Time for a name change?...Digital Performer to...

[buzzsmith]

Thought I'd open this potential can of worms!

After visiting some of the old historic studios (Sun, Muscle Shoals, the site of what once was American Sound in Memphis, Quonset Hut, RCA Nashville, etc.) and a few newer ones like Ocean Way in Nashville and seeing the best of the vintage and the best of the new, somehow the name of what I think is the best DAW out there just doesn't do it for me anymore.

"Digital Performer"...to me, at least, no longer encompasses the potential power of this app. I know that we are all used to it, but maybe with MOTU's apparently more aggressive marketing, graphics and website, it's time for a more powerful name. Also, it might help to attract younger buyers with a more "hip" name.

(On the flip side, what does "Logic" mean as far as music construction goes?
What does "Pro Tools" (other than the generic) imply, musically?
"Cuebase"..."Nuendo"? Okay, I kinda like "Sonar".)

Also, with my time away from my studio, I've been going through the key commands, tips and manual and learning how much more DP does than I am currently using. It's so much more powerful than I was aware of in my normal day to day usage.

So, to get the conversation started (and I'm not sayin' that I'm in love with any of these) here are a few names that, if nothing else, might serve as a jumping off point.

PowerTrax
ProTrax (might be too similar to PT)
Audix
Axiom

Musical terms...

Cadence
Forza (musical force)
Furia
Medley
Prima
Rondo
Segue
Opus
Vivace
Voce

Looking forward to some interesting replies...no flaming, please!

Humbly submitted...

Buzzy

[Shooshie]

Rondo sounds a little limp-wristed for such a powerful app. How about… (TA -- ta-da TAAA)

• Brawndo

Shooshie

[buzzsmith]

Rondo sounds a little limp-wristed for such a powerful app. How about… (TA -- ta-da TAAA)

Brawndo




Shooshie

As my son said when he was very young..."You no funny!"

(Actually, pretty clever, however.)

Buzzy

[FMiguelez]

.

This guy may have the answer to what you are looking for:





Actually thinking about new names is not that easy... some sound cheesy or dumb.
Maybe:

Compose!
But for it to stick with kids and a new generation it would have to be SuperLooper, or something

For those who know more marketing than I do, would it be a good or bad idea for MOTU to change names at this point? Just curious...

[cuttime]

Digital Performer from English to Japanese and back again:

Dejitarupafoma

or just "デジタルパフォーマー"?

[bongo_x]

I've always thought the name was terrible. For one, it's just not that easy to say, it's 6 freakin syllables. So if your having a conversation you pretty much have to say DP, which has it's own problems, and everyone looks at you like you're an ass. The same look you would give someone if they were saying PT for Pro Tools. Writing it is one thing, saying it is another.

We've had this conversation before, I know. But the other problem is the name sounds so archaic. "Digital". Really? Isn't that the new thing all the kids are into? Of course it's digital, it's a computer. Just plain Performer would be much better, though not great. And that's what everyone I know that doesn't use actually it calls it. You wouldn't lose the heritage or anything really by going that route.

bb

[AnthonyS]

Well, Opus does sound sort of cool. Axiom is an M-Audio Controller, and Audix is a company.

Maybe drop the "Digital" and make it "Performer"? or maybe just leave it alone.....

[FMiguelez]

.

Or maybe we could come up with some kind of acronym that describes some of DP's best features? That way you can pack a bunch of words into a few letters...

Cool Music Maker Composition Film Scoring That Kicks Arse, thus:

CMMCFSCA? We'd need words with some vowels in there

But going back to just Performer might be just the ticket. It would be going back to its origins dropping the redundant "digital" word. Like Bongo_X said: oh, is it digital really? Thank you!

I guess that would probably be the more realistic name (from MOTU's POV). Otherwise I suppose any other name change would entail massive publicity to "reintroduce it" in the market. And probably they'd need to wait for DP8, so it's a big-enough change in the app to grant the change?

[buzzsmith]

Well, Opus does sound sort of cool. Axiom is an M-Audio Controller, and Audix is a company.

Maybe drop the "Digital" and make it "Performer"? or maybe just leave it alone.....

I knew that a couple of the names were already in existence, but I didn't Google very much prior to the post...just a jumpin' off spot for the brainstorming session.

I'm not crazy about "Performer", myself,...
An entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience.
(http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=performer" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

...although I definitely agree that the word "Digital" is a given in a DAW and does not need to be in any name.

