Integrating Hardware Synthesizers in Bitwig Studio - Setup, Synchronisation, Recording, Playing
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ต.ค. 2024
- This video explains how you setup a hardware synthesizer with Bitwig Studio for full integration. If you follow the tutorial you can use your hardware like a software plugin.
Really nice overview and walkthrough of the hardware integration in Bitwig 🌻
Thanks. I really would love a second one on all aspects and tricks of latency compensation.... MIDI and Audio latency. I think this the main struggle.... The latency training with the button in the HW module did not always work precisely. At least for me. 😉
Awesome, thank you Jürgen!
Yooo would love you forever if you made a script for the poly end play ❤️ also the somi1 is on the way but I’m worried I won’t be able to use it as a midi controller.
Very helpfull , thanks !
Really Awesome. Maybe I missed it, But was the arpeggiator playing from the Hydrasynth?
Yes, exactly. I use it quite often also with other synths since it is quite powerful while being hands-on.
Jurgen, have you experimented with just running all the midi instruments without rendering to audio and does the midi stay on time with the metronome (this how we worked back in the 90s), I know the great thing in Bitwig is that you can ping the hw instrument and it automatically adjusts the latency. I just dont like to print audio until all the sounds selection from the midi instruments is finalized. What Midi interface are you using to route all the synths you have and what audio interface that has so many channels ? Is it a USB audio interface ? Thank You. I love this channel, specially all the great work you have the done with the Akai gear. Cheers.
Yes, works fine. I use quite some hardware synths. I use the iCOnnectivity mio10 as MIDI interface but since most synts come with USB anyway they are direcetly connected.
Very interesting and informative, thanks; I hope one day to see the same approach with CV to HW modular, would be nice too😃
This day did already happen 🙂A bit old but the content is still valid: th-cam.com/video/lBpduNo4KbI/w-d-xo.html
pretty good thank u!
Great video!!!
I have a launchpad X…. I noticed a v2 update release.. does that offer more features available to your bitwig scripts…. Also the custom Richie Hawtin scripts, four levels of probability would be amazing, I noticed you had interest in his scripts(I imagine your on it already!)!!!
Thanks for everything you do! Your scripts are elegant and your tutorials informative!
No, v2 does not bring anything new.
What is the most optimal method for using multi-timbral hardware synths with Bitwig? Multiple HW Instrument devices for each channel used, with only one device using the audio return at a time?
You could also mute all tracks except one (or mute all and create an additional audio track for listening). Since MIDI is still sent out when a track is muted this will work. This has the advantage that you still can render clips.
@@mossgraber Thanks, I'll try that.
Hello, first many thanks for another great video Jurgen. At 01:27 you say you have to be sure to select the right MIDI channel, ok, but how exactly do I do that, simply trying? Same at 01:56 with the Bus channel. And finally is it possible to send Audio and MIDI notes at the same time from a Synth to record them in two tracks in Bitwig? I have the Arturia Minifreak. Many thanks.
You need to refer to the manual of your hardware synthesizer to learn how to set its' MIDI Channel. Could also be that it is a multi-timbral synth (which can play multiple sounds on different MIDI channels) and then set the matching one in the Bitwig hardware device. Yes, you can record both audio and MIDI at the same time. I prefer to render the MIDI track instead (make sure that "realtime" is checked). But to record audio at the same time you need an additional audio track which receives from the output of the instrument track with the hardware device.
Excellent instructional video. I just learned that I didn't have to manually create an audio channel and route the HW synth to it. One thing that I'd love to do is send NRPN messages to my hardware synths, since most of them can't be fully controlled with CC. Can this be done in Bitwig?
I am not sure. You could definitively add it to a script/extension. Since it is only CCs they also should be recorded. But never tried it. If not sure simply ask Bitwig support.
Thanks for everything you do Jurgen! Do you have any tips for saving a specific preset on a HW synth as part of the song file? I know there's the program change device, but I'm unsure how to have it instantiate the appropriate preset at the outset of a song so I don't to remember / manually change for any new song I write/play.
I think that is not possible until you use a specific VST plugin.
Yes!
I’ve just had to figure this out for a live set. Use the Program Change Device, set the appropriate channel, turn off and the automate the auto send button.
In the automation for the program change device set the auto send to be on for the first 1/128 of the song. In the first 2 256th notes of the track automate the program select to go from any number to your desired program number.
As long as the auto send automation is big enough to encompass the vertical program change automation line then it’ll pick up the change without constantly sending a change signal.
