Overbridge Bitwig Template

I made a template for Bitwig I want to share with you.

The way I want to use it is that I usually jam around without a computer - just the elektron boxes. When I’m happy with all tracks I load the template and do the mixing and arrangement within Bitwig.

With this template you can arrange your tracks in a DAW style (moving blocks around).

This new template is not testet in real life yet. Just finished it. I think all should work but you may find things you don’t like or unlogical stuff.

This is what I prepared: First three steps are pretty straigt forward and nothing special. You will be surprised how Nr. 4 will IMPROVE YOUR LIFE :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

  • Load the plugins (including sub-outs) for Analog Rytm MKII, Analog Four MKI, Digitone

-> If you just use one of the devices you can delete all you don’t need.

  • Add 9db per channel to compensate the low USB output

-> I have done this with the “tool” plugin of Bitwig. Change it to your taste.

  • Rout the single outs to audio tracks for realtime audio recording

-> The audio tracks get their signal from behind the “tool” plugin (so with higher gain) but BEFORE all plugins you eventually have added to the plugin tracks.

So when you add for example an EQ or compressor to one or several of the plugins tracks, you will hear them but NOT record them in the audio tracks.

I find this more convenient than post fx because after recording your tracks (which I would do after I have arranged it to have printed audio and no longer have to care about syncing/saving the Elektron machines) you simply copy all fx from the plugin channels to the corresponding audiotracks and can tweak them for final mixing.

  • Trigger clips to (un)mute the tracks individually on each device

This is where (at least for my taste) the real fun begins. I really enjoy how stable overbridge works. And together with automation you can arrange whole tracks easily. BUT what is a bit of a pain is muting/unmuting tracks. Of course it works with normal automation but it is so unclear to see in the arranger what is going on.

So I made trigger clips for all tracks and devices. This means: the track ONLY plays if the corresponding trigger clip is running. The trigger clips unmute the tracks so to speak.

This way you can arrange your track in the way you are used to (DAW style / moving blocks around).

This is done via Bitwig modulators. The trigger clips are just white noise which is received by the overbridge plugins and toggle mute of tracks on and off.


Note: I have disabled SYNC in all plugins to not break any projects saved in the boxes by accident. Of course you can change that.

Note 2: This makes most sense if you use the internal sequencers of your Elektron device(s).

Of course you also can create a buch of MIDI tracks in Bitwig and send notes to the plugins and do it this way. Then you obviously don’t need the trigger clips.

I hope you can load this template including the white noise trigger clips. Never shared a template before so I’m not shure if anything works as expected.

You can download it HERE:

Hope you enjoy it.

Dominic

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Great work! I´ll be happy to try it when i get home.
I have just started using OB and it works great, but i just want to ask you; is there a way to get effects on the separate outs - like, if i anted to add distortion fro a plugin in bitwig ONLY to the BD but not on the other drums, would it be possible with your tool? :slight_smile: Justan example, but you know what i mean.

Yeah, you can do this. Just drag your Plugins to the corresponding tracks.

Unfortunately I can’t work with this any longer since I moved to a M1 Mac Mini, where Overbridge doesn’t work :neutral_face:
Hope to dive into this again soon…

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Hi Would this template still be relevant for Bitwig 5. and a new Digitone?

Shoot…I just saw it does not work with Mac M1 mini?