MOTU Digital Performer 12: Expanded with Dolby Atmos and AI Stem Separation
The latest version of the Digital Performer DAW.
In MOTU Digital Performer 12, you can expect a wide range of improvements across both creative and technical areas for music creation and mixing.
The journey of MOTU Digital Performer began way back in 1985, as an arrangement and performance tool for MIDI hardware and synthesizers. MOTU then added multitrack audio functionality in the 1990s, along with support for AU plugins in 2003, VST2 plugins in 2012, and VST3 plugins in 2019.
MOTU Digital Performer 12
Immersive audio users will be thrilled to know that they now have all the necessary tools to mix, render, and export Dolby Atmos format in DP12. Any audio source, be it a waveform, an effect, or an instrument, can be positioned within the multichannel 3D field. A multichannel monitoring system up to 9.1.6 is also supported, and you can use binaural monitoring via headphones.
Another exciting feature in DP12 is the AI-powered stem separation engine, giving you the ability to create separates of the vocals, drums, bass, guitar, strings, or brass of any mixed stereo song file. This powerful feature is ideal for creative applications like sampling and remixing, or creating backing tracks for rehearsal.
Meanwhile, DP12 has also added the new Arrangement Strip, a powerful and flexible editing tool that lets you reshuffle your arrangement by dragging around the color-coded song sections. Any changes work globally across all channels, and you can easily create spaces between sections if required, as is often the case for motion picture scoring.
There are also a range of workflow improvements, including features like Enhanced Track Freeze, with one-click operation, as well as MusicXML support for Dorico, Sibelius, and MuseScore notation, and Track Presets for saving the plugins and I/O settings of each channel strip and a selection of vocals, drums, bass, guitar, and more.
Pricing and Availability:
The pricing model remains the same, and according to MOTU, if you purchased or upgraded to DP11 from 1 May 2026 onwards, you qualify for a DP12 license, so please contact customer service if you haven’t received your upgrade.
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