Bitwig

bigbot · Post by **bigbot** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 4:14 am

Like many of you, I moved from Ableton to Bitwig. One of the few things I miss is the ability to create interfaces for controlling external hardware using Max. Is this possible with the Grid? I suspect not yet, but I hope I'm wrong.

moss · Post by **moss** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:23 am

bigbot wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2019 4:14 am Like many of you, I moved from Ableton to Bitwig. One of the few things I miss is the ability to create interfaces for controlling external hardware using Max. Is this possible with the Grid? I suspect not yet, but I hope I'm wrong.

Not possible. What you can do is use the CC device.

Tj Shredder · Post by **Tj Shredder** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:27 am

What kind of hardware do you want to control? Which M4L device would you like to replicate?
Sometimes you just have to adapt a workflow and might end up having a better solution than before.

x.iso · Post by **x.iso** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:41 am

If by interface you mean organising knobs and putting labels, you can kinda do that and modulate CC's with said knobs, then you have to route those messages to appropriate MIDI hardware.

For that specific purpose (or even controlling something in Bitwig) I rely on Usine Hollyhock, since I have touchscreen laptop and it supports multi-touch.

antic604 · Post by **antic604** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:42 am

Tj Shredder wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:27 amWhat kind of hardware do you want to control? Which M4L device would you like to replicate? Sometimes you just have to adapt a workflow and might end up having a better solution than before.

I think the OP means devices like these:
http://maxforlive.com/library/device/48 ... controller
http://maxforlive.com/library/device/23 ... eld-editor
http://maxforlive.com/library/device/32 ... n-2-remote

that basically are remote editors for synth parameters.

Tj Shredder · Post by **Tj Shredder** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:12 am

Ok, the Bitwig way of tackling this, is a combination of a controller script and remote controls. You need the script to connect to your knobs of the hardware. The remote controls are your UI and have to send out the proper Midi messages...
Nothing which would pop out of nowhere, but no more complex than creating a M4L device.
You would not get a visual representation as you can in M4L though. And there is always the option to run those devices in standalone Max, but that is not ideal either...

The solution would be outside the Grid...

SLiC · Post by **SLiC** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 12:13 pm

I have found this to be an excellent free solution-

http://ctrlr.org/

CONTROL ANY MIDI ENABLED HARDWARE: SYNTHESIZERS, DRUM MACHINES, SAMPLERS, EFFECTS.

CREATE CUSTOM USER INTERFACES.

HOST THEM AS VST OR AU PLUGINS IN YOUR FAVORITE DAWS.

and then use bitwig modulators on the VST controls - job done - loads of free very good looking interfaces for old midi hardware already done (I even did one for my Dominion Club)

Tj Shredder · Post by **Tj Shredder** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 12:19 pm

That is cool! Even open source, it will still run after Ableton went out of business because of that unbearable Bitwig competition...; - )

bigbot · Post by **bigbot** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 1:16 pm

Thanks for all the positive feedback!!!

Back when I was using Ableton, I made a remote interface for my Eventide DSP4000. The 4000 is a complex beast and I only got as far as creating an interface that allowed be to switch banks, see all of the presets within a bank, then select and load a preset. I also added support to switch bypass on and off. Not much, but it saved me a ton of time browsing and loading presets.

I would really like to do the same in Bitwig.

zengel · Post by **zengel** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 3:20 pm

SLiC wrote: ↑Wed Jun 19, 2019 12:13 pm I have found this to be an excellent free solution-

http://ctrlr.org/

CONTROL ANY MIDI ENABLED HARDWARE: SYNTHESIZERS, DRUM MACHINES, SAMPLERS, EFFECTS.

CREATE CUSTOM USER INTERFACES.

HOST THEM AS VST OR AU PLUGINS IN YOUR FAVORITE DAWS.

and then use bitwig modulators on the VST controls - job done - loads of free very good looking interfaces for old midi hardware already done (I even did one for my Dominion Club)

Finally ! It exists !
some midi remote template maker where you can customize graphics deeply!
there were another one named tbmidi stuff and i had pleasure with it (on ios) but it makes a while since nothing happened on it.
Thanks for this great news, i did not know ctrlr
I gonna make it my new best friend !!

zengel · Post by **zengel** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 3:23 pm

And it's multitouch screen friendly to !!! how could I have missed it? !

JHernandez · Post by **JHernandez** » Wed Jun 19, 2019 4:32 pm

Went to look at the midi editor, pretty cool. Worth checking out for sure. Thanks.

Then I found the recent posts.

Worth checking out?

danilosan · Post by **danilosan** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:28 pm

Ctrl.org is pretty tempting. But I did not find any recent MacOS build since the main developer has no Mac available. You are expected to get your heat around make a build by yourself from the Github repo. Anyway I found an old build 5.3.198 to give it a try and it worked an my high sierra.

The airbase 99 panel worked, although not really snappy, quite well in the standalone mode. It is jst unfortunate that the VST version did not load on bitwig 3.3

djinsomniak · Post by **djinsomniak** » Fri Apr 02, 2021 4:26 pm

Try this link:
https://github.com/RomanKubiak/ctrlr/re ... -5.6.1.dmg

danilosan wrote: ↑Fri Apr 02, 2021 12:28 pm Ctrl.org is pretty tempting. But I did not find any recent MacOS build since the main developer has no Mac available. You are expected to get your heat around make a build by yourself from the Github repo. Anyway I found an old build 5.3.198 to give it a try and it worked an my high sierra.

The airbase 99 panel worked, although not really snappy, quite well in the standalone mode. It is jst unfortunate that the VST version did not load on bitwig 3.3

Bitwig

KVR Audio

The Grid: Is This Possible Yet?