BITWIG STUDIO 3.

The content of this user guide is subject to change without notice and
does not represent a commitment on the part of Bitwig. Furthermore,
Bitwig doesn't take responsibility or liability for errors or inaccuracies
that may appear in this user guide. This guide and the software
described in this guide are subject to a license agreement and may be
used and copied only in terms of this license agreement. No part of this
publication may be copied, reproduced, edited or otherwise transmitted
or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Bitwig.

This user guide was written by Dave Linnenbank.

Twelfth Edition, December 2019.

Bitwig GmbH | Schwedter Str. 13 | 10119 Berlin - Germany

[email protected] | www.bitwig.com

Bitwig Studio is a registered trademark of Bitwig GmbH, registered in the U.S. and other countries. VST is a
registered trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. ASIO is a registered trademark and software of
Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. élastique Pro V3 by zplane.development. Mac OS X, Safari, and iTunes are
registered trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is a registered trademark
of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other products and company names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or
endorsement by them. All specifications are subject to change without notice.

©2019 Bitwig GmbH, Berlin, Germany. All rights reserved.

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0. Welcome to Bitwig Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
0.1. What's New in Bitwig Studio v3.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
0.2. Adjustments from Version 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
0.3. The Dashboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
0.3.1. User Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
0.3.2. Settings Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
0.3.2.1. Audio Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
0.3.2.2. Controllers Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
0.3.2.3. Synchronization Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
0.3.2.4. Shortcuts Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
0.3.2.5. Other Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
0.3.3. Packages Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
0.3.4. Help Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
0.4. Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

1. Bitwig Studio Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

1.1. Top-Level Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1.2. A Matter of Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
1.3. One DAW, Two Sequencers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
1.4. Devices, Modulators, and Other Signal Achievements . . . . . . . . . . 27
1.5. A Musical Swiss Army Knife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
1.6. User Interfacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

2. Anatomy of the Bitwig Studio Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

2.1. The Window Header . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.1.1. Project Tabs Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.1.2. Window Controls Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.2. The Window Footer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
2.2.1. Panel Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
2.2.2. View Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2.2.3. Available Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
2.2.4. Parameter Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
2.2.5. Controller Visualizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
2.3. The Window Menus/Transport Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
2.3.1. The Menu System (via the File Menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
2.3.2. Transport Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.3.3. Display Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
2.3.4. Object Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
2.4. The Window Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

3. The Arrange View and Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

3.1. The Arranger Timeline Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
3.1.1. Arranger Area, Arranger Timeline, and Zooming . . . . . . . 52
3.1.2. Beat Grid Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
3.1.3. Track Headers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
3.1.4. Arranger View Toggles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
3.2. Intro to Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

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3.2.1. Track Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

3.2.2. Creating and Selecting Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
3.2.3. Edit Functions and Moving Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
3.2.4. Track Names and Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
3.2.5. Deactivating Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
3.3. Meet Inspector Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

4. Arranger Clips and the Browser Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

4.1. The Browser Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4.1.1. Devices Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
4.1.2. Presets Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
4.1.3. Samples Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4.1.4. Multisamples Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4.1.5. Music Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4.1.6. Clips Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
4.1.7. Files Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
4.2. Inserting and Working with Arranger Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
4.2.1. Inserting Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
4.2.2. Moving Clips and Snap Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
4.2.3. Adjusting Clip Lengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
4.2.4. Slicing and Quick Slice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
4.2.5. Sliding Arranger Clip Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
4.2.6. Applying Fades and Crossfades to Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
4.2.7. Looping Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
4.2.8. Meta Clips and Group Tracks in the Arranger . . . . . . . . . . 86
4.2.9. The Inspector Panel on Arranger Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
4.2.9.1. Signature Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
4.2.9.2. Time (Position) Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
4.2.9.3. Loop Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
4.2.9.4. Fade Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
4.2.9.5. Mute Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
4.2.9.6. Shuffle Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
4.2.9.7. Clip Menu Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
4.3. Playing Back the Arranger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
4.3.1. Cue Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
4.3.2. Time Signature Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
4.4. Recording Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
4.4.1. Track I/O Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
4.4.2. Recording Note Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
4.4.2.1. Loading an Instrument Preset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
4.4.2.2. Setting a MIDI Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
4.4.2.3. Recording Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
4.4.3. Recording Audio Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
4.4.3.1. Setting an Audio Source . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
4.4.3.2. Recording Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

5. The Clip Launcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

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5.1. The Clip Launcher Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

5.1.1. Clip Launcher Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
5.1.2. Within Launcher Clips, Scenes, and Slots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
5.2. Acquiring and Working with Launcher Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
5.2.1. Getting Clips from the Browser Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
5.2.2. Copying Clips Between the Arranger and
Launcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
5.2.3. Sliding Launcher Clip Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
5.2.4. Sub Scenes and Group Tracks in the Launcher . . . . . . . 114
5.2.5. Launcher Clip Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
5.2.5.1. Start/Stop Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
5.2.5.2. Launch Q(uantize) Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
5.2.5.3. Next Action Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
5.2.5.3.1. Local and Global Next Actions . . . . . . . . . . 118
5.2.5.3.2. Using Clip Blocks with Next
Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
5.3. Triggering Launcher Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
5.3.1. How the Arranger and Launcher Work Together . . . . . 120
5.3.2. Triggering Launcher Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
5.3.3. Launching Time Signature Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
5.4. Recording Launcher Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
5.4.1. Recording Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
5.4.2. Record to Arranger Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123

6. The Mix View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

6.1. The Mixer Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
6.1.1. Track Headers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
6.1.2. Clip Launcher Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
6.1.3. Big Meters Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
6.1.4. Devices Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
6.1.5. Send Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
6.1.6. Track I/O Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
6.1.7. Channel Strip Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
6.1.8. Crossfader Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
6.2. Other Mixing Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
6.2.1. The Secondary Mixer Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
6.2.2. Mixing in the Inspector Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
6.2.3. Inspecting Effect Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
6.3. Master Track Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
6.3.1. Studio I/O Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
6.3.2. Multichannel Audio Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

7. Introduction to Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

7.1. Accessing Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
7.1.1. Presets from the Browser Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
7.1.2. Devices from the Browser Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
7.1.3. The Pop-up Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

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7.2. The Device Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

7.2.1. The Panel Itself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
7.2.2. The Expanded Device View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
7.2.3. Effect Tracks and Send Amounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
7.3. VST Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
7.4. Working with Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170

8. Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
8.1. Automation Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
8.1.1. The Arranger's Automation Lane Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
8.1.2. Drawing and Editing Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
8.1.3. Parameter Follow and Automation Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
8.1.4. Additional Automation Lanes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
8.1.5. Recording Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
8.2. The Automation Editor Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
8.2.1. Track Editing Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
8.2.2. Clip Editing Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
8.2.3. Relative Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

9. Working with Audio Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

9.1. The Detail Editor Panel, Audio Clip Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
9.1.1. Layout of the Detail Editor Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
9.1.2. Audio Event Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
9.1.2.1. Event Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
9.1.2.2. Gain Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
9.1.2.3. Pan Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
9.1.2.4. Pitch Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
9.1.2.5. Onsets Expression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
9.1.2.6. Stretch Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
9.2. Inspecting Audio Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
9.2.1. The Inspector Panel on Audio Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
9.2.1.1. Timing Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
9.2.1.2. Stretch Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
9.2.1.3. Tempo Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
9.2.1.4. Fades Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
9.2.1.5. Expressions Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
9.2.1.6. Event Menu Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
9.2.2. Working with Multiple Audio Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
9.2.2.1. Mixed Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
9.2.2.2. Using the Histogram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

10. Working with Note Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

10.1. The Detail Editor Panel, Note Clip Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
10.1.1. Layout of the Detail Editor Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
10.1.1.1. Drawing Notes and Quick Draw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
10.1.1.2. Note Color Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
10.1.2. Note Event Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

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10.1.2.1. Velocity Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240

10.1.2.2. Gain Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
10.1.2.3. Pan Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
10.1.2.4. Timbre Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
10.1.2.5. Pressure Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
10.1.3. Micro-Pitch Editing Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
10.1.4. Layered Editing Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
10.1.4.1. Layered Editing in Track Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
10.1.4.2. Layered Editing in Clip Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
10.1.4.3. Layered Editing by Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
10.1.4.4. Layered Editing with the Audio Editor . . . . . . 254
10.2. Inspecting Note Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
10.2.1. Selecting Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
10.2.2. The Inspector Panel on Note Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
10.2.2.1. Timing and Mute Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
10.2.2.2. Note Properties Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
10.2.2.3. Expressions Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
10.2.2.4. Event Menu Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
10.2.3. Working with Multiple Note Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
10.3. The Edit View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268

11. Going Between Notes and Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270

11.1. Loading Audio into a New Sampler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
11.2. Bouncing to Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
11.2.1. The Bounce Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
11.2.2. The Bounce in Place Function and Hybrid Tracks . . . 276
11.3. Slicing to Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
11.3.1. The Slice to Multisample Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
11.3.2. The Slice to Drum Machine Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281

12. Working with Projects and Exporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282

12.1. Saving a Project Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
12.2. The Project Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
12.2.1. Info Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
12.2.2. Files Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
12.2.3. Plug-ins Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
12.3. The Global Groove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
12.4. Working with Multiple Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
12.4.1. Adding Clips to the Browser Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
12.4.2. Going Directly between Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
12.5. Exporting Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
12.6. Exporting MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299

13. MIDI Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300

13.1. Soft Controller Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
13.1.1. The Remote Controls Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301

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13.2. Controller Visualizations, Takeover Behavior, and

Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
13.3. Manual Controller Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
13.4. The Mappings Browser Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312

14. Advanced Device Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314

14.1. Nested Device Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
14.1.1. The Mix Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
14.1.2. Container Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
14.1.2.1. Drum Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
14.1.2.2. Instrument Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
14.1.2.3. FX Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
14.1.3. Other Common Device Chain Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
14.2. The Unified Modulation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
14.2.1. Modulator Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
14.2.2. Modulations within a Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
14.2.3. Devices in the Inspector Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
14.2.3.1. Voice Parameters for Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
14.2.3.2. Plug-in Inspector Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
14.2.3.3. The Modulation Sources Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
14.2.3.4. The Modulation Destinations Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
14.2.3.5. Modulator Inspector Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
14.2.4. Voice Stacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
14.3. VST Plug-in Handling and Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344

15. Welcome to The Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

15.1. Using the Grid Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
15.1.1. The Module Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
15.1.2. Working with Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
15.1.2.1. Interactive Module Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
15.1.2.2. Module Scopes in the Inspector Panel . . . . . . . . 363
15.1.3. Working with Patch Cords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
15.1.4. Inserting Modules with Cords, and Vice Versa . . . . . . . 365
15.1.5. Reordering Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
15.2. Special Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
15.2.1. Module Pre-cords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
15.2.2. Making Feedback with "Long Delay" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
15.3. On Grid Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
15.3.1. Signal Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
15.3.2. Stereo By Nature, and 4x Faster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
15.3.3. Working with Modulators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
15.3.4. Voicing Management in The Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
15.3.4.1. Voicing "FX Grid" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380

16. Working on a Tablet Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382

16.1. The Tablet Display Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
16.1.1. Tablet Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384

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16.2. The Radial Gesture Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389

17. Device Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392

17.1. Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
17.1.1. Oscilloscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
17.1.2. Spectrum Analyzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
17.2. Audio FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
17.2.1. Blur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
17.2.2. Chorus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
17.2.3. Comb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
17.2.4. Flanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
17.2.5. Freq Shifter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
17.2.6. Phaser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
17.2.7. Pitch Shifter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
17.2.8. Ring-Mod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
17.2.9. Rotary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
17.2.10. Treemonster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
17.2.11. Tremolo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
17.3. Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
17.3.1. Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
17.3.2. Drum Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
17.3.3. FX Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
17.3.4. FX Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
17.3.5. Instrument Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
17.3.6. Instrument Selector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
17.3.7. Mid-Side Split . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
17.3.8. Multiband FX-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
17.3.9. Multiband FX-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
17.3.10. Note FX Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
17.3.11. Replacer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
17.3.12. Step MOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
17.3.13. XY FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
17.3.14. XY Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
17.4. Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
17.4.1. Delay-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
17.4.2. Delay-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
17.4.3. Delay-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
17.5. Destruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
17.5.1. Amp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398
17.5.2. Bit-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
17.5.3. Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
17.6. Drum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
17.6.1. E-Clap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
17.6.2. E-Cowbell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
17.6.3. E-Hat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401
17.6.4. E-Kick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
17.6.5. E-Snare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403

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17.6.6. E-Tom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405

17.7. Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
17.7.1. Compressor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
17.7.2. De-Esser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
17.7.3. Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
17.7.4. Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
17.7.5. Peak Limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
17.7.6. Transient Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
17.8. EQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
17.8.1. EQ-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406
17.8.2. EQ-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
17.8.3. EQ-DJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
17.9. Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
17.9.1. Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
17.9.2. Ladder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
17.9.3. Resonator Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
17.10. Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407
17.10.1. HW Clock Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
17.10.2. HW CV Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
17.10.3. HW CV Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
17.10.4. HW FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
17.10.5. HW Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408
17.11. Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
17.11.1. Organ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
17.12. MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 410
17.12.1. Channel Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
17.12.2. Channel Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
17.12.3. MIDI CC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
17.12.4. MIDI Program Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
17.12.5. MIDI Song Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
17.13. Note FX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411
17.13.1. Arpeggiator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
17.13.2. Diatonic Transposer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
17.13.3. Micro-pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
17.13.4. Multi-Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
17.13.5. Note Echo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
17.13.6. Note Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
17.13.7. Note Harmonizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
17.13.8. Note Latch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
17.13.9. Note Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
17.13.10. Note Pitch Shifter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
17.13.11. Note Velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
17.13.12. Transposition Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
17.14. Reverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
17.14.1. Reverb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
17.15. Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
17.15.1. Audio Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414

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17.15.2. Note Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414

17.16. Synth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
17.16.1. FM-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415
17.16.2. Phase-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
17.16.3. Polysynth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420
17.16.4. Sampler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
17.17. The Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430
17.17.1. FX Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
17.17.2. Poly Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
17.18. Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
17.18.1. DC Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
17.18.2. Dual Pan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
17.18.3. Test Tone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
17.18.4. Time Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
17.18.5. Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
17.19. Modulators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
17.19.1. Chaos Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
17.19.1.1. Random . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
17.19.2. Control Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
17.19.2.1. Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
17.19.2.2. Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
17.19.2.3. Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
17.19.2.4. HW CV In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
17.19.2.5. Keytrack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
17.19.2.6. Macro-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
17.19.2.7. Macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
17.19.2.8. Math . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433
17.19.2.9. Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
17.19.2.10. Pitch-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
17.19.2.11. Select-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
17.19.2.12. Vector-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
17.19.2.13. Vector-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
17.19.2.14. Voice Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434
17.19.2.15. XY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
17.19.3. Envelope Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
17.19.3.1. 4-Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
17.19.3.2. ADSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435
17.19.3.3. AHDSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
17.19.3.4. Envelope Follower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
17.19.3.5. ParSeq-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
17.19.3.6. Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
17.19.4. LFO Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
17.19.4.1. Beat LFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
17.19.4.2. Classic LFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
17.19.4.3. LFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
17.19.5. MIDI Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
17.19.5.1. MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438

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17.19.5.2. Note Counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438

17.19.6. Modifier Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
17.19.6.1. Polynom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
17.19.6.2. Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438
17.19.6.3. Sample and Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
17.19.7. Sidechain Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
17.19.7.1. Audio Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439
17.19.7.2. Audio Sidechain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
17.19.7.3. Note Sidechain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
17.20. Grid Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
17.20.1. I/O Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
17.20.1.1. Audio In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
17.20.1.2. Gate In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
17.20.1.3. Phase In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440
17.20.1.4. Pitch In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
17.20.1.5. Pressure In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
17.20.1.6. Timbre In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
17.20.1.7. Velocity In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
17.20.1.8. Audio Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
17.20.1.9. Audio Sidechain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
17.20.1.10. HW In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
17.20.1.11. HW Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
17.20.1.12. CV In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441
17.20.1.13. CV Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
17.20.1.14. CV Pitch Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
17.20.1.15. Key On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
17.20.1.16. Keys Held . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
17.20.1.17. Transport Playing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
17.20.1.18. Modulator Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
17.20.2. Display Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
17.20.2.1. Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
17.20.2.2. Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442
17.20.2.3. Oscilloscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
17.20.2.4. Spectrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
17.20.2.5. VU Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
17.20.2.6. XY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
17.20.2.7. Value Readout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
17.20.3. Phase Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
17.20.3.1. Phasor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
17.20.3.2. Ø Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
17.20.3.3. Ø Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443
17.20.3.4. Ø Scaler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
17.20.3.5. Ø Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
17.20.3.6. Ø Wrap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
17.20.3.7. Pitch → Ø . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
17.20.3.8. Ø Counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
17.20.3.9. Ø Formant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444

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17.20.3.10. Ø Lag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444

17.20.3.11. Ø Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
17.20.3.12. Ø Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444
17.20.3.13. Ø Sinemod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
17.20.3.14. Ø Skew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
17.20.3.15. Ø Sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
17.20.4. Data Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
17.20.4.1. Gates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
17.20.4.2. Pitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
17.20.4.3. Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
17.20.4.4. Triggers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
17.20.4.5. Probabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 445
17.20.4.6. Ø Pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
17.20.4.7. Ø Saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
17.20.4.8. Ø Sine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
17.20.4.9. Ø Triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
17.20.4.10. Ø Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
17.20.5. Oscillator Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
17.20.5.1. Pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
17.20.5.2. Sawtooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
17.20.5.3. Sine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
17.20.5.4. Triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
17.20.5.5. Phase-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
17.20.5.6. Swarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
17.20.5.7. Sampler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
17.20.6. Random Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
17.20.6.1. Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
17.20.6.2. S/H LFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
17.20.6.3. Chance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
17.20.6.4. Dice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
17.20.7. LFO Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
17.20.7.1. LFO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
17.20.7.2. Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
17.20.7.3. Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
17.20.8. Envelope Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
17.20.8.1. ADSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
17.20.8.2. AD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
17.20.8.3. AR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448
17.20.8.4. Pluck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
17.20.8.5. Follower-RF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
!"#$%#&#'# ()*+, ↗ # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # --.
!"#$%#&#"# '()*+ ↘︎ # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ,,-
17.20.8.8. Follower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
17.20.9. Filter Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
17.20.9.1. Low-pass LD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
17.20.9.2. Low-pass SK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
17.20.9.3. SVF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449

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17.20.9.4. High-pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450

17.20.9.5. Low-pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
17.20.9.6. Comb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
17.20.10. Shaper Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
17.20.10.1. Chebyshev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
17.20.10.2. Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
17.20.10.3. Quantizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
17.20.10.4. Rectifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
17.20.10.5. Wavefolder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450
17.20.10.6. Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
17.20.11. Delay Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
17.20.11.1. Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
17.20.11.2. Long Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
17.20.11.3. Mod Delay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
17.20.11.4. All-pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
17.20.11.5. Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
17.20.12. Mix Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
17.20.12.1. Blend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451
17.20.12.2. Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
17.20.12.3. LR Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
17.20.12.4. Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
17.20.12.5. Toggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
17.20.12.6. Merge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
17.20.12.7. Split . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
17.20.12.8. Stereo Merge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
17.20.12.9. Stereo Split . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 452
17.20.12.10. Stereo Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
17.20.13. Level Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
17.20.13.1. Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
17.20.13.2. Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
17.20.13.3. Attenuate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
17.20.13.4. Bias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
17.20.13.5. Gain - dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
17.20.13.6. Gain - Vol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
17.20.13.7. Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
17.20.13.8. Bend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
17.20.13.9. Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
17.20.13.10. Lag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
17.20.13.11. Level Scaler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
17.20.13.12. Value Scaler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
17.20.13.13. AM/RM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
17.20.13.14. Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
17.20.13.15. Sample / Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454
!"#$%#!&#!'# ()→*+) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ,--
!"#$%#!&#!"# '()→*) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # +,,
17.20.14. Pitch Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
17.20.14.1. Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455

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17.20.14.2. Transpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455

17.20.14.3. Pitch Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
17.20.14.4. by Semitone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
17.20.14.5. Pitch Scaler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
17.20.14.6. Zero Crossings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
17.20.15. Math Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
17.20.15.1. Constant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
17.20.15.2. Add . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
17.20.15.3. Divide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
17.20.15.4. Multiply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
17.20.15.5. Subtract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
17.20.15.6. Abs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
17.20.15.7. Ceil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
17.20.15.8. Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456
17.20.15.9. Minmax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
17.20.15.10. Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
17.20.15.11. Round . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
17.20.15.12. Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
17.20.15.13. Sum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
17.20.15.14. dB → Lin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
17.20.15.15. Exp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
17.20.15.16. Lin → dB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
17.20.15.17. Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 457
17.20.15.18. Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
17.20.16. Logic Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
17.20.16.1. Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
17.20.16.2. Trigger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
17.20.16.3. Clock Divide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
17.20.16.4. Clock Quantize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
17.20.16.5. Gate Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
17.20.16.6. Gate Repeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
17.20.16.7. Latch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458
17.20.16.8. = . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
17.20.16.9. ≥ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
17.20.16.10. > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
17.20.16.11. ≤ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
17.20.16.12. < . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
17.20.16.13. ≠ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
17.20.16.14. NOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
17.20.16.15. AND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 459
17.20.16.16. OR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
17.20.16.17. XOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
17.20.16.18. NAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
17.20.16.19. NOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
17.20.16.20. XNOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
17.21. Legacy Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460
17.21.1. Audio MOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460

xv
BITWIG STUDIO USER GUIDE

17.21.2. LFO MOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461

17.21.3. Note MOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461

xvi
0. Welcome to Bitwig Studio
Welcome to Bitwig Studio! We are glad you have joined us and are
excited to help you create, compose, polish, and perform your music.

And welcome also to our Bitwig Studio 8-Track users! Bitwig Studio
8-Track is the entry-level version of Bitwig Studio that comes bundled
with selected hardware products. All of Bitwig Studio's functions and
resources are available in Bitwig Studio 8-Track so this user guide
applies equally to both programs.

The purpose of this document is to walk you through most of Bitwig

Studio's functions and show you how to operate the program. The
chapters and topics are arranged progressively, with basic concepts
appearing first and advanced ideas showing up later. And although this
document does not attempt to explain fundamental audio and musical
concepts, it is written for users of any stripe who want to use software
to make music.

For an initial walk-through of Bitwig Studio, consult the Bitwig Studio

Getting Started Guide. This separate document takes you through
registering, downloading, and authorizing your copy of Bitwig Studio as
well as getting your hardware devices running. It also provides an initial
look at the concepts behind Bitwig Studio and a general overview of the
program's interface.

In addition to the Getting Started Guide and to this document, other

resources will be mentioned when appropriate, the program itself offers
a fair amount of documentation through tooltips, and you can always
visit Bitwig's website [http://bitwig.com] for the latest information. And
please share any feedback you have or issues you encounter by visiting
our support portal [http://bitwig.com/support].

In this chapter, we will begin with links to sections that have changed in
this version and then a few pointers for those of you who started with an
earlier version of Bitwig Studio. (As usual, some items may have shifted
during the flight.) We will move on to the Dashboard, which is more
or less the command center of Bitwig Studio. Finally, we outline a few
conventions that will be used throughout this document. But you will not
make sound in this chapter; that is what the rest of this document is for.

0.1. What's New in Bitwig Studio v3.1

For those of you who are recent Bitwig users, hello! Here are some
pointers to new and changed sections of this document:

1
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

› 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). Our factory packages have 30+
presets of various origins, including some historic, some cultural, and
some new, performance-oriented ideas [to reshape the keyboard and
help you play differently]. See section 17.13.3.

› New modulator: Pitch-12, providing a modulator source for each pitch

class (C, D, etc.) received (see section 17.19.2.10).

› New Grid module: Transpose (Pitch category), for creating chords

with or without signal input, with Stereo-ness options (see section
17.20.14.2).

! !"# $%&' ()'*+", !"#$%→& -./01" 203"4)%56" #$%&' &()*+ '(,-%./'

0*)%12 %' &+%'2 '(,-%. 3'22 '2*)(0- 456786965:6

› The window footer shows the pitch equivalent of any frequency

parameter, like filter frequency or EQ band. It also shows the current
calculated value for any parameter under the control of a modulator
(see section 2.2.4).

› Quick Draw action: holding [ALT] with the Pen tool will draw multiple
notes at the current beat grid interval. Adding [SHIFT] allows various
pitches to be drawn, like working with a step sequencer (see section
10.1.1.1).

› Quick Slice action: holding [ALT] with the Knife tool will cut any clip/
event at the beat grid interval. Using [SHIFT]+[ALT] allows Quick Slice
without initial snapping (see section 4.2.4).

› Slice In Place function: will slice any selected clip(s)/event(s) at the

detected audio Onsets, the set Beat Markers, or at a defined beat grid
interval (see section 4.2.9.7).

› Interactive Help is available for all devices, modulators, and Grid

modules. Select one, and then press [F1] or click Show Help in the
Inspector Panel for full descriptions of all parameters in a special view
of the working device (see chapter 17).

› New Grid module: Pluck (Envelope category), an envelope generator

modeled after a plucked string, with a built-in amplifier for easy
connection (see section 17.20.8.4).

! !"# $%&' ()'*+", !"#$% ↗ -./0"+)1" 234"5)%67" # $%&'( $)#'(* +&*

*,$,-. $,.-#%$ /$(( $(01,&- 23456474894

! !"# $%&' ()'*+", !"#$%↘︎ -./0"+)1" 234"5)%67" # $%&'( $)#'(* +&*

+#%%,-. $,.-#%$ /$(( $(01,&- 23456474384

2
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

› New Grid module: Follower (Envelope category), a symmetric envelope

follower with mode switch (see section 17.20.8.8).

› Studio I/O Panel has mappable Cue Level and Cue Mix controls. These
adjust the output volume for the cue / preview buss, and the mix of
cue/master output sent to it, respectively (see section 6.3.1).

› Note Chase option: when enabled (in the Dashboard under 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) imports wavetables WAVs that have
the "clm" metadata chunk, as used by Serum and others (see section
17.16.4).

› + button appears when hovering over empty Clip Launcher slots, for
inserting clips from the Pop-up Browser (see section 5.2.1).

› Audio paths can be added from any audio I/O chooser, using the Add
Buss… option (see section 4.4.1).

› MIDI controllers can be added from any MIDI I/O chooser, using the
Add Controller… option (see section 4.4.1).

› Improved tempo detection, when bringing audio into a project.

0.2. Adjustments from Version 1

For those of you who started using Bitwig Studio in version 1, welcome
back! You hold a special place in our hearts.

While new features are sprinkled throughout this document in

appropriate places, we'd like to begin by noting some features from
previous versions of Bitwig Studio that have either relocated or gone
underground.

› In earlier versions of Bitwig Studio, the Inspector Panel contains

function buttons for taking action on selected objects (usually clips or
events).

3
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

From version 2 of Bitwig Studio, the Inspector Panel has been freed
of these buttons to make room for additional parameters and an
enhanced interface.

4
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

Functions are now available through the selection-sensitive menus that

appear (such as Event in the image above) and via the context menu
that appears when right-clicking on an object.

› Version 2 of Bitwig Studio introduced a new class of special-purpose

modules called modulators, which can be loaded into any device
(including VST plug-ins).

Note

For more information on using modulators, see section 14.2.1.

For descriptions of the individual modulators, see section 17.19.

These new modulator modules have rendered the older category of

modulator devices vestigial. Those devices are still present in Bitwig
Studio, however, to facilitate projects that were made in version 1.x.
You can even enable legacy devices to appear in the Pop-up Browser if
you want to keep using them.

5
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

To enable legacy devices: right-click anywhere in the Pop-up Browser,

and then enable the Enable Legacy Devices option from the Filter
Sections header of the context menu.

› With the advent of modulator modules, most on-board modulation

sources have been removed from Bitwig's devices.

6
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

For example, Polysynth is shown here in version 1.x with ten

modulation sources available.

As shown above in version 2, Polysynth has only kept its two

modulation sources that have defined routings. The modulator slots
on the left, however, can facilitate any old or new modulation source.
And presets saved in Bitwig Studio 1.x are completely compatible with
version 2, automatically loading new modulators to properly recreate
your original patches.

› Device macros used to exist at the top level of all devices. Flexible
remote controls now exist in that place, allowing either knobs, chooser
menus, or toggle buttons to be shared across each class of device
within Bitwig Studio.

7
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

Note

For more information on remote controls, see section 13.1.1.

While macros don't exist at the top level of all devices, they can be
added back to any preset.

To add a macro to the top level of a device preset: add either the
Macro or Macro-4 modulator modules to a device, and then assign
their knobs to the device's remote controls.

Both the functionality of device macros is provided, as are the in-line

modulation routing buttons.

0.3. The Dashboard

Note

The separate Bitwig Studio Getting Started Guide document is a

quick and worthwhile read if you are opening Bitwig Studio for the
first time. Don't worry about us; we'll be here when you get back.

Once you have Bitwig Studio installed and launched, the first place you
will land is a place you will return to again and again. The Dashboard

8
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

is a central hub for finding your projects, configuring your settings,

managing library content, and accessing help. Each of these four tasks
has its own tab for navigation, and we will walk-through each of them in
turn in the following sections.

Note

If Bitwig Studio opens to a different view, you can call up the

Dashboard at any time by clicking the Bitwig logo in the center of the
window's header, at the very top of the screen.

0.3.1. User Tab
We call the first tab of the Dashboard the user tab because it displays
the name you have registered with Bitwig. (If your username is too long,
it will simply display User.)

9
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

The Quick Start page shows both Template Projects (that work as
starting points) and demo project made either by Bitwig (found under
Bitwig Demo Projects) and our partners (under Partner Demo Projects).
Each demo project provides a short write-up, a list of any Bundled
packages that are required to run it, and an Open button. Clicking Open
downloads the project along with any used packages (which requires an
internet connection), and then opens the project.

The next three pages show local content and are similar in format.
The Recent Projects page shows the Bitwig Studio projects you have
opened lately. The My Projects page displays all projects found in the My
Projects path (which is defined in the Settings tab within the Locations
page), and the My Templates page shows any template projects that you
have saved.

Each of these three pages shows content in the same way. A search bar
is provided at the top of the project list for winnowing down the projects

10
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

being shown. When a project is selected (by single-clicking it), project

information is display at the bottom of the window. This includes entries
such as the last modification time and the file path to the project folder.

To open a listed project: either click the respective Open button or

double-click the project name.

Finally, every page under the user tab shares three buttons on the
middle left:

› New Project creates a blank project to let you begin working from
scratch.

› Open File… provides a standard open dialog, in case you prefer locating
a project that way.

› License Info… opens a window that displays your local license data and
provides an option for registering a new serial number.

Because exiting the Dashboard requires that you have a project file
open, trying to leave the Dashboard with no project open will send you
to the User tab. The New Project button politely flashes in this case,
indicating the quickest way to exit the Dashboard and get to work.

0.3.2. Settings Tab
The Settings tab is where Bitwig Studio's preferences generally live. We
will look at a few of these pages in detail and then take the rest in the
order that they appear.

0.3.2.1. Audio Settings

The Audio page defines a number a of important settings for audio

operation, including defining your audio interface and its inputs and
outputs, as well as details such as the Sample rate and Block size.

11
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

To configure your audio hardware for the first time, begin by selecting
the proper Audio System for your interface. The options available here
vary based on your platform. If you are unsure of what to set, try the
first option available (there may be only one option).

The Input Device and Output Device settings specify which audio
interface you will be using for bringing audio signals into and out of
the system, respectively. Whether you plan on using audio input or not,
you must set the Output Device in order to hear anything out of Bitwig
Studio.

Once the Output Device is selected, a section of the window is added

with the same name. (In the image above, the driver's output device
is named Ausgang (intergriert) so a section also labeled Ausgang
(intergriert) follows.) Bitwig Studio will have created a stereo output pair
that is mapped to the first two audio outputs of your interface. In the
example shown above, the stereo output created by Bitwig Studio was
named Stereo Output is shown under the Output Busses header.

Note

Names defined in the Output Busses and Input Busses sections will
be used across Bitwig Studio to indicate audio routings. These names
can be changed here at any time.

12
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

For more information, see section 6.3.2.

The Output Device selected in our case above has only two available
audio outputs, and both of those are being used by Stereo Output, as
indicated by the checked boxes labeled 1 and 2. The fact that both boxes
are checked means that they are being used for the Stereo Output path,
which will be available in the program under that name.

Finally, each output path has an assignable Role. The Stereo Output path
has been defined as Speakers, making it an option for audio monitoring.
The other Role settings are Headphones (also a monitoring option) and
Output, which covers anything other than speakers or headphones.

If an Input Device is selected, a Stereo Input will be similarly created from

the first two inputs.

Finally, the x button at the far right of each listed buss will delete that
path. So if you create a buss by mistake, just click this button.

0.3.2.2. Controllers Settings

The Controllers page allows you to designate and configure any MIDI
controllers that you will be using with Bitwig Studio.

The global Takeover mode setting determines how individual controls

and their associate software parameters interact before their values
match. Options include:

13
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

› Immediate, which fully applies any control message to its software

parameter, moving it immediately.

› Catch, which waits to move the software parameter until the control
message matches or passes the current parameter value.

› Relative scaling, which moves the software parameter incrementally

in the same direction that the control is moving (for example, turning
a knob up increases the parameter value, while turning a knob down
decreases the value). This creates a relative motion based on your
control gestures that will gradually meet the parameter value.

In the Controllers sections, the top row represents ways of adding

controllers to your setup. The toggle with circular arrows represents
auto-add mode. Enabled by default, this mode will automatically add
any detected controller to your Bitwig Studio setup if a device-specific
controller extension is also found.

The Add button allows you to add controllers manually. Clicking it

calls up a menu of various controller manufacturers, each containing
a submenu of models. If you do not find your device here, you can
choose the top menu item, labeled Generic, and select the model best
approximating your controller. Choices include:

› Keyboard + 8 Device Knobs (CC 20-27), which is useful for a device

with eight controllers that use continuous controller (CC) numbers 20
through 27. These CCs are then used for soft controller mappings.

› MIDI Keyboard, which is useful for a keyboard controller that you plan
to use as a note input device. When specifying the source of MIDI/
note messages via an input chooser, you can select all incoming MIDI
channels (the default), or you can specify one MIDI channel to listen to.

As shown in the above image with the Korg padKontrol entry, you may
see one or more unfilled rectangles with an Add button at the right.
These entries appear when a controller that was previously setup and
then manually deleted has been recognized by the computer. Since
auto-add is not available in these cases, the manual Add button is here
to let you quickly restore the device.

Below this top line are entries for individual controllers that are
configured, usually named in their title bar with the controller
manufacturer and the name of the extension (often matching the
controller model). The "power" toggle at the title bar's left edge allows
you to disable messages from the controller and extension without
removing it. And the x icon at the right is for deleting the controller
altogether.

Just below the title bar is a puzzle piece icon with the name of the
controller extension (or extension) following it. In the case that you have

14
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

multiple extensions on your computer that work with this controller, this
line becomes a menu, allowing you to swap one extension for another.

On the right side of each entry are menus for MIDI input and output
ports (respectively) that the controller extension requires. If a device has
gone offline or been disconnected, these ports may need to be set again
before the power toggle can be enabled.

Finally, the bottom left of each entry contains a row of buttons related
to the controller's performance (see section 13.2).

0.3.2.3. Synchronization Settings

The Synchronization page provides options for both controlling

Bitwig Studio from external sources and for transmitting messages to
synchronize other platforms/hardware to Bitwig.

The Transport Sync (IN) section allows you to select the Sync Method in
use. The following three options are available:

› Bitwig Studio's Internal mode keeps the program's clock and transport
independent from the outside world.

15
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

› The MIDI Clock mode synchronizes Bitwig Studio's clock to incoming

MIDI clock messages from a selected MIDI Input port. For better
synchronization, the MIDI Input signal can be shifted positively (to
play a bit earlier) or negatively (pushing it later, into the future) in
milliseconds.

Additionally, a vertical orange slider at the far right sets the

responsiveness of Bitwig Studio to incoming tempo changes. Moving
the slider to the left results in a quicker response to new tempo
messages. Moving the slider to the right results is a more gentle
response, which can be helpful when the tempo is largely static or the
hardware in question is resulting in jittery behavior.

› Ableton Link connects Bitwig Studio to any and all other programs
and devices on your local network that use Ableton's Link technology.
(Compatible software running on your own machine alongside Bitwig
Studio will be automatically found as well and can be synchronized in
the same fashion.)

Note

A list of applications and devices that support Link can be found

on this web page [https://www.ableton.com/en/link/apps/]. For
additional information and support for these other products, visit the
appropriate manufacturer's website or support center.

Link acts as a global time keeper, keeping track of and sharing the
latest tempo and relative bar position for all "participants" (each
application and device) in a "Link session." The rules are fairly simple:

1. When a new participant joins a Link session, its local tempo will
automatically be set to the Link session's current tempo.

2. When a participant's transport is started, playback will wait until the

Link session's relative bar position matches the participant's starting
point. So if you hit play on a participant's transport from the top of
bar one, the transport will wait for the Link session to arrive at the
beginning of the next bar, thereby keeping everyone in relative sync.

3. When the tempo of any participant changes, the Link session's

tempo is updated, and each participant's local tempo is
automatically changed as well.

16
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

Note

A general troubleshooting Q&A on Link can be found on this web

page [https://help.ableton.com/hc/en-us/articles/209073069-Link-
Troubleshooting] from Ableton.

Finally, both the MIDI Clock and Ableton Link options add a dedicated
button to the Bitwig Studio window, between the transport and display
sections of the menu/transport area (see section 2.3). These buttons
allow you to toggle the selected sync method on and off on the fly, and
the Link button also reflects the number of other participants in the
current Link session.

The MIDI Sync (OUT) section lets you set whether MIDI Clock, MIDI
song position pointers (SPP), and/or MIDI timecode (MTC) should be
transmitted to each MIDI destination. Similar to the MIDI Input offset
value, a MIDI Clock Sample Offset can be set to fine tune each outgoing
path separately. And a global setting for the MTC Rate can be set here
as well.

0.3.2.4. Shortcuts Settings

The Shortcuts page allows the reconfiguration of Bitwig Studio's

keyboard commands and the use of MIDI controller mappings to trigger
these commands.

17
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

On this page, you can Edit shortcuts for both the computer Keyboard
and via MIDI Controller.

To define a command mapping: locate the command you wish to map,

and then click the + button to the far right of the command. You will
then be prompted to trigger the desired mapping.

As can be seen in the image above, multiple mappings can be defined

for each command.

To remove a command mapping: click the x button at the right of the

mapping.

Once settings have been adjusted, the Choose mappings menu becomes
a text entry box where new mapping sets can be named and a Save
button appears.

Note

When this manual refers to keyboard shortcuts, it is referencing

the program's default shortcuts. Once you begin using your own
shortcuts, the shortcuts in this document may be inaccurate for your
use.

0.3.2.5. Other Settings

All other pages of the Settings tab are listed here in order.

› User Interface houses settings that visually alter Bitwig Studio. This
includes setting the Display Profile, the program's Scaling level for each
display in use, and Contrast settings for getting the interface to look its
best.

› Behavior contains general settings, such as what to Open on start,

whether a Template project should be used whenever you create a new
project, and other editing and cache options.

› Recording provides general Recording settings, what type of tracks

Auto-Arm when selected, the amount of Pre-Roll use (and whether the
metronome is activated for that period), and the amount (if any) of
Record Quantization to be used on notes.

› Locations defines several paths for Bitwig Studio, such as where My

Projects live, where My Library is stored, where My Controller Scripts
should be saved, and a number of other locations for the browsers to
use.

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0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

The section for Plug-in Locations includes folders to be scanned

for valid audio plug-ins, but it also contains preferences for which
format(s) should be displayed when a plug-in is located in multiple
formats.

When you have selected to show All plug-ins, the three following
options are irrelevant and dimmed. When Preferred formats is selected,
the options below take effect:

Prefer VST 3 over VST 2 (when available) - When both a VST 3 and
VST 2 version the same plug-in are found, this option will hide the
VST 2 version by default.

Prefer 64 bit over 32 bit (when available) - When both a 64-bit and
32-bit version the same plug-in are found, this option will hide the 32-
bit version by default.

Show hidden plug-in count in Browser - When the above settings and
your Browser's current search criteria result in plug-ins being hidden
from view, this option will display the number of hidden plug-ins. And
when enabled, this notifications also serves as a toggle, allowing you
to click the notification to temporarily show the hidden plug-ins.

Note

All of the above options are applied to both the Browser Panel (see
section 4.1.1) and the Pop-up Browser (see section 7.1.3).

› Plug-ins provides options for how third party audio plug-ins are shown
and handled. For more information, see section 14.3.

0.3.3. Packages Tab
The Packages tab is where supported library contents can be managed
and downloaded from Bitwig.

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0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

The Collections page is a nice summary page, indicating if any of the

four collections are available for Install (if they are not currently on your
computer), Uninstall (if they are currently on your computer), or Update
(if an older version is on your computer).

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0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

The following four pages offer granular control of and information for
the content within each collection:

› Essentials Collection is for a basic set of content to run Bitwig Studio.

This collection is recommended.

› Extended Collection is additional content from Bitwig that may be

desirable for production.

› Artist Collection is for content produced by Bitwig-affiliated artists.

› Partner Collection is for content produced by Bitwig-affiliated partners.

The Package Updates page offers a list of individual packages that can
be updated, regardless of which collection they are in.

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0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

The program's default behavior is to download package content from

Bitwig's servers. If you have a boxed copy of Bitwig Studio and wish to
install this content from the included DVD, switch the Install from: menu
selection to Choose location.... In the file chooser window that appears,
select the Bitwig Studio DVD.

Also by default, the installer places all installed content and other
preferences within your current user's folder. By clicking the ellipsis icon
(...), a file chooser will appear that allows you to select another location
for installation. (Changing this setting will also move any preexisting
library file to the new location.)

0.3.4. Help Tab
The Help tab provides links to documentation and resource both within
the application package and online.

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0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

Again, several pages exist within this tab:

› Online Help offers information about various resources, as well as either

links to the online content or the option to Download & Open Project.

› User Guide provides links to this document in all available languages.

› For Developers contains links to various guide and references

documents and other on-board tools.

› About presents the version of this Bitwig Studio installation. It may be

useful for bug reporting, etc.

0.4. Document Conventions
Here are a few notes on the formatting of this document, particularly in
relation to the platform you may be using:

› Whenever key commands are the same for Windows, OS X, and Linux,
the command will be listed once without any comment. When the key
command is different for the platforms, the Windows/Linux version
will be listed first, and the Mac version will follow and be labeled. An

23
0. WELCOME TO BITWIG STUDIO

example for the copy function would be: press [CTRL]+[C] ([CMD]+[C]
on Mac).

› If you are on a Mac, your [ALT] key might be labeled "option." In this
document, it will always be called [ALT].

› If you are on a Mac, your "command" key might be labeled with an

apple icon. In this document, it will always be called [CMD].

› If you are on a Mac, right-clicking can also be achieved by [CTRL]-

clicking.

› Screenshots in this document were made with the Mac version of

Bitwig Studio.

24
1. Bitwig Studio Concepts
This chapter is both an introduction to the program and an overview of
its structure. Please start here to get acquainted with the fundamental
concepts and related vocabulary used in Bitwig Studio.

1.1. Top-Level Concepts
Bitwig Studio is a modern digital audio workstation (DAW) that allows
you to seamlessly compose, produce, perform, and expand your music.

A file created in Bitwig Studio is called a project. You can have multiple
projects open at once, but audio will be active for only one of these
projects at a time.

Bitwig Studio projects are organized into tracks, which can be thought
of as either individual instruments or layers that should be handled
similarly. Each track contains a signal path that results in audio and has
common mixing board controls (such as volume, panning, solo, and
mute).

Clips are containers for individual musical ideas. Clips store either notes
or audio, as well as control and automation data.

Music is made in Bitwig Studio by creating a project and populating its

tracks with clips, which you can then refine, arrange, and trigger.

1.2. A Matter of Timing

As Bitwig Studio's primary task is to record and play back music, the
element of time is crucial. The transport (most closely associated with
the global play, stop, and record buttons) is the engine that drives
all time functions in Bitwig Studio. This means that for any clip(s) to
be played back, triggered or recorded, the transport must be active,
propelling the Global Playhead forward.

Bitwig Studio works with time in musical units of bars, beats, and ticks
(a set subdivision, which defaults to sixteenth notes). A final value is
stored for finer resolution, which is a rounded percentage of the distance
between the current tick and the next one. These four units are shown
together with period spacers in this way: BARs.BEATs.TICKs.%

For example, with a default time signature setting of 4/4, 1.3.4.50 would
represent an event happening in the first bar, on the third beat, within

25
1. BITWIG STUDIO CONCEPTS

the fourth sixteenth note, exactly halfway to the next sixteenth note. The
example below uses Bitwig Studio's counting system to label a rhythm in
traditional musical notation:

1.3. One DAW, Two Sequencers

Within Bitwig Studio are two independent sequencers:

› The Arranger Timeline (or Arranger) is a linear sequencer that operates

across a standard musical timeline. This is the place for sketching and
producing full-length songs or other works.

› The Clip Launcher (or Launcher) is a nonlinear sequencer where you

can accumulate a bank of musical ideas and then mix and match them.
Clips in the Launcher can be organized into groups called scenes, either
for triggering those clips together or for composing in blocks (such as
verse, chorus, bridge, etc.).

The Arranger Timeline and Clip Launcher contain completely separate

data. Editing clips on the Arranger Timeline has no effect on those
stored in the Clip Launcher, and vice versa. But the Arranger Timeline
and Clip Launcher do interact in several critical ways:

› Clips can be freely copied between the Arranger Timeline and Clip
Launcher. When selected together, multiple clips can also be copied
back and forth, and scenes can as well.

› The result of all triggered Launcher clips can be recorded directly to

each Arranger track, allowing you to capture an improvisation that can
be edited later.

› Except when recording the Clip Launcher's output to the Arranger

Timeline, only one of these two sequencers is active at any given
time. So on a track-by-track basis, you choose whether the Arranger
Timeline or Clip Launcher is in control and can trigger its data.

› By default, the Arranger Timeline is the active sequencer for each track.

26
1. BITWIG STUDIO CONCEPTS

› Each track can play only one clip at a time.

1.4. Devices, Modulators, and Other Signal

Achievements
Devices are special-function components that extend your signal paths
by modifying or transforming incoming notes or audio signals.

Every track has a device chain. In terms of signal flow, this device chain
falls between the incoming sequencer data and the track's mixing board
section. In this device chain you can insert as many devices as you like.
You can even use Bitwig's devices to create additional device chains.

Each device has parameters, which are settings that determine how
that device operates. Parameters are set directly within the device's
interface or via an assigned MIDI controller. Parameter values can also be
sequenced via automation, adjusted via the device's remote controls, or
manipulated by modulators, which are special-purpose modules that can
be loaded within any device.

Devices are grouped into the following descriptive categories:

› Analysis. Devices that merely visualize the signals that reach them.
They make no effect on the audio chain they are a part of.

› Audio FX. Devices that manipulate incoming audio signals before

passing them onward.

› Container. Utility devices whose primarily function is to host other

devices.

› Delay. Delay line-based processors that operate on their incoming

audio signals.

› Destruction. Distortion and other mangling processors that operate on

their incoming audio signals.

› Drum. Individual drum piece emulators that use incoming note

messages to synthesize audio.

› Dynamic. Processors that operate on their incoming audio signals,

based off of those signals' amplitude levels and trends.

› EQ. Sets of frequency-specific processors that operate on their

incoming audio signals.

› Filter. Frequency-specific processors that operate on their incoming

audio signals.

27
1. BITWIG STUDIO CONCEPTS

› Hardware. Interface objects for sending signals and/or messages to

devices beyond Bitwig Studio (such as hardware synthesizers and
effect units, etc.). This can include transmitting and/or receiving audio
signals, control voltage (CV) signals, and clock messages.

› Keyboard. Keyboard instrument emulators that use incoming note

messages to synthesize audio.

› MIDI. Transmitters for sending various MIDI messages via the track's
device chain. This is useful for sending messages to plug-ins or to
external hardware (when used in conjunction with Bitwig's hardware
devices).

› Note FX. Devices that manipulate incoming note messages before

passing them onward.

› Reverb. Time-based processors that operate on their incoming audio

signals.

› Routing. Devices that divert a track's signal path, allowing signals to

exit and/or reenter the track.

› Synth. Synthesizer instruments that either generate their audio from

rudimentary source material or use audio samples. Incoming note
messages are used to synthesize audio.

› The Grid. Devices utilizing The Grid, Bitwig's modular sound-design

environment (see chapter 15).

› Utility. An assortment of devices sporting various, basic functionality.

This includes basic note message processors as well as simple signal
generators and processors.

All device chains in Bitwig Studio support both audio and note signals.
To keep these signals accessible, a few rules apply.

› Except for note FX devices, all devices receiving note signals pass
them directly to their output. (Note FX process the incoming notes
before passing them onward.)

› Except for audio FX devices, all devices receiving audio signals pass
them to their output. (Audio FX process the incoming audio before
passing them onward.)

› Many Bitwig devices possess a Mix parameter. Similar to a "wet/dry"

fader, this control blends the raw audio that entered the device into the
device's output.

In Bitwig Studio, all audio signal paths are stereo.

28
1. BITWIG STUDIO CONCEPTS

1.5. A Musical Swiss Army Knife

Bitwig Studio's various viewers and editors are called panels. These
panels are the heart of the program and the places where all work
happens.

The Arranger Timeline Panel lets you see all of your project's tracks,
create an arrangement with timeline clips, and edit track automation.

The Clip Launcher Panel allows you to trigger clips both freely and in
sync with the transport, copy clips into and out of the Arranger, and
sort clips into scenes.

The Detail Editor Panel is the graphical editor for both notes and
audio, and their affiliated data.

The Inspector Panel displays all parameters for any selected clips,
notes, audio events, or tracks (and modulation parameters for any
selected devices).

The Mixer Panel presents the channel strip for each track and any
subsidiary signal chains.

The Device Panel shows the full device chain for the selected track,
including an interface for each Bitwig device and VST plug-in in use.

The Automation Editor Panel gives you detailed control over track
automation, clip automation, and MIDI control messages.

The Browser Panel allows you to preview, load, save, and tag content
from your Bitwig Studio library and elsewhere on your machine.

The Project Panel manages your project's metadata as well as the

status of files and plug-ins being used.

The Studio I/O Panel gives assorted audio and MIDI options,
such as routing the main audio buss to any pairs of speakers and
headphones, listing the current MIDI controller mappings, etc.

