Video of 2015 NAMM MOTU DP9 Preview Demo

[jloeb]

This is unbelievable. It’s a tremendous gift from MOTU to its users. It goes way beyond regular MIDI Learn, offering means of controlling many diverse parameters in various plugins and mixing board channels using faders placed together in a single window. It offers complex programming or utter simplicity, as you wish. Most of all, it allows the use of any external hardware to control pretty much anything in DP. And it sets up the basic Custom Console for you. (you add custom on-screen faders, groups, slaves, other targets, etc. after creating the MIDI Learn link.) Look out, world! One of the most powerful features in DP has been reborn!

Well, I cannot wait to see this. I believe this dormant, quirky feature reborn as a MIDI star will revolutionize DP and create a whole new buzz of interest in this “old” DAW.

• • • 

In gratitude, I think I speak for DP users everywhere.

+1000.

I got yer Console One Automapped RIGHT 'ERE.

[Shooshie]

Regarding Shooshie's #2 comment on Automation Lanes, and selecting all visible (or invisible) lanes-- and forgive me if this is covered elsewhere, but it seems like there could be a case made for one little tweak-- which is a "chase/insert" option box.

So if you select a time range within a stream of CC data; DP could chase the CC (i.e., look back to make sure the last CC value is included) and make sure that the value at the start of the selection was added as an automation point. There might be some question of what to do at the end of a selection where you may have a partial note (that extends beyond the end of the time range). Would you want to take some of that note's CC data along with it in the copy operation? I guess I'd say no. If I want that extended CC info, I just have to make sure I include it in the time range. I can prune off whatever I don't want after the paste.

I have tried to figure out efficient ways to do that, and it's a lot more complicated than it looks. The place that I chose to focus on is in the preference for the Tracks Overview window. I would add intelligent parsing of regions to the list of region parsing options, so that there are no dangling controllers left. But how do you define a dangling controller? One that returns to zero? Sometimes, but not all the time. How about the steepest descent nearest the end of the last note? Like I said, it's got to be intelligent parsing. I would have to leave it to Moto to come up with a better idea. It was easy when it was just pedals, but expression and breath control are whole different creatures. But it's got to have something to do with the way it parses regions, and regions have got to be usable in the edit windows, not just the TO.

I feel like the latest news shows that MOTU is listening, so they just might do this if we could show them the right path to please the most people.

[BKK-OZ]

I wonder if the new learn controller/custom controller thing will obviate the need for an update to DP Control?

If I could use the MIDI learn feature over Wi-Fi from my iPad, and if I could have even a basic skin on the iPad, I would happily create my own remote contollers for DP.

[James Steele]

A couple cool new things, but I do have to say, I'm a bit underwhelmed by what is announced so far. It will be hard for me to justify this upgrade if the pricing is similar as previous upgrades. Glad to see they are improving the product but unless something else is announced that matters enough to me, I will probably have to wait for DPX.

Hehehe... I was having this fun little parade, but I just knew the rain would come. Anyway... they did make a point that they were not demoing ALL the new features... just the ones that were far enough along to show in public. They also kind of wanted to hold some things back so the competition wouldn't know about it until it actually drops.

[dewdman42]

hope so, cause I'd love to get it!

[mikehalloran]

Or are all XML files created equal?

I think they are, but I could be wrong. I did a project last year where everything was supplied as MXL files. They were from different people created in different apps. They all imported seamlessly into Finale. I was actually quite surprised at how painless the process was - a few tweaks here and there, but otherwise easy peasy.

Phil

Finale owns Music XML. Michael Goode, the inventor, became a VP when he sold it and is still with them. All use of Music XML is under license -- around 270 licensees when we spoke in October.

Michael and I have done a few shows together over the years beginning in an orchestra in 1979 and on stage last October.

Anyway, all XML files are not equal even if they are compatible. While files exported from SmartScore X Pro II and Finale contain lyrics and expressions, SmartScore X cannot handle lyrics. I don't remember that Encore can import expressions either but I've not tried to use XML with that in a long time. With the two versions of SmartScore X Pro, I was able to make an A/B comparison.

If DP 9 supports XML export to the extent that Finale 2014 can import, that will be huge for many users. I have no use for QuickScribe but if it can import the full implementation of Music XML from Finale and SmartScore X Pro II, that will be huge for me, too.

