Digital Performer Getting Started

Digital Performer 11 ®
Getting Started
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Version 11.2
Contents
Contents
Part 1: Setup 25 Configuring Audio Devices
25 Overview
9 Computer Requirements 25 What is the MOTU Audio System?
9 Minimum computer requirements 25 Preparing your computer
10 Getting started 26 Supported audio hardware
10 Familiarity with your computer 27 Choosing which audio hardware to use
10 Visit motu.com for software updates 27 Configuring the hardware driver
10 Technical support 32 Controlling monitoring latency
11 Installing Digital Performer 33 Slaving to external sync
11 Package Contents 33 Optimizing performance
11 Download version 33 Configure Studio Settings
11 Important! Register your software 35 Fine-tuning audio I/O timing
11 Included sounds and virtual instruments 35 More ways to enhance performance
11 Running the Digital Performer installer 36 Monitoring system performance
12 Opening Digital Performer
Part 2: Getting Started
12 30-day demo
12 Examining VST and AU plug-ins
41 What Next?
13 The Digital Performer Welcome Window
43 New Features in DP 11
13 Enabling audio I/O
43 New features in Version 11.2
13 Setting up MIDI hardware
13 Using virtual instruments
14 Interapplication MIDI (macOS only)
49 About Digital Performer
14 Updating Digital Performer
49 Overview
14 The DP User Guide and Getting Started Guide
PDFs 49 Design philosophy
15 Configuring MIDI Devices 50 MIDI sequencing
15 Overview 51 Digital audio recording
15 Setting up your MIDI equipment 51 Seamless MIDI and audio
15 Connecting MIDI gear directly 52 Editing
15 Connecting MIDI gear using a MIDI interface 52 Arranging
16 The MIDI Studio window 52 Automated mixing
20 Daisy-chaining MIDI devices 53 MIDI and audio effects processing
20 Interapplication MIDI (macOS only) 53 Virtual instruments
22 Audio MIDI Setup (macOS only) 53 Mastering
iii
53 Music notation 90 Content Browser
54 Studio configuration management 92 Bundles window
54 Synchronization 94 MIDI Editor
54 A customized workspace 96 Event List
55 Hard Disk Recording Concepts 98 Drum Editor
55 Overview 100 QuickScribe Editor
55 How audio is recorded on disk 102 Waveform Editor
56 How hard disk recording differs from tape 104 Meter Bridge
58 How much disk space does audio require? 106 Markers
59 Hard disk requirements and maintenance 108 Tool Palette
59 Digital audio terms 110 Selecting
63 User Interface Basics 112 Editing
63 Overview 114 Mixing Board
63 Learn to use your computer 116 Effects window
63 Windows 118 Virtual instruments
66 Control Panel 120 Movie window
66 The Window menu 122 Congratulations!
67 Modifier keys 122 Continuing on your own
67 Clicking shortcuts 122 Recording your first audio
67 Using modifier keys with cursor actions
Part 3: Tutorials
69 Contextual menus
70 Standard keyboard shortcuts
125 Tutorial 1: Recording MIDI
71 Customizing keyboard shortcuts
125 Overview
71 Changing text box values by dragging
125 Opening the tutorial file
72 Main counter shortcuts
125 Record-enabling a track
73 Using the numeric keypad
126 Setting the playback device
75 A Guided Tour of Digital Performer
127 Setting up the instrument’s sound
75 If you don’t like to read manuals
130 Step Record
75 Before you begin
130 Opening the Event List
76 Creating, opening, and saving Projects
134 Saving your sequence
78 Control Panel
134 Congratulations!
80 Consolidated window
134 Problems
82 Sequence Editor
137 Tutorial 2: Recording Audio
84 Tracks window
137 Overview
86 Clips window
137 How it works
88 Soundbites window
iv
CONTENTS
138 Opening the tutorial file 171 Tutorial checklist
138 Enabling audio hardware 171 The Mixing Board
139 Using third-party audio hardware 172 Start mixing
139 Using built-in audio 172 Automated mixing
140 Completing the audio hardware configuration 174 Drawing controller data in the Sequence Editor
140 Choosing an input 175 Plug-ins
141 Preparing an audio track for recording 176 Bouncing to Disk
141 Monitoring the live signal 178 Congratulations!
142 Establishing audio input and checking the level
143 Recording Part 4: More Information
143 Playing back the recorded track
181 Frequently Asked Questions
145 Tutorial 3: Building a Sequence
181 Overview
145 What’s in this tutorial
181 Setting up
145 Tutorial checklist
183 Becoming familiar with DP
145 Opening the tutorial file
183 Recording and playback
145 Set up memory cycle recording
188 Editing
147 Set up a Metronome click
188 Mixing and Finishing
148 Set up a one bar countoff
189 Plug-ins
150 Set up a track for recording
189 Virtual instruments (“soft synths”)
151 Open the Drum Editor
193 Additional Resources
151 Quantizing
193 Overview
153 And now the fun really begins
193 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
154 Record kick and snare first
193 The Digital Performer User Guide
155 Fix mistakes and get ready to add the hi-hat part
193 Help Tags
155 Add the hi-hat
193 motu.com
156 Save what you have done so far
195 Index
156 Select the loop and apply a groove
158 Add a Guitar sample loop
160 Prepare to record a second track
161 Step record another part
164 Bass part
167 Transpose the bass part to the proper octave
168 Make a four bar phrase
169 The next step
171 Tutorial 4: Mixing and Finishing
171 What’s in this tutorial
v
CO NT E NTS
vi
CONTENTS
Part1
Setup
CHAPTER 1 Computer Requirements
MINIMUM COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS Q MacOS (version 10.13 or later) or
Here are the computer system requirements Windows 10 (64-bit version only).
for Digital Performer:
Q Large hard disk, preferably at least 100 GB.
Q Mac or PC with Intel Core 2 Duo CPU

The disk on which tracks are recorded must
2.0 GHz or faster recommended. Only Macs be a fast drive.
with 64-bit CPUs are supported. (Macs with
Support for macOS Big Sur, Monterey and
PowerPC CPUs are not supported.) Apple silicon
The faster the computer, and the more DP is fully qualified for macOS Big Sur
RAM installed in it, the more responsive (11.x), macOS Monterey (12.x) and the latest
Digital Performer is. Scrolling during generation Apple silicon Macs. DP’s audio
playback is smoother, the counter updates engine is fully optimized for multi-core
regularly, and actions that you take with the performance on Apple silicon, prioritizing
program are faster — especially during audio threads on high-speed cores and
playback. reserving CPU bandwidth for critical, time-
sensitive processing.
Q 4 GB of RAM is required; more is highly
recommended. 64-bit operation

Digital Performer is a 64-bit only application.
Since plug-ins and virtual instruments Therefore, on macOS 10.13 (which is the last
are loaded into the computer’s RAM, add as version of macOS to support 32-bit apps), DP
much RAM as possible to your computer. runs 64-bit only. On Windows, DP requires
Digital Performer is a 64-bit application, the 64-bit version of Windows 10.
which allows full access to your computer’s
RAM. Under Windows, it can optionally run
You cannot run 32-bit plug-ins or virtual
instruments in DP. Only 64-bit plug-ins and
in 32-bit mode.
virtual instruments are supported.
Q A display with at least 1024 x 768
resolution (1280 x 1024 resolution or higher

is recommended).
9
Retina display support Q Online: www.motu.com/support
If you are running DP on a Mac with a
Q Phone: +1 (617) 576-3066
Retina™ display, which offers exceptionally
(9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Eastern)
high image resolution, DP supports the full
resolution of your display. You can scale the Q Downloads: www.motu.com/download
size of DP’s overall user interface to make it
comfortable for your eyes. Choose View
menu > Scale.
GETTING STARTED
Follow the directions in the next few chapters
of this guide to successfully begin using
Digital Performer.
FAMILIARITY WITH YOUR COMPUTER

This manual assumes that your are familiar
with using your computer. If not, please
review your computer’s user guide before
proceeding.
VISIT MOTU.COM FOR SOFTWARE

UPDATES
Software updates are periodically posted on
our web site, so check our web site for the
latest updates at www.motu.com. You can
also check for updates directly using the
commands in Digital Performer’s Help menu.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
If you have questions, please review this
manual carefully first. You can reach MOTU
tech support as follows:
Q 24-hour online tech support database with
search engine: www.motu.com/support
10
CO M P U TE R RE Q U I RE M E N TS
CHAPTER 2 Installing Digital Performer
PACKAGE CONTENTS INCLUDED SOUNDS AND VIRTUAL

Your Digital Performer package includes: INSTRUMENTS
When you register your copy of Digital
Q DP installer disc (for the boxed version) Performer at motu.com, you gain access to
free loops, sounds and virtual instruments,
Q DP Getting Started Guide
which you can download directly from your
Q License card with serial number and motu.com account web page. For example,
keycode (for new users only) the MOTU Instruments soundbank provides
over 300 different instruments, 1100
DOWNLOAD VERSION instrument presets and 500 loops. You’ll find
The Digital Performer installer is also acoustic and electronic drum kits, pianos,
available as a download at motu.com/ guitars and basses, along with church organs,
download. electric organs, strings, brass, woodwinds,
synths, ethnic instruments, choirs, voices,
IMPORTANT! REGISTER YOUR SOFTWARE
percussion, sound effects and more. So be
MOTU can only provide customer service
sure to register today so you can download
and technical support to registered users.
and use these included instruments.
Please register your software immediately
after purchase. To do so, follow the directions For more information about the MOTU
below that apply to you: Instruments soundbank, go to Digital
Method of purchase How to register:
Performer’s Help menu and choose the
Digital Performer Plug-ins Guide.
If you purchased Register online at:
Digital Performer www.motu.com/registration
RUNNING THE DIGITAL PERFORMER
If you purchased an upgrade You are already registered and
from an earlier version of no further action is necessary. INSTALLER
Digital Performer (or 1 Double-click the Digital Performer
Performer)
installer package or setup (.exe) file.
If you purchased a Digital Follow the directions included
Performer Competitive with your Competitive Upgrade
Upgrade for registering your Competitive 2 Follow the directions the installer gives
Upgrade.
you.
11
OPENING DIGITAL PERFORMER Choosing a primary external plug-in format
After a successful installation, you are ready (macOS only)
to launch Digital Performer for the first time. On macOS, DP will ask you to choose either
VST or AU as your primary external plug-in
When you first run the Digital Performer format. Choose AU if you have a large
application, you will be required to number of existing DP projects that use AUs,
authenticate and activate your copy of the and you don’t need to transfer DP projects to
application. Follow the on-screen and from Windows systems. Choose VST to
instructions. For further information, visit increase the cross-platform compatibility of
motu.com/activate-dp. your projects. This choice can be changed at
any time in the audio plug-in preferences (see
30-DAY DEMO “Primary external plug-in format (Mac
If you would like to try Digital Performer only)” on page 918 in the DP User Guide).
before you buy it, enter your email and name Once you’ve made your initial choice, Digital
in the activation dialog, and then click Start Performer scans and enables plug-ins in your
Demo to begin your 30-day demo period. All primary format. Later, you can manually
features except MP3 exporting are available, choose the desired format for each plug-in in
including document saving. When your 30- the audio plug-in preferences.
day trial period ends, click Buy Now to
purchase DP online, or you can purchase it The plug-in examination process
from your favorite MOTU reseller. You can The plug-in examination process may take a
also purchase at any time from the few minutes, depending on the nature and
motu.com/store. Once purchased, you can quantity of the plug-ins installed in your
fully authenticate and activate DP, as system. Each plug-in is examined only once,
explained earlier. the first time it is loaded by Digital Performer.
On subsequent launches of DP, plug-ins that
EXAMINING VST AND AU PLUG-INS have already been examined will not be
Digital Performer supports third-party VST examined again. If a problem is detected with
plug-ins (on Mac and Windows) and macOS a particular plug-in, it will not be loaded for
Audio Unit (AU) plug-ins. When you first use in Digital Performer to prevent crashing
run Digital Performer, it examines third- and other serious problems. For more details
party plug-ins currently installed in your about using VSTs and AUs, see “Working
system, checking them for problems. with VST and Audio Unit plug-ins” on
page 914 in the DP User Guide.
12
IN STA L L ING D IGI TA L P E R F O RM E R
THE DIGITAL PERFORMER WELCOME DP uses it. To do so, choose Setup menu>
WINDOW Audio System> MOTU Audio System. For
After Digital Performer launches, you’ll see further details, see chapter 4, “Configuring
the welcome window, which provides a Audio Devices” (page 25).
variety of convenient resources. The left-
hand column provides a menu of file You can freely disable audio recording and
templates to choose from, for quickly creating playback at any time by choosing Setup
new projects; this menu can also display your menu> Audio System> MIDI Only.
own custom file templates. Below the
template menu, you’ll see a list of recently SETTING UP MIDI HARDWARE
opened projects for quick access. To set up Digital Performer for use with
MIDI hardware devices connected to your
The central part of the window displays links computer, see chapter 3, “Configuring MIDI
to numerous informational and training Devices” (page 15).
resources, demo and tutorial files, and other
extras. The right-hand column displays late- USING VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS
breaking news and information directly from Digital Performer includes a host of virtual
the MOTU web site, with additional links to instrument plug-ins, including the MOTU
MOTU’s social media channels. Instruments soundbank, which provides
hundreds of instruments to choose from.
If you prefer not to see the welcome window, Digital Performer also supports third-party
you can disable it in the Digital Performer instruments (in industry-standard VST and
Preferences in the Digital Performer menu AU plug-in formats). Digital Performer does
(Mac) or Edit menu (Windows) under the not require any additional preparation for use
Document>Startup Options. with virtual instrument plug-ins. Simply
open virtual instruments as described in
ENABLING AUDIO I/O chapter 17, “Instrument Tracks” (page 159)
On macOS, DP finds the best audio hardware in the DP User Guide PDF (found in the Help
option for you. If you have a MOTU interface, menu), and its audio and MIDI inputs and
or other professional interface, DP uses it. If outputs will appear in Digital Performer’s I/O
not, DP uses whatever input and output menus. For details about Digital Performer’s
devices you have selected in the System including instruments, go to Digital
Preferences Sound Panel, and will follow your Performer’s Help menu and choose the
selection there if you change it. Of course, if Digital Performer Plug-ins Guide.
you do choose an interface from within DP,
13
IN STAL LI NG DIG ITA L P E R F O RM E R
INTERAPPLICATION MIDI (MACOS ONLY) UPDATING DIGITAL PERFORMER
On macOS, if a virtual instrument operates as Digital Performer can automatically check for
a separate application, run it concurrently updates; see “Checking for updates” on
with Digital Performer, and any MIDI inputs page 98.
and outputs that it publishes to Core MIDI
will appear in Digital Performer’s MIDI input THE DP USER GUIDE AND GETTING
and output menus. STARTED GUIDE PDFS
The DP User Guide and Getting Started books
If you would like to work with Core MIDI- are available as PDF files. You can find them
compatible MIDI software that does not on the installer disc, and you can also access
publish MIDI inputs and/or outputs, Digital them directly from Digital Performer’s Help
Performer has the ability to publish its own menu. Table of Contents entries, index
Core MIDI inputs and outputs, which the entries, and cross references are live links that
other application can access for MIDI I/O will jump to their destinations. In some cases,
with Digital Performer. For details, see “Inter- you may need to click directly on the page
application MIDI (macOS only)” on page 20. number (rather than the heading).
14
IN STA L L ING D IGI TA L P E R F O RM E R
CHAPTER 3 Configuring MIDI Devices
OVERVIEW SETTING UP YOUR MIDI EQUIPMENT

This chapter explains how to connect MIDI MIDI gear connects to your computer in one
hardware devices to your computer and of two ways:
successfully establish MIDI input and output
with the device. Here are some examples of Q Directly (via USB, Thunderbolt, etc.)
MIDI devices: OR
Q Controller keyboard Q Using a MIDI interface

Q Keyboard synthesizer
CONNECTING MIDI GEAR DIRECTLY
Q Drum machine For MIDI equipment that connects directly
to your computer with USB, Thunderbolt or
Q Sound module
other standard computer peripheral
Additionally, this chapter explains how to set connection, follow the directions for
up interapplication MIDI under macOS, installation, including the installation of any
which allows other software applications software (drivers, etc.) that it may require. No
(such as stand-alone virtual instruments) to special additional procedures are necessary
send and receive MIDI data to and from for Digital Performer. When you are finished
Digital Performer. installing the MIDI device as directed, Digital
Performer should be able to “see” the device’s
Virtual instrument plug-ins, such as MIDI input and output channels (and cables).
those included with Digital Performer, do not
require any configuration for MIDI I/O. CONNECTING MIDI GEAR USING A MIDI
INTERFACE
Setting up your MIDI equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 For MIDI equipment that connects to your
Connecting MIDI gear directly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
computer using a MIDI interface, you will
Connecting MIDI gear using a MIDI interface . . . . . .15
need:
The MIDI Studio window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Daisy-chaining MIDI devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Q Any Mac or PC compatible MIDI interface
Interapplication MIDI (macOS only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Audio MIDI Setup (macOS only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Q MIDI cables
15
1 Connect your MIDI interface to your THE MIDI STUDIO WINDOW
computer and connect your MIDI devices to Once you’ve connected your MIDI hardware
it as shown in the examples on page 16. devices, you are ready to configure them in
Digital Performer for use in all of your Digital
If your hardware situation requires that Performer projects. To do so:
you daisy-chain your MIDI devices, be sure
to see “Daisy-chaining MIDI devices” on 1 Launch Digital Performer.
page 20.
2 Create a new project from the File menu.
2 Turn on the MIDI interface, if it has a
power switch (some devices are bus- 3 Choose Studio menu > Bundles to open the
powered). Bundles window.
4 Click the MIDI Studio window

(Figure 3-5).
IN OUT
USB cable OUT IN
micro express USB interface MIDI
cables
Figure 3-1: An example of connecting a single MIDI device to a MOTU micro express
interface. Connect the device’s MIDI OUT and MIDI IN ports to the interface.
IN
OUT THRU
USB MIDI Interface
USB IN
cable IN
THRU
IN
THRU
Figure 3-2: Connecting several devices to a simple 1-IN/1-OUT interface.
See “Daisy-chaining MIDI devices” on page 20 for special instructions
on setting up your MIDI gear for daisy-chaining in this manner. IN
OUT
16
CO N F IGU R IN G M IDI DE VIC E S
The MIDI Studio window lets you create and Making MIDI connections in the I/O grid
configure MIDI devices connected to your Any connected MIDI interfaces appear across
MIDI hardware. The settings you make here the top of the I/O grid, with their MIDI ports
will be available to all Digital Performer shown in columns beneath the interface. Use
projects. If you transfer the project to another the Add button to create MIDI devices, which
computer system, the devices you used will be appear in the left-hand column and represent
preserved so that you can easily remap them the hardware connected to the interface. Drag
as needed. the MIDI in (I) and MIDI out (O) tile for
each MIDI device to the appropriate MIDI
interface port column (the column that
represents the physical port it is connected to
on the MIDI interface). For example, in
Controllers
IN OUT
IN OUT
2x2 USB MIDI Interface
USB
cable OUT
OUT
IN
Figure 3-3: Connecting several devices to a simple 2-IN/2-OUT interface. IN
USB cable Connection B
Connection A OUT
IN
Figure 3-4: Connecting several MIDI devices to a multi-port interface

such as the MIDI Express XT. (Only one device is shown.)
17
CO NF IG U RI NG M IDI DE VIC E S
Figure 3-5 the Roland JV-1080 is connected Renaming an interface or USB device
to MIDI IN port 1 and MIDI OUT port 1 on To rename an interface or USB device above
the micro express USB interface. the grid, double-click its name.
Devices connected directly with USB, etc. Deleting offline interfaces

If you have a controller keyboard or other If your USB MIDI interface or keyboard goes
MIDI device that connects directly to the offline (it gets turned off or disconnected), its
computer with USB, Thunderbolt, or other name appears in italics. If you wish to remove
standard computer peripheral connection, it it from the Bundles window grid, click its
will appear above the I/O grid in the same name and click the Delete button.
fashion as the MIDI interface shown in
Figure 3-5 (as long as its drivers have been MIDI device properties
installed successfully). In this case, no Click a MIDI device in the left-hand column
additional I/O configuration is required and to select it and then click the Edit button to
the device will be available as a MIDI input specify the manufacturer and model for the
and/or output, as determined by its driver. device and to make additional device
property settings (Figure 3-6).
MIDI interface
MIDI interface ports
MIDI devices
Input and output
connections
Figure 3-5: MIDI Studio window in the Bundles window.
18
types that are supported. If the device has
multiple sets of MIDI ports, configure them
in the Ports tab.
Patches
If you have a device which supports
expansion boards, such as the Roland JV-
1080, use this section to configure which
expansion cards are loaded in the device. This
will ensure that your patch lists are displayed
accurately.
Figure 3-6: MIDI device properties.
Device
Choose the manufacturer of the device from
the Manufacturer menu, then choose the
model of the device from the Model menu.
The Name field will be automatically filled in.
If you don’t see the manufacturer or model of

the device in the list, or you would like to
rename it for whatever reason, you can fill in
the Name field manually.
Properties and ports Let’s say you have a JV-1080 and would like to
Specify the properties that describe the specify that you have the “Bass & Drums”
device. For example, you can describe what expansion card installed. To configure
MIDI channels it uses for transmitting and Expansion Slot A Rhythm Kits, for example,
receiving MIDI data. Enable any MIDI data locate Expansion Slot A Rhythm Kits in the
19
Bank column on the left, then choose “EXP 1 Double-click on the first device in your
Bass & Drums Rhythm Kits” in the Override MIDI device configuration (Figure 3-5 on
column. page 18) and disable some channels as shown
in Figure 3-6 on page 19; leave others
enabled.
2 Repeat this for the other devices in the

daisy chain so that no two devices have the
same channels enabled.
For example, if you daisy chain a Korg Triton

and a Roland JV-1080, set the Triton to use
channels 1-8 and the JV-1080 to use channels
9-16.
3 Now go to the front panel of each MIDI

instrument itself and program it to respond
DAISY-CHAINING MIDI DEVICES
to only the channels that are enabled in your
In general, daisy-chain MIDI devices (as
MIDI device configuration. Refer to the
shown in Figure 3-2 on page 16) should be
documentation for the device for details on
avoided because it is more complicated to set
this last step.
up than connecting each device directly, as
shown in the other diagrams on that page. INTERAPPLICATION MIDI (MACOS ONLY)
Digital Performer can send MIDI data to
If you have no choice but to daisy-chain, you
other applications and receive data from
need to configure each device such that it
them as well. These interapplication MIDI
doesn’t share any MIDI channels with other
streams are handled by Core MIDI, the Mac’s
devices in the chain. Otherwise, you’ll hear
built-in MIDI services.
several instruments play at once because data
sent to one unit is received by all the devices Most applications that share MIDI input and
in the daisy chain that are listening to that output with Digital Performer publish their
same MIDI channel. To avoid this sort of own virtual MIDI inputs and outputs, which
unwanted instrument layering: automatically appear in Digital Performer’s
20
MIDI input and output menus. Most of the Each input or output acts like a virtual MIDI
time, you can use the inputs and outputs cable, providing sixteen MIDI channels.
provided by these other applications. Inputs appear by name in any menu in Digital
Performer that displays MIDI inputs; outputs
There may be times, however, when other appear by name in any Digital Performer
applications require Digital Performer to menu that displays MIDI outputs. For
publish inputs and outputs. Use the Interap- example, if you wish to send data from a
plication MIDI window (Setup menu) to Digital Performer MIDI track to another
create them. application, assign the track’s output to a
Digital Performer MIDI output.
Digital Performer’s interapplication MIDI

inputs and outputs are published to all MIDI
applications that support the Mac’s built-in
MIDI services. A Digital Performer output
appears as an input in other applications;
conversely, outputs from other applications
appear as inputs in Digital Performer.
The software synthesizer

MacOS provides a basic software synthesizer
that supplies a general MIDI sound set. To
make this virtual instrument available as a
MIDI destination and sound source in Digital
Performer, check the box provided
(Figure 3-7), and give it a name. The name
Software you choose then shows up as a MIDI output
Synthesizer
destination in Digital Performer and other
Core MIDI-compatible applications (when
Figure 3-7: Creating interapplication inputs and outputs.
Digital Performer is running). To specify the
Click the Add buttons to create an input or audio output destination for the software
output. To rename them, double-click the synthesizer (i.e. where you’ll hear it), go to the
name. To remove an input or output, click it Audio tab in macOS’s Audio MIDI Setup
and click Delete. utility and choose the desired Default Output
destination. The Render quality menu lets you
21
choose the audio quality for the instrument Getting started with Audio MIDI Setup
playback. Higher quality places higher 1 Connect your MIDI interface to your Mac
demand on the computer’s CPU resources. and connect your MIDI devices to it as shown
in the examples on page 16.
AUDIO MIDI SETUP (MACOS ONLY)
Audio MIDI Setup is a utility included with 2 Turn on the MIDI interface, if it has a
macOS that provides a graphical interface for power switch (some devices are bus-
configuring the MIDI devices connected to powered).
your computer. You can use Audio MIDI
Setup as an alternative to the MIDI Studio 3 Launch the Audio MIDI Setup utility.
window in Digital Performer’s Bundles
This can be found in /Applications/Utilities.
window. Any changes you make in Audio
MIDI Setup are automatically reflected in 4 Confirm that the MIDI interface is present
Digital Performer’s MIDI Studio window, and in the MIDI Studio window of Audio MIDI
vice versa. Setup (Window menu).
Using Audio MIDI Setup is not required.
It is merely an alternative to using Digital
Performer’s MIDI Studio window.
Audio MIDI Setup provides two main

advantages over the MIDI Devices tab:
Q A graphical environment with device icons
and “virtual cables” that you can arrange on-

screen in a similar fashion to the physical
layout in your studio space
Q A single place to configure your MIDI
devices for multiple MIDI applications, if you

use other MIDI software besides Digital
Performer Figure 3-8: In this example, a MOTU Micro Express USB interface
as it appears in Audio MIDI Setup.
Audio MIDI Setup serves all Core MIDI
compatible applications.
22
Adding devices
After your MIDI interface appears in Audio
MIDI Setup, you are ready to add devices in
Audio MIDI Setup, connect them to the
interface, and specify properties they may
have for particular purposes. All of this
information is shared with Digital Performer
and other Core MIDI compatible
applications.
To add a device in Audio MIDI Setup: Figure 3-10: Connecting the device to the interface.
1 In the MIDI Studio window, click the “+” 3 Double-click the device to make settings,
button in the title bar to add a device. such as input and output channels, that
further describe the device.
Figure 3-9: Adding an external MIDI device.
2 Drag on its input and output arrows to

draw connections to the MIDI interface that
match its physical connection.
Figure 3-11: Device settings.
4 Repeat the above steps for each MIDI

device connected to the interface.
23
5 When you are finished, quit Audio MIDI
Setup.
Your configuration is automatically saved as

the default configuration. You can use the
Configuration menu to create, duplicate or
delete alternative configurations.
24
CHAPTER 4 Configuring Audio Devices
OVERVIEW including an adjustable number of internal

This chapter helps you get the most out of busses, aux tracks, master faders and sends.
Digital Performer’s audio recording and MAS also provides a plug-in architecture for
playback features. This chapter explains what real-time audio effects, such as reverb,
MAS is, how to configure it for your audio compression and EQ. Real time effects are
hardware, and how to obtain the best covered in detail in chapter 75, “Audio Effects
performance possible from your computer. Processing” (page 911) in the DP User Guide.
The performance tips in this chapter can have
a dramatic effect on how well Digital PREPARING YOUR COMPUTER
Performer operates, so be sure to review this Here are several things you need to do before
chapter carefully. using Digital Performer’s native audio
recording and playback features.
What is the MOTU Audio System? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Preparing your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Hard drives
Supported audio hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Hard disk recording makes severe demands
Choosing which audio hardware to use . . . . . . . . . . .27 on your computer’s hard drive. The more
Configuring the hardware driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 tuned-up your hard drive, the better
Controlling monitoring latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 performance you will get. For conventional
Slaving to external sync . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 drives, 7200 rpm or faster performance is
Optimizing performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 recommended, though it is possible with
Configure Studio Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 smaller projects to use a slower drive. Solid
Fine-tuning audio I/O timing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 state drives offer an excellent high-
More ways to enhance performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 performance alternative to conventional
Monitoring system performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 drives. Generally speaking, Digital Performer
has no special requirements for hard disks.
WHAT IS THE MOTU AUDIO SYSTEM? Better drive performance means better
The MOTU Audio System (MAS) is the hard overall performance from Digital Performer.
disk recording engine that drives Digital
Performer’s digital audio recording
capabilities. MAS provides a complete audio
recording and mixing environment,
25
Free up as much RAM as possible SUPPORTED AUDIO HARDWARE
Hard disk recording uses a lot of RAM. In Digital Performer supports the built-in audio
addition, the number of audio tracks you can hardware in your computer and any Mac or
record and play simultaneously is directly Windows compatible audio hardware that
related to the amount of memory available in ships with standard ASIO drivers, macOS
your computer. More available RAM gives Core Audio drivers, or Windows Audio
you more audio tracks, up to the limits of (WASAPI) drivers. After the device’s driver
your hard drive, and smoother performance has been successfully installed (as described
overall. in its installation instructions), it can be used
for audio input and output with Digital
Test your audio hardware first Performer, as explained in the next few
If you are using a 3rd-party audio interface or sections.
sound card, install and test your audio
hardware before installing Digital Performer. All MOTU audio hardware, including
If possible, try using any software that comes Thunderbolt and USB interfaces, ship with
with the audio hardware — recording and Core Audio and ASIO drivers that allow them
playing audio, if possible — to verify that the to operate successfully with virtually all Mac
hardware is properly installed and and Windows audio software. Many MOTU
functioning normally. If you experience USB interfaces are also USB audio class
problems, this will help focus your trouble- compliant, which means they can be used
shooting and eliminate Digital Performer as a with a Mac without installing a driver.
possible cause. After you’ve gotten the audio
hardware working properly with its own Track count and system performance
software, you will most likely not have Regardless of whether you are using the
problems with Digital Performer. Contact computer’s built-in audio or other audio
technical support (or our web site) for late- hardware, the number of audio tracks you can
breaking information about compatibility record and play simultaneously depends on
with other systems. See “Technical support” your computer system. A faster computer
on page 1050 in the DP User Guide. with more RAM and a fast hard drive gives
you more tracks. A slower computer with less
RAM and a slow hard drive gives you fewer
tracks.
26
CO N F IGU R IN G AU DIO DE VIC E S
CHOOSING WHICH AUDIO HARDWARE TO
USE
If Digital Performer detects an audio
interface or sound card with more than two
inputs/outputs connected to your computer
(and its driver is installed), DP uses it for
audio input and output. Otherwise, it uses
your computer’s built-in audio (or whatever
you’ve chosen in your system sound settings).
If you disconnect your audio interface,
Digital Performer reverts to the computer’s
built-in audio, then back again when you
reconnect your interface. You can also
explicitly choose a specific audio interface or
sound card, as explained in the next section.
CONFIGURING THE HARDWARE DRIVER

