Changes in Bitwig Studio 3.1, Beta 5 [released 13 December 2019]

New features

• Interactive Help is now available for all 93 devices, 33 modulators, and 160 Grid modules

Improvements

• Chebyshev Grid module: Order parameter now can be dragged by whole numbers (read: harmonics)
• Keytrack modulator: Now has a set of numeric controls for all Absolute mode parameters

Fixes

• More fixes to the oscilloscope widget (as used in various devices, like Limiter, Replacer, etc.)
• Arrow keys properly navigate (again) between Arranger clips on adjacent tracks
• Fixed more, assorted crashes when undoing an operation
• Keytrack modulator: Mini display is less broken in Relative mode
• macOS: Memory leak on window resize
• macOS: Potential GUI freeze on some computers

 

Changes in Bitwig Studio 3.1, Beta 6 [released 17 December 2019]

New features

• English manual is now updated with all version 3.1 information

Improvements

• Quick Slice now includes first/last slice more politely
• Slide Content action now consistently uses [ALT] (PC/Linux) or [CMD]+[ALT] Mac

Fixes

• macOS: Fixed issues for various Metal / Open GL configurations
• Controller documentation was looking broken in web browser
• Recovering project never completed in some cases
• Crash when undoing copy/paste of modules in Grid editor (sometimes crashing audio engine)

 

What's New in Bitwig Studio 3.1 [released 18 Dec 2019]

Expanded Pitch Features

• New device: Micro-pitch, a note effect allowing micro- and macro-tuning of each note type, octave interval, and Scala (SCL) file import (for scales of seven or 12 notes) [tutorial video here]
• New modulator: Pitch-12, providing a modulator source for each pitch class (C, D, etc.) when played
• New Grid module: Transpose (Pitch category), for creating chords with or without signal input (with Stereo-ness options)
• New Grid module: Pitch → Ø (Phase category), wraps pitch signal's octave as phase signal
• 30+ tuning presets included, of various origins:
  • Theory-based tunings, using the overtone (Otonal) and undertone (Utonal) series, Quarter-tone ET, and even A4 = 432 Hz
  • Historic temperaments, including scales from Pythagoras, Werckmeister, Broadwood, Euler, and more
  • Cultural tunings, including a number of traditional Chinese instruments (such as Ti-tsu 7 (flute), Yang-chin 7 (dulcimer), and Yün-lo 7 (gong-chime)), as well as the Javanese Chromatic 7, which is the source for various modes (like pelog, dangsoe, bem, barang, etc.)
  • Artist-made tunings, either as concepts (Ives's Stretched Major, Wendy Carlos Optimized, and Johnston that blends the overtone and undertone series) and scales used for particular works (Partch from Harry Partch's "Two Studies on Ancient Greek Scales", and Blues – Harmonic, used in Ben Johnston's "Suite for Microtonal Piano", Wendy Carlos's "Beauty in the Beast", etc.)
  • Original performance-minded tunings, which reshape the keyboard and coax new and unexpected outcomes from even experienced players (such as Beating Lydian, Phrygische Mütze, and Constant Portamento, which glides every note from a defined root)
  • All of these presets are tagged with scale and tuning
• For frequency parameters (like filter frequency or EQ band), the window footer now shows frequency + pitch

New features

• Quick Draw action: holding [ALT] with the Pen tool will draw multiple notes at the current beat grid interval
• Quick Draw action: drawing defaults to a single pitch for each note (think hi-hats), but adding [SHIFT] allows various pitches to be drawn (like a step sequencer)
• Quick Slice action: holding [ALT] with the Knife tool will cut any clip/event at the beat grid interval, for as far as you drag the mouse
• Quick Slice action: slicing snaps its initial cut position to the beat grid, but adding [SHIFT] allows an off-grid starting position
• Slice In Place function: will slice any selected clip(s)/event(s) at the detected audio Onsets, the set Beat Markers, or at a set beat grid interval
• Interactive Help is now available for all 93 devices, 33 modulators, and 160 Grid modules
• Cue / Preview Cue Level control now exists in the Studio I/O Panel (and can be mapped via context menu)
• Cue / Preview Cue Mix control now exists in the Studio I/O Panel (and can be mapped via context menu), setting the balance between the cue and master outputs
• Note Chase option: when enabled (Dashboard > Behavior > Resume Playback), starting the transport in the middle of a note will sound the note (if the note duration is longer than an eighth note)
• Sampler (device and Grid module) now imports wavetables WAVs that use the "clm" metadata chunk, as used by Serum and others
• Audio paths can now be added from any audio I/O chooser (Add Buss… option)
• MIDI controllers can now be added from any MIDI I/O chooser (Add Controller… option)
• New Grid module: Pluck (Envelope category), an envelope generator modeled after a plucked string, with a built-in amplifier for easy connection
• New Grid module: Slope ↗︎ (Envelope category), a slope shaper for rising signals
• New Grid module: Slope ↘ (Envelope category), a slope shaper for falling signals
• New Grid module: Follower (Envelope category), a symmetric envelope follower with configurable math
• New controller scripts: for the Novation Launchpad Pro, Arturia KeyLab MkII 49/61, Arturia KeyLab Essential 49/61, PreSonus Atom, and PreSonus FaderPort 8/16
• Controller API: All Bitwig-made controller scripts are now available as examples or for modification on GitHub
• Controller API: Added Arpeggiator/Note-repeat functionality to NoteInput class
• Controller API: New high-level API for defining low-latency hardware controls and simplified script development
• English manual is now updated with all version 3.1 information

