Bitwig Studio 4.2

otherwise simple MIDI parts.
Those Note FX come in the form
of eight new devices that range from
the straightforward-sounding Note
Repeats and Humanize to the likes of
Bend, Dribble and Ricochet. Despite
its straightforward-sounding name,
it’s Note Repeats I’ve found myself
turning to most regularly. In typical
Bitwig fashion, this does more than
you might think, the highlight being a
semi-hidden Euclidean sequencer.
However, the fun of the Note FX –
and Operators for that matter –
doesn’t come from any one particular
tool so much as toying with the
out-there, unexpected possibilities of
combining different processes to
generate surprising patterns.
With 4.2 Bitwig have addressed
one of the less developed areas of the
DAW: audio effects. While Bitwig
Studio has always had a solid crop of
processors, it lacked real standout,
characterful tools to match the likes
of Ableton’s Echo or Logic’s Space
Designer. Admittedly, these latest
additions – Flanger+, Phaser+ and
Chorus+ – aren’t going to inspire
totally new sounds in the way some
radical audio effects can, but their
analogue-inspired, multi-mode
designs go a long way to adding some
much-needed character. Crucially,
each is also available as a fully
routable module within The Grid. I
hope this is a model for how new
effects will work moving forward.
While The Grid already had several
delay and filter tools, quick
drag-and-drop effect modules are a
great addition when you’re patching
up your own synth routing. How
about a convolution reverb next…?
Of all the updates, my personal
highlight is The Grid’s new Note Grid
mode. Like the existing Grid devices,
this is a fully modular environment,
the key difference being that the aim
is to process and output MIDI data.
This opens up a world of possibilities
for designing your own MIDI effects,
unusual sequencers or generative
tools, all of which can be routed to
any Bitwig Device, plugin or – most
enjoyably – external hardware.
What’s impressive about Bitwig’s
drip-feeding of updates is that they
not only add to the overall value of
the DAW, but complement one
another. Operators, Note FX and the
Note Grid work together seamlessly,
and combine to create a quietly
radical and open approach to
software-based sequencing.
THE PROS & CONS
+
Note Grid and Note
FX are great for
generating some
unique patterns
New effects add
some welcome
processing character
Does a good job of
justifying 12-month
update plans
-
A few more self-
contained effect
modules for The Grid
would be welcome
Of all the updates, my
personal highlight is The
Grid’s new Note Grid mode
FM VERDICT
VALUE
••••••••••
BUILD
••••••••••
LONGEVITY
••••••••••
USEFULNESS
••••••••••
OVERALL
9.5
Bitwig’s continued
commitment to unique
sequencing tools makes
v4 a brilliantly creative
music-making tool
BITWIG VS ABLETON: THE LONG VIEW
When Bitwig Studio was first launched,
much was made of it shared history
with Ableton Live. Despite developing
in its own direction in recent years, the
comparisons between the two are still
unavoidable, in the overall design,
workflow and several notable tools.
However, this similarity is actually a
large part of the appeal. The two are
now different enough to fill individual
creative roles, but similar enough that
swapping between the two isn’t as
jarring as, say, hopping between Live
and Cubase or Logic. Switching from
one to the other can inspire new ideas,
without having to learn a new workflow.
Bitwig Studio 4 | Long-term test
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