MOTU launches Digital Performer 12, introducing support for Dolby Atmos mixing and AI-powered stem separation, marking a significant leap in immersive audio production and workflow enhancements for macOS and Windows users.
MOTU has released Digital Performer 12, a major update to its flagship digital audio workstation, bringing Dolby Atmos mixing, AI-powered stem separation and a revised Arrangement Strip alongside a long list of workflow changes. According to MOTU, the software is now shipping for macOS and Windows and is priced at $499, with lower-cost upgrade paths for competitive users, Performer Lite owners and existing Digital Performer customers.
The headline addition is support for immersive production in Dolby Atmos. MOTU says users can now mix, render and deliver spatial audio projects inside DP12, with monitoring over surround speaker layouts up to 9.1.6 or through binaural headphone playback. That places the software squarely in the growing market for spatial audio creation, where music, film and dialogue mixes increasingly need to be prepared for immersive playback systems.
DP12 also adds AI stem separation, allowing a full stereo mix to be split into constituent parts such as vocals, drums, bass and guitars. That feature follows a broader industry trend: recent tools from services such as LALAL.AI, Suniye.ai, AirMusic, Muzeme.io and InSplitter have all pushed stem extraction further into everyday production workflows, while LALAL.AI has even brought the technology into the DAW itself through a plugin. The practical uses are similar across the category: remixing, practice, sampling and content creation.
MOTU has also reshaped the way users move through projects. The new Arrangement Strip sits below the timeline and lets sections be reordered by dragging coloured blocks, with support for snapping, gaps, duplication and cutting. Enhanced Track Freeze is intended to make rendering less disruptive, while new track presets, improved drag-and-drop import, broader search tools and command-by-key-binding lookup are aimed at speeding up repeated studio tasks.
Other additions include MusicXML import and export for round-trip interchange with notation software such as Dorico, Sibelius and MuseScore, updated support for current surround formats, and high frame rate project support above 30fps. MOTU has also added VST3 auto-migration, a Tutorials window, flyover help and a Performer Producer Pack of loops, chords and arpeggios. Jim Cooper, MOTU’s director of marketing, said: “DP users are going to love Version 12. It’s jam-packed with a great balance of exciting new marquee features like Dolby Atmos mixing and stem separation, combined with a new level of interactive feel, plus dozens of workflow enhancements and user-requested features.”
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