This is an open question on how do you approach using Drum Machine in Bitwig to play live, as it was a hardware groovebox, using some controller like a Maschine.
I’ve been investigating this for a while, and I manage to build drum kits from samples, and create patterns, but I’m not getting the part of how to configure/use live tweaking.
Add a set of Macro knobs and assign them as modulators to… whatever?
I know this is a newbie question, but I’m at this point now 
If the different sounds were from a synth, it would be pretty straightforward to assign these knobs to some synth parameters, but being samples, I don’t find it as clear. (Can you put a synth inside a drum machine slot?)
So, I suppose the idea is to add some effects to these samples (or use the few that include the bitwig sampler), and modulate these. The obvious choice would be the cutoff/resonance of the sampler’s filter for some samples. Other basic ideas?
Pitch, panning, delay send, delay timing, etc etc. Think of the the things you would tend to modulate on one of Elektron’s samplers and go from there. Some might be temporary tweaks for the odd hit which you can manipulate live while others might be more long term such as panning a hi-hat that would probably suit an LFO modulation instead.
Just in case you didn’t try yet: You can input any softsynth into the drummachine slots with clicking the + . From bitwig or other vst.
I still don‘t have a controller sadly other than almost unusable simple nektar keyboard. Using computer keys and mouse the few times i’m jamming.
Don‘t know if machine script is already intergrated (check the list) if not you can use moss script.
Will try this, I didn’t know.
Maschine is already integrated, but Moss script is far better, so I’m using it.
There are a lot of creative decisions to be made here. Things I might try as macro modulator destinations:
-sample pitch
-distortion/saturation/bitcrushing
-delay send level
-sample start point
-send level to another FX chain, comb filtering or something…
Really, you have too many options in Bitwig. You could set up a modulator that sends your track audio to a 100% wet reverb instance, and then use that wet reverb output as a frequency modulator for a ride cymbal. I mean, anything. Play around! Or keep it simple and stick to the classics like filter cutoff. Up to you.
When I want drum programming in Bitwig to feel a bit more like the Digitakt, my go to effects are Amp and Bit-8. Amp has two different EQ sections, saturation, and a cab simulator so there’s a lot available to modulate.
I’m slowly getting more familiar with bitwig and installed the newest version yesterday. I haven’t tried all the new effects yet, but I messed around with the chorus and it sounds very nice! I’m really trying not to go over the top with side-chaining and LFO-ing everything all over the place, but it’s just so much fun to experiment with bitwig. Ducking the gain of a compressed synth pad to some guitar chords and lowering the size of the reverb on the same guitar chords according to the synth pad volume almost makes the two almost sound like one weird mutant instrument.
I think I need to set myself some limits for these kinds of interconnects or the amount of tracks I’ll be using, otherwise I’ll just have multiple different mixes of songs that are all way too bonkers to be listenable.
Question for those who know Bitwig inside out. I often tap in melodies on my Mac keyboard but this only goes to one midi channel at a time. What I want to be able to do is play two notes, have one sent to midi channel 1 (0-Coast 1) and the other to midi channel 2 (0-Coast 2). Is this possible in Bitwig somehow? Possibly with Note Grid?
I don’t have it but a video synth go to with the modulators would be an insta-acquire.
I think you can do this with Note Filter?
Create two tracks, have both with ‘Computer Keyboard’ input, and use the Note Filter device at the start of the device chain to assign which note will trigger that track. Then route that track to the correct MIDI destination.
I suspect there’s a more elegant way to do it, though…
Thanks @brisket and @garf. The note filter idea is a good one if I keep the played notes apart so I can filter the lower and higher part of an octave, for example. I guess the functionality I want is to always send the lower of the two notes to one HW instrument and the higher to a different HW instrument. Maybe some comparator logic in Note Grid would work for that. Alternatively, something to tell Bitwig to always send mono notes to one HW instrument and any additional notes played simultaneously to the second HW instrument.
Have you looked at the voice stack feature?
[EDIT] nevermind, got mixed up, that’s for instruments only
I’ve looked at it a little. But it’s more for modulating poly synth parameters, right? Such as applying random panning to the notes in a chord, for example. Can it do routing too?
Edit: I just had a thought. Maybe there is some lowest/highest note priority on mono tracks that I could utilise to send out different notes to different tracks/midi channels 
Edit: I have a hacky solution for playing basic two-note chords with one note on the keyboard. Transposing one of the HW Instruments and forcing it into a scale works pretty well. Not exactly what I wanted but good enough for trying out ideas without having to play each 0-Coast separately:
Using the Instrument Selector instead of Instrument Layer (see image) is prob easier to use.
Adjust the 2x notes in the Multi-Note device to make your 2-note chord.
Instrument Selector is in Round Robin mode.
Toggle the yellow dot to swap the high/low note pref.
Fuck yeah! Instrument Selector in round robin mode does exactly what I intended in the first place. Thank you, thank you, thank you! 
Quick Bitwig question.
I want to send a tracks midi notes to external gear. i know about the HW Instrument, and use that currently, but it adds latency for the audio return which I don’t need.
Does anyone know of a way to send midi notes out from Bitwig without using the HW Instrument device?
For example, if the grid allowed midi output, then I could build my own, but that also does not exist.
Best regards,
Gino
