All randomness should repeat within a project + seed of randomness

This proposal is to add additional numeric value “seed” to any randomization in Bitwig. Any device/component which has random option should have this newly added property, which controls the random sequence. Any fixed value of “seed” means that random generated sequence will repeat from play to play on the timeline. By default, randomization would behave same way as it does currently - it does not repeat.

The sequence should not depend on the sample rate, neither on how many times it has been generated before on the timeline. The same seed number would produce always the same results.

As an example, this is how the feature could look like in the Random Dice module:

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What problem(s) would this feature resolve?

Currently, any randomization in Bitwig does not repeat from play to play. If we play any given time position twice - it plays different. While it is good for improvisation, it’s not good from an engineering point of view. We cannot introduce changes to composition while keeping the rest fixed.
It’s very common, that we need to render a composition in different bitrates, or we need to fix few things while doing mastering and we don’t want to receive a new composition each time, we just want to have same one each time.

How does this feature fit in Bitwig as a product?

Bitwig puts a lot of emphasis on introducing randomness in the creative process. Thanks to randomization good surprises and great results can be achieved, and when you find them you don’t want to lose them.

There is already a seed setting available for clips and this would be a logical extension.

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

For some scenarios it’s possible to use a combination of LFOs + sample & hold instead of pure randomization.

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?

Some VSTs (e.g. from MeldaProduction) have randomization which is always preserved.

Are there other products that offer this feature?

We don’t know.

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35 posts were split to a new topic: [Draft discussion] All randomness should repeat within a project + seed of randomness

The randomness already repeats. If you use Dice, Chance or Probabilities in the grid, they all appear to start with an internal random seed (which is not user-accessible) and every time you open the project in Bitwig they will produce the same exact sequence of random values. (Noise and S&H LFO do not exhibit this behavior, their sequences are entirely random and don’t repeat.)

So in a way what we actually have is the worst of both worlds. You need a user-controlled seed to decide how random sequences should repeat; I need true, never-repeating randomness in my generative patches. Currently we have neither.

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Just tried Dice, it produced different values in two different plays. What am I missing?

You can get both now, or the same result, audibly.

If you want to reuse the same random signal, put it in the master module channel. Now you can use it anywhere and have the same random signal in multiple places.

If you need true, never repeating randomness, use white noise in the grid into a mod out. If you need it quantized you can do that.

the seed only applies to clip, so randomness of chance and spread expressions/operators within clip

We want same random signal in multiple plays, not places. If we play the song two times, will the signal be same?