Community Report 2025-09-17 - Insert Silence vs. Insert Drama: Stable tips, Grid talk, Linux plugins, and the Beta Spraycan debate

Users shared practical fixes and workarounds for plugin discovery quirks, audio editing, and Clip Launcher bounce behavior. Grid discussions focused on oversampling costs, recorder limits, and the rationale for Note/Poly/FX variants. Linux users compared yabridge/Wine versions an

Bitwig Community Report 2025-09-17 #

This page summarizes recent discussions in the Bitwig Community Forums and Beta forums, highlighting user questions, solutions, and workflow tips. This is updated periodically as new topics arise.

Plugin discovery and format preferences #

Users noted that "Prefer CLAP over VST" and "prefer VST3 over VST2" may not hide all duplicates when plugin names differ (FabFilter VST2 vs VST3). Tips included selecting the preferred format location in Dashboard → Settings → Locations (not "All plugins"), using right-click Hide in the browser, and, when necessary, removing the older VST2 file to prevent discovery alongside VST3/CLAP.

Bitwig Connect 4/12 input routing questions #

Confusion around getting inputs 3/4 to the main 1/2 outputs suggested a routing issue: set an audio track to the correct input pair, arm/monitor it, and route audio to the master. For modular gear, prefer two mono inputs (L and R) rather than summing to stereo on a single input; use 2× mono-to-2× mono for true stereo.

Learning Polysynth: quick starts #

For fast orientation, users recommended pressing F1 on devices for interactive help and then exploratory sound design. Video suggestions were general (search YouTube), with a reminder that remaking sounds from other synths won’t be exact due to device differences.

Audio editor: removing onsets/stretch markers #

To delete stretch/onset markers, switch the editor view to Onsets (in v6: bottom-left editor icon → press/hold for mode menu), marquee-select markers, and delete. This clarified confusion about which editor mode permits marker edits.

Arrange-time edits desync automation #

Multiple users reproduced a bug where Insert Silence, Duplicate Time, and Remove Time can shift automation farther than notes/audio in Arrange. This mismatch complicates timeline edits and was flagged as important to fix.

No "Strip Silence": current workarounds and requests #

Bitwig lacks a Strip Silence function. Interim tips included using Onsets navigation and shortening events (e.g., Shift-8, Shift-9). Users were encouraged to request the feature via support@bitwig.com.

Device default presets sometimes don’t stick #

Saving a Device Default (right-click device → Device Default → Save as Default Preset) behaved inconsistently for some in 5.3.13 and intermittently in other versions; giving the browser time to index helped some users, but others still saw the plugin’s own default load.

Grid discussions: oversampling, recorder limits, and device variants #

Users highlighted CPU costs from oversampling (especially duplicating Note Grids), asked for per-instance oversampling controls or the ability to disable it for simple effects, and debated the separation of Note/Poly/FX Grids (same engine, different UI/defaults). The Recorder module’s lack of playback speed/phase control led some to prefer Array as a more flexible “low-fi buffer.”

Linux: yabridge/Wine status, plugin caveats, and performance #

The consensus: yabridge generally has no meaningful performance hit, but Wine compatibility is a moving target (Wine 9.21 was recommended as currently safer). Many Arturia instruments work; some vendors (e.g., iZotope) and Serum 2 remain problematic. Expect a narrower selection than Windows/macOS and plan around non-activating plugins.

MPE pitch expression recording inconsistencies (Osmose) #

One user couldn’t capture recorded pitch expression from Osmose (though other expressions recorded fine), while others reported success with various MPE controllers (LinnStrument, Osmose, ROLI). The disparity suggests configuration or version differences rather than a universal fault.

Production tidbits: shakers and stereo tricks #

The shaker-like sound in a referenced track may be a larger shaker or caxixi, sometimes layered (kashaka was also suggested). A shared mixing trick involved ring-mod sidechaining the Side channel with the Mid to eke out headroom; users cautioned to verify loudness and channel balance.

Clip Launcher bounce length quirk #

Bouncing the master into the Clip Launcher may produce a clip double the loop length, with playback looping the second half. Users suggested Bitwig should shift loop markers to the second iteration to improve visual clarity.

Browser and cloud-storage friction #

Large Collections (e.g., ~100k items) can slow the browser markedly when switching locations, and unsynced cloud files can trigger errors. Marking cloud folders (e.g., Dropbox) as available offline helped some, though performance and error handling remain pain points.

Bitwig Beta Corner #

If there is a BETA version available, users are encouraged to test new features and report bugs in the Beta forum. Here are some recent topics.

Track creation and pinning requests #

Beta testers missed the right-click "Insert New Track" flow and found hotkey-created track placement unclear. Requests surfaced to pin or lock FX and master tracks so they remain visible when scrolling in the Arranger.

Audition tool and zoom behavior #

With the Audition tool active, mouse-drag zooming was reportedly disabled, interrupting editing flow. Testers flagged this as an ergonomics regression.

Pencil vs. Spraycan: purpose and parity #

Debate centered on why the old Pencil behavior was split: some felt Spraycan duplicates Pencil’s prior "paint while dragging" use, while Pencil seems reduced. One clarifying note: Spraycan lets you hold and drag to place/remove multiple notes continuously; Pencil emphasizes per-cell clicks. Jokes about Spraycan masking the absence of a Glue tool abounded.

UI and grid density changes #

Users lamented needing heavier zoom to see finer divisions (1/16–1/32) and asked for direct shortcuts for grid resolutions (1/4 to 1/64). UI critiques included more rounded styling, increased whitespace near transport/tempo/time-signature, and reports that the option to reduce mixer track header color fill was removed compared to Bitwig 5.

Automation clip/aliasing ideas #

One suggestion that drew positive reactions: aliasing segments/curves with automation clips for more flexible and reusable automation edits.

Release cadence banter #

Light banter continued about "Beta 4 any minute now" and overall timing toward final release, alongside hopes for additional tools in future versions.