Topics / Bitwig Studio / Bitwig Grid / Bitwig Grid Modules / Grid Math Modules / Quantize

Quantize

Bitwig Platform

Quantize module panel in Bitwig Grid
Quantize in Bitwig Grid 6.0.6.

Restricts a continuous signal to the lower multiple of a chosen step size.

What it does

Quantize divides the number line into equal intervals and outputs a grid multiple calculated from the current Step Size. For non-zero steps it uses floor division; Step Size zero passes the input through unchanged.

Controls and ports

Control Label Official description
step_size Step Size Interval of allowed output values, so a step size of '0.1' ('10 %') would only allow results of '0', '±0.1', '±0.2', etc.

Practical uses

  • Turn a smooth LFO, ramp, or random signal into stepped modulation.
  • Quantize a normalized 0-to-1 signal before using it as an index or selector.
  • Use a smaller step size for finer resolution and a larger size for fewer, more obvious levels.

Things to know

  • Step size describes the distance between allowed values, not a number of steps.
  • The measured non-zero path is floor(input / step) * step, including negative Step Size values.
  • Step Size zero is a defined bypass: Quantize Out equals Signal In and Remainder Out equals zero.
  • Remainder Out is input - quantized; with a negative step it can therefore be negative.
  • Hard quantization is discontinuous and can create aliasing or bright distortion at audio rate.
  • The similarly named Nitro candidates belong to other quantizers; none is yet confirmed as this Math module.

Technical details

No Nitro implementation has been confirmed for this visible module. The behavior is described conservatively from module metadata and editorial research.

For step != 0, measured behavior is q = floor(x / step) * step and remainder = x - q. For step = 0, the special branch is q = x and remainder = 0.

Open questions

  • Measure audio-rate behavior, non-finite inputs, and dynamic Step Size sign changes.

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.

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

Also matches: Bitwig Quantize module, Bitwig Grid Quantize, Quantize Grid module