The Mappings Browser Panel allows you to make and edit project-
specific connections of your computer keyboard and/or MIDI
controller(s) to your project's parameters.

The On-screen Keyboard Panel provides visualizations of the

selected track's playing and incoming note messages, pitch
expressions, and timbre expressions, as well as an input method for
these data streams.

The primary interfaces in Bitwig Studio are called views. Each view gives
you access to a set of panels chosen to help you carry out a particular
musical job.

29
1. BITWIG STUDIO CONCEPTS

› The Arrange View lets you focus on assembling music, particularly by

recording and ordering clips. The Arranger Timeline Panel is central
to this view along with the optional Clip Launcher Panel. All panels are
available here, and all project tracks are viewed together.

› The Mix View focuses on mixing tracks and triggering clips. The Mixer
Panel is central to this view along with the optional Clip Launcher
Panel. Except for the Arranger Timeline Panel, all other panels are
available here, and all project tracks are viewed together.

› The Edit View is for making detail edits to clips. The Detail Editor Panel
is central to this view along with the optional Automation Editor Panel.
Except for the Arranger Timeline, Clip Launcher, and Mixer panels, all
other panels are available here.

Bitwig Studio offers several window arrangements called display profiles.

These configurations adjust the placement of panels and even provide
additional application windows when appropriate. This is all in the name
of optimized workflows, allowing the program's layout to match your
current screen arrangement and the task at hand.

› Single Display (Large) is intended for use with one monitor, using a
single application window to focus on one of Bitwig Studio's views
at a time. This is the default display profile (and the one used for
screenshots within this document).

› Single Display (Small) is similar to the Single Display (Large) profile but
is optimized for use on a smaller monitor.

› Tablet is intended for use with a supported tablet computer. This

profile is optimized for touch-and stylus-based interfaces, allowing you
to play and create notes through a specialized Play View. (Depending
on your operating system and hardware platform, this option may not
be available.)

Note

Information on Bitwig Studio's tablet computer-specific features can

be found in chapter 16.

› Dual Display (Studio) is intended for use with a two-monitor setup,

such as a laptop screen and an external display. This profile keeps the
Arrange View on your primary display and toggles your secondary
display between the Mix View and the Edit View.

› Dual Display (Arranger/Mixer) is intended for use with a two-monitor

setup. This profile is fixed, keeping the Arrange View on your primary
display and the Mix View on your secondary display.

30
1. BITWIG STUDIO CONCEPTS

› Dual Display (Master/Detail) is intended for use with a two-monitor

setup. This profile keeps the Edit View on your secondary display and
toggles your primary screen between the Arrange View and Mix View.

› Dual Display (Studio/Touch) is intended for use with a two-monitor

setup where one of the monitors is a touch-screen tablet. This profile
provides one standard window (like the Single Display (Large) profile)
for your standard monitor and a slightly modified Tablet-style window
for interacting with Bitwig via your touch-screen interface.

› Triple Display is intended for use with a three-monitor setup. This

profile is fixed, keeping the Arrange View on your primary display and
the Mix View and Edit View on your secondary and tertiary displays.

1.6. User Interfacing
Finally, a few notes to help you interact with Bitwig Studio.

› Any interface control (like a knob or curve control) can be set with
the mouse by clicking and dragging upward or downward. You can
[CTRL]-click ([CMD]-click on Mac) on the control to set its value with
the keyboard. Double-clicking on the control restores its default value.

› Any numeric control (one that directly shows you numbers) can be set
with the mouse by clicking and dragging upward or downward. You
can also double-click on the control to set its value with the keyboard.

› Any control at all can be fine-tuned with the mouse by [SHIFT]-clicking

the control and dragging. If you have already clicked the control, you
can also press [SHIFT] after the fact to engage this mode.

› When a button is tinted orange, that control is active. The inactive form
of a control uses a neutral color, such as white, gray, or silver.

› Many key commands remain available while you are clicking and
dragging an item. These include the commands for toggling panel
visibility or switching the current view.

› Only one visible panel will ever have focus at a given time. Focus
follows the panel that was last clicked or activated. Panel focus is
indicated by the outer rounded rectangle being tinted silver. Key
commands that target a specific panel are available only when that
panel is in focus.

› Enabling [CAPS LOCK] causes your computer keyboard to transmit

note messages. While this can be a quick way to enter notes, it will also
disable many normal key commands. If your key commands are not
working, make sure that [CAPS LOCK] is disengaged.

31
1. BITWIG STUDIO CONCEPTS

› Many of Bitwig Studio's functions already have computer keyboard

shortcuts assigned, but you can modify these shortcuts and even
assign them to MIDI controllers as well.

To globally make or modify keyboard and/or controller shortcuts:

call up the Dashboard, click the Settings tab, and then click to load
the Shortcuts page. From here, you can select between computer
Keyboard and MIDI Controller assignments, and then scroll to browse
the categorized program functions, or type to search them by action
name or assignment. From this preference tab you can also save
and switch between various keyboard mapping sets (via the Choose
mappings menu).

To assign keyboard and/or controller shortcuts for a particular project:

use the Mappings Browser Panel (see section 13.4).

32
2. Anatomy of the Bitwig Studio Window
All functions and controls of Bitwig Studio are accessible through the
application window. Each window can be thought of in four vertical
slices: the header, the menus/transport area, the body, and the footer.

We will give them each their own turn: the reliable header, the pliant
footer, the shifting menus/transport area, and finally the mercurial body.

Note

When using the Tablet display profile, some of the elements listed in
this chapter are rearranged. For details on using a tablet computer,
see chapter 16.

2.1. The Window Header

The header of each window contains two main sections: project tabs are
found on the left, and window controls are found on the right.

In the center is the Dashboard button. When clicked, the Dashboard will
appear over the main window. For more information on the Dashboard,
see section 0.3.

33
2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

It is also worth noting that by right-clicking anywhere in the window

header, a context menu with display options is called up.

The Increase GUI Scaling and Decrease GUI Scaling options allow you
to resize Bitwig Studio's entire graphical user interface to be larger or
smaller (respectively) on your monitor.

Note

By default, Bitwig Studio makes maximum use of your screen. As

such, the Decrease GUI Scaling option may not do anything if you try
it first.

Beneath the GUI options are a list of the available Display Profile choices
(see section 1.5) for easy switching.

2.1.1. Project Tabs Section

On the far left are tabs for the Bitwig Studio projects which are currently
open. Some notes on using these tabs:

› Bitwig Studio will display the contents of only one project at a time.
This is true even if you are using a display profile that uses multiple
application windows.

› To focus on any one of the open projects, click on its tab.

› The tab that is outlined with a box and whose name appears in bright
white represents the currently viewed project. In the image below, this
is the project named 2nd.

34
2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

› Only one project at a time is capable of producing sound. This allows

you to view and even edit different projects without interrupting audio
playback of the current one.

› You can click and drag any project tab to change its position.

› If there is not enough space to show all open projects together, left and
right scroll arrows will appear around the project tabs.

› An asterisk (*) will be appended to any project's name if unsaved

changes have been made.

› The x on the right side of each tab can be clicked to close that project.

2.1.2. Window Controls Section

On the far right of the window header are options for controlling Bitwig
Studio's window size, appearance, and notifications.

› Notification toggle allows you to show or hide event notifications

from Bitwig Studio. The filled circle shown above represents that
notifications are enabled, and an empty circle indicates that they will
not pop up.

When notifications are enabled, any received message it will pop up

below the window header.

35
2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

Most often, notifications are presented with an action button (such as

Apply Now in the above image). Notifications tinted blue-ish are largely
assistive. Notifications tinted red represent errors that could adversely
impact the performance of your project or the program itself.

Finally, when a message is received but notifications are disabled from

appearing, the ring of the empty circle icon is tinted based on the type
of notification that has arrived.

› Full screen button switches Bitwig Studio into the full-screen mode
provided by your operating system. Once you are in full-screen mode,
the options available in the window controls section may decrease.

To exit full-screen mode: click the window maximize toggle, to the

immediate left of the window close button.

› Window minimize button hides the Bitwig Studio window.

› Window maximize toggle alternates between maximizing the size of

the window and restoring its original, smaller size.

› Window close button is the equivalent of quitting Bitwig Studio (by

selecting File > Quit).

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2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

2.2. The Window Footer

The window footer contains various buttons that determine which parts
of Bitwig Studio are visible, along with context-specific messages of
available actions and controller visualizations.

Footers will differ based on the display profile being used. The image
above — and all screenshots in this document — shows a footer from the
default Single Display (Large) profile in Arrange View, where all panels
and views are available.

2.2.1. Panel Icons
The small icons that appear in the window footer are panel icons. Each
icon represents a panel that is available within the current view. The
icons are also buttons, allowing you to toggle the visibility of each panel
by clicking its icon. An icon that is illuminated in orange indicates an
active panel.

For each cluster of icons, only one panel can be shown at a time. These
icon clusters are located either on the far-left, far-right, or center-left of
the window footer, indicating whether those panels would be displayed
on the left, right, or center-bottom of the window, respectively.

The panel icons that you will encounter are:

The Inspector Panel icon is a seriffed, lowercase i. When available,

you can focus on this panel and toggle its visibility by pressing [I] or
[ALT]+[I].

The Detail Editor Panel icon is an arrangement of dashed lines, like

a standard "piano roll" representation of notes. When available, you
can focus on this panel and toggle its visibility by pressing [E] or
[ALT]+[E].

The Automation Editor Panel icon is two circles connected by a line,

like the breakpoints that build an automation curve. When available,
you can focus on this panel and toggle its visibility by pressing [A] or
[ALT]+[A].

The Device Panel icon is a rounded rectangle with a shaded left side,
like the containing box for each device and its left-sided title bar and
master controls. When available, you can focus on this panel and
toggle its visibility by pressing [D] or [ALT]+[D].

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2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

The Mixer Panel icon is a series of three wide vertical lines, like the
volume faders of a mixing console. When available, you can focus on
this panel and toggle its visibility by pressing [M] or [ALT]+[M].

The Browser Panel icon is a folder icon, representing the library of

content that is accessible in this panel. When available, you can focus
on this panel and toggle its visibility by pressing [ALT]+[B].

The Project Panel icon is a file icon, representing the project file
whose metadata is defined in this panel.

The Studio I/O Panel icon is a pair of opposite-pointing arrows,

representing the input and output paths that are addressed in this
panel.

The Mappings Browser Panel icon is a right-hand with an extended

index finger, representing the connections of yourself to your project
that are made here.

The On-screen Keyboard Panel icon shows the common grouping of

five piano-style keys, representing one of the note visualization and
entry methods available in this panel.

2.2.2. View Words
The capitalized, bold words that appear on the left side of the window
footer represent all currently available views. To match the views' names,
the labels used are ARRANGE, MIX, and EDIT.

A window with no view words indicates that your current display profile
is fixed and has only one available view.

For the two-window display profiles (those whose name begins with
Dual Display), available views are shown as compound names, such
as ARRANGE-MIX or MIX-EDIT. In this situation both windows show
the same view words, indicating the views shown on the primary and
secondary windows, respectively.

2.2.3. Available Actions
Available actions appear just to the right of all left-aligned view words
and panel icons. As your mouse moves around the program, any
interactive object that is hovered over will display information and
available mouse functions here.

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2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

In the example above, a track SOLO button is hovered so the line starts
with the object name and it's status (the solo button is switched Off
currently). Possible CLICK and modifier-click options follow. And since
I was holding the [SHIFT] key, the SHIFT+CLICK option is shown more
brightly as it will be used.

Available actions are also shown while you are interacting with the
program, as in this example when actively dragging a Launcher clip.

While dragging a clip, I am free to move it to a different clip slot or

even to an Arranger track, but additional modifiers are also available to
change the basic move action into something more complex. Available
actions are there to remind us of workflow variations for tasks that we
are already doing.

2.2.4. Parameter Information
Parameter information will appear in the same area when mousing over
various controls in the program. This is most commonly seen while
working with devices. In the example below, the cursor is hovering over
the cutoff control of the filter in Polysynth.

Here the footer show the full title of the parameter (Filter Frequency)
and then the current parameter value (2.33 kHz).

!"#$% &'"( ')**%#( &+ ,% ) -.%/0%#$1 *).)2%&%.3 &'% -+44+5"#6 (&."#6

('+5( &'% .%4%7)#& *"&$' )( 89:9 #+&% ;˨ !"<= !"#$% )# ).,"&.).1
-.%/0%#$1 .).%41 2)&$'%( ) (*%$"-"$ #+&% 7)40%3 &'% #$%& '() ,%-+.% &'%
#+&% #)2% ("6#"-"%( &'% "#&+#)&"+# &+ &'% #+&% ('+5#>

39
2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

! ˥ "#$"%&'() '*&' '*( +,(-.(#%/ ") -."'( )*&,01

! ˦ "#$"%&'() '*&' '*( +,(-.(#%/ ") )01(2*&' )*&,34

! ˧ "#$"%&'() '*&' '*( +,(-.(#%/ ") 0(,/ %12)( 2, "# '.#(3

! ˨ "#$"%&'() '*&' '*( +,(-.(#%/ ") )01(2*&' +3&'4

! ˩ "#$"%&'() '*&' '*( +,(-.(#%/ ") -."'( +0&'1

When a parameter has modulators mapped to it, that parameter's

calculated value is also shown.

In the example above, the Filter Resonance knob position is set to 39.5
%. The following bracketed value, [27.1 %], shows the applied value of
the parameter after all modulator signals are added.

Note

For information on using Bitwig's modulators to modulate any device

or plug-in parameter, see section 14.2.

Additionally, parameters that consist of a list of possible settings (such

as modes) often present additional information when hovered over.

40
2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

For example, the OSC Blend Mode in Polysynth presents six discrete
buttons with short mode names (MIX, NEG, WIPE, etc.). As shown in the
image above, mousing over the mode SIGN provides a short explanation
of what this means in the window footer.

2.2.5. Controller Visualizations
Controller visualizations also use the same middle portion of the footer.
They show the current position of controls and the parameters that they
are assigned to (for any controller that has visualizations enabled).

The layout and visual style is influenced by the controller script. And
when non-immediate takeover modes (see section 0.3.2.2) are being
used, the outer ring/indicator shows the current parameter value in
white and the colored indicator shows the hardware control's current
position. Once the parameter and control meet, both elements use the
control color.

2.3. The Window Menus/Transport Area

Beneath the window header is an area where Bitwig Studio's menus live,
along with the transport and its associated displays.

Some of these elements are persistent, and some are transitory. This is a
function of Bitwig Studio's unique menu system, which we will examine
first.

2.3.1. The Menu System (via the File Menu)

The File menu itself contains only menu items that you would expect
and/or those which will be covered in this document at the appropriate
time. So we will take this opportunity to see Bitwig Studio's unique menu
system at work.

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2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

Most items in the menu shown above have four distinct elements:

› An icon leads each entry, visually abbreviating the function of the menu
item.

› The menu item name itself is always second.

› When defined, a keyboard shortcut follows. When more than one

keyboard shortcut exists for a menu item, the first shortcut is shown.

Note

For information on making or altering shortcut assignments, see

section 0.3.2.4.

› Finally, a thumbtack toggle appears at end of each line.

To anchor an item in the menu area: enable the thumbtack toggle beside
the menu item. This will place a button with the menu item's icon beside
the menu button itself.

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2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

In the image above, three menu items (Collect and Save…, Export MIDI…,
and Settings) each have their thumbtack toggle enabled. And now to
the right of the File menu are three shortcut buttons, each representing
one of those menu items and showing their menu item's icon. Clicking
one of these buttons is the equivalent of triggering the menu item.

Like the File menu, each menu button is indicated with a dog-eared
triangle in its bottom right corner, hinting that the button can be
unfolded. Every menu in Bitwig Studio uses this system, allowing you to
anchor any function that you please to the top level of the program.

Note

If your window is ever sized too narrowly to display all menu options,
the program will prioritize by showing all menu buttons first, and then
showing as many anchored buttons as will fit the current width.

2.3.2. Transport Section
The transport section appears deceptively simple at first glance.

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2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

Let's skip the Play menu for the moment and look at the four buttons
that follow:

› Global Play: Toggles and indicates the state of Bitwig Studio's

transport. When clicked to toggle the transport on, Arranger playback
resumes from the Play Start Position and active Launcher clips are
triggered in sync. When clicked to toggle off, the transport is stopped
and the Play Start Position is moved to the current Global Playhead
position.

› Global Stop: Deactivates the transport. When the transport is already

inactive, clicking the global stop button returns both the Global
Transport and the Play Start Position to the beginning (play position
1.1.1.00).

› Global Record: Arms all record-enabled tracks. When the global record
button is enabled, Arranger recording will begin the next time the
transport is started.

› Automation Write (Arranger) shortcut button: Enables automation

recording to the Arranger Timeline the next time the transport is
started.

The three global buttons above will always be present. The shortcut
button, however, is so named because you can toggle it in and out of
existence. This is available for many more transport options within the
Play menu.

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2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

The Play menu still makes use of the thumbtack toggle convention
(when appropriate), but it also makes special use of knobs and other
controls. There are five headers within this menu:

› The Arranger section provides settings that apply when working within
the Arranger Timeline Panel.

› The Clip Launcher section provides settings that apply when working
within the Clip Launcher Panel. Note the clip boxes around the icons in
this section, helping to distinguish the Launcher functions from similar
Arranger functions.

› The Groove section allows you to activate shuffle for all clips whose
own Shuffle parameter is enabled. Other parameters here include the

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2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

Shuffle amount and interval (Rate), as well as the Accent amount,

interval (again, called Rate), and Phase.

Note

All controls in the Groove section can be mapped and/or

automated.

› The Playback section provides parameters that take effect during

project playback, such as the Metronome volume and whether sub-
beats should also sound (Play Ticks).

› The Settings section offers a mix of workflow parameters, including

Pre-roll controls (for length and whether the metronome should be
active), the Default Launch Quantization setting, whether you want a
Post Recording Action to be triggered (and if you want a Delay on that
action), and whether you want Record Quantization applied to notes
(and if so, whether you want their end times to be quantized as well).

Finally, note that Bitwig Studio's audio engine can be engaged for only
one Bitwig Studio project at a time, no matter how many are open. So if
your current project does not have audio enabled, the transport section
will be replaced by a single button.

Simply click this button to rejoin the audible world. (Just realize that this
will silence any other project that was previously using audio.)

2.3.3. Display Section
The menus/transport area's display section provides informational
meters, numeric controls, and the odd automation-related setting.

This section contains the following items:

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2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

› DSP meter: Displays Bitwig Studio's current CPU usage. (Clicking the
processor chip icon on the left will also load a DSP Performance Graph
window, including various details and metrics.)

› I/O meter: Displays Bitwig Studio's current disk activity for data being
read (input) and written (output), respectively.

› Tempo: A control for the project's current tempo, set in beats per
minute (BPM).

› Time Signature: A control for the project's current time signature and
an optional tick setting.

The time signature's numerator represents the number of beats in each

bar. Common denominators are accepted (such as 2, 4, 8, and 16),
each number representing the type of beat counted in each bar (half,
quarter, eighth, and sixteenth notes, respectively).

The optional tick setting represents the primary beat subdivision to

be used across the project (see section 1.2). If only a time signature
is set (like 4/4), a default tick setting of sixteenth notes is used. If the
time signature is followed by a comma and an appropriate tick value
(such as 4/4,8), then that tick setting will be used. Values recognized
by Bitwig Studio include 8 (eighth notes), 12 (triplet eighth notes), 16
(sixteenth notes), 24 (triplet sixteenth notes), 32 (thirty-second notes),
and 48 (triplet thirty-second notes).

› Play Position: A control for the project's current play position, shown as
BARs.BEATs.TICKs.%.

› Play Time: A control for the project's current play time, shown as
MINUTEs:SECONDs.MILLISECONDs.

› Restore Automation Control button: Restores control of automation

after a parameter is adjusted during playback. The Restore Automation
Control button arms itself when the function is useful.

› Metronome toggle: Enables/disables the metronome whenever the

transport is active.

› Arranger Loop toggle: Activates/deactivates Arranger looping within

the Loop Selector's bounds.

› Punch-In: Causes recording to begin at the start of the Arranger Loop

Selector.

› Punch-Out: Causes recording to stop at the end of the Arranger Loop

Selector.

From the Dashboard on the Settings page, the User Interface tab has a
Transport parameter that can also Show Loop Region within the display

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2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

area. This displays the Arranger Loop Selector's start time and length,
both to the right of Arranger Loop toggle.

2.3.4. Object Menus
The far right of the window menus/transport area is reserved for the
object menus.

Three menus generally appear here, each with their own set of anchored
items:

› The Add menu is always present. It allows you to create new tracks and
scenes.

› The Edit menu is always present. It provides standard "edit" commands

for your current selection (like cut, copy, paste, duplicate, and delete),
as well as to undo (or redo) recent actions taken across the program.

› The third menu is a selection-sensitive menu. If nothing is selected in

your Bitwig Studio project, then no menu appears here. But if you have
selected, say, a Clip or Event, then a menu with relevant functions will
appear. This is essentially a context menu with the option to create
shortcut buttons (using the menus' thumbtack toggles).

For example, if we made a time selection, a Time menu would be

provided in the third, selection-sensitive slot.

Also note in that last image that when a function is currently unavailable,
its shortcut button appears grayed out. As the menu item would appear,
so will the shortcut button.

2.4. The Window Body

So the window header is always the same (aside from the project tabs),
and while the footer's content and arrangement depend upon the

48
2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

current display profile, the set of controls is consistent. These two areas
give you control of the program and its behavior so they are generally
static. Not so with the window body.

The window body's purpose is to display your work so that you can edit
it in different situations. To that end, the body's appearance is always
changing, giving you the tools you need to perform specific tasks, but
certain areas of the window body are designated for consistent usage.

The central portion of the Bitwig Studio window is reserved for the
central panel. The panel(s) shown here is defined by the window's
current view (either Arrange, Mix, or Edit View). The central panel
cannot be hidden, so if all other panels were disabled, the central panel
would take up the entire window body.

Below the central panel is the secondary panel area. This area is where
a second panel can be loaded for editing your project's content. Again,
the selection of available panels is determined by the window's current
view and the display profile being used. Most secondary panels can be
vertically resized.

On the right side of the window body is an access panel area. This area is
usually reserved for panels that deal with things other than the content
of your project. Typical access panels are the Browser Panel (which
gives access to the Bitwig Studio library and outside files), the Project
Panel (which gives access to the project's metadata and dependencies),
the Studio I/O Panel (which gives access to your hardware routings),
and the Mappings Browser Panel (which gives access to both MIDI

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2. ANATOMY OF THE BITWIG STUDIO WINDOW

controller mappings and project-specific computer keyboard mappings).

Each of these panels can be horizontally resized. When no panel is
loaded in this area, the central and secondary panels simply reclaim the
space.

On the left side of the window body is an area usually reserved for the
Inspector Panel. In certain display profiles, however, the Inspector Panel
is included in the access panel area. This panel is not resizable.

50
3. The Arrange View and Tracks
Now that we have examined all the fixed parts and dynamic possibilities
of the Bitwig Studio window, let's enter the practical world of the
Arrange View. We will start by looking at a few key sections of the
Arranger Timeline Panel and their constituent elements. We will then
examine the track types used by Bitwig Studio along with basic track
editing functions. Finally we will get a brief introduction to the Inspector
Panel for current and future use.

3.1. The Arranger Timeline Panel

Unlike sculpture, painting, and architecture, music is an art form
appreciated over a defined length of time. That is to say, when we listen
to a piece of music, either at home or out at a venue, it unfolds over the
same amount of time and at the same pace for everyone in the audience.
While music can definitely be performed or created with improvisation
(see chapter 5), each performance has a rigidly defined structure to
us listeners. And as most productions are still based around a fixed
song structure, we will start with the Arrange View and its friend the
Arranger Timeline Panel, which is made to lay out music arrangements
in a precise way.

The Arranger Timeline Panel is unique in Bitwig Studio: it is available

in only one view (the Arrange View), and it is available in this view
only as the central panel. And as this panel is the only way to create
a traditional, linear musical arrangement within Bitwig Studio, it is
impossible to overstate the importance of the Arranger Timeline Panel
— also called the Arranger — which is seen here after a new file has been
created.

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3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

We will start by examining various sections of the Arranger Timeline

Panel.

3.1.1. Arranger Area, Arranger Timeline, and

Zooming
The most important element here is the actual Arranger Timeline, which
is currently blank. As you may have seen here in earlier images (or from
opening a demo project), this is the area where your song arrangements
will take shape in the form of clips and track automation. Whenever
we refer to an "Arranger clip," we mean a clip that is housed within this
Arranger sequencer.

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3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

The Arranger is laid out horizontally, showing time progressing from the
left side of the screen to the right. This can be seen in the Beat Ruler at
the top of the Arranger. The integers here — 1, 2, 3, etc. — show where
each new bar begins.

To adjust the zoom level: place the mouse in-line with the bar numbers
inside the Beat Ruler. The cursor will become a magnifying glass
indicating that we are in zoom mode. Now click and hold the mouse
button, dragging upward to zoom in or downward to zoom out. You can
also drag the mouse from side to side to horizontally scroll within the
Arranger Timeline.

Other ways to adjust the zoom level include:

› Press either [PLUS] or [CTRL]+[PLUS] ([CMD]+[PLUS] on Mac) to

zoom in and either [MINUS] or [CTRL]+[MINUS] ([CMD]+[MINUS] on
Mac) to zoom out.

› Hold [CTRL]+[ALT], and then click and drag anywhere within the
Arranger area. If your mouse or trackpad supports a scroll function,
you can also hold [CTRL]+[ALT] anywhere within the Arranger area
and then scroll up and down.

› If you have a three-button mouse, click and drag the middle button
anywhere within the Arranger area.

› If you have a trackpad (particularly on Mac), pinch/stretch two fingers

diagonally on the trackpad.

As you zoom in on the Beat Ruler, you may notice that the bar numbers
start adding decimals. Depending on your zoom level, the timeline values
will be represented as either BARs, BARs.BEATs, or BARs.BEATs.TICKs.

53
3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

And within the Beat Ruler area, you can also right-click to show a
realtime ruler, displaying MINUTEs:SECONDs.MILLISECONDs of the
project time.

3.1.2. Beat Grid Settings

As you adjust the Arranger Timeline's zoom level, you may also notice
that the grid lines within the Arranger area begin to change. This has
to do with the beat grid settings, which are found in the bottom of the
Arranger Timeline Panel and to the right of the horizontal scroll bar.

Actually, the value shown represents the current value in use. By clicking
on that value, the various Grid settings are exposed.

The beat grid resolution (shown above as 1/16, for sixteenth notes) tells
us what musical interval is being represented by the grid lines. In a new
project, the adaptive beat grid setting (the button at top, with a linked
magnifying glass and the word Automatic) is turned on. When adaptive
beat grid is enabled, changes to the zoom level also cause appropriate
changes to the beat grid resolution. The beat grid resolution setting will
update as the value changes.

To toggle the adaptive beat grid: click the adaptive beat grid button
within the beat grid settings, or press [SLASH].

54
3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

Note

On a German keyboard, the key command is [HYPHEN].

To manually set the beat grid resolution: first make sure that adaptive
beat grid is disabled. Then manipulate the beat grid resolution by setting
it with the mouse or by pressing [COMMA] to lower the grid resolution
or [PERIOD] to raise it.

The beat grid resolution has an accompanying parameter right below it.
The beat grid subdivision (shown above as straight) sets the rhythmic
grouping used for the beat grid resolution setting. For example, the
default straight value means that straight duple values are being used.
Other available settings include triole or 3t (triplets), quintole or 5t
(quintuplets, or fifth-lets), and septole or 7t (septuplets, or seventh-lets).

To manually set the beat grid subdivision: first make sure that adaptive
beat grid is disabled. Then manipulate the beat grid subdivision by
setting it with the mouse or by pressing [ALT]+[COMMA] to lower the
grid resolution or [ALT]+[PERIOD] to raise it.

3.1.3. Track Headers
The horizontal lines you see within the Arrange area are the dividers
between each track lane. To the left of the Arrange area are the track
headers.

Within each header are the following identifications, meters, and controls
for that track:

› Track Color stripe: A swatch of the track's assigned color.

› Track Type icon: An icon to indicate the kind of track.

› Track Name: The title assigned to the track.

› Volume fader: A final level control for the track.

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3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

› Record Arm button: Record enables the track.

› Solo button: When any track has its solo button enabled, only tracks
with solo enabled will output their audio.

› Mute button: Disables the track's audio output.

› Automation Lane button: Toggles to reveal the automation lane section

of the track (see section 8.1.1).

› Level meters: Stereo audio meters that display the track's output level.

3.1.4. Arranger View Toggles

Both above and beneath the track headers are the Arranger view
toggles. Similar to the panel icons of the window footer, each of these
icons is a toggle that adjusts what is displayed in the Arranger Timeline
Panel.

The upper toggles are:

› Clip Launcher button: Toggles visibility of the Clip Launcher Panel (see
section 5.1) within the Arranger Timeline Panel.

› Arranger Timeline button: Toggles visibility of the Arranger Timeline

within the Arranger Timeline Panel

Note

Either the Clip Launcher Panel or the Arranger Timeline must be

visible within the Arranger Timeline Panel. If only one of these is
visible and you hide it, the other will automatically become visible.

› Tool Palette menu: This menu allows you to toggle between Bitwig
Studio's various editing tools.

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3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

In fact, right-clicking within any timeline-based panel will give you the
option to switch tools at the top of the context menu.

While the Arranger Timeline Panel is the first place we see the tool
palette, each timeline-based panel has its own tool palette. This allows
us to have a different tool selected for each individual panel.

› Pointer tool is for selecting and moving events. Clicking between

automation points along the current curve will create a new point.
And double-clicking in a blank area will create a new event of the
appropriate kind. You can switch to this tool by pressing [1], or you
can temporarily use the tool by holding [1].

Note

As this is the primary tool in Bitwig Studio, all editing functions

described in this document presume you have the Pointer
tool engaged. If a different tool is meant to be used, it will be
specifically noted.

› Time Selection tool is for choosing an arbitrary section of time instead

of particular events. Otherwise it generally acts like the Pointer tool.
You can switch to this tool by pressing [2], or you can temporarily use
the tool by holding [2].

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3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

› Pen tool is for drawing new events. You can switch to this tool by
pressing [3], or you can temporarily use the tool by holding [3].

› Eraser tool is for deleting relevant events from the area of time that
you select. You can switch to this tool by pressing [4], or you can
temporarily use the tool by holding [4].

› Knife tool is for splitting a continuous event into two. You can switch
to this tool by pressing [5], or you can temporarily use the tool by
holding [5].

Finally, the Pointer tool engages in smart tool switching. This is to say
that depending on where you hover over a clip or event, different tools
will become available. Specific information will be provided within this
document, but it is worth mentioning here as your cursor will tend to
shift shapes as you mouse navigate around clips.

The lower toggles are:

› Track I/O button: Toggles visibility of the Track I/O section of all track
headers (see section 4.4.1).

› Track Height button: Toggles the track height in the Arranger between
normal and half size (shown below respectively). In half size, the same
track header components are displayed with some minor adjustments.

› Effect Tracks button: Toggles visibility of effect tracks within the

Arranger Timeline Panel.

› Deactivated Tracks button: Toggles visibility of deactivated tracks

within the Arranger Timeline Panel.

› Follow Playback button: Toggles whether to keep the Global Playhead

on screen at all times in the Arranger Timeline Panel or not.

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3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

Note

From the Settings tab within the Dashboard, the User Interface page
offers two settings for the Playhead follow mode:

› Scroll by pages will scroll once the Global Playhead reaches the
edge of the current display area. This is the default setting.

› Continuously scroll will keep the Global Playhead centered in each

timeline-based panel.

3.2. Intro to Tracks
As we have seen in the Arranger Timeline, Bitwig Studio projects are
organized into tracks, and clips live on tracks. While clips are critical
for expressing your musical ideas, tracks contain the signal paths that
take clips out of the computer and into the audible world. Were there no
tracks, there would be no sound either.

We will look at the kinds of tracks that exist in Bitwig Studio before
discussing a few basic track operations.

3.2.1. Track Types
Bitwig Studio has five types of tracks. The four most common types are
present in any new project you create. Here again is a blank new project.

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3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

As each type of track has its own designated icon, each track also has its
own particular use:

An instrument track is denoted with a piano keys icon. The usual

purpose of an instrument track is to record and hold note clips that
will trigger an instrument and result in audio output.

An audio track is denoted with a waveform icon. The usual purpose

of an audio track is to record and hold audio clips that will be played
back.

A hybrid track is denoted with an icon that is half audio waveform

and half piano keys. The usual purpose of a hybrid track is to record
and hold both note and audio clips. A hybrid track is not present in a
new Bitwig Studio project.

An effect track is denoted with a downward arrow icon. The usual

purpose of an effect track is to receive portions of other tracks' audio
output, then mix them together for further processing.

A group track is denoted with a folder icon. The usual purpose of a

group track is to unite several component tracks (either instrument,
audio, hybrid, effect, or other group tracks) into one higher-level
track for streamlined mixing and editing. The track's folder icon
appears open when its component tracks are visible and closed when
they are hidden from view. A group track is not present in a new
Bitwig Studio project.

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3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

A master track is denoted with a crown icon. One and only one
master track is present in each project, making him the king. The
purpose of the master track is to sum all signals that are routed
to the main audio buss. The master track also provides access
to various transport parameters (such as tempo) for the sake of
automation.

3.2.2. Creating and Selecting Tracks

As you develop any project, you will almost certainly need additional
tracks.

To create a track: go to the Add menu and select either Add Instrument
Track, Add Audio Track, Add Effect Track, or Add Group Track.

Other ways to create a track include:

› Use the appropriate key command as noted in the Add menu.

› Right-click a part of the Arranger where no tracks exist (such as

the blank space between the track headers), and then choose the
appropriate function from the context menu.

Before you can do anything with a track, it must first be selected, and
the track header is key to this. Clicking anywhere else — including in the
Arranger Timeline area — selects clips or automation, not an entire track.

When a track is not selected, the background of its header is charcoal

gray, and its text and icon are light. When a track is selected, the
background of its header is a light silver, and its text and icon are dark.

To select a track: click on the track's header.

When a track is already selected, you can press [UP ARROW] or

[DOWN ARROW] to cycle through the adjacent tracks.

To select or deselect additional contiguous tracks: either hold [SHIFT]

and then click on the final track to be included in the selection, or hold
[SHIFT] while cycling through tracks with [UP ARROW] or [DOWN
ARROW].

To select or deselect additional individual tracks: hold [CTRL] ([CMD]

on Mac) and then click on the track to be added or removed from the
selection.

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3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

To group tracks: select the tracks you wish to group and then press
[CTRL]+[G] ([CMD]+[G] on Mac).

To toggle the visibility of a group track's encapsulated tracks: click on

the group track's folder icon.

To unpack and remove a group track: select the group track(s) and then
press [CTRL]+[SHIFT]+[G] ([CMD]+[SHIFT]+[G] on Mac).

3.2.3. Edit Functions and Moving Tracks

Once a track is properly selected, several standard edit functions can be
used.

To copy a track: select the track and then press [CTRL]+[C] ([CMD]+[C]
on Mac).

To cut a track: select the track and then press [CTRL]+[X] ([CMD]+[X]
on Mac).

To paste a track: select a track as a reference and then press [CTRL]+[V]

([CMD]+[V] on Mac). The pasted track will be added after the track that
was selected.

To duplicate a track: select the track and then press [CTRL]+[D]

([CMD]+[D] on Mac).

To delete a track: select the track and then press [DELETE] or

[BACKSPACE].

Other ways to execute the above functions include:

› Select the track and then choose the appropriate function from the
Edit menu.

› Right-click the track's header and then choose the appropriate function
from the context menu.

To move a track: click and drag the track's header vertically.

3.2.4. Track Names and Colors

You may have noticed that when a track is created, it is automatically
given a name to reflect the type of track it is and its track number.
And when a track is moved around, the track number in its name is
dynamically updated. By default, tracks are set to automatically name
themselves based on certain factors. If you desire, you can override this
functionality by renaming the track.

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3. THE ARRANGE VIEW AND TRACKS

To rename a track: right-click the track's header and then choose

Rename from the context menu.

Each track is assigned a color when it is created. Like the track name,
the track color can also be changed.

To change the color of a track: right-click the track's header and then
select a different color from the palette that appears within the context
menu.

3.2.5. Deactivating Tracks
There are various ways to silence a track. One useful option is to
deactivate and subsequently (re)activate tracks. When a track is

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deactivated, not only is its output silenced, but any load it was placing
on your CPU is also removed for the time being. From the standpoint of
our limited computing resources, deactivating an object is as close as we
can get to deleting it — and none of our data are lost in the process.

To deactivate an active track: right-click the track's header and then

choose Activate/Deactivate Track from the context menu. Or select the
track and then press [ALT]+[A].

Any disabled track is visibly grayed out and certain interface items are
removed.

To activate an inactive track: right-click the track's header and then

choose Activate/Deactivate Track from the context menu. Or select the
track and then press [ALT]+[A].

Note

The deactivate and (re)activate functions can be applied to tracks,

devices, and top-level chains/layers of the Drum Machine, Instrument
Layer, and FX Layer container devices. And any plug-ins that are
deactivated will also stop accruing latency to your project.

Similarly, clips and notes can be muted and unmuted with the same
respective key commands.

3.3. Meet Inspector Panel

A context menu is available throughout Bitwig Studio. By right-clicking
on an item (practically any object or event), relevant actions that can
be taken will be shown along with certain properties of that item. For a
fuller list of the available properties, we also have the Inspector Panel.

To toggle the visibility of the Inspector Panel: click the view toggle for
the Inspector Panel (the i icon), located in the window's footer.

The Inspector Panel follows the active panel's selection, displaying

all properties of that selection. As there are many types of items in
Bitwig Studio (clips, notes, audio events, devices, automation points,
and tracks), the parameters displayed in the Inspector Panel can change
dramatically depending on what you have clicked on.

By selecting a track, the Inspector Panel displays relevant parameters of

that track.

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The text entry box at top displays the current track name (shown in
italics when the name is provided by Bitwig Studio). The color palette
is identical to the one from the track header context menu, and the
Active toggle controls whether the selected track is currently running or
deactivated.

Plenty of other parameters are shown within the Inspector Panel,

including nearly all of the meters and controls from the track header.
And we will get to the parameters that are now unfamiliar in the
appropriate sections of this document.

The main idea is that the Inspector Panel is an ideal way to see all the
parameters of most selected items. A context menu is also available
for most items and window areas. Going forward, we will primarily use
the Inspector Panel for viewing or altering parameters and the context
menu for executing functions. So this isn't "goodbye" to either option,
but rather "nice to meet you."

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4. Arranger Clips and the Browser Panel
Clips are the heart of any music that you will create in Bitwig Studio.
Since they are the smallest unit we will work with for arranging tasks,
clips can be thought of as our musical atoms. Put a different way, a clip
is the smallest musical idea that you might consider looping.

In this chapter, we will continue working with the Arrange View. As we

want to start working with clips and adjusting their basic parameters,
we must first learn about the Browser Panel. Then we will investigate
inserting clips and moving them around in the Arranger Timeline Panel,
which leads us to playing back Arranger contents and understanding
basic transport functions. Finally, we will see how to record new clips.

If our music is made of clips, then creating and capturing our music
starts here.

4.1. The Browser Panel

The Browser Panel is an organized way to access and then add various
media files to your project. The files can be part of the Bitwig Studio
library content or any other file found on your computer. The Browser
Panel has a fairly consistent layout across its tabs.

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The Browser tabs are organized by the different types of content that
are relevant to Bitwig Studio, and the search field allows you to find
files/folders by name, creator, category, tags, etc.

The three panes below make up the file browser. The navigation pane
at top allows you to isolate your search to a specific Collection or file
Location (or in some cases, to narrow by either the Device in use or
the Category that has been selected for a file). Additional options for
the navigation pane are available by right-clicking anywhere within the
Browser Panel to call up the contextual menu.

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Any item in the Filter Sections section of this menu can be toggled on or
off, including additional options that are unique to the various Browser
tabs. Each filter that is displayed within the navigation pane can be
expanded or contracted by clicking its minimize button (appearing as a
"hamburger button," or three stacked horizontal lines) to the left of the
section title. And when a selection has been made, that filter setting can
be cleared by clicking the x icon on the far right of the section.

Once a selection is made in the navigation pane, the selection pane

shows only content that matches the defined filters settings. And once

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a file is picked in the selection pane, the info pane at bottom displays
information about your file selection and usually offers a few options for
auditioning the file.

Starting on the right, the play/stop preview button either begins or halts
playback of the selected file. When enabled, the synchronize preview
button plays all previews at the song's current tempo. The automatic
preview option will begin the preview of any file from the moment it
is selected. And the volume fader at the far left determines preview
volume.

To select a Browser tab, click on its associated icon.

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4.1.1. Devices Tab

The Devices tab handles Bitwig Studio's devices as well as VST plug-ins
from folders that you have designated. In the image above, the bottom
of the list also has a clickable notification to Show 34 redundant plug-ins.
Once clicked, all plug-ins are displayed and the line toggles, allowing you
to then Hide 34 redundant plug-ins.

Note

Plug-in search paths are set in the Locations page of the Dashboard,
as well as settings for which plug-in formats should be considered
redundant. For more information, see section 0.3.2.5.

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The navigation pane shows you the Category of devices, along with the
Collection and Location that you may wish to search by. While some
general information about the selected device is shown in the info pane,
the preview function is disabled in this tab.

4.1.2. Presets Tab

The Presets tab handles presets for both Bitwig Studio's devices and
VST plug-ins that are available. The navigation pane presents all the
various filter categories as well as the option of filtering presets by the
Device that is in use. Uniquely in this tab, you can both drag devices
from the Device area of the navigation pane directly onto your tracks.
You can also drag presets in from the selection pane, as usual.

To edit the metadata for a preset: right-click the preset and then choose
Edit File Metadata... from the context menu. Add or remove any Tags in
the following window, change the Category if you like, and select Ok.

The search field itself has a couple of options for this tab that can be
accessed by clicking the magnifying glass icon.

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This setting affects the Device filter, which is unique to this tab. When
the ORGANIZE DEVICES BY parameter is set to Location, the plug-ins
will be organized by the folder they are in. When Vendor is selected, the
plug-ins will be organized by the name of their manufacturer.

4.1.3. Samples Tab

The Samples tab handles audio files from both the Bitwig Studio library's
samples folder and folders that you have designated. Files found here
can be loaded anywhere that audio is accepted.

4.1.4. Multisamples Tab

The Multisamples tab handles files from both the Bitwig Studio library's
multi-samples folder and folders that you have designated. Files found
here can be loaded into Sampler devices.

The preview function is disabled in this tab.

4.1.5. Music Tab

The Music tab handles recognized media files from music folders that
you designate. This includes iTunes libraries. Files found here can be
loaded anywhere that audio is accepted.

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4.1.6. Clips Tab

The Clips tab handles files from both the Bitwig Studio library's clips
folder and folders that you have designated. Files found here can be
loaded into both the Arranger Timeline and the Clip Launcher.

To edit the metadata for a clip: right-click the preset and then choose
Edit File Metadata... from the context menu. Enable/disable any Tags in
the following window and select Ok.

4.1.7. Files Tab

The Files tab allows you to navigate across the current project, any
bookmarked folders or library locations, your local user folder, your
entire computer, and recent files.

The search field is not present in this tab.

4.2. Inserting and Working with Arranger Clips

Now that we have met the Browser Panel, we will put it to use as a
source for clips.

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4.2.1. Inserting Clips
While material from several of the Browser Panel tabs can be inserted as
clips, we will demonstrate with something from the Clips tab.

To insert a clip on an Arranger track: click and drag the clip from the
Browser Panel to the desired timeline position on the appropriate track.

Note

Since we are dragging a note clip, it made the most sense to place
it on a note track, but we could have dragged it to any track. As the
concept of hybrid tracks may have indicated, Bitwig Studio is rather
free with the idea of track types.

If you drag a note clip to an empty audio track, the track will be
converted to an instrument track. If you drag a note to an occupied
audio track, the track will be converted to a hybrid track. In both
cases, the converse is true as well.

So inserting clips from the browser is as simple as dragging them into

the Arranger Timeline.

To insert a clip on a brand new Arranger track: click and drag the clip
from the Browser Panel to the desired timeline position between
existing tracks.

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This method of inserting clips will work from any Browser tab whose
contents can be placed on tracks. And the same method will work when
dragging appropriate files from your file manager application (i.e., File
Explorer on Windows, Finder on Mac, etc.) directly onto the tracks.

4.2.2. Moving Clips and Snap Settings

To move a clip within the Arranger Timeline Panel: click and drag the clip
with the mouse.

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The result will be similar to when the clip was originally inserted from
the Browser Panel. But also note that as you begin dragging the clip
to move it, a status message appears in the window footer with several
additional options. (This is shown in the image above; note that the
order of options varies by platform, and your screen may not match the
sequence in this image.)

Note

Do look for status messages whenever you are clicking and dragging
items in Bitwig Studio. This document will not necessarily cover all
variations that are shown within the program.

The first option — that adding [CTRL] ([ALT] on Mac) while dragging a
selection toggles between moving and copying — was mentioned in a
previous chapter.

The second option is new and indicates that [SHIFT] toggles from
obeying the beat grid to ignoring it. Whether and how clips conform to
the beat grid is governed by the snap settings, which are found in the
bottom right corner of the Arranger Timeline Panel, by clicking on the
beat grid settings.

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Found under the Snap To header, three independent options determine

which elements clips will or will not snap to as you drag them across
time. As each option only provides additional anchor points, the options
have no effect on one other.

› The Grid option causes clips to snap to the current beat grid.

This option can be toggled by either clicking on the icon or pressing

[SHIFT]+[COMMA] while the Arranger Timeline Panel has focus.

› The Grid Offset option uses the current beat grid resolution, but it
thinks of a grid in relation to the clip's current start time. So if the clip
does not start exactly on the beat grid, the amount that the clip is
offset will be preserved when it is moved.

This option can be toggled by either clicking on the icon or pressing

[SHIFT]+[PERIOD] while the Arranger Timeline Panel has focus.

› The Events option causes clips to snap to the start and end of other
clips within the Arrangement Timeline.

This option can be toggled by either clicking on the icon or pressing

[SHIFT]+[SLASH] while the Arranger Timeline Panel has focus.

Note

On a German keyboard, the key command is [SHIFT]+[HYPHEN].

If only one of these options is enabled, only that snapping rule applies.
If multiple options are enabled, clips will momentarily snap into place
for each and every rule that applies. And when none of these rules

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is enabled, clips will move freely, the same as when you hold down
[SHIFT].

These settings will apply not just to moving clips, but to any other
editing action in the panel. We will touch upon some of those actions in
a moment, but one other option is worth mentioning here.

In the above image, note the automation follow button, directly beside
the beat grid settings. Toggling this function determines whether
automation is moved along with clips or not. So if you are moving clips
around, be sure to check the status of this button.

4.2.3. Adjusting Clip Lengths

To demonstrate working with the Bitwig Studio's various tools in the
Arranger Timeline Panel, we will start with the task of removing the
second half of a clip.

To shorten an Arranger clip: mouse over the top right edge of the clip so
that a half-bracket cursor appears. Then click and drag to the left.

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Other ways to shorten an Arranger clip include:

› With the Time Selection tool, click and drag over the time area that
should be removed. Then clear the time by pressing [DELETE] or
[BACKSPACE].

› With the Eraser tool, click and drag over the portion of the clip to be
removed.

› With the Knife tool, click the position where the clip should be
separated. Once the clip is divided, select and delete — [DELETE] or
[BACKSPACE] — the unwanted clip.

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All of these methods achieve the same effect. And while it may seem
like the second half of our clip is now gone forever, this is not the case.
Bitwig Studio still remembers the full contents of our clip in case we
need it back later.

To lengthen an Arranger clip: mouse over the top right edge of the clip
so that a half-bracket cursor appears. Then click and drag to the right.

Bitwig Studio acts rather nondestructively, internally preserving data

whenever practicable. But you can always ask the program to stop
considering data that is not currently visible by using the consolidate
function, which essentially solidifies a clip for various purposes.

To remove unseen data from a clip: right-click the clip and then choose
Consolidate from the context menu.

After consolidating the previous clip, extending it would now work

differently.

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To consolidate multiple clips: select all of the clips. Then right-click one
of the clips and choose Consolidate from the context menu.

For all of the above purposes, the consolidate function is also available
by selecting Edit › Consolidate or by pressing [CTRL]+[J] ([CMD]+[J] on
Mac).

4.2.4. Slicing and Quick Slice

As shown above in passing, the Knife tool can be used to slice clips. It
can be used in the same fashion to slice notes and audio events. And
for any of these types of objects, these is also a Quick Slice function,
which allows making multiple cuts with one gesture when the Knife tool
is selected.

To put successive cuts in a clip, audio event, or note: hold [ALT], and
then click at the position of the first cut and drag to the position of the
last cut.

The current beat grid value (1/4 notes, above) will set the distance
between cuts and will snap the position of the first cut onto the beat
grid. You may sometimes need to freely place (without snapping) the
position of the first cut. That is also possible.

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To put successive puts in a clip, audio event, or note without snapping:

hold [SHIFT]+[ALT] and click, to initiate Quick Slice mode without
quantization. Then drag either to the right or left to insert successive
cuts.

4.2.5. Sliding Arranger Clip Content

The content of one or multiple clips can also be shifted left and right
from the Arranger Timeline Panel. Sliding content in this fashion
preserves the boundaries of each clip, simply sliding the contained note
or audio events (including any associated expressions) earlier or later in
time.

To slide the content of a clip: mouse over the top half of the waveform.
Then [CTRL]-click ([CMD]-click on Mac) and drag horizontally.

You can optionally add the [SHIFT] key while dragging to toggle the
snapping behavior.

