| Let's sort (music) things out for now. | | Date Created: Jan 24, 2005, 01:02 PM |
Now MOTU dp4 is up to 4.52, and MOTU has announced some other new features at NAMM show for later versions. Since the history of dp (Digital Performer) goes way back, we often forget to look at the sorted out idea of what this software is able to do.
Since I have a lot of visitors here from the video market, I wanted to introduce the depth and the variety of application that dp can provide. |
Digital Performer-The choice for real musicians-
dp is used by many known musicians like Pat Metheny. I had a chance to interveiw him in person, then he mentioned that he tried everything else to compare and he chose dp and MOTU audio interface (2408 at that time) because of the sound quality and the faith in the company. I interviewed him right after he came out with an soundtrack album called "Map of the World" and he explained how he created the album using dp, 2408 and the whole work flow with recording studio.
Pat receives QuickTime movies for the films. Then he opens the movie file with dp, so he can watch and play his guitar along. He would record his guitar at home, using Avalogn preamp and 2408 directly to dp's audio tracks at 24-bit 48KHz at that time. At this moment, you can choose from 24-bit/192Khz compatible 896HD and HD192 for very high quality recording and the current model of 2408 called 2408mkIII can do 24-bit/96Khz recording. Pat said that some of his playing from the first "take" are remained in the released version, explaining the first inspiration is often times the best takes. After recording his guitar tracks on dp, he would use dp's MIDI sequencing features and sythesizers to create the arrangement of other parts, and this time was the orchestra arrangement.
After playing around with the projects at home, he would take the whole project to the recording studio with Sony 3348HR recorder. Then he copies all of the guitar tracks and the reference mix of orchestra created with synthesizers and samplers. So the guitar parts he recorded at home is kept mostly at the final recording and the orchestra parts are recorded at studio with 3348HR. During the recording session, he would make copies from 3348HR and take them home to listen and play around with more ideas. Finally do all of the mixing at studio and that is how the album "Map of the World" is made. |
I'm listing up what you can use for this kind of production.
Fast Power Mac G5 preferiblly Dual processor.
MOTU digital performer software for MIDI sequencing and audio recording, mixing.
MOTU audio interface of your choice. 24-bit/192Khz for 896HD and HD192, up to 96Khz for 2408mkIII and 828mkII.
MOTU Machfive Sampler plug-in for realistic acoustic instrument sound.
MOTU EX4 for sound by various synthesizer methods.
Audioease Altiverb for processing the audio with super realistic reverbration.
Good master keyboard (buy a real "musical" instrument instead of just being controller)
Good microphone but it does not have to be super expensive.
Good stereo or surround monitor speaker set. We recommend PMC/Bryston or KRK.
Other plug-in instruments like PRO53, B4, Spectrasonic.
Maybe a physical mixing cntroller.
You can work with the internal hard disk drive, but if you want to record the sound on external hard disk drive then firewire 800 compatible drives like G-Raid is very good.
You can also work with HD movie files and dp would take advantage of hardware like Blackmagic Decklink, so you will be watching HD clips on NTSC HD monitor usind Decklink HD's ability while record and playback 24-bit/192Khz audio tracks. It is simply amazing (thanks to the effort of Kei Kinoshita of CreativeSuite and Blackmagic developing team).
more information to be updated later. |
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