Creating Rhythms with Oscillators in Bitwig Studio 3.0 Beta 2

Tutorial | May 17, 2019

In this video, I downloaded the new version of Bitwig Studio 3.0 Beta 2 and explored the new features, including an output clipping parameter on the audio out of the grid device. Then, I discussed pulley rhythms and chords and how to turn chords into pulley rhythms and back. I demonstrated a small setup in the Grid with multiple oscillators playing chords and how to modulate their pitch using a value parameter and an I/O output modulator. I also implemented filter devices to distinguish the sounds and used the low-pitched LFOs as timing signals to trigger other oscillators in a more audible range. I showed how this technique can be expanded and used to create different rhythm structures, using different ratios and even playing on the keyboard. Overall, it's a fun and easy way to create rhythm structures with oscillators.

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Questions & Answers #

Maybe you dont watch the video, here are some important takeaways:

Question 1: What is the new feature in the Bitwig Studio 3.0 Beta 2 update? #

Answer: The new feature in the Bitwig Studio 3.0 Beta 2 update is the addition of an output clipping parameter on the audio out of the grid device. This means that users now have the option to choose between clipping off hard and soft, providing more control over the audio output and enhancing the overall sound quality.

Question 2: How can pulley rhythms be created using chords? #

Answer: To create pulley rhythms using chords, you first need to set up a grid in the Bitwig Studio. Start by adding an envelope module that connects to the audio output. Then, choose an oscillator (such as a saw oscillator) and add it to the grid. Connect the oscillator to a mixer, and duplicate the oscillator and connect the duplicates to the mixer as well. This will provide you with multiple oscillators playing simultaneously.

Next, you will need to turn these oscillators into a chord. Determine the root note, major third, and perfect fifth of the chord and adjust the pitch accordingly. In this example, the root note is zero, the major third is four semitones up, and the perfect fifth is seven semitones up. This will create a major chord.

To create a pulley rhythm, you can then use an I/O output modulator to modulate the pitch information. Attach the value parameter to the modulator out and adjust the pitch offset accordingly, allowing you to change the depth and rhythm of the chord. You can also add a filter device between each oscillator to better distinguish the sounds.

Question 3: How can pulley rhythms be turned into audible signals in a different pitch range? #

Answer: To turn pulley rhythms into audible signals in a different pitch range, you can use the timing signals generated by the low-pitched LFOs or oscillators to trigger another oscillator. Every time a phase is completed, the parameter jumps from 0 to 1, which can be used to trigger gates.

Connect the gate to an envelope and route this envelope to a different oscillator that has a different voicing. You can also use multiple oscillators and connect them to a mixer device for more variation in sound. This allows you to have more control over the musicality of the pulley rhythms and shape the sound more effectively.

Question 4: Can this technique be expanded upon and customized further? #

Answer: Yes, this technique can be expanded upon and customized further to create more complex and intricate rhythm structures. You can experiment with different ratios, adjust the pitch range, and even play on the keyboard to change the pitch dynamically.

By exploring different configurations and modulations with oscillators, you can create unique and personalized rhythm structures in Bitwig Studio. The possibilities are endless, and it's a fun and easy way to explore the creative potential of oscillators.

Transcription #

This is what im talking about in this video. The text is transcribed by AI, so it might not be perfect. If you find any mistakes, please let me know.
You can also click on the timestamps to jump to the right part of the video, which should be helpful.

