Beta Testing of Bitwig Studio 4.3

Bitwig Studio 4.3 is now in beta testing for users with an active Upgrade Plan. It features new spaces via Convolution and Delay+, and an analog tone bundle for Polymer/The Grid. Where would you like to go today?

NOTE: Do not use a beta version to work on important projects! Project files created or saved with the beta cannot be opened in previous versions of Bitwig Studio. So if you are opening working projects, save copies of them for beta testing (instead of saving over your original files).

If you think you have found a bug, please drop us a line at beta@bitwig.com. Please be sure to include:

And if you get a crash report dialog from the program, please click Send Report. Adding a comment is most helpful, but this can still be useful to us regardless.

Let's go places.

System Requirements

Windows - Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 (all in 64-bit)
Mac - macOS 10.14 ("Mojave") or above
Linux - For installing the Flatpack file, any modern distribution with Flatpak installed (more information here). For installing the DEB file, Ubuntu 20.04 or later.
a CPU capable of SSE 4.1

Changes in Bitwig Studio 4.3, Beta 7

New Features

Pitch (Pitch) Grid module: Now has a MIDI learn option for setting its constant value
Now includes the PDF manual for Bitwig Studio v4.3

Improvements

An untouched track send now gets enabled when adding an automation lane or drawing an automation point
[CTL]/[CMD]-dragging to move an automation segment now limits movement to only be up and down (and not move in time)

Fixes

Humanize (Note FX) device: Was sometimes causing performance issues, visual slowdowns [27061]
AD, AR, ADSR Grid/Polymer modules & Note Out Grid module: Wouldn't always trigger on sub-sample gate signals
Delay-1, Delay-2, and Delay-4 devices:
- Latency compensation is now done within the feedback loop [28736]
- Now does a more precise computation of delay times (for less drift)
- Increased the delay buffer when sample rates are high
Edit View was not always showing existing automation when switching lanes [28750]
Imported tempo automation from MIDI file could be inaccurate [28520]
MIDI files that contained only CC automation could not be imported [28572]
Feedback send routings on drum machine sends didn't use the feedback icon
FX Tracks: Option to Group is no longer in the context menu [28672]
Linux (DEB distribution): Audio engine wouldn't start if PipeWire 0.3+ wasn't installed [28822]

Regression Fixes (from beta 6)

"Unbalanced PDC graph" errors were occurring [28881]
Audio clips would randomly not play back [28882]
SF2 file imports were silent in Sampler [28895]

Changes in Bitwig Studio 4.3, Beta 6

Fixes

Latency compensation didn't work in many cases [28863]
Drum machine device: Was crashing when inserting the device, selecting a pad in the mixer view and then undoing [25578]
Only shows the Remember selected filters… context menu item for wavetables and impulses when nothing is selected [28570]
Fixed a crash when reading FLAC metadata from invalid files [28840]
Linux: Occasional audio engine crash when switching away from PipeWire [28759]
Linux: Crash when deleting a PipeWire configuration, selecting another audio system, then going back to PipeWire [28523]

Changes in Bitwig Studio 4.3, Beta 5

Improvements

Delay+ device: Ducking action is nicer
MULTISAMPLE files containing FLAC files can now be saved and loaded
Re-organized Bitwig device categories:
- New Distortion category (replacing Destruction, with all devices moving there)
- New Modulation category (with Chorus+, Chorus, Flanger+, Flanger, Phaser+, Phaser, Rotary, and Tremolo moving there)
- Comb is now in the Filter category
- Plug-in categories work similarly for display
Actions that controlled transport playback state (such as pressing SPACEBAR) can now be invoked while adjusting a parameter via mouse or touch [28638]

