Bitwig Extensions

Multi-module Gradle project containing custom Bitwig Studio controller extensions.

Modules

Module	Description	Details
gig-maestro	RPC-based controller extension — control Bitwig via JSON-RPC over HTTP/WebSocket, with a companion CLI and interactive API docs	README
launchpad-mk2	Novation Launchpad MK2 controller extension with RGB clip launcher grid	README

graph LR
    BW[Bitwig Studio]
    GM[gig-maestro Extension]
    LP[launchpad-mk2 Extension]
    CLI[gig CLI]
    WS[WebSocket Clients]
    HTTP[HTTP Clients]
    PAD[Launchpad MK2 Hardware]

    BW --- GM
    BW --- LP
    GM -->|port 8787| HTTP
    GM -->|port 8788| WS
    GM -->|port 8787| CLI
    LP <-->|MIDI| PAD

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Highlights

• 306 RPC methods across 28 domains — transport, tracks, devices, clips, notes, browser, arranger, mixer, macros, and more
• CLI tool with 12 command groups for terminal-based workflows
• WebSocket streaming with topic-based subscriptions for real-time state updates
• Interactive API docs at http://localhost:8787/docs powered by Scalar with a live "Try It" playground
• Device control for Bitwig instruments, VST2, VST3, and CLAP plugins
• Macro operations for programmatic song building, sound design, and automation
• 713 automated tests — unit tests, smoke tests (offline + online), and OpenAPI spec validation

Prerequisites

• Java 21+
• Gradle 9.3+ (wrapper included — use ./gradlew)
• Bitwig Studio 6.0+
• Node.js 18+ (for OpenAPI spec generation)

Quick Start

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/gregrossdev/bitwig-extensions.git
cd bitwig-extensions

# Build gig-maestro extension (.bwextension)
./gradlew :gig-maestro:shadowJar

# Build gig-maestro CLI
./gradlew :gig-maestro:cliShadowJar

# Build launchpad-mk2 extension
./gradlew :launchpad-mk2:build

# Build everything
./gradlew clean build

# Run tests
./gradlew :gig-maestro:test

After building, enable the extension in Bitwig: Settings > Controllers > Add Controller > Greg Ross > Gig Maestro.

Then try it:

# Get a full session snapshot
curl -s http://localhost:8787/rpc \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"session/snapshot","params":{},"id":1}' | jq .result

# Or use the CLI
gig transport play
gig --pretty snapshot

# Open interactive API docs in your browser
open http://localhost:8787/docs

Documentation

Resource	Description
gig-maestro README	Architecture, setup, quick start, user stories
CLI Reference	All 12 CLI commands with options and examples
RPC API Reference	All 306 methods with parameters
Interactive API Docs	Scalar-powered browser with live "Try It" (requires Bitwig)
launchpad-mk2 README	Button map, LED colors, setup guide

Project Structure

bitwig-extensions/
├── gig-maestro/
│   ├── src/main/java/    # Extension source (21 handlers)
│   ├── src/cli/java/     # CLI source (PicoCLI)
│   ├── src/test/java/    # JUnit 5 tests (24+ classes)
│   ├── tools/            # Claude tool schemas + system prompt
│   ├── scripts/          # Smoke test suite
│   └── docs/             # API reference + interactive docs
├── launchpad-mk2/
│   └── src/main/java/    # Launchpad MK2 extension
├── build.gradle.kts      # Root build config
├── settings.gradle.kts   # Module declarations
└── gradle/               # Gradle wrapper

Tech Stack

Component	Technology
Language	Java 21
Build	Gradle 9.3.1 (Kotlin DSL, Shadow plugin)
Bitwig API	Controller Extension API v25
JSON	Gson
WebSocket	Java-WebSocket
CLI	PicoCLI
API Docs	Scalar (OpenAPI 3.1)
Testing	JUnit 5, Mockito, shell-based smoke tests

License

MIT