Improvements

• macOS: Now uses Apple's Metal framework (if available)
• macOS: Graphics performance is now improved overall
• In Clip Launcher: + button now appears when hovering over empty clip slots, for inserting clips from the Pop-up Browser
• Improved tempo detection when bringing audio into a project
• Audio fade handles are easier to grab on shorter fades, especially when zoomed out
• Window footer shows both the set parameter value and the currently modulated value (when a modulator is mapped)
• Fewer plug-in version conflict dialogs
• All oscilloscope widgets (Polysynth, Phase-4, Oscilloscope device & module, etc.) now draw smoother, with less flickering
• The Grid: Improved CPU performance of Grid devices with the Grid editor open
• Poly Grid device: Will now sleep when unused — unless in True Mono mode
• Poly Grid & FX Grid devices: Device Phase now follows time signature when set in bars
• Poly Grid & FX Grid devices: Device Phase setting now defaults to one bar (which follows project time signature)
• Poly Grid & FX Grid devices: Phase Offset now works when using bars
• Steps, LFO, Random, ParSeq-8 & Sample and Hold modulators: now use modern timebase options, correctly uses the beat unit multiplier, and properly follow time signature changes when set to bar units
• LFO & S/H LFO Grid modules: properly follow time signature changes when set in bar units
• EQ-DJ device: visualized crossover frequencies are now interactive
• Ladder device: frequency modulation amounts are all set in semitones now
• FM-4 device: Can now drag ratios by whole numbers (read: harmonics)
• Dynamics device: Input Meter now reflects input gain and Sidechain FX
• Oscilloscope device: Trace B channel can now be selected
• Voice Stack modulator: Individual voice modulators are now available in the detail panel
• Multi-Note device: All pitch and velocity offsets now have default values of zero (on double-click)
• MIDI Program Change device: Allows bank select LSB only when also using MSB
• Rotary device: volume modulation now shown in percent
• E-Cowbell device: Shape parameter is now in percent, as in Polysynth
• Assorted devices: improved parameter names and improved interfaces, like dynamically dimming parameters that aren't currently functional, etc.
• Audio MOD, LFO MOD, Note MOD & Step MOD legacy devices: Documentation suggests related, supported modulators to try
• APC40 MKII controller script: using the Shift + Record/Session buttons toggles arranger recording and automation recording
• German manual is now updated with all version 3.0 information

Fixes

• Sustain pedal messages (CC64) were not returning to 0 when stopping the transport
• Grid Envelope modules: visualizations were broken when curvature was set to 0 %
• Deselecting a clip did not work when selection cursor pointed to unselected clip
• When using the scroll wheel while performing a rectangular selection in audio expression editor (pitch or formant), the selection rectangle moved instead of growing in size
• VST Multiout chains were getting muted when adding VSTs to chains based on order
• Playing project with Elastique Pro samples could freeze the audio engine
• If an output port was configured in both a mono and stereo buss, it would sometimes not sound
• Previously crashed when undoing Launcher clip insertion with a controller connected in some situations
• Note audition was sounding wrong notes when moving them with arrow keys in drum editor mode
• Touch interface: Notes inserted by touch interaction are always auditioned, regardless of the audition setting
• Touch interface: Previously crashed when adjusting various parameters (e.g., clip loop length)
• Controllers that required no physical input or output (MIDI or USB) were not auto started
• Clips of various hidden tracks were still accessible via keyboard navigation
• Fixed random crashes when adjusting modulation amounts, etc.
• Crash when setting note channel of all notes in some clips
• Long, straight-line automation recording sometimes went wrong if adjusted in minute detail after a very long time. Rarely.
• Some plug-ins were getting the wrong value for modulated parameters after loading or connecting the engine
• Note Counter modulator: Current step readout is displaying correctly again
• Oscilloscope device: Downward slope option now works
• AHDSR modulator: All graph points are now drawn correctly
• Diatonic Transposer device: some scales were buggy
• HW Clock Out device: some parameters were improperly disabled when not in Clock mode
• MIDI Song Select device: Song select messages above 32 are now possible
• MIDI Song Select device: No longer sends malformed MIDI byte after song select message
• Mac: while dragging a clip, the tab key did not work to switch between Arrange and Mix views
• macOS: Sometimes would crash when typing into the tag field on preset save
• macOS: No longer scans 32-bit plug-ins on macOS 10.15 and later

 

Merry Christmas from Bitwig


What's New in Bitwig Studio 3.1.1 [released 23 Dec 2019]

New features (because Christmas)

• New device: Vocoder as configurable audio effect. Including…
  • Chains for both the Modulator (signal analyzed; defaults to device's audio input) and the Carrier (signal filtered with the Modulator's spectrum).
  • Simply add the Audio Receiver or Note Receiver devices into the chains to configure routing as you please.
  • Formant and Brightness adjustments, to twist and skew the spectrum.
  • Between 8 and 80 bands for each section, and the option to go full stereo.
  • Slope and Bandwidth controls, for band-pass tuning.
  • Attack and Release times for the envelope followers, plus a Freeze toggle to hold modulator levels.
  • Default preset with noise as carrier, and 20 more presets.

