2. Getting started with Drum Machine

1 Let’s start our first project. Going in, we get a number of options, one being to create a new project. Select that one and our project opens in the Arrange View – familiar if you’ve ever used any other linear DAW. To adjust settings, click the Bitwig Dashboard icon in the centre of the title bar.

2 Back in the Arrange View, there are two tracks created by default: one is an Instrument Track, the other is an Audio Track. To the right, we find the Browser. Clicking the leftmost widget at the top gives us access to all of our Devices, including third-party plugins. Click the red Bitwig logo.

3 Now all of Bitwig Studio 8-Track’s many Devices are displayed in the bottom section. The greyed-out titles are only available in the full version or demo mode. Find the Drum Machine device and drag it onto our existing Instrument Track. The instrument’s interface will show up in the bottom section.

4 There are plenty of ways to populate the Drum Machine’s pads with sounds. You can add your own samples or create sounds from scratch using synthesis. Clicking the folder on the left of the Drum Machine will allow us to navigate to a preset kit. Locate the Legend 909 Normal Kit and click OK.