How old is DP8?

[csiaudio]

I can't remember, when was the release date of DP8?

[stubbsonic]

Very beginning of 2012, I believe.

[Shooshie]

The obligatory "DP8 is now shipping" post was on September 25, 2012.

http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 26&t=51079

Shoosh

[edit] I was browsing that thread, and realized I had forgotten that DP8 is the first fully-Cocoa compliant version of DP. That's amazing! I'd already forgotten about all that. It makes upgrades much easier. That's why we now see new versions out every week as they update things we need.... [NOT].

[csiaudio]

That's kinda what I thought. In today's technology cycle I sure hope MOTU comes out with a kick arse version soon! I'm so engrained into DP it would be very difficult for me to switch to a different DAW but yet I see these new DAW's with some stellar, innovative functions and I sort of get DAW envy.

MOTU's coming out with quite a few hardware products how about putting some tech resources into this dusty ol' DAW?

[Michael Canavan]

It's quite possible they announce DP9 at the winter NAMM.

Mostly though, all I really want are some basic oddball missing features in DP, namely the ability to restrain MIDI keyboard regions on a per MIDI track basis making it possible to play say Massive on the lower and Zebra on the upper part of a keyboard. Mostly I think in terms of refining existing features though, not anything drastic. Maybe take a nod from Ableton in the time stretching area and make that adjustable on an individual slice basis etc. Improve the readability of the fonts in the GUI, make it possible to differentiate between AU and VSTs so you can load both without it showing up as simply 'Zebra Zebra' etc. nothing major comes to mind. What are you folks hoping for?

One thing I don't want are a slew of new plug ins as the bulk of the upgrade. Like most of us I pick and choose from all the nice ones out there in the wild.

[BKK-OZ]

Updated DP Control.
- happy with a paid update

[csiaudio]

A biggie for me would be an excellent Time Compression/Expansion algorithm.

I'd like to be able to copy/paste a Word doc file name into a session name like in the past (DP 7.0 and before). Drives me nuts to have to paste it in after the session is created! Every app in the world has this basic function...except DP8. Seems so minor but when you create 50 new sessions each business day the extra steps for such a senseless over sight is wearing.

Yes, better, clearer fonts!!!!

I would like when switching from the Mixing Board window to the Sequence Window that it wouldn't automatically go to the top of the tracks listed when you go to the Sequence Window. If you are flipping back and forth between the two in a dense mix you always have to find the track you were working on. It would be nice if it stayed where you were working.

I know there are other things that I'd like to see but I'm tired and can't think of the other things that grind me day in and day out.

Over all I like DP - it's been very stable. Just hoping MOTU freshens it up soon.

[Shooshie]

I'd like to be able to copy/paste a Word doc file name into a session name like in the past (DP 7.0 and before). Drives me nuts to have to paste it in after the session is created! Every app in the world has this basic function...except DP8. Seems so minor but when you create 50 new sessions each business day the extra steps for such a senseless over sight is wearing.

I agree with you on that, but since they JUST made it like that, it's unlikely they'll change it soon. Still, send that suggestion to MOTU. If they don't get complaints, they won't even consider it.

Yes, better, clearer fonts!!!!

An unlikely change given that their interface is built around the current font, and they'd have to resize everything to fit other fonts. The one they use is probably about as clear as it gets, anyway, without changing sizes. Adjust the size of the Tracks Overview Window, and the font size actually DOES change. It also makes quite a mess of your proportions in that window if you take it to either extreme. Imagine that in all the windows. I don't think they'll change it.

I would like when switching from the Mixing Board window to the Sequence Window that it wouldn't automatically go to the top of the tracks listed when you go to the Sequence Window. If you are flipping back and forth between the two in a dense mix you always have to find the track you were working on. It would be nice if it stayed where you were working.

Keep the major edit windows and the mixing board opened to full screen all the time. Use Spaces/Mission Control, the feature in OS X that allows you to have many virtual desktops, like having many monitors at once, each accessible by hitting CONTROL-n where n = the number of the space, or CONTROL-ARROW KEYS to 'slide' between them. Each major window or collection of plugins or VI interfaces can have its own desktop.

• Mission Control Post in the Tips Sheet Thread
  Mission Control: You Tube Video
  If you choose to use it, be sure to set the control panel prefs to "float."

Over all I like DP - it's been very stable. Just hoping MOTU freshens it up soon.

