Best Modular DAW?

[aMUSEd]

it is under the hood yes, and this will be opened from version two..



http://www.bitwig.com/en/bitwig-studio/forthcoming.html

What's not clear at the moment is whether that will make Bitwig a modular DAW or just a regular DAW with a modular device building environment that can interact with the DAW (as with M4L). In a fully modular DAW (like MuLab and Usine) the whole signal path is modular, including the routing of audio and midi in and out of tracks, sequencers, arps, audio recorders and other forms of processing component.

Since all the Bitwig devices are made in the modular environment and they include sequencers and routing devices, is there much difference between the two?

Potentially, it's not clear to me if the modular environment extends to opening up the ability to route everything within the DAW in a modular way (as in MuLab or energyXT) or just the ability to create devices using it. Just adding M4L to Live (or Reaktor) for example, doesn't make it a modular DAW.

[camsr]

Maybe the buffers are only 1 sample big? Inefficient but functional.

I guess that depends on the function, of course -- some work on multiple samples. I'd expect VSTs in general to expect to have access to a full buffer (as IIRC, that's what the protocol gives them). So feedback would need to be at buffer level?

I don't think so.. even if the plugin must buffer internally, the input and output need only be iterated by a single sample.

[whyterabbyt]

Oh come on ... the delay answers are lame...

Why? Because you say so? Guess you werent actually looking for an answer then, just the usual 'if I dont use it, it must be useless' posturing that a certain sector of KVR is so fond of.

and is available in so many plugins (even with modular feedback path like MUX have) ...no need for another implementation

Dumb argument, unless you're going to prove you only work with one implementation of anything, like, say, gain modification. Not needed in a host, since its available in so many plugins, right?

Might be difficult for someone closeminded to get their head around, but different people do things in different ways, and thus want different things. Like, flexibility If your host allows feedback, then unlike inside plugins, you can have any processing you like in the feedback path.
Then again its not as if music is supposed to be a creative endeavour, eh?

[pdxindy]

Since all the Bitwig devices are made in the modular environment and they include sequencers and routing devices, is there much difference between the two?

Potentially, it's not clear to me if the modular environment extends to opening up the ability to route everything within the DAW in a modular way (as in MuLab or energyXT) or just the ability to create devices using it. Just adding M4L to Live (or Reaktor) for example, doesn't make it a modular DAW.

Bitwig has routing devices so signals can be received from any specific device on any track. So the Audio Mod can be used to take the output of a device on another track and use that audio as an envelop follower to modulate a parameter in its track.

(like Vaz Modular) Bitwig doesn't have a schematic view with wires for the whole DAW but functionality wise, what is missing?

[aMUSEd]

Since all the Bitwig devices are made in the modular environment and they include sequencers and routing devices, is there much difference between the two?

Potentially, it's not clear to me if the modular environment extends to opening up the ability to route everything within the DAW in a modular way (as in MuLab or energyXT) or just the ability to create devices using it. Just adding M4L to Live (or Reaktor) for example, doesn't make it a modular DAW.

Bitwig has routing devices so signals can be received from any specific device on any track. So the Audio Mod can be used to take the output of a device on another track and use that audio as an envelop follower to modulate a parameter in its track.

(like Vaz Modular) Bitwig doesn't have a schematic view with wires for the whole DAW but functionality wise, what is missing?

OK, but if that's the case then it's modular already, the modular device creator isn't what's going to make it modular, it's how it routes stuff already. Isn't that the case though with most DAWS these days, the last hurdle for me was routing instrument tracks into audio tracks to live record plugins, even Sonar has that now.

[pdxindy]

Since all the Bitwig devices are made in the modular environment and they include sequencers and routing devices, is there much difference between the two?

Potentially, it's not clear to me if the modular environment extends to opening up the ability to route everything within the DAW in a modular way (as in MuLab or energyXT) or just the ability to create devices using it. Just adding M4L to Live (or Reaktor) for example, doesn't make it a modular DAW.

Bitwig has routing devices so signals can be received from any specific device on any track. So the Audio Mod can be used to take the output of a device on another track and use that audio as an envelop follower to modulate a parameter in its track.

(like Vaz Modular) Bitwig doesn't have a schematic view with wires for the whole DAW but functionality wise, what is missing?

OK, but if that's the case then it's modular already, the modular device creator isn't what's going to make it modular, it's how it routes stuff already. Isn't that the case though with most DAWS these days, the last hurdle for me was routing instrument tracks into audio tracks to live record plugins, even Sonar has that now.

That is what it seems like to me... with Bitwig 2, you will be able to edit any existing Bitwig device or create new ones. So I imagine you would be able to create a device that received from 2 separate user selectable tracks and then took some action from there... and so on.

The one limitation in Bitwig is you cannot create feedback loops. But that is a design choice not an inherent limitation.

[jens]

No more examples...

because it's potentially rather complex/compicated?

For me usually it happens with quite complex routings, where - without feedback being possible - you suddenly end up with silence or the routing just isn't possible... I could come up with examples, but that would mean having to think hard about it and I'm too lazy for that...

[camsr]

Just want to re-iterate my vote for audiomulch as a VST. Can't hold my breath though.

[Kalamata Kid]

Bespoke DAW https://www.bespokesynth.com/
Free but can donate.
Looks very interesting DAW/synth!
A stand-alone and can host VST's

[careyletendre]