Musicians, producers, and audio engineers looking for a flexible DAW that's compatible with Mac and Windows will be impressed with this electronic download of MOTU Digital Performer 11, powerful audio/MIDI music production software offering unlimited tracks, sequences, and songs for songwriting, beat-making, live performance, film and video soundtracks, audio postproduction, surround mixing, and other professional audio production tasks. It provides versatile programming, recording, editing, arranging, mixing, processing, and mastering functions in a consolidated and customizable single-window workspace that streamlines workflows.

Version 11 delivers exciting new features like Nanosampler 2.0, Retrospective Audio Record, Articulation Maps and MPE support, plus dozens of workflow enhancements. Additionally, the software boasts real-time clip importing and triggering for individual clips or multitrack groups, fast access to plug-ins, clips, and loops via a content browser, and flexible transparent time stretching powered by Zynaptiq.

The supplied 5GB soundbank of multisampled instruments, synths, loops, and phrases enables expressive and inspiring compositions for all genres of music. Digital Performer's expansive plug-in collection includes dynamics and time-based processors, models of guitar amplifiers, cabinets, and stompboxes, virtual instruments, and much more. Selectable waveform/spectrogram views, a quick-search command to find any feature, and primary-/secondary-tool toggling make common operations even more efficient. Thanks to support for Audio Units, VST (versions 1, 2, and 3), and MAS (MOTU Audio System), the Mac- and Windows-compatible Digital Performer software can host your favorite third-party plug-ins.

Unlimited Tracks, Sequences, and Songs    Consolidated and Customizable Workspace    Support for MPE and Per-Note CCs    Nanosampler 2.0    Articulation Maps and QuickScribe    5GB Soundbank and Expansive Plug-In Set    Audio Retrospective Record    Supports Audio Units, VST, and MAS    Mac and Windows Compatible

This major upgrade of DP’s nanosampler is your new go-to virtual instrument for creating unique beats, instruments and sounds. Drop in a sample and start stretching, slicing, randomizing, and transforming audio into just about any sound or instrument you can imagine.

• 3 Playback Modes:
• Classic, 1-shot, Slice
• ZTX time stretching
• Settings tab with Envelopes and LFO graphs
• Trigger and Gate playback
• Snapping to minimize clicks
• Sample gain, Fade-In and Fade-out
• Repeat and Reverse
• Drag-and-drop import
• Support for 32- and 64-bit floating point sound files

• Articulation Maps: Take full control of the expressive depth of today’s most advanced orchestral sound libraries, from VSL, to EastWest, to Spitfire, to Cinesamples. Create or import articulation maps to build dynamic instruments and ensembles and experience the sheer joy of playing them live, on the fly. Or, program your own masterpiece with unprecedented realism and musical impact.
• Articulations in QuickScribe: Embellish your masterpiece with articulations, trills, tremolos, bowings, and alternate noteheads, all connected to your orchestra library sounds. What you see is what you hear.

• MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) is here: In DP 11, you can record multichannel output from an MPE controller —such as a ROLI Seaboard—as regular MIDI notes containing MPE expression data. Instead of note and controller data splayed across dozens of tracks, you see a single stream of normal MIDI notes that each contain their own note-specific controllers, for easy and intuitive editing. Hide and show the contained per-note controller and pitch-change events in DP’s familiar piano roll. Zoom in the note grid for finer detail. Zoom per-note data independently of the notes that contain them.
• Virtual Instruments with MPE Support: Digital Performer's included virtual instrument synths support MPE, so you can get started right away with your ROLI or other MPE-enabled controller. Explore new dimensions of creative expression with included MPE-enabled synths.
• Per-Note CC Scale Tool: Quickly scale per-note expression data by simply dragging vertically with the new Scale Tool.
• Per-note Expression Data Lanes: Add separate lanes in the Sequence Editor to view and edit per-note MPE expression data with DP’s familiar and powerful continuous controller (CC) editing tools. A check box in each lane allows you to easily toggle the lane between track data and per-note data. With a short learning curve, you’ll master the editing of per-note expression data.

• Imagine that moment: you’re noodling with your instrument, letting your muse take over—humming into a live microphone, strumming a DI’d guitar, or playing your MIDI keyboard—when suddenly that spark happens: a phrase or lick that could be the start of something special. With DP11, just choose the Retrospective Record command and now it’s in a track, safely captured forever, ready for the next creative step. For both MIDI and audio input, Digital Performer frees your creativity and ensures you'll never lose that precious, fleeting creative gem.

