Can MOTU attract the EDM crowd with Digital Performer 9?

MOTU's Digital Performer has a loyal, well-established user base, but with the release of version 9, the DAW might just attract a few new users, too.

This looks like a pretty significant update, with the MX4 MultiSynth - which comes complete with an EDM soundbank - representing an attempt by MOTU to provide a 'go-to' synth that draws on a variety of synthesis technologies.

There are also five new effect plugins: the MasterWorks FET-76, which emulates the 1176LN compressor; the QuadraFuzz-inspired MultiFuzz; the intriguing MegaSynth, which is designed to make a guitar sound like a synth; and the MicroG and MicroB polyphonic octave generators, which are designed for guitar and bass respectively.

Add to this some significant workflow and feature enhancements - dedicated automation lanes for every track, a built-in spectral display, support for Apple's Retina screens, and MIDI Learn for quick and easy parameter mapping - and you've got yourself a pretty chunky revision.

There are other tweaks, too - go to the MOTU website for further details, and take a look at the video to get an overview of the new features.

Digital Performer 9 is available now for PC and Mac priced at $499. Upgrade and crossgrade deals are also on offer.

Ben Rogerson
Deputy Editor

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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