Fixes

• Routing internal note input from one track to another did not work
• Some projects saved in 3.0.3 by more than one user could not be opened in 3.1
• Potential fix for very rare random crashes

 

What's New in Bitwig Studio 3.1.2 [released 10 Jan 2020]

Improvements

• Parameters that could be toggled bipolar (like Macro modulators, Value and Value Scaler (Level) Grid modules, etc.) now paint their knob pies better

Fixes

• Quick Slice was sometimes excluding first/last slice
• Application could crash in some rare cases with the activation dialog open
• Controller API: Entering an empty string for a color value could crash the application
• Controller API: An extension that defined different numbers of MIDI ins and outs than defined by the auto detect names could crash the application
• Windows: Some systems were missing a library needed to load images
• macOS: Fixed a memory leak

 

What's New in Bitwig Studio 3.1.3 [released 10 Mar 2020]

New features

• New Arturia MicroLab controller extension

Improvements

• Grid modules: Virtually all pre-cords now have their own help info
• Grid modules: Various interface improvements, such as pre-cords and other toggles that glow on hover (to show they are clickable)
• Envelope modulators: Poly (per-voice) parameter is on each modulator's main interface now
• macOS 10.15 (Catalina) compatibility: Application bundle is now notarized by Apple

Fixes

• Rare crash when double-clicking in master track automation lane
• macOS: Fixed some random crashes
• Some WAV files generated by Xfer Records' Nerve could not be read
• Pre-roll might not engage in some cases due to external physical inputs
• Controller API could not access FX slot for a plug-in device
• Controllers using the new hardware API would only work when the engine was connected to a project
• Launchpad Pro script: Application crashes when using the DrivenByMoss extension and pressing the Note button
• Launchpad Pro script: Could record some random unwanted automation when pressing buttons around the sides while recording a clip in a Launcher slot

 

We're proud to present a new Bitwig Studio package: Audio FX - Space, Time, Color.
Bend any audio source to your will.

​

Discover 150+ Audio FX presets that each cast a mood onto any audio or virtual instrument output. Explore a large selection of modelled reverbs (built from the ground up in The Grid) and spread your vocals through amazing spaces. Chop your rhythms up and get creative in the time domain using repeater and stutter effects. Give your bass extra punch, add width and color to any sound, or crunch things into glitchy destruction.

Some presets add a unique character to common effects, while others use sequenced modulations to turn an incoming sound into a new rhythmical texture. And as always, eight top-level macros help you quickly find the range of each preset, and then season it to taste, choosing as much — or as little — depth to make the part stand on its own beside your other tracks.

Download this free* package from the Bitwig Studio Package Manager.

​

Download Instructions:

1. Open Bitwig Studio
2. Go to Dashboard> Package Manager
3. Navigate to Extended Collection> Audio FX – Space, Time, Color
4. Click the "Install" button to download and install the package
5. In the pop-up browser, select Device Type "Audio FX", the Presets tab and search in Preset Location for "Audio FX – Space, Time, Color"

https://www.bitwig.com/en/bitwig-studio/sound-content/audio-FX-space,-time,--color.html

 

Last edited: Apr 9, 2020

Bitwig Studio 3.2 is now in beta testing for users with an active Upgrade Plan. It features new and enhanced devices for coloring audio and note streams. Happy testing, folks.
​

System Requirements

• Windows - Windows 7, 8, or 10 (all in 64-bit)
• Mac - macOS 10.13 ("High Sierra") or above
• Linux - Ubuntu 17.04 or later

Changes in Bitwig Studio 3.2, Beta 1 [released 17 April 2020]

New Device: EQ+ (EQ)

• EQ driven by new algorithms and a unique style of graphic interface
• 14 filter mode types for each band
• Global frequency Shift and Gain controls for moving all bands together
• Adaptive-Q option, narrowing the Q of bands as their gain increases
• Clicking on the EQ curve creates a new band (eight bands max)
• Clicking on the selected band's audition target soloes that band while the mouse/touch is held
• Numeric controls for the selected band are shown (with all bands displayed in the Inspector)
• Expanded Device View for large/detachable version of the graphical editor (with all bands displayed in the Device Panel)
• EQ curve is shown on a rainbow spectrum, with each band's color set by its frequency [Note: other devices also use this spectrum for frequency controls]

New Device: Saturator (Destruction)

• Unique signal shaper that works in the log domain (like us )
• Basic panel interface with transfer function display, Drive amount, Normalize option, and low-pass controls for just saturated portion of the signal
• Expanded curve editor that provides:
  • Quiet and loud Threshold settings, to define each end of the sound
  • Quiet and loud Amount settings, controlling how the signal is proportionately changed beyond each Threshold
  • Quiet and loud Knee settings, for how gradual each transition is
  • Three Skew controls, for making the loud Threshold, Amount, and Knee controls apply differently to positive and negative amplitudes
  • An interactive log display of these controls and the incoming signal
• New Grid module: Saturator (Shaper) - module version of the device, allowing for polyphonic applications in The Grid

Updated Device: Arpeggiator (Note FX)

• Each step now has a pitch offset slider (in addition to the velocity and note length controls)
• New Humanize parameter randomizes velocities and step start times and lengths (either earlier or later)
• Nine new Pattern options, for 17 in total
• Rate can now be set in milliseconds
• Micro-pitch expressions are now tracked for each note
• Poly Pressure to Velocity option replaces initial note velocities with any polyphonic pressure message (like those from MPE controllers) received
• Added option to Allow Overlapping Notes
• Trigger Immediately option allows notes to start off the beat grid