A hardware driver is software component of
your computer system that allows Digital
Performer to communicate with audio
hardware, such as the built-in audio circuitry
inside your computer, a Thunderbolt audio
interface, a USB audio interface, or an audio
PCI card installed in one of your computer’s
PCI slots. If you are using 3rd-party audio
hardware, be sure to install its audio driver (if
it requires a driver) before proceeding below.
To establish the link between Digital

Performer and your audio hardware, activate Figure 4-1: The Configure Hardware Driver window for Mac and
its driver in Digital Performer by going to the Windows. On the Mac, you can select multiple drivers to operate
several audio devices simultaneously by command-clicking
Setup menu and choosing Configure Audio them.
System>Configure Hardware Driver. The
Configure Hardware Driver window appears
as shown in Figure 4-1:
27
CO NF IG U RI NG AU DI O DE VIC E S
Enabling the hardware driver both input and output. If sample rate
All Core Audio and/or ASIO drivers conversion is engaged, the sample rate setting
currently installed in your computer appear in Digital Performer’s control panel turns red.
as shown in Figure 4-1. In addition, Digital Performer uses the
default audio device chosen in the Windows
Follow System Audio Settings (Mac only) Sound control panel. For best audio quality
Enable the Follow System Audio Settings and lowest latency, go to the Advanced tab of
option if you want Digital Performer to the properties dialog for the default audio
always use the audio input and output device and set the sample rate so that it
options you’ve chosen in your Mac’s System matches the same rate as the DP project.
Sound preferences, rather than selecting a
specific driver in the list shown in Figure 4-1. Enabling the hardware driver under macOS
When this option is enabled, you cannot For macOS, click a driver to enable it.
change which driver is selected in the list Command-click to enable multiple drivers at
because it is now being controlled by the one time. This allows you to use multiple
Sound Control Panel in your System audio devices simultaneously, but there are
Preferences. additional setup requirements for reliable
operation. See “Enabling multiple drivers
Enabling the hardware driver under (Mac only)” on page 31. Note that some Macs
Windows
have separate drivers for their built-in input
For Windows, choose the ASIO or Windows
and built-in output, so to use both simultane-
Audio driver from the menu. Under
ously you must select both as described
Windows, only one driver can be active at a
above.
time. For ASIO, choose the desired ASIO
driver (device) from the menu provided. For Master Device (Mac only)
the best audio quality, highest channel If only one driver is enabled (highlighted) in
counts, and lowest latency, use audio the list, this menu can be ignored.
hardware that provides an ASIO driver.
If you are operating multiple audio devices
The Windows Audio driver option is (you have two or more devices selected in the
primarily intended for situations in which list), choose the device that you wish to use as
you do not have an ASIO driver installed, or the master clock. For further details about
you do not currently have access to ASIO- this important setting, see “Enabling multiple
supported audio hardware. Window Audio is drivers (Mac only)” on page 31.
stereo only, but it can sample rate convert on
28
Sample Rate means that audio playback and recording in
Choose the desired sample rate for recording Digital Performer will operate at the rate set
and playback. 44.1 kHz is the standard rate by the hardware, and Digital Performer will
for audio compact discs. If you intend to play use the hardware as its master time base (so
audio files that have already been recorded, that MIDI and audio stay in sync with each
make sure you match their sample rate. If you other).
aren’t sure what their sample rate is, import
them into a Digital Performer file and look at If, however, you make Digital Performer slave
them in the Soundbites window. to external sync while the audio hardware is
running on its internal clock, the audio
If you are operating multiple devices, this hardware — and therefore audio playback
setting applies to all of them. and recording in general — will not be
resolved to external time code. The result is
The choices in the sample rate menu are that your audio tracks will probably drift out
determined by the currently chosen audio of time with your MIDI tracks, and they won’t
hardware, according to the sample rates it stay in sync with the external time code. Your
supports. Sometimes, you may see non- best bet in this scenario is to slave your audio
standard sample rates in the menu hardware to the same source that is feeding
(44,052 kHz for example). Consult the time code to Digital Performer. You can use a
manual for your audio hardware for further synchronizer to resolve to time code and
details about non-standard sample rates. supply your audio hardware with resolved
digital audio clock via word clock or another
Clock source/modes
digital audio sync format. See chapter 88,
For Windows, choose the desired clock
“Audio Sync” (page 1013) in the DP User
source for your audio hardware. For macOS,
Guide for complete details.
this setting determines the clock source for
each audio device. Choose each device from If your audio hardware has digital inputs
the menu on the left and choose its clock (such as a S/PDIF connector), the clock
source from the menu on the right. source menu will probably also provide
settings that let you clock off the digital input
The choices in the clock source menu depend
source. In general, the audio hardware either
on the audio hardware, and the items in the
needs to slave off the external digital source
menu are supplied by its driver. Most devices
or vice versa. Or both the audio hardware and
have an Internal setting, which means the
the external source need to be resolved via a
audio device will run off its own clock. This
third device, such as a digital audio
29
synchronizer. If the two devices are not The importance of buffer size
resolved with one another, you’ll hear clicks, A buffer is a small part of computer memory
pops, distortion, or other similar artifacts in that briefly holds digital audio samples as
your digital transfers. they are passed between the computer and
your audio hardware. Choosing a smaller
Configure Driver (Windows ASIO only) buffer size reduces latency, which is the delay
Click the Configure driver button to launch you may hear when listening to live audio
your hardware’s console software for further input that you are monitoring through
hardware settings, including the very Digital Performer — or when triggering
important buffer size setting (explained virtual instruments from your MIDI
below). Some ASIO drivers require that you controller. But lower settings also increase the
make this setting in the hardware’s own processing load on your Mac, which impacts
console software, which you can access from the number of real-time effects plug-ins you
this button. can run at one time.
Buffer Size If you won’t be running live inputs through

MacOS Digital Performer, or playing software
On macOS, the buffer size is set in the instruments, you can choose a higher buffer
Configure Hardware Driver window size to free up CPU processing bandwidth for
(Figure 4-1 on page 27). plug-ins or other processor-intensive
components of your virtual studio. A typical
Windows
On Windows, the buffer size can be set by setting for this scenario is 512 or 1024
checking the Override internal buffer size samples.
check box and choosing the desired buffer
If you are running live input through Digital
from the menu. If this option is grayed out, it
Performer, or triggering virtual instruments,
means that your audio hardware’s ASIO
choose the lowest setting that your computer
driver doesn’t allow host applications to
can handle, keeping in mind that you still
change its buffer size setting. In this case,
need to give your computer enough
click the Configure Driver button (Figure 4-1
processing power to handle the plug-ins and
on page 27) to launch the hardware’s console
virtual instruments you are using with Digital
software to change the setting there.
Performer. Settings of 256 or lower produce
reasonable monitoring latency: a setting of
256 samples produces round-trip monitoring
latency of around 12-13 milliseconds (ms),
30
and the delay starts to become inaudible. For using the Medium and Low settings, you may
the lowest possible latency, you can go as low need to increase the buffer size for best
as 16 or 32 samples, if your audio hardware results. For all MOTU audio interfaces, leave
supports these buffer sizes. If, however, you this option set to High.
hear clicks and pops in your audio, or you see
spikes in the processor meter in the Audio Priority Boost (Windows only)
Performance window (Studio menu), try The Priority Boost option increases the
raising the buffer size again. priority of audio processing over other tasks
in your computer. This can help reduce
Monitoring latency has no effect on glitching and other audio artifacts. This
recording: it only exists for a live signal as it is option should generally be left on, unless it
being monitored. It has no effect whatsoever appears to cause issues with other software
on the timing accuracy of the material being running simultaneously on your computer.
recorded to disk. Digital Performer is
precisely calibrated to record and play back Enabling multiple drivers (Mac only)
hard disk audio perfectly on time. As demonstrated in Figure 4-1 on page 27,
you can Command-click multiple drivers in
If adjusting the Buffer Size setting just doesn’t the Configure Hardware Driver window. This
allow you to strike the right balance between allows you to use two or more audio devices
processor load and acceptable monitoring simultaneously, such as a MOTU 1248
latency, you can also try external hardware Thunderbolt audio interface and a MOTU
monitoring, as explained in “Audio input UltraLite AVB USB interface. All devices
monitoring” on page 249 in the DP User operate at the chosen sample rate in the
Guide. Configure Hardware Driver window. To
prevent two or more systems from drifting
Work priority (Mac only) apart from one another during playback and
The Work Priority option (Figure 4-1 on recording, you need to resolve their audio
page 27) lets you set the macOS thread clocks.
priority for the MOTU Audio System engine.
Choose the highest setting your audio There are two basic methods for resolving
hardware allows. Some audio devices require two digital audio devices: slave one device to
the Low setting. If you are experiencing audio the other, or slave both devices to a third
performance problems with other third-party master clock. If you have three or more digital
audio hardware, try the Medium setting. If audio devices, you need to slave them all to a
problems persist, try the Low setting. When
31
single master audio clock, such as a word mode that implies that it will be operating
clock distribution device or universal under its own clock — unless you are slaving
synchronizer. your entire system to an external clock source
of some kind, such as synchronizer that is
resolving to video, blackburst, etc.
Master Master
The clock source setting for all other devices

should reflect how they are being slaved to
the master device. In our example shown in
Slave Slave Slave Figure 4-3, the clock source setting for the
UltraLite AVB is Optical, since it is slaved to
Figure 4-2: To resolve two or more digital audio devices with
each other, you need to choose a clock master. the 1248 via an optical connection.
To continue with our earlier example, you Using the Mac’s built-in audio with external
could slave the UltraLite AVB interface to the audio hardware
1248 using optical, as demonstrated below: The Mac’s built-in audio hardware has no way
of sending or receiving a digital audio clock,
Master 1248
so it cannot be resolved with external audio
Optical out
Clock source: Internal hardware. Therefore, caution is advised when
running built-in audio with external audio, as
you are likely to experience drift between the
Optical in
built-in audio and external audio — and
Slave UltraLite AVB
Clock source: Optical possibly artifacts in the audio.
Figure 4-3: To resolve two or more digital audio devices with
each other, you need to choose a clock master. CONTROLLING MONITORING LATENCY
There are several computer performance
Specifying the master device issues that you should know about regarding
Specify the device that will be the master
Audio Patch Thru when running Digital
device by choosing it from the Master Device
Performer (regardless of whether you are
menu (Figure 4-1 on page 27).
using the computer’s built-in audio, a MOTU
Specifying clock sources audio interface, or any other audio I/O). For
Use the clock source menus (Figure 4-1 on details, see “Buffer Size” on page 30 and
page 27) to specify the clock source for each “Audio input monitoring” on page 249 in the
device. Typically, the master device will be set DP User Guide.
to Internal — or a similarly named clock
32
SLAVING TO EXTERNAL SYNC options are best left at their default settings,
In addition, if you plan to slave Digital but they can be adjusted as described in the
Performer to external sync (SMPTE time following sections.
code), be sure to read chapter 88, “Audio
Sync” (page 1013) in the DP User Guide for Free up as much RAM as possible
important information. Before you attempt to adjust your studio
configuration, you should try to free up as
OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE much RAM in your computer as possible.
You can further refine the audio performance Here are several things you can do:
of your system with the items in the
Q Quit all other programs when running
Configure Audio System sub-menu (Setup
menu). The following sections discuss these Digital Performer.
features. Q Buy more RAM
CONFIGURE STUDIO SETTINGS Stereo buses

The Configure Studio Settings dialog can be This setting determines the number of
opened by choosing Setup menu> Configure internal audio buses provided by Digital
Audio System > Configure Studio Settings. Performer and seen in the audio I/O menus
throughout the application. This value is
fairly arbitrary and does not in itself affect
system performance that much. The number
of buses you actually use, however, may have
an impact your system resources.
Prime Milliseconds
The Prime Milliseconds setting determines
how far in advance Digital Performer
Figure 4-4: The Configure Studio Settings dialog.
processes and cues audio for playback,
The Configure Studio Settings dialog lets you including any pre-rendering of effects
fine-tune Digital Performer’s audio engine. processing or virtual instrument output, if
These settings are governed by many factors, any. For example, if Prime Milliseconds is set
including the amount of RAM in your to 125, when playback is underway, Digital
computer, the computer’s overall speed and Performer will generate audio 125
the performance of your hard drive. These milliseconds ahead of the playback wiper
location.
33
If DP’s playback meter (Figure 4-6 on Digital Performer provides automatic
page 36) is maxing out, increasing the Prime compensation for plug-in latency when disk
Milliseconds value may help. The downside audio is being played through the plug-in. In
of doing so is that you may experience more essence, Digital Performer knows the exact
latency (delay) when interacting with virtual amount of delay introduced by the plug-in
instruments and effects (turning knobs, (down to the sample) and simply feeds the
interacting with the instrument or plug-in disk audio to the plug-in early by that same
window, dragging notes in the MIDI Graphic amount, so that the plug-in has just enough
Editor, etc.) time to process the audio and play it perfectly
on time, with sample-accurate precision.
Automatic plug-in latency (delay)
compensation Automatic delay compensation only works
Some plug-ins introduce a small amount of with audio files being played back from a
delay (latency) to the track on which they are hard disk or virtual instruments being
instantiated. Here are a few examples of plug- triggered by prerecorded MIDI tracks. Delay
ins that introduce latency: compensation cannot be applied to live audio
or MIDI being patched through from an
Q Universal Audio UAD plug-ins
external live source (because it cannot be
Q Any plug-in that employs look-ahead cued early by the audio engine).
The amount of the delay depends on the Digital Performer automatically determines
plug-in, and the delay is usually unavoidable, the delay compensation for each plug-in, if
due to the nature of the plug-in itself. For any. There is no additional preparation
example, a look-ahead peak limiter must necessary. In addition, Digital Performer
delay the signal by the amount of the look- supports delay compensation for any MAS,
ahead in order to do its job (usually several VST, or Audio Unit plug-in or virtual
milliseconds). Hardware accelerated plug- instrument.
ins, such as UAD-1 plug-ins, require an extra
loop in their signal path between the host Most of the time, you will probably want to
computer and the acceleration hardware, and leave the Automatic Plug-in Latency
this loop introduces a small amount of delay Compensation option enabled. The only time
(usually on the order of several hundred you would likely need to disable it is if you are
samples or so). working with a project created in an earlier
version of Digital Performer in which you set
up latency compensation manually with delay
34
plug-ins, etc. To make your old file play back
exactly like it did in earlier versions of DP
without making any changes to it, uncheck
this option. If you wish, you could then
remove your manual latency compensation
and then re-enable automatic compensation.
FINE-TUNING AUDIO I/O TIMING

All audio hardware adds slight timing offsets
Figure 4-5: Fine-tuning the timing of audio playback and
to audio that it records and plays back. Digital recording.
Performer calibrates itself to compensate for
these offsets. Usually, the result is that audio After you have fine-tuned the built-in audio
plays perfectly in time with MIDI. playback offset, you can also fine-tune the
Recording offset. To do so, you need to record
There may be some cases, however, where MIDI hits back into the file as audio and then
Digital Performer’s automatic calibration compare the recorded version with the
won’t quite be enough. Digital Performer lets original, “live” MIDI version. If you hear
you fine-tune the offset for the audio to get it flamming, adjust the Recording Offset option
to line up perfectly with MIDI. To do so, in the Fine-Tune Audio I/O Timing dialog.
choose Configure Audio System>Fine-tune Repeat the procedure as many times as
Audio I/O Timing from the Setup menu. Type needed to fine-tune the timing.
in an offset in samples (try 100-sample
increments at first) in the Playback offset MORE WAYS TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE
option as shown in Figure 4-5, click OK and Here are a few additional ways in which you
try playing again. Repeat this procedure until can improve audio performance:
MIDI and audio hits play together.
Get a multi-processor/multi-core computer
Digital Performer takes full advantage of
multi-processor and multi-core processor
computers. This is best way to get the most
out of your Digital Performer experience. For
example, a dual-processor or dual-core
machine would effectively double the
performance of Digital Performer on its
single-CPU or single-core counterpart.
35
Freezing tracks processor resources of your computer, as well
Try freezing virtual instrument tracks or disk as the playback and recording buffers in
tracks with effects on them to enhance MAS.
performance. See “Freezing tracks” on
Bouncing to play more tracks

Another way to play more audio tracks is by
using Digital Performer’s Bounce to Disk
feature, which takes any number of selected Figure 4-6: The Audio Performance window shows you how
audio tracks and bounces them down to a much of your computer system resources are being used. If the
meters reach near the top, you should consider reducing the
single track. For more information, see number of audio tracks you are asking it to play.
chapter 85, “Bounce To Disk” (page 971) in
the DP User Guide. Real time
The Real time processing meter shows how
Spreading audio files over several disks much of the computer’s CPU bandwidth is
Another way to improve audio performance currently being used by Digital Performer. If
is to spread your audio files over several hard the meter approaches 100% or “spikes”, try
disks. This makes it easier on each drive, increasing the buffer size (Figure 4-1 on
making your system more responsive and page 27). Also try the many techniques
possibly allowing you to be able to play more discussed earlier in this chapter.
tracks.
Pre gen
Choosing a lower sample rate The Pre gen meter shows activity in the
You can greatly improve audio performance MOTU Audio System engine’s playback
— as well as increase the number of buffers. If this meter is peaking too high, try
simultaneous audio tracks — by using lower increasing the Prime Milliseconds setting
sample rates (44.1 kHz instead of 96 kHz for (Figure 4-4 on page 33), which gives DP more
example). time to process the audio. You can also
disable pre-gen operation. See “Live
MONITORING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE Performance Mode” on page 919 in the DP
The Audio Performance window below in User Guide.
Figure 4-6 can be opened from the Studio
menu. This window displays a meter for the
36
Cache
The Cache meter shows CPU activity related
to edits in the pitch and stretch layers of audio
tracks when the Pitch and Stretch Cache
Enable track setting is enabled. (See “Pitch
and Stretch Cache” on page 154 in the DP
User Guide.) This processing occurs off line,
in the background, so it won’t affect playback
performance.
37
38
Part2
Getting Started
CHAPTER 5 What Next?
You are now ready to record and play MIDI For basic feature overviews and tutorials
and audio tracks in Digital Performer. Here is Turn to Part 2, “Getting Started” on page 39
an overview of where to go for further and Part 3, “Tutorials” on page 123. They
information. provide an overview of how to operate Digital
Performer, along with several extensive
If you don’t read manuals and would like to tutorials. “User Interface Basics” and “A
begin sequencing right away Guided Tour of Digital Performer” take you
Go for it. Before you do, though, you might through the basics of the program. Two
want to check out chapter 10, “A Guided Tour tutorials take you step-by-step through the
of Digital Performer” (page 75) and process of recording your first MIDI and
chapter 15, “Frequently Asked Questions” audio track. Another tutorial shows you step-
(page 181).
To do this Go here
If you don’t read manuals and would like to begin Go for it. Before you do, though, you might want to check out
sequencing right away chapter 10, “A Guided Tour of Digital Performer” (page 75) and
chapter 15, “Frequently Asked Questions” (page 181)
To get a brief overview of Digital Performer chapter 7, “About Digital Performer” (page 49)
chapter 10, “A Guided Tour of Digital Performer” (page 75)
If you would like a brief overview of the most recent chapter 6, “New Features in DP 11” (page 43).
changes in Digital Performer
To get a brief, step-by-step tutorial for MIDI recording chapter 11, “Tutorial 1: Recording MIDI” (page 125)
To get a brief, step-by-step tutorial for audio recording chapter 12, “Tutorial 2: Recording Audio” (page 137)
To get an extensive tutorial about how to cycle-record chapter 13, “Tutorial 3: Building a Sequence” (page 145).
and build a sequence
To get a tutorial on mixing and finishing your sequence chapter 14, “Tutorial 4: Mixing and Finishing” (page 171)
41
by-step how to build an entire project,
introducing you to a number of basic tasks
such as quantizing and step recording, and a
final tutorial helps you mix and finish your
project.
These tutorials are ideal for anyone who is

new to Digital Performer and would like a
quick look at “the lay of the land”.
For more information

Turn to Part 4, “More Information” on page
179 for Frequently Asked Questions and
other resources.
42
W HAT NE X T ?
CHAPTER 6 New Features in DP 11
Digital Performer version 11 introduces the Melodyne Essentials™ . . . . . . . . . . . .log in to motu.com

following major enhancements. Page Melodyne Essentials is included with Digital
numbers refer to the Digital Performer User Performer 11.2. Log in to your motu.com
Guide unless otherwise noted. account to redeem your serial number and
view instructions for how to install and
NEW FEATURES IN VERSION 11.2 activate Melodyne Essentials.
ARA support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 963
NEW FEATURES IN VERSION 11.1
ARA is plug-in protocol extension developed
by Celemony ™ that allows Melodyne™ (and Consolidated instrument tracks . . . . . . . . . . . page 159
other plug-ins that support ARA) to access Instrument tracks can now hold MIDI data,
and analyze audio data in sound files in non- so everything you need is consolidated into a
real time, prior to playback being engaged. single track. You no longer need to have a
This enables a level of detailed sound separate MIDI track for the instrument
manipulation far beyond other real-time (although you can still do so, if you wish).
plug-in APIs, especially for musical charac-
teristics such as tempo, pitch and rhythm. Enhanced articulations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 513
A new Text Articulation tool has been added,
Copy Audio to MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 593 allowing you to enter text as an articulation.
The new Copy Audio to MIDI command Articulations are now easier to delete: simply
performs DSP analysis on audio data to select them and hit the delete key.
convert it to MIDI note events. Conversion
options are provided for pitched monophonic Slurs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 514
audio material (using PureDSP analysis), You can now add slurs to your music score
pitched polyphonic material (using and graphically adjust their shape.
Melodyne) and non-pitched rhythmic audio
QuickScribe Editor page scaling . . . . . . . . . . . page 499
(using beat detection).
You can now scale the notation on the page
relative to the page size. This allows you to fit
more music on the page or enlarge it for
better viewing of printed scores and parts.
43
NEW FEATURES IN VERSION 11.0 them, on the fly, as you record or play the
track. You can import or create custom maps
Nanosampler 2.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . Plug-in Guide PDF 100
for many popular orchestra sound libraries.
This major upgrade of nanosampler is your
Articulation symbols appear in the
new go-to virtual instrument for creating
QuickScribe Editor, linked to their
unique beats, instruments and sounds. Drop
articulation map, where they can be further
in a sample and start stretching, slicing,
edited and inserted. You can also edit
randomizing and transforming audio into
articulations for a track in lanes in the
just about any sound or instrument you can
Graphic Editor and QuickScribe Editor.
imagine. New features include:
Support for MPE and Per-Note CCs . . . . . . . . page 147
Q 3 Playback Modes: Classic, 1-shot, Slice
MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) is now
Q ZTX time stretching supported. You can record multi-channel
output from an MPE controller — such as a
Q Settings tab with Envelopes and LFO
Roli™ Seaboard™ — as regular MIDI notes
graphs
containing MPE expression data. Instead of a
Q Trigger and Gate playback slew of note and controller data splayed
across dozens of tracks, you see a single
Q Snap sample start/end, loop start/end and
stream of normal MIDI notes that each
slice start points to minimize clicks
contain their own note-specific controllers,
Q Sample Gain and Fade-in/out for easy and intuitive editing. Hide and show
the contained per-note controller and pitch-
Q Repeat and Reverse
change events in DP’s familiar piano roll.
Q Full UI redesign Zoom in the note grid for finer detail. Zoom
per-note data independently of the notes that
Q Support for 32 and 64-bit floating point
contain them.
sound files
Articulation Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 331, 644 New Scale Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 444
Articulation maps allow you to dynamically Quickly scale per-note expression data or
apply variation to the output of a MIDI track MIDI CCs by simply dragging vertically with
using remote triggers that affect the output of the new Scale Tool.
the track. For example, you could create an
articulation map called Basic Articulations
with separate triggers for Legato, Staccato and
Marcato, and then expressively switch among
44
NE W FE AT U RE S IN D P 1 1
Per-note Expression Data Lanes . . . . . . . . . . . .page 334 Chunk List Split View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 811
There are now separate lanes in the Sequence You can now split the Chunks list in two
Editor to view and edit per-note MPE panes for improved chunk list management.
expression data with DP’s familiar and For example, you could search for a chunk in
powerful continuous controller (CC) editing one pane and then drag it into a folder or
tools. A check box in each lane allows you to playlist in the other. Managing your chunks
easily toggle the lane between track data and has never been easier.
per-note data.
Multi-channel MIDI tracks . . .page 141, 142, 144, 450
Audio Retrospective Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 291 You can now record and play multiple
DP11 adds audio to its Retrospective channels of MIDI data in a single track.
Recording capabilities. Now, DP always When setting MIDI track input and output
listens to both MIDI and audio input sources, assignments, instead of choosing a specific
capturing everything, even if you’re not channel, you can choose ‘any.’ When you
recording. Like magic, you can immediately choose any for input, you can record all 16
recall any audio or MIDI material you’ve MIDI channels into the track at once. The
recently played. For both MIDI and audio channels are stored with the MIDI events in
input, Digital Performer frees your creativity the track. When you choose ‘any’ in the
and ensures you'll never lose that precious, track's output assignment, the events will be
fleeting creative moment. played on the same channel they were
recorded.
Live Performance Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 919
When performing live, you want all effects View Filtering in the Track Selector . . . . . . . . page 376
processing to be done in real time, rather You can now show and hide individual MIDI
than pre-generated, for instant respon- channel data using new Channel Selection
siveness. Live Performance Mode disables section in the Track Selector. Use the Event
Digital Performer’s PreGen engine to ensure Type Selector section to show and hide
that your computer feels like an extension of specific event types.
your hands.
Clip Triggering With Pad Controllers . . . . . . . page 307
Chunk Folders and Playlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 811 Gain complete hands-on control of DP’s
You can now organize chunks into folders extensive Clips window with a pad controller
and playlists. Folders are for perfect for like the Novation™ Launchpad™ Pro mk3 or
organizing your chunks, while playlists serve
perfectly as set lists for your next live show.
45
NE W F E ATU R E S I N DP 1 1
Akai™ APC-40. Trigger individual clips or that supports those protocols, including
entire scenes (sections of songs). Apply filter improved automation toggling, scrub modes,
sweeps and other effects processing. send mode, loop toggle and much more.
New Control Surface plug-ins for iCON™, Native More Control Surface Enhancements . . . . . page 1039
Instruments™ and Softube™ . page 1035, 1036, 1038
For all control surfaces that support these
DP 11 includes new control surface plug-ins features: V-Racks can now be displayed on all
for the current Native Instruments™ control surfaces. New track pinning modes
Komplete Kontrol™ series including the M32, (Pin to Mixer, Pin to Focus Window and All
A-Series, and S-Series MK2 controller lines, Tracks) significantly improve the way
and the hot new iCON Control™ mixing corresponding tracks are displayed in DP and
worksurfaces like the QCon™ Pro G2/EX, Pro on the control surface, so that you always see
X/XS, Platform Nano and Platform M/X the tracks you need. New track indicator
series. Softube Console 1, Console 1 mkII lights in the Sequence Editor and Mixing
and Console 1 Fader are also supported. Board show which tracks are currently active
These state-of-the-art control surfaces on any control surface.
empower your DP workflow so you can work
faster and more intuitively. ‘Transpose Exclude’ option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 129
A new track setting (column) in the Track
Enhanced Avid™ EuCon Support . . . . . . . . . page 1035
List allows you to exclude tracks from the
DP’s EuCon plug-in has been substantially Transpose region command. There are new
updated, including support for the Avid S6™ commands (in the Commands window) to
console and the Artist Series™. In addition, turn it on and off.
you can now use your EuCon worksurface
with DP running on Windows 10. Track and Clip Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 145, 155, 304
Every audio track, MIDI track and clip now
Enhanced Support for MCU and HUI-compatible
Control Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 1035 has a basic transpose setting that you can use
A new plug-in called “MCU Compatible” to transpose the content of that track or clip
improves support for third-party control by an interval on playback, leaving the
surfaces that are Mackie Control Universal- original data unaffected. You can
compatible. Substantial improvements have conveniently change the setting at any time.
been made to DP’s Mackie Control Universal MIDI tracks and clips also have a quantize
(MCU) and HUI control surface plug-ins, setting, in addition to transpose. Audio tracks
which can be used with any control surface
46
and clips have a Detune setting as well that Follow System Audio Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 28
can be used together with transpose or (macOS only) You can now have Digital
independently. Performer always use the audio input and
output options you’ve chosen in your Mac’s
Clips Window Enhancements . . . . . . . . . . . . . .page 301 System Sound preferences, rather than
The New Empty Clips Scene command fills selecting a specific driver.
any empty clips in the scene you’ve right-
clicked on with new empty clips. The Double Text Rendering on Windows
Clip Loop feature doubles the length of the Taking advantage of the latest text rendering
looped portion in a clip and repeats the engine in Windows 10, DP’s text appears
material to fill the new loop, so you can easily significantly crisper. Numerous additional
creates changes that will be heard every other text alignment tweaks improve DP’s look on
time through the looped material. Windows.
List Font Scaling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 83 Dynamically resizable channel strips, dialogs and
menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 838
Now you can resize the text in DP’s list
windows, independent of the scaling for the DP's faders resize when you make the Mixing
rest of the UI. Control three new font size Board and Channel Strip windows taller (or
preferences: List, Project Notes and Lyrics. shorter). Alternately, you can choose fixed
heights (small, medium or large) using the
Intelligent Audio Interface Selection . . . . . . . . page 27 Mixing board Fader Height mini-menu
On macOS, if you haven’t yet selected the setting. DP also resizes system dialogs and
audio hardware you wish to use with DP, DP menus appropriately for the size and
finds the best option for you. If you have a resolution of your computer screen.
MOTU interface, or other professional
Support for macOS Big Sur and Apple silicon Macs
interface, DP uses it. If not, DP uses whatever
input and output devices you have selected in DP11 is fully qualified for macOS Big Sur
the System Preferences Sound Panel, and will (11.x) and the latest generation Apple silicon
follow your selection there if you change it. Macs. Rosetta is not required. Optimized for
Of course, if you do choose an interface from native multi-core performance, DP’s audio
within DP, DP uses it. engine prioritizes audio threads on high-
speed cores and reserves CPU bandwidth for
critical, time-sensitive processing.
47
NE W F E ATU R E S I N DP 1 1
Support for macOS Monterey
DP version 11.1 brings support for macOS
Monterey (version 12).
Registered and assignable controllers. . . . . .page 453

