Bitwig Studio 1.2 Preview At 2015 NAMM Show

At the 2015 NAMM Show, Bitwig previewed Bitwig Studio 1.2, an update to its recently released DAW for Linux, Mac & Windows. 

Here’s what’s new in Bitwig Studio 1.2:

  • Group Tracks: In the next major update, you can improve the navigation of numerous tracks in every view of your project, while consolidating the signal flow of multiple sources through a single Group Track. The feature introduces a new style of editing in the Arrange View called “Meta Clips.” Meta Clips allow for easy editing of clips from multiple tracks in group track timelines. Group Tracks also expand upon Bitwig Studio’s Multi-out VST functionality, providing a convenient way to setup tracks for multi-timbral VST instruments, and useful functions to organize and consolidate your entire mix.
  • Audition Browser: To accelerate the browsing workflow, all devices in Bitwig Studio 1.2 feature an Audition icon. By clicking Audition, a user’s entire catalog of sound becomes available. Browse, audition, swap and insert anything from presets and samples to full clips of sounds during playback. The Audition Browser can be hidden from view to save screen real estate. Bitwig Studio’s advanced browsing eliminates the boundaries between devices to offer a meta view of all available sounds in one category.
  • Factory Content Update: The update adds three new demo songs, over 500 fully-mapped presets, and optimization of every preset in their Library.
  • Support for High-DPI and Retina Displays: Bitwig Studio 1.2 is now optimized for Macbook Retina and Windows High-DPI displays for a graphical user interface that is sharper than ever before.

Bitwig Studio 1.2 will be a free update for all Bitwig Studio owners. It is expected to be in beta testing in February.

15 thoughts on “Bitwig Studio 1.2 Preview At 2015 NAMM Show”

  1. I do like what they are doing with Bitwig, but I am finding it hard to move over to it. The main reason I like to use Ableton is that it works like a DAW without the mess and clutter of a standard DAW, and I know new features will be added only if they don’t clutter and mess up the user experience. This is a bit of a compromise, but it adds to the overall user experience and speed of production. For me Bitwig just feels like a messy and cluttered version of Ableton, which isn’t desirable to me. But some nice innovation and ideas in there, but we know how this works, any feature worth its salt will be in the next version of every DAW. I can see myself one day using Bitwig, maybe in version 2 when they have had a clean up.

    1. I actually use it already, don’t see the clutter point though. It has room for improvements (better jack integration on Linux for example) but clutter isn’t anything that hits me here. Maybe you’re actually referring to a familiar ui experience instead?

      1. Maybe some of it is UX – but you only need to pull up any screen shot of any major DAW, other than Ableton, to see what clutter is. I don’t like it when Bitwig is endless held up next to Ableton, but Ableton is what I use, and I ain’t loyal to that and do look for temptation from others – like in this case Bitwig. But for me, Ableton has this solid line of production flow in a non-linear structure, that is a very rare thing – and it doesn’t seem to translate to me within that Bitwig interface – it just adds that little bit too much to the interface to lose me. Clutter for me is those little things like – multi-sessions, pop-ups, property boxes – each little feature adds usability but also a little something to the screen and therefore gets in the way of flow – as much as I gain is equal to the lose of that flow, so it doesn’t pan out. But I can see Bitwig doing well, and fitting others perfectly, and maybe one day also winning over myself, but it would need a declutter from them, or a chance of thinking from myself.

    2. Bitwig has a big problem: audio and performance. Audio is bad, clicks and pops appear as soon as you have a considerable amount of tracks. The audio engine behaves in a very unpredictable way. I just don’t get why they keep adding little things here and there instead of making the basics work.

      1. Can’t vouch for that either, I use it on Linux with 3 chained firewire audio cards and I have no clicks and pops using 1.1.5 – One great thing btw. is the support and the amazing output of updates.

  2. I think they should bake bitwig be able to use a s a vst…

    then, create a hardware to controll it, specifically made for browser, like a maschine…

    using the mouse in 2015.. is not cool anymore.

  3. I dont see it as cluttered either. And the good thing they keep doing is opening it more and more up, giving us more and more optoins without forcing them on us. You can easily not choose not to use an option without the irritation of an option getting in the way of your workflow.

    1. But I can’t, because the option is their pressing on me, at some point I’ll use it – if it is a good idea or not. It is nothing personal to Bitwig, just my own quirks, which I don’t think is uncommon – hence the Ableton ethos and interface, and the successes with that.

  4. I think it’s fantastic that young guys with fresh ideas are taking a new run at the Live paradigm (which itself is fantastic).

    The good ideas will eventually be adapted into other DAWs over time. We’re all enriched.

    When I used to work with Logic I was always squinting closely at my 15″ laptop screen, trying to make out tiny icons and giant menus.
    With Live I can zoom the UI to a size where I can read everything easily, and I hardly need the menus.

    Bitwig’s ideas are great, but its detail-y UI doesn’t work for me on my small screen. If I worked with a giant screen I would love it.

    1. Bitwig has some secrets under the hood that may end up being cooler than Max for Live.

      I talked with Dom at NAMM last year, and he gave me a preview of the modularity that Bigwig Studio is based on. Under the covers, everything is editable, and based on standards like Javascript and Java.

      I don’t think they’ve really talked about this publicly yet, but they want to expose this in a later version, which will allow anyone to edit existing plugins or create their own plugins.

      It’s probably a version 2 thing, but it looked very cool!

  6. I like Bitwig’s interface and will probabaly switch over to if they ever add comping, recording and auditioning multiple audio takes.

  7. I like what BitWig brings by way of fresh ideas. I would use it as a second DAW when it is a little more mature. I like the idea of blending ideas that can only happen in the space of a mixture of DAWs as opposed to trying to use one single DAW as a means to realize all you can imagine. Per-note automation is something that is very attractive in a sequencer. I can already hear intricate bass lines from that…

    I will however, definitely wait until BitWig has Rewire support.

  8. If they remove all that frames and get a more solid screenspace it could be an alternative.
    Now it’s just a hybrid of Fruityloops and Ableton.
    It could be better but it all depends on design and workflow.
    Then people will run over.

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