Bend

A sign-preserving two-stage curve that bends signal magnitude toward a logarithmic- or exponential-style response.

What it does #

Bend changes how values are distributed between zero and full magnitude while preserving their sign. At Amount 0 the input is unchanged; positive and negative Amount values bend intermediate magnitudes in opposite directions without moving the nominal zero and ±1 anchors.

Controls and ports #

Control	Label	Official description
amount	Amount	Curve factor, where '0 %' results in no change, positive values impose a logarithmic-type curve, and negative values impose an exponential one

Practical uses #

• Change an envelope or LFO's response without changing its endpoints.
• Redistribute modulation resolution toward small or large magnitudes.
• Enable Stereo-ize to make one stereo lane bend in the opposite direction from the other.

Things to know #

• The curve is applied to absolute magnitude and the original sign is restored afterward.
• Zero, +1, and -1 are fixed points for the nominal curve range.
• The recovered implementation applies the same quadratic bend operation twice, producing a stronger curve than a single pass.
• Values outside the intended -1 to +1 range can behave differently from a conventional power curve and need explicit testing.

Technical details #

A high-confidence Nitro implementation candidate supports the technical summary, but the visible-module mapping remains inferred.

The exact grid/level/grid_level_bend body sets a=abs(in) and c=amount, or alternates c=<b,-b,...> when Stereo-ize is on. It then applies F(z,c)=z*(1+c*(1-z)) twice: x=F(a,c), out=copySign(F(x,c),in). Amount 0 is identity and sign is preserved. No transcendental logarithm or exponent is used; the labels describe the curve's appearance.

Nitro port	Type
in	InputAudioPortType
b	InputAudioPortType
stereoize	InputValuePortType
out	OutputAudioPortType

Open questions #

• Measure visible Amount range and points at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 for both Amount polarities.
• Test negative inputs, values outside ±1, Stereo-ize lane ordering, modulation smoothing, and audio-rate use.
• Verify NaN, infinity, signed zero, and exact endpoint ownership in Bitwig.

Version and sources #

Checked against Bitwig Studio 6.0.6. This page combines Bitwig's module metadata, the existing Grid course and guides, and Nitro analysis where the mapping is strong enough to support a technical statement.

Related material #

• Grid Modules course reference

Return to Bitwig Grid Modules or the Grid Modules course lesson.