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Bitwig

Bitwig Studio 5 Essentials

5.0 (5 Reviews)

$99.00

A Tour of Bitwig Studio 5.1's Audio FX, Filters and Waveshapers gallery thumbnail

Bitwig Studio 6 Essentials - Arpeggiator

Bitwig Studio 6 Essentials - Drum Machine

Voice Stacking in Bitwig Studio 5.1 gallery thumbnail

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Product information

Customized Workflow To Match Any Style

Bitwig Studio is the single solution for realizing any musical idea across every stage of production.

What's New in Bitwig Studio 5.1?

Polymer, the flagship synthesizer included in Bitwig Studio Essentials now includes Bite, a special dual oscillator. By giving its two morphing oscillators good anti-aliasing and connecting them to each other with feedback, a wealth of analog techniques are unlocked. Crisper hard sync. Audio-rate pulse width modulation, and with some very custom shapes. And good old exponential FM can go from polite (thank you, Sync option) to wicked in no time. Finish it off with volume controls for each oscillator, one for ring modulation level, and some pleasant analog drift when settings change. Polymer now has 10 Oscillators, 10 Filters and 5 envelopes.
New Mixer options: A smarter, more flexible mixer allows you to customize Bitwig Studio's GUI so you can reduce visual noise and focus on the task at hand. Drag the track faders and meters taller to see levels in detail, or shrink track widths down to a sliver to see more at once. With multiple tracks selected, adjusting width, volume, panning of one track will adjust them all. And a tidier layout — with scrollable sections for sends, better placement of comments at bottom, and redesigned track headers — makes what you need clear and handsome.
Audio Quantize & Normalization: Bitwig Studio 5.0 saw improved onset detector analysis of audio, and this new update brings improved audio functions. This starts with audio playback, now offering a threshold setting to control which transients affect stretching. This fine control is also built into various Slice functions (Slice In Place, Slice to Drum Machine and Slice to Multisample), and each visualizes its operation in a dialog and on the timeline display.

A new Quantize Audio function is now available as well. From that dialog, you select the beat interval to match, which onsets to move, and the amount they should slide.

‎MSEGs: Beyond Envelopes

A multi-segment envelope generator (MSEG) is a tool for drawing custom envelopes, automation shapes, looping patterns — and just about anything else.

Drawing in the MSEGs' Pop-out Editor windows is a breeze, with tools for freehand entry or shapes, and shortcuts for jumping to double time or triplets — even while still holding the mouse.

Slopes is a pattern sequencer for The Grid with stereo phase options.

Transfer is a waveshaper for transforming incoming audio or other signals in The Grid.

Modulation, Elevated

Bitwig's modulation system sets itself apart with a powerfully simple approach: Any control source — including audio or CV signals — can affect any device or plug-in. Now our modulators aren't limited to devices — they can grab the mixer and project controls as well.

You can now animate your entire mixer with any of our 40+ modulators, from step sequencers to audio sidechains or envelopes. One LFO can modulate any device on the same track, as well as the track's panning, sends, and other parameters. And if you move that LFO to the project level, you can add modulations to all devices, channel strips, and transport targets, too. Want to sidechain the Fill button, or MSEG the project tempo? Now you can.

MSEGs aren't the only 5.0 modulators with Pop-out Editor windows. The Steps and Keytrack+ modulators and The Grid's data sequencers also got resizable panes for cleaner editing and some helpful new functions.

New Performance Gestures

In Bitwig's Clip Launcher, you press a clip to launch it. But what should happen when you let go? Maybe this clip should stop when you pick up your finger, or it could return to whatever was playing before. In fact, any of our Next Actions can be used, so just pick what you want from the clip’s On Release menu.

And now you can choose between two ways to trigger clips and scenes with a new ALT trigger option. The defaults are simple: tap a clip (normal trigger) to launch it at the next bar line, or ALT-trigger to immediately swap in the new clip, legato style. So decide in the moment and perform freely.

