BitWig vs FL Studio (linear vs mixer/loop oriented)

[roiikkata]

Actually been trying to adapt to Bitwig somewhat, still. I still use FL Studio, but the reason I'm trying to switch is because FL is known to be resource heavy visually and I'm looking for something not so CPU intensive aside from VST processing and such.

If that your criteria, then stick to FL. Its GUI is much more fluid and it seems to be GPU-accelerated, whereas Bitwig's - which is as lively, if not more with all the modulators - is still processed on the CPU, which means in heavier projects it can get choppy and unresponsive, as audio gets the priority.

That's actually a really good point. It is accelerated. I noticed Bitwig has less VST processing capability somehow. That must be it. Hit the nail on the head!

[roiikkata]

FL Studio 20.9 beta works extremely well on mac mini m1, in native mode. I made my last project in FL just to see its progress. 20+ omnispheres 30-35 CPU load.

Even more so! I just don't use Mac since it's EQ capabilities are limited as far as I know .. Do you or anyone else have any suggestions? FL output EQ I can deal with. But I like it to be system-wide. Any low cost DSP soundcards or software processing you would recommend? I can work with up to about 300 dollars for one if needbe, currently. I'm new to the Mac game

[roiikkata]

Also been wondering; What is the processing difference between Windows and Mac. Kind of off topic, but I've researched far enough to figure basically Windows is compatibility and Mac is speed & CPU. They (the DAW developers) have seemingly been trying to find better and better ways of having an ultimate one single "thing" that the other can't do. I mean, for me? It's the latency in Mac that's the real no brainer. But in WINDOWS .. it has allllllll these VSTs, instrumentation compatibility, hardware, etc. .. not to mention how Mac is made to be "just a PC" to be "easy to use" so it's kind of like a double "gotcha"; Low latency/phenomenal CPU processing compared to Windows and how it routes other things through the CPU instead of how my old friend put it "runs everything off of just files" (very Linux-like (in which it is)) .. but with Windows, it's the safety, the lack of crashes compared to Mac, etc. etc. Correct me if I'm wrong. Like I said, I'm only basing this off of research and a bit of use of Mac.

I mean I could easily have someone come up and give me a list of 10 to 20 things Mac does. I am aware of the Mac craze these days ..
I just believe it's just CPU & latency, though.

But .. however .. like I'm wondering; Is there one single system-wide software or on-board DSP USB soundcard I/one can use to EQ the output? I mean I could easily buy a rack EQ, ya .. but I'm looking to have a desktop Mac AND a laptop. And I like to keep them similar in setup. All I've found are things like EQMac and such. And something like the Behringer Mini FBQ800 EQ box.

5155ziMt6bL._AC_SL1000_.jpg

I also use Voicemeeter (becoming more popular these days now) by the way, as my standard "Go To" EQ setup for the most part. In THIS particular setup, I'm speaking of.

VoicemeeterPotato.jpg

I mean all in all, not to belittle Windows at all in all this at all .. and because if I personally can't find anything better, then I'm just gonna have to just stick with Windows I suppose ..

[hallwayraptor]

Every time I try Bitwig it either crashes and I lose my progress or it corrupts the save. Sometimes the backup system works but most of the time it doesn't. At this point I don't trust it at all which is a shame because it's the DAW with the coolest features and most interesting future IMO.

[SLiC]

I dont know what platform your on, but on Windows I have never had a crash with Bitwig, the plug in sand boxing makes it one of the most stable DAWS (as it’s normally a plug-in that crashes rather than the DAW)

[antic604]

Every time I try Bitwig it either crashes and I lose my progress or it corrupts the save. Sometimes the backup system works but most of the time it doesn't. At this point I don't trust it at all which is a shame because it's the DAW with the coolest features and most interesting future IMO.

Bitwig never crashed on me in 4 years I've been using it. Something's wrong with your setup... Which OS you're on? Which Bitwig version?

[Tj Shredder]

But .. however .. like I'm wondering; Is there one single system-wide software or on-board DSP USB soundcard I/one can use to EQ the output?

Any MotU audio interface can do that. I guess any RME as well. Probably any with built in DSP. I would not want a system wide solution, it belongs to the listening chain after the computer, either digital (in the interface) or simply analog if you run it through a mixer for example…

[pdxindy]

Every time I try Bitwig it either crashes and I lose my progress or it corrupts the save. Sometimes the backup system works but most of the time it doesn't. At this point I don't trust it at all which is a shame because it's the DAW with the coolest features and most interesting future IMO.

Something strange is going on... you should email Bitwig support. support@bitwig.com

Bitwig is the most stable DAW I have ever used.

[xbitz]

FL Studio 20.9 beta works extremely well on mac mini m1, in native mode. I made my last project in FL just to see its progress. 20+ omnispheres 30-35 CPU load.

