HYDRA AUTOMATION GRAPH SANITY
by
zrgcz

Analysis
Automation
Control
MIDI
Tuning

🐉 HYDRA SANITY (v8.29 Respected Renoise ) APEX Engine

LIVE PRODUCTION ENGINE FOR HYDRA AUTOMATION and MIDI controllers (triple MIDI I/O, device-aware learn/runtime routing, targeted MIDI OUT feedback, MCU decoder, graph-linked relative/absolute workflows, FA/PB input support).

Triple MIDI I/O | Device-Aware Learn | Targeted MIDI OUT Feedback | Release-Aware Intent Execution | Absolute Math | Touch Punch-In | MCU Protocol Support | FA + PB Stable | PLAY-Safe Auto Graph Switch | MCU_COM Panorama Bridge | W.A. Encoder Capture | Panorama LCK | HS Control Buttons

🧬 0. SYSTEM PHILOSOPHY & PURPOSE (Why use Hydra Sanity?)

HYDRA SANITY is not just a simple “automation recorder”. It is a deterministic real-time signal processor for human input MIDI controllers and output for LED signal.

Usage Example:

Do you have HYDRA ready in your tracks? Do you have HYDRA SANITY in SETUP set MIDI mapping for REC ON/OFF, ARM ON/ STICK OFF, MUTE ON/ SOLO, and fader? Then just close the GUI tool HYDRA SANITY and work. By turning the encoder, fader, you call HYDRA automation GRAPH, and track, or you have Renoise MIX running and you look at the HYDRA graph below. Do you have a graph drawn? Call the keyboard shortcut, or MIDI buttons GUI HYDRA SANITY and turn on IRON on HYDRA in REC ON, iron your graph so that the sound output is smooth and clean. Finish ironing and turn off IRON when you think the graph is already cleanly ironed. Close the GUI tool and continue working. You can browse the fader, decoder in Hydra Automation, or call a track with an instrument in front of you. write notes straight away. Use MIDI mapping for play REC NOTE , or just for PLAY REC automation graph, or just safe PLAY. Map DELETE active TRACK NOTE in the pattern you are writing notes into. And if you fail to play well, make a mistake in the track while recording notes, just press one button DELL all NOTE in track x Pattern x and the button will delete the track for you and return you to line 00.

The new implementation and tuning of the HYDRA SANITY tool also brought very good latency and respects the Renoise environment so as not to unnecessarily burden the Renoise API resources. You can use the graphical user interface, but you don’t have to. It is mainly used for overview and settings. If you set MIDI MAPPING to REC ON , LATCH, STICK, ARM ON works for you … The LEDs on your MIDI controller will signal all the states that are happening. If your HW supports MCU, or reverse control of the LED, via the set MIDI OUT. For example, the cheapest MIDI device solution Behringer X-touch mini in MC mode supports LEDs. You can find the procedure below.

This tool will expand your work with the automation graph, making it more pleasant when recording live, or overwriting the automation graph. There are also important mappable buttons such as delete notes for the current track in the pattern and return to line 00 … you can play and record again. Or record notes, or just the automation graph. Tools was created with the aim of improving work with HYDRA input, if you need to control with a MIDI controller what is happening in your song with HYDRA inputs. At the same time, this tool will give you an overview of all hydras that you have installed in your song in one place in the GUI. Automatic track switching when moving the encoder, the fader that belongs to it + automatic loading of the hydra automation graph when moving the MIDI encoder will make it easier for you to have an overview of the situation in your song. You can also map in Renoise MIDI mapping calls to the graphical GUI environment. And when you don’t need the engine to run, simply turn it off from the GUI.

The Solution = THE APEX ENGINE: This tool acts as “middleware,” transforming Renoise into a fully-fledged production mixing console.

  • Flawlessly and smoothly translates data from Absolute and Relative (Endless) encoders.
  • Analyzes your movement, calculates momentum, and writes only actual value changes using sub-frame Bezier smoothing.
  • Introduces professional studio recording modes: ARM, LATCH, STICKY, and Touch Punch-In, keeping your automation curves crystal clear.
  • Allows you to fully control and record dozens of Hydra devices simultaneously.
  • NEW: Full Native support for Mackie Control Universal (MCU) protocols.
  • NEW: Stable FA / Pitch Bend input support for master faders and mixed-channel controller workflows.
  • NEW: Up to three direct MIDI IN and three direct MIDI OUT slots are now available inside SETUP.
  • NEW: Learn and runtime matching are now device-aware, so identical controllers with identical CC layouts can stay separated by physical MIDI input slot.
  • NEW: MIDI OUT feedback and passthrough are now targeted to the correct output slot instead of being broadcast to every active controller.
  • NEW: Auto graph switch now stays production-ready during PLAY, so live encoder movement can bring the correct HYDRA graph into focus more reliably.
  • NEW: Native bridge support for MCU_COM Panorama: HYDRA can read Panorama encoder target maps, receive W.A. encoder writes, and react to ARM commands sent from the Panorama Buttons Page.
  • NEW: PANORAMA_E1–E8 rows can appear as HYDRA automation sources when W.A. is enabled in MCU_COM Panorama.
  • NEW: Panorama encoder movement can use the same HYDRA recording semantics as normal HYDRA input: ARM, LATCH, STICKY, IRON, lane creation, graph focus, and automation override protection.
  • NEW: Panorama LCK support keeps selected PANORAMA_E# rows attached while preserving standard HYDRA REC ON/OFF behavior.
  • NEW: MCU_COM HS control buttons can directly trigger HYDRA transport modes and utility actions through the Zorgan IPC bridge.

🎚️ PRO-GRADE VISUAL FEEDBACK

The engine is equipped with highly optimized “live” monitoring, giving you absolute control over your hardware’s performance in relation to the DAW.

  • Live Idle Metering: LCD meters respond to your physical controller in real-time even when Renoise is stopped (STOP). Your fader acts just like on a real hardware mixing console.
  • Compact LCD Meter (Live vs. Graph): A fixed-width inline LCD meter shows the current automation curve, peak marker, and a live hardware position block at the same time. You can align your controller to the graph without losing layout stability.
  • Peak Hold (Peak Memory): A professional hardware mixer feature. A visual marker (|) remembers your maximum reached value for 1.5 seconds, perfect for tracking fast, aggressive movements.
  • Dynamic Color States: Peripheral vision is critical during a live performance. LCD displays smoothly change color based on the engine state: 🔵 Blue (Idle/Stop/Reading curve), 🔴 Red (Rec On / Live Overwrite), 🟠 Orange (ARM Preparation / Sticky Hold).
  • Solid “Pause” States: When the track is paused, armed indicators stop blinking and glow solidly so you always know your exact status without visual confusion.
  • MCU Button LEDs: In MCU mode, mapped HYDRA buttons can reflect real runtime states such as REC ON/OFF, STICKY / ARM, and setup-linked functions.
  • MCU Encoder Ring Feedback: Encoder rings can display live parameter value, graph-following value, effective mute state, and IRON heartbeat behavior directly on the controller hardware. The LEDs work even when the GUI tool is turned off, just START ENGINE. If you want to turn off the ice then STOP ENGINE.
  • IRON Heartbeat on Ring: For controllers where the dedicated center LED is unavailable or unsupported, IRON activity is additionally mirrored on the encoder ring itself, preserving visual heartbeat feedback.
  • Spread Mode Mute Display: Muted HYDRA tracks use MCU Spread mode on the encoder ring instead of going dark, so mute feedback remains clearly distinguishable from inactive or unmapped slots.
  • SOLO / MUTE Row Status: Each HYDRA row can display clear SOLO or MUTE state text directly inside the row, so track-state feedback stays readable during performance.
  • Performance Mode Highlighting: REC PLAY NOTE & Automation, REC PLAY Automation, and PLAY / PAUSE (Safe Listen) now use strong performance-orange highlighting for active mode, with a darker orange pause state for faster recognition during live switching.
  • Single-Line HYDRA Rows: Performance view keeps each HYDRA on one compact line. Setup view hides the LCD meter and keeps mapping controls readable in one row.
  • PLAY-Aware Graph Focus: Automatic graph switching can react during normal transport playback, not only in pause-oriented or REC-only preparation flow.
  • **REC PLAY NOTE & AUTOMATION button now sends LED feedback
  • **REC PLAY AUTOMATION button now sends LED feedback
  • **PLAY / Safe Listen button now sends LED feedback
  • **active mode = LED ON
  • **paused mode = LED blinking, using the same timing principle as ARM ON

🛠️ Global Settings & Engine Controls

Global settings managing the tool’s core processing and MIDI routing.

