Music Production Knowledge Backlog

Smart Comp 3 by Sonable offers a unique visual approach to compression, allowing users to intuitively match compression settings between different tracks using a map-based interface for greater consistency across projects. Unlike traditional compressors that require manual adjustment of attack, threshold, release, and ratio, this tool lets you visually place your sound in the desired compression zone and easily replicate that setting across multiple drum tracks or projects. While the plugin is currently only full-band and not multiband, its intelligent analysis and goal-focused workflow make it an exciting option for producers seeking matched dynamics and cohesive sound.

I've put together three new tracks for this EP that lean towards dark wave, cyberpunk, or dystopian vibes. It's a bit darker, the harmonies aren't as minor anymore, and I've thrown in some vocals here and there too. I think it's a fresh, varied vibe for me and what I'm releasing on Bandcamp. I've got more ideas and drafts saved on my hard drive, but I wanted to test the waters first to see if people vibe with it, if they like it, and how it’s received and all that. Maybe I'll drop more stuff in this direction later. These are just the initial ideas, and I'm really into them.

Do low cuts cause phase problems between kick and bass? This guide explains why the answer depends on context, when high-pass filters actually help, and why blanket mixing rules are usually wrong.

This video demonstrates how to create realistic hi-hats, cymbals, and crash sounds in Bitwig Studio using a free native preset based on physical modeling principles, similar to Excite Cymbal plugins. The patch includes features like a stick simulation, dispersion feedback with low delay times, and a resonator made from stacked comb filters, with macros and EQ for versatile sound shaping. The presenter also highlights ways to sample these sounds and mentions alternatives like the open-source Excite plugins and pure data patches for deeper customization.

This detailed walkthrough shows how to start making drum and bass music in Bitwig Studio by building up drums, bass, and pads from scratch using mostly stock devices and sampling techniques. The process focuses on developing the core groove and sound design through continuous tweaking, resampling, and simple processing rather than overthinking or getting caught up in technical perfection. The most important lesson is to keep moving forward, rely on your instinct and style, and make creative adjustments until you are satisfied with the result.

In this video, I introduce a unique Bitwig Studio preset called Compressor Analyzer, which visually demonstrates how any compressor affects an audio signal without requiring external plugins. The tool generates a controllable test signal, processes it through a compressor, and provides real-time visual feedback comparing the original and compressed signals, making it easy to analyze and even clone compressor settings between devices. The preset is available for free on my GitHub, allowing you to better understand and match compressor behavior in your own projects.

Music production is best learned through hands-on experience, making mistakes, and developing your own taste, rather than relying on paid courses, tutorials, or expensive gear, which often give you the illusion of knowledge without real understanding. Focusing too much on harmony theory, mixing, mastering, or specific genres early on distracts from what matters most: regularly finishing tracks and learning from each attempt. Ultimately, the process should be about making music you enjoy, not seeking validation or following fixed rules, because true growth comes from persistence and personal exploration.

The sampler in Bitwig is a highly versatile tool that allows users to create a wide range of sounds by slicing, stretching, and creatively modulating samples, making it possible to produce entire tracks with just a few devices and effects. The guide demonstrates practical techniques for syncing drum loops to project tempo, slicing samples, and turning any audio into instruments or pads using modulation and filtering, offering endless creative possibilities without the need for additional plugins. By experimenting with simple recordings and leveraging Bitwig’s modulation system, users can achieve unique and professional results, illustrating the sampler’s power for music production.

In this video, I demonstrate how to create classic and straightforward synth sounds in Bitwig Studio using simple subtractive synthesis without heavy processing, allowing you to easily follow along and understand the foundations behind iconic tones. I also introduce a free resource on my website where you can find step-by-step guides, preset downloads, and detailed explanations for each patch. Throughout the video, I cover essential sounds like house organ basses, jungle and rave basses, techno leads, dub chords, and FX noises, emphasizing simplicity and the power of filters and basic waveforms.

Learn how to build classic synth sounds in Bitwig, including basses, leads, pads, plucks, bells, and FM textures with core sound-design techniques.

This video explains how to use Bitwig Studio to add or replace harmonics in a bass sound, such as adding a sine wave an octave higher or creating a super clean sub-bass by layering and filtering techniques. The tutorial demonstrates several methods, including using instrument layers, the wavetable oscillator’s remove fundamental feature, steep EQ cuts with key tracking, and dynamic envelope following to blend clean sine partials with processed bass sounds. It also highlights Bitwig's flexibility for customizing harmonics and encourages experimentation with different device combinations for both MIDI and audio sources.

In this Bitwig tutorial, I demonstrate how to use key tracking with EQ5 to dynamically shape harmonics of bass sounds in response to changing notes, a technique not easily achievable with most VST plugins. I also show how to use key tracking and sidechaining to remove clashing frequencies between instruments, all within Bitwig’s flexible modulation system. These methods allow for deep and musical control over your sound design, and presets are available for download on my GitHub.

This video demonstrates how to modulate filter frequencies in Bitwig (or any modular DAW) so modulation lands on musical notes within a chosen scale, not just random frequencies, by using harmony theory and quantizers. The key insight is that most Western scales are constructed by stacking perfect fifths (seven semitones apart), so you can use a quantizer set to six steps and a modulation range of 42 semitones to achieve accurate, in-scale modulation, with an initial frequency offset depending on your root note. This method provides a musically meaningful way to randomize your sound design while always staying within your chosen key, and is applicable to any environment that allows semitone-based modulation.

In this video, I demonstrate a custom-built FFT resynthesizer and note extractor inside Bitwig Studio, which uses pure sine oscillators to extract and recreate audio frequencies without traditional bandpass filters. The system allows for unique spectral manipulation, including stretching sounds, octave shifting, and removing partials outside a selected musical scale, making it perfect for ambient effects and creative sound design. I also show how this setup can extract MIDI notes from audio and explain the straightforward method behind building it, with presets available for free download.

Temperance Light is a plugin marketed as a revolutionary musical reverb, but it essentially combines a reverb with a filter, offering a polished look but limited flexibility. In Bitwig Studio, you can easily recreate and expand on its features using onboard devices, allowing for much more customization, like choosing your own reverb, filter types, and even adding delays. By building this effect yourself, you gain deeper creative control and a better understanding of sound design, rather than being restricted to a single, fixed plugin.

This video highlights why Bitwig Studio stands out for its hands-on modularity, allowing users to easily create unique instruments and effects without coding or complex visual languages. Bitwig’s flexible modular system empowers both beginners and advanced producers to experiment, learn synthesis fundamentals, and develop custom sounds beyond what preset-heavy plugins offer. The creator emphasizes the value of creativity and learning through Bitwig’s tools, making it an ideal choice for anyone seeking a customizable and educational music production environment.