A shortcut, either keyboard or mouse (mouse would be a faster workflow), that pastes whatever notes you currently have pressed on your MIDI input device, into the piano-roll.
Example: I want a C major chord. I play a C major on the keyboard, hover over a chosen point on the time grid with my mouse and activate the shortcut. A C major chord is pasted in.
This is not necessarily telling Bitwig to understand chords from the input, rather just flatly pasting whatever keys are currently pressed on your MIDI keyboard, with the length of the previously-selected MIDI note.
What problem(s) would this feature resolve?
Hugely accelerated workflow with harmonies for people with a little keyboard experience
How does this feature fit in Bitwig as a product?
Fits with the image of finding new and efficient ways to work fast and creative in the DAW, and the theme of supplementing creativity with technology
Is there already an alternative way to achieve this on Bitwig?
Apart from recording very slowly and editing very slowly, I’m not entirely sure. I haven’t found one. If there is, it’s obscure to me.
Could it be implemented using Bitwig components or APIs, without Bitwig team’s support?
I am not experienced enough to answer this.
Could it be provided by a VST or something else reasonably integrated with Bitwig?
I think Ableton offers this feature. I saw it once in a Video and was very envious.
Would be great.
It should be possible to implement this using the API. DrivenByMoss can inserted and build midi clips with the step sequencer on the controller, so it’s possible to enter notes using the API.
I thought about building it once but then shied away from it. Maybe I’ll try someday, I’ll post here if I do so and Bitwig has not done it itself by them.
@Worldwave I think your request is very clear already. Can you just remove the use of first person and change it for a neutral form (i.e. referring to “the user”), please? This way your request becomes everyone’s request.
An image would be nice as well, to feature this request on the main page.
I voted for this. I’m astonished it doesn’t have more votes, to be honest. Step recording is an invaluable workflow feature and no DAW should be without it. I’m not sure you need to click the mouse: you could simply press down the notes you want and have them added with the last duration at the next position as well. This could be implemented by building the chord from all the note-on events until all of them also receive a note-off.
Bonus extra: a “rest” button so you can skip to the next position without entering anything…
the lack of this feature genuinely makes me tempted to switch back to ableton after recently trying to switch to bitwig. creating complex chord progressions is so much slower in bitwig and my music has suffered as a result.
Mindblowing to me that you cant do this in bitwig. Seems like an easy thing to implement. Its another one of the key things that keeps me using ableton.
Bitwig has potential to be LEAPS AND BOUNDS better than ableton. Just needs a few more things like this and midi capture.
Meanwhile… has anyone tried to use a step sequencer plugin to record their steps, and then move the MIDI notes to the arranger or clip launcher when you are happy about them?