Updated Devices: Selectors (Container) Get Voice Modes

• Instrument Selector, Note FX Selector, and audio FX Selector now have voice modes in the Inspector for cycling thru the available layers in various ways
• Modes (and example uses) include:
  • Manual (same as the current behavior) - Target layer is set by user, controller, modulator, and/or automation
  • Round-robin - New note triggers the next layer (for notes in series, or individual notes within a chord)
  • Free Voice - New note uses the first free layer (ideal for loading multiple layers with HW CV Instrument to create polyphony with Eurorack hardware)
  • Random - New note randomly selects a layer (nice with a pile of different audio FX)
  • Keyswitches - Designated notes set the target layer (you define the lowest keyswitch; so if set to note C2 and the Selector has 3 layers, C2 switches to layer 1, C#2 switches to layer two, and D2 switches to layer 3). Good for film scoring with different sounds and articulations.
  • CC - Designated continuous controller sets target layer (you define a continuous controller [default CC1 - mod wheel], whose full range will morph evenly thru all layers). For example, using mod wheel to cycle thru various note FX.
  • Program Change - PC messages set the target layer (program change messages map directly to each layer). Common output from pedal controllers, etc.
• Other than Manual, all other modes are aware of the layer count. So adding or removing layers will just work without additional configuration.

Delay Options, for Evolving Sounds

• New device: Note Delay, to delay an entire device chain/layer either in beats or seconds
• ADSR, AHDSR & Note Sidechain modulators: now have a Pre-delay option for delaying their start either in beats or seconds
• New Grid module: Logic Delay (Logic), for delaying the high- or low-logic portion of gate signals
• New modulator: AHD on Release (Envelope), a triggered envelope that launches at note off

Other New Features

• New Grid module: XP (Filter) - a modulatable filter with key tracking and 15 modes, including combos
• New Grid module: Array (Data) - a recordable sequencer, for keeping track of up to 1024 events, notes, velocities, or anything else
• New Grid module: N-Latch (Logic) - tracks the last trigger received from up to eight inputs, for an exclusive solo-type relationship
• Frequency parameters (particularly filter and tuning settings) are now consistently colored with a rainbow spectrum, to help form sonic muscle memory. This is used by at least one parameter in the following:
  • Instruments: E-Clap, E-Cowbell, E-Kick, E-Snare, E-Tom, FM-4, Phase-4, Polysynth, Sampler
  • FX: Chorus, Comb, De-Esser, EQ+, EQ-2, EQ-5, Filter, Ladder, Phaser, Resonator Bank, Ring-Mod, Test Tone
  • Modulators: Audio Rate, HW CV In
• Mixer View now has mini displays of various devices, showing EQ curves (for EQ+, EQ-5, and EQ-2) or gain reduction amounts (for Compressor, De-Esser, Dynamics, Gate, and Peak Limiter)
• Drum Machine device: now supports internal audio returns
• In The Grid : dropping a sample into a Grid patch creates a Sampler module with that audio

Improvements

• Drum Machine device: drum cells now swap when dragged on top of each other
• EQ-5 and EQ+ devices: spectrum analyzers now have Resolution and fall Speed controls
• Spectrum device & Grid module: now have Resolution, fall Speed, Tilt, Scale, Range, and drawing Style controls
• Tool device: now has an additional Volume control that bottoms out at silence
• Steps (Data) Grid module - new Interpolation option, for crossfading between step values; also a great way to create a lookup table
• AD (Envelope) Grid module - new Looping option, to repeat the envelope if the gate signal (often the key) is still held down when the envelope completes
• Audio engine: better parameter automation for VST2 and VST3 plug-ins (they now update at least every 64 samples)
• When dragging multiple notes, small chords (up to four notes) will preview all notes; larger chords will sound only the note clicked on
• When moving multiple notes with the keyboard, only the earliest note will sound
• The left/right edge of the clip's loop region can be dragged in the Detail Editor Panel (even when the edge is offscreen)
• Note and clip stretching targets (left and right edges) are a bit wider
• Both Arranger clips and cue markers can now be renamed with the standard command
• User files can be renamed within the Browser Panel
• Time selections display their length in minutes and seconds in the Inspector Panel
• New preference for whether clicking a mixer solo button should disable all other solos ("exclusive solo") or not. Shift-click performs the inverse behavior.
• New preference for whether middle mouse button drags will just pan in note editors, or pan and zoom
• ControlSurface API version 11:
  • Hardware controllers using the new API now have sub-buffer accuracy and no jitter when controlling parameters
  • Manual MIDI mappings in a project now have lower latency, sub-sample accuracy, and no jitter when controlling parameters
  • Now possible to map controls to MIDI pitch bend messages
  • Ability to choose between physical or logical knob/slider for a mapping in mapping browser
  • Ability to decide if a MIDI note mapping applies always or only when it is used for note input

Fixes

• Instrument Selector device: playing the same notes on different channels created stuck notes
• Fixed ghost note with some plug-ins when overlapping notes where played
• Fixed incorrect value on polyphonically modulated indexed controls
• Ignore mapping low level MIDI events that we detect are used for touch or release of a control

 

Changes in Bitwig Studio 3.2, Beta 2 [released 18 April 2020]


Improvements

• Toggle Device Window shortcut works even when device chain is not focused or visible
• New Shortcut: Toggle Primary Device Window

Fixes

• Disable variable buffer size processing for vst2 (caused problems with Serum and other VSTs)

 

Changes in Bitwig Studio 3.2, Beta 3 [released 24 April 2020]

