polarity_music

Bitwig 5.3b4

Added 2025-01-11 13:18:13 +0000 UTC

In this video, I explored the Bitwig Studio 5.3 Beta 4 update, focusing on the Note FX Selector, Instrument Selector, and FX Selector devices. The update addresses a long-standing issue where key switches would not correctly trigger the new layer before playing the note. However, I also discovered some bugs in the process.

Key Update in 5.3 Beta 4:

Note Trigger Timing Fix:
- Previously, switching layers with key switches could cause notes to trigger on the old layer or not trigger at all.
- Now, the note is supposed to play immediately after switching to the correct layer.

Testing the Update:

Setup:
- Added a Polymer Synth playing a basic sequence.
- Used a Note Repeater with a Euclidean rhythm pattern.
Creating Chord Layers:
- Added a Note FX Selector with three layers for different chord voicings:
  - Root Chord
  - +7 Semitones (Perfect Fifth)
  - +14 Semitones (Another Fifth Up)
- Configured Key Switching using D2 to F2 for layer selection.

Observed Issues (Potential Bugs):

Crash:
- The audio engine crashed multiple times while setting up the layers.
Key Switch Blocking:
- When attempting to set up key switches, the learn mode was blocked by the selector device.
Key Switch Triggering Notes Instead of Switching Layers:
- Even after setting different MIDI channels for each layer, the keys triggered notes rather than switching layers.

Workaround Attempt:

Tried using MIDI Channel Filtering to separate key switches from note triggers.
Still experienced inconsistent behavior where the keys triggered the notes themselves rather than the layer change.

Takeaways:

The Fix: The primary issue with layer switching seems addressed, but key switch handling still has bugs.
Ideal Behavior:
- Key switches should trigger layer selection without triggering notes directly.
- Channel assignment should properly route triggers between layers.

Conclusion:

The 5.3 Beta 4 update improves layer switching, but there are still bugs with key switch learning and trigger behavior that need attention. Hopefully, the Bitwig developers can refine this further!