Fixes

Delay+ device: FB FX chain was compensating latency for devices outside of it in the processing chain, limiting the minimum possible delay time when the chain was not empty
Delay+ device: Fixed an occasional error [28738]
Convolution device: Wet signal was not working when no impulse responses were installed and an impulse was dragged in manually [28729]
FX Layer device: Dragging a layer out onto an audio track was converting it to an instrument track and Instrument Layer [28410]
Tool device, etc.: Had a tiny gain boost (+0.0014 dB), now removed
FX tracks sending to other FX tracks could change sound when reordering the FX tracks [28805]
Dropping an audio time selection while holding ALT (to copy) could shorten existing events [28791]
Onsets weren't being analyzed for a sample dragged out of a multisample [28824]
When loading a sample file that results in an error, the loading task could appear hung, spinning indefinitely
Notification for engine audio thread hanging was missing localized text for terminating the audio engine
Recording of polyphonic pressure was not accurate [28346]
"Localization not found" button in Audio Device Notification [28820]
Inappropriately compressed multisample files (e.g. created by Moss conversion tool) weren't being loaded anymore [28818]
VST3: Now forwarding plug-in's output note expressions to the device chain
VST3: Was only showing the sidechain routing if the plug-in's only input bus is an auxiliary input
Controller API: Crash when zooming with no project open [28753]
Strange situations could lead to an erroneous error ("At least two warp markers needed for warping") when previewing a file in the Browser Panel [28819]
192 kHz samplerate: Stretch modes lead to timing issues [28637]

Changes in Bitwig Studio 4.3, Beta 4

Improvements

When mousing over a modulator source that is assigned to only one destination, the window footer now tells you the one destination it is assigned to
Support for 64-bit floating point WAV files

Fixes

Launcher Clip Loop button would perform inconsistently when switched during playback [28676]
First kick in looping clip launcher clip louder than other clips if there's a note following behind the loop [28066]
8-bit WAV files had an incorrect DC offset
8-bit WAV files (that did not contain an even number of samples) could click
Linux: When using PipeWire, switching projects would leave a hanging buffer [28686]
Linux: Occasional audio engine crashes when switching to Jack API from PipeWire [28018]

Regression Fixes (since beta 3)

Painting of Arranger and Detail Editor Panels was much slower in beta 3 than previous versions [28707]
Clip functions — such as Stretch, Scale, Reverse, etc. — were broken [28705]
Note Grid device: The default patch was producing silence, due to an unfortunate chain of circumstances
On duplicated tracks, FX Sends were all getting enabled [28688]
New Rename dialog for audio events was missing its title, etc. [28689]

Changes in Bitwig Studio 4.3, Beta 3

New Features

FLAC files can now be directly played back across Bitwig (in clips, with stretching, by Sampler, etc. etc.)
- Converting FLAC files to WAV is no longer necessary, saving space and time AND staying lossless
Sends can now be toggled on/off individually:
- Click the name of any track/channel's send to toggle that send off/on
- SHIFT-click any track/channel's send to toggle all sends
- A new function, Disable All Unused Sends, disables any unused sends in the project, which minimizes CPU-usage/latency
- Sends in new projects are now disabled until used (by an initial knob turn)

Improvements

Linux: Debian package (a DEB file) is available again for Ubuntu distributions in addition to the Flatpak bundle
Controller Scripts: BWEXTENSION files can now be installed by simply dragging them onto the Bitwig application window
Added support for compressed WAV files (such as those not in PCM or float formats) [8604][21352]
Adding an instrument to an audio track no longer forces conversion to a hybrid track
Invoking the Rename function on audio events will now open a dialog to rename the audio file itself
CC In Grid module: Now has MIDI learn functionality for setting the CC message and channel to use
Layered editing of audio tracks no longer allows resizing the lanes when the auto-size mode is on (it was too easy to do this accidentally)
Added button to stop an active trial phase [28446]