Registered and assignable controllers (also
referred to as RPN’s and NRPN’s, respectively)
are similar to controllers but allow you to
manipulate additional settings not covered by
controllers. DP 11.1 now fully supports
registered and assignable controllers, with all
the same powerful tools as regular
controllers.
48
CHAPTER 7 About Digital Performer
OVERVIEW Design philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Digital Performer is an integrated digital MIDI sequencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
audio workstation and MIDI sequencer Digital audio recording. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
designed for the music and audio recording Seamless MIDI and audio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
professional. It provides a creative Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
environment for comprehensive multitrack Arranging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
recording, editing, arranging, mixing, Automated mixing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
processing and mastering for a large variety MIDI and audio effects processing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
of applications. Its speed, accuracy and Virtual instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
flexibility make it the audio sequencer of Mastering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
choice for music and audio professionals the Music notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
world over. Digital Performer™ provides a Studio configuration management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
powerful approach to computer-based audio Synchronization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
production: it combines MIDI sequencing A customized workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
with desktop digital music production inside
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
your computer, allowing you to simultane- If one could use only a few words to describe
ously record and play back multiple tracks of Digital Performer’s design philosophy,
digital audio and MIDI data in a compre- perhaps the best two would be clarity and
hensive, totally integrated, creative depth. Digital Performer is loaded with
environment. Digital Performer’s award- features, structured in a modular fashion
winning design provides you with such that you can use the ones you want and
unprecedented flexibility and control over the not worry about the others. This is helpful for
music that you make. those of you who are new to the program, as
Figure 7-1: Digital Performer’s Control Panel.
49
well as experienced users who need This is the minimal setup you will need,
functional power without unnecessary although Digital Performer can support any
complexity. configuration of MIDI instruments. Digital
Performer works well with all MIDI
The basic recording and playback functions instruments. It is capable of handling the
are very straightforward, modeled after tape most complex MIDI situations. It is
deck functions. They are located in Digital compatible with any MIDI-equipped
Performer’s Control Panel: hardware device, such as synthesizers,
samplers, drum machines, hardware
MIDI and audio data is recorded in Digital
sequencers, synchronization devices and
Performer with the highest degree of
more. It is also compatible with many
precision and accuracy ever achieved in an
“virtual” software synthesizer and sampler
audio sequencer: sample-accurate precision
products now available. Using the built-in
for audio and sub-millisecond timing
sound capabilities of your computer and
accuracy for MIDI. Adjustable PPQ (Parts
third-party virtual instrument products, you
Per Quarter Note) resolution allows you to
could complete Digital Performer projects
work at any degree of precision you like. As
with no extra hardware whatsoever.
many tracks as you need for recording and
playback are available to you. Almost every A MIDI sequencer is like a cross between a
operation in Digital Performer can be done tape recorder and a player piano: the physical
while the sequence is playing back or actions you make when playing the keyboard
recording, so you don’t have to stop the music or other MIDI controller instruments are
to get things done. stored not as audio signals (as your tape
machine would record) but as numerical
MIDI SEQUENCING information that represents music (pitches,
To use Digital Performer for MIDI
attacks, releases, pitch bends and more). The
sequencing, you must have a computer, a
nuances in your musical performance are
MIDI controller of some kind (such as a
analyzed and its components encoded and
keyboard synthesizer or MIDI drum kit) and
stored. When played back, the synthesizer
a sound source (such as a MIDI sound
recreates your original performance. In this
module or a software synthesizer running on
way, the recorded sequence is more like a
the computer). Your external MIDI gear may
player piano roll, telling the instrument
also require a MIDI interface, although some
exactly how to play itself. One nice thing
MIDI hardware products now connect
about MIDI is that you can use any
directly to a computer.
compatible instrument for playback. You can
50
A BO U T D IGI TA L P E R F O RM E R
also edit the individual elements of your audio cards installed inside the computer.
sequence, such as a single bad note in an Digital Performer also supports professional
otherwise flawless performance. MIDI Thunderbolt, AVB, high-speed USB, PCI,
sequencing provides you with a way to and FireWire hard disk recording systems
manipulate virtually any parameter of a from MOTU and other companies.
musical performance.
Digital Performer also provides sophisticated
For example, Digital Performer’s custom mixing and mastering capabilities. A track
consoles let you build a MIDI data bouncing feature allows you to create a
transmission console from scratch, adding mixdown of your project for mastering (in
buttons, knobs, sliders, LCD readouts, and Digital Performer or any other mastering
more, and you can program them to generate system). You can then burn your mastered
any type of MIDI data, including SysEx. mix onto an audio compact disc from within
Digital Performer, or export the file and burn
Digital Performer offers sophisticated with any commercially available audio CD
rhythmic correction (quantizing) features for burning software. Digital Performer can take
both audio and MIDI tracks. It is possible to you from your initial creative idea all the way
vary the degree of effectiveness of to your final mix—all within the high-fidelity,
quantization, allowing you to preserve the powerful and flexible realm of computer-
“free” quality of your performance while based random access digital audio recording.
putting the critical notes on the beat. In
addition, special metric effects such as beat If you are not familiar with hard disk
shifting and doubling attacks can be done. recording and playback, there are aspects to
The powerful Humanize command can Digital Performer that may be entirely new to
produce more human feel in a part that may you. If so, we recommend that you review
have been over-quantized. In fact, most of chapter 8, “Hard Disk Recording Concepts”
Digital Performer’s powerful editing (page 55) for a briefing on concepts that are
commands provide humanization options crucial for working with Digital Performer.
that can loosen up the feel so that it’s just
right. SEAMLESS MIDI AND AUDIO
Throughout Digital Performer, you’ll find
DIGITAL AUDIO RECORDING features that work on MIDI and audio data in
Digital Performer can record and play digital exactly the same way — often in the same
audio on any computer that meets the window. For example, the Sequence Editor
minimum requirements —without any extra window graphically displays MIDI and audio
51
A BO U T DI GITA L P E R F O RM E R
data side by side in resizable track strips. The Undo History window gives you
Soundbites (parcels of audio data) can be cut, complete freedom to experiment, always
copied, and pasted at the same time as MIDI allowing you to return your project to any
note data. prior state.
EDITING ARRANGING
After you’ve recorded, there is a great deal of Digital Performer’s arranging features give
editing power at your fingertips — you can you creative freedom to make large-scale
change anything in your sequence, from a changes to your project quickly and
single event to a large section of data. Single efficiently. In addition, many of its arranging
events or selections of data can be edited or features let you interact musically with your
inserted anywhere in the sequence. The basic project, via key signatures, meter changes,
Cut and Paste operations and the region very flexible and powerful tempo control
editing commands allow you to edit and features, and much more.
create data: you can transpose whole sections,
change controller values smoothly, create AUTOMATED MIXING
new pitch bend data, control velocity to Digital Performer’s Mixing Board window
create dynamic effects, create echo effects and provides a virtual, automated mixing
more, each in only a few steps. State-of-the- environment. Use pan pots, volume faders
art quantizing features such as Humanize and and plug-in parameter controls to automate
Groove Quantize help you perfect the your entire mix. Based on familiar mixing
rhythmic nuance in your sequences. board designs, Digital Performer’s Mixing
Board can be customized to fit your computer
To access the data that makes up your screen and your mixing needs. Instantly show
sequence, Digital Performer offers seven and hide tracks, and even hide cross-sections
powerful event-editing environments: the of the console that you aren’t using at the
Event List, the MIDI Editor, the Notation moment. You can save custom board layouts
Editor, the Drum Editor, the QuickScribe as well. Fader groups can be created and
Editor, the Waveform Editor and the controlled with VCA tracks, just like VCA
Sequence Editor. All windows support single- faders on classic analog mixing consoles. Real
event and region editing as described above, time MIDI effects processing inserts can be
and every track in your sequence can be applied to any track. The Mix menu allows
viewed and edited in any window at any time. you to create multiple mixdowns, which store
52
all of the mix automation data for the entire electric organs, strings, brass, woodwinds,
sequence under one name. You can create an synths, ethnic instruments, choirs, voices,
unlimited number of multiple mixdowns. percussion, sound effects and more.
When you’re ready to jump into full surround Digital Performer also serves as a virtual
production, Digital Performer provides all studio platform for a wide range of
the tools you need to fully record, mix, compatible third-party plug-in and virtual
process and master your project in any instrument products.
standard surround sound format.
MASTERING
MIDI AND AUDIO EFFECTS PROCESSING After you’ve recorded, edited, arranged,
Digital Performer ships with over 60 MIDI mixed and processed your project, Digital
and audio effects plug-ins that you can apply Performer gives you mastering plug-ins and
freely to your mix in the Mixing Board. From bounce to disk features, allowing you to
a simple 2-band EQ to premium plug-ins master your mix for delivery in any form,
such as Sonic Modulator and PreAmp-1, to from WAVE and AIFF to audio compact disc
the 64-bit MasterWorks series, Digital and MP3. Bounce and burn to take your
Performer’s included plug-ins give you all the project from multi-track to audio CD in one
tools you need for great-sounding recordings. step.
VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS MUSIC NOTATION

Digital Performer includes a host of simple, Digital Performer’s QuickScribe Editor
great-sounding virtual synth instruments displays any combination of tracks as music
that will get you started making music notation on screen exactly as it will print out.
quickly. From the beefy, monophonic Add musical symbols such as hairpin
BassLine to the evocative FM synth, Proton, dynamics, articulations, and lyrics. Then
hundreds of presets and intuitive arrange your score with repeats, endings,
programming give you many sounds at your codas and other score arrangement features.
fingertips. Digital Performer also includes a QuickScribe is ideal for lead sheets,
5.5 GB library of multi-sample instruments, instrument parts, or scores, which can be
synths, loops and phrases, including over 300 printed on any printer.
different instruments, 1100 instrument
presets and 500 loops. Categories include
acoustic and electronic drum kits, pianos,
guitars and basses, along with church organs,
53
A BO U T DI GITA L P E R F O RM E R
If you want to transfer your sequence to a provides you with every conceivable way of
dedicated notation program, simply save tweaking your tempo map, including scaling
your work as a Standard MIDI File or tempos to fit time.
MusicXML file. The transfer process is simple
and fast. Since their inception, both Performer and
Digital Performer have provided extensive
STUDIO CONFIGURATION MANAGEMENT SMPTE synchronization and tempo
Digital Performer provides an intuitive, programming features. Coupled with its
convenient, and consistent way for you to flexible tempo features, Digital Performer’s
interact with the hardware in your studio, synchronization capabilities make it the
such as intuitive device selection menus that audio sequencer of choice for musicians
refer to your gear by name. Studio working with film and video.
configuration is quick and easy, and it applies
across all projects. If you bring your projects A CUSTOMIZED WORKSPACE
to another studio, Digital Performer Digital Performer can be customized from
remembers your original hardware top to bottom to fit your needs, from MIDI
configuration for easy remapping at the other note velocity shading to entire window sets.
studio. To learn more, see Part 2, “Customizing Your
Workspace” (page 75) in the DP User Guide.
SYNCHRONIZATION
Digital Performer has extensive synchroni-
zation capabilities, including Tap Tempo.
This type of sync allows you not only to
control the tempo of an existing sequence as
it plays back, but to create a tempo map in
real time before, during, or after recording —
all by simply tapping the tempo on your
MIDI controller. For example, you can tap
along to a prerecorded acoustic performance,
creating a precise tempo map complete with
accelerandos, ritards, and rubato passages,
then sync your Digital Performer sequence to
the recording. After you’ve got a tempo map,
the powerful Scale Tempos command
54
CHAPTER 8 Hard Disk Recording Concepts
OVERVIEW HOW AUDIO IS RECORDED ON DISK

This chapter briefly covers several important Digital Performer and other computer-based
concepts about hard disk-based digital audio digital audio recording systems record audio
recording. You may not feel that you have the data in much the same way. Audio data gets
time to review the “basics”, but the more you recorded onto the hard disk in the form of an
know, the more you will be able to audio file: you press record in Digital
accomplish. After you read this chapter (it Performer, play in some music, and the audio
will only take a few minutes): signal is encoded digitally in the audio file.
Q You will get a better sense of the vast Digital Performer automatically creates a
creative possibilities open to you with this separate audio file for each record take. By
technology. default, Digital Performer uses interleaved
audio, which stores all channels for each track
Q You will work more efficiently.
in a single file. If you record onto a mono
Q You will be less likely to make costly audio track, a stereo audio track, and a 5.1
mistakes. audio track, Digital Performer will create
three audio files.
If you are using an audio interface from
another company, be sure to consult the You may also use non-interleaved, or split
owner’s manual, as the use of third-party stereo, audio files. If so, recorded stereo audio
hardware can impact Digital Performer in data is stored as separate mono files with the
many important ways. same name and .L and .R before the file
extensions, such as “Guitar-1.L.wav” and
How audio is recorded on disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
“Guitar-1.R.wav.” The corresponding
How hard disk recording differs from tape . . . . . . . .56
soundbites in the track remain perfectly
How much disk space does audio require? . . . . . . . .58
sample-locked, no matter what you do. The
Hard disk requirements and maintenance . . . . . . . .59
same applies to surround tracks, but the
Digital audio terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
naming scheme is slightly more complicated.
The mixing format and channel designation
is appended after the filename. The final
55
filename may end up as “my mix.5.1.L.wav” Consider, on the other hand, how a computer
for the front left channel of a 5.1 surround hard disk works: it consists of a round,
track. magnetic platter that spins very fast and
stores data. Suspended above this spinning
Every time you press the record button, platter is an extremely fast read/write
record some music, and then stop, Digital mechanism, which reads and writes data to
Performer automatically creates a new audio the platter. The read/write “head” moves
file when you start recording, records the incredibly fast (faster than the eye can see),
audio data into the audio file as you play, and providing virtually instantaneous access to
then closes the audio file when you press stop. any location on the hard disk.
Digital Performer immediately readies
another audio file for the next take while Hard Sectors on the
disk hard disk
inserting the last one into the audio track at platter
the appropriate time and adding it to the list
in the Soundbites window.
HOW HARD DISK RECORDING DIFFERS

FROM TAPE
Consider for a moment how audio is
recorded on a tape deck: it is essentially a
linear process. The audio signal gets recorded Digitally encoded
audio data
in a straight line (on the tape) from beginning
to end. To play back, the tape passes over the Figure 8-2: With a hard disk recording system, audio is
head of the tape deck. If you want to start converted into digital form (numbers) and stored on the hard
disk platter, much like a CD player. The hard disk read/write
playback at a certain location in the music, mechanism moves so fast, it has virtually instantaneous access
you have to fast-forward or rewind the tape to to any location on the hard disk.
that location. This is true for traditional Random access

analog tape decks as well as digital tape This instantaneous access, often called
machines. random access, allows you to cue immediately
to any location in your music, without having
Tape Audio recorded on tape to wait for the hard disk mechanism to locate
it. Hard disk recording systems convert an
audio signal into digital data (basically
Figure 8-1: On a traditional tape deck, audio is recorded linearly transforming the audio signal into a
on the tape from beginning to end.
continuous stream of numbers), and then
56
H A RD D ISK R E CO R DIN G CO NC E P TS
write the digital data sequentially to the hard Non-linear editing and playback
disk. Because of the extremely high speed of As you can see in Figure 8-3, non-destructive
the hard disk read/write mechanism, you editing makes it quick and easy to re-arrange
have instant access to any part of the recorded the order of any portion of the originally
audio. recorded audio. You can revert to the original
take at any time.
Non-destructive editing
With their random access capability, hard Repetition without duplication
disk recording systems provide other Random access also allows you to repeat the
important advantages over tape machines. same section of music as many times as you
For example, you can cut, snip, splice, shift, like within your piece of music without
re-arrange, and otherwise edit the original duplicating the actual audio data itself. For
pass of audio without actually modifying the example, you could have a one-measure
original data. If you rearrange the order of a drum loop that repeats for 60 measures, but it
few sections in a digital audio track, Digital only consists of one measure’s worth of
Performer simply rearranges references to audio—approximately two seconds. The loop
those sections of data without affecting the is simply placed end to end in the track sixty
original audio data itself. This process, called times. (Alternatively, it could be looped with
non-destructive editing, is possible because a loop in the track.) You can even play back
Digital Performer stores the edit points the same region of audio on several tracks at
separately from the audio data. You can the same time. A chorus effect can be created
always revert to the original audio data if you with a vocal passage by placing it in four
want, up until the time that you decide to separate tracks and slightly offsetting the
permanently erase it from the hard disk. audio in each track. When you do so, Digital
Performer does not actually create four
Instantaneous editing copies of the audio data on your hard disk;
Non-destructive editing is a virtually instead, the computer references the same
instantaneous process because the edit points passage of audio on the hard disk four times
you create during editing are very small (only simultaneously. As a result, you are actually
a few bytes) and can therefore be handled conserving hard disk space when using a
quickly by the computer. As a result, your single region of audio in multiple places.
edits in Digital Performer take effect
immediately as you do them.
57
HA R D DIS K R E CO R DIN G CO NC E P TS
HOW MUCH DISK SPACE DOES AUDIO The table below shows disk space (in
REQUIRE? Megabytes) for one minute of digital audio at
The freedom you enjoy as a result of the various sample rates and bit depths:
benefits described above comes at a price:
Bits Ch 44.1 kHz 48 kHz 88.2 kHz 96 kHz 176.4 kHz 192 kHz
hard disk space. One mono minute of CD-
quality (16-bit, 44.1 kHz) audio takes up 16 1 5.3 5.7 10.5 11.5 21 23
about 5 megabytes (MB) of space on your 24 1 7.9 8.6 15.9 17.3 31.7 34.6
hard disk. A stereo minute takes up 10 MB. If
32 1 10.5 11.5 21 23 42.3 46
you have a MOTU 1248 hard disk recording
system, and you have audio playing on 24 16 2 10.6 11.5 21.2 23 42.3 46
channels for a five minute tune, that’s 24 2 15.9 17.2 31.7 34.5 63.5 69
24 channels times 5 minutes, which adds up
32 2 21.1 23 42.3 46 84.7 92
to 120 minutes of audio. Multiply that by
5 MB per minute, and your 5 minute song
Figure 8-4: Hard disk space requirements for one minute of
takes up 600 MB of hard disk space! And that mono and stereo digital audio at various sample rates and bit
doesn’t count alternative takes, overdubs, and depths.
other audio that you generate during the Fortunately, Digital Performer’s Audio
course of a recording session. During a Monitor always shows you how much hard
typical session, you can easily fill upwards of disk space you have available on your hard
1 GB (1 gigabyte) of hard disk space in no disk during a session so that you can manage
time.
Audio track in Digital

Performer with original take:
Verse 1 Verse 2 Chorus
Edit points at section boundaries

The same track after
non-destructive editing:
Verse 1 Chorus Verse 2
Figure 8-3: Hard disk recording systems provide non-destructive editing, which gives you instantaneous flexibility, as well as the ability
to revert back to the original take at any time. Note that when you do this type of editing in Digital Performer, the audio data stored on
hard disk does not move. Digital Performer just rearranges ‘pointers’ to the audio data.
58
your audio tracks intelligently and never run In either case, hard disk maintenance
out of space at a crucial moment (such as the procedures such as defragmenting and
middle of a record pass!). re-initializing will help improve overall
performance.
If you anticipate creating audio files
larger than 4 GB (about 6.7 hours when DIGITAL AUDIO TERMS
recording as 44.1 kHz 16 bit stereo Here are some terms and concepts you should
interleaved files), use the Broadcast WAVE be familiar with.
file format. For details, see “Wave64” on
page 78 in the DP User Guide. Project
A project is a folder that Digital Performer
In addition, Digital Performer provides audio creates on your hard disk when you start a
management features that let you easily new recording session. It includes a Digital
identify unused audio and delete it from the Performer file, along with a folder for the
hard disk. audio files you’ll generate while recording.
HARD DISK REQUIREMENTS AND Audio file (or Sound file)

MAINTENANCE An audio file is a document on your
Digital Performer itself does not have any computer’s hard disk that contains digital
special requirements with regard to the audio data. Its size is determined by the
performance of the hard disks on which you duration of the audio data, by the sample
will be recording audio. If you are using resolution, and by the number of audio
Digital Performer without a sound card, the channels (1 for mono files, 2 for stereo files).
faster your hard drive, the more tracks you A one-minute mono audio file recorded at
will be able to play and record simultane- 44.1 kHz takes up about 5 megabytes of hard
ously. (To learn more about getting the most disk space. Stereo files are twice as large as
out of your computer’s performance, see mono files. Therefore, a one-minute stereo
“Configure Studio Settings” on page 33.) file is about 10 megabytes.
If you are using an audio interface from Audio files come in several different formats.
another company, it may have certain In Digital Performer, the default format for
requirements for hard disk performance. To recording is Broadcast WAVE, but you can
avoid problems, be sure to consult the also record as AIFF (Audio Interchange File
manual. Format).
59
Audio files contain more than just the audio so fast and efficient: it deals with the
information. They also contain a list of manipulation of pointers, which consist of a
regions (explained below) in the audio file, as very small amount of data.
well as any playlists (also explained below)
that have been created for it using other audio Soundbite
software programs. The word Soundbite is synonymous with the
word Region as described above. In Digital
Performer, we call regions soundbites because
the word region means something entirely
Audio data different in Digital Performer: it is a period of
time within one or more tracks over which an
editing command will take effect. (For
Regions Playlists
example, consider Digital Performer’s Region
A Broadcast WAVE file
menu.) Therefore, to avoid confusion with
the word region, we use the term soundbite to
describe an audio region. They are one and
Figure 8-5: An audio file contains the original audio recorded the same.
into it, as well as any regions (soundbites) and playlists created
by Digital Performer or other audio editing software you might
use to edit the file. Soundbites can be placed in any audio track
at any time location. They can be duplicated
Region as many times as you like with virtually no
This is the term most commonly used to refer
additional memory overhead, since they are
to a section of audio in an audio file. It could
merely pointers to audio data on the hard
be a one-second sound effect, a 16-bar
disk. With only two exceptions, soundbite
phrase, or the entire length of the audio file.
editing and management in Digital
You can define an unlimited number of
Performer is entirely non-destructive. (The
regions in an audio file. Technically speaking,
exceptions are the Compact command and
a region consists of pointers, which are
deleting the very last soundbite in an audio
references to the exact location (digital
file, which cause audio data to be deleted
sample) in the audio file where the region
from disk.)
begins and ends. These pointers are very
small compared to the amount of audio data
they represent. This is why region editing is
60
Soundbite.1 Soundbite.2 Soundbite.3
Figure 8-7: Assigning an audio track to an audio output.
Audio input/output
An audio input or output refers to the physical
input or output jack in the recording system
Figure 8-6: Soundbites (regions) exist within an audio file. A
soundbite is any portion of an audio file. It can even be the entire you are using. If you are running Digital
audio file. Soundbites that you record or import into a Digital Performer without an audio interface, you
Performer file are cataloged in the Soundbites window. They
appear as regions of audio in the Sequence Editor and Event will use the microphone and speaker jacks
Lists of audio tracks. (usually in the form of stereo mini plugs)
Playlist located directly on the computer itself. If you
A playlist is a collection of regions played are using an audio interface of some kind, the
end-to-end to produce a continuous interface will have digital and/or analog input
presentation of music. Some programs can and output connectors. Regardless of the
save playlists within the audio file itself, just system you have, Digital Performer allows
like regions. Playlists stored in audio files can you to freely assign audio tracks to whatever
be imported into Digital Performer as a single physical inputs and outputs are provided.
audio track in the Tracks window. You can
also build a playlist in Digital Performer by MOTU Audio System
The MOTU Audio System is the “audio
dragging soundbites from the Soundbites
engine” that provides digital audio recording
window into a track’s Event List.
and playback in Digital Performer. The
Audio track MOTU Audio System can operate with no
An audio track holds audio regions extra audio hardware installed in the
(soundbites), as well as audio volume and pan computer, although it also supports all
data. You can view the contents of an audio MOTU audio interfaces and a wide variety of
track with its Event List and/or the Sequence third-party audio hardware.
Editor.
61
The MOTU Audio System also supplies real- hardware. When you use the MOTU Audio
time effects plug-ins that you can use to System with one of these systems, you get the
process audio tracks in real time with effects best of both worlds: you get to take advantage
like parametric EQ, reverb, chorusing, etc. It of the large number of possible audio tracks
is also an open system, supporting real time and real-time effects provided by the MOTU
plug-ins from other companies as well. All Audio System, along with the high-fidelity
plug-ins are processed with extremely high analog and digital inputs and outputs
fidelity 32-bit, floating point calculations. supplied by the audio hardware.
In general, the overall performance of the For the most part, you don’t need to be
MOTU Audio System (the number of audio concerned with the MOTU Audio System. It
tracks you can play simultaneously, along runs automatically when you use Digital
with the maximum amount of effects Performer. The only time you would think
processing you can employ in real time) about it is if you would like to try to optimize
depends on the overall speed and its performance with the Configure Audio
performance of your computer. Together System in the Setup menu of Digital
with these features, the MOTU Audio System Performer. For details, see “Configure Studio
also supports all MOTU Audio interfaces, as Settings” on page 33.
well as a wide variety of third-party audio
62
CHAPTER 9 User Interface Basics
OVERVIEW LEARN TO USE YOUR COMPUTER

The user interface encompasses everything Before using Digital Performer, please review
that you do to interact with the program: the standard user interface conventions for
what you see on the screen and how you use your computer. Be sure you are familiar with
the mouse, keyboard, and peripheral devices. how to:
In this chapter you’ll find information about
Digital Performer’s windows, dialog boxes, Q Use the mouse and keyboard
mouse and keyboard actions, and how to Q Open, copy and delete files
specify and change time locations.
Q Drag and drop items
Learn to use your computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Q Choose commands from menus
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Q Select options using push buttons, radio
The Window menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 buttons and check boxes

Clicking shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Q Respond to dialog boxes
Using modifier keys with cursor actions . . . . . . . . . . .67
Contextual menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Q Use keyboard shortcuts
Standard keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Q Enter and edit text
Customizing keyboard shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Changing text box values by dragging . . . . . . . . . . . .71 WINDOWS
Main counter shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 An example of a Digital Performer window is
Using the numeric keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 shown in Figure 9-2 on page 65.
Window controls
All of Digital Performer’s standard window
controls, such as the close button, minimize
button, zoom button, and scroll bars, work
the same way as standard window controls.
63
Window title
Mini-menu
The window title shows the name of the button
window, and often the track or sequence that
it pertains to. Mini-menu
Window target
Click this tab to switch the window to a
different track, sequence, etc. For more
details, see “Window Target” on page 356 in
the DP User Guide.
Figure 9-3: A Digital Performer mini-menu.
Window target
Tab bar
Double-click the Tab bar (Figure 9-2) to pop
Window the window in or out of Digital Performer’s
target menu
Consolidated Window. For details, see
“Popping windows in and out” on page 117 in
the DP User Guide.
Track Selector button

The Track Selector button shows and hides
the track selector list along the left-hand side
of the window.
Track Selector list

