Bitwig Studio 5.3

The update elevates the stock of drum instruments with 25 new ones and introduces a step sequencing note device. It also enables recording a whole session or resampling on the fly, Windows ARM support, and under-the-hood improvements that make opening projects and configuring audio i/os easier and quicker. Throughout 5.3's beta phase, the Bitwig team developed more new features and devices and added them to Bitwig Studio 5.3. Originally just a module, they decided to make a device version of the Freq Shift+ called Freq Shifter+. The Bitwig team also enabled a Keytracking Mode on 24 of the drum devices and a numerical control allowing pitch adjustment by semitones. And they made important improvements to the Stepwise sequencer: The Gate Mode option lets you tie neighboring notes into sustained notes, and three global actions appeared in the Inspector Panel so you can Clear, Invert, or Randomize All Lanes at once.

The Bitwig Drum Machines sound package has also been updated to include presets for and kits featuring the 5.3 drum families. The latest additions to this core, drum-themed collection include over 19 drum kits, 162 drum instrument presets, and 30+ note clips.

25 modern percussion devices are joining Bitwig Studio’s 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, Bitwig Studio’s v8 devices average five color parameters, along with extended ranges for breaking past the familiar.
• New sounds also appear in the v9 family, Bitwig's answer 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 samples, plug-ins, or Grid patches. Like the rest of Bitwig Studio, the Drum Machine has a soft spot for modular thinking and the added Keytracking Mode turns any drum into a playable instrument. 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. Bitwig Studio’s Transport header now includes a Master Recording section, with a meter of the 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. Any hardware selected will now be auto-configured, with all mono paths and sensible stereo choices. Bitwig Studio keeps track of previously used audio hardware. So when the current interface is disconnected, Bitwig Studio will seamlessly switch over to the next best choice.

If you want to favorite, define, or rename inputs or outputs Bitwig Studio now offers a dedicated editor to make it simple and quick. And those customizations will be kept for each interface, even when special configuration for using multiple audio interfaces are created at once (a new Combined Audio Devices option on macOS, joining similar functionality on Linux).

Bitwig Studio's just-in-time compilation for instruments and FX is now faster and more efficient. That means opening a preset, patch, or project for the first time happens quicker. And it's even faster the second time. As of 5.3, Bitwig Studio runs natively on Windows on ARM. Thanks to Bitwig's unique sandboxing architecture, even those plug-ins that haven't yet been recompiled for ARM can run seamlessly under emulation. Now you can take advantage of the latest computing power without giving up your favorite plug-ins.

The analog-inspired Freq Shifter+ device offers classic effects, rhythmic moves, and radiophonic feedback. Its module counterpart, Freq Shift+, offers signal-rate control and more. And the new Pitch Shift Grid module gives not only phase control but the ability to phase modulate any incoming signal. The two Grid modules also have special key-tracking options, so using them in Poly Grid just work with the notes you are playing. And being Grid modules mean they will work as monophonic or polyphonic components, simply matching your patch.

A few new interesting Grid modules are now available, too:

• A Step Access (Phase) module can make tricky drum sequencer ideas easier.
• An Accents (Data) gives you new sequencing options.
• And a Dome (Filter) can transform any signal into a pile of phase and other information, some of it real.
• CV Pitch In (I/O) module is a new specialized input module, with DC and AC modes, as well as Octave Range, Root Key, and Smoothing parameters

Read all the details in the changelog here.

Bitwig Studio 5.3 is a free upgrade for all license holders with an active Upgrade Plan as of November 21, 2024. Bitwig Studio Producer and Essentials license holders will receive the v8 family of drums and the Stepwise Sequencer.

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