Fixes

Delay+ device: Was not forwarding notes to devices in the FB FX slot [28605]
Convolution device: Window footer line now for start / end times now display proper values [28615]
Union (Oscillator) Polymer/Grid module: Now has a remote control page [28609]
Low-pass MG (Filter) Polymer/Grid module: Input stage was noisy around the clip level [28552]
Sallen-Key (Filter) Polymer/Grid module: Was adding some clicks [28611]
AD (Envelope) Polymer/Grid module: Loop mode wasn't working when Model was set to the Analog or Digital modes [28608]
Test Tone device: In Dirac mode, impulses were not steady when using with a Time Shift device. In an FX Layer. [28619]
Note Out (I/O) Grid module: Sending a note on with velocity of 0 % now creates a note (the same as with Bitwig's note events); now only negative velocity values will fail to produce a note with Note Grid, etc. [27984]
Note Out (I/O) Grid module: Routing an envelope signal to the Gain In port expression was creating a pop [28618]
FX Layer device: Solo state was not remembered when reloading a project [28553]
Rare crash when quitting Bitwig Studio while importing impulses [28544]
Clip Launcher clips could drift out of time with arrangement loop active [28607]
Inconsistent "meta clip" (on group tracks) selection behavior [28296]
Sliding clip content no longer affects track automation [28425]
Reversing a clip no longer affects track automation [28428]
Audio events could get inserted into the same clip when moving a multiselection in layered audio editor [28339]
Wrong loop region length could happen after consolidating a clip with an odd time signature [28347]
32-bit float WAV files could be clipped on import [28338]
Some corrupt WAV files weren't loading [26961]
Glitches when drawing a spectrum display in certain modes [28621]
Notes with velocities below 0.39% were not being sent to VSTs anymore [28610]
Was crashing when scrolling scenes on a controller while Mixer Panel was visible but the Clip Launcher was hidden [28561]
Fixed a crash with an error message when renaming a file
Windows: Crash in certain circumstances when a spectrum display is shown on AVX processors [28526]

Changes in Bitwig Studio 4.3, Beta 2

Improvements

Delay+ device: Ducking now affects the wet part of the signal (instead of the Mix parameter), which makes it more usable as a send effect
Exiting a text-editing action with the [ESC] key is now decided on a case-by-case basis

Fixes

Delay+ device: Switching Level Control mode was sometimes making a loud click [28511]
Delay+ device: Switching between presets with different Blur Character settings could make ugly sounds [28499]
Comb (Filter) Polymer/Grid module: Key Track and Cutoff Modulation in ports didn't work in Beta 1 (regression)
Linux: Engine crash when switching PipeWire configurations or removing an audio input or output from the prefs [28545]
Pasting or dragging a clip over an existing clip in the Clip Launcher was crashing the app [28532]
Poly Grid device: Spikes were happening when clicking on a note in the note editor [28551]
MPE pitchbend was broken for VSTs [28546]
Importing an invalid MIDI file could break the Bitwig project [28513]
ALS Import: Pitch Bend and other MIDI CCs weren't getting imported [26673]
Shortcut added for Toggle Metronome was not working when a VST window was in focus [28257]
Crash when changing cursor device from some controllers when there was no track selected [28525]
Rare crash when invoking shortcut that was assigned to a controller button [27751]

Changes in Bitwig Studio 4.3, Beta 1

New Device: Convolution

A straightforward device with quick adjustment controls for reverb, coloring, or anything else convolution can do
Supports loading 1-channel (mono), 2-channel (stereo), and 4-channel ("true stereo") impulses
An impulse browser visualizes all impulses in your library, along with their length, category, and channel count
Tune resamples the impulse, changing its pitch and length by the set amount
The Start and End Time positions within the impulse can be adjusted visually, similar to Sampler
A Volume Envelope sets a start, mid-point (time-adjustable), and end gain levels, that can be quieter or louder than the original impulse for effects or reshaping it altogether
Brightness offers a tilt EQ, which favors the high end when turned to the right, or the low end on the left
Pre-delay time, Wet Gain amount, and dry/wet Mix parameters are also available
The Wet FX chain allows any Bitwig devices and VST plug-ins to be added for processing only the wet output portion
Convolution supports any audio file:
- Dropping a file from one of Bitwig's browsers or the OS's file manager onto the Convolution will load the first 45 seconds of it
- If a file conversion is necessary, the impulse will be saved into the current project's Impulses folder as a BWIMPULSE file
- Dragging any audio or note clip onto Convolution will bounce the clip, and then load it as an impulse
- A folder Import… option is available via the impulse browser for bulk import
270 impulses are available in the factory library, including real spaces, environmental captures, and generated impulses