Click the track names or track folders in the
Track Selector list to show/hide them. You
Figure 9-1: Click the window target tab to switch the window to can also expand and collapse track folders as
a different track, sequence., etc.
explained in “Track folders in the track
Mini-menus selector” on page 377 in the DP User Guide.
Many Digital Performer windows have a
mini-menu as shown in Figure 9-3. Mini- Zoom controls
These zoom the current window in and out.
menus operate the same way as menu bar
Some windows have only horizontal zoom
menus at the top of the screen. Mini-menus
controls, whereas others have both horizontal
contain commands pertinent to that
and vertical zoom controls.
particular window.
64
US E R IN TE R FAC E B A S IC S
The active window A single click on an inactive window makes
Most of the time, the window in which you that window active, and in addition, the item
are currently working is the active window. in the window that was clicked responds.
The active window is indicated by fully
detailed borders; when a window is inactive Edit windows
its top border and scroll bar are blank. To Edit windows, such as the Sequence Editor
activate a window so that you can work in it, and MIDI Editor, have some additional
simply click anywhere on it. Digital common window elements. See “Edit
Performer’s Tool palette is always active; it is Windows” on page 353 in the DP User Guide.
not necessary to click on it first.
Minimize
button Window Title bar Window title Tab bar Window
Zoom (double-click to pop-in/out Target
Close of Consolidated window)
button button
Mini-menu
Scroll bar
Zoom
controls
Resize
Track selector list Track selector show/hide button
Figure 9-2: A Digital Performer window.
65
U S E R IN TE R FAC E BA S I CS
CONTROL PANEL The Set Focus to Next/Previous Cell
The Control Panel is the command center for commands let you move the cell focus in the
your DP project. It contains basic transport Consolidated window, for things like
controls like Play, Stop, Record, etc., playback keyboard shortcuts and menu commands.
location Counters, and some additional Close Cell closes the currently focused cell.
modes and playback controls such as Pop Out of Consolidated Window
Memory Cycle, Click, Countoff, and so on. removes the currently focused cell from the
For more information, see “Control Panel” on Consolidated Window and puts it into its
page 78. own window.
THE WINDOW MENU The Window Sets hierarchical menu lets

The Window menu helps you manage the you save your favorite window layouts, assign
Digital Performer windows on your keyboard shortcuts to them, and recall them
computer screen. whenever you want. For details, see
chapter 11, “Window Sets” (page 119) in the
The Close command closes the top-most DP User Guide.
window.
The Windows List displays all of the open
Bring All To Front brings all Digital windows, with a check next to the active
Performer windows in front of all other window. Select a window to make it the active
windows from other applications (and the window.
computer desktop).
Closing all edit windows
Push Window to Back moves the topmost Digital Performer provides several shortcuts
DP window behind all other DP windows. for closing all open edit windows (Event Lists,
MIDI Editors, the Drum Editor, QuickScribe
The Next/Last Edit window commands Editor, etc.):
cycle through all of the currently open edit
windows. Q Press Command-Option-W (Mac) or Ctrl-
Alt-W (Windows).
The Show/Hide Left/Right Sidebar
commands expand or collapse the left and Q Option/Alt-click the close button in any
right sidebars in the Consolidated window. edit window.
66
Q Press the Option/Alt key and the Close In this manual, references to the Mac Control
command in the Window menu changes to key spell out the whole word, while references
Close All Edit windows. to the Windows Ctrl key use the abbreviated
form found on most PC keyboards.
Closing all windows
To close all open windows (except the When referring to modifier keys, this manual
Control Panel, if it is ), press Command- uses the following conventions:
Control-W (Mac) or Ctrl-Win-W (Win). If
you hold down the Command and Control Separator Example What it indicates
keys (Mac) or Ctrl and Win keys (Windows) - (dash) Ctrl-Alt-click Indicates modifier keys that
should be pressed in
when choosing the Close command in the combination
Window menu, it changes to Close All / (slash) Option/Alt-click Serves as a separator
Windows. between Mac and Windows
keys.
Closing all effect windows

To close all open effect windows, press CLICKING SHORTCUTS
Command-Shift-Control-W (Mac) or Option/Alt-click: If you hold down the
Control-Shift-Win-W (Windows). If you Option/Alt key and click on a check box, all
hold down the Shift and Control/Win keys check boxes will be unchecked except for the
when choosing the Close command in the one you Option/Alt-clicked.
Window menu, it changes to Close All Effect
Windows. Command/Ctrl-click: If you hold down the
Command/Ctrl key and click on a check box,
MODIFIER KEYS all check boxes will be checked except for the
DP employs the following modifier keys on one you clicked.
Mac and Windows:
USING MODIFIER KEYS WITH CURSOR
Mac Windows ACTIONS
Shift Shift Some actions are done with the cursor and
keyboard together:
Option Alt
Command Ctrl To Control/Win-click: Hold down the

Control/Win key, move the mouse to
Control Windows logo (Win)
position the arrow cursor on the object and
click the mouse. In many places, Control/
Win-clicking will cause a contextual menu to
67
appear with convenient shortcuts to relevant To Option/Alt-click, hold down the Option/
commands and options. See “Contextual Alt key, move the mouse to position the
menus”, below. arrow cursor on the object and click the
mouse. Option/Alt-click is used to edit the
To Command/Ctrl-click, hold down the name of a track, sequence, song or marker for
Command/Ctrl key, move the mouse to editing. After editing, the new entry can be
position the arrow cursor on the object and confirmed by pressing the Return key.
click the mouse. Command/Ctrl-clicking is
used for selecting non-contiguous items; for To Option/Alt-drag, hold down the Option/
example, you would use Command/Ctrl-click Alt key while dragging. Doing so makes a
to select several independent events in an copy of what you are Option/Alt-dragging.
Edit window. Command/Ctrl-click also This is also a shortcut for zooming in edit
toggles the current grid snapping setting. For window, if you hold Option/Alt before you
example, if grid snapping is turned on, click and drag.
holding down the Command/Ctrl key
temporarily disables it.
To Shift-click, hold down the Shift key, move

the mouse to position the arrow cursor on the
object and click the mouse. Shift-clicking is
used for selecting contiguous items; for
example, to select ten consecutive tracks in
the Tracks List, click on the first track, the
hold shift and click on the tenth track. You
can also click and drag across items in a list to
make a contiguous selection.
To Shift-drag, hold down the Shift key while

dragging. Doing so extends the current
selection — with one exception: in the
graphic editors, Shift-dragging one or more
events constrains dragging vertically or
horizontally.
68
CONTEXTUAL MENUS a particular context for a different function,
Contextual menus appear throughout Digital you must use right-click to access the
Performer to provide convenient access to contextual menu.
frequently used commands and options.
Contextual menu items
The menu items shown in the contextual
menu will depend on the context, as the name
implies. For example, if you right-click on a
selection of audio data in the Sequence Editor
(as shown in Figure 9-4), you will see
contextual menu items for moving and
editing audio data, opening the data in other
windows, and Sequence Editor track options.
Some menu items may be unavailable
temporarily (grayed out) depending on the
kind of selection you have made, which layer
is active, whether there is any data on the
clipboard, and so on.
All items that appear in the contextual menus

are available elsewhere as regular menu items,
mini-menu items, keyboard shortcuts, and so
on. That is, the contextual menu is never the
Figure 9-4: The contextual menu for an audio selection in the only place to find a command or option.
Sequence Editor
To access the contextual menu, click with the Event selections

right mouse button or hold the Control/Win When there is an event selection (such as
key and click with the left mouse button. MIDI notes, soundbites, and so on), right-
clicking directly on the selected events will
Existing behaviors which utilize clicking open the contextual menu for those events.
while holding the Control/Win key take However, in cases where it is difficult to click
precedence over the contextual menu. That
is, when Control/Win-click is already used in
69
directly on a small event, so you may also STANDARD KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
right-click in the empty space above or below The following keyboard commands are
the selection in the same track. applicable to dialog boxes and text boxes.
For example, say you have selected multiple Pressing on the return key is the same as
MIDI notes, the first of which starts at clicking on OK: it confirms the selection in
3|1|000 and the last of which ends at 6|3|000 the dialog box.
(Figure 9-5). The contextual menu for those
selected notes can be invoked by right- Pressing on the enter key will also OK a dialog
clicking on any of the selected notes, or in any box. It is also used when editing a list of
empty space in that track between 3|1|000 names or data, confirming the current one
and 6|3|000. If you right-click before 3|1|000 and moving to the next.
or after 6|3|000, or directly on an unselected
(Mac only) Pressing the command and period
note, the original selection will be deselected.
keys together is the same as clicking on the
Cancel button: it cancels the selection and
leaves the previous settings/values
unchanged.
Pressing the escape key is the same as clicking

a Cancel button and (Mac only) pressing
Command-period ( . ).
Pressing the tab key will confirm the current

entry field, then move to the next field in the
box or list and highlight it. Pressing Shift-tab
does the same thing, only it moves to the
Figure 9-5: Opening the contextual menu for a selection of MIDI previous field or box.
notes
The up arrow will move through a list of
names or events, confirming the current
selection and moving to the previous one.
The down arrow will move through a list of

names or events, confirming the current
selection and advancing to the next one.
70
The left and right arrows move from field to CUSTOMIZING KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
field in the Event List, confirming the current Just about all keyboard shortcuts can be
selection and advancing to the next one in the customized. For details, see chapter 9,
arrow direction. “Commands” (page 105) in the DP User
Guide.
In addition to these, there are many shortcut
keyboard commands that will allow you to CHANGING TEXT BOX VALUES BY
choose commands from menus very quickly. DRAGGING
They are indicated on the menus to the right You can change number or note values in text
of the commands themselves and can be used edit boxes throughout Digital Performer by
instead of pulling down the menu and pressing on the text box and dragging up or
selecting the command. To use a shortcut down. You can also edit text box values in the
command, hold down the Command/Ctrl usual ways (by typing, etc.)
key and press the indicated key. For example,
Command/Ctrl-X is the shortcut for the Cut
command. Instead of pulling down the Edit
menu and selecting Cut, hold down the
Command/Ctrl key and press the X key.
Figure 9-6: Examples of keyboard equivalents for menu Figure 9-7: Examples of editing text quickly by dragging up and
commands in Digital Performer. down.
71
MAIN COUNTER SHORTCUTS 1 Click on the bars field to highlight it.
The current playback location can be
changed at any time by editing the main 2 Press 11.
Counter directly. This is a more precise
method for locating than many of the other 3 Press the Tab or decimal key.
numerous ways of cueing Digital Performer.
4 Press 1.
You can edit the counter even while the
sequence is playing back. There are several 5 Press the Tab or decimal key.
ways to edit the current Counter location in
Digital Performer, as described below. 6 Press 0, 1, and 5.
By typing 7 Press the Return key.

To edit the counter by typing:
As a shortcut, you can press the decimal key
1 Click on the field in the time display to on the numeric keypad (with the Num Lock
highlight it. key engaged under Windows). To cancel the
edit, press Command/Ctrl-period (Mac only)
or escape.
By dragging
This is a great short cut for quickly “yanking”
2 Type in a new time value. the counter:
While a field is highlighted, just type in a new 1 Press on the desired measure, beat, or tick
value. Use the backspace key to erase an field (or hour, minute, second, or frame field
incorrect entry. if you are working with SMPTE).
Press the Tab key or the decimal key on the 2 Drag up or down.
numeric keypad to cycle through each field of
a time display, highlighting each so that you By pasting
can type in a value. (On Windows, make sure Counter values can be copied and pasted
the Num Lock key is engaged before you use from nearly any field where a counter value is
the decimal key on the keypad.) For example, displayed: the main counter, aux counter,
to enter the time 11|1|015 as shown in the Information Bar, and so on.
example above:
1 Click in any counter field.
72
2 Press Command/Ctrl-C or choose Edit
menu > Copy.
3 Click in the main or aux counter field to

highlight it.
4 Press Command/Ctrl-V or choose Edit

menu > Paste.
USING THE NUMERIC KEYPAD

Digital Performer provides many factory
default shortcuts on your computer’s
standard extended numeric keypad (if it has
one), from basic transport controls to
specialized shortcuts for specific features,
such as QuickScribe note entry and Step
Record functions.
Windows Num Lock key

On Windows, be sure to engage the Num
Lock key to enable the numeric keypad
shortcuts discussed in this manual.
73
74
CHAPTER 10 A Guided Tour of Digital
Performer
IF YOU DON’T LIKE TO READ MANUALS Creating, opening, and saving Projects . . . . . . . . . . . 76
This chapter provides an overview of Digital Control Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Performer’s features in the form of a guided Consolidated window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
tour through the windows used in a typical Sequence Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Digital Performer project. Each page gives Tracks window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
you a brief introduction to Digital Clips window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Performer’s important windows and features. Soundbites window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
You’ll probably get a good idea of how to get Content Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
around in the program just by scanning these Bundles window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
pages. Once you have, you’ll be primed and MIDI Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
ready for the step-by-step tutorials that Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
follow. Or you can try to begin sequencing on Drum Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
your own. QuickScribe Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Waveform Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
BEFORE YOU BEGIN Meter Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
The tour assumes that you have successfully Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
installed Digital Performer. This includes Tool Palette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
creating your MIDI device configuration. If Selecting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
you haven’t yet done so and you plan to follow Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
along in the Digital Performer, refer to the Mixing Board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
installation instructions that accompany this Effects window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
manual before proceeding. Virtual instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Movie window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Also, if you’re not familiar with Digital Congratulations! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Performer’s basic conventions, please first Continuing on your own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
read chapter 9, “User Interface Basics” Recording your first audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
(page 63).
75
CREATING, OPENING, AND SAVING
PROJECTS
A Digital Performer file is called a project.
Project files are created, saved, closed, and
opened just like other applications.
Creating a new project file

To create a new project file, choose New from
the File menu > New sub-menu. Alternatively,
you can choose one of the template files from
the File menu > New sub-menu.
Figure 10-1: DP’s welcome window.
Once you’ve chosen a new file to open, a

standard save dialog will appear. Choose a
location to save your project and press Save.
When you create a new project file, Digital

Performer places it in a folder by the same
name, along a few other items. For an
overview of what files and folders are created
when you create a new project, see chapter 1,
“The Digital Performer Project” (page 23) in
the DP User Guide.
You can also open files from DP’s Welcome Opening a project file
window, which appears when you first launch To open an existing project:
DP. This window is a great resource for
training and tutorial materials, videos, late- Q Choose File menu > Open.
breaking news from MOTU and more. You Q Double-click a Digital Performer project
can always find DP’s Welcome window in the file on your computer desktop.
Help menu. Once it’s open, go to the file list
Q (Mac only) Drag a Digital Performer
on the left-hand side, choose the type of file
you want (empty or a template) and then click project file onto the Digital Performer icon in
the New button. the macOS Dock or in the Finder.
76
A GU ID ED TO U R O F D IGI TA L P E R F O RM E R
Only one project can be open at a time. Q To save a copy of the current project under
However, each project can contain many a new name and continue working with the
sequences, and there are many ways to original file, choose Save A Copy As from the
transfer data between projects – see File menu.
chapter 1, “The Digital Performer Project”
You may also use this option to export the
(page 23) in the DP User Guide.
project in other formats, such as a Standard
Saving a project file MIDI File, OMF file, AAF file, MusicXML
After you’ve made changes to your project, file or to earlier versions of Digital Performer.
you’ll want to save it.
Q To discard any changes you’ve made since
Q To save the current project and continue

you last saved, choose Revert to Saved from
working, choose Save from the File menu. the File menu (you will be prompted to
confirm).
Q To save the current project under a new
name and continue working with the new file, Almost any software problem is survivable as
choose Save As from the File menu. long as you have kept backups of your work,
so save often and make frequent back-ups.
See “Preventing Catastrophe” on page 1047 in
the DP User Guide.
77
A G UI DE D TO U R O F DI GITA L P E R F O RM E R
CONTROL PANEL
The Control Panel provides tape-deck style
transport controls, two counters, tempo
controls, click and countoff controls, memory
cycling, punch-in/out, and more. Because
this panel is so central to Digital Performer’s
operation, it appears across the top of the
consolidated window. If it is floating as a
separate window, it cannot be closed.
78
For more information, see chapter 22, “Control Counters Tools
Panel” (page 203) in the DP User Guide. Displays the current playback time in the music Click to choose the
in bars, beats, and ticks. There are 480 ticks per
Audio settings primary tool (top)
Configure audio and alternate tool
Transport Controls quarter note (this degree of resolution can be driver and file
configured in the Time Formats window in the (bottom) for the
These work just like a standard tape settings: clock mode, cursor. Hold the
deck. From left to right: fast/slow Setup menu). The auxiliary counter displays one sample rate, buffer
of Digital Performer’s other time formats: real semicolon key to
rewind, slow/fast forward, rewind, size, sample format, temporarily switch to
stop, play, pause, and record. time, SMPTE time code or samples. and frame rate. the alternate tool.
Memory Bar and Auto Record Bar

The Memory Bar displays the start and stop time of the Tempo Controls
memory range. These are the locations Digital Performer will Controls the tempo of the music.
cycle between when Memory Cycle is turned on. Drag the tempo slider, and switch
control of tempo from the tempo
The Auto Record bar displays the punch in and punch out slider or the conductor track.
times for Auto Recording. When Auto Record is off, the project
name, sequence name, and sequence menu are displayed.
Slave to
External Sync
Auto Rewind Memory Cycle Auto Record Wait Makes Digital Click Audible mode
When this button is When this button is Lets you automate Makes Digital Performer Performer wait for Generates a Audition notes and
lit, the sequence highlighted (on), Digital recording punch- wait for a MIDI event external MIDI timing metronome click if soundbites as you
rewinds Performer cycles in and punch-out. trigger or key press information as lit. Option/Alt-click select them.
automatically to playback and recording before it begins specified in the Receive to edit the Click
the Start location between the Start and playback or recording. Sync command preferences.
on the memory bar. Stop times displayed (Setup menu).
below in the Memory bar.
Auto Stop
When this button is lit, Overdub Record Countoff Auto-Scroll Solo Mode Pre/Post-Roll
playback of the sequence During normal recording, Gives you a Window Toggles Solo When Link
is automatically stopped Digital Performer erases countoff before scrolling mode. When on, Playback to
at the Stop location on existing music in the track. playback or follows only soloed tracks Memory is enabled,
the Memory bar. Use Overdub Record to recording. playback. are heard. you can enable pre/
preserve existing material Option/Alt-click Option/Alt- Option/Alt-click post-roll to lead in
and merge new material with to set click to edit to set Solo Mode or out of the
Link Memory it. Use it whenever you are preferences. Auto-Scroll preferences. memory range.
These toggle Link Playback to cycle-recording so that each preferences.
Memory and Link Memory to new pass through the loop
Selection modes. doesn’t erase the last pass.
79
CONSOLIDATED WINDOW
Many of Digital Performer’s powerful
features are presented in separate windows,
such as the Track Window, Sequence Editor,
Mixing Board and Waveform Editor. The
Consolidated Window gives you access to
them in one window with tabs across the top.
You can quickly access the desired feature by
clicking its corresponding tab, without
having to switch to a different window. In
addition, the Consolidated Window is highly
configurable, allowing you to split the
window into several — or even many —
different sections for quick access to critical
features conveniently presented in one
window. With Digital Performer’s Window
Sets feature, you can create and save an
unlimited number of Consolidated Window
setups, finely tuned and customized for each
stage in your workflow. The Consolidated
Window provides you with a simplified,
unified, highly customized work space.
80
Left sidebar Main body Right sidebar
Sidebar Sidebar Left sidebar Tabs Control Panel Tab Right sidebar Window Tab Sidebar
cells tabs divider bar divider selector bar divider
Figure 10-2: The Consolidated Window

Horizontal Consolidated
divider Window resize
thumb
Managing the Consolidated Window

* Double-click a sidebar divider to show/hide the sidebar. For more information, see chapter 10, “Consolidated
* Double-click a window’s Tab bar to pop it into or out of the Consolidated Window. Window” (page 109) in the DP User Guide.
* Drag the divider upwards from the bottom of the body or sidebar to create a new row.
81
SEQUENCE EDITOR
The Sequence Editor provides a multitrack
graphic environment for hands-on, precision
editing of MIDI, audio and conductor track
data all at once. Each track can be play-
enabled, recorded into, and soloed. It also
includes a movie track for displaying a
project’s QuickTime movie along the same
timeline. You can view one or more tracks at
a time using Digital Performer’s standard
track selector to show and hide tracks as
desired.
Each track has an activity level meter, an

output assignment (one of the devices in your
MIDI studio or an audio output on your
audio hardware), a track name, comments,
and perhaps an initial patch (sound) to play.
You can add an unlimited number of tracks,
and you can place them in any order in the
list.
Graphically insert and edit automation

curves for volume, pan, mute, effect settings,
and more. Comprehensive audio editing tools
include trim, copy, paste, slice, comp, scrub,
and more.
The Sequence Editor provides “one-stop

shopping” for editing and managing a Digital
Performer project.
82
For more information, see chapter 38, “Sequence
Editor” (page 383) in the DP User Guide.
Create a tempo map. Use Memory Cycle Change layers to view different data
Edit the Conductor track to create to repeat a section. types.
detailed tempo maps, enter key and Enable Memory Cycle Change the visible layer for each track
meter changes, and more. and drag the Memory in the track info pane on the left side.
Create automation curves. Start and End points in View audio, MIDI, volume, pan, pitch
Click the Pencil tool in the tool the ruler. automation, continuous controllers,
palette and draw automation curves. conductor data, and more.
Click the track selector button to open Click on a line to create a point; drag it to adjust.
the track selector.
The Track Selector lets you quickly show and Zoom the window.
hide tracks simply by clicking their name. Horizontal and
vertical zoom give
control over what you
see. Zoom in for
sample-level
precision, or zoom
Use the right tool. out for a bird’s-eye
The Tool palette (Studio menu) provides a variety of view.
editing tools to help shape your sequence.
83
TRACKS WINDOW
The Tracks window provides a convenient
overview of your Digital Performer project.
The Track List on the left shows all track

settings for each track, which you can show
and hide by double-clicking the column
headings. The Track List helps you quickly
manage track settings.
The Track Overview on the right provides

you with a bird’s-eye view of the music,
showing blocks of data that can be edited as
singular phrases of music. You can click
blocks to select them for editing, drag them to
move them, Option/Alt-drag them to
duplicate them, and much more. Double-
click a track name to open the default editor
for that track type. A scrolling playback
indicator is also provided to show the current
playback location. Markers can be drag-and-
dropped from the “marker well” into the time
ruler to denote important locations.
84
For more information, see chapter 20, “Tracks
Window” (page 177) in the DP User Guide.
The Track Overview

Provides an overview of the music in the tracks. The
time ruler above indicates the measure in each
column. The ruler also displays draggable markers,
Memory Cycle repeat barlines and Auto Record
punch points. Double-click the ruler to make Marker
playback jump to that location. In the grid, data is
grouped into blocks that can be dragged and well
edited as singular phrases of music. Drag phrases Drag and
to move them. Option/Alt-drag to duplicate. Add drop
Track Sequence Marker menu Time ruler the Command/Ctrl key to these operations to
markers
search menu Instantly locate to any Each column into the
override column snapping. Use the cross-hair time ruler
When you Choose what marker, Memory Start represents one cursor for time range selections. Get a Pointer from here.
have a lot sequence you want location, or Auto Record measure. cursor by positioning directly over the center of a
of tracks... to work with here. Start location. Clicking selects block to select or drag the block as a unit.
the measure
for editing.
The Track List Divider The ruler can be zoomed to show

A track is represented as one row in the list. It has a move Grab anywhere along more or less time in each column.
handle, loop indicator, record-enable button, input monitor this divider and drag Right now, each column
button, play-enable button, input & output assignments, a left and right to show represents one measure. You can
“take” column for storing an unlimited number of takes for the more or less of the zoom in, however, so that each
track, a name (Option/Alt-click to rename it), level meter that Track Overview. column represents one beat. Or
shows MIDI or audio activity, a default patch (sound), a current zoom out so that each column is
patch, and a comment. You can choose to hide any of these two bars instead of one.
columns by Option/Alt-clicking the column title. For example, if
you never use default patches, you can hide the column. The Overview can be zoomed to
adjust track height. All tracks
The Conductor track at the top of the list doesn’t hold MIDI data; maintain the same height – to
instead, it holds tempos, meter changes, key changes, and resize individual tracks, use the
markers (explained later). Sequence Editor.
85
CLIPS WINDOW
The Clips window is a dynamic, interactive
environment for triggering audio and MIDI
clips during live performance. You can
prepare any number of MIDI and audio clips
and then individually trigger them during
playback. If you enable the queue, you can
cue up any number of clips in advance to play
consecutively. You can also set up and trigger
scenes, which consist of multiple clips
arranged in a single row for simultaneous
triggering. The Clip Editor lets you view, edit
and create clips. You can also copy and paste
track material to make clips, or drag and drop
them from the Soundbites window or
Content Browser.
86
For more information, see chapter 30, “Clips
Scenes Clips Audio and MIDI

Trigger scenes, which consist Trigger clips on the Work with audio and
of a whole row of clips. fly, during playback MIDI clips in one
seamless window.
Multi-queue
Stack multiple
clips for
consecutive
playback.
Mixing
Mix your session
on the fly, as you
trigger clips.
Clip Editor
View and edit
individual clips.
87
SOUNDBITES WINDOW
The Soundbites window serves as a catalog of
all the soundbites (audio regions) in the
Digital Performer project. It provides a great
deal of information about each soundbite,
including its duration, sample rate, number
of channels, and parent audio file for each
soundbite. To open Digital Performer’s full-
featured Waveform Editor, which allows you
to perform all kinds of waveform editing
tasks, from single-sample pencil tool edits to
normalizing to crossfades and more, double-
click a soundbite in the Soundbites window.
88
For more information, see chapter 3, “Soundbites
Open the Soundbites window by choosing its name from the Project menu, pressing
Shift-B, or selecting it from the Consolidated Window sidebar window list.
Use the Sound File

Info window.
This window (Studio
menu) updates to the
selected soundbite
automatically. Here
you can view and edit
the attributes of
selected Soundbites.
For example, you can
edit how time
stretching and
transposition affects a
soundbite or add
comments.
Use this handle to “drag Click a soundbite’s name to hear it.

and drop” soundbites With Audible mode enabled, just click on the
into other windows. name of a soundbite to audition it (you don’t
You can drag and drop audio have to keep holding the mouse down). See
into the Track overview, the chapter , “Audible mode” (page 351) in the
Sequence Editor and audio DP User Guide.
Event Lists.
Double-click on a soundbite to open the Waveform Editor.

Digital Performer includes a fully featured Waveform Editor where you can edit
with a pencil, normalize, add fades, or define regions and loops.
89
CONTENT BROWSER
The Content Browser gives you immediate
access to assets that you can quickly drag and
drop into your Digital Performer project.
Examples include audio files, loops, plug-ins,
virtual instruments and clippings.
90
For more information, see chapter 4, “Content
Browser” (page 55) in the DP User Guide.
Forward/back Go up one
buttons folder level
Mini-menu
Project-related
assets
Material associated
with this particular DP
project.
Loops (or other

Places content)
A customizable list
of folders on your
computer’s hard
drive(s). Drag and drop
access
Drag items from
the list into tracks,
Plug-in related editors, clip slots,
assets
Instant access to effects inserts or
plug-ins, virtual other locations
instruments and that can accept
presets. them.
Clippings
Clippings can be just
about anything you
want: audio, MIDI,
audio+MIDI, plug-in Location of the
effects chains and selected item
more.
Preview pane for the

currently selected
item.
91
BUNDLES WINDOW
The Bundles window serves as the crucial
link between the virtual mixing world in
Digital Performer and the audio and MIDI
hardware that is physically connected to your
computer. The Bundles window provides a
convenient layer between them that lets you
effectively manage audio and MIDI input and
output.
Sources are displayed across the top and your

virtual bundles are listed on the left side. To
assign a bundle to a source, such as a physical
input or output, one of Digital Performer’s
internal busses, or a plug-in’s output, drag the
bundle’s tile to match up with the desired
source.
92
For more information, see chapter 14,
“Bundles” (page 131) in the DP User Guide.
Bundle model Sources

View and change the bundle model, from Available sources
mono all the way up to 10.2 surround. for your bundles.
Tabs
Use these tabs to
switch between
each bundle group.
Bundles Bundle management Assignment

Bundles are named automatically Quickly add or remove bundles; when Move the bundle “tile” to assign the
based on their source assignment, viewing the MIDI Devices tab, use the Edit bundle (on the left) to a source (on the
but you can Option/Alt-click the button to edit a MIDI device’s properties. top). In this case, the “DW8000” bundle
name to rename it. Grab a bundles has been assigned to PCI-424 ADAT 3-4.
in the “MV” (move) column to
reorder them. The topmost bundle
on the Output page will be used
for Auditioning.
93
MIDI EDITOR
The MIDI Editor displays notes and MIDI
controllers for one or more MIDI tracks on a
piano-roll style grid. To open it, Command–
double-click the track name or any segment
in the Tracks Overview. Or click them once
and then click the MIDI Editor tab in the
Consolidated Window.
94
For more information, see chapter 39, “MIDI
Scrolling Wiper Selected Notes Note Grid Window Target

Indicates the current playback To select several notes, Insert and edit notes in this grid. Drag Switch between MIDI
location. Double-click anywhere in drag the cursor over them, notes up and down to change pitch. Drag tracks and the Conductor
Pitch Zoom the ruler to make the playback wiper just like you would in a left and right to change their time. To Track, and depending on
Adjust the Pitch or jump to that location. Drag it to scrub graphics program. change duration, drag the right end of the your preference,
per-note Controller playback. (Speaker button in the title note. If Snap to Grid is turned on, dragging between each individual
zoom. Zoom in to bar must be enabled for scrubbing.) will “snap” to the current grid setting. MIDI tracks.
see fewer notes at a
larger size, zoom out
to see more notes at
a smaller size.
Pitch Ruler Time Ruler

Click keys to hear the Shows time in measures,
note (when the beats and ticks or one of
speaker button is Digital Performer’s other
enabled in the title time formats. To select a
bar.) Double-click a time range, drag in the
key to automatically ruler. To change the
select all notes of Memory Cycle points or
that pitch in the Auto Record punch points,
track. drag them.
Drag this handle to

display more or less
of the note grid and Continuous Data
continuous data grid. Grid
You can even drag it Displays note
all the way up or velocities, MIDI
down to hide either controllers, and pitch
grid. bend data.
Zooming
Zoom the time ruler
with these buttons.
Continuous Continuous Quick Filter Continuous Pencil Tool Selected note velocities
Data Ruler Data Makes the controller Data Data Selec- To graphically edit velocities (or a
Click this ruler Display Mode grid display only the View Filter tor controller curve), select them by
repeatedly to switch Determines which types of controller Hides all continuous Selects which dragging over them. Then click the
between three mode to view data that are data, except for the continuous data Reshape Tool in the Tool Palette and
different controller continuous controller currently selected. data type currently to insert with the drag across the selected data.
displays: controllers data in: points, bars chosen for insertion Pencil tool.
only (0-127), pitch or lines. (with the pencil tool
bend only (-8192 to data selector to the
8191), or both. left).
95
EVENT LIST
The Event List gives you a precise, numerical
display of all the data in a track. To open it,
double-click the track name or anything in
the Track overview. Or highlight either one
and press Shift-E. To temporarily hide any
type of data, use the check boxes at the top of
the list or the View Filter in the Setup menu.
96
For more information, see chapter 40, “Event
List” (page 449) in the DP User Guide.
Insert Button Insert Menu Window Target

Inserts the kind of Select any type of Like all Digital Performer edit
event shown in the data from this windows, you can switch to a
Insert menu, at any menu. Insert it with different track by clicking the
location in the track. the Insert button. window target to open a menu
of other tracks.
Filter section
Show and hide types of
data displayed in the list.
Chord
These three notes are a
chord because they all
occur at the same time.
Selecting events
To select a single note or event, click it. To select
Location several in a row, drag over them. (Use Shift-click to
(measure, beat, and tick) On-velocity extend the selection; command/ctrl-click to select
Duration End time discontinuous events.) After you’ve selected notes,
Off-velocity (Beats and ticks) you can edit them any way you want with the
Pitch commands in the Edit and Region menus.
A note event Legend

Use the Legend in the
Setup menu to identify
each type of MIDI data.
Editing
Double-click any value to edit it. You can
either type or drag vertically.
97
DRUM EDITOR
The Drum Editor provides a fast, intuitive
environment for creating and editing
percussive music. Click with the Pencil tool
in an empty grid cell to add a note, or click an
existing note to erase it. Use the Rhythm
Brush tool to “paint” in saved rhythms to add
riffs in a snap.
To open it, click the Drum tab in the control

Consolidated Window or select Drum Editor
from the Project menu.
98
For more information, see chapter 41, “Drum
Add an instrument line.
Pull down this menu for a list of
instruments or add a MIDI note by
typing it directly into this empty field.
Change the view resolution. Scrub the playback wiper.

