Is it just me or is automation in Bitwig kinda bad?

[bboxdw]

BTW, piecing together others' comments in this forum, here's the quickest current way I've found to drag a segment of an automation line up or down--feel free to chime in with a quicker/easier way if you've found one:

1) create points just before and just after the area you wish to drag up or down, if they don't already exist
2) select the range of automation you wish to drag with the time tool
3) use ctrl-e to create two endpoints
4) with the points just created still selected, use the inspector to drag the points (and the segment between them) up or down to exactly where you want

[nowiamone]

BTW, piecing together others' comments in this forum, here's the quickest current way I've found to drag a segment of an automation line up or down--feel free to chime in with a quicker/easier way if you've found one:

1) create points just before and just after the area you wish to drag up or down, if they don't already exist
2) select the range of automation you wish to drag with the time tool
3) use ctrl-e to create two endpoints
4) with the points just created still selected, use the inspector to drag the points (and the segment between them) up or down to exactly where you want

Thanks for sharing, That’s not too bad, but this workaround also 100% proves how much Bitwig needs to improve. Because with this technique, step 1) leads to start/end-points which have some distance to the ones created via Ctrl+E, and therefore imprecise automation-movement. With the automatic creation of an automation segment in Ableton/Cubase, the start/end point are automatically directly above the other points.
So, to be more precise, we would have to add a point 5)
"5) if you want precise automation cuts, move the points created at step 1) directly on top of the others."

[cfernn]

Holding Ctrl+Shift moves the dot immediately without delay, you can then release the keys and it moves at regular speed. Not a great workaround but it depends on the zoom level you are working with.

I just tried this and it's still not immediate for me, weird. Also, holding shift sort of quantizes my movement which is a big no no.

So I'm back to my main gripe - why can't there be a lag-free, quantize-free, snap-free form of automation like all other DAWs I've worked with

[nowiamone]

Holding Ctrl+Shift moves the dot immediately without delay, you can then release the keys and it moves at regular speed. Not a great workaround but it depends on the zoom level you are working with.

I just tried this and it's still not immediate for me, weird. Also, holding shift sort of quantizes my movement which is a big no no.

So I'm back to my main gripe - why can't there be a lag-free, quantize-free, snap-free form of automation like all other DAWs I've worked with

Concerning the topic of "lag-free" i'm wondering whether you are using at least 5.1 or the newest 5.1.6 version? Because since 5.1, the "pudding like" feeling of automation has been removed!
For me, that was one of the biggest upgrades ever, since i switched from Ableton to Bitwig! That they listened to user-feedback concerning the 'feel' of automation-point-movement.
[But yes, there remains a huge list of issues which could be improved for automation]

[mxbf]

i said it sucks a few posts back, but to be honest it gets the job done. in certain less common but valid cases (such as just needing a bit more precision when something isn't working) the finnicky nature of the click and drag of points can be very annoying compared to cubase where in cubase it feels way less... shit (but let's be clear, Cubase sucks and Bitwig rules). but a better way of explaining it might be, cubase sees the automation field as just like any other point on your computer screen and the pixels are mapped to the space that the automation field represents for any given monitor. that's just my rough guess - Cubase seems to have certain aspects of that C++ mastery in spades. whereas, in bitwig it seems a lot of estimation and snapping is doing the job of whatever cubase did. the truth is... Cubase had years of evolution to reach where it is in certain areas. But I don't use Cubase. I use Bitwig, because Cubase sucks. ultimately it's kind of a nit pick, because 95% of the time Bitwig can accomplish the automation tasks without complaint. it's the fine tuning that is lacking, but I wouldn't even consider this a significant priority for the devs. i think the best thing Cubase really did that Bitwig don't, is being able to resize tracks to like 2 pixels so you can fit tons more on the monitor. You can only fit about 10 tracks on screen at once - if that - in Bitwig. a GUI rehaul for Bitwig with vastly more direct customization would be f**king nice.

[liquidsound]

Holding Ctrl+Shift moves the dot immediately without delay, you can then release the keys and it moves at regular speed. Not a great workaround but it depends on the zoom level you are working with.

I just tried this and it's still not immediate for me, weird. Also, holding shift sort of quantizes my movement which is a big no no.

So I'm back to my main gripe - why can't there be a lag-free, quantize-free, snap-free form of automation like all other DAWs I've worked with

Concerning the topic of "lag-free" i'm wondering whether you are using at least 5.1 or the newest 5.1.6 version? Because since 5.1, the "pudding like" feeling of automation has been removed!
For me, that was one of the biggest upgrades ever, since i switched from Ableton to Bitwig! That they listened to user-feedback concerning the 'feel' of automation-point-movement.
[But yes, there remains a huge list of issues which could be improved for automation]

I was using 4.3.1 (I'm no longer using BW).

[_leras]

Did you raise those topics with the Support? If not please do so (if you have an active upgrade plan). Otherwise they will never know.

My experience with Bitwig support is that they are arrogant and don't listen. They smell their own farts.

They have thanked me for every feature suggestion I've made, and have always been nice when I've had a question.

I'm sure they have a road map and future plans, but I'm also sure that they listen and consider any feedback and/or feature request.

I can't blame them for not publishing a road map or confirming that they may/may not implement something. People these days would complain any time they thought something was late etc.

[_leras]

My only issue is that new point doesn't quantize to the grid.

Same here.

Which sounds like a bug...?

[cfernn]

Concerning the topic of "lag-free" i'm wondering whether you are using at least 5.1 or the newest 5.1.6 version? Because since 5.1, the "pudding like" feeling of automation has been removed!
For me, that was one of the biggest upgrades ever, since i switched from Ableton to Bitwig! That they listened to user-feedback concerning the 'feel' of automation-point-movement.
[But yes, there remains a huge list of issues which could be improved for automation]

Really!!??!? I'm on 4.4. Wow. That's very promising for when I next upgrade.

[gulugulufish]

My only issue is that new point doesn't quantize to the grid.

Same here.

Which sounds like a bug...?

I was trying to figure this out what people were talking about. If you click directly on the existing line line it does not quantize, if you double click a value off the line, it does quantize and draw a line from there to the nearest point. It is strange behavior. The knife tool also fails to quantize, that seems more blatent. Double click with the time selection tool also adds a point that does quantize. Also noticed that shift-dragging a point makes up/down movement very slow.

[Trancit]

...Also noticed that shift-dragging a point makes up/down movement very slow.

Also known as fine tuning!

[harmoney]

dsfdsfsgf

[wikter]

Seeing the automation in the same track lane and switch parameters with a keybind would be great. Logic did this in 2001, Studio One in 2009. Bitwig should add that option.

[BobDog]

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[sagetone]

I should have read this thread first - I just emailed Bitwig a feature request to improve their automation drawing, and posted it here in the forum as well.