How to import wavetables into Sampler (Bitwig Studio)

What Sampler (Bitwig Studio) expects

Bitwig has no wavetable import as such — the Sampler device's Cycles play mode is what plays a packed WAV as a wavetable. Auto-detection relies on metadata chunks (clm, uhWT) that Hyperwave does not write, so expect to switch the play mode to Cycles and set the Root key by hand. In Cycles mode the root key determines the wavetable size; there is no wave-size or wave-count control.

Bitwig's Sampler auto-detects packed wavetable WAVs via metadata: a clm chunk sets Cycles play mode and the root key that determines wavetable size; uhWT chunks are also read (Bitwig 4.0.2+). Files without wavetable metadata load as regular samples.

Step by step

1. Export from Hyperwave as a packed mono WAV (2,048 samples per frame recommended).
2. Drag the WAV into Bitwig and choose Sampler.
3. If it loads as a plain sample, switch the play mode to Cycles and set the Root key so the cycle length matches the exported frame size — the root key determines the wavetable size, and there is no wave count control.

If something goes wrong

Bitwig loaded my WAV as a plain sample.

Hyperwave writes no metadata chunks, so Sampler cannot auto-detect the wavetable. Switch the play mode to Cycles and set the Root key so the cycle length matches the exported frame size — in Cycles mode the root key determines the wavetable size.

Export settings for Sampler (Bitwig Studio)

Sampler (Bitwig Studio) has no dedicated export preset in Hyperwave — the default preset ("Default — 2048 × 256") writes 2,048 samples per frame, 256 frames, mono 32-bit float, and matches the layout documented above.

Default — 2048 × 256

2,048 samples per frame × 256 frames · 32-bit float · 48 kHz

Sources