EQ+ (Device) Improvements

• Double-click will add a peak filter at the current mouse cursor position
• Low-/high-shelf filters can be added by dragging the left/right edges of the EQ curve
• Low-/high-cut filters can be added by dragging the left/right edges of the EQ graph (off the curve)
• Notch filters can be added by dragging the lower edge of the EQ graph
• Added different mouse cursors to identify interactions
• Spectrum display: Added Tilt and decibel range settings

Saturator (Device & Grid Module) Improvements

• Changed orientation of Loud Knee parameter, as well as some of the bipolar Skew controls…
  • Generally, turning a knob upwards should make things louder or brighter. For the bipolar controls, turning them up makes the positive values stronger, and turning them down does so for the negative values.
• Added Make-up Gain control, applied to the output
• Filter pole setting now offers two flavors: G modes are a bit more gentle, and R modes tend to rough things up (this was the previous filter mode). So 3ᴳ is gentle at 18 dB/oct, 1ᴿ is a rough with 6 dB/oct, etc.

Other Improvements

• Opening a clip or preset from the OS file manager will open in Bitwig Studio in a new track
• Spectrum analyzer component: Resolution and Speed parameters are now saved in presets
• Drum Machine device: Added option to select drum pads by following played notes
• Reduced brightness-dip in blue region of frequency gradient rainbow
• Toggle Device Window is now mappable
• Controller API: ContinuousHardwareControl now has information about the name and value of the target it is controlling

Fixes

• Selector devices: Fixed rare application crash
• Undo not possible after pressing escape key while dragging note velocity
• Draw issue with open VST GUI button in the track mixer
• Fixed crash when dragging clip to empty track area with bounce modifier (regression in 3.2 Beta 2)
• Text field was displaying at the wrong position when renaming Arranger clips in group tracks

 

Changes in Bitwig Studio 3.2, Beta 4/5 [released 6 May 2020]

Improvements

• Files can now be renamed from the Files tab of the Project Panel
• Nicer spectrum visualization in devices
• Frequency parameters are no longer colored with the rainbow spectrum (except for EQ+, EQ-5, EQ-2, Resonator Bank, and Test Tone)
• Transpose actions now work on audio clips (via the pitch expression)
• Arpeggiator device: Pitch transposition steps can all be toggled off by clicking the keyboard icon
• Arpeggiator device: New option to Release Immediately when the final note is let go
• EQ+ device: Added a Reference chooser, to show the spectrum of a different track inside the EQ+ display
• EQ+ device: Mode switch is now gone (using an improved 4x AA option all the time)
• Selector devices: New Random Other mode, which randomly selects a different layer when a note arrives
• Steps & ParSeq-8 modulators: New with Groove mode, which syncs to the Global Transport with groove (when active)
• Dragging a multisample file into the Grid editor creates a Sampler module

Fixes

• When renaming a file in browser, the renamed file is now selected (scrolling the view, if necessary)
• Selector devices: Random mode has a better uniform distribution
• Duplicating notes across multiple launcher clips in layered note editor did not select all duplicated notes
• Duplicating or copying a track did not preserve the send values (regression in 3.2 Beta 2)
• ALT-dragging a time selection on an instrument track to new track was bounces the selection, but was creating another instrument track
• Some modulator values were not showing properly in the window footer on parameter hover
• Arpeggiator device: Some micro-pitch values were not making it to the output
• Gate device: Input signal was stuck at zero
• Oscilloscope device: Deactivating trace B wasn't affecting the Expanded Device View
• Random modulator: Would sometimes jump when in Sync mode
• Mix modulator: Modulator source now follows the device's name
• Spectrum Grid module: Fourth input did not work
• Replacing an existing Grid module with a sample did not load the audio into the created Sampler module
• No longer sends the MIDI Clock and MIDI Timecode when the engine is not processing in realtime
• Latest device descriptions are shown in the Inspector Panel
• VST2: kVstBarsValid flag was not set even when bar data was provided
• Surge VST3: Was showing a black window on Linux
• macOS: Added missing entitlements for plug-ins that use eLicenser
• macOS: GUI looks distorted on some computers when system has low memory
• Linux: When plug-in window is focused, allow key events to still work as though the Bitwig window was focused (for example, keyboard note input will still work)
  
  Note: Beta 5 is just a quick fix. Some projects would crash when opening.

 

Last edited: May 7, 2020

Changes in Bitwig Studio 3.2, Beta 6 [released 20 May 2020]

New Features

• Added controller script for Befaco VCMC

Improvements

• Vocoder device: Now suggests presets as either instruments or audio FX, depending on the contents of the Modulator chain
• Selector devices: Updated Free Voice mode to always starts from the first available layer now
• Selector devices: Previous Free Voice mode is now renamed Free-robin

Fixes

• Improved Ableton Link and MIDI clock slave synchronization
• Fix keyboard navigation between columns inside the popup browser
• Mapping a physical knob on a controller that used the new hardware API but was not bound anything did not work or could map raw MIDI event used for touch of the knob instead
• If many underruns occurred controllers that used the new hardware API may lag more than they should when adjusting parameters
• When bouncing or rendering audio offline (not in real-time) then don't allow hardware controllers that use the new hardware API to change parameters
• Selector devices: in CC mode, Channel was not initialized correctly
• Instrument Selector device: Does not play the correct instrument layer when sending key switch and a note at the exact same time.
• Instrument Selector device: Forwards note expression to the playing notes after index changed
• Crash when dragging drum pad from one Drum Machine onto another pad in another Drum Machine
• Crash when renaming an instrument clip in the browser
• Crash when scaling GUI above 300% on Linux
• macOS: drop operation occasionally happens only on the next mouse/key event when dropping items using trackpad
• macOS: dragging items might cause high CPU load in some cases
• Audio engine crash when selecting some ALSA audio outputs on Linux
• Random crashes that can happen when various controllers are running
• Scrolling through presets using a controller on the Pop-up Browser could be difficult because each preset was loaded instead of waiting a short time for the user to settle on a preset

