Motu Digital Performer Initial Setup
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Initial Set-up
After installing Digital Performer and the appropriate drivers for your audio interface and MIDI devices, there are several things you must do.
Checking your Equipment
Audio Interface
Open Audio MIDI Setup, which should be located in Applications/Utilities/. It should look something like this:
Now make sure that your Audio Interface and Midi Devices have been recognized. Your audio interface should appear in the Properties For pull down menu. If it doesn't appear, first restart your Mac and if that doesn't help, try reinstalling the driver for your Audio Interface.
MIDI Devices
Click on the Midi Devices tab at the top of the window. If your device has been recognized, it should appear as the KeyStation 49 does in this picture:
If your Midi device is connected to other midi devices though MIDI cables, click "Add Device", find an appropriate description and connected it to your MIDI device via the arrows.
Digital Performer's Setup Menu
Open up Digital Performer and look under the Setup Menu. There you will find these important submenus:
Audio System
Here you are presented with three options:
DAE
The DAE option should be used if you have a DigiDesign TDM-System.
MOTU Audio System
This option should be used if you are using any other Audio Interface, including any of the MOTU audio interfaces like the Traveler or 828mkII. This is also useful if you are using your Macs built-in Audio in.
MIDI Only
This option is pretty self explanatory. It turns Digital Performer's audio functions off and turns it into a strict MIDI sequencer. This option is generally not recommended, for it is often nice to be able to "bounce" your MIDI tracks to audio tracks in order to apply audio effects. Only use this option if you intend your final product to be a MIDI file.
Configure Audio System
Configure Hardware Driver
This menu lets you choose which Audio Interfaces you want to be shown as options, adjust the universal Sample Rate at which audio is recorded, change the clock mode, Buffer Size, Host Buffer Multiplier, and Digital Performer's Work Priority.
Generally the first menu item should stay on CoreAudio. In the list below, you should see both Built-in Audio and the name of your Audio Interface. You use both simultaneously by click on both while holding the shift button (they will both be highlighted in red.)
The sample rate should usually be set at the highest possible number. This will allow you to get the highest quality initial recording. Just because CDs are stuck at 44kHz doesn't mean your recording has to be.
There are two downsides of a higher Sample Rate is that the audio file sizes will be larger and playing them will require more of your CPUs attention. Depending on your system, you may have to lower your Sample Rate, but with large Hard Drives getting cheaper by the day, file size should not be a big concern even for a low budget recording setup.
Clock Modes
This option lets you choose which "clock" your audio will synchronize to. For most MOTU setups, choosing your Audio Interface's internal clock is the best bet, but for larger studios, there may be a dedicated clock that will do a better job.
Buffer Size
The general rule with buffer size goes like this. The lower the buffer size, the lower your latency will be, but your CPU will have to work harder. Generally, use the lowest buffer size you can, but keep in mind that this may change with the number of tracks you are playing at once. If you set the buffer too low, you might overload your CPU, which could cause clicks and pops in the recording.
Host Buffer Multiplier
This number should be set to the number of Audio Interfaces you are using. For example: If you are using a Motu 828 and Built-in Audio, set the Host Buffer Multiplier to "2."
Work Priority
Work Priority tells your computer how much of your CPU's attention you are willing to direct towards Digital Performer. Generally, setting the work priority to "High" is the best option. However, if you are using more than one Audio Program at once, such as Reason and Digital Performer, it might be beneficial to set the work priority to "Medium" or, in rare cases, "Low."
Configure Studio Settings
This menu lets you choose how many audio tracks you would like to use.
Easy Configuration
Easy Configuration is the best bet for most users. These options automatically adjust all the settings depending on how many tracks you want to use.
Custom Configuration
This allows you to change every detail for your Studio setting. Most of the options are self explanatory.
Input Monitory Mode
This menu is guaranteed to cause you trouble at some point.
There are two options under "Monitor the inputs of record enabled tracks:"
Only During Recording (and Punched In): Use this option when you are using a microphone in the same room as your monitors (a.k.a. speakers) and you are monitoring through your monitors. Along with turning off the "Audio Patch Thru" option in the Studio menu, this will allow you to avoid feedback while you are not recording.
However, recording with a microphone in the same room as your monitors is never a good idea.
This option is more useful when you are in the mixing process and you don't want to hear random sounds that aren't there.
Always: should be used in when you are monitoring through headphones or not using a microphone in the same room. Its very useful when you want to play along with a piece of music while not recording.
