10 thoughts on “MOTU Intros DP 8 For Windows”

1. Has DP ever supported Windows before? This may be the end of the Mac-only era.

   Though seriously I gave up on MOTU’s software years ago because of its instability and annoying copy protection.

   For anyone who’s a DP-head, what are the advantages over Logic?

   1. I’ve been a Performer then Digital Performer user for decades. I did try Logic at one point, but the structure and docs were so indecipherable, I switched back. Let me do a fast comparison based on what I know of Logic.

      Logic has a very complete set of VI’s and EF’x, all great quality, but visually not very intuitive or easy on the eyes. Logic is powerful and very flexible, but is difficult to learn (IMO) and some features are not well documented. Often times simple edits require selecting a special tool. There is no way to make an edit where the selected region is removed and the time-gap is closed (moving stuff after the edit up in time). Has lots of fancy features like high-quality dither and Hermode tuning.

      This version brings DP much closer with effects than it used to be. DP now has great instruments, but they are not included with the DP bundle. DP’s interfaces on all of its effects & instruments is cleaner and more intuitive. It’s pitch, quantize and transpose features demonstrate an incredible understanding of how music & composers work. Not without its bugs (as of v7), but very workable.

   2. DP’s copy protection is not PACE/iLok like MOTU’s VIs.

      DP has not supported windows previously.

      Logic is $200 and includes a massive suite of premium VIs. DP is $800 ($400 cross grade price) and includes a pathetic set of VIs. Even if MOTU bundled all their UVI instruments (which they would not do as they’re licensed from another company), it still wouldn’t come close to the value that Logic offers.

      There are a few obscure features that would appeal to film composers over logic, but really not worth putting up with DP’s overly-clickly, sluggish, antiquated user interface that MOTU insists on putting a coat of paint on for every release. There still isn’t a loop browser, for example. The waveform editor is atrocious. The base effects suite is insulting, but they keep adding more guitar pedal emulations that no one asks for.

      With options like Live, Logic and new codebases like bitwigs’s new offering, adopting DP as your primary DAW is a bad place to put your creative energy.

      1. I’m not gonna disagree on the DP gripes, except to say that the “obscure features” that you refer to might be what makes it a professional app. I use some of those “obscure features” all the time.

         I’d also suggest that Logic’s VI’s are more comprehensive and do have some gems. Sculpture and EXS24 are both quite good. I think with this version the effects between Logic & DP are pretty close. Logic has some that are better, DP has some that are better.

         As for the price, Apple is in a special position now to offer its app for that little money. Hardly fair to diss MOTU on those grounds.

         The main the DP has going for it is that it is not Logic. I hope they can continue to capitalize on that.

2. The big thing here – surely – is the option to control a CueMix with an iPad – all of a sudden you take an audio interface and turn it into a fully functioning mixer – thats amazing and possibly the most interesting iPad mixer combo I’ve seen from Namm!

3. From looking at the video, some of the new features seem like clever “hidden macros”. PunchGuard is either just widening your punch in/out boundaries and adjusting the region accordingly. Though, keeping a little audio RAM buffer active is a good idea. No complaints.

   The dynamic EQ is welcome. MW Compressor was a decent three band, with more familiar digital compressor interface elements. The Dyn EQ will hopefully be more like UA’s multiband or Waves C3.

   A bass rig is nice to see.

   As a long time user, my hope is that lingering bugs from the last two version will finally be squashed (ok, you should know, I take ’em outside in a plastic cup and let ’em go).

4. just to remind you, Apple first went to MOTU to try to buy them b4 they went & bought what is now logic.. MOTU felt that there continuing partnership ( motu being the first music software for apple in 84 ) was most creative working towards there separate goals rather then selling out to change & losing there creative control… So Digital performer was apples first choice.

   DP is the only DAW software to work hand in hand with Pro tools projects. As a composer for TV i find this invaluable.. no one asks ” Was it made in logic ?” they ask if its made in pro tools..

   So b4 any Logic heads get ass-y about DPs failings. you got to ask yourself if in 1984 you were just a bead of sweat in your drunk fathers ball sake while MOTU were building the very foundations of what now is a saturated genre ridden market of DAW software.

   I hold my hands up, there are things i don’t like about DP, there incessant focus on guitar players !! 🙂 we need some vocoder love in there.. im looking forward to getting DP8 but for what ? do i really need another handful of effects to go with the 1500 i have already ? nope..

   DP’s biggest successful user base is in motion picture scoring, they should feature that more, pushing it to the musical academics who are more then just sound engineers & need to get there work into the pro arena without losing integrity & integration.

   much love 🙂 at least were all makin music.. Be happy. 🙂

5. >So b4 any Logic heads get ass-y about DPs failings. you got to ask yourself if in 1984 you were just a >bead of sweat in your drunk fathers ball sake while MOTU were building the very foundations of what >now is a saturated genre ridden market of DAW software.

   1 – I wasn’t
   2 – What a ridiculous comment! Xerox is well known for displaying a gui before other companies, so should we all throw away our iPhones and laptops? The Ford model T was the first really successful car model, so does that make a Tesla Roadster a piece of crap? Does the Wright brothers first flight make the newest Boeing airplane a joke? Please come up with a better argument to defend your software of choice next time. 😉

6. This is an apples to oranges comparison. Logic is great at some things and because of Apple’s market position, it is now quite inexpensive. DP is great at some of the same things, and some different things. Both are feature-rich and really deep.

   Both seem to have a pretty vibrant user base.

   DP7 has a few minor bugs– with reasonable workarounds. It has some interface problems that they don’t seem to be in any hurry to fix. But the same is true of Logic.

   I’ve been pretty happy with DP7. But during some MIDI graphic editing procedures, I can get pretty frustrated at how they messed up the responsiveness of simple things like selecting & dragging in one of the updates and never fixed it.

7. Only DP seems to understand how I work with hardware. That and the pitch editing makes it the DAW for me, as much as I hate the learning curve. Does Logic even allow you to define system exclusive strings anymore? Volta is brilliant. Expert sleepers means I have more options. Cubase is nice and straightforward. ProTools fixed-latency in hardware is the only reason I used it for a decade. I don’t want to learn Ableton. It farts too much. Mackie Tracktion is what I always wanted with its simple interface (never read the documentation), but the directory structure for audio files and power-hungry graphics ruined it. Along with failed archiving, infrequent updates and no sys-ex automation.

   Doggone it, I just want a working minimoog and an analog tape machine with a built-in iPad interface for sequencing and mixing straight to my Revox A77 through a dual 1176. That’s what would really make me happy.