 

Changes in Bitwig Studio 3.2, Beta 7 [released 26 May 2020]

New Features

• Arpeggiator device: New Octave Behavior option, used when the Octave Range is greater than one. Settings include…
  • Broad - Takes each additional octave in sequence, stacking them up with possible irregular/repeating patterns. (This was the previous Arpeggiator behavior in the 3.2 beta and is the default.)
  • Thin - Flattens & sorts all notes into one linear shape. (This was the Arpeggiator behavior in v3.1.x and earlier.)
  • 1 by 1 - Executes the full pattern in each octave before moving to the next octave.

Improvements

• DSP Performance Graph window now shows if the audio timing is coming from the audio interface or if it is aproximated
• Tap Tempo can now be manually mapped in the Mapping Browser Panel

Fixes

• Selector devices: Fixed some crashes when loading presets
• Instrument Selector & Note FX Selector devices: Were skipping some note events when in Keyswitches, CC, or Program Change modes
• Arpeggiator device: Chord pattern did not apply across all octaves
• Improved Tap Tempo, to recognize tempo changes more quickly
• Crash when parsing some invalid SoundFont 2 files
• MIDI Timecode works again

 

Changes in Bitwig Studio 3.2, Beta 8 [released 29 May 2020]


Improvements

• EQ+ device: better oversampling filter

Fixes

• Upgrade to EQ+ option (from EQ-5 and EQ-2) is now suppressed in Bitwig Studio 8-Track and 16-Track
• Rare crash when switching Display Profile while loading a clip from the Browser Panel

 

What's New in Bitwig Studio 3.2 [released 03 June 2020]​

New Device: EQ+ (EQ)

• EQ driven by a new algorithm and a unique style of graphic interface
• 14 filter mode types for each band
• Global frequency Shift and Gain controls for moving all bands together
• Adaptive-Q option, narrowing the Q of bands as their gain increases
• Quick gestures for adding bands:
  • Peak filters are added by double-clicking at the current mouse cursor position
  • Low-/high-shelf filters are added by dragging the left/right edges of the EQ curve
  • Low-/high-cut filters are added by dragging the left/right edges of the EQ graph (off the curve)
  • Notch filters are added by dragging the lower edge of the EQ graph
  • Different mouse cursors are shown to identify each interaction's filter mode
• Clicking on the selected band's audition target soloes that band while the mouse/touch is held
• Numeric controls for the selected band are shown (with all bands displayed in the Inspector)
• Expanded Device View for large/detachable version of the graphical editor (with all bands displayed in the Device Panel)
• EQ curve is shown on a rainbow spectrum, with each band's color set by its frequency
• Select a Reference track, which will be show as a purple curve inside the spectrum display
• Spectrum display includes frequency Tilt and decibel range settings, as well as Speed and Resolution controls

New Device: Saturator (Destruction)

• Unique signal shaper that works in the log domain (like us )
• Basic panel interface with transfer function display, Drive amount, Normalize option, low-pass controls for just saturated portion of the signal, and Makeup Gain
• Filter Slope setting offers two flavors of filter: G modes are a bit more gentle, and R modes tend to be rougher. So 3ᴳ is gentle at 18 dB/oct, 1ᴿ is a rough with 6 dB/oct, etc.
• Expanded curve editor that provides:
  • Quiet and loud Threshold settings, to define each end of the sound
  • Quiet and loud Amount settings, controlling how the signal is proportionately changed beyond each Threshold
  • Quiet and loud Knee settings, for how gradual each transition is
  • Three Skew controls, for making the loud Threshold, Amount, and Knee controls apply differently to positive and negative amplitudes
  • An interactive log display of these controls and the incoming signal
• New Grid module: Saturator (Shaper) - module version of the device, allowing for polyphonic applications in The Grid

Updated Device: Arpeggiator (Note FX)

• Each step now has a pitch offset slider (in addition to the velocity and note length controls), and a global toggle for enabling all steps
• New Humanize parameter randomizes velocities and step start times and lengths (either earlier or later)
• Nine new Pattern options, for 17 in total
• Rate can now be set in milliseconds
• Micro-pitch expressions are now tracked for each note
• Poly Pressure to Velocity option replaces initial note velocities with any polyphonic pressure message (like those from MPE controllers) received
• Option to Allow Overlapping Notes can be toggled on (default) or off
• Trigger Immediately option allows notes to start off the beat grid
• Release Immediately option uses the final note off to instantly end sound (instead of lasting the full step length)
• New Octave Behavior option, used when the Octave Range is greater than one. Settings include…
  • Broad - Takes each additional octave in sequence, stacking them up with possible irregular/repeating patterns. (This is the default.)
  • Thin - Flattens & sorts all notes into one linear shape. (This was the Arpeggiator behavior in v3.1.x and earlier.)
  • 1 by 1 - Executes the full pattern in each octave before moving to the next octave.

