Every Syntheziser you'll Ever Need: Explaining all Bitwig Synths

[@docjoesweeney]

How on earth did I miss this one? A terrific overview. My favourite trick is to use the instrument layer with the polysynth with polymer. Big big big sound

[@AlexReidStudios]

Thank you! I love layering too, very powerful

[@dwaynecarroll6098]

I downloaded the trial today and was VERY IMPRESSED with the synth presets.

[@Lumaa_Lex]

My main reason to switch to bitwig was - how amazingly awesome all of the instruments sounds. Also - there is tons of possibilities to make similar to analog world work flow with separated Voice volume and Gain Knob. Also - I highly appreciate how most of the presets and even default patches are really good for hop into and play. As some one said - Bitwig is Synthesizer with DAW functions =) Also I heard rumors that Bitwig developed their sound engine with U-he. And even if it`s false - Sound you can get from bitwig instruments are on same level as U-he devices. Or really close. =)

[@AlexReidStudios]

All I know is Bitwig are friends with Uhe, they developed the CLAP format. I agree with Bitwig beign also a huge instrument!

[@BeautifulMachines]

Thanks Alex, quite love polysynth, you can get really analoguesque sounds.

[@AlexReidStudios]

It's great, sounds very fat and crisp, dunno if it's emulating something

[@jaymian6836]

Good job! Thanks. Keep 'em coming pls

[@AlexReidStudios]

Thank you!

[@McGyver008]

Indeed I mostly make use of Bitwig Studio built-in synths and effects. For someone who understands the function and possible combinations of the Grid modules almost everything is patched in a short time - and it works. For things which are available elsewhere (especially instruments and effects) one mostly can find a workaround using the Grid (and - of course - as well Bitwig's 'conventional' modulators).

[@AlexReidStudios]

I personally love to use containers to make complex synths and effects, Bitwig is amazing

[@Emily_M81]

@@AlexReidStudios it's the LEGO of DAWs. Being able to open the Reverb tank and put whatever I want inside it was an amazing discovery. These days, any time I feel like buying a plugin, I try to recreate it inside Bitwig first. I even made a "modern metal" bass amp using the Multiband FX 2 with an Amp in each band :D

[@brianbergmusic5288]

Thanks for this overview! I'm 16 digits close to pulling the trigger on Bitwig. Although I am happy with FL Studio, I'm seriously looking at migrating to a Linux workstation (I will miss the piano roll in FL). This seems like the best DAW for the Penguin world. The routing options in Bitwig make me feel like this DAW gives you a free competitor to Reaktor. About the only stuff I'd want for 3rd party options (personally) are acoustic drum libraries, orchestral libraries, and guitar amp sims. Turns out, Bitwig boasts to have a few of those options already in the sandbox.

[@AlexReidStudios]

Bitwig's sound content is great! I also started with FL Studio. Frankly I don't miss the piano roll, and the routing possibilities in Bitwig are great

[@brianbergmusic5288]

@@AlexReidStudios Thanks to this video (and a few others), I pulled the trigger. I currently have Bitwig installed on an older hand-me-down desktop that I've got running AV-Linux (trying to ween myself off windows). I took advantage of the 50% off 10th anniversary special! The ship had sailed and I'm so far happy to be aboard.

[@rossnwilliams]

People love to get deep into their DAW, and that's great, but I have a perspective of DAW portability. Having started on Ableton and having learned all the Ableton synths and effects, and then having moved to Bitwig, I'm now very aware of the danger of getting dependent on DAW-specific features. If an even better DAW comes along, I want to be able to move to it without throwing out much of my existing sound design skillset! One way to do this is to learn third-party synths, because they will still be around in the next DAW. This said, a lot of sound design skills are conceptual anyway, and transfer to any synth. I think if you really love a DAW and commit to it, it's great to learn all its features. Bitwig is amazing at modulation. But another approach is to view the DAW as just "plumbing", and use plugins as much as possible to achieve DAW portability.

[@bigdap100]

...been using Ableton for 15 years.... I HATE to admit it 😞Bitwig is superior.

[@AlexReidStudios]

Ableton has great stuff too... But welcome aboard!