  • 🔴 [ RESET ALL CC ] Delete all mapped MIDI controls (Global and for all Hydras), including stored message types (Note/CC).
  • 🟥 [ STOP ENGINE ] / ⬛ [ START ENGINE ] Toggle MIDI monitoring and processing engine. And STOP ENGINE turn off LED on MIDI controller.
  • 🟧 [ MODE: SETUP ] / 🟦 [ MODE: PERF ] Toggle between Setup (MIDI Mapping) and Performance (Clean) UI modes. Hides routing and CC configurations for a cleaner live view.
  • 🟦 [ MIDI ENC ] / ⬛ [ MIDI DEC ] Toggle Absolute / Relative MIDI Encoder processing mode.
  • 🟧 [ MCU MODE ON ] / ⬛ [ MCU MODE OFF ] Enable Mackie Control Universal compatibility. Allows mapping transport and toggle functions to Note On/Off messages (standard for MCU buttons) and switches the relative encoder decoder to the strict Sign-Magnitude format used by MCU V-Pots.
  • 🟦 ROLE (next to each MIDI OUT slot in SETUP) Select how each MIDI output slot is used: BOTH = passthrough + feedback, THRU = MIDI thru only, FB = LED/ring/sync feedback only, OFF = no output from that slot.
  • 🟩 Automatic HYDRA Detection Newly inserted HYDRA devices are detected automatically and placed into the correct order without a manual rescan button.
  • 🟥 [ PANIC ] Send ‘All Sound Off’ (CC 120) on all channels & trigger Renoise DSP Panic.
  • 🟫 [ NOTE OFF ] Send ‘All Notes Off’ (CC 123) to clear stuck MIDI notes. Now safely grouped at the top with other core engine controls for quick emergency access.

🎛️ Transport & Playback Modes

Main recording modes affecting Renoise transport behavior.

  • 🟧 [ FOLLOW ON ] / ⬛ [ FOLLOW OFF ] Toggle Renoise ‘Follow Song Position’. This control now remains available even inside Note REC mode.
  • ⬛ [ DEL NOTE TRACK PATTERN ] Delete note data in the currently selected track inside the current pattern only, then automatically jump back to Row 00. In SETUP mode, this transport action now has its own dedicated MIDI Learn block, consistent with the other main transport buttons.
  • 🟥 [ PAUSE REC PLAY NOTE & Automation ] / ⬛ [ REC PLAY NOTE & Automation ] Activate Record mode for both Notes and Automation (Edit Mode ON).
  • 🟧 [ PAUSE REC PLAY Automation ] / ⬛ [ REC PLAY Automation ] Activate Record mode for Automation only (Edit Mode OFF).
  • 🟫 [ PAUSE (Safe Listen) ] / ⬛ [ PLAY / PAUSE (Safe Listen) ] Play track with all REC states temporarily disabled to safely listen without writing.
  • ⬛ [ GO TO ROW 00 ] Jump playback cursor to the start of the current pattern. Record-play modes now respect the first line more reliably when starting from Row 00.
  • ⬛ [ L ] / 🟧 [ W ] (next to top CC boxes) Learn MIDI CC or Note for specific transport function (Toggle ON/OFF). DEL NOTE TRACK PATTERN is now included in the same transport-learn workflow.

🔁 Topology (Color-Coded Loop Controls)

Renoise loop controls, now color-coded for instant visual recognition during a live performance.

  • 🟨 [ PATTERN LOOP ] (Gold) / ⬛ [ PATTERN LOOP ] (Off) Toggle Renoise Pattern Loop.
  • 🟦 [ SEQUENCE LOOP ] (Blue) / ⬛ [ SEQUENCE LOOP ] (Off) Toggle Renoise Sequence Loop.
  • 🟩 [ BLOCK LOOP ] (Green) / ⬛ [ BLOCK LOOP ] (Off) Toggle Renoise Block Loop.

🗄️ Global Batch Actions (The “ALL” Bar)

Bulk switches located in the bottom action bar beneath the Hydra list.

  • ⬛ [ ALL REC ON ] Set all Hydra rows to REC ON (armed for recording). In pure PLAY context this action is intentionally unavailable, matching the per-HYDRA arm protection.
  • ⬛ [ Ø ] (next to ALL REC ON) Set all Hydra rows to REC OFF.
  • ⬛ [ hide HYDRA row ] / [ show HYDRA row ] (Full GUI) or [ hide H ] / [ show H ] (SLIM GUI) Filter the GUI list so only Panorama rows remain visible. This is a visual filter only; normal HYDRA rows keep running internally.
  • ⬛ [ ALL STICK ] Smart preparation: arm all Hydras so they wait for touch or playback context before grabbing the signal.
  • ⬛ [ ALL LATCH ] (next to ALL STICK) Return all Hydras to default LATCH behaviour.
  • ⬛ [ ALL IRON ] Enable the IRON smoothing algorithm for all Hydras.
  • ⬛ [ Ø ] (next to ALL IRON) Disable IRON smoothing for all Hydras.

🎚️ Per-Hydra Row Controls

Controls located within each individual discovered Hydra row.

  • 🟥 [ REC ON ] / ⬛ [ REC OFF ] Enable or disable recording for this specific Hydra device. In pure PLAY context the control is greyed out when arming is intentionally unavailable.
  • ⬛ [ L ] / 🟧 [ W ] (inside each setup mapping block) Learn MIDI CC, Note, or Pitch Bend for REC toggle, LATCH trigger, main encoder input, or dedicated setup-only button mappings. In SETUP mode the mapping blocks are visually grouped for faster reading. Learn listens on all MIDI channels, stores the detected device slot and real channel inside the mapping itself, and shows that path directly in the HYDRA row.
  • ⬛ [ LATCH ] / 🟧 [ STICKY ] / 🟨 [ ARM ON ] / 🟫 [ LEAVE ] Multi-state button showing current recording intent. LATCH: hold to write, release to return to track automation. STICKY: punch-in and hold value.
  • ⬛ [ ►►►o◄◄◄ ] Immediately open and show this Hydra’s automation graph in the pattern editor.
  • SOLO / MUTE (row status text) Direct row-level state feedback for the assigned track. SOLO and MUTE stay visible directly in the HYDRA row for faster performance awareness.
  • 🟫 [ IRON ON ] / ⬛ [ IRON OFF ] Enable or disable the subframe IRON smoothing algorithm for this Hydra.

Permanent Smart Auto-Show Graph: The old per-row ↩ toggle and the old global ALL ↩ controls were removed. HYDRA now keeps smart graph focus permanently available in the relevant recording flow. The auto-switch path stays enabled more reliably during live work, including normal PLAY movement. When a brand-new automation lane does not exist yet, the tool can create the lane context first and retry the graph focus automatically.

Button: LINKING TO GRAPH (GUI MODE: SETUP)

The LINKING TO GRAPH state is available in SETUP mode and works only when MIDI DEC mode is active.
When enabled, relative encoder writing starts from the current automation graph value instead of the last stored fader value. If no automation point exists on the current line, the tool searches backward and uses the last valid graph point as the starting position. If no graph point is found, the tool safely falls back to the current encoder position.
This helps decoder-based automation follow the existing graph more naturally and prevents unwanted jumps at the start of recording. The button is automatically disabled and greyed out when MIDI ENC mode is active. Its state is stored globally in preferences.xml, not inside the current song.

MIDI Output Selector: ROLE (GUI MODE: SETUP)

Each MIDI OUT slot in SETUP now includes a dedicated ROLE selector. This defines what that output slot is allowed to send.

