Bitwig Studio 3.0 is out now. Huzzah!
System Requirements
- Windows - Windows 7, 8, or 10 (all in 64-bit)
- Mac - macOS 10.11 ("El Capitan") or above
- Linux - Ubuntu 17.04 or later
Changes in Bitwig Studio 3.0.1 [released 19 Jul 2019]
Improvements
- Audio Driver chooser now has short descriptions to explain the available options
- Better warnings and default settings in demo mode
Fixes
- Quick Start templates open properly in Bitwig Studio and Bitwig Studio 8-Track
- Fine-tuned the global GUI Contrast settings, to better show gradients, knobs, and animations
- Rare crash when slicing audio
- Rare crashes when dragging in samples with no discernible warping information
- Sample stop time marker no longer disappears when resizing a new, raw audio clip
- macOS: Temporarily hiding plug-in windows when switching to other apps may stop working after some time
Regressions
- Devices were not properly sleeping
What's New in Bitwig Studio 3.0 [released 10 Jul 2019]
New Features
- The Grid, Bitwig Studio's new modular sound-design environment, comprising a library of 154 modules, a bevy of editing gestures, and interactive assistance that is always on hand (see section below)
- Revamped instrument Inspector Panel for all Bitwig devices that support polyphony. Now with three voice modes (polyphony and two flavors of mono), Voice Stacking, and more.
- Optional Realtime Ruler, for showing time in MINUTEs:SECONDs.MILLISECONDs (enable via the right-click context menu in ruler area)
- Automatic project backups, keeping a copy of the most recent project file within the project folder each time you hit save
- VU Meters in routing choosers, allowing you to see the signal you are looking for
- Converting devices (e.g., EQ-2 to EQ-5) is now possible by right-clicking on the device header
- Added manual mapping actions for Activate, Deactivate, Toggle Active, and Activate Exclusively of a track or group track header
- Ableton Link version 3 support, allowing you to synchronize start and stop of the transport
- Global GUI Contrast settings, to better adapt to different lighting conditions
- Added controller support for Keith McMillen Instruments's K-Board Pro 4
The Grid
- New device: Poly Grid, a new Grid device for creating instruments, be them mono-/poly-synths, samplers, sequenced patches, cascading drones, or anything else you might imagine.
- New device: FX Grid, a new Grid device for creating audio effects, including the option of Voice Stacking, and the ability to create polyphonic effects with voice management.
- 200+ Grid factory presets in the sound content updates
- Ability to convert between the different Grid devices, or to copy–paste contents between different instances
- Gestures for replacing modules, reordering modules, inserting modules with cables in place, and inserting modules together with routing modules (such as a mixer or adder)
- Wireless pre-cords,
- All signals in The Grid are oversampled at 400% your current sample rate
- All signals in The Grid are stereo, with various modules configured to easily "stereo-ize" any signal
- Interactive documentation for any module by selecting it, and then pressing the [F1] key or clicking Show Help in the Inspector Panel
- Automatic scopes in the Inspector Panel, showing all signals entering and exiting the selected module
- Updated manual for Bitwig Studio 3, with a new chapter on The Grid
- 16 categories covering 154 modules:
- I/O (18) - Terminal modules for signals entering or exiting this Grid device
- Audio In, Gate In, Phase In, Pitch In, Pressure In, Timbre In, Velocity In, Audio Out, Audio Sidechain, HW In, HW Out, CV In, CV Out, CV Pitch Out, Key On, Keys Held, Transport Playing, Modulator Out
- Display (7) - Visualization and note-taking modules
- Label, Comment, Oscilloscope, Spectrum, VU Meter, XY, Value Readout
- Phase (14) - Modules that output wrapped phase signals
- Phasor, Ø Bend, Ø Reset, Ø Scaler, Ø Reverse, Ø Wrap, Ø Counter, Ø Formant, Ø Lag, Ø Mirror, Ø Shift, Ø Sinemod, Ø Skew, Ø Sync
- Data (10) - Lookup modules that are read with incoming phase signals
- Gates, Pitches, Steps, Triggers, Probabilities, Ø Pulse, Ø Saw, Ø Sine, Ø Triangle, Ø Window
- Oscillator (7) - Periodic signal generators based on waveforms or samples
- Pulse, Sawtooth, Sine, Triangle, Phase-1, Swarm, Sampler
- Random (4) - Aperiodic and randomized signal generators
- Noise, S/H LFO, Chance, Dice
- LFO (3) - Periodic low frequency oscillators
- LFO, Clock, Transport
- Envelope (4) - Modules that produce or extract an envelope, often with a normaled amplifier
- ADSR, AD, AR, Follower
- Filter (6) - Frequency-dependent amplifiers
- Low-pass LD, Low-pass SK, SVF, High-pass, Low-pass, Comb
- Shaper (6) - Various linear and nonlinear waveshapers
- Chebyshev, Distortion, Quantizer, Rectifier, Wavefolder, Curve
- Delay (5) - Delay functions, some allowing patched feedback
- Delay, Long Delay, Mod Delay, All-pass, Recorder
- Mix (10) - Signal routing and mixing modules
- Blend, Mixer, LR Mix, Select, Toggle, Merge, Split, Stereo Merge, Stereo Split, Stereo Width
- Level (17) - Amplitude-based functions, values, and converters
- Level, Value, Attenuate, Bias, Gain - Vol, Gain - dB, Average, Lag, Bend, Clip, Level Scaler, Value Scaler, AM/RM, Hold, Sample / Hold, Bi→Uni, Uni→Bi
- Pitch (5) - Modules that produce pitch values
- Pitch, Pitch Quantize, by Semitone, Pitch Scaler, Zero Crossings
- Math (18) - Basic arithmetic operators
- Constant, Add, Divide, Multiply, Subtract, Abs, Ceil, Floor, Minmax, Quantize, Round, Product, Sum, dB → Lin, Exp, Lin → dB, Log, Power
- Logic (20) - Comparators and other modules that output logic signals
- Button, Trigger, Clock Divide, Clock Quantize, Gate Length, Gate Repeat, Latch, =, ≥, >, ≤, <, ≠,NOT, AND, OR, XOR, NAND, NOR, XNOR
Improvements
- For all Bitwig instruments (and FX Grid), polyphonic voices are now processed in parallel
- For all Bitwig instruments (and FX Grid), integers, boolean, and indexed controls now support polyphonic (per-voice) modulations
- When a modulation source is delayed (due to a feedback connection), indication is given in the Inspector's modulation lists and the parameter context menus
- Note names are shown along with frequencies in the window footer
- Pop-up Browser now sets the most likely device type when inserting a new layer (for the Instrument)
- Improved compensation delay for Distortion and Amp devices
- Improvements to various modulator devices, including MIDI, Vector-4, Vector-8, Voice Stack, and XY
- Unified double-click behavior (reset value to default, when there is a default) for both number fields and other numeric controls. Text entry is now available via [CTRL](PC)-/[CMD](Mac)-click or triple-click.
- Reworked audio backends: ASIO & WASAPI (PC), CoreAudio (macOS), ALSA & PulseAudio (Linux), and Jack (everyone)
- Windows and Mac: Reveal File now selects the file in the OS file browser
- Various touch interface improvements and updated support
- General user interface overhaul, including some redesigned dynamics devices, a better pop-up style when editing parameters, and cleaner readability across the board