MOTU has unveiled Digital Performer version 8, a major upgrade to their flagship audio workstation software. Recognized throughout the industry as a leading workstation application for Mac, Digital Performer 8 will now be available for both Mac OS X and Windows 7. During in-booth demos, MOTU debuted other significant new features, including a new video playback engine, Punch Guard confidence recording, 14 new user interface themes, and 15 new included plug-ins.

"With a long history of firsts, Digital Performer is widely considered to be a leader in audio software technology," said Jim Cooper, MOTU Director of Marketing. "We are thrilled to bring Digital Performer's leading role of exceptional performance and innovation to Windows-based recording artists, producers, engineers, remixers, composers and anyone looking for advanced desktop music and audio production."

DP8 will operate in 32-bit or 64-bit mode on Mac OS X and Windows 7. On Windows, it will support VST plug-ins and Rewire. MOTU demonstrated DP8 running on HP Z Workstations and HP EliteBook Mobile Workstations provided by Hewlett-Packard.

Other new DP8 features

Punch Guard records an extra four seconds of audio before and after record passes, allowing users to edge-edit in/out points to "uncover" audio material accidentally cut off during recording. DP8's new video engine allows full-screen viewing of full 720 or 1080 HD video clips on a primary or secondary computer monitor, or on a conventional HDMI or SDI video monitor connected to a MOTU video interface such as the HD Express or HDX-SDI.

Digital Performer's Themes allow users to change the entire look of the software with one click. DP8 adds 14 new themes, including "Hi-Fi", "Arctic", and "None More Black".

MOTU demonstrated 15 new plug-ins to be included with DP8, including two new classic guitar amp models, a bass cabinet model, several classic guitar pedals, modeled analog delay, a multi-band dynamic equalizer, a de-esser, the Subkick kick drum enhancer, and Springamabob, a modeled vintage spring reverb processor.

Digital Performer 8 will ship Spring, 2012. Pricing is TBA.

iPad support for CueMix FX

MOTU also demonstrated iPad support for CueMix FX, the mixing and effects processing engine in MOTU's current line of audio interfaces. With a simple software update, MOTU audio interface users will be able to control the mixing and processing features in their MOTU interface from OSC-compatible iPad software, which offers graphic, multi-touch control over the hardware's mixer, EQ, compression and reverb. iPad support for CueMix will ship as a free software update in Spring, 2012.