Tags: posts polarity-music Bitwig Bitwig-5.1 Generative Poly-Grid Preset Tutorial FromScratch

Creating a Mesmerizing Generative Grid in Bitwig Studio

Tutorial | Nov 28, 2023

In this video, I create a generative ambient patch from scratch using Bitwig Studio. I start by creating a drone sound using polygrid and adding pitch modulation to create different pitches on the left and right sides. I then add effects like chorus and filters to add depth and modulation to the sound.

You can watch the Video on Youtube - support me on Patreon

Today, I'm diving back into creating a generative grid, something I haven't done in a while. Let's jump into the key moments of this process:

Questions & Answers

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

What is the main focus of this video?

The main focus of this video is to create a generative ambient patch inside of Bitwig Studio using the Polygrid plugin. The video walks through step by step how to create the patch from scratch, including creating a drone sound, modulating parameters, adding filters and effects, and creating additional sounds on top of the drone.

What is the process for creating the generative ambient patch?

The process for creating the generative ambient patch involves starting with a sawtooth waveform, adding pitch and transposing it differently for the left and right side to create stereo, using a filter to change the tonality, adding modulation using LFO and sample and hold, adding stereo effects like chorus and delay, and creating additional sounds using wavetable, arpeggiator, and percussion modules.

How does the generative ambient patch sound?

The generative ambient patch has a drone-like sound that evolves over time. The patch includes a drone sound with changing tonality, layered with arpeggios and percussion sounds. The patch creates a rich and atmospheric ambient texture.

Where can I find the preset for the generative ambient patch?

The preset for the generative ambient patch can be found in the description of the video. It is compatible with Bitwig Studio 5.1 beta version seven or later. Simply download the preset and load it into Bitwig Studio to explore and experiment with the generative ambient patch.

