NAMM 2015: DP9

[mhschmieder]

Even if that list of new features isn't complete, it's worth the upgrade cost already.

Also, I wonder if it's premature to announce the MX4 news over on that sub-forum?

[csavetman]

Yes, could someone please explain these two things:

Absolute Grid

VCA Faders

Why do I want these?

Thanks!

Hey Martin,

Can't say much about Absolute grid as I haven't really explored that, but VCA faders would definitely come in handy, especially for mixdown.

Say you have a bunch of tracks that you want to control with a single fader. Now you could group them to an aux channel and adjust from there. But say, on some of your channels, you have some post fader sends assigned to some effects ( say reverb). Now if you simply lower the group master fader, your fx balance will be off because you haven't changed the level going to the effect, just the overall group level.
Now you could roll the effect return in with the group and that would be one solution, so your effects balance would remain intact. However, if different tracks are sending out to different effects, you would have to roll all the effects in to the group. If you had any tracks outside of the group sharing those effects, their fx balance would be thrown off as well.

That's just one example.

Carlos

[Michael Canavan]

Hey all,

Somebody on FB posted this link. It's a pictorial run down of the NAMM DP presentation. The text is in Japanese, but the names of the features are not so it actually gives a pretty good overview...

http://miyaji-parec.jugem.jp/?eid=1289

So it looks like besides the MX4 DP9 also gets a modular style synth, very cool.

The wait for full discloser of features is going to be grueling.

[mhschmieder]

Just remember, confidentiality protects MOTU and us. If they prematurely announce stuff and hit snags, it diminishes reputation, but also gives competition a heads-up.

Most companies try to only present what they're confident of, even though more stuff is lined up as "likely" for release, but things happen (the computer ecosystem is changing rapidly, and certain companies we all depend on are less transparent than others).

Hopefully nothing listed here from the presentations was meant to be private-only. My recollection is that this used to be the case, but with the prevalance of photo-and-video capable smart phones, no one probably honestly believes anymore that they can keep the lid on stuff they show at NAMM.

This is a show for retailers, primarily, so they can decide what to order. Also educators, who need to requisition stuff for upcoming curriculum.

[HobbyCore]

If it's not there, then I have to move on to greener pastures. I've suffered long enough

Sry to take this OT. Maybe I don't understand what Absolute Grid is - is it not simply when events snap to the grid rather than to their relative positions? I can't see why that would be a deal breaker. Is it an EDM thing? If I have to ask will I never understand?

It maybe something that EDM people would want, but I only work with recorded audio.

An absolute grid allows you to move soundbites directly so their start (or end, or marker) latches on to a grid/snap point. This is very helpful if you have to edit things for timing, or even if you are just re-arranging parts. A lot of the projects I work on involve re-arranging things, since much of the composition is done during the recording process. In DP, with things recorded to a click (or the tempo conformed to the audio), this is a really pain.

This issue is that the only way to do this (that I know of) in DP is to use the quantize function. Unfortunately it is multiple key presses and it doesn't always move the soundbite exactly where you want it to do.

Every other DAW that I am aware of lets you simply drag things directly to the grid marker if you want. One swift action. In DP it's at least 2 key presses, possibly adjusting some settings in a modal dialog, then you need to confirm it was done correctly and then perhaps repeat it all again.

DP is absolutely great in so many other ways, but I'm still on DP6 and considering how much this slows me down, I can't consider upgrading until it's "fixed". At this point it's starting to look like I may be better suited by another product. It's unfortunate.

I would also REALY like VCA faders. (and well since, Logic has both of these things... cmon motu, I love DP, don't forsake me with more plugins that I won't use!)

[dix]

Thanks. This and the VCA explanation make sense. They'd both be useful. Especially for those migrating or using other DAWs that have these features.

[David Polich]

Owning a license for DP 8, this doesn't apply to me but...

Is it too early to speculate on whether MOTU will revive its past practice of shipping the next version free to those who buy/upgrade now? Was this announced at NAMM?

:

Not announced…at least not at the demonstration I saw.

My guess would be yes…but don't hold me to that.

Someone mentioned MX4 and "a modular synth" included. That is incorrect. No modular synth included in DP9. You could say MX4 is "semi-modular", but not "fully" modular.

VCA's? Dudes, we already have the ability to group tracks by selecting multiple tracks and then pressing command-W, I think. That's been around since DP 4.5. To me that's the equivalent of VCA's.

