4. Controlling Bitwig Studio native devices via the MP MIDI app

We have a created a Bitwig Studio extension that enables you to control Bitwig Studio devices upon selecting them. The MP MIDI app will automatically sync and display the controls for the parameters of the selected device.

You can download the installer from the user portal for Mac and Windows.

How it works

The MP MIDI app will display and sync to the selected Bitwig Studio device.

Upon selecting a device in Bitwig Studio, it sends a notification to the controller that carries the track name and the device name. Once the MP MIDI app receives the notification, it immediately loads the xml preset for the device and Bitwig sends all the values of the parameters of the selected device to the MP Controller.

Along with the extension there are text mapping files, one for each device, that contain the name of the parameters, MIDI CC and MIDI channel. The Bitwig Studio extension reads these files and that is how it knows which MIDI CC controls the corresponding parameter of the device.

The Bitwig Studio extension and device mapping files are placed by the installer in ~/Documents/Bitwig Studio/Extensions and the xml presets in the ~/MP/Host/BitwigPresets.

Tutorial video on how to set it up here

On the left side it displays the selected device name and on the right the selected track name.

How to install and load

You need to install the MP MIDI app first. The MP MIDI app is used to control the Bitwig devices.

Run the installer and then run the MP MIDI app. Then open Bitwig Studio. 

Alternatively, you can use the MP MIDI app plugin which will be saved in your Bitwig project. Do not run both, the MP MIDI app and the MP MIDI plugin.

Go to Settings in Bitwig Studio

Choose Controllers

Select Add Controller

and from the list choose MP Controller

 Select the Product: MP Controller and click Add
 

on the Mac, select the MIDI Ports: MP MIDI for IN and OUT

on Windows, you need to create 2 virtual MIDI ports as explained in the MP MIDI Documentation page. 

IMPORTANT: You need to use loopMIDI to create the virtual MIDI ports because it allows naming the ports: FROM DAW & TO DAW which is required for the Bitwig presets to load correctly.

Then in the MP MIDI app, click on MIDI Devices

and choose the following:

in the default preset route using the MIDI Router as:

and save the default.xml (overwrite it).

Then in Bitwig, select these ports in the Controllers section:

Close settings and add a device in Bitwig Studio, the MP Controller will sync to the device and load the device preset in the MP MIDI app.

Using it in parallel with the MP Host

The MP MIDI app can be used in parallel with the MP Host plugins. When using the MP MIDI plugin the plugin panel will be available to use as well (the plugin panel is not available in the MP MIDI standalone app).

Limitations

Please note the following limitations on devices and the have been reported to Bitwig so that they can be fixed.

The device On/Off is mapable but does not send or receive.
Audio Receiver. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Channel Filter. Nothing to map.

Compressor+. Does not send parameters.
Channel Map. Nothing to map.
DC Offset. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Drum Machine. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.Only 1 parameter to be mapped.
Dual Pan. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Filter+. Mapped different parameters but only the "MIX" was working ok.
FM-4. The "Glide" parameter is mapped but it does not send or receive parameters.
Freq Shifter. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
fx-grid. Mapped but not send or receive
fx-layer. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
fx-selctor. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Harmonic Split. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Harmonize. Nothing to map.
HW Clock Out. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
HW CV Instrument. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
HW CV Out. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
HW FX. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
HW Instrument. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Instrument Layer. Nothing to map.
Instrument Selector. Nothing to map.
Key Filter. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Loud Split. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Mid-Side Split. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
MIDI CC. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
MIDI Program Change. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
MIDI Song Select. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Multiband FX-2. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Multiband FX-3. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Note Delay. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Note Filter. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Note FX Layer. Nothing to map.
Note FX Selector. Nothing to map.
Note Grid. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Note Length. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Note Receiver. Nothing to map.
Note Repeats. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Organ. Mapped but the "Vibrato" section does not send or receive parameters.
Peak-Limiter. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Phase-4. Mapped but "Glide" parameter is not working.
Pitch Shifter. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Polymer. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Polysynth. The "glide" parameter does not send or receive parameters.
Resonator Bank. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Sampler. The "glide" parameter does not send or receive parameters.
Stereo Split. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Sweep. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Test Tone. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Time Shift. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Transient Control. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Transient Split. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Transpose Map. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
Velocity Curve. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
XY FX. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.
XY Instrument. Mapped but not send or receive parameters.

Mac OS Installer Permissions

The Mac OS will prompt you to allow the installer to run.

After you run the installer and get this notice, click OK and go to Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway

In the next prompt, click OK

Presets not loading automatically on the Mac

If the device presets do not load automatically in the MP MIDI app you may need to set the permissions on the MP Host folder.

Open terminal on MacOS. Paste the following:

sudo chmod -R 777 ~/Library/Application\ Support/MP/Host

Press Enter. It will ask for your password. Type it and press enter. The permissions are now set.

Close and open the MP MIDI app.