Bitwig 5.3 beta 5 - release soon?

In this video, I shared my thoughts on Bitwig Studio 5.3 Beta 5 and walked through some key fixes and improvements, as well as a more detailed explanation of chaining Note FX Selectors. I also clarified an issue I encountered in the previous video and showed how to solve it with a more advanced setup.

Key Fixes in Bitwig Studio 5.3 Beta 5:

• Audio Interface Notifications:

  • If a new audio device is detected, you can now choose "Don’t show again" for that specific device.

  • I wish we had this option for all notifications, especially the one asking to install factory presets!

• Audio System Improvements:

  • Some audio issues have been fixed, though I personally haven’t experienced many problems in the betas.

• Preset Fixes:

  • Fixed an issue where presets were loading incorrectly.

• Note FX Selector Fix:

  • The infinite loop issue in the audio engine when chaining Note FX Selector devices has been resolved.

  • This was likely the cause of the crashes I experienced in the last video.

Using Note FX Selectors for Chord Switching:

• Basic Setup:

  • Created chords with the Multi-Note device.

  • Used a Note FX Selector to switch between a minor chord and a major chord.

  • Set up key switches (e.g., C1, C#1, D1) to toggle between layers in the Note FX Selector.

  • Everything works flawlessly now—smooth switching with no delays.

• Chaining Note FX Selectors:

  • I created a more complex setup to chain selectors, adding a transpose selector for switching between no transposition, +7 (fifth), +14 (octave + fifth), etc.

  • Set key switches (e.g., C0, C#0, D0) to toggle layers.

Addressing the Chaining Issue:

The problem I faced was that notes used for switching layers were also being played as part of the output, creating unwanted chords. Here’s how I fixed it:

• Channel Filtering Solution:

  • Assigned different MIDI channels for each selector layer:

    • Channel 1 for the first layer.

    • Channel 2 for the second.

    • Channel 3 for the third, and so on.

  • Used a Channel Filter device to ensure that only the correct channels passed through each selector layer.

• Pass-Through Layer for Key Switch Notes:

  • Added a dedicated layer to allow key switch notes (on their respective channels) to pass through without interfering with the main chord notes.

• Final Result:

  • The setup now switches layers cleanly using the key switches, while ensuring only the desired notes play through.

  • It’s a bit more complex to set up, but it works perfectly!

Conclusion:

Bitwig Studio 5.3 Beta 5 feels very polished, and I’m hoping for a stable release soon, maybe on Friday or Monday. I’m happy to see the Note FX Selector improvements—it’s now working tightly and reliably, even for more complex setups. https://www.bitwig.com