Normally have zero time for this nonsense, but with the holidays coming up, Santa might treat me to 30 mins of uninterrupted time with a decent (but slightly broken) laptop.
Should I try Bitwig or VCVRack?
I’ve owned a modular before but got out of it (enjoyed it when I had it!). I’ve got experience with every major DAW except Bitwig (which seems to have a certain je ne sais quoi that’s always attracted me).
Convince me either way. 
easy… if you want to arrange songs, go bitwig, if you want to do sound design and elektronic jams go VCV Rack :-))… anyway… have fun within your 30 minutes
This is clearly a trick question, so the real answer is:
Get more than 30 minutes.
3 minutes left!!
VCV rack
I vote Bitwig(though, this is based on me having a license I want to sell)
If you get less selfish motivation to go the Bitwig route, message me 
VCV rack is a lot of fun
Is the 30 minutes thing a serious-not-joking constraint?
Bitwig and VCV are my main software music environments. I’ve had good times opening up VCV for 30 minutes on my bus commute. I’ve always ended up with something interesting (never a song - more like an interesting drone/glitch/noise/whatever). So I vote VCV.
I’ve made interesting things with Bitwig within 30 minutes too, and they tend to be more melodic and ‘listenable’. But they’re rarely as unpredictable/generative as the results I quickly get with VCV.
But in reality, if you’ve never touched either before, you’re going to spend those 30 minutes figuring out what the hell you’re even doing, maybe without making any sound at all.
VCV is free & open source.
this means you are not going to hate their business model.
Bitwig is superb, but they sell it just like drug dealers.
Bitwig.
If it’s really 30 minutes only … well, spend this time with family and friends, or better, make music with them and leave this broken-laptop alone
VCV rack. Best time spend. Hot shit! Bitwig is meeh simply just another DAW.
Bitwig 8-Track (cut down version) is free with this months Computer Music magazine. You get a fully functioning license key for the cost of a digital download of an issue. FYI
If you used every major daw then spend 20 mins finding your bearings with the nuances of Bitwig, then 10 mins doing your very own “against the clock”. Post the result here.
Just tried VCVRack for the first time.
This is just fcuking awesome. Completely floored. And giddy!
I’m not even lying: I got chills. Getting into and then out of modular was the last music adventure I had before I had kids. I was so grateful I was able to at least try it out.
Now the amazing Mutable modules are available to me again.
With total recall.
In a portable case.
For f r e e.
What!?!
I need that dancing banana gif.
I really can’t believe how amazing VCV Rack has been. It came out of nowhere and changed everything.
This may sound weird, but what killed my VCV rack experience (I’m 100% positive I’ll get back into it some day) was the ability to download modules at will. Next time, I will limit myself. I’m a noob with modular, btw.
Bitwig is awesome, plunked down my sack of coins when it was on sale during Black Friday.
Not strange at all. It’s like going into an amazing bakery and having one of each: how could you possibly tell what you liked or didn’t like by the end of it? You’d just feel sick.
Age or experience with this stuff will teach you to go slow and learn what you have along the way. I’ve only known one person who approached things like that from the get go and I’ve always been jealous.
I’ve always been like you and taken one of each at the sweet shop. 