Bitwig 5.2 BETA available

[Dionysos]

I really don't want to go PhD Thesis style individual re-engineering analysis to understand a commodity feature like compression... I have to honestly admit: this compressor+ is too much for me.

I absolutely agree that the currently existing documentation for it is lacking clarity on how it works behind the scenes, but: Compressor+ is easy to use.

The device itself doesn't at all require knowledge of its internals to make good use of it, and pretending like it does comes across as a bit disingenuous. Have you actually used it or are you just judging it based on the videos?

For example, whenever I've used it so far I've completely ignored the large multiband view, as I didn't feel a need to tweak it at that level.

[lodsb]

I have watched the video on compressor+ on bitwig.com again. I still don't have a clue ... from "it's only multi-band analysis" over "per band upwards and downwards compression" up to "unified compression" this is all really disturbing pieces of "information" in one video ... I understand the urgent need for distinction of a niche company ... but I'm utterly puzzled whether all this goes in the right direction... only my personal opinion.
I really don't want to go PhD Thesis style individual re-engineering analysis to understand a commodity feature like compression... I have to honestly admit: this compressor+ is too much for me. Either I upgrade to Peter+ or better stick to bread & butter compressors which I understand.

Idk. You can use comp+ just like the normal comp. All the the additional knobs are optional, as far as I see it. If you want to dig deeper, you can. Otherwise it just behaves like a standard wide-band compressor. There are literally the same main knobs at the same positions as the normal compressor on the panel where you can change threshold, ratio, attack, release, input and output.

Regarding the additional controls: there are a many ways how you can shape the dynamics of a sound, from clipping, to transient expansion, to wide-band compression with a single envelope, to dynamic EQ or multi-band compression. And this is just another approach where you have controls over the entire compression based on some frequency dependent response. There are also similar products like DMG multiplicity, Fabfilter Q3 (you can likely setup comparable behavior) or Unisum, so it is not really that niche.

[pdxindy]

Pretty much what I was posting earlier, I have already invested a lot of time learning (in use/listening) a few good 3rd party compressors that do everything I need. I felt the same about most of the other + effects but obviously others enjoy them and see the benefit over 3rd party plugins.

You're making a different point. Phaser+ is easy to use, compact and sounds good. Comp+ is complex and hard to understand and that is what Peter is pointing out.

[spoontechnique]

Comp+ is only as complex as you need it to be. It has all the same controls as Comp-, and works perfectly well with only those controls.

I would argue it's simpler to use, because it has the Makeup Gain Learn function (one click sets makeup gain automatically) and a dedicated sidechain input. And even the auto timing simplifies setting attack/release, with a short description of what the timing settings are intended to do.

If you prefer a 3rd party compressor, that's fine. But personally I don't have a 3rd party compressor I love, and I'm happy with Comp+ so far.

Also, the CPU usage is only problematic when in Saturate mode.

[gulugulufish]

I have watched the video on compressor+ on bitwig.com again. I still don't have a clue ... from "it's only multi-band analysis" over "per band upwards and downwards compression" up to "unified compression" this is all really disturbing pieces of "information" in one video ... I understand the urgent need for distinction of a niche company ... but I'm utterly puzzled whether all this goes in the right direction... only my personal opinion.
I really don't want to go PhD Thesis style individual re-engineering analysis to understand a commodity feature like compression... I have to honestly admit: this compressor+ is too much for me. Either I upgrade to Peter+ or better stick to bread & butter compressors which I understand.

Idk. You can use comp+ just like the normal comp. All the the additional knobs are optional, as far as I see it. If you want to dig deeper, you can. Otherwise it just behaves like a standard wide-band compressor. There are literally the same main knobs at the same positions as the normal compressor on the panel where you can change threshold, ratio, attack, release, input and output.

Not only that, you can right-click on compressor and convert it to compressor+ and keep all the settings you used before. Not sure if they null out but I think it's probably pretty close to being the same with a few extra options.

[SLiC]

Pretty much what I was posting earlier, I have already invested a lot of time learning (in use/listening) a few good 3rd party compressors that do everything I need. I felt the same about most of the other + effects but obviously others enjoy them and see the benefit over 3rd party plugins.

You're making a different point. Phaser+ is easy to use, compact and sounds good. Comp+ is complex and hard to understand and that is what Peter is pointing out.

I agree most of the new rack devices are straightforward, others (like spectral suit) remain a mystery to me! I tend to just use what I already know unless the rack instrument offers something unique or better than what I have already. For example , EQ+ was pretty good, but I still always use Pro Q, its just personal preference. It's not just Bitwig, I don't use Studio Ones built in FX much either. That said, I will certainly A/B it when I download the beta...I'm just waiting until closer to release.

[SmajjL]

I am very pre-optimistic and pre-happy (speaking for myself)
For Changing Times:

"Speaking of quality-of-life improvements, 5.0's better onset detection bears fruit this update in ways that streamline working with different tempos. You can trust Bitwig Studio to accurately warp long audio files for you — even those with variable tempos will stay on track.

