Bitwig Studio 2.3: Phase synth, Expanded devices and time signatures
Bitwig is maintaining their regular and significant update schedule with what they like to call Bitwig Studio 2.3. It fulfils a couple of frequent feature requests and gives us a whole new synth.
Phase-4
Phase modulation and distortion is the name of the game for this DX7 and Casio CZ-1 inspired software synthesizer. It contains 4 stereo oscillators each shaped by 5 different phase distortion algorithms. Then all the oscillators can be modulators and can be modulated by each other. The internal filters can also get in on the action and so “Phase Manipulation” is a good word for it.
Expanded Device view
The Phase-4 synth makes a good case for this next new feature as it has a very non-descript device view. Bitwig 2.3 introduces an expanded view of devices. So no longer are we restricted to just the controls you see in the devices conveyor belt along the bottom of the screen, you can now spread out all over the desktop. It looks fabulous, bringing all the animated displays and controls to a much grander scale. This is available with the big 7 Bitwig devices – FM4, Sampler, Polysynth, Resonator Bank, EQ-5, Spectrum Analyzer and Phase-4.
Bitwig Expanded Devices · Source: Bitwig
Time signature
A popular request is the ability to change time signature mid project. You can now do this in the timeline. MIDI clips will also retain their own time signature rather than being forced into the project’s one. Time signature changes can also be triggered in the clip launcher.
Time stretching
New and improved time-stretching algorithms plus they added some from “Zplane Elastique” for a bit of formant and granular functionality.
Instrument and Effect Selector
It’s a simple idea of stacking up instruments or effects into a device that can only run one at a time. So as you enable an instrument the previously loaded one disables. This makes it dead easy to switch between synths and instruments while playing, or performing on the same track. Same deal with effects, you can just drop and swap them in. Nice idea. Bitwig say that there’s no hard swap, no glitching or stealing of notes as they will all dynamically continue within the device.
Voice stacking
Add voices to internal instruments to create lush and thick sounds and textures. There’s a new Modulator device which does interesting things with it.
Bitwig Studio
Beta testing should begin shortly for any licensed user and the release is planned for the end of February.
More information
- Bitwig website.
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