by Scale

Quantizes an incoming pitch to a note in Bitwig's current global key signature.

What it does #

The current editorial summary is: Quantizes an incoming pitch to a note in Bitwig's current global key signature.

by Scale takes any incoming pitch and moves it onto the active global scale. Its constraint mode chooses whether non-scale pitches resolve upward, downward, or with Bitwig's Smart rule.

Controls and ports #

Control	Label	Official description
in	In	Signal in to be quantized to the global key signature

Practical uses #

• Constrain random, generative, or heavily modulated pitch signals to the project scale.
• Place it after pitch arithmetic so the final result lands on an allowed note.
• Switch the global key signature to reharmonize one Grid patch without rebuilding its quantizer.

Things to know #

• The module follows the global key signature, so changing the project root or mode changes its mapping.
• Up and Down make the direction of correction explicit; Smart delegates the choice to Bitwig's key-signature quantizer.
• The mapped implementation rounds the incoming value to the nearest semitone before scale quantization, so microtonal deviations are not preserved.

Technical details #

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

The mapped Nitro module computes semitones = round(toSemitones(input)) for each signal lane. Smart mode calls the key signature's smart quantizer; Up and Down call its directional nearest-note quantizer. The selected key is converted back into the Grid pitch domain with fromSemitones.

Nitro port	Type
in	InputAudioPortType
ksig_hash	InputValuePortType
constrain_mode	InputValuePortType
out	OutputAudioPortType

Open questions #

• Document Smart mode's exact tie-breaking once the imported key-signature helper is available for inspection.

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 #

• Bitwig Studio 6 Scale Highlighting Feature Explained

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