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4.2.6. Applying Fades and Crossfades to Audio

While most functions in this chapter are applicable to both note and
audio clips, the options to fade in, fade out, and crossfade are only
relevant to audio clips.

To create a fade in: mouse over the middle of the clip's left edge, at the
top of the waveform display. Once a white triangle appears, click and
drag the triangle toward the center of the clip. Release the mouse where
you would like the fade to end.

Fade outs can be created in the same way by mousing over a clip's right
edge.

Creating a crossfade requires audio clips that are overlapping and have
material extending beyond their own boundaries.

To create a crossfade: mouse over the middle of the intersection of

the clips, at the top of the waveform display. Once two white triangles
appear, click the triangle where you would like the crossfade to
boundary to be, and then drag across the clips' border. Release the
mouse where you would like the boundary of the crossfade to be.

That is a bit of a mouthful so let's take a moment unpack the process.

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If you click on a clip's edge and drag toward its center, you are creating
a fade in or fade out for that single clip. So creating a crossfade requires
clicking on one of the overlapping clips and then dragging the fade past
its boundary and onto the other one.

If you start by clicking in clip 1 and then drag across to clip 2, the
crossfade will begin where the boundary was and will end wherever you
release the mouse. If you start by clicking in clip 2 and then drag across
to clip 1, the crossfade will end where the boundary was and will end
wherever you release the mouse.

To adjust the boundaries of any fade: mouse over the top portion of a
fade so that its white triangle(s) appears, and then click and drag to
move the fade's boundary relatively.

Note that for a crossfade, dragging an inner boundary will select both
curves (shown as highlighted in white) and let you adjust them together.
Dragging an outer boundary will let you adjust the closest fade by itself.

To adjust the slope of a fade: mouse over the fade's curve, and then click
and drag the mouse up or down.

Note

If may be difficult to get the curvature cursor to appear if your track

height is small. If you are working a good amount with fades and their

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curves, you should make your track's height larger than the minimum
by clicking and dragging the bottom of the track header.

Note again that with a crossfade, you can either mouse over both fade
curves to manipulate them in tandem, or you can adjust each fade by
itself.

To shift an entire crossfade: mouse over the bottom of the crossfade,

and then click and drag backward or forward in time.

4.2.7. Looping Clips
As clips are intended to be the smallest practical musical idea, you may
want to loop clips.

To loop an Arranger clip: mouse over the bottom right edge of the clip
so that a half-bracket cursor appears with a looping oval. Then click and
drag to the right.

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After you drag the clip beyond its full length, additional copies will be
generated. The first copy starts with a dashed vertical line, marking
the loop length being used. All subsequent repetitions of the loop are
marked with dotted vertical lines. Once the clip is looping, you can do
the same using any of the "bracket" tools, either at the end or beginning
of the clip.

To adjust the loop length of an Arranger clip: mouse over the clip's
first repeat marker (the dashed vertical line) so that an I-beam cursor
appears with a looping oval. Then click and drag in either direction.

The length of the clip itself remains the same while the section of the clip
that loops — and accordingly the number of repetitions — has changed.

4.2.8. Meta Clips and Group Tracks in the Arranger

When working with a group track, the contents of its enclosed tracks
are summarized in the Arranger Timeline. When no clips within the
group track are overlapping, these meta clips are essentially direct
representatives of their contained clips.

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When the enclosed track do have overlapping clips, affected meta clips
adapt to show colorized summaries of the track contents.

Regardless of the display style, each meta clip acts as an alias of the
clip (or clips) that they represent. As with any regular Arranger clip,
meta clips can be moved by dragging and dropping, they can be cut or
copied or pasted in the normal ways, they can be deleted, and they can
even be split with the Knife tool. Taking any of these actions on meta
clips directly affect the clips that they represent.

When working with group tracks, a project navigation menu appears at

the top of the Arranger Timeline Panel within the Arrange View.

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Clicking on this menu exposes a hierarchy of the current project,

including the top level of the Project and all group tracks that are
present. Selecting one of these group tracks changes the context which
the Arranger Timeline Panel displays.

To the right of the project navigation menu , a "left turn" arrow has now
appeared. Clicking this arrow navigates upward into the parent level
of the current context. It is also worth noting that the context selected
in the Arranger Timeline Panel is preserved if you switch to the Mixer
Panel.

Finally, back in the Arranger Timeline Panel, you can toggle between
viewing each group track's meta clips or a representation of the group
track's master track.

To view the contents of the group track's internal master track: right-
click on the group track's header, and then select Show Master Track
Content from the context menu.

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You can switch back to displaying the meta clips by calling up that same
context menu and then selecting Show Group Track Content.

4.2.9. The Inspector Panel on Arranger Clips

While the Arranger Timeline is a convenient, graphical view for
working with the length and loop settings of a clip, all of those mouse
movements are really just triggering parameter changes in the Inspector
Panel. By investigating these parameters (along with the associated
functions available in the Clip menu), we will get a clearer understanding
of what is possible in Bitwig Studio in general and the Arranger in
particular.

We will start by focusing the Inspector Panel on the same clip looping
example we just finished.

For the time being, we are just paying attention to the parameters in the
ARRANGER CLIP portion of the Inspector Panel. We have already seen
the name and color options for tracks (see section 3.2.4). The remaining
sections offer additional parameters.

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4.2.9.1. Signature Section

Signature sets the time signature of the selected clip. Along with an
optional tick setting (see section 2.3.3), this reflects how the clip is
displayed for editing.

4.2.9.2. Time (Position) Section

These settings relate to the musical time or position of the selected clip:

› Time sets the start of the clip in the Arranger Timeline. Adjusting this
position will simply move the clip exactly as it exists, the same as
clicking and dragging the entire clip in the Arranger.

› Length sets the duration of the clip in the Arranger Timeline. Adjusting
this duration will simply lengthen or shorten the clip, the same as using
the bracket cursor to adjust the right edge of the clip.

› Offset preserves the position and length of the clip, but shifts its
internal content by the set amount. This is the same as using the
bracket cursor to move the left edge of the clip forward in time.

Taking the previous image as an example, I could increase the Time

from 2.1.1.00 to 2.2.1.00. The entire clip is now happening a quarter note
later.

But if I wanted the clip to stay in time and simply skip the first beat
it was playing, I would increase the Offset from 1.1.1.00 (no offset) to
1.2.1.00.

Note that the first beat is included in subsequent loops.

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4.2.9.3. Loop Section

These settings relate to the looping of the selected clip:

› Loop toggles whether or not the clip loops with the Arranger. When
disabled, the clip will play only once. If the size of the clip is longer than
its contents, the later portion of the clip will be empty.

If Loop is off, the other settings here are ignored.

› Start is the looping equivalent of the Offset parameter, keeping the

clip contents in their place but delaying the point at which each loop
repetition starts.

Taking the same example from above, I could increase the Start from
1.1.1.00 (no loop offset) to 1.2.1.00, causing each one-bar loop to end in
the same place but start a quarter note late.

› Length sets the duration of the clip that is being repeated. This is the
same as using the I-beam cursor with a looping oval to graphically
adjust the loop length.

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4.2.9.4. Fade Section

As stated earlier, fade actions and parameters apply only to audio clips.
So these twin sets of parameters represent controls for any Fade In and
Fade Out applied to the selected audio clip. Taken from top to bottom:

› The musical time value represents the length of the fade. If it is set to
zero (0.0.0.00), then no fade is applied regardless of the other settings.

› The buttons allow toggling the fade's curvature type between a

standard linear curve and an S-curve, respectively.

› The level value sets the amplitude at the fade's midpoint, effectively
shaping the fade's curve.

As shown earlier in the Arranger, crossfades are really comprised of

two separate fades (a fade out from the first clip, and a fade in on
the second). As such, their settings can be coordinated or handled
completely independently.

4.2.9.5. Mute Section

Mute toggles whether or not the selected clip is disabled on playback.

This is in contrast to the track mute button, which disables all contents
of the track.

4.2.9.6. Shuffle Section

These settings relate to the groove of the selected clip:

› Shuffle toggles whether or not the Global Groove parameters are

applied to the clip. If Shuffle is off, the other setting here is ignored.

› Accent sets the percent of the Global Groove's accent Amount that
should be applied to this clip.

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For example, if the Global Groove's accent Amount is set to 100% (the
default setting) and the clip's Accent setting is at 30%, then the clip will
apply an accent at 30% strength (30% of 100%).

Or if the Global Groove's accent Amount is set to 50% (the default

setting) and the clip's Accent setting is at 50%, then the clip will apply
an accent at 25% strength (50% of 50%).

Since this is a scaling function, either parameter being set to zero (0%)
results in no accent.

4.2.9.7. Clip Menu Functions

These functions take the specified action on the selected clip:

› Double Content makes the selected clip twice its current length and
duplicates its non-looping contents.

› Consolidate merges all selected clips (on a track by track basis) into
single, contiguous clips.

› Reverse flips the order and positions of the clip's contents, causing
them to play "backwards."

› Scale 50% simply halves the length of a looping clip. This is the same
result as dragging its end point exactly halfway toward the start.

The following images demonstrate a selected looping clip both before

and after the Scale /2 function is applied:

For a non-looping clip, it halves both the length of the selection and
the duration and positions of its contents, effectively causing the clip to
play back twice as fast.

The following images demonstrate a selected non-looping clip both

before and after the Scale 50% function is applied:

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4. ARRANGER CLIPS AND THE BROWSER PANEL

› Scale 200% simply doubles the length of a looping clip. This is the same
result as dragging its end point so that the entire clip is now twice as
long.

The following images demonstrate a selected looping clip both before

and after the Scale 200% function is applied:

For a non-looping clip, it doubles both the length of the selection and
the duration and positions of its contents, effectively causing the clip to
play back half as fast.

The following images demonstrate a selected non-looping clip both

before and after the Scale x2 function is applied:

› Bounce In Place replaces the selected clip with a new audio clip. When
the selected clip was an audio clip, the sound source is the audio itself,

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which will be printed into a solid clip. For a note clip, the sound source
is the first instrument device in the track's device chain.

Note

For additional information on this function, see section 11.2.2.

› Bounce prints the sound source of the selected clip into a new, solid
audio clip (the functional equivalent of a "consolidated" clip). For an
audio clip, the sound source is the audio itself, which will be printed
into a solid clip. For a note clip, the sound source is the first instrument
device in the track's device chain.

Note

For additional information on this function, see section 11.2.1.

› Slice In Place… divides the selected clip into multiple clips, slicing
regularly at a note interval (on Beat Grid). With audio clips, slicing
can also be done at Onsets (the detected transients) or Beat Markers
(defined stretch points that you may have changed). This can be an
extremely efficient way to do audio edits.

Note

For additional information on this function, see section 9.2.1.6.

› Slice to Drum Machine… produces a new instrument track loaded with

a Drum Machine device, which contains a series of audio clips (loaded
in Sampler devices) representing the original clip's content. The track is
loaded with a note clip that is configured to trigger the Drum Machine
in a fashion that reproduces the original clip.

Note

For additional information on this function, see section 11.3.2.

› Slice to Multisample… produces a new instrument track loaded with a

Sampler device, whose multiple samples represent the original clip's
content. The track is loaded with a note clip that is configured to
trigger the Sampler in a fashion that reproduces the original clip.

Note

For additional information on this function, see section 11.3.1.

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› Reset Fades removes any applied fades from the selected audio clips.

› Auto-Fade applies a quick, relative fade in and fade out to all selected
audio clips.

› Transpose a Semitone Up shifts the pitch of all note events in selected

note clips up by one half step.

› Transpose a Semitone Down shifts the pitch of all note events in

selected note clips down by one half step.

› Transpose an Octave Up shifts the pitch of all note events in selected

note clips up by twelve semitones.

› Transpose an Octave Down shifts the pitch of all note events in

selected note clips down by twelve semitones.

› Quantize… moves the start and/or end times of all events in the
selected clip(s) in relation to a beat grid. A parameter pane appears
after this function is selected.

Note

For additional information on the parameters available for the

quantize function, see section 10.2.2.4.

› Make Legato adjusts the length of each event in the selected clip(s)
so that it ends immediately before the next event begins. This creates
a continuous series of events by both extending events beyond rests
to the beginning of the next event and by shortening events which
overlapped their successor.

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› Save Clip To Library… stores the selected clip in your library, allowing
you to first set various tags for the clip.

4.3. Playing Back the Arranger

How to play Arranger clips is simple enough: you play the Arranger. But
there are a few details worth getting into at this point. Let's begin this
discussion with the elements that enable basic playback.

To play the Arranger timeline: engage the transport by pressing either

[SPACE BAR] or [P], or by clicking the Global Play button.

To stop the Arranger timeline: disengage the transport by pressing either

[SPACE BAR] or [P], or by clicking the Global Stop button.

The Global Playhead is an indicator of where the transport has most

recently played. In the Arranger Timeline, it is represented with a
vertical black line. Whenever the transport is active, the Global Playhead
progresses through the Arranger tracks, and its location is noted by the
play position display in the window header.

The Play Start Marker is the blue, right-facing triangle within the Beat
Ruler that indicates where the transport will play from the next time it is
engaged.

To move the Play Start Marker: single-click in the top half of the Beat
Ruler.

Other ways to move the Play Start Marker include:

› Single-click anywhere within the Arranger Timeline with the Pointer

tool.

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› Click and drag the play position in the window header's display section.

› Select a single Arranger clip to move the Play Start Marker to the
beginning of that clip.

To play the Arranger timeline from the beginning: press [ALT]+[SPACE

BAR] or [ALT]+[P].

To play the Arranger timeline from the Global Playhead's position: press
[SHIFT]+[SPACE BAR] or [SHIFT]+[P].

To stop the Arranger timeline and advance the Play Start Marker: click
the Global Play button.

The Arranger Loop Selector sets the region of the Arranger Timeline that
will be looped during playback. This region is also used for several other
functions.

To toggle the Arranger Loop function: click the Arranger Loop toggle in
the window header.

The Arranger Loop function affects all tracks as it literally picks up and
moves back the Global Playhead when the end of the region is reached.
This is a playback function, while clip looping is an arrangement function.

To move the Arranger Loop Selector's position: click the center of the
Arranger Loop Selector and drag it in time.

To change the Arranger Loop Selector's length: mouse over the left
or right edge of the Arranger Loop Selector so that a bracket cursor
appears. Then click and drag in either direction.

4.3.1. Cue Markers
You also have the option of using Cue Markers in the Arranger, which
store play positions along the Arranger Timeline for easy triggering. To
use Cue Markers, first right-click within the Beat Ruler, and then enable
Show Cue Markers from the context menu. This will make the Beat Ruler
slightly taller.

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To create a Cue Marker: right-click the Beat Ruler, and then select Insert
Cue Marker. A yellow play icon and the Cue Marker's current name (likely
Untitled) will appear in the Beat Ruler.

The left edge of a Cue Marker's play button icon aligns with its location.

To trigger playback from a Cue Marker: double-click its play icon.

If the transport was inactive, playback will start immediately from the
Cue Marker. If the transport was already going, playback will move to
the Cue Marker's position after the Default Launch Quantization interval
(see section 5.2.5.2).

Note

If you want the same playback behavior without creating a Cue

Marker, simply double-click the desired playback position from the
top of the Beat Ruler (between the numbers).

To rename a Cue Marker: double-click its name.

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To change a Cue Marker's color: right-click either the Cue Marker's icon
or name, and then select a different color from the palette that appears
within the context menu.

To move a Cue Marker: click either the Cue Marker's icon or name, and
then drag it to the desired position. Or click the Cue Marker to select it,
and then change its position in the Inspector Panel.

To delete a Cue Marker: click the Cue Marker to select it, and then press
[DELETE] or [BACKSPACE].

4.3.2. Time Signature Changes

Like Cue Markers, time signature changes can also be inserted along the
Arranger Timeline.

To insert a time signature change: right-click the Beat Ruler, and then
select Insert Time Signature Change. An orange triangle appears beside
the new time signature change, indicating that it is selected and its
parameters can be edited from the Inspector Panel.

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Note

For more information on time signatures and how the ticks parameter
is handled, see section 2.3.3.

To move a time signature change: click either the time signature

change's triangle or name, and then drag it to the desired position. Or
click the time signature change to select it, and then change its position
in the Inspector Panel.

To delete a time signature change: click the time signature change to

select it, and then press [DELETE] or [BACKSPACE].

4.4. Recording Clips
Since we can now edit Arranger clips in the most fundamental ways, it is
a good time to examine recording new note and audio clips. This begins
with getting the right signals routed into our tracks.

Before we deal with this on a track level, make sure that any audio and
MIDI interfaces/controllers you are using have been set up properly (see
section 0.3.2).

4.4.1. Track I/O Settings

To assign input and output paths for each track, we must first have
access to the Track I/O section within each track header. This section's
visibility is toggled by clicking the Track I/O view toggle.

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This section contains the following controls:

› The input chooser lets you select which signals are getting routed into
the track.

For instruments tracks, the options are incoming MIDI sources. The
default selection is All inputs so that every MIDI source should make it
to the track.

For audio tracks, the options are both incoming audio sources and the
audio outputs of all other tracks. The default selection is No input.

Note

If a desired MIDI source is missing, select the Add Controller… option,

which will open the Controllers tab on the Settings page of the
Dashboard (see section 0.3.2.2).

Similarly, Add Buss… can be selected from any audio input or output
chooser, which goes to the Audio tab instead (see section 0.3.2.1).

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› The output chooser lets you select where the track's final audio is
getting routed to. The default selection is Master, which will serve us
well in nearly all situations.

› The monitor button toggles whether the selected input source is being
passed to the track's input. All instrument tracks have monitoring
enabled by default.

4.4.2. Recording Note Clips

A few steps are needed to successfully record a note clip. First, we need
a sound source for our audio. Second, we need a MIDI source to record
as notes. And then, we can hit record.

4.4.2.1. Loading an Instrument Preset

Note clips in Bitwig Studio — not unlike MIDI — are really just instructions
to be interpreted by an instrument device. Notes themselves do not
produce any sound. So before we record any notes, we should load an
instrument preset so that our notes can be realized.

To load an instrument device: go to the Browser Panel and select the

Presets tab. Under the Devices area, browse within the Bitwig container
and pick one of the instrument subheadings, such as Keyboard or Synth.
From the selection pane, drag any preset into the Arrangement Timeline
Panel.

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If you do not like the first device preset you load, repeat the above steps
until you find one you appreciate.

4.4.2.2. Setting a MIDI Source

If you have a MIDI keyboard connected and already made Bitwig Studio
aware of it, then it should be working already. By playing the keys, the
instrument track's level meters should start showing audio.

Note

By default, all incoming MIDI channels will be received and written

on record. A couple Channel settings are also available from the
Inspector Panel when you select the header of the instrument track in
question.

If you want a track to receive messages From a particular channel

and/or want to record all incoming data To a single channel, just
change these track settings here.

If you do not have a MIDI controller — or your MIDI device is all knobs
and no keys — press [CAPS LOCK] to temporarily transform your
computer keyboard into a MIDI keyboard. Pressing letters in the top two
rows should trigger notes and cause the audio meters to dance.

Note

While [CAPS LOCK] is active, most key commands will not work.

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4.4.2.3. Recording Notes

To record an Arranger note clip: enable the track's record arm button,
enable the Global Record button, and then activate the transport and
begin playing notes.

4.4.3. Recording Audio Clips

Unlike notes, the audio events that make up audio clips do not require
any devices. They are already audio. So once we determine the audio
source to be recorded, we should be good to go.

4.4.3.1. Setting an Audio Source

Whether you are using an external audio interface or the internal

interface of your computer, you first need to set the desired input source
in the track's input chooser (they will be at the top of the chooser list). If
you enable the monitor button of the track and then send audio to this
input, you should see the input in the track's audio meters.

Before recording, you probably want to disable the record arm buttons
on all other tracks. Otherwise, you could trigger multiple tracks to record
at once and alter or erase other clips in the process.

4.4.3.2. Recording Audio

To record an Arranger audio clip: enable the track's record arm button,
enable the Global Record button, and then activate the transport.

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5. The Clip Launcher
We have spent the last couple chapters working within the Arranger
Timeline. And while the Arranger is absolutely crucial to music creation
in Bitwig Studio, it is only half of the story.

The Clip Launcher Panel — also called the Launcher — is the logical
Arranger's artistic brother. While the Arranger is an excellent way to
lay out the fixed "story" of a song, the Launcher allows you to freely
improvise with your clips. More on that soon.

We will start by getting an overview of the Clip Launcher Panel and its
constituent elements. Next we will revisit some of the same concepts
we saw with Arranger clips as they apply to Launcher clips. We will then
investigate how Launcher clips relate to the transport and Arranger
clips and see how Launcher clips are triggered. Finally, we will record
Launcher clips and learn to capture the Clip Launcher's output on the
Arranger Timeline.

Bitwig Studio is just one DAW, but it is the two sequencers within that
provide limitless musical possibilities.

5.1. The Clip Launcher Panel

Charting out music from beginning to end is the way nearly all
productions take place. But even from the earliest music, improvisation
has been an important source of variation, inspiration, and life. Balancing
these two poles — the programmed and the spontaneous — has been
a central concern, all the way from Bach's time and his (literally) sacred
music, up to the present day and our attempts to make electronic music
engaging from the stage.

Aside from its unique perspective and purpose, the Clip Launcher
Panel is also the only panel that loads directly into another panel. In this
chapter, we will be learning about the Launcher within the Arranger
Timeline Panel, but it can also be called up inside the Mixer Panel of the
Mix View (see section 6.1.2).

The key difference between Arranger clips and Launcher clips is their
purpose. Arranger clips are played back precisely at the designated time.
But Launcher clips must be available whenever you want them, either for
section-based composition (verse, chorus, bridge), or as pieces for a live
performance, or however else you might use them. Arranger clips must
be rigid, and Launcher clips must follow your whim.

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5.1.1. Clip Launcher Layout

Let's begin by examining the Clip Launcher Panel beside the Arranger
Timeline that we were just using.

What we see here is the same Arranger Timeline Panel as before, but
now the view toggles for both the Clip Launcher and the Arranger
Timeline are engaged. As a result, we see these two sequencers side by
side within the panel.

The Clip Launcher Panel appears as a series of slots that are arranged
across each track. Since tracks in the Arrange View are oriented
horizontally, the Clip Launcher Panel is also arranged from left to right.
In case more slots exist than can be shown at one time, the horizontal
scroll bar at the bottom of the panel allows you to scroll to view all the
slots.

The slots are made to house clips and have no functionality of their own.
Whenever we refer to a "Launcher clip," we mean a clip that is housed
within this Launcher sequencer.

On each track before the clip slots begin is a Stop Clips button. Each
of these buttons halts all clips that were playing on its track. And on
each track after the last visible clip slot is a Switch Playback to Arranger

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button. Each of these buttons restores the Arranger as the active

sequencer for this track. The last section of this chapter will explain this
relationship in detail.

Each vertical column of clips is a group called a scene. These groupings

can be used for triggering or working with the constituent clips all
together. If additional slots are needed, additional scenes can be created
to provide them. Also note that each scene can be resized horizontally,
providing more space to show the contents of its component clips and
their playheads.

Similar to each track, the displayed scenes begin and end with the
Global Stop Clips button and the Global Switch Playback to Arranger
button, respectively. Each global button is the equivalent of triggering
all track buttons of that kind. Again, the last section of this chapter will
cover these functions in more detail.

Finally, various Clip Launcher settings are grouped within the Play menu.

› Automation Write: Enables automation recording to the Clip Launcher

Panel.

› Overdub: Merges incoming notes onto active clips the Clip Launcher
Panel the next time the transport is started. Otherwise, note data is
overwritten.

› Record on scene launch: Causes a scene launch to trigger recording

into empty slots on all record-enabled tracks.

5.1.2. Within Launcher Clips, Scenes, and Slots

As for the appearance of Launcher clips themselves, there are only a few
things to note.

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The crucial item within each clip and scene is the play button. This is the
means by which you trigger the clip or scene. These play buttons also
serve as indicators of which clips are active.

The top of each clip and scene also leaves space for that item's name,
which is optional. As can be seen in the image above, scenes without
names may be given automatic ones which you can always replace
manually. And the color stripe at the top of the scene reflects the scene's
color, just as the background of each clip shows its set color.

Below the play button and name of a clip may be a preview of the clip's
contents. Clips that contain either notes or audio events will always have
a preview, but the preview can be shown only when the track height is
set to normal. When the Arranger Timeline Panel has tracks set to half
size (as shown below), there is no room for the preview.

Finally, a couple of different buttons can appear within empty slots.

If the track is record-enabled, a slot record button will appear about

where the play button would within a clip. Clicking this record button
activates recording within the clip.

If the track is not record-enabled, a slot stop button will appear instead.
This button is just an alias to the track's Stop All clips button, performing
the exact same function.

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5.2. Acquiring and Working with Launcher Clips

Before manipulating clips in familiar ways, we must first get clips into the
Launcher. We will start by recapping inserting and recording clips, and
then look at moving clips between the Arranger and Launcher. Finally,
we will see how length and looping adjustments are handled in the Clip
Launcher Panel with the help of the Inspector Panel.

In the Clip Launcher Panel, we will recap inserting clips from the
Browser Panel, look at moving clips between the Launcher and the
Arranger, and see the options available for Launcher clips in the
Inspector Panel.

5.2.1. Getting Clips from the Browser Panel

Getting clips from the Browser Panel onto a track is almost identical for
the Clip Launcher Panel and the Arranger Timeline (see section 4.2.1).
The only difference is where you drop the clip off.

And if the clip is dragged between two tracks, a new track will be
created automatically as well.

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Additionally, an empty Launcher clip slot has a + icon appear when the
slot is hovered over. As in most other situations, clicking + opens the
Pop-up Browser, in this case with a special configuration that offer clips
and samples within your preset library, as well as any defined music
locations.

Note

For more information on working with the Pop-up Browser, see

section 7.1.3.

5.2.2. Copying Clips Between the Arranger and

Launcher
Copying a clip from one sequencer to the other follows the same pattern
as all other movements that we have made.

To copy an Arranger clip to the Launcher: click and drag the clip from
the Arranger Timeline to the desired slot on the appropriate track.

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If multiple Arranger clips are selected, the clips will be copied into
successive slots.

To copy a Launcher clip to the Arranger: click and drag the clip from the
Launcher to the desired timeline position on the appropriate track.

If multiple Launcher clips are selected, the clips will be placed into the
Arranger consecutively.

Scenes can also be copied from the Launcher to the Arranger Timeline.
And conversely, any combination of Arranger clips can be copied to a
scene by dragging them over.

All of these copy functions can also be done into new tracks.

5.2.3. Sliding Launcher Clip Content

The content of one or multiple clips can also be shifted left and right
from the Clip Launcher Panel. Sliding content in this fashion preserves
the length of each clip, simply sliding the contained note or audio events
(including any associated expressions) earlier or later in time.

To slide the content of a clip: mouse over the top half of the waveform.
Then [ALT]-click ([CMD]+[ALT]-click on Mac) and drag horizontally.

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You can optionally add the [SHIFT] key while dragging to toggle the
snapping behavior.

5.2.4. Sub Scenes and Group Tracks in the

Launcher
When working with group tracks in the Arranger, we encountered the
idea of meta clips (see section 4.2.8). In the Launcher, a similar idea
exists in the form of sub scenes.

Each group track has its own row of sub scenes. Each sub scene uses
color blocks to identify which contained tracks have clips that fall within
that sub scene. Just as a scene allows you to trigger a set of Launcher
clips across your project, a sub scene allows you to trigger Launcher
clips contained by that group track's component tracks. And while clips
within a sub scene are playing back, miniature clip playheads are shown
within the sub scene to indicate the current playback position of each of
its clips.

Also similar to meta clips in the Arranger, sub scenes act as aliases
for the clips they contain. Sub scenes can be moved by dragging and
dropping, they can be cut or copied or pasted in the normal ways,
they can be deleted, and they can even be sources or destinations for
dragging clips between the Launcher and Arranger.

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Note

Like regular scenes, sub scenes can also have colors assigned to
them. These color stripes will be shown on screen when you navigate
into that group track (see section 4.2.8).

5.2.5. Launcher Clip Parameters

The Arranger Timeline had a convenient graphical view for visualizing
the length and loop settings of a clip. While the Clip Launcher Panel
does not have its own graphical editor, we will always have the
Inspector Panel.

Launcher clip parameters are generally similar to Arranger clip

parameters with a few important differences. In order to see how the
Inspector Panel represents Launcher clip information, let's revisit the
Arranger clip looping example from the last chapter.

In this case, I have copied the example Arranger clip into a Launcher
slot. The resultant Launcher clip gives us these settings in the Inspector
Panel.

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We can see that the Signature, Loop, Mute, and Shuffle sections are
identical to their Arranger clip counterparts, and that we have also seen
all the functions available here already (see section 4.2.9).

We can also see that the initial Start/Stop section differs from the
Arranger clip's Time (Position) model, and that the Launch Q. and Next
Action sections are completely new.

5.2.5.1. Start/Stop Section

Arranger clips had the Time (Position) section because they are always
triggered at the exact position where they reside. Since Launcher clips
do not share this sense of predestination, their parameters simply
describe what portion of the clip should be played when triggered.

This section contains the following controls:

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› Start sets the location within the clip that should be played first. This is
very similar to adjusting the Offset of an Arranger clip, changing only
which part of the Launcher clip should play back first.

› Stop sets the end of the clip contents that should be played. This
setting is available only when Loop is disabled.

5.2.5.2. Launch Q(uantize) Section

Launch quantization is a crucial concept for getting the Launcher to play

in time with the Arranger.

Clips are usually triggered with a performance gesture, such as a click of

the mouse or the push of a button. Since musicians are not robots, these
gestures are almost always imprecise, landing somewhere other than the
exact beat we meant to hit.

Launch quantization forces the clips we trigger to align appropriately

with the beat grid. Since things that have already started cannot be
shifted backwards in time, we must trigger the clips ahead of time so
they can match the next defined beat exactly. (You can think of launch
quantization as a performance-based version of absolute grid snapping.)

This section contains the following controls:

› Launch Q. sets the interval at which this particular clip will be triggered.

A beat-level setting (for example, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, or 1/16) will play all newly
triggered clips when the Global Playhead reaches the next grid line of
that interval.

A bar-level setting (for example, 1 bar, 2 bars, 4 bars, or 8 bars) will play
all newly triggered clips when the Global Playhead reaches the next bar
of this interval. For example, a setting of 1 bar would wait for beat 1 of
the next bar to play, while a setting of 4 bars would wait for the next
fourth bar (e.g., bar 1, bar 5, bar 9, etc.) to be reached.

Off disables clip quantization, meaning the clip will begin playback the
moment it is triggered.

Default follows the Default Launch Quantization setting, which is

defined in the Play menu under the Settings section. This global
parameter is selected from the same values listed here.

› Q. to Loop toggles clip quantization to be based on the loop start point

instead of the clip start. This allows you to trigger a clip with a lead-in
that plays once, like musical pick-up notes.

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5.2.5.3. Next Action Section

Next Action is the option to determine what should happen after this
clip has played for a set amount of time. The two parameters used to
achieve this are Do and after, as in, "please Do <this function> after <this
amount of musical time has passed>."

If after is set to no time (0.0.0.00), the Next Action function is disabled

for this clip. When after is set to some amount of time, the clip will be
played for this amount of time before the Do function is triggered.

Do sets the task to be executed. The list of available actions is divided in

two.

5.2.5.3.1. Local and Global Next Actions

The following Do actions are listed at the top of the action list. They
relate either to the clip itself or any clip on the same track:

› Stop simply stops the clip.

› Return to Arrangement resumes playback of the Arrangement Timeline

for this track.

› Return to Last Clip resumes playback of the Launcher clip that was
playing immediately before the current clip. If no clip was playing when
this one was triggered, the clip is stopped.

› Play Next triggers the next available Launcher clip. If the current clip is
the last clip on the track, the clip is stopped.

› Play Previous triggers the previous available Launcher clip. If the

current clip is the first on the track, the clip is stopped.

› Play First triggers the first Launcher clip on the track.

› Play Last triggers the last Launcher clip on the track.

› Play Random triggers a Launcher clip from the track at random, which
could potentially retrigger this clip.

› Play Other triggers a different Launcher clip from the track at random.
The current clip will not be retriggered.

› Round-robin triggers the next available Launcher clip. If this is the last
clip on the track, the first Launcher clip on the track is triggered.

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5.2.5.3.2. Using Clip Blocks with Next Actions

The second half of the Do actions list makes use of clip blocks, which are
groups of clips that sit side by side with blank slots around them.

In the image above, the Drums track has three clip blocks (which I have
manually colored), each containing two clips. The number of clips in a
block is completely up to you, and each block needn't contain the same
number of clips.

These functions include:

› Play First in Current Block triggers the first Launcher clip in the current
clip block.

› Play Last in Current Block triggers the last Launcher clip in the current
clip block.

› Play Random in Current Block triggers a Launcher clip from the current
clip block at random, which could potentially retrigger this clip.

› Play Other in Current Block triggers a Launcher clip from the current
clip block at random. This clip will not be retriggered.

› Round-robin in Current Block triggers the next available Launcher clip

in the current clip block. If the current clip is the last in the block, the
first Launcher clip of the clip block is triggered.

› Play First in Previous Block triggers the first Launcher clip in the
previous clip block. If the current clip is within the first clip block, this
block's first clip will be triggered.

› Play Random in Previous Block triggers a Launcher clip from the

previous clip block at random. If the current clip block is the first block,
a clip will randomly be triggered from this block.

› Play First in Next Block triggers the first Launcher clip in the next clip
block. If the current clip is within the last clip block, this will act like the
Stop function.

› Play Random in Next Block triggers a Launcher clip from the next clip
block at random. If the current clip is within the last clip block, this will
act like the Stop function.

› Play First in Other Block triggers the first Launcher clip from a different
clip block.

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› Play Random in Other Block triggers a Launcher clip at random from a

different clip block.

5.3. Triggering Launcher Clips

Just as the last chapter looked at playing the Arranger and its clips, we
should now discuss triggering Launcher clips. But now that we have two
sequencers in play, we must first discuss the relationship between the
Arranger and Launcher. Understanding their alliance will allow you to get
the most — and possibly most interesting results — out of Bitwig Studio.

5.3.1. How the Arranger and Launcher Work

Together
When thinking about Bitwig Studio's two distinct sequencers, it helps to
consider the following concepts:

› The transport drives all timing functions, whether it is the playback of

Launcher clips, the recording of Arranger clips, or vice versa.

› The Arranger Timeline's Beat Ruler also has influence over the Clip
Launcher Panel. Launcher clips may be played back whenever you
choose, but the launch quantize feature described above is regularly
used for the sake of coherence and musicality, aligning launched clips
with arranged ones according to your wishes.

› On each individual track, either the Launcher or Arranger will be active

at any given time.

› By default, each track starts with the Arranger Timeline active. The
Launcher will take over for a track after a Launcher clip is either
triggered or recorded, or the track's Stop Clips button is pressed. The
Arranger will regain control only after the track's Switch Playback to
Arranger button is pressed.

› All tracks can be toggled in unison from the Arranger to the Launcher
and back. The Launcher will take over all tracks when either the Global
Stop Clips button is pressed or a scene is triggered. The Arranger
will regain control of all tracks when the Global Switch Playback to
Arranger button is pressed.

The takeaway is that you can act like Bitwig Studio has just one
sequencer, by using only the Arranger Timeline (to create a completely

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composed song, for example) or only the Clip Launcher (to take
elements you have made and freely improvise a structure). You could
also keep most tracks playing what you programmed in the Arranger,
and occasionally shift some tracks to the Launcher for the sake of
improvisation.

Once the two sequencers make sense to you, there is no "right way" to
use them. Only options.

5.3.2. Triggering Launcher Clips

To trigger a Launcher clip: click the play button in its top left corner.

If the transport was stopped, triggering a clip immediately activates the

transport. (Otherwise, no clip could play.)

Once a clip is triggered, a black box appears around the play button to
mark this as an active clip. A clip remains active until either a different
clip on that track is triggered, the track's (or the Global) Stop All Clips
button is triggered, or the track's (or the Global) Switch Playback to
Arranger button is pressed. When the transport is activated, all active
clips resume playing.

In the image above, you may also notice a vertical line going through the
active clip. Each active clip has its own clip playhead that indicates the
play position within the clip while the transport is active.

To trigger a scene: click the play button in its top left corner.

This will trigger all clips that exist within the scene and Stop All Clips for
tracks that contain no clip for the scene.

Note

If the Record on scene launch setting is enabled, empty slots on

record-enabled tracks will also begin recording (see section 5.1.1).

To stop all clips on a track: click either the track's Stop All Clips button or
a stop button within an empty slot.

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This stops Arranger clips as well since the Launcher is given control of
the track. Each Stop All Clips button will take effect at the default launch
quantize interval.

To stop all clips: click the Global Stop All Clips button.

While this will stop all clips after the default launch quantize interval, the
transport remains active.

To return control of a track to the Arranger: click the track's Switch

Playback to Arranger button.

This will take effect immediately, regardless of the default launch

quantize setting.

To return control of all tracks to the Arranger: click the Global Switch
Playback to Arranger button.

This will take effect immediately, regardless of the default launch

quantize setting.

5.3.3. Launching Time Signature Changes

Just as you can insert time signature changes in the Arranger Timeline
(see section 4.3.2), you can also trigger time signature changes from the
Clip Launcher. This method of automation can be achieved by placing a
Launcher clip with a set Signature parameter (see section 4.2.9.1) on the
master track. Whenever a clip like this is triggered, the transport's time
signature will be overridden.

5.4. Recording Launcher Clips

We will finally return to recording with the Clip Launcher, both to
record new Launcher clips and to print the results that come out of the
Launcher.

5.4.1. Recording Clips
All the same requirements apply for recording Launcher clips as
Arranger clips (see section 4.4).

To record a Launcher note clip: enable the track's record arm button,
click a blank slot's record button, and then begin playing notes.

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If the transport was inactive, it will automatically start once you click the
slot record button. If the transport was already active, it will continue
moving, and recording will commence after the default launch quantize
interval.

Note

The scene play buttons can also trigger empty Launcher slots to
record clips when the Record on scene launch setting is enabled (see
section 5.1.1).

5.4.2. Record to Arranger Timeline

As one more form of interaction between the Launcher and Arranger,
the result of all triggered Launcher clips can be recorded directly to each
Arranger track. This is a way to capture an improvisation, whether from
an early production phase, a stage performance, or whatever else you
can imagine.

To capture clips and/or scenes triggered from the Launcher into the
Arranger: enable the Global Record button, activate the transport, and
then trigger the clips/scenes.

A few notes that may be helpful here.

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› If you activate the transport by triggering your first clip or scene,

recording will begin from the Play Start Marker.

› If you deactivate the record arm buttons of individual tracks, you will
avoid recording empty clips to the Arranger tracks.

› Control changes can also be captured, making for a fully editable

transcription.

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6. The Mix View
For the past three chapters, we have dealt exclusively with the Arrange
View, and more particularly with the Arranger Timeline Panel that is
housed there. And while we are not done with the Arrange View (it will
be back), it is time to see another of Bitwig Studio's views.

In this chapter we will take up the Mix View and its central Mixer Panel.
As the purpose of each view is to provide tools organized around a
musical task, the clear task of this view is mixing, the necessary art
of adjusting and blending your tracks so that they play well together.
This happens first at the master track, and then on to the real world, in
headphones and on speakers.

We will begin by taking stock of the Mixer Panel, examining various

functional details along the way. We will also look at places outside of
the Mix View where mixing functions crop up. Finally, we will see how
the master track's output can be easily controlled with the Studio I/O
Panel.

6.1. The Mixer Panel

We will begin our examination with the Mixer Panel itself. Within the
Mixer View, the Mixer Panel is the lone central panel.

The Arranger Timeline Panel was oriented horizontally, which is

perfectly sensible for viewing the left-to-right timeline of your music.
Just as sensibly, the Mixer Panel is laid out vertically like a traditional
mixing board, with each available section stacked one atop the other.

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The first and next to last sections (track headers at top, channel strip
sections near the bottom) will always be visible. The View Toggles on the
bottom right allow you to decide whether each of the six other sections
are shown or hidden, with another two options for whether the effect
tracks or deactivated tracks should be displayed.

We will take the sections of the Mixer Panel in order, starting at the top.

6.1.1. Track Headers
The track headers in the Mixer Panel contain the same information as
the track headers of the Arranger Timeline Panel.

Each track header consists of at least three parts:

› Track Color stripe: A swatch of the track's assigned color.

› Track Type icon: An icon to indicate the kind of track (see section 3.2.1).

› Track Name: The title assigned to the track.

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› Track Fold button: Available for tracks whose primary signal path
includes certain container devices (such as Drum Machine, Instrument
Layer, or FX Layer). When enabled, the track's channel strip expands
to the right, exposing all signal paths in the top-level of the container
and giving each its own channel strip.

6.1.2. Clip Launcher Panel

The Clip Launcher Panel contains all of its usual elements and
functionality when loaded into the Mixer Panel (see chapter 5).

Its elements have just been rearranged to fit the vertical orientation of
tracks in this view. Also note that each track can be resized horizontally
to provide more screen space for viewing the track's clips.

6.1.3. Big Meters Section

These high-resolution stereo audio meters — aka the big meters — show
each track's current output level.

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The meters themselves display two values:

› The top of the filled bars indicates the current average level (roughly,
the track's current power).

› The dashed line above the bars indicates the momentary peak level.

Along the left side of the meters are units of decibels (dB). The values at
bottom are negative (beginning with negative infinity), eventually rising
to zero, and ending in positive decibels at the top.

Beneath each meter on the right is a running record of the track's peak
hold level.

To reset a meter's peak hold level: click on the peak hold level.

To reset the peak hold levels of all meters: hold [SHIFT] and then click on
any meter's peak hold level.

The meters section will take up as much window space as is available

so hiding other sections will grow these meters and enhance their
resolution.

6.1.4. Devices Section
The devices section provides a list of all the top-level devices on each
track.

This is not to be confused with the Device Panel (see section 7.2), where
parameters can be accessed and edited. This section can be used to
call up the Device Panel, move/copy the devices present, and add new
devices.

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To focus on a track's device within the Device Panel: double-click the

device.

To move a device: click and drag the device to the desired location.

You can also hold [ALT] to copy the device.

To layer a device with another: [SHIFT]-click and drag the device over
top of the device where the layer should be inserted.

To add a device: click the track's Add Device button (the + icon) to pull
up the Pop-up Browser (see section 7.1.3).

6.1.5. Send Section
The send section provides a level knob for each effect track in your
project. This section is available only on instrument, audio, hybrid, and
group tracks.

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Sends allow us to pass a portion of each track's audio into the various
effect tracks. Using a send does not affect a track's main output level.

For each individual send, you can decide whether the audio being sent
is taken before the track's volume fader has been applied or after. Since
this setting is relative to the track's fader, the settings are called pre (for
pre-fader) and post (post-fader). A third choice of auto is selected by
default, permitting the effect track targeted to decide whether pre or
post should be used (see section 6.2.3).

To set a send's source setting: right-click the send, and then select the
appropriate setting from the context menu.

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Note that the indicator ring of post sends is colored yellow. This same
ring is colored blue for pre sends.

6.1.6. Track I/O Section

The Track I/O section allows you to assign the input and output paths
for each track. This is exactly the same as it appears in the Arranger
Timeline Panel (see section 4.4.1).

6.1.7. Channel Strip Section

The channel strip section contains most of the same control items as the
track headers of the Arranger Timeline Panel.

This section contains the following controls:

› Pan knob: A stereo placement control for the track.

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› Record Arm button: Record enables the track.

› Solo button: When any track has its solo button enabled, only tracks
with solo enabled will output their audio.

› Mute button: Disables the track's audio output.

› Level meters: Stereo audio meters that display the track's output level.

› Volume fader: A final level control for the track.

6.1.8. Crossfader Section
The crossfader section contains a Global Crossfader on the master
track. Every other track has a Track Mix Selector, which allows you to
designate whether that track belongs to the A mix, both mixes, or the B
mix, respectively.

› When a track mix selector is set to the A position, that track will be
unaffected when the global crossfader is anywhere between the
leftmost and center positions, but that track's level will be gradually
faded out as the global crossfader moves from the center position to
the far right.

› When a track mix selector is set to the B position, that track will be
unaffected when the global crossfader is anywhere between the
rightmost and center positions, but that track's level will be gradually
faded out as the global crossfader moves from the center position to
the far left.

› When a track mix selector is set to the both mixes option (the diamond
button at center), that track is completely unaffected by the global
crossfader.

Note

Realize that the crossfader settings are active regardless of whether

the crossfader section is visible or not.

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6.2. Other Mixing Interfaces

While the functions offered by the Mix Panel within the Mix View are
extensive, a subset of these options can be found both in the secondary
Mixer Panel and within the Inspector Panel when tracks are selected.

6.2.1. The Secondary Mixer Panel

Unlike the Arranger Timeline Panel, the Mixer Panel can be loaded as a
secondary panel in other views. We will briefly examine this version of
the panel within the Arrange View.

To load the secondary Mixer Panel: click the Mixer Panel button in the
window footer, or press either [M] or [ALT]+[M].

Note

Not every view supports every panel. The available panels within a
particular view will have their buttons shown in the window footer.

For a review of these buttons and how to load the various panels, see
section 2.2.1.

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Again the bottom right of the panel includes the Mixer view toggles. But
while all the toggles appear enabled, there are curiously few sections
being displayed.

By looking closer at the view toggles, you will notice that they are
all enabled but grayed out. Bitwig Studio is acknowledging that you
have these sections enabled, but is also letting you know that there
isn't enough vertical space to display them all. While not all panels are
resizable, this one is.

To resize a panel: mouse over the panel's border that faces the middle
of the Bitwig Studio window. When the cursor becomes a bidirectional
arrow, click and drag the border.

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Now all enabled sections are visible, each working the same as they did
in the central Mixer Panel.

The only difference in this secondary version of the panel is that the Clip
Launcher Panel and the big meters section are unavailable.

6.2.2. Mixing in the Inspector Panel

Finally, the Inspector Panel will also display certain mixing parameters
whenever a track is selected. Whether in the Arranger Timeline Panel
or the Mixer Panel, clicking on the track header will focus the Inspector
Panel on that track.

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Both the devices and track I/O sections work exactly as they did in the
Mixer Panel.

The send section has used the extra space here to display both the
targeted effect track's name and the source settings (auto, pre, or post)
for each send.

The channel strip + big meters section is a replica of the original channel
strip section along with some rearranged big meters on the right. All
functionality from these sections remains the same.

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6.2.3. Inspecting Effect Tracks

Aside from lacking sends, everything just shown regarding the Inspector
Panel holds true for effect tracks, but one additional parameter is worth
noting.

To set a send track's routing preference: select the track and then toggle
the Pre-Fader button from the Inspector Panel.

When a track's send source is set to auto, the destination effect track's
routing preference will be used. By default, the preference of each effect
track is Post-Fader (as indicated by Pre-Fader being deselected). When
Pre-Fader is enabled, all corresponding track sends that are set to auto
will now adopt a setting of pre.

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6.3. Master Track Routing

We mentioned earlier that the default output assignment of all tracks is
Master (see section 4.4.1). This is referring to the name of the project's
master track, which defaults to Master. If we rename the master track,
the output choosers will follow suit.

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As you can also see in the image above, the default output of the master
track is set to Studio, which refers to the Studio I/O Panel. We will now
examine this panel and then see an example setup where a multichannel
audio interface is used.

6.3.1. Studio I/O Panel

Clicking the Studio I/O Panel view toggle in the window footer will call
up the panel.

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The top area of the panel displays the following audio settings:

› The Output Monitor Selector lets you select which pair of speakers
and/or sets of headphones are being used for any track whose output
is set to Studio.

The monitoring options are those you have defined under Settings >
Audio in the Dashboard (see section 0.3.2.1) using the same interface.

To toggle a monitor: click the monitor's icon.

Only one pair of speakers can be active at a time, and any number of
headphones may be used.

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A fuller example with multiple monitoring options is presented in the

next section.

› The Mono button toggles your studio output(s) from stereo to a

mixed-down mono output.

› The Local Solo button applies when working with container devices
that have discrete layers that include their own solo buttons, such as
Drum Machine. When this function is enabled, solo logic is applied at
the local device level. In this case, soloing one instrument layer/chains
only mutes that device's other layers. This is the default behavior.

When this function is disabled, solo logic is applied at the global level.
In this case, soloing one chain of a Drum Machine would effectively
mute all other tracks in your project.

The middle area of the panel displays the following cue and preview
settings:

› The Cue / Preview output menu sets the monitoring destination for
both cue signals (when the Solo as Cue button is active) and Browser
Panel previews.

This is particularly useful for performance situations. For example, this

allows you to cue up certain signals in your headphones before adding
them to the main mix.

› The Solo as cue button alters how solo works. When this function is
enabled, all solo-enabled tracks are also routed to the cue output, and
all other tracks are routed as usual. Solo buttons themselves will be
switched from S to C to reflect this.

When this function is disabled, normal solo rules apply (see section
3.1.3). When enabled, two additional parameters available:

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The Post-Fader toggle applies each track's volume level before

routing the signal to the set cue path.

The Cue Mix control is a crossfader, blending between the output

Studio buss output on the left and the cue signals on the right. This
allows you to set a mix of the two on your cue monitor.

› The Cue Level controls sets the volume out for cue monitoring. As this
buss is also used for previews in the browser panels, it is relevant even
when the same audio path (say, headphones) is used for both your
Studio and Cue / Preview outputs.

The bottom area presents a list of all MIDI controllers currently

connected or used in this project. Beneath each controller is a list of its
manual controller assignments (see section 13.3).

6.3.2. Multichannel Audio Interface

Most audio settings in the Studio I/O Panel are only useful when you
have more than one audio output option. To show one use case, I have
connected a multichannel audio interface and made the following
configuration in the Audio tab of the Preferences window.

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Let's walk through the example shown above.

Under Audio Inputs, three paths have been set up:

› Mic In is a mono input path that uses input 1 of our audio interface.