New Device: Delay+

A souped-up delay, with hardwired modulations and a pre-stocked feedback loop that eats the latency of other devices/plug-ins
Standard delay options for delay time (either in seconds, or beats plus offset for triplet, dotted, or things in between), Feedback amount, low- and high-pass filters for controlling feedback, and a dry/wet Mix control
For delay time changes/modulations, a Time Update Rate parameter is available, as well as two Time Update Model settings:
- Repitch - Maintains audio output during delay time changes, making pitch effects audible
- Fade - Hides pitch artifacts during delay time changes
Like oscillator detuning, a Detune parameter is available in milliseconds, along with a Stereo Detune toggle to invert the right channel's detuning
Four Pattern options for the channel configuration:
- Mono - Flattens the incoming signal for processing, and offers a Pan control for direction within the effect
- Stereo - With a Width control and optional Cross Feedback (for left → right channel feedback, and vice versa)
- Ping L - Ping-pong, starting on the left side, and with Width control
- Ping R - Ping-pong, starting on the right side, and with Width control
Around the feedback stage are several controls and effects:
- Level Control keeps signal in the feedback loop from exploding, offer both a Threshold for when level control starts, and three Modes (Soft Clip, Hard Clip, and a Comp.[ressor] model)
  - The feedback (or cross feedback) icon illuminates red to show the amount of level control being applied
- Width affects Feedback factors in the Width parameter (when available) before the feedback chain
- Blur sets the amount of the selected Blur Character, whose choices are:
  - No Blur - Bypass option
  - Soft - Short diffusion network
  - Wide - Short diffusion network, with broader modulation and spread
  - Still - Long diffusion network
  - Space - Long diffusion network, with broader modulation and spread
  - Reverse - Time-offset diffusion system
- The Forever toggle maintains the current feedback buffer, keeping it at unity gain and not passing in any new signal
- Any other Bitwig devices or VST plug-ins can be inserted into the FB FX chain, becoming part of the churn
  - The FB FX chain uniquely provides delay compensation (for inserting devices that require it) by offsetting the delay time
Ducking automatically pulls down wet signal gain as well as the Feedback level when strong sounds arrive to help them be heard, even with high Feedback values or even the Forever option enabled
- The arrow icon (→) leading from Ducking to Mix illuminates orange to show the amount of ducking being applied

Polymer/Grid module updates

New Polymer/Grid oscillator: Union
- A DC-drifting, analog-inspired oscillator that blends pulse, saw, and triangle waves
- Level controls for each of the three waveforms
- Clickable toggle to quickly switch to only one waveform
- Pulse Width control for the pulse wave's shape and timbre
- Anti-aliased waveshapes slide around as any of these controls are adjusted, making them ideal for modulation or automation
- Union is now the default oscillator in Polymer for its immediate controls and warm sound
New Polymer/Grid filter: Low-pass MG
- A Moog-inspired classic low-pass filter
- Drive stage has similarly inspired mix buss character (try turning it up; we'll wait.)
- Standard Cutoff Frequency and Resonance controls
- Low-pass MG is now the default filter in Polymer because it sounds good and familiar
Updated Polymer/Grid envelopes: ADSR, AR, and AD
- Each have three modes now:
  - 🅰 Analog - Again, imitating Moog hardware's fixed curves nonlinearities
  - 🆁 Relative - (previously the only mode) With adjustable rate-differential curves
  - 🅳 Digital - Clean math with adjustable curves, for precise time segments
- A simple one letter button in each envelope's top left indicates the mode; click the box to see all available modes
- For its classic response and ease of use, the default Polymer envelopes (for AEG and FEG) are set to Analog
Updated Polymer/Grid filter: Sallen-Key (previously "Low-pass SK", with only three low-pass modes) now has 16 Filter Mode options, using various filter types
Updated Polymer/Grid filter revision: Comb now has a Dampening Frequency parameter (set relative to the primary Cutoff Frequency) for reining in the feedback segment
Updated Polymer/Grid filters: Low-pass LD, Low-pass MG, Sallen-Key, SVF, XP, and Comb
- All filters now including a Resonance Limit (or Q Limit) control, setting the point where clipping begins within the filter's resonance
- The Drive parameter sets the amount of gain (and clipping), and Resonance Limit sets the threshold when clipping/saturation begins
- Together, these parameters can greatly adjust the color of any filter
- Resonance Limit is available in Polymer by right-clicking on a empty area of any filter module
Updated Polymer/Grid oscillators: Pulse, Sawtooth, Sine, Triangle, Union, Wavetable, Phase-1, and Swarm
- Each oscillator's Phase Modulation Amount knobs now goes up to 800 % (with 100 % at the center)
- These extended modulation index values provide for a broader range of digital frequency/phase modulation sounds
Updated Polymer/Grid module: Sub (Oscillator) now includes a sawtooth option as an additional Waveform choice