Updated Devices: Selectors (Container) Get Voice Modes

• Instrument Selector, Note FX Selector, and audio FX Selector now have voice modes in the Inspector for cycling thru the available layers in various ways
• Modes (and example uses) include:
  • Manual (same as the behavior up to 3.1.x) - Target layer is set by user, controller, modulator, and/or automation
  • Round-robin - New note triggers the next layer (for notes in series, or individual notes within a chord)
  • Free-robin - Round-robin, but skips used voices when possible
  • Free Voice - New note uses the first free layer. Always starts with the first layer for more predictable results. (Also ideal for loading multiple layers with HW CV Instrument to create polyphony with Eurorack hardware.)
  • Random - New note randomly selects a layer (nice with a pile of different audio FX)
  • Random Other - New note randomly selects a different layer (to guarantee a change each time)
  • Keyswitches - Designated notes set the target layer (you define the lowest keyswitch; so if set to note C2 and the Selector has 3 layers, C2 switches to layer 1, C#2 switches to layer two, and D2 switches to layer 3). Good for film scoring with different sounds and articulations.
  • CC - Designated continuous controller sets target layer (you define a continuous controller [default CC1 - mod wheel], whose full range will morph evenly thru all layers). For example, using mod wheel to cycle thru various note FX.
  • Program Change - PC messages set the target layer (program change messages map directly to each layer). Common output from pedal controllers, etc.
• Other than Manual, all other modes are aware of the layer count. So adding or removing layers will just work without additional configuration.

Delay Options, for Evolving Sounds

• New device: Note Delay, to delay an entire device chain/layer either in beats or seconds
• ADSR, AHDSR & Note Sidechain modulators: now have a Pre-delay option for delaying their start either in beats or seconds
• New Grid module: Logic Delay (Logic), for delaying the high- or low-logic portion of gate signals
• New modulator: AHD on Release (Envelope), a triggered envelope that launches at note off

Other New Features

• New Grid module: XP (Filter) - a modulatable filter with key tracking and 15 modes, including combos
• New Grid module: Array (Data) - a recordable sequencer, for keeping track of up to 1024 events, notes, velocities, or anything else
• New Grid module: N-Latch (Logic) - tracks the last trigger received from up to eight inputs, for an exclusive solo-type relationship
• The Mix Panel now has mini displays of various devices, showing EQ curves (for EQ+, EQ-5, and EQ-2) or gain reduction amounts (for Compressor, De-Esser, Dynamics, Gate, and Peak Limiter)
• Drum Machine device: now supports internal audio returns
• Drum Machine device: option to select drum pads by following played notes (the five-pin MIDI icon)
• In The Grid : dropping a sample or multisample into a Grid patch creates a Sampler module and loads the sound source
• EQ-2, EQ-5 & Resonator Bank devices: color each band by its frequency (like EQ+)
• Test Tone device: Frequency parameter is colored with the rainbow spectrum
• Added controller script for Befaco VCMC

Improvements

• Interactive help window now includes links to related video tutorials (at the bottom of the window)
• Opening a clip (BWCLIP) or preset (BWPRESET) file from the OS file manager will load the file onto a new track in the open project
• Improved Ableton Link and MIDI clock slave synchronization
• Transpose actions now work on audio clips (via the pitch expression)
• Time and event selections display their length in minutes and seconds in the Inspector Panel
• Both Arranger clips and cue markers can now be renamed with the standard command
• User files can be renamed within the Browser Panel, and from the Files tab of the Project Panel
• New preference for whether clicking a mixer solo button should disable all other solos ("exclusive solo") or not. Shift-click performs the inverse behavior.
• Drum Machine device: drum cells now swap when dragged on top of each other
• EQ-5 and EQ+ devices: spectrum analyzers now have Resolution and fall Speed controls
• Spectrum device & Grid module: now have Resolution, fall Speed, Tilt, Scale, Range, and drawing Style controls
• Tool device: now has an additional Volume control that bottoms out at silence
• Vocoder device: Now suggests presets as either instruments or audio FX, depending on the contents of the Modulator chain
• Steps & ParSeq-8 modulators: New with Groove mode, which syncs to the Global Transport with groove (when active)
• Steps (Data) Grid module - new Interpolation option, for crossfading between step values; also a great way to create a lookup table
• AD (Envelope) Grid module - new Looping option, to retrigger the envelope if the gate signal (often from the keyboard) is still held down when the envelope completes
• New preference for whether middle mouse button drags will just pan in note editors, or pan and zoom
• Audio engine: better parameter automation for VST2 and VST3 plug-ins (they now update at least every 64 samples)
• The left/right edge of the clip's loop region can be dragged in the Detail Editor Panel (even when the edge is offscreen)
• Note and clip stretching targets (left and right edges) are a bit wider
• When dragging multiple notes, small chords (up to four notes) will preview all notes; larger chords will sound only the note clicked on
• When moving multiple notes with the keyboard, only the earliest note will sound
• Improved Tap Tempo, to recognize tempo changes more quickly
• Tap Tempo can now be manually mapped in the Mapping Browser Panel
• Toggle Device Window is now mappable
• New Shortcut: Toggle Primary Device Window
• DSP Performance Graph window now shows if the audio timing is coming from the audio interface or if it is approximated
• Linux: it wasn't possible to drag files from some external applications (written using Qt, for example) into Bitwig Studio
• ControlSurface API version 11:
  • ContinuousHardwareControl now has information about the name and value of the target it is controlling
  • Hardware controllers using the new API now have sub-buffer accuracy and no jitter when controlling parameters
  • Manual MIDI mappings in a project now have lower latency, sub-sample accuracy, and no jitter when controlling parameters
  • Indicators on the parameters are now automatically provided (no need to manually call Parameter.setIndication)
  • Now possible to map controls to MIDI pitch bend messages
  • Ability to choose between physical or logical knob/slider for a mapping in mapping browser
  • Ability to decide if a MIDI note mapping applies always or only when it is used for note input

