Tags: posts polarity-music Bitwig Tutorial

Cubase 14 supports Bitwig DAWPROJECT

Tutorial | Nov 06, 2024

In this video, I explore Cubase 14's new ability to import and export DAWPROJECT files, an open-source format for exchanging projects developed by Bitwig developers. I test a simple drum and bass tune from Bitwig to Cubase and back, noting that while some elements like note clips, automation, and grouping transfer, certain features like stretch modes and some automations are missing or not fully compatible. Overall, it's a promising start for cross-DAW compatibility, though there is still significant room for improvement.

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Summary

Maybe you don't watch the video, here are some important takeaways:

In this video, I discuss the new version 14 of Cubase and focus on a significant feature that allows users to import and export DAWPROJECT files. This format is an open-source project associated with the developers of Bitwig Studio, aimed at providing a standard format for exchanging music projects between different digital audio workstations (DAWs).

I haven't used Cubase in over a decade, with my last version being Cubase 6, so I'm unfamiliar with what's new. However, the DAWPROJECT file format captured my interest. It's designed to improve project exchange by including modern functionalities like MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) and modulation data.

To test this feature, I use the trial version of Cubase 14. I start with a drum and bass track created in Bitwig Studio, which includes both VST plugins and some of Bitwig's internal instruments like Phase-4 for the bass. After exporting the project from Bitwig in the DAWPROJECT format, I import it into Cubase.

During the import process in Cubase, things don't go entirely smoothly. I notice that the stretch modes and some loops are not supported correctly, and certain elements like the bass don't transfer because Cubase lacks the Phase-4 instrument. Automation data seems to be missing, too, and Cubase handles groups and busses differently from Bitwig, leading to confusion.

After exploring Cubase's interface— which I describe as reminiscent of Excel 2012—I attempt to export the project back into Bitwig. Upon importing this exported DAWPROJECT file into Bitwig, it appears additional information is lost. While the project's basic structure remains, a lot of details such as automation and certain audio/stretch parameters are missing.

I acknowledge that this is probably one of the first implementations of the DAWPROJECT format in Cubase, so there will likely be more development and bug fixes needed to improve the functionality. I express my skepticism about its current practical use for workflow between Bitwig and Cubase, though I ask viewers to share their thoughts on whether exchanging projects using DAWPROJECT is important for them.

Overall, I'm impressed that Cubase, a significant player in the DAW market, is supporting this small side project from Bitwig. I hope for improvements and broader adoption of the DAWPROJECT format, as well as support for the CLAP plugin format, in the future.

I then wrap up the video with a request for viewers to like, comment, and subscribe to my channel for more such content.

