Yes, you know the phenomenon – loops sometimes get repetitive, cycling without variation. You can’t really blame the tool; Ableton Live, for instance, certainly allows loads of variation with automation envelopes. But as demonstrated in the latest beta video, Bitwig Studio will provide plenty of functionality for editing changes in audio clips.
I’m not totally in love with the content of the video itself – I hope we can give the beta a go soon to check out the stretching algorithm with some other audio. But the features look very nice indeed:
- Multiple audio events inside a clip
- Drag to slice up new regions inside a clip (ideal for reordering, editing)
- Extensive options in the Inspector, for quick access to time options, edits, reverse, legato, pitch, and so on
- Without needing envelopes, make edits to regions, including adding silence
- Precise tools for working with the stretching algorithm with independent settings for regions inside the clip.
There’s also the usual transient detection and so on found in most DAWs. But the ability to freely create regions inside the clips – regions inside regions – opens up editing powers with less work.
And if you can keep with it, watch as they start getting into lots of micro-edits toward the end. For compulsive editors, it’s neat stuff. It’s another chance to bring back IDM.
The bad news: you still have to wait for Bitwig. But there are some nice ideas here.