  • BOTH = sends both normal MIDI passthrough and HYDRA feedback.
  • THRU = sends only passthrough MIDI data from the controller path.
  • FB = sends only HYDRA feedback such as LED, ring, and sync updates.
  • OFF = disables all normal output for that slot.
  • PANIC / NOTE OFF safety: emergency panic messages still reach all active output slots except those set to OFF.

This is especially useful when one port should drive hardware LEDs only, while another port should carry normal routed MIDI data. HYDRA now keeps feedback and passthrough targeted to the correct output slot instead of broadcasting LED updates to every active controller. The selected role is stored globally in preferences.xml, together with the MIDI port settings.

Button Mapping: MUTE / UNMUTE / SOLO (GUI MODE: SETUP)

A dedicated MUTE / UNMUTE / SOLO mapping can be learned for each HYDRA row in SETUP mode. This control is intended for MIDI button use only.

  • Short press: Toggle MUTE / UNMUTE on the assigned Renoise track.
  • Long press (1 second): Toggle SOLO / UNSOLO on the assigned Renoise track.
  • The mapping is available directly inside the compact SETUP row for fast track-control access.
  • In MCU mode, effective mute states are shown on the encoder ring using Spread mode, so muted tracks remain clearly visible and are never confused with inactive or unassigned HYDRA rows.

GUI: SETUP Readability Improvements

  • Mapping ownership is visually grouped with bracket blocks, so REC ON, LATCH, their CC values, and their Learn buttons are easier to read at a glance.
  • Setup mode keeps each HYDRA in a single row and hides the LCD meter to reduce clutter while mapping.
  • The encoder input label now reads INPUT HYDRA MIDI CC#: for clearer distinction from transport and toggle mappings.
  • MUTE / UNMUTE / SOLO mapping is integrated into the same compact setup row instead of being visually detached from the main controls.
  • DEL NOTE TRACK PATTERN now appears inside the same top transport-mapping workflow in SETUP, so all main transport buttons can be learned from one consistent area.
  • Learned input mappings now show a compact D# CH# path label in the HYDRA row, so device ownership and the real incoming channel are visible at a glance.
  • Each MIDI OUT slot in SETUP now also exposes a compact ROLE selector, so routing intent is visible directly in the same row as the port selection.
  • HYDRA rows now use subtle alternating themed backgrounds, improving visual separation and making it easier to track adjacent rows during live work and fast mapping.

MCU_COM Panorama Bridge / W.A. Encoder Automation

HYDRA SANITY v8.28 can cooperate with the separate MCU_COM Panorama tool for Nektar Panorama T/P controllers. MCU_COM owns the Panorama hardware ports, display, faders, encoders, buttons and LED feedback, while HYDRA SANITY remains the automation engine that writes and protects Renoise automation graphs.

The bridge is based on the internal Zorgan IPC mailbox stored in renoise.song().comments[1]. MCU_COM publishes the current Panorama encoder target map and W.A. encoder movement, and HYDRA SANITY reads those messages as virtual Panorama rows.

What this enables:

  • W.A. encoder capture: Enable W.A. below ENC1–ENC8 in MCU_COM Panorama. The encoder is then published to HYDRA SANITY as PANORAMA_E1 … PANORAMA_E8.
  • Normal HYDRA recording logic: Panorama W.A. writes use the same HYDRA workflow as regular mapped controls: ARM ON, LATCH, STICKY, REC ON, IRON, lane creation, and graph focus.
  • Automatic target awareness: HYDRA receives the current TRACK, DSP_INDEX, PARAM_INDEX, and normalized VALUE, so it can write to the correct automation lane.
  • Track DSP workflow: When MCU_COM is in Track DSP encoder mode, switching the selected Renoise track can remap ENC1–ENC8 to the saved DSP/parameter layout for that track. HYDRA follows the updated Panorama target map.
  • Buttons ARM support: In MCU_COM Buttons Page, B1–B8 in ARM mode can send ARM ON/OFF commands to HYDRA. The target follows the same practical Panorama logic: B1–B8 follow the track target inherited from FAD1–FAD8.
  • W.A. disconnect command: When HYDRA turns off the active Panorama recording state for an encoder, it can notify MCU_COM to switch that encoder’s W.A. state off, preventing stale automation capture.
  • LCK row protection: When MCU_COM sends a W.A. event with LCK1, HYDRA keeps the matching PANORAMA_E# row attached. REC ON/OFF then behaves like a normal HYDRA row while the input source remains the Panorama IPC bridge.
  • HS control-button bridge: MCU_COM HS transport buttons can directly trigger HYDRA actions: REC → REC PLAY NOTE & Automation, PLAY → REC PLAY Automation, STOP → PLAY / PAUSE (Safe Listen), and REPEAT → DEL NOTE TRACK PATTERN + Row 00.

Recommended workflow:

  1. Start MCU_COM Panorama and HYDRA SANITY in the same Renoise song.
  2. In MCU_COM, map or select the desired encoder target: Track DSP, Instrument, or Master page.
  3. Enable W.A. for the encoder you want to write through HYDRA.
  4. In HYDRA SANITY, use the visible PANORAMA_E# row with the normal HYDRA recording workflow.
  5. Move the Panorama encoder. HYDRA can open the correct automation graph and write the incoming Panorama value through its automation engine.

This bridge is designed for live work: MCU_COM handles the hardware layer, while HYDRA SANITY handles automation safety, recording intent, graph focus, and smoothing.

FA / Pitch Bend Input in MIDI DEC (GUI MODE: SETUP)

HYDRA SANITY v8.11 adds a stable FA path for absolute fader input inside the normal MIDI DEC workflow.

  • DEC remains the default interpretation for the main encoder input.
  • When the input slot is empty, you can switch the row to FA and learn an absolute fader instead of a relative decoder.
  • HYDRA can now learn both MIDI CC and Pitch Bend as valid FA sources.
  • This is especially useful for controllers such as X-Touch Mini in MCU mode, where the master fader is commonly sent as Pitch Bend instead of ordinary CC.
  • The learn filter now listens to all incoming MIDI channels, captures the real channel used by the control, and stores that channel inside the learned mapping.
  • Runtime matching is then performed per mapping using device slot + message type + channel + control identity, instead of a single global MIDI input channel or shared device context.
  • If you manually return the input value back to -1, HYDRA clears the learned input type and returns the row to the default DEC-ready state.

Recommended setup for FA / Pitch Bend in MIDI DEC:

  1. Enable MIDI DEC.
  2. Open the target HYDRA row in SETUP.
  3. Set the input field to its empty state (-1) if needed.
  4. Switch the row from DEC to FA.
  5. Press Learn.
  6. Move the hardware fader.
  7. HYDRA will automatically detect whether the control is sent as CC or Pitch Bend, and it will also store the real MIDI channel used by that control.

This makes mixed-channel workflows possible without any manual input-channel setup.

🛠️ 2. INSTALLATION & QUICK START

  • Installation: Simply drag and drop the downloaded .xrnx file anywhere into the Renoise window and confirm the installation.
  • Launch: Open the GUI via the top menu: Tools > Zorgan > HYDRA SANITY.
  • Shortcuts: You can assign a global keyboard shortcut (Preferences > Keys > Global > Hydra Sanity > Show GUI) or a MIDI trigger to instantly toggle the tool window.
  • Auto-Start: The monitoring engine starts automatically the moment you open the GUI.

🏗️ 3. CONNECTION PHILOSOPHY: How to set up MIDI correctly

Starting from version v16, HYDRA SANITY works with three direct MIDI input slots and three direct MIDI output slots inside SETUP mode. Controllers handled by HYDRA should still remain disabled in Renoise Preferences > MIDI, so HYDRA stays the only filter and control layer for those devices.

Studio-wide vs. Song-specific data

HYDRA now separates persistent data into two layers:

  • Global studio settings are stored in the tool’s preferences.xml:
    • MIDI IN 1
    • MIDI IN 2
    • MIDI IN 3
    • MIDI OUT 1
    • MIDI OUT 2
    • MIDI OUT 3
    • output ROLE for all three MIDI output slots
    • MIDI ENC / MIDI DEC
    • MCU MODE
    • LINKING TO GRAPH
    • global engine defaults such as automatic graph-switch behavior
  • Song-specific data remains inside the .xrns project:
    • Hydra row mappings
    • learned transport mappings
    • ARM / IRON / sticky / latch related song state

That means your controller ports and protocol mode now belong to the studio, not to one specific song.

