Coming soon. Check out the video previews...

…pretty cool. (Check it out here.) I’ve only spent an hour with it. Quick first impressions before I get off to work:

• Pretty easy to figure out what’s going on — especially if you watch the intro videos on the website
• I was hoping the “german engineers” alluded to in the adverts were emagic alumnus. If the interface is a hint, it looks like they are folks from the old Cubase/Nuendo crowd.
• The interface is cold, very monochromatic.
• Assigning controllers is dead simple.
• I experienced a few odd crashes. (More on that in a bit.)
• From what I can tell, automation is all breakpoints, no bezier curves or things like that.
• It has a nice approach on workflow (based on the little bit I’ve played around with)

(To be continued…)

Well fast on the heels of Digital Performer 6.0 comes the first “.01″ release. I’m still taking a look at it, but it appears the MOTU addressed the firestorm about the GUI: They toned it down. Instead of something that for all the world appears to be a BRIGHT WHITE as the default color for much of the interface, there is a shade or two of cool grey thrown in. The image below shows a screen shot from DP 6.0 and that same screen (more or less) from DP 6.01. You can see that the 6.01 is a bit more muted.

Dp 6.0 and 6.01 Screens

Click on the thumbnail. DP 6.0 is on the left and 6.01 is on the right. The change in the brightness of the GUI doesn’t look to be much in the image, but it is enough to make a difference if you are working on a couple of 19″ monitor. It helps the eyes, believe me.

MOTU also threw in a ‘Track Inspector’. It’s basically an information window that shows track settings for track color, input and output assignments, play- and record-enable status, take, automation, etc. It updates its focus to the current track selected in a window.

Last year on my page ‘Tools’ I said:

“I use Logic and Live for composition. I used to use Digital Performer a lot. I’m still a big fan and love the workflow and interface…but Logic and Live seem to be more “sympatico” with each other…Don’t know; I really go back and forth between Logic and DP. Currently, the pendulum has swung to Logic. Check back in six months…”

Well, it took a little longer than 6 months, but I’m definitely back in the DP camp. Especially with the release of DP6. There’s an awful lot to like about it:

• The new user interface updates the look of DP 6 and makes things a bit more sensible . And that’s a good thing. Unfortunately it is REALLY BRIGHT and if you have a couple of monitors and the room is dark, you need sunglasses. This redesign has been a big source of consternation over at MotuNation. Hopefully MOTU will offer some color customization options.
• Track comping that goes beyond that offered in LOGIC.
• MasterWorks Leveler plug-in and the ProVerb convolution plug-in. The Leveler is modeled on the Teletronix™ LA-2A optical leveling amplifier. Folks who know what that sounds like (I don’t), swear by Leveler’s accurate reproduction of that unit.