› Guitar In is a mono input path that uses input 2.

› Synth In is a stereo input path that uses inputs 3 and 4.

› FX Unit 1 is a stereo input path (for a hardware effects unit) that uses
inputs 5 and 6.

Under Audio Outputs, four paths have been set up:

› Phones is a stereo output path that uses outputs 1 and 2 of our audio
interface. This path has a role of Headphones.

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› 5-inchers is a stereo output path (for my 5" speakers) that uses outputs
3 and 4. This path has a role of Speakers.

› 8-inchers is a stereo output path (for my 8" speakers) that uses

outputs 5 and 6. This path has a role of Speakers.

› FX Unit 1 is a stereo output path (for a hardware effects unit) that uses
outputs 7 and 8. This path has a role of Output.

The audio input paths will now be available in various places in the
program, such as audio tracks' input choosers.

The audio output paths will be available from every track's output
chooser, but they will also appear in the Studio I/O Panel.

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You will notice that only the monitoring options (Speakers and
Headphones) are available here. Setting a path to an Output role makes
it available for signal routing, but not for monitoring.

So in this example, my project's master track is routed to Studio.

Because the Output Monitor Selector of the Studio I/O Panel is set to
8-inchers, anything reaching the master track is getting passed to my
8-inch speakers. And because Solo as Cue is enabled, any track that
is solo-enabled (and any Browser Panel content being previewed) is
routed to Phones.

If you have a simple setup and never click any of these options, audio
will be routed to the right place. But if you have more sophisticated
requirements, the settings shown here and Bitwig Studio's routing
options will cater to your needs as well.

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7. Introduction to Devices
The word "devices" has come up a few times now. For one thing, we
have already been using them on instrument tracks (see section 4.4.2.1).
For another, we have seen how other Bitwig Studio interfaces give us
access to devices we were already using (see section 6.1.4). But in this
chapter, we are finally dealing with the nuts and bolts of loading and
using devices. This small exploration will benefit users of all levels.

Note

More "advanced" device concepts are covered in chapter 14, which

assumes familiarity with the concepts found in this chapter.

The purpose of this chapter is not to teach you the particulars of any
device. Instead, it is to acquaint you with accessing devices, their general
interface concepts, and the layout of the Device Panel. A short section
about the Bitwig devices themselves can be found at the end of this
document (see chapter 17).

To expand slightly on chapter 1, each track in Bitwig Studio is equipped

with a device chain. Each track passes all played-back audio, note, and
MIDI signals to this device chain, which passes the messages from one
device to the next, like a bucket brigade. The final device in the chain
returns its audio output back to the track so that the mixing board
controls (volume, panning, etc.) can be applied before the audio is
passed to the track's assigned output buss.

Devices are grouped into the following descriptive categories:

› Analysis. Devices that merely visualize the signals that reach them.
They make no effect on the audio chain they are a part of.

Examples include Oscilloscope, which shows a time-domain

representation of incoming audio signals.

› Audio FX. Devices that manipulate incoming audio signals before

passing them onward.

Examples include various "modulation" audio effects (such as Chorus,

Flanger, Comb, and Blur), and other assorted processors (such as Freq
Shifter, Ring-Mod, Rotary, and Tremolo).

› Container. Utility devices whose primarily function is to host other

devices.

Examples include Drum Machine (for individual note splits), Instrument

Layer (for stacks), and Multiband FX-2 (for multiband audio
processing).

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› Delay. Delay line-based processors that operate on their incoming

audio signals.

Examples include various configurations of single tap delay lines

(Delay-1 and Delay-2) and multitap delay lines (Delay-4).

› Destruction. Distortion and other mangling processors that operate on

their incoming audio signals.

Examples include Bit-8 (a signal degrader) and Distortion.

› Drum. Individual drum piece emulators that use incoming note

messages to synthesize audio.

Examples include such electronic drum emulators as E-Kick, E-Snare,

and E-Hat.

› Dynamic. Processors that operate on their incoming audio signals,

based off of those signals' amplitude levels and trends.

Examples include Compressor, Gate, Peak Limiter, and Transient

Control.

› EQ. Sets of frequency-specific processors that operate on their

incoming audio signals.

Examples include various configurations of equalizers (such as EQ-5

and EQ-DJ).

› Filter. Frequency-specific processors that operate on their incoming

audio signals.

Examples include a multimode Filter unit and a layered Resonator

Bank.

› Hardware. Interface objects for sending signals and/or messages to

devices beyond Bitwig Studio (such as hardware synthesizers and
effect units, etc.). This can include transmitting and/or receiving audio
signals, control voltage (CV) signals, and clock messages.

Examples include HW Clock Out, HW CV Instrument, and HW FX.

› Keyboard. Keyboard instrument emulators that use incoming note

messages to synthesize audio.

Examples include Organ.

› MIDI. Transmitters for sending various MIDI messages via the track's
device chain. This is useful for sending messages to plug-ins or to
external hardware (when used in conjunction with Bitwig's hardware
devices).

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Examples include MIDI CC, MIDI Program Change, and MIDI Song
Select.

› Note FX. Devices that manipulate incoming note messages before

passing them onward.

Examples include Arpeggiator (for animating held notes), Multi-Note

(for using single notes to trigger multiple notes), and Transposition
Map (for transforming incoming notes to desired pitch shapes).

› Reverb. Time-based processors that operate on their incoming audio

signals.

Examples include the eponymous Reverb device.

› Routing. Devices that divert a track's signal path, allowing signals to

exit and/or reenter the track.

Examples include Audio Receiver (for bringing in audio signal from

other track or input) and Note Receiver (which does the same for note
messages).

› Synth. Synthesizer instruments that either generate their audio from

rudimentary source material or use audio samples. Incoming note
messages are used to synthesize audio.

Examples include Polysynth, FM-4, and Sampler.

› The Grid. Devices utilizing The Grid, Bitwig's modular sound-design

environment (see chapter 15).

Examples include FX Grid and Poly Grid.

› Utility. An assortment of devices sporting various, basic functionality.

Examples include simple signal generators (such as Test Tone) and

processors (such as Tool).

So while devices aren't always necessary, they can make things a whole
lot more interesting and open up possibilities that you may not have
previously thought of.

7.1. Accessing Devices
There are three ways to load devices into your Bitwig Studio project:
by loading a preset from the Browser Panel, by loading a device from

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the Browser Panel, or by loading a device from the Pop-up Browser

window.

7.1.1. Presets from the Browser Panel

The Presets tab of the Browser Panel provides a direct route to device
presets. This is a good way to browse for sounds themselves.

To recap from chapter 4, the Presets tab (see section 4.1.2) uses the
navigation pane to display both the device categories and the devices
themselves. Once selections are made in that top pane, the selection
pane below displays all corresponding presets. Or if you want to work
directly with devices and skip the available presets, you can similarly use
the Devices tab (see section 4.1.1).

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For example, after selecting the Instrument option from the Device Type
area and selecting Bitwig from the Device area, the selection pane shows
all the standard presets that use a Bitwig Studio instrument device. This
is the simplest way to browse for a particular sound.

Note

By default, not all filter options (such as Device Type, Device, etc.) are
visible in the navigation pane of the Browser Panel. For information
on enabling various filter options, see section 4.1.

You could also select presets from the top-level Bitwig header under the
Device category, but this will include presets from every device type.
Targeted searching is most easily accomplished by browsing presets
within a specific Device Type.

To insert a preset and device onto an existing track: click and drag the
preset from the Browser Panel to the appropriate track.

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This can be achieved in any of the editing panels, including the device
section of the Inspector Panel when the target track is selected.

To insert a preset and device onto a new track: click and drag the preset
from the Browser Panel to the space between existing tracks.

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This requires either the Arranger Timeline Panel or the Mixer Panel, as
these panels are made to display the entire project at one time.

7.1.2. Devices from the Browser Panel

Using the Browser Panel and the Presets tab again, you can select a
particular device to work with.

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Now that a single device is selected, only presets made with that device
are listed in the selection pane. You can now either import one of the
selected device's presets as described a moment ago, or you can import
the device itself with its default settings.

To insert a device onto an existing track: click and drag the device from
the top of the Browser Panel to the appropriate track.

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In this case, the device was dragged into the Device Panel, which was
focused on the appropriate track.

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To insert a device onto a new track: click and drag the device from the
Browser Panel to the space between existing tracks.

7.1.3. The Pop-up Browser

Outside of the Browser Panel, there is another way to load and replace
devices and presets (and also for trading out the multisamples, samples,
or music file loaded into a Sampler device). The Pop-up Browser is a
floating window that is available in a few different places throughout
Bitwig Studio. We have already seen it in the device sections of both the
Mixer Panel and the Inspector Panel when a track is selected.

The Pop-up Browser is also available in both the Device Panel and the
Arranger Timeline Panel by clicking on the Add Device button (the +
icon). You can also access the Pop-up Browser by double-clicking the
blank space between devices in the Device Panel or by double-clicking
the blank space that comes before the effect and master track headers
in the Arranger Timeline Panel.

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There is a lot going on in this window. At the top right of the window,
we see the five available categories that we can browse for. We will keep
this in Device browsing mode for now.

And while the list section in the middle of this window may look dense,
the top of each list pretty well describes its subject. We will start with
these several scrollable lists in the middle of the Pop-up Browser, the
first six of which are filters:

› At top left, the list that begins with Everything allows you to view
various collections. By default, you are viewing all available devices, but
you can pare back and view only special categories of devices, such
as those you have generally marked as Favorites or unique collections
that you have created.

› Also at far left, the list that begins with Any Device Type allows you
to view either devices of all kinds, or to view only selected types of
devices. These broad categories are:

An Audio Effect is a device whose primary input/output scheme is

audio signal in, audio signal out. Audio effect devices most typically
manipulate incoming audio signals before passing them onward.

An Instrument is a device whose primary input/output scheme is note

messages in, audio signal out. Instrument devices most typically use
incoming note messages to synthesize audio.

A Note Detector is a device whose primary input/output scheme is

note messages in, note messages out. Beyond this, the function of a

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note detector device is generally undetermined until the user takes

further action.

A Note Effect is a device whose primary input/output scheme is note

messages in, audio signal out. Note effect devices most typically
manipulate incoming note messages before passing them onward.

Note

The Pop-up Browser is aware of its surroundings, assessing where it

was called up within the track's signal flow and then giving you the
most common device type for that particular situation. For example,
clicking the add device button immediately before an instrument will
automatically suggest Note Effect devices.

› The next list begins with All Device Locations, allowing you to specify
the location of devices to be selected from. Options include those that
are native to Bitwig or any defined plug-in folder location, including
contained subfolders.

› The list below begins with Any File Type, allowing you to specify the
kind of devices to be selected from. Options include those that are
native Bitwig Devices or any particular format of plug-in (namely, VST
Plug-in), including subcategories by computing bit depth (for example,
VST Plug-in (64-bit)).

› The following list begins with the option Any Category, and
accordingly, this list presents all the categories of device as filter
options. (For more on these device categories, revisit the beginning of
this chapter or see section 1.4.)

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› The next list begins with the option Any Creator, allowing you to filter
the available devices by the manufacturers who created them.

› The final list on the far right is effectively your available device
selections based on previous filters that you have set. (By clicking the
star icons at the far right of a device name, you can mark any device as
a favorite.)

Note

Similar to the Browser Panel (see section 4.1.1), the bottom of the
devices list may show a notification and clickable toggle for showing
redundant plug-ins. The settings for which plug-in formats should
be considered redundant are found in the Dashboard (see section
0.3.2.5).

While these list options allows a thorough "browse" of the available

options, you can also "search" by typing in the search field directly
above the list options. And by clicking the up and down arrows in the
bottom row of the Pop-up Browser, you can easily step to the previous
and next available options.

To create a "smart collection" from the currently chosen filters: right-

click in any blank area of the window and then select Create New Smart
Collection… from the context menu.

By naming and saving this smart collection, you will be able to restore
your current filter and search settings from the favorites filter menu in
the top left of the Pop-up Browser. The "smart" designation indicates

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that the collection is dynamic, automatically including any new content

that is part of your library in the future.

To create your own static collection: right-click in any blank area of the
window and then select Create New Collection… from the context menu.
When this collection is selected from the favorites filter menu, any item
that you star will be added to this custom collection.

To audition a device within your project: click one of the available

selections in the rightmost column of the Pop-up Browser.

In this example, the E-Hat instrument has been selected from

the available choices. As indicated by the connected blue border
between the Pop-up Browser and the E-Hat device, this instrument
is immediately available for auditioning. Incoming note messages will
trigger this instrument, and the parameters within the Device Panel
can even be adjusted and heard immediately. (If the Pop-up Browser
window is blocking the device parameters from view, you can click
the typographical carrot icon [^] in the bottom row to minimize the
browser's window. Afterward, clicking the transformed icon [>] will
expand the window back to its normal size.)

Note

To turn off the instant audition function of the Pop-up Browser,

disable the speaker icon in the bottom row of the browser's window.

To commit the selected device to your project: click the Ok button at the
bottom right of the Pop-up Browser.

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To escape without making any changes to your project: click the Cancel
button at the bottom right of the Pop-up Browser.

To replace the preset being used by a device: click the folder icon within
the device. The Pop-up Browser will now appear, already set to browse
for Presets of the Bitwig Device Preset filetype that match the device
you were already using.

This is greatly similar to browsing for devices, with addition of a Devices

list in the middle of the other filter lists and a Tags list to the right of
all other filter menus. And the remaining three modes (Multisamples,
Samples, and Music) all offer similar, decipherable filter menus of their
own.

A couple final points worth noting about the Pop-up Browser:

› Within each filter list, you are free to engage multiple options. To add
or subtract from a list's selection, [CTRL]-click ([CMD]-click on Mac)
on each item you wish to toggle, or [SHIFT]-click to make a contiguous
selection (or deselection).

› You are free to switch between the five modes in the top right corner
at any time. This will possibly replace your targeted device with one
that is appropriate for the context or your eventual content selection.
For example, selecting the Multisamples, Samples, or Music modes of
the Pop-up Browser will replace the current device with a Sampler (or,
if you are targeting a Sampler, will replace its contents).

› Within the Browser Panel (see section 4.1), these same filter categories
are available by right-clicking within the panel and making selections
from the Filter Sections portion of the context menu.

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7.2. The Device Panel

Whether we load our devices from other panels or not, the Device Panel
is where all direct interaction with devices will occur. So once we are
ready to work with devices, we must explore the Device Panel and see
what it has to offer.

7.2.1. The Panel Itself

Let's take a simple example of a track that contains two devices: one
instrument and one audio FX.

Note that the above image shows the instrument on the left and the
audio FX on the right. In the Device Panel, signal always flows from left
(input) to right (output). While you could swap the position of these
devices, you probably would not get the desired outcome.

Starting with the outer rounded rectangle, we find on its left edge an
abbreviated, vertical track header. Included here are the familiar track
color stripe and track name.

Other than the track header, all space in the Device Panel is reserved
for devices. But before the first device (and after every device) comes a
vertical column containing three items:

› The note indicators light up when at least one note message is active at
that stage. (This is similar to a MIDI "note on" message that has not yet
been followed by a corresponding "note off.")

› The Add Device button calls up the Pop-up Browser window.

› The audio meters indicate the presence and level of audio signal being
received and transmitted by each device.

The Add Device button is present in all these locations so that you
can insert additional devices at any point within the device chain. The

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note indicators and audio meters are present at every device handoff
to visually inform you of signals that are changing as the signal flow
progresses. As relevant texts and your own experimentation will teach
you, the order in which devices are connected is critical to the outcome.

Each device has its own vertical header on its left edge. Common
elements in device headers are:

› Device Enable button: Toggles the device between on (engaged) or

bypass mode (temporarily disabled).

› Device Name: The official name of the device, or a substitute name that
you have selected (see section 14.2.3).

› Remote Controls button: Toggles to reveal the Remote Controls pane

for the device (see section 13.1.1).

› Modulators button: Toggles to reveal the Modulators pane for this

device.

Finally, the body of each device contains its own various parameters.
They can take the form of knobs, sliders, numerics, text and graphical
lists, buttons, curve controls, clickable graphic interfaces, and more. All
parameters can be set with the mouse by simply clicking and dragging.

7.2.2. The Expanded Device View

Certain devices have an optional Expanded Device View. This list
currently includes several instruments (FM-4, Phase-4, Polysynth, and
Sampler) and a few audio effects (EQ-5, Resonator Bank, and Spectrum
Analyzer). Each of these devices has an Expanded Device View button in
its device header.

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Clicking the Expanded Device View button covers the central panel area
with additional controls and visualizations for the device.

The Expanded Device View can also be loaded as a separate floating

window by clicking the undocking button (the box with an arrow
ascending out of it) in the top right.

Once floating, the Expanded Device View will remain visible regardless
of what track is selected. You can always close the window or click the
re-docking button (the box with an arrow, propelling the window back
to Earth) to rejoin the view within the main window.

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Note

This behavior can be changed with Floating windows follow current

track setting. This preference can be found in the Dashboard under
the Settings tab on the User Interface page in the Device category.
Enabling this setting will hide any floating Expanded Device View
windows when a different track is selected and restore them when
you select their track again.

Additionally, this setting provides a thumbtack toggle at the top

right of the window, allowing you to make some floating windows
persistent while the others only appear when their track is selected.

7.2.3. Effect Tracks and Send Amounts

Effect tracks have one unique feature in the track header of the Device
Panel.

When the effects sends button is enabled, the effect sends pane is
visible within the track header area. This resizable pane shows a list of
all instrument, audio, hybrid, and nested group tracks in your current
project. Each track is listed along with a meter showing its current
output level and a control for the send amount targeting this effect
track.

Essentially, this is a "mixer" view of the buss that feeds the effect track.
And tracks that have track fold buttons on the mixer (see section 6.1.1)
have a similar fold button here.

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7.3. VST Plug-ins
The other kind of device that can be used in the Device Panel is VST
plug-ins. Aside from setting up Bitwig Studio to recognize the plug-ins
you own (see section 0.3.2.5 for information on the Locations page of
the Dashboard), we haven't talked much about them. They operate side
by side with Bitwig devices, and both generally function in the same
way, but the interface for plug-ins is a bit different.

The bulk of the panel is reserved for the VST's Parameter area, but
the parameters are in the form of a long scrollable list of knobs. And

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above this list is a single joker knob, which is really an alias (or wild card)
which follows the last plug-in parameter that you touched. So after you
scroll halfway down a very long parameter list, the last parameter you
adjusted will still be accessible just above the list.

The top row of most plug-in devices has three important controls:

› The Plug-in Parameters button (with a knob icon) is lit up whenever the
joker knob and list of parameters are being shown below.

› The next button varies depending on the type of plug-in your have
loaded:

Most plug-ins then have a Post FX chain button (with a single right-
facing arrow for an icon), as was shown in the above image. Clicking
this button expands the right edge of the plug-in interface to display
a chain where other devices and plug-ins can be loaded.

The advantage of loading devices within a plug-in's Post FX chain is

that when you store a preset for this plug-in, that preset will include
all attached devices as well as their settings. So in the example above,
saving a preset for Surge would include the Chorus device and the
MasterVerb 5 plug-in along with all of their current settings, but the
Blur device would not be included.

Note

For more information on nested device chains, see section 14.1. And
for specific information on Post FX chains, see section 14.1.3.

Multichannel plug-ins do not have a Post FX chain button and

corresponding chain. Instead, they have a Multi-out chain button (with
two right-facing arrows for an icon). Clicking this button toggles the
parameter area below to instead show the Multi-out chain selector.

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This chain mixer gives you mixing controls for all the various outputs
of this multichannel plug-in within the current stereo track. Clicking
on the plug-in parameters button will return the parameter area to its
normal joker knob and parameter list.

To access audio channels from a multichannel plug-in on a different

track: either from a track's audio input chooser or from an Audio
Receiver device's SOURCE menu, select the track of the multichannel
plug-in, then select its Chains submenu, and finally select the desired
audio source.

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› The Parameter Search field is provided in the top of the plug-in area to
let you filter the parameter list and find what you are looking for.

This is useful as the parameter list for a complex plug-in can be

exceedingly long.

The parameter search field's magnifying glass icon also doubles as a

menu. By clicking on this icon, you can thin the parameter list to Show
only automated and modulated parameters. You can also revisit your
recent SEARCH HISTORY from this menu.

If remote controls are configured for your plug-in (see chapter 13.1.1),
an active controller may show parameter mappings here using small
colored circles in both panes.

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Finally, in the device header for any plug-in is a Plug-in Interface button.
Clicking this button calls up the plug-in's custom interface in a floating
window.

(As all plug-ins have their own custom interface, please don't expect
anything else to look like Surge, shown as the example above.)

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7.4. Working with Devices

Earlier in this chapter, we covered both adding devices and loading
presets. Before moving on, here is a list of other basic functions you may
wish to execute with the Device Panel.

To minimize/restore a device's interface: double-click the device header.

This is a change in appearance only and does not affect the operation of
any device.

To select a device: single-click its track header.

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The currently selected device is indicated with a dashed white border.

Once selected, all regular Edit functions apply, such as cut, copy,
duplicate, and delete.

To move devices around: click and drag the device header to the desired
position within the Device Panel.

As the status message in the footer suggests, [CTRL] ([ALT] on Mac)

can be added to toggle the move to a copy function.

To replace one device with another: drag the desired device or preset
from the Browser Panel onto the device to be replaced.

Once the mouse is released, the device will be replaced.

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To layer a device with another: [SHIFT]-click and drag the device over
top of the device where the layer should be inserted.

Depending on the type of devices being layered, an appropriate

container device will be created and populated with your selections.

Note

For more information on container devices and other advanced

device concepts, see chapter 14.

To rename a device: select the device and then change its name from
the Inspector Panel (see section 14.2.3).

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8. Automation
With the mixer interface (chapter 6) and our introduction to devices
(chapter 7), we examined both track and device parameters that you will
want to set as your own tastes dictate. But fixing these parameters to
certain values is probably not enough.

If you can think about how a song develops — from the arrangement
growing as parts gradually fade in and find their place in the stereo
field, to instruments becoming more animated as their tones morph
and brighten, to parts gradually fading away by both losing volume and
increasing reverb — then you can visualize the series of long and short
curves that represents a piece of music and its structure.

Automation is the animation of any defined parameter over time. It is

usually thought of as narrative and rigid (in the same way the Arranger
Timeline defines an exact musical progression), but Bitwig Studio also
supports both a clip-oriented approach to automation, and techniques
for having multiple layers of control cooperate to shape individual
parameters in a relative way.

We will start our look at modulation back in the Arranger Timeline

Panel, where we can work directly with traditional track-based
automation. Then we will meet the Automation Editor Panel, whose sole
purpose is displaying and manipulating automation. Finally, we will see
how clip-based and relative automation can enhance our workflows and
music in ways both novel and powerful.

Let's get those parameters dancing.

8.1. Automation Basics
If you work with music software and are used to only one type of
automation, it is track automation. With this kind of automation, values
for a parameter — volume, cutoff frequency, reverb amount, etc. —
are stored as fixed values. So when the playback head reaches an
automation point of either -9.43 dB or 2.88 kHz or 124 %, that exact
value will be set and preserved until the automation dictates otherwise.

Bitwig Studio can accommodate this kind of automation, and it can be

achieved with our old friend, the Arranger Timeline Panel.

8.1.1. The Arranger's Automation Lane Section

The one item in the Arranger that we have not looked into yet is the
Automation Lane button within each track header. When a track has this

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button enabled, the Automation Lane section for that track becomes
visible.

The Automation Lane section appears just below the track header and
extends across the Arranger Timeline area as a place to show its own
time-based data. Like all automation lanes, this one is resizable.

This track header section contains the following controls:

› Parameter chooser: Indicates and selects which parameter is displayed

in this primary lane.

› Pin Parameter button: Maintains this lane's focus on the current

parameter. This is disabled by default, which causes focus to follow the
last clicked parameter.

› Add Lane button: Creates an additional automation lane that is fixed on

the currently selected parameter.

› Show Favorites/All button: Toggles between displaying additional

lanes for either your favorite parameters or for all parameters that are
automated.

By clicking on the Parameter chooser, we will see a list of all automation

targets for the selected track.

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The list is displayed in signal-flow order, starting with any MIDI

automation lanes that are present. Listed next in order are all devices
directly on the track's device chain. (Nested devices appear within their
parent device's menu.) After that are Mixer elements, including track
Volume and other parameters shown above. The last item, Add MIDI
lane…, calls up a window.

In order to add a MIDI automation lane, you have to set the MIDI Channel
and the Type of message for this lane. Message types include Pitch
Bend, Ch. Pressure (sometimes called aftertouch), and Control Change
(which also requires a Controller Number).

The background of the Automation Lane in the Arranger Timeline faintly

hints at notes or audio events on the current track. These cannot be

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selected or edited; they are just illustrations to help you define your
automation in relation to the track's contents.

This area is where our automation functions will be defined. And while
this lane might seem empty, one subtle datum is present.

As the picture above shows, there is a light gray line just above the note
outlines. This is the current automation curve of the track's volume. And
since there are no additional automation points, that curve is a flat line at
the current setting of +0.00 dB. If we were to grab the volume fader in
the track header and make it quieter (by dragging it to the left), the gray
line would follow.

8.1.2. Drawing and Editing Automation

We will start with manipulating single points of automation. Similar
processes will also work when multiple values are selected.

To create a single point along the automation curve: click in an area

along the curve, and then drag the point to the desired value and
position. Or single-click anywhere within the automation lane with the
Knife tool.

We can repeat this a few times to create a small shape.

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Note that dragging your mouse along the automation curve displays the
parameter value beside your cursor for that song position. Also note the
blue circle that has appeared near the top of the volume fader's range.
This automation indicator — which looks like a misplaced automation
point — indicates that the parameter in question is under the control of
automation.

To create a single point outside the automation curve: double-click any

area of the automation lane.

To move an automation point: click and drag the point with the mouse.

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Note

The absolute grid setting constrains the movement of automation

points. To temporarily toggle this setting off, hold [SHIFT] while
placing points.

To adjust the transition between two automation points: [ALT]-click and

drag the curve between two points.

To reset a transition (to linear interpolation): [ALT]-double-click the

transition.

To shape both transitions around an automation point: [ALT]-click and

drag the point.

To delete an automation point: double-click it. Or single-click the point to

select it, and then press [DELETE] or [BACKSPACE].

To delete all automation for a parameter: right-click on the parameter

and select Delete Automation from the parameter's context menu.

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To redraw an automation curve: click and drag horizontally with the Pen
tool.

Once you release the mouse, the curve will be optimized to maintain its
shape with the minimum number of points.

To select multiple points: click and drag a selection rectangle around the
points of interest .

8.1.3. Parameter Follow and Automation Control

While you could use the Parameter chooser every time you need to
find a parameter, the chooser can help you. Its default behavior is to
focus on whichever parameter you select with the mouse. We call this
initial automation lane the joker lane because like a wild card, it takes on
whatever function you want it to.

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For example, clicking the track's mute button will now focus on the
primary lane for that parameter.

If you then click on the track's volume fader, focus will return to the
volume parameter.

As you can see, the automation that was drawn a minute ago has not
been lost. This primary lane is simply shifting its focus with each mouse
click.

To lock the Parameter chooser to its current selection: enable the Pin
Parameter button.

In the example shown, the Parameter chooser will now stay focused on
the Volume parameter even if you click on the track mute button or any
other parameter.

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Additionally, Bitwig Studio will let you temporarily override the

automation values you have set. This will automatically occur whenever
you grab an automated parameter and adjust it.

The automation indicator for the volume parameter has switched from
blue to green, indicating that the automation's control of this parameter
has been broken for the time being. At the same time, the Restore
Automation Control button within the display section of the window
header is now tinted green, indicating that it is armed.

To restore the control of automation over all parameters: click the

Restore Automation Control button.

The Automation Follow button, beside the beat grid settings in the
bottom right corner of the panel, is worth mentioning here. This button
toggles whether track automation is moved in tandem with Arranger
clips or not. The setting is enabled by default so moving a clip would
have the following effect.

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Disabling the button and moving the clip back would leave any and all
track automation behind.

The would hold true for movement functions, such as copy, duplicate,
etc.

8.1.4. Additional Automation Lanes

At times it will be useful to view the automation curves of several
parameters at once. To achieve this, Bitwig Studio supports fixed
automation lanes that appear beneath the dynamic primary lane.

To create a fixed automation lane for a parameter: select the desired

parameter in the chooser, and then click the Add Lane button.

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While it looks as though the lane just duplicated itself, there are some
key differences here.

Only the top lane has a parameter chooser. The new lane — and any
subsequent lanes — only has a text label indicating the device and
parameter being automated so it cannot change focus.

You will also notice that the new lane has two slightly different interface
buttons beneath.

› Favorite button: Marks the parameter to be displayed in the favorites

list.

› Delete Automation button: Deletes all automation for the lane's

parameter and removes the lane.

As the Show Favorites/All button above is indicating with its star icon,
tracks default to displaying favorite parameters. When favorites are
being shown, clicking the Add Lane button both creates the fixed lane
and automatically marks this parameter a favorite. The enabled Favorite
button of our new lane demonstrates its status.

To remove a fixed lane's favorite status: disable the lane's Favorite

button.

This essentially puts us back to where we started.

Please do not confuse the Delete Automation button for a "close"

button. Clicking it instead of the Favorite button will collapse the
additional lane, but it will also delete the automation for that parameter.

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To display all parameters that have automation: toggle the Show

Favorites/All button to the All setting and icon.

The list of automated parameters can also be accessed from the top of
the Parameter chooser list.

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8.1.5. Recording Automation
The automation write mode is set within the Play menu in the window
header's transport section.

There are three modes for recording automation.

› Latch mode begins recording automation values as soon as you begin

changing parameters. Recording then continues until the transport is
stopped.

› Touch mode also waits until you have begun changing parameters
to begin recording automation values, but once you stop interacting
with a parameter, recording is halted and any preexisting values are
preserved.

› Write mode is the most destructive, recording automation values from

the time the transport is launched until it is stopped. Any preexisting
automation points that are passed will be overwritten.

Automation recording is separately included in both the Arranger

Timeline Panel and the Clip Launcher Panel.

To record automation in the Arranger Timeline: enable the Automation

Record button in the transport controls section of the window header,
and then start the transport.

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Whether the transport is playing or recording, any parameter

adjustments made on this track will be printed as automation. Once the
transport is stopped, the automation curve will be optimized and the
Automation Record button will be disabled.

Note

In the Dashboard under the Settings tab on the Recording page in the
Recording section is an option called Write Automation on Record.
If this option is enabled, the Arranger's Automation Record button
will automatically be enabled whenever the Global Record button is
armed.

To record automation in the Clip Launcher Panel: enable the track's

record arm button and the Launcher's Automation Record button, and
then begin recording a clip.

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If the Automation Lane button is enabled for the track, the clip's
automation will be displayed in the bottom of the clip.

8.2. The Automation Editor Panel

Each panel in Bitwig Studio is focused as narrowly as possible on a
specific function. The Arranger Timeline Panel is, by necessity, the
broadest of our editors. While it also supports working with automation,
that is not its primary purpose. Working with automation is, however, the
only purpose of the Automation Editor Panel.

8.2.1. Track Editing Mode

When the Automation Editor Panel is initially called up within the
Arrange View (by clicking the Automation Editor Panel button in the
window footer), it opens in track editing mode.

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In this mode, the interface should look quite familiar. Due to the
presence of the Beat Ruler (see section 3.1.1), unique beat grid settings
(see section 3.1.2), and unique snapping settings (see section 4.2.2), this
looks a lot like the Arranger Timeline Panel. The difference is that the
general purpose Arranger Timeline area has been replaced with the
Automation Lane area for our currently selected track.

And the Automation Lane area is essentially an enlarged version of

the primary automation lane we just saw in the Arranger Timeline
Panel. This one also has a Parameter chooser on the left side, and the
Automation Lane area is being used to display the automation curve of
this parameter over a backdrop of the track's contents.

All of the automation drawing and editing functions we learned in the

Automation Lane section of the Arranger Timeline Panel will work
identically here. But there are a couple differences.

› The Automation Editor Panel contains only one automation lane. If you
are looking to view multiple parameters from one track, the Arranger
Timeline Panel is the way to go.

› The clip aliases (that float above the Automation Lane area in the Beat
Ruler) are indicators of where the track's clips are starting and ending.
But these aliases are also editable.

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In the same way that Arranger clips can be moved (see section
4.2.2), edited (see section 4.2.3), and looped (see section 4.2.7), these
same actions will work on the clip aliases. Just remember that the
Automation Follow setting (see section 8.1.3) will determine how
automation is affected by any clip movements or edits.

So this track editing mode of the Automation Editor Panel is a focused

way to work with standard track-based automation. And for less
standard, less track-based automation, there is the Clip Editing button in
the top left of the panel.

8.2.2. Clip Editing Mode

At times it will be useful to have automation attached to a clip rather
than to a track's timeline. This is ideal, for example, whenever you want
the automation to repeat each time the clip does, or when you are
working with the Clip Launcher.

When you want automation to be attached to an Arranger clip instead

of the track's timeline, you can switch the Automation Editor Panel from
track editing mode to clip editing mode by enabling the Clip Editing
button.

When you are working with Launcher clips, all automation is done in clip
editing mode with the Automation Editor Panel.

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Once we break out of the track-based mindset, the same considerations

come up as when we talked about the Clip Launcher Panel originally.
Without the context of a track, our clips are essentially untethered to
any fixed timebase or duration. And for this reason, clips viewed here
generally use position 1.1.1.00 (often spoken as "bar 1, beat 1") as the
relative start of the clip.

This is also where the Launcher's notion that clips should loop by default
comes into play. In the clip editing mode of the Automation Editor
Panel, we now get to decide if a clip's automation data should be
tethered to its musical content or should play more freely.

The Free Running button contains an icon of a man running with the
word Free. Once enabled, the clip's automation data can now be
adjusted to play back differently from the clip's notes/audio. Once the
Free Running button is enabled, the Start parameter below can now be
adjusted, determining which part of the clip's automation will play back
first.

Beside the Free Running button is the Custom Loop button. When
enabled, this allows you to set different values for the automation's Loop
Start and loop Length settings. When disabled, the clip's automation will
loop just as the clip's musical content does.

These options can create some very dynamic situations, as in the

example shown below.

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Aside from the Free Running and Custom Loop buttons being enabled,
the only change made was increasing the automation's loop Length from
1.0.0.00 (one bar) to 1.1.0.00 (one bar and one quarter). By making the
automation loop repeat every five beats while the clip's notes repeat
every four beats, the automation and notes will only line up in every fifth
bar (every 20 beats).

Note

When any of these parameters are changed, you will need to

retrigger the clip for the changes to be registered.

This example is just one way to create rich variation among a single
clip's musical content and automation. With the options available, you
are free to find your own preferred usage.

8.2.3. Relative Automation
All the work we have done so far involved absolute automation. In this
paradigm, the automation values specified map to exact values in the
parameter's units. A series of examples was already given at the top of
this chapter: -9.43 dB, 2.88 kHz, and 124 %.

Bitwig Studio also has the capability to adjust most parameters in a

relative way. With relative automation, you can move a parameter ±50%

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of its total range (additive automation), or scale a parameter toward

zero, anywhere from 100% of its current value to 0% (multiplicative
automation).

When we started working in clip editing mode, three buttons appeared

beside the Autom. Type label.

These three icons represent our automation mode choices of absolute

automation (A), additive automation (+), and multiplicative automation
(x).

When any of these icons are shaded in, this indicates the presence of
that type of automation. So the image above is displaying that absolute
automation was present for the selected parameter. An unshaded icon
suggests that none of that automation type is present.

Note

All forms of automation can be present for a single parameter. In this

case, the absolute automation is applied first and then modulated by
the additive automation. Multiplicative automation is applied last and
has the final word, as multiplication always does.

For one example use, I will take a one-bar Launcher clip. I want its filter
cutoff to move up a little, down a little, and then back to the middle in
each bar. I can draw this with additive automation.

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We can see that this automation is ending at 0.00% so this additive

automation is bipolar, moving up to about 20.0% and dipping evenly to
about -20.0%. We can also see that the additive modulation icon is the
only one shaded so it is currently the only form of automation for this
parameter.

Next, I will drag this Launcher clip into the Arranger and loop it so that it
lasts for eight bars.

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By viewing the absolute automation — the track automation here, since

we are back in the Arranger — the automation curve has been extend
for our eight bars, but it doesn't appear to be balanced around zero
anymore. Let's look at both our automation and Filter device together.

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We can see now that the default value of the Cutoff parameter is a good
deal below the center of the range. Since the automation is relative, we
can move the Cutoff knob to recenter where the automation lands.

I will leave you here with two ideas. The first idea is to now draw
absolute automation over the course of these eight bars, taking the
Cutoff from low to high and then back to low. I will do this by double-
clicking to add three automation points, and then [ALT]-clicking and
dragging the center point to reshape the curve.

The solid blue line represents the absolute automation curve. The
shaded curve is showing the final parameter value, which is the result
of both the absolute and relative automation together. By activating
the transport, you would see the Cutoff control animated to match the

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absolute automation curve, and the Cutoff knob's indicator ring would
be moving to match the final parameter value.

The second idea is to not use absolute automation. Instead, use relative
automation to give a sense of motion. And then during playback move
the parameter control itself in realtime, perhaps with a MIDI controller
(see chapter 13). This could be a very strong performance technique.

Note

Whenever a parameter's level indicator is moving separately from its

control (as with the Cutoff knob and its indicator ring in the previous
example), modulation is taking place. Relative automation is one form
of modulation, and several others are discussed in section 14.2.

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9. Working with Audio Events
We spent a healthy amount of time in the early chapters of this
document talking about clips and their centrality to music production
in Bitwig Studio. Even as the last few chapters have focused on other
facilities of Bitwig Studio, clips are still a central part of the conversation.
They are the vessels which hold our musical ideas, allowing us to
manage, manipulate, copy, and vary these fragments into something
greater.

And while we can call the clip our "musical atom," science tells us that
atoms are made up of even smaller pieces and particles. In this chapter
and the next, we will discuss the audio events and note events that clips
are made of. (Whenever we refer to the "musical content" of clips, we
are referring to the same audio events and notes.)

We have already examined the various capabilities for manipulating

whole clips, whether they are Arranger clips (see section 4.2.9) or
Launcher clips (see section 5.2.5). By using the Detail Editor Panel, we
will begin working at the event level and seeing what tools are available
to us at this deepest level of musical arrangement. And once we couple
that interface with the Inspector Panel, most of the editing options
and optimized workflows offered by Bitwig Studio will now be at our
fingertips.

So let us begin the detail work of creating and preparing music. Next
stop: audio events.

9.1. The Detail Editor Panel, Audio Clip Edition

All music is assembled in clips in Bitwig Studio. Just as a primary
purpose of the Automation Editor Panel is to work with various kinds of
clip automation, the purpose of the Detail Editor Panel is to work with
the musical content of clips.

As you engage with the Detail Editor Panel, remember the subtle note
earlier that every timeline-based panel has its own tool palette menu
(see section 3.1.4). This allows each of these panels to have its own
tool selection. This may seem like a small gain, but it really adds up. For
example, if you find yourself making selections in the Arranger Timeline
Panel and then going straight back to the Detail Editor Panel for making
fine touches, you could be saving several mouse clicks (and a modicum
of sanity) per edit.

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9.1.1. Layout of the Detail Editor Panel

By double-clicking a clip, the Detail Editor Panel will be called up with
its focus on that clip. For the examples in this chapter, we will use
audio clips, and we will start by double-clicking an audio clip from the
Arranger Timeline.

After working with the Arranger Timeline Panel and the Automation
Editor Panel, many of these interface elements should be familiar,
including the Beat Ruler (see section 3.1.1), and the clip aliases (see
section 8.2.1), as well as this panel's own beat grid settings (see section
3.1.2), snapping settings (see section 4.2.2), and Follow Playback button
(see section 3.1.4). Even the currently inactive Clip Editing button (see
section 8.2.2) is here, indicating that we are starting in track editing
mode.

But as with the previous timeline-based panels, the sections that have
changed are substantial and unique to the operation of this panel.

The central Audio Event area is where all audio events are displayed in
this panel. Audio events that appear here have their own headers, which
can look redundant right below the clip's alias.

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One example will illustrate the relationship between the clip and the
contained audio event.

To adjust the length of a clip: mouse over the top right edge of the
clip alias so that a half-bracket cursor appears. Then click and drag the
mouse horizontally.

By shortening the clip, you can see that the audio event is also
shortened. The clip is the parent in this relationship, and the children
(audio events, in this case) can exist only where the parent is there to
allow it.

To adjust the length of an event: mouse over the top right edge of the
event so that a bracket cursor appears. Then click and drag the mouse
horizontally.

By shortening the event, you can see that the clip itself is unaffected.
You can do anything you want with this empty clip space: insert a short
audio event/sample, duplicate as much of the previous event as will fit,
or leave it blank as a rest. Nothing placed in the clip will be allowed to go
beyond its boundaries, but all the available space can be used.

As you may also have noticed, no looping cursor appears when

navigating the audio event's header. Clips are the smallest units where
most arranging tasks are carried out. Accordingly, looping can be
applied as an arrangement gesture for clips, but not for audio events (or
notes). But fades can be applied to individual audio events, just as they
were applied to audio clips (see section 4.2.6).

To slide the content of an audio event: mouse over the top half of
the waveform. Then [CTRL]-click ([CMD]-click on Mac) and drag
horizontally.

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You can optionally add the [SHIFT] key while dragging to toggle the
snapping behavior.

9.1.2. Audio Event Expressions

To the left of the Audio Event area is a space for specifying which audio
event expression is being displayed — and potentially edited. The images
shown a moment ago displayed a menu in this area. But if you prefer a
list of all available audio event expressions, drag the top border of the
Detail Editor Panel so that it grows.

Audio event expressions — also called expressions — are parameters

that can be set within each individual audio event. Several of these
parameters can change over the course of the event, making them like
specialized automation curves. Others are a series of location markers
that are used to affect the playback of the audio event.

Only one expression can be focused on at a time, and you pick which
expression to view by clicking its name in the list. We will examine them
in order, starting at the top of the list.

9.1.2.1. Event Expressions

The Event presents a simple display of all audio events.

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No actual expression curve or other data is shown here. This allows

you to freely move and edit the audio events themselves without
inadvertently changing other values.

Audio events are moved and adjusted in the same way as regions (see
section 4.2.3) except that the range of motion is limited to the length of
the parent clip. When compared to the Arranger Timeline Panel, all tools
function equivalently in this panel except for the pencil tool.

9.1.2.2. Gain Expressions

Gain expressions represent a level control for the audio event.

This expression can be made up of a series of points that are created

and edited in the same way that automation points are (see section
8.1.2).

The gain expression is measured in units of decibels with the center line
representing zero decibels of change (unity gain).

A gain expression is identical in function to volume automation. The

difference is that the expression is applied to the audio source itself, and
volume automation is applied as the last stage of a track's signal flow
(after the track's device chain and everything else).

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Since the gain expression affects the source material, the waveform is
helpfully redrawn to show the effect of this expression.

9.1.2.3. Pan Expressions

Pan expressions represent a stereo placement control for the audio

event.

This expression can be made up of a series of points that are created

and edited in the same way that automation points are (see section
8.1.2).

A pan expression is measured as a bipolar percentage with the center

line at 0.00% (center placement, or no panning adjustment), 100% for
hard right, and -100% for hard left.

As with the gain expression, the pan expression is applied to the audio
source itself. This has no direct interaction with pan automation, which is
applied by the track mixer after the device chain.

9.1.2.4. Pitch Expressions

Pitch expressions represent a frequency transposition control for the

audio event.

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Note

This expression will take effect only with certain audio event playback
modes (see section 9.2.1.2).

This expression can be made up of a series of points that are created

and edited in the same way that automation points are (see section
8.1.2).

A pitch expression is measured in semitones (or half steps) with the

center line at 0.00 (zero semitone shift for no transposition), a maximum
of 24.00 (two octaves up), and a minimum of -24.00 (two octaves
down).

Note

Unlike the other expressions, the pitch expression's vertical axis is

scrollable and zoomable (by clicking and dragging it). Because of
this, it will not automatically compact itself to fit a small Detail Editor
Panel.

The semitone snapping option causes pitch point changes to snap to

whole number semitones. As with the position snapping options (see
section 4.2.2), holding [SHIFT] will toggle this behavior.

9.1.2.5. Onsets Expression

The Onsets expression represents locations in an audio event where the

sound's envelope substantially changes, often where individual sounds
occur.

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Onsets are used both as data to help preserve the sound quality of
single audio events, and as demarcations when splitting the component
parts of one event into multiple, individual events.

When a sample is initially dragged into a Bitwig Studio project, it is

analyzed for its tempo, its musical length, and where onsets occur in the
file. Each onset is represented by a vertical blue line that reaches a small
blue triangle at the top of the event.

You can also manually insert or manipulate onsets, either because the
automatic results were imprecise or to manipulate how stretching is
done during playback (see section 9.1.2.6), etc.

To insert an onset: double-click any area of the event away from a

current onset.

To move an onset: click and drag the point with the mouse.

Note

Onsets are colored blue. The more vivid the shade of blue, the
stronger the onset. Selected onsets are tinted white.

To delete an onset: double-click it. Or single-click the point to select it,

and then press [DELETE] or [BACKSPACE].

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9.1.2.6. Stretch Expressions

Stretch expressions determine how the playback speed is altered,

thereby stretching the audio file.

Note

This expression will take effect only with certain audio event playback
modes (see section 9.2.1.2).

The stretch function of this expression is achieved by inserting beat

markers, which dictate the points in the audio event that are locked to
their position. The playback speed of the area between beat markers is
then altered to ensure that those beat markers occur at their assigned
times.

By default, only the start and end times of each event are given beat
markers, but the stretch expression makes it easy to create a beat
marker where an onset already exists.

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To create a beat marker: double-click any area of the event. Or mouse

around the bottom of the event, and then single-click any white marker
that appears.

To move a beat marker and its surrounding audio: along the bottom half
of the event, click and drag a beat marker with the simple, double-arrow
cursor.

To keep a beat marker in place and fine-tune the position of the audio
around it: along the top half of the event, click and drag a beat marker
with the radiating I-beam cursor.

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The combination of moving beat markers and then "sliding" them

precisely will speed up any workflow involving audio stretching.

To convert a trio of onsets to beat markers: hold [ALT] and mouse

around the bottom of the event until the desired three white markers
appear. Then click and drag the mouse horizontally.

This allows you to stretch a particular area of your audio event while
keeping the rest of the event unaffected.

To freely stretch the size of a region: [CTRL]+[ALT]-click ([CMD]+[ALT]-

click on Mac) a region and drag horizontally.

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Be careful as this will move beat markers around. You can also access
this function by clicking and dragging the start or end of any audio
event.

9.2. Inspecting Audio Clips

As was said in this chapter's introduction, we have been using the
Inspector Panel to examine clips for quite some time. In addition to the
clip settings we have already examined, any non-empty clip has a large
section at the bottom of the Inspector Panel for dealing with its musical
contents.

9.2.1. The Inspector Panel on Audio Events

By selecting a clip, certain parameters are revealed in the AUDIO EVENT
section, but when selecting an audio event itself (by single-clicking the
audio event's header in the Detail Editor Panel), the Inspector Panel
provides all settings relevant to the selected event(s).

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Several of these settings will be familiar. Since there are many of them,
we will take them one section at a time. And we will also look at the
functions available in the Event menu when audio events are selected.

9.2.1.1. Timing Section

These settings generally relate to the musical position of the selected

event and its optional fades:

› Start sets the start position of the event within its parent clip or track.
Adjusting this position will move the audio event as it exists, the same
as clicking and dragging the event within the Detail Editor Panel.

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Note

Remember that audio events will be always be truncated by the

boundaries of their parent clip.

› Length sets the duration of the event within its parent clip. Adjusting
this duration will simply lengthen or shorten the event, the same as
using the bracket cursor to adjust the right edge of the event's header.

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› Mute toggles whether or not the event is disabled on playback.

9.2.1.2. Stretch Section

These settings relate to the behavior of Bitwig Studio's audio playback.

› Mode sets the audio playback algorithm for the audio event. The
settings are grouped under categories that describe the general
method being used to produce audio stretching.

› GRANULAR modes work in the time domain, allowing independent

control of pitch and time.

Stretch is an optimized algorithm that time-stretches audio to match

the project's tempo. When your settings match the original audio
(targeting the original pitch and tempo), this algorithm is completely
neutral, preserving your original audio at output and lowering your
processor's load.

Stretch HD is a similar algorithm to Stretch but is applied in a

multiband fashion, splitting the original signal into several frequency
areas and stretching those.

Slice divides audio into chunks and then stretches those chunks
(when appropriate) using the method set in the Tail parameter.

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Cyclic adds overlaps to stretched audio in the fashion of classic

hardware samplers.

Elastique Solo syncs its grain size to the wavelength of the audio.
This makes it especially useful for voice or other monophonic sound
sources. But any source material may yield interest results and/or
robots.

› SPECTRAL modes work in the spectral domain, allowing independent

control of pitch and time.

Elastique preserves transients, making it appropriate when rhythmic

accuracy is important.

Elastique Eco focuses more on harmonic content, making it more

useful for less rhythmically-active sounds (like pads).

Elastique Pro also preserves transients but has formant controls as

well. This comes at the cost of additional CPU resources.

› UNSTRETCHED modes do not provide independent control over pitch

and time.

Raw ignores all stretch expression data. Events are played back at
their original speed, regardless of the project tempo or any other
considerations.

Repitch ties pitch and playback speed together (as a tape recorder
would). Stretch expression data is respected while pitch expressions
are ignored.
Each stretching mode has up to three of the following parameters
available:

› Grain Size adjusts the length of each audio segment that is stretched
in the selected audio event. The three relative options are for short,
medium, or long portions of the audio to get processed at a time.

› Transients controls how the onsets expression (see section 9.1.2.5) is

used to adjust playback. There are three options to choose between
and one optional mode:

› The first option is off, represented by an x icon. In this mode, the

onsets expression is completely ignored for playback purposes.

