Community Report 2025-09-08 - Launcher Desyncs and Automation Dice Rolls in Beta, while Stable Users Tackle Routing, Scripts, and Theming

Most of the chatter focused on Bitwig 6 beta oddities: clips relaunching mid-loop, flaky automation playback, and paste-time inconsistencies. Users compared experiences, shared reproductions, and sent reports to support. On the stable side, folks solved sample audition routing, t

Bitwig Community Report 2025-09-08 #

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.

Sample Audition Routing Only to Headphones (Bitwig 5.3) #

A user found sample auditioning routed to headphones while the project played on main outs. The fix was in the Monitor panel: adjust the audition output there so previews go to main outputs like the rest of the project.

Undo/Redo Greyed Out with Spitfire BBC Orchestra (VST2) #

On Windows, undo/redo buttons became disabled only when BBC Orchestra VST2 was loaded. Others suggested testing the VST3 version (reports say VST3 saves mic settings in newer Bitwig versions) and verifying multi-out config; no universal repro from others.

Tightening External Gear: ERM Multiclock + ES-8 Latency #

A performer using ERM Multiclock and ES-8 asked if Time Shift values can be adjusted live without hiccups. General advice leaned toward caution during performance and pre-testing latency shifts to avoid sync glitches mid-set.

First-Hit Missing on Export #

A snare failed to render on first playback in exports while playing fine in the project. The practical workaround was bouncing the snare; likely a project-specific quirk or plugin edge case.

Browser Freeze When Adding Tracks/Plugins (5.3) #

Several reported the browser hanging with an infinite loading animation. Suggested steps: fully reindex at the Everything level and temporarily disable controller scripts (non-hardware scripts can interfere). If it persists, send details to support.

Snap Toggled Off by Accident #

A user suddenly needed Shift to snap. The culprit was the Snap toggle (default shortcut S). Solution: re-enable Snap via the orange button and consider unassigning the S shortcut to prevent accidental toggles.

Mapping FL Key 37 for Transport and Mix Controls #

Transport mapping was straightforward; for deeper integration (mixer levels, cursor track, remotes), users recommended Moss's Flexi Script for flexible controller mapping, with links provided.

Linux Notes: Latency Compensation and RT Kernels #

For latency compensation on Linux, one approach is using a hardware loopback (output to input) and measuring via hardware device latency tools. Mixed experiences with real-time kernels (musnix): some reported freezes and buffer overruns even with native devices; no single fix emerged.

Sound Design: Buzzy Pad and Drum Machines #

To recreate a buzzy pad, suggestions included modulating saw phase/frequency with filtered noise, then saturating and filtering to taste. On Baby Audio Tekno vs Bitwig’s E-Devices, consensus was that Bitwig can recreate most results; choose based on preferred workflow/interface rather than sound quality alone.

Theming: Patching bitwig.jar and default.bte #

Theme editor usage on Windows required running the terminal as admin and pointing to bitwig.jar. A new dev build improved path handling, but some still couldn’t generate default.bte (failing at step 2), so further troubleshooting is needed.

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.

Clips Relaunch Mid-Loop and Stay Desynced Until Relaunched #

Multiple users reproduced a Bitwig 6 beta issue where clips launched or edited during playback relaunch correctly with quantization but then start from mid-clip after transport stop/start, ignoring the clip’s visible start marker. Scene launch restores sync, while starting via spacebar can reintroduce the offset. Affected users documented steps, noted differences from 5.3, and filed reports.

Alt-Drag Stretch Blocked by Existing Automation Lane #

A reported regression where Alt-drag clip stretching failed if an automation lane existed was confirmed fixed in beta .2.

Automation Playback Reliability Is Inconsistent #

In Beta 2 on Windows 11, parameters sometimes stuck at the last non-zero value instead of returning to zero, and three-point bracket edits (Alt+drag) didn’t always return to baseline. Others saw “holds” behaving oddly and suspected certain macro automations reading at double speed. Not consistently reproducible but frequent enough for multiple reports.

Cut Time / Paste Time, Ripple, and Commander Inconsistencies #

Cut Time works from Commander even if the shortcut fails; Paste Time sometimes acts like regular Paste or doesn’t appear in Commander at all. Ripple-related actions triggered crashes for some. Users also discovered a handy zoom-to-cue-markers gesture (Alt on the ruler) and discussed minor oddities across OSes. Several formal bug reports were filed.

Duplicating Track Crash and Time-Selection Quirks #

A crash duplicating a track (Note Transpose + Serum2) was reported earlier; later reports say simple duplication seems fine but time-selection edits and even basic copy/paste can behave unpredictably in some sessions. Intermittent and still under observation.

Clip Launcher Automation Not Writing to Clip #

One user couldn’t get clip-launcher automation to record into the clip, only to the arranger. Another asked to verify which record button was armed (scene slot vs global). It’s unclear if this is user setup, a mode mismatch, or a beta bug.

UI/UX Debates: Cue Marker Renaming and Intentionality #

Lively discussion around the removal of Alt+double-click rename for cue markers. Some argued it’s a small regression in speed; others cited accessibility and avoiding inadvertent mode switches. Suggestions included auto-focusing rename after creation, numbered defaults, and ensuring consistency with Ctrl+R. No consensus, but clear feedback for the devs.

Visual Style and General Beta Stability #

Aesthetic chatter compared Bitwig 6’s look to older eras (tongue-in-cheek), with most agreeing it’s cleaner and modern. Stability impressions varied: some found Beta 2 smoother than Beta 1; others saw frequent UI lag and crashes. Users remained enthusiastic despite bumps.

Plugin State Loss in Beta 2 on Older Projects #

One user reported older projects opening with several VST settings reset (e.g., Pro-Q 4, OTT), while Trackspacer retained its state. New projects saved and reopened fine, hinting at a migration edge case. Community urged sending the project to support.

Mixer Width and Shortcuts #

Selecting all mixer lanes to narrow together was tricky. Users noted that Ctrl/Cmd +/- adjusts mixer width, and wished for more contextual shortcut parity with arranger lane height.

Audition Tool (Solo as Cue) Inconsistencies #

Reports indicated audition behavior was inconsistent across track types: it worked correctly for audio but not for MIDI in some Beta 2 setups. More data needed for a reliable repro.

Piano Editor Zoom Resets in Multi-Track Editing #

Switching clips in multi-track mode resets the piano editor zoom; track mode selection can collapse the multi-track view. Users flagged this as cumbersome and suggested preserving zoom and visibility states.