GUIDES / BITWIG STUDIO
DAW GUIDE

MIDISketch in Bitwig Studio

There are two ways to use MIDISketch in Bitwig: as the track's instrument with your synth loaded inside it, or as MIDISketch MIDI FX in front of any instrument. With the CLAP, it can also play Bitwig's own devices, like Polymer, with every note bending on its own.

For // MIDISketch 0.9.10.1 and later

SIMPLESTMIDISketch as the instrumentLoad MIDISketch on an instrument track and your synth inside it. The VST3 or the CLAP.Set it up ↓ NOTE FXMIDISketch MIDI FXFirst in the device chain, with any instrument after it, Polymer included. Use the CLAP.Set it up ↓

MIDISketch as the Instrument

The simplest way. MIDISketch is the track's instrument and your synth plays inside it. The VST3 and the CLAP both work.

  1. Install MIDISketch from the download page. If Bitwig doesn't list it, rescan your plug-ins in Bitwig's settings.
  2. In Bitwig's browser, find MIDISketch and drag it onto an Instrument Track.
    MIDISketch listed in Bitwig's browser
    MIDISketch in Bitwig's browser.
  3. Click the Synth button in MIDISketch's toolbar and load your synth, for example Vital, Serum 2 or Phase Plant.
  4. For per-note bends, use an MPE synth: turn on its MPE and set its pitch bend range to 48.
    Vital

    On the Advanced tab, turn on MPE (bottom left) and set the bend range (bottom right) to 48.

    Vital's Advanced tab with MPE enabled and the pitch bend range set to 48
    Vital: (1) Advanced, (2) MPE Enabled, (3) bend range 48. Click to see it full size.
    Serum 2

    Serum 2 ships with MPE on and a bend range of 48. To check, open its menu: MPE Enabled should be ticked and the MPE bend range at 48. To keep MPE on in every new Serum 2, tick MPE enabled by default under Global settings › MPE.

    Serum 2's MPE settings: MPE Enabled and the MPE bend range at 48
    Serum 2's MPE settings. Click to see it full size.

    Another synth? Setup for every synth MIDISketch knows →

  5. The pill at the top of MIDISketch shows its bend range. It should read MPE: 48st.
    The MPE: 48st pill at the top of MIDISketch
    The pill, reading MPE: 48st.

    Synth stuck at another range? Set MIDISketch to match instead: settings gear › MIDI Settings... › MPE & PITCH › PITCH BEND. Clicking the pill opens the same tab.

    MIDISketch's MIDI Settings on the MPE and Pitch tab, with the bend range at 48
    MIDI Settings, MPE & PITCH tab, bend range 48.
  6. Draw notes and pitch curves, and press play.

MIDISketch MIDI FX

MIDI FX is MIDISketch as a note effect. It goes first in the track's device chain and plays the instrument after it, with no second track and no routing. It only sends notes, so it has no synth inside and the parts that need audio are hidden.

Get It

MIDI FX comes with the MIDISketch installer, as a box you tick. It installs next to MIDISketch, not in place of it, and includes the CLAP.

MIDI FX // VST3 + CLAP
MIDISketch for Windows (.exe) MIDISketch for macOS (.pkg)

Windows: choose Custom installation and tick MIDISketch MIDI FX. macOS: in the installer's list, tick MIDISketch MIDI FX for other DAWs (VST3 + CLAP). Already have MIDISketch? Run the installer again with that box ticked. Every download is also on the download page.

Set It Up

  1. On an Instrument Track, add MIDISketch MIDI FX first in the device chain. Take the CLAP: it keeps MPE, the VST3 doesn't.
    MIDISketch MIDI FX listed in Bitwig's browser
    MIDISketch MIDI FX in Bitwig's browser.
  2. Add your instrument after it: Polymer or another Bitwig device, or an MPE synth.
  3. For Bitwig's own devices, turn on Per-note bends (below). For an MPE synth, turn on its MPE and set its bend range to 48.
  4. Draw in MIDISketch MIDI FX and press play. The instrument after it plays every note.

Playing Bitwig's Own Devices

Polymer, Phase-4, the Grid and Bitwig's other instruments bend each note on its own once one switch is on. It works with the CLAP only, in MIDISketch and MIDISketch MIDI FX alike.

  1. Load the CLAP of MIDISketch or MIDISketch MIDI FX, with the Bitwig device after it in the same chain.
  2. Click the settings gear, open MIDI Settings..., go to the MIDI OUT tab and turn on Per-note bends under BITWIG.
    The Per-note bends switch under BITWIG on the MIDI OUT tab of MIDISketch's MIDI Settings, shown off
    Per-note bends, shown off here: turn this on.

    The same switch is in User Preferences... › GENERAL as Bitwig devices: per-note.

  3. Draw and press play. Each note bends on its own.
While the switch is on, MIDISketch's own built-in synth is off, because the Bitwig device makes the sound. Turn the switch off and it comes back. The switch only appears inside Bitwig, applies straight away and is remembered. The first time MIDISketch opens in Bitwig, a one-time tip points to it.

An MPE synth such as Serum 2 doesn't need the switch: turn on MPE in the synth and set its bend range to 48. To play a device on another track, add a Note Receiver on that track and pick MIDISketch as its source.

Troubleshooting

Notes play but don't bend in Polymer

Turn on Per-note bends in MIDI Settings, MIDI OUT tab, under BITWIG. It works with the CLAP only.

No MPE through MIDISketch MIDI FX

You loaded the VST3. Swap it for the CLAP of MIDISketch MIDI FX.

Bends sound wrong in an MPE synth

Set the synth's pitch bend range to 48 to match MIDISketch. The pill at the top of MIDISketch shows its range.

An MPE synth stopped bending after I turned on Per-note bends

Per-note bends is only for Bitwig's own devices. Turn it off for an MPE synth, or, for a VST3 synth, turn on Use MPE on that plugin in Bitwig.

MIDISketch doesn't show up in Bitwig

Rescan your plug-ins in Bitwig's settings and check that the plug-in folder is listed. The CLAP installs to C:\Program Files\Common Files\CLAP\ on Windows, /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/CLAP/ on macOS and ~/.clap/ on Linux.

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