Bitwig Studio 4.1 BETA released

[antic604]

What if notes did more than trigger your sounds? As musical signals that dance and curve, notes just do more in Bitwig Studio, both on the timeline and in performance. Version 4.1 is here, adding eight new note effects. So with 20+ FX now included, we say… LET THERE BE NOTES!

https://youtu.be/bWkeV2_MLJY

https://youtu.be/2oP92pTmmOM

What's new: https://www.bitwig.com/whats-new/

Detailed release notes: https://downloads-eu.bitwig.com/beta/4. ... eta-1.html

[Trancit]

Correct me if I am wrong but weren´t all these midi fx not (more or less recently) included into Ableton as M4L devices???

I think I can remember something like Bouncy Notes or something...

If so... would be pretty lame copy/paste imho...

[antic604]

Correct me if I am wrong but weren´t all these midi fx not (more or less recently) included into Ableton as M4L devices???

I think I can remember something like Bouncy Notes or something...

If so... would be pretty lame copy/paste imho...

Not all, but some indeed. Or there are similar 3rd party M4L devices.

True, not very exciting on the surface indeed, but on the other hand being able to attach modulators or automate them can bring a lot of life into static patterns, so it's better to have those features as devices rather than baked-in into the piano roll, e.g. the strength or parameters of Strum, Randomize or Note Repeats can evolve as time goes by, making the notes tighter or looser, depending on what you want to achieve.

But probably biggest thing for me are... new color palettes, incl. you can drag in any image and it will create a custom palette from it

[SLiC]

Correct me if I am wrong but weren´t all these midi fx not (more or less recently) included into Ableton as M4L devices???

I think I can remember something like Bouncy Notes or something...

If so... would be pretty lame copy/paste imho...

Yeh, the inspired by nature packs included with Live 11 has bouncy balls and a lot more stuff...far more interesting than the new Bitwig offering (at face value at least), but its all a bit of fun and of very limited use to me in any form for my music (I lean towards automation rather than randomness), so somewhat moot...

https://www.ableton.com/en/packs/inspired-nature/#?

[trevormeier]

This kind of generative randomness has again piqued my interest in Bitwig. For generative music I’ve been using VCV Rack lately.

Any users of both out there? How is Bitwig for integrating generative music with more traditional composition techniques?

[SLiC]

This kind of generative randomness has again piqued my interest in Bitwig. For generative music I’ve been using VCV Rack lately.

Any users of both out there? How is Bitwig for integrating generative music with more traditional composition techniques?

Bitwig was built for that type of thing I suspect- but you can achieve similar results (with perhaps better standard DAW features) with most DAWS nowadays. The Grid makes Bitwig quite special, but needs midi...the unified modulation system is still the main selling point for Bitwig IMHO and that is superb for generative, moving, animated stuff.

VCV Rack is great and will be a VST soon- probably next week..so it can integrate in any DAW, Nest (Suger Bytes) also great, Reaktor still great- no shortage of this type of stuff!

[trevormeier]

Integrated modulation is a big plus…

[pdxindy]

Any users of both out there? How is Bitwig for integrating generative music with more traditional composition techniques?

I don't think there is a better option out there for that than Bitwig.

[ThomasHelzle]

This kind of generative randomness has again piqued my interest in Bitwig. For generative music I’ve been using VCV Rack lately.

Any users of both out there? How is Bitwig for integrating generative music with more traditional composition techniques?

It' super intuitive to work with since you can have any kind of device or plugin in any order you want on one track.
And the Midi and Audio routing is very powerful, even more so if you start to use groups and what they enable you to do (sending from nested sends to global sends for instance).
Highly recommended for midi heavy work.

And since you also have both the clip launcher for looping things (I often use very simple loops from it as the basis for generative devices or plugins) as well as the arranger for linear output, it puts it all together very well for this kind of work.

Also check the new things in 4.0, lots of generative goodies were in there already.

Cheers,

Tom

[antic604]

...sending from nested sends to global sends for instance...

That's possible?! Had no idea

[ThomasHelzle]

One caveat though: the first Beta of 4.1 has a massive bug exactly in the abovementioned ability to send from group sends to master sends. It simply doesn't work.
Already submitted and acknowledged by support.
Got a bit of a heart-attack there, when my surround setup that is completely based on this kind of routing didn't make any sound at all...

Cheers,

Tom

[antic604]

Well in hindsight it's obvious it should work, it just never occured to me to try it

[ThomasHelzle]

...sending from nested sends to global sends for instance...

That's possible?! Had no idea

Yes, it's fantastic (when it works as it did since the introduction of groups).

I built an elaborate surround panner from a Layer FX device with different kinds of positional automation built in:

SurroundPannerUsingFXLayerDevice.jpg

The Layer FX layers show up in mixer conveniently when unfolded for easy mixing:

MixerViewSendingToLocalAndGlobalSends.jpg

And in the above image you can also see, how I send a.) to effect tracks inside the group (for classical send effects) - and those again can send to global, top-level effect tracks. And b.) directly to global effect tracks which I use as surround outputs directly (I do not use the master at all).

GlobalSendStructurWithDirectOutputsToSurroundLoudspeakers.jpg

I use this template on every project I do.
It's bliss to sit "inside the music"

This kind of routing is extremely powerful, since you can always send to the sends of all levels above your current level and of course to your own level.

Cheers,

Tom

[pdxindy]

Integrated modulation is a big plus…

Bitwig's modulation system stands apart from any other DAW in terms of power and workflow.

[Trancit]

Integrated modulation is a big plus…

Bitwig's modulation system stands apart from any other DAW in terms of power and workflow.

In general I am with you... it´s really powerful and nice built...

But in reality it turns out for me and my way of working (I am never into the really nerdy stuff like generative music etc... if someone generates here something it´s me and I am not modulated... ) the integrated modulation options in stuff like Unfiltered Audio, Serum, Vital, Synthmaster, etc...etc... is far more than what I would ever touch...

Therefore I decided not to take all the other shortcomings for having an advantage I already got anyway in all the other plugins and where I am not tied and gagged to a single DAW but I am always free to move to something else and can take everything with me...

As we have already seen twice (Logic and Cakewalk) and atm are seeing again (Presonus) are innovative companies often overtaken by big companies which brings them a rather uncertain future if not even absolute collapse...

Better to stay safe... my opinion... despite Bitwig has some really nice features...