Bitwig Studio 4 announced (+beta available)!

[chk071]

The smart pop up browser in Bitwig is simply faster than pictures then when you have a lot of VSTs ( ) it takes for ever to scroll through hundreds of pictures when you can only see a dozen or so on screen at any one time.

That's what favorites are for. I hope Bitwig has those at least.

[THE INTRANCER]

If it was just some random bullcrap, then nobody would have implemented it.

DAW's are running out of useful stuff to add to keep having paid updates... so someone added random bullcrap like vst graphics. Other DAW's followed suit cause they were also running out of ideas.

Fortunately, Bitwig made a way to add instruments and fx that is much fast and easier than scrolling a long list of images.

The smart pop up browser in Bitwig is simply faster than pictures then when you have a lot of VSTs ( ) it takes for ever to scroll through hundreds of pictures when you can only see a dozen or so on screen at any one time. It looks pretty, it isn't actually very practical in my opinion...like I say, I turned it off in S1. In Reason its useful when a VST is in a wrapper as you can see what it is in the rack, so there may be reason to have it down the line in Bitwig (for example, a VSTs in the grid with a little snapshot top remind you) but no other reason I can think of.

In Bitwig, if I want to add Hive... popup the browser, type 'h' and 'i', hit down arrow and return. Literally 2 seconds...

Scrolling through a list of say 70 plugin images could be as much as 10 times slower.

Daws with thumbnail images include FL Studio, Cubase, Studio One, and Reason.

Psychologically there is a lot more to just picking an instrument or effect you want to use and how an instrument looks plays an important roll in that, (how you feel, the amount of light in your environment, even the type of music you create is influenced by how something looks). You might have hundreds or just a dozen or so top pick from but you know from a glance instantly in which instrument or effect you want to use. There's no reading involved, there's no typing on keys involved if you don't need to, you have a much greater area in which to drag an image to select to use than you would have from listed text. In Studio One you can filter down the instruments or effect by name by text if you want to and have the benefit of two systems.

When you use a DAW, you want to have that flexibility to choose how you interact with it. There are practical uses for both systems, that's why the majority of operating systems today allow you to choose how you want to view files and folders.

It's like some people here are too stubborn to come out of the command line systems of the 1970's to the advent of visual point and click GUI operating systems of the 1980's... .

[chk071]

Well... a search function surely has its uses as well. It's just that I find it a bit subpar to have to switch from mouse to keyboard to do stuff, if I don't have to. I usually select the synth I want to use via mouse from the favorite list, finding it quickly with the thumbnail. I don't have 100 synths installed, but, if I did, I probably would have a need for a search function, or just typing in the first character of the synth's name as well, but, not the case.

[pdxindy]

The smart pop up browser in Bitwig is simply faster than pictures then when you have a lot of VSTs ( ) it takes for ever to scroll through hundreds of pictures when you can only see a dozen or so on screen at any one time.

That's what favorites are for. I hope Bitwig has those at least.

Bitwig has Favorites. You can also make Collections and Smart Collections... as many as you want. You can set defaults for the different browser areas.

But still, the search function is the fastest. I don't even need to look at the screen.

[SLiC]

I get that some people like to see little pictures of their VST collection (even if you manually have to take a snapshot of each one, I don't think anyone has automated it yet), but it shouldn't be a 'priority' for any DAW.

Bigwig's auto hide of redundant VSTs and unlimited collections and smart collections ( a stored search-condition) etc are significantly more useful for most people, so the real question may be why didn't all the other DAWS do that before thumbnail pictures!

[antic604]

almost using exclusively (from the browser only the recent ones section) the PManager and drag and dropping in S1 too, so not a question which is the more effective one

with shortkeyed is almost the same as in BWS just it isn't smart so Hive H+i and S1 too (+1 click inside the plugin list window)

You're using Plugin Manager to add VSTs to your project? What's wrong with F5, then Ctrl+F and "H" "I", etc...?

[antic604]

...even if you manually have to take a snapshot of each one, I don't think anyone has automated it yet...

This is such a bummer for someone with sizeable plugin collection & multiple DAWs they sell and re-purchase multiple times

[jonljacobi]

Yup- I have no issue doing it (and everything else multi selected track related) thorough the inspector panel. It's not hard to remember and I always have the inspector open as it has so many uses. At least you have a mixer, try Live's session view for mixing!