Project-wide normal and ALT-trigger gestures can be set in one place, and you can customize any clip or scene to have its own settings. That includes release options for both normal and ALT gestures, legato options for following the playing clip or the project transport, and a revamped Next Action section with simple loop counts.

Now that all tracks have their own remotes, the mixer offers a bird's-eye view of your most important parameters. That way, you can build a customized set of mix and performance controls. And new mapping options allow you to launch scenes and clips with any hardware.

Browse Better

The browser improvements are more than just a fresh coat of paint. Now, search results for plug-ins, presets, and wavetables (etc. etc.) all live in one place. The updated browsers also provide better ways to find our devices, customizable shortcuts, and a more visual way to browse your content.

The new browsers implement a modern, flexible approach that does away with hierarchies. You can search through devices, presets, and everything else — including different types of media or content — all in one screen.

And Then Some…

The foundations got some love too, with a brand new onset detector that makes audio work better from the moment you drag it in. We're also introducing Spanish and Korean language support for Bitwig Studio Essentials. And for morphing control signals, you'll love the new Wavetable LFO modulator/Grid module, equally suited for irregular shapes AND instant techno. Yes, please.

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Fashionably Late

Delay+ is Bitwig's latest boutique audio effect. By balancing familiar controls along with a few thoughtful new ones, Delay+ can either add a little character or fully transform your sound as it ping-pongs along.

Set the delay in seconds or beats, then nudge each channel a few milliseconds for instant stereo. A Ducking control keeps things under control by quieting your delay cloud when strong signals arrive.

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Perfect Drift - Sound Package

Nature doesn't draw straight lines or make static noises — and neither do the presets in the Perfect Drift sound package, released alongside Bitwig Studio 5 Essentials. These synth patches embrace asymmetries and inconsistencies to approximate analog's imperfect beauty.

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Topping Off

As always, a few more new features came along for the ride. For example, FX tracks now have sends of their own. And yes, direct feedback routings are available — and clearly labeled (Achtung!). And the ADSR module gets a lot of use, so why not add a “bias” out port for a bipolar signal that centers around sustain? Good for pitch or anything that might want a little drift.

Whether it is recording settings, lyrics, or performance notes, comments can be freely added to tracks, layers, Arranger cue markers, and Launcher scenes — just start writing in your language. And by Bitwig distributing their Linux build over Flatpak and supporting PipeWire, many distros will have a smoother experience with Bitwig, including Ubuntu users. And maybe even Steam Decks?…

Powerful Editing Tools

Bitwig Studio Essentials is here to help you make your musical ideas happen, in as few steps as possible. Focus on the music, not the tool.

Audio That Works For You

Audio clips are your musical blocks, and edits can be made within them. Split at onsets, repitch with curves, or scale and stretch in various ways. And when the tempo changes, your audio will match it, courtesy of time-stretching options from us and Zplane.

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Notes That Do More

Notes are dynamic, allowing micro-pitch, pressure, panning, and more for each individual note. So get true polyphony from Bitwig's instruments, or send these notes as MPE or CV signals. Or even add some musical logic with Operators, modulating when and how notes play.

Instruments & Effects

Here’s a taste of the vast and ever-growing device library that comes with Bitwig Studio Essentials. With over 90 different instruments, audio and note FX, container devices, and signal routers you can translate any idea into music.

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Sampler

The Bitwig Studio Essentials Sampler is a powerful tool for playing and manipulating audio. It boasts several playback modes, advanced looping features with crossfades, endless modulation possibilities, and more...

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Drum Machine

The Drum Machine is a container device that you can fill with sonic goodness. It's never been easier to create unique and great-sounding kits.

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Arpeggiator

Individual controls for step velocity, note length, and pitch. 17 note patterns, and three modes for handling octaves. Full MPE support. Even modulate the timing for shifting patterns. Holding chords has never been so musical and dynamic.

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Micro-Pitch

Micro-Pitch is a Note FX device that allows you to re-tune your note streams in new ways. Transform scales, fine-tune individual notes, shrink or expand octaves, or even slice the octave into a different number of pieces. Play something unimaginable, today.

