DP8 demo (and some questions)

[Bren Gun]

Hi all. As I am thinking of using DP8, I have some questions.

1. Is there, or is there going to be (if not yet), a DP8 demo for Windows 7?

2. How is the performance (resource utilization) on Windows 7?

3. If one uses a DAW all-round (for example, for orchestral music composition (using samples), music notation, non-orchestral music composition, recording, audio editing, sound design, mixing and mastering, etc.), is DP8 a good choice?
(Please don't respond by including the mention of other dedicated music notation software, because it's irrelevant. I want to be able to work as much as possible in one DAW.)

4. How smooth and good is the combination of MIDI editing and music notation? (for example, can one see a Piano Roll View, Music Notation View, and MIDI Controller View in one good view synchronized with each other? Is this view, if existent, customizable, for instance, by removing a part from the view?)

5. Is Windows XP not supported at all?

Extra question: if not supported, why?

6. Is it possible to properly burn Audio CDs (for instance finished albums) from within DP8?

7. As I recall reading something about DP8 and Snap to Grid which may be problematic, what is there to know about this matter?
(Often enough I wish to arrange audio and MIDI clips according to some grid. This is a basic need and there should be a basic or better-than-basic provision to satisfy it.)

8. Why is there no demo?


Have a good day, all!

[dewdman42]

Hi all. As I am thinking of using DP8, I have some questions.

1. Is there, or is there going to be (if not yet), a DP8 demo for Windows 7?

Good question. They've never had a mac demo. DP seems to sell itself by word of mouth and reputation. I don't think that will be good enough for many windows users to jump over, so I hope MOTU will reconsider that approach, but so far I haven't seen a demo of DP pretty much ever on the mac. I kind of doubt we will see one for windows, but let's see how it pans out.

2. How is the performance (resource utilization) on Windows 7?

no data yet.

3. If one uses a DAW all-round (for example, for orchestral music composition (using samples), music notation, non-orchestral music composition, recording, audio editing, sound design, mixing and mastering, etc.), is DP8 a good choice?
(Please don't respond by including the mention of other dedicated music notation software, because it's irrelevant. I want to be able to work as much as possible in one DAW.)

I switched to mac for mainly one reason initially, to use DP. I was working on film scores at the time. NOTHING else in the DAW world compares to DP for film scoring, bar none. They are top of the game and have been for a long time, though you can make just about any DAW work for it. There are a few key features in DP that make it most ideally suited for film scoring. Orchestra composing of course can be done with anything, but one cool feature in DP for always calling up your mock orchestra setup is the V-Racks feature, which let's you setup a rack of VI's that can be reused between different scores without having to reload it all every time you switch from one project to another. Also they have extensive hit point calculators and video streamer support. Also, its possible to work on multiple cues within one project file, where each one starts at bar 1, and then can combine them into the final compliation as well...all within one project. With other DAW's you pretty much have to put each cue into a seperate project file. That means each project will eventually end up with different mixer settings, etc... Its a lot easier when its in one project.

4. How smooth and good is the combination of MIDI editing and music notation? (for example, can one see a Piano Roll View, Music Notation View, and MIDI Controller View in one good view synchronized with each other? Is this view, if existent, customizable, for instance, by removing a part from the view?)

Yes it has all of that stuff you would expect from a DAW. Some people on here will disagree with me I'm sure, but I've never been completely satisfied with the DP notation view in terms of having a single split view that shows piano roll, notation and controllers all in one synchronized view. But most of the DAW's have not satisfied me in that regard either. The only one I ever saw that really impressed me that way was Samplitude. DP does, however, have a consolidated view which will let you put notation and piano roll up at the same time and they will kind of follow each other, so the answer is yes mostly, but still room for improvement, as all the DAW's are in my opinion.

5. Is Windows XP not supported at all?

Extra question: if not supported, why?

That's a great question and I want to know also, as I prefer using XP still.

6. Is it possible to properly burn Audio CDs (for instance finished albums) from within DP8?

I don't reccomend that even if it is possible there are far better apps such as soundforge, wavelab, etc.

7. As I recall reading something about DP8 and Snap to Grid which may be problematic, what is there to know about this matter?
(Often enough I wish to arrange audio and MIDI clips according to some grid. This is a basic need and there should be a basic or better-than-basic provision to satisfy it.)

you'll have to be more specific about what problem you heard and what feature you desire.

[FMiguelez]

7. As I recall reading something about DP8 and Snap to Grid which may be problematic, what is there to know about this matter?
(Often enough I wish to arrange audio and MIDI clips according to some grid. This is a basic need and there should be a basic or better-than-basic provision to satisfy it.)

It's no problematic at all. It simply uses a relative grid instead of an absolute one, unlike other DAWs.

I LOVE the relative grid!

[Shooshie]

Hi all. As I am thinking of using DP8, I have some questions.

