MOTU in Cambridge, Mass., is now shipping Digital Performer Version 9 for Mac OS X and Windows 8/7 (full version, $499 street; competitive upgrade, $395; AudioDesk upgrade, $395, and $195 upgrade from previous version), a major upgrade to its flagship audio workstation software. Version 9 includes MOTU’s MX4 MultiSynth, plus five new plug-ins, automation lanes and spectrogram display in the Sequence Editor, Retina display support, MusicXML notation export and other new features.
Now included with DP, MX4 MultiSynth is a 64-bit virtual instrument plug-in featuring a hybrid engine that combines several forms of synthesis, including subtractive, wavetable, frequency modulation (FM), amplitude modulation (AM) and analog emulation. Included is a new EDM-inspired soundbank with 120 new presets programmed by synthesist Erik Norlander.
New V. 9 plug-ins include the MasterWorks FET-76 emulation of the classic 1176 limiting amplifier (revisions D/E); MultiFuzz model of Craig Anderton’s QuadraFuzz distortion kit from the ’70s; MicroG and MicroB polyphonic octave generators for guitar and bass; and the MegaSynth subtractive synth processor, which lets users make a guitar sound like a synthesizer. MegaSynth combines polyphonic octave generation with flexible signal routing, envelopes, LFOS, a pattern generator and macros.
DP9 lets users display audio and MIDI automation data (volume, pan, plug-in settings, etc.) in separate lanes below each track for easier viewing and editing, and show and hide as many lanes as desired. View the spectral content of each audio track, side by side with their waveforms, directly in the Sequence Editor timeline with a colorful, informative visual representation of the frequency content of audio material.
DP9 also offers Retina display support. View DP’s UI themes like Carbon Fiber, Producer and the all-new DP9 theme in stunning detail on the exceptionally high image resolution of your Mac’s Retina display.
DP9 lets users export DP QuickScribe notation scores as a MusicXML file, which can then be imported into popular music notation applications like Finale and Sibelius. QuickScribe’s notation transcription, along with dynamics and many other musical symbols, are preserved during the file transfer.
The Create Tracks command lets users add many tracks to a project in one step, including different types of tracks (MIDI, audio, aux, master faders, etc.) all at once.
Floating plug-in windows let users keep plug-in windows in front of all other DP windows. Set the floating preference globally or choose to float on a per-window basis.
In DP9, MIDI Learn for audio plug-ins lets users map knobs, faders and switches on a MIDI controller to audio plug-in parameters. Use Digital Performer’s Custom Consoles feature to gain access to advanced programming for the connection.
Find complete information at www.motu.com/products/software/dp.
Registered users can upgrade directly from the MOTU Website: www.motu.com/store_products/upgrades/dp.
