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Digital Performer Changelog

What's new in Digital Performer 9.5 Build 8606.0

Nov 2, 2017
  • ZTX PRO time-stretching:
  • ZTX PRO time-stretching has been deployed throughout Digital Performer 9.5 wherever you apply audio time-stretching and produces dramatically improved results, even when slowing down or speeding up audio by extreme amounts. You will experience state-of-the-art time-stretching quality on any type of audio material: drum loops, solo instruments, multi-timbral material, vocals, full mixes, mono, stereo, n-channel, etc. Easily conform imported loops and audio clips to your project tempo, apply wholesale tempo adjustments to entire mixes, create conductor track tempo maps (including gradual tempo changes) and many other operations that alter the length and speed of audio clips.
  • ZTX PRO pitch-shifting and relative pitch editing
  • ZTX PRO pitch-shifting provides extremely high-quality pitch-shifting on both monophonic and multi-timbral audio material, even full mixes. You can apply formant-corrected or standard pitch-shifting as desired. Global preferences can be set, with the ability to specify the pitch-shifting mode for any individual audio clip. A new relative pitch editing layer in the Sequence Editor allows you to graphically transpose any audio material up or down by interval using a draggable pitch bar or a pencil tool for fine-tuned pitch correction, adding or removing vibrato and so on.
  • ZTX PRO quality presets:
  • ZTX PRO quality presets allow you to achieve the best results for a wide variety of audio material, including "solo" for monophonic material and "efficient" for fast processing that adapts variably to the characteristics of the audio signal. PureDSP pitch-shifting has been preserved as an additional option, as it often produces best results on solo vocals (or other monophonic instruments), especially when fine-tuning vocals.
  • Effect performance:
  • DP 9.5 also adds a new Effect Performance window, which monitors the processing load of all currently instantiated virtual instruments and effects plug-ins, allowing you to identify and manage plug-ins that impose high processing demands on your computer. Plug-ins can be sorted by name, processor load or the exact location (bar and beat) in the sequence time line at which they reach peak processing. Each plug-in is identified as either pre-gen or real-time, with hints as to why any plug-ins are currently running in real time.

New in Digital Performer 9.1.71078 (Aug 1, 2016)

  • Summer is sizzling and so is Digital Performer 9.1, now shipping as a free update for all DP9 owners. If you don't own DP yet, you can run the free download as a 30-day trial version. The 9.1 release introduces two new plug-ins, significant performance optimizations and dozens of workflow enhancements.
  • Next-gen Pre-gen engine — DP's Next-generation Pre-gen engine transparently pre-renders audio output from virtual instruments and plug-ins to dramatically reduce their CPU load, allowing you to run many times the number of plug-ins and virtual instruments than in previous versions.
  • Enhanced Windows drivers — The latency of the WASAPI (Windows Audio) driver has been significantly reduced. This improves audio I/O latency and virtual instrument performance. The CPU load of the sample rate conversion used in the Windows Audio driver has also been substantially reduced.
  • Small buffer optimization — DP's MOTU Audio System (MAS) engine processing has been optimized to better support operation at smaller buffer sizes (for both Mac and Windows), for even lower latency performance overall.
  • Hardware Insert plug-in — DP’s new Hardware Insert plug-in functions just like other DP effects plug-ins, but loops the channel’s audio signal to a piece of outboard hardware, with latency compensation, for external processing. This allows you to easily incorporate outboard gear into your DP effects chains.
  • SMPTE-Z plug-in — The new SMPTE-Z plug-in generates Longitudinal Time Code (LTC) while locked to DP’s timeline or while running independently in Freewheel mode. Time code can be routed anywhere via the audio track’s output assignment, allowing you to achieve accurate time code sync in a wide variety of situations.
  • Workflow enhancements — Dozens of additional workflow enhancements include a new pre/post fader metering option, faster switching between large sequence chunks, simplified audio hardware settings, improved compatibility with Avid Artist Mix and other Eucon control surfaces, and much more.