Fixes

• Undo was not possible after pressing escape key while dragging note velocity
• Duplicating notes across multiple launcher clips in layered note editor did not select all duplicated notes
• ALT-dragging a time selection on an instrument track to new track was bounces the selection, but was creating another instrument track
• Gate device: input signal was stuck at zero
• Instrument Selector device: playing the same notes on different channels created stuck notes
• Oscilloscope device: deactivating trace B wasn't affecting the Expanded Device View
• Random modulator: would sometimes jump when in Sync mode
• Mix modulator: modulator source now follows the device's name
• Fixed incorrect value on polyphonically modulated indexed controls
• Some modulator values were not showing properly in the window footer on parameter hover
• Fixed keyboard navigation between columns inside the Pop-up Browser
• Scrolling through presets using a controller on the Pop-up Browser could be difficult because each preset was loaded instead of waiting a short time for the user to settle on a preset
• Latest device descriptions are shown in the Inspector Panel
• Crash when parsing some invalid SoundFont 2 files
• No longer sends the MIDI Clock and MIDI Timecode when the engine is not processing in realtime
• Fixed ghost note with some plug-ins when overlapping notes where played
• Draw issue with open VST GUI button in the track mixer
• VST2: kVstBarsValid flag was not set even when bar data was provided
• If many underruns occurred, controllers that used the new hardware API may lag more than they should when adjusting parameters
• Ignore mapping low level MIDI events that we detect are used for touch or release of a control
• Random crashes that can happen when various controllers are running
• macOS: dragging items might cause high CPU load in some cases
• macOS: added missing entitlements for plug-ins that use eLicenser
• macOS: drop operation occasionally happens only on the next mouse/key event when dropping items using trackpad
• Linux: audio engine crash when selecting some ALSA audio outputs
• Linux: crash when scaling GUI above 300%
• Linux: When plug-in window is focused, allow key events to still work as though the Bitwig window was focused (for example, keyboard note input will still work)
• Surge VST3: was showing a black window on Linux

 

i try bitwig but pref ableton..

 

What's New in Bitwig Studio 3.2.1 [released 10 June 2020]

Fixes

• MIDI CC modulator: Learn CC function could sometimes crash the audio engine
• Crash when dragging a group track from the browser (in the Files tab) into an open project with fewer scenes available
• When showing system file dialogs, plug-in windows are temporarily closed and keyboard input is suspended
• When plug-in windows are temporarily hidden (e.g, when showing Pop-up Browser or Dashboard is called up), keyboard input is suspended and then restore plug-in windows in the same display order
• Fixed audio engine crash when using audio interfaces with only one input or output channel
• Random rare crashes when undoing with certain controllers connected
• macOS: added entitlement that is required by plug-ins that use eLicenser
• Use a weaker random seed generator to avoid failures when too many files are open
• Multiple versions of Bitwig Studio can now be installed side-by-side on Windows (but only for 3.2.1 and later)

 

What's New in Bitwig Studio 3.2.2 [released 18 June 2020]

Fixes

• When showing the Commander window ([CTRL]+[ENTER]), plug-ins and other windows are now temporarily hidden
• Pasting a time selection that spanned multiple track groups would only paste (or misplace) some of the data
• Dragging a multi-track time selection between two projects would sometimes only bring (or misplace) some of the data
• Moving a time selection to the end of an Arranger note clip in the Detail Editor Panel in Track mode could delete other notes
• When showing Expanded Device View, don't steal input focus from the application window
• Device parameters' default values were sometimes out of range
• Fix rare crashes that could happen when deactivating the audio engine for a project that contained plug-ins
• Rare crash when reshowing plug-in windows and a plug-in crashes
• VST3: fixed message allocation
• Values shown on controllers for choice style parameters could sometimes be wrong
• Windows: fixed some occasional audio engine crashes when unplugging a controller
• Double clicking a device in the side browser using touch screen loads wrong device
• HW instrument is sending CC controller for Pan in MPE mode
• Shortcut for toggle micro-pitch editing has no effect

 

What's New in Bitwig Studio 3.2.3 [released 25 June 2020]

Fixes

• Note editor auto scrolls when dragging notes to easily making it too difficult to drop a note at the top or bottom keys
• Prevent using invalid input or output audio channels in case audio device channel count changes
• Doesn't allow adding an audio input or output in the preferences that would exceed the channel count of the device
• Crash when selecting audio clip and note clip with exactly the same properties and then changing fade settings in clip inspector (fade section should be hidden in that case)
• Show an error notification if user tries to start a second controller using the same MIDI inputs or outputs as another controller
• Fix various problems with controllers when starting them and some MIDI inputs were not possible to open (e.g when in use by another application)
• Doesn't show a window maximize button for windows where it doesn't make sense or where the OS would not do anything if you clicked it
• Controller API: CursorTrack.position() wasn't working since 3.2 beta 6
• Windows: if user sets the properties of the application to always open its windows maximized then don't allow the maximize to be applied to the login window or other windows that can't be resized
• Windows: installer was setting the default application window mode to maximized, which could cause strange problems during the login window when user is not activated