Bitwig vs. Studio One: Which DAW Is Better for Metal?

When you’re deep in the trenches of music production, your DAW is your command center. It’s where you track screaming vocals, edit impossibly tight blast beats, and dial in crushing guitar tones. For years, the metal world has been dominated by a few giants: Pro Tools, Cubase, and Logic. But a couple of newer, slicker contenders have been gaining ground: Bitwig Studio and PreSonus Studio One.

So, what’s the deal? Can these more modern DAWs really hang in a genre that demands so much from audio editing and mixing horsepower? Or are you better off sticking with the old guard?

Let’s break it down.

Does Your DAW Even Matter?

First, the big question: how much does your choice of DAW really matter?

On one hand, not much. Today's DAWs are all incredibly powerful. If you’re determined, you can produce a killer metal track in any of them. They all record audio, they all host plugins, and they all have a mixer.

On the other hand, it matters a lot. Each DAW has a unique workflow, with specific strengths and weaknesses. Pro Tools is the studio standard for a reason—its audio editing is second to none. Cubase is a beast at both audio and MIDI. These apps have been battle-tested for decades.

Switching DAWs after you've learned one inside and out is a massive pain. Your muscle memory is shot, your project files are useless, and your workflow grinds to a halt. So while you can make music in anything, picking the right environment from the start will make your life a hell of a lot easier.

With that in mind, let’s see how the new kids on the block stack up for metal production.

PreSonus Studio One: The Modern Traditionalist

Studio One burst onto the scene and was immediately dubbed a potential “Pro Tools killer.” It was designed by former Steinberg developers (the minds behind Cubase) who wanted to build a modern DAW from the ground up, combining the best features of its predecessors into a single, intuitive package.

Pros for Metal Producers

• Lightning-Fast Workflow: Studio One’s drag-and-drop ethos is its superpower. Want to create a send? Drag an effect onto a channel. Want to route an instrument to a bus? Drag the track. This speed is addictive and gets you from idea to execution with less menu-diving.
• Top-Tier Audio Editing: For metal, your audio editing has to be tight. Studio One delivers with features that feel familiar to Pro Tools users. Comping takes is a breeze, and the audio bending and transient detection are solid for tightening up drums or aligning multi-tracked guitars.
• Great Stock Plugins: The included Pro-EQ3 and Fat Channel XT plugins are genuinely useful. Fat Channel XT, in particular, lets you build a custom channel strip with various EQ and compression models, which is perfect for getting a rough mix going quickly without opening a dozen different windows.
• Integrated Project Page: Studio One has a dedicated “Project” page for mastering. You can import your final mixes, add mastering effects, and export your album without ever leaving the DAW. It’s a seamless feature that other DAWs lack.

Cons for Metal Producers

• The Collaboration Problem: While gaining popularity, Studio One isn't the industry standard. If you plan on sending your session to a professional mixer, chances are they’ll ask for Pro Tools stems. It's less of a problem if you do everything yourself, but a major consideration for collaboration.

Bitwig Studio: The Creative Sound Design Machine

Bitwig came from a different angle. Developed by ex-Ableton engineers, it’s built for creative exploration and sound design. It’s known for its modular environment and powerful modulation capabilities, making it a favorite in the electronic music world. But can it do metal?

Pros for Metal Producers

• Unmatched Modulation: Bitwig’s core feature is its "any-parameter-can-modulate-anything" system. This opens up insane creative possibilities. You could use a drum transient to trigger a filter sweep on a synth pad, or LFO-gate your rhythm guitars for a stuttering djent effect. It’s a sound designer’s dream.
• "The Grid": This is Bitwig's fully modular sound design environment. You can build your own synths, samplers, and effects from scratch. For metal producers who incorporate industrial sounds, cinematic textures, or complex synth layers (think bands like Northlane or Rammstein), The Grid is an absolute playground.
• Modern and Stable: As a newer application, Bitwig doesn’t carry the weight of decades-old code. It’s known for being stable, and its sandboxed plugin support means if a plugin crashes, it won't take your entire session down with it—a lifesaver when you're in the zone.

Cons for Metal Producers

• Not an Editing Powerhouse: While you can absolutely record and edit audio in Bitwig, it’s not its primary focus. The workflow is less optimized for the kind of hardcore, sample-accurate drum editing or intricate vocal comping that metal often requires compared to Studio One or Pro Tools.
• The "Electronic" Stigma: Its strengths lie in MIDI, modulation, and creative looping. For a producer focused purely on recording a four-piece band with minimal electronic elements, many of Bitwig’s best features might go unused.
• Even More Niche: If you think Studio One isn’t common, Bitwig is even less so in the rock and metal world. You will almost certainly be the only one you know using it, making collaboration practically impossible without bouncing everything to stems first.

The Head-to-Head: Key Battlegrounds

So, where does that leave us? Let's put them side-by-side on the issues that matter most to a metal producer.

Audio Editing & Comping

For slicing up blast beats, aligning quad-tracked guitars, and comping the perfect vocal take, Studio One has the clear edge. Its workflow is designed for these tasks and feels more direct and powerful for traditional audio manipulation.

Workflow & Speed

This is subjective, but it boils down to what you prioritize. Studio One is faster for traditional recording and mixing tasks thanks to its drag-and-drop functionality. Bitwig feels faster for creative sound design and experimentation due to its flexible routing and modulation system.

Stock Plugins & Tools

Both are strong, but for different reasons. Bitwig wins on creativity with The Grid. It’s a tool that can fundamentally change how you create sounds. Studio One wins on practicality. Its stock EQs, compressors, and channel strips are workhorse tools you can use to mix an entire record. When it comes to something as fundamental as EQ-ing metal guitars, Studio One’s tools feel immediately familiar and effective.

The Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?

So, should a metal producer pick Bitwig or Studio One?

Go with PreSonus Studio One if: You want a modern, fast DAW with a powerful, traditional audio-editing workflow. If you love the idea of Pro Tools' power but want a more intuitive interface and a one-time purchase, Studio One is a fantastic choice.

Go with Bitwig Studio if: You’re a creative producer who blurs the lines between genres. If you incorporate heavy synth elements, complex automation, and experimental sound design into your metal, Bitwig offers tools that no other DAW can match.

Ultimately, both are incredibly capable DAWs. But if your main focus is recording and mixing bands in a more traditional sense, you might find yourself fighting against Bitwig’s workflow, while Studio One will feel like it was built just for you.

Beyond the DAW: It’s How You Use It

The DAW is just the canvas. The real art is in the technique, and the world’s best producers can get a crushing sound in any software. They know how to mic a cab, how to dial in compression, and how to make every element in a dense mix hit with maximum impact.

We see it every month on Nail The Mix. Our world-class instructors use everything from Pro Tools and Cubase to Logic and Reaper to mix tracks from bands like Gojira, Lamb of God, and Architects. The software changes, but the principles of a great mix remain the same.

If you want to see exactly how these pros get their signature sounds, check out the full catalog of Nail The Mix sessions. You get the raw multitracks from a real song and watch the original producer mix it from scratch, explaining every plugin, technique, and decision along the way. It’s the ultimate peek behind the curtain, no matter which DAW you call home.