Bitwig 8-Track "free" with CM Magazine.

[Russell Grand]

Is this one of those DAW versions where you're only allowed 2 effects per project, it only exports in 8 bit 32 kHz and you can only write a piece of music 33 seconds long kind of deals?? Is it actually useful in this cut down form? I looked at the restrictions of previous cut down versions of Bitwig and, imo, it makes it pretty useless.

I'd like to know this as well. I also want to know if you can use third party VST synths & fx in the 8-Track version.

Yes, and you can use of the really cool modulators to make new rack instruments with your existing VSTs and drive CV powered instruments etc....

All the information you need is here: https://www.bitwig.com/en/8-track

The info at the link you shared makes it sound like anyone can download 8-Track for free. Is that the case or am I misunderstanding? I'm on my cellphone and it's 5am here so I could be missing something.

GETTING STARTED
Installing Bitwig Studio 8-Track in 2 easy steps.
1. Download BITWIG STUDIO on your computer:

Install BITWIG STUDIO, following the on-screen instructions.

2. Open the program, create a user account (or log in if you already have one).

[VariKusBrainZ]

Yes if you have the link anyone can download and register, I passed it on to someone

[Russell Grand]

Yes if you have the link anyone can download and register, I passed it on to someone

Cool, thanks VariK.

[Zexila]

I looked at the restrictions of previous cut down versions of Bitwig and, imo, it makes it pretty useless.

It's the same restrictions with this one, so yeah, pretty useless.

[chk071]

My experience as well, unfortunately.

[GaryG]

I wouldn’t say useless, bw themselves use the term sketch pad which is how I use the 8 track version. Reaper is my main squeeze but messing about with beats in bw8t or Ableton intro Is a nice change of MO, leads to interesting parts I wouldn’t normally come up with. So I wouldn’t use this as my primary daw at all but a fun addition imo. And I would have killed for features in this freebie when I was starting out, 8 tracks, decent array of fx, various synths... more than enough for 90s minimal techno

[SLiC]

Its a 'blame the tools' culture, even when the tools are free.....some how the Beatles managed to make music with an 8 track recorder and many of us managed with a 4 track tape recorder and a hardware midi sequencer that just displayed numbers not that many years ago.....

You would have to have zero imagination and production ability not to be able to make great music with 8 tracks and the flexibility of BWS. Most of the (electronic) music I hear posted on soundcloud is just a lot of shouting with nothing much to say....too many tools, instruments, fx...not enough melody, originality, thought and space....

Limiting yourself can often be a lot more creative than vanishing in the abyss of infinite possibilities!

[Zexila]

Hypocrisy in it's finest, signature full of gear, not using 8 track but two full fledged DAW's minimum and preaching about minimalism.

[ganym3d]

Its a 'blame the tools' culture, even when the tools are free.....some how the Beatles managed to make music with an 8 track recorder and many of us managed with a 4 track tape recorder and a hardware midi sequencer that just displayed numbers not that many years ago.....

You would have to have zero imagination and production ability not to be able to make great music with 8 tracks and the flexibility of BWS. Most of the (electronic) music I hear posted on soundcloud is just a lot of shouting with nothing much to say....too many tools, instruments, fx...not enough melody, originality, thought and space....

Limiting yourself can often be a lot more creative than vanishing in the abyss of infinite possibilities!

[SLiC]

Yeah, nobody here uses 8 track to make music (it's just a sketchpad for me too), but mouth full of BS, please do hand over your full Bitwig, I will give you 8 track, be creative and stuff, I use more than two 3rd party vst's in a project, it's useless for me.

Your saying it is useless as you cant work with less tracks, I doin t either (that's why I own BWS and I record bands so I have other DAWS) but many people CAN work with less tracks so it is patently NOT useless to everyone.

Fortunately no one is forcing you to use this 'free' software, and like me you have the option to buy the actual software if you need more tracks/VSTs (as I did after a demo to control my modular).

