Review of Digital Performer 5 Power! (Paperback)

Don Barrett's Digital Performer 5 Power! describes the features and functions of DP5, but like DP's user manual, the author gets so invovled in explaining the numerous ways to achieve the essentially the same result, the novice user is ultimately left unable to actually use the software to create music.

A better approach would be to provide a quick start guide to producing and playing back a composition, using the simplest point and click tools.Once a new user was confident he or she could do something useful with this not inexpensive software, then additional methods of achieving the same results might be introduced, along with the keyboard short cuts beloved by Mr. Barrett.

There's no question DP is a powerful sequencing tool, but the complexity of the UI is not well described.One's left with the feeling one could read the entire manual and still be unable to produce a musical composition.

Product Description
Digital Performer is one of the leading digital audio workstation programs for the Apple Mac. It allows you to sequence MIDI, record multiple channels of audio, mix them down, synch them to video, and utilize plug-in software synthesizers and software studios. Digital Performer 5 Power!: The Comprehensive Guide provides a versatile guide to setting up and using the newest version of MOTU's Digital Performer 5 audio/MIDI sequencing, editing, and recording software. The book's approach is one that will simplify and demystify the technical aspects of setting up and using Digital Performer 5, while also supplying useful engineering tips and shortcuts to help you get the most out of the program. Chapters and sections progress naturally through the music production process, from navigating the interface, setting up projects, and recording, to working with MIDI, editing, arranging, mixing, mastering, handling music notation, and scoring to picture. This setup allows new users to work through the book from start to finish and learn Digital Performer quickly, while intermediate and advanced users can flip to specific areas of interest to learn new tricks and increase their mastery. Regardless of your skill level, this is the only guide to Digital Performer you will ever need to take your music to the next level.

About the Author
Don Barrett has been a musician since the age of 10. Upon graduating from Purdue University, his training, performances, compositions, and recordings have included projects ranging from progressive rock (with veteran producers Mass Giorginni and Fergus Daly) to studying film scoring at UCLA under the instruction of acclaimed composers Robert Drasnin (Mission: Impossible) and Lee Sanders (The Amazing Race). Don composed the original score for the popular series Touched by an Angel in its final season on CBS and is currently assisting Emmy-nominated and BMI award-winning composer Ron Jones (Fox's Family Guy), where he serves as orchestrator, composer assistant, and technical adviser. He recently completed original music for several short films, numerous Smart Post Sound projects, and the award-winning television pilot 'The Real Life' by creator Krystal Jalene Thomas. Don has also composed nationally recognized concert works and continues to compose and arrange for competitive marching bands and concert percussion ensembles around the country. Don currently resides in Los Angeles and continues to serve as a panelist at various technical seminars and provide guest lectures at the Art Institute of L.A. Currently, Don can be found hard at work in his private studio, promoting Don Barrett Music (www.donbarrettmusic.com) and Patio 7 Productions (www.patio7productions.com).

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