› The second option is soft, represented by a centered vertical line with

both a "fade out" triangle on the top left and a "fade in" triangle on
the top right. This mode emphasizes smoothness by blending the
audio before an onset with that that comes after.

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› The third option is hard, represented by a centered vertical line with

only a "fade in" triangle on the top right. This mode emphasizes
rhythmic accuracy by focusing on the audio that comes after the
onset.

› The separate button with the speaker icon represents preview mode.
When toggled on, this mode plays the audio at each onset, but turns
the volume down for all other parts of the event. This is a useful
audible indicator of where the onsets are currently placed.

› Rate sets the interval at which audio is divided for processing and
stretching. Options include regular beats intervals (such as every 1/16
note) or dividing audio at its Onsets.

› Tail sets a method for overlapping audio tails when stretching is

needed. Settings include None, standard Granular stretching, and
stacked Ping-Pong delays (as used by some vintage samplers).

› Formant offers two controls for shifting the formants of the affected
audio:

The button showing a keyboard with outward-facing arrows toggles

the automatic shifting of formants based on the pitch expression.

The numeric control allows you to set a fixed shift amount in

semitones.

› Resolution sets the relative size of the spectral envelope used for
formant shifting. Larger values create larger windows (which are better
tuned for lower frequencies), etc.

› Play Stop allows you to set an end time (in

MINUTEs:SECONDs.MILLISECONDs) for the audio event. Regardless of
clip length and anything else, the audio event will not play beyond this
point. (Setting the value in time keeps tempo changes from interacting
with this playback value.)

9.2.1.3. Tempo Section

Tempo defines the original tempo of the audio event. Knowing

this enables Bitwig Studio to properly play back the data in any
circumstance.

When an audio file is brought into a project, the program first checks
the filename for an indication of tempo (such as the word 154bpm). If
nothing is found there, the program determines the tempo as best it can.

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This value can be corrected at any time, but changing it will impact the
placement and timing of the audio event.

9.2.1.4. Fades Section

The Fade In and Fade Out parameter sets allow you to define
independent fades at the beginning and end of each audio event. When
set in tandem with an overlapping clip, you can also create crossfades in
this way.

All of the parameters and methods of operation are the same as when
applied at the clip level (see section 4.2.6).

9.2.1.5. Expressions Section

This section exposes three of the expressions we have covered: Gain

(see section 9.1.2.2), Pan (see section 9.1.2.3), and Pitch (see section
9.1.2.4). While these expressions have completely different functions,
they are programmed in the same fashion.

Following the Gain and Pitch numeric controls are incrementer and
decrementer buttons that will adjust the expression value by the
declared amount. For the Gain expression, these buttons express decibel
changes. For the Pitch expression, the unit is semitones.

These are the automation-type expressions, each able to be defined by

a curve made from several values. Because of this possibility, each value
in this section of the Inspector Panel is actually representing the average
of points in that expression. Let's examine the Gain expression as an
example.

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The Gain value listed of -0.58 dB is an average of the five points defined
in this audio event expression.

To adjust an expression curve: change its listed average value, or click

one of the expression's incrementer/decrementer buttons.

This method will work for any expression in this section, whether it is
defined by a curve or a single value.

9.2.1.6. Event Menu Functions

These functions take the specified action on the selected audio event(s):

› Reverse flips the selected event around, causing it to play backwards.

This also flips any event expression curves.

› Reverse Pattern flips the order of a group of selected events. This does
not cause each event and its expressions to play backwards, but rather
causes the last event to be played first, etc.

Note

This function will work only when multiple events are selected.

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The following images demonstrate a group of selected events both

before and after the Reverse Pattern function is applied:

› Scale 50% halves the length of the selected event, effectively causing
it to play back twice as fast. All onset and beat markers are also
proportionally shifted.

The following images demonstrate a selected event both before and

after the Scale 50% function is applied:

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› Scale 200% doubles the length of the selected event, effectively

causing it to play back half as fast. All onset and beat markers are also
proportionally shifted.

The following images demonstrate a selected event both before and

after the Scale 200% function is applied:

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› Unstretch removes all stretch markers from the selected audio events
to restore their original character.

› Split In Place divides the selected event into multiple events. A dialog
allows slicing either at Onsets (the detected transients), at Beat
Markers (defined stretch points that you may have changed), or
at a regular note interval (on Beat Grid). This can be an extremely
efficient way to do audio edits, especially by splitting at onsets and
then working with the returned audio events.

Note

When an audio event is split (either by this function with the Knife
tool), fade ins and outs will be added to split points if the option
Automatically create fades on audio clip/event edits is enabled. This
preference can be found in the Dashboard, under the Settings tab,
on the Behavior page, in the Fades section.

› Slide Waveform to Previous Onset moves the selected event so that

it begins at the previous onset marker, effectively shifting this area to
play earlier material. This affects only the content of the selected event.

The following images demonstrate a selected event both before and

after the << Onset function is applied:

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› Slide Waveform to Next Onset moves the selected event so that it

begins at the next onset marker, effectively shifting this area to play
later material. This affects only the content of the selected event.

The following images demonstrate a selected event both before and

after the Onset >> function is applied:

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› Reset Fades removes any applied fades from the selected audio
events.

› Auto-Fade applies a quick, relative fade in and fade out to all selected
audio events.

› Quantize is identical to the following Quantize… function except that

the most recently set parameters are used for the function.

› Quantize… moves the start and/or end times of the selected event in
relation to a beat grid. The parameter pane for this function appears
when the right-arrow button is clicked.

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› Grid Mode: Determines whether to adopt the grid settings from the
current Editor or to allow Custom grid settings.

› Custom Grid: Exclusive beat grid resolution and beat grid subdivision
settings (see section 3.1.2) for the quantize function.

Note

This is available only when Grid Mode is set to Custom.

› Shuffle: Amount of swing/groove (see section 2.3.2) applied to the

beat grid for the quantization function.

› Humanize: Amount of randomness added to the quantize function,

with the intention of mimicking human imperfection.

› Start Amount: Amount of quantization applied to each selected

event's start position.

For example, a setting of 50.0% would move a selected event's start

position halfway to the closest grid point. A setting of 100% places
the event exactly on the closest grid point.

› End Amount: Amount of quantization applied to each selected event's

end position.

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Note

Humanize is the last factor applied in the quantize function. So even

Start Amount of 100% might not place events directly on the grid if
Humanize is enabled.

The quantize function can be executed by either clicking the Apply

button at the bottom of the parameter pane, or by clicking the
Quantize Time button itself.

› Make Legato adjusts the length of each selected event so that it ends
immediately before the next event begins, creating a continuous series
of events.

The following images demonstrate a group of selected events both

before and after the Legato function is applied:

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9.2.2. Working with Multiple Audio Events

The Inspector Panel also works with selections of multiple events.

Functions are straightforward, as most of them listed in this chapter

allow the selection of multiple events. (In the case of Reverse Pattern, it
is not available unless you have multiple events selected.)

Parameters can be a little trickier when several events are selected at

once. Bitwig Studio has a couple tricks of its own for both displaying and
working with chunks of parameter data.

9.2.2.1. Mixed Settings

We saw expressions summarized earlier with a single average of all their

points. That works well when you are dealing with numbers, but some
parameters simply toggle on and off. For these discrete parameters, the
Inspector Panel will diagonally stripe any indicator whose settings are
mixed.

In the above image, the Mute, fade IN, fade OUT, and both of the Onset
buttons (Preserve and preview) have the orange and gray striping to
suggest that some of the selected events are enabled, some are not.

Additionally, the Mode menu is listed as (mixed), which is its way of

suggesting that not all selected events have a uniform setting.

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9.2.2.2. Using the Histogram

Finally, Bitwig Studio provides a special interface called the Histogram

for working with a selection of multiple numeric values. The purpose of
a histogram is to display the number of times that different possibilities
occur over a span of time. In our case, the span of time being considered
is the length of the current selection and the possibilities being
considered are different values of the targeted parameter.

But our Histogram can also modify values, or even produce them from
scratch. We will now demonstrate the option of creating values and then
tweaking them.

I will begin with the drum loop you have seen throughout this chapter.

By applying the Split at Onsets function, this single event will now be
divided at each onset point, giving us a collection of events that add up
to the same loop.

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From here, I will select all of the events. This can be done in the standard
ways, by either pressing [CTRL]+[A] ([CMD]+[A] on Mac), or by
choosing Select All either from the Edit menu or from the context menu.
And once all events are selected, I will switch the Detail Editor Panel to
focus on the Pitch expression.

A few things to note before we proceed.

First, the Inspector Panel now labels this section of the panel as AUDIO
EVENTS (19). The 19 in the title is indicating exactly how many audio
events are currently selected and will be acted upon when changes are
made here.

Second, the event headers are now reflecting fades where each onset
point was split. This is because I have Automatically create fades
on audio clip/event edits enabled, which is the default setting. (This
preference is found in the Dashboard, under the Settings tab, on the
Behavior page, in the Fades section.)

The only places where fades do not exist are at the start of the first
event and at the end of the last one because no splitting occurred at
these two places. And because these events lack a fade of each kind,
both of the Fades buttons are now striped.

Third, in the expression section of the Inspector Panel, each numeric

control is now followed by a right-arrow button. Since we now have
multiple events selected, these arrows appear to give us access to the
Histogram.

With these few observations made, we can now proceed.

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The pitch expression is currently empty, containing no points. Now I will

simply single-click on the Pitch parameter control. I am not changing the
setting, just clicking on it once.

By just clicking on this parameter, an expression point has been created

at the start of each event. So even though every point is currently set to
0.00 (semitones), we now have something to work with.

By clicking the right-arrow button beside the Pitch parameter, we can

now see the Histogram.

The Histogram is comprised of four elements:

› The large display on the left is the actual histogram, which will present
a count of the different values occurring across our selection. It is blank
right now as we don't have any values yet.

› Mean represents the average of all selected values.

› Spread is a control for modifying the range of the selected values.

› Chaos is a control for injecting random variations to the selected

values.

Adjusting the Spread of these points would do nothing as they are all
currently identical. And adjusting the Mean would only adjust them all

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by an identical amount keeping them the same. So I will click the Chaos
control and drag it upward.

And now we have some variation in this expression.

You can see that the Histogram display now has some life in it. The
horizontal positions are indicating the pitch values for various events —
from -24 semitones on the left, to zero semitones in the middle (no pitch
shift), to +24 semitones on the right. The vertical position of the chart
roughly indicates the number of events found near that value.

The distribution shown here is weighted toward the left (negative) side,
and indeed, the Mean is telling us that -1.31 semitones is the current
average of all values. The Inspector Panel displays an identical Pitch
value, showing that these two controls are identical.

The Chaos value is set in the units of the selected parameter, so it is

25.25 semitones of shift in this case. And because the pitch expression
has a bipolar range, 25.25 semitones represents a distribution between
-12.125 and +12.125 semitones.

Looking at the newly formed Pitch expression in the Detail Editor Panel,
you can see that the highest point is right around +12 semitones (in
the second audio event), and that the lowest point is right around -12
semitones (in the fourth event).

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If we liked the shape of the expression but felt it was a little too extreme,
we could call the Histogram back up and bring down the Spread value
to narrow the overall range.

As the Spread value goes below 100%, the range is indeed being shrunk,
causing the histogram curve to become narrower and grow upwards —
an indication that more of our 20 points are landing close to each other.
But the shape of the curve is comparable to where it started.

Interestingly, the Chaos value was back at 0.00 when we brought the
Histogram back up. Actually, this happened immediately after the Chaos
setting was made and the mouse was released. And the same was true
of the Spread function just now, as it will return to 100% once you let go.

Each of these values represents an amount to change the current

distribution of points. Unlike Mean, these values reflect only the future
action and nothing about the present situation.

Finally, we can indeed use the Mean function to shift the whole
expression so that zero is no longer near the center.

By moving the Mean to 12.00, the average value is now a shift of one
octave up with all variation landing just around that. (Again, we could
have used the Pitch parameter to make the exact same adjustment.)

So that is a brief overview of how the Histogram works and an example

of what you can do with it. We have spent this much time on it because

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the Histogram is available all across Bitwig Studio, whenever a group of

numeric values can be selected together.

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10. Working with Note Events
As we work with Bitwig Studio to assemble music, there are two forms
of source material that we can use. One form is audio events, which was
covered thoroughly in the last chapter. The other is note events — or
simply notes — which we will investigate in this chapter.

As the introduction to the last chapter suggested, these two chapters

are really parts one and two of working with the contents of clips.
Accordingly, the format of this chapter is highly similar to the previous
one, with many of the same issues and concerns being presented from
the perspective of notes. And consistent with the rest of this document,
ideas that reappear will reference the section where they were first
discussed.

We will begin by revisiting the Detail Editor Panel to see how it works
with note events, as well as the vast per-note modulation capabilities
of Bitwig Studio. We then will see the last face of this panel as it allows
us to work with multiple clips and tracks simultaneously. And after
revisiting the Inspector Panel in the context of notes, we will take a look
at the Edit View, the third and final panel set.

Let's sharpen our tools for working with that other type of musical
content: note events.

10.1. The Detail Editor Panel, Note Clip Edition

The utility of the Detail Editor Panel should be clear by now, but the
truth is that we have covered only half of it at best. We will start again
with this panel because when it is focused on note clips, the same Detail
Editor Panel adapts and provides slightly different options that are
appropriate to the situation.

To better understand the incarnations of the Detail Editor Panel, let's

take a moment to differentiate the structure of audio events and notes.
(They are clearly made of different materials, but the way they are
stored and structured is critical here.) The most important distinction is
that while audio events are all of one kind, note events have pitches that
allow us to distinguish them and make them overlap.

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Only one audio event can occur at a time within a single clip, so while
audio events can be arranged sequentially, they cannot be played
simultaneously. And because no audio event has inherent priority over
another, the last event placed in a certain position will "win."

If you move an audio event to a position already occupied by another

event, the new event will effectively clear the position that it now
occupies, leaving behind no trace of what was here.

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This is because audio events cannot coexist. (Clips of all kinds behave in
exactly the same fashion.) To illustrate this, moving the new event back
to its original position will leave a hole where you had placed it.

The most important characteristic of each note is its pitch. This

characteristic immediately gives us a way to distinguish notes from one
another. And once we can distinguish notes by type, we can now have
overlapping notes.

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Chords and other overlapping gestures are a part of music, and note
clips support them by allowing notes of different pitches to overlap. So
while audio events are the smallest workable unit (and have their own
headers to work with them), individual notes are the fundamental units
here.

We will discuss the many similarities between how audio events and
notes are edited. And they start in the Detail Editor Panel.

10.1.1. Layout of the Detail Editor Panel

Double-clicking a note clip in either the Clip Launcher Panel or the
Arranger Timeline will call up the Detail Editor Panel and place its focus
on that clip.

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Much of this is familiar, such as the Beat Ruler (see section 3.1.1), the clip
aliases (see section 8.2.1), and the Clip Editing button (see section 8.2.2),
as well as this panel's own beat grid settings (see section 3.1.2), snapping
settings (see section 4.2.2), and Follow Playback button (see section
3.1.4). The panel itself can still be vertically resized, but the y-axis can
also be zoomed by clicking and dragging in the dark gray field just to
the left of the piano keyboard.

Three other new buttons have appeared in the bottom left corner of the
Detail Editor Panel.

› When the Audition button is enabled, clicking and dragging any note to
a new pitch will send a corresponding note to the track's device chain.
This provides an audible preview of the action being considered.

Additionally, clicking the piano keyboard to the left of the note event
area will trigger a note when the Audition button is enabled.

› The Fold Notes button hides either unused or unavailable notes,

depending on the instrument being used.

For nearly all instruments, only notes which are used on the current
track (while in track editing mode) or for the current clip (while in clip
editing mode) will be shown.

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If the track's primary instrument is Drum Machine, then all notes which
have available instruments will be shown.

In either case, everything else about the panel continues to work as

usual.

› When the Note Expression toggle is enabled, the Note Expression area
becomes visible below the Note Event area.

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10.1.1.1. Drawing Notes and Quick Draw

In addition to recording or importing note clips, you can also draw notes
into a clip from the Detail Editor Panel.

To draw an individual note within a note clip: either double-click while

the Pointer tool is selected, or switch to the Pen tool and then single-
click within a note clip.

Notes will be given a velocity of 78.7 % (the equivalent of 100 out of 127)
and a length of the beat grid value. You can also adjust these values
while drawing each note.

To set velocity while drawing a note: continue to hold the mouse down,
and then drag up or down to adjust the velocity.

To set note length while drawing a note: continue to hold the mouse
down, and then drag left or right to shorten or lengthen the note.

After drawing a note with an adjusted velocity or note length, these

values will be the new defaults for notes drawn into this particular clip.

Quick Draw is a feature that allows you to draw multiple notes at once.
The requires the Pen tool to be selected.

To draw successive notes within a note clip: hold [ALT], and then click at
the position of the first note and drag to the position of the last note.

The current beat grid value (1/16 notes, above) will set the length of each
note and quantized start position of the series. And again, dragging up
and down will adjust the velocity used for all notes. If you would prefer
instead to draw notes on different pitches (kind of like step sequencing
pitches), you can do that too.

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To draw successive notes with different pitches within a note clip: hold
[ALT] and click to initiate Quick Draw mode. Then add the [SHIFT] key
to free the pitches being drawn.

10.1.1.2. Note Color Options

When dealing with notes in the Detail Editor Panel, various options for
how notes are colored are available from the panel's context menu.
Right-click a blank area of the editor to see the NOTE COLORS options.

› Clip uses the color of the parent clip for each note, and the velocity of
each note scales the relative saturation.

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› Note Channel colors each note by the channel it is on, and the velocity
of each note scales the relative saturation. To illustrate this range in
the image below, the chords shown are spread across all 16 channels
with the chord on the far left on channel 1 and that at the far right on
channel 16.

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› Pitch Class colors each note by its pitch class (for example, all Cs are
treating the same, as are all C˨s , Ds, etc.) and the velocity of each note
scales the relative saturation. The colors are based on the musical circle
of fifths, with harmonically-related intervals colored similarly and more
dissonant intervals using contrasting colors.

To illustrate this range in the image below, each chord is a succession

of fifths (C-G, then G-D, then D-A, and so on). This shows how
consonant intervals, such as fifths, looks alike and how more tense
intervals, such as half-steps (for example, G to G˨) and tritones (C˨ to
F), contrast strongly.

› Velocity colors each note exclusively by its velocity. This provides a

clear contrast, particularly when doing detail work on your notes.

The range used is similar to a level meter on a mixing board, with the
velocities progressing from pale green to solid green, then yellow,
orange, and eventually red. The range of velocities in the image below
help illustrate this.

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10.1.2. Note Event Expressions

Like audio event expressions, note expressions are parameters that can
be set for each individual note. Many of these parameters can change
over the course of the note, making them like specialized automation
curves.

Only one note expression can be focused on at a time, and you pick
which expression to view by clicking its name in the list. We will take
them from top to bottom.

10.1.2.1. Velocity Expressions

Velocity expressions represent the strength with which each note should
be triggered.

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Similar to the MIDI specification, a velocity expression consists of a single

value that is transmitted at the note's start. Each device determines how
velocity will be used. Any device or plug-in can use the Expressions
modulator device to route velocity expressions. See section 14.2.1 for
information on using the modulator devices and section 17.19.2.3 for
more on the Expressions device.

To adjust a velocity expression: mouse over the velocity expression so

that a double-arrow cursor appears. Then click and drag the expression
vertically.

Notes are colored to match their clip's color, with the saturation of each
note set relative to the strength of the note's velocity. A note at full
velocity (100%) will be shown as the full color of the clip. As a velocity
lowers, the color of that note will change.

10.1.2.2. Gain Expressions

Gain expressions represent a level control for each note event.

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To start with, each note's expression contains no individual points. By

initially clicking and dragging an expression, you are both creating an
initial point within the expression and defining the entire expression's
value.

Once an initial point has been defined, additional expression points can
be created and edited in the same way that automation points are (see
section 8.1.2).

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A gain expression is measured in units of decibels with the center line

representing zero decibels of change (unity gain).

A gain expression is identical in function to volume automation. The

difference is that the expression is applied at the beginning of the audio
signal path — in this case, at the output of the instrument device that
initially synthesizes audio signal. Volume automation is applied as the
last stage of a track's signal flow (after the track's device chain and
everything else).

10.1.2.3. Pan Expressions

Pan expressions represent a stereo placement control for each note

event.

Once an initial point has been defined, additional expression points can
be created and edited in the same way that automation points are (see
section 8.1.2).

A pan expression is measured as a bipolar percentage with the center

line at 0.00% (center placement, or no panning adjustment), 100% for
hard right, and -100% for hard left.

As with the gain expression, the pan expression is often applied at the
beginning of the audio signal path. The pan expression has no direct
interaction with pan automation, which is applied by the track mixer
after the device chain.

10.1.2.4. Timbre Expressions

Timbre expressions represent an assignable modulation source for each

note event.

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Once an initial point has been defined, additional expression points can
be created and edited in the same way that automation points are (see
section 8.1.2).

The word timbre refers to a sound's tone color, but the timbre
expression here has no fixed purpose. Rather, it can be used to freely
modulate one or more parameters of the track's instrument device (see
section 14.2). Mapping is done with the TMB modulation source, which is
available on any device or plug-in via the Expressions modulator device.
See section 14.2.1 for information on using the modulator devices and
section 17.19.2.3 for more on the Expressions device.

A timbre expression is measured as a bipolar percentage with the center

line at 0.00% and the extremes at values of 100% and -100%.

Similar to the gain and pan expressions, the timbre expression is often
applied within the instrument at the beginning of the audio signal path.

10.1.2.5. Pressure Expressions

Pressure expressions represent an assignable modulation source for

each note event.

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Once an initial point has been defined, additional expression points can
be created and edited in the same way that automation points are (see
section 8.1.2).

As the word pressure suggests, this expression is similar to the idea of

polyphonic key pressure (or aftertouch) from MIDI. But the pressure
expression here has no fixed purpose. Rather, it can be used to freely
modulate one or more parameters of the track's instrument device (see
section 14.2). Mapping is done with the PRES modulation source, which
is available on any device or plug-in via the Expressions modulator
device. See section 14.2.1 for information on using the modulator devices
and section 17.19.2.3 for more on the Expressions device.

When working with external MIDI via the HW Instrument device (see
section 17.10.5), any pressure expressions are directly transmitted as
polyphonic key pressure MIDI messages.

A pressure expression is measured as a percentage with default values

set at 0.00% and a maximum level of 100%.

Similar to the gain, pan, and timbre expressions, the pressure expression
is often applied within the instrument at the beginning of the audio
signal path.

10.1.3. Micro-Pitch Editing Mode

When working with notes, the Detail Editor Panel appears as a standard
"piano roll" editor, with notes placed on their vertical pitch at the
appropriate horizontal time. The notes can be created and edited in
the exact same fashion as clips are (see section 4.2.1, section 4.2.2, and
section 4.2.3).

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By default, the Detail Editor Panel works with notes in the standard,
discrete semitone fashion. But by enabling the Micro-Pitch toggle, we
enter Micro-Pitch editing mode.

Note

Micro-Pitch editing relies on Bitwig Studio's unique per-note

modulation capabilities. Micro-Pitch expressions will function properly
with Bitwig's instrument devices, but not with VST plug-ins.

Micro-Pitch editing mode is not available while the Fold Notes button
is enabled.

Thin lines are now drawn across the center of each note event. We can
zoom in to make this easier to work with.

These lines are Micro-Pitch expressions. Like all other note expressions,
Micro-Pitch expressions are per-note events, allowing the specific pitch
of each note to be set precisely, or even to change the pitch of the note
while it is played. You can think of Micro-Pitch expressions as a precise,

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polyphonic version of MIDI pitch bend, where each note played has its
own pitch curve.

Micro-Pitch expressions are measured in semitones, with the center line

at 0.00 (for no pitch shift), a maximum of 24.00 (two octaves up), and a
minimum of -24.00 (two octaves down).

Just a few examples of how this might be used:

› Building a chord with one of its notes bent while all others are held
steady.

› Shaping a lead line with graceful transitions, where each note fades
(perhaps with a gain expression) while gliding to the pitch where the
next note will begin one.

› Carving out a solo, where the shape of the vibrato is precisely drawn.

› Structuring a microtonal part, where each note's pitch is meticulously

defined.

› Creating a part that combines any of these ideas, or something else

altogether.

Like the other note expressions that can be automated, each Micro-Pitch
expression is blank to begin with. The centered line represents that the
note is tuned only by its standard pitch assignment.

By initially clicking and dragging the Micro-Pitch expression, you are

both creating an initial point within the expression and defining the
entire expression's value. In most cases, you will want to single-click the
expression to start.

Once an initial point has been defined, additional Micro-Pitch expression

points can be created and edited in the same way that automation
points are (see section 8.1.2).

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The semitone snapping option causes Micro-Pitch expression points to

snap to whole number semitones. As with the position snapping options
(see section 4.2.2), holding [SHIFT] will toggle this behavior. Semitone
snapping is enabled by default.

10.1.4. Layered Editing Mode

We have seen the Detail Editor Panel work at various levels. We
examined the panel while it focused on a single clip at a time in clip
editing mode. We have also (and primarily) explored the panel while it
focused on all contents of a track in track editing mode. And now there
is one, larger level left to explore.

Layered editing mode still has a clip editing button for letting us toggle
between clip or track editing mode. But once we have chosen that
mode, entering layered editing mode allows us to view and edit several
clips or tracks together. So once we pick the clip or track paradigm, we
can then zoom out and work with several of those side by side.

We enter layered editing mode by enabling the Layered Editing button.

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In the image above, we are in track editing mode, as set by the vertical
track editing button.

Note

In the image above, the button at the top of the left column labeled
TRACKS must also be selected. This indicates that layers are being
shown by track content, and reads CLIPS when the clip editing button
is enabled instead.

The alternate option, CHANNELS, is available when editing notes

show layers by note channel (see section 10.1.4.3).

When we were previously in track editing mode within the Detail Editor
Panel, the top of the panel displayed a clip alias. While track editing
in layered editing mode, we now have a clip indicator instead. This
indicator still shows us the start and end times of displayed clips, but
the clip's name is no longer present and its length and position can no
longer be manipulated.

Other than that, the right side of the panel is unchanged. The left side of
the panel, however, contains several new items.

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On the top left edge of the Detail Editor Panel are two buttons — the
Layered Editing button and the Clip Editing button — which are already
familiar. And if as in the image above the Clip Editing button is disabled,
below it will be two new buttons that form a toggle pair.

If the Note Editor button is enabled, the Detail Editor Panel will focus
on note containers as we have examined in this chapter. If the Audio
Editor button is enabled, the Detail Editor Panel will focus on audio
containers as we examined in the previous chapter. Only one of these
can be enabled at a time so clicking either button toggles the current
selection.

Taking all this together, we must select whether we want to use clip or
track editing mode, and also choose whether we want to work with note
or audio clips. For the current example, we will continue with note clips
in track editing mode.

10.1.4.1. Layered Editing in Track Mode

Now that our modes are set, the resizable track controls section houses
editor parameters for each instrument and hybrid track in the current
project. These controls include:

› Track Color stripe: A swatch of the track's assigned color.

› Target button: A pencil icon that sets this track as the target layer,
making it the destination for newly drawn or pasted notes. Also note
that clicking on a layer's name or editing its contents will make that
layer the target layer.

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Note

By right-clicking anywhere in the track controls area and toggling on

the Selected Layer Becomes Target Layer option, clicking a layer's
header will no longer make it the target layer.

› Track Name: The title assigned to the track.

› View toggle: This thumbtack icon keeps the layer visible, even when it
is not selected.

› Lock button: When enabled, the layer’s data is protected from being
selected or altered. When a locked track is visible, its contents are still
shown but significantly dimmed.

To make a layer visible: either select it or enable its view toggle.

All aspects of unlocked visible tracks are editable with the techniques we
have seen. Data from various tracks can also be edited together in this
fashion, and objects can even be placed in relation to one another with
object snapping (see section 4.2.2).

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Any clip indicators for the target track will also shade the note event
area to indicate both the boundaries you are working within and how
those boundaries might change by moving notes into empty space.

While in the Note Editor, the background display setting is the final
interface item. The menu labeled Background appears below the track
controls and allows you to pick a background for display behind the
note event area. The choices are either None (for no background) or any
of the audio or hybrid tracks in the current project.

This setting is purely visual but can serve as a helpful reference.

10.1.4.2. Layered Editing in Clip Mode

Switching from track editing mode to clip editing mode presents a few
structural differences.

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Again, the right side of the Detail Editor Panel is largely unchanged from
its standard clip editing mode layout.

On the left side of the panel, the track controls have been replaced by
clip controls. The primary difference here is that only clips which are
currently selected in the active sequencer (either the Arranger Timeline
or the Clip Launcher Panel) will be shown as options.

Because your selection is made in the sequencer, no view toggles are

needed. Also the Note Editor and Audio Editor buttons will appear only
when both clip types are selected.

Otherwise, this configuration works as expected.

10.1.4.3. Layered Editing by Channel

When working with note events, you can also layer them by their
channel for editing purposes.

Note that the vertical track and clip editing buttons are still present on
the far left, allowing you to specify whether you are viewing one entire
track or one clip at a time.

The interface itself is mostly a streamlined version of what we have

seen already. The layers here are listed by channel, with used channels
shown at the top of the list in a bright white. The only real difference is

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the menu of editing/display modes, just below the layer listing. Options
include:

› All channels displays all notes, keeping them all editable.

› Selected channels allows only selected channels to be edited. Non-

selected channels are still displayed but greatly dimmed.

› Selected channels (hide others) allows only selected channels to be

edited. Non-selected channels hidden.

10.1.4.4. Layered Editing with the Audio Editor

Switching from the Note Editor to the Audio Editor also presents a few
structural differences.

In track editing mode, audio events can be freely worked with as

described in the previous chapter. In clip editing mode, both audio
events and clips can be worked with.

Audio expressions can also be worked with in both modes. A single

audio event expression menu appears above the track headers to
determine which expression is globally displayed.

And again, events and/or expressions can even be set in relation to one
another with object snapping (see section 4.2.2).

The last new interface option is the Lane Resize toggle. When enabled,
resizing the Detail Editor Panel also tries to resize each individual track/
clip lane in order to fit the available space.

Otherwise, this editor works as expected.

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10.2. Inspecting Note Clips

As with audio events, the Inspector Panel is a critical way to both access
the details of note events and edit them most effectively. To focus the
Inspector Panel on notes, we must first select them within the Detail
Editor Panel.

10.2.1. Selecting Notes
To select a single note: single-click it.

To select multiple notes: click a blank area and drag a rectangle around
the desired notes.

Other ways to select multiple notes include:

› After selecting one note, [CTRL]-click ([CMD]-click on Mac) additional

notes to grow the selection.

› Click a note on the piano keyboard to select all displayed notes of that
pitch.

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› With the Time Selection tool, click and drag over the time area for
which all displayed notes should be selected.

(To normally click and drag the notes after they are selected in this
way, you can switch back to the Pointer tool.)

To select the next note: press [ALT]+[RIGHT ARROW].

To select the previous note: press [ALT]+[LEFT ARROW].

If you have one note selected, you can similarly grow the selection by
pressing [SHIFT]+[ALT]+[RIGHT ARROW] or [SHIFT]+[ALT]+[LEFT
ARROW].

Once a note selection is made, the Inspector Panel will display relevant
settings and functions.

10.2.2. The Inspector Panel on Note Events

As with audio clips and events, selecting a note clip makes certain
parameters and functions available in the NOTE section of the Inspector

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Panel, but by selecting a note event itself, the Inspector Panel provides
all settings relevant for the selected event(s).

We will take these one section at a time and also examine the functions
available in the Event menu when note events are selected.

10.2.2.1. Timing and Mute Section

These settings relate to the musical position of the selected note and
whether it is muted:

› Start sets the start position of the event within its parent clip or track.
Adjusting this position will move the note event as it exists, the same as
clicking and dragging the event within the Detail Editor Panel.

› Length sets the duration of the event within its parent clip. Adjusting
this duration will simply lengthen or shorten the note event, the same
as using the bracket cursor to adjust the right edge of the note.

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› Muted toggles whether or not the event is disabled on playback.

10.2.2.2. Note Properties Section

These parameters relate to how each selected note is sounded:

› Channel sets the internal channel that the note will play back on. This
can act as a routing control within an Instrument Layer device, or when
being sent directly to a VST plug-in or a hardware MIDI device that
respects multiple channels.

› Key sets the root pitch that the note is set to. This is shown as a MIDI
note value, where C3 is roughly 261.262 Hertz ("middle C") and A4 is
440 Hertz. Adjusting this value is the same as moving the note higher
or lower.

Any Micro-Pitch expressions are applied relative to the note's Key

setting.

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› Velocity sets the strength with which the note should be initially
triggered. It is set on a scale from 0.00% to 100%, and this is just
another representation of the note's velocity expression (see section
10.1.2.1).

› R-Velocity stands for release velocity, and it sets the speed with which
the note should be released. It is set on a scale from 0.00% to 100%.
This parameter is implemented in whatever way the instrument device
desires.

10.2.2.3. Expressions Section

This section exposes five of the expressions we have covered: Gain

(see section 10.1.2.2), Pan (see section 10.1.2.3), Pitch (also known as
the Micro-Pitch expression; see section 10.1.3), Timbre (see section
10.1.2.4), and Pressure (see section 10.1.2.5). While these expressions
have completely different functions, they are programmed in the same
fashion.

Most of these expressions have their units defined, with Gain set in
decibels, and both Pan and Timbre set with bipolar percentages. The
unlabeled Pitch is set in semitones, indicating the relative shift.

These are all automation-type expressions, so each is able to be defined

by a curve made of several values. Because of this possibility, each value
in this section of the Inspector Panel actually represents the average of
points in that expression. We can see this in action with the Gain setting.

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This note has a gain expression consisting of two points and a curve. The
-6.81 dB listed for the Gain parameter is an average of these two points.

To adjust a note expression curve: change its listed average value.

This would work similarly if multiple note events were selected.

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10.2.2.4. Event Menu Functions

These functions take the specified action on the selected note event(s):

› Reverse flips the selected event around, causing it to play backwards.

The following images demonstrate a group of selected events both

before and after the Reverse function is applied:

Notice that the expressions are also reversed.

› Reverse Pattern flips the order of a group of selected events. This does
not cause each event and its expressions to play backwards, but rather
causes the last event to be played first, etc.

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Note

This function will work only when multiple events are selected.

The following images demonstrate a group of selected events both

before and after the Reverse Pattern function is applied:

Notice that the expressions are preserved.

› Scale 50% halves the length of the selected event, effectively causing
it to play back twice as fast. All expressions are also proportionally
adjusted.

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The following images demonstrate selected note events both before

and after the Scale /2 function is applied:

› Scale 200% doubles the length of the selected event, effectively

causing it to play back half as fast. All expressions are also
proportionally adjusted.

The following images demonstrate selected note events both before

and after the Scale *2 function is applied:

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Note

Remember that events must fit within their parent clip.

› Quantize is identical to the following Quantize… function except that

the most recently set parameters are used for the function.

› Quantize… moves the start and/or end times of the selected note in
relation to a beat grid. The parameter pane for this function appears
when the right-arrow button is clicked.

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› Grid Mode: Determines whether to adopt the grid settings from the
current Editor or to allow Custom grid settings.

› Custom Grid: Exclusive beat grid resolution and beat grid subdivision
settings (see section 3.1.2) for the quantize function.

Note

This is available only when Grid Mode is set to Custom.

› Shuffle: Amount of swing/groove (see section 2.3.2) applied to the

beat grid for the quantization function.

› Humanize: Amount of randomness added to the quantize function,

with the intention of mimicking human imperfection.

› Start Amount: Amount of quantization applied to each selected

event's start position.

For example, a setting of 50.0% would move a selected event's start

position halfway to the closest grid point. A setting of 100% places
the event exactly on the closest grid point.

› End Amount: Amount of quantization applied to each selected event's

end position.

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Note

Humanize is the last factor applied in the quantize function. So a

Start Amount of 100% might not place events directly on the grid if
Humanize is enabled.

The quantize function can be executed by either clicking the Apply

button at the bottom of the parameter pane, or by clicking the
Quantize Time button itself.

› Make Legato adjusts the length of each selected note event so that it
ends immediately before the next event begins, creating a continuous
series of events.

The following images demonstrate a group of selected events both

before and after the Legato function is applied:

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› Transpose Semitone Up slides the selected event(s) up a semitone.

› Transpose Semitone Down slides the selected event(s) down a

semitone.

› Transpose Octave Up slides the selected event up 12 semitones (in

musical notation, 8va). This function is also available by pressing
[SHIFT]+[UP ARROW].

› Transpose Octave Down slides the selected event down 12 semitones

(in musical notation, 8vb). This function is also available by pressing
[SHIFT]+[DOWN ARROW].

10.2.3. Working with Multiple Note Events

As it was with audio events, the Histogram becomes available when
multiple note events are selected (see section 9.2.2.2).

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In this example image, the Inspector Panel has labeled its bottom
section as NOTES (18), indicating that 18 notes are currently selected.
And with this selection of multiple note events, the Velocity, R-Velocity,
Gain, Pan, Pitch, and Timbre parameters all can now use the Histogram
interface for editing.

The Histogram works exactly the same as it did in the audio event
context (again, see section 9.2.2.2). The Histogram can be useful in the
note context, for example, when notes were programmed without much
diversity in their velocities.

It doesn't take much to add subtle — or less subtle — variety with

the Histogram. If you look, you will find places where it can aid your
workflow.

10.3. The Edit View

Now that we have exhaustively covered both the Automation Editor
Panel (in chapter 8) and the Detail Editor Panel (in both this chapter
and chapter 9), we can now take a look at the Edit View, the last of
Bitwig Studio's three views.

As we've discussed before, each view is a curated layout of Bitwig

Studio's panels that is meant to serve a particular musical task. The
Arrange View is purposed for assembling music, placing the important
Arranger Timeline Panel centrally and giving you access to all panels
around it. The Mix View centers around the Mixer Panel, focusing on the
mixing board capabilities of each track while also streamlining the Clip
Launcher Panel to facilitate improvisation.

Both of these views are oriented to show your project's tracks side by
side, letting you craft a balance between them. But the Edit View is
focused on the details of single tracks and clips.

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The description just given and the image above should both be familiar
at this point. The Edit View has two central panels: the Detail Editor
Panel with an optional Automation Editor Panel fused beneath it. Aside
from their positioning and the Automation Editor Panel view toggle,
these panels work exactly as we have already learned them.

This combination allows you to focus on either the track or clip level
so that you can work with the note/audio events contained there, the
attached expressions, and the automation all beside each other. And
putting the Detail Editor Panel front and center gives you much more
display space for seeing more notes at a time — or, in the case of layered
editing mode, more tracks. These are all welcome additions to the
toolbox.

As a final point, the Edit View also strengthens the utility of display
profiles. Since these profiles are meant to enable you at various stages of
music production, you can probably imagine situations for having the full
project on one screen (the "big picture") so that you can select a single
clip or track and have its contents presented on the second screen (the
"close up"). Again, once you scratch the surface, you will find uses for
these functions in your workflow.

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11. Going Between Notes and Audio
The previous two chapters dealt extensively with audio events and note
events, which you could think of as our primary states of musical matter.
And those last two chapters are the longest in this document because
there is quite a lot to do in Bitwig Studio with audio and note events.

Working with notes has inherent advantages, as does working with

audio. Without trying to tell you how either of these types "should"
be used, it is fair to say that notes allow for a greater level of flexibility
and control, and audio is both highly portable and can be wonderfully
mangled.

But occasionally, matter changes state. This happens in the physical

world when water freezes, and it also happens when you use Bitwig
Studio to bounce a note clip in place. And just as ice sometimes melts,
even audio can be sliced into note events.

This chapter will explore ways of taking audio materials into the note
domain, ways of transforming note events into audio ones, and places
where both coexist. We may not be altering nature here, but these
options will only afford you more opportunities to customize your
workflow and sound.

11.1. Loading Audio into a New Sampler

We learned early on how to import media files from the Browser Panel
as clips. We saw how to bring clips of any kind into the Arranger
Timeline Panel (see section 4.2.1) and into the Clip Launcher Panel (see
section 5.2.1). In both cases, we also saw how to create a new track for
that clip by dragging it to the space between any two existing tracks.

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When importing an audio file, Bitwig Studio provides one additional

option worth mentioning here.

To load an audio file into a new Sampler device on a new instrument

track: click and drag the clip from the Browser Panel to the space
between two existing track headers.

Once the mouse is released, a new instrument track will be inserted in

that place, and the track will be selected.

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With the track record enabled, you can now use notes to trigger the
audio that was just loaded.

Rather than exploring the Sampler in any great detail, we'll look at just
a few parameters that affect how the notes you play are interpreted by
Sampler.

› Keyboard Tracking: When disabled, any note triggers the sample at its
original pitch. When enabled, each note's pitch setting will change the
playback speed and pitch of the sample.

› Root Note: The note which will play the sample at its original pitch. This
setting takes effect only when Keyboard Tracking is enabled.

› Fine Tuning: A small interval adjustment for the Root Note setting, in
units of cents (hundredths of a semitone). This setting takes effect only
when Keyboard Tracking is enabled.

› Velocity Sensitivity: The amount that each note's velocity affects the
loudness of the sample. At the lowest setting (+0.00 dB), velocity is
ignored.

Note

For detailed information about Sampler, see section 17.16.4.

(Descriptions for all Bitwig devices can be found in chapter 17.)

11.2. Bouncing to Audio
The concept of an audio bounce may be familiar. Sometimes called an
export or render in other contexts, a bounce is a consolidated audio
version of some part of your project. In this case, we want to investigate
bouncing a note clip.

By right-clicking a note clip, a couple of bounce options are listed in the

context menu. (These same options also appear in the Edit menu.)

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11.2.1. The Bounce Function

The simple Bounce function presents a dialog box.

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The Source choices refer to different places in the track's signal flow,
and you get to select which point you would like the audio to come
from.

The options include:

› Pre-FX: The raw audio signal from the primary instrument's output.

› Pre-Fader: The audio signal after the track's device chain but before
the track's volume setting is applied.

› Post-Fader: The audio signal after the track's device chain and volume
setting.

› Custom: A special menu of options that includes every top-level signal

junction in the track, including from within the device chain.

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In this example, the instrument track in question has three top-level

devices: Drum Machine, Delay-2, and Bit-8. Selecting one of these
options chooses the audio output of that device for the bounce.

Three additional parameters follow:

› Bit depth: The resolution of the bounced audio file.

› Dither: A toggle for whether shaping is applied for the selected bit
depth.

› Real-time: A toggle to bounce at the actual speed (and time duration)

of the selection. This setting is necessary if you are bouncing external
hardware, etc.

After making your selections, click Ok to bounce the audio onto a new
track.

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If you want a standard pre-fader bounce, you can also click and drag a
clip while holding [ALT] ([SHIFT]+[CTRL] on Mac).

11.2.2. The Bounce in Place Function and Hybrid

Tracks
The Bounce in place function is similar to the Bounce function with two
key differences.

First, it presents no dialog box, taking the audio output from the primary
instrument (Pre-FX).

Second, it replaces the clip you are bouncing with the bounce itself.

Note

Since Bounce in place deletes your source clip, it is a good practice

to copy the clip (perhaps to the Clip Launcher) before using this
function.

Note

When using Bounce in place on a metaclip within a group track (see

section 4.2.8), the newly bounced clip is placed on the group track's

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internal master track instead of replacing the source clip. Accordingly,

the group track will now ignore its component tracks for that section,
outputting only the audio of that bounced clip.

Since this was the only note clip on the track, Bitwig Studio has
converted it from an instrument track to an audio track while preserving
the entire device chain.

If there were other note clips on the track, it would have been converted
from an instrument track to a hybrid track.

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Since hybrid tracks allow both audio and note clips to be present, the
Detail Editor Panel now has its Audio Editor and Note Editor buttons
to keep things straight. These buttons (and the panel) work as they did
when we first saw them in layered editing mode (see section 10.1.4).
Otherwise, hybrid tracks work the same as instrument and audio tracks.

11.3. Slicing to Notes
The concept of a musical slicing operation may be familiar. The idea is to
take an audio waveform and cut it into logical pieces that can be played
with note messages.

By right-clicking an audio clip, a couple of slicing options are listing in

the context menu. (These same options also appear in the Edit menu.)

11.3.1. The Slice to Multisample Function

The Slice to Multisample... function presents a dialog box.

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The dialog begins with two options regarding the source to be sliced:

› Bounce and Slice: Executes a bounce function of the clip before slicing
it. If this is selected, the signal flow options from the Bounce dialog are
shown below (see section 11.2.1).

› Slice Raw: Simply slices the raw source event.

After these choices comes the critical Slice at setting, which determines
at what interval slices will be made. The choices are self-explanatory,
including event-based intervals (Beat Marker, Onset, and Audio Event)
and time-based intervals (Bar, 1/2 note, 1/4 note, 1/8 note, 1/16 note, and
1/32 note).

The final option, when enabled, allows you to limit the number of slices
that will be made. This does not alter the Slice at setting, but simply
stops slicing if the slice count set has been reached.

Choosing to Slice Raw at each Onset and clicking Ok would lead to a

new instrument track with a new note clip.

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On this new instrument track, a Sampler device has also been created
with the corresponding slice of audio assigned to each note seen in the
note clip.

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The original audio clip could now be rearranged by editing the note
events, or it could be reinterpreted on the fly by playing any of these
notes in real time.

11.3.2. The Slice to Drum Machine Function

The Slice to Drum Machine... function leads to the exact same dialog
as Slice to Multisample... and produces a new instrument track with a
new note clip in the same way, but the instrument track is given a Drum
Machine device with each slice loaded into its own separate Sampler.

The choice between Sampler and Drum Machine is really one of

workflow. While Sampler places all slices in the same signal chain, the
Drum Machine gives you independent chains (and a unique Sampler) for
each slice. If you want to process individual slices in different ways, you
might favor the Drum Machine.

In the end — like so many things in Bitwig Studio — the choice is up to

you and your personal preference.

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12. Working with Projects and Exporting
The title of this chapter isn't meant to cause confusion. Yes, we have
been working with projects for the majority of this document, but there
are a few details about projects that we haven't covered yet, including a
few details about how Bitwig Studio manages project files.

Each Bitwig Studio project file uses the bwproject extension. When
you save a Bitwig Project file, the project file itself is placed in a new
project folder. Whenever new content files are generated in a project,
the program will automatically place them in the project folder within
new sub-folders (such as samples, plugin-states, recordings, bounce,
etc.).

While Bitwig Studio has its own preferences and settings, there are also
project-based parameters that are stored within each project. And while
preferences do apply across the entire program, these settings have to
be reconciled with the content of your actual project file and folder.

Note

For information about storing project-specific mappings for computer

keyboards and MIDI controllers, use the Mappings Browser Panel (see
section 13.4).

In this chapter, we will see how to save project templates, either for
your own use or for sharing with the wider world. We will look at the
Project Panel, which manages your project's metadata and the status of
files and plug-ins being used. We will talk a bit about the global groove
settings and how they impact your project. We will show ways to share
content between projects. And finally, we will examine exporting audio
and MIDI from Bitwig Studio.

12.1. Saving a Project Template

Establishing a good workflow is key to working efficiently on new
projects. Having project templates that are preloaded with common
track setups, device arrangements, monitoring assignments, etc., may be
a great boon to you and your productions.

Directly beside the Save as… function in the File menu is the Save as
Template… option. Selecting this option pulls up a dialog.

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There are six fields that you can set for your template.

› Name: The title of the template.

› Author: The name of the template's author (by default, your Bitwig user
name is used).

› URL: A web address for the author.

› Category: Whether you would consider this project a Template, Demo,

or Tutorial.

› Tags: Metadata pieces that can be used for choosing or sorting

templates later. To finalize a tag, press [ENTER] after typing it. Use as
many tags as you like.

› Description: A fuller explanation of the template.

Three basic options can be toggled as well: whether to Show welcome

dialog when the template is opened, whether the save process Should
collect external files to the project, and whether the save process should
Should collect packaged files that are used by the project.

To create a new file from a template: go to the File menu and select New
From Template… (directly beside the New… option).

To set a template as the default for any new project: in the General tab
of the Preferences window, find and enable the Use a template for new

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Projects setting under the Template heading. Then click on the ellipsis
(…) button and select the template file to be used.

12.2. The Project Panel

The Project Panel is one of the "access panels" in Bitwig Studio.

The purposes it serves are cleanly divided over three tabs.

12.2.1. Info Tab
The Info tab (shown above) allows you to fill in several metadata fields
to describe your project. While you can use each of these fields as you

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see fit, their purpose is to help you store information and notes about
each project file.

12.2.2. Files Tab
The Files tab lets you view and manage the audio files that are used by
the current project.

The central focus of this tab is the list of audio files. At the top of the tab
is a search field for narrowing the files being shown based on their name.
And when one of the audio files is selected, an info pane will appear at
bottom. This pane displays information about your file selection and
offers a few options for auditioning files, similar to the Browser Panel
(see section 4.1).

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To the left of each audio file listed is either a yellow square, a red square,
or a blank space. This indicates the file's status.

› A file with a blank space to its left is stored within the project's folder.

› A yellow square indicates that the file being used is external, or located
outside of the project folder.

› A red square indicates that the file is currently missing and cannot
been found. At the right edge of each missing file is a magnifying glass
icon. Whenever a project has a missing file, its icon in the project tab
section will include an exclamation point (!).

Files of all statuses will be shown when the Show All view button is
enabled (it is the default). The other view buttons, External and Missing,
show only files of those statuses when selected.

To search for a missing audio file: click the magnifying glass icon to the
right of the file's listing. In the open file dialog that appears, navigate to
the folder you would like searched, and then click Open.

To search for all missing audio files: click the Find All button at the
bottom of the audio file list. In the open file dialog that appears, navigate
to the folder you would like searched, and then click Open.

