Plug-in Hosting & Crash Protection in Bitwig Studio

The VST plug-in support in Bitwig Studio is special. Watch the video and read on to learn why that is and how it all works.

Built-In Bit-Bridging

Bitwig Studio plugs right into your existing setup. With modern software architecture, VST2.4, VST3, and CLAP plug-ins are supported on all platforms, including native bit-bridging for 32-bit and 64-bit plug-ins on Windows and Linux — no third-party bridging necessary. And as part of the VST3 standard, we proudly support per-note expressions and sample-accurate automation.

Plug-in Sandboxing

Never again will a single plug-in take down your entire project. The “sandboxing” feature built in to Bitwig Studio ensures plug-in crashes will not interrupt valuable production time, or your performance on stage. Bitwig Studio protects your workflow while efficiently running your VSTs for non-stop creativity.

Full Hosting Control

In the Bitwig Studio Dashboard you can choose the setting that is right for you – from light on resources to super-secure. The default setting is Together. And if all of this sounds like a spanish castle to you just leave the setting there and go and make music until you have a reason to come back.

Here are the 5 modes explained:

Within Bitwig. Plug-ins are loaded along with the audio engine. This requires the least memory, but any single plug-in can crash all audio.

Together. Plug-ins are sandboxed together, separating them from the audio engine.

By manufacturer. Individual sandboxes are created for each plug-in manufacturer. (This can be necessary when plug-ins need to communicate with one another.)

By plug-in. Individual sandboxes are created for each plug-in used. When a plug-in is used multiple times, its instances are sandboxed together, sometimes reducing the required memory.

Individually. Individual sandboxes are created for each plug-in used. This is the most memory-intensive option, but the safest.