Alternatively, your project can adapt to the clip's time, bringing new conveniences to the process of making DJ mixes, podcasts, or adding production to long recordings. Your project can adopt an audio clip's tempo as a static value with Set Current Tempo, or apply its timing changes as an automation curve on the global tempo with the Apply Tempo Curve To Arranger command."

[pdxindy]

I agree most of the new rack devices are straightforward, others (like spectral suit) remain a mystery to me! I tend to just use what I already know unless the rack instrument offers something unique or better than what I have already. For example , EQ+ was pretty good, but I still always use Pro Q, its just personal preference. It's not just Bitwig, I don't use Studio Ones built in FX much either. That said, I will certainly A/B it when I download the beta...I'm just waiting until closer to release.

Spectral Suite is fantastic! Very impressive set of tools. There are lots of creative uses for them.

I like using Bitwig devices because they live in the device pane and I don’t have to open a gui. Plus there are some advantages for modulation and then there is voice stacking and Fx Grid.

But hey, there’s no one right way. If I used multiple DAW’s I would likely stick to 3rd party plugins. But I’d say many of the advantages of Bitwig are lost that way.

[aproject]

In my case, on Macbook Pro m1 (Sonoma), only the first plugins consume the most CPU, later the CPU usage does not increase, I duplicated 32 tracks with Compressor+ and Over and the Macbook works without any major problems.

And please do it properly now like the others did and put the compressors into serial on a single track to exclude Multithreading...
It´s about what a single instance uses of a single core not what the whole system can take...

So take a single track with i.e. some audio on it... make the compressor work and duplicate it as often ON THE SAME TRACK until your CPU gives up...
Now do the same with your favourite non-special CPU hog compressor... and watch how you can load about 10 times as many instances as you can with the new compressor +... the "+" must stand for extra CPU hog...

You were right, when I duplicate the compressor on one channel, the CPU usage increases quite significantly. I hope they will optimize it because the new compressor is much more functional.

[pdxindy]

You were right, when I duplicate the compressor on one channel, the CPU usage increases quite significantly. I hope they will optimize it because the new compressor is much more functional.

I can put about 10 Compressor+ devices on a track (96khz project) and I can put about 20 of Presswerk.

Bitwig's Dynamics device is very efficient. I tried 300 and that was no problem

[Hanz Meyzer]

Surely the new compressor is a good one, yet there already are a lot of good ones, and nothing can beat a free draw compression curve, as in melda compressors.

I really wish they would stop reinventing the wheel and instead focus completely on core functionality which can’t be easily replaced…

[lodsb]

You were right, when I duplicate the compressor on one channel, the CPU usage increases quite significantly. I hope they will optimize it because the new compressor is much more functional.

I can put about 10 Compressor+ devices on a track (96khz project) and I can put about 20 of Presswerk.

Bitwig's Dynamics device is very efficient. I tried 300 and that was no problem

But comparing CPU use is pointless if you do not consider the (anti-)aliasing/quality/behavior, no? I mean you would not do that with a synth plugin and compare NI Pro53 (300 instances) to Repro-5 (20 instances) or Steinberg Virtual Bassist to IK MODO Bass or a simple low quality subtractive synth to something like Pigments/MassiveX ... or am I wrong?

So, if you set comp+ and presswerk to similar timing settings so that with a 5khz test-tone you get similar overtones, it is apparent that you have to compare comp+ to presswerk in HD mode; for the melda ones, I have to run it on 4x or 8x etc. on my m1 mac a couple of instances of comp+ actually use slightly less cpu than the same amount of presswerk HD and melda 8x. but so far we haven't talked about the differences in functionality or compression behavior. IMHO, this discussion is pointless, apart from saying "it uses similar resources to a comparable (bus) compressor".

[pdxindy]

I can put about 10 Compressor+ devices on a track (96khz project) and I can put about 20 of Presswerk.

Bitwig's Dynamics device is very efficient. I tried 300 and that was no problem

But comparing CPU use is pointless if you do not consider the (anti-)aliasing/quality/behavior, no?

I wasn't presenting an exhaustive study... just some basic info sans conclusions.

So, if you set comp+ and presswerk to similar timing settings so that with a 5khz test-tone you get similar overtones, it is apparent that you have to compare comp+ to presswerk in HD mode;

In my above info gathering showing 10 Comp+ and 20 Presswerk, that was Presswerk with HD enabled.

[lodsb]

I wasn't presenting an exhaustive study... just some basic info sans conclusions.

In my above info gathering showing 10 Comp+ and 20 Presswerk, that was Presswerk with HD enabled.

Yeah, that's fair! I wasn't attacking you, mainly asking about the point of the discussion.

Just tested the CPU use at 96khz - you are right, then comp+ uses more CPU. At lower sample rates it doesn't. My guess is that presswerk uses something smarter than just a fixed oversampling factor? Cool find!

[pdxindy]

Yeah, that's fair! I wasn't attacking you, mainly asking about the point of the discussion.

Just tested the CPU use at 96khz - you are right, then comp+ uses more CPU. At lower sample rates it doesn't. My guess is that presswerk uses something smarter than just a fixed oversampling factor? Cool find!

See? The point of the discussion is that we both just discovered something about running at 96khz vs lower sample rate and using Presswerk and Comp+