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 folks, welcome back to another video.
[00:00:13] Haven't made actually a generative grid in a long time.
[00:00:17] So I want to do exactly that in this video.
[00:00:21] So I want to create a generative ambient patch inside of Bitwig Studio from scratch.
[00:00:27] So we have here Bitwig Studio opens the fresh project.
[00:00:30] We go to 85 BPM.
[00:00:33] We don't need audio track on the instrument track one.
[00:00:36] We load in polygrid.
[00:00:38] Empty, of course.
[00:00:41] Polygrid itself is in monophonic mode.
[00:00:45] So it can just run one voice.
[00:00:47] We size the window and then we start by maybe creating some kind of drone sound.
[00:00:55] So I'm going for saw, sawtooth and I need a pitch.
[00:01:03] Let's say this one here.
[00:01:04] So we go to the sharp to use this as an input note.
[00:01:10] We use this scaling here and we disable the pre chord.
[00:01:14] And then I want to use basically the left oscillator and the right oscillator.
[00:01:19] So every oscillator inside of the grid uses a left one and the right channel.
[00:01:25] So I'm going here for a stereo a merge before the pitch input.
[00:01:34] So you can change the pitch for the left side and for the right side separately.
[00:01:39] So but instead of using a pitch input, I use a transpose.
[00:01:45] And I want to transpose basically here the left side differently from the right side.
[00:01:52] The right side is maybe seven semi tones up, which is just a fifth.
[00:01:58] And now we get basically a different pitch on the left side and on the right side.
[00:02:07] It's an amplifier here.
[00:02:09] If I turn this down.
[00:02:15] So you can hear left side is differently pitched than the right side.
[00:02:19] That's cool.
[00:02:21] So now we use a stereo stereo split here and we use the mid output.
[00:02:30] So now we have basically the left side and the right right side in one channel.
[00:02:36] Right.
[00:02:38] Instead of this, we get this.
[00:02:43] Okay.
[00:02:44] So that's basically our sound for the for the drone.
[00:02:53] And we need the filter here and I go for, let's say this maybe pull this down.
[00:03:00] And then I want to modulate your parameters on that on that thing to change basically
[00:03:05] the sound.
[00:03:13] But it changes the tonality.
[00:03:16] That's exactly what we want.
[00:03:18] So I go for an LFO or maybe not LFO, I go for sample and hold random mode here and I use
[00:03:26] Hertz.
[00:03:28] It's not retriggered smoothing all the way up.
[00:03:32] Maybe zero dot three.
[00:03:34] So pretty slow.
[00:03:35] And we want to change your super meters, maybe this one here.
[00:03:43] Go with this zero and duplicate this and then modulate here.
[00:03:47] We have different populations, right?
[00:03:49] For this knob and for this knob.
[00:03:52] We want to dial in your feedback maybe manually and we want to, let's say, change it offset.
[00:04:02] Let's go to C4.
[00:04:03] Let's go in here and maybe for semitones or maybe for semitones.
[00:04:22] So this of course is straight mono because we use here the left side and the right side
[00:04:27] differently, but then we fold it back into one channel here with the mid thing.
[00:04:33] So I want to bring in a bit of stereo on S here.
[00:04:36] So what I do is basically I try to offset here the left side a little bit.
[00:04:44] So the LFO is different for the left side and the right side.
[00:04:47] So we have different frequency settings here for the left side and right side.
[00:04:52] So this gives us probably a bit of stereo on S.
[00:05:10] Just a bit.
[00:05:13] To make this even better, we want to use your chorus in there and go for eight voices.
[00:05:22] With all the way up here, speed slow.
[00:05:25] Let's see how this sounds.
[00:05:30] Much better.
[00:05:33] So then we go here for stereo split, stereo merge and to use an All-Pass on the left side,
[00:05:46] All-Pass on the right side.
[00:06:00] Maybe a mod delay just to get some kind of type of reverb.
[00:06:12] Something like this.
[00:06:15] Maybe another All-Pass here.
[00:06:22] Another All-Pass here.
[00:06:27] And maybe we blend in the dry signal with the wet signal here.
[00:06:36] And we can put here maybe another All-Pass in here.
[00:06:49] And maybe we can bring in at some point a low pass.
[00:06:54] So we can go for MOOC filter here.
