…seems like, some big retailers get sometimes a bigger bunch of licenses to sell them as special offers for smaller pricetags…199,- sounds very, very cheap and catchy…
bitwig themselves have frequent, once or twice a year, special offers like those, too…
most likely for 299,-…
once u get the full license…the first year update plan is included…
this update plan can be updated every year for around 120,- to 160,- depending on the time of the year…
whenever u think bitwig is fine as it is, ur free to stop continuing to invest in further updateplans…and u own that version status for the rest of ur life…always still capable to download that version from ur still open profile on the bitwig page…
where u always find ur THREE options to run ur license on 3 individual computers…
u can switch on and off and change those individual licenses u own at any given time…
so u can always terminate one machine to free one of ur 3 licenses for another computer again…remaining always 3 max licenses to be in use at the same time…
frequent updates are ALWAYS coming…what happened from 3.0 to 4.0 within one year only is really more than impressive…
so even the standard pricetag for around 350 to 379,- is still worth every penny for what u get…
Thank you for the extensive explanation about buying into and upgrading in Bitwig. I do wonder, though, about this:
I get the point, but in reality, I do wonder if you still end up in something that resembles a subscription model of updates. Apple significantly updates MacOS at least once a year, so I am assuming if you don’t update Bitwig after your one year runs out, it will end up not being compatible with MacOs after a fairly short period of time, unless you also decide not to update MacOs as regularly as Apple does (which, on my studio Mac, I guess, I don’t anyway, mostly due to UAD being behind the curve quite a bit on compatibility).
I did a search on this, but wasn’t able to find any thread specific to the issue, which is why I will ask the question here. For anyone who has either switched from Logic to Bitwig, or added Bitwig to their workflow, what advantages have you found with Bitwig, and how do you feel overall about Bitwig compared to Logic, especially with Logic’s additions in version 10.5 (e.g adding new clip mode, step sequencer, autosampler, etc.).
…bitwig is not really depending on every next os update, apple, microsoft or linux might come up within the next few years…ur interface might…
while the real essential change for a next few years to come, was apples switch to arm processing/silicon cpu’s…
and that switch is already DONE by bitwig…in pretty first adopter fashion…solid.
so no worries…even if u decide to stick with, let’s say version 5, u’ll be able to run that version for quite another while, speaking of at least two or three years…
and hey…one truuth always remains…never change a running system…anyways…
besides the fact that i’m not aware of any other daw that can run pretty much all ur third party vst’s, no matter at which actual status u got them in use, since bitwig always provides it’s own shell for running external plugins by it’s own default code structure…
and, well…i’ve seen and used all usual suspects, when it comes to daws…
protools, logic, ableton…and i can clearly state…all those wigs for all the bits is with no doubt the freshest daw concept i could think of and will be my final daw solution for the rest of my life…sounds like a huuuuge statement, i know, but musicproduction is my job since ages, so i’m pretty aware of what i’m saying…
…and the list of it’s advantages is endless…just download a demo and see for urself…
everything can speak and modulate with everything here…every track can talk midi and audio at the same time…session grid and classic arranger work individually but hand in hand as one thing…all plocking swedish charme and randomization and propabiltie set of rules is waiting there for u also…every on board fx plugin has it’s own inner feedback slots for further more fx plugins to run through in chains, stacks, containers, including external ones…all instruemnts talk mpe fluently and can spread out in multivoicings til ur cpu gives up in tears…it has it’s own msp like modular development area called the grid, which is worth alone already it’s overall pricetag…converts audio into all kinds of formats…runs external plugins like a charm…it started 7 years ago, wich is young for a daw, with all ableton know how already embedded in version 1…comping is versatile as fuk…and anything can become a comp again at any time in workflow…detects pretty much all external hardware on it’s own…is really ob ready since day one…and it runs smooth on even outdated machines and firmwares on all three platforms…all invented by a little bunch of splitted up from ableton super smart start up cookies in berlin that got no venture capaital responsebilties nagging in their back…meaning they’re always free to do what they wanna do next with truu sonic and coding enthusiasm and what they think is best for their product baby…and not for the next business quarter in sales and numbers…no further comment…period.
I think your assumption is largely unfounded. Afaik, I think all versions of Bitwig are compatible with anything running 10.4 or above (the minimum system OS recommendation on the website), they updated for M1 architecture very quickly, and the fact that they support Linux when many other DAWs don’t shows just how much they do to ensure a seamless experience for a wide range of users. Plus the VST plug-in compatibility and shell system mentioned by @reeloy.
