Drums You Can't Beat
25 modern percussion devices are joining our original, v1, drum instruments. Two of the three families were inspired by classic drum machines, but with additional parameters and possibilities.
The v8 family is borne of the 808. The ten devices in this family include v8 Kick, v8 Snare, and v8 Tom, as well as some of the characteristic percussion instruments (maracas, cowbell, etc.). While the original hardware often gave each instrument one tone control, our v8 devices average five color parameters, along with extended ranges for breaking past the familiar.
New sounds also appear in our v9 family, which tips our hat to the 909. These nine devices cover all the original's instruments, from open and closed hats to the v9 Ride and a v9 Crash. You can dial in the additional Impact, Tone, and Punch knobs. Or connect them to Bitwig's modulators so they vary with velocity or bar position.
And then there's the v0 family, which brings together six digital mavericks: v0 Kick, Zap Kick, Tom, Snare, Hat, and Cymbal. They represent a diverse set of digital drum synthesis techniques, such as detuned oscillator banks, FM, physical models, and sets of filters that are harmonic (sometimes). These different approaches make for highly flexible instruments that can sound electric, acoustic, or not much like a “drum” at all.
Each family is made to work well as a unit or mixed and matched in custom kits. Use them along with your samples, plug-ins, or Grid patches. Like the rest of Bitwig Studio, our Drum Machine has a soft spot for modular thinking.
Animate the Groove
Stepwise is a note device that takes familiar pattern sequencing in a playful and fun direction. Eight rows trigger different notes, with steps set to either off, normal, or accented. Each row can play 16 steps long and advance at 16th notes. Or not…
Switch a row to follow eighth notes, or maybe triplets. Use the global groove for some lanes, or Offset others to give a little wonk. And with independent Length for each lane, drifting patterns and polyrhythms are ready before you modulate anything. Whether you are feeling straightforward or left-field, Stepwise is game.
A New Way to Capture Your Audio
Our transport section now includes a Master Recording section, with a meter of your outgoing level and a record button.
With one click, whatever is happening is printed directly to disk as audio. And this special option doesn't care whether the project transport is playing — it just keeps recording.
Can it record a full performance? Sure. Or you can capture a moment, drop the file into Sampler, and keep going while the transport is still running.
Unplug & Play
Setting up your audio system has gotten easier as well. Any hardware you select will now be auto-configured, with all mono paths and sensible stereo choices. And we keep track of your previously used audio hardware. So when your current interface is disconnected, we will seamlessly switch you over to the next best choice.
If you want to favorite, define, or rename inputs or outputs, there is now a dedicated editor for macOS (and for ASIO devices on Windows) to make it easy and quick. And those customizations will be kept for each interface, even when you create a special configuration for using multiple audio interfaces at once (a new option on macOS, joining similar functionality on Linux).
A Little Extra for Today
Opening projects and browsing presets are now zippier processes. When Bitwig loads any patch, we still optimize it for your particular computer, just faster. And we cache the result in a better way as well. So the first time you open a preset, it loads faster than ever. And the second time? Even quicker.
In addition, a few helpful Grid modules have shown up. So if you want an analog-style Freq Shift+ or a Pitch Shift with a phase control, they are both in the Delay/FX category now. The Step Access (Phase) module can make tricky drum sequencer ideas easier, and Accents (Data) gives you new sequencing options. And the Dome (Filter) can transform any signal into a pile of phase and other information, some of it real.
And if you are tempted by a new Windows Arm machine, you can download Bitwig Studio for that too. It works.
Availability
Beta testing of Bitwig Studio 5.3 starts now. If you have a license with an active Upgrade Plan, the beta installer is ready for download in your user profile.
We aim to release 5.3 before the end of the year, and as always, this is a free upgrade to all license holders with an active Upgrade Plan (as of today November 21, 2024).
The v8 drum family and the Stepwise sequencer are available in Bitwig Studio Essentials and Producer.
View the full changelog here.
What Comes Next?
We're working on some fundamental workflow improvements to how you work on the Arranger and in the piano roll. Once this is polished and ready, you'll see it in action with our next release.