• Chunk Folders and Playlists: DP’s celebrated and unique Chunks feature allows you to create and manage multiple sequences, songs, and V-racks in a single DP project file, from cues for a movie score to setlists for live shows. In DP11, you can now organize your chunks into folders and playlists. Folders are perfect for organizing your chunks, while playlists serve perfectly as set lists for your next live show.
• Chunk List Split View: Split the chunk list in two sections for improved chunk list management. For example, you could search for a chunk in one list section, and then drag it into a folder or playlist in the other. Managing your chunks has never been easier.

• Gain complete hands-on control of DP’s extensive Clips window with a pad controller like the Novation Launchpad Pro mk3 or Akai APC-40. Trigger individual clips or entire scenes (sections of songs). Apply filter sweeps and other effects processing as you go. Digital Performer is now a powerhouse live performance platform that can take your shows wherever you can imagine.

• DP 11 includes new control-surface plug-ins for the current Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol lineup, including the M32, A-Series, and S-Series MK2 controller lines, plus hot new iCON Control mixing worksurfaces like the QCon Pro G2/EX,Pro X/XS, Platform Nano and Platform M/X series. These state-of-the-art control surfaces empower your DP workflow, so you can work faster and more intuitively.
• iCON Control Series: DP 11 includes full support for the entire iCON family. Grab a QCon Pro G2, QCon Pro X, or Platform Nano, and get started right away using the specialized DP overlay included in the box. With a connected QCon Pro X/XS, DP also takes advantage of the secondary display to provide digital readouts of your track volume and pan levels.
• Komplete Kontrol Series: With integrated support for the entire MK2 lineup, Komplete Kontrol and DP 11 now lets you navigate, record, and mix without ever taking your hands off your keyboard. Record, scrub, undo, tap tempo and more, all at the touch of a button. Select any Komplete Kontrol instrument track (or connected MIDI track) and use your keyboard to audition patches, presets, and effects.
• Akai APC Control Series: Go beyond clip launching with an Akai APC series controller. DP’s Clips view automatically maps directly to the button grids on the Akai APC40mkII, APC Mini, and APC Key 25, allowing you to navigate and launch clips with no set up fuss. Use the tap tempo button and tempo knob on the APC40 to adapt your sequence on the fly. Use the built-in keyboard on the APC Key 25 to record into and launch clips on the same surface.
• Novation Launchpad Control Series: DP 11 takes advantage of the advanced control modes on the Novation Launchpad to let you record, mix, and perform entirely on the control surface with both hands. Record and play with color-coded pads that match DP’s clip colors. Toggle mute, solo, and record arm. If you forgot to hit record, trigger DP’s Retrospective Record. Use the onboard mixer on the X and Pro mk3 models to adjust pan, volume, and send levels.
• Enhanced Avid EuCon Support: DP’s EuCon plug-in has been substantially updated, including support for the Avid S6 console and the Artist Series. In addition, you can now use your EuCon worksurface with DP running on Windows 10.
• Enhanced Support for MCU and HUI-compatible Control Surfaces: A new plug-in called MCU Compatible enhances support for third-party control surfaces that are Mackie Control Universal-compatible. Substantial improvements have been made to DP’s Mackie Control Universal (MCU) and HUI control surface plug-ins, which can be used with any control surface that supports those protocols including improved automation toggling, scrub modes, send mode, loop toggle, and much more.
• More Control Surface Enhancements: For all control surfaces that support these features: V-Racks can now be displayed on all control surfaces. New track pinning modes (Pin to Mixer, Pin to Focus Window, and All Tracks) significantly improve the way corresponding tracks are displayed in DP and on the control surface, so that you always see the tracks you need. New track indicator lights in the Sequence Editor and Mixing Board show which tracks are currently active on any control surface.

• DP11 is fully qualified for macOS BigSur (11.x) and the latest generation Apple silicon Macs. No Rosetta required. Optimized for native multicore performance, DP’s audio engine prioritizes audio threads on high-speed cores and reserves CPU bandwidth for critical time-sensitive processing.

• When performing live, you want all effects processing to be done in real time, rather than pregenerated. For instant responsiveness, Live Performance Mode ensures that your computer feels like an extension of your hands.

• Multichannel MIDI Tracks: You can now record and play multiple channels of MIDI data in a single track. When setting MIDI track input and output assignments, instead of choosing a specific channel, you can choose Any. When you choose Any for input, you can record all 16 MIDI channels into the track at once. The channels are stored with the MIDI events in the track. When you choose Any in the track's output assignment, the events will be played out on the same channel they were recorded.

