Bitwig has announced the availability of Bitwig Studio 2.4, a free update for the multi-platform DAW (Linux, Mac & Windows).

Here’s what’s new in Bitwig Studio 2.4:

• Sampler overhaul (see section below)
• Program-wide MIDI channel support (see section below)
• New device: Note FX Layer, for stacking note effects as parallel layers
• New device: Channel Filter, for suppressing select MIDI channels
• New device: Channel Map, for remapping select MIDI channels
• New modulator: ParSeq-8, a unique parameter step sequencer
• New modulator: Note Counter, an incrementer for creating swirling modulation patterns
• Tracks can be horizontally resized in the Mix View
• Scenes can be horizontally resized in the Arrange View
• Scenes can be colored
• Global controller takeover modes, to set how hardware controllers and software parameters interact
• On-screen controller visualizations of takeover status, showing the current bank of controls with their parameter values
• Interaction-based hints, displaying all currently available mouse actions
• New Quick Start templates in the Dashboard
• Modulation mappings can now be copied/pasted by various methods
• Updated device: Bit-8 now has new quantization modes, additional parameters, and an optimized layout
• Updated device: HW Instrument now has an MPE mode that outputs note expressions as MIDI channel voice messages and dynamically allocates MIDI channels, if appropriate
• Updated modulator: Steps now has ping-pong looping and pattern generation/processing functions (available via right-click)
• Controller Scripting API now supports USB device detection and communication
• Controller Scripting API now offers graphics API (for passing bitmap data to controllers)
• Added controller support for Novation Launchkey MK2, Launch Control XL, and Launchkey Mini
• Added controller support for Sensel Morph
• Added controller support for MIDIPLUS X2mini, X3mini, X4mini, X6mini, X6pro, and X6pro
• Added controller support for Vault Apex 25, Apex 49, and Apex 61
• Various writings systems are now displayed properly, including: Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Cham, Cherokee, Chinese, Devanagari, Georgian, Gurmukhi, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Lao, Runic, Tamil, Telugu, and Thai
• Updated user guide for version 2.4

See the Bitwig site for details.