Let‘s speculate about 6.0

[nowiamone]

If the Grid aims to compete directly with MaxForLive it badly needs scripting and UI customisation capabilities. Without these features it would feel like a bit of an incomplete project imo.

Also an API to automate the arranger, devices, mixer etc would be my personal dream, but that's never gonna happen I'm afraid.

Damn you're mentioning my wish here, too. Didn't expect to see this
API access improvements all the way! Would be so great, and help so much, especially since Bitwig can't solve each and every detailed feature request by themselves - API access everywhere would be the best workaround. Users could create awesome helper-tools, just like it's possible in Ableton.

[Zikax]

MIDI comping in the editor panel wouldn’t make sense. Let’s assume you have 10 MIDI lanes to choose from and want to see the piano roll at the same time… how would that even work? The editor would be too small, and if you scaled it to fit, it would look extremely cluttered.

But it's exactly the same with audio comping – the audio comp editor is a dedicated UI that doesn't have most of the audio event editor's regular editing capabilities, outside of those needed for comping. So you wouldn't get midi comping plus detailed note editing crammed into a single view, you'd switch between those modes using the selectors on the left-hand side.

You can enlarge Bitwig's editor panel to be displayed in the large main area, too, by the way.

I’m sure that was the easiest way for them to implement comping without having to change the old code from the arranger. Am I a fan of it? No. Instead, if you could simply select the desired lanes in the arranger while keeping the editor open, it would save the hassle of switching between windows.

[Dionysos]

I’m sure that was the easiest way for them to implement comping without having to change the old code from the arranger. Am I a fan of it? No. Instead, if you could simply select the desired lanes in the arranger while keeping the editor open, it would save the hassle of switching between windows.

I'm pretty sure this was a deliberate design decision. It means that comping in Bitwig isn't limited to the arranger but also works in the launcher. I make use of that a lot, and am actually a fan of it. So yeah, I wouldn't get my hopes up for an arranger-embedded comping UI.

[Zikax]

I’m sure that was the easiest way for them to implement comping without having to change the old code from the arranger. Am I a fan of it? No. Instead, if you could simply select the desired lanes in the arranger while keeping the editor open, it would save the hassle of switching between windows.

I'm pretty sure this was a deliberate design decision. It means that comping in Bitwig isn't limited to the arranger but also works in the launcher. I make use of that a lot, and am actually a fan of it. So yeah, I wouldn't get my hopes up for an arranger-embedded comping UI.

I’ve never set my hopes too high. I can only share my opinion on what I think makes more sense and what doesn’t. I’d appreciate features that don’t require additional windows. That’s also the reason why I don’t like Cubase aka too many windows.

[BobDog]

And finally… AU compatibility

Serious question: what's the real benefit of AU on Mac?
I'm totally new to the Mac ecosystem and use VST3 or CLAP wherever it's possible. I was always under the impression that AU most beneficial usage is in Logic and for all other DAWs it's more or less a combatibility thingy...
Or is there actually a remarkable difference and it's better to use AU whenever it's possible?

AU's have some technical benefits over both VST and VST3, as DAW's don't really use this in general (apart from logic) then they have no real benefit over VST2.

VST3 has some benefits over AUs but also some stinking inefficiencies and idiocy.

Clap seems to have the benefits of both AUs and VST3s without the stinking inefficiencies and idiocy.

I tend to use AUs if the clap version is not available, but I have a pathological hatred towards VST3.

p.s. There is no way BW will ever support AUs unless they do an iPad version.

[Chameleonman]

MIDI comping in the editor panel wouldn’t make sense. Let’s assume you have 10 MIDI lanes to choose from and want to see the piano roll at the same time… how would that even work? The editor would be too small, and if you scaled it to fit, it would look extremely cluttered.

But it's exactly the same with audio comping – the audio comp editor is a dedicated UI that doesn't have most of the audio event editor's regular editing capabilities, outside of those needed for comping. So you wouldn't get midi comping plus detailed note editing crammed into a single view, you'd switch between those modes using the selectors on the left-hand side.

You can enlarge Bitwig's editor panel to be displayed in the large main area, too, by the way.

I’m sure that was the easiest way for them to implement comping without having to change the old code from the arranger. Am I a fan of it? No. Instead, if you could simply select the desired lanes in the arranger while keeping the editor open, it would save the hassle of switching between windows.