[00:07:09] Okay let's duplicate this one here and use it for filter.
[00:07:25] Very good to see four.
[00:07:29] Okay so this would be the drone here.
[00:07:39] It's actually not complicated.
[00:07:41] Just a bunch of modules here.
[00:07:43] Let me put this here.
[00:07:52] That's a bit more compact.
[00:07:55] Okay.
[00:07:58] Let's see what else can we do.
[00:08:06] Maybe you can bring in here some kind of halftime module.
[00:08:14] Or maybe not.
[00:08:15] Maybe you can add here to the FX box the new Valhalla supermassive.
[00:08:22] Just a new algorithm here, Leo or Virgil.
[00:08:28] Very good to note.
[00:08:32] Or let's say triplet.
[00:08:42] Something like that.
[00:08:44] Okay let's bring this down here a bit.
[00:08:48] So now we want to create some sounds on top of that because it's just a drone and it evolves
[00:08:55] all the time.
[00:08:58] Or let's actually, let me see.
[00:09:05] Maybe we can bring in a bit of pitch wobble here.
[00:09:13] Okay let's create or duplicate here this LFO.
[00:09:17] Let's modulate this here by let's say 20 semitones.
[00:09:28] Speed this up a bit.
[00:09:45] So you can hear the sound changes a bit.
[00:09:48] Not much but it's still the same note and so it's a nice backdrop.
[00:09:56] Let's go for a wavetable here.
[00:10:00] So let's create some kind of sounds on top of that.
[00:10:03] So use the value slider here.
[00:10:08] This is something I want to use for the notes.
[00:10:12] I use a step mod here.
[00:10:18] Put this into 16 notes.
[00:10:21] Randomize, hit play.
[00:10:27] Maybe bipolar.
[00:10:30] And then modulate this here.
[00:10:35] 30%.
[00:10:36] Then go into a quantizer.
[00:10:42] Use my D sharp minor scale because we use here down here D sharp right.
[00:10:47] I'm going to that.
[00:10:50] Hold this up.
[00:10:51] Disable that.
[00:10:52] Then we use a sample and hold.
[00:10:56] We use a bunch of triggers.
[00:10:59] Let's go to 16.
[00:11:02] Let's go to 3 here.
[00:11:05] Clock quantize.
[00:11:09] Let's go for a chance.
[00:11:11] So we just don't play all the notes, just a bunch of them.
[00:11:16] We trigger the sample and hold.
[00:11:20] We trigger the AD here.
[00:11:27] Maybe go also here for 16 voices unison.
[00:11:35] Then we go into an out.
[00:11:39] Go into an amp.
[00:11:41] So we can change the volume here.
[00:11:55] Okay then we probably want to introduce a bit of lag.
[00:12:00] So the changes between the notes are actually a glide.
[00:12:11] And we add just some kind of reverb.
[00:12:24] So we want to add chorus.
[00:12:39] Want to add an all pass.
[00:12:45] And maybe a filter.
[00:12:47] Let's go for a ripple here.
[00:12:50] Or let's say rasp.
[00:12:58] Yeah, we can mutilate this later on here.
[00:13:12] Or maybe you can bring this down here one octave.
[00:13:15] Let's use an octaver here.
[00:13:26] Let's add a multi-layer and a blend.
[00:13:49] Another out pass.
[00:13:59] And we need to modulate this here with some LFOs.
[00:14:17] Yeah, sounds cool so far.
[00:14:46] Maybe we want to use here also an octaver.
[00:14:50] We switch the octaves with a second step mod here.
[00:14:57] This one has a different step length.
[00:15:04] So one up maybe, two up.
[00:15:10] And a bit slower.
[00:15:21] So that's that filter.
[00:15:31] It's slower maybe.
[00:15:40] Oh yeah, I think we mutilate this too here but with the dice.
[00:15:46] So I trigger this here and then I use a multi-layer out.
[00:15:52] Then I change the attack time.
[00:16:01] And to use a different wavetable here.
[00:16:07] We also change the position of the index here.
[00:16:18] Something different.
[00:16:31] Let's also change the lag here every time we trigger.
[00:16:37] Let's go to zero here.
[00:16:40] So it's not always the same glide setting between the notes.
[00:17:02] That sounds cool.
[00:17:08] Maybe we also want to randomize the pen setting.
[00:17:10] So it's slightly left and slightly right at random.
[00:17:17] So we use the dice here.
[00:17:18] This is bipolar so we go left and right.
[00:17:38] Okay nice.
[00:17:44] Let's move this here.
[00:17:59] Okay so let's create some kind of arpeggiator on top of that.
[00:18:03] So we go for a sign.
[00:18:08] We need the same construct here.
[00:18:11] More or less.
[00:18:12] Let's go for 13.
[00:18:17] Okay dear.
[00:18:20] Don't need this.
[00:18:22] For the pictures we use paste in and the sign mod.
