Amazing update!

 

Still not the absolute needed tools like retrospective recording and midi comping. Such a shame because this is already the 6th interation of Bitwig!! Grrrr....

 

God damn it, I waited a whole month as an Ableton user, hoping they would introduce ARA support or at least new themes so I could finally switch. But all they did was add some automation features. I guess I’ve just been spoiled by Ableton, since they usually introduce more than just two or three features in a major update.

 

Remember that each iteration of Bitwig gets big updates so you can expect that main features would be released also in the 6.1, 6.2, etc... the plain number versions are like an early access

 

Nice update imo. I appreciate the way everything is so nicely integrated. Pretty cool that automation points can be randomized essentially. Step input, useful. Alias clips, useful. Segments becomes automation and vice versa, cool. On/per note expression editing, rad. Some new tools, mondo brah. Scales, k. And a long list of small things. Basically everything added and or reworked is an improvement and useful imo.

Looking spiffy too. I prefer the dark mode. I keep my OS, browser, anywhere I can have it, like that too.

They announced it would be a piano roll/arranger focused update. It more than met my expectations. It's a total facelift.

No complaints here.

 

I want it ALL.
All those things I'll never figure out how to use.

 

Step entry .. finally.

Anyone noticed that if you've got a ton of Uhe presets (theres literally thousands for something like Zebra for example) that Bitwig gets bogged down counting them all and making them available?

 

having used it for a day now this is an exceptionally good update. The new Automation system is CRAZY good and the workflow in the midi roll is now best in class once you get your head around the new shortcuts. The arranger page is also very well thought of and once you get used to the new zoom options also super slick. And then we come to the GUI, they absolutely knocked it out of the park on that front, its absolutely stunning to look at while possibly even improving its snappy feel (it was already best at that), there is no slicker looking/feeling DAW than Bitwig now, that I am certain of!

These were the improvements that they promised to deliver and I believe they have outdone themselves on this. It's still missing the likes of midi comping, ARA and maybe the slice to sampler features that Myself and many would have liked to see but I guess these will be added later down the line.

overall though, very well played Bitwig!

 

On first launch of a fresh install (perhaps even a new version) BWS is supposed to scan all compatible presets, plugins, ect but after that it should only do a super quick one for any updated content/added plugins. I've read about some people experiencing this scan every time they launch BWS, bummer. No idea what would cause that on one system but not most others. If you're experiencing that, hit up support asap. Good luck.

 

I have ton's of presets for Diva, I choose not to install the NKS versions since I don't use them. that makes a huge difference.

 

Any way to demo it, if you aren't a customer? I would like to try out the piano roll.

 

You will need an active upgrade plan to use the Beta

 

You can make your own themes by your own color palette through open source tools on github these days, and exactly how you want them. Not sure if they'll update it for Bitwig 6. I have a dracula-theme that works wonders for my eyes.

 

Not while in beta. Only people with an active plan get access. Gotta wait till it's officially released to dl the demo.

 

I have the honor, to test V6 and HOLY MOLY ---) Now i make the Jump from Ableton and FL to BW6.
It feels so snappy and reactive.
With a few settings i can zoom in and out with the mouswheel, without pushing any additional key. Panning with the middle mousebutton. Really snappy.
And the Cue Marks, and the "Cue Explorer" at the bottom makes it soooo comfortable to keep everything organized.
As a very organized Cubase User, i appreciate how i can be creative with so many tools and possibilities AND keep organized with folders and a real mixer.

Also the Stock Sounds & Synths in BW are the best for me. I like them more than Ableton Stock Synths.
they sound "richer"

There are so many new features which makes this DAW the best for me.
Also the new "Scaling" Feature.
When you activate a scale (C Minor, Mayor, whatever) Every note in the piano roll fits to that.
Also the Piano Roll finally feels like the FL Piano Roll for me.