Well explained. But how do I set bitwig up to control things like filter cutoff, resonance, attack etc on my hardware synth?
If your synth can be controlled via MIDI CC, put a MIDI CC device in front of the Hardware device. Configure the pages of the MIDI CC device once and store it in your template or as a preset.
I also have Bitwig. Would be nice to know how to recall the HW synths maybe tomorrow in a new project. I save it as a preset Novation Summit (the name of my synth). And then i make a new track and i open this preset (from the presets tab). Is this the way to go?
As I said in the video, the best solution is to add this to your default template then you have it always ready when you open Bitwig. Also see this video I did about templates some time ago: th-cam.com/video/jP82wQGHHpI/w-d-xo.html
Both works, I have a template called "All HW Synths", but I also saved Presets for each config of the "HW Instrument".
I hoped you had some smart way to compensate for the introduced A/D conversion. I’m also not sure if the delay within the HW module is also automatically compensated when you increase buffer size. For sure I do need delay compensation and sometimes it feels I need to correct it.
Up to my knowledge it does. Note that there is also this latency training button at the bottom of the hardware device to compensate for the introduced round-trip latency.
@@mossgraber Note though that MIDI (especially via USB) has _variable_ latency, also known as jitter. This is quite hard to compensate for. That's one of the main reasons I send triggers / clocks from my audio outputs of my audio interface, and am strongly considering getting an audio interface with DC-coupled I/O. That's all sample-accurate with a steady latency (assuming you're not running into buffer overruns/underruns)
@@KutAnimus Back in the days this was call "the machine has a groove" 😆
@@mossgraber Haha I guess that's one way to think about this :p
Luckily these days with audio out gates/triggers we can make Bitwig Studio add any sort of groove we want :D
I have a Hydrasynth, I want to record all the aftertouch and glides, as well as my knob movements, do I just use the midi keyboard in the setup as you did in the video?
Yes.
thank you for your videos. and what about midi\audio latency? (i'm ableton user, but thinking of switching to bitwig). I use PC windows 10
This depends mainly on the settings of your audio interface and the MIDI and audio latency of the external synth / FX you are integrating. You can configure the latency to use for each device at the bottom of the Bitwig hardware device. Left to it there is additionally a little propeller icon. If you click it Bitwig will measure the latency of a round trip to/from the external device.
@@mossgraber thank you. thats a good tip.
the problem with abelton on pc (win10, presonus audiobox but changinging audio-cards didnt help) even if i set up the letancy to unnoticable (less than 10ms) - the latency could change after i turn on\off the daw or reload project.
on ableton - i could never get it tight in both ways midi\audio in and out
if its tight one way it drifted in the other. or changed after re-loading DAW.
i tried Macbook Pro but it more or less the same proble. maybe little bit more stable on mac. still the problem existed.
so i ended up not trying to playing hardware+daw simultaniusley.
i've heard that the ableton is one of the most unstable in terms of hardware-daw playing at the same time.
i know there are many solutions (audio deleay\midi delay adjustments)
How it is on BItwig? is it same pain in the ass or its more easy to get it tight bott ways in\out midi-audio?
@@ticketstomars It works fine for me but I also heard from other people having issues. In my experiences it depends a lot on the external device itself. Some of my synths are spot on others hop funnily around the timing. I simply tend to have a quick look at the rendered result waveform and sometimes move it a little bit.
Thx for the video. I sadly can't get bank changes to work. No idea what the problem is, the midi program change noteFX simply doesn't respond.
You mean that your hardware synthesizer does not react to the bank change? Did you check with another software? Is Program change activated on it?
Any rumors about multichannel routing in Bitwig? Or we have to give up? ;)
Absolutely no idea.
Thank you. But does anyone know, how to make a program change on hardware synths ?
there is a native midi program change device for that.
Hallo Jürgen, vielen Dank für das Tutorial. Eine Frage hätte ich noch: Ist es möglich das senden der MIDI-Signale zu deaktivieren, während man MIDI-Daten aufzeichnet? Mein Keyboard hat leider keine Funktion, zum deaktivieren des internen Zyklus beim bespielen der Tastatur. Bei meinem Synthesizer funktioniert dies zwar, aber dann kann ich das MOD- und PITCH-Wheel nicht mehr verwenden.
Ich würde mich über eine Rückmeldung freuen.
