Open Planet Software has introