show GUI

This assignment belongs to Renoise native MIDI Mapping, not to the internal HYDRA SANITY MIDI MAPPER.

Do not assign a continuous source such as Mod Wheel, Pitch Bend, a fader or an encoder. A continuous message can repeatedly trigger Show GUI. If that happens, clear or relearn the assignment in Renoise:

Ctrl+M > Tools > Zorgan > Hydra Sanity > Show GUI

RESET ALL CC inside HYDRA SANITY does not clear Renoise native MIDI mappings.

When MCU MIDI COM is also installed, its Show GUI action can likewise be assigned to its own Renoise keyboard shortcut or MIDI hardware button. Each tool keeps its own independent GUI shortcut and native MIDI mapping.

2. Quick Start

Prepare the Renoise song

1. Add a HYDRA DSP device to every track you want to control.
2. Route each required HYDRA DSP output to an instrument, mixer, DSP or plugin parameter.
3. Give tracks, devices and targets clear names.
4. Open HYDRA SANITY.

Connect the controller

1. Press MIDI MAPPER.
2. Select the correct MIDI IN device.
3. Learn the row INPUT, REC and LATCH controls you need.
4. Select a valid MIDI OUT when hardware feedback, external parameter control or CLK UP is required.
5. Set the output role to BOTH, THRU, FB, EXT or OFF. Use EXT for external parameter control; use BOTH or FB for controller feedback and CLK UP.
6. Press BACK TO STAGE.

Start working

1. Choose a workflow:
   • Note & Aut. — REC N&A, notes and automation,
   • Automation — REC Aut, automation only,
   • PLAY — safe listening.
2. Prepare each required row with:
   • REC ON for direct live writing, or
   • ARM ON to wait for its first mapped controller movement.
3. Move the mapped ENC / DEC / FAD / PB control.

When the first incoming note should start paused REC N&A, enable follow (FOL ON). The button keeps the label follow; its color and tooltip indicate the state.

When an external MIDI-synchronized arpeggiator must stay ready during PAUSE N&A, also enable Renoise MIDI Clock and activate CLK UP in MIDI MAPPER.

The four rules that matter most

3. Understand the HYDRA Row

Adding a HYDRA DSP automatically creates a corresponding independent HYDRA Row.

One HYDRA Row represents one controllable automation target, not one Renoise track. A track can therefore contain several HYDRA DSP devices and several HYDRA Rows, each controlling a different parameter.

Each row keeps its own:

• target and HYDRA DSP identity,
• MIDI assignments,
• current input value,
• recording and latch state,
• LOOP, Sm and Aftertouch state,
• graph writer and protection state,
• mute, solo and hardware-feedback state.

The live value meter shows the current automation or controller value and keeps a short peak indication of the latest highest value during playback.

Example song structure

This structure allows:

• several independent automation targets on one track,
• one controller mapping per HYDRA Row,
• group and master-track automation,
• note recording into the relevant note-capable track while other rows write automation.

Selecting a row

• First click on a HYDRA Row selects its automation graph.
• Second click on the already selected row opens the matching HYDRA DSP device.
• Controller movement can select the matching row, track and graph automatically.

If a PANORAMA/MCU row owns the same target, the physical HYDRA Row remains shadowed and selection is redirected to the visible owner.

4. Choose a GUI mode

SLIM

SLIM is the main performance view. A row can show:

• live value meter,
• REC ON / OFF,
• LATCH / ARM ON / STICKY / LEAVE,
• target name,
• ⟳ LOOP,
• Sm Smooth,
• AT Aftertouch,
• MUTE/SOLO state,
• mapping and feedback state.

FULL

FULL adds HYDRA DSP OUT 1–9 routing details so you can see where an output is going, to which device and to which parameter.

The OUT helper can show:

• output number,
• Renoise track,
• target device,
• target parameter,
• assignment state.

MINI and row navigation

MINI follows the selected or currently active row. The up/down controls between FULL and MINI adjust the visible row count and navigate larger row sets.

FULL, SLIM and MINI reuse cached layouts while row topology is unchanged. Hidden rows are excluded from unnecessary meter and state refreshes. A structural rebuild is reserved for a real HYDRA/MCU topology change.

Playback, track and MIDI information

The STAGE view includes three read-only information displays:

• INFO 1: PLAY : x | y ^v^ SELECT: z | w shows the playback sequence slot and its assigned pattern separately from the selected sequence slot and pattern. These GUI indices are zero-based.
• INFO 2: TRK: xx | Track Name | Output Routing shows the resolved target track and its Renoise output routing.
• INFO 3: Shows the selected HYDRA row’s learned MIDI input slot/device, MIDI channel and HYDRA name. MCU/PANORAMA or unassigned rows use the corresponding status display.

INFO displays, follow, STOP NO, bulk row controls and OUT 1–9 indicators are hidden in MIDI MAPPER. CLK UP is available in MIDI MAPPER.

MUTE behavior

If the target track is effectively MUTE or SOLO-muted:

• the row displays MUTE,
• REC ON / OFF is disabled while its previous REC intent is remembered,
• active LOOP is turned OFF and its button is disabled.

After UNMUTE, REC availability returns according to the remembered state and the LOOP button becomes available. LOOP does not reactivate automatically.

STAGE control reference

5. Complete button reference

Button labels can change to show the current state. Each entry below represents one physical GUI button or one shared button position with several state labels.

Main transport, runtime and view buttons

• DEL TRK:xx PTRN:yy — Safely clears note and effect data in the current target track and pattern, returns to Row 00 and prepares the active REC workflow for a clean retry.
• GO 00 — Moves the edit and playback position to Row 00 of the current pattern.
• follow — Controls Renoise Follow Player and allows or blocks first-note autostart from paused REC N&A. The label stays constant; color and tooltip indicate FOL ON / OFF.
• Note & Aut. — Starts or pauses the combined note-and-automation recording workflow (REC N&A / PAUSE N&A).
• Automation — Starts or pauses the automation-only recording workflow (REC Aut / PAUSE Aut).
• PLAY — Starts or pauses safe listening without opening an ordinary live automation write pass. Transport symbols around these three labels indicate recording, playback or pause.
• GUI SLIM / GUI FULL — Switches between the compact performance layout and the expanded layout.
• MIDI MAPPER / BACK TO STAGE — Opens MIDI routing and Learn setup, then returns to the previously used SLIM or FULL stage layout.
• START ENGINE / STOP ENGINE — Starts or stops the HYDRA SANITY runtime engine; closing the GUI alone does not stop it.
• PANIC — Sends MIDI panic and resets active HYDRA runtime states for emergency recovery.

Repeat and FULL/MINI viewport buttons

• SEQUENCE LOOP — Toggles the editor-selected sequence slot, including with Follow OFF while another pattern is playing; hold and drag horizontally to extend or reduce the sequence-repeat range.
• BLOCK LOOP 1/x — Toggles Renoise Block Loop; hold and drag horizontally to change the block-loop fraction.
• ▲ — Opens the compact FULL-row viewport and moves it one HYDRA row upward.
• FULL — Shows all HYDRA rows in FULL mode and resets the compact viewport.
• ▼ — Opens the compact FULL-row viewport and moves it one HYDRA row downward.
• MINI — Toggles the focused one-row view that follows the selected HYDRA or PANORAMA row.

HYDRA and PANORAMA row buttons

• REC ON / REC OFF — Enables or disables direct automation-writing permission for the individual row.
• LATCH / ARM ON / STICKY / LEAVE — Controls the row handoff between normal latch writing, waiting for first movement, continuous hold and intentional release back to preserved automation.
• Target / SELECT ROW — Selects the row, Renoise track and automation graph; a second click on the selected HYDRA row opens its HYDRA DSP device.
• ⟳ — Enables or disables HYDRA LOOP for the selected Automation Graph range.
• Sm — Enables or disables shape-preserving graph smoothing; LOOP and Sm are mutually exclusive for the same automation target.
• AT — Enables or disables global Channel Pressure and Poly Pressure input for the row.

Bulk-control buttons

• ALL REC — Enables REC for current runtime owners and exact committed MCU targets. Dormant MCU targets become writable after MCU MIDI COM confirms their W.A. ON request for the same target.
• Ø beside ALL REC — Disables REC for current runtime owners, cancels pending MCU W.A. ON requests and releases active MCU W.A. ownership.
• ALL ARM — Places all HYDRA and PANORAMA rows into ARM ON waiting state.
• ARM OFF — Cancels waiting ARM ON states without changing active STICKY rows or existing REC ON states.
• ALL LATCH — Returns all HYDRA and PANORAMA rows to normal LATCH and clears ARM/STICKY hold intent.
• STOP NO — Chooses whether active STICKY, LOOP and Sm ownership survives the next repeat or backward boundary.
• 1–9 OUT badges — Read-only routing indicators for the selected HYDRA DSP outputs; their state and tooltip show whether each OUT target is assigned.

MIDI MAPPER buttons

• CLK UP — Reasserts MIDI Start during a HYDRA-owned pause so an externally clocked arpeggiator remains ready to provide the first resume note. Requires an open BOTH or FB output and Renoise MIDI Clock.
• HW: STUDIO / HW: TRAVEL — Selects the active stored hardware profile and its MIDI devices, roles, channels and Learn assignments.
• SWAP HW — Exchanges the complete STUDIO and TRAVEL profile contents after confirmation.
• MCU MODE ON / MCU MODE OFF — Displays the automatically detected MCU-relative input state; clicking it performs a rescan and does not force MCU mode.
• LINKING TO GRAPH — Lets relative REL1/REL2/REL3/MCU inputs pick up the current automation value before movement continues.
• DIAG ON / DIAG OFF — Shows or hides internal OSC/IPC and Aftertouch diagnostic rows.
• TOOLTIP ON / TOOLTIP OFF — Enables or disables GUI tooltips and stores the choice in global preferences.
• RESET ALL CC — Clears all HYDRA SANITY global and row MIDI Learn assignments after confirmation.
• L / W — Starts Learn for the associated control; W indicates that HYDRA is currently waiting for input.
• R — Resets the associated learned mapping to the unassigned state.
• FAD INV — Reverses only the learned absolute FAD or PB direction; new absolute FAD/PB mappings enable inversion by default.

6. Configure MIDI and hardware profiles

HYDRA SANITY provides three direct MIDI inputs and three direct MIDI outputs.

MIDI output roles

Hardware feedback and CLK UP require at least one open MIDI OUT with role BOTH or FB.

EXT — external hardware parameter control

Use EXT when the automation value should control a parameter on external hardware, for example a synth filter assigned to MIDI CC.

1. Learn the row INPUT as a CC control with an explicit input slot, channel and CC number.
2. Select the external device on the same-numbered MIDI OUT slot and set its role to EXT.
3. Configure the hardware parameter to receive that channel and CC number.
4. Play or edit the HYDRA automation and use the mapped controller to take over when needed.

For example, a row learned on MIDI IN 2, channel 3, CC 74 sends EXT values only through MIDI OUT 2, channel 3, CC 74. EXT does not broadcast to every output marked EXT. Pitch Bend, wildcard and incomplete mappings do not provide an EXT destination.

EXT reads the current rendered HYDRA parameter value and sends an absolute CC value in 0..127, respecting the learned input orientation. A REL encoder/decoder can therefore control the row while the external device receives absolute values.

While the physical controller is actively driving the target, EXT output is suppressed to prevent echo or competing control. After release, EXT resynchronizes to the current parameter value; STICKY, graph playback, Sm and LOOP can continue producing output. Unchanged output values are deduplicated, and queued messages are checked again before delivery after input, mapping or role changes.

Use a separate BOTH or FB output slot when controller feedback or CLK UP is also required. Renoise remains the MIDI Clock source.

STUDIO and TRAVEL profiles

Each hardware profile stores its own:

• MIDI IN and OUT ports,
• output roles,
• channel routing,
• HYDRA SANITY MIDI Learn assignments.

Use SWAP HW to exchange the stored STUDIO and TRAVEL configurations when the same physical controller mapping must change roles between setups.

Shared MIDI input warning

If the same physical MIDI input is active in both Renoise and HYDRA SANITY, Renoise may write controller messages into pattern effect columns.

Disable:

Renoise Preferences > MIDI > Record & Play Filter > Pitchbend & Controllers

for the shared input.

7. MIDI MAPPER and MIDI Learn

HYDRA SANITY MIDI MAPPER is separate from Renoise native MIDI Mapping.

It can learn:

• row INPUT controls,
• row REC buttons,
• row LATCH / ARM ON / STICKY / LEAVE buttons,
• row MUTE / SOLO,
• row Aftertouch enable,
• global REC N&A,
• global REC Aut,
• global safe PLAY,
• global DEL TRK.

CLK UP is a MIDI MAPPER control and is not a separate internal MIDI Learn target.

Opening MIDI MAPPER preserves the preceding REC workflow while setup uses safe listening. BACK TO STAGE restores that workflow unless a later explicit transport decision replaced it. Returning to STAGE also saves HYDRA settings and mappings into the current song’s tool data; use Renoise Save Song to write the XRNS file to disk.

Basic Learn procedure

1. Open MIDI MAPPER.
2. Select the correct MIDI input slot.
3. Press the required L Learn button.
4. Move an encoder or fader in both directions, or press and release a button.
5. Wait for automatic classification.
6. Return with BACK TO STAGE.

Supported continuous inputs

New absolute FAD and PB mappings enable FAD INV by default so the physical direction matches Renoise Automation Graph orientation. Disable FAD INV when the original hardware direction is preferred.

MIDI Learn evaluates a short value sequence instead of classifying one isolated movement. Ambiguous movement remains in Learn mode rather than being stored incorrectly.

Supported button patterns

• 127 press / 0 release,
• 0 / 64,
• 64 / 127,
• Note On with Note Off,
• Note On followed by Note On velocity 0,
• velocity-sensitive pads used as buttons.

HYDRA SANITY stores the detected ON/OFF pair and does not assume that every button ON value is 127.

MCU mode and feedback

MCU-compatible messages are detected automatically. With a compatible MIDI OUT and role BOTH or FB, HYDRA SANITY can provide button LEDs and encoder-ring feedback.

For example, an X-TOUCH MINI fader in MCU mode is detected as Pitch Bend on MIDI Channel 9.

RESET ALL CC

RESET ALL CC clears HYDRA SANITY internal assignments.

It does not clear Renoise native MIDI mappings, including the native Show GUI assignment.

8. Choose a recording workflow

PLAY / REC mode selection and PAUSE

PLAY, REC N&A and REC Aut form one transport mode group. Pressing the active mode toggles PLAY/PAUSE. Selecting another mode while playback is running keeps playback running; selecting another mode while paused keeps PAUSE active and changes the workflow to resume.

The buttons display Note & Aut., Automation and PLAY, surrounded by transport symbols. Only the active mode receives animated symbol feedback; PAUSE also uses color pulse feedback. Inactive buttons keep their static labels. REC N&A and REC Aut are global workflows; each row still needs REC ON or an ARM ON acquisition to write its graph.

REC N&A — notes and automation

Use REC N&A when Renoise note recording and HYDRA automation writing should run in the same pass.

HYDRA SANITY:

1. resolves the active HYDRA or PANORAMA target row,
2. selects the matching Renoise track,
3. opens the Pattern Editor,
4. enables the note-and-automation workflow.

From PAUSE N&A, recording can resume in two ways:

With FOL OFF, incoming notes do not start paused REC N&A. They remain available to the normal Renoise or instrument path.

Other rows waiting in ARM ON remain armed until their own mapped controller moves.

Start recording with the first played note

1. Select REC N&A and pause it if playback is running. When switching from an already paused mode, PAUSE is inherited.
2. Activate FOL ON.
3. Prepare the required rows with REC ON or ARM ON.
4. Play the first MIDI note.
5. HYDRA SANITY starts playback and note recording at that moment.

REC Aut — automation only

Use REC Aut to write one or more automation graphs without recording notes into the pattern.

From PAUSE Aut, the first valid movement from an ARM ON row:

1. resumes playback in REC Automation,
2. changes that row to STICKY,
3. uses the same decoded MIDI value as the first graph-write value.

Start several graphs from hardware

1. Select REC Aut and pause it if playback is running. When switching from an already paused mode, PAUSE is inherited.
2. Put each required row into ARM ON.
3. Move the first mapped controller to start REC Automation and that row’s STICKY write.
4. Move the other mapped controllers when needed. Each row enters STICKY from its own first movement.

A separate REC ON mapping is not required for this ARM ON punch-in workflow.

PLAY — safe listening

Use PLAY / PAUSE Safe Listen to listen without opening an ordinary automation-write pass.

Switching from a recording workflow to safe PLAY turns active LOOP and Sm off and returns active STICKY rows to ARM ON. Safe PLAY does not activate LOOP, start LATCH/STICKY recording or create a new automation lane.

In PLAY and REC Aut, Renoise note data can still be edited from the computer keyboard. These modes do not use incoming notes as the paused REC N&A first-note trigger.

9. DEL TRK — GO 00 — follow workflow

DEL TRK:xx PTRN:yy is a protected retry command for the current pattern.

What it clears

It clears note-column and effect-column data from the current target track in the current pattern.

It does not:

• delete the automation graph,
• delete the Renoise track,
• replace Renoise Undo.

If no HYDRA Row owns the selection, the current note-capable Renoise track can still be used.

Protected reset sequence

A successful action:

1. validates that the target is a note-capable track,
2. changes active REC N&A to PAUSE N&A or active REC Aut to PAUSE Aut,
3. safely changes active STICKY rows to ARM ON,
4. clears note and effect data,
5. returns edit and playback position to Row 00,
6. re-arms the first-note detector for paused REC N&A,
7. preserves the current FOL ON / OFF state,
8. preserves active CLK UP pause protection,
9. prepares the next Note On or mapped controller movement for a clean restart.

If validation or clearing fails, the transport and STICKY states are not changed.

What starts the next take

10. follow and Renoise Follow Player

The follow button is directly linked to Renoise Follow Player and also controls first-note autostart for paused REC N&A. Its label stays follow; its color and tooltip indicate FOL ON / OFF.

Use FOL ON for real-time note recording and first-note autostart.

Use FOL OFF for manual note, track or effect-column editing. Notes received while FOL is OFF are absorbed into the detector baseline, so turning FOL ON later cannot cause a delayed start from an older note.

HYDRA SANITY preserves the user’s FOL choice. It does not force FOL ON when REC N&A starts, pauses or resumes. DEL TRK also preserves the same state.

FOL does not control HYDRA LOOP, Sm or repeat-boundary ownership. Those functions are governed by STOP NO.

11. CLK UP — external MIDI arpeggiator pause protection

CLK UP, available in MIDI MAPPER, is for hardware keyboards, controllers and arpeggiators synchronized to external MIDI Clock.

Why it is needed

Renoise can continue sending MIDI Clock during PAUSE, but many external arpeggiators also require MIDI Start before they generate notes. Renoise PAUSE may send MIDI Stop, leaving the arpeggiator synchronized but inactive.

CLK UP restores the required MIDI Start state after a HYDRA-owned PAUSE. The external arpeggiator can then generate the first Note On which, with FOL ON, resumes paused REC N&A.

Renoise remains the only clock authority. HYDRA SANITY does not generate MIDI Clock or calculate BPM/LPB timing.

Signal flow

1. Renoise continues sending MIDI Clock.
2. A HYDRA-owned PAUSE may produce MIDI Stop.
3. CLK UP reasserts MIDI Start.
4. The external arpeggiator generates a Note On.
5. FOL ON authorizes that note to resume REC N&A.

Required setup

1. Set the external controller or arpeggiator to its external-clock mode.
2. Enable Renoise MIDI Clock for the target MIDI OUT.
3. Select the same output in HYDRA SANITY.
4. Set its output role to BOTH or FB.
5. Activate CLK UP.
6. Activate FOL ON when the first arpeggiated note should resume REC N&A.

Renoise Send Start/Stop may remain enabled or disabled:

• when enabled, CLK UP restores Start after Renoise Stop,
• when disabled, CLK UP provides the required Start.

Button states and safety

CLK UP sends transport messages only. It adds no second clock generator, timer, BPM/LPB scheduler or first-note detector.

An explicit STOP, PANIC, STOP ENGINE, song change or tool unload remains the higher safety authority. Disabling CLK UP while Renoise is stopped sends MIDI Stop to return the external arpeggiator to a safe state.

12. REC ON, ARM ON, STICKY and LEAVE

HYDRA SANITY separates the global transport workflow from each row’s graph ownership.

REC ON

REC ON gives the row direct permission for ordinary live graph writing.

When active:

• fresh mapped movement writes automation,
• LATCH and Release Bridge are available,
• STICKY and HOLD can own the graph.

When inactive:

• ordinary controller movement does not start a direct write pass,
• Sm works only with an existing automation graph and never creates a lane by itself,
• ARM ON can still punch into STICKY without a separate REC ON mapping.

Turning REC ON for a different row selects that row and opens its graph. On the already selected row, it changes only the REC state and does not toggle graph/HYDRA DSP focus.

LATCH

LATCH writes while the mapped controller is active. After release, HYDRA SANITY reconnects from the last confirmed live value toward the nearest preserved future automation point.

ARM ON

ARM ON waits for the first valid movement from the row’s mapped ENC / DEC / FAD / PB control.

That first movement:

• enters STICKY during PLAY REC,
• or resumes the stored REC mode from PAUSE and then enters STICKY.

The triggering MIDI value is used as the first real graph-write value; it is not discarded.

With LINKING TO GRAPH and a relative ENC / DEC / MCU input, the first ARM ON movement during PLAY REC reads the graph value at the current playback position before STICKY activates. This applies to both normal REC ON + ARM ON and ARM ON @ REC ON workflows. The endless encoder therefore continues from the value that is actually playing instead of an obsolete internal position.

PAUSE, absolute controls, Pitch Bend and LINK OFF keep their normal behavior.

STICKY

STICKY:

• holds the last live value,
• keeps a safe forward graph shelter,
• remains active after controller release.

Controller release alone does not end STICKY.

With STOP NO OFF, a repeat or backward boundary rearms an acquired STICKY row. Continuing the same controller gesture does not immediately acquire it again: HYDRA waits for a real release, then accepts a new gesture. STOP NO ON preserves continuous STICKY ownership across the boundary.

LEAVE

Use LEAVE to end STICKY intentionally. HYDRA SANITY reconnects from the last confirmed MIDI-written point to the nearest preserved future graph point.

13. HYDRA Row graph and input tools

⟳ LOOP

LOOP repeats a selected grouped range from the Renoise Automation Graph during PLAY REC note&aut. or PLAY REC aut.. It can be prepared while recording is paused, but ordinary safe PLAY cannot activate or run it.

Basic workflow:

1. Open the Automation Graph for the intended HYDRA or MCU/PANORAMA row.
2. Select a genuine grouped automation range in the currently active pattern.
3. Enable the row’s REC state and activate ⟳ on that exact row.
4. Start or resume a REC workflow.
5. Edit a projected block directly with the mouse when needed.
6. After the edited block is physically complete, it becomes the source for the following block.

The selected source must contain more than one row and valid automation grids. A selection left over from another pattern is rejected. The current playback row may be before the selection, on its first row, inside the selection or on its last row when recording begins.

The original selected area defines the fixed phase. The latest complete physical block defines the content that continues forward.

Empty source rows clear corresponding target rows so stale points cannot survive inside the repeated block.

Manual graph drawing has higher priority than copied LOOP content. Clearing or collapsing the graph selection immediately deactivates LOOP and restores a clickable OFF button. Renoise can report the entire pattern after a selection is cleared; HYDRA SANITY recognizes this unowned fallback and does not copy the whole pattern into the next one.

Selecting a different valid area suspends the previous loop and activates the new area after the selection becomes stable. An invalid selection leaves an existing Sm processor unchanged.

During Sequence Repeat, prepared content for the next pattern remains internal LOOP data. It is not interpreted as a new manual selection, so the next pattern does not select the entire graph, overwrite it with a constant value or stall the engine.

Once a valid LOOP is running, its forward projection may continue into the following pattern. This is different from initial activation, which always requires a selection in the currently active pattern.

LOOP and Sm cannot run simultaneously on the same target, including a physical HYDRA Row and its matching MCU/PANORAMA Shadow row. Activating LOOP disables Sm; activating Sm disables LOOP. A clean ARM ON waiting state can coexist with either processor, but the first accepted ENC / DEC / PB / FAD / MCU movement stops that row’s LOOP or Sm and writes the same controller value normally. Other rows remain unaffected.

Effective MUTE turns active LOOP off. Changing from PLAY REC to ordinary PLAY turns LOOP and Sm off and returns active STICKY to ARM ON.

Sm Smooth

Sm softens an existing automation curve while preserving its overall musical shape, valid peaks and troughs. It reconstructs canonical points at the start of each row and removes invalid intermediate points without repeatedly modifying an unchanged area.

In 8.88, an isolated sharp transition, including one left by ABS FAD or ENC ABS overwriting a different graph value with LINK OFF, receives a wider smooth transition without overshoot. Sm recognizes the graph shape rather than the original input type, so an intentionally drawn step with the same shape can also be smoothed. An already corrected, unchanged transition is protected against repeated re-processing; a new graph edit allows it to be evaluated again.

When the processed Sm area includes a pattern boundary, Sm uses neighboring patterns as read-only mathematical context:

• At Row 00, it reads the terminal value from the previous pattern, fixes the current pattern’s Row 00 anchor and reconstructs the following rows inside the current pattern.
• At the last row, it reads Row 00 from the next pattern, fixes the current pattern’s terminal row-start anchor and reconstructs the preceding rows inside the current pattern.
• At the physical beginning or end of the song, a nonexistent neighboring pattern is never invented.
• A paused edit-position jump processes its destination rather than replaying every skipped row.
• Sm never rewrites a neighboring pattern merely because its value was needed for continuity.

Sm does not:

• start WRITE IN,
• start LATCH, STICKY or HOLD,
• run Release Bridge,
• create a new automation lane.

LINKING TO GRAPH

LINKING TO GRAPH is intended for learned relative inputs: REL1, REL2, REL3 and MCU.

It seeds an endless encoder from the automation value at the relevant projected or current playback position. Absolute controls and Pitch Bend already provide their own absolute value.

Aftertouch

The global AT input supports:

• Channel Pressure,
• Poly Pressure.

Aftertouch is normalized to 0..1 and routed only to rows with AT enabled. Its input path ignores notes, standard CC and Pitch Bend. When several input types arrive in the same pending window, Aftertouch has the highest priority.

14. Repeat topology and STOP NO

HYDRA SANITY supports:

• Pattern Loop,
• Sequence Loop,
• Block Loop,
• song repeat and backward transport boundaries.

SEQUENCE LOOP and BLOCK LOOP reflect the real Renoise transport state. Native Pattern Loop remains supported through Renoise’s own controls.

Block Loop and the physical automation-graph axis

BLOCK LOOP 1/x defines the Renoise playback return area, but it does not isolate the automation graph or turn it into a circular lane. HYDRA SANITY continues to treat the graph as one physical linear song axis.

This means:

• Sm can refine automation across the Block Loop start and end,
• REC ON release and ARM ON → STICKY release can reconnect beyond the block boundary,
• the nearest real graph points before and after the block remain valid interpolation references,
• HYDRA SANITY never creates an artificial graph connection across the transport jump from block_end back to block_start.

The result is a graph that remains musically continuous when Block Loop is disabled or when playback later continues beyond the repeated area.

Sequence Loop gesture

With Follow OFF, the selected pattern can differ from the playing pattern. This gesture uses the selected sequence slot, not the current playback slot.

STOP NO

STOP NO defines whether continuing HYDRA ownership survives the next supported repeat or backward boundary.

In both states, Renoise Pattern, Sequence and Block Loop remain active. STOP NO changes HYDRA ownership policy; it does not disable the native loop topology.

15. Automation graph safety

HYDRA SANITY writes useful automation points while protecting the live audio value and preserving future graph data.

Independent multi-graph writing

Each row has independent:

• MIDI input state,
• confirmed graph-commit state,
• shelter and guard state,
• writer runtime.

Several controllers can therefore write several graphs in the same pass. A second HYDRA Row can begin writing while Block Loop is active without reallocating, interrupting or resetting rows that are already recording.

Writer timing and latency

The writer reuses already resolved physical song geometry, row projections and automation data within each active write pass. After a graph change, only the affected graph data is refreshed.

For the user, this provides:

• faster response to dense MIDI and OSC movement,
• more consistent REC ON and STICKY timing,
• steadier operation at high LPB and inside active repeat areas,
• less redundant work when several HYDRA Rows write simultaneously.

Fresh sample policy

• The live audio runtime uses the newest valid MIDI value.
• The graph stores at most one fresh sample for each sequence + row.
• Repeated same-row traffic does not flood Renoise with unnecessary points.

Forward shelter

Before stale points are removed, Renoise receives a safe current anchor and a same-value forward guard. This horizontal shelter prevents Renoise from interpolating prematurely toward old future data.

Release Bridge

Release interpolation connects:

• A — the last MIDI value confirmed in the automation lane,
• B — the nearest preserved future graph point.

A synthetic guard is never used as the real release endpoint.

Lane resurrection

If the automation lane is deleted manually, HYDRA SANITY invalidates the stale reference and creates a new lane on the next valid write.

The writer foundation has been runtime-tested at BPM 213 / LPB 31.

16. Renoise focus and topology changes

HYDRA SANITY can follow Renoise, and Renoise can follow HYDRA SANITY.

Track-aware instrument auto-switch

HYDRA SANITY can select the appropriate instrument when the user changes tracks, especially in a new or empty pattern where Renoise has no note data from which to infer the required instrument.

The feature follows the song’s existing routing instead of overriding Renoise. Detection priority is:

1. saved Plugin Instrument Audio Routing from BUS outputs to tracks,
2. fixed MIDI Input Assigned Track settings,
3. Renoise instrument detection from notes already present in the current pattern,
4. the last instrument confirmed as used on the selected track.

When Renoise already selects the correct instrument, HYDRA SANITY leaves it unchanged. Multi-timbral instruments are supported: one plugin instrument can serve several tracks through separate BUS outputs, and selecting any routed track selects that same instrument.

HYDRA to Renoise

Mapped controller movement can select:

• the matching HYDRA Row,
• the matching Renoise track,
• the matching automation graph.

Renoise to HYDRA

Selecting a known track, DSP device, parameter or automation target in Renoise can activate the corresponding HYDRA or PANORAMA row.

Moving to a track with no HYDRA DSP and no HYDRA/MCU row clears stale selected-row ownership.

HYDRA DSP changes

• Adding a HYDRA DSP during PLAY uses a lightweight structural rescan.
• A new HYDRA DSP remains open in the Track DSP panel.
• Renaming a HYDRA DSP preserves SELECT ROW because identity follows the actual device, not its display name.
• Removing or reordering HYDRA DSP devices triggers the required scan, rebuild and purge.
• Passive MCU/PANORAMA refresh is not treated as a physical HYDRA topology change.
• In PAUSE, passive focus updates do not steal a valid manually selected HYDRA Row.

17. MCU MIDI COM, PANORAMA and feedback

HYDRA SANITY 8.88 works together with the separate MCU MIDI COM tool to combine flexible hardware mapping with controlled Renoise automation recording.

MCU MIDI COM manages the controller connection, hardware encoders, faders, displays, buttons and LEDs. HYDRA SANITY owns the Automation Graph, recording state, ARM/STICKY workflow, Sm, LOOP and protected graph writing. Their runtime communication uses OSC.

Automatic ENC 1–8 mapping

When the selected Renoise track changes, MCU MIDI COM can automatically remap ENC 1–8 to the DSP or mixer parameters available on that track. HYDRA SANITY receives the committed target map and creates or updates the matching PANORAMA_E1 ... PANORAMA_E8 rows.

This provides:

• automatic controller reassignment after a track change,
• one corresponding automation target for each active encoder,
• immediate Automation Graph selection when a physical encoder is moved,
• stable target replacement when the track, DSP device or parameter changes,
• REC ON, ARM ON, STICKY and graph-aware relative pickup on supported MCU rows,
• independent operation of several encoders and physical HYDRA Rows,
• synchronized controller feedback without assigning the same graph to two active owners.

An incoming MCU encoder movement can switch the selected graph during both PLAY and PAUSE. Passive GUI or DAW synchronization does not steal a manually selected HYDRA Row while transport is paused; a real physical controller movement has higher priority.

For MCU REL WRITE input, a valid absolute value supplied by MCU MIDI COM is authoritative. Relative delta integration is used only when that absolute value is unavailable or invalid. Accepted movements within one Renoise row update the current controller value while the graph retains at most one canonical point for that row.

MCU MIDI COM GUI layouts: ENC 4 and ENC 8

The companion tool provides two controller-oriented GUI layouts:

Choose the layout that matches the physical controller. These are MCU MIDI COM layouts; HYDRA SANITY keeps its own independent FULL, SLIM and MINI views.

MCU MIDI COM FADER mode: MIXER or # DSP ONLY

MCU MIDI COM faders can be used for direct song-parameter control in two modes:

To expose a DSP device in # DSP ONLY mode:

1. Open the target Renoise track and locate its DSP device.
2. Rename the device so its name contains #, for example # Filter, Delay # or # Reverb.
3. Select the # DSP ONLY fader mode in MCU MIDI COM.
4. Assign the available parameters from the marked device to the hardware faders.

Devices without # are not offered by this filtered DSP-only view. This keeps the fader list focused on the parameters intentionally prepared for the song, while ENC 1–8 remain available for the HYDRA SANITY automation workflow.

Opening either GUI from hardware

Both HYDRA SANITY and MCU MIDI COM support a Renoise keyboard shortcut or a mapped MIDI hardware button for Show GUI. Assign each tool separately and use a button rather than a continuous encoder or fader message.

Duplicate-target ownership

When a PANORAMA W.A. row and a physical HYDRA Row target the same parameter:

• PANORAMA becomes the visible owner,
• the duplicate HYDRA Row is shadowed and input-blocked,
• clicking the physical HYDRA DSP selects the PANORAMA owner,
• WA_OFF releases ownership and allows the HYDRA Row to return.

LCK is a lock modifier; it is not required for duplicate-target detection.

Feedback

Feedback can include:

• REC, ARM, STICKY and transport LEDs,
• MCU encoder rings,
• MUTE state,
• graph-following values,
• Smooth pulse,
• selected-row feedback.

Select a valid MIDI OUT and set its role to BOTH or FB.

MIDI input and feedback use bounded controlled queues. Repeated feedback for the same control is coalesced so obsolete LED or ring values cannot accumulate during dense input.

18. Troubleshooting

19. Practical checklists

First setup

• [ ] Install the .xrnx.
• [ ] Add and route HYDRA DSP devices.
• [ ] Select MIDI IN and required MIDI OUT devices.
• [ ] Set each output role.
• [ ] Learn row INPUT controls.
• [ ] Learn required row and global buttons.
• [ ] Return to STAGE.

Before recording

• [ ] Choose REC N&A or REC Aut.
• [ ] Choose FOL ON for first-note REC N&A autostart or FOL OFF for manual editing.
• [ ] Activate REC ON or prepare rows in ARM ON.
• [ ] Confirm the correct HYDRA Row and Renoise track.
• [ ] Move a controller or play the first note.

External arpeggiator during PAUSE

• [ ] Set the controller/arpeggiator to its required external or auto clock mode.
• [ ] Enable Renoise MIDI Clock for the target output.
• [ ] Select the same output in HYDRA SANITY.
• [ ] Set its role to BOTH or FB.
• [ ] Activate CLK UP.
• [ ] Activate FOL ON.
• [ ] Enter PAUSE N&A and play or hold the first note/chord.

Retry the current pattern

• [ ] Press DEL TRK.
• [ ] Confirm Row 00.
• [ ] Confirm the intended FOL state.
• [ ] Confirm CLK UP when using an external arpeggiator.
• [ ] Play the first note or move an ARM ON controller.

20. Changelog

HYDRA SANITY 8.88

• Added the new EXT MIDI role for controlling external hardware parameters using the authoritative HYDRA automation value.
• Added support for absolute MIDI CC output, including REL encoder/decoder input takeover and post-takeover resynchronization.
• Improved MCU REL handling — valid absolute MCU values are now authoritative while delta integration remains only as fallback.
• Fixed STICKY reacquisition at pattern/loop boundaries with STOP NO OFF. The writer now correctly waits for a real controller release before allowing a new acquisition.
• Improved Sm automation smoothing for automation rewritten with ABS FAD / ENC ABS while LINK OFF. Sharp edges are now replaced with a wider, smooth transition without overshoot.
• Added protection against repeated Sm re-processing of an already corrected transition.
• Improved transport GUI behavior, including PLAY / REC / PAUSE state handling, button grouping and transport-state feedback.
• Added animated transport button pulse feedback for active PLAY, REC and PAUSE states.
• Improved PLAY / REC radio-group behavior and PAUSE state inheritance.
• Improved MIDI Mapper transition handling — the previous REC mode is preserved while mapping and restored afterwards.
• Fixed SEQ LOOP with Follow OFF to use the selected pattern instead of the currently playing pattern.
• Expanded GUI information with pattern, playback, track routing and MIDI device/channel information.
• Improved external-controller ownership, feedback suppression and synchronization to prevent duplicate or conflicting MIDI output.

Earlier archived release history: CHANGELOG_ARCHIVE.md.