What's wrong with Live's session view for mixing? Bitwig is not much better imo. At least in Live if I select multiple tracks I can directly edit them without having to go to some inspector to edit values. I can also edit sends across multiple tracks. They also have resizable faders. I'm not seeing how Bitwig is better in that regard. Can you elaborate?

I meant arrangement view (I can never remember what they are called!) - I mainly work and always mix in the liner DAW mode- no real mixer (and vertical is bad for my monitor size, I am long and thin)

Even in 'the other' view, not showing inserts is massive for me, resize is limited if you are just mixing- Bitwig wins on every level 'for me' as it can do everything Live mixer does (all be it in a different way in some cases) but even with the txt fudge Live is very poor at showing insert information (not at all by default) and I like to just look at mixers and level displays when mixing (full screen)

You cant tell me its not useful seeing the amount of compression, EQ curves and inserts for all tracks at the same when mixing with large VU displays!

Bitwig's mixing page is indeed great. But you can still mix in Live, and recording and time correcting are far easier.

[SLiC]

...even if you manually have to take a snapshot of each one, I don't think anyone has automated it yet...

This is such a bummer for someone with sizeable plugin collection & multiple DAWs they sell and re-purchase multiple times

Yeh, I remember doing it when I first got Studio One...I kept loading cool thinks in plugins to get a good screenshot...the novelty wore off pretty fast!...the only pictures in S1 now are the stock instruments that come pre loaded with pictures! VST3 missed an opportunity for DEV's to embed a snapshot!

[SLiC]

Bitwig's mixing page is indeed great. But you can still mix in Live, and recording and time correcting are far easier.

How is recording easier in Live out of interest (I use both, I can't say its something I have noticed)

[chk071]

I get that some people like to see little pictures of their VST collection

I think there's a bit of a misconception about this feature: It's not about seeing funny little pic-ies of your plugin collection, it's about a more clear selection of your plugins.

Take a look at these screenshots, and tell me what's the quicker way, visually, to select the plugin you want to add to a track:

Studio_One_instrument_browser_pics.jpg

Studio_One_instrument_browser_no_pics.jpg

Again, I can see how a search function would be useful for the selection as well, if you happen to have a gazillion of plugins. Would be cool if Presonus added that to Studio One as well.

[SLiC]

I genuinely had to read the text above the pictures to see what some of those plugins were!

I’m ok with people getting features I don’t want (and I don’t use this feature in studio one) but I just don’t see how this would work in Bitwigs pop up browser (which is faster than sidebar drag) and I can think of 100 things that are more needed!

[chk071]

I genuinely had to read the text above the pictures to see what some of those plugins were!

No wonder if you don't frequently use them. If you do, it's way quicker and easier than (just) reading the text.

Anyway, as I said, a search function works as well, of course. Although, again, you have to switch between mouse and keyboard (I'm sure you first have to hover over the side panel, or click inside the search field, otherwise Bitwig will have a hard time distinguishing between key shortcuts, and your text input in the search field).

[syntonica]

I get that some people like to see little pictures of their VST collection

I think there's a bit of a misconception about this feature: It's not about seeing funny little pic-ies of your plugin collection, it's about a more clear selection of your plugins.

Take a look at these screenshots, and tell me what's the quicker way, visually, to select the plugin you want to add to a track:

Studio_One_instrument_browser_pics.jpg

Studio_One_instrument_browser_no_pics.jpg

Again, I can see how a search function would be useful for the selection as well, if you happen to have a gazillion of plugins. Would be cool if Presonus added that to Studio One as well.

The second one. All the plugins are showing, not just a handful.

That said, the ability to turn them on or off should keep everybody happy! (Well, as happy as any one DAW can make them.)

Features are nice, as long as you can turn off or hide the ones you don't need or rarely use.

[chk071]

The second one. All the plugins are showing, not just a handful.

Trust me, it isn't. Unless you're the kinda guy that likes to read a paragraph before making a selection. Or (god forbid) reads manuals before using the software.

That said, Presonus should add a search field to the plugin browser. You guys convinced me that it's a useful feature.