3. If one uses a DAW all-round (for example, for orchestral music composition (using samples), music notation, non-orchestral music composition, recording, audio editing, sound design, mixing and mastering, etc.), is DP8 a good choice?
(Please don't respond by including the mention of other dedicated music notation software, because it's irrelevant. I want to be able to work as much as possible in one DAW.)

By placing those restrictions on the answer, you forbid us from telling the truth. DP is simply one of the best DAWs on the market. The experience of the developers, plus the frame of mind behind the designers of Performer and later Digital Performer has always been the sort that appeals to professionals more than amateurs. It's simply a treat to use DP most of the time. My forte was always creating music in MIDI. DP offers the most musical editing features of any DAW that I know of. You will find that most people who think they know DP do not really know these features or why they make DP so great. That's due to the limitations of your typical composer in MIDI. I'm saying that most of the users in this forum are atypical, they know the depths that your typical user never achieves. Knowing all the features, commands, and workflow techniques that DP can offer gives you infinite possibilities.

There are two notation environments. One is called Quickscribe, and is more of a score-engraving app within DP. As a score engraving app, I'd give Quickscribe a grade of about a B, maybe a B-Minus. It's no Finale or Sibelius, though it does have a pretty good transcription engine for converting your MIDI to notation.

The other is the Notation Editor. Think of it more like the piano roll editor for a single track, only it's in notation. It can be displayed right between MIDI tracks or audio tracks. Fits right in with the measures aligned in the Consolidated Window. Excellent mode of editing.

But if you are going to work in notation, you've got to convert a freestyle MIDI performance into a metered MIDI display with barlines where they belong. DP's method for doing that is the best I've seen. Basically, you tap the beats as it plays your sequence, then you go back and adjust beats manually. When adjusting, it can snap those beats right to a grid so that the display is perfectly rendered. The performance remains free and unquantized, but the display appears to be perfect quarter notes, half notes, 8th note, 16ths, etc. The way that works, of course, is that DP calculates the tempo changes for each fraction of a note so that the notes will appear in perfect notation even though the time is all over the place from the live performance. All DAWs can do this, I think, but not necessarily with the ease and consistency with which DP does it.

Dp also is amazing for recording and editing audio, incorporating brilliant take-comping, intonation editing, splicing, and audio manipulation. My current project is audio only -- no MIDI involved -- and each day I feel like pinching myself to be sure I'm not dreaming. It makes audio so EASY! (and so beautiful)

There is much more to the total package than matching feature-for-feature what you're accustomed to. You've got to let go and try DP's way. There's a reason why so many people love this app so much that they continue to use it even when it's more fashionable to use something else.

4. How smooth and good is the combination of MIDI editing and music notation? (for example, can one see a Piano Roll View, Music Notation View, and MIDI Controller View in one good view synchronized with each other? Is this view, if existent, customizable, for instance, by removing a part from the view?)

See the above paragraphs for the answer, but to summarize, YES and YES.

5. Is Windows XP not supported at all?

Extra question: if not supported, why?

That's a question for MOTU. You should call them. Tech Support: 617-576-3066. This forum, btw, is not a part of MOTU.

6. Is it possible to properly burn Audio CDs (for instance finished albums) from within DP8?

Yes, but I prefer to use Waveburner. There are other mastering apps that may even be better, but I happen to love Waveburner, plus it came with Logic 8 Studio, so I have it.

7. As I recall reading something about DP8 and Snap to Grid which may be problematic, what is there to know about this matter?
(Often enough I wish to arrange audio and MIDI clips according to some grid. This is a basic need and there should be a basic or better-than-basic provision to satisfy it.)

I know of no such problem.

Perhaps someone was referring to the way DP handles regions, which is completely unlike Logic. DP's is my preferred method, but there are enough people asking for something similar to Logic, that I'm suggesting to MOTU that they add a basic region function that treats an entire MIDI phrase, section, or song as a single region to be moved as a single object.

It's so easy to do that without having to glue it together as an object, that I see no reason for it. I actually feel terribly encumbered in Logic for that very reason. DP leaves you free to make your selection choices as you see fit, and gives you many ways to do so. I dare say that I work as fast or faster in MIDI than most people in Logic. It's a matter of knowing many ways to select, retain a selection, remember a selection, and so forth. DP is blessed with lots of tools for this.

Again, don't assume that working the same way that something works in Logic or Cubase is actually a plus. Maybe some of us have methods that would make you envious.

8. Why is there no demo?

Honestly, I don't know. There is a reduced-feature, audio-only version of DP called AudioDesk, which comes for free in some of MOTU's hardware devices, such as their PCI-424 based audio interfaces, or Firewire interfaces.

Have a good day, all!

Thank you, and same to you.

Shooshie

[Bren Gun]

Thanks, all, for your replies. I will take them into consideration.

Have a good day