Modulation Heaven

The modulation system in Bitwig Studio Essentials allows you to use Macro controls, Note Expressions, LFOs, and Envelopes to modulate any device, VST plug-in, or hardware parameter. With 30+ modulators (and counting) the potential for creative expression is endless.

Hardware Integration

Bitwig loves hardware. They also love software. This is why Bitwig Studio Essentials wants to blur the boundaries between the two.

Let Bitwig Studio Essentials control your hardware, or let your hardware control Bitwig Studio Essentials, or both, via MIDI, CC, CV, Gate, analog and MIDI Clock, and MIDI Timecode. Enjoy a collection of straightforward tools that allow you to take advantage of the best of two worlds, and that scales with your setup.

Plus, new for 5.1.4: full integration with SSL UF1, UC1 and UF8 contollers natively in Bitwig Studio.

Modern Foundations

Building a DAW from the ground up allowed Bitwig to think differently and solve old problems in new ways. Bitwig Studio is made for the future...

Crash Protection

Bitwig Studio Essentials handles VST plug-in hosting in a unique way, allowing for different hosting modes and plug-in crash protection. With plug-ins, the audio engine, and other processes running in separate threads, a technical issue won't bring your whole project down.

Touch Support

With extensive touch-screen support (multi-touch with unlimited touch points, gestures, pen support, and simulated pressure), Bitwig Studio Essentials is at the forefront of new ways to create music. Overall, the user interface of Bitwig Studio Essentials is touch-friendly; in addition, there is a dedicated tablet display profile, perfect for any touch screen, or devices such as Microsoft Surface computers.

A Rich Library of Sounds

Bitwig has partnered with some of the best sound designers in the business to give you several thousand quality presets, Clips, and samples right out of the box.

Extend your library with offerings from hand-picked partners and artists, who have painstakingly created loops, presets, and sampled instruments for Bitwig Studio Essentials. All are high quality and free to use.

Loopcloud Welcome Package

In a special partnership, Bitwig are proud to offer Bitwig creators a carefully prepared welcome package from Loopcloud.

With Loopcloud you get the tools you need to sound like you, and no one else. The award-winning app & plug-ins give you access to millions of sounds in the world's most fully-featured sample manager.

Choose one of four carefully selected sound packs to ignite your creativity:

Ambient Pulse, a selection of minimal melodics, lush harmonies, and sweeping pads
Analogue Cinema, a picturesque collection of epic soundscapes for your next soundtrack
Afro-Cuban Percussion Vol 01, an extensive collection of sun-drenched rhythms and grooves
Soul Keys Volume One, featuring 200+ soulful loops and licks

Features

High-Performance Audio Software, with Full Multicore and Multiprocessor Support
ASIO, Core Audio, and JACK support including JACK transport on all platforms
32-bit floating-point Audio Processing and up to 192 kHz Audio Sample Rate
Scalable vector-based GUI
Unlimited Audio, Instrument and Hybrid Tracks
Unlimited Effect Tracks
Unlimited Group Tracks (with Groups in Groups)
Unlimited Scenes
VST Plugins (with Side-Chain Support, 32-/64-bit Bridging, Delay Compensation, and Crash Protection)
Audio Export (including Multi-Track Export) (16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit)
File Import - WAV, AIFF, MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC, OGG Vorbis, MIDI
Audio I/O busses
Time-Stretching (8 Algorithms - Stretch, Stretch HD, Slice, Cyclic, Elastique, Elastique Solo, Elastique Eco, Elastique Pro)
Bounce and Bounce in Place
Display Profiles (3 Profiles)
Project Templates (Load and Save)
Seamless integration of clip launcher and timeline
Touch Integration
MPE Support - Playing, Recording, and Editing
Plug-and-Play MIDI Controller Support
Open Controller API
MIDI Clock Sync
Ableton LINK
Voice Stacking for all devices
Operators for notes and audio events
Access to Bitwig Circle - get access to incredible offers and free software from Bitwig's trusted partners. Past partnerships include Klevgrand, Baby Audio, Kilohearts, and Splice.