When I took an advertising class I remember two terms that apply...

"Brand Awareness" (knowing that the product is out there) and
"Brand Disposition" (how one feels about the brand)

Whatever (if any) name change MOTU may decide on, I don't think it would take too long for awareness to kick in...maybe even teaser ads leading up to a name change, and I personally think with a cooler name that it would improve the disposition towards the product.

My 2¢ for a Saturday morning!

Buzzy

[Shooshie]

For those who know more marketing than I do, would it be a good or bad idea for MOTU to change names at this point? Just curious...

Believe it or not, I think it would be a good thing. The name has always been complicated, and it does not roll off the tongue. It's easier to say DP than the actual name. The name has been maligned so much that many people involuntarily wince when they hear it. DP really did go through some bad years after the switch to OSX, during which Logic became the media darling because of Apple's ownership of it. Logic certainly has its place in the MIDI/Audio world, but it has not supplanted DP, despite the rumors.

I think a new name could remove it from this argument. Most people would of course know about the name change, and that alone would be good press. People would wonder why the change. They'd be inclined to look. What they'd see is a music/audio workstation that has evolved tremendously in the past decade. It looks different, it operates much better, and it has features that set it apart. Most of all, it has a much easier to understand workflow for most musicians. That's debatable, of course, but the debate does well for DP. Gradually people would talk about it as one of the new DAWs, but they'd find out it's also the oldest DAW still around. All the talk, with a name that's easy to say and not off-turning in any way, would be great public relations, and I really don't think it would take long to build up brand-awareness. It's that curious combination of old/new that would attract people and keep them.

I have never liked the name. Too awkward. Too redundant. Not in any way representative of what it IS. I'd rather call it "MUSICIAN" than Digital Performer. Maybe "Musicale," or heck, even AudioWorks would be better than the name it has. I probably wouldn't have thought seriously enough about it to bring it up, but since Buzzy did, I'm thinking seriously, "You know? That's not a bad idea!"

Shooshie

[FMiguelez]

Believe it or not, I think it would be a good thing. The name has always been complicated, and it does not roll off the tongue. It's easier to say DP than the actual name. The name has been maligned so much that many people involuntarily wince when they hear it. DP really did go through some bad years after the switch to OSX, during which Logic became the media darling because of Apple's ownership of it. Logic certainly has its place in the MIDI/Audio world, but it has not supplanted DP, despite the rumors.

Your points make PERFECT sense to me.

Actually, that's kind of what CakeWalk did, right? They changed the name to Sonar when they incorporated all the advanced features. And I think it worked pretty well for them, actually.

This new name could create a great buzz around. And a lot of what would come out of it would be free-publicity (because of the extra buzz: look! There's something new or at least different in the horizon! )

I suppose the best moment for MOTU to do this is when they release DP8, correct? They could show off all the new features (which they should religiously take from our latest DP wish lists) while they market it with its new name.

What do you guys think?

BTW, I missed those DP dark days you mentioned... I think I was using PT or CW back then when I was a PC head. Was it really that bad? Worse than the DP6 days?

[buzzsmith]

I have never liked the name. Too awkward. Too redundant. Not in any way representative of what it IS. I'd rather call it "MUSICIAN" than Digital Performer. Maybe "Musicale," or heck, even AudioWorks would be better than the name it has. I probably wouldn't have thought seriously enough about it to bring it up, but since Buzzy did, I'm thinking seriously, "You know? That's not a bad idea!"

Shooshie

"Not in any way representative of what it IS."

Exactly.

On our recent road trip when visiting studios invariably the question would come up from the engineer on duty, "So, what are you using?". I, of course would reply, "Digital Performer". Generally, I'd get a "Oh..." or, "I've heard good things about it...you like it?" It just doesn't appear to be mainstream enough in the pro studios. (I know that there are exceptions.)

I just feel with a name change and aggressive marketing, MOTU would get more new users, and eventually crack at least some of the PT studios, especially if they had a non host-based version, too, which would allow for some RTAS type plugs...First things first, however.

So to rename it (hypothetically, but hopefully) I guess we need to define what it now is.

I've been doing a lot of research lately on historic studios, as I mentioned earlier, and I think DP is definitely one of them in a virtual way.

Simply put, it IS a full recording studio, right out of the box.
(Obviously improved upon by the addition of other instruments and processors just like a brick and mortar studio.)

