Published
Sun, Jul 2, 2023, 08:00
- The latest update includes expanded modulation, improved clip launching and new sound libraries.
Bitwig has released the latest update to its DAW.
Bitwig Studio 5 features five new multi-segment envelope generators (MSEGs)—versatile tools that can control not only sounds but the way devices and plugins behave. They allow users to draw complex envelope shapes and route them to almost anything in the DAW, including the mixer.
Other new features include better management of user-drawn MSEGs, so you can easily apply them to other contexts, and some interesting new ways to launch and manage clips. Like Abelton Live, Bitwig allows you to play parts of your track by launching clips, but with Bitwig Studio 5 you can launch them at any time, rather than just quantised to the end of the bar.
You can also set up the DAW so it will revert to previous clips when you release a trigger, which makes it easier to create fills and organic sounding changes, especially if playing live.
Alongside the new update, Bitwig has changed its pricing model. You can now choose between three versions of the DAW—Essentials, Producer and Studio. Essentials comes with 40 instruments, audio and note FX—including the popular semi-modular synth Polymer, plus 10 modulators and a limited library of sounds, loops and presets. Producer offers 92 instruments, audio and note FX, plus more modulators and content. Studio includes 154 instruments, the complete modulation system and a full library of sounds and presets.
Watch a demo of the new features in Bitwig 5.
Bitwig Essentials costs $99 / €99; Producer is $199 / €199; and Studio comes in at $399 / €399, though right now there’s a summer sale that offers discounts on all those. Users who already have an active Bitwig Studio subscription can update to Studio 5 for free.