With the grid set to a 1/4 note, each cell The playback wiper lights up the ‘LEDs’ as it
represents a 1/4 note. The grid may be passes in addition to shading the current position.
set to smaller values such as 16th notes. To scrub the wiper, ‘grab’ it at the LEDs.
Select drum tracks Change the view mode. Add a MIDI note.
to view and edit The menu allows you to switch view modes. If Use the pencil tool in the tool palette to
with the track you would like to edit velocities for a specific add and remove notes in the note grid
selector. drum instrument, change to grid with velocity of the drum editor. Click on an empty
You can hide this menu and velocity is now represented as a vertical bar. grid space to add a note, click on an
by clicking on the track occupied grid space to delete a note.
selector button.
Adjust velocity editing resolution. Try the rhythm brush.

To view more area in grid with velocity The rhythm brush allows you to quickly ‘paint’ in drum
mode, simply grab the bottom rule of parts from a wide variety of percussion instruments.
the grid and pull down. Use the preset library or create your own.
99
QUICKSCRIBE EDITOR
The QuickScribe Editor displays music from
one or more tracks on a page in standard
music notation. To open it, select a track by
clicking its name in the Tracks window — or
select as many as you like. Then click the
QuickScribe tab in the Consolidated
Window. The music is displayed on screen
just like it will print out. To further refine the
music transcription, you can export your
QuickScribe score as a MusicXML file to
quickly and accurately import it into other
music notation software applications such as
Finale™ and Sibelius™.
100
Entering notes with your computer keyboard For more information, see chapter 43, “QuickScribe
Click the staff with the Pointer to get this cursor. Choose Editor” (page 491) in the DP User Guide.
durations from the keypad. Press return to insert the note.
Track Selector
Controls which tracks are
displayed in the score.
Tool Palette
Click a duration in the palette. Or use the
bracket keys ( [ and ] ) to cycle through the
durations. Press anywhere in the desired
measure and while holding down the mouse,
drag to any pitch and location. Watch the
Cursor Information for precise feedback
about where you are in the measure. You
don’t have to get the pitch exactly right when
you first click because you can drag up or
down after you press the mouse to get just
the right pitch and accidental. The mouse
automatically snaps to even subdivisions of
the beat to make rhythmic placement easy.
Transcription
Even though the notation looks quantized,
the MIDI data in the track remains in its
original, unquantized form. If Digital
Performer doesn’t transcribe a section quite
right, you can quantize the data to improve
the rhythmic interpretation.
Step Recording
Click the staff with the Pointer to get the
insertion cursor. Use the arrow keys to
place it at the desired location. Choose a
duration in the palette. Play the notes on
your MIDI controller.
Dynamics Palette
Use to insert dynamics
markings into your score.
Arrangement Palette
Lets you condense the score with
repeat barlines, endings, codas, Page-flip Zoom menu Playback wiper
etc. buttons Scale the page represen- Shows where playback is.
Use to quickly flip tation from 25% up o Drag to scrub your music.
from page to page. 1600%
101
WAVEFORM EDITOR
Digital Performer’s Waveform Editor window
provides a complete ‘destructive’ waveform
editing environment. Permanent
modifications can be made to mono, stereo,
and multi-channel audio files using the
standard editing commands in Digital
Performer’s Edit and Audio menus, including
the ‘destructive’ application of effects
plug-ins. Pencil tool editing is provided, even
when zoomed out. Soundbites, sample loops,
soundbite beats, pitch automation, and
soundbite tempo maps can all be edited.
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For more information, see chapter 44, “Waveform
Transport Lock Active soundbite Overview & Close-up Lens

Locks Digital Performer’s The active soundbite’s Shows an overview of the entire file, with the
main transport controls to title bar is shaded. Close-up Lens indicating the portion of the file
the Waveform Editor. shown below. Grab the lens and drag it to show a
different portion, or resize it to zoom in/out.
Edit layer Destructive audio editing Zoom controls

Lets you edit audio waveform Unlike other edit windows, the Waveform Zoom the window horizontally and
data, pitch automation, Editor performs destructive edits– that is, vertically. Use vertical zoom lock to keep
beats, tempo, stretching, the actual audio in the file will be changed. the entire height of the audio file visible.
volume, soundbites and Use the Pencil tool for sample-accurate Zoom to Selection and Fit to Window help
sampler loops. editing of clicks/pops. you quickly jump to just where you need to
be.
103
METER BRIDGE
The Meter Bridge window displays level
meters for all inputs, outputs, busses, tracks
and bundles. With a single click, you can
independently show or hide available
hardware inputs, available hardware outputs,
busses, bundles, virtual instruments and
tracks as desired. The Meter Bridge provides
long-throw, scalable meters with extremely
fast, smooth and accurate ballistics. Two
different layouts are provided: wrap-around
and linear.
104
For more information, see chapter 73, “Meter
Meter width Bridge” (page 899) in the DP User Guide.
Adjust the width
of the meters.
Layout buttons
Use the wrap-around layout
(shown here) or the linear
layout (shown below). Wrap-around layout
Show/hide buttons
These buttons show or hide
the meters for each section.
Meter scale
Drag to adjust the scale of
the meters. Both the upper
and lower end of range are
adjustable.
Linear layout
105
MARKERS
To open the Markers window, choose
Markers from the Project menu, or choose
the Markers window from the Consolidated
Window sidebar window list. A Marker
indicates a particular location in your
sequence. It may be at the beginning or end of
a section, or it may be a visual “hit point” that
occurs at an exact location when you are
scoring for film or television. You can add as
many markers as you want to your music.
They are useful for identifying any location.
You can instantly cue to the marker location
using the Markers window or by using the
Locate menu above the Track List in the
Tracks window. Markers appear in all editing
windows. The can be cut, copied, and pasted
in the Conductor track.
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“Markers” (page 783) in the DP User Guide.
Playback Position Using markers for conventional song struc-

indicator
Click on this strip to
immediately jump
playback (and the
position indicator) to the
marker at that location.
Hit Range Before and After

Marker name These parameters are used to provide
Click the marker additional information to Find
name to rename it. Tempo. For more information on find
tempo, see chapter 65, “Find Tempo”
Using markers has hit points for film/TV scoring
Marker location
Marker times can be
displayed in all time
formats: measures and
beats, SMPTE time code,
real time and samples.
Locked indicator Find

Attaches the marker to its current Checked markers will be included in the Find Tempo window,
SMPTE time code location, which allows you to locate a tempo that will match specified
regardless of tempo changes. hit points. For more information on find tempo, see
chapter 65, “Find Tempo” (page 793) in the DP User Guide.
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TOOL PALETTE
The tool palette is a central location where
you can determine the behavior of your
mouse actions. The tools are context sensitive
so their actions depend on which window is
being edited. The Primary Tool and Alternate
Tool menus appear in Digital Performer’s
Control Panel, as shown on page 79. To open
the Primary Tool menu as a floating palette,
select Tools from the Studio menu.
108
For more information, see chapter 36, “Tools”
Zoom
Zooms in to a section of data. Scissors
Click once to zoom in. Option/ Cuts soundbites and MIDI Comp Velocity
Alt-click to zoom out. Click and Mute notes. Drag with the edit Use to quickly Adjusts MIDI note
drag over a region to zoom in. Click a soundbite to grid turned on to cut at create comps from velocities in
Shift-click to zoom back. mute/unmute it. every grid point. multiple takes. graphic editors.
Pointer Pencil Rhythm Scrub Trim Slip Scroll

Selects and Inserts data such Brush Plays MIDI and Trims an audio Moves the audio Lets you scroll
moves as notes and Lets you ‘paint’ audio data as you region with within the soundbite graphic editors
data. automation points. in data from a drag over it. one click. while keeping the quickly and
pattern library. soundbite position precisely.
the same.
I-Beam
Makes time
range selections. Roll
Trims two abutting
Slide Scale
soundbites at once. Moves a soundbite’s Scales selected
start/end while continuous
keeping the audio’s data up or
position the same. down.
Pencil/Reshape curve Reshape Tool Reshape mode
Determines the shape or Reshapes existing Determines the behavior
periodic waveform the pencil automation or of the reshape tool.
or reshape tool draws. controller data.
Modifiers keys
The triangle, sine, square and
random shapes can be modified
with keys. Hold down the Shift key
to change frequency. Hold down the
Option/Alt key to change relative
phase.
The sine, triangle and square shapes

use an additional modifier. Hold
down the Control/Win key to
Modifiers change the duty cycle (pulse width)
The Triangle and Square of the square wave or gradually alter
shapes use an the triangle shape to a sawtooth
additional modifier key (up/down ramp)
(Control) to modify the
shape of the modulator. These shapes also snap to the edit
grid to create modulation effects
that conform to the beat.
109
SELECTING
After you’ve recorded, Digital Performer
provides powerful editing features to mold
your music any way you want. But before you
can edit even a single note, Digital Performer
needs to know exactly what you want to edit.
This section shows you some of the many
convenient ways to select data in Digital
Performer. Once you’ve selected it, you can
unleash Digital Performer’s powerful editing
features.
110
Using the Selection Information window
Set the start and end times, and then select the tracks you want to edit
within the those times. To set the start and end times, type them in, load
them using the Set To menu, or click the buttons next to each field during
playback. To select a single track, click its name. To select several non-
adjacent tracks, Command/Ctrl-click each one. To select a group of adjacent
tracks, drag over their names. To select all tracks, press command-A.
Selecting the Memory Cycle range Using the Track overview

Click either cycle point in the Track Overview or Zoom the display to a useful zoom
any edit window ruler to select everything level. Then drag over the area you
within the Memory Cycle range. want to select with the cross-hair
cursor. Or just select an entire
phrase block by positioning the
cursor over its center and clicking
it with the Pointer cursor. To
select non-adjacent areas of the
grid or phrase blocks, Shift-click
each one. To select an entire Dragging in Edit window time rulers
column, click in the time ruler Any notes or controller data within the highlighted
above the column. To get rid of time range become selected. To make your dragging
the current selection, click in the “snap” to rhythmic grid locations, check the Snap to
blank space below the grid. Grid box and set the desired grid resolution.
“Smart Selections”
The Smart Selections command in the Edit
menu makes Time Range selecting easier
and more musical and intuitive. With Smart
Selections enabled, you can turn on grid
snapping, make selections at measure and
beat boundaries, and Digital Performer will
take care of events that are a few ticks before
or after the selection boundaries, either
including or excluding them, depending on
what makes sense musically.
Using the Event List Selecting all notes of the same

Click an event to select it. To select several non- pitch
adjacent events, Command/Ctrl-click each one. To Double-click the key on the pitch ruler in the
select a group of adjacent events, drag over them.
To extend the current selection, Shift-click. To
select all events, press command-A. Selecting in the note grid
Drag a rectangle over the beginning of
the notes you want to select.

“Selecting” (page 559) in the DP User Guide.
111
EDITING
Once you’ve selected your music, you can
choose any command in the Edit menu or
Region menu. For many of them, a dialog box
appears on the screen with many powerful
options — much more than can be covered
here. A few samples are shown below. Most
Edit and Region menu commands can be
applied during playback, so you don’t have to
stop the music to hear the effect. Most, like
Groove Quantize, allow you to adjust the
effect in real time, so you have instant
feedback, without even closing the
command’s window.
112
For more information see.Part 5,
“Editing”(page 337) in the DP User Guide.
113
MIXING BOARD
After recording and editing comes mixing.
Many MIDI devices respond to automated
mixing parameters such as volume and
panning that you program directly in Digital
Performer. Digital Performer’s Mixing Board
gives you a powerful — yet familiar —
environment in which you can perfect your
mixes. Instantly show or hide any sections
you want. For example, you can hide
everything except the volume faders. The
rows of insert menus let you apply “non-
destructive” MIDI and audio effects inserts to
your tracks, such as shift, quantize, transpose,
EQ, reverb, dynamics and more. These effects
modify the data in the track on output only,
preserving the original performance in the
track. You can modify them (or turn them
off) at any time. Digital Performer even lets
you create an unlimited number of different
mixdowns — a complete mix of volume, pan
and plug-in automation for all tracks.
114
For more information, see chapter 70, “Mixing Board”
Customized board Complete mix

layouts automation
You can easily show or hide just The automation play and
about everything in the Mixing record buttons control
Board. Just click track names in the whether automation is
track selector to show or hide played back and/or
them. You can even hide entire recorded. After you’ve
sections of the board to save space enabled automation
on your computer screen. For recording for one or more
example, if you aren’t using the tracks, just begin playback
effects inserts, you can hide the and start mixing. Drag
entire section. You can save as faders, turn pan pots, use
many different board layouts as plug-in controls. It all gets
you want for instant recall. See the recorded. Five different
mini-menu for all of these great modes are provided per
board layout features. Option/ track for recording
Ctrl-click the Window Target menu automation in real time.
for quick access to convenient Automation includes
shortcuts. mutes and solos. Tip: to
solo or mute several tracks
at a time, “glide” across
their solo or mute buttons.
If you prefer real hardware
faders, you can control
these virtual faders
remotely from a hardware
control surface.
Multiple mixdowns
A mixdown is all of the volume, pan, plug-in, mute/
solo and other mix automation information stored in
all tracks of a sequence. It also includes all real-time
effects processors currently applied to any tracks.
This menu in the Mixing Board window lets you
instantly save an entire mixdown with any name you
wish. Then, you can create an unlimited number of
other mixdowns. You can either start from scratch, or
duplicate a current mix to try variations of it.
Fader grouping
The Mixing Board mini-menu has several
commands that allow you to create and Real-time MIDI and audio effects processing
manage fader groups. Move one fader in The five insert menus above each track (expandable up to 20 inserts) give you real time MIDI and audio effects
the group and they all move together. processors that you can apply as desired to a track. MIDI track effects include shift, transpose, quantize, velocity
You can override the grouping by compressor, arpeggiator and echo. Audio track effects include EQ, reverb, dynamics, echo and others. MIDI and
Option/Alt-dragging the fader, or you audio effects processing only alters data in the track as it plays back, so the original performance is unchanged.
can temporarily disable fader groups. This means you can modify — or remove — the output processing settings at any time.
115
EFFECTS WINDOW
The Effects window provides controls for
real-time audio and MIDI effects and
instrument plug-ins. MIDI effects include
shifting, velocity compression, note
transposing, quantizing, MIDI echo, a MIDI
arpeggiator, and more. Audio effects plug-ins
include parametric EQ, reverb, dynamics
(compressor, expander, limiter, gate), chorus,
flange, reverb, modeled guitar amps and
cabinets, and many more, as well as all third-
party MAS, VST and Audio Unit (AU) plug-
ins. Plug-ins can be accessed via effects
inserts in the Mixing Board, which open the
Effects window shown below, or by selecting
a track name in any edit window and
choosing Effects from the Project menu (or
pressing Shift-F).
116
Track, insert, and plug-in menus
Use the first two menus to select which track For more information, see chapter 74,
and insert you’re viewing and the third menu “Effects Window” (page 905) in the DP User
to choose the plug-in for that insert. Guide.
Window Target
menu
Change which sequence
or V-Rack the Effects
window is viewing.
Plug-in controls
Preset controls Control the plug-in’s
Browse presets using settings. Each plug-in
the next/previous has different controls
buttons. Load, save, and (though many of the
edit presets with the plug-ins included with
Preset menu. Digital Performer have
common elements).
Choosing a plug-in from the Mixing Board

Automation MIDI Learn You can choose a plug-in from the insert slots for any track in the Mixing Board.
snapshot Lets you map external You’ll see Digital Performer’s included native real-time MAS plug-ins, along with
Captures the current MIDI controls to any third-party MAS, VST or AU plug-ins you have installed in your system.
settings of the plug-in plug-in parameters.
at the current location For instrument tracks, you’ll see only instrument plug-ins in the top-most insert
in the time line. slot, and audio plug-ins under the rest.
117
VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS
Digital Performer provides a host of virtual
instruments. From the powerful
Nanosampler to MX4, the multi-oscillator
multi-synth, you have a virtually unlimited
pallet of sounds to work with. DP also
includes the MOTU Instruments soundbank,
a 5.5 GB library of multi-sample instruments,
synths, loops and phrases with over 300
different instruments, 1100 instrument
presets and 500 loops. You’ll find acoustic
and electronic drum kits, pianos, guitars and
basses, along with church organs, electric
organs, strings, brass, woodwinds, synths,
ethnic instruments, choirs, voices,
percussion, sound effects and more. This
versatile collection of instruments spans
musical genres, eras, geographical regions
and cultural styles. You can also load your
favorite third-party MAS, VST and Audio
Unit (AU) virtual instruments.
118
For more information, go to Digital
Performer’s Help menu and choose the
Digital Performer Plug-ins Guide.
119
MOVIE WINDOW
Digital Performer’s Movie Window provides
synchronized full-screen playback of video
with both MIDI and audio tracks in a
sequence. Digital Performer allows you to
instantly locate to any spot in the movie,
advance forwards or backwards one frame at
a time through the picture and music, and
scrub the movie forward or backward (with
or without MIDI scrubbing). You can also
display streamers, punches and flutters
superimposed on the Movie window image to
assist in film scoring.
120
For more information, see
chapter 32, “Movie Window”
Choose Movie from the Project menu.

The movie window appears. If a movie isn’t already
open, you will be presented with a standard file
dialog. Choose a video clip from your hard drive and
Digital Performer’s movie window will appear.
Pop in or out
Double-click anywhere to pop
the movie window in and out
of Digital Performer’s
Frame-advance Mini-menu
Frame-advance forward and Right-click anywhere to access
backward using the Movie common operations.
window’s frame advance buttons.
Full screen viewing
Click to fill the screen with video.
Resize handle
Make the movie
Movie control bar window any size.
Cue around in the movie with the slider in the
movie’s control bar. Notice that the movie and
Digital Performer are synchronized together. If the
movie was recorded at a standard frame rate, such
as 30 frames per second, its frames will match
Sequence Editor Movie Track Digital Performer’s frames in the SMPTE counter.
View frames from the movie alongside your
sequence in the Sequence Editor. Frames are
shown as often as the horizontal zoom will allow.
121
CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations! You are now familiar with
several of Digital Performer’s most important
features.
CONTINUING ON YOUR OWN

Feel free to play around further with any of
the features you have learned about already,
or poke around to find ones we didn’t cover.
Don’t worry about “messing up” the tutorial
file because you can quit without saving the
changes you make.
RECORDING YOUR FIRST AUDIO

If you’d like to try recording some audio, now
is a good time. Just go to the Project menu
and choose Add Track. Check disk space and
input level in the Audio Monitor, record-
enable the track and then press the record
button in Digital Performer’s main transport
panel. For a more detailed step-by-step
recording tutorial, see chapter 12, “Tutorial 2:
Recording Audio” (page 137).
122
Part3
Tutorials
CHAPTER 11 Tutorial 1: Recording MIDI
OVERVIEW Main transport Counter

This chapter is a brief introduction to controls
recording MIDI. These step-by-step

instructions will lead you through a Digital
Performer project, recording and playing
back a single track, and viewing and editing
MIDI data. Working through this chapter is a
good way of confirming that you have
correctly set up your MIDI system.
Opening the tutorial file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Record-enabling a track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Setting the playback device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Setting up the instrument’s sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Step Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Sequence Editor
Opening the Event List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Saving your sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 You’ll see the Control Panel at the top of the
Congratulations! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 screen, and below that, the Sequence Editor
Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 for Sequence 1 (Seq-1). These windows
contain the basic controls and information
OPENING THE TUTORIAL FILE you will need to record and play a sequence.
To begin, start Digital Performer by double-
clicking the Digital Performer program icon. RECORD-ENABLING A TRACK
If this is the very first time you are opening At this point, two tracks are shown in the
the program, please refer briefly to “Opening Sequence Editor: one instrument track and
Digital Performer” on page 12. one MIDI track. The first track — an
instrument track —þis named “PolySynth-1”.
Locate the “Tutorial 1” Digital Performer
The second track — a MIDI track — is
project file found on the Digital Performer
named “Track-1”. (In later chapters you will
installer disc (or at motu.com/download). learn how to rename tracks and add
Copy it to your hard drive, then open the file: descriptive comments to the Tracks window).
125
First, let’s make sure that the instrument track shown below, so that it is red. This is the
has a valid audio output assignment. If the MIDI track that “plays” (triggers) the
output assignment is not italicized, the PolySynth instrument.
assignment is valid, as shown below in
Figure 11-1: Record-enable
track-1.
Instrument
track output
assignment
Figure 11-2: Record-enabling Track-1.
Figure 11-1: The instrument track audio output assignment.

SETTING THE PLAYBACK DEVICE
The MIDI track’s Output destination menu
Make sure that the chosen audio output (Figure 11-3) controls what instrument you
(Figure 11-1) is one that you can listen to for will play during the tutorial. At this point,
the purposes of this tutorial, such as your Track-1 is assigned to MIDI input channel 1
computer’s built-in audio (which you can of the PolySynth instrument, as shown in
hear from speakers on your computer), or Figure 11-3. If you would like to play a
outputs on your audio interface that are different instrument, perhaps a hardware
connected to speakers. MIDI keyboard that is connected to your
computer, you can play it instead by choosing
If the current output assignment is displayed it from the menu. If you don’t want to change
in italics, click it, go to the New Stereo Bundle the instrument you are playing, you can skip
sub-menu, and choose an output pair that this step.
you’ll be able to hear during the tutorial. If the
sub-menu doesn’t contain an obvious choice, If a hardware device you wish to use is
you may want to suspend this MIDI tutorial not present in the list, see “Setting up your
for the moment and try the audio tutorial MIDI equipment” on page 15. If the software
first, which helps you set up audio playback device you wish to use is not present, create a
and recording. See chapter 12, “Tutorial 2: new instrument track for that instrument; see
Recording Audio” (page 137). “Creating an instrument track” on page 159
in the DP User Guide.
After you’ve chosen an output assignment for
the PolySynth instrument track, let’s record- 1 Press on the Output assignment menu.
enable Track-1 by clicking its record button as
126
TU TO R IA L 1: RE CO R DI NG M ID I
virtual instruments, see chapter 17,
“Instrument Tracks” (page 159) in the DP
User Guide.
MIDI track output
assignment
If you’ve chosen another sound source, such
Figure 11-3: Changing the output assignment for the MIDI track.
as the Roland JV-1080 shown in the previous
2 Select the desired MIDI device and example, choose a sound directly on the front
channel from the hierarchical menu. panel of the instrument itself, or choose a
sound by name from the track’s Default Patch
In the example below, the new device being menu in Digital Performer (Figure 11-4).
selected is the Roland JV-1080, MIDI
channel 1.
Drag the bottom of the settings panel

down to expose the Default Patch menu.
SETTING UP THE INSTRUMENT’S SOUND

Figure 11-4: Choosing a piano sound from the Default Patch
The default assignment for the MIDI track in menu.
this project is PolySynth-1, which already has
a sound configured. If you would like to Generic names in the default patch list
change the sound, select the PolySynth-1 If you see a generic list of names (“Patch 1,
track and choose Effects from the Project Patch 2, Patch 3”, etc.), try Patch 1. Many
menu to open the instrument plug-in synths have a piano sound there. Play a few
window. For more information on using notes on your controller keyboard. Do you
hear a piano? It doesn’t have to be exactly like
a piano for the purposes of this tutorial.
127
TU TO R IA L 1 : R E CO R DIN G M I DI
Setting a metronome click and tempo Setting a countoff
Digital Performer organizes MIDI data into The final step to prepare for recording is to
measures, beats, and ticks (there are 480 ticks set a couple of countoff bars. A countoff helps
per quarter note, although the Time Formats you play in tempo, and gives you time to get
window in the Setup menu lets you choose to your MIDI keyboard after pressing Record
higher or lower resolutions, if you want). To in Digital Performer.
ensure that your music lines up with the beat
Q Click on the Countoff button in the
correctly, always listen to Digital Performer’s
built-in metronome Click while recording: Control Panel.
Countoff
1 Make sure the Click button is turned on.
Click
Figure 11-5: Enabling the countoff.

