How to resolve AdBlock issue? Bitwig Connect 4/12
Bitwig announces its first hardware product: Bitwig Connect 4/12. It's more than an audio interface – it's a class-compliant, 4-in/12-out CV and MIDI-enabled audio interface with monitor- and DAW-control functionalities and a unique Bitwig Mode. As a bridge between software and external gear, Bitwig Connect is the perfect device to mark our debut into hardware.
Connect is a three-in-one audio/MIDI interface, monitor and DAW controller. Six mode buttons allow its 360-degree, touch-sensitive dial to adjust interface parameters or control software. It can set input gain, regulate the volume levels for two sets of monitors and your headphones, or even move the playhead and control any Bitwig Studio parameter with exceptional resolution. The front panel gives you immediate visual feedback, with accurate input and output meters and a ring of 32 RGB LEDs around the dial to visualize parameter values and automation data. Plus, gain settings are accessible and saved within Bitwig Studio, so you can pick up right where you left off next time you open it.
Connect's unique Bitwig Mode puts Bitwig Studio at your fingertips with DAW controller functionalities. Seamless integration makes writing automation, fine-tuning settings, and navigating the timeline in Bitwig Studio with Connect's main dial intuitive and precise. Get quick access to any control with the high-resolution dial by hovering over it with your cursor, and lock a selected parameter to Bitwig Connect by double-tapping. The LED ring indicates its current task by matching the color of the parameter or track in Bitwig Studio so you'll never get lost.
With two DC-coupled inputs and four outputs easily accessible via 3.5 mm minijacks directly on the front panel, Bitwig Connect is a superior choice for musicians with CV-enabled hardware. That means it goes both ways: To external devices from Bitwig Studio or other programs, and from hardware sequencers and modulation signals into the software realm. Thanks to factory calibration, Bitwig Connect plays pitch-perfect and without offset with Bitwig Studio right out of the box. And since jacks can also be used for audio signals, they can act as additional ins and outs for line-level signals, making them useful to all types of users.
The hardware inside ensures pristine recordings with every take. Bitwig Connect uses balanced connections, a premium mic preamp, and high-quality instrument/line inputs feeding into tried-and-true AKM converters capable of up to 192kHz, 24-bit resolution. That means you can capture any source with ultra-low noise floors – so go ahead and crank the gain. Connect's robust steel chassis is built to endure travel and performance. USB-2 bus powering with the USB-C connector means there's no external power supply needed, so it can accompany you from the studio to the stage. With hardware this tough, you have a companion for life.
The concept behind Bitwig Connect was driven by two key goals: to create an audio interface that seamlessly integrates hardware and software, and to offer a way to physically interact with Bitwig Studio. Bitwig Connect bridges your hardware devices, like synths and modular systems, and Bitwig Studio’s comprehensive Hardware Out tools (CV in/out, Analog Clock, MIDI CC, etc.). Its bidirectional CV capabilities extend Bitwig Studio’s unique modulation system and The Grid to your hardware, and vice versa. Bitwig Connect makes this powerful connectivity effortless with plug-and-play simplicity and visual feedback.
The second idea is embodied in the high-resolution main dial, which offers precise control over everything in Bitwig Studio. Designed to complement your mouse, keyboard, and other MIDI controllers, this intuitive dial delivers a tactile, haptic experience.
Bitwig Studio 5.3 adds major improvements to the program's audio settings, such as auto-configuration and Combined Audio Devices. The latter option allows macOS and Linux users to integrate Bitwig Connect into their existing audio routing setups by combining multiple interfaces.
Bitwig Connect 4/12 will be available in spring 2025. It costs 549USD/499EUR. Pre-ordering will be available soon through the Bitwig webshop and selected retailers worldwide.