[00:00:00] Hey in today's video I want to... Wait a minute... There's an update!
[00:00:07] Let's download that. I see you in a minute. Hey I downloaded the new version
[00:00:13] Bitwig Studio 3.0 Beta 2 and there are a lot of new features in there and you
[00:00:20] can see the features on the release notes here and you can see we have now
[00:00:26] an output clipping parameter on the audio out of the
[00:00:33] grid device. As you can see here we have now clipping off hard and soft.
[00:00:38] Really nice. But today I want to talk about pulley rhythms and chords and how
[00:00:45] you can turn chords into pulley rhythms and back and Y and so on. It's basically
[00:00:52] a small trick how you can create rhythms. So I have the grid
[00:00:56] already open and we have already a small setup here. An envelope module that goes
[00:01:02] to the audio out and at first we need an oscillator and I choose an saw oscillator.
[00:01:09] As you can see in the tab here oscillator saw and then you select this
[00:01:14] module drag it in and then we need a mix and mixer and then we drag the oscillator
[00:01:23] into the mixer and the mixer goes into the envelope module and we need of
[00:01:29] course multiple oscillators so we duplicate this
[00:01:38] and we need to attach this to the mixer too. And now we have three oscillators
[00:01:46] playing pretty loud. Okay and now we turn these oscillators into a chord so we
[00:01:59] have our bass root note here which is zero then we choose the major third
[00:02:07] which is four semitones up and then we use the perfect fifth to two into seven
[00:02:18] semitones up. So this should be a major chord.
[00:02:23] Okay and now we want to turn everything down in pitch and but for that we use
[00:02:32] an value parameter here and now we use an I/O output modulator out to
[00:02:45] actually modulate the pitch information here. Then I attach the value to this
[00:02:51] modulator out and I modulate the pitch offset here.
[00:02:58] Drag it down
[00:03:02] so done. Then we change the ratio on the on the oscillators to go low enough.
[00:03:11] Okay so just track this up to five.
[00:03:16] This should already sound pretty deep.
[00:03:21] So it's just pitch down basically but we want to go deeper so we can turn up this
[00:03:28] value here. You can hear a rhythm a polyrhythm so there are three rhythms
[00:03:41] playing together. Okay and to better distinguish the sounds we implement a
[00:03:49] filter device in between each of these oscillators and I'm gonna use this one
[00:03:56] here. This, this, this.
[00:04:01] So maybe this is the bass drum, this is the snare and this is the hi-hat.
[00:04:25] So we can even go lower so the rhythm is slower or we can change the chord to a
[00:04:35] minor chord. Now we want to use these low pitched LFOs or oscillators to
[00:04:47] actually use it as an timing signal to trigger another oscillator in a more
[00:04:54] audible range. Okay so as you can see here we have our first saw and when we
[00:05:02] use the oscilloscope every time every time a face is done we have a parameter
[00:05:11] jump from 0 to 1 and we actually can use this to trigger gates. In this case we
[00:05:18] use this gate here. You have to turn this off.
[00:05:27] So you can hear we trigger basically every time a face is done we trigger
[00:05:33] this envelope and we can use this to
[00:05:40] route a different oscillator in here which has a different voicing.
[00:05:48] Or let's use multiple ones.
[00:06:17] And again let's use a mixer device here.
[00:06:27] And now we use everything.
[00:06:40] There.
[00:06:45] [Music]
[00:07:13] So the first oscillators generate a signal a timing signal in an unusual way
[00:07:21] which basically is a chord pitch down and we use these timing signals to
[00:07:26] trigger another oscillators in a different pitch range to actually have
[00:07:31] more a more musical approach to the sound so we can shape the sound more and
[00:07:37] these oscillators are basically just only for the timing. And you can advance
[00:07:44] this technique more and more and completely get rid of the timing of
[00:07:49] bitwig itself and only use the oscillators.
[00:07:57] Going different rhythm structures. Use different ratios.
[00:08:08] And even can play on the keyboard if you let turn this turn this nop on you can
[00:08:20] basically change the pitch with the keyboard. Okay let's clean this patch a
[00:08:32] bit up. We delete this mixer here because we don't use the output as an audio
[00:08:38] signal we just use it as a timing signal so we can delete that. We don't really
[00:08:44] need the filters because we also just need it as a timing signal so we can
[00:08:49] remove that. Or you can hear it. It has a small effect on the on the sound and on
[00:09:00] the triggering so you can decide if you want to leave that in. But I think
[00:09:12] instead of the saw oscillator it's better to use in triangle so let's
[00:09:20] replace that and turn it this way.
[00:09:39] That's not triggering why? I think this is a bug. Okay it was not in the audible
[00:09:52] range. Much better. So I think the triangle is better because the one
[00:10:12] signal is always at the start of the phase so it's better for timing I think.
[00:10:21] Okay let's try some better pitches for the sounds.
[00:10:32] So much better. Yeah and you can develop this further, make better sounds, make
[00:11:01] more timings, different timing signals. And it's pretty fun and it's pretty easy
[00:11:07] to set up and you can see how easy it is to create rhythm structures with
[00:11:14] oscillators. So you have oscillators for timing and the sound and for modulations
[00:11:22] you can use oscillators for everything. It's pretty nice. Yeah that's basically
[00:11:27] it for this video for this episode. Thanks for watching. If you have
[00:11:32] suggestions or if you have questions or critic please leave it in the comments.
[00:11:37] Leave me a thumbs up if you like the video, thumbs down if you don't like it.
[00:11:42] And I see you in the next video I hope tomorrow. Bye!
[00:11:50] [Music]
[00:11:52] you