Direct slot model

HYDRA now exposes six direct routing targets in SETUP mode:

  • MIDI IN 1 = first controller or routed port listened to by HYDRA
  • MIDI IN 2 = second controller or routed port listened to by HYDRA
  • MIDI IN 3 = third controller or routed port listened to by HYDRA
  • MIDI OUT 1 = first feedback / passthrough destination
  • MIDI OUT 2 = second feedback / passthrough destination
  • MIDI OUT 3 = third feedback / passthrough destination
  • ROLE = per-output routing mode for each MIDI OUT slot (BOTH, THRU, FB, OFF)

These slots can point to:

  • a physical controller
  • a routed virtual port
  • Bome MIDI Translator / loopMIDI / IAC ports

There is no longer a manual per-device MIDI IN channel selector in SETUP. Each MIDI IN slot listens on all MIDI channels. During Learn, HYDRA stores the real device slot, message type, incoming channel, and control identity inside each mapping. Runtime matching then uses that stored path, so identical controllers with identical CC layouts can stay separated as long as Renoise exposes them as distinct MIDI input devices.

LED / Ring / MCU feedback rule

  • If you want LED feedback on controller 1, set MIDI OUT 1 to that same controller.
  • If you want LED feedback on controller 2, set MIDI OUT 2 to that same controller.
  • If you want LED feedback on controller 3, set MIDI OUT 3 to that same controller.
  • If a slot uses MIDI OUT = None, HYDRA sends no feedback back for that slot.
  • If a slot uses a virtual MIDI Out, the feedback goes to that virtual port, not back to the hardware LEDs.
  • HYDRA no longer broadcasts normal LED/ring feedback to every configured output. Feedback is now sent only to the correct output slot for that mapping.

Output ROLE logic

  • BOTH = the slot carries normal MIDI passthrough and HYDRA feedback at the same time.
  • THRU = the slot carries only normal MIDI passthrough from that same slot path.
  • FB = the slot carries only HYDRA-generated feedback such as LED, ring, and sync updates for mappings assigned to that slot.
  • OFF = the slot sends nothing from normal operation.
  • PANIC still goes to every active output slot except OFF.
  • HYDRA now keeps output routing slot-correct: FB stays on the intended feedback device, while normal passthrough follows the originating input device path instead of being broadcast globally.

Recommended setup patterns

A. One controller, direct control only

  1. Disable the controller in Renoise Preferences > MIDI.
  2. Select it in HYDRA as MIDI IN 1.
  3. Set MIDI OUT 1 to:
    • None if you do not need LEDs, or
    • the same physical controller if you want LED / ring / MCU feedback.
  4. Choose the output ROLE:
    • BOTH for one-cable all-in-one use,
    • FB for LED-only return,
    • THRU if the slot should behave as a clean MIDI thru path.

B. Two controllers, direct dual setup

  1. Disable both controllers in Renoise Preferences > MIDI.
  2. Assign controller A to MIDI IN 1 / MIDI OUT 1.
  3. Assign controller B to MIDI IN 2 / MIDI OUT 2.
  4. Relearn the controls you want to use, so each mapping stores its own device slot, message type, and real incoming channel.
  5. Set a dedicated output ROLE for each slot if one controller should receive only feedback while the other should carry routed MIDI.

C. Three controllers or split-stage setup

  1. Use MIDI IN 3 / MIDI OUT 3 for a third controller, dedicated feedback device, or separate stage utility port.
  2. This is useful when transport, encoder work, and LED feedback should be divided across more than two hardware paths.
  3. Relearn any mappings that should explicitly belong to the third slot.

D. Routed / virtual setup (Bome, loopMIDI, IAC)

  1. Disable the physical controller in Renoise Preferences > MIDI.
  2. Route the hardware through your preferred router.
  3. In HYDRA, select the routed ports in MIDI IN 1/2/3 and MIDI OUT 1/2/3 as needed.
  4. This is also the cleanest way to work with BMT ports such as BMT 2 / BMT 3 / BMT 4.
  5. Use ROLE = FB for dedicated feedback return ports, or ROLE = THRU for pure forwarding ports when splitting routed traffic.

Important note about Renoise input

HYDRA is designed to own the controllers assigned to its MIDI slots. For controllers managed by HYDRA, do not activate the same physical ports directly in Renoise Preferences > MIDI, otherwise you risk duplicate reactions, conflicting mappings, or unwanted native MIDI behavior.

BPM Input Support

HYDRA can also be used to control BPM from the master-channel input path. This allows a dedicated mapped input to drive the song tempo directly from hardware while remaining inside the same deterministic HYDRA workflow.

🧠 4. THE APEX CONTROL LOGIC (New Recording Approach in v7.84)

Forget the old ways of recording where you hit REC and overwrote everything you touched. HYDRA SANITY introduces a professional studio logic called “Intent Execution”.

The LATCH button (in GUI or via MIDI CC) no longer functions as a dumb toggle. It is an “ARM request” (preparation).

The Recording Lifecycle:

  1. Preparation (ARM ON): Anytime (in STOP, PLAY, or REC), clicking LATCH “arms” the system. The button starts blinking orange (ARM ON). The script knows you are about to intervene, but it deletes nothing and doesn’t touch the graph yet.
  2. Touch (Touch Punch-In): Once recording is running (REC PLAY) and you are armed (ARM ON), the system waits. In the exact millisecond you first move the fader, the engine immediately activates recording (red REC ON), enters write mode, and begins modeling the curve. Not a single frame is lost.
  3. Fader Release (STICKY -> LATCH): While holding the fader, you are in STICKY mode. Once you physically release it (MIDI data stops flowing), the script freezes at the last value (STICKY HOLD) and maintains a flat line until you turn off recording.
  4. Safety Brake (Release-Awareness): If you decide to abort the recording prematurely and click the LATCH button again while moving the fader, the system recognizes this! The script switches to a “waiting mode” (ARM ON blinks again), and as soon as you physically release the fader, it immediately and safely drops into pure LATCH mode, elegantly blending the automation back into the existing graph.

🎛️ 5. GLOBAL CONTROL & TRANSPORT (Zorgan Rec Context)

Since version 7.84, the system uses its own memory context (zorgan_rec_mode), completely independent of the Renoise API. Thanks to this, the engine knows exactly when it’s recording, even if the native red record button in Renoise is turned off.

  • REC PLAY NOTE & Automation: Classic recording. Starts playback and activates native Renoise Edit Mode. You record both notes into the pattern and automation curves.
  • REC PLAY Automation: A special mode. Activates playback and our internal recording context, but turns OFF the native Renoise Edit Mode. The perfect mode for safely recording and drawing curves “on the fly” without the risk of accidentally overwriting pattern notes by hitting a key. All ARM ON and Touch Punch-In logic works fully here.
  • PLAY / PAUSE (Safe Listen): Safe playback. Temporarily puts all active REC and ARM states to sleep. You can safely experiment with your faders without writing anything to the graph. Upon exiting this mode, original states are restored.
  • MCU MODE / MIDI ENC / MIDI DEC: Essential protocol toggles to support Mackie Control Universal, Absolute, or standard Relative encoders.
  • LINKING TO GRAPH (Decoder): Extends relative decoder writing so automation can continue naturally from the existing graph, including support when working in MCU mode.
  • MUTE / UNMUTE / SOLO Mapping: Adds direct per-HYDRA track control from a dedicated learned MIDI button, with short-press mute and long-press solo behavior.
  • Hot Play-Mode Switching: Switching between REC PLAY NOTE & Automation, REC PLAY Automation, and PLAY / PAUSE (Safe Listen) keeps playback running when transport is already active, so you can move between modes without an unnecessary stop.
  • Auto Graph Switch in PLAY: Automatic HYDRA graph switching now reacts to encoder movement in PLAY more reliably and is no longer effectively lost behind the older pause-oriented preparation path.
  • Unified Transport Learn Layout: DEL NOTE TRACK PATTERN now follows the same SETUP learn workflow as the other main transport buttons, keeping global transport mapping more consistent.

