Customer Reviews

Producing Music with Digital Performer

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Producing Music wih Digital Performer" is one of the best books I've ever purchased. The format of the book is simple and easy to understand. The techniques I've learned by reading this book have immensely improved the sound quality of my music. I have learned how to use Digital Performer to its greatest potential and have found it to be an even greater tool than I had previously realized. As an added bonus, the included CD is a wonderful tool for practicing the techniques presented in the book. I highly recommend "Producing Music with Digital Performer" to anyone who has used this program and wants to imporve the quality of their MIDI productions.

A good book for a start. Useful and handy, but still waiting for a tips and tricks book, since this is no more fun than a regular user manual. The book covers the main tools for music production, which are very well explained, though they go no further than anything we could do with any other audio app. DP has loads of hidden features and possibilities, that made it the best Audio/ MIDI app around. Therefore a deeper more creative guide for DP would be very welcome. Anyway, this book is a must.

While I own DP 5 and this manual is for DP 4, it is a great tool to help understand the software. I have a small home based studio and my experience with studio software before Digital Performer was limited to Garage Band which came pre-loaded on my iMac. Imagine my shock when I purchased and installed my new Digital Performer and realized that the user interface was no where near as user friendly as GB! I knew with the complexity of this new tool came several much more robust features than GB however how in the world was I going to figure them out.

First stop was the 3 inch thick manual that came with the software. While the manual may be great for someone who is familiar with the previous versions, to the newbie, not so much. I became more confused (especially with understanding how to make midi tracks work with virtual instruments) and knew I was going to need some help. After doing an internet search for some education on the software, I was excited to find this manual and hoped that it really could provide me with some simple answers to my questions.

As you can tell from my rating, it has been an invaluable tool. From the first page, it walks through every step of set-up, whether you have a simple home studio like mine to professional applications. If you want step by step instructions with pictures that actually make sense, then I would say this is a guide you cannot do without.

My title really boils it down. If you want to learn the amazing MIDI functionality, features and complexities of the modern digital performer program I'm sure there are some better resources around. It's better just to refer to the manual while using the program depending on what you want to accomplish with DP.

In reference to my other review of the book, I hope that Mr. Newhouse will update the book to reflect the changes with DP7.

I don't think I've ever reviewed a book before! Nevertheless, I do recommend this one. I have a small home studio, and when I first purchased DP, I was overwhelmed with information. I was really having trouble, getting my tired brain to figure out how to use this program!
Thank God for this book, as it really did the trick. It explains in concise and easy to understand terms, just how to get DP to do what I want it to do. The photos are great, and since I'm a very visual person, really helped me understand in a step-by-step process.
Since buying this book, I've gotten a handle on DP, (although I've probably only scratched the surface.)
AND, with the help of the book, I've just completed my second CD with electronic music legend, Jean-Jacques Perrey! It's even for sale, here on Amazon!
Thanks, Ben Newhouse!
- - Dana Countryman
http://www.danacountryman.com

I've never used Digital Performer or Mac OS X before although I've been recording with PC gear and software for many years. I purchased "Producing Music with Digital Performer" because I was interested in working at a studio that uses DP.

The book made very few assumptions about what I already knew (installing the program is about all) and began by explaining the basics about connecting MIDI and audio gear. Author Ben Newhouse does a fine job of introducing the newbie to all the basics of DP4 including project folders, templates, sequences, and all the various navigation tools and control panel drawers. I'm grateful this information was included although more experienced users would likely skip over this.

The approach taken is always practical and musically relevant as most of the instruction takes the form of "rebuilding" an instrumental track from the included audio CD. Step by step the reader is guided through how to set up the necessary tracks, record, and edit, first using MIDI tracks then audio tracks. A valuable chapter on Mixing demonstrates how to 'put it all together' while considering different types of studio set ups. A chapter on Musical Considerations goes beyond using DP and contains a number of midi sequencing tips and tricks that could be valuable regardless of software program used.

The final chapter provides what many books lack and that's a way to test your knowledge of the subject you've been studying. Twelve DP project 'exercises' drill you on everything covered in the book, from setting up a project and naming tracks to audio editing and automation. Each step in the exercise includes a reference to the section of the book that covers a particular feature so that you can quickly look it up if you forget how to do something.

Overall I really like this book, I think it's given me a great heads up on using Digital Performer. Now all I need is to buy a Mac and the latest version of DP.

I compose extensively for performance. Hoped to get some ideas or a fresh perspective but I'll have to dig deeper than I have time. After skimming I put the book away. I may not have given it a fair shot. Maybe it is for those who have more time.