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, and 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