Bitwig 6

[Trancit]

Since I mostly have been one of the biggest critics of Bitwig updates I have the duty and this time the pleasure as well to do the opposite!

This is a fantastic update and even better than I wished for.
This was the last chance I wanted to give them and they really have delivered.
I was so badly hoping they take over the Ableton Scale system and improve the PR Editor and here we go now... great!
This is now a very strong foundation (for me) for the future...

I don´t care about ARA (never had use for it in supporting DAWs either), no need for more exotic scales but I can imagine there is coming more and I don´t care about Midi comping...
Retrospective record is for me kind of solved with Midi cap...

The only things which would be a nice goodie from now on are the weaknesses that i.e. Mousewheel support doesn´t work correctly on some plugins like Sylenth or ANA2 if you´re not on 100% scaling on Windows or to get a user option for the forced oversampling of many native devices...
But these are easy to work around and no show stoppers for me... good to have nonetheless.

Anyway... 100% happy with this update. From now on Bitwig is enjoyable and if I wouldn´t have already a license this would be the moment where I would pull the trigger!

[Atario]

This is for me a great update! MIDI Step input!
And after short testing, a good implementation of it!
Like my old 80s sequencers:)


Now only native LV2 plug in support is on my list

[BazJacuzzi]

Great update. Can't believe there's no chromatic choice for the scale. I have to believe they'll add it during the beta period.

What does a chromatic option do that is different than how it's always been?

Oh right, yeah, nothing. I mean that's kinda the point. I often don't use a scale (not because I'm clever or anything, I just like discordance) and it's a bit weird to be "in" a scale, even if I just ignore it.

[tumface]

I just want an "off / hide" setting so that it's not distracting or misleading. Even if it had every scale in the world and let me put in custom scales, if I don't want to set it up correctly for a song (especially if the song changes key) then it will be misleading.

[billinder33]

Kinda disappointed, not gonna lie.

The UI improvements, MIDI key, and automation clips are very cool. But ARA, dedicated studio output busses to manage multiple studio monitoring scenarios, and a proper freeze track function are a huge needs for me. Plus MIDI comping and Sampler+ would have been nice. Oh well, maybe next time.

[pdxindy]

Great update. Can't believe there's no chromatic choice for the scale. I have to believe they'll add it during the beta period.

What does a chromatic option do that is different than how it's always been?

Oh right, yeah, nothing. I mean that's kinda the point. I often don't use a scale (not because I'm clever or anything, I just like discordance) and it's a bit weird to be "in" a scale, even if I just ignore it.

Ahh... so you want an option to turn it off.

[billinder33]

In the settings (bottom right corner of arrange) you can set the background of arrange from about what it was before to dark.
You can also adjust grid lines.

Ahh really? Okay if that's the case then I'm stoked. I'm not testing the beta so I'm only going off of Polarity's stream.

I prefer the darker Arrange background, but if someone prefers the previous lighter background, then they will be fine.

The grid lines can be dark or light and the intensity set. I'm undecided on darker or lighter so will try each for a week or so and see.

Yeah I initially didn't like the look, but after a little bit of toggling around, I eventually got it dialed in and like it better than the previous version.

[perpetual3]

I do New fancy colored features on weak foundations. And they remain as is after this update.

These are very important features for many users that have been requested for years, delivered all together as a well-designed and coherent update on top of one of the DAW that has some of the most robust internals of them all. I have no idea what fantasy land this comment is coming from, frankly.

It comes from people intentionally trying to cause a sh!tstorm.

Yeah, it was a long planned conspiration involving Illuminatis and NSA with secret ceremonies under the full moon

Short answer: MAX/MSP (&Co) reality land

Less short answer: I don't care too much about editing features, there are enough others DAWs and tools for that out there. Multichannel? VST3 midi? Controls UI? CC and Remotes management? MIDI manipulation (not modulators!)? Nope.

Note regarding the legendary "most robust internals": trust me, not on Windows...

Since there seems to be other daws that satisfie your needs I'm asking you yet another time why the heck are you even here complaining? Why don't you just accept the fact that Bitwig is not the daw for you and move on?
As someone once said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"...

First of all, because I have invested money and time. Then, I think sharing experience from daily use is useful for others behind marketing screenshots and high level reviews. This is how things can go further.
I just think that since they introduced the MIDI FX, this DAW doesn't bring anything into the market. And most problematic, doesn't improve weaknesses but keep adding features. So, yeah, as it is today vs when I invested into it, I go back to Live. This will not prevent me to give my opinion.

Strawman. No said anything about conspiracies or secret organizations. Simply - you are intentionally trying to create conflict.

[billinder33]

We need more scales, exotic one and custom ones

Yeah, 'custom' would easily cure the 'more' issue.

[tumface]

Maybe the single best upgrade to any music software I've used in the last 10 years. Can't think of one that's better.

[psycha0s]

I've found most of the previous updates pretty underwhelming. They usually had like one or two interesting features and a ton of niche devices I'm not interested in at all. But this one... it's a perfect 10, an absolutely superb update! I love it! Thank you, Bitwig team!

[icaria36]

I like the addition of key signature together with the new Key Filter+ device, the related modulators...

(especially if the song changes key)

.... and the possibility to automate key signature changes through the song -- see
(2:40 - Automating key signature)

Once again people were asking for "something many other DAWs have" and the Bitwig team took their time but they presented something that makes almost everything else look basic and static.

Said that, I also expect them to offer the possibility to add/import custom key signatures, and to disable them.

[jdfair]

Bitwig team ... you've hit it out of the park with this update. No more going elsewhere for "advanced" MIDI editing.

[tumface]

I like the addition of key signature together with the new Key Filter+ device, the related modulators...

(especially if the song changes key)

.... and the possibility to automate key signature changes through the song -- see
(2:40 - Automating key signature)

I know it can be automated. I wasn't claiming that you can't automate it. My point was that I might not want to set it up, which is why I said "especially" with regards to the song changing key. Because then it becomes a significant burden, as now I have to set up automation and match it to the song and keep it up to date, etc. For basically no benefit in my case, except to try to make the thing in the toolbar not misleading, when I'd rather just hide it most of the time. If I don't need or want it, I just want to hide it, so that at least it's not misleading or distracting.

[TheYke]

Another user very happy with this update that will renew their license to support Bitwig 6.x and beyond.

Question to Linux users: since 5.3.8, I get a bug with text input not working after a while. Reported and found again at every update since. I got it again testing 6-beta-1: text input not working after a few minutes, having to restart Bitwig to make it work again. Has anyone found this issue in 6 as well?

Which distro and DE? Latest Fedora and Gnome even crashing sometimes here since a few updates.