Bitwig Studio 3.0 is out now.

[khz]

While still having no idea about why MIDI controllers could be used to control both soft synths inside a DAW and other things at the same time that are outside of the DAW, I'd say that for the CV part, it should be working under Linux as I haven't seen any warnings from Bitwig that it does not, for such a main feature.

I have external hardware synthesizers that I might want to control/play with a DAW (Bitwig) via MIDI.
The CV can be used via the audio output. IMHO

[jonetsu]

And when you start to use Bitwig one needs to stop the a2jmidid bridging daemon? Why? Doesn't Bitwig work if Jack Midi is "activated"?

As stated, this needs to be done for Bitwig (configured to use jackd) to work with MIDI controllers. If not, MIDI controllers do not work within Bitwig.

[Linuxmusician01]

[maybe off topic] What do y'all like better in Bitwig than in other DAW's?

[jonetsu]

[maybe off topic] What do y'all like better in Bitwig than in other DAW's?

I am not and was not, really, a 'DAW shopper'. When I find one that works reasonable well I stick to it since th emain prupose is creating music. I have used Muse (long time ago), Ardour, Mixbus and Bitwig and am now using Bitwig for creation and Mixbus32C for mixing/mastering.

It's not possible to compare Bitwig with Mixbus32C/Ardour since they do not have the same set of features, to a point that they are different in function. The Scenes/Clips in Bitwig, and their recording in the Arranger in real-time (optionally using a Launchpad) is unique for creation. MIDI controllers are a no-brainer. Set once and forget. MIDI editing and audio editing is easy. When creating, Bitwig makes many actions and processes easy. Modulation support is extensive. OTOH, Bitwig is not very good at mixing. First of all it does not have a monitor bus which is essential as it relies on users having one of those external audio interfaces with a big volume knob on the top. No good. The audio interface I use is a PCI card. And even with a Big Knob, I rely on Mixbus' monitor bus and precise volume settings so that every mix outputs at the same dB level basically. The second point has to do with the sound itself and the 32C feature of Mixbus: a mix sounds better.

And now with the Grid that seems to offer a good working range of sounds and expressions (also applies to effects) the set of features just made a jump.

I started to get more serious with music with Bitwig about 3 years ago. Bitwig opened to doors of creation. Before that I was using Ardour to create, recording tracks using the well-known tape recorder metaphor. Re-recording tracks until they sound good, then painfully adding some MIDI instruments with very limited editing, and not so easy at that. Editing tracks part way some times, creation got done, and since this is all that I knew, I coped with it. But it was slow and did not lend itself to experiements, to easily try out things. Bitwig changed all that.

[Linuxmusician01]

@jonetsu: thanks. Fascinating. You switched from Ardour to Bitwig. You used to do things the "tape recorder" way. I also only know how to think in the "multi-track tape recorder from the seventies" way. Wouldn't know how to record music another way... Is there a Youtube tutorial or review in which this Bitwig way of working becomes clear? I thought that all DAW's worked pretty much as a multitrack tape recorder combined w/ a sequencer/piano roll for electronic instruments (be they virtual VST's or Midi synths and drums).

More and more people use Bitwig, so it must be doing something good to win people over from 'ye olde almighty Ableton.

[jonetsu]

Do not be mistaken though. In "the end" all clips and scenes are recorded in real time into the arranger, the Arranger being a track-based recorder. Bitwig adds a Clips and Scenes layer. In real time individual Clips and whole Scenes can be recorded into the Arranger for further 'final' developments as the Arranger transport rolls.

This here is from the latest piece "The Otterworld". Ideas were developed on the left, as Clips and Scenes. They were moved around in many ways, combined, cut, edited, etc.

Once these started to look like having enough material and feel to actually make a piece, they were recorded into the Arranger on the right. Further modifications were made, this time in the context of a piece. For instance the last track at the bottom is an example where a guitar track was re-recorded but this time in the context of a full piece. I often redo tracks based on the new Arranger context since doing so provides a more natural approach. Although all ideas were developed using the Clips and Scenes approach.

I'd only wish Bitwig would offer more than one Arranger screen per project, so to try out several arrangements.

bitwig-Otterworld.jpg

[krussedull]

Just bought it and a have a new Lenovo Yoga 730 with tough screen on the way. Switching from a Windows/Ableton setup.

Still haven't desided on which distro to use though. Anyone with similar setup got some recommendations? (I'm a seasoned Linux user, using Mint on most pcs for coding)

[Linuxmusician01]

Just bought it and a have a new Lenovo Yoga 730 with tough screen on the way. Switching from a Windows/Ableton setup.

Still haven't desided on which distro to use though. Anyone with similar setup got some recommendations? (I'm a seasoned Linux user, using Mint on most pcs for coding)

Use one that is based on Ubuntu and activate the KXStudio repository.

Have fun making music!

[Fmajor7add9]

Just bought it and a have a new Lenovo Yoga 730 with tough screen on the way. Switching from a Windows/Ableton setup.

Still haven't desided on which distro to use though. Anyone with similar setup got some recommendations? (I'm a seasoned Linux user, using Mint on most pcs for coding)

When I switched the only distro with touch (and wacom digitizer) driver enabled and working by default was Solus but generic single/multi touch drivers can probably be added to any distro. Solus runs Bitwig fine but I haven't really stressed it with loads of realtime audio and it's way too bloated for audio in general.

If you haven't found him already Molten Music Technology has the most in-depth Bitwig/DAW on touch screen tests I've seen and DE BEAT magazine are regularly offering Bitwig 8-track licenses.

Outside of Bitwig I've had great fun getting in touch with graphic eqs, mixer controls and some fx/plugins, definately more intuitive than mousing around. For clunky interfaces a built-your-own-MIDI-interface like ctrl looks great. There are also protocols for MIDI over WIFI or USB that can turn a tablet or phone into a DIY kaosspad or something in that vein.

If your Lenovo CPU supports VT-d and you have RAM to spare there's also an option to PCI passthrough a soundcard directly to Ableton in a (blimey!) Win VM and sync it to your Linux audio with some kind of Ableton Link or netjack combo with supposedly bare metal latency.

[Linuxmusician01]

[... ]I've seen and DE BEAT magazine are regularly offering Bitwig 8-track licenses. [...]

Thanks for that tip!!