Newfangled "Elevate" but it's Bitwig

In this video, I tackled the challenge of replicating Newfangled Audio's Elevate plugin inside Bitwig Studio 5.3 Beta 5, and I think I came pretty close. Elevate is a powerful mastering tool that combines a filter bank, limiter, transient shaper, and clipper into one plugin. I recreated this structure using Bitwig’s modular tools and shared the preset for you to try out—link is in the description below!

What Elevate Does:

• Filter Bank:

  • Uses 26 or 62 bands spaced according to the mel scale.

  • Acts as a frequency splitter for detailed processing.

• Limiter:

  • Each band has its own limiter for precise control.

• Transient Shaper:

  • Adjusts transients to enhance or smooth out attacks.

• Clipper:

  • Final stage for hard or soft clipping.

How I Recreated Elevate in Bitwig:

• Filter Bank (Band Splitting):

  • Used impulse responses to replicate the mel-spaced band splitting.

  • These impulse responses are CPU-friendly and keep the phase untouched.

• Limiter (Replaced with Compressor):

  • Instead of a hard limiter, I used a compressor on each band for more flexibility.

  • You can adjust the ratio, attack, and release to shape the sound or mimic a limiter.

  • Threshold control is added for pulling down levels or pushing the signal into compression.

• Transient Shaper:

  • Skipped a dedicated transient shaper because the compressor already allows you to tweak attacks and releases effectively.

• Clipper:

  • Added Over as the final stage for clipping.

  • The clipper threshold is set to 0 dB, ensuring no overs.

• Timing Compensation:

  • Added a Time Shift at the end to compensate for the filter bank’s latency.

  • Ensured precise alignment so you can blend wet and dry signals perfectly (inverted polarity cancels out).

How It Sounds:

• I tested the setup on a pre-compressed track, but you can really hear the magic when tweaking:

  • Boost input gain to push the bands into compression.

  • Fine-tune attack and release to control dynamics.

  • Adjust the band levels to shape the tone, effectively acting as an EQ.

  • Use the clipper threshold for smooth or aggressive clipping.

Features of My Elevate Replica:

• Band Control:

  • Each band has independent threshold, attack, release, and ratio controls.

• Delta Mode:

  • Allows you to monitor what’s being clipped.

• Final Safety Limiter:

  • Added a final Over clipper at 0 dB to catch anything that might go into the red.

Conclusion:

This setup isn’t a 1:1 clone of Elevate, but it captures the core workflow: filter bank > dynamics processing > clipping. The flexibility of Bitwig’s modular environment lets you tweak things to taste or go beyond what Elevate offers.

Let me know what you think after trying it out! Feedback is always appreciated, and the preset link is here: https://bit.ly/40Cp6um