2 In the Tempo Control section, drag the
Tempo Slider to 60 bpm. A Countoff of two bars is provided, with a
metronome click every quarter note. (If you
Digital Performer can handle a wide range of want to change the number of countoff bars,
tempos and tempo changes. For now, simply Option-click the button to open the Countoff
set a steady tempo of 60 beats per minute. preferences which lets you do so.)
Alternatively, you can click the numeric
tempo setting, type in “60”, and press return Turning off Memory Cycle and Overdub
to confirm your typing. The Memory Cycle button causes Digital
Performer to loop a section of the music
indefinitely. This extremely useful feature will
be explored later. For now, let’s make sure that
it is off, as shown below. The same goes for
Overdub record.
Drag the tempo slider until

the bpm settings reads ‘60’.
128
Digital Performer will stop recording. Note
that the counter has advanced.
If you make a mistake, don’t panic. Press the

Rewind button to return to the start of the
Memory Cycle Overdub sequence, then repeat the previous three
steps.
Recording a scale
You are now ready to record. Read over the Playing back your sequence
next couple of steps beforehand, and make To hear what you just recorded:
sure your controller keyboard is turned on
and set up to send MIDI. When you’re ready: 1 Click on the Rewind button in the Control
Panel.
1 Click the Record button in the Control
Panel. This returns Digital Performer to the start of
the sequence. Note that the Counter is reset
The Record button
to its starting value.
2 Turn off the Countoff button (Figure 11-5

on page 128).
This is so you don’t have to wait for the

countoff to hear what you recorded. Leave the
The two bars of countoff will begin as soon as click turned on, however, so you can hear
the Record button is pressed. Count the eight what you played referenced to the click.
beats of introduction while you move to your
controller keyboard and prepare to play. 3 Click on the Play button.
2 Play an ascending C major scale, starting

The Play button
on Middle C and ending on the C an octave
above.
Use quarter notes, one per metronome click.
3 When you’re finished, click on the Stop

button.
129
You should hear the scale play back on the OPENING THE EVENT LIST
assigned instrument track (or other sound You have just recorded a MIDI sequence, that
source). If you don’t hear anything, turn to is, a string of MIDI commands that exactly
“Problems” on page 134. describes your performance. The Sequence
Editor shows the data that you have just
STEP RECORD recorded into Track-1:
Step Record, available in the Studio menu, is
one of the most important and powerful
features in Digital Performer. It is an
alternative to real-time recording: it waits for
you to enter notes one at a time and allows
you to specify the duration of each. Step
Record is ideal for passages too complex for
real-time entry. Notes you enter in Step The first few measures of Track-1 now contain the scale you just played.
Record are rhythmically precise (they won’t
need quantizing). Digital Performer allows you to view and edit
these MIDI ‘events’ directly by opening an
Recording with Step Record Edit window for a recorded track. Each MIDI
See “Tutorial 3: Building a Sequence” on track can be viewed in six different types of
page 145 for a step-by-step sequencing Edit windows: Sequence Editor, MIDI Editor,
tutorial that covers step recording. Event List, Drum Editor, Notation Editor, and
QuickScribe Editor. In this example we’ll use
For more information, see chapter 28, “Step
the Event List. For detailed information on
Record” (page 279) in the DP User Guide.
the other windows, see “Tutorial 3: Building a
Sequence” on page 145 and Part 5,
“Editing” (page 337) in the DP User Guide.
To view the data you have just recorded in the

Event List window:
Q Select Track-1’s track name and choose
Event List from the Project menu, or press

Shift-E.
130
A new window will appear, looking more or If your Event List contains anything other
less like this: than note events, uncheck all of the items in
the View Filter section, except for notes, as
shown below:
Notes Other types of MIDI data
View
filter
section
Now you should only see note events in your

Setting the View Filter Event List as shown earlier.
MIDI-equipped keyboards transmit a wide
variety of MIDI data. Your Event List should Editing an event
contain the notes you just played, indicated The information for a Note event is displayed
by a small note symbol: as follows:
Attack time Pitch On velocity Duration End Time
You may see additional events, such as

aftertouch events:
The Attack Time is the time, displayed here in
measures|beats|ticks, at which the note is
played. This note begins in the first measure,
Later in this manual, you’ll learn how to set third beat, and 26th tick (there are 480 ticks
the Input Filter to filter out aftertouch data in a beat).
during recording if you don’t want to record
it.
If you don’t see measures|beats|ticks,
choose Setup menu> Time Formats and and
choose Measures as the main time format at
the top of the window.
131
The Pitch of the note is indicated by its letter The note event is redisplayed with its new
name and octave number. This note is a E2 attack time.
(the E below middle C).
The Duration is displayed in quarter notes

and ticks. Like attack times, there are 480 Editing multiple events
ticks per quarter note; a value of 0|462 ticks is Although directly editing events in an Event
just a little shorter than a quarter note. List allows precise, flexible control over your
sequence, editing notes one at a time can be
The End time is the exact location where the time consuming when editing dozens of
note stops playing. In the above example, it is notes. The commands in the Edit and Region
being displayed in measures|beats|ticks. This menus let you edit whole sections, tracks, or
is different from the duration, which tells you sequences at once, while maintaining precise
how long the note is. The End time tells you control over the final results. For example, we
where it stops. can use the Quantize command from the
Region menu to align the notes of our scale
If you don’t see the duration or end time,
exactly on the beat:
Choose Setup menu> Time Formats. Click the
Details triangle and then enable the Duration 1 Click on the Sequence Editor title bar to
and End Time check boxes at the bottom of activate it.
the window.
The Sequence Editor comes to the front.
You may directly change any of these values.
For example, to move your first note to the 2 Click Track-1 once to highlight it.
exact start of the sequence:
This selects Track-1 for editing. Alternatively,
1 Double-click on the attack time of the first you could also drag over the phrase blocks in
note event. the Track overview to select them.
The event is highlighted and the attack time 3 Open the Selection Information window
field ‘pops up’. (Studio menu) and choose “Set to Chunks
Bounds” from the Set To menu.
2 Click on the ‘ticks’ field and type in 000.
3 Press the Return key to confirm your

change.
132
The Quantize window appears. There is a full
description of this feature and how it works in
chapter 48, “Region Menu” (page 605) in the
DP User Guide. For now, simply select a
quarter note as the rhythmic value:
1 Click on the quarter note icon.
2 Click Apply.
Digital Performer applies the quantization. At

You can alternatively set these times this point, if you examine the Event List you
manually, by clicking on the Selection Start will note that the Attack Times are all
and Selection End time fields and typing in precisely on the beat, i.e. the tick fields all
the desired values. For more information and show ‘000’:
examples on how to select data, see the
remaining tutorials and chapter 45,
“Selecting” (page 559) in the DP User Guide.
4 Choose Quantize from the Region menu.
Use the Rewind and Play buttons on the

Controls window to play back your sequence
again. The notes of the scale will play
precisely on the beats.
133
Rewind Play
4 Click the Save button to save the file.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You’ve just completed your first MIDI
sequence.
PROBLEMS
Keep in mind that there are many ways to edit If you follow the steps described in this
data. For more information, see Part 5, chapter you should be able to record, view,
“Editing” (page 337) in the DP User Guide. and edit a simple sequence. If, for some
reason, you have a problem, don’t panic. Try
SAVING YOUR SEQUENCE to pinpoint the problem with these steps:
The sequence you have recorded and edited is
currently stored in the Random Access If Digital Performer won’t run or displays an
Memory (or RAM) of your computer. You error message
should make a permanent copy of any work
See “Technical support” on page 1050 in
the DP User Guide for how to contact MOTU
you do with the Save and Save As commands
Customer Support.
on the File menu:
If Digital Performer runs, but doesn’t record
1 Select Save As from the File menu. (i.e. nothing appears in the Sequence Editor)
Try this:
A standard save dialog box appears.
1 Choose Quit from Digital Performer
2 Type a name for your file. menu.
Always try to use descriptive names, so you 2 Shut down your computer.
can identify your files later. “Simple Scale”
might be a good name for this file. 3 Make sure that your MIDI equipment is on
and correctly set up, and that the MIDI cables
3 If necessary, use the navigation controls in are working and firmly plugged into the
the window to select the correct disk on equipment.
which to save.
To test your MIDI cables, try a simple hook
If you are not sure how to do this, please up between two MIDI modules, or exchange
review your computer’s documentation. input and output cables.
134
4 Start the computer again, launch Digital If you can record a track and view the notes in
Performer, open a new file, and open the the Event List, but can’t get your sequence to
play back...
MIDI Monitor window (Studio menu). Check the volume and MIDI setting for your
MIDI instrument. Make sure the playback
The MIDI Monitor window shows incoming
destination in Digital Performer corresponds
MIDI data from your MIDI devices.
with the channel setting on your MIDI
device, otherwise the MIDI information will
not reach your synth.
Further troubleshooting
If these steps don’t help, you almost certainly
have a problem with your MIDI interface,
cables, or keyboard. Check with the dealer or
manufacturer for help on testing the
hardware. “Technical support” on page 1050
in the DP User Guide contains more
This indicator shows that MIDI data is being received from the Akai
MPK225 keyboard on channel 1. If none of these indicators blink when suggestions and instructions on how to
you play your MIDI controller, then something is wrong with the cables, contact MOTU Technical Support.
MIDI interface or the settings for the device in your MIDI device
configuration (Setup menu > Bundles > MIDI Devices tab).
5 Play notes on your MIDI controller and

watch the MIDI Monitor.
If no indicators blink, then Digital Performer

is not receiving any MIDI data, which
probably means that something is wrong with
the MIDI cables, MIDI interface, or other
connection.
6 Go through this chapter again.
Follow each step carefully; it’s easy to miss

something the first time through a program
of this scope.
135
136
CHAPTER 12 Tutorial 2: Recording Audio
OVERVIEW Second, software must be set up on the

These instructions show step by step how to computer to record that information. Playing
record and play back an audio signal in back digital audio from a computer is a
Digital Performer. Working through this reversal of that process. Software is set up to
tutorial is a good way of confirming that you play back a digital audio file. A path is set up
have correctly set up your computer audio from the digital audio file to a set of speakers
system. or headphones.
How it works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 An audio signal that you want to record into
Opening the tutorial file . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Digital Performer could come from several
Enabling audio hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 different sources. You may want to sing, talk
Using third-party audio hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 or play an acoustic instrument and record
Using built-in audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 that signal. You may have an electronic
Completing the audio hardware configuration . . 140 instrument that you want to record such as an
Choosing an input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 electric guitar or synthesizer. You may want
Preparing an audio track for recording . . . . . . . . . . 141 to play back an analog tape or even a vinyl LP
Establishing audio input and checking the level. 142 and record that audio into the computer. You
Monitoring the live signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 may also generate sounds inside the
Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 computer itself that you want to record into
Playing back the recorded track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Digital Performer. An example of this would
be a virtual instrument such as a software
HOW IT WORKS
synthesizer or sampler.
The procedure for recording an audio signal
into a computer can be broken into two basic To record an audio signal into Digital
steps. Performer, a path from the origin of that
signal into the software must be set up.
First, hardware must be set up to provide a
Conversely, for playback, the software
path for the audio signal into the computer.
settings must be correct and there must be a
path for the signal to reach speakers or
headphones.
137
OPENING THE TUTORIAL FILE Configure Hardware Driver window, it will
Locate the “Tutorial 2” Digital Performer be set to the built-in audio controller (as
project file found on the Digital Performer shown below). If not, make sure that it is:
installer disc (or at motu.com/download).
Copy it to your hard drive, then open the file.
You’ll see the Control Panel at the top of the

screen. Below that, click the Sequence tab to
view the Sequence Editor for Sequence 1
(Seq-1). These windows contain the basic
controls and information you will need to
record and play audio.
ENABLING AUDIO HARDWARE

The key to using any audio system is to follow
the signal flow. The first step is to get an audio
signal into the computer. You can choose
which audio inputs and outputs are available
to Digital Performer as follows:
1 Choose Setup menu>Configure Audio

System>Configure Hardware Driver.
Note that some Macs have separate drivers
2 The Configure Hardware dialog appears. for their built-in input & and built-in output,
so to use both simultaneously you must select
This window allows you to select the audio both by Command-clicking them. See
hardware that Digital Performer is currently “Enabling multiple drivers (Mac only)” on
using and to make changes to that hardware. page 31.
Refer to your computer platform below.
Windows
Mac OS Choose either ASIO or Windows Audio from
When Digital Performer is first installed in the menu at the top, depending on the audio
the computer, the software defaults to using hardware you have installed in your system. If
the computer’s built-in audio for audio input you haven’t installed a sound card or
and output. The first time you open the connected and audio interface, choose
138
TU TO R IA L 2: RE CO R DI NG AUD IO
Windows Audio to use the built-in audio inputs and outputs, monitoring inputs, and so
features of your PC. In the example below, on. Check the instructions that came with the
ASIO has been chosen for a MOTU M Series audio hardware for further details.
audio interface.
When using audio hardware, you’ll use your
audio interface for both input to Digital
Performer and output from Digital
Performer.
USING BUILT-IN AUDIO

If there is no additional audio hardware
connected to the computer, Digital Performer
can only record and play back audio via the
computer’s built-in audio.
In the Configure Hardware Driver window,

the computer’s built-in audio driver will be
selected by default.
USING THIRD-PARTY AUDIO HARDWARE Choosing a computer audio input
Digital Performer is compatible with a wide Some computers have more than one possible
range of third-party audio hardware. If you
input source for built-in audio. Use the
have additional audio interface hardware
Bundles window to specify the input.
connected to your computer, you can set
Digital Performer to use that hardware by Using the computer’s built-in speakers for
selecting the appropriate device in the output
Configure Hardware Driver window, as For the computer to send audio to its internal
shown above. By doing so, you will use that speaker or speaker output jack, the Output
hardware as the path for audio record and volume control must be unmuted and turned
playback. When you select the driver for your up.
audio interface, the Configure Hardware
Driver dialog will show the available settings WARNING: if you are using the
for that audio hardware, such as clock source computer’s built-in microphone and speakers
and sample rate. The audio driver may also for recording and playback, DON’T ENABLE
have additional software used to configure INPUT MONITORING by record-enabling
the hardware, such as enabling/disabling or input monitor-enabling the track. Doing
139
TU TO R IA L 2 : R E CO R DIN G AU DIO
so causes an immediate and VERY LOUD on whether you have installed software
feedback loop, due to the close proximity of synthesizers, samplers, or similar
the mac’s omni-directional microphone and applications.
the computer’s built-in speakers. To avoid
this feedback loop, plug in a pair of For the purposes of this tutorial, choose
headphones into the computer’s stereo mini- built-in audio channel 1.
headphone jack. See “Monitoring the live
signal” below.
COMPLETING THE AUDIO HARDWARE

CONFIGURATION
Regardless of what hardware you’re using, the
important thing to know is that what you
choose in the Configure Hardware Driver
window is what will be available as inputs and
outputs to Digital Performer.
After you have selected the audio hardware

inputs you want to use, click OK to close the
Configure Hardware Driver window.
CHOOSING AN INPUT
Now you will select an input for a mono
audio track. Mono audio tracks have a single
waveform icon next to their name. Click in
the Input column for a mono audio track, as Figure 12-1: Choosing an audio input bundle. In this example,
the New Mono Bundle sub-menu shows inputs from the
demonstrated below in Figure 12-1, and computer’s built-in audio hardware. The computer’s built-in
choose the New Mono Bundle sub-menu. audio input is being chosen as the mono input for the track.
If you wanted to record into a stereo track,

In the sub-menu, you will see a choice of
you would do the same thing in the input
whatever inputs have been made available
menu for a stereo track, except that you
from within the Configure Hardware Driver
would create a new stereo bundle instead of a
window. You might also see bus inputs, and
mono bundle.
possibly several other selections, depending
140
PREPARING AN AUDIO TRACK FOR Additionally, each audio track also has an
RECORDING Input Monitor button:
For an audio signal to get recorded into a
track, the track must be record-enabled. Look
for the record-enable button to the right of
the track name, after the play-enable button.
Press that button and it will turn red. The
track is now record-enabled and ready.
Figure 12-3: Input monitoring enable/disable.
The Input Monitor button enables audio

patch thru for the track, similar to record-
enabling. This is useful if you want to
monitor the signal, but not record it.
Figure 12-2: Record-enabling the track.
A track can have both its record and input
If the track does not yet display a record- monitor buttons enabled, though only one is
enable button as shown above, it needs to be necessary to enable audio patch thru for the
assigned a valid audio output. To do so, click track. However, it can be useful to engage
on the italic text in the Output column next to both. For example, enable input monitoring
the track (the italic text probably says to hear the live signal and practice before
something like Out 1-2). Choose the New recording a pass. Record-enable the track to
Stereo Bundle, and, for the purposes of this record a pass, then turn record-enable off
tutorial, choose Built-in Output 1-2 from the after the pass. With input monitoring still
sub-menu. enabled, you’ll still be able to hear the input,
but the track will be record-safe.
MONITORING THE LIVE SIGNAL
Record-enabling a track also enables audio For more information on monitoring input
patch thru for that track, meaning that the signals and the different Audio Patch Thru
audio signal that is present at the input of the modes, see “Audio input monitoring” on
track is patched to the output of the track page 249 in the DP User Guide.
(unless Studio menu > Audio Patch Thru is set
to Off).
141
ESTABLISHING AUDIO INPUT AND Mac users: if you are using the Mac’s built-in
CHECKING THE LEVEL microphone, you can adjust the input level in
Now check the input level of the signal you the Audio tab of the Audio MIDI Setup utility.
are about to record. Go to the Studio menu
and open the Audio Monitor, which appears PC users: if your PC has a built-in
in the sidebar, to the left of the Sequence microphone, use whatever controls Windows
Editor (Figure 12-4). The Audio Monitor provides to adjust its input level.
shows the level of signal as it gets recorded.
If you have a third-party audio interface, use
the input gain controls on it, if any. If it
doesn’t have input gain control, a simple
mixer or microphone preamplifier is a good
way to ensure that input levels are strong
enough without overloading.
Generally, software generated audio signals,

such as soft synths or samplers, will have
optimum level by default. On some soft
Figure 12-4: Seeing the input level in the Audio Monitor. synths or samplers you may also have settings
It is important that input level is strong available to control output gain.
enough but not so loud as to overload the
Note that the Mixing Board in Digital
input. When a track is record-enabled, it
Performer controls playback output from the
shows up highlighted in the Audio Monitor
program. It has no control over input level.
window. If there is a signal present at the
input of the record-enabled track, you will see
VU activity in the Audio Monitor window.
When you see this signal, you are ready to
record.
If the input signal is too loud or not loud

enough, you must change that level before the
signal reaches the input of the computer or
audio interface. Matching audio levels is
critical to getting a good recorded sound.
142
Setting the audio file destination that audio is being recorded. The Audio
The Audio Monitor window also lets you Monitor window will show the strength of the
select where on your computer that new signal as it gets recorded.
audio files will be created and shows you
available recording time on the destination
disk.
Double-click here to change

where the audio file to be
recorded will be placed.
Figure 12-5: If you want, you can change the destination of the
audio file that is generated by the record operation.
Figure 12-6: Recording audio.
For this tutorial, let’s use the location already
provided, but if you wanted to change it, you PLAYING BACK THE RECORDED TRACK
would click the take file name to select it and After you have recorded a signal, you can stop
then choose Set Take Folder from the Audio the transport and turn off the track’s input
Monitor mini-menu. monitor-enable and record-enable buttons.
Then rewind, and play: you should hear what
RECORDING you just recorded. The Mixing Board in
To put Digital Performer into record mode, at Digital Performer will allow you to adjust
least one track must be record-enabled, as output level of the recorded track.
you did earlier in this tutorial (Figure 12-2 on
page 141).
Now press the Record button in the Control

Panel and Digital Performer will start to
record. As Digital Performer records, you
should see the green wiper moving in the
Sequence Editor window. A red stripe will
appear trailing behind the wiper indicating
143
144
CHAPTER 13 Tutorial 3: Building a Sequence
WHAT’S IN THIS TUTORIAL Q You know how to call up sounds in your
In this tutorial, you will: MIDI gear, including a drum kit.

Q If you are using your controller keyboard
QCycle-record a drum loop and use the
MIDI Editor during recording as a sound source, you have turned off Local
Control. If you’d like a further explanation of
Q Apply a groove to the drum loop this, see “Disabling Local Control in your
Q Import an audio loop and adjust it so it MIDI controller keyboard” on page 146.
plays in time with your sequence Q It helps if you have gone through the
Q Step-record a keyboard part previous two chapters, but they are not
required.
Q Insert a bass line in the QuickScribe Editor
(notation window) by hand OPENING THE TUTORIAL FILE

Locate the “Tutorial 3” Digital Performer
You can stop at any time by choosing Quit
project file found on the Digital Performer
from the Digital Performer menu.
installer disc (or at motu.com/download).
TUTORIAL CHECKLIST Copy it to your hard drive, then open the file.
To make the tutorial as clear as possible, we
You’ll see the Control Panel at the top of the
assumed the following:
screen, and below that, the Sequence Editor
Q You’ve successfully completed the entire
for sequence 1 (Seq-1). These windows
installation section of this guide, including contain the basic controls and information
the setup of your MIDI configuration. you will need to start building your sequence.
Q You have a MIDI keyboard (or other MIDI SET UP MEMORY CYCLE RECORDING
controller) and a multi-timbral MIDI setup. Memory Cycle lets you build a section of
If you’d like a further explanation of this, see music by loop recording. We are going to
“Categorizing your MIDI setup: how many build a two-bar drum loop.
notes can you play at once?” on page 146.
1 If it isn’t already highlighted, click the
Memory Cycle button to highlight it.
145
Categorizing your MIDI setup: how many notes can you play at once?
Perhaps the most fundamental concept of MIDI sequencing is that the notes at once. For example, you can play a chord on them consisting of
sequencer itself produces no sound whatsoever. Instead, the sequencer 3 or more notes at one time. A device that can do this is referred to as
triggers synthesizers, which produce the actual sound. A sequencer polyphonic. Keyboards and sound modules produced in the late 1980’s
just records and plays back performance information: when notes were could typically play up to eight notes at a time (eight note polyphony).
played, what notes were played, how hard they were struck, how long Today, affordable hardware MIDI instruments play 32, 64 or more
they were held down, and so on. This is one of the reasons why notes at a time, and software MIDI instruments can have 256 note
sequencing is so powerful. It gives you incredible flexibility in working polyphony or more.
with instruments and sounds.
Many of today’s MIDI instruments are also multi-timbral, which
So the maximum number of notes you can play at one time when means that they can play different types of sounds at the same time.
sequencing in Digital Performer depends on your MIDI instruments For example, you may have a sound module that can play drums, bass,
(both hardware and software). piano, guitar, sax, synth pad, and a solo instrument all at once. Many
instruments can play up to 16 different sounds at once (one per MIDI
Only the most basic MIDI instruments are limited to one note at a channel), and some software instruments like MachFive can use 64
time, and fortunately, this type of instrument is a thing of the past for MIDI channels to trigger an unlimited number of parts.
the most part (unless by design, such as the BassLine instrument plug-
in). An instrument that can only play one note at a time is referred to To take full advantage of Digital Performer’s power, a multi-timbral
as being monophonic. MIDI setup is highly recommended. Even a single General MIDI
instrument or multi-timbral virtual instrument can give you an entire
Today, most keyboards, sound modules, synthesizers, and virtual orchestra at your fingertips in Digital Performer.
instruments (often referred to as a sound sources) can play several
Disabling Local Control in your MIDI controller keyboard

Local Control is a setting found on just about every MIDI keyboard connection is temporarily severed, and the keys no longer trigger
(unless the keyboard is just a controller and doesn’t have any onboard sounds within the synthesizer.
sounds of its own). It’s easier to understand what local control does if
When you are using your keyboard as a sound source as well as a
you first understand the basic architecture of a keyboard synthesizer.
controller with Digital Performer, turn Local Control off. (Consult the
Most keyboard synthesizers actually consist of two separate manual; it may be called “Local On” or “Local Off”.) Don’t worry,
components as shown below. The keyboard controller sends though. You’ll still be able to trigger sounds via Digital Performer’s
performance information to both the built-in synthesizer and the MIDI Patch Thru feature in the Studio menu, which echoes controller
MIDI OUT port. keyboard input to any sound source in your MIDI studio.
MIDI OUT
Sound Engine MIDI OUT MIDI IN
Keyboard
MIDI IN MIDI OUT
It’s easy to think of them as being one and the same, but actually, the
sound engine inside the synth is separate from the keyboard. In fact,
many synth manufacturers ship a rack-mountable version of their Sound Engine
popular keyboards that is simply the sound engine by itself, without
the keyboard. Often the unit fits a single rack space—sometimes even Keyboard
a half-rack space.
Local Control is the setting that connects the keyboard to the sound
engine. When Local Control is on, the keys on the keyboard trigger
notes in the sound engine. When Local Control is turned off, this
146
T U TO RI A L 3 : BU I LD ING A S E Q U E NC E
SET UP A METRONOME CLICK
When you first record in real time into
Digital Performer, you need a metronome
click so that you can play along with the
measures and beats in Digital Performer.
Memory Cycle
Actually, it is also possible to record without a
2 Click the Overdub Record button to click and afterwards line up the beats and
highlight it. barlines with your performance. For more
information, see chapter 63, “Record Beats”
Overdub record mode causes newly recorded (page 777) in the DP User Guide. But for
material to merge with data that is already in building our drum loop now, let’s play to a
the track instead of erasing and replacing it. click.
1 Make sure the Click is turned on.
The button turns yellow when the Click is on.

Try clicking the button a few times to toggle it
back and forth so you can see the difference
Overdub
between off and on.
3 Drag the Memory Cycle stop point to bar 3
in the Sequence Editor. Click
When Snap to Grid (Snap Information

window) is enabled, the Memory Cycle
marker snaps to barlines as you drag so you
don’t have to be exact. Digital Performer will 2 Set the tempo slider to a comfortable
now loop the first two bars indefinitely. recording tempo.
Memory Cycle stop marker A great thing about MIDI sequencing is that
you can record at a slow tempo and then
move up to full speed afterwards. Let’s set the
tempo control to about 80 bpm (beats per
minute). You can accomplish this by typing
the tempo or by dragging the mouse down in
the tempo control section.
147
TU TO R IA L 3 : B UI LD IN G A S E Q U E NC E
Rewind Stop After rewind, the Counter
button button returns to measure 1.
Tempo control
5 If you did not hear the Click during

3 To test the Click, press the play button and
playback, or if you feel that it won’t be loud
listen for the click sound.
enough during recording, see the side-bar
Digital Performer begins to play, looping the “Setting up a Click”.
first two measures. The main counter gives
you a running update, and the playback SET UP A ONE BAR COUNTOFF
Digital Performer can give you a countoff
location indicator scrolls in the Sequence
before you begin recording, just like a
Editor. Play for as long as you’d like.
conductor would, to get you into the tempo
before the first downbeat. In fact, as you
Play button Playback wiper loops Counter gives a
turns green between Memory running update probably know, it’s almost impossible to play
cycle markers
in time with the first downbeat without a
countoff.
By default, Digital Performer gives you a two-

bar countoff. But we are recording at a fairly
slow tempo, and we don’t want to have to wait
through a full two bars, so let’s change the
countoff to one bar.
1 Click the Countoff button once to turn it

on.
4 Press the Stop button to stop playback and
press Rewind to return to the beginning of
the sequence.
When you are done with this step, the

Counter should read measure 1, beat 1 as Countoff button
shown below.
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2 Option/Alt-click the Countoff button to
open the Countoff Preferences.
3 In the Countoff Options section, change

the 2 in the text box to a 1.
Setting up a Click
Digital Performer’s audio click uses audio files to generate a click 6. Make the Normal click settings in the same fashion.
sound of your choice.
The Normal click falls on beat boundaries within each
To set up an audio click: measure.
1. From the Studio menu choose Click Options. You can also 7. Set the overall click volume (for both Accented and Normal)
access this window by Option/Alt-clicking the metronome using the Master Volume slider.
icon in the Control Panel.
8. Click Done.
2. As soon as the Click Options window opens, you should hear a
click coming from your computer speaker. If not, enable the
Audition click option at the bottom of the window.
3. At the top left of the window, uncheck the MIDI check box and
check the Audio check box.
4. On the right, choose the audio file you would like to use for the
accented click from the menu provided. A number of files are
provided for you, but you may also use your own mono WAVE,
AIFF, or SDII file.
The accented click falls on the downbeats of measures.
5. Set the level of the click as desired.
In addition to Digital Performer’s audio click, you can use a drum 3. Double-click in the Pitch box to select it and either type the
machine, sampler, or other MIDI sound source to generate a click desired note or simply play the desired note on your controller
sound of your choice. keyboard.
To set up a MIDI click: 4. Set the note-on velocity (0-127) and gate (duration in millisec-
onds) as desired.
1. At the top left of the Click preferences window, uncheck the
Audio check box and check the MIDI check box. 5. Make the Normal click settings in the same fashion.
2. On the right, choose the device you would like to use for the The Normal click falls on beat boundaries within each
accented click from the menu provided. measure.
The accented click falls on the downbeats of measures. 6. Click Done.
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4 Check the “Countoff only when
recording” option. Record-
enable
button
This option causes Digital Performer to skip
the countoff when you click the Play button.
5 Click Done to confirm the new settings. 3 The MIDI track is assigned to Model12, a
drum module software instrument.
SET UP A TRACK FOR RECORDING
Let’s set up Track-1 for recording the drum If you would like, choose a different sound
loop. source that can produce a drum kit from the
Output menu for Track-1. Select your drum
1 First, rename Track-1 by Option/Alt- machine, sampler, or other device., keeping
clicking it. in mind that on many multi-timbral
synthesizers and sound modules the drum
Type in the name “Drums” and then press the kits can be found on MIDI channel 10.
return key to confirm your typing.
For more information on choosing an output
device and patch, see “Choosing a MIDI
output destination” on page 141 and
“Choosing a default patch (sound)” on
Shortcut: when you are naming several 4 Make sure there is a drum kit currently
tracks in a row, use the down arrow key to playing on the device and channel that you
finish with the current track and edit the next chose. Then test the track setup by playing a
one in the list. few notes on your MIDI controller; you
should hear drum sounds as you play.
2 Make sure that the Drums track is record-
enabled. When you play notes on your controller,
Digital Performer receives them and then
In this tutorial file, this track is record- echoes them to the playback device for the
enabled by default. If for some reason it is not, currently record-enabled track — even when
click its record button so that it is red. Digital Performer is stopped. At this point,
150
your controller should be playing the drum Drum Editor
kit source you selected (by default, the
Model12 instrument track).
If you’ve chosen a different sound source,

check the volume of the MIDI device. If it has
a MIDI activity indicator, check to see if the
indicator blinks when you play notes on your
controller. If you have a multi-port MIDI
interface such as a MIDI Express XT, see if
the MIDI OUT light corresponding to the
MIDI Device blinks when you play your 3 After the Drum Editor appears, use the
controller. These things will give you an controls shown in Figure 13-1 to optimize the
indication of whether the MIDI note position of the window on your screen. Be
information is reaching the device or not. sure to keep the Control Panel visible, as
you’ll need to use it during recording.
OPEN THE DRUM EDITOR
Let’s open the Drum Editor before we begin 4 Under the mini menu in the Drum Editor,
recording so we can see the notes we record. select ‘Show Pitches for All Notes” option so
the Drum Editor will create an instrument
1 Click the track name “Drums” to highlight
line for each pitch you play.
it.
Doing so selects the track.

QUANTIZING
Digital Performer records what you play very
2 Click the Drum Editor tab in the accurately, including every timing nuance.
Consolidated Window. Digital Performer’s real time, non-destructive
Quantize MIDI effect can be a great help
when recording drums, regardless of your
level of drum or keyboard chops. Quantize
places notes on an evenly spaced timing grid
so that they are played back in a rhythmically
precise fashion. This helps get notes on the
proper beat right as they are recorded so you
don’t have to spend time afterwards making
slight corrections.
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Don’t worry about sounding stiff or robotic;
we are going to apply a groove to the drum
loop a little later in the tutorial to give it some
feel.
1 Open the Mixing Board by selecting

Mixing Board under the Project menu, or by
clicking the Mixing Board tab in the
2 Locate the Drums tracks you renamed

earlier (it will be the record enabled one) and
select Quantize from the inserts.
If you’d like to quickly open the

window to the full width of your
screen, click the Zoom button.
Changes grid resolution.

