Digital Performer
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| Digital Performer | |
|---|---|
 Digital Performer 4.61 running on Mac OS X |
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| Developed by | MOTU |
| Latest release | 5.13 / 2007-11-19 |
| OS | Mac OS X |
| Genre | MIDI sequencer + Digital Audio Workstation |
| Website | http://www.motu.com/products/software/dp/ |
Digital Performer is a full-featured Digital Audio Workstation/Sequencer software package published by Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) of Cambridge, Massachusetts for the Apple Macintosh platform.
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[edit] Ancestry
In 1984, Mark of the Unicorn released Professional Composer, one of the first application programs for the Apple Macintosh. The program used the Macintosh's high-resolution graphics and printing to allow the user to print professional quality music scores.
In 1985, the company released a music sequencer named Performer, also based on the Macintosh platform, for arranging and performing with synthesizers and other devices which recognized the then-newly developed MIDI standard. Sending a series of numerical values, such a sequencer could direct many instruments, commanding which notes to play, at what loudness, and for how long to sustain them. There are many deep features in the MIDI protocol; MOTU developed extended capabilities in Digital Performer for handling these controllers and other actions (including remote operation of the software itself) through user-customizable graphical consoles, allowing the operator direct access to deeper features of instruments, stage lighting and various types of machines, all via MIDI interfaces and custom graphic buttons and sliders.
[edit] Native Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) arrives
In 1990, MOTU added the ability to synchronise audio (digital audio) to Performer and released it as "Digital Performer," months after Opcode added this capability to Vision. Digital Performer was originally designed as a front-end to Digidesign's Audiomedia hard disk recording system, which later became Pro Tools. Digital Performer's specific appeal was its MIDI environment, which was fitted into the same transport system as the audio environment. This enabled users to record their MIDI instruments and mix the results with other live audio recorded in the studio (or vice versa). Personal computers of this time were too slow to handle high quality recording via their own CPU, so the addition of DSP co-processor cards was necessary to create a functioning audio recording studio. As the Mac's CPU became powerful enough to record the digitized audio directly to hard disk, the DSP cards were gradually rendered unnecessary. Foreseeing this, MOTU created its own Motu Audio System (MAS) which helped Digital Performer to tap the Macintosh's native power to record music directly to its own hard drive without the need for external co-processing and dedicated drives. By 2000, Digital Performer allowed users to record, mix, and master audio for commercial releases.
[edit] Mac OS X
[edit] Present day
Version 3 of Digital Performer was the last to run on OS 9, the Classic Macintosh operating system. After a complete rewrite, MOTU released Digital Performer 4.0 in May of 2003, which ran exclusively on Mac OS X.
Beginning with version 4.5, MOTU introduced a number of important new features to Digital Performer. The two most important of these are built in pitch correction capability, and a Masterworks EQ plugin that rivals high end 3rd party EQ plugins in terms of quality. Beginning with version 5.0, MOTU also introduced a set of virtual instruments.
Updated to version 5.13 on 19th November 2007 to provide compatibility with Mac OS X v10.5, and available in Universal Binary, Digital Performer remains one of the more popular audio workstations on the Macintosh. Faster Apple CPUs continue to increase its capacity and performance. Chief among its competition on the Macintosh platform are Pro Tools and Apple's Logic.
[edit] Future
A preview of Digital Performer 6 was given at the annual music NAMM trade show on January 17-20, 2008. It will include two new plugins and a new optional electric piano virtual instrument will be offered for purchase in addition to the other optional virtual instruments already available. Digital Performer 6 is scheduled to be released in the first quarter of 2008.
[edit] Awards and recognition
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2001 Electronic Musician Editors Choice Awards
2002 Electronic Musician Editors Choice Awards
2004 Electronic Musician Editors Choice Awards
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[edit] Notable users
Some notable users include the composers John Adams [4], Don Davis [5], Danny Elfman [6], Michael Giacchino, Elliot Goldenthal[7], James Horner, David Lawrence [8] and Hans Zimmer, alongside Dream Theater[citation needed], David Bryan[9] Autechre, Matmos [10], The Cruxshadows, and Trey Spruance of the Secret Chiefs 3[citation needed].
[edit] References
- ^ 2001 Editors Choice Awards
- ^ Editor's Choice Awards 2002
- ^ Electronic Musician 2004 Editors Choice Awards
- ^ John Adams on his Violin Concerto. Earbox. Retrieved on 2007-12-31.
- ^ Digital Performer for Film Scoring. MOTU. Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
- ^ Danny Elfman: Building Music for the Movies. Apple Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
- ^ DPUser Update: Elliot Goldenthal. Digital Performer Users. Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
- ^ DPUser Update: David Lawrence. Digital Performer Users. Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
- ^ DPUser Update: David Bryan. Digital Performer Users. Retrieved on 2007-05-19.
- ^ Matmos. Sound on Sound. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