Side topic: M1 is crazy. I can not play one RC Juno 60 on my i7 4ghz iMac without cpu spikes every few seconds (Some RC Legendary instruments have really bad CPU performance, maybe it is intel related) but I can run several on my home use M1 Air. And it is in Rosetta mode plus not officially compatible with Big Sur yet.
Can't imagine the power of the next chip for MBP and big screen iMacs.

just wondering about mini mac (https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac- ... -gpu-256gb) with 16GB can be used for music-making with FL Studio ?

[antic604]

FL Studio 20.9 beta works extremely well on mac mini m1, in native mode. I made my last project in FL just to see its progress. 20+ omnispheres 30-35 CPU load.

Side topic: M1 is crazy. I can not play one RC Juno 60 on my i7 4ghz iMac without cpu spikes every few seconds (Some RC Legendary instruments have really bad CPU performance, maybe it is intel related) but I can run several on my home use M1 Air. And it is in Rosetta mode plus not officially compatible with Big Sur yet.
Can't imagine the power of the next chip for MBP and big screen iMacs.

just wondering about mini mac (https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac- ... -gpu-256gb) with 16GB can be used for music-making with FL Studio ?

Definitely. All M1 Apple computers easily beat MacBook Pros with Intel i7s, often even i9s. Without fan noise. And Bitwig also is native since 4.0

[hallwayraptor]

Every time I try Bitwig it either crashes and I lose my progress or it corrupts the save. Sometimes the backup system works but most of the time it doesn't. At this point I don't trust it at all which is a shame because it's the DAW with the coolest features and most interesting future IMO.

Something strange is going on... you should email Bitwig support. support@bitwig.com

Bitwig is the most stable DAW I have ever used.

Maybe when version 4 comes out I'll give it another shot.

[jancivil]

Music is all based on loops and patterns. Classical music isn't exception.

What about Jazz?

What about it? Unless the instrument plays a solo they otherwise play & transpose loops. That's actually how you make a solo stand out - have other parts "droning" the same thing over & over in the background. Obviously it's not the same loops all the time, but that's also the case in good electronic / techno music.

No, not at all. Jazz is a performer's music, which happens in realtime. You aren't going to get in there and draw in your notes hard-quantized (I noticed the other day you were baffled by the very idea of the record enable in Cubase), you aren't going to slap some loops on there and arrange them to get your line, or your harmony, it's about spontaneity and feel. There is all kinds of music which gets put in the 'classical' bin that is not pattern-based at all.
And no again to 'how you make a solo stand out'. Yes, people vamp but the idea is not to reiterate shit dully over and over and the whole spirit of jazz is live interaction and responsiveness to the moment.

Why are you talking, you have no knowledge of or interest in this. you seem to want to look like you know, but score = 0 here.

So to the actual topic, a DAW which was built from the start to be a place where one launches clips and the dialogs are all about patterns, Fruity Loops, whatever it became for instance was that, and the impetus for Live was similar (note the name, a sampler with a timeline essentially), may well not be as conducive to a through-composing linear composer.
Both do linear with no necessary dichotomy as it was then, but there is still a different emphasis as compared to a Cubase in its approach, fewer features for time control than.

but I have no idea how 'mixer' is conflated with :loops:

[antic604]

Why are you talking, you have no knowledge of or interest in this. you seem to want to look like you know, but score = 0 here.

Take a breath and re-read what you quoted

I'm not suggesting it's quantized or that it's an exact copy every time.

It so happens that I'm listening to jazz at this very moment, which confirms it - large parts of what drums and bass - and even piano, when there's time for bass or drum solo - play are loosely understood "loops". I mean music is mostly repetition, especially on a micro scale.

Also, my point was that in modern DAW even the same MIDI clip looped multiple times can sound different every time, due to randomisation of sound synthesis parameters and MIDI note properties (e.g. velocity, note delay & note length, all the MPE stuff).

[roiikkata]

No, you both are right about Jazz. It's a very "malleable" genre. I guess that's why so many people like it. It tells a story.

[roiikkata]

I dont know what platform your on, but on Windows I have never had a crash with Bitwig, the plug in sand boxing makes it one of the most stable DAWS (as it’s normally a plug-in that crashes rather than the DAW)

Ya, it really does. FL crashes are not to be reckoned with ..

As in, VSTs will take down your entire flow in FL haha .. I can't speak for Ableton Live, can't speak for Logic Pro or whatever .. But I do know one thing and one thing only; I've had my fair share of having a whole entire set of instruments composed, lined up just the way I like them then BLIP, the window whites out, don't send error to Microsoft, trying to revive the program, troubleshoot .. cancel button and there it goes