Polarity Dispenser

In this video, I tackled the challenge of replicating Newfangled Audio's Elevate plugin inside Bitwig Studio 5.3 Beta 5, and I think I came pretty close. Elevate is a powerful mastering tool that combines a filter bank, limiter, transient shaper, and clipper into one plugin. I recreated this structure using Bitwig’s modular tools and shared the preset for you to try out—link is in the description below!

What Elevate Does:

• Filter Bank:

• Uses 26 or 62 bands spaced according to the mel scale.

• Acts as a frequency splitter for detailed processing.

• Limiter:

• Each band has its own limiter for precise control.

• Transient Shaper:

• Adjusts transients to enhance or smooth out attacks.

• Clipper:

• Final stage for hard or soft clipping.

How I Recreated Elevate in Bitwig:

• Filter Bank (Band Splitting):

• Used impulse responses to replicate the mel-spaced band splitting.

• These impulse responses are CPU-friendly and keep the phase untouched.

• Limiter (Replaced with Compressor):

• Instead of a hard limiter, I used a compressor on each band for more flexibility.

• You can adjust the ratio, attack, and release to shape the sound or mimic a limiter.

• Threshold control is added for pulling down levels or pushing the signal into compression.

• Transient Shaper:

• Skipped a dedicated transient shaper because the compressor already allows you to tweak attacks and releases effectively.

• Clipper:

• Added Over as the final stage for clipping.

• The clipper threshold is set to 0 dB, ensuring no overs.

• Timing Compensation:

• Added a Time Shift at the end to compensate for the filter bank’s latency.

• Ensured precise alignment so you can blend wet and dry signals perfectly (inverted polarity cancels out).

How It Sounds:

• I tested the setup on a pre-compressed track, but you can really hear the magic when tweaking:

• Boost input gain to push the bands into compression.

• Fine-tune attack and release to control dynamics.

• Adjust the band levels to shape the tone, effectively acting as an EQ.

• Use the clipper threshold for smooth or aggressive clipping.

Features of My Elevate Replica:

• Band Control:

• Each band has independent threshold, attack, release, and ratio controls.

• Delta Mode:

• Allows you to monitor what’s being clipped.

• Final Safety Limiter:

• Added a final Over clipper at 0 dB to catch anything that might go into the red.

Conclusion:

This setup isn’t a 1:1 clone of Elevate, but it captures the core workflow: filter bank > dynamics processing > clipping. The flexibility of Bitwig’s modular environment lets you tweak things to taste or go beyond what Elevate offers.