Announcing Bitwig Studio 3.1

Pitch is a fundamental cornerstone of music, and Bitwig Studio 3.1 is tuned up with new exciting ways to work with pitch and scales. Based on Bitwig Studio's unique way to work with micro-pitch information, our new Note FX device Micro-pitch lets you dynamically retune notes, import existing scales and define your own.

  • New device: Micro-pitch
  • New modulator: Pitch-12
  • New Grid modules: Pluck, Slope ↗, Slope ↘, Follower, Transpose, Pitch → Ø
  • Interactive Help view for all Bitwig devices
  • Quick Draw, Quick Slice and Slice in Place
  • Note Chase
  • Cue Level and Cue Mix controls
  • Sampler imports standard wavetable WAVs
  • Improved tempo detection for audio files
  • New controller scripts and Bitwig controller scripts are now open source
  • Read the full release notes here...

Much more pitch

Micro-pitch is a new Note FX device that allows you to re-tune your note streams in new ways.

Fine-tune individual notes, transform scales, shrink or expand octaves, play notes that you would never have imagined. Is 440 tuning not doing it for you? Try 432. As with all devices in Bitwig Studio, Micro-pitch parameters can be automated and modulated, which opens up extraordinary possibilities for musicians and sound designers.

You can load Scala (SCL) files directly into the Micro-pitch device, or explore any of the 30+ presets we've assembled for your enjoyment. The presets are based on historic (Pythagoras, Rousseau) and cultural (Chinese, Javanese) temperaments, as well as the works of Werckmeister, Harry Partch, Wendy Carlos, and more.

The Micro-pitch device works with MPE-Ready VST plug-ins, as well as with Hardware via CV.

Immerse yourself in this in-depth look at Micro-pitch. Learn how to dynamically retune notes, import existing scales & temperaments, and find new modes of expression.

The new modulator, Pitch-12, provides a modulation signal when any note type is being pressed (C, D, etc.). This could trigger a unique effect on “out” notes, or take classic ideas in a new direction.

You'll find various presets using the Micro-pitch device and Pitch-12 modulator in the factory sound content. Many are tagged with "tuning" for easy searching in the Pop-up Browser.

Below we've collected a number of musical examples to give you an idea of what Micro-pitch and Pitch-12 can do, stepping outside the confines of a standard 12-note tempered scale.

Interactive Help: Now for all devices

The Interactive Help view (introduced in The Grid) is now available for all devices in Bitwig Studio. With it you can instantly call up documentation without leaving the creative zone. Select a device and hit F1 on your keyboard or click the Help button in the Inspector or from the Device menu. In the Interactive Help all parameters are explained, while still accessible.

Quick Draw

With Quick Draw you can swiftly paint notes in the note editor. Simply hold the Alt modifier key while using the pen tool and draw arrays of notes, based on the beat grid interval (for example 16ths, 8ths, 1 bar, etc.). Painting can be done locked to one note or freehand across the full scale.

Quick Slice

Presenting a new way to quickly slice notes, events and clips: Select the knife tool, hold the Alt key and drag to Quick Slice your material. The slices are based on the interval of the beat grid.

Slice in Place

The new context menu tool Slice in Place allows you to slice audio clips, events and notes using Onsets, Beat Markers, or beat grid settings.

Cue Level and Mix Control

Bitwig Studio sports a dedicated volume knob for the Cue output. As a bonus you get a blend knob to blend between your cue buss and the master output. Many of you using DJ mixers will feel right at home.

More Controller Support

Many more controllers now work out-of-the-box in Bitwig Studio, such as Novation Launchpad Pro (using our new beat repeat API function), Arturia KeyLab MkII, PreSonus FaderPort 8 and 16, as well as Nektar SE25, SE49, GX and LX+.

Oh, and we moved all our Java extensions to GitHub. They are now accessible for you to look at as open source. You're welcome.

Availability

Bitwig Studio 3.1 is out now, and it's free for all license holders with an active Upgrade Plan. Grab the installer from our download page.

November 14, 2019

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