MOTUnation.com

toodamnhip wrote: It’s not good that DP falls to #4-5-6 on DAW lists.
So WHO is supposed to fix this?
MOTU I say. They sell a lot of hardware. Do they sell and promote DP’s deep set of features well enough? THAT....is the question. Not “is DP great program”. We all know it is.
But when I see ads, I see MOTU promoting hardware. I have NEVER seen an ad where various amazing DP features are promoted.

I know this is anecdotal, let's clear that hurdle now, but I think the biggest "problem" with DP compared to other DAWs is it's open ended approach to how you as an end user use it. With a typical linear DAW there's only one approach to songwriting in that DAW, you create and arm tracks in a single sequence; in DP you can do that, or you can create parts in Chunks and add them together to create the finished song, you can have virtual instruments and Aux tracks in both the open Sequence Chunk and in a V-Rack. Chunks can be full separate songs, remixes, variations on a theme for a film score etc.

I quoted "problem" because it's not really a problem, but it would make sense for MOTU to make multiple videos explaining various workflows you can have in DP, because if there's anything that's daunting when you start in DP it's that uncertainty about how to simply write a song without choosing something that makes it harder for you right off the bat. In my case getting back into DP I struggled to build a workflow at first because I jumped right on Chunks without thinking about organizing tracks to make drag and drop easy etc. etc. I could see someone who is using DP with multiple VSTi's, who has used some other linear DAW being confused by DP's open ended approach to songwriting/arranging. MOTU could use at least four or so short tutorials, show and tells on how you can approach songwriting in DP compared to a typical linear DAW, and not just a tutorial on Chunks and V-Racks, they've done those, but on how to incorporate them into your process.

I really believe that if you're not using Chunks and V-Racks you're missing out on a lot of what makes DP unique, and because of those features new users are going to wonder why you need a separate MIDI track for even non multi capable virtual instruments etc.

MOTU has a # of tutorial videos. I bet some of what you wrote about is already there and that is a good thing MOTU did.
But ADVERTISING these features is another thing. Those same tutorial pages could be linked in ADS.
As a dumb example of an ad:
"DID you know you can easily piece your song together in unlimited ways using DP ?”
“ Digital Performer- The fastest DAW for putting your new song together”.
And there’d be a link to the CHUNK tutorial.....etc.
When a company is lagging being in popularity, it needs to advertise. Simple.

I am not in disagreement, I think MOTU definitely need to advertise, but I think tutorials (or really ads) specifically outlining workflows are a good idea as well. What MOTU has right now is all inclusive videos for Chunks, then one on V-racks, all good, just not what I'm getting at, more like sitting down with generic recording studio owner and showing how that person uses DP,same with composing; film, rock, score and electronic etc. In my personal experience people are hopelessly confused by the amount of choices in workflow DP has for the same function and that translates to disgruntled users of other DAWs harping on about how cumbersome DP is to them... because they couldn't figure out how to use it without feeling like they were doing it wrong etc.

toodamnhip wrote:MOTU has a # of tutorial videos. I bet some of what you wrote about is already there and that is a good thing MOTU did.
But ADVERTISING these features is another thing. Those same tutorial pages could be linked in ADS.
As a dumb example of an ad:
"DID you know you can easily piece your song together in unlimited ways using DP ?”
“ Digital Performer- The fastest DAW for putting your new song together”.
And there’d be a link to the CHUNK tutorial.....etc.
When a company is lagging being in popularity, it needs to advertise. Simple.

MOTU advertises non-stop on the covers (inside, inside back and back) of almost every electronic music magazine in print.

Advertising that directed people to YouTube videos would be the greatest waste of ad money since the Superbowl. Everybody already heads immediately to YouTube looking for decision making info about virtually everything. An ad that said, "We have tutorials on YT!" would look as silly as one that said, "Hey, have you heard about this Internet thing?"

I kills me when people who don't even bother to observe the MI market, let alone know even the slightest thing about how marketing works, start clattering away at their keyboards with their directives on what MOTU or Microsoft or Fender oughta do.

not bragging, but I've used DP since 1989 and just this year I arranged all the songs for a singer that was on a show in China called Singer, we went all the way to the finals, the audience share in china was about 400 million people each week, and combined with online views over a billion (not kidding). I tell everyone I know I use DP for my music production and for all the live concerts I do as an MD in China, and not a hiccup once. Solid as a rock.

DP is mysterious to one who opens it for the first time. When they first try to use it, they make huge mistakes, but it works anyway, so they assume that's how it works. I've seen people use it for years without knowing even the first thing about it. Little do they know that it expands into this giant playing field with just a little knowledge. My goodness, the things it enables me to do so easily are things I wouldn't have even thought of or considered 20 years ago, much less 40. We all know how to comp in DP, but what about using one take to replace a section in another take, cutting and stretching it to fit perfectly, seamlessly, in less time than it took to write this sentence? It's just amazing.

The changing cursors are another thing. IN the Tracks and Sequence windows, the vertical placement of the cursor may yield a number of different functions that spare you reaching into the TOOLS pallet. Things like that are invaluable to know.

So what do we do? Teach people to use it. Except that people hate to be taught. How do you get around that? Create mini-charts that graphically reveal a single workflow that makes a big difference. That might help. But where to post them? Here, people have to be looking for something. We need a site with lots of those things visible on a page. What are those places where we see groupings of pictures posted? Pinterest. Reddit. Flickr... places like this need a DP presence with graphical user guides.

