Windows: Redux keyboard focus issues in Bitwig

System: Windows 11 24H2, Bitwig 5.3.12, Redux 1.4

Observation: Redux does not take full keyboard focus (open active window), making editing difficult. Regular a-z keys are seen by both Redux and the host (which leads to some side effects), but e.g. space and shift do not seem to reach Redux at all and are either “stolen” by Bitwig or not grabbed by Redux.

Reproducibility: It seems to be DAW and platform specific; I do not have these issues in Bitwig on Mac OS 15.5, nor in Ableton 12 on Windows, or in other plugins. I’ve deactivated any keyboard remapping I’m aware of.

Can it be reproduced and verified as a bug in Redux? Otherwise I’d like to hear from someone having this working fine on Windows + Bitwig (indicating a system/setup issue) and to learn of any workarounds. Thanks!

I’m having the same issue with Redux 1.4 and BWS 5.3.10 Windows 10
Space to play phrase no longer works
I have found that using the keyboard to change phrase length is intermittent

I had no issues with vst2 version V1.3.3

Can replicate this here as well. We’ll try to find a workaround, and else try to get some help from the bitwig crew.

As a workaround for the Phrase’s Pattern Editor you can also use the Return key to start/stop playback.

This does not work when typing in text though, which is especially annoying in the new phrase script editor.

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Thank you for the quick reply and for your efforts!

Not even sure if this is contributing to the issues, however make sure you cut/move the vst from your downloaded location to C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3
When I just copied the Renoise Redux.vst3 I got this error in the plug scans in BWS

com.bitwig.flt.library.metadata.reader.exception.CouldNotReadMetadataException: could not read metadata: LoadLibrary for VST 3 plug-in C:\Users\<user>\Downloads\rns_rdx_140_windows\Renoise Redux x64\Renoise Redux.vst3 return NULL. Error code: 5. Access is denied.

More digging, I believe the keyboard input for phrase length and scripting stops working when BWS finishes indexing.
Excerpt from the BitwigStudio.log in AppData\Local\Bitwig Studio

Line 219: [2025-07-09 18:35:48.663 indexer info] Could not read metadata for Renoise Redux.vst3/Contents/Resources/pattrns.dll com.bitwig.flt.library.metadata.reader.exception.CouldNotReadMetadataException: could not read metadata: com.bitwig.flt.library.metadata.reader.exception.CouldNotReadMetadataException: could not read metadata: Not a plug-in file

and

Line 219: [2025-07-09 18:45:13.700 indexer info] Could not read metadata for Renoise Redux.vst3/Contents/Resources/pattrns.dll com.bitwig.flt.library.metadata.reader.exception.CouldNotReadMetadataException: could not read metadata: com.bitwig.flt.library.metadata.reader.exception.CouldNotReadMetadataException: could not read metadata: Not a plug-in file

Both times keyboard functionality in phrases stopped after indexing completed.

The metadata issue is almost certainly a separate problem and more likely to do with plugin file permissions or bitwig’s indexing

Yes, there is no manifest in Redux, but it’s also not required.


Got a reply from the Bitwig devs: the keyboard issue happen in other plugins as well, is a regression in Bitwig and will be fixed by them in an upcoming update.

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Awesome thanks for chasing that up

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Did they confirm it was related to indexing as keyboard for typing on the script editor etc works fine until indexing stops