To replace one audio file with another: mouse over the file listing to be
replaced, and click on the Replace button that appears on the right. In
the open file dialog that appears, select the file you wish to replace it
with, and then click Open.

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To delete unused files from the project folder: click the Delete Unused
button at the bottom of the audio file list. In the dialog that appears,
uncheck any files that you want to keep, and then click Ok.

To move external audio files into the project folder: click the Collect
and Save button at the bottom of the audio file list. In the dialog that
appears, select whether regular external files should be collected, and

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whether files within Bitwig Studio packages should be collected. Then

click Ok.

The Collect and Save function, found under File › Collect and Save.
Depending on the options you have chosen, you can use this to quickly
move all used audio files into the project folder.

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12.2.3. Plug-ins Tab
The Plug-ins tab lets you view and manage the VST plug-ins that are
used by the current project.

This tab is laid out very similarly to the Files tab. In this case, the central
focus of the tab is the list of VST plug-ins. There is still a search field
above the list. And to the left of each plug-in listed is either a yellow
square, a red square, or a blank space.

› A plug-in with a blank space to its left is operating normally.

› A yellow square indicates that the plug-in has a version conflict. This
means that the plug-in found on your system is an older version of the
one that was saved in the project. When this happens, you can try to
resolve it yourself, or you can ask Bitwig Studio to ignore the conflict.

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To tell Bitwig Studio to ignore all plug-in version conflicts: click the
Ignore all version conflicts button at the bottom of the plug-in list.

› A red square indicates that the plug-in used in your project is currently
missing and cannot be found. When this happens, you can manually
install the plug-in in question and make sure that the plug-in's location
is known to Bitwig Studio (see section 0.3.2.5 for information on the
Locations page of the Dashboard).

Plug-ins of all statuses will be shown when the Show All view button is
enabled (it is the default). The other view buttons, Version Conflict and
Missing, show only plug-ins of that respective status when selected.

12.3. The Global Groove

The musical idea of shuffle is to take a balanced (or "straight") rhythmic
pattern and make every second note of the pattern a little late (or
"swung"). The groove function in Bitwig Studio allows you to apply this
idea so that notes which were programmed straight can be swung by a
variable amount on playback. This function is nondestructive and can be
adjusted or disabled at any time.

While each clip has local Shuffle and Accent settings (see section
4.2.9.6), the groove settings themselves are set at the project level.

The global Groove controls are found in the Play menu.

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When the Enable Groove button is toggled on, the Global Groove
settings will be applied to any clip requesting them.

The Shuffle category has two settings:

› Rate determines whether groove will be applied at the 1/8 note or 1/16
note level.

› The Shuffle control itself sets the amount. More specifically, this is the
distance (from 0.00% to 100%) that even-numbered beats are delayed
to the next lower beat division. So if the Rate is set to 1/16 notes, the
Shuffle setting determines how far each second 1/16 note is pushed
toward the following 1/32 note.

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In the above example, the source track is completely straight 1/16 notes
(the E-Hat track). The three bottom audio tracks represent that source
track printed with various amounts of 1/16 note groove applied.

The Detail Editor Panel focuses on the 50% Shuffle example. Here,
you can clearly see that each second 1/16 note is shifted halfway to the
following 1/32 note.

The Accent category has three settings:

› The Rate determines whether a slight emphasis is applied to every 1/4

note, 1/8 note, or 1/16 note.

› The Accent itself sets the relative emphasis applied at the set interval.
This is set between 0.00% and 100%.

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› Phase sets an offset amount that the accent interval is shifted by. This
is set between -50.0% and 50.0%.

Note

All of these groove parameters can be automated in your project's

master track under the Transport category. You can also automate
the project's tempo from here.

12.4. Working with Multiple Projects

Bitwig Studio makes it quite easy to get your work from one project into
another. This can be done either by storing your own library content
via the Browser Panel, or by directly transferring data between open
projects.

12.4.1. Adding Clips to the Browser Panel

To add a clip to the library: click and drag the clip into the Browser
Panel. In the dialog that appears, edit the clip Name if desired, enable
any appropriate Tags, and then click Ok.

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It doesn't matter which tab of the Browser Panel is showing when you
drag your clip over. In fact, the Browser Panel doesn't even have to be
called up before you begin dragging as you can call up any panel while
using the mouse. In the case of the Browser Panel, you can press [B] any
time to call it up.

Once you have stored your clip, it can be found and managed from the
Clips tab of the Browser Panel.

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Any clip stored in this fashion also contains its own parameters, the
track's device chain, and any automation data.

12.4.2. Going Directly between Projects

Bitwig Studio allows you to have multiple projects open at the same
time, with each open project represented in the project tab section of
the window's header (see section 2.1.1). In addition to making it easy
to quickly switch between projects, this also allows you to copy data
between them.

To transfer a clip(s) from one project to another: select and copy the
clip(s) in the original project. Switch to the destination project, move
the playhead to the desired insertion point (this can be done by clicking
on either a Clip Launcher slot or at the position within the Arranger
Timeline), and then paste.

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Note

Copying and pasting clips within a project will maintain the original
clip's automation but not its device chain. Copying and pasting clips
between projects will maintain neither.

To transfer a device(s) from one project to another: select and copy the
device(s) in the original project. Switch to the destination project, select
the target track, and then paste.

The other option is to drag items directly from one open project to
another.

To transfer an item(s) between two open projects: click and drag the
item(s) from the original project to the target project's tab. While still
holding the mouse, wait for the target project to load, and then drag and
release the item in the appropriate location.

The cursor that includes a circle with a diagonal line through it indicates
that releasing your item(s) on the project tab itself would do no good.
Very quickly, the target project will load.

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Note

Dragging clips between projects will maintain only the clip, not the
automation or device chain. Device(s) can be transferred separately
using the same method.

Note

If you want to copy multiple tracks from one project to another, you
can use the method above with multiple tracks selected. You could
also encapsulate all desired tracks into one group track, transfer that
one group track to the second project, and then ungroup the track
(see section 3.2.2).

12.5. Exporting Audio
To export audio from Bitwig Studio, either completed songs or individual
tracks, use the File › Export Audio... function. When this option is
selected, a dialog box with several sections appears.

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› The Path / Name section assigns both the destination for the file(s) and
the name stem to be used.

› To change the destination, click the ellipsis (...) button on the far right,
and an open dialog will appear.

› To change the name stem, click in the lower text field and begin
typing. By default, the project name is used for the stem.

› The Tracks section lists all tracks in the project. Check every track that
you want to be exported. If you want to export the entire project (a
completed song, for instance), check only the Master track.

› The Time range section determines the time range of the project to
be exported. Both the Start and End parameters are set using song
positions.

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› The Options / Format section gives you three settings.

› To ignore all mixer volume automation, select the Pre-fader option.

This can be especially helpful when exporting stems.

› Select Dither to add a very small amount of noise to your exports.

This can help the lower-resolution export files best match the high-
resolution internal signals of Bitwig Studio. This noise is generally
inaudible.

› The format menu sets the format of audio to be exported. The

choices include 16-bit Integer, 24-bit Integer, and 32-bit Floating-
point.

› The Output Files section lists the locations and names of audio files
that will be created. When only one track is selected, the one file
created will match the stem name chosen in the Path / Name section.
When multiple files are being created, that stem will be followed by the
source track's name.

Once the Ok button is pressed, the files will be created.

Note

As the Time range is set in song position value, only Arranger

Timeline selections (not Launcher clips) can be exported in this way.

The Export Audio function dialog uses your current selection for its
default settings. So if you want to export only a single clip from one
track, first select that clip and then choose File › Export Audio....

12.6. Exporting MIDI
To export MIDI from Bitwig Studio, choose File › Export MIDI.... In the
save file dialog that appears, set the desired name and location for your
MIDI file. This file will include all notes present in your project's Arranger
Timeline, organized by track.

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13. MIDI Controllers
MIDI controllers — or simply controllers — can be a critical part of any
production environment or performance setup. Bitwig Studio supports
MIDI controllers in general, whether you are playing in notes or you are
mapping physical knobs and sliders to the program's parameters.

Bitwig Studio comes with various controller scripts. Each script is

programmed for a specific MIDI controller, with a few scripts for Generic
controllers of any make.

For the generic controllers, functionality is basic. If the controller has

keys, you can send note messages. And if it has assignable knobs, you
can map those knobs to any mappable control in Bitwig Studio.

For the controllers that are specifically supported, more functions are
allowed. This can include control of track mixer functions, device remote
controls and parameters, the transport, clip launching, and more. As
each controller can vary greatly in size, shape, and functionality, the
built-in mappings supported by Bitwig Studio also vary from controller
to controller.

Note

Anyone with knowledge of JavaScript and the MIDI specification

can customize any of the included controller scripts or even write
their own. For full details on Bitwig Studio's controller API, go
to the Dashboard, click on the Help tab, and then click on the
Documentation page. Various Developer Resources can be found
here.

This chapter covers how to use both the default mappings for your
controller (if supported), and how to manually assign and manage MIDI
mappings. It also shows how to achieve simple parameter and controller
(or computer keyboard) pairings via the Mappings Browser Panel.

13.1. Soft Controller Assignments

For any controller used with Bitwig Studio, certain default behaviors
are available. We will start by revisiting the Dashboard for additional
controller settings and documentation. Then we will get to know the
Remote Controls pane, which is available on every device.

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13.1.1. The Remote Controls Pane

Note

The functionality described in this section will work only with

non-Generic controllers.

As we discussed in chapter 7, all actual device control elements are

found within the Device Panel. In this section, we will revisit the Device
Panel to see how it facilitates soft controller assignments.

"Soft controller assignments" refers to controller assignments that can

dynamically shift, following your focus on different tracks and devices
within a project. By default, this functionality only targets the currently
selected device.

In the example above, the Delay-2 device is currently selected, as its

slightly brightened device header indicates. By clicking on the E-CLAP
device, it will become the currently selected device and receive focus.
If a recognized MIDI controller is connected and set up in Bitwig Studio,
the device's interface might even get a splash color.

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The colored interface items represent the eight current soft controller
assignments. The details of these mappings are available in the device's
Device Mappings pane, which is shown when the Remote Controls
button (which looks like a group of six controller items) is clicked.

The Remote Controls pane shows the soft controller assignments

that come with being the currently selected device. Each assignment
is represented here by a color-accented controller. And since your
controller's eight hardware controls will be used over and over again,
they are always colored in rainbow order (red, orange, yellow, green,
cyan, blue, indigo, and violet) to help you mentally connect each
particular hardware control with its ever-changing software assignment.

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Note

Depending on the type of parameter under control, either a knob,

button, or chooser (a drop-down menu, indicated with a downward-
facing arrow on its far right) will be used.

To rename a soft controller: double-click the soft controller's name. If no

name is provided, the name of the parameter under control will be used.

Clicking on the Remote Control Pages menu exposes all current

mapping pages.

There are three different types of mapping pages:

› Preset pages are sets of remote controls tied to this particular device
instance or preset.

› Device pages are sets of remote controls linked to every device of this
kind across your installation of Bitwig Studio. So any changes made
to this particular E-Clap device's device pages would be read by all E-
Clap devices.

› Modulator pages represent remote controls for any modulators loaded

in this preset. They are tied to the particular modulator in use and are
not editable.

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To create a new preset page: click on the Remote Control Pages menu,
and then choose the Add New Page option.

The Wi-Fi icons represent controls which are not yet assigned.

To make a soft controller assignment: first click on an available

controller's Wi-Fi icon, and then click on the device parameter you wish
to assign to it.

We can now switch to other remote control pages (via the Remote
Control Pages menu) and then return to this preset page. This new
preset page was named Perform by default, but similarly to the soft
controllers, you can click on the preset page's name in order to rename
it.

Clicking the Remote Controls Editor button causes the Remote Controls
Editor to appear in the central panel area.

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You will notice that the Remote Controls pane itself is now showing
an unassign button (as an x icon) in the top right of each assigned
controller.

To remove a soft controller assignment: click the assigned controller's

unassign button, either in the Remote Controls pane or in the Remote
Controls Editor.

Note

A soft controller assignment can also be removed directly from the

Device Panel either by:

› Right-clicking in the soft controller's area, and then selecting Delete

Remote Control from the context menu.

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› Holding [ALT] and mousing over the Remote Controls pane will
cause an unassign button (the little x icon) to appear in the top right
of each assigned soft controller. Continuing holding [ALT] and click
on any of these buttons to remove that assignment.

The Remote Controls Editor is scrollable. Changes made to pages in the

Preset Pages section are stored immediately. Changes to pages in the
Device Pages section must be saved, either by clicking the Save and
Apply button or by using the save dialog that appears when you close
the Remote Controls Editor.

To reorder remote control pages: click and drag the pages within their
section.

To duplicate a remote control page: hold [ALT], and then click and drag
the page you wish to duplicate within its section.

Note

Pages cannot be moved or copied between sections.

To rename a page: double-click the current name of the page.

To add tags to a remote control page: click in the bottom row of the
page area, beneath the bottom four soft controllers.

To add a ninth slot to any remote controls page: right-click on the title
bar of the remote controls page in the Remote Controls Editor, and then
select Allow 9 Slots from the context menu.

This can be especially handy if you are using a MIDI controller with nine
faders.

To create a new remote control page: click the Add Page button (the
large plus +) icon at the end of the Device Pages section. (The plus sign
at the end of the Preset Pages section can also be used to create a new
preset page.)

To delete a remote control page: click the Delete Page button (the x
icon) to the far right of the page name.

Before we move on, let's consider a use of the rainbow order in another
context. Most controllers that support soft controller assignments can
also support a "mixer mode."

The following images demonstrate a project in Mix View both without

and then with mixer mode engaged:

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Notice how the volume and pan knobs for the first eight tracks are using
the first eight soft controllers, as shown in rainbow order again.

13.2. Controller Visualizations, Takeover Behavior,

and Documentation
Earlier, we saw how to recognize our MIDI controllers under Settings >
Controllers in the Dashboard (see section 0.3.2.2). Let's now go back to
the Dashboard, the Settings tab, and the Controllers page to examine
the individual controller options.

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In addition to port mappings and script information, each controller

entry also has a set of icons in the bottom left that relates to its use.

› The gear button toggles the visibility of additional settings, if such

settings are specified by the controller script is use.

› The "speech balloon" button toggles on-screen controller visualizations

(see section 2.2.5).

› The fader button toggles whether the global Takeover mode (set at the
top of the page) is applied the controller in question or not. Takeover
modes set the behavior of how incoming messages from individual
controls are used by their associated software parameters. Modes
include:

When a controller has disabled use of the global takeover mode, it is

the same as being set to Immediate.

› The question mark (?) button provides a link to the any local
documentation for the particular controller script in use.

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13.3. Manual Controller Assignment

Any device with assignable hardware knobs/faders allows manual
assignment of these controls to project parameters, such as device
parameters or track mixer elements.

To make a manual controller assignment: right-click on the parameter

you wish to assign and select Learn Controller Assignment... from the
context menu. The targeted parameter will now be framed in bright

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green with an animated circle icon, indicating that you should "turn a
knob." Then move the hardware control you wish to assign.

In this example, we've right-clicked on the master track's volume control.

After you move the hardware controller in question, the software

parameter will return to its normal appearance, but the on-screen
control will be moving as you move the physical control.

To remove a manual controller assignment: right-click on the parameter

you wish to unassign, and select Clear Controller Assignment from the
context menu. Or in the Studio I/O Panel, click the x button for the
parameter assignment you wish to clear.

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Finally, if you are using soft controller assignments, you can still make
manual controller assignments. In this situation, any new assignments
will override soft assignments that usually work in the current mode.

As an example, let's start from the "mixer mode" case from the end of
the last section.

By manually assigning the master track's volume and pan controls to my

hardware controller's eighth fader and knob, both of those master track
controls will be colored violet, and the track that was previously using
those controllers (FX Storm) will lose them.

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In this example, my last fader and knob will always control the master
track while my controller is in mixer mode.

13.4. The Mappings Browser Panel

The Mappings Browser Panel is another one of the "access panels"
in Bitwig Studio. When the panel's view toggle is pressed, the panel
itself slides into (or out of) view, exposing all preexisting mappings and
allowing you to either edit or delete them. But unlike when other panels
are visible, this one also changes the appearance of the project itself.

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Before getting to functionality, the first parameter in the panel is

worth noting. The Map source priority setting decides whether any
Controller script in use should get the first chance to process incoming
MIDI messages (potentially overriding mapping established here) or if
incoming MIDI should be handed over raw to the any active mappings in
this panel.

While the Mappings Browser Panel is visible on screen, any parameter of

your project that can be mapped appears with a green overlay. Clicking
on one of these parameters causes a pair of arcs to spin circularly
backwards and forwards, indicating that this parameter is ready to be
mapped.

The next computer key that is pressed or MIDI control that is touched
will now be assigned to the selected parameter. In this example, we have
selected the volume fader of the master track. If we now move a MIDI
controller that is sending continuous controller 7 messages, the volume
fader will display this as long as the Mappings Browser Panel remains
visible.

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14. Advanced Device Concepts
We have talked about and dealt with devices throughout this document.
As we have seen, it's quite possible to operate devices in all the normal
ways without delving into their advanced functionality. In this chapter,
however, we'll explore device capabilities that are deeply powerful and
generally unique to Bitwig Studio.

The aim of this chapter is not to educate you on any particular device or
its parameters. While we will examine a few devices here in detail, our
purpose is primarily to investigate concepts that are relevant to many
devices. A separate reference section on the Bitwig devices themselves
can be found in chapter 17.

In this chapter, we will investigate nested device chains, we will

examine Bitwig Studio's unique Unified Modulation System (and the
modulator modules that it supports), and we will take note of some of
the advanced VST plug-in options provided.

Congratulations; we've made it to the deep end of the pool. Now take a
big breath.

14.1. Nested Device Chains

We discussed long ago how each track has its own device chain. Since
then, there have been references to "top-level devices," meaning the
devices that are directly in a track's device chain.

Most of the Bitwig devices actually possess one or more device chains of
their own. These lower-level device chains, or nested device chains, solve
several problems inherent to software-based music production.

For one thing, a single preset can contain vast configurations of devices,
from a standard single device to something far more ornate. For
another, the idea of nesting devices allows for unique signal routings
that aren't usually possible in software, such as blending serial and
parallel structures across a single device chain.

But we will return to device chains in a moment. Since the idea of

parallel signal structures has already been mentioned, we should start
this discussion with the humble, crucial Mix knob.

14.1.1. The Mix Parameter

For many audio effect processes, it is critical that the original,
unprocessed sound is blended together with the affected sound. A good

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example is a simple delay effect. Hearing the original sound provides

context for the delayed copy that follows. (A simple delay effect with no
original sound mixed in could be better described as "late.")

To facilitate this blending, the idea of a wet/dry control is common in

audio effects. This is usually implemented as a single knob that cross-
fades between purely "dry," unprocessed signal at the minimum value,
and purely "wet," post-processed signal at the maximum value, with
every value in between representing a gradual blend of the two.

In Bitwig devices, this function is found on many devices via a parameter

called Mix.

In the above example, we are using the Freq Shifter audio FX device,
which is a frequency shifter. With the Mix parameter set to 33 %, a third
of the device's output is the result of the frequency shifting process.
This means that the signal received by the device (before any effect
is applied) makes up the remaining two-thirds of the output, for a 2:1
blend of dry to wet signal. If Mix was set to 66.6 %, the balance would be
reversed, with wet signal predominating at a 2:1 ratio.

So when you find a Mix parameter knob in the bottom right corner of
a Bitwig device, it is providing this same wet/dry, parallel processing
structure. In any of these cases, a Mix setting of 100 % would produce an
output with no truly dry signal, and a setting of 0.00 % would effectively
bypass the device by outputting only dry signal.

Note

If you find a Mix parameter knob that isn't in the bottom right corner
of the device, it is carrying out a different function that is specific to
that particular device.

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Finally, Mix is not exclusive to audio FX devices and can be found on

some devices in nearly every category. In the categories that don't use
this Mix parameter (note FX and instruments), any incoming audio is
generally passed directly to the audio outputs.

14.1.2. Container Devices
After starting with a simple in-line routing control, we will move on to
nested device chains. And we will start with devices that are made to
provide parallel device chains.

Container devices are utility devices whose primary function is to host

other devices. So while most devices contain some type of nested
device chain, container devices couldn't exist without them.

Three particular container devices — (Drum Machine, Instrument Layer,

and FX Layer) came up in passing when we first saw the mixer's track
fold button (see section 6.1.1), and the two "layer" devices reappeared
indirectly when we discussed dragging devices to layer them (see
section 7.4). Each of these devices allows for a large number of device
chains within them.

We will examine each of these three container devices briefly.

14.1.2.1. Drum Machine

Drum Machine is made to house multiple instruments, each of which will

be triggered by a specific note message (for example, C1 for a kick drum,
F↗1 for closed hi-hat, etc.).

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Corresponding with the 128 possible MIDI notes, Drum Machine offers
up to 128 device chains, each called a drum chain. 16 drum chains are
displayed at a time, and the chain scroll area on the left allows you to
click or scroll the focus to a different set of chains.

An empty drum chain simply displays the note that it responds to and an
Add Device button (+) for loading a device directly into that chain.

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Used drum chains each have their chain name listed at top, and at
bottom are a preview button, a solo button, and a mute button.

To the right of the displayed drum chains is the selected chain channel
strip. Whichever drum chain is selected is surrounded by a blue-green
border, and this area of the device provides a small channel strip for
that chain, including larger solo and mute buttons, a volume fader, a pan
knob, and level meters.

Every used drum chain also has a small chain preview displayed across
its middle. This central line with squares placed along it is a silhouette
of the drum chain, with the squares representing the number of devices
currently at the top-level of the drum chain.

Note

While only so many squares fit within this small chain preview area,
additional devices may be added to the drum chain.

To view an individual chain: click the chain.

What can now be seen is the drum chain itself, which is, again, a device
chain. The two squares from the chain preview were representing these
E-Hat and Delay-1 devices, which have the exact same interfaces we are
accustomed to.

With the drum chain fully expanded, note that the selected chain is now
ringed by a dusty blue frame. The devices within this chain also have a
downward-facing bracket above them, both showing the boundaries
of the chain contents and connecting these contents to their source by
using the same highlight color in both places.

To reiterate this idea, the Delay-1 device is currently within this drum
chain. This means that only this particular instrument (triggered by F↗1)
will have this device applied to it.

If I were to move this device to the right and out of the drum chain, it will
now be in the track's device chain just after the Drum Machine.

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Accordingly, all audio coming out of Drum Machine is now being

affected by Delay-1.

One other function unique to the Drum Machine container device is its
ability to have certain triggered notes cut off, or "choke," other notes.
This allows you to associate related elements into a single choke group,
allowing only one of those elements to sound at a time. A classic choke
group example are hi-hat elements of a drum kit, where triggering a
closed hi-hat sample should silence an open hi-hat sample that was
playing. But many other uses can be imagined.

To assign a chain's choke target: right-click the chain in question, and

then from the Choke targets submenu, select the chain you want to be
choked when the current chain is triggered.

To assign a chain as a choke target: right-click the chain in question, and

then from the Choked by submenu, select the chain you want to cause
the current chain to be choked.

These two equivalent options allow you to create a choke group

relationship either from a source or destination perspective. But also

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note what this unique interface implies: that chain A could choke chain
B, but chain B could allow chain A to continue playing.

14.1.2.2. Instrument Layer

Instrument Layer is made to house multiple instruments, all of which will

be triggered by any incoming note message. The general effect of this
device is to make layered sounds or "stacks."

The chains in this device can be called instrument chains or layers. Each
is still representing a full device chain, but unlike Drum Machine, there is
no set number of chains. Because of this, there is only one Add Device
button in the main interface of Instrument Layer, with each added
device being placed on a newly created instrument chain. If enough
layers are added, the chain list itself can be scrolled vertically.

Each layer has its own built-in channel strip, quite similar to each track
header in the Arranger Timeline Panel. Also as in the Arranger, the
selected layer is given a silvery tint.

Note

Also similar to instrument tracks, each layer has settings in

the Inspector Panel to control the Channel that messages are
being heard From (see section 4.4.2.2). This allows you to set up
multitimbral Instrument Layer devices, where a single track could
trigger different layers by placing notes and other messages on
different channels.

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14.1.2.3. FX Layer

FX Layer is virtually identical to Instrument Layer except it is made to

house a layer of FX layers.

14.1.3. Other Common Device Chain Types

There are several other types of nested device chains within Bitwig
Studio. Some appear rarely or only once, but a few are reused multiple
times.

Some of the most common types of nested device chains include:

› FX (or Post FX): A nested device chain for processing the device's
entire audio output. The only difference between placing effects in
this device chain instead of after the device is that this chain is fully
stored with this device, which makes moving the device along with its
modifiers (or saving presets) much easier. This chain type is mostly
possessed by instruments and containers for instruments.

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Post FX chains work in exactly the same way, but tend to show up on
devices where other chains occurred first.

› Pre FX: A nested device chain for processing signal immediately before
it enters the device.

› Wet FX: A nested device chain that processes only the wet portion of
the device's output. The dry signal skips this chain and is mixed back in
afterward. All devices with this chain also have Mix parameter knobs.

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› FB FX: A nested device chain that is placed within the device's

feedback loop. This is common on delay devices.

Note

Just like Bitwig devices, VST plug-ins can be used in any device chain
at any level.

14.2. The Unified Modulation System

In sound synthesis, modulation is the idea that one component can
influence another in a controlled way. For a simple musical example,
think of vibrato (the subtle bending of pitch back and forth). To achieve
this with synthesis, we often connect the output of a low-frequency
oscillator (LFO) to a pitch input of an oscillator. The frequency of the
LFO determines the rate of the vibrato, and the level of the LFO's signal
determines the depth of the modulation.

Modulation can lead to elements that automatically change over time,

based on assigned parameters and preexisting control sources. Some
would say that modulation leads to more interesting and efficient results
in sound programming. These are both good points.

In the days of modular hardware synthesizers, each modulation was

highly visible as it was achieved by a patch cord properly connecting
two modules. But in our era of computer-based music production, we
see knobs on screen far more often than patch cords, and assigning (or
even showing) modulations has become a real challenge. Many different
interface models have been attempted, but no standard has been found.

Bitwig Studio has its own unique, program-wide method for dealing with
modulations. This Unified Modulation System allows you to easily assign
and edit modulations (so you don't get stuck with fixed modulation

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routings). It also preserves parameter control as often as possible (so

the modulated parameter's knob can still be used, allowing you to easily
shift the modulation range). Even the current value of a modulated
parameter is visible with this Unified Modulation System.

In this section, we will explore the Unified Modulation System by

learning to work with Bitwig Studio's unique modulator devices. We
will then see the same principles used to assign modulations within an
instrument.

14.2.1. Modulator Devices
While most systems require us to work around a fixed number of
modulation sources — say, two LFOs, three envelope generators,
perhaps some control over keytracking, and maybe a sidechain source
for using external audio or note messages — these choices tend to be
arbitrary and formulaic from the user perspective. Some sounds require
no LFOs, and some require ten. In Bitwig Studio, these options are left
completely open for the user.

Modulator devices are special-purpose modules that are made to be

loaded into any device. Their purpose is to allow a particular method of
control over device parameters. Types of modulators include:

› Mappable interface controls, such as Button, Buttons, Macro-4, and

Macro.

› Standard sources of modulation signals, such as 4-Stage, ADSR,

AHDSR, Beat LFO, Classic LFO, LFO, and Steps.

› Methods for using incoming MIDI and note messages, such as Keytrack,
MIDI, and Note Sidechain.

› Use of external signals for modulation, such as Audio Sidechain,

Envelope Follower, and HW CV In.

› Options for using one signal to be split across multiple destinations,

such as Select-4, Vector-4, Vector-8, and XY.

› Interesting ways of blending control signals to create a signal

modulation source, such as Mix (for crossfading two levels or signals)
and Math (for creating more complex relationships).

› A little bit of chaos, with Random.

Note

For descriptions of the modulator devices, see section 17.19.

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If you click the modulators button, the Modulators pane is toggled to be

visible.

An empty modulator pane loads with three available modulator slots. If

all modulator devices are loaded into all three slots, another three slots
will appear, and they will keep appearing as often as you run out.

In the center of each modulator slot is an Add Modulator button. Clicking

this button calls up a special version of the Pop-up Browser.

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As we discussed before, the Pop-up Browser is context-sensitive,

providing the most relevant options for the place we have invoked it.
Calling it up from the modulator pane provides only modulator devices.
Otherwise, the Pop-up Browser is working as we would expect it to,
providing categories for the available devices and previewing any
selected device in the Device Panel. And again, clicking Ok places the
selected device onto the track.

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To cut, copy, paste, duplicate, or delete a modulator: right-click the

background of the modulator slot, such as the modulator's name.

Also note that the option to toggle modulators as Active or not is also
present in this context menu. This is a good way to "bypass" a modulator
for a moment.

In this example, we have selected the Buttons modulator. This device

provides two controls which can be toggled to manipulated any
assigned parameters. As each button is separately assignable, this
device has two modulation routing buttons.

The modulation routing button resembles an output port with a patch

cord coming out of it, awaiting connection. Clicking a modulation
routing button switches to a mode where you can select as many
destinations as you like, each with its own modulation amount. When
enabled, the button itself begins flashing, all currently assigned
destinations become brightly colored, and all potential destinations are
shaded.

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Note

When a modulator device possesses multiple modulation routing

buttons, each button is sometimes represented by only the initial
circle of the icon. An example of this is the Vector-8 device, which has
eight modulation routing buttons spread along the sides and corners
of a square.

To create a modulation routing: enable the modulation source's

modulation routing button. Then click the target parameter and drag its
value to set the point of maximum modulation.

Note

Because the modulation range is set relatively, the range displayed

is also relative and does not directly correspond to the parameter's
values. So you can twist the modulation range past the parameter's
normal range, and this is correct. See the example below, targeting
the Filter device's Resonance parameter with an LFO modulator.

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You can assign additional parameters in the same fashion.

So in this EQ-2 example, we have a high-pass filter set around 80Hz and
a bell filter bringing level down about 3dB around 3.6KHz. While button
A of our Buttons modulator is off, those default values remain in place.

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But when button A is switched on, its modulations kick in. This shifts the
high-pass filter up, putting its cutoff frequency around 2KHz. The bell
filter has its cutoff lowered a bit, its gain increased a great deal, and its Q
increased slightly. The parameters and the frequency graphic all indicate
these adjustments with a cyan markers showing the current state of
things. (In an auditory sense, these parameter adjustments narrow and
focus the frequencies being passed through.)

Buttons is a relatively simple modulator, offering a binary transition from

one set of parameter values to another. Two points worth noting.

First, unlike the discrete behavior of Buttons, many modulators work

in a continuous way, either transitioning smoothly between states or
responding proportionately.

Second, many modulator devices have additional controls that don't

fit within their allotted modulator slot. These modulators have a right-
facing triangle on the middle of their right edge. When this button is
clicked, a pane of additional modulator parameters is exposed.

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It is also worth noting that all modulator parameters — both those

present atop the modulator slot and those within the additional
parameters pane — can themselves be targets of modulations.

Once modulation mappings are present, they can be manipulated and

duplicated in myriad ways, either from the Inspector Panel (see section
14.2.3.3) or from the Device Panel.

To clear a modulation routing from the modulation source: right-click the

source's modulation routing button, and then click the x icon to the left
of the desired parameter.

To clear all modulation routings from a modulation source: right-click the

source's modulation routing button, and then select Delete.

Note

The cut, copy, and paste options from the context menu above also
apply to all modulation routings, allowing you to move all listed

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modulation routings between different modulators. Additional options

for dragging and copying modulation routings are available from the
Inspector Panel (see section 14.2.3.3).

Modulation routings can also be removed from the parameter being

targeted.

To clear a modulation routing from the parameter under control: right-

click the parameter. Under the MODULATION ROUTINGS section of the
context menu, find the desired modulation source and click the x icon at
the far right.

14.2.2. Modulations within a Device

Several devices have their own built-in modulation sources. Instrument
devices are the best examples so let's look at Bitwig Studio's synthesis
flagship, Polysynth.

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Two on-board control sources are available here, both representing

control modules within Polysynth. FEG (filter envelope generator)
is hardwired to the filter's cutoff frequency, just as AEG (amplitude
envelope generator) controls the volume amplifier of the instrument.

The presence of a modulation routing button on each of these envelope

generators suggests that they can also be used for other modulations.
Clicking on one of these buttons enables a modulation routing mode,
similar to how it worked with modulator devices.

In fact, all behaviors related to connecting, editing, and clearing

modulations work exactly the same in all contexts. (This is the virtue of a
unified system.)

One difference in the example above is that the modulation routing

buttons (for FEG and AEG) as well as all available target parameters
are tinted light green. In the previous section's modulator examples,
everything was tinted blue. These subtle shadings do indicate a small but
critical difference.

The blue color here indicates a monophonic modulation. In the context

of modulation sources, a monophonic source generates only one control
signal that is then applied to all targets identically (musically speaking,
unison).

But a green color indicates a polyphonic modulation. Polyphonic sources

produce multiple control signals, potentially providing a unique signal
for each note event (musically speaking, divisi). This is the same idea

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we experienced with expressions before, where each note contained its

own, concurrent curve.

As with musical instruments, polyphony and monophony represent two

distinct palettes. This is to say that there is no "winner" between the two;
in different cases, each paradigm is preferable. And in Bitwig Studio, we
sometimes get a choice between the two.

By adding an LFO modulator device to Polysynth, it and its potential

destinations will appear in blue.

Because of Bitwig Studio's per-note modulation capabilities, modulators

such as this LFO can be switched to a polyphonic mode.

To toggle a modulator between monophonic and polyphonic mode:

right-click anywhere within an occupied modulator slot, and then toggle
the Per-Voice option.

Once the Per-Voice option is enabled, this modulator will begin working
in polyphonic mode.

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Finally, while nested devices can be modulated from the top-level

device, polyphonic modulation sources are usually made available as
summed monophonic signals. An example can be seen here, with the
FEG module monophonically targeting a nested De-esser device.

14.2.3. Devices in the Inspector Panel

When a device is selected and the Inspector Panel is visible, modulation
sources and active modulation routings are the primary parameters
being displayed, but a few other parameters are uniquely available in the
top of the Inspector Panel.

Displayed at the top are the device's name (and category) along with
a short description. After these read-only entries are three standard
parameters:

› First is a text field for the name of the device. By default, the official
name of the device is shown in italicized silver. This can be overridden
by typing a name into the field. Deleting an entered name restores the
device's official name.

› The Active option toggles whether the device is currently active or

deactivated.

Note

For more information on activating and deactivating project

elements, see section 3.2.5.

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› The Enable toggle is a functional mirror of the device's device enable

button.

Beyond these standard parameters, each device has its own parameters
in the Inspector Panel. To make sense of the range of possibilities, we
will look at various examples now, starting with voice parameters for
Bitwig Studio instruments and MPE options for plug-ins. Then we will
examine the two modulation-related tabs for general devices and a
modulator device that has inspector parameters.

14.2.3.1. Voice Parameters for Instruments

Several of Bitwig Studio's instruments feature a variety of voice-

related parameters in their inspectors, just below the standard device
parameters.

The Voices setting determines the number of triggerable voices. When

this is set to two or more, the instrument is capable of polyphony.
This also engages voice management, which means that each voice is
only active from the time a note-on signal triggers it until the voice is
considered finished. So the Active Voices readout above is showing that
zero out of twelve (0 / 12) potential voices are currently engaged, and it
will remain so until a new note successfully triggers the instrument.

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14. ADVANCED DEVICE CONCEPTS

When Voices is set to one, the instrument is now in one of two

monophonic modes, which the display is indicating by showing Mono.

True Mono mode acts similarly to a monophonic analog synthesizer,

including the behavior of trigger-based envelopes and the fact that the
voice in use is always on, reflected in the Active Voices of 1 / 1 in the
image above.

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14. ADVANCED DEVICE CONCEPTS

On the other hand, Digi Mono mode acts like a modern monophonic
recreation. All envelopes start from the beginning of the attack stage
because two voices are actually alternated here to create a slightly
overlapping version of mono. And since using two voices is technically
polyphonic, voice management is engaged, just as the Active Voices of
0 / 1 in the image above indicates.

Note

Any of the three voice modes can work with voice stacking, which
simply multiplies each engaged voice with additional voices (see
section 14.2.4).

Additionally, either Mono mode offers Retrigger options for legato

playing (either starting or releasing a note while another note is being
held). These options dictate whether envelope generators will retrigger
Never, only on Note on signals, or on both note-on and note-off signals
(Always).

Finally, the Steal same key option allows each note played to kill any
voice previously triggered by the same note over the set Steal fade time.

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14.2.3.2. Plug-in Inspector Parameters

When a plug-in is selected, the Inspector Panel shows a few options.

The Suspend option sets how Bitwig Studio determines when the
plug-in is not needed and can be safely suspended for the time being.
(When this occurs, the plug-in's "power" button icon turns into a moon,
indicating that it is resting and saving CPU cycles.) There are three
options for this setting:

› Never - The plug-in remains active perpetually.

› When silent - Bitwig Studio determines when the plug-in isn't needed,
based on whether audio is going into and out of the plug-in.

› Trust plug-in (default) - Bitwig Studio uses background notifications

from the plug-in to determine when it is not active.

When the plug-in is enabled to Use MPE (multidimensional polyphonic

expression), the functional pitch-bend range (PB range) can be set in
semitones. So the example above of ± 48 semitones represents a range
of four octave up and down. For more information on plug-ins and MPE,
see section 14.3.

14.2.3.3. The Modulation Sources Tab

The modulation sources tab is the first tab. Its icon suggests a parameter
that is continuing onward in modulation.

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14. ADVANCED DEVICE CONCEPTS

Each modulation source of the selected device is listed here, along with
a functional modulation routing button.

Beneath each modulation source entry is a list of all active modulations

coming from that source. The amount of modulation is shown in orange
at the far right and can be adjusted here. And the silver x that precedes
the parameter name on the far left can be clicked to terminate the
modulation.

In addition, you can also move an individual modulation target from one
source to another.

To move a modulation routing from one modulation source to another:

clicking on its silver name, then drag it onto a different modulation
source and release.

In the image above, for example, you could drag the Gain entry listed
under ADSR to Keytrack instead. Now incoming note pitches would be
manipulating the Gain value.

To copy a modulation routing from one modulation source to another:

clicking on its silver name, and then drag it onto a different modulation
source and release while holding [ALT].

And to move or copy all modulation routings from a particular source,

click on the source's title in white (in the above example, ADSR would
work) or its modulation routing button. Note that the available actions
listed in the window footer (see section 2.2.3) provide helpful reminders
of what drag actions are available. Similar actions are also available
in the Device Panel when [ALT]-dragging either modulation routing

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14. ADVANCED DEVICE CONCEPTS

buttons or target parameters themselves. Again, the available actions

serve as a very helpful reference in that case as well.

14.2.3.4. The Modulation Destinations Tab

The modulation destinations tab is the second tab. Its icon suggests a
parameter that is being modulated.

Each parameter being actively modulated in the selected device is listed

here.

Beneath each parameter is a list of all active modulations reaching that

parameter. The amount of modulation is shown in orange at the far right
and can be adjusted here. And the silver x that precedes the parameter
name on the far left can be clicked to terminate the modulation.

Similar options are also available in this tab for moving or copying
modulation routings from one destination to another (see section
14.2.3.3).

14.2.3.5. Modulator Inspector Example

Each modulator has its own Inspector Panel as well.

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Each modulator shows its modulation sources and mappings, but

Expressions happens to have a couple of parameters as well.

14.2.4. Voice Stacking
Before diving into Voice Stacking, a little context regarding polyphony is
in order.

Synthesizers that can play more than one note at a time generally
use one voice for each note being triggered. So the number of voices
available to the synthesizer limits how many notes can be played at a
time.

Unison is a classic synthesizer technique for creating thicker sounds.

It works by layering multiple voices for each note played (and slightly
adjusting some settings for each voice in an imperfect, analog fashion).
So if a synthesizer has a two-voice unison mode, each note played will
sound two detuned voices. This would help thicken the sound while also
reducing the number of voices (or polyphony) available.

Bitwig's Voice Stacking starts from the same principle, allowing you to
layer multiple voices for each engaged played. Each stack can then have
any parameter varied per voice, either individually or in a distributed
fashion.

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14. ADVANCED DEVICE CONCEPTS

Note

Devices that support Voice Stacking include Bitwig Studio's FM-4,

Phase-4, Polysynth, Poly Grid, Sampler, and even the FX Grid audio
effect.

As multiple voices are being used for each single note played, voice
stacking can steeply increase the load on your processor.

In the Inspector Panel of the selected device, Voice stacking is right

beneath the Voices setting. So if Voices is set to 5 and Voice stacking
is set to 3, then you can play up to five notes, and each will have three
unique voices sounding together. As the device shown above currently
has no engaged voices, the Active Voices are listed as 0 / 15.

The first modulator available below in the Inspector is Voice Stack

Spread ±. Assigning this modulation source to a parameter spreads
each voice in the stack in an even, bipolar fashion across the modulation
range. Let's take an example case.

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In the image above, the Stack Spread modulator is targeting the pulse
width of oscillator 2. The modulation amount is currently +0.10. So with
our setting of 3 Voices per note, the range of modulation is spread
across these three voices so that voice 1 is modulated by -0.10, voice 2
is unmodulated (+0.00), and voice 3 is modulated at the full +0.10. If the
number of Voices per note is changed, the full range of -0.10 to +0.10 will
be maintained, and the spacing between the voices will uniformly fit that
range.

Note

Additional options for either mapping modulations across voice

stacks or for controlling each voice in a stack individually are available
from the Voice Stack modulator (see section 17.19.2.14).

14.3. VST Plug-in Handling and Options

Importantly, Bitwig Studio can handle VST plug-ins separately from
the program itself. By segregating plug-ins into separate sandboxes or
processes, the chance of a plug-in crashing other parts of the program
is greatly reduced. In many cases, a plug-in crash will happen discreetly,
allowing audio to continue playback seamlessly.

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If a plug-in does crash, its interface in the Device Panel will be replaced
with a notification.

By clicking Reload Plug-in, the plug-in will be freshly called up again.

Clicking Reload All Plug-ins will reload every crashed plug-in and leave
those that haven't crashed alone.

In the Settings tab of the Dashboard is a page of settings for Plug-ins.

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The primary setting here is the Plug-in Hosting Mode, which determines
how isolated each plug-in process is. As the left-to-right spectrum of
options indicates, the settings are progressive with those on the left
potentially using less RAM and those toward the right offering greater
safety. The options are:

› Within Bitwig hosts plug-ins along with Bitwig Studio's audio engine.
This keeps the required computer resources to a minimum, but this
also means that one plug-in crashing would also crash the audio
engine.

› Together still hosts all plug-ins, well, together but does it separately
from the audio engine. So a crashing plug-in would take the other plug-
ins with it, but Bitwig Studio's audio engine should continue running.

› By manufacturer hosts all plug-ins into groups based on their

manufacturer. This can be particularly useful when a software creator
intends for their various plug-ins to communicate with one another.

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› By plug-in hosts each instance of the same plug-in together. So if

you use a particular plug-in on multiple tracks, loading those plug-
ins together may save a significant amount of computing resources
while also ensuring that a plug-in should only crash when a copy of
the same plug-in does. (In other words, no plug-in's stability should be
compromised by another plug-in.)

› Individually hosts every plug-in instance by itself. This ensures full

isolation for each plug-in process, meaning a plug-in crash should
not affect anything beyond itself. This will require more computing
resources, but that is the trade-off.

Note

A project currently loaded on the audio engine is not automatically

reloaded when the Plug-in Hosting Mode changes. In that case, only
new plug-ins added will follow the updated setting.

To force the entire project to use a new plug-in hosting mode, either
reopen the project or reload the audio engine.

And the list of plug-ins below allows you to select any plug-ins that
should run Individually, effectively overriding the global setting above.
The search box just above the list allows you to quickly find plug-ins
from the list.

Finally, if you are using a multitimbral plug-in, its performance may

be improved by forcing it to use MPE (multidimensional polyphonic
expression) mode. This option is available by right-clicking on a plug-in's
device header.

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14. ADVANCED DEVICE CONCEPTS

This modern MIDI specification interfaces well with Bitwig Studio's per-
note modulation capabilities. Many plug-ins (and probably more of
them in the future) opt for this mode on their own, but during this early-
adoption phase, enabling Force MPE Mode may help get the most out of
your plug-ins and any fully-equipped hardware controllers. This option
and additional settings are also available from the device's Inspector
Panel (see section 14.2.3.2).

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15. Welcome to The Grid
We have discussed plenty of places where Bitwig Studio uses modular
thinking. Most often, this is in the sense of reusable or contained
blocks — whether that's audio clips being broken into audio events,
controller scripting that can address different tracks/devices in identical
ways, or even the drag-and-dropping of items across any project
or into another. Sometimes, these modular ideas have had a sound
synthesis connotation, most obviously in the expressions of the Unified
Modulation System. But the idea of a truly modular sound-design
environment within Bitwig was always, well, a good idea.

This idea has been made real with The Grid. Between the library of 150+
modules (see chapter 17 for short descriptions), the intuitive editing
gestures (spread throughout this chapter), and the twin supports of
interactive help (see section 15.1.2.1) and direct module scopes (see
section 15.1.2.2), The Grid offers our take on modular patching.

Many rules of patching systems are perpetuated: Out ports are

connected to in ports via patch cords. Parameters are directly accessible
from the face of each module. In ports often have attenuators for scaling
the signal on the way in. Control busses sum, and unconnected ports use
a value of zero…

And the rules of Bitwig Studio are still applied: The parameters of any
module used are the parameters of that device. Parameters can be
automated or mapped, modulat(or)ed or accessed by controller scripts.
MPE note signals are directly supported. CV signals can come in or out
with simple 1x1 modules. Any signal can become a modulator that is used
elsewhere…

And yet, there is something new here. Swapping modules and

preserving their related settings just makes sense. Having sound never
stop — even as modules are added and deleted — is joyful. Stereo
control signals are logical but literally sideways. A module version of
Bitwig's Sampler is like happening across an old friend with a new face.
Seeing the sonic effect of a change before you hear it makes things so
much faster, and somehow more natural…

But before we start dancing about architecture, let's talk about the
patching framework that is The Grid.

15.1. Using the Grid Editor

As with any device, Grid presets can be loaded and immediately
auditioned. Factory content will always have remote control mappings

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15. WELCOME TO THE GRID

for adjusting the sound, and Poly Grid patches (generally) respond to
notes, FX Grid patches (usually) respond to incoming audio, etc. So at
minimum, The Grid provides additional sources of sound content.

The act of tweaking a patch or making one from scratch — patching, for
short — means getting comfortable with the Grid editor. The Expanded
Device View is used for the Grid editor window so all the normal rules
apply (see section 7.2.2). You can also interact with the overview display
at the center of each Grid device.

To open the Grid editor: click on the Grid device's overview display
within the Device Panel.

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15. WELCOME TO THE GRID

To scroll within a Grid patch: click (or click and drag) within the device's
overview display to move the display box.

Within the Grid editor, you can also scroll by:

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15. WELCOME TO THE GRID

› Using the scroll wheel of your mouse.

› Hovering over an empty area of the patch, and either [SHIFT]-clicking

or middle-click (with your mouse's scroll wheel button) and dragging
on the background.

› On a touchscreen, tap on an empty area of the patch with two fingers

and drag.

And if you would like more room for the Grid editor, you can hide the
Device Panel and others by clicking their panel icons (see section 2.2.1
), or you can undock the editor by clicking the undocking button (see
section 7.2.2).

To close the Grid editor: double-click on the Grid device's overview

display within the Device Panel, or click the x in the top right of the
Expanded Device View window.

Now that we can open the editor, let's take a look around.

15.1.1. The Module Palette

The top of the Grid editor window is home to the module palette, which
serves as our general browser for Grid modules.

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The left side of the palette displays the 16 categories of module. Clicking
on any category visually previews all of its modules to the right of the
categories, as all modules in the selected Envelope category are shown
in the above picture. In case the modules don't fit the available space,
the preview area can be scrolled horizontally, or even with a vertical
scroll wheel on a regular mouse.

Note

For a short description of each module by category, see section 17.20.

To search for modules: click the search field in the top left of the Grid
editor window, and start typing. The module categories are then hidden,
using that entire area to display modules that best match your search.

In addition to the standard Expanded Device View buttons in the top

left corner (to enable/disable the device) and in the top right (to undock
and close the window), a few additional buttons are present in the Grid
editor:

› The padlock icon enables a locked mode, where parameters can

be adjusted but modules cannot be added or cables changed. To
differentiate locked mode, both the module palette is hidden from view
and the background lines in the editor are removed, eliminating the
blueprint-feeling for performances.

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15. WELCOME TO THE GRID

› The icon to the right of the padlock looks like a four-by-four table,
suggesting the category portion of the module palette. Clicking this
icon toggles the visibility of the module palette (and its search field),
which can provide more editing space when you don't need the
palette.

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15. WELCOME TO THE GRID

› On the right side of the window header is a trio of zoom buttons. They
allow you to zoom out (-), restore to 100% (the magnifying glass with a
1 inside it), and zoom in (+) on the patch within the Grid editor.

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15. WELCOME TO THE GRID

Note

This zooming is independent of the program's scaling level that can

be set for each monitor in use (see section 0.3.2.5).

The rest of the window displays your patch for manipulation and editing.

15.1.2. Working with Modules

To add a module to the patch: drag any module from the module palette
into an unoccupied area of the patch.

You can also right-click an unoccupied area of the patch to get a text-
menu version of the categories and their modules.

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15. WELCOME TO THE GRID

Clicking on a module will then insert it into the patch at the location of
your original right-click.

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15. WELCOME TO THE GRID

To replace one module in your patch with another: drag the new module
from the palette onto the center of module you wish to replace.

In this example, we are dragging ADSR from the module palette onto
the center of the AR module in the current patch. The highlight around
the AR module shows that it is currently targeted.

