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 3.0.3 [released 19 Sept 2019]
Fixes
- Note auditioning may not have worked correctly in some cases when shifting notes in the drum note editor
- Controller API: SourceSelector hasNoteInputSelected() and hasAudioInputSelected() are properly not be settable
Regressions
- Since 3.0.2: HW Instrument delay compensation didn't work
- Multi outs for plug-ins might not work in some cases (where the chains contained only a single plug-in which also supported multi outs)
Changes in Bitwig Studio 3.0.2 [released 27 Aug 2019]
New Features
- Launcher clips now offer a third Play Mode setting:
- from Start, triggering the clip from the top each time
- Continue, taking over from the previously playing clip at the same relative position
- Continue Quantized, taking over from the previously playing clip at the clip quantize interval
Improvements
- When multiple Launcher clips are selected, pressing [ENTER] now launches all selected clips
- When adding samples to a drum machine, key tracking is now off
- When slicing to multisample, the loop region now defaults to the slice region instead of to the whole sample duration
- When setting Launch Quantization for Launcher Clips to Off it is now completely off
- Improved the appearance of the Mappings Browser Panel
- Windows and Linux: Improved file dialogs
- Windows: New ASIO audio setting to Override Driver Timing, for rare cases where MIDI and synchronization isn't acting correctly (or at all)
- Nektar controllers: improved scripts and documentation for the SE25 and SE49, as well as the GX and LX+ product lines
Fixes
- Audio stretched with Elastique modes could randomly become silent in rare situations
- Crash when assigning a channel to multiple selected notes that have different channels but are equal in time/key
- Sample stop time marker disappears when resizing new raw audio clip
- MIDI import: notes might get truncated when there is another note at the same time/key but on a different channel
- Time selection was sometimes not preserved after duplicating a time selection including group tracks
- Some graphical elements & transitions didn't get affected by the Contrast controls
- Dragging mouse outside of a text entry popup and releasing would cancel the text input and all other popups
- Was only possible to type in a value for a parameter (like Shuffle in the Play menu) if the mouse remained inside the text entry area
- Pressing ESC while entering a value for a parameter (like Shuffle in the Play menu) would cancel the play menu popup too. Now it just cancels the entering of the value and second press of Esc will then cancel the play menu popup
- A control script that performed some error on startup would notify the user twice
- If a control script file is not properly encoded in UTF-8, give a useful error message
- Any errors found scanning control scripts are shown in the Global tab of the control script console
- Crash when dropping a note clip into the empty area below the tracks while the note editor is open (in clip content / drum mode), and then hitting undo
- MIDI channel information was not shown in the Mappings Browser Panel for MIDI mappings
- Notification that files were missing could be shown when bouncing and recording audio in some cases
- Relative clip automation (additive [+] or multiplicative [×]) didn't work in some cases
- Fixed potential errors that could happen while recording or bouncing audio
- Deleting a Grid module could create an illegal connection in some cases
- Deselecting a Grid module with the [ESCAPE] key didn't redraw that patch
- When playhead follow is on and stop is pressed (to set the playhead to top of arrangement), include a small visual margin to the left of the playhead
- MIDI CC device: Could send the wrong values when automated
- Note LEDs in Device Panel could get stuck when playing the same note on multiple channels
- Linux: Harrison Plug-ins no longer crash after opening the window
- LinnStrument help file couldn't be opened from Bitwig Studio preferences
Regressions
- Since 3.0: Some modulation mapping didn't sound correct after duplicating a device
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