▲ 14 r/Bitwig

Your favourite stock devices

Can be synths, FX, modulators, even UX stuff.

For me:

  1. Saturator- while I don't entirely understand every function, just slapping on the default and tweaking drive and the LP always makes stuff better. Love it for drums. Saturator+ should have the transfer curve function of Filter+

  2. EQ+- great for precise eq tasks, but i love how easy it is to pipe in reference audio. Using the audio side chain module on specific eq bands is so good. And just modulating the bands can be wonderfully weird.

  3. Delay+- my GOTO delay. Love being able to switch it to fade to avoid pitch artefacts when changing delay times. The reverb algorithms are nice too, Space in particular. Kind of wish the ducking function had more parameters to adjust though because ime its often too extreme.

  4. Audio Side chain modulator- simple but effective. Can be great for basic volume ducking, but love how you can adjust the sensitivity frequency range and apply that to another eq band elsewhere.

  5. Phase 4- one of the favourite synths. I set up a default with a bunch of different modulators (envelopes, curves, random, key tracking) and have made some incredibly vicious and also beautiful glassy tones with this synth.

  6. The Grid- almost too obvious. I never really use it for building synths- it's basicslly always for generative soundscapes. I've unlocked maybe 5% of its powers. So good for exploration and has helped me understand my hardware modular atuff better.

Honourable mentions to the spectral suite, Polymer, Sweep, peak limiter, Convolution, Phaser+, Delay-4, note repeat, etc

I'm definitely forgetting some stock devices because there are many great ones.

Share your thoughts 😎😀

Edit: have to throw in EQ2 for basic low cut functions. Plus the Tool device and plain old Filter.

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 9 days ago
▲ 6 r/psytranceproduction+1 crossposts

Software for visuals

Hello,

I'm looking for software to help me create basic visuals for my music. Not after anything super complex, very much preferably not AI but (don't shoot me), not rabidly against it. I'd rather do it myself. Honestly, just some sort of customisable visual would be a start.

This is just to create basic background stuff for uploads to YT etc and honestly the music is by far the most important thing so I don't want to go crazy learning stuff. I've got some experience with Photoshop and Blendr if that helps.

Any suggestions?

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 22 days ago
▲ 8 r/serum

Please give us bipolar macros!

I really love how Phase Plant do this. I often want to set a macro on something like a filter and have easy access to positive snd negative modulation values. Given stuff like the Bend +/- warp modes, it would be super handy to have a bipolar macro for this. I know you can set the macro at 50% but ctrl+click resets to 0 which is sort of annoying. Remapping can help achieve something close but come on Xfer, bipolar macros please!

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 2 months ago
▲ 26 r/Bitwig

Rebirth reborn: Bitwig needs a 303

We've got the 808 and 909 drums. Come on Bitwig, throw us a 303 emulation with a nice acid sequencer...!

My first 'music production' software was the archaic but actually awesome Rebirth by Propellerhead back in the late 90s. I used to distort the 808 tom's and tune them for my bass, freeing up both the 303s for melodies/harmonies. Simpler times.

I've been building my own 303 with Polymer, a ladder filter and the diode module which sounds pretty on the money. Obviously it's a pretty simple synth to rebuild. The sequencer is not so easy. Stepwise helps.

Wondering if any of you have built your own 303 emulation in Bitwig and how you went about it.

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 2 months ago

Technical question: adding swing to delay repeats, how does one achieve this?

I'm using a fixed swing percentage in my latest project. When adding delay- dotted 8th- the taps aren't lining up with the grid plus swing offsets. Is there any way to calculate this manually? I can get somewhere by using ms delays instead of synced but I often use very long delay repeats and slight timing discrepancy obviously compounds with these longer delay throws.

I'm using Bitwig if this helps.

Any advice?

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 2 months ago

Blizzard Beasts

I got into Immortal in 1996 or so, feel in love with Pure Holocaust and Battles in the North. So epic and powerful.

When Blizzard Beasts came out, I actually loved it- super short tracks, strongly melodic, but damn, wtf is with the production?

But seriously. It is one of the weirdest productions I've ever heard. Everything sounds like it's run through chorus. The drums sound like match boxes. The snare sounds like a traditional Roland 808 snare. The vocals are as dry as sandpaper.

What happened here? How on earth did this come about? After years of raw production, less than hifi sounds are fine, but Blizzard Beasts is simply bizarre. I find it very hard to listen to now without hearing how badly recorded it is. Cannot imagine this being anyone's creative decision.

Imagine if it had the production of ATHOW or Pure Holocaust.

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 2 months ago

Blend of forest and dark and bush

Hello,

I'm a fan of artists like Krapul, Arjuna, Inzekt, Gorejiu, Oroboro, Dark Whisper. But mainly a bush prog fan, with Merkaba, Adama, Antean, Tetrameth, Krogmagon, Urklang being both what I love and what I also produce and sometimes DJ.