I like to do the comping and close the window and never go back. I think it's perfect like it is. There's already too much closing with the automation lanes. I Just opened some old project and saw there was many accidental automation points. I know they were accidents because it was in a freaquency anylyser modes of the eq-5.

[NomadMonad]

If the Grid aims to compete directly with MaxForLive it badly needs scripting and UI customisation capabilities. Without these features it would feel like a bit of an incomplete project imo.

Also an API to automate the arranger, devices, mixer etc would be my personal dream, but that's never gonna happen I'm afraid.

Damn you're mentioning my wish here, too. Didn't expect to see this
API access improvements all the way! Would be so great, and help so much, especially since Bitwig can't solve each and every detailed feature request by themselves - API access everywhere would be the best workaround. Users could create awesome helper-tools, just like it's possible in Ableton.

Yeah I think it's fair to say that M4L owes a lot of its success to the Live Object Model

[foosnark]

I have a feeling Sampler+, and Grid+ are at least being talked about. Probably themes too. It would have been a wasted opportunity to not include theme support during the recent UI rewrite they did to add GPU support.

Sampler definitely could use some love. Like... actual sampling.

I would love to see an audio buffer that can be manipulated in the Grid with separate record and play heads; create your own delay/looper/sampler etc. Preferably with:

- Support for multiple play heads for granular usage, or in Poly Grid.
- Support for using a common buffer between different instances. You could be recording into a buffer inside an FX Grid, while playing back from the same buffer in a Poly Grid.
- Polymer-like shortcut version of a looper.
- Proper support for feedback without goofy workarounds.

Speaking of feedback. I'd like to see better support for feedback routing throughout Bitwig. Workarounds for routing can be annoying, especially when outside the Grid, and dealing with stereo splitting/merging. For that matter, in the device panel a dedicated Feedback module that includes things like DC offset removal, some filtering, basic limiting/upward compression etc. would be pretty fun.

I would of course like to see the Grid able to host devices, including FX plugins. And I'd like to be able to encapsulate groups of modules inside a container/subgrid and save them.

I'm actually less concerned about a scripting language for Grid... but I'd probably use it if it was there.

[spoontechnique]

The Grid has the Recorder module which has separate record and play head triggers.

FX sends have a send for feedback. I haven't experimented with it much yet, but it's easy to use.

[gurulogic]

I would like to see a collaboration with Sensomusic/Brain Modular to bring the Grid to the next level. The building blocks are all there, it just needs to be tied in to the Bitwig ecosystem, which is already well on the same track in line with Bitwig methodolgy It's what is under the hood that really shines with Usine. Max for Live can suck a lemon. Does not work for my brain, looks like it was coded for the 80's.

A guy can dream, right??

[_leras]

I’d appreciate features that don’t require additional windows. That’s also the reason why I don’t like Cubase aka too many windows.

The Cubase windows themselves aren't to bad imo. One you get used to it having things like multiple mixers is quite handy, and many you can just popup and then close.

However, with a dual screen setup, I've really come to love how Bitwig does it. It's mainly fixed but can be switch. Around. I have arranger on the left screen, mainly with the FX rack, and use the mixer and the midi parts, or audio editing on the right. Almost no clicking between things and I always know where things are. It works so well.

[NomadMonad]

Another one for my wish list since we are close to Christmas.

I really really hope at some point they will add the concept of "Takes" (like Reaper) to clips so we can easily switch between Midi and Audio clips on hybrid tracks. If bounce in place is part of your workflow it will be immediately obvious how useful this feature could be. This is probably my number one at the moment.

[carlca]

And finally… AU compatibility

I'd be more excited by AUv3 compatibility, tbh

[_leras]

I'm actually less concerned about a scripting language for Grid... but I'd probably use it if it was there.

I see two potential uses for this:
1. Logic for switches etc that can be used for UI and adding to a panel
2. dsp for e.g. oscillators. I'm pretty sure they could lift and drop the format that Korg have used in some of their keyboards at least for that.
3. Dsp for other stuff...

There are others but these could be interesting.

If they took the Korg concept they'd have the added advantage of it running on a pc with more memory and CPU

[Jac459]

And finally… AU compatibility

I'd be more excited by AUv3 compatibility, tbh

+1