Bitwig 2.0 - Ableton Live killer?

I don't own either product, what do you think?

2.0 just released:
https://www.bitwig.com/en/bitwig-studio/bitwig-studio-2.html

 

Why are they (and Ableton) afraid to do Snapshots?

 

with each update they might be more of a savior than killer as they look more and more unlike ableton...

 

...I have tried it when it came out and it surely is a great program (though it wasn't very stable for me when it came out, don't know about that now). But I always had the feeling that it tries too much. Although the GUI layout seems to do a great job trying to manage the program's complexity, I tended to agree when I once heard someone calling it Nerdy OCD Studio. Sometimes you just want to make music and not get lost in a gazillion of controlling possibilities. In comparison I find Ableton Live a lot more straight-forward. Live has been around since 2001, it has a strong user-base (from what I understand many of them disappointed Maschine users ) and they probably don't sit on their hands at the Ableton HQ. So I can imagine, the people over there are quite relaxed when they think of Bitwig Studio...

 

OK but now - V2.

 

On paper it looks like... the shizzle.
In practice, I dunno....
but I've been convincing myself to demo it since it first came out and still haven't got round to it...

 

...I don't think V2 changes much about the principles - it offers even more modulation possibilities, which will be welcomed by a lot of people obviously. I watched the introduction video and to me there's already too much blinking stuff going on, that I'd surely find distracting. And although Bitwig has opened their API for controller manufacturers more than Ableton (I was told that by a Nektar rep, when I was asking if the Panorama series would support Live), the additions look like there'll be a lot more "mousing" involved. (Yes, I know about Bitwig supporting Microsft Surface and that they've developed clever multitouch gestures, but I don't have a Surface and it all of this doesn't make me buy Bitwig, yet - let's have a look in a few years).

For that little bit of music that I make personally, I'm not interested in Bitwig Studio (though indeed it looks really good on paper). I've found that I rather have something straight-forward than having access to all the possibilities there are. From the very beginning I had the feeling that Ableton takes a lot of care to prevent making things complicated (and thus maybe deliberately losing things in certain areas - don't know, it's a gut feeling). But if my assumption is correct, I like this approach better, as for me music is building something complex out of simple things and not making in priniciple simple things complex (or maybe even complicated). To me it felt, Bitwig Studio does the latter.

That being said, despite all the shortcomings and things missing in Maschine, I like using it the most, as for me, in comparison with Live, it offers the better access. (Though still I think NI can do a LOT better there - waiting for KK2 ). I can't carry the controller with me very often, but when I can use it - no contest.

Bitwig, Live (and Maschine) all seem to fish in the same area and it'll be interesting to see how they'll turn out - as they all have the possibilitiy to provide the user a modular environment. Bitwig has their own, which they claimed they would open to the public with V2 - I would have expected something else than the new modulation options. Ableton has Max4Live and I can't wait to see a tighter integration between Reaktor (Blocks) and Maschine. Anyway, to me it seems the trend of offering complete production bundles and enabling a direct, physical access will continue and that's good.



...wait - Bitwig now offers fades and crossfades? Live is practically dead!!

 

Anybody own both?

 

Might be helpful to download the demo's for both and test it out. I have ableton live. You will want to have the controller for ableton. On my end I think it's a faster workflow than Sonar, Digital Performer.

 

Not my question, want to talk to experienced people. Thanks anyway.

 

I don't own Bitwig, but I am an Ableton user. Bitwig is no Ableton killer at all. Also, Ableton hasn't released a new version in four or five years. Instead, they've been giving new features away for free since Live 9 was released. At some point, they will release a new version, and then we will see which program is truly better.

 

It does not seem there are many owners/users of both Ableton 9 and Bitwig 2 around here, so here is a Google search for posts in the last month:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bitwig+2+vs+ableton&tbs=qdr:m&*

Still too soon to have much of a opinion base for comparison, I would guess. I'm very curious to hear some opinions myself.

Terry

 

Thanks. Funnily enough already done that. I guess you are right too early.

 

Experimenting with some of the new mod options in version 2.0

100% Bitwig instruments and effects.



Enjoy!