[00:18:33] And then attenuate, scale it.
[00:18:38] Use the sample and hold.
[00:18:41] Let's use the switch quantizer here.
[00:18:44] Let's go into that.
[00:18:49] We trigger that.
[00:18:51] Nice.
[00:18:53] We trigger that.
[00:18:58] And we probably also want to have an octaver so we can switch the octaves.
[00:19:04] Let's go in here.
[00:19:09] And else delay 2 or more delay.
[00:19:19] Blend.
[00:19:20] Try and wet signal.
[00:19:24] All pass device in between that.
[00:19:29] Let's go for chorus.
[00:19:41] Amplify and out.
[00:19:44] See all the sounds.
[00:19:50] Yeah we use the step mod for that.
[00:20:00] Different step size here too.
[00:20:07] And mod to C by 2.
[00:20:29] Let's try a dice here.
[00:20:31] We trigger the dice and use a modulator out here to change the skew.
[00:20:36] Let's go to bipolar.
[00:20:42] Yes.
[00:20:51] Let's add a bit of diffusion here before the mod delay.
[00:21:07] Maybe a phaser.
[00:21:27] The mod delay in front of that.
[00:21:39] Like that.
[00:22:04] To make the sine wave actually a bit more interesting we could use the face input.
[00:22:10] So we can.
[00:22:12] Let me see.
[00:22:17] Use maybe feedback loop.
[00:22:37] So we need to find out the right way.
[00:23:06] We need to find out the right settings for all these tracks.
[00:23:13] Thank you for bringing this here more in the background.
[00:23:24] And then we kind of sequence this here with a random mod.
[00:23:29] And the random mod is using bars.
[00:23:32] We use 16 bars randomized or maybe 32 bars free.
[00:23:41] And then we use this to basically fade in and out these arpeggios here.
[00:23:55] Maybe don't go completely zero.
[00:24:20] Okay.
[00:24:29] This kind of sounds cool.
[00:24:38] Maybe we can add some percussion sounds, maybe some bass sounds to it.
[00:24:57] Could be interesting.
[00:25:05] It's getting too loud.
[00:25:20] Maybe I try to add just some sine bass shots to it.
[00:25:31] In the key of the sharp of course.
[00:25:46] And to use a chance module so we don't trigger the bass all the time.
[00:25:54] Just a few times here and then.
[00:26:21] So this is the bass now.
[00:26:51] This is the bass.
[00:26:56] So maybe we add some percussion to it.
[00:27:01] So let's start with noise.
[00:27:03] White noise.
[00:27:07] We probably want to have here this construct.
[00:27:13] AD stereo.
[00:27:20] Let's go for that.
[00:27:25] Let's see if we can use one of the new filters here.
[00:27:37] Could try use here the walls for that.
[00:27:40] Let's see.
[00:27:51] The high pass probably.
[00:27:54] We don't need that.
[00:27:55] We need an out.
[00:28:00] And an amplifier.
[00:28:13] Oh yeah we can use maybe here the output of that as a pitch input.
[00:28:43] Maybe we delay it.
[00:29:13] Okay let's use the dice for that.
[00:29:25] Let's add the dice and then change here.
[00:30:19] Let's try a multi-layer on that.
[00:31:14] Not sure if it makes sense, but...
[00:31:21] Let's try a flanger instead.
[00:31:50] Hmm, it doesn't make sense here.
[00:32:10] I think that this sounds better.
[00:32:20] So we can use also a random mode to sequence this.
[00:32:38] So we bring the volume down,
[00:32:39] and then we use this here to...
[00:32:42] Yeah, modulate the amplifier.
[00:32:49] Bring this down to C3.
[00:33:19] Yeah, and maybe also sequence here the drone,
[00:33:22] just that.
[00:33:26] Bring down the volume a bit.
[00:33:31] So it's not always the same volume all the time.
[00:33:39] So let's get rid of some harmonics here.
[00:34:01] Let me put the peak limit at the end.
[00:34:12] There you have it, a nice generator polygrid.
[00:34:26] I mean, it's not really generative,
[00:34:28] but you can change the main patch here.
[00:35:09] Oh yeah, we can modulate here the base modulation.
[00:35:15] So I saved this here,
[00:35:32] and then I put the preset of the script patch
[00:35:37] into the description.
[00:35:38] So you can download it if you want to
[00:35:41] and have some fun with it.
[00:35:43] This is here,
[00:35:47] 5.1 beta version seven.
[00:35:49] So you need at least beta seven, okay?
[00:35:52] To load this.
[00:35:54] And I think that's it for this video.
[00:35:57] So leave a like if you liked the video,
[00:35:59] if you liked the patch,
[00:36:00] download the patch in the description below,
[00:36:02] subscribe to the channel.
[00:36:03] Thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next video.