Bitwig Studio User Guide
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Keyboard Editing with Clips

The Pointer and Time Selection tools work together to allow various workflows on the Arranger (see Arranger View Toggles & Editing Tools). Both paradigms offer unique options for editing. And remember that you are free to switch back and forth between your selection type.

To switch between object and time selection (or vice versa): choose Switch between Object and Time Selection in the Edit menu. Or press CTRL+T.

[Note]Note

Key commands mentioned all thru this section (including the one above) reference Bitwig's Default keyboard mappings (see Shortcuts Settings).

Object Navigation with Clips

Key commands for working with clips in the Arranger Timeline Panel default to making a selection. Once you have selected an Arranger clip, various functions are available from the computer keyboard.

To select the previous or next clip on the Arranger: press LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW.

To extend your current selection to include the next or previous clip: press SHIFT+LEFT ARROW or SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW.

While modifying selection is the default behavior when working directly on the Arrange Timeline Panel, selected clips can be moved as well.

To move selected clips on the Arranger by the current beat grid value: press ALT+LEFT ARROW or ALT+RIGHT ARROW.

To move selected clips by a fine amount (one-sixteenth of the current beat grid value): press SHIFT+ALT+LEFT ARROW or SHIFT+ALT+RIGHT ARROW.

Key commands can also adjust the Arranger Loop Selector, when it is selected.

To move the Arranger Loop by the current beat grid value, preserving its length: press LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW.

To move the Arranger Loop by one bar: press SHIFT+LEFT ARROW or SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW.

Similarly, when an Arranger cue marker is selected (either in the Arranger Timeline Panel, in a Detail Editor Panel, or in the Sections tab of the Project Panel):

To move selected cue markers by the current beat grid value: press ALT+LEFT ARROW or ALT+RIGHT ARROW.

To move selected cue markers by one bar: press SHIFT+ALT+LEFT ARROW or SHIFT+ALT+RIGHT ARROW.

Time Selection Navigation with Clips

Making a time selection is as simple as clicking in the bottom portion (below the header) of any Arranger clip. Once time is selected, key commands default to moving between relevant events, as these are likely good editing points.

For Arranger clips, these events include:

  • For note clips, note start and end positions

  • For audio clips:

    • Onsets positions (if the Intensity is above the set Onset Threshold [see Stretch Section])

    • Fade start and end positions

    • Pre-fade start times

    • Audio event start and end positions

  • Clip start and end positions

  • Arranger Loop start and end times

  • Arranger Cue Marker positions (if cue markers are visible in the current editor)

Keyboard navigation with time selection defaults to moving between these relevant events.

To move to the previous or next relevant event: press LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW.

To create or extend a selection to the previous or next relevant event: press SHIFT+LEFT ARROW and SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW.

To jump to the first or last relevant event: press CTRL+LEFT ARROW or CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (CMD+LEFT ARROW or CMD+RIGHT ARROW on Mac). Additionally, you can add SHIFT to create a selection, or to extend your current selection.

And again, an alternate gesture allows for a different idea — in this case, moving relative to the current beat grid interval.

To move using the editor's current beat grid marker value: press ALT+LEFT ARROW or ALT+RIGHT ARROW.

To move by a fine amount (one-sixteenth of the current beat grid value): press SHIFT+ALT+LEFT ARROW or SHIFT+ALT+RIGHT ARROW.

On the Arranger, UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW move the selection between tracks. And adding SHIFT would extend the current selection to include the neighboring track.

Note that this is useful, even when only a single point in time is selected. Various functions available in the Time menu (or the context menu) support quick editing in this fashion.

  • Split (CTRL+E [CMD+E on Mac]) separates clips at the current time selection line(s), preserving playback as it was, but leaving the objects as distinct blocks.

  • Set Object Start (SHIFT+8) makes the current time the new start time for the clip happening here, removing any earlier material.

  • Set Object End (SHIFT+9) makes the current time the new end time for the clip happening here, removing any later material.

  • Fade In to Here (SHIFT+7) makes the current time the end of a fade in for the audio clip happening here.

  • Fade Out to Here (SHIFT+0) makes the current time the end of a fade out for the audio clip happening here.

Finally, CTRL+UP ARROW or CTRL+DOWN ARROW (CMD+UP ARROW or CMD+DOWN ARROW on Mac) jumps to the first or last track. And again, adding SHIFT extends your current selection to include all tracks from the current track to the first or last, even if only a single point in time is selected.

< 5. Arranger Clips   Clip Functions >
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