MOTU releases Digital Performer 10 - Clips Window, Stretch Audio, VCA Faders, VST3 plug-in support and More

MOTU has announced the release of Digital Performer version 10, a major upgrade to their flagship audio workstation software. New features include the Clips window for live triggering and looping of audio and MIDI clips, Stretch Audio powered by ZTX Pro technology, VCA faders, a new convenient Content Browser, VST3 plug-in support, scalable UI and a 5 GB soundbank containing hundreds of virtual instruments.

Clips window

Users can now drag and drop audio and MIDI clips from DP's new Content Browser into Clips window cells and trigger them in real time, interactively, for live performance or on-the-fly inspiration while creating new material. Users can also trigger multi-track clip groups (a partial row of cells) or the entire row (clips across all tracks). DP's unique clip queue lets users stack clip sequences ahead of time, without having to manually trigger each one. Clips can be added and removed, as inspiration strikes, from their computer or any MIDI controller. The Clips window allows users to combine clip triggering with linear, track-based playback and live mixing.

YouTube.com/watch?v=Apdg1ACEE1M

Stretch Audio and Beat Detection 2.0

The new Stretch edit layer for audio tracks lets users drag individual beats and their anchor points to make precision adjustments to achieve exactly the feel they want. For global tempo control, users can simply enable Stretch mode on a per-track basis and the entire audio track instantly conforms to the project tempo and time line, even with gradual tempo changes over time. ZTX Pro technology from Zynaptiq ensures the highest possible audio quality throughout. DP10's enhanced beat detection engine makes it easy to conform imported rhythmic audio to the project tempo by just dropping it into the track.

YouTube.com/watch?v=j8biXo89MgQ

VCA Faders

As with classic analog consoles of years past, DP10's VCA faders can control any number of tracks, precisely maintaining their relative volume. Users can create as many VCA groups as they wish and even control VCAs with other VCAs to create multiple nested sub-groups. Mix automation can be applied to VCAs and sub-fader automation is maintained and scaled throughout.

MOTU Instruments soundbank

DP10 includes a 5 GB library of multi-sample acoustic instruments, synths, loops and phrases with over 300 different instruments, 1100 instrument presets and 500 loops. Included are acoustic and electronic drum kits, pianos, guitars and basses, along with church organs, electric organs, strings, brass, woodwinds, synths, ethnic instruments, choirs, voices, percussion, sound effects and more. This versatile collection of instruments spans musical genres, eras, geographical regions and cultural styles.

Scalable UI, streamlined Waveform Editor and Run command

Today's high-resolution computer displays have very small pixels, making things tiny and hard to see. In DP10, users can now simply press command-plus and command-minus (control-plus and control-minus on Windows) to scale DP's entire UI larger or smaller to achieve the perfect degree of clarity for their eye.

DP10's Waveform Editor has been completely redesigned to provide a streamlined, all-in-one environment for down-to-the-sample waveform editing, precision beat editing, elastic audio stretching, pitch correction, embedded tempo map editing and more.

With the new Run command, users gain instant access to any feature in Digital Performer by simply typing shift-spacebar to open the Run Command text bar. When they start typing, all features matching what they type instantly appear.

YouTube.com/watch?v=TinF22ZVcS8

Other enhancements:

• Programmable skip buttons — DP's main transports can now skip forward and backward by musical increments, such as one beat, or two bars, or four bars.
• Region menu presets — Users can now save and create presets for Region menu operations, allowing them to recall commonly applied settings quickly and easily. Specific presets can be recalled with assigned keystrokes or with the new Run Command window.
• Enhanced grid snapping — Users can now choose relative or absolute grid snapping when dragging MIDI and audio. Alternately, Auto Grid Snap sets the grid resolution automatically so users don't have to think about it.
• Alternate tool — To speed editing, DP now offers both a primary and alternate tool, which users can switch between using the 'x' key to edit more quickly in situations where they are rapidly changing between two different tools in the tool palette.
• MIDI note display preferences — MIDI notes can be displayed with greater detail, including their MIDI note name, to quickly identify the pitch and on-velocity of each note at a glance.

Availability

Digital Performer 10 is available now for for macOS (64-bit-only) and Windows 10/8/7 (64- or 32-bit). Pricing remains the same, as follows:

• Full version: $499 USD (street price).
• Competitive upgrade: $395 USD.
• AudioDesk upgrade: $395 USD.
• Upgrade from previous version: $195USD.

Users of competing products can purchase the DP10 Competitive Upgrade from motu.com or from any authorized MOTU reseller.