Music Production Knowledge Backlog

In this walkthrough, I demonstrate how to create a complete drum and bass track from scratch in Bitwig Studio, focusing on making original sounds without relying on sample packs. I show how to design bass, kick, snare, hi-hats, and percussion, while explaining techniques for modulation, sound layering, and basic mix strategies for punchy results. The process emphasizes experimentation, customization, and the development of personal taste, illustrating that strong grooves and creative sound design are more important than complex melodies.

Atlas 2 by Algonaut helps you organize drum samples, build random kits, and sketch beats quickly with sequencing tools for faster beatmaking.

Melda's Multi-Analyzer is a powerful and affordable plugin that lets you visually analyze the frequency content of multiple tracks in a single window, working seamlessly with Bitwig Studio. It offers clear visual features like spectrum, sonogram, collision detection, loudness, and stereo field monitoring, along with practical adjustments for smoothness, normalization, and prioritization. Despite previously disliking Melda's interfaces, I found this plugin highly effective and user-friendly, making it an excellent value, especially at its current discounted price.

Reev-R is a free, open-source convolution reverb plugin available for Windows, Mac, and Linux that allows detailed envelope shaping, sample stretching, and automated reverb control. It supports custom impulse responses and includes additional features like integrated delay and various envelope curve options, making it highly flexible for sound design. Recommended for users seeking an alternative to paid creative plugins, Reev-R offers professional-grade functionality and is actively developed with community feedback.

Resonarium is a free, open-source synthesizer focused on waveguide modeling, allowing users to create complex resonator-based sounds with varied exciter and filter options. Currently in alpha at version 0.0.1, it features a straightforward interface but is prone to bugs and heavy CPU usage when using multiple resonators. Users can experiment with impulses, noise, samples, or external audio, and while it has no manual yet, it is powerful for those interested in physical modeling synthesis.

OpenDAW, a digital audio workstation previously featured on the channel, is now fully open source and available on GitHub, allowing users to download, modify, and build it freely. The platform can be accessed via the web or built locally, includes new tools like a drum sampler, a groove tool, and a piano tutorial mode, and is completely free with no subscriptions or hidden costs. Users are encouraged to explore its features, contribute to the project, and support the developer if possible.

In this video, I explore Filt-R, a free and open-source filter plugin by the creator of gate 12 and time 12, which lets you automate both filter cutoff and resonance using envelopes and different filter models like Moog, MS-20, and phaser. I demonstrate how to shape filter movement and resonance over time, sequence envelopes visually with the waveform background, and show how useful this is for creative sound design, especially for basslines in Bitwig. If you’re interested, you can download it for free from GitHub (link in the description), and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

In this video, I walk you through a simple and straightforward Bitwig Grid setup for generating probabilistic melodies by storing scale notes and assigning individual probabilities to each. I show how to record and synchronize these generative sequences so you can capture stable, repeating patterns with easy logic for playback and triggering new sequences. This patch is perfect for creating evolving melodies, and you can download it on my Patreon if you don't want to build it yourself.

In this video, I explain how to create easy and interesting rhythms in Bitwig Studio using the Poly Grid, by sequencing pitches and controlling their playback with triggers, counters, and various clock modules. I show how combining different rhythms and voice stacking can quickly lead to complex, evolving melodies, and demonstrate how to record the resulting MIDI for use elsewhere. Overall, the workflow is flexible, allowing for endless creative possibilities with just a few simple modules.

In this video, I show why I love using Bitwig Studio for its powerful modular capabilities, allowing me to experiment and create unique sounds and effects without relying on external VST plugins or hardware. I demonstrate building a patch from scratch, making custom reverbs and rhythmic effects, and generating melodies using the grid system, all within Bitwig’s internal tools. My main point is that Bitwig lets me explore, have fun, and quickly develop creative ideas in endless ways, making music production both flexible and enjoyable.

In this video, I show you a cool party trick in Bitwig Studio using the Grid, where I turn a simple Dirac signal into random, musical percussive sounds by combining transient detection, randomized filter frequencies, and pitch quantization all synchronized to the beat grid. I demonstrate how easy and flexible the Grid is for creative sound design, layering multiple voices with different parameters and even quantizing live audio input, making it fun to experiment with any sound source. If you want to try this yourself, I'll upload the patch to GitHub for free,like and subscribe for more!

In this video, I demo the new Time 12 plugin, which is a free, open-source time shaper/delay buffer now available on all major platforms, and I showcase its new sequencer feature along with some creative uses for ambient sound design in Bitwig. I walk through generating random waveforms, manipulating playback speed and pitch with the sequencer, and layering additional effects like reverb and delay for more texture, plus I highlight similar updates in Gate 12. If you’re interested, the download link is in the description, please like, subscribe, and consider donating to support the developer!

Is Bitwig Studio worth it in 2025? This review explains Bitwig's best features, the main pros and cons, and why producers choose it for modulation, The Grid, plugin sandboxing, and Linux support.

Last week, I attended Superbooth in Berlin, where I checked out a lot of synth and software gear, including a standout product from GRM Tools called Atelier, a semi-modular VST focused on sound design and ambience that really impressed me with its intuitive interface and high-quality sound. Developed by just two people (one being a musician), Atelier reminds me of Bitwig’s modular approach and looks promising for creative sound exploration, especially with its excellent modulation options and channel routing features. Look out for its release in September, I’ve included a link to their site below if you want to stay updated!

In this video, I demonstrate the new Gate 12 plugin, a free and open source audio gate that now works on Windows, Mac, and Linux, with added features like audio and MIDI triggers, sidechaining, and a paint mode for custom envelopes. I show how to use it in Bitwig to gate a bassline using both audio and MIDI triggers, highlighting its flexibility and ease of use. If you need a feature-rich, cross-platform, and free alternative to plugins like LFO Tool or VolumeShaper, check out Gate 12 via the link in the description.

In this video, I show you how to use formulas in Serum's wavetable editor to create unique waveforms by manipulating variables like X, V, and Q. By focusing on simple mathematical expressions and randomization, you can generate interesting sound variations across different harmonic bins. Experiment with these techniques to expand your sound design possibilities in Serum.