• Enhanced View Filtering: Show and hide individual MIDI channel data using the new Channel Selector section in the Track Selector. Use the Event Type Selector section to show and hide specific event types.

• Track and Clip Effects: Every audio track, MIDI track, and clip now has a basic transpose setting that you can use to transpose the content of that track or clip by an interval on playback, leaving the original data unaffected. You can conveniently change the setting at any time. MIDI tracks and clips also have a quantize setting, in addition to transpose.

• Intelligent Audio Interface Selection: On macOS, if you haven’t yet selected the audio hardware you wish to use with DP, DP finds the best option for you. If you have a MOTU interface, or other professional interface, DP uses it. If not, DP uses whatever input and output devices you have selected in the System Preferences Sound Panel, and will follow your selection there if you change it. Of course, if you do choose an interface from within DP, DP uses it.

• Clips Window Enhancements: The Double Clip Loop feature doubles the length of the looped portion in a clip and repeats the material to fill the new loop, so you can easily create changes that you hear every other time through the looped material. The New Empty Clips Scene command fills empty cells with new empty clips.

• List Font Scaling: Now you can resize the text in DP’s list windows, independent of the scaling for the rest of the UI. Control three new font-size preferences: List, Project Notes, and Lyrics.

• Text Rendering on Windows: Taking advantage of the latest text rendering engine in Windows 10, DP’s text appears significantly crisper. Numerous additional text alignment tweaks improve DP’s look on Windows.
• Dynamically resizable channel strips: DP's faders resize when you make the Mixing Board and Channel Strip windows taller (or shorter).

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. Can this handle a low gain sensitive mic like EV RE20..without cloud lifter ?

A: While it does have enough gain for a mic of this nature, some users have reported noise when turning up the gain, so you may want to consider a fethead or cloud lifter anyway, for the headroom.

Q: 2. hi, is there a way to connect a digital piano with 1/4 out to midi i/o? so i can connect 3 instruments at same time: microphone, guitar and piano

A: MIDI and Audio are two different types of signals, hence are not compatible. What you could do is get a multi-channel mixer to plug into the audio inputs. The only downside is everything will be recorded to one stereo file, as opposed to individual tracks for every instrument or source.

Q: 3. does this interface work with Beyerdynamic DT 990 pro 250 ohms?

A: Yes the Motu M2 headphone output can drive 250 ohm headphones.

Q: 4. Can this be used as a decent field mixer/recorder? Given the rear XLR's and USB, it seems to have potential!

A: The MOTU M6 cannot be used as a recorder because it does not have an SD card port to be able to record any audio to. Furthermore, this uses a DC power adapter so it requires wall plugin power for indoor use.

Q: 5. Does this record in true 32 bit float?

A: This has a depth of 24 bit, and does not have a 32 bit float.

Q: 6. Does it come with any cables?

A: The MOTU M2 2x2 USB-C comes with 1 USB cable.

Q: 7. This is similar to a previous question about Outputs 3&4. You answered that 3&4 will mirror 1&2 and you can use them for a separate set of monitors, which is what I plan to do. My question is can you switch between the two sets, like an A/B switch or something? Since there isn't a hard switch, is there a control panel which will do this? I'm in the Mac universe.

A: After doing some research, I see that other M4 users have asked MOTU about the same thing (switching between two sets of monitors) but it seems that the M4 does not offer that feature at this time. The only option for now is to route the two outputs to a separate mixer or A/B switch. You may want to contact MOTU directly to let them know that having the ability to switch between two sets of monitors is a desirable feature that users would like to have on the M4. You can reach MOTU by phone at 617-576-2760. Their offices are based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Q: 8. I can't get the m4 to turn itself off when the computer shuts down. Has anyone got this to work? Every other usb device does this.

A: The MOTU M4 has a physical on/ff switch, so if your computer is sleeping it will remain on. In order to have it shut down with your computer, you may have to adjust settings in your computer to stop power being sent to USB when shut down.

Q: 9. I noticed that the front connectors say XLR/LINE/Guitar yet I dont see a switch to change it from line to instrument. How does this work?

A: The interface adjusts automatically based on what input connection is used. Please note, the XLR connection is only meant for mic level sources, any +4 line level input should be connected to the TRS input of the interface.

Q: 10. I'm looking for a way to pipe the signal coming out of the Moto M2 into a streaming setup that accepts hdmi input. Any suggestions?

A: It would depend on what kind of device you want to connect it to. If you are referencing a streaming switcher, you would just plug this interface into the same computer that you are using to stream and designate the interface as your audio input source from your System Preferences or Settings on your computer.