LG, Jakob
Hallo Jakob, bin mir nicht sicher ob ich deine Frage richtig verstanden habe. Wenn du nicht möchtest, dass das "Hardware Instrument" Plugin MIDI sendet könntest du z.B. den MIDI Ausgang umstellen oder den MIDI Kanal ändern.
@@mossgraber Danke, für die schnelle Rückmeldung! Ich merke gerade, dass ich mich ein bisschen kompliziert ausgedrückt habe. Ich versuche das Problem nochmals zu erläutern: Wenn ich jetzt auf meinen Synthesizer spiele, werden die MIDI-Signale aufgezeichnet und aber auch direkt wieder an den Synthesizer zurück geschickt. Dadurch doppelt sich quasi die Eingabe und der Ton der raus kommt ist dann auch gedoppelt. Wenn ich den Synthesizer dann zum Empfangen der aufgezeichneten MIDI Daten deaktiviere, kann er folglich die aufgezeichneten MIDI Daten nicht empfangen.
Ist es möglich beim aufnehmen der MIDI Daten, zu verhindern das die Daten von Computer aus zurück an den Synthesizer geschickt werden?
Ich hoffe das ich die Frage, nochmals verständlich wiedergeben habe.
LG, Jakob
@@jakob453 So hatte ich dich auch verstanden. Hast du meine Antwort auch verstanden? 🙂
@@mossgraber Ja, ich habe dich schon verstanden. Aber gibt es da nicht eine „elegantere“ Lösung?
@@jakob453 Alternativ könntest du noch einen leeren MIDI Track nehmen und dann den Clip auf den Track mit dem Hardwaredevice verschieben. Was für ein Synthi ist das denn?
It would be nice to show how to use bitwig as a mixer, plugin host, audio clip host for sequencing from external hardware sequencer.
This depends highly on the hardware you want to use. Any hints?
@@mossgraber a hardware sequencer with din/trs and usb midi (e g., Oxi one or keysteo pro), functioning as clock master and playing both virtual and hardware instruments connected to either the sequencer itself or the computer running bitwig via din/trs or usb midi. External instruments route back to bitwig via audio interface.
@@EdoardoMarcora To make Bitwig follow external sync: Open Settings and then Synchronization page, as "Sync Method" (parameter at the very top) select "MIDI sync" and then choose the MIDI input from the drop down list which is your external device sending MIDI clock. How to integrate external synths is explained in this video. To use an external MIDI sequencer: add a Generic Controller script which simply forwards all MIDI channels to Bitwig. Assign this controller input to the tracks which you would like to control. For each of these channels filter the MIDI channel accordingly (in the track settings).
@@mossgraber thanks! My question was more about how to have everything correctly synced up... With different latencies introduced by midi and audio routings to and from hardware and within bitwig by the different plugins. I know there are offset adjustments on midi clock settings and in he instruments and FX, and also the time shift bitwig plugin, but how to use them to sync a hybrid setup is rarely explained and would be a great topic for a video.
@@EdoardoMarcora Never looked into that but will take note.
Hi Jurgen, how do you actually set up your hardware synth?
This is what I explain in the video. Don't get your question.
@@mossgraber At 1.10 you say, "if you have set it up", but I'm not sure how you do that? I have it all connected but how do I actually get it showing as an instrument? Does it show in the library. Sorry, I'm just starting out on my synth journey thansk for coming back to me
@@keithjohnson993 I ment "if you have set up your hardware connections...". This means you need an audio interface with enough inputs for your hardware synths (at least 1 stereo input). Connect the output of your synth to these inputs. Then you need to connect your synth via MIDI as well. For this you need either a MIDI interface (could be part of your audio interface) or via USB-MIDI, if supported by your synth (check the manual). Watch or read some info about theses studio basics first will make it easier for you.
@@keithjohnson993 The Hardware Instrument is a stock Bitwig device. It does only exist once. You can add it via Bitwigs browser as any other device and configure it with your respective audio inputs and the MIDI output. To have it ready all the time store it in your default project template.
How to recored automation from the hydrasynth or other synth to bitwig?
Make sure that the Hydrasynth transmits and sends CC with the knobs (SYSTEM MIDI Page 7/13 -> Param TX CC / Param RC CC). Hit record in Bitwig and wiggle the knobs. Also make sure that the script/extension you use for the synth, forwards the MIDI CC to Bitwig. The default Generic keyboard does that at least for the 5 knobs (Cutoff, Resonance, Drive, Env 1, LFO 1) of the Hydrasynth.