Six reasons why I love DP (and a few things I wish were better)
Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 7:39 pm
I started using DP around 2000—I think 2.7 was the first version I bought. I wanted to do some basic multi-track editing at home to avoid paying an engineer for the time-consuming process of fine-tuning my drum performances. I chose DP largely because Pro Tools at the time required a hardware interface, and I just wanted to use headphones and a laptop.
Over the years, I’ve used a variety of other DAWs, including Pro Tools and Logic. And frankly, I use Logic more and more these days. But I keep coming back to DP for a few reasons.
1. Pitch correction.
I’ve used a number of other pitch correction/tuning plug-ins, including Auto-Tune and the built-in tuning within Logic. I’ve also tried the scaled-back version of Melodyne about 15 years ago. But I almost always use DP for tuning vocals (in particular, the PureDSP version of pitch correction).
I love that it’s built into the track. I don’t have to export a file to a plug-in (as I think I had to with Melodyne when I tried it) or bounce a track little by little (as I had to do with Auto-Tune in the graphical mode years ago). And best of all, DP tuning sounds great—it sounds so much cleaner than, say, the built-in tuning with Logic, which leaves ugly artifacts.
2. Plug-ins.
I don’t own a ton of plug-ins. I use a handful of plug-ins from Waves and a few other companies, but I often use stock plug-ins with DAWs. And a few DP plug-ins are indispensable to me, including the MW Leveler (my go-to for snare drums), MW Equalizer, and ProVerb. I remember years ago, MOTU sold a MasterWorks Collection (https://motu.com/products/software/mwc) so you could use these plug-ins in other DAWs. I’m guessing MOTU hasn’t updated this collection, but it’s a great idea, because these plug-ins sound excellent.
3. That DP “sound.”
OK, I know there is not really a “sound” for each DAW—and I’ve done numerous tests to confirm that DP is not actually coloring tracks in any way when you just play them back. But I like the way my tracks sound in DP. I suspect I hear the difference mainly when I use DP plug-ins. I hear more space, depth, and dynamics—a smoother, more open sound than with other DAWs. (I also wondered whether differences in pan law affected my perception of a different sound, but my tests on that front were inconclusive.)
Now, I don’t always want that sound. If I want an in-your-face pop sound, I tend to go with Logic. I like the Logic compressors, and I think that contributes (for me) to a more punchy, pop sound. But for any music that needs space, depth, and dynamics, it’s DP all the way.
4. Workflows.
When I first started using DP more than 20 years ago, I loved offline bouncing. For many years, Pro Tools only offered real-time bouncing. Some people like that—they like to hear their mix one last time as they bounce. But while that’s fine for a three-minute rock song, it’s not great when you have, say, a two-hour concert you want to bounce…especially if you decide you want to make just one little change in that two-hour concert.
At the other end of the production cycle, I’ve always thought that it’s incredibly easy to create stems with DP. When I’m ready to archive a project, I create stereo stems (of individual instruments or groups of instruments) by soloing and bouncing, then I create mono stems of unprocessed tracks. And with DP, it is so easy to just merge everything within a track and create that mono stem.
5. Editing
When I first started using DP, editing was sluggish compared with Pro Tools. But with software updates (and faster hard drives and more memory), editing became a breeze. And I now prefer editing in DP so much more than in Logic. To me, editing in Logic is infuriating. DP lets me make as many tiny changes as necessary, easily.
6. Deep feature set (that I rarely use).
Whenever I think “Man, I wish DP did x,” I later learn that it does do that, and has done that for like 10 years. DP has such a deep feature set. I use only a small portion of it. If there’s one criticism here, it’s that MOTU marketing doesn’t brag enough about all the great things that DP can do!
Things I wish DP did better
I love DP, but I don’t use it as much as I did 5 or 10 years ago. I almost always use Logic to start and (increasingly) to finish projects. And of course, when I’m doing projects with professional studios, I still use Pro Tools from time to time.
We all have a dozen items on our DP wish list, but for me, there are a few broad categories of things that DP could do better.
1. More built-in instruments.
I start projects in Logic because of the huge number of instruments and sounds readily available. I know DP has added access to more instruments in recent years, but Logic just has a much deeper well, and with Logic those instruments are better integrated into the DAW.
2. Better workflows.
There are a few workflows that I’d love to see in DP:
—Bouncing directly to Apple Music (formerly iTunes). With DP, I bounce a track, then drag it into Apple Music, where, within a few minutes, I can access it anywhere, on any device, because I have an Apple Music/Apple iTunes Match subscription. But Logic saves a step by doing that work of importing a bounced track automatically. I would love for MOTU to write that script into DP.
—Setting up instrument tracks and aux busses could be easier. Again, in Logic, this stuff is done automatically, and it’s a small thing that saves a bunch of time.
3. Easier collaboration with others.
I’ve done a lot of long-distance collaboration (especially in the last year). And there’s no way I can convince my friends to buy DP. But I have convinced them to buy Logic. There are a few issues here: Logic is much less expensive than DP (unlikely to be solved by MOTU anytime soon); Logic is already used by more people (no doubt because of cost); and Logic has so many built-in workflows and instruments, that (in my opinion) it’s easier to use for home recording beginners. l really hope MOTU figures out a way to better compete with Logic so that more people will embrace DP.
But if that doesn’t happen, MOTU might consider ways to simplify collaboration with people using other DAWs. Sharing stems is OK (I gave up on AAF/OMF a long time ago), but it’s not perfect.
