Bitwig Studio 5 - €399 PC MAC LINUX

With version 5, Bitwig is redefining what a DAW is. This latest update sees it become a modulating monster of a DAW and instrument

Bitwig Studio has always felt like the somewhat disruptive new DAW kid on the block. The truth is, that while it might be a little rebellious, it’s certainly not new. In fact, next year marks 10 years since Bitwig started and we’re already up to v5 of their flagship Bitwig Studio DAW. If anything, this version sees the DAW find the clearer path that perhaps it’s always been searching for. Studio is now more about being a creative instrument as much as it is being a DAW. It’s found an identity amongst a sea of ‘me too’s and should be credited for that, but has it lost its beginner appeal along the way?

The Bitwig concept

There’s a lot to pack in with the v5 update of Bitwig Studio, but if you’re new to it, here’s a (very) quick overview. When Studio came out, there were inevitable comparisons between it and Live – it had clip launching and some of the developers had worked for Ableton. But since then the software added a lot of its own ingredients, including comprehensive modulation – where essentially anything can be modulated by anything. Then there’s The Grid – a kind of virtual modular environment for creating instruments, effects or whatever you like. Add these to an overall concept where the Launcher and Arrange Timeline can be side by side in the same tracks, and you have an instantly fresh approach to music production which, frankly, makes some other DAWs feel constrained by their more traditional approach.

Five main updates

Version 5 focuses even more on modulation with some hefty additions to the software. First up the MSEG (Multi-Stage Envelope Generator) system. What can come across as baffling is less so if you just think of these as envelopes that modulate in (many) different ways.