[@dwaynecarroll6098]

Facing the same realization with Mixcraft which I LOVE

[@mrburns366]

I wish Bitwig would release these as VSTs to use in other DAWs.. like Studio One

[@AlexReidStudios]

@@mrburns366 Because of the architecture it might be hard to do

[@rossnwilliams]

I like the rabbit head, but having just one reflective eye showing through freaks me out! :-) How about either zero eyes or two eyes (I'd prefer zero)?

[@AlexReidStudios]

Sorry, it was bad lighting position, the newer video has better lights

[@gtubgle]

Thanks Alex

[@AlexReidStudios]

No problem :)

[@terraminator4379]

nice glasses bro

[@dwaynecarroll6098]

Polysynth is wonderful

[@AlexReidStudios]

@@dwaynecarroll6098 It's great, very simple yet so effective

[@glutenenjoyer__]

Got virtually all the "flagship" synths and I still use Polymer all the time.

[@AlexReidStudios]

Polymer is an all in one

[@aevin_io]

thanks for that

[@AlexReidStudios]

Glad to be helpful

[@frequency_sequencer]

I sometimes think of adding Ableton to my list but after demoing it I realised Bitwig is far ahead as a daw

[@Pintosonic]

After trying Bitwig, I could never go back to Ableton. It would be like migrating my PC from Windows 11 to Windows 98, no sane person would do that.

[@AlexReidStudios]

Honestly I tested Ableton for like a day and decided to stick to Bitwig

[@lX-NDR]

Do you have a video on the granular side of bitwig?

[@AlexReidStudios]

@@lX-NDR I explore ganular on the sampler video, but is not a granular focused video

[@akira20ish]

Ableton crashes

[@GillamtheGreatest]

I honestly wouldnt mind having these as plugins, even though im not a bitwig user. especially since the grid is roughly comparable to patcher in FL

[@AlexReidStudios]

Dunno how it would translate as you need the containers to make crazier synths. I love the patcher tho

[@Alex_Mizo]

Completely incomparable, completely different things. Patcher - routing for plugins, grid - a modular synth. The patcher does not have an internal clock, sequence modules, oscillators, mseg and other things for sounds design.

[@GillamtheGreatest]

@@Alex_Mizo FL studio stock plugins cover those bases pretty well. its actually pretty easy/common to turn patcher into a modular synth, even without any third party stuff

[@freshkidblaze]

Wow you can get the sega sounds with fm 4 . . I can get them with other fm synths but they sound too clean. But fm 4 sounds like the rym2612 synth.

[@AlexReidStudios]

FM-4 has it's own charm

[@buckycore]

When i use Bitwig, there is litterally no point in using 3rd party plugins (Sugarbytes plugins and Synplant don't count because they do things above and beyond anything any synths can do) Drum Machine alone is one of the greatest plugins ever made. And dont get me started on those FX. All these 3rd party fx plugins, and yet bitwig's all sound much beter than the majority of them (again, i don't mean Sugarbytes FX and Infiltrator befause...you know best what i mean)

[@AlexReidStudios]

Agree, I think I often go for other synths depending on the sound or just to have fun. Btw, BW fx video coming soon

[@buckycore]

Oh yeah, the fun factor plays into it always..plus I'm madly in love with Phase Plant, KORG wavestate and opsix native.

[@jkommah]

That's because Bitwig is primarily an ultra-customizable synth framework with a passable DAW wrapped around it. It's all about the builtins and their integration. At this point they should shift focus towards general DAW usability and feature set because outside the almost perfect devices panel it still leaves a lot to be desired.

[@AlexReidStudios]

@@jkommah just to ask, I know it need a feature or two, but what makes it be passable and not good enough?

[@jkommah]

It lacks so many basic features it's simply a pain to use. You can't draw notes into the (generally clumsy) piano roll with your MIDI controller, undo doesn't work with plugins, there's no MIDI capture. They have these amazing multi-page macro setups for all instruments and fx but you can't snapshot them to keep variations together. I could go on. I have so many basic workflow frustrations that add up and result in a worse overall experience than Ableton. I still love it and I'm sure they'll get there at some point.