Bitwig Studio 5.2 is here, and its new Compressor+ feature “excels” at adding colour and tone
The Compressor+ tool hosts six “Characters” to engage different styles of compression.
Image: Bitwig
Bitwig Studio’s 5.2 update has arrived in its beta testing phase, with an array of new features including an all-in-one compressor tool, Compressor+, for adding colour and tone, as well as mastering.
Additionally, the update brings three hardware-inspired EQs, a clipper device called Over, plus workflow enhancements including more precise editing and dynamic beat detection.
Firstly, let’s dive into Compressor+. This new tool analyses incoming audio across four frequency bands. Users can tweak each band’s Intensity and Timing offsets to fine-tune which parts of the signal cause compression.
The device comes with three modes that determine the compressor’s behaviour (standard, beyond – for an extended compressor range – and Dual, for upwards compression), and the output hosts a range of different VCA Colours. These are:
- Clear – applies no colouring
- Prism – gives a clean blend of true multiband compression, with unified single-band compression
- Transistor – a consistent analogue feel, with a low bump and slightly reduced highs
- Saturate – a moving analogue feel, with a mid-range bump and some frequency-dependent behaviour
Compressor+ also hosts six “Characters”, each to engage different styles of compression by changing various gain reduction and envelope behaviours:
- Vanilla – applies parameters literally, including Attack and Release times going all the way down to zero
- Smooth – uses slow per-band response, offering minimal distortion
- Over – compresses more quickly, but in a stable way
- Glue – slow to engage and quick to release
- Resist – has longer envelopes and tries to quickly snap back afterwards to preserve bass and add even harmonics when pushed
- Smash – over-accelerates the attacks and releases and uses the Auto Timing control to further increase acceleration
Moving on to the new EQ tools, the trio on offer are Sculpt, Focus and Tilt. Sculpt is inspired by the Pultec EQP-1, a vintage broadband EQ “good for bass sweetening”, while Focus recreates the components of the mid-range-oriented MEQ-5. Lastly, Tilt hosts a simple interface allowing users to re-balance any sound to be brighter or darker.
Beta testing of Bitwig Studio 5.2 starts now. If you have an active Upgrade Plan, you’ll find the installers in your user profile for free. A final release is expected this summer.
View the full changelog for further information, or check out Bitwig.
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