Your favorite features?
OK, now it’s your turn. What do you like most about DP? What keeps you coming back?
Over the years, I’ve used a variety of other DAWs, including Pro Tools and Logic. And frankly, I use Logic more and more these days. But I keep coming back to DP for a few reasons.
1. Pitch correction.
I’ve used a number of other pitch correction/tuning plug-ins, including Auto-Tune and the built-in tuning within Logic. I’ve also tried the scaled-back version of Melodyne about 15 years ago. But I almost always use DP for tuning vocals (in particular, the PureDSP version of pitch correction).
I love that it’s built into the track. I don’t have to export a file to a plug-in (as I think I had to with Melodyne when I tried it) or bounce a track little by little (as I had to do with Auto-Tune in the graphical mode years ago). And best of all, DP tuning sounds great—it sounds so much cleaner than, say, the built-in tuning with Logic, which leaves ugly artifacts.
2. Plug-ins.
I don’t own a ton of plug-ins. I use a handful of plug-ins from Waves and a few other companies, but I often use stock plug-ins with DAWs. And a few DP plug-ins are indispensable to me, including the MW Leveler (my go-to for snare drums), MW Equalizer, and ProVerb. I remember years ago, MOTU sold a MasterWorks Collection (https://motu.com/products/software/mwc) so you could use these plug-ins in other DAWs. I’m guessing MOTU hasn’t updated this collection, but it’s a great idea, because these plug-ins sound excellent.
3. That DP “sound.”
OK, I know there is not really a “sound” for each DAW—and I’ve done numerous tests to confirm that DP is not actually coloring tracks in any way when you just play them back. But I like the way my tracks sound in DP. I suspect I hear the difference mainly when I use DP plug-ins. I hear more space, depth, and dynamics—a smoother, more open sound than with other DAWs. (I also wondered whether differences in pan law affected my perception of a different sound, but my tests on that front were inconclusive.)
Now, I don’t always want that sound. If I want an in-your-face pop sound, I tend to go with Logic. I like the Logic compressors, and I think that contributes (for me) to a more punchy, pop sound. But for any music that needs space, depth, and dynamics, it’s DP all the way.
4. Workflows.
When I first started using DP more than 20 years ago, I loved offline bouncing. For many years, Pro Tools only offered real-time bouncing. Some people like that—they like to hear their mix one last time as they bounce. But while that’s fine for a three-minute rock song, it’s not great when you have, say, a two-hour concert you want to bounce…especially if you decide you want to make just one little change in that two-hour concert.
At the other end of the production cycle, I’ve always thought that it’s incredibly easy to create stems with DP. When I’m ready to archive a project, I create stereo stems (of individual instruments or groups of instruments) by soloing and bouncing, then I create mono stems of unprocessed tracks. And with DP, it is so easy to just merge everything within a track and create that mono stem.
5. Editing
When I first started using DP, editing was sluggish compared with Pro Tools. But with software updates (and faster hard drives and more memory), editing became a breeze. And I now prefer editing in DP so much more than in Logic. To me, editing in Logic is infuriating. DP lets me make as many tiny changes as necessary, easily.
6. Deep feature set (that I rarely use).
Whenever I think “Man, I wish DP did x,” I later learn that it does do that, and has done that for like 10 years. DP has such a deep feature set. I use only a small portion of it. If there’s one criticism here, it’s that MOTU marketing doesn’t brag enough about all the great things that DP can do!
Things I wish DP did better
I love DP, but I don’t use it as much as I did 5 or 10 years ago. I almost always use Logic to start and (increasingly) to finish projects. And of course, when I’m doing projects with professional studios, I still use Pro Tools from time to time.
We all have a dozen items on our DP wish list, but for me, there are a few broad categories of things that DP could do better.
1. More built-in instruments.
I start projects in Logic because of the huge number of instruments and sounds readily available. I know DP has added access to more instruments in recent years, but Logic just has a much deeper well, and with Logic those instruments are better integrated into the DAW.
2. Better workflows.
There are a few workflows that I’d love to see in DP:
—Bouncing directly to Apple Music (formerly iTunes). With DP, I bounce a track, then drag it into Apple Music, where, within a few minutes, I can access it anywhere, on any device, because I have an Apple Music/Apple iTunes Match subscription. But Logic saves a step by doing that work of importing a bounced track automatically. I would love for MOTU to write that script into DP.
—Setting up instrument tracks and aux busses could be easier. Again, in Logic, this stuff is done automatically, and it’s a small thing that saves a bunch of time.
3. Easier collaboration with others.
I’ve done a lot of long-distance collaboration (especially in the last year). And there’s no way I can convince my friends to buy DP. But I have convinced them to buy Logic. There are a few issues here: Logic is much less expensive than DP (unlikely to be solved by MOTU anytime soon); Logic is already used by more people (no doubt because of cost); and Logic has so many built-in workflows and instruments, that (in my opinion) it’s easier to use for home recording beginners. l really hope MOTU figures out a way to better compete with Logic so that more people will embrace DP.
But if that doesn’t happen, MOTU might consider ways to simplify collaboration with people using other DAWs. Sharing stems is OK (I gave up on AAF/OMF a long time ago), but it’s not perfect.
Your favorite features?
OK, now it’s your turn. What do you like most about DP? What keeps you coming back?