Comments Are Welcome

Comments can now be added to any track, layer (within one of our Layer devices), Launcher scene, or Arranger cue marker
Comments can be added/seen in the Inspector Panel for any item, and:
- Track and layer comments can all be seen/edited together in either Mixer Panel
- Launcher scene and Arranger cue markers can be seen/edited together in the Sections page of the Project Panel
Comments are good for whatever you what — recording settings, performance notes, lyrics, etc. — and can be written in any language that Bitwig can display

FX Tracks Sends

FX tracks now have sends of their own, allowing FX tracks to be sent to any other effect track
An FX track sent to an FX track on its right (further down on the mixer) is sent immediately
An FX track sent to an FX track on its left (backward on the mixer) is sent with a delay of one audio buffer
- This includes direct feedback routing, shown with the square feedback arrow icon
This also applies to the FX tracks of group tracks and within Drum Machine devices

New Features

Updated FX device: Bit-8 now has an Anti-alias toggle, switching to different methods — and a different sound
Updated Grid module: Audio Out (I/O) now has higher-quality clipping algorithms, and the module icon glows to indicate how much clipping is being applied
Updated Grid module: ADSR (Envelope) now has a Bias Out port, sending a proportionate signal that outputs zero in the sustain segment (good for sliding pitches and much more)
Updated analysis device: Spectrum now has a toggle for the Frequency Range displayed:
- Human Hearing - Displays the extended human hearing range
- Sample Rate - Matches Bitwig's current sample rate
Updated Grid module: Oscilloscope (Display) now has display parameters to adjust the Y Maximum shown on screen and a Y Bipolar toggle
Updated tool device: Test Tone now has a Bipolar toggle for optional unipolar output, as well as Waveshape options:
- Sine (previously the only waveform available)
- Triangle
- Square
- Saw Up
- Saw Down
- Dirac - A series of one-sample impulses
- White Noise
- Pink Noise
When a group track is expanded and focus is within it, all Add Track functions now create tracks within the group
Operators: Note editor GUI updates (to show which events are playing on this loop pass) are now latency compensated [28277]
Controllers that target the Clip Launcher now use a rectangle to highlight the current targets from each active controller, and can optionally scroll Bitwig's GUI when the controller scrolls its targets
Modules now have a revision system, for managing updates and maintaining compatibility with previous use work
- When an UPDATE button appears on the top right of a module, mouse over it for a tooltip of the changes that clicking UPDATE would bring
The top of the Inspector Panel for devices has been simplified and given a fuller range of icons
Nested device chains now show a little box for each device in the chain
Linux builds are now released as FLATPAK files (more information here)
Linux: now supports the PipeWire audio driver

Improvements

Updated Grid module revision: Comb (Filter) now sets negative feedback to the same cutoff frequency/delay time as positive feedback
General modulator mapping improvements:
- When setting a modulation range of a linear parameter, the unit will be shown while mapping
- When setting a modulation range of a logarithmic parameter (such as the Rate scaler for the LFO modulator or Grid module), positive modulations will be shown with × and negative modulations with ÷, since the modulations are multiplicative of the current setting
- When setting a modulation range of a cubic parameter (such as any envelope time setting, or module attenuator, etc. etc.), the modulation shows the maximum modulation value based on the parameter's current set value, along with an asterisk (*) since changing the set value will change the effective modulation range

Fixes

Substantial memory optimizations for projects with a large number of tracks and/or scenes [28390]
Note FX Layer device: Notes were not playing correctly after transposing them in different layers [28479]
Note Out (I/O) Grid module: Properly clips note expressions, particularly for Note Grid uses
MPE expressions are now properly clipped for VST plug-ins [28477]
192 kHz audio playback had sync issues [28486]