New in Digital Performer 9.00.66544 (Jun 24, 2015)

  • Digital Performer version 9 is now shipping and includes MOTU's powerful 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.
  • New features:
  • Mute MIDI notes:
  • The Mute tool now mutes MIDI notes, as well as soundbites.
  • Project notes:
  • You can now add unlimited text notes to your project in the new Project Notes window.
  • New search fields:
  • Search fields have been added to the Markers list, Chunks list and Plug-in Preferences list for quickly and easily finding markers, chunks and plug-ins.
  • Create Tracks command:
  • The new Create Tracks command (Project menu) lets you add many tracks to your project in one step. You can even add different types of tracks all at one. MIDI tracks can automatically be generated for instruments.
  • Floating plug-in windows:
  • Plug-in windows can now remain in front of other DP windows, on a per window basis. There is also a new preference for floating by default (when the window is first opened).
  • Spectrogram display in the sequence editor:
  • The Sequence Editor now lets you display audio tracks using a waveform display, spectrogram display or both. The spectrogram visually represents the frequency content of your audio tracks over time. Numerous color schemes are provided.
  • Automation lanes in the sequence editor:
  • The Sequence Editor now lets you display audio and MIDI automation data in separate lanes, below the track, for easier viewing and editing. You can show and hide as many lanes as you wish.
  • Midi learn for audio plug-ins:
  • The new Learn Controller feature allows you to map knobs, faders and switches on your MIDI controller to audio plug-in parameters in Digital Performer — and to Bus Send knobs in the Mixing Board. This connection is made through Digital Performer’s powerful Custom Consoles feature, which provides advanced programming for the connection.
  • MusicXML export:
  • You can now export scores that you create in Digital Performer’s QuickScribe notation window as a MusicXML file, which can then be imported into popular music notation applications like Finale™ and Sibelius™. MusicXML saves you time because the notation transcription, along with dynamics and many other musical symbols, are preserved during the file transfer.
  • MX4:
  • MX4 is a powerful virtual instrument plug-in that features a unique, hybrid synthesis engine that combines several forms of synthesis, including subtractive, wavetable, frequency modulation (FM), amplitude modulation (AM) and analog emulation. MX4’s flexible programming and advanced modulation architecture provide the intimacy of a vintage synth, the flexibility of a modular synth and the innovation of a virtual synth.
  • Signature EDM soundbank:
  • MX4 now includes 120 new EDM-inspired presets, programmed by synth guru Erik Norlander. Check them out in the MX4 soundbank menu.
  • Megasynth:
  • MegaSynth is a subtractive synth processor intended primarily for guitar and bass, although you can certainly run any signal you wish through it. MegaSynth can generate octave, sub-octave and square wave tones
  • based on the input signal. You can mix, route and process the four signals (voices) in a virtually infinite number of ways.
  • MicroG and MicroB:
  • MicroG and MicroB are subtractive synth processors based on the idea behind popular “polyphonic octave generator” (POG) guitar processors. These two plug-ins are similar to MegaSynth, except that each is streamlined significantly. Each can generate octave, suboctave and square wave tones based on the input signal, combined with a gain-triggered filter sweep.
  • Multifuzz:
  • MultiFuzz is a spot-on reproduction of Craig Anderton’s legendary QuadraFuzz mulitband distortion kit from decades past. Anderton developed a relatively straightforward concept that produces absolutely monster guitar tones: divide the input signal into four separate frequency bands and then apply distortion independently to each band. The results range from sublime warmth to absolute filth.
  • Masterworks FET-76:
  • The MasterWorks FET-76 is a detailed model of the 1176LN Limiting Amplifier, which was originally introduced in 1966. The original 1176 used FETs (Field Effect Transformers) to control audio gain reduction, and FET-76 provides the exact same controls, including the original’s All Buttons mode.

New in Digital Performer 8.07.63959 (Sep 8, 2014)

  • Here are just a few highlights:
  • Support for 16 and 32 sample buffers (for audio hardware that supports these buffer sizes)
  • Many enhancements related to video playback and the use of external video hardware
  • Improvements to importing and exporting using OMF, AAF and Final Cut Pro 7 XML
  • Windows operation enhancements to clippings, printing, and ReWire
  • Fixed an issue where very long audio files would constantly regenerate their overviews