[dix]

Someone mentioned MX4 and "a modular synth" included. That is incorrect. No modular synth included in DP9. You could say MX4 is "semi-modular", but not "fully" modular.

Something called MegaSynth pictured here: http://miyaji-parec.jugem.jp/?eid=1289 about 2/3 of the way down. What dat?

VCA's? Dudes, we already have the ability to group tracks by selecting multiple tracks and then pressing command-W, I think. That's been around since DP 4.5. To me that's the equivalent of VCA's.

Not the same really. As explained above, VCA faders'd eliminate a lot of pre-fader effects wet/dry hassles.

[csavetman]

Owning a license for DP 8, this doesn't apply to me but...

Is it too early to speculate on whether MOTU will revive its past practice of shipping the next version free to those who buy/upgrade now? Was this announced at NAMM?

:

Not announced…at least not at the demonstration I saw.

My guess would be yes…but don't hold me to that.

Someone mentioned MX4 and "a modular synth" included. That is incorrect. No modular synth included in DP9. You could say MX4 is "semi-modular", but not "fully" modular.

VCA's? Dudes, we already have the ability to group tracks by selecting multiple tracks and then pressing command-W, I think. That's been around since DP 4.5. To me that's the equivalent of VCA's.

Point well taken David. However, DP's fader grouping is not without its own issue. Specifically, group faders not maintaining their relative offsets when moved, as has been previously noted by others on Motunation.

Carlos

[mhschmieder]

Are you certain about that, Carlos? I thought it was an issue a few years ago, until I noticed it had to do with offsets more than 9.9 dB, where you lose one decimal place of precision. It seems DP stores the same resolution but doesn't display it at that point, so it remembers the original offset if you then move back across the magic 10.0 dB marker.

I started using trim plug-ins to avoid ever having to attenuate a track by more than 9 dB or so during stem mixing.

[Babz]

Absolute Grid Snapping is actually just grid snapping period.

For years I was confused why I couldn't get things to snap to a grid. There's this box to turn on grid snapping and the Command key to drag free of the grid. So why doesn't it actually work? I started hearing Logic users use the term "Absolute Grid Snapping" and it finally dawned on me. DP doesn't really have grid snapping! It has this "relative/smart whatever" but not just plain old basic grid snapping.

If you drag in some audio, it will snap to the grid. But ONLY this first time. So you sort of have grid snapping. You are deceived into thinking it is actually there. But if you nudge it off the grid, you can never get it to snap to the grid again. You have to zoom way in and line things up with the bar one nudge at a time. Totally infuriating!


It is a total embarrassment that DP doesn't have this basic feature. The term "Absolute Grid Snapping" comes from Logic. But really it is just plain Grid Snapping, and we need it like YESTERDAY. Not having real grid snapping, is like not having quantizing or some other really basic feature.

If DP adds this feature it is hardly something you will see them brag about. It's more one of those things they will slip in quietly. But it would make a HUGE difference for my daily workflow.

Babz

P.S. I have no idea what VCA fader is, or why it matters. I think it has to do with subgroups.

[Tritonemusic]

I noticed that the "Project Notepad" screenshot in the link provided earlier, has a note that says, "Buy Rolling Papers." I must say, this update is off to a good start.

[BKK-OZ]

I noticed that the "Project Notepad" screenshot in the link provided earlier, has a note that says, "Buy Rolling Papers." I must say, this update is off to a good start.

Ha!

I think that the notepad thing is a great feature - I am forever trying out various ways of making notes to myself about my various DP sessions (longish track names as descriptors, etc.) but this will make it a lot easier.

[wylie1]

I noticed that the "Project Notepad" screenshot in the link provided earlier, has a note that says, "Buy Rolling Papers." I must say, this update is off to a good start.

Ha!

I think that the notepad thing is a great feature - I am forever trying out various ways of making notes to myself about my various DP sessions (longish track names as descriptors, etc.) but this will make it a lot easier.

I've been waiting for this for a long time no more I think I wrote that down some where.

[Tritonemusic]

I noticed that the "Project Notepad" screenshot in the link provided earlier, has a note that says, "Buy Rolling Papers." I must say, this update is off to a good start.

Ha!

I think that the notepad thing is a great feature - I am forever trying out various ways of making notes to myself about my various DP sessions (longish track names as descriptors, etc.) but this will make it a lot easier.

+1, BKK.