So I was going to propose (at least for now)..."Studio One"...unfortunately, PreSonus beat me to it.

http://www.presonus.com/products/Softwa ... twareId=11

The quest continues.



Buzzy

[daniel.sneed]

[...]Musical terms...
Cadence
Forza (musical force)
Furia
Medley
Prima
Rondo
Segue
Opus
Vivace
Voce

I do like your *Vivace*
It is a musical term. Dp is a musical software in the first place, it's NOT a digital open reel recorder.
And *Vivace* tells something about speed, in fact about efficiency and very deep configurability, which in turn lead to speed. That means more musical time allowed to the musicians.

[Shooshie]

Buzz, here's a critique of your list. There are names on there that I really like, but some have too many previous associations to seriously consider them for a replacement name for DP. Here's a point-by point with color coding! (Wow) Red is a no. Blue is a yes. In between just tells where I stand.

PowerTrax - sounds too much like a race-car set.
ProTrax (might be too similar to PT) - you said it. I agree.
Audix - I like that this is a made-up word. Potential here, but I worry about the last three letters. I know, it seems silly, but if there is a way to corrupt the name, people will do it.
Axiom - isn't there a laundry detergent by this name?

Musical terms…
Cadence - I like this. Time, rhythm, a philosophical resting point in a busy world.
Forza (musical force) - I kind of like this one, but I don't think many would pronounce it right. When you mispronounce it, it loses some of its forz.
Furia - Nah! Reminds me of Ben Stiller inMystery Men. Too much fury, not enough forz!
Medley - Nice. A combination. A race. Or is it a pilaf of wild rice?
Prima - Too self-aggrandizing, but in a banking-industry sort of way.
Rondo - OH, come on. You liked Brawndo, didn't you? Rondo isn't a bad word. Just doesn't quite fit, IMO.
Segue - People would pronounce it "Seeg." Those that got it right would spend the next sentence or two explaining that they were not talking about the two-wheeled self-standing scooter thingy.
Opus - the Penguin with the big nose? I like the word. It's just kind of been permanently reserved by Berkeley Breathed for the comics, should he ever start it up again.
Vivace - trained musicians would instantly relate. Those who don't actually read music might not. Potential for mispronunciation.
Voce - Again, potential for mispronunciation. I don't want to hear "I use vose" (with silent "e")

I mean, if we're going for a new word, let's make it airtight. No potential for mispronunciation, only good associations, no other popular products by that name. I like several words on your list, but I have to be honest with myself and cross them off the list because of those requirements.


Some entries of my own:
Credit - From Credits, where you see the composer's name at the beginning and end of a movie. It implies good things. Rewards. Smart thinking. Contains the word "Edit."
Quanta - A wavicle of light or electrical charge. Alludes to one of DP's best features -- quantization -- but also to any event that can be recorded or programmed into DP's tracks. It's generalized, of course, but that works.
Brio - possibly another over-buzzed Italian word, but at least everyone can say it, and it's SHORT!
Overview- Three syllables that say more about DP than just about any other single word. In DP you get an overview of what's happening, even as you focus on details. Tracks Overview, Consolidated Windows, Multiple-track color-coded MIDI Edit Window, Sequence Editor -- they all let you see more than most DAWs do.

The following are jokes, to be clear about it. (now for a punch line… uh… never mind) I'm just crossing these off the list before MOTU has a chance to use them!
Virtual Recorder - I can actually see MOTU choosing this. It's like a restatement of Digital Performer. Well, let's not stop there! Let's go all the way to:
Computerized Musician or
Hexadecimal Audio/MIDI!

Shooshie

[buzzsmith]

Cool critiques!

Those were basically top of my head (and some Googling) starting points.

Random thoughts now following...

I kinda like Quanta or some play or extension of the word. (like other Quantum physics terms maybe married to some musical term.)

"Overview" is ringing some bell...what's a synonym that might be "cooler"?

Maybe it could be a made up word that has no meaning (like Exxon did from Humble Oil) or some of those pharmaceutical names that you see advertised so much. "MAXXI","MUZE",

I'm still liking somethingthat implies a fully functioning versatile recording studio, but I'm not close-minded. Maybe a synonym for vintage reliability and state of the art.

Maybe some mythological character that references strength, stability, sensitivity and music creation. "Apollo" kinda fits, but I'm looking for something better...(as if it was my/our decision!)

"What's your DAW?...Pro Tools?"..."No way!...Gandalf, of course!"



Buzzy