Recording - June 2013 - 40

Digital Performer 8 offers a huge selection of new and
improved guitar effect pedals, amp simulations, andcabinet/miking simulations for enhanced guitar and
bass recording, some of which are shown here.
in order to use them for my mastering task,
I quickly quit out of DP 8, opened the info
window for the application, checked
“Open in 32-bit mode”, closed the info window, and rebooted DP 8. Voilà! All my
plug-ins loaded with no issues.
I have no problems using 64-bit for my
normal tracking sessions, but have to
investigate plug-in alternatives or
upgrades if I want to stay in 64-bit all the
way through my normal mixing and mastering routine. Oh, the price of progress!
To close out the 64-bit discussion, let me
emphasize that DP 8 is smooth and reliable
in both 64-bit and 32-bit mode. Take
advantage of the larger memory space in
64-bit if you have gigantic sample libraries
and be set up for future advances as applications and plug-ins go 64-bit. Or stay the
course in 32-bit mode for the present. You
choose—there is no lose.
New DP8 features
So far I have discussed a couple of the
new features in DP 8, namely the 64-bit
operation, the new Control Panel, and
new Themes. There is a lot more to cover!
I am a big fan of the plug-in virtual instruments and audio effects that come standard
in Digital Performer. They sound great, are
easy to use, and are a standard part of my
sound-making palette. While there are no
new instruments in DP 8, there are some
really cool new audio effects to add to an
already impressive line-up.
Of the now 61 audio effect plug-ins,
17 are new in DP 8, including two guitar
amp models, a bass cabinet model, more
guitar pedal models, some effects and
mastering tools.
You do not have to be a guitarist to love
the ACE-30 amp modeled to replicate the
40

RECORDING June 2013

tones of both vintage and more modern
VOX AC30/6 and AC30 CC2X guitar
amps. I run my keyboards through DP’s
amp models all the time, and this new
amp adds a nice vintage vibe to electric
pianos, organs, other classic keyboards
of the ’60s and ’70s. Guitar sounds nice
through it too (as you’d hope!), though
you may also want to try the other new
amp model, the Soloist, to get that ’90s
Mesa Dual Rectifier Solo Head full crunch
happening. The Red setting rocks.
All the new, modeled guitar pedals
sound sweet to my ears, and it is almost disconcerting how much less noisy than the
real-life originals they are! The Analog
Delay, Clear Pebble phaser, and Hi-Top
Booster were all quite usable effects across
a range of program material. But the ones
that screamed “Nailed It” to my ears and
eyes were the Analog Flanger, Analog
Phaser, Dyna-Squash compressor, and
Springamabob spring reverb. I actually just

sold a real vintage orange analog phaser
and this model sounds exactly like it, subtle
and smooth. The Ensemble Chorus effect is
a wild box with independent or sync’d chorus devices for effecting left, right, and center parts of the signal, complete with multiple modulation choices for each. Trippy!
Live Room | B adds a bass cabinet simulator and Live Stage adds a live/stage
cabinet simulator to collection. Like the predecessor Live Room | G model, these models include a room, a number of different
virtual mics to place at various locations in
the room, and a few cabinet options to
route the signal through. They are equally
convincing and immediately add a sense
of place and space to your sound. In
combo with the amp head models previously mentioned, there is a ton of variability and distinctiveness possible with some
careful adjustments. On my personal wish
list for a future version is an “O” (organ)
model for rotating speaker emulation.

Recording - June 2013

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