They've been freshening it up since... well... since it was created. Recently it has really made a lot of progress. I don't think it's as stale as many people seem to think, but it does need some additions. Along with you and most everyone else, I keep sending MOTU my suggestions. Occasionally they give me one, but not like it was in the 1990s, when I saw 40 or 50 of my suggestions go into DP over the years. A huge change recently was Themes, and if you aren't using Themes and Track Colors to your constant advantage, then you're missing out on what I consider a huge benefit. We now have the ability to alter the contrast of any track(s) so that we can see them better, with the entire interface being customizable in a click, to change the colors and rest your eyes as the brightness of day changes the room lighting. Things that may be hard to see in one theme become easier in another. Tracks that are almost invisible with one color can be altered quickly using QuicKeys to create an entire set of double keystrokes that provide almost infinite keyboard commands, making it easy to run through a lot of color combinations in just a few seconds. I do this when I'm editing MIDI, and I reach a track whose color makes it hard to see amongst the other MIDI notes in the MIDI Graphic Editor Window (which lives in its own Space, always at full-size).

• YouTube Video: Track Colors and Themes in DP

Just ideas that might freshen up DP for you. If you don't like them, well... they were free! Also, I'm always finding things that are new, that I didn't know were there. People often mention things here in the forum, and when I go looking for them, I sometimes find that MOTU has made changes I've always wanted, but I wasn't paying attention when they made them. You may find some of those.

Shoosh

[HCMarkus]

I am very happy with DP8. Best release ever.

That said, I would also like to see a better time stretch/pitch shift algorithm.

Also, I submitted a feature request to MOTU a while back: a Lag-Processor MIDI plug in that could apply to specified controller numbers. Would increase the playability of BC and Aftertouch modulation, and I'd love to see it. Would make using BC input a great way to smoothly control string volume. AT could smoothly control volume and vibrato depth. etc.

[csiaudio]

Shooshee,

With all due respect, and I do respect you because mostly your replies on this board are great - but I will disagree with your reply. Here is why. The things that you went through are either work arounds or MOTU just won't do that....not, 'can't do that' - just won't do that.

Here is what makes a great DAW: Details/Refinement. DP has been around FOREVER and we that use DP8 are reaping the rewards of that refinement. But we're all discussing even further refinements, right? DP8 is over 2 years old and that is an eternity in software-land. All those refinements that have happened over the years should make it so you don't have to do 'work arounds' to get something done. Such as some thing so rudiment as copy and pasting a Word doc name to create a session name. This wasn't an issue before yet it is since DP8...other new DAW's don't have this issue and they're writing their code in the same code...yet, MOTU 'can't' do this? Come on. So for the past 2 years I and others have had to create and do a 'work around' because of their inability to make this happen? Sorry, I don't buy it.

The compression/expansion algorithm would be a refinement. DP8 currently has this function BUT we want it better, without the crappy artifacts that we currently get when we use it. Pro Tools has an awesome algorithm for this function - I want that in DP!! LOL And, if I didn't despise PT's I would use there DAW, but that's a different topic.

The point is, we can't make excuses for MOTU saying they 'can't' because we all know that work arounds work - but why can't we have it so it just works without all the work arounds?


Peace!!

[stubbsonic]

If the Apple OS can settle in for a second, I'm really optimistic for a super-stable 8.1 and 8.2 that fixes all the little bugs, gets a very reliable tap tempo working, adds a few new features to the QuickScribe editor and digs into some features that while seemingly esoteric are bread-n-butter for some of us- (e.g., conductor graphic editor, for me).

[Gravity Jim]

You would consider changing DAWs, with all the time and suffering that entails, just because DP8 is two years old? It's not "kick-ass" enough? I don't get it.

I knew when I saw the subject line this was goi g to be one of those "why, oh, why doesn't MOTU do this?" threads. But I stupidly clicked on it anyway. So it's my bad.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Oh man! What a ripoff!!! LOL

[csiaudio]

You would consider changing DAWs, with all the time and suffering that entails, just because DP8 is two years old? It's not "kick-ass" enough? I don't get it.

I knew when I saw the subject line this was goi g to be one of those "why, oh, why doesn't MOTU do this?" threads. But I stupidly clicked on it anyway. So it's my bad.

Hi Jim,

Not exactly sure how you're extrapolating that out of my post but to think DP8 is the bee's knees that would be a bit extreme don't you think? DP8 has it's issues but all in all it's a solid platform yet can't it use more refinement? Do I get DAW envy with the others that are innovative? Sure. And I am hoping that after 2 years MOTU would blow the dust off and come out with some kick arse refinements...is that so wrong?

Hope you're enjoying CA - it's gotta be better than the ol' Fort!

Peace

[csiaudio]

Oh man! What a ripoff!!! LOL

And I was just thinkin' earlier today that MIDI hasn't chimed in with his sarcasm...and there it is.

Thank you, I feel much more complete now