Latest version released on Nov 15th, 2014: 3.11

FAQ

What Hardware and Software do I need to run the plugin?
I got an error message "main.lua: bad header in precompiled chunk". What can I do?
Is this plugin a VSTi and can I install it in any DAW like Ableton live?
How to change the step length?
How to change the note resolution?
Handling more than 8 tracks
Should I disable Automap?
What is Renoise?
Can I use the Step Sequencer Plugin with other DAWs like Ableton Live, Reaper or Cubase?
I have bought the Launchpad Edition. Where do I get the updates?

What Hardware and Software do I need to run the plugin?

The Lauflicht Step Sequencer requires the following Hard/Software:


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I got an error message "main.lua: bad header in precompiled chunk". What can I do?
This message appears if you are trying to install the wrong bit version. If your Renoise version is 32bit use the 32bit version of the tool, otherwise use the 64bit version.
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Is this plugin a VSTi and can I install it in any DAW like Ableton live?
The "Lauflicht" Step Sequencer for the Launchpad is a plugin exclusively written for the DAW Renoise. It is no VSTi, so you can not install it within any other DAW. However, it is possible to synchronize Renoise and the Step Sequencer plugin with other DAW's like Ableton Live via Rewire. Please read on in the FAQ - Can I use the Step Sequencer Plugin with other DAWs like Ableton Live, Reaper or Cubase?
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How to change the step length?
You can set the step length to 8, 16 or 32 in the preferences menue: Tools -> StepSequencer -> Preferences.
But the Launchpad has only 8 visible steps?
If you have set the step length to 16 or 32, the page buttons of the Launchpad are activated and you can switch to the next 8 steps with the "page right" button.
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How to change the note resolution?
While playing you can switch the note resolution (called "editstep") with the user1 button on the Launchpad or with the Editstep drop down menue in the plugin. There are 3 modes switchable (for example 1/2, 1/8, 1/16 notes). The resolution depends also on the speed (Lines/Beat) you have set up in Renoise (recommended lines per beat setting is 8). The higher you set the lines/beat the greater the resolution available to you for editing notes.
Example: You have set up 8 lines per beat, your pattern length is 64 rows (default) and the step length of the Step Sequencer is 16. In Editstep "4" the complete pattern is shown in the plugin, that means if you press play, the moving light will visible the whole pattern. If you set the first step, a note on pattern position 1 will be set. Then, if you set the second row, a note on pattern position 4 will set, the third step will set a note on position 8 and so on. So editstep "4" means: each step in the sequencer represents the 4th next note in the pattern.
Now switch to editstep "2". The resolution is greater now and you see that the display changed: not the first three notes are set, but the first, third, and fifth. If you click on the empty steps between them (second and fourth) you will understand why: Now you have set a note on pattern position 2 and 6. So with editstep "2" every step represents every 2nd pattern position. You also may recognize, that the plugin displays not the whole pattern anymore, but only the first 32 positions (editstep 2 * steplength 16 = 32). You can switch to the next 32 positions of the pattern (next "page") with the "user2"-button on the Launchpad or with the "Page" parameter in the plugin. So to sum up, you have a more detailed view of the complete pattern now.
If you set the Editstep to "1", the resolution will even get higher. Then you can control every single position of the pattern. Now you have 4 pages with 16 steps.
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Handling more than 8 tracks
You can have unlimited number of tracks in your songs in theory, and all your tracks can be shown on the Launchpad. The first row of the Launchpad is fixed to represent the moving light. The next 7 rows represent the first 7 tracks in Renoise. If you have more than 7 tracks, the up/down ("learn"/"view") buttons will be activated. If you press the down ("view") button, the display show the next 7 tracks in Renoise.
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Should I disable Automap?
If you are running the Automap server you should disabled it to work properly with the plugin. To disable Automap for the Launchpad press the buttons user2 + down arrow. Thanks to danoise for this undocumented trick! :)
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What is Renoise?
With Renoise you create loops, beats and melodies efficiently step-by-step. It's a complete, expandable Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) with a refreshing twist. Renoise is multiplatform; runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. There are two versions; a free and a full version with some nice additional features. The Step Sequencer Plugin runs on both versions without any limitations.

If you are new to Renoise there is a very good tutorial video for beginners, available on youtube or for direct download. For a quick start there is another youtube video and the Quickstart guide PDF.
Please also refer to Renoise's official tutorial overview and wiki.
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Can I use the Step Sequencer Plugin with other DAWs like Ableton Live, Reaper or Cubase?
Not as a native plugin like in Renoise, but there are two possibilites to use the Lauflicht Step Sequencer also with other DAWs like Ableton Live, Reaper or Cubase: Via ReWire or MIDI.

  • ReWire
    As Renoise supports ReWire, you can define your favorite DAW as ReWire Master and use Renoise as ReWire Slave. Then you can route the audio output of every single track of Renoise to a separate track of your DAW or route the entire Master audio output of Renoise to one channel of your DAW. If you press play in your DAW, Renoise is synchronized and the Step Sequencer is running on the Launchpad. So you can work with your favorite DAW as usual, run Renoise with activated Lauflicht Step Sequencer plugin in the background and can use your Launchpad to set or unset steps, while your DAW is playing. This means you can map every track of the Launchpad (every row of the Launchpad is one track) with an instrument of your choice to a channel in your DAW, mute/unmute it, put VSTI effects on it, and so on. Please note that you have unlimited tracks on the Launchpad with the paging algorithm of the Lauflicht Step Sequencer Plugin.

    Setting up the ReWire connection is very easy. For a brief description please follow one of the following links:

    Ableton Live (ReWire Master), Renoise (ReWire slave) (applies to the latest versions of Renoise 3.0 and Ableton 8 also)
    Logic (ReWire Master), Renoise (ReWire slave)
    Other DAWs: Renoise ReWire Master/Slave setup

    Please note in Ableton Live, you maybe have to activate the In/Out settings in the Mixer section to see them. Also the Monitor should be set to "In" to hear the Renoise output.

    Tip: In Renoise there are two ReWire modes. The most practical with the Step Sequencer is the mode "BPM & Bar Sync": You can start, stop and navigate freely in Renoise while the time-line of both applications remains beat-synced. You also can set the pattern loop to 1/4, 1/2 or similar to have a looping Step Sequencer of a step length of your choice. This is very useful for improvisations or live mixing. You can enable this mode in the menue Edit->Preferences->Audio.

  • MIDI
    The second possibility is to use Renoise as MIDI-Slave and your favorite DAW as MIDI Master. You can run Renoise with activated Lauflicht Step Sequencer plugin in the background and synchronizing the audio output to your DAW when you are pressing play. For using MIDI within different applications you need the tool MidiYoke.
    Please have a look at the description below how to set up.

    Advanced MIDI routing for Renoise


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I have bought the Launchpad Edition. Where do I get the updates?
To get the latest update please write an email to stepsequencer @ cie-online.de with your article-id you have received when you have bought the Launchpad Edition.
The updates for the demo and non-launchpad edition are always available here.
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