🧬 6. THE SIGNAL SYNTHESIS ENGINE (Under the Hood)

  • Sparse Automation Engine: Writes points to the graph only when there is a real change in value or direction. The result is dramatic performance savings and visually pristine curves.

  • IRON Mode (Smoothing): If you have REC ON active but aren’t currently moving the fader, the system doesn’t destroy the existing curve with a “dead flat line”. Instead, it intelligently “irons” the existing points under the cursor, smoothing out the original automation.

  • Smart Mute/Solo Protection: The engine natively observes Track and Group Mute/Solo states. If you mute a track with an active Hydra, the engine silently drops the recording state in the background to prevent invisible data overwrites, and intelligently restores it when unmuted.

  • Separated Persistence Model: Song-specific mappings and Hydra runtime states are saved inside the .xrns project, while studio-wide MIDI routing and protocol settings are stored globally in preferences.xml.

  • Zorgan IPC Bridge: Runtime communication with MCU_COM Panorama uses a shared song-comments mailbox, keeping live bridge data separate from persistent song/tool settings.

  • Automatic HYDRA Topology Detection: Newly added HYDRA devices are detected automatically and inserted into the correct row order without a manual rescan step.

  • No-Flicker Live Refresh: HYDRA row meters and state displays stay visually stable during ARM ON, STICKY, REC ON/OFF, MUTE, and SOLO transitions.

  • Permanent Smart Auto-Show Graph: The old ↩ toggles were removed. HYDRA now keeps graph auto-focus permanently available in the relevant recording flow, with the PLAY-side auto-switch path staying enabled more reliably in the final v8.13 workflow.

  • STICK-Friendly Focus Behavior: STICK no longer keeps hijacking the graph window after the intended auto-switch moment. HYDRA can still call the target graph when needed, but it no longer traps the user inside the same graph context.

  • Reliable IRON Startup Sync: IRON state is synchronized more reliably after engine start so visible status better matches real runtime behavior.

  • Retry-Safe First Graph Focus: When a brand-new Hydra graph does not exist yet, HYDRA can create the lane context first and retry focus automatically on the next pass.

    — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

📜 7. COMPLETE CHANGELOG ———————————————————————————————————-

HYDRA SANITY v8.28 — Panorama Lock & GUI Focus Update

  • Added direct MCU_COM HS control-button IPC: REC triggers REC PLAY NOTE & Automation, PLAY triggers REC PLAY Automation, STOP triggers PLAY / PAUSE (Safe Listen), and REPEAT triggers DEL NOTE TRACK PATTERN with return to Row 00.
  • Added Panorama encoder LCK support. When MCU_COM sends W.A. with LCK1, HYDRA keeps the matching PANORAMA_E# row attached and lets REC ON/OFF behave like a standard HYDRA row.
  • Fixed locked Panorama REC OFF behavior so the row no longer jumps immediately back to REC ON during refresh.
  • Added a bottom-bar hide/show HYDRA row GUI filter. Full GUI uses hide HYDRA row / show HYDRA row; SLIM GUI uses hide H / show H. Panorama rows remain visible.
  • Improved Panorama IPC handling so an existing locked row updates its rules without repeating the full row-add process.

HYDRA SANITY v8.27 — MCU_COM Panorama Bridge Support

  • Added support for MCU_COM Panorama integration through the Zorgan IPC mailbox in renoise.song().comments[1].
  • Added virtual PANORAMA_E1–E8 automation rows for W.A. encoder writes coming from MCU_COM Panorama.
  • Panorama W.A. movement can now be processed through the normal HYDRA automation engine: ARM, LATCH, STICKY, IRON, lane ensure, graph focus, and automation override protection.
  • Added support for Panorama target updates carrying track, DSP index and parameter index, improving graph switching and write-target accuracy.
  • Added support for Buttons Page ARM commands from MCU_COM: B1–B8 can arm or leave HYDRA Panorama rows according to the related fader/track target.
  • Added support for HYDRA-to-MCU_COM W.A. off feedback, allowing HYDRA to disconnect an active Panorama encoder when REC/ARM state is turned off.

HYDRA SANITY v8.26

  • Fix goal: when you delete Hydra on the fly, HYDRA SANITY should not crash on the old Renoise object, but safely discard it from the runtime cache and restore the GUI according to the current state of the song during rescan.

HYDRA SANITY v8.25

  • solved fix if Track is Solo and I want another unmute.

HYDRA SANITY v8.23 → v8.24

Added a new SLIM GUI mode with persistent preference saving. SLIM mode hides the upper control row and TOPOLOGY row for a more compact working view. Added shortened SLIM labels for key transport controls: DEL TRC / PTRN FOL ON / FOL OFF REC N&A / PAUSE N&A REC Aut / PAUSE Aut PLAY / PAUSE GO 00 Moved HIDE / SHOW VOLUME METER into the main control area for faster access. Added active track display in the lower GUI area: Track: number | name Improved TOPOLOGY layout by reducing loop button widths. Added STOP / PAUSE graph preview: when playback is stopped or paused, moving the Renoise pattern cursor now updates HYDRA SANITY’s volume meter from the current Hydra automation graph values. preview is read-only and does not write or modify automation data. Improved GUI rendering efficiency: GUI refresh and drawing updates now run only while the GUI is open. no extra timers were added. Improved FOLLOW button synchronization: HYDRA SANITY now reads the actual Renoise Follow Player state. changing Follow directly in Renoise is reflected in the HYDRA GUI. SLIM FOL ON / FOL OFF now shows proper active/off coloring. Improved transport button synchronization with Renoise: REC NOTE & Automation, REC Automation, and PLAY/PAUSE buttons now follow the real Renoise transport state. REC ON/OFF and PLAY/PAUSE changes made directly in Renoise are reflected in HYDRA SANITY. Added visual PAUSE feedback for transport buttons: paused REC modes now pulse between selected orange and inactive button color. PLAY/PAUSE safe listen also uses a dedicated pulse state when paused.

HYDRA SANITY update 8.22

  • fix button ARM ON and LEAVE in row HYDRA : better collored

HYDRA SANITY update 8.20

  • Add fix when in Renoise click to track ( select track) HYDRA SANITY auto switche first hydra in selected track.

HYDRA SANITY update 8.19

Added MIDI LED feedback for the main transport-style control buttons, using the same feedback philosophy already used for LATCH and ARM-related states. What is new: REC PLAY NOTE & AUTOMATION button now sends LED feedback REC PLAY AUTOMATION button now sends LED feedback PLAY / Safe Listen button now sends LED feedback active mode = LED ON paused mode = LED blinking, using the same timing principle as ARM ON

DEL NOTE TRACK PATTERN: this button now uses a short confirmation flash LED turns ON for 1 second after a successful delete action no persistent state is kept no false “success” feedback is shown when delete is not actually executed

Implementation notes: integrated into the existing MCU / MIDI feedback path no separate LED engine added no unnecessary MIDI spam existing latency-sensitive design was preserved feedback refresh stays aligned with the current cached LED update logic

HYDRA SANITY 8.18 APEX Engine respected Renoise

This update continues the direction of making HYDRA SANITY work more naturally with Renoise instead of fighting the current workspace. What changed:

  • Auto switching does not respect Renoise wherever you are, in EDIT, MIX, SAMPLE, MIDI…
  • AUTO GRAPH now defaults to ON when the engine starts.
  • The top control layout was cleaned up so the graph auto-focus control stays in one clear location.
  • Versioning and startup labels were updated to the new 8.18 APEX build.
  • Added a Show / Hide Volume Meter option for HYDRA rows.
  • Fixed the volume meter toggle rebuild issue caused by duplicate ViewBuilder id registration.
  • Optimized GUI refresh for high BPM/LPB projects:
  • PLAY refresh throttled to 120 ms
  • STOP/PAUSE refresh throttled to 180 ms
  • Improved MIDI device refresh behavior so setup scanning no longer runs unnecessarily during playback.
  • Refined HYDRA autoswitch focus behavior for EDIT / MIX / other Renoise views.
  • Manual HYDRA graph selection no longer interferes with encoder-driven focus takeover. In short: HYDRA SANITY is now getting friendlier with Renoise and better respects the currently open window/view context while keeping fast graph access ready when needed.