To say its useless and that no one can make good music with 8 tracks and 2 VSTs is just ridiculous (have you heard the songs in the 1 synth challenge?) I am mainly a hardware guy, go and listen to the music made with 'just; 8 tracks (and no VSTs) on an Octotrack or 4 tracks and no VSTs on an Operator 1 etc.

If you can afford better tools, great, but a lot of people can't and this is obviously aimed at them (as its free on a magazine disk) and many people may make better songs with this than you or me as it is about talent and originality, not software.

[Zexila]

Yeah, nobody here uses 8 track to make music (it's just a sketchpad for me too), but mouth full of BS, please do hand over your full Bitwig, I will give you 8 track, be creative and stuff, I use more than two 3rd party vst's in a project, it's useless for me.

Your saying it is useless as you cant work with less tracks, I doin t either (that's why I own BWS and I record bands so I have other DAWS) but many people CAN work with less tracks so it is patently NOT useless to everyone.

Fortunately no one is forcing you to use this 'free' software, and like me you have the option to buy the actual software if you need more tracks/VSTs (as I did after a demo to control my modular).

To say its useless and that no one can make good music with 8 tracks and 2 VSTs is just ridiculous (have you heard the songs in the 1 synth challenge?) I am mainly a hardware guy, go and listen to the music made with 'just; 8 tracks (and no VSTs) on an Octotrack or 4 tracks and no VSTs on an Operator 1 etc.

If you can afford better tools, great, but a lot of people can't and this is obviously aimed at them (as its free on a magazine disk) and many people may make better songs with this than you or me as it is about talent and originality, not software.

Don't put words in my mouth, I said it's useless for me, that's it, you are last person to preach about this, so stop it already, straw man BS all over again.

Also, music in KVR OSC is made with more than two instances of given plugin, so...

[SLiC]

I looked at the restrictions of previous cut down versions of Bitwig and, imo, it makes it pretty useless.

It's the same restrictions with this one, so yeah, pretty useless.

I buy what makes me happy....but it doesn't make my music any better than a guys who drops an original beat and sings over it with 2 tracks...having a lot of gear isn't a sin...thinking you 'need' gear to make music, that's the sin.

Lets both agree that some people who either cant afford anything better or don't need more than 8 tracks and a couple of VSTs may find this free offer 'useful'.

PS- As I am primarily a guitarist/bass player and I have a drum kit and hardware synths in my studio many of my songs have no VSTs and less than 8 tracks!

[Zexila]

I looked at the restrictions of previous cut down versions of Bitwig and, imo, it makes it pretty useless.

It's the same restrictions with this one, so yeah, pretty useless.

I buy what makes me happy....but it doesn't make my music any better than a guys who drops an original beat and sings over it with 2 tracks...having a lot of gear isn't a sin...thinking you 'need' gear to make music, that's the sin.

Straw man again, I'm seriously done talking to you, you just can't accept other peoples opinion and have them be, so we must be whatever BS you think we are just because we find 8 track useless for our own needs, c'mon, can't you leave people who like it or dislike kit alone without your preaching and shoving of opinions, some people like heroin too, some don't, life choices, whatever makes one happy.

[SLiC]

'so yeah, pretty useless' is an opinion that I disagree with just like you disagree with mine, You say its useless, I say it isn't. Get over it and read your own signature!!!!

[Zexila]

'so yeah, pretty useless' is an opinion that I disagree with just like you disagree with mine, You say its useless, I say it isn't. Get over it and read your own signature!!!!

I don't have issues with your opinion, but with your preaching which is based mostly on straw man's, also you lack any credibility to preach that way because you aren't even using 8 track, so that batter than thou stuff is just over the top for someone who just disagrees with one's opinion, I disagree with plenty, but I keep my mouth shout, because I respect different opinions, but you just can't leave us have it, there's more of us who think same way, live with it.