A value of 1/4-note
means each grid cell
equals a single 1/4-
note. Mini-menu
Current output destination

for this drum track.
Drag the
Drag the median strip corner to
handle all the way down to resize the
temporarily hide the entire
continuous data grid (which window.
will be covered later).
Figure 13-1: Preparing the Drum Editor for recording so you can see what you are recording as you go.
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3 Select a 16th note quantize grid. Leave the 4 Close the Quantize window.
rest of the options alone for now.
This window could be left open, but for now,
click its close button at the far left of the title
bar, or press command-w.
AND NOW THE FUN REALLY BEGINS

You are ready to record! You’ll now build the
drum loop, one pass at a time. Try adding one
drum part at a time as described in the next
few sections, and feel free to let the loop play
as many times as you want before recording
the next part. If you make a mistake, you can
either fix it in the Drum Editor or erase the
pass entirely.
Scrolling wiper shows Kick and snare notes

playback position.
Figure 13-2: Recording the drum track.
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If you haven’t done this sort of thing before At this point, your drum sequence should
with a drum machine or other pattern-based look something like Figure 13-2 on page 153.
sequencer, you may find it useful to record Let’s change the edit resolution so we can see
related sounds together, such as kick and the drum notes on a 16th note grid.
snare, and closed hi-hat with open hi-hat.
After you begin recording below, try to

complete the drum loop without ever
stopping the music. We’ve set up the tutorial
so that you can fix mistakes, and do
everything you need to do without ever
having to hit the stop button. It’s fun, and
more importantly, you’ll learn to become
more interactive with the music.
RECORD KICK AND SNARE FIRST

Let’s start with the kick and snare:
1 Before you start recording, find the kick

and snare keys on your controller keyboard.
For the purposes of this tutorial, it doesn’t

really matter what you play. If nothing else,
play the kick “four on the floor” and the snare
on beats two and four.
2 When you are ready, click the Record

button, listen to the countoff, and play a two
bar kick-snare pattern.
3 If you make a mistake, don’t worry. Let the

loop keep playing for now and proceed to the
next section.
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FIX MISTAKES AND GET READY TO ADD ADD THE HI-HAT
THE HI-HAT PART To add the hi-hat part, let’s simply paint it in
Here are several things you might want to do the Drum Editor. We can certainly do this
next: while the drums are still looping, but it might
be easier to simply stop playback at this point.
What you want to do How to do it
Erase all the notes and start Choose Undo from the Edit
over menu.
1 Stop the transport by clicking the stop
button or typing ‘0’ on your numeric keypad.
Erase a wrong note Click it and press the delete key.
(On Windows, make sure the Num Lock key
is engaged before you type ‘0’ on the keypad.)
2 Add a new note line to the Drum Editor by

clicking in the pitch column in the blank line
under the last pitch.
Move a note earlier or later Click on a note and drag it to the
proper location.
Hear the drum loop at full Drag the tempo slider up to the 3 Enter in a value for a hi hat. This is usually
tempo desired tempo.
F#1, but it is easier if you audition notes on
Practice the hi-hat part Click the Record button to take your MIDI keyboard. After you have found a
without recording it yet Digital Performer out of record
and keep playing. hi-hat sound, press return.
Record the hi-hat part Click the Record button again to
put Digital Performer back into Add additional pitches, such as an open hi-
record mode and start recording hat sound (Bb1), in the same way.
at the next pass of the loop.
4 Now that you’ve created the hi-hat

instrument line, select the Pencil tool by
holding down the semi-colon key on your
keyboard (which invokes the Alternate tool)
and drag across a line of 16th notes in the
Drum Editor.
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Alternate tool (hold the semi-colon key)
record that perfect take, save it immediately.
Once saved to disk, you run much less of a
chance of losing your work, although even on
disk it can be lost. So back up your hard disk,
too.
The Pencil tool will also erase notes. To save your file:
Click on an open grid space to create a note,
1 Press the Stop button.
click on an existing note to erase.
2 Choose Save from the File menu.
A standard save dialog box appears.
3 Type in a name for the file.
4 If desired, choose a folder in which to save

5 Press the Play button in the transport (or the file.
hit ‘enter’ on your numeric keypad). You
should now hear your drum pattern with 5 Click Save.
16th note hi-hats.
SELECT THE LOOP AND APPLY A GROOVE
SAVE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE SO FAR Now that we’ve successfully recorded the
As you sequence, Digital Performer stores notes, let’s apply a groove to the drum loop to
your work in the computer’s memory. But give it some feel with the Groove Quantize
memory is volatile; it is completely erased command in the Region menu. You’ll use the
when the computer is shut down or restarted. commands in the Edit and Region menus all
If this happens unexpectedly (the computer the time.
crashes, or the power goes out), you loose
everything — unless you save it to disk. 1 Press the Play button to start playback
Therefore, get in the habit of saving every again.
time you reach a point where you like what
2 Set the tempo slider to a tempo around 100
you’ve got so far. Try to save every few
bpm.
minutes during a session so you never risk
losing more than a few minutes worth of This tempo suits the grooves we will apply in
work. If magic happens in a session and you a moment.
156
3 In the Mixing Board, choose an insert
located under your Quantize insert, select
Groove Quantize.
4 Double-click the folder called DNA

Grooves.
Grooves are stored in groove files. The DNA

Grooves folder has several files, called DNA
Grooves™.
5 You’ll now see a few groove files in the list

as shown below. Double-click the file labeled
“2•DNA Straight” to open it.
6 Now you’ll see a list of straight grooves.
7 Choose Straight Feel A. Now your drum

groove should have a bit more feeling to it.
8 Click on the disclosure triangle at the

bottom of the Groove Quantize effect
window. This will reveal an additional set of
controls.
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Since you already created and named the file
once already, it doesn’t ask you for a name this
time. Instead, it just saves the file to disk in its
current state.
ADD A GUITAR SAMPLE LOOP

Now let’s add a guitar loop to spice up our
track. To add an existing soundbite to our
project, open the soundbites window from
the Project menu.
9 Use the three faders to experiment with
changing the degree to which the groove is 1 From the File menu, choose Import Audio.
applied.
This will bring up the Open dialog box.
The three faders control how much timing,
2 Locate the tutorial loop file. It is located
velocity, and duration information is applied
inside a “Loops” folder in the Tutorial 3
from the groove. They let you fine-tune the
project folder. Double click on the “Guitar
effect of the groove. With Instant Preview
Loop” file to import it.
turned on, changes you make to a slider occur
as soon as you release the slider handle. To audition a file before you import it,
click the audition icon and select the audio
10After you’re done experimenting, and you
file. If you don’t see the audition icon, click
have the groove the way you like, you can
the Options button in the bottom left corner.
close the Groove Quantize window. Because
you are using real time MIDI effects, you can
always go back later and modify the settings
or remove the effect entirely.
11Press the Stop button to stop playback at

this time, and press rewind to rewind to Audition icon
measure 1, beat 1.
12Now would be a good time to save the file

3 Open the Soundbites list by choosing
again. Choose Save from the File menu.
Soundbites from the Project menu, or
pressing Shift-B.
158
4 Drag your imported loop into your 5 It is time to listen to the results. Hit play in
sequence by grabbing the handle in the Move the Control Panel. As you listen, you may
column. Dragging the soundbite to the left notice that something does not sound right.
side of the Sequence Editor will create a new The tempo of the loop we imported may not
track containing the soundbite, with the match the tempo of the rest of our sequence.
soundbite placed at the beginning of the
sequence (you can always reposition it after Let’s audition the soundbite and count how
you have dragged it into the track). many beats it is. Select the soundbite in the
Sequence Editor by clicking on it. It should
tell you it is selected by highlighting. Now
hold down the Option/Alt key and hit the
space bar. Digital Performer will play back
the selected soundbite. While the soundbite is
playing back, count the beats. If you don’t
catch it the first time, feel free to audition the
soundbite again.
6 At this point, you should have discovered

the loop is one bar long, or four beats. The
soundbite should still be selected so let’s tell
Digital Performer how long the loop is. To do
this, we open up the Set Soundbite tempo
dialog from the Audio menu > Soundbite
Tempo sub-menu.
7 Because we now know the selected

soundbite is exactly four beats long, enter 4
beats and zero ticks. Digital Performer should
now tell you the tempo of the selected
soundbite is 104.00 BPM. Click OK.
8 Now that Digital Performer knows the

tempo of the soundbite, we can do one of two
things: we can match the tempo of the
159
sequence to match the soundbite, or we can
time stretch the soundbite to match the
tempo. We’ll take the second approach.
9 In the track settings menu for the Guitar PREPARE TO RECORD A SECOND TRACK
Loop track (to the right of it’s play-enable Now let’s prepare Track-2 for recording.
button), choose Stretch so that it becomes
1 Record-enable Track-2.
checked (enabled). This causes the loop (and
all audio in the track) to be automatically There are two ways to do this: 1) click the
stretched to match the tempo of the sequence. track’s record-enable button, or 2) press the
down arrow key.
2 By default, the track is assigned to

Modulo-1.
If you’d like, choose a different playback

device for Track-2 from the Output menu and
choose a bright piano or bright synth sound
for the new track from the Default Patch
column (or call up the sound manually from
the device itself, if sound names are not yet
showing in Digital Performer’s patch menu).
For a review of this procedure, see “Set up a
10Press the play button and listen to the
track for recording” on page 150.
result. The tempo of the sample loop now
matches the tempo of your sequence. This is a 3 Rename the track “Chords”, as you did
handy technique to remember when working earlier in the tutorial, by Option/Alt-clicking
with sample loops. the word “Track-2” to and typing a new
name.
11Let’s copy the loop so the guitar sample is
also heard during bar 2. Click on the 4 Test the track by playing a few notes on
soundbite, hold the Option/Alt key, then drag your controller keyboard.
it to bar 2.
You should hear the synth sound for this
Since Snap to Grid is enabled, it will snap to track.
exactly bar 2 beat 1.
160
STEP RECORD ANOTHER PART
Step Record is a powerful sequencing feature
because it lets you record notes one at a time.
It is especially useful if you don’t have well-
practiced keyboard skills. We’ll use it to enter
some half-note chords:
1 Press the Rewind button to make sure that 4 Click the half note duration button.
the sequence is rewound to measure 1, beat 1.
2 To see what you are entering as a list of

Half
notes, click the track name for the “Chords” note
track and press Shift-E to open its Event List.
5 The first chord you’ll enter is a simple C

major triad (C-E-G) starting on middle C
(C3). To enter the chord, press these three
keys down together once and then release
them together.
C3
The first chord
The chord is actually entered when you

3 Choose Step Record from the Studio menu. release the keys. Notice that the current step
and the main counter advance the duration of
The Step Record window appears. If a half note to beat 3. In addition, Digital
necessary, move the Step Record window by Performer plays the first two beats of the
dragging its title bar so that it doesn’t obscure measure when you enter the notes so you can
the Event List. hear the chords in context with the rest of the
161
sequence. Notice also that the chord notes
displayed in the Event List are precise half
notes: they have a duration of two beats
(2|000) and all occur together exactly on beat
1 (1|1|000). The second chord
If you make a mistake, Don’t worry.

Press the Backstep button and try again.
The third chord
The fourth and last chord
7 At your leisure, play chords three (G

minor (11)) and four (F major again).
Be sure to completely take your hands off the

keys before playing the next chord. In fact, it
6 In a similar fashion, play the second chord:
is good technique when step-recording to
F maj (for beats 3 and 4 of measure 1).
play in a staccato fashion — almost as if you
Remember, when you are step recording, you were pecking at the notes. This ensures that
can take as much time as you want with each you won’t play too many notes on a beat.
step. Use the Backstep button if you make a
8 When you are done, close the Step Record
mistake and need to re-enter the chord.
window.
You now have two bars of chords in the

sequence.
162
9 To hear the chords play back in real time 4 We are going to change the third chord
with the drums, press the Memory Cycle located at measure two, beat one, from a G
button to turn it back on (Step Record turns it minor with an 11 in the bass (C) to a normal
off), press the Rewind button, and then press G minor chord. To do this, we have to move
the Play button. the bass C note up a major second to a D.
Note the current state of your Edit Grid

resolution (Snap Information window).
When the Snap to Grid check box is lit, any
change to the placement of the note will be
constrained to a grid.
5 Select the bottom note of the third chord.

Move it up two steps to D. With Audible
mode enabled (in the upper right-hand
corner of the Control Panel), you should hear
Two bars of step- the note change as you place it.
recorded chords.
Editing with the MIDI Editor

Let’s edit a note in the MIDI Editor. Audible
mode button
1 Select your Chords track you just recorded

by clicking on either the track name or the
MIDI data. The data should highlight to let
you know it is selected.
2 Open the MIDI Editor by clicking the

MIDI tab.
3 You now should have something like

Figure 13-3 on page 164. You may have to use
the pitch ruler scroll bar and horizontal zoom
buttons to match exactly.
163
Much of the functionality of the MIDI If you’d like, choose a different playback
Editor is also built into the Sequence Editor. device for Track-3 from the Output menu and
For more information, see chapter 38, choose a bass sound for the new track from
“Sequence Editor” (page 383) in the DP User the Default Patch column (or call up the
Guide. sound manually from the device itself, if
sound names are not yet showing in Digital
BASS PART Performer’s patch menu). For a review of this
Now let’s add one more track: a bass part. procedure, see “Set up a track for recording”
on page 150.
1 Back in the Sequence tab, Record-enable
Track-3. 3 Change the name of Track-3 to “Bass”.
2 By default, the track is assigned to the

BassLine-1 instrument track.
MIDI Notes
Use the magnifying

glass to scale the
vertical representation
of data.
Use the pitch ruler

scroll bar to scroll the
ruler and note grid to Use the zoom
the note range that buttons to scale
contains your chords. the horizontal
representation
MIDI Velocities of data.
Figure 13-3: Using the MIDI Editor.
164
Enter the bass part in the QuickScribe Editor
You’re now ready to enter the bass part. Let’s Mini-
menu
do it by inserting notes graphically in the
QuickScribe Editor. If you don’t read music
notation, don’t worry. You’ll still be able to
follow the tutorial here.
Quarter
note
1 Select the Bass track by clicking its name.
2 Click the QuickScribe tab in the

Consolidated Window to open the
QuickScribe window.
QuickScribe Editor tab

4 Place the cursor in the middle space on the
staff on beat one in the first measure.
Use the Cursor Information window (Studio

menu) as shown in the next picture to help
you position the cursor. Before you click, the
cursor information should read
“1|2|000 C4 • 72”.
You might find it helpful to zoom to

160-200% in the magnification menu at the
3 From the QuickScribe tab mini-menu, bottom of the QuickScribe tab.
choose the Tool palette. Click the quarter
note in the tool palette to select an quarter
We are entering the bass part in the
middle of the treble clef staff to avoid dealing
note duration. The cursor turns into a quarter
with lots of ledger lines below the staff. We
note.
will transpose the notes down to the proper
octave after we enter them. The clef with then
automatically change to a bass clef.
165
Click and hold to add the note and then move
Cursor Information Cursor
the mouse down slightly until you see “Bb” in
the cursor coordinate display. When you see
“Bb”, then you can let go of the mouse button.
Don’t worry about the rests, ties, and

beams. Digital Performer adds them
automatically.
5 Click the mouse to insert a quarter note on
beat two.
If you make a mistake, don’t worry. To

fix it, you have two choices: 1) choose Undo
from the Edit menu and try again, or 2) drag C4 at 1|2|000 Bb3 at 1|3|000
the note up, down, left, or right to the correct
pitch or location. To drag the note, click the 7 Now let’s enter an eighth note. Click the
notehead and drag as needed. eighth note icon in the tool palette and click
as shown below.
6 In a similar fashion, enter the next quarter

Eighth note
note on beat three of bar 1 as shown in the
next picture.
Click here (F3 at 1|4|000) to
Use the cursor information display to insert an eighth note
position the cursor at the proper beat and
pitch before you click. Notice also that the
cursor “snaps” to a grid to help guide you.
As we are entering a B-flat, you’ll have to 8 Now switch to half notes and we will enter
position the cursor over the ‘B’ line of the staff the final note of the measure. Position the
while you keep an eye on the cursor display. cursor at G3 1|4|240.
166
Click here (G3 at 1|4|240) to
Let’s transpose by interval down two octaves:
insert a half note as tied eighth
and doted quarter notes over 3 Play C4 on your MIDI keyboard so that it
the barline.
shows up in the highlighted “From” box on
the screen.
If you don’t get C4 on your first try, don’t

worry. Keep playing until you see “C4” appear
Note how Digital Performer automatically
in the box.
beamed the eighth notes and tied across the
bar-line. Let’s finish the last three notes as
4 Press the tab key once to highlight the
show below.
second box labeled “to”, and then play C2.
The dialog should now say “From C4 to C2”.
1/4 note Bb3 at 2|3|000

1/8 note G3 at 2|4|000
1/8 note Bb at 2|4|240
TRANSPOSE THE BASS PART TO THE

PROPER OCTAVE
For ease of entry, we entered the bass part on
a treble clef staff in the octave of C3 to C4,
which is too high. Let’s transpose it down to
the proper octave.
1 Choose Select All from the Edit menu to 5 Click Apply.

select all the notes.
The notes are transposed down two octaves.
Alternatively, you could press Command-A.
This convention works in just about every
window in Digital Performer.
2 Choose Transpose from the Region menu.
The Transpose window appears.
167
6 To switch the clef to a bass clef, refresh the
QuickScribe window by hiding & showing
the Bass track, or closing and reopening the
window.
Drag from here
The staff is automatically redrawn with a bass with the cross-
clef. Digital Performer automatically senses hair cursor…
the appropriate clef for each staff.
…down to here.
to select all the
data so far.
2 While holding down the Option/Alt key,

click the first bar of the drum track again —
You can print out the contents of the this time with the “double-finger” cursor —þ
QuickScribe window. For more information, and drag two columns to the right to drop it
see chapter 43, “QuickScribe Editor” in bar 3.
MAKE A FOUR BAR PHRASE

Let’s make our two bar loop into a four bar
phrase now by making a copy of it in bars 3
and 4. This sort of “macro” editing can be
done easily in the Tracks Overview.
1 Open the Tracks window. In the Tracks

Option/Alt-drag
Overview, move the cursor to the beginning the whole … to bar 3.
selection by
of the first bar of the Drums track such that it dragging this
turns into a cross hair; then drag down and to
the right over the last segment in the Guitar 3 Move the Memory Cycle end point to bar
Loop track. 5.
This selects the first two bars in all three

tracks.
168
4 Press Play and listen to your sequence.
THE NEXT STEP

Move on to Tutorial 4 to mix and finish your
sequence.
169
170
CHAPTER 14 Tutorial 4: Mixing and Finishing
WHAT’S IN THIS TUTORIAL

In this tutorial, you will:
Q Mix the sequence with the Mixing Board

Q Finish and bounce your project
You can stop at any time by choosing Quit
from the Digital Performer menu.
TUTORIAL CHECKLIST
To make the tutorial as clear as possible, we
assumed the following:
Q You’ve successfully completed the entire
installation section of this guide, including

the setup of your MIDI configuration.
Q It helps if you have gone through the first
three tutorials, but they are not required.

QGet the Tutorial 4 project folder from the
DP installer disc or at motu.com/download.
THE MIXING BOARD Each strip in the Mixing Board represents

Digital Performer’s Mixing Board provides a one track, and each track has its own controls.
comprehensive, flexible, and integrated These include inserts, sends, solo, mute,
mixing environment for your audio and record-enable, input monitor-enable,
MIDI, with real-time processing available automation play/record, pan, volume fader,
with audio, MIDI, and instrument plug-ins. and input/output assignments, though the
available controls vary a little based on track
type (audio, MIDI, aux, etc.).
171
You can use the Mixing Board in the audio and instrument tracks assigned to the
Consolidated Window body, the same output. The advantage of having the
Consolidated Window sidebar, or as an master fader in a separate V-Rack is that it
independent window. Each one has its remains the master fader when you are
benefit: working with multiple sequences in the
project.
Q In the Consolidated Window sidebar: this
is useful as a single-channel inspector while To adjust volume and pan for the drums,
editing. With the Scroll the Mixing Board to bass, chords and guitar, use the Model12,
the selection preference enabled (Preferences Modulo-1, BassLine-1 and Guitar Loop tracks.
> Consolidated Window), the Mixer will
update to follow the selected track. The Drums, Chords and Bass tracks are MIDI
tracks. Their volume faders won’t do
Q In the Consolidated Window body: this is
anything until you record automation (MIDI
the best configuration when mixing is the CC#7) later in the tutorial.
central task.
Q As an independent window: this is best for After you have the initial mix, you can start
advanced window layouts. For example, you automating it.
might need to see lots of faders at once, or you
AUTOMATED MIXING
may have two monitors with your main
Now let’s do some automated mixing.
editor on your first monitor and the Mixing
Board on the second. 1 Turn on automation playback for each
channel by clicking on the automation
START MIXING playback and gliding across all other channels
First, let’s set initial levels and panning in the
while holding down the mouse button. Do
Mixing Board. You can adjust as you playback
the same for automation recording.
to hear your changes as you make them. You
can adjust faders and pan knobs by clicking
and dragging them, or if your mouse has a
scroll wheel, by placing your mouse over
them and scrolling.
The Master-1 fader controls the main mix

volume. It is set up in a separate V-Rack
sequence, and it controls the volume of all
172
TU TO R IA L 4: M I XI NG A N D F IN IS H I N G
Some MIDI instruments don’t respond
to the MIDI messages sent by Digital
Performer’s Mixing Board (CC 7 for volume
and CC 10 for pan). If you don’t get any
response from your MIDI device as you
adjust the controls in the Mixing Board, this
is probably the case. The software
Click and hold down Glide over all automation buttons instruments included in this tutorial project
mouse button here while holding the mouse don’t respond to MIDI volume and pan. Use
the volume and pan controls on the
2 Start playback by pressing the space bar,
instrument tracks, rather than the MIDI
and adjust the mix as follows.
tracks.
To do this Do this
3 Turn off automation recording by gliding
Adjust a track’s Drag each track slider individually.
volume You can also press on the plus and back over the channels.
minus buttons, or click anywhere on
the slider to make a sudden jump.
4 After you’ve got the volume level and pan
Adjust panning Drag a knob up and down or left and setting you’d like for each track, stop playback
right. You can also click on the value
box below the knob and type in the and rewind to the beginning of the sequence.
desired value (between zero and 127,
where 64 is pan center).
5 Choose Take Automation Snapshot from
Solo or mute tracks Click their solo or mute buttons. Try
“gliding” (dragging) over the solo and the Region menu.
mute buttons. (It’s fun.)
Record a fader 1. Record-enable any empty track. The Automation Snapshot dialog has many
movement 2. Press the Record button. possible combinations, but for this step let’s
3. Move the fader you want to record.
When you record a fader, it generates a use All Time, Tracks Shown in Mixing Board,
stream of continuous controller data in
the track it controls. Since you are and Data Types Visible in Mixing Board.
Memory Cycle recording, be aware of
where you are in the loop as you record
so that you don’t overlap. For example, Doing so causes the Mixing Board to insert
try to start recording in bar 1 and
finish in bar 4. To start recording the volume and pan events in each track
slider, just grab it’s handle with the
mouse. To stop, just let it go. currently being displayed in the Mixing
Board (three instrument tracks, three MIDI
Watch a fader animate Just play the sequence.
after recording tracks, and an audio track). The data is placed
at the current location in the main counter.
173
TU TO R IAL 4 : MIX IN G AN D FI NIS HIN G
For more information on Snapshot 1 The first thing we need to do is open up
Automation, see “Snapshot automation” on the Sequence Editor. Locate the Guitar Loop
page 878 in the DP User Guide. in the Sequence Editor.
2 If you have not already done so, enable

automation playback by choosing play from
the automation menu.
3 Click on the Insert menu. You’ll get a list of

6 Open the Sequence Editor or the Event
all parameters available on that channel
List to view the volume and pan events just
including all automatable parameters for any
inserted.
effects inserted on the channel. We’ll enter in
Volume is controller #7 and pan is #10. some pan automation, so choose Pan.
4 Your cursor will turn into a Pencil tool.

Volume and pan controller events inserted Enter an automation point near the top of the
by the snapshot feature in the Mixing Board.
soundbite. This represents panning to the left
side, as indicated by the L on the ruler.
5 Enter an additional automation point at

the end of measure two, on the lower edge of
the soundbite, which represents panning to
DRAWING CONTROLLER DATA IN THE the right side.
SEQUENCE EDITOR
Now we are going to enter and edit some
additional controller data in the Sequence
Editor.
174
2 Now that the Mixing Board is displaying
the track selector, you may see that there may
be some tracks that are not visible. If the
Guitar Loop track is not visible, locate it in the
Track Selector and select it. The Guitar Loop
6 Press play to hear the resulting pan
track is now visible in the Mixing Board.
automation.
PLUG-INS Audio track inserts

Plug-ins allow for real-time processing. We’ve
already used instrument plug-ins and MIDI
plug-ins; now we’ll look at audio plug-ins.
You can add audio plug-ins to any track that
is passing an audio signal: audio, instrument,
aux, and master fader tracks.
1 Like many windows in Digital Performer,

the Mixing Board features a track selector
that allows you to show and hide specific
tracks. To open up the track selector, click the
track selector button in the lower left of the
Mixing Board.
‘Guitar Loop’ track
3 Real time audio effects work the same as

real time MIDI effects. Locate the insert slots
for your Guitar Loop channel and insert a
Phaser. While playing the sequence,
experiment with different effects settings and
effects chains. You can also add audio effects
Track selector button to instrument tracks after the instrument
plug-in insert.
175
BOUNCING TO DISK Although you’re unlikely to encounter it,
Bouncing to Disk does exactly as its name a small number of instrument plug-ins may
implies: it bounces multiple tracks down to a not bounce to disk directly; you’d need to
single audio file. Original tracks are render those instrument tracks as audio first,
preserved, and new audio files are created. by using Freeze Tracks or bussing their
output to a new audio track, then include the
Bounce to Disk is used to create a final mix of resulting audio in your selection when
your project, or whenever you want to mix bouncing to disk. (All of Digital Performer’s
multiple tracks down to a single soundbite. included instruments will Bounce to Disk.)
For more information on this, please see
1 Make a selection of audio and MIDI
chapter 85, “Bounce To Disk” (page 971) in
tracks. In this case, let’s press Command-A to
the DP User Guide.
Select All.
2 Choose Bounce to Disk from the File menu
(or press Control/Win-J). You will now see
the Bounce to Disk dialog.
3 There are a variety of options available in

the Bounce to Disk dialog for File Format,
Channels, Sample Format, what to do with
the resulting file, and so on.
You can use Bounce to Disk with audio and

software MIDI instruments; for external
hardware MIDI instruments, you’ll need to
record the audio output of those devices to
audio tracks first, then include those audio
tracks in your Bounce to Disk selection.
Let’s choose the following settings:
176
Q File Format: Project Format allows you to use the regular play, stop,
rewind, etc. commands in the Waveform
Q Offline Bounce: Enabled
Editor.
Q Channels: Same As Source
Q Sample Format: Project Default
Q Import: Add to Soundbites Window
Q Source: Tracks (make sure all tracks are
selected in the track list on the right)

Q File name: Tutorial 4 mix
You can also Bounce to Disk as an MP3; for
details, see chapter 85, “Bounce To Disk”
7 Press Play: Enjoy! You’re listening to your
4 Press OK and the Bounce will commence. completed mix.
5 When finished, you’ll see the new file in

the Soundbites window.
6 Double-click the Soundbite name to open

the Waveform Editor.
Make sure the play button in the upper left of

the Waveform Editor is enabled (blue). This
locks the Waveform Editor to Digital
Performer’s main transport controls, which
177
CONGRATULATIONS!
You now know enough about Digital
Performer to sequence your heart out. Believe
it or not, we’ve only scratched the surface.
Digital Performer has many powerful
features. We strongly urge you to check out
the Digital Performer User Guide. You’ll
probably find features not covered in this
Getting Started book that will be of
immediate use to you. Enjoy!
178
Part4
More Information
CHAPTER 15 Frequently Asked Questions
OVERVIEW How do I change the input and/or output on

