A modulator that loads Grid patches

A new type of modulator that can load a Grid patch to use its Modulator Out modules. You could then save the modulator created and share it with others, just like a preset.

In addition, it would be great to have a suite of panel modules, so we can make custom interfaces for these modulators. That way, users of custom Grid modulators would not need to open the Grid’s window (and get lost in the spaghetti), but could simply use custom modulator presets with their own interfaces, just like any other modulator.

What problem(s) would this feature resolve?

The Grid offers a great potential to create new modulations, but users don’t have a simple way to use these modulations from a standard modulators that they can use in devices, save, and share with others.

How does this feature fit in Bitwig as a product?

It expands on Bitwig as a modular environment. Modulators and The Grid are two essential components of Bitwig. This feature would connect both and multiply their potential.

If this idea develops over time, and if more building blocks are added to The Grid with this in mind, we could see a whole user library of fully developed unique modulators.

Is there already an alternative way to achieve this on Bitwig?

You can make custom modulators in the Grid, and modulate anything in the FX section, but you can’t just load them up like other modulators.

Could it be implemented using Bitwig components or APIs, without Bitwig team’s support?

No

Could it be provided by a VST or something else reasonably integrated with Bitwig?

No

Are there other products that offer this feature?

This is Bitwig specific. So, no.

Relevant links (optional)

Some examples of Grid patches that could be used as modulators:

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21 posts were split to a new topic: [draft discussion] A modulator that loads Grid patches

Right, so this whole thing I use all the time. I use Audio Sidechain modulators all over the place. Not just for Grid based generators but also device chain modulators.

Mostly using utility / auxiliary tracks as the generator source. So as the person on Reddit said, you get the benefit of ‘printing’ / ‘baking’ the modulation you like.

That’s another thing I do, is I have a utility track that is a generator, bounce it, then stick it in the arranger or clip arranger. That way I can fire it off whenever or have it loop etc.

Then like I said I stick Audio Sidechains to pick it up wherever I need it.

If you don’t bake/print the modulator you can build some pretty funky topologies where you have one of your generators being modulated by another of your generators.

But anyway, back to the feature request.

I think I like the idea of being able to create a custom modulator out of a grid, as it would spare the headache of setting up utility tracks and wotnot, and it is also much clearer what it does rather than ‘Audio Sidechain’ (when it really isn’t).

That said, I dunno how efficient Grids are. There might be a temptation to create dozens of instances of these things that are all doing the same thing, when you would be better having a single instance used in multiple places.

Ummm, yeah I dunno about efficiency but it sounds really cool on the whole. Me likey

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The efficiency would probably depend on how complex the patch is. I already use The Grid for custom modulators, and it definitely can get high on the cpu if there are a lot of connections. However, The Grid does oversampling which wouldn’t really be needed in this, because it isn’t intended for audio. So, they could have oversampling off on this. Also, if we get Containers in The Grid, I think that will help with simplifying and reducing cpu usage on complex patches.

Ideally, we would get a bunch of panel modules ( just like I hope we get with Containers in The Grid, so we wouldn’t even need to open The Grid to use this “Grid Modulator” I think that would also help with CPU for this, because, like I mentioned on the Containers in The Grid thread, I have noticed that large Grid Patches use a lot more CPU when their window is open, than when only audio is running. So, I assume that processing the visual graphics effects the CPU. So, being able to just have the necesarry parameters showing on the new modulator would hopefully use less CPU than having to open The Grid patch.

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I’m not sure about loading standard Grid patches as modulator device, but definitely something like “Grid modulator” with separated for it’s purpose presets would be pretty nice to have.