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 today it's about Bitwig Studio and Cubase because
[00:00:06] Cubase announced a new version version 14 of Cubase here and a lot of new features in there
[00:00:14] I have no idea what's actually new and what's old because I haven't used Cubase in at least
[00:00:19] 10 years my last version was Cubase 6 or something like this and yeah there are some new features
[00:00:26] here but the biggest feature is that you can now import and export DAWPROJECT files and DAWPROJECT
[00:00:35] project is actually a side project of the Bitwig developers and some other guys it's kind of an
[00:00:41] open source format for exchanging projects so I want to try this here with Cubase 14 I have the trial
[00:00:48] version installed so don't be scared I don't want to be used Cubase in the future it's just for this
[00:00:55] video right so I have here this drum bass tune
[00:00:58] so very simple a lot of VSTs in there also some Bitwig internal stuff here I'm using
[00:01:11] bass 4 for the bass and also modulations here here and there so I want to see what's actually
[00:01:19] happening when I export this here with dot project you can see here you can export this to this new
[00:01:26] format or to this open source format and I just go here for the file directory or for my main folder
[00:01:34] Bitwig project folder let's hit save
[00:01:36] um so yeah but this format you can then go to Cubase here and this is all in German I guess I can switch
[00:01:46] this to English but I haven't found a way to do this so you can create your new project in Cubase but we can
[00:01:53] also go to file and then hit import and then we have your AAF which is also some kind of exchange format
[00:02:02] also OMF I think this is really old and we have now DAWPROJECT and I think the big benefit of DAWPROJECT is that it's modern
[00:02:11] so you have a lot of things in there I think something like MPE so like pitch informations for each node
[00:02:19] and also a modulation and so on so let's use DAWPROJECT here and now um Cubase wants me to define
[00:02:28] a new folder where I save all the informations into so I go here to my Cubase project Cubase folder
[00:02:36] and say can I just make you a new folder let's create a new folder and say um what's the name
[00:02:44] real bad man import okay so let's use this folder and then he wants me to select the star project file
[00:02:57] which is in my bitwig project folder here this one open this up let's see what's happening
[00:03:06] um okay so something is happening so this is okay so this is how Cubase 14 looks like and uh to be honest um
[00:03:15] yeah it looks okay it looks a bit like uh excel 2012 to be honest uh but it looks like it imported all
[00:03:27] the stuff so we have here the audio files and we have some note clips we can open the note clips nice okay
[00:03:35] so let's see what happens when i play here
[00:03:37] okay so it messed up um probably here my
[00:03:48] yeah the stretching in let me see i have some loops here this is using slice mode
[00:04:00] so i'm using so the stretch modes are not supported i guess so we probably have to fix that um
[00:04:08] yeah also this loop here is fucked up kinda so the base is missing because we have no phase four here
[00:04:21] um on Cubase um on Cubase can we open up here the modulation oh there are all the modulations in
[00:04:28] there so i guess there are also the module so the automation is missing i guess um there is also no
[00:04:36] automation here on the base group this is probably not possible on Cubase i guess um
[00:04:47] i have your automation i have i'm switching on and off here the delay maybe there's no delay on on the
[00:04:54] on the group here
[00:04:55] there actually is something to open up here the chain is there something like a chain i have no
[00:05:03] idea how Cubase works to be honest um i completely lost track um so these are the groups now here
[00:05:16] oh okay i see so um in bitwig we basically have here groups are automatically buses right so in
[00:05:24] Cubase that's not possible so we have here now a group which kind of groups these uh things visually
[00:05:31] together and then we have on top the buses but here we have then also no automation
[00:05:45] there's actually a way to see what's used in here i have no idea so but it looks like it can import at
[00:05:52] least some of the node clips here uh some of the automation and some of the grouping and yeah the
[00:06:02] slicing or the stretch modes are missing in Cubase
[00:06:09] i have no idea how people can actually use this uh this to pay money for for this and say
[00:06:15] yes that's where i want to make music in right i have no idea but also people say something like i
[00:06:22] vote for trump in my own country so i have no idea um i guess there are reasons okay um
[00:06:30] can i can i close this here is there a closing button mixing console all dozen and cross in the corner okay
[00:06:37] let's see so yeah it looks like it kind of work can i export here um dot project
[00:06:47] okay okay documents where i want to save this i want to save this to Cubase
[00:06:54] test export
[00:06:58] okay
[00:07:00] okay so now we go back here to um
[00:07:09] bitwig and say can we import here stuff there's no import dot project but maybe we can open it
[00:07:17] so let me see if this works um
[00:07:20] test export so let's open this up
[00:07:25] yeah we can just open this i guess
[00:07:31] okay so this is how it looks like when i imported back the exported
[00:07:37] thing so we have all then we have drums so this isn't this isn't tagged but
[00:07:44] okay this is strange
[00:07:48] um let me see if their automation is also missing here on the base
[00:07:58] there's no automation here so some of the
[00:08:01] loops are missing
[00:08:03] but the kind of the structure is intact
[00:08:09] also here all the buses are doubled then there's something on here no
[00:08:16] perfect queue is here so a lot of stuff is missing but i guess um that's the first implementation
[00:08:27] in Cubase um
[00:08:29] and i don't know any other dot that uses star project maybe if you know another dot that uses
[00:08:35] door project let me know i test this
[00:08:37] but i guess this is the first implementation so we can test back and forth you know export and import
[00:08:43] and export and import and then we can see and test and um bring in some bug fixes here and there
[00:08:49] but i guess there's a lot of work to do so in my opinion here if you export this from
[00:08:55] from bitwig then import it to Cubase then some informations are lost right and then you export
[00:09:00] it again and then another uh bunch of information is lost but you can see it kinda kinda kinda goes in the
[00:09:09] right direction so there's probably some work to do here um so yeah let me know in the comments how
[00:09:17] important that this is actually for your workflow do you plan to use actually this in uh in real life do
[00:09:24] you want to switch between Cubase and bitwig studio for some reason um yeah would be nice to know but you
[00:09:33] as you can see it kind of works and it's actually nice that Cubase which is such a big yeah company
[00:09:40] implements a small side project of some bitwig developers right it's really nice to see
[00:09:46] and i also hope they um support clap in the future would be also nice to see and um yeah that's kind of it
[00:09:57] so uh thanks for watching leave a like and let me know what you think in the comments down below
[00:10:02] leave a subscription see you next time bye
[00:10:05] Thank you.