Bitwig 5.3b4 (Patreon)

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!