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The result, shown above, is that AR has indeed been swapped out with
ADSR. This includes any compatible parameters being maintained, all
relevant patch cords being recreated, and all modulator paths being
remapped to/from the new module.

To replace one module in your patch with a related module: right-click

on the module you wish to replace, and then select the new module
from the Replace with section of the context menu.

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Both methods of replace would produce the exact same outcome — in

this case, a Pulse oscillator in place of the Triangle oscillator, using any
corresponding settings and the connections that the original had.

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To delete a module: select the module in the Grid editor, and then press
[DELETE] or [BACKSPACE].

In the example above, we deleted the ADSR module in the patch.

Instead of just deleting the module and all attached cords, The Grid saw
a signal running thru ADSR and replaced the cord, straight from the
Triangle oscillator to the Audio Out buss. Drones away.

15.1.2.1. Interactive Module Help

One feature of The Grid is that documentation of each module is

built into the program. While we are happy to have you reading this
manual, details local to each module are more useful when deploying the
modules themselves.

To view a module's documentation: select the module in the current

patch, and then select Show Help Item from the Module menu.

You can also access this feature by selecting the module and then
either clicking the Show Help button in the Inspector Panel or pressing
[F1] (the default mapping for Show Help Item). The special show help
window will appear.

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On the surface level, the help view displays all relevant parameter
information for this type of module. In addition to the module's regular
interface, any Inspector parameters are also shown below. This can be
especially helpful as these parameters are often out of sight, out of mind.

Beyond the text on screen, this help view is indeed showing the same
module that is in your patch. This means that port signal indicators
and modulator rings are reflecting the current state of this particular
module, and parameters can be freely adjusted while this view is open.
And if a mode setting changes the available parameters on this module,
the help view will follow. Using the Mod Delay example shown above,
switching the delay unit from 16th notes to free time will change both
the parameters available and the descriptions present, as seen below.

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15.1.2.2. Module Scopes in the Inspector Panel

When a module is selected in the Grid editor, the Inspector Panel shows
more than its available parameters. It also displays an oscilloscope view
of the signals at each in and out port.

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In the example above, the AR module is selected in the Grid editor. So

the Inspector Panel automatically displays three in port scopes (two
for the ports on the device, plus one for the pre-cord that is currently
enabled) and two out port scopes (for signal at the two out ports). Note
that the Gate In scope is dimmed and folded away because no cord is
currently connected to this in port.

15.1.3. Working with Patch Cords

Now that we can add modules, we have but to connect them. That
means we need to put our (virtual) patch cords to work.

To create a patch cord: click on either an in or out port, and then drag to
a port of the opposite kind.

Cables will snap to nearby ports as you drag them around. Once you
release the mouse button (or let go of your finger), the cable will be
connected, and signal will begin flowing.

Note

The Grid allows an out port to be connected to multiple in ports,

but in ports can only receive one cable. You can, of course, merge

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multiple signals and connect the result to an in port. The Grid even
allows you to do it with modifier keys (see section 15.1.4).

To delete a patch cord: double-click the in port or out port where the
cord is connected.

To move a patch cord: double-click and drag either end of the cord to
another port and release. This will move all cables at that port so if you
are dragging from an out port that has several connected cables, they
will all be moved together.

Note

If you double-click and move a patch cord(s) to an unoccupied area,

the connection(s) will be deleted.

15.1.4. Inserting Modules with Cords, and Vice Versa

We've already covered the necessities for any virtual modular
environment: adding and removing modules, and then connecting
them with patch cords. But The Grid goes beyond these baseline
requirements, placing a premium on clear gestures plus some patching
intelligence from Bitwig Studio. We already looked at replacing modules
(see section 15.1.3), but inserting modules and patch cords together is
another way to prioritize sound design over patch management.

To insert a module with patch cords: drag the new module from the
palette to the port where you want it connected, and then release.

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Dragging over an empty in or out port will connect a corresponding port

to it.

Instead of dragging to a particular port, you can also drag to the left or
right edge of a module.

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Bitwig Studio will then connect the new module to the in or out port that
seems most appropriate.

You can also drag a new module onto a port where a patch cord is
already present.

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This previous signal path will be connected thru the new module.

Note

If you drag the module onto a connected in port, that one cable
will be rerouted thru the module (if possible). If you drag onto a
connected out port, all cables present will be routed thru the new
module.

There are also gestures for adding common processor and merge
modules when drawing new patch cords.

To add a processor module when creating a patch cord: draw the

cord from the desired out port to the in port, and then hold one of the
available modifiers listed in the window footer.

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In the case above, [SHIFT] is being held so when the mouse or touch is
released, an Attenuate module will be added in line.

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And since in ports can only receive one cable, there are also gestures for
creating an additional in port by means of various "merge" modules.

To merge a preexisting signal with a newly created patch cord: draw the
cord from the desired out port to the occupied in port, and then hold
one of the available modifiers listed in the window footer.

In the case above, the modifier for a Mixer module is being held, so both
the original cord and the new one being drawn will be merged via a
Mixer and connected to the original in port.

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15.1.5. Reordering Modules
Modules can also be reordered with similar behavior as the workflows
for inserting modules with patch cords (see section 15.1.4).

To reorder a module within your patch: drag the module from its current
position onto the port where you want it connected, and then release.

One the click/touch is released, the module will be rerouted within the
patch.

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15.2. Special Connections
A couple special cases exist within The Grid that are worth looking at.

15.2.1. Module Pre-cords
There are some common connections that are made more often than
not. Pre-cords provide wireless connections for some of the most
common connections, generally taking the form of a toggle near an in
port that connects to the same module buss. This both allows modules
to be preconfigured with regular connections and saves the clutter of
cords running from single I/O modules to various destinations across
each patch.

For example, the default Poly Grid patch contains three pre-cords.

› On the AR module, there is an icon in the bottom left corner

representing a two-state logic signal. This is a pre-cord for bringing
all note gate signals reaching the device to the envelope generator's
gate in port. This toggle is enabled by default as envelope generators

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are most often gated by note input. Manually creating this connection
would require the Gate In module.

› On the Triangle module, there is an arrow icon to the right of the

yellow retrigger in port. This is a pre-cord for bringing all note gate
signals reaching the device to the oscillator's retrigger port (for
restarting the oscillator's phase). This toggle is disabled by default.
Manually creating this connection would also require the Gate In
module.

› On the Triangle module, there is an icon in the bottom left corner

showing a piano keyboard with arrows in both directions, representing
keyboard tracking. This is a pre-cord for bringing all note pitch signals
reaching the device to the oscillator's pitch buss. This toggle is enabled
by default as oscillators usually incorporate the pitch of incoming
notes. Manually creating this connection would also require the Pitch In
module — and to open the module's pitch in port attenuator all the way
so that notes land in the proper place.

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Multiple modules have pre-cords from note gate signals, with various
icons to help illustrate the buss's behavior.

Several modules have pre-cords from note pitch signals. In the case of
oscillators, these are toggles. For filters, the pre-cord takes the form of
an attenuator.

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And the data-sequencer modules have pre-cords from the device's

phase signal (which is configured in the Inspector Panel for the device).
These connections could be made manually from the Phase In module.

Some other modules (such as Sampler and Pitch Quantize) use pre-
cords in ways specific only to those modules, which make their module-
specific help views especially useful.

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15.2.2. Making Feedback with "Long Delay"

Feedback loops are possible but prevented when made directly in The
Grid.

For example, the patch below is attempting to create a looping

envelope. (The logic is that the envelope should trigger both when
a new note is played [via Gate In] OR if the envelope signal [second
output of AD] is equal to zero AND the note is still being held down
[via Gate In].) In the screenshot, I am adding a cable to complete the
feedback loop, passing a signal coming out of the envelope generator
and back to its gate input.

But once the mouse/touch is released, the cable disappears because this
kind of direct feedback is not allowed.

To make a feedback connection: insert a Long Delay module into the

feedback path.

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Long Delay is specially configured to allow feedback and has a minimum

delay time of one block size (see section 0.3.2.1).

15.3. On Grid Signals

In addition to being exposed with literal, virtual patch cords, signals in
The Grid are different from other signals in Bitwig Studio.

15.3.1. Signal Types
While any signal can be connected anywhere, there are certain signal
types within The Grid, often indicated by port color but always identified
in each module's help view.

› Logic (yellow). A bistate signal, often for triggering an event or setting

a state. For in ports, any signal level at or above 0.5 is treated as high
logic, and anything below is assessed as low logic. Logic in ports are
only sensitive to these state changes so jumping from 0 to 0.5 will
register, but a slow ramp from 0.5 to 1 means nothing. For out ports, a
high-logic state is expressed as 1, and a low-logic state is transmitted as
0.

For short, we may sometimes refer to a trigger, which is the transition

from a low-logic state to a high-logic state. This signal is often used to
start a function.

› Phase (purple). A unipolar signal from 0 to just below 1, often for

driving data lookup. For in ports, signal are wrapped into the range.
For example, a value of 1.02 would be used as 0.02, and a value of -0.3
would be treated as 0.7.

› Pitch (orange). A bipolar signal used by Bitwig for specifying pitch. 0

represents "middle C" (C3) with each change of ±0.1 representing an
octave, so a typical signal range of -1 to +1 represents twenty octaves.

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› Untyped signal (often red). The most common signal type, of

unspecified range and function. Inputs of mixers or filters or math
modules, virtually all outputs that aren't implementing either logic,
phase, or pitch signal characteristics — they are all most often untyped
and thereby follow the color set for the module they are on.

Note

Generic signal modules are normally red, with typical control

modules defaulting to turquoise. So ports of either color are
untyped signal ports. And when a module has multiple untyped in
ports, those ports will adopt the color of an incoming patch cord.

› Secondary untyped signal (blue). When a module has two kinds of

untyped signal in or out ports, the secondary port is shown in blue. For
example, a merge module might have multiple primary in ports (using
the module color) for the various signals to route and one control input
(colored blue) for selecting which input is passed thru.

15.3.2. Stereo By Nature, and 4x Faster

Every signal in The Grid is stereo. This means that whenever you see
one patch cord, you are actually seeing a stereo pair. So yes, every audio
cable is stereo, but so are all pitch, phase, and trigger signals as well.
Altering any of these various control or timing values will affect the
corresponding audio.

A number of modules are configured to make working in stereo easy

and interesting:

› In the Mix category, Stereo Split and Stereo Merge allow you to
separate and reconstruct a signal as left–right and/or mid–side pairs.

› Also in the Mix category, LR Gain provides independent level controls

for the left and right channels of any signal passing thru.

› In the Level category, Value, Attenuate, and Bias have an Inspector

parameter called Stereo-ize, which inverts the value used for operation
on the right channel. The same is true for the Pitch constant module (in
the Pitch category).

! "#$% !"#$%%&'() &#'()*$ +,-* ./*0(*123 #..$*% -,)(*$4 $*% 51 6*/%7 8679:
;+*1 %+5$ -,)(*<$ =#),/5%3 $5>1,) 8* ?+*1 %+* -,)(* 5$ =#$5%5-*4 ∓ ?+*1
5%@$ 1*>,%5-*9 5$ 2)52A*'4 %+* ./*0(*123 #..$*% 5$ 51-*/%*' .#/ %+* /5>+%
2+,11*):

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› The LFO module (under LFO) and S/H LFO (under Random) both
have a purple phase parameter, which defaults to 0 º. And to the right
of that phase control is an offset control for the right channel, which
starts at +0 º and is thus grayed out by default. Both parameters are
visualized on the LFO module.

› In the Random category, Noise also has a stereo option (via the
clickable on-panel stereo icon). This creates independent signals for the
left and right channels.

In addition to being stereo, all signals within The Grid also operate
at four-times (400%) your configured sample rate. This is to ensure
maximum fidelity not only for the final output, but also for any audio-
rate modulation or other synthesis techniques that might be employed.

15.3.3. Working with Modulators

Modulators are already a way to control parameters within Bitwig Studio
(see section 14.2.1). Just as nearly all device and plug-in parameters
are accessible with modulator devices, all Grid device and module
parameters can be controlled in exactly the same way.

In addition to their signal out ports, some Grid modules can also act as
modulators. Many typical "control" devices — LFOs, envelopes, the Steps
Data sequencer — have an on-board modulation routing button. And the
Modulator Out module (in the I/O category) can take any Grid signal
and use it as a modulator.

In addition to being usable outside of The Grid, modulators also have

a place within Grid patches. Grid modules often have more parameters
than in ports. To control parameters that don't have in ports, you can
use modulators.

The only thing to know is that modulator signals operate differently from
Grid signals. While Grid signals run at four-times the current sample rate
and are stereo (see section 15.3.2), all modulators are mono and operate
at your current sample rate. This is true for all modulators, whether they
are dedicated modulator devices or Grid modules, no matter what their
target is.

15.3.4. Voicing Management in The Grid

Instrument voicing modes and related topics were covered in a previous
section (see section 14.2.3.1). Before spending a few words on how these

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settings affect FX Grid, it is worth taking a look at voice management is

generally handled in The Grid.

Various Grid modules have a parameter called Affect Voice Lifetime.

When this parameter is enabled, the module is included in the calculation
for whether each voice is still sounding and should be kept alive.
Modules that have this parameter include:

› AR, AD, and ADSR (Envelope). For each of these envelope generators,
a voice will stay active as long as the envelope has not reached the end
of its release (for AR and ADSR) or decay (for AD) stage. Affect Voice
Lifetime is enabled for these envelopes by default, making them the
first determinant of how long to keep voices alive.

› Gate In (I/O). When this module's Affect Voice Lifetime is enabled,

a voice will be kept alive for as long as its note gate signal is on (in a
high-logic state). This parameter is disabled by default.

› Audio Out (I/O). When this module's Affect Voice Lifetime is enabled,
a voice will be kept alive until it has fallen below the Silence Threshold
setting for the designated Hold Time. The Affect Voice Lifetime
parameter is disabled by default.

Only when all conditions being considered have finished is a voice

extinguished. For example, only one envelope needs to be active to keep
a voice alive. And enabling an additional Affect Voice Lifetime parameter
can only keep notes to the same length or allow them to go longer; it will
never shorten them.

15.3.4.1. Voicing "FX Grid"

FX Grid is a special device. While it is an audio effect, it is also fully

responsive to note messages, allowing for the creation of effects that
trigger an independent voice with each note that is played. It does
this by includes the voicing options of Bitwig Studio's polyphonic
instruments (see section 14.2.3.1). All of the same voicing modes are
available; they just act a little differently in this different context.

› True Mono is the default mode for FX Grid. In an instrument like Poly
Grid, this mode always keeps the voice on, which can create a droning
instrument (when envelopes aren't employed). Similarly with FX Grid,
this mode always keeps the voice on, which is perfect for a traditional
effect processor that should respond whenever audio of any level
enters.

› Polyphony (whenever Voices is set to 2 or more) requires an incoming

note signal to trigger each voice. Otherwise, the effect will not sound.

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This also means that voice management will be used to determine

when each voice should be ended.

› Digi Mono is also available. It works as previously described (again, see

section 14.2.3.1) and also requires note signals to produce any sound.

Since note signals are required to articulate sound in both Digi Mono
mode and when using polyphony, notes can be received at the input of
the device. This default behavior is useful on an instrument track that is
already being driven by notes, but this doesn't help on an audio track.

To change the default note source on an FX Grid device: go to the

Inspector Panel for the device and change the Note Source setting. This
will reroute not only the various I/O modules that receive device input
but also all pre-cords (see section 15.2.1).

Finally, the Voice stacking setting works as it does with instruments

and can be used in any voice mode. So a direct audio processor in
True Mono mode could be stacked — and use the Voice Stack Spread ±
modulator to distribute different settings to each voice in the stack —
without the need to use note signals at all.

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16. Working on a Tablet Computer
Bitwig Studio supports certain models of tablet computer. Features have
been built in to Bitwig Studio to create a more seamless experience on
tablets. These unique software options are primarily expressed through a
special display profile.

In other areas, features of Bitwig Studio in general have unique utility in

a touch-screen context. A good example is Bitwig Studio's menu system,
which allows you to create shortcut buttons for any menu functions that
you would like one-touch access to (see section 2.3.1).

In additional, it seemed important to imagine a new way of working with

this new type of hardware. So we will also get introduced to the Radial
Gesture Menu, which magically — and in a context-sensitive fashion
— appears as a halo around your finger. Dragging has never been so
intuitively designed.

Note

The features described in this section may not be available if you are
not on a supported operating system and computer.

16.1. The Tablet Display Profile

The Tablet display profile is specially designed for touch- and stylus-
based interfaces. To achieve this, the layout of the window has been
rearranged and a few custom solutions have been integrated.

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The most obvious changes from other display profiles are probably in
the enlarged window header at the top of the screen, where some old
friends have moved about and a new friend has appeared. Some items
of note:

› View words. The capitalized, bold words that appear in the top left of
the window represent the currently available views (with ARR being
the currently engaged option in this example). The available views will
be discussed in the next section (see section 16.1.1).

› Panel icons. Mingling with the window controls (see section 2.1.2) at the
top right of the window is this set of icons, each representing one of
the available panels (see section 2.2.1). Depending on the view selected,
the available panel icons (and their corresponding panels) will change.

› Project tabs. These tabs represent all currently open Bitwig Studio
projects (see section 2.1.1). In this display profile, the project tabs are
found below the view words.

› Track selector menu. Located in the top left corner of the window, the
track selector menu is a new item. This menu allows us to focus on any
track within the current project.

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The track selector menu is our only means of switching tracks in views
that display only one track at a time, but it remains available in all
views.

16.1.1. Tablet Views
Four views are available within the Tablet display profile, three of which
are familiar and one of which is brand new:

› PLAY. The Play View is only available within the Tablet display profile.
Its primary purpose is to allow note entry via your tablet computer's
touch screen.

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At the top of this view is a rather modest version of the Arranger

Timeline, displaying a single track at a time. This makes the track
selector menu and buttons necessary for switching out the single track
being displayed.

You also must choose between the Arranger Timeline Panel or the Clip
Launcher Panel as only one can be shown at a time.

Note

You can still drag clips between the Arranger and Launcher by
dragging your source clip from one panel onto the view toggle
(found just above the single track header here) of the other. This
is similar to dragging a clip from one project tab to another (see
section 12.4.2).

The Device Panel may be displayed in the center of the window.

Neither the access panels nor the Inspector Panel are available in this
view.

At the bottom of this view is the On-Screen Keyboard Panel, which is

where note entry and monitoring is possible. There are three keyboard
modes available here:

The Piano keyboard provides a single row of equally-sized vertical

bars for playing and creating notes.

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The Octaves keyboard shrinks the Piano bars into squares and stacks
them in octaves, filling the available screen space with keys.

The Fourths keyboard is similar to the Octaves keyboard but stacked

in fourths.

Each of these keyboard modes supports multitouchinto input so that

multiple notes can be played at one time. While playing notes with
your finger(s) or stylus, each mode also allows you to input Micro-Pitch
expressions (see section 10.1.3) by dragging from side to side, to input
timbre expressions (see section 10.1.2.4) by dragging up and down,

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and to input pressure expressions (see section 10.1.2.5) by adding and

easing pressure.

Finally, the up and down arrow buttons in the bottom right of the On-
Screen Keyboard Panel shift all available keyboard notes up or down
by an octave.

› EDIT. This specialized Edit View is similar to the standard version (see
section 10.3).

As with the Play View, the Arranger Timeline at top can display
only one track at a time, and you must choose between viewing the
Arranger Timeline Panel or the Clip Launcher Panel.

Featured beneath the Arranger Timeline is the familiar Detail Editor

Panel.

Finally, the Inspector Panel and all of the access panels are available in
this view, with only one being visible at a time on the right of screen.
You may also notice in the image above four directional arrows in
the bottom of the Inspector Panel. Pressing the up or down arrow
will nudge any selected notes by one semitone, and pressing the left
or right arrow will shift any selected notes by the current beat grid
resolution (see section 3.1.2).

› ARR. This specialized Arrange View is quite similar to the standard

version (see chapter 3).

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Again, only the Arranger Timeline Panel or the Clip Launcher Panel
can viewed at one time (not both). And the Inspector Panel and all of
the access panels are available in this view, with only one being visible
at a time on the right of screen.

› MIX. This specialized Mix View is quite similar to the standard version
(see chapter 6).

The main difference here is that the optional Device Panel is shown
above the Mix Panel instead of below it.

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Note

The Dual Display (Studio/Touch) also provides a similar window for

a touch-screen or tablet interface, along with a second window for a
standard monitor.

16.2. The Radial Gesture Menu

To both create a quicker touch-screen workflow and preserve screen
real estate (by only showing information and interfaces when they are
needed), Bitwig Studio has created the unique and starkly intuitive
Radial Gesture Menu.

When pressing various locations of the Bitwig Studio interface, a ring

of options will appear around your finger (or stylus). By presenting
shortcut buttons above, below, to the left, and to the right of your finger,
you can then simply drag through any of those action icons to engage
that particular function as you continue dragging your finger.

As you will find, there is a level of consistency between the Radial

Gesture Menu configurations. For example, pressing and then dragging
right tends to create an object, while pressing and then dragging left
often engages an eraser mode for deleting objects.

On top of the cardinal directions, an additional, partial outer ring of

functions will appear when appropriate. This comes in handy particularly
when you have clicked on an object which you will be acting upon.
These outer ring items are meant to be pressed by a finger that you
haven't used yet.

The beauty of this system is that once you become familiar with the
swipe patterns, you may start moving your fingers before the Radial
Gesture Menu even appears on-screen. And if you do so, everything will
work totally fine and even quicker.

The context here is important so the following images serve as good

"shortcut charts" while you are getting comfortable with tablet
computing.

When pressing on a track's header, these options become available

(including the option to move your finger slightly to the right to access a
vertical track volume fader):

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When pressing in the Arranger Timeline Panel either on blank space or

on a clip, the following options become available:

When pressing in the Clip Launcher Panel either on an empty slot or on

a launcher clip, the following options become available:

Working with notes in the Detail Editor Panel is particularly flexible,

providing different menu configurations when you press down in a blank
space, when you have notes selected, or when you have made a time
selection. In these cases, the following options become available:

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When pressing in a track's device chain within the Device Panel, you can
press down either on empty space or on a device, making the following
options available:

Within the Tablet display profile's Play View is a drum interface that
provides drum pads on tracks using the Drum Machine device. On those
drum pads, you can press down either on empty pads or on loaded
ones, making the following options available:

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17. Device Descriptions
This appendix provides a short description of each device that comes
with Bitwig Studio. The devices are organized by category. Information
on using devices can be found in chapter 7, and chapter 14 provides an
explanation of more advanced device concepts.

Parameter information is available in the window footer as you mouse

over device parameters (see section 2.2.4). And Interactive Help is built
in to every device, modulator, and Grid module within Bitwig Studio.

To access Interactive Help for any device, modulator, or Grid module:

select the object, and then either press [F1], click Show Help in the
Inspector Panel, or right-click on the object and select Show Item Help
from the context menu. The Interactive Help window will then open with
a live, editable copy of the device.

Note

For more information on Interactive Help, see section 15.1.2.1.

17.1. Analysis
Each analysis device merely visualizes the signals that reach it. It makes
no effect on the audio chain it is a part of.

17.1.1. Oscilloscope
A dual-trace oscilloscope, providing a time-domain representation
of incoming and/or external audio signals. Each signal is given its
own gain control (for visual purposes only). It can be triggered either
continuously, based on a threshold level of one of the two displayed
signals, or based on note messages that reach the device.

17.1.2. Spectrum Analyzer
A dual-trace spectroscope, providing a frequency-domain
representation of incoming and/or external audio signals. The
persistence of all signals can be adjusted by the Fall Rate.

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17.2. Audio FX
Each audio FX (or audio effect) device manipulates incoming audio
signals before passing them onward. Incoming messages may be used
as triggers but are passed through without change.

17.2.1. Blur
A comb-filter diffusion effect where each stereo channel has two comb
filters, each with two feedback controls.

17.2.2. Chorus
A chorus effect with an adjustable LFO with phase offset for the right
channel (R Phase).

17.2.3. Comb
A comb filter effect with frequency and bipolar feedback controls.

17.2.4. Flanger
A flanger effect with an adjustable LFO and feedback parameters for
both magnitude (Feedb.) and phase (Neg.). This device can be set to
Retrig(ger) on incoming note messages.

17.2.5. Freq Shifter
A frequency shifter with an adjustable frequency range. This device can
also distribute the upward and downward frequency shift across the
stereo field.

17.2.6. Phaser
A phaser whose Frequency setting is controlled by an LFO modulator
module by default. Separate phase (ø) controls exist for the frequency

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on the L(eft) and R(ight) channels so that you can keep everything
synced but interesting. Also includes a feedback (FB) control and a high-
pass filter with adjustable cutoff frequency and slope (from anywhere
between 2-Pole and 32-Pole).

17.2.7. Pitch Shifter
A pitch shifter (like a musical signal transposer) with a high-resolution
frequency control, a Grain setting for adjusting how the processing is
done, and a Mix control, allowing harmonization.

17.2.8. Ring-Mod
A ring modulator with a definable frequency and a Mix control for
blending the source material with the resultant sum and difference
tones. The device also has Pre- and Post-processing device chains.

17.2.9. Rotary
A rotary-speaker emulation that modulates the signal's placement in the
stereo field.

17.2.10. Treemonster
A ring modulator that utilizes the incoming audio signal and a sine
wave whose tuning is based on that incoming signal. Pitch detection
is sampled only above a set Threshold amplitude, can be limited with
low-pass and high-pass filters, can be offset (Pitch) for shifting the sine
tone's frequency, and can be slewed (Speed) to respond more quickly
or ponderously. For processing, the amount of Ring modulation goes
anywhere between a simple sine wave (at 0%) to more harmonically
complex results.

17.2.11. Tremolo
An amplitude modulator that is controlled by an LFO of various
waveshapes. This device can be set to Retrig(ger) on incoming note
messages.

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17.3. Container
Each container is a device whose primarily function is hosting other
devices.

As each container has a different purpose, the primary signal I/O is listed
for each device. (For more information, see section 14.1.2.)

17.3.1. Chain
(Audio in, Audio Out) A container that houses a serial audio device
chain. A Mix control is provided for blending the dry (original signals
reaching the device) and wet (processed signals exiting the device)
components together, and a Gain control offsets the level of the dry
signal only (it is not applied before processing). Any note messages that
reach this device are passed out "dry," without adjustment.

17.3.2. Drum Machine
(Notes in, Audio out) A container that routes note signals to specific
chains based on their pitch. Each chain has its own internal mixer
controls. (For more information, see section 14.1.2.1.)

17.3.3. FX Layer
(Audio in, Audio out) A container that houses parallel audio chains. Each
chain has its own internal mixer controls. (For more information, see
section 14.1.2.3.)

17.3.4. FX Selector
(Audio in, Audio out) A container that houses multiple audio chains. Only
one audio chain at a time receives the incoming audio (as set by the
device's Index parameter), but any chain that was previously receiving
audio remains active until its output is silent.

Note

Any automation of the Index parameter is dynamically updated when

the audio chains are rearranged.

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17.3.5. Instrument Layer
(Notes in, Audio out) A container that houses multiple instruments
in parallel. Each chain has its own internal mixer controls. (For more
information, see section 14.1.2.2.)

17.3.6. Instrument Selector
(Notes in, Audio out) A container that houses multiple instruments and
their associated device chains. Only one instrument chain at a time
receives new notes (as set by the device's Index parameter), but each
sounding note continues until its output is silent.

Note

Any automation of the Index parameter is dynamically updated when

the device chains are rearranged.

17.3.7. Mid-Side Split
(Audio in, Audio out) A container that takes a normal stereo signal and
splits it into its mid (centered) and side (panned) components, each of
which is provided with an independent chain.

17.3.8. Multiband FX-2
(Audio in, Audio out) A container that splits the incoming audio at a
definable frequency and provides independent chains for the audio
below and above that frequency.

17.3.9. Multiband FX-3
(Audio in, Audio out) A container that splits the incoming audio at two
definable frequencies and provides independent chains for the audio
below the first frequency, the audio between the two frequencies, and
the audio above the second frequency.

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17.3.10. Note FX Layer
(Notes in, Notes out) A container that houses parallel note chains.

17.3.11. Replacer
(Audio in, Audio out) A container that filters and analyzes the level
of the incoming audio signal, and when the signal rises above a set
threshold, notes are generated at a set pitch and velocity. These notes
and the original (dry) audio signal are then passed to the internal INST
(for instrument) device chain.

17.3.12. Step MOD
A step sequencer whose output is used as a modulation source.

17.3.13. XY FX
(Audio in, Audio out) A container that loads up to four audio effects in
parallel and allows you to crossfade their outputs.

17.3.14. XY Instrument
(Notes in, Audio out) A container that loads up to four instruments in
parallel and allows you to crossfade their outputs.

17.4. Delay
Each delay device is a time-based processor that operates on its
incoming audio signals. Each device blends one or more delayed copies
of its sound with the undelayed original.

17.4.1. Delay-1
A tempo-syncable delay with uniform delay time, offset, and feedback
settings for the left and right channels.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.4.2. Delay-2
A tempo-syncable delay with discrete delay time, offset, and feedback
settings for the left and right channels. This device also has warble
(Detune and Rate) and Crossfeed(back) settings.

17.4.3. Delay-4
A delay unit comprising four independent taps. Each tap has its own
input level control, a general FX chain, a FB FX chain for its own
feedback section, separate feedback controls for how much signal is
fed back locally and to each of the other taps, tempo-syncable delay
time, simple high-pass and low-pass filters, and output level and panning
controls. After the taps are summed, there is then a master FX chain, a
global Feedback level, and a Mix control.

17.5. Destruction
Each destruction device is a distortion or other mangling processor that
operates on its incoming audio signals.

17.5.1. Amp
A processor that applies the character and idiosyncrasies of various
instrument amplifiers to the incoming signal.

The PRE-drive stage provides optional L(ow), M(id), and H(igh) EQ

stages. In this model, the L(ow) and H(igh) bands offer high- and low-
pass filters, respectively, each with variable frequency, resonance, and
slope settings. The M(id) band is a bell filter with gain, frequency, and Q
settings. Additionally, the far right of the device's interface has a nested
device chain for adding additional processors to this PRE section.

Next comes the DRIVE stage, whose purpose is to overamplify the

incoming signal. In addition to applying gain (via the eponymous Drive
parameter) of up to 48dB, a drop-down menu offers various clipping
"models" to use, such as Class AB, Eulic, Fold B, etc. And to further
massage the overdrive, there is a Bias setting for offsetting the signal
and a Sag for bending it back down when it flies too high (as indicated
by the horizontal LED).

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After the drive section is a POST-drive stage, which is identical

in structure to the PRE-drive stage detailed above, along with a
corresponding POST nested device chain at the far right of the device.

As with any amplifier, the last stage is (a simulation of) the speaker
CABINET. Parameters include physical parameters of the cabinet's width,
height, and depth, as well as the amount of sound reflection around
the cabinet (which adds an acoustic phasing). To further shape the
tone of the cabinet are a Color knob and a set of buttons (labeled A
through H), which offer eight discrete "hue" variations. Finally, there is a
polarity control (ø) for the phase of this section as well as a Mix control
to make a blend of pre-cabinet sound (heard by itself at 0%) and cabinet
processed sound (heard alone at 100%). As always, extreme settings are
useful while programming but less fruitful when used in music.

The global section of the device includes a final Gain setting and a global
Mix control.

17.5.2. Bit-8
An audio degrader with assorted parameters for CLOCK manipulation,
amplitude GATE, SHAPE (with drive and various distortion options), and
QUANTIZE modes with fine-tuning options.

17.5.3. Distortion
A distortion effect based on hard clipping, with a peak EQ before the
clipping is applied, and high- and low-pass filters after.

17.6. Drum
Each drum device is a drum piece emulator that use incoming note
messages to synthesize audio.

17.6.1. E-Clap
A monophonic electronic clap instrument made from noise, a low-pass
filter, and repetitions.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

The NOISE section comprises the instrument's sound generation

parameters. The amplitude for the instrument is controlled by an
AD envelope that has a short, fixed attack time and an exponential,
adjustable Decay time.

Each incoming note message immediately triggers the amplitude

envelope. And for the Duration time following the beginning of each
note, the envelope is retriggered at every Repeat time interval.

For example, if Duration is set to 45ms and Repeat is set to 10ms, each
note will trigger the amplitude envelope five times: zero milliseconds
(the instant the note is received), 10ms, 20ms, 30ms, and 40ms.

Width sets the amount of stereo flutter added to each noise burst.

The COLOR section provides controls for the instrument's low-

pass filter. Freq sets the cutoff frequency, and Q sets the amount of
resonance.

The final section offers a control for the instrument's Vel Sens.(itivity)
and a level control for its Output.

Nested Device Chains:

› FX - A chain for processing the device's entire audio output.

17.6.2. E-Cowbell
An electronic cowbell instrument with optional pitch control.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

The GENERATOR section contains parameters for controlling the

instrument's two oscillators. The Pitch of the first oscillator is directly
controllable, and the pitch of the second oscillator is set as an Offset
of the first. Alternatively, the graphical keyboard toggle button allows
you to have the first oscillator track incoming note messages (with the
second oscillator's still being set as a relative Offset). To the right of
the keyboard toggle is a crossfader that sets the balance between the
two oscillators, and the Shape control lets you determine the oscillators'
waveshape.

The low-pass FILTER section provides standard Freq(uency) cutoff and

Reso.(nance) controls.

The RING modulation section allows you to set the Freq(uency) of a

modulating sine wave and the dry/wet Mix of the ring modulation effect.
If Mix is set to the far left, the ring modulator will not be heard.

The AEG section provides Attack and Decay times for the AD-style
amplitude envelope generator.

The final section offers a control for the instrument's Vel Sens.(itivity)
and a level control for its Output.

Nested Device Chains:

› FX - A chain for processing the device's entire audio output.

17.6.3. E-Hat
An electronic hi-hat instrument made from a blend of noise with a comb
filter, FM synthesis, and a one-band equalizer. An XY grid interface is
also provided as an alternate means of controlling several parameters.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

The section at the top left contains Attack and Decay times for
the AD envelope, along with a contour control for the shape of the
decay segment. This global envelope shapes the output of the entire
instrument.

The red COMB section governs the comb filter that processes the noise
generator's output. Parameters include cutoff Freq(uency), a bipolar
Feedback control, and the wet/dry Mix. In the XY grid, dragging the red
C ball adjusts the Freq control with horizontal movements and the Mix
control vertically.

The blue FM HIT section controls the carrier of a classic FM operator

pair, which creates the impact sound of the hi-hat. The Freq knob at left
sets the carrier's frequency. This unit has its own AD envelope, which has
a short, fixed attack time and an exponential, adjustable Decay setting.
(Note that a longer decay setting may be interrupted if the global AD
envelope has a shorter overall duration.) Finally, the Mix knob controls
the balance between the noise and FM portions of the instrument. In the
XY grid, dragging the blue H ball adjusts the Freq control with horizontal
movements and the Mix control vertically.

The yellow HIT MOD section provides controls for the modulator of the
FM operator pair. The Freq. knob adjust the modulator's frequency, and
the Amount control is the index (or intensity) of modulation applied to
the carrier. In the XY grid, dragging the yellow M ball adjusts the Freq.
control with horizontal movements and the Amount control vertically.

The orange EQ section controls a simple high-pass filter that receives

the blended noise and FM sounds. The cutoff frequency is set with the
top numeric control (in hertz or kilohertz), and the control below with
a resonance icon represents the filter's Q. In the XY grid, dragging the
orange vertical bar from left to right controls the cutoff frequency.

The final section offers a control for the instrument's Vel Sens.(itivity)
and a level control for its Output, along with a Width setting for the
amount of stereo flutter added to each noise burst.

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Nested Device Chains:

› FX - A chain for processing the device's entire audio output.

17.6.4. E-Kick
An electronic kick drum instrument with optional pitch modulation.

The GEN section contains parameters for controlling and processing

the instrument's slightly rectified sine oscillator. The frequency of
this oscillator is set by the Tune knob, and its level is controlled by an
AD envelope that has a short, fixed attack time and an exponential,
adjustable Decay time. The Click option adds impact to the sound by
doubling portions of it, and the Tone control sets the cutoff frequency of
a gentle low-pass filter.

The P. MOD section concerns a separate AD envelope generator that

controls pitch modulation applied to the oscillator. You can adjust the
Amount of modulation in semitones, the Decay time, and the shape of
that decay segment with the contour control.

The final section offers a control for the instrument's Vel Sens.(itivity)
and a level control for its Output.

Nested Device Chains:

› FX - A chain for processing the device's entire audio output.

17.6.5. E-Snare
An electronic snare drum instrument made from two tunable oscillators,
a noise generator, and resonant high- and low-pass filters.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

The OSC 1 section houses the primary sine oscillator, whose frequency
and decay time can be set directly with the Tuning and Decay knobs,
respectively.

The OSC 2 section contains a secondary sine oscillator whose settings

are relative to oscillator 1. Accordingly, the frequency of oscillator 2 is set
as an Offset from oscillator 1 in semitones, and oscillator 2's decay time
is set with the Decay X parameter as a percentage of oscillator 1's decay
time.

The NOISE section contains parameters related to the noise generator.

This includes Attack and Decay times for the AD envelope that controls
level, along with a contour control for the shape of the decay segment.
And the Width knob sets the amount of stereo flutter added to each
noise burst.

The MIX section is for controlling the balance between the three
generator elements. Osc controls the balance between oscillator 1
and oscillator 2, and then Noise controls the balance between both
oscillators and the noise generator.

Next comes the FILTER section, which has a high cut (or low-pass) filter
for processing output from both the oscillators and the noise generator.
Any noise generator signal is then passed to a low cut (or high-pass)
filter. Individual cutoff frequency controls are available for both the High
Cut and the Low Cut filter, and a single Q parameter controls resonance
for both filters.

The final section offers a control for the instrument's Vel Sens.(itivity)
and a level control for its Output.

Nested Device Chains:

› FX - A chain for processing the device's entire audio output.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.6.6. E-Tom
An electronic tom instrument with optional pitch modulation.

The GEN section contains parameters for controlling and processing

the instrument's slightly rectified sine oscillator. The frequency of
this oscillator is set by the Tune knob, and its level is controlled by an
AD envelope that has a short, fixed attack time and an exponential,
adjustable Decay time. The Click option adds impact to the sound by
doubling portions of it, and the Tone control sets the cutoff frequency of
a gentle low-pass filter.

The PEG section concerns a separate AD envelope generator that

controls the oscillator's pitch. You can adjust the Decay time, the shape
of that decay segment with the contour control, and the Amount of
modulation in semitones.

The final section offers a control for the instrument's Vel Sens.(itivity)
and a level control for its Output.

Nested Device Chains:

› FX - A chain for processing the device's entire audio output.

17.7. Dynamics
Each dynamics device is a processor that operate on its incoming audio
signals, based off of those signals' amplitude levels and trends.

17.7.1. Compressor
A compressor with standard threshold, ratio, gain, and timing settings.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.7.2. De-Esser
A de-esser with a variable high-pass filter and monitoring option for the
detection circuit.

17.7.3. Dynamics
A flexible dynamics processor that allows for either downward or
upward compression on both the loud and quiet parts of the sound.
The device also has a sidechain input, an FX device chain for the control
signal, and a graphical interface.

17.7.4. Gate
A noise gate with sidechain input and an FX device chain for the control
signal.

17.7.5. Peak Limiter
A limiter with peak level, gain, and release controls.

17.7.6. Transient Control
A transient detector that can make onsets and sustain segments
relatively louder or softer.

17.8. EQ
Each EQ (equalizer) device is a set of parallel frequency-specific
processors (for example, like a low band and high band) that operate on
its incoming audio signals.

17.8.1. EQ-2
A two-band parametric equalizer with resonant filter modes and a
graphical interface.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.8.2. EQ-5
A five-band parametric equalizer with resonant filter modes and a
graphical interface. The device also has global controls to morph the
strength (Amount) and placement (Shift) of the EQ curve.

17.8.3. EQ-DJ
A three-band equalizer with definable crossover frequencies and mute
controls for each band.

17.9. Filter
Each filter device is a frequency-specific processor that operates on its
incoming audio signals.

17.9.1. Filter
A multimode filter with pre- and post-gain.

17.9.2. Ladder
A multimode ladder filter with a built-in LFO, envelope, and envelope
follower to modulate the filter's frequency.

17.9.3. Resonator Bank
A bank of six resonant filters that have frequency, resonance, and gain
controls. The device also has global controls to morph these three
controls as well as keyboard tracking to offset the filters' frequencies
based on incoming note signals.

17.10. Hardware
Each hardware device sends signals and/or messages to devices beyond
Bitwig Studio (such as hardware synthesizers and effect units). This can

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

include transmitting and/or receiving audio signals, control voltage (CV)

signals, and clock messages.

17.10.1. HW Clock Out

Two paths for CV clock signal output, to be sent through set ports
of your audio interface. Each path can transmit Clock signals at a set
interval, a signal only at transport start (Play mode), a signal only at
transport Stop, or a signal for every Note received.

17.10.2. HW CV Instrument
A router that sends the incoming note messages out of the system as
CV signals. One path is used for Pitch CV Out, and one is used for Gate
Out triggers. Audio In is then returned to the system and output from
this device.

17.10.3. HW CV Out
A vehicle for sending a CV signal out a set port of your audio interface
via a parameter knob. An AC switch is provided, as is a low-pass filter
control for applying lag to the outgoing signal.

17.10.4. HW FX
A router that sends the incoming stereo audio signal out of the track and
system, and then returns another stereo signal back.

17.10.5. HW Instrument
A router that sends the incoming note signals out of Bitwig Studio as
MIDI, and then returns the resultant audio.

For note and MIDI output, settings include the MIDI output port to
use as well as whether to send all messages on a single MIDI channel
or to preserve Same Ch.(annel) set for each per note/event in Bitwig
Studio. A special Use MPE option can be used instead, converting
note expressions (see section 10.2.2.3) to appropriate channel voice
messages, dynamically allocating channels as necessary, and providing a

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

pitch-bend range parameter. And a toggle is available in case you want

to send MIDI Clock messages to this MIDI port.

The audio return section includes the audio input to use, a gain level
applied to that signal, and a latency offset amount that is set in samples
(negative settings adjust the audio to be earlier).

Like most instruments, nested device chains for Note FX and audio FX
are provided.

17.11. Keyboard
Each keyboard is an instrument emulator that uses incoming note
messages to synthesize audio.

17.11.1. Organ
A tonewheel organ.

The drawbars section contains nine standard gain faders (the vertically
higher the fader, the louder the gain), each of which represents the level
of the respective drawbar harmonic. In order, these harmonics are:

› Fader 1 - Sub, or one octave below the fundamental (in organ notation,
16' [feet])

› Fader 2 - 5th, or one fifth above the fundamental (5 1/3')

› Fader 3 - Primary, or the fundamental (8')

› Fader 4 - 8th, or one octave above the fundamental (4')

› Fader 5 - 12th, or one octave and a fifth above the fundamental (2 2/3')

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

› Fader 6 - 15th, or two octaves above the fundamental (2')

› Fader 7 - 17th, or two octaves and a major third above the fundamental
(1 3/5')

› Fader 8 - 19th, or two octaves and a fifth above the fundamental (1 1/3')

› Fader 9 - 22nd, or three octaves above the fundamental (1')

The top of the drawbars interface also has a drop-down menu for the
type of oscillator modeling being used for each harmonic. Choices
include:

› Rich - closer to a traditional tonewheel oscillator, a bit more complex

than a pure sine wave

› Pure - closer to a pure sine wave

› Full - an even richer waveform

Additionally, the small R icon to the right toggles retriggering of

oscillator phases for successive notes, which creates a gentler, less clicky
sound.

Beneath the drawbars section is a small bank of other instrument

controls. The bipolar Pitch control adjusts the frequency of all oscillators
together. This control is set in semitones, with a range of three octaves
in either direction (from -36.00 to +36.00). The Glide setting sets the
amount of time it takes for a new note to smoothly transition from the
previous pitch. And the global amplitude envelope has controls for its
Attack and Decay times.

The final section at bottom offers controls for the instrument's panning,
gain (the speaker icon), and final Output level.

Nested Device Chains:

› Note - A chain for processing incoming note messages before they

reach this device.

› FX - A chain for processing the device's entire audio output.

17.12. MIDI
Each MIDI device transmits various MIDI messages or modifies them via
the track's device chain. This is useful for sending messages to plug-
ins or to external hardware (when used in conjunction with Bitwig's
hardware devices) or simply modifying the channels in use by a device
chain.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.12.1. Channel Filter
A processor for ignoring incoming note or MIDI messages by channel.

17.12.2. Channel Map
A processor for remapping incoming note or MIDI messages by channel.

17.12.3. MIDI CC
A vehicle for sending any MIDI continuous controller (CC) messages via
eight parameter knobs. A global MIDI Channel can be set.

17.12.4. MIDI Program Change

A vehicle for sending a MIDI program change message at project load
and/or manually via the Send trigger button. The MIDI Channel can be
set, and all or individual components of a two-byte bank select message
can be sent (using CC 0 as the most significant bit [MSB] and/or CC 32
as the least significant bit [LSB]).

Additionally, the device has a nested Chain with two special options. The
Scoped option contains the program change and bank select messages,
sending them only to devices in the nested chain. And the Anti Click
option fades the nested chain's output using an adjustable Decay time
before transmitting the MIDI messages.

17.12.5. MIDI Song Select

A vehicle for sending a MIDI song select message at project load and/or
via a manual Send trigger button.

17.13. Note FX
Each note FX (or note effect) device manipulates incoming note
messages before passing them onward. Incoming signals are passed
through without change.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.13.1. Arpeggiator
An arpeggiator, which rhythmically cycles through the notes being held
in a set order. For each beat, the specified note(s) is output with a set
velocity and for a set duration.

17.13.2. Diatonic Transposer
A note transposer, which can correct or remove notes that do not match
a set key and mode. Notes can also be shifted before the transposition is
applied.

17.13.3. Micro-pitch
Micro-/macro-tuning of each note type, and octave. Defines the root
note (which is kept in tune), and then tuning values for all other pitch
classes, as well as the octave. Also provides an Amount control (for
moderating all pitch offsets back toward standard equal temperament)
and for frequency offset around A3 (traditionally 440 Hz).

17.13.4. Multi-Note
A relative note transposer, allowing up to seven notes to play for
each received note message. Each note unit is defined relative to the
incoming note's pitch and velocity. Realize that if you want the original
incoming note to be passed through, one of the seven note paths must
be used for that purpose (with pitch and velocity offsets of 0).

17.13.5. Note Echo
A tempo-syncable note repeater. The number of Repetitions can be
set, or an infinite feedback mode can be enabled. Within the feedback/
repetition loop are numerous parameters, including Time (to make
repeated notes relatively closer together or spaced further apart) with
a Random(ization) option, Gate (to scale the length of repeated notes),
Velocity scaling, and Pitch scaling (that can be filtered to only apply
within a defined range).

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.13.6. Note Filter
A filter that allows only notes from a set range of pitches and velocities
(inclusive) to pass.

17.13.7. Note Harmonizer
A note transposer that conforms incoming notes based on the active
note messages of a different track (set as the Harmony Source). To
improve the device's logic, a Pattern Key should be defined.

17.13.8. Note Latch
A note sustainer that either holds the current note until the next one is
received (Simple mode), only triggers every other note received (Toggle
mode), or only triggers every other note around a defined velocity
threshold (Velocity mode). This logic is applied on a polyphonic, per-
pitch basis by default, but it can also be applied in a Mono fashion.

17.13.9. Note Length
A device to set incoming notes to a fixed, optionally tempo-syncable
Length. Note velocity can also be set to a Fixed value, and notes can be
set to Trigger either at the start (Press) or Release of each note.

17.13.10. Note Pitch Shifter

A simple note transposer, which can shift the incoming notes by a set
number of octaves and/or semitones. A Fine control is also provided for
shifting by fractions of a semitone.

17.13.11. Note Velocity
A (piecewise) velocity shaper with three definable breakpoints.

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17.13.12. Transposition Map
A note transposer, which can remap each note class (for example, so
every D becomes an F↗, etc.). Notes can also be shifted before the
transposition is applied.

17.14. Reverb
Each reverb device is a time-based processor that operates on its
incoming audio signals to produce distinct room effects.

17.14.1. Reverb
An algorithmic reverb effect with distinct controls for EARLY reflections
and for the later dense reflections (TANK). The TANK is split into three
assignable bands with relative delay times for the low and high bands.
This device also has a graphical interface.

17.15. Routing
Each routing device allows the redirecting of a track's signal path.
To achieve this, a router often contains audio and/or note chooser
menus for addressing an incoming or outgoing signal to the appropriate
destination, including destinations outside of Bitwig Studio.

As each routing device has a different purpose, the primary signal I/O is
listed for each device.

17.15.1. Audio Receiver
(Audio in, Audio out) A router that imports audio signal from any
designated project source.

17.15.2. Note Receiver
(Notes in, Notes out) A router that imports note signals from any
designated project source.

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17.16. Synth
Each synth device generates its audio either from rudimentary source
material, from audio files used as samples, or sometimes from coming
in via sidechain. Incoming note messages drives these instruments to
produce audio output.

17.16.1. FM-4
A four-oscillator FM synthesizer with frequencies set as ratios with
offsets, optional self-modulation, a noise generator with a resonant low-
pass filter, and a modulation matrix. Each row of the matrix represents
one of the four oscillators as a modulation destination, and each column
is labeled with the modulation source it represents.

On the far left are four identically equipped sections, representing

the four sine oscillator units of the instrument. Oscillator 1 is at top,
oscillators 2 and 3 follow, and oscillator 4 is at bottom.