This chapter provides answers to frequently multiple tracks simultaneously?
Select the desired tracks, then choose Studio
asked questions, organized by topic.
> Track Assignments (or press Option/Alt-A).
Setting up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 If you don’t see the inputs or outputs available
Becoming familiar with DP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 that you wish to use, go to the Bundles
Recording and playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 window and create bundles for them.
Editing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Mixing and Finishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 See “Making I/O assignments for
Plug-ins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 multiple tracks” on page 155 in the DP User
Virtual instruments (“soft synths”) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Guide.
SETTING UP Why do I get a “no outputs enabled” error when

launching Digital Performer?
On Windows, the buffer size setting is grayed
out in the Configure Hardware Driver dialog If your computer has separate drivers for
(Setup menu). Why? input and output, and only the input driver
Some ASIO drivers don’t allow host has been enabled in Digital Performer, you’ll
applications to change their buffer size get an error telling you that there are no
setting. In this case, click the Configure Driver outputs enabled. Open the Configure
button (Figure 4-1 on page 27) to launch the Hardware Driver dialog and enable both the
hardware’s console software to make the input and output drivers.
setting there.
See “Enabling multiple drivers (Mac
How do I configure my audio inputs and only)” on page 31.
outputs?
Use the Bundles window (Studio menu). See How do I change the tempo, meter, or key of my
“Bundles window” on page 92 and “Bundles” project?
on page 131 in the Digital Performer User The two most common tempo modes are the
Guide. Tempo Slider and the Conductor Track. To
change the tempo mode, click the Tempo
menu to the right of the tempo value.
181
For information on these and other tempo QuickScribe Editor, and altered with the
modes, see “Tempo Controls” on page 221 in commands found under Project menu >
the DP User Guide. Here are brief overviews Modify Conductor Track.
of the Tempo Slider and Conductor Track
How do I hear a click or countoff?
modes. To configure a metronome click:
Tempo Slider: 1 Choose Click preferences from the Studio
menu, or Option/Alt-click the Click button in
Q The tempo can be set using the slider or the
the Control Panel.
tempo text field in the Tempo Control section
of the Control Panel (beneath the counters). 2 Choose the type of click you want to hear:
MIDI click or audio click (for information on
Visual Punches, see “Visual Punches” on
page 265 in the Digital Performer User
Guide). You can enable one or the other, or
both.
The meter is set at 4/4 in Tempo Slider mode,
and a key of no sharps or flats. To switch to For a MIDI click, choose a MIDI device,
other meters or keys, use Conductor Track channel, and note; for an audio click, choose
mode. In Tempo Slider mode, there is one the audio output and click file (mono AIFF,
tempo, beat, and meter for the whole WAVE, or SDII).
sequence. If you need changes throughout
your sequence, use Conductor Track mode. If you are using MIDI Only mode, the
audio click routing option is not available; the
Conductor Track: click & countoff will then be automatically
routed to a device in your MIDI
Q In Conductor Track mode, Digital
configuration (in the Bundles window MIDI
Performer follows the Conductor Track for
Devices tab).
tempo, meter, and key changes. Each type of
event can be inserted and manipulated in a 3 To audition the click to hear what it will
number of ways. The Conductor Track can be sound like, check the Audition click option in
edited in the Tracks Overview, Event List, the lower left; it will audition at the current
MIDI Editor, Sequence Editor, and tempo.
182
FR E Q U E NT LY A S KE D Q U E S T IO N S
4 Close the Preferences window, then enable To Print the key commands, open the
the Click button in the Control Panel. Commands window and choose Print from
the File menu. Note that you can collapse any
To configure a Countoff: section by clicking its disclosure triangle
(holding option while clicking a disclosure
1 Open the Preferences and choose Countoff
triangle collapses or expands all sections at
from the list on the left, or Option/Alt-click
once).
the Countoff button in the Control Panel.
For more information, see “Commands” on
2 First, set the number of measures and
beats for your countoff; the default is 2
measures, 0 beats. BECOMING FAMILIAR WITH DP
I’m familiar with an older version of Digital
3 Next, choose whether you want to have a Performer. What changes have been made?
Countoff all of the time, or only when If you are familiar with Digital Performer
recording. version 5 or earlier, some user interface
elements have changed in Digital Performer
4 Audition the Countoff in the same way as version 6 and later. For information on these
the Click: enable the Audition Countoff box in changes, please refer to the “Users of previous
the lower left. versions of Digital Performer” page in DP’s
online help files (Help menu > Digital
5 Close the Preferences window, then enable
Performer Help).
the Countoff button in the Control Panel.
RECORDING AND PLAYBACK
How do I view or change key commands? MIDI input is not recording. What should I do?
Open the Commands window from the Setup Here are some things to try if you are not able
menu (or press Shift-L). You can scroll the list to record MIDI into Digital Performer:
to find the command you are looking for, or
you can search using the text box at the top. Q Make sure the MIDI input light of your
To enter a new key command, click in the Key MIDI interface is lighting up when you play
1 column, and press the desired key your MIDI controller keyboard. If not, check
combination. you have a MIDI cable going out of the
keyboard into the interface.
You can save or load sets of key bindings via
the mini-menu’s Export and Import Q Try a different MIDI cable.
commands.
183
FR E Q U E NT LY A SKE D Q U E S TI O NS
Q Make sure your keyboard is set up to Local How do I use my USB MIDI keyboard with
Off or Local Control: Off mode, and Digital Performer?
Some MIDI controller keyboards have USB
configured to send out MIDI notes. If you
connections that allow them to connect
have other MIDI keyboards or modules with
directly to the computer, instead of through a
a MIDI IN connection, try connecting the
MIDI interface.
MIDI OUT of your controller directly into
the MIDI IN connection of one of those
Some keyboards will be recognized automat-
pieces of MIDI gear: does it receive MIDI
ically. Once connected via USB, they will
notes?
simply appear as an input option (when using
Q Check that the interface and MIDI Multi Record) and an output option (if the
keyboard is properly configured in your keyboard has MIDI output ports).
MIDI device configuration (Setup menu >
Bundles > MIDI Devices tab). If the keyboard isn’t automatically
recognized:
QOpen the MIDI Monitor window (Studio
menu) to see if Digital Performer is receiving 1 Install the drivers and software provided
MIDI data from your controller. by the keyboard’s manufacturer.
Q Click the Set All button in the Input Filter
2 When that is successful, you will see the
and View Filter windows to enable all MIDI keyboard in your MIDI device configuration
data to be recorded and viewed. (Setup menu > Bundles > MIDI Devices tab).
Q Check that you are not in MultiRecord It will appear similar to a MIDI interface,
mode, or if you are in MultiRecord that you with its MIDI ports displayed on the bottom
have specified the specific input and channel of the device.
your controller is transmitting on.
3 Choose Add New External Device from the
Q Try using the MIDI Keys window (Studio MIDI Devices menu, and double-click the
menu). Open the MIDI Keys window and New external device to open its Device
press any letter in the “ASDF” row of your Properties window.
computer keyboard. You can also click the
keys on-screen in the MIDI Keys window. 4 For Device Name, type the name of the
keyboard (this name is what it will be referred
to as in DP).
184
5 Hit Apply and close the Device Properties Q Have you connected the audio output of
window. the MIDI device to an input on your audio

interface? This must be done to bring the
6 Draw a connection in and out of this audio output from the MIDI device back into
device to the keyboard that originally your Digital Performer project.
appeared (the one with the ports on the
Q Have you created an audio or aux track in
bottom).
your sequence that corresponds to the
Now when you choose MIDI inputs or hardware input you’ve connected the MIDI
outputs in Digital Performer you will be able device’s output to? Make sure the input and
to choose your USB MIDI keyboard. output assignments are valid and that the
track is not muted.
MIDI input is recording, but I can’t hear my
MIDI instrument. Q Try listening directly to the MIDI device’s
If you’re sending MIDI to a virtual output, perhaps from its headphone output.
instrument on an instrument track in Digital Do you hear output there?
Performer:
Q If the MIDI device responds to MIDI
Q Make sure the instrument track has its

volume messages (CC 7), try adjusting the
output assigned to a valid audio bundle. If the MIDI track’s fader in the Mixing Board to
output assignment is italicized then it is send MIDI volume messages to the MIDI
invalid; reassign the output to a valid bundle. device.
Q If the MIDI device doesn’t respond to
QMake sure the instrument track is not
muted. MIDI volume message, make sure the volume
control on the hardware is turned up.
Q If the instrument is multi-timbral, make
Q If the MIDI device has multiple audio
sure that you’ve assigned your MIDI track to
the correct MIDI channel. outputs, check that the MIDI channel you are
triggering is assigned to the desired outputs
If you’re sending MIDI to a hardware MIDI on the device.
instrument:
Audio input is not recording.
Q Make sure the input meters on your audio
interface are lighting up when you send input.

If they’re not, check that you have audio
cables connected properly.
185
Q Try a different cable or microphone. For and from the track pop-up menu available at
condenser microphones, make sure that you the bottom of the channel strip in the Mixing
have phantom power enabled. Board).
Q Try using a different input on your Q Open the Meter Bridge (Studio menu).
interface. If you have one, try a different Enable all items along the left side, and
interface. examine the signal chain to see where the
problem may be.
Q Check that the audio interface is properly
configured. For example, if you can enable or I press play and I do not hear anything.
disable inputs on the interface, make sure that Q Make sure that the outputs your tracks are
the input you want to use is enabled. assigned to are the outputs you are
monitoring from. For example, if you are
Q Make sure that the inputs your tracks are
monitoring from an 828mk3’s Main Outs,
assigned to are the inputs you are recording make sure your tracks are assigned to Main
from. For example, if your microphone is Out 1-2.
connected to Mic/Guitar 1 on an 828mk3,
make sure your audio track is assigned to Q Are your output assignments in italics?
Mic/Guitar 1. Make sure that your audio interface is being

seen in the Setup > Configure Audio System >
Q Are your input assignments in italics?
Configure Hardware Driver window, and that
Make sure that your audio interface is being it is the selected driver. If it is being seen,
seen in the Setup > Configure Audio System > open Studio > Bundles and make sure that the
Configure Hardware Driver window, and that bundles you have are assigned the outputs
it is the selected driver. If it is being seen, you want.
open Studio > Bundles and make sure that the
bundles you have are assigned the inputs you Q Are the tracks muted in the Mixing Board?
want. Q Is Solo Mode engaged?
Q Is the track record-enabled? Q Are the tracks enabled? Make sure the
Q Is the track enabled? Make sure the Enable Enable column in the Tracks Overview is
column in the Tracks Overview is enabled enabled (the Enable item is also accessible
(the Enable item is also accessible under the under the Track Settings menu in the
Track Settings menu in the Sequence Editor, Sequence Editor, and from the track pop-up
menu available at the bottom of the channel
strip in the Mixing Board).
186
Q Is the Master Fader and main outs of your A limited number of virtual instruments may
audio interface or mixer turned up? not Bounce to Disk. If so, you can use the
Freeze command:
Q Speakers on? Volume turned up on your
speakers and/or amplifier? Q Highlight the instrument track that your
Q Everything plugged in the way it should instrument is on

be? Try different cables, headphones, or Q Highlight the MIDI tracks that are
speakers. assigned to that instrument track
Q Open the Meter Bridge (Studio menu).
Q Choose Audio menu > Freeze Selected
Enable all items along the left side, and Tracks. The audio output of the instrument
examine the signal chain to see where the will be recorded onto a new audio track.
problem may be.
If your MIDI sequence is using sounds from
Q Try bypassing plug-ins to see if an effect is another application (like Reason, etc.):
altering your audio in a way that it cannot be
heard. Q Add a stereo audio track or mono audio
How do I convert my MIDI sequence to Audio? track.

MIDI is a language and does not contain Q Set the input to be the outputs of whichever
audio in and of itself, rather it gives application you are sending from.
commands and triggers MIDI devices to play
sounds and controller information. For example, if you are using Reason, add a
stereo audio track and set the input to be
If your MIDI triggers sounds that are Reason Main: L-R, or any specific output that
generated from an external sound source your Reason rack unit is outputting to.
such as a MIDI sound module, synthesizer, or
sampler, then you will need to connect the After I record some audio, the soundbites
disappear. OR I playback my project and I hear
analog or digital outputs of that device into the audio, but I don’t see any soundbites.
your audio interface to record the audio onto Open the View Filter (Setup menu), and
an audio track. make sure that the box next to Soundbites is
checked.
If your MIDI sequence uses sounds from
virtual instruments, you can simply select the
MIDI tracks and use Bounce to Disk.
187
EDITING How do I mixdown my project to a stereo file?
Why is my track name underlined in the Use the Bounce to Disk command. See
Sequence Editor? “Bouncing to Disk” on page 176 for a quick
When a track name is underlined, it indicates introduction, and see “Bounce To Disk” on
that the track is frame-locked. This is also page 971 in the DP User Guide for in-depth
indicated by a lock icon in the Tracks List. For detail.
more information, refer to “Lock button” on
page 184 in the DP User Guide. How do I burn a song made in Digital
Performer to a CD? (Mac only)
Why do my crossfades have a blue or red Refer to “Bouncing to a CD or disk image
outline? (Mac only)” on page 979 in the DP User
Fades and crossfades are normally the same Guide.
color as the soundbites underneath, as are the
fade outlines. Two special colors are used to How do I export as an MP3?
indicate problems: To take a finished mix done in Digital
Performer and convert it to an MP3, follow
Q Blue fade outlines mean that there is not these steps:
enough audio to compute the fade
1 Prepare the project as if you were
Q Red fade outlines mean that the faded
bouncing down to any other format, such as
audio is clipping.
WAVE, AIFF, etc. See “How do I mixdown
For more information, see “Fades that cannot my project to a stereo file?”
be fully computed” and “Clipping when
crossfades are calculated” in chapter 50, 2 After choosing File menu>Bounce to Disk,
“Fades and Crossfades” (page 669) in the DP select LAME Audio Export: MP3 as the
User Guide. Format. Give the file a name, and choose the
location where you’d like the file to be saved.
MIXING AND FINISHING When you press OK, you’ll see a second
Why are the meters in the Mixing Board labeled dialog with some options for the MP3 you are
as +/-48 dB? creating. If you don’t have any preference for
When an audio track’s meter scale is labeled these settings, just use the default settings.
as +/-48 dB instead of -48 to +6 dB, the track Press OK in this dialog, and the file will begin
is in Trim Touch or Trim Latch automation bouncing.
mode. For more information, refer to “The
Trim modes” on page 872 in the DP User
Guide.
188
3 After the bounce is complete, you can How do I force Digital Performer to rescan my
open this file in your MP3 player software of VST and Audio Unit plug-ins?
Open the Plug-in Preferences, select the
choice, such as iTunes.
desired plug-ins, and hit Reexamine. For
You can also export any soundbite in the more information on managing your plug-
Soundbites List as an MP3. Select the desired ins, see “Audio plug-in preferences” on
soundbites and choose Export Selected page 915 in the DP User Guide.
Soundbites from the mini-menu. Choose
How do I use RTAS plug-ins?
LAME Audio Export: MP3 from the File
RTAS plug-ins are not supported.
Format menu.
VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS (“SOFT SYNTHS”)
How do I back-up a Digital Performer project?
How do I use virtual instruments (“soft synths”)
To backup the data for your entire Digital in Digital Performer?
Performer project, use the File > Save A Copy Digital Performer includes six virtual
As command. Make sure to check the instruments, and you can also use third-party
Duplicate audio and copy shared samples to MAS, VST and Audio Unit instruments. To
project option. This will take all of the audio use a virtual instrument in DP:
files that your project is using and make a
copy of them into the new project’s Audio 1 Add an Instrument Track (Project menu >
Files folder, and also copy any samples you Add Track > Instrument Track).
are using with nanosampler or Model12.
2 Choose the desired instrument from the
Digital Performer supports WAVE and AIFF Instrument Tracks list, and it will create an
files. For the most broadly compatible back- Instrument Track for it.
ups, using WAVE files is recommended.
3 Next, add a MIDI track; you’ll see the
PLUG-INS virtual instrument you just added in the list of
How do I use MAS, VST and Audio Unit (AU) outputs.
plug-ins?
See chapter 17, “Instrument Tracks” 4 Assign the output of the MIDI track to the
(page 159) in the DP User Guide and instrument you just created.
chapter 75, “Audio Effects Processing”
(page 911) in the DP User Guide. 5 Record enable the MIDI track and the
instrument will be receiving MIDI data.
189
For more information, see chapter 17, After the bundles are created, you can create
“Instrument Tracks” (page 159) in the DP an aux track or an input monitor-enabled
User Guide. audio track with that same bus as the input.
I closed the window for my virtual instrument, Input monitor-enabled audio tracks have the
how do I open it again? benefit of being able to switch between
In Digital Performer’s Mixing Board (Project
monitoring and recording audio easily. For
menu, or press Shift-M), locate the
example, while composing you will leave the
instrument track. The first insert will be
track input monitor-enabled, but once the
tinted yellow; this is the instrument plug-in.
part is finished you can record-enable the
Double-click this yellow insert to open the
audio track and record the instrument’s
instrument’s interface.
output in real-time. This is particularly
advantageous when you have many outputs
Alternatively, you can open the Effects
from one instrument, as you can record all of
window (Project menu, or press Shift-F) and
them to their corresponding audio tracks at
select your instrument track from the first
once.
drop-down menu. You may also double-click
an instrument track name in the Tracks
Under macOS, how do I access the QuickTime
window to open its instrument plug-in General MIDI sounds in DP?
interface. Digital Performer can access QuickTime’s
GM sounds in two ways: via the Apple
How do I use multiple outputs from my virtual Software Synth or the Apple DLSMusicDevice.
instrument?
To use multiple outputs from Digital
Using the Apple Software Synth
Performer’s included MAS instrument plug- 1 Go to Setup menu > Interapplication MIDI
ins, VST instruments, Audio Unit
instruments, and separate applications, see 2 Check the box for “Software Synthesizer”
“Multiple audio outputs” on page 922 in the
DP User Guide. 3 Select the resolution at which you’d like the
sounds to render. If you’re just using the
Some MAS instruments tap directly into DP’s QuickTime GM sounds as a “scratch pad” or
internal busses. For such instruments, assign a quick reference, try the lower resolutions.
the part to the desired bus in the instrument
plug-in window. 4 Go to Project > Add Track > MIDI Track.
190
5 Assign the output of this MIDI track to
any of the 16 channels of “Apple Software
Synth”.
6 You will hear this MIDI track’s output

from the hardware device you have selected
for “Default Output” under Audio MIDI
Setup. If you don’t hear anything, go back to
Setup menu > Interapplication MIDI and
uncheck and re-check “Software Synthesizer”.
One advantage to this method is that you can

use it while Digital Performer is in MIDI
Only mode.
Use the Apple DLSMusicDevice

1 Go to DP’s Project menu > Add Track >
Instrument Track > Apple: DLSMusicDevice
(stereo)
2 Assign this instrument track a valid stereo

output bundle.
3 Go to Project > Add Track > MIDI Track.
4 Assign the output of this MIDI track to

any of the 16 channels of “DLSMusicDevice-
1”.
One advantage to this method is that you can

add a second DLSMusicDevice instrument
track, and have 16 more channels of GM
sounds. You can add as many DLSMusic-
Device instrument tracks as you need.
191
192
CHAPTER 16 Additional Resources
OVERVIEW You can also use the text search feature in

This Getting Started guide is just the your PDF viewer to find all instances of the
beginning. There are a variety of resources text string you are searching for in the
available to help you get the most out of manual.
Digital Performer.
HELP TAGS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) Digital Performer provides “tool tip” help tags
Refer to the previous chapter starting on to help you identify the names of buttons,
page 181 for frequently asked questions controls, and other window elements. Place
(FAQs). your mouse cursor above an item for a few
seconds and the help tag will appear. Some
THE DIGITAL PERFORMER USER GUIDE items also have extended descriptions that
The Digital Performer User Guide is a can be accessed by holding the Command/
comprehensive resource for all of the Ctrl key while viewing the help tag. To turn
windows, functions, commands, and options off help tags, uncheck Help menu > Show Help
in Digital Performer. It is provided in printed Tags.
form and on-line form in the Help menu.
There are a number of ways to quickly locate MOTU.COM
information. Our web site is continually updated with new
resources and downloads to complement
If you want information on… look in the… Digital Performer and other MOTU
A broad topic (ex: “Editing”, “Mix Contents at a Glance products. RSS feeds are provided to help you
Automation”, “the Sequence Editor”) keep up-to-date with new content.
A specific topic (ex: “Editing during Contents
playback”, “Tempo-locked, beat- Tech Notes
based automation”, “Scrubbing in the
Sequence Editor”) Tech Notes are short pieces of technical
information, usually in the form of a
A specific command, window, Index
dialog, tool, etc. (ex: “Change question, such as Do I need an external drive
Tempo”, “Pencil tool”, “Edge Edit
Copy“) to record audio with a laptop?, and so on. Tech
notes sometimes cover late-breaking
information not found in the manual, so if
193
you have a question you may want to search Other resources
the tech notes for an answer even if you have Links to additional resources, such as books,
your manual handy. The answers to many tutorial movies and links to MOTU-related
common questions can be found in the tech social media can be found at motu.com.
notes, so try searching the tech notes before
contacting tech support:
motu.com/techsupport/technotes
Downloads
Keep up-to-date with the latest software
updates for Digital Performer with our
downloads section: motu.com/download.
Training webinars
These helpful seminars cover a wide variety
of topics, from basic operation to advance
applications. Visit:
motu.com/en-us/products/software/dp/
webinars/
Tech Support
If you have a question or problem that isn’t
answered or resolved with the above
resources, registered users should contact
technical support. If you haven’t already done
so, you should register your copy of Digital
Performer online at www.motu.com/
registration. For more information on
contacting tech support, please see
“Technical support” on page 1050 in the DP
User Guide.
194
A D D ITI O NA L R E S O U RC E S
Index MIDI Devices tab 16 Digital Performer
Buses overview 49
32-bit operation 9 setting number of 33 starting 125
64-bit operation 9
A C
Cache (Audio Performance) 37
EEdit windows 65
AAF 77 Calibrating audio input/output 35 Editing
Apple Channels audio 60
retina display support 10 playback 126-127 Counter 72
ASIO drivers 28 Click 128-129 Event
AU (see Audio Units) Clips window 86 Editing windows 130
Audio Clock Source 29 Event List window 130
input/output timing 35 Close All Edit Window command 66 note events 130-133
interleaved 55 Close All Effect Windows command 67 View Filter 131
MIDI Setup utility 22 Close All Windows command 67 Expansion board setup 19
Audio data Close command (Window menu) 66
FFAQs 181
amount of recording time 58 Configure Audio System
how it is recorded 55 Configure Hardware Driver 27
Audio files Configure Studio Settings 33
creation of 55 Fine-tune Audio I/O Timing 35 File menu
defined 59 Configure Hardware Driver 27 Revert to Saved 77
hard disk requirements 59 Buffer Size 30 Save 77, 134
how recorded 55 Clock Source 29 Save A Copy As 77
size on disk 58 enabling multiple drivers 31 Save As 77, 134
stereo file size 59 Follow System Audio Settings 28, Files
Audio Performance window 36 31 Save As 134
Audio System Master Device 28 saving files 134
MIDI Only 13 Sample Rate 29 saving sequences 134
MOTU Audio System 13 Work Priority 31 Filters
Audio System Clock (see Clock Source) Configure Studio Settings 33 View Filter 131
29 Automatic plug-in latency (delay) Fine-tune Audio I/O Timing command
Audio track compensation 34 35
defined 61 Prime Milliseconds 33 Follow System Audio Settings option 28,
Audio Units Stereo buses 33 31
delay compensation 34 Consolidated window 80
effects window overview 116, 118
scanning 12
Content Browser 90
Contextual menu 69
G
Getting Started 125-135
Auto-locating 72 Control Panel 66
H
Automatic Plug-in Latency countoff 128
Compensation 34 Core MIDI 22
Counter window Hard disk
B
Back-ups 77
editing 72
Countoff 128
optimizing 25
recommendations 59
Creating a project 76 recording explained 56
Big Sur 9
Customer support 11, 135 requirements 59
Bring All To Front (Window menu) 66
contacting 10 size of files on disk 58
Buffer Size 30
Hardware
Built-in audio
improving performance 25
input/output timing 35
D
Delay compensation 34
requirements 15
setup 15-20
Help menu
Bundles window
195
IN DE X
Show Help Tags 193 MIDI Monitor window 135 scanning Audio Units
Hide Left/Right Sidebar command 66 MIDI Only 13 Pop Out of Consolidated Window 66
MIDI Sequencer Ports (MIDI) 19
IInterapplication MIDI 20 description 50
Mini-menu 64
Pre-generation (pre-gen) 36
Prime Milliseconds 33
Modifier keys 67 Project folder
Render quality 21 Monterey 9 defined 59
Software synthesizer 21 MOTU Project menu
Interface 15-20 Audio System (MAS) 25 Content Browser 90
Interleaved format 55 MachFive 146 Push Window to Back command
MOTU Audio System 25-37 (Window menu) 66
K defined 61
Keyboard commands 70-71
Customizing 71
Fine-tune Audio I/O Timing 35
improving performance 25 Q
Quantize 133
Keypad input/output timing 35
System requirements 9
R
troubleshooting 73
Mouse techniques 67
LLast Window command 66 MusicXML 77 RAM

freeing up RAM for Digital
Latency compensation 34 N
New project 76
Performer 26
increasing available RAM 33
recommendations/requirements
M
Mac
Next Window command 66
Non-destructive editing 60
Random Access
9
defined 57
built-in audio performance 25 Non-interleaved 55 defined 56
requirements 9 Note events Real time (Audio Performance) 36
MachFive 146 Event List window 130-133 Recording 129
macOS 9 Num Lock Key (Windows) 73 Record-Enable button 125
Audio MIDI Setup 22 Numericals 71 Recording offset option 35
Core MIDI 22 Region
O
MAS (MOTU Audio System) 25 defined 60
MAS plug-ins Render quality 21
delay compensation 34 OMF 77 Retina display support 10
effects window overview 116, 118 Opening a project 76 Revert to Saved 77
Measure time 128, 131 Override internal buffer size 30 Right-click menu (see Contextual
Metronome window menu)
Click 128-129
P
MIDI
channels
Patch Lists
expansion boards 19
SSample Rate 29
playback 126-127 Performance (see Audio Performance Save 77
controller window) Save A Copy As 77
instruments 50 Piano roll 50 Save As 77, 134
Device Properties 18 Playback 126-127 Saving
Devices tab (Bundles window) 16 Playback offset option 35 files 134
hardware player piano 50 project 77
requirements 15 Playlists sequences 134
setup 15-20 defined 61 Scale all windows up/down 10
interface 15-20 Plug-ins Set Focus to Next/Previous Cell
ports 19 delay compensation 34 command 66
MIDI Device Properties 18 latency compensation 34 Setup menu
196
INDEX
Audio System MIDI hardware (installing) 15
MIDI Only 13 User interface 63-73
MOTU Audio System 13
Interapplication MIDI 20
Shortcut commands 71 V
View Filter 131
Show Left/Right Sidebar command 66
Software synthesizer 21 View menu
Sound file (see Audio file) scale
Soundbites scale all windows up/down
defined 60 10
definition 60 VST plug-ins
Split stereo 55 delay compensation 34
Standard MIDI File 77 effects window overview 116, 118
Starting Digital Performer 125 scanning
Stereo audio files
size on disk 59
Stereo buses setting (Configure Studio
W
WASAPI 28
Settings dialog) 33 Welcome to Digital Performer window
Studio menu 13
Audio Performance 36 Welcome window 13
Click 128 Window controls 63
Synchronization Window menu 66
overview 54 Bring All to Front 66
System errors 134 Close 66
System Requirements 9 Close All Edit Windows 66
Close All Effect Windows 67
TTab bar 64 Close All Windows 67
Hide Left/Right Sidebar 66
Tap tempo Last Window 66
overview 54 Next Window 66
Technical support 10 Pop Out of Consolidated Window
contacting 10 66
Time Push Window to Back 66
measure|beat|tick time 131 Set Focus to Next/Previous Cell
Track selector 66
button 64 Show Left/Right Sidebar 66
list 64 Window Sets 66
Tracks window Window Sets 66
Record-Enable button 125 Window target 64
Troubleshooting 134-135, 181-191 Window title 64
buffer size option grayed out 30 Windows 63-65
Keypad on Windows 73 active window 65
Tutorial 125-135 Audio driver 28
Num Lock key 73
U
WASAPI 28
Work Priority 31
UI
scaling 10
Updates 10 ZZoom box 64
USB
Zoom buttons 64
197
IN DE X
198

Digital Performer Getting Started

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Digital Performer 11 ®

1280 Massachusetts Avenue

MINIMUM COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS Q MacOS (version 10.13 or later) or

Q Mac or PC with Intel Core 2 Duo CPU

recommended. 64-bit operation

resolution (1280 x 1024 resolution or higher

FAMILIARITY WITH YOUR COMPUTER

VISIT MOTU.COM FOR SOFTWARE

Q 24-hour online tech support database with

search engine: www.motu.com/support

PACKAGE CONTENTS INCLUDED SOUNDS AND VIRTUAL

OVERVIEW SETTING UP YOUR MIDI EQUIPMENT

Q Controller keyboard Q Using a MIDI interface

4 Click the MIDI Studio window

Figure 3-3: Connecting several devices to a simple 2-IN/2-OUT interface. IN

USB cable Connection B

Figure 3-4: Connecting several MIDI devices to a multi-port interface

Devices connected directly with USB, etc. Deleting offline interfaces

MIDI interface ports

Figure 3-5: MIDI Studio window in the Bundles window.

Figure 3-6: MIDI device properties.

If you don’t see the manufacturer or model of

2 Repeat this for the other devices in the

For example, if you daisy chain a Korg Triton

3 Now go to the front panel of each MIDI

Digital Performer’s interapplication MIDI

The software synthesizer

Audio MIDI Setup provides two main

Q A graphical environment with device icons

and “virtual cables” that you can arrange on-

devices for multiple MIDI applications, if you

Figure 3-9: Adding an external MIDI device.

2 Drag on its input and output arrows to

Figure 3-11: Device settings.

4 Repeat the above steps for each MIDI

Your configuration is automatically saved as

OVERVIEW including an adjustable number of internal

CONFIGURING THE HARDWARE DRIVER

To establish the link between Digital

Buffer Size If you won’t be running live inputs through

The clock source setting for all other devices

CONFIGURE STUDIO SETTINGS Stereo buses

FINE-TUNING AUDIO I/O TIMING

Bouncing to play more tracks

These tutorials are ideal for anyone who is

For more information

Digital Performer version 11 introduces the Melodyne Essentials™ . . . . . . . . . . . .log in to motu.com

Registered and assignable controllers. . . . . .page 453

OVERVIEW Design philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Figure 7-1: Digital Performer’s Control Panel.

VIRTUAL INSTRUMENTS MUSIC NOTATION

OVERVIEW HOW AUDIO IS RECORDED ON DISK

HOW HARD DISK RECORDING DIFFERS

that location. This is true for traditional Random access

Audio track in Digital

Edit points at section boundaries

HARD DISK REQUIREMENTS AND Audio file (or Sound file)

Figure 8-7: Assigning an audio track to an audio output.

OVERVIEW LEARN TO USE YOUR COMPUTER