general question about MOTU...

[mholloway]

Just curious about this; MOTU seem like a household name in the computer music world, but mainly, it seems, for their audio interfaces. I was shocked to rummage through their website and discover all the software they develop. I really had no idea...sure, I knew about Digital Performer, but a sampler called Mach Five that evidently should be competition with the much more widely spoken-of Kontakt? A subtractive synth called MX4??? and that BPM thingy, ok I heard of that one...

just curious, who the hell uses this stuff? MX4? MachFive? Is it any good? Anybody??

-M

[leedsquietman]

A lot of their software is developed in conjunction with other companies.

For example, Ethno and Mach Five 2 are very good instruments but are largely based on the French company Ultimate Sound Bank's Plugsound Pro library.

Like anything else, there's so much competition out there, that you should try a few out before buying.

Digital Performer, while behind Logic, is a more popular sequencer than people think, especially in the world of audio for picture, where it has some advanced features which put it beyond Logic in that niche.

[aizo]

I have MX4. It's cool but it sounds very digital. It's probably the coldest synth I've ever heard. Over at Motunation those guys swear by Mach 5. I also have Motu Symphonic. It's a bit limited but it comes in handy every once in a while. I wish they update their hardware program.

[mholloway]

I have MX4. It's cool but it sounds very digital. It's probably the coldest synth I've ever heard. Over at Motunation those guys swear by Mach 5. I also have Motu Symphonic. It's a bit limited but it comes in handy every once in a while. I wish they update their hardware program.

Just downloaded the MX4 demo for the hell of it, and I totally agree, very cold and digital, but that can be a good thing. Sounds cold like Massive, but all the stepping/gating options make it sound like Rapture. I like the GUI...but it's too expensive. Thankfully the demo is a fully functional 30 day trial, so I might actually be able to use it for something

-M

[SubFunk]

Digital Performer, while behind Logic, is a more popular sequencer than people think, especially in the world of audio for picture, where it has some advanced features which put it beyond Logic in that niche.

yup, also DP is pretty strong in the states, and for some odd reason not much around in europe at all, here hardly people know about it.
i also wonder sometimes, they have some real good products, but i guess they don't push them much into the market, lack of advertising, etc. i guess.

product advertising for NI or ableton, etc. you find spread anywhere, mags, internet, etc.

[leedsquietman]

True. Although there is always a section in Sound On Sound about Digital Performer (while Live typically features only every other release) courtesy of Robin Bigwood (who is a big name in DP world, who also runs a forum on them apparently).

I've seen quite a few ads for MOTU products in general in the North American Sound On Sound edition (often sponsored by Sweetwater), and Electronic Musician magazine. Although it's fair to say, it's less advertised than Digidesign and probably less advertised than Logic too.

One of the biggest problems with DP is it's lack of HOT producers and famous artists list. In almost every magazine I read from the lower end i.e. Computer Music etc up to real high end audiophile magazines, there are almost always interviews and pictures of producers and artists who are hugely successful talking about their Protools and Logic Rigs (occasionally Cubase/Nuendo) but DP always seems to be advertised by some Hollywood composer or music to picture scoring person, who no-one has heard of. (The guy who scored Mission Impossible 3, Michael Giacchino endorses DP is some ads I've seen, but people think who the F... is he ??).

[funky shit]

not to mention voltra.

[channelite]

Back in the day, they used "Free Midi" instead of "OMS". Pro Tools used "OMS". I never got into Performer because of the conflicts I got with Free Midi and OMS. Motu had a cool patch Librarian call "Unisyn".

[ChiDJ]

Long time DP user. You would be surprised how many well respected and successful artists and producers use DP. (Countless Billboard hits, underground, techno and tribal tracks).

I use MachV, Ethno, Symphinic, Mx-4 been a user since the early '90's.

I run LIVE rewired to DP in all my sessions. (guess you could that my secret weapon)

Tod

[leedsquietman]

Tod, I agree with you and know this is true - I think MOTU should sell this a little more though, instead of letting Logic and Protools get all the kudos.

Just like Live, it's an underestimated piece of software.

[kb420]

I use pc, but if I were a MAC user, I would definitely look into DP. I always thought it had the cleanest GUI.

[KrisM]

I'm often tempted to buy DP, and I really like everything I read about BPM. I just love the look of DP7 a lot, but what turns me off on their plugins is iLok. No thanks, maybe if I dusted off my dual G5 PowerMac and loaded it up with RAM I'd wind up getting DP7 and leave the iLok plugged into the back of it. I prefer using my MacBook to write music on, though. If it weren't for those things, I'd wind up owning DP7, MachFive, BPM, and MX4 eventually. DP doesn't require the damned iLok =/