In each unit, the two central controls help determine the sine oscillator's
frequency. Each incoming note message is multiplied by the top,
unlabeled numeric control to set the oscillator's base frequency for
that voice. For example, playing a note message of A4 (440Hz) with a
setting of 1.00 triggers that oscillator at 440Hz. Playing A4 again with
a setting of 2.00 would set the oscillator to 880Hz, just as a setting of
0.50 would tune the oscillator to 220Hz in this example. This system also
allows you to see the frequency settings of two oscillators as a ratio, a
very handy way of thinking in FM synthesis.

The numeric control at bottom is an offset, allowing you to then detune

each oscillator by a number of Hertz.

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The Mod control at the right of each oscillator unit attenuates the output
of the oscillator to all frequency modulation connections (this does not
affect the audio output of the oscillator). Similarly, the oscillator number
in the left of each unit is a button for enabling/disabling that oscillator
for modulation purposes (again, the audio output for each oscillator is
unaffected by the setting of this toggle).

To the right of oscillator 1 is the N(oise) section. This noise generator

is configured somewhat similarly to the oscillators, with a global
Mod(ulation) level control at its far right and a button to enable/disable
modulation usage at the far left (shown as N).

Between these controls are knobs for the Cutoff frequency and Q of
a low-pass filter that the noise generator is connected to, as well as a
Drive control that can boost the output signal by up to +48.0 dB.

While the matrix section that follows is somewhat cryptic, it is the heart
of the instrument's frequency modulation model. This table shows the
individual amounts of modulation between the five generators that we
have just discussed. The columns represent the sources of modulation,
and the rows represent the four oscillator units, which are the potential
frequency modulation destinations. These signal attenuators go from
0 (no signal/modulation) to 999 (the fullest amount of modulation
available). In this sense, you could also think of these gain values as
percentages of modulation.

Note

Just remember that the settings in each oscillator and noise

generator unit impact the matrix values. Each modulation amount
in the grid is scaled by the source's global Mod(ulation) level and
is completely bypassed if the modulation enable/disable switch is
flipped off.

As an example, let's look at the third column, which is labeled 3. Each of

the rows in this column represents one of the respective oscillator units
as a destination and the amount of attenuation applied to that particular
modulation connection. The first row in this column shows the amount
that oscillator 3 modulates the frequency of oscillator 1. Accordingly,
the second, third, and fourth rows control the amount that oscillator 3
modulates the frequencies of oscillators 2, 3, and 4, respectively. In any
other column, the destinations would be the same but the source would
be either a different oscillator (the numbered columns) or the noise
generator unit (column N).

And as the example above indicates, oscillator 3 can be set to modulate

itself — to effectively "feed back" — by setting the third row attenuator

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to a value greater than zero. The same is true of all four oscillator units
when the output of an oscillator is set to modulate its own matrix input.

The section to the right of the N(oise) and matrix sections is the
instrument's audio mixer. Each generator unit has an attenuator for
setting the amount of signal that will reach the instrument's audio
output. Just as the matrix and other modulation controls did not affect
the audio level of each unit, these gain controls do not affect modulation
levels in any way.

Beneath the matrix section are controls that belong to the amplitude
envelope generator unit (AEG). This module affects the entire
instrument's audio output level and can also be routed to additional
modulation destinations. After the modulation routing button at left are
standard Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release controls.

To the right of the mixer is another thin vertical section, this one
containing assorted global parameters. Pitch allows the pitch of all
oscillators to be offset from an octave down (-12 semitones) to an
octave up (12). Targeting this parameter with an LFO is an ideal way to
create vibrato on this synth. The Glide setting is the amount of time that
it takes for each new note to smoothly transition from the previous pitch
to the current one. And at bottom are Pan(ning) and Gain controls.

The final section contains the nested device chains along with three
toggle buttons and one knob. The MONO button switches the
synthesizer to a monophonic mode, allowing only one note to be played
at a time. The next two buttons will take effect only when both MONO
mode is enabled and you are playing in a legato style. The ST button is a
"single trigger" option, which prevents envelopes from retriggering. And
the FG button enables a "fingered glide" mode, which creates a subtle
portamento between successive notes. Finally, an Output level control is
available.

Modulation Sources:

› AEG (amplitude envelope generator) [polyphonic] - The signal of this

instrument's amplitude envelope generator module. (The routing of this
module to the instrument's amplitude is hardwired.)

Nested Device Chains:

› Note - A chain for processing incoming note messages before they

reach this device.

› FX - A chain for processing the device's entire audio output.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.16.2. Phase-4
A phase-manipulation synthesizer (including phase distortion and phase
modulation techniques) with four unique oscillator units, a system
of global controls for altering the oscillator units' phase distortion
and phase modulation settings together, a unique tuning system for
setting frequency relationships, a multimode filter capable of audio-rate
modulation, and more.

Each oscillator unit is functionally identical and is distinguished by its

color and corresponding letter (Red, Blue, Yellow, and Magenta). The
letter at the top left of each oscillator doubles as a bypass toggle for
that oscillator unit. There are three ways to control the frequency of
each oscillator, all located in the top row of each oscillator's controls, just
above the knobs.

The small keyboard icon with arrows around it toggles keyboard

tracking on or off. When keyboard tracking is enabled, an offset in
semitones (st) can be set just below. And when keyboard tracking is
disabled, a fixed frequency can be set, either in hertz (Hz) or kilohertz
(kHz). To the left of this, a RATIO is then applied to the frequency,
allowing you to set oscillators relative to each other (in the fashion of 1:1,
3:1, 1:2, 0:1, etc.). Finally, an offset frequency (in Hz) can be applied from
the control at the far right of this section. Above that numeric control
are two icons for switching between uniform monophonic detune (the
single circle icon) or stereo detune (the two overlapping circles), which
applies the set detune amount to the left channel and its inverse to the
right.

Next, each oscillator has controls for phase distortion. The primary
control is SHAPE, which affects the overall amount of phase distortion
applied. Above the shape knob is a text menu that can be dragged
up or down to change its setting. This is the algorithm being used for
phase distortion. Each algorithm determines both the source waveform
and the path the waveshape will traverse as the SHAPE parameter is
increased. Beside the algorithm is a numeric for formant control. Settings
above 1 insert additional sine cycles into the original waveshape. And
just above formant is a phase (º) control. This value sets the offset of the
original waveform (in degrees). But beyond adjusting the cycle position

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of the waveform, this control also affects the phase distortion algorithm,
producing unique results.

Of the phase modulation parameters, first is the MOD(ulation) knob,

which sets the maximum amount of phase modulation allowed from any
oscillator source. The individual levels of modulation are then set by the
four smaller knobs to the right, each colored to represent their oscillator.
(Yes, this includes potential feedback from the selected oscillator itself.)

You will notice an arrow between the SHAPE and MOD parameters.
If the arrow is pointing toward MOD, then phase distortion is applied
before phase modulation. And if the arrows is instead facing SHAPE,
then phase modulation is being applied before phase distortion. Clicking
on the arrow rotates it.

And finally, each oscillator has a knob on the far right with a speaker
icon beneath it. This is an output volume control, setting to what degree
this oscillator is heard as audio.

To the left of the four oscillator units is the global controls section.
At top are a PITCH control for adjusting all oscillator frequencies in
semitones and a GLIDE control for setting all portamento times. At
bottom are global SHAPE and MOD knobs, allowing you to change the
maximum phase distortion and phase modulation (respective) amounts
for all oscillators together. Additionally, the X–Y pad allows control of
these two parameters together by clicking and dragging the 4 ball. And
if any individual oscillator has its own SHAPE and MOD controls set
below maximum, you may see a ball of that oscillator's color on the X–Y
pad as well.

To the right of the oscillator units is the FILTER section. The top row sets
the filter's mode, toggling between various filter types: a gentle low-pass
filter, a 4-pole low-pass filter, a gentle band-pass filter, a 4-pole band-
pass filter, a gentle high-pass filter, a 4-pole high-pass filter, a band-
reject filter, and a disabled mode, respectively.

The next row, from left to right, contains drive (DRV), resonance, and
feedback controls. Centered beneath these controls is the oversized
cutoff frequency control.

To the left of the cutoff frequency knob are four more small knobs, each
colored to match an oscillator unit. These bipolar attenuators set the
amount that each oscillator unit is allowed to modulate the filter cutoff
frequency. And to the right of the large filter frequency control are
attenuators for how much keyboard tracking and the filter's envelope
generator each affect the cutoff.

Beneath the filter settings are two identical rows of parameters, one for
the filter envelope generator (FEG) and one for the amplitude envelope

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

generator (AEG). Each starts with a green routing button for assigning
additional modulation destinations. Each is followed by standard Attack,
Decay, Sustain, and Release controls. Finally, each envelope has a
control for how much note velocity scales its output.

The final parameter section has three controls, representing panning,

per-voice gain (with a speaker icon that glows red when drive is being
applied), and a master OUT(put) level knob.

Modulation Sources:

› FEG (filter envelope generator) [polyphonic] - The signal of this

instrument's filter envelope generator module.

› AEG (amplitude envelope generator) [polyphonic] - The signal of this

instrument's amplitude envelope generator module. (The routing of this
module to the instrument's amplitude is hardwired.)

Nested Device Chains:

› Note - A chain for processing incoming note messages before they

reach this device.

› FX - A chain for processing the device's entire audio output.

17.16.3. Polysynth
A subtractive synthesizer with two highly dynamic oscillators, an
assortment of methods for "blending" those oscillators, a noise
generator, a multimode filter, various waveshaping modes, and endless
possibilities.

This instrument starts with two substantial oscillator units. Oscillator

1 is found on top, and oscillator 2 is on bottom. As the oscillators are

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completely identical in structure and parameters, we will only discuss

them once.

At the top of each oscillator unit is a dynamic waveshape display. As

oscillator parameters are adjusted, this display will reflect the current
waveshape generated by this oscillator.

The Pitch of an oscillator can be adjusted by a perfect fifth up or down

(from -7.00 st [semitones] to 7.00 st). Below this Pitch knob is an octave
switch in organ foot notation. From the default setting (8') the oscillator
can be set from two octaves down (32') to three octaves up (1'), or any
octave in between.

The Shape control allows you to blend three distinct waves. At the
center position, you get only a sawtooth wave at the current pitch.
Moving from the center position to the left cross-fades into a pulse wave
that is one octave up. Moving from the center position to the right cross-
fades into a saw that is one octave up. Below this Shape knob is a pulse
width control that affects both the pulse wave at the left position and
the sawtooth at the right position.

A Sub pulse wave that is one octave down can also be blended in. Below
this Sub level knob is a pulse width control for the sub wave.

Each oscillator unit can also be synchronized to a tunable oscillator.

The Sync knob controls the frequency of the master sync oscillator as
an offset from the oscillator unit's pitch (from 0.00 semitones [unison;
no effect] to 60.00 semitones [five octaves up]). The reset button (R)
beneath the Sync knob causes the oscillator unit to return to its initial
phase for each incoming note.

Next, the lower control determines the number of voices used for each
note played by this oscillator unit. Settings range from 1v (one single
voice per note) to 16v (16 voices per note). When more than one voice is
active here, the Unison knob above becomes active, allowing you to set
the maximum detuning per voice from no detuning (0 cents) up to a full
semitone (100 cents). And beside Unison is a control for oscillator width,
which is also enabled when the oscillator is using more than one voice.
This control adjusts the panoramic spread between the various oscillator
voices in use. And beneath that width control is a panning setting for
this one oscillator.

The next section starts with various blend operator options at the top
of the device. The operator selected determines how oscillators 1 and 2
are mixed together into a composite signal. Options on the top row offer
slight variations on the standard mixing/crossfading approach, and the
choices on the bottom row are a bit more exotic and surprising. While
trying out these unique combinations, don't forget that this parameter
too can be a modulation target. A short note on each blend operator:

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

› MIX - A linear mix of oscillators 1 and 2.

› NEG - A linear mix of oscillators 1 and a negated version of oscillator 2,

potentially creating phase cancellation.

› WIPE - A mix of oscillators 1 and 2 but using a slightly nonlinear ramp,

resulting in stronger signals at the extremes.

› AM - Amplitude modulation of oscillator 1 from oscillator 2. The 1/2

knob is essentially an attenuator for how much modulation is being
applied to oscillator 1.

› SIGN - A mix of oscillator 1 and a version of oscillator 2 that has

oscillator 1's polarity applied to it.

› MAX - A mix of oscillator 1 and a hybrid signal reflecting the maximum

level of oscillator 1 and 2.

The section below is a grab bag of features that primarily relate to the
blend and mixing of the instrument's generator units.

In the first row, the 1/2 knob controls the blend between oscillator 1 and
oscillator 2 using the blend operator that was selected above. The Noise
knob then controls the balance between both oscillators and a white
noise generator. And the final knob on this row is actually a control
for the filter section. This filter FM parameter allows an audible-rate
oscillator of fixed frequency to modulate the filter's cutoff frequency.

The second row of this section starts with an optional high-pass filter
that comes after the signal sources are blended. The first parameter
contains both a cutoff frequency control and a mode selector via the
drop-down menu beneath the knob. The next knob is a resonance
control for this high-pass filter. And last is a pre-filter Drive control, for
either amplifying or attenuating the blended signal at the end of this
stage.

The third row starts with global frequency controls. The bipolar Pitch
control adjusts the frequency of both oscillators. This control is set in
semitones, with a range of three octaves in either direction (from -36.00
to 36.00). And the Glide setting sets the amount of time it takes for
a new note to smoothly transition from the previous pitch. Last is a
feedback control (FB). By engaging this setting, the spectrum of the
sound expands a bit.

The instrument's filter module is found in the next section. The first
control sets the filter's mode. This graphical control at top can toggle
between seven filter types: a gentle low-pass filter, a 4-pole low-pass
filter, a gentle band-pass filter, a 4-pole band-pass filter, a gentle high-
pass filter, a 4-pole high-pass filter, and a band-reject filter, respectively.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

The following row includes filter controls for the cutoff frequency (with a
horizontal arrow icon, suggesting frequency), the amount of resonance
being applied (with a peak-shaped icon), a waveshaping control (more
on that in a moment), a keyboard tracking control that determines how
much the cutoff frequency is controlled by incoming note pitches, and
a control for how much and at what slope the filter envelope generator
(EG) affects the cutoff frequency. (And don't forget the filter FM control
that lives in the previous section and was mentioned there.)

The odd control out in that last row was the waveshaping parameter in
the center. This nonlinear distortion offers several modes in the drop-
down menu beneath the amount knob. If you want more or less of this
effect, try adjusting the Drive control from the previous section. Or even
modulate Drive and/or the shaper amount.

Below the filter section are the instrument's two envelope generators.
The filter envelope generator (FEG) is normalled to the filter cutoff
frequency (via the EG attenuator knob in the filter section). The
amplitude envelope generator (AEG) controls the instrument's main
amplifier. Both envelope generators can also be used as modulation
signals for other purposes by using their modulation routing buttons.
And each envelope generator has standard Attack, Decay, Sustain, and
Release controls of their own.

The final parameter section contains three toggle buttons and four
knobs. The MONO button switches the synthesizer to a monophonic
mode, allowing only one note to be played at a time. The next two
buttons will take effect only when both MONO mode is enabled and
you are playing in a legato style. The ST button is a "single trigger"
option, which prevents envelopes from retriggering. And the FG button
enables a "fingered glide" mode, which creates a subtle portamento
between successive notes. Finally, controls for Vel(ocity sensitivity),
Gain, Pan(ning), and Output level are available.

Modulation Sources:

› FEG (filter envelope generator) [polyphonic] - The signal of this

instrument's filter envelope generator module.

› AEG (amplitude envelope generator) [polyphonic] - The signal of this

instrument's amplitude envelope generator module. (The routing of this
module to the instrument's amplitude is hardwired.)

Nested Device Chains:

› Note - A chain for processing incoming note messages before they

reach this device.

› FX - A chain for processing the device's entire audio output.

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17.16.4. Sampler
A sampler that can handle single or multiple samples in zones (with
resizable mapping editors) and has multiple play modes, a multimode
filter, and numerous modulation opportunities.

This instrument plays back one or more audio files as its source material.
The instrument's primary section focuses on the current source material
with a waveform display and numerous parameters surrounding it. The
options here differ in cases where a single audio file is loaded or when
multiple audio files are being used.

When only one audio file is loaded into the instrument, all relevant
parameters appear within this section.

Relevant sample parameters appear above and below the waveform

editor. Section labels are gray. The top row contains blue clickable icons
and numeric controls for general parameters. On the bottom row are
PLAY parameters in yellow and LOOP parameters in green, colors that
are also used within the waveform display to visualize these settings.

Starting in the top row, first is a folder icon along with the loaded
sample's filename. When the folder button is clicked, the Pop-up
Browser is called up so you can select a different audio file to load. You
can also drag the sample's filename into the Arranger Timeline or Clip
Launcher to create an audio clip.

Next is a piano keyboard button followed by a percentage value for the

amount of keyboard tracking being used. When set to 0 %, any note
played will trigger the sample at its original pitch. When set to 100 %,
incoming note pitches alter sample playback based on their distance
from the ROOT settings (of root note and cents offset). Clicking the
piano icon toggles between full keyboard tracking (100 %) and none (0
%), but values in between can be set manually.

The gain control that follows adjusts the sample's level from anywhere
between -12.0 dB and +12.0 dB. And at the end of this top row is a

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

vertical cursor icon with arrows pointing inward. When enabled, edits
done on the waveform editor will snap to zero crossings.

The bottom row starts with PLAY controls. The left-facing arrow button
capped with an R enables reverse mode, causing the sample to play
backwards, effectively swapping the play start and play end times (and
the loop points as well, when in use). Next are the aforementioned play
start and play end times, both set in time units.

Four LOOP parameters come next. First are buttons to select which
loop mode is in use. The three choices are the single forward arrow (no
looping), the stacked forward arrows (single-direction looping), and the
stacked forward and reverse arrows (ping-pong looping). Next come
the loop start and loop end times, set as exact times just like their PLAY
counterparts. Finally, a loop crossfade amount is set as a percentage of
the available audio material.

When working in a multisample context, two editors are available. Either

can be seen in the Expanded Device View (see section 7.2.2). We will
first look at what is unique about each editor and then cover the vast
amount that they have in common.

Shown above is the grid editor. This display shows an overlapping view
of all current zones. These individual sample zones are visualized from
low to high note pitches horizontally, and they are shown vertically
either by their velocity range (the standard note strike, "pin" icon on the

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

top right) or by their select parameter range (the star icon). Within each
zone is the sample's name along with a small triangle pointing down
to the root key for that zone. Each zone can be moved by clicking its
center and dragging, or each edge of a zone can be adjusted by clicking
on that edge and dragging. While the central display stays put, all zones
are in a vertically scrollable list on the left side.

In this image is the list editor. This view still uses a list of zones on the
left side, but only shows those zones that are currently on-screen. The
purpose of this view is to display the full details of each zone, including
its key range (and root note, shown as a gray, diagonally striped
rectangle) in the middle, and either its velocity or select parameter range
on the right. All three of these ranges also visualize any crossfading
used, allowing gradual transitions at the ends of each range. These
ranges can also be interacted with, either by dragging to move an entire
range, dragging from an edge to adjust the start or end points, or [ALT]-
dragging to add a crossfade to any range.

The editors are identical in many other ways, starting with the top row of
either interface.

Starting at the far left is a button to Save… the current multisample into
the library. After that are filters for viewing either All Zones or only the
Ungrouped zones. Next come any groups that have been created within
this multisample, either by clicking the + icon at the end of this row, or
by selecting multiple zones and choosing the Group function. In the

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

examples above, groups called Piano and Flute are present. Clicking any
group name will display only its zones and automatically select them all,
allowing you to act upon the zones in tandem from the Inspector Panel.

At the right edge of this row are two pairs of toggles. This first pair of
buttons is for switching between the grid editor and the list editor, and
the second pair chooses whether velocity or the select parameter is
being displayed as a secondary axis.

The list of zones on the left displays each zone's group color (in case it is
part of a group) and the name of the sample it uses. The top row above
the zones provides various filters for how and what to display, including
a drop-down menu of sorting options, a search field for filtering zones
by part of their sample name, and a toggle button showing a five-pin
MIDI port that automatically selects the zone matching the last incoming
note message.

The waveform editor will appear at the bottom of the Expanded Device
View when only one zone is selected. All of the same parameters appear
here as when in single sample mode. All of those details and more will
also be present in the Inspector Panel, even when multiple zones are
selected so they can be edited together. Inspector options include:

› Group that the zone is a part of, if any.

› Key shows the lowest and highest notes that will trigger this zone.
Beneath the two note fields are corresponding Fade amount fields,
showing the length of crossfade (in number of notes) on that side of
the range.

› Velocity shows the lowest and highest velocities that will trigger this
zone. Beneath the two velocity fields are corresponding Fade amount
fields, showing the length of crossfade (in velocity units) on that side of
the range.

› Select shows the lowest and highest select parameter values that will
trigger this zone. Beneath the two select value fields are corresponding
Fade amount fields, showing the length of crossfade (in select
parameter units) on that side of the range.

› Zone logic determines when this zone should sound, particularly when
one note is triggering multiple zones. Options include Always play
(which will always play this zone when triggered) and Round-robin
(which will only play one matching zone in round-robin mode at a
time).

› Z Param 1, Z Param 2, and Z Param 3 are amounts of modulation

applied via the P1, P2, and P3 modulation sources when this zone is
triggered. Those sources appear in the regular Device Panel interface

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

of Sampler when it is in multisample mode. These modulations are

polyphonic, allowing you to offset any parameter by a set amount
when a particular zone is triggered.

› Root key for this zone, or the note at which no transposition is applied.

› Fine tune amount for the root key value.

› Keytrack amount as a percentage.

› Gain amount applied to the sample.

› Play start and Play end times, same as the yellow markers in the
waveform view, as well as the Reverse Direction option, which
effectively swaps the start and end times.

› Looping, Loop start, Loop end, and Crossfade amounts, all of which
correspond to the FADE parameters discussed earlier.

All other sections and controls of Sampler are the same, regardless of
the number of samples being used.

The leftmost section in the device interface contains three parameters.

The Select parameter decides which multisample is triggered (when
select parameter ranges have been defined). Pitch can be shifted in
semitones, with a range of three octaves in either direction (from -36.00
to +36.00). And Glide sets the amount of time that it takes for each new
note to smoothly transition from the previous pitch to the current one. In
musical terminology, this effect is called portamento.

Next is the play mode section. It starts with a drop-down menu of the
various mode options, which will in turn determine which parameters are
available below. Modes include:

› Repitch - traditional sampler mode, where the Speed parameter

changes both playback speed and pitch.

› Cycles - a wavetable playback mode that captures periods of the

waveform for playback. Speeddoesn't affect pitch, and broad Formant
shifting is available as a timbre control. (While this mode excels at
reshaping waveforms for pitched playback, disabling keyboard tracking
for pitch can produce interesting metallic sounds when different notes
are played.)

Note

When a WAV file with a "clm" chunk is imported into Sampler, the
file will recognized it as wavetable audio, the play mode will be set

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to Cycles, and the Root key will use the appropriate value (which
determines the size of the wavetables in use).

› Textures - a granular playback mode. Speeddoesn't affect pitch, Grain

size can be controlled, and randomized Motion can be added to the
playhead for a less static sound.

Two toggle buttons round out the play mode section. The snowflake
icon freezes the sampler's playhead. This gives control of the playhead
to you (and any modulators you assign) via the playhead POS(ition)
control in the following section. Finally, the RAM chip icon toggles
whether the sample(s) used by this instance of Sampler are loaded into
memory or not. There is a trade-off, of course: loading samples into
RAM consumes memory, but it also allows play and loop points to be
modulated.

The following OFFSETSsection contains playback modulation controls.

PLAY allows you to modulate the sample start time as a percentage.
(When the playhead is frozen, this parameter is renamed playhead
POS[ition].) LOOP modulates the entire loop region's relative position,
and LEN(gth) modulates the length of the loop to be proportionally
shorter. While sample/zone parameters cannot be controlled by
modulators, these performance controls can be.

The next section is for the instrument's filter module. Across the top is a
row of filter mode options shown with icons (and numeric pole counts
to indicated the mode's filter slope, where appropriate). Also included
are controls for the filter's cutoff, the amount of resonance being applied
(with a peak-shaped icon), and the amount of keyboard tracking (with a
keyboard icon bookended by outward facing arrows) that is applied to
the cutoff frequency, set relatively from 0 % to 200 %.

Then comes the instrument's amplitude envelope section. This envelope

generator module affects the entire instrument's audio output level. The
envelope generator is switchable between two types of envelopes:

› When the drop-down menu at top is set to AHDSR, standard Attack,

Decay, Sustain, and Release controls are available. Also available is
a Hold control, which sets the time that the envelope pauses at full
strength after the completion of the attack segment and before the
decay segment begins. Additionally, the timed segments (attack,
decay, and release) each have a shape control embedded in their label
for changing their curve.

Note

When in AHDSR mode, the envelope signal can also be routed

to additional modulation destinations via the modulation routing

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

button in the top right of this section. This modulation signal is only
generated when the instrument is set to use the AHDSR envelope.

› When the mode menu at top is set to Shot, the envelope generator
acts in a simple one-shot mode with controls for fade in and fade out
time. This also disables looping.

Note

Shot mode is incompatible with playhead freeze. When both Shot

and playhead freeze are enabled, this section will show a red
snowflake button. When clicked, freeze mode will be disabled.

The final parameter section contains the nested device chains along
with four knobs. Controls for panning (labeled L and R at the extremes),
velocity sensitivity (the standard note strike, "pin" icon), gain (a speaker
icon), and the Out(put) level are all available.

Modulation Sources:

› Amplitude EG (amplitude envelope generator) [polyphonic] - The

signal of this instrument's amplitude envelope generator module when
it is in AHDSR mode. (The routing of this module to the instrument's
amplitude is hardwired.)

› P1 (Zone Parameter 1; only active in multisample mode) [polyphonic]

- A modulation whose amount is set by each zone and then applied
while the zone is triggered.

› P2 (Zone Parameter 2; only active in multisample mode) [polyphonic]

- A modulation whose amount is set by each zone and then applied
while the zone is triggered.

› P3 (Zone Parameter 3; only active in multisample mode) [polyphonic]

- A modulation whose amount is set by each zone and then applied
while the zone is triggered.

Nested Device Chains:

› Note - A chain for processing incoming note messages before they

reach this device.

› FX - A chain for processing the device's entire audio output.

17.17. The Grid
Each Grid device uses The Grid for constructing patches (see chapter
15).

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.17.1. FX Grid
A unique audio effect, including the option of Voice Stacking, and the
ability to create polyphonic effects with voice management.

17.17.2. Poly Grid
For creating instruments, be them mono-/poly-synths, samplers,
sequenced patches, cascading drones, or anything else you might
imagine.

17.18. Utility
Each utility device sports various, basic functionality.

17.18.1. DC Offset
A device to add DC offset to the incoming signal. (Yes, add.)

17.18.2. Dual Pan
A device for setting individual panning levels for the incoming left and
right channels.

17.18.3. Test Tone
A generator that outputs a sine wave at a set frequency and level. No
input is necessary.

17.18.4. Time Shift
A device for moving incoming audio and/or MIDI signals either forward
or backward in time. Whether set to operate in milliseconds (ms) or
samples, positive values represent delay times, and negative values
represent times shifted to happen earlier.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.18.5. Tool
A utility tool for signals that includes amplitude, panning, and width
controls as well as channel invert switches and high-resolution output
level meters.

17.19. Modulators
Each modulator is a special-purpose module that can be added to any
Bitwig device or plug-in. The modules output is then assigned to control
various parameters of the device.

As in Bitwig Studio, the modulators are categorized below by the type

of function they perform. For more information on using modulators, see
section 14.2.1.

17.19.1. Chaos Category
The chaos modulators generate signals with some amount of
randomness or unpredictable variation.

17.19.1.1. Random

A tempo-synced random low-frequency oscillator. Output can be

discrete or slewed, be unipolar or bipolar, be retriggered by Note or
Sync messages, and be monophonic or polyphonic (when applicable).

17.19.2. Control Category
The control modulators tend to fall into two camps. Some of these
modulators provide mappable control items (such as knobs, buttons,
banks of sliders, or two-dimensional XY controls) that are available
directly from the modulator pane of any device. Others allow the use
of various internal expression messages, control voltage signals from
external hardware, or tracked note messages as modulation sources.

17.19.2.1. Button

A binary toggle control. Selecting the modulator and viewing the

Inspector Panel shows an optional smoothing parameter.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.19.2.2. Buttons

Two independent binary toggle controls. Selecting the modulator and

viewing the Inspector Panel shows an optional smoothing parameter
that applies to both buttons.

17.19.2.3. Expressions

A module to extract incoming VEL(ocity), REL(ease velocity), TIMB(re),

and PRES(sure) messages. Right-clicking the modulator's title or
selecting the modulator itself and viewing the Inspector Panel shows
parameters for enabling smoothing on all expressions and making the
timbre expression relative at the time of each new note. All expressions
are polyphonic when applicable.

17.19.2.4. HW CV In

A sidechain control for control voltage devices that are connected to

your audio interface's inputs. Parameters include Gain, Smooth(ing),
and a toggle between alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC)
modes.

17.19.2.5. Keytrack

A five-point piecewise function for transforming incoming note

messages.

17.19.2.6. Macro-4

Four independent, continuous knob controls.

17.19.2.7. Macro

One continuous knob control.

17.19.2.8. Math

One control source derived from two continuous knob controls. The
output signal is a mathematical relation of the two signals, which is

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

derived either by MUL(tiplying), ADD(ing), or SUB(tracting) the two

signals, or simply taking the MIN(imum) or MAX(imum) of the two
values.

17.19.2.9. Mix

One control source derived from two continuous fader controls. The
output signal is determined by the current crossfade position between
the two fader values.

17.19.2.10. Pitch-12

Twelve control sources, one for each pitch class (C, D, E, etc.) received.
With global Amount and Lag controls.

17.19.2.11. Select-4

Four control sources derived from one continuous fader control. The
single fader is essentially a crossfader whose position determines which
one or two control sources will receive a modulation value.

17.19.2.12. Vector-4

Four control sources derived from one continuous XY control. The single
fader is essentially a crossfader whose X and Y positions determine the
modulation values received by each control source.

17.19.2.13. Vector-8

Eight control sources derived from one continuous XY control. The

single fader is essentially a crossfader whose X and Y positions
determine the modulation values received by each control source.

17.19.2.14. Voice Stack

For instruments using Bitwig's Voice Stacking. Like the built-in Voice
Stack Spread ± option (see section 14.2.4), this modulator offers three
additional modes of distributed voice control:

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

› 0 to 1 spreads the modulations in a unipolar fashion, from 0% of the set

modulation level to 100%.

› -1 to 1 spreads the modulations in a bipolar fashion, from -100% of the

set modulation level to 100% (just as Voice Stack Spread ± works).

› Value spreads modulations from 0% in successive increments of 100%

for each additional voice, making it easier to set amounts in some cases
and to work with enumerated list parameters.

› Manual allows you to manually create the distribution of values

across voices with on screen faders (which can even be modulated
themselves).

Additionally, inserting Voice Stack into a device automatically expands

the modulator paths to include per-voice targets (named Stack Voice 1
thru Stack Voice 5).

17.19.2.15. XY

Two control sources derived from one continuous XY control. The single
fader is essentially a joystick whose X and Y positions are used as the
control sources' values.

17.19.3. Envelope Category
The envelope modulators include both standard and looping envelopes,
envelope followers, and step sequencers.

17.19.3.1. 4-Stage

A looping four-stage envelope generator, with definable times

(optionally tempo-synced) and levels (optionally bipolar).

17.19.3.2. ADSR

A standard envelope generator with attack, decay, sustain, and release

segments.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.19.3.3. AHDSR

A standard envelope generator with attack, hold, decay, sustain, and

release segments. The timed segments also have individual curve
controls.

17.19.3.4. Envelope Follower

A sidechain control that uses the device's incoming audio signal.

Analysis of the incoming signal provides adjustable gain, switchable
averaging modes, and Attack and Release times.

17.19.3.5. ParSeq-8

A special parameter sequencer, with the same global parameters as

Steps (see section 17.19.3.6). Each step is its own modulation source so
assigned parameters are modulated and then reset when advancing to
the next step.

Each step starts with its step number, which can also be clicked to
temporarily disable that step's modulations from taking effect. Next
is a button with a musical fermata icon, which holds any previous
modulations when this step begins (instead of resetting them to
zero). Finally each step has a bipolar fader for scaling the depth of all
modulations on that step.

17.19.3.6. Steps

A tempo-syncable, bipolar step sequencer. Parameters include step

count, direction (forward, backward, and/or ping-pong mode that
switches direction on each loop), and phase (ø) for manual control of
the play position. Trigger modes determine when the step sequencer
advances:

› Transport - Links to the global transport for play–stop status, tempo,

and beat position

› Free running - Plays at the set rate, independent of the transport and
incoming notes

› Note / Restart - Plays at the set rate, with new notes restarting the
pattern

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

› Note / Random - Plays at the set rate, with new notes randomizing the
position

› Note / Advance - Holds the playhead in place, advancing only on

incoming new note

Right-clicking on the pattern interface also provides options to copy and

paste the pattern, as well as to Generate a preset pattern to replace the
current one, or to Transform the current pattern .

17.19.4. LFO Category
The LFO modulators include low-frequency oscillators of various
configurations.

17.19.4.1. Beat LFO

A tempo-synced (including the option to follow global shuffle) low-

frequency oscillator, with shape, phase, and polarity controls.

17.19.4.2. Classic LFO

A tempo-synced low-frequency oscillator, typically used in Bitwig Studio

version 1 devices. Provides a Note Trigger option and a Per-Voice toggle
(when applicable).

17.19.4.3. LFO

A fully functional low-frequency oscillator, with shape, phase, and

polarity controls. It can also be tempo synced, set to fade in, given
various reset modes, and be toggled to a polyphonic mode.

17.19.5. MIDI Category
The MIDI modulators facilitate the use of certain MIDI messages as
assignable modulation signals.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.19.5.1. MIDI

A module to extract either continuous controller (CC), PRESSURE, or

pitch BEND messages arriving at the device's input.

17.19.5.2. Note Counter

A module whose modulation output is incremented with each new

note message received. The number of Steps counted and the value
Increment-ed at each step can be set, as well as the OUTPUT SCALING
method to be used for the modulation signal.

17.19.6. Modifier Category
The modifier modulators are made to process modulation signals
before they are passed onward to their final destination(s). To use these
modules, one of their parameters (listed below for each device) should
be targeted by the original modulation signal. The output signal is then
mapped from these modulators to their destinations as usual.

17.19.6.1. Polynom

A transfer function for reshaping an incoming modulation signal with

a basic polynomial equation. The way to pass a signal into the module
for processing is by modulating the x= parameter with any other
modulator(s).

Each of the four additional parameters represent a term of the cubic

0 1
function used. x represents the offset applied to the function. x
2
represents the function's slope (or rotation). x represents the parabolic
3
curve applied to the function, and x represents a cubic curve (like an S-
curve). The graphical interface helpfully visualizes the transfer function
being used, and the processor will clip the output signal to stay within
range.

17.19.6.2. Quantize

A processor for reducing the resolution of an incoming modulation

signal, often used to transform a fairly continuous signal into one that is

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

more discrete. The way to pass a signal into the module for processing is
by modulating the Input parameter with any other modulator(s).

The Quantize factor sets the resolution of the output signal. A low
setting restricts the output to be more like a pulse signal, and a high
setting preserves the more continuous elements of the original signal.
Additionally, four shape options (Linear, Log, Exp, and Sinh) adjust the
spacing of the resolution grid used by the device.

17.19.6.3. Sample and Hold

A processor that sustains (or holds) an incoming signal's value at the

moment of each clock event. The way to pass a signal into the module
for processing is by modulating the Input parameter with any other
modulator(s). The Smooth parameter represents the transition time
between successive samples.

The sampling clock can be set to various metronomic values (such as

4th for quarter notes, 1/8. for dotted eighth notes, bar for one measure
at the project's current tempo, etc.), to free time values (either hertz
[Hz] or kilohertz [kHz]), to the Pitch of the latest received note message,
or to Hold, which keeps the output signal from changing. This base
clock rate can then be scaled by the adjacent modulation knob, which
at center is 1.00 (100% or no change), at far left is 0.02 (2%) , and at far
right is 50.00 (5,000% or 50x).

At bottom, this device offers three modes of operation. Free allows the
sampling clock to run independently, Gate restarts the clock whenever a
new note message is received, and Sync restarts the clock whenever the
transport is started.

17.19.7. Sidechain Category
The Sidechain modulators allow either audio signals or note messages
from any point in the session to be used as routable modulation signals.

17.19.7.1. Audio Rate

An instantaneous (read: non-averaged) sidechain control, routable from

any audio signal within the current project. Gain control, an optional
low-pass filter with adjustable cutoff frequency, and a Rectify switch (to
convert the incoming signal to all positive values) are all available.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.19.7.2. Audio Sidechain

An averaged sidechain control, routable from any audio signal within

the current project. Analysis of the incoming signal uses adjustable gain,
switchable averaging modes, high- and low-pass filters, and Attack and
Release times.

17.19.7.3. Note Sidechain

A standard envelope generator with attack, decay, sustain, and release

segments. The gate message driving the envelope generator is routable
from any note message source within the current project.

17.20. Grid Modules
Each Grid module is a building block that can be loaded within any Grid
device and interconnected with other modules.

As in Bitwig Studio, the modules are categorized below by the type

of function they perform and can be browsed that way. For more
information on using The Grid and working with Grid devices, see
chapter 15. And for full information on the parameters of each module,
see the module's help view within Bitwig Studio (see section 15.1.2.1.).

17.20.1. I/O Category
Terminal modules for signals entering or exiting this Grid device

17.20.1.1. Audio In

Supplies audio signals from the device

17.20.1.2. Gate In

Supplies note gate signals from the device

17.20.1.3. Phase In

Supplies the device's default phase signal

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.1.4. Pitch In

Supplies note pitch signals from the device

17.20.1.5. Pressure In

Supplies note poly pressure signals from the device

17.20.1.6. Timbre In

Supplies timbre expressions from the device

17.20.1.7. Velocity In

Supplies note velocity signals from the device

17.20.1.8. Audio Out

Path to the device's audio output buss

17.20.1.9. Audio Sidechain

Supplies audio signals from a selected project path

17.20.1.10. HW In

Supplies audio signals from a selected external path

17.20.1.11. HW Out

Path to a selected external audio output buss

17.20.1.12. CV In

Supplies control voltage (CV) signals from a selected external path

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.1.13. CV Out

Path to a selected external CV output buss

17.20.1.14. CV Pitch Out

Path to a selected external CV output pitch buss

17.20.1.15. Key On

Supplies note gate signals from a specified note and channel

17.20.1.16. Keys Held

Number of keys currently held

17.20.1.17. Transport Playing

Supplies the application's playback status

17.20.1.18. Modulator Out

Makes incoming signals available as a modulator signal

17.20.2. Display Category
Visualization and note-taking modules

17.20.2.1. Label

Large text widget

17.20.2.2. Comment

Smaller text widget

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.2.3. Oscilloscope

Dual trace oscilloscope

17.20.2.4. Spectrum

Spectrogram for up to four signals

17.20.2.5. VU Meter

Averaging meter

17.20.2.6. XY

Two-dimensional control pad

17.20.2.7. Value Readout

Stereo numeric readout for various domains

17.20.3. Phase Category
Modules that output wrapped phase signals

17.20.3.1. Phasor

Phase signal generator with typical oscillator controls

17.20.3.2. Ø Bend

Imposes a variable curve onto a phase signal

17.20.3.3. Ø Reset

Offsets the incoming phase signal to '0' each time a trigger is received

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.3.4. Ø Scaler

Scales an incoming phase signal to be proportionally faster or slower

17.20.3.5. Ø Reverse

Inverts a proper phase signal

17.20.3.6. Ø Wrap

Wraps any signal into the phase signal range

17.20.3.7. Pitch → Ø

Wraps pitch signal's octave as phase signal

17.20.3.8. Ø Counter

Translates successive trigger signals into discrete phase values

17.20.3.9. Ø Formant

Amplifies the incoming signal around '0.5'

17.20.3.10. Ø Lag

Lag processor that stays within the phase range

17.20.3.11. Ø Mirror

Applies gain to the incoming phase signal and then reflects it

17.20.3.12. Ø Shift

Offsets the incoming phase signal by a set amount

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.3.13. Ø Sinemod

Modulates the incoming phase signal with a sine wave

17.20.3.14. Ø Skew

Sets the incoming level to remap to '0.5'

17.20.3.15. Ø Sync

Amplifies the incoming phase signal before wrapping it

17.20.4. Data Category
Lookup modules that are read with incoming phase signals

17.20.4.1. Gates

Event sequencer

17.20.4.2. Pitches

Mono pitch sequencer

17.20.4.3. Steps

Step sequencer

17.20.4.4. Triggers

Generates N triggers evenly across each cycle

17.20.4.5. Probabilities

Probabilistic event sequencer

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.4.6. Ø Pulse

Pulse lookup module

17.20.4.7. Ø Saw

Saw lookup module

17.20.4.8. Ø Sine

Sine lookup module

17.20.4.9. Ø Triangle

Triangle lookup module

17.20.4.10. Ø Window

Cosine window module

17.20.5. Oscillator Category
Periodic signal generators based on waveforms or samples

17.20.5.1. Pulse

Geometric pulse oscillator

17.20.5.2. Sawtooth

Geometric sawtooth oscillator

17.20.5.3. Sine

Sine wave oscillator

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.5.4. Triangle

Geometric triangle oscillator

17.20.5.5. Phase-1

Phase distortion oscillator

17.20.5.6. Swarm

Unison oscillator

17.20.5.7. Sampler

Module version of Bitwig's Sampler device

17.20.6. Random Category
Aperiodic and randomized signal generators

17.20.6.1. Noise

White/pink noise generator

17.20.6.2. S/H LFO

Free/beat-synced random oscillator

17.20.6.3. Chance

Weighted random logic signal generator

17.20.6.4. Dice

Uniform random value generator

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.7. LFO Category
Periodic low frequency oscillators

17.20.7.1. LFO

Free/beat-synced geometric oscillator

17.20.7.2. Clock

Phase-signal generator set in Hertz

17.20.7.3. Transport

Synced phase-signal generator

17.20.8. Envelope Category
Modules that produce or extract an envelope, often with a normaled
amplifier

17.20.8.1. ADSR

Four-stage gated envelope generator with amplifier

17.20.8.2. AD

Two-stage triggered envelope generator with amplifier

17.20.8.3. AR

Three-stage gated envelope generator with amplifier

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.8.4. Pluck

Plucked string-style envelope generator with amplifier

17.20.8.5. Follower-RF

Envelope extractor with segment times

!"#$%#&#'# ()*+, ↗

Slope shaper for rising signals

!"#$%#&#"# '()*+ ↘︎

Slope shaper for falling signals

17.20.8.8. Follower

Symmetric envelope extractor

17.20.9. Filter Category
Frequency-dependent amplifiers

17.20.9.1. Low-pass LD

Resonant low-pass ladder filter

17.20.9.2. Low-pass SK

Resonant low-pass Sallen-Key filter

17.20.9.3. SVF

Highly resonant multimode filter

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.9.4. High-pass

High-pass filter with adjustable slope

17.20.9.5. Low-pass

Low-pass filter with adjustable slope

17.20.9.6. Comb

Comb filter with resonance

17.20.10. Shaper Category
Various linear and nonlinear waveshapers

17.20.10.1. Chebyshev

Nonlinear shaper that can target harmonics

17.20.10.2. Distortion

Gentle distortion

17.20.10.3. Quantizer

Reduces signal resolution

17.20.10.4. Rectifier

Scales the positive and negative signal excursions separately

17.20.10.5. Wavefolder

Reflects each cycle back on itself

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.10.6. Curve

Remaps defined input and output levels

17.20.11. Delay Category
Delay functions, some allowing patched feedback

17.20.11.1. Delay

Simple delay

17.20.11.2. Long Delay

Delay set in time or beat units; also allows feedback connections

17.20.11.3. Mod Delay

Modulator delay with internal feedback loop

17.20.11.4. All-pass

All-pass filter configured as a delay

17.20.11.5. Recorder

Signal capture device

17.20.12. Mix Category
Signal routing and mixing modules

17.20.12.1. Blend

Crossfades between two incoming signals

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.12.2. Mixer

Stereo mixer for up to six channels

17.20.12.3. LR Gain

Independent gain controls for a signal's left and right channels

17.20.12.4. Select

Selector between two incoming signals

17.20.12.5. Toggle

Signal gate

17.20.12.6. Merge

Router with up to eight in ports, passing one or two adjacent incoming

signals out at a time

17.20.12.7. Split

Router with up to eight out ports, sending the incoming signal to one or
two adjacent out ports at a time

17.20.12.8. Stereo Merge

Constructs a signal from left/right and mid/side components

17.20.12.9. Stereo Split

Separates a signal into its left/right and mid/side components

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.12.10. Stereo Width

Signal width control

17.20.13. Level Category
Amplitude-based functions, values, and converters

17.20.13.1. Level

Constant set in decibels

17.20.13.2. Value

Constant set as percentage

17.20.13.3. Attenuate

Signal attenuator

17.20.13.4. Bias

Signal offset

17.20.13.5. Gain - dB

Decibel gain control

17.20.13.6. Gain - Vol

Volume gain control

17.20.13.7. Average

Signal averager

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.13.8. Bend

Imposes a variable curve onto a signal

17.20.13.9. Clip

Signal clipper

17.20.13.10. Lag

Lag processor

17.20.13.11. Level Scaler

Scales incoming unipolar signal to a defined decibel range

17.20.13.12. Value Scaler

Scales incoming unipolar signal to a defined value range

17.20.13.13. AM/RM

Crossfades between dry carrier, classic amplitude modulation, and ring

modulation

17.20.13.14. Hold

Level sustainer

17.20.13.15. Sample / Hold

Level sampler

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

!"#$%#!&#!'# ()→*+)

Converts a bipolar signal to unipolar

!"#$%#!&#!"# '()→*)

Converts a unipolar signal to bipolar

17.20.14. Pitch Category
Modules that produce pitch values

17.20.14.1. Pitch

Constant set as pitch

17.20.14.2. Transpose

Pitch shift

17.20.14.3. Pitch Quantize

Quantizes incoming signal to designated or currently held pitch classes

17.20.14.4. by Semitone

Quantizes incoming signal to exact semitones

17.20.14.5. Pitch Scaler

Scales incoming unipolar signal to a defined pitch range

17.20.14.6. Zero Crossings

Rough pitch estimator

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.15. Math Category
Basic arithmetic operators

17.20.15.1. Constant

Constant for large, precise numbers

17.20.15.2. Add

Add two signals

17.20.15.3. Divide

Divide one signal from another

17.20.15.4. Multiply

Multiply two signals

17.20.15.5. Subtract

Subtract one signal from another

17.20.15.6. Abs

Separates a signal into its magnitude and sign components

17.20.15.7. Ceil

Rounds all decimal values up to the next integer

17.20.15.8. Floor

Rounds all decimal values down to the previous integer

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.15.9. Minmax

Provides the current higher and lower values of two signals

17.20.15.10. Quantize

Uses a set step size for the signal

17.20.15.11. Round

Rounds all decimal values below '0.5' increments down and those at or
above '0.5' up

17.20.15.12. Product

Multiplies all inputs together

17.20.15.13. Sum

Adds all inputs together

17.20.15.14. dB → Lin

Converts decibel values to linear amplitudes

17.20.15.15. Exp

Provides the result of Euler's number (e) raised to the incoming value

17.20.15.16. Lin → dB

Converts linear amplitudes to decibel values

17.20.15.17. Log

Provides the natural log (ln) of the incoming value

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.20.15.18. Power

Raises one signal to the power of another

17.20.16. Logic Category
Comparators and other modules that output logic signals

17.20.16.1. Button

Toggle for sending a logic signal

17.20.16.2. Trigger

Momentary toggle for sending a logic signal

17.20.16.3. Clock Divide

Divides a clock signal to trigger every N pulses

17.20.16.4. Clock Quantize

Holds a trigger signal until the next clock pulse

17.20.16.5. Gate Length

Produces a logic pulse of set duration on trigger

17.20.16.6. Gate Repeat

Produces repeated logic pulses of set duration while input is high

17.20.16.7. Latch

Allows trigger signals to alternate or set an output state

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17.20.16.8. =

Comparator assessing if two signals are roughly equal

17.20.16.9. ≥

Comparator assessing if one signal is either greater than or equal to

another

17.20.16.10. >

Comparator assessing if one signal is greater than another

17.20.16.11. ≤

Comparator assessing if one signal is either less than or equal to another

17.20.16.12. <

Comparator assessing if one signal is less than another

17.20.16.13. ≠

Comparator assessing if two signals are unequal

17.20.16.14. NOT

Logic inverter

17.20.16.15. AND

Logic gate seeking all inputs to be true

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17.20.16.16. OR

Logic gate seeking any input to be true

17.20.16.17. XOR

Logic gate seeking only one input to be true

17.20.16.18. NAND

Logic gate seeking any inputs to be false

17.20.16.19. NOR

Logic gate seeking all inputs to be false

17.20.16.20. XNOR

Logic gate seeking all inputs to be matching

17.21. Legacy Devices
These Bitwig devices were previously included at the top level of the
program. They are still part of Bitwig Studio both for compatibility
purposes and in case you would like to continue using them.

Note

To see these devices listed at the top level of the Pop-up Browser
again, see section 0.2.

17.21.1. Audio MOD
(A Bitwig Studio version 1 modulator device; now a container device,
when shown) A modulator that applies a filter and envelope follower to
an incoming audio signal, which is then used as the control signal.

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17. DEVICE DESCRIPTIONS

17.21.2. LFO MOD
(A Bitwig Studio version 1 modulator device; now a container device,
when shown) A modulator that provides two low-frequency, tempo-
syncable oscillators as independent modulation sources.

17.21.3. Note MOD
(A Bitwig Studio version 1 modulator device; now a container device,
when shown) A modulator that takes incoming or designated note
signals and creates summed, monophonic versions of their expressions
along with a configurable envelope signal.

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