To be absolutely sure, though, wing them an email about your concerns and I’m sure they will be able to reassure you on what is and isn’t possible.
…but hmmmpf…i really must shut the fuk up…with all this reasonable gloryfy thing i do here…
i tend to forget that we agreed on the fact, it would be best, if this piece of software is not growing in success too fast…
Hehe. Yes, but also, I want them to make lots of money so they can continue the massive wave of progress and refinement they are doing – and to keep aforementioned venture capital vultures firmly out of the equation
…yeah…sure…but that’s the thing…it’s a small and pretty independant developer team…still…they can make quite a good living from their efforts already…
and if the get too big, all the magic is in danger…
Um, just so I’ve got this right, you think maybe I should try it and then move over from logic and buy it?
Seriously though I can already see from the demo it’s easily worth the $299 crossgrade price or even the full $399 price. I think I paid maybe $499 for Omnisphere and have no regrets. NI Komplete has cost me easily $800 over the years although I am still on v11 and not planning to upgrade anytime soon.
There’s always the possibility of 2nd hand license and transfer too. There’s one on KVR for $250 for example. It’s usually possible to bargain people down a little more depending on how motivated they are, but not always.
Additionally, you can buy from JRRShop using the ‘FORUM’ discount code which will bring it down from $299 to $269. That’s what I did last year.
I feel compelled to share a very funny little remark made in one of the introductory tutorials at Bitwig.com. The guy is talking about the Micro-pitch device related to changing the way octaves multiply notes, and then says, “in short the piano keyboard interface will now behave very differently, and SO WILL YOU.” (Emphasis added). Made me literally laugh out loud.
I didn’t see the cross grade option at JRRShop so I just paid the $299 for the cross grade at Sweetwater. I don’t know if I will end up switching from Logic to Bitwig or how much I will actually use Bitwig, but I wanted to lend my support to their efforts since they seem so brilliant in what they are creating and it does seem like they have some really unique tools. To be honest, I haven’t used Logic much lately as I’ve been much more hardware focused and became bored with Logic, so maybe having something new to learn on my new M1 MacBook Pro (waiting for the new ones) this winter will keep me interested in a DAW based workflow for some of my music.
…all midi sync is fluctuating…with additional midi device clocking, u could get this a little more tighter…
but to be honest…there’s only rare situations where this really makes a difference…
so, try to record what u wanna record and see where it takes u…
pretty sure, if u once take out that basic concern u just raised by running both metronom clocks side by side and of course hear them flaming along with each other, u’ll end up all satisfied again with ur sync results in sonic reality…
that overbridge hosted by bitwig creates a full 16th step in hard grid difference is weird…no idea what could cause this…
but slightly flams detection during hard synvced metronomes is NORMAL…
all midi sync chains differ a little up and downwards in overall tempi when hooked up to each other…the slaved device has to follow along and is therefor constantly ajusting…no big deal in musical context…
Flamming might give the wrong idea, it’s not that tight, it’s exactly in sync, 1/16 behind, not varying or slopping around. I haven’t tried to troubleshoot it much, I’m sure’ll sort it out, I’ll post when I do. It’s the last barrier to going 100% Bitwig for me. THE GRID AWAITS lol
BTW it’s much worse with Ableton slaved to the AK, it takes as much as a bar to settle in to sync.
…usually…when i was still syncing various elektron devices to each other…
i used to double tap the stop buttons on the slaved ones, to make sure they’re at zero in their actual play/starting position…
and that also is truu if the master clock comes from a daw/computer…
double tap the stop button of ur ar first…
Another option is USB MIDI for controller/DAW and MIDI out from controller to gear. Works great for me so far. No sync issues! To be fair I do not use OB. 1.6ms with my current interface… OB can’t touch that latency haha
I gave up and switched Bitwig to clock master, works great now. I can hear the actual flamming between metronomes you described, it’s a few milliseconds and no problem at all. Those tiny variances are beyond me, my keyboard playing is slop over it anyways. Before I was getting warbling in the synced delays, it was that bad!
Ableton also works fine as master with AK, make me think AK is spitting out Midi Gremlins.
It’s no big deal, just slightly prefer pressing Play on the AK.
