The Digital Performer Tips Sheet

[Shooshie]

Using Scissors, Grid, and Search to create long trills.

Here is a little video tutorial for a DP feature, using it in an unusual way. The video presupposes that you are working without a MIDI keyboard, and you need some trills. You could draw in all those notes, or you could do what I do:

http://youtu.be/a_OyvPCujvg

The voiceover is spontaneous and unrehearsed, so don't expect a polished tutorial. I'm just talking as if you were standing there and asked me to show you this.

Full-screen viewing is highly recommended if you want to see anything move.

Shooshie

[Tomas E]

Is there any way to "almost mute" all tracks but the one you want to listen to? So that the track you want to hear has the other tracks in the background. Since I don't know the name for it I don't know which word to search for.

[FMiguelez]

If you are talking about MIDI, you can find that in DP's Preferences. It's called Partial MIDI mute, or something like that (next to Solo Front-most Window option).

If I remember correctly, it reduces the velocities of the un-soloed tracks by x amount, so you only hear the other tracks partially.

I don't suppose you are talking about Option-clicking on the track's solo button, are you? If so, that would mute all other tracks except the one that was clicked (but I'm positive you know this).

[bayswater]

It's called Partial MIDI mute, or something like that (next to Solo Front-most Window option).

In DP 8 it's MIDI Solo Setup under MIDI Solo and Patch Thru.

[Tomas E]

If you are talking about MIDI, you can find that in DP's Preferences. It's called Partial MIDI mute, or something like that (next to Solo Front-most Window option).

If I remember correctly, it reduces the velocities of the un-soloed tracks by x amount, so you only hear the other tracks partially.

I don't suppose you are talking about Option-clicking on the track's solo button, are you? If so, that would mute all other tracks except the one that was clicked (but I'm positive you know this).

Yeah that's right. I want to hear the other MIDI tracks but with less volume or velocity. And I've found it too, where you said it would be. Thanks

[Tomas E]

It's called Partial MIDI mute, or something like that (next to Solo Front-most Window option).

In DP 8 it's MIDI Solo Setup under MIDI Solo and Patch Thru.

I was busy writing the previous post so I didn't see your response until later. Yep, it's there in the MIDI Solo Setup, next to Solo Front-most Window. I have some vague memory of having used it before when I saw the percentage options. Thank you to you too

[b.g.]

Dragging a Standard MIDI File to DP's Chunks window strips Tempo data. Here's a workaround to preserve Tempo data:

I have a DP project file with several Chunks. I want to add another Chunk whose source is a Standard MIDI File that contains MIDI tempo changes.

From the Finder, double-clicking the SMF launches DP and I see all SMF data--track names, notes, controllers, markers, meters, etc., including tempo data. If instead I drag this SMF from the Finder onto DP's Chunks window and double-click the Chunk, the MIDI tempo data is stripped out. It's not a View Filter setting, I checked.

The workaround is to double-click the SMF from the Finder and Save As… Digital Performer Project Document. (P- is added to the beginning of the file name.) Then Load… the resulting DP Chunk into the project file. This way MIDI tempo data survives.

[stubbsonic]

I got rid of the separate commands for stop & play and only use the space bar as a play/stop toggle. For record, I set COMMAND-SPACE as the keystroke to enter record. May be familiar to those used to holding record whilst pressing play.

Too tiny to be a tip. Perhaps a "tiplet"

[Tomas E]

I got rid of the separate commands for stop & play and only use the space bar as a play/stop toggle. For record, I set COMMAND-SPACE as the keystroke to enter record. May be familiar to those used to holding record whilst pressing play.

Too tiny to be a tip. Perhaps a "tiplet"

That command is used by OS X for changing the keyboard language if you're using more than one.

[stubbsonic]

I got rid of the separate commands for stop & play and only use the space bar as a play/stop toggle. For record, I set COMMAND-SPACE as the keystroke to enter record. May be familiar to those used to holding record whilst pressing play.

Too tiny to be a tip. Perhaps a "tiplet"

That command is used by OS X for changing the keyboard language if you're using more than one.

Shucks. Not an issue here. I barely get by with just the one language.

Still, getting rid of the dedicated stop & start commands frees things up a little.
Before my laptop was my main computer, and I used a full keyboard more regularly, I had set the "ENTER" key for record. This was handy because I could use "decimal" to highlight the bar, type a bar number, press enter to cue the bar, then press enter again and record. I also used the zero on the number pad to return to the beginning. (now I'm leaving it as OPT-Left Arrow)

[stubbsonic]

Quickly changing MIDI track destinations and channel assignments
~~~Thanks, labman!!!!!!

1. Select a MIDI track(s)
2. SHIFT-UP/DOWN ARROW to change output device/VI
3. OPT-UP/DOWN ARROW to change output channel
4. SHIFT-OPT-UP/DOWN ARROW to move selection to next track

Notice that you can select a group of tracks and change the device/VI and it will retain the channel setting. If you change the MIDI channel of multiple tracks it will nudge each channel setting up/down one-at-a-time

I may be the last person to know this little set of commands, but better late than never.
I've even posted about DP's tendency to "forget" links between tracks & devices/VI's a couple of times. And up until now, I've reset each channel one-by-one. Eeergh!

Ok. Well now I know. And now you know (if you didn't already).

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Just discovered if the CONTINUOUS DATA VIEW FILTER is set to VELOCITY you can use the RESHAPE TOOL (r key) to edit velocity whether or not the notes are selected. IOW, don't waste time selecting notes, turn the filter to ON VELOCITY and reshape you to hearts content.

May be old news, but it's new to me.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Here's a tip for getting the most out of virtual instruments running in DP8.

Because DP8 uses 64 bit addressing and can access all the available RAM in your computer, it is possible to load large amounts of sample based virtual instruments into a DP session.

DP can take advantage of multiple CPU cores. To get maximum efficiency with virtual instruments, it's a good idea to spread the processing load of those instruments among the available cores. Each fader strip in DP can be seen as a separate processing thread by the OS. That means that a single multi-timbral instrument plug-in on an instrument track in DP will be limited to a single CPU core. However, if multiple instantiations of the instrument plug-ins are made over several instrument tracks, this will allow the OS to use multiple cores to handle those separate instruments.

So instead of running 16 sounds inside a single multi-timbral virtual instrument, try spreading those sounds out over three or four instantiations of the multi-timbral VI. You may see a significant increase in CPU efficiency.

Dave

Full threads here:

http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 26&t=53498

And here:

http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... =5&t=53497

Thanks Magic Dave! These are EXTREMELY helpful and make the multi core machine SCREAM!!!

[jeffreypeterwest]

Middle C and consistency in vocal ranges. Am I right in thinking that in order to accurately be setting the pitches for vocal ranges, that in the Digital Performer Preferences I should set Middle C as the 'Alternate Pitch' C4?

[tofermusic]

it's incredible, i'm very thankful!! thanks a lot!