I'm wanting something that blends these styles. So some organic forest, nothing super sharp, preferably warmer more organic production, but with a spooky vibe and maybe some tribal drums. Not after digital, clicky bass lines, gimme some droney rolling bass, spooky atmosphere, not too much simplistic FM, very sound design and atmosphere oriented.

My request is very specific. But if you know of anything that is foresty, dark, tribal, throw it my way. ❤️

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 2 months ago

From triplets and back

I'm making a track in the zenonesque/bush prog style. It's flowing so well despite being in G major. 😎

I've created a sweet drop into a meditative triplet section which works because it hits after a breakdown and build up. I've got my last drop section ready to go after this and it's back to standard 4/4. But the transition is clunky.

So I'm wondering how you guys navigate this change without it sounding clumsy and random.

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 3 months ago

Ajja

I've been trying to get into Ajja as I'll be catching him live (maybe) soonish. I'm struggling to see what the fuss is. His production is super clean, lovely arrangement and structure, but super generic to my ears. I typically listen to zenonesque dark prog/bush tech stuff and forest, so Ajja may just be not my thing. But he is easily one of the most popular artists and I've got friends who say he is the cream of the crop. I want to hear what they hear.

What are his standout tracks? Or is there a live set I can check out to get a handle on why he's so widely revered?

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 3 months ago
▲ 7 r/serum

Serum 2 SVF filter

I'm trying to get some good sounds out of the freely drawable SVF in Serum 2. I can get nice formant and phaser sounds, but modulating between the filter types using the XY controls almost always ends with extreme clipping the moment I shift even slightly from one filter to another. This feels bad for my ears and for my speakers.

I got excited when I first found this new filter when S2 was released but the massive amplitude spikes feel dangerous and I've never really tried to tame them. Any ideas?

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 3 months ago
▲ 29 r/Bitwig

Bad Bitwig presets

I love Bitwig. Bitwig is life. I spend hours a day using it and of the 4 DAWs I've used, it is easily the best thing out there. It's maybe the best single object in the universe.

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But damn there are some weird defaults.

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Curves for example. That shape is interesting and all but it's almost never going to be the sort of shape I just need. I'm always needing to modify it. Similar with Steps. Or the crazy horrible shape in the transfer Grid/Filter+ module. Even the Distortion itself has a truly harsh default. Why Bitwig, why?

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Sweep for example has some very colourful filters with not at all sweepy LFO modulation happening by default. The vocoder is a bit odd too- brown noise? Okay

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Not an issue with devices where one can save their own default but for modulators , it just seems inconvenient. I wish we could easily save modulator presets or just create our own defaults.

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Anyway, I'm wondering what other weird defaults people have encountered.

Edit: just to be clear- I'm being somewhat light-hearted here and this wasn't intended to just bash Bitwig. I love Bitwig, its the best DAW I've used in over 25 years of DAW use. And the weird defaults are almost part of the overall charm of Bitwig as essentially a sandbox of creativity. Designed by aliens.

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 4 months ago
▲ 6 r/Bitwig

Fx Grid Compressor

I've been wanting to build a compressor and was trying to use feedback to created a comparative signal for the follower to respond to. It never really worked though.

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There is a nice preset in the Grid for a compressor. I've remade it by simply copying the modules. But my ability to truly reverse engineer it is limited because I can't really grasp the signal flow. I don't understand why each module is chosen or what they're doing to the signal.

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I am wondering if any Grid geniuses here have looked at this preset and could break down the signal flow and explain why each module is being used and for what purpose?

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 4 months ago
▲ 1 r/Bitwig

Drum machine chains

Trying to figure out the easiest way to group a bunch of snare layered together on seperate drum machine slots and then returning them to the main drum buss for processing with the rest of the kit. Tried using audio receivers and struggled. Any suggestions?

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 5 months ago

How much do artists get paid to perform?

Always wondered. Say someone like Astrix for a set at Boom?

And then just a more "average" middle of the bill DJ?

I used to play for free (drugs). Totally worth it tbh.

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u/Present-Policy-7120 — 5 months ago

Best/worst album cover?

I'm sure there are many threads on this topic already but I'm interested in where the reddit folks stand.

For me, the greatest album cover of all time, black metal or not, is Burzum "Aske". In one image, it contains everything you need to know about black metal. You've got a pretty bad monochromatic photograp of a burnt out church made so much more intense knowing that the artist himself did the burning. Haunting, low quality but powerful. It looks like how the music sounds.

Honourable mention to Absu "The Third Storm of Cythraul"

As to worst, one that comes to mind is Obtained Enslavement "Witchcraft". Musically this is simply the high point of synphonic black metal- melodic but dark, genuine musical talent on display, still raw and violent but at times absolutely beautiful. In my top 5 of all time. The cover art is just garbage though. It hints not at all to the majesty within. It's not the worst but it sure as fuck is bad.

Please share your thoughts.

reddit.com
u/Present-Policy-7120 — 5 months ago