NAMM 2012Bitwig announces Bitwig Studio

Bitwig have finally announced their upcoming product, Bitwig Studio, described as "the next-generation music-creation software, developed and built by passionate musicians wanting a more natural way to create music and sound".

Beta testing is about to start. You can sign up here.

Bitwig Studio is a multi-platform music-creation system for production, performance and DJing, with a focus on flexible editing tools and a super-fast workflow.

Features in v1.0:

• Multitrack recording: Record and produce your music in a super-fast, intuitive workflow. Bitwig Studio's arranger is a perfect mix of editing power, ease of use and flexibility.
• Arranger clip launcher: A non-linear environment that lets you trigger clips in real-time. Perfect for sketching your songs more spontaneously.
• Mixer clip launcher: An alternative view of the clip launcher aligned with the mixer, optimized for live performance and DJing.
• Generic tracks: Tracks accept any kind of material. Audio and notes can live on the same track. You can bounce note clips to audio in place.
• Clip automation: In addition to traditional track automation, automation can also be recorded and packaged inside clips, both on the clip launcher and the arranger.
• Per-note automation: Pitch variations can be applied to individual notes directly in the piano roll. You can also edit a note's panning, timbre and volume curves.
• Simultaneous multitrack editing: Edit contents of multiple tracks together. You can see them all juxtaposed and isolate only the ones you want to edit.
• Multiple audio events per clip: An audio clip can contain multiple audio events. You can chop and edit audio files inside a clip non-destructively and loop it all as a package.
• Real-time time stretching: Bitwig Studio's proprietary technology lets you match any audio material to the document tempo and get everything in sync.
• World-class sound devices: Let's put it this way: You're gonna love these instruments and effects. Get great sounds in a matter of seconds.
• Device nesting: Devices can contain other devices, and the whole package can be saved as a preset. Many of our instruments and effects use nesting in new and powerful ways.
• 32/64 bit VST support: Use your beloved VST plug-ins. In case of a plug-in crash, a protective mechanism prevents the application from crashing and you from losing your work.
• Metadata-based browser: Find your musical material quickly. Add tags and search by content type.
• Open multiple documents: Exchange musical material between documents. Drag and drop, copy and paste back and forth.
• Multi-monitor support: Bitwig Studio offers flexible screensets to take full advantage of your monitor configuration.
• Slick user interface: Bitwig Studio's user interface has been meticulously crafted to make your music creation experience fun and intuitive.

Features coming after the 1.0 release
Bitwig Studio's base technologies already support the following features, which will be released in a later version.

• LAN multi-user jamming: Multiple users can jam on the same document, and everything can be captured in the document's arrangement.
• Multi-user music production over the Internet: Multiple users can compose music on the same document from different locations. Bitwig Studio keeps everything in sync.
• Native modular system: Create your own instruments and effects or modify existing ones. Design their appearance and share them with the world.

Pricing & Availability

Pricing and release date will be announced later.