It's the only way to get new users to come over to DP. Once the figure it out, they'll at least be able to make an intelligent decision. Right now it's very hard for them to do that. We all know this: it is impossible to use DP for a weekend and know whether it's the DAW for you. Impossible.

Just thinking out loud.

Shooshie

Shooshie wrote:DP is mysterious to one who opens it for the first time. When they first try to use it, they make huge mistakes, but it works anyway, so they assume that's how it works. I've seen people use it for years without knowing even the first thing about it. Little do they know that it expands into this giant playing field with just a little knowledge. My goodness, the things it enables me to do so easily are things I wouldn't have even thought of or considered 20 years ago, much less 40. We all know how to comp in DP, but what about using one take to replace a section in another take, cutting and stretching it to fit perfectly, seamlessly, in less time than it took to write this sentence? It's just amazing.

The changing cursors are another thing. IN the Tracks and Sequence windows, the vertical placement of the cursor may yield a number of different functions that spare you reaching into the TOOLS pallet. Things like that are invaluable to know.

So what do we do? Teach people to use it. Except that people hate to be taught. How do you get around that? Create mini-charts that graphically reveal a single workflow that makes a big difference. That might help. But where to post them? Here, people have to be looking for something. We need a site with lots of those things visible on a page. What are those places where we see groupings of pictures posted? Pinterest. Reddit. Flickr... places like this need a DP presence with graphical user guides.

It's the only way to get new users to come over to DP. Once the figure it out, they'll at least be able to make an intelligent decision. Right now it's very hard for them to do that. We all know this: it is impossible to use DP for a weekend and know whether it's the DAW for you. Impossible.

Just thinking out loud.

Shooshie

I like your idea of a WEBSITE that specializes in demonstrating DP in a variety of ways.
This is something that should be a VERY polished site, and not just a casual “youtube” page. Of course, the various videos can also be on youtube, but MOTU would do well to invest in a gorgeous new site that promoted a variety of DP’s features. It could also be linked to MOTU.com but it should also be able to stand on it’s own.
Here’s a possible name for the site-“The Magic of Digital Performer”...boom!

toodamnhip wrote:

Shooshie wrote:DP is mysterious to one who opens it for the first time. When they first try to use it, they make huge mistakes, but it works anyway, so they assume that's how it works. I've seen people use it for years without knowing even the first thing about it. Little do they know that it expands into this giant playing field with just a little knowledge. My goodness, the things it enables me to do so easily are things I wouldn't have even thought of or considered 20 years ago, much less 40. We all know how to comp in DP, but what about using one take to replace a section in another take, cutting and stretching it to fit perfectly, seamlessly, in less time than it took to write this sentence? It's just amazing.

The changing cursors are another thing. IN the Tracks and Sequence windows, the vertical placement of the cursor may yield a number of different functions that spare you reaching into the TOOLS pallet. Things like that are invaluable to know.

So what do we do? Teach people to use it. Except that people hate to be taught. How do you get around that? Create mini-charts that graphically reveal a single workflow that makes a big difference. That might help. But where to post them? Here, people have to be looking for something. We need a site with lots of those things visible on a page. What are those places where we see groupings of pictures posted? Pinterest. Reddit. Flickr... places like this need a DP presence with graphical user guides.

It's the only way to get new users to come over to DP. Once the figure it out, they'll at least be able to make an intelligent decision. Right now it's very hard for them to do that. We all know this: it is impossible to use DP for a weekend and know whether it's the DAW for you. Impossible.

Just thinking out loud.

Shooshie

I like your idea of a WEBSITE that specializes in demonstrating DP in a variety of ways.
This is something that should be a VERY polished site, and not just a casual “youtube” page. Of course, the various videos can also be on youtube, but MOTU would do well to invest in a gorgeous new site that promoted a variety of DP’s features. It could also be linked to MOTU.com but it should also be able to stand on it’s own.
Here’s a possible name for the site-“The Magic of Digital Performer”...boom!

I like that a lot!

And if Magic Dave wanted to be the guru on the site, it would be even better and work well with the name of the site.

I think this sort of resource will likely come down to be from enthusiasts starting it and maintaining it - those said enthusiasts likely being people coming from the likes of HERE!

Any suggestions for a good URL for such a site?

(I'm a retired developer - such a site would be easy to set up in WordPress nowadays. "It is not your father's WordPress anymore," to paraphrase an Oldsmobile ad from way before 2008.)

Terry

DigitalPerformers.us as well as WeAreDigitalPerformers.com are available...

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:DigitalPerformers.us as well as WeAreDigitalPerformers.com are available...

The .us domains are on sale for a dollar at GoDaddy right now.

The .com is only $11.99 at the moment (will go up next year). I'd be happy to put in five or ten bucks toward buying multiple years.

I am not the appropriate person to initiate this as "editor-in-chief" - we need someone far more seasoned in DP than I (I'm an old-time user - since Performer 2 - but am only a recent returnee.) However, I don't mind buying the URL, installing WP, adding a bunch of you as authors and a few as admins, and let you all have fun with picking a theme out. We'd need a trickle of posts every week to get noticed on the SERPs, not a deluge all at once.

Terry

Is do it if I had the time and desire. I also don't know I'd be as "forgiving" as James when it comes to dealing with the "general public." I won't suffer fools. Lol

MIDI Life Crisis wrote: I won't suffer fools. Lol

You keep saying that, and yet I'm still here!

Shooshie wrote:

MIDI Life Crisis wrote: I won't suffer fools. Lol

You keep saying that, and yet I'm still here!

Aren't we all fools to some degree?