I just need to click notes and Drums fast. Thats now possible with the "Spray can"

I´m super impressed and like i said: Now is the time with V6 to jump on.
I got never really warm with Ableton.
Sure Ableton is the most creative DAW, and i can create a idea very fast. But i always loose myself in the project because it´s not that "linear" or "surgic"
The most thing i hate on Ableton was Automation. I was scared about Automation in Ableton.

Now in BW6 it reminds me on the good old Days where FL Studio had it´s Pattern System.
So you have real automation Tracks and "Blocks / Pattern"
You can copy, drag them to everywhere. Also the Enable/Disable Automations are suuper fast.

Please have a look here from 4.50 (Whole Video is good )

Ahhhhh, i´m super happy.
Now it´s just me and how to find time :D

 

This hype. Did few demos in BS6. Nothing special at best.

 

Is Bitwig Automation Clips not the exact same thing that ableton has has for a while now? With automation lanes? Scale mode as well. Do Bitwig devices accept scale mode? Like ableton's resonator or any pitch based effect?

I love and use both Ableton and Bitwig, so im not talking down on Bitwig here, just genuinely unsure what this offers that ableton did not already?

 

TBH I don´t know so much about Pitch based Effects, How deep BW sends Scaling data into the Devices, since this all is relative new for me.
It´s a Ping Pong of features between Live and BW, because we know, that BW comes from some former Ableton People,... something like this.

For my Genre Melodic Trance, Dance, Melodic Hardstyle i don´t use so ultra many features.
What i want is Speed and Haptic.
So in the Screenshot you can see, that i can create a real "Physical Block" from the Automation.
I can drag and copy it everywhere. Like the old FL Automation Pattern.
The Youtube Video also shows, that you can drag this Automation block with its values into a Modulation window in the devices. I also don´t use that, but its good to know.

In Ableton, i don´t have this "Blocks"
Sure i have Automation Track, but i always somehow destroy them, when i drag something.
Also i need to take care, what and where i mark a area.

To have a visual block or pattern helps me so much, because my brain is really conditioned to work in Cubase or old FL 8.
I grew up with Software, where everything was visually nice separated. Every function had a windows, or a block. In the past, software looked better to me because the windows were visually distinct. Today’s UI/UX design feels like a uniform blur where everything just blends together.

So the Step with Bitwigs new UI is very very welcome to my eyes and mind

 

I don't know what Live has exactly but BWS automation overhaul is very welcome regardless. They're pretty shapeable now: stretch, compress from 4 sides, tilt, freehand, curvature by %, ect It has a couple unique things about it's automation I haven't seen, but maybe it exist elsewhere? Like the ability to randomize automation point's, this is called "spread", and also put them on a sort of hold mode, where it holds from one point to the next. You can combine options. The automation clips can do all the same stuff independently, and now we have aliases which are useful.

You can also drag automation into a couple devices/MSEG or drag the curves/mod shapes (which there are a ton of) out to the timeline/clips.

Yes the root/scales works with a few devices. 5-6 of them? Not sure.

The piano roll has been improved too. Apparently FL is the best at this? (I don't really use piano rolls much) Well people are saying it's on par or better than FL, depending who you ask. We finally got step editing too lol. With key commands this can get interesting.

Bitwig's expressions (micro-pitch, gain, pressure, ect) now overlays over notes/audio, which is pretty awesome and far better to work with.

We had layer editing before but it's on a new level now.

Some people have described this update as a mix of FL/Cubase/Reaper features inside Bitwig's modular environment. Wouldn't know personally, I don't use any of those DAWs. Regardless, they deliverer on what a lot of people wanted and apparently were sorely missing.


Right now it's in beta so I expect some news things to be added. Some people want more scales for one, and the ability to import your own.

I personally love the new slicker dark mode UI, but others would like something lighter, or the grey-ish arranger brought back.

The new automation mode (separate from just working in lanes) needs some work, for example it's hard to see midi notes through it.

Anyway I'm sure I missed some stuff, this is just off the top of my head, from what I remember seeing in vids. I'm not beta testing. I'm going to wait until it's officially out and stable. I haven't upgraded in a couple years so I'll be getting a bunch of new (to me) stuff all at once. Should be fun.