[mikehalloran]

Hehehe... I was having this fun little parade, but I just knew the rain would come. Anyway... they did make a point that they were not demoing ALL the new features... just the ones that were far enough along to show in public. They also kind of wanted to hold some things back so the competition wouldn't know about it until it actually drops.

if some of the features are not ready to show, who believes it will have a Spring release?

Ok, who believes there is no chance in hell of that happening before the Fall ... as always. Hmmm... All the same hands...

[Tritonemusic]

Well, I watched the video from beginning to end, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank, James.

[Shooshie]

A couple cool new things, but I do have to say, I'm a bit underwhelmed by what is announced so far. It will be hard for me to justify this upgrade if the pricing is similar as previous upgrades. Glad to see they are improving the product but unless something else is announced that matters enough to me, I will probably have to wait for DPX.

Hehehe... I was having this fun little parade, but I just knew the rain would come. Anyway... they did make a point that they were not demoing ALL the new features... just the ones that were far enough along to show in public. They also kind of wanted to hold some things back so the competition wouldn't know about it until it actually drops.

Well, I'm already blown away by what was announced. If some aren't that impressed, it's probably because they haven't used those features and dreamed of what they might become with a little work. If these things work as I think they're working, this is going to be an incredible release of DP. But to think there are more announcements to go — and potentially big ones — is really whetting my appetite for some DP9. This is going to be a great version.

The plugins don't matter as much to me, but those other features are killer!

Shooshie

[bayswater]

I think there's just enough there now for me, and I'm looking forward to what else will be in the update, particularly the plugins. I don't have MX4 so thats something to look forward to. If the 1176 is up to snuff, what with the recent Eventide reverb and delay, I can happily walk away from UAD and some of the new IKM plugins I've been looking at.

The fly in the ointment is that the US dollar is climbing rapidly against just about every other currency. MOTU could do us a favour by relocating to ... wherever.

[davedempsey]

I'm happy about all the new features and improvements announced so far. Learn controller is by far the most exciting new feature for me - combined with good old chunks my live keyboard rig will be greatly enhanced. I've recently acquired a Nektar Panorama 61 note controller as second keyboard. I chose it so it gave me a secondary value as a Reason controller in the studio (as it has a complete profile map for Reason, as well as other software). Learn controller will give me total control of any or all of this fader, encoder and pad array without me needing to wait for Nektar to map DP.... happy days

[dosuna11]

I really am excited about the lanes and learn controllers. In Reason these 2 things have been invaluable for MIDI editing and mixing. Import into Sibelius will change my life. NO more wasted time re-entering and fixing MIDI file imports. For those of you who use Sibelius for importing MIDI files you know how weird things appear out of nowhere. My students always found DP charts little harder to read than the dedicated notation programs. DP 9 when I update will bless me with more time as it will definitely make theses tasks quicker.

[mikehalloran]

This is unbelievable. It’s a tremendous gift from MOTU to its users. It goes way beyond regular MIDI Learn, offering means of controlling many diverse parameters in various plugins and mixing board channels using faders placed together in a single window. It offers complex programming or utter simplicity, as you wish. Most of all, it allows the use of any external hardware to control pretty much anything in DP. And it sets up the basic Custom Console for you. (you add custom on-screen faders, groups, slaves, other targets, etc. after creating the MIDI Learn link.) Look out, world! One of the most powerful features in DP has been reborn!

Well, I cannot wait to see this. I believe this dormant, quirky feature reborn as a MIDI star will revolutionize DP and create a whole new buzz of interest in this “old” DAW.

• • • 

In gratitude, I think I speak for DP users everywhere.

If it can see my old JLCooper CS-32 USB, I will be extactic. There have been no drivers for this since OS 10.4 nor DP support since 4.6. Thirty two mechanical sliders on a platform the size of an iPad plus a scroll wheel and six assignable knobs...
OK, I was able to make it work in 10.6.8/Rosetta with DP 7.24 but that went away with 10.7.

[James Steele]

if some of the features are not ready to show, who believes it will have a Spring release?

That was speculation on my part. Perhaps others are indeed ready to show, but MOTU is being cagey about it?

[James Steele]

MOTU could do us a favour by relocating to ... wherever.

At the MOTU-MAC/MOTUnation dinner, I suggested anyplace in Hawaii might be good, considering the winters they have in Boston.