HYDRA SANITY v8.17 — Change Log

Performance / Engine

  • Added a new transport-driven load profile based on current BPM × LPB.
  • Introduced adaptive high-load protection tiers for extreme timing density:
    • normal mode below 1920
    • protected mode from 1920
    • emergency protection from 2400
  • Added dynamic scaling of:
    • write_density
    • iron_density
    • lookahead_cap
    • write_threshold according to current transport load.
  • Improved behavior at very high transport rates such as:
    • 180 BPM / LPB 8
    • 240 BPM / LPB 8
    • 300 BPM / LPB 8

Event-Driven Transport Handling

  • Reworked BPM/LPB timing updates to use event-driven observables instead of repeated polling.
  • Added automatic monitoring of BPM and LPB changes through Renoise transport notifiers.
  • Added automatic rebind of transport notifiers when a new song/document is created or loaded.
  • Prevented loss of timing reactions after File → New Song or song reload.

Timing Stability

  • Added automatic transport reprime after BPM/LPB changes.
  • Active Hydra writers now re-anchor correctly after transport timing changes instead of continuing with stale timing geometry.
  • Reduced curve tearing and timing spikes after live BPM changes during playback.

MIDI Input Processing

  • Replaced the previous growing pending_ccs array buffering with a coalesced MIDI mailbox model.
  • MIDI flood is now merged more efficiently instead of storing large per-message queues.
  • Reduced allocation pressure and garbage generation during heavy encoder activity.
  • Improved stability during aggressive X-Touch encoder flooding.

Idle / Queue Processing

  • Added bounded idle processing so the tool handles only a controlled number of queued tasks per idle cycle.
  • Added adaptive idle budgets based on current transport load.
  • Added persistent per-device apply timing to enforce real throttling across idle ticks.
  • Added force-apply timing safeguards so queued MIDI updates cannot stall for too long under extreme load.
  • Added queue scan budgeting to stop oversized queues from monopolizing the Renoise event loop.
  • Added queue compaction to prevent long sparse queues from growing inefficiently.

Starvation / Flood Protection

  • Fixed an idle queue weakness where deferred items could be reinserted and repeatedly revisited inside the same idle cycle under high load.
  • Reduced the risk of queue starvation, idle spikes, and event-loop overload during extreme encoder motion.
  • Improved balance between:
  • responsiveness
  • audio safety
  • GUI stability

Writer Architecture

  • Separated MIDI ingest/apply from the actual automation writer execution.
  • Added a dedicated writer queue instead of calling the writer immediately from MIDI mailbox processing.
  • Added per-device writer cooldowns:
  • dedicated cooldown for MIDI_INC
  • dedicated cooldown for IRON
  • Added a writer force-apply safeguard so automation writing cannot freeze under heavy load.
  • Prevented duplicate processing of the same device inside the same idle window.

Result

  • Significantly improved overall stability under heavy real-time control.
  • Reduced audio scratching/dropout risk during fast encoder movement.
  • Reduced graph tearing and excessive write pressure.
  • Improved smoothness of automation capture while keeping response fast.
  • Strengthened Renoise event-loop safety for demanding transport settings and live MIDI input.

Short user-facing summary

v8.17 brings a major internal performance upgrade focused on high-BPM stability, MIDI flood handling, transport-aware write protection, event-driven BPM/LPB updates, and a new separated writer queue with cooldown logic. The result is smoother automation recording, lower event-loop stress, and much better behavior under extreme encoder input.

  • Major internal refactor of runtime state and boundary handling.
  • Improved REC / STICKY / LATCH stability across pattern and sequence changes.
  • Fixed write-target consistency so automation stays in the correct pattern.
  • Unified many GUI, refresh, save, and MCU feedback paths through shared helper logic.
  • Added safer idle throttling for lighter UI/feedback load.
  • Implemented real per-slot MIDI channel transform for MIDI IN / MIDI OUT.
  • Cleaned up slot/channel routing layer and promoted the new stable baseline.

HYDRA SANITY – Version: v8.16s slot-channel stable

  • Refactored internal runtime architecture around a safer state-registry bridge layer.
  • Stabilized sequence/pattern boundary handling to prevent broken REC/STICKY/LATCH transitions.
  • Separated write-target ownership from GUI graph focus logic.
  • Added authoritative lane revalidation to stop writes from landing in the wrong pattern after boundary changes.
  • Unified runtime/UI/finalize flows through shared commit and refresh helpers.
  • Reduced scattered save / refresh / MCU feedback calls across control, setup, and runtime paths.
  • Added controlled idle throttling for labels, event bus, graph-heal, MCU refresh, and row redraws to lower latency pressure.
  • Improved monitor/runtime refresh behavior without changing live write-path timing.
  • Implemented real per-slot MIDI channel transform for MIDI IN / MIDI OUT routing.
  • Added slot/channel layer cleanup and unified slot settings commit flow.
  • Promoted the new stable baseline to: v8.16s slot-channel stable.

HYDRA SANITY (v16 final)

  • Triple Direct MIDI I/O: Added MIDI IN 3 and MIDI OUT 3, expanding SETUP to three direct routing slots for controllers or routed virtual ports.
  • Device-Aware Learn & Runtime Matching: Learned mappings now store the physical MIDI input slot together with message type and real incoming channel, so identical controllers with identical CC layouts can remain separated reliably.
  • All-Channel Input Listening per Slot: Removed the manual per-device input-channel selector from SETUP. Each MIDI input slot now listens on all channels, while each learned mapping keeps its own detected channel.
  • Row-Level Mapping Path Display: HYDRA setup rows now expose the learned source path as D# CH#, making device ownership and the real incoming channel visible directly in the row.
  • Targeted MIDI OUT Feedback: LED, ring, and state feedback no longer broadcast across all configured output devices. HYDRA now sends feedback only to the correct output slot for that mapping.
  • Targeted THRU / FB Role Routing: Output ROLE behavior is now slot-correct. FB stays on the intended feedback device, THRU follows the originating device path, and emergency PANIC still reaches all active output slots except OFF.
  • Three-Slot Studio Preferences: Global preferences.xml now stores three direct MIDI input slots, three direct MIDI output slots, and three output roles, matching the expanded routing model.

HYDRA SANITY (v8.14 final)

  • Alternating HYDRA Row Backgrounds: Added subtle themed odd/even row separation in the HYDRA list for better readability and faster visual orientation in both setup and performance workflows.
  • Sequence Loop LATCH Fix: Fixed loop-wrap behavior in REC PLAY Automation and REC PLAY NOTE & Automation so plain LATCH rows no longer jump into ARM ON when playback returns to pattern 1.
  • Sticky Rearm Preserved: Active STICKY runtime still correctly falls back to ARM ON after loop wrap, preserving the intended re-arm workflow.
  • ARM ON Preservation: HYDRAs that are already in ARM ON now remain untouched during loop wrap instead of being unnecessarily re-triggered.
  • Safer Loop State Logic: Sequence Loop restart now keeps LATCH / STICKY / ARM behavior predictable and consistent during repeated playback cycles.

HYDRA SANITY (v8.13 final)

  • PLAY Auto-Switch Finalized: Auto graph switching now works more reliably during normal PLAY movement, not only in pause-style preparation or REC-oriented contexts.
  • Stable Enabled Auto-Switch Path: The graph auto-switch path now stays enabled more consistently during live workflow, so the selected HYDRA graph can follow encoder activity without unwanted disable-state drift.
  • English Help / Notes Cleanup: User-facing in-script help text, notes, and descriptive labels were standardized to English for a cleaner public release.
  • Final Polish Release: Existing FA / Pitch Bend, MCU, graph-link, and setup/performance workflows remain intact, while the public-facing behavior is cleaner and more predictable.

HYDRA SANITY (v8.12 FA + PB stable)

— auto-switch PLAY fix Fixed auto-switch graph behavior in PLAY mode. Auto-switch now reacts during normal transport playback, not only in REC-based modes. Moved auto-switch trigger earlier in MIDI input handling so graph focus is not blocked by ARM state checks. Updated IRON/focus path so selected HYDRA graph can switch correctly while PLAY is running. Preserved existing lock/reset behavior to avoid breaking graph release and re-focus logic.

HYDRA SANITY (v8.11 FA + PB stable)

  • FA / Pitch Bend Stable Input Path: Added a stable FA workflow for absolute faders inside MIDI DEC, including support for both ordinary MIDI CC and Pitch Bend sources.
  • All-Channel MIDI Learn: Learn now listens on all incoming MIDI channels and stores the actual channel inside each mapping.
  • Per-Mapping Channel Logic: Runtime matching is now based on the learned message type, learned channel, and control identity, instead of relying on a single global MIDI input channel.
  • No Global MIDI IN Channel Requirement: The old global input-channel dependency was removed from the practical mapping workflow, making mixed devices and mixed-channel controllers much easier to use.
  • MCU Master Fader Compatibility: Improved support for controllers whose master fader is transmitted as Pitch Bend in MCU mode.
  • Safer Input Reset Behavior: Returning the input field to -1 cleanly resets FA / Pitch Bend state and restores the row to the default DEC-ready state.
  • Stable GUI Rebuild During Input Editing: Input editing no longer rebuilds the entire HYDRA GUI synchronously from the same notifier, preventing crashes during rapid manual CC-value changes.
  • Improved Graph Auto-Switch Stability: Automatic graph switching now starts enabled by default again, remains available during PLAY movement, and no longer leaves STICK in a state that traps the user inside one graph window.
  • Master BPM Input Support: HYDRA can be used to drive BPM from the master-channel input path.

HYDRA SANITY v8.10

Fixed an IRON-related focus bug during REC PLAY AUTOMATION and REC PLAY NOTE AUTOMATION. The engine no longer keeps forcing the currently selected HYDRA graph back into focus while recording is running. This restores normal navigation in other Renoise windows during live automation recording.

HYDRA SANITY v8.09

Improved dynamic DEL button behavior in the HYDRA workflow. Minor GUI polish and readability refinements for HYDRA-related controls. Fixed an ARM/LATCH selection sync bug. When ARM is enabled on a different HYDRA row than the currently focused graph, the first MIDI encoder touch now: correctly switches LATCH automatically switches the selected HYDRA updates the active automation graph focus Improved reliability of HYDRA focus switching during live MIDI control.

HYDRA SANITY v8.08

Fixed aggressive track focus behavior that could continuously force Renoise back to the selected HYDRA track. Fixed unwanted automatic track switching caused by internal graph refresh and focus recovery logic. Fixed cases where manual track selection in Renoise was overridden even when the user wanted to work on another track. Fixed IRON-related focus calls that could unintentionally steal track selection. Improved HYDRA graph focus now switches track only when explicitly requested: Select HYDRA Graph Auto Switch to Track (when enabled) Internal graph maintenance, refresh, and recovery logic no longer hijack Renoise track selection. Users can now freely switch to any track in Renoise, including tracks not linked to a HYDRA target, without being forced back. Improved separation between: HYDRA GUI graph selection Actual Renoise track focus Result More stable workflow More predictable track navigation No more “track lock” feeling during normal operation Better integration with Renoise editing behavior

HYDRA SANITY v8.07

  • Added a dedicated ROLE selector for each MIDI OUT slot in MODE: SETUP, allowing each output to run as BOTH, THRU, FB, or OFF.
  • This makes dual-port routing more flexible, especially when one port should be used only for LED/ring feedback while another should carry normal MIDI passthrough.
  • Fixed a visual-state bug where IRON activity on the first HYDRA row could appear inactive while the row was also the currently selected graph.
  • IRON monitor priority is now higher than the selected-graph standby view, so active IRON processing remains visible in REC ON.
  • Improved IRON button feedback to reflect the real runtime-active IRON state, not only the stored enable flag.

Changelog: HYDRA SANITY v8.06 THE APEX ENGINE

  • v8.06 (The Public Workflow Continuity Release):
    • Stable User Workflow: No new end-user controls were introduced in v8.06. The release focused on keeping the established v8.05 graph workflow intact while preserving the same front-end behavior.

Changelog: HYDRA SANITY v8.05 THE APEX ENGINE

  • v8.05 (The Transport Learn & Setup Layout Update):
    • Dedicated DEL NOTE TRACK PATTERN MIDI Learn Block: Added a proper SETUP-mode learnable transport mapping for DEL NOTE TRACK PATTERN, matching the workflow already used by the other main transport buttons.
    • Transport Mapping Consistency: DEL NOTE TRACK PATTERN now lives in the same top transport-learn area, so global playback and utility buttons can be mapped from one consistent section.
    • SETUP Field Layout Refinement: Refined numeric field widths in SETUP for better readability — the HYDRA MIDI CC# field is slightly tighter, while MIDI IN/OUT channel number fields are wider and easier to read.

Changelog: HYDRA SANITY v8.04 THE APEX ENGINE

  • v8.04 (The Dual MIDI & Compact Workflow Update):
    • Direct Dual MIDI I/O: Added MIDI IN 1, MIDI IN 2, MIDI OUT 1, and MIDI OUT 2 as direct slots inside SETUP, creating the first dedicated multi-port routing layer for controllers or routed BMT ports.
    • Global MIDI Preferences: Moved studio-wide MIDI settings out of song.tool_data and into preferences.xml, including port selection, MIDI ENC / MIDI DEC, MCU MODE, and LINKING TO GRAPH.
    • Legacy MIDI Migration: Added one-time migration of older song-embedded MIDI settings into the new global preferences model.
    • Compact One-Line HYDRA Layout: Reworked the HYDRA list into a tighter single-line workflow in PERF, with a shorter name field, aligned bottom ALL bar, and a cleaner visual relationship between meter, LATCH, and IRON controls.
    • Setup Row Cleanup: SETUP mode now hides the LCD meter and groups mapping areas into compact bracket-based blocks for REC, LATCH, MUTE / UNMUTE / SOLO, and INPUT HYDRA MIDI CC.
    • Permanent Smart Auto-Show Graph: Removed the old per-row and global ↩ toggles. HYDRA now treats graph auto-focus as a built-in workflow feature instead of a separate switch.
    • Retry-Safe New Graph Focus: When a new Hydra automation lane does not exist yet, the tool can create the lane context first and then retry graph focus automatically.
    • Stable Compact LCD Meter: Rebuilt the inline meter with a fixed-width background and overlay live marker, keeping the layout stable while preserving live position, graph value, and peak awareness in both REC OFF and REC ON.
    • Engine Toggle Stability: Fixed notifier cleanup logic that could crash after reload or during engine stop/start cycles.

Changelog: HYDRA SANITY v8.03 THE APEX ENGINE

  • v8.03 (The Performance Workflow & Readability Update):
    • Automatic HYDRA Detection: Newly inserted HYDRA devices are detected automatically and placed into the correct row order without a manual rescan button.
    • FOLLOW Workflow Upgrade: FOLLOW ON/OFF was moved to the first position in the transport row and remains available even inside REC PLAY NOTE & Automation.
    • DEL NOTE TRACK PATTERN Button: Added a dedicated transport button to clear note data in the currently selected track within the current pattern, then jump back to Row 00 for an immediate clean restart.
    • SETUP Mapping Grouping: Added bracket-based grouping around the REC ON and LATCH mapping areas so CC ownership and Learn buttons are easier to read in Setup mode.
    • Clearer Input Labeling: The encoder input label now reads INPUT HYDRA MIDI CC#: to better distinguish HYDRA input mapping from transport and toggle mappings.
    • SOLO / MUTE Row Status: Each HYDRA row now shows direct SOLO or MUTE text feedback next to ↩, keeping track-state awareness visible directly in the performance view.
    • Performance Orange Mode Highlighting: Active REC PLAY NOTE & Automation, REC PLAY Automation, and PLAY / PAUSE (Safe Listen) modes now use a stronger orange highlight, while pause states use a darker orange for clearer separation.
    • Pure PLAY Arm Lock Feedback: REC ON and ALL REC ON are now visibly greyed out when arming is intentionally unavailable in pure PLAY context.
    • Smooth Play-Mode Switching: Switching between the three play-based transport modes no longer forces an unnecessary pause when playback is already running.
    • Improved Row 00 Start Behavior: GO TO ROW 00 and record-play start behave more reliably from the first line of the current pattern.
    • No-Flicker HYDRA Monitoring: Row meters and state displays remain stable during ARM/STICKY/REC transitions, improving confidence during live work.
    • Extended Row Separation: The separator line between HYDRA rows now extends visually into the IRON area for a cleaner and more readable layout.
    • Default ALL ↩ ON Startup Behavior: The engine now starts with automatic graph-switch behavior enabled by default, prioritizing faster graph focus in production workflow.
    • Improved IRON Startup Reliability: IRON state is synchronized more reliably after engine start so the visible button state better matches the real runtime state.

Changelog: HYDRA SANITY v8.01 THE APEX ENGINE

  • v8.01 (The Crystal Clean / Rescan Checked Update):
    • MCU Decoder Support: Added proper MIDI DEC support in MCU mode, so relative encoder automation now works correctly without breaking MCU workflow compatibility.
    • LINKING TO GRAPH: Added a new LINKING TO GRAPH button in SETUP mode. This option is available only when MIDI DEC mode is active.
    • Graph-Linked Decoder Start: Relative encoder writing now starts from the current automation graph position instead of the last stored fader value.
    • Backward Graph Lookup: If no automation point exists exactly on the current line, the engine searches backward and uses the last valid graph point as the starting value.
    • Safe Fallback Logic: If no graph point exists at all, the decoder safely falls back to the current encoder position, preventing jumps and invalid overwrite starts.
    • Persistent Graph-Link State: The LINKING TO GRAPH state is now saved and restored with song/tool data.
    • MCU Button LED Feedback: Added extended LED feedback for mapped HYDRA buttons in MCU mode, including reliable state refresh for REC ON/OFF, STICKY, and related runtime states.
    • MCU Encoder Ring Feedback: Encoder rings now reflect live value state, graph-following behavior, and effective track-state feedback directly on supported MCU controllers.
    • IRON Heartbeat Feedback: IRON activity is now mirrored not only to the optional center LED path, but also to the encoder ring itself, improving compatibility with controllers that do not expose a visible center LED.
    • Mute Display via Spread Mode: Effective mute state is shown on the MCU ring using Spread mode, keeping muted HYDRA rows clearly visible instead of turning them dark.
    • MUTE / UNMUTE / SOLO MIDI Mapping: Added a dedicated per-HYDRA MUTE / UNMUTE / SOLO mapping in SETUP mode for MIDI buttons only.
    • Short / Long Press Track Control: A short press toggles MUTE / UNMUTE and a 1-second hold toggles SOLO / UNSOLO for the assigned Renoise track.
    • Effective Mute Awareness: SOLO does not use a separate LED mode. Instead, other HYDRA rows react through their effective mute state, matching actual Renoise behavior.
    • RESCAN Runtime Rebuild: Fixed incomplete RESCAN reinitialization when new HYDRA devices are added during runtime.
    • Soft-Restart RESCAN Logic: RESCAN now rebuilds HYDRA runtime state much closer to a soft engine restart, refreshing the internal variables required by IRON, automation writing, latch/sticky logic, and MCU feedback.
    • State Cleanup on Topology Change: Added cleanup of outdated graph-selection and stale runtime state when HYDRA topology changes after rescanning.
    • Immediate Persistence After RESCAN: Added song-state save after successful RESCAN, so updated device topology is stored immediately.

Changelog: HYDRA SANITY v8.00 THE APEX ENGINE

  • v8.00 (The MCU Integration Update):

    • Mackie Control Universal (MCU) Protocol: Introduced full structural support for the MCU protocol via a dedicated GUI toggle.
    • Note Message Button Mapping: Transport, Latch, and Rec Toggle buttons can now natively map to Note On/Off messages. The engine dynamically stores the message type (msg_kind), entirely eliminating the historical collision between identical CC and Note values.
    • Strict Sign-Magnitude Decoder: In MCU Mode, relative V-Pots utilize a mathematically pure Sign-Magnitude decoder, ensuring perfectly smooth and responsive fader movements without jitter.
    • Dynamic Feedback Routing: MIDI feedback sync no longer forces output on CC channel 1, and instead dynamically utilizes the exact status byte of the incoming device.
    • UI Reorganization: The MCU MODE and MIDI ENC toggles are now exclusively visible in MODE: SETUP, keeping the MODE: PERF cockpit completely clean and distraction-free.

  • v7.99 (The UI & Logic Polish Update):

    • Smart “ALL STICKY” Logic: The global ALL STICK button no longer brutally forces all faders into active sticky mode immediately. Instead, it intelligently acts as a global “Arming” trigger (setting them to ARM ON). The system safely waits for your physical touch or playback to begin before snapping into action.
    • Unified Engine Controls: The NOTE OFF emergency button has been relocated from the bottom transport row to the top Engine Controls next to PANIC. The entire top row was resized for perfect symmetry and quick access.
    • Color-Coded Topology: The Loop controls (Pattern, Sequence, Block) now feature distinct, professional colors (Gold, Blue, Green) instead of sharing a generic active color. This makes it impossible to get confused about what loop is active in a dark club environment.
    • Solid PAUSE States: Fixed an issue where the ARM ON state would blink into “invisibility” when playback was paused. It now glows a solid, reassuring color when the transport is stopped.

  • v7.98 (Performance Cockpit UI):

    • SETUP / PERF Mode: Added a global toggle to dramatically simplify the GUI for live performance. Performance mode hides the top MIDI I/O bar, all CC input boxes, and learning buttons, leaving a perfectly clean mixing view.
    • Removed PADs tool bridge: Completely removed all underlying logic, UI elements, and code related to the external PADs tool.
    • Cleaned Batch Actions: The global “ALL” bar has been visually refined. Text separators were replaced by clean spaces, and reset buttons (Ø) were grouped logically with better visual hierarchy.

  • v7.97 (Stability & Math Update):

    • Hardcoded IRON Parameters: Removed the SMOOTH PULL and IRON GROOVE sliders from the GUI, and disabled their save/load mechanics. The parameters are now locked to optimal production values (PULL = 0.90, GROOVE = 0.18) to ensure robust and foolproof smoothing.
    • Smoothing Math Refactor: Decoupled the smoothing force from the groove return-mix for a more musical and predictable outcome when the IRON engine is active.

  • v7.96 (Precision Bugfix Build):

    • Read/Write Separation: Introduced a build_iron_source_snapshot function. The IRON mode now takes a static snapshot of the automation curve before writing any new data, completely eliminating race conditions and “tail-lifting” artifacts.
    • Anti-Flatline Guard: Implemented a forced anchor point logic. If the engine writes nothing for 4 lines while the change in value remains micro-level, it forces a direct write, completely preventing the graph from freezing into a straight line.
    • Velocity-Sensitive Density: During fast fader movements (scratching), the engine automatically increases the point density to accurately capture every micro-detail of the movement.

(History) v7.94: Functional Renoise handler in engine Hydra Sanity, color upgrade for text of HYDRA name and select graph for HYDRA automation. v7.84 - v7.93: Introduced ZORGAN REC MODE, completely decoupled from native edit_mode. Fixed LATCH/STICKY intent execution, ensuring predictable state transitions. Added Auto Show Graph (↩) and selected graph visual highlights. v7.68 - v7.70: Implemented Ghost Metering (live position vs. curve display), Peak Hold memory. Separated MIDI In and Out to support loopback cables. Removed unnecessary OSC sockets to boost performance. v7.67: Native IPC Event Bus communication with PADs Tool without GUI stuttering. Intelligent Mute/Solo Protection (prevents automation overwrite on muted tracks). v7.62 - v7.65: Safe global reset for all MIDI CCs, clean starts (elimination of dead zombie faders after unexpected playback stops).

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v8.29 for Renoise 3.5
2026 April 29
Liability exclusion: You are about to download and install software from a third-party provider. This software was not developed by Renoise and is listed here in a summarised form purely as a convenience for our users. Renoise takes no responsibility for any malfunction, incompatibility, or damage caused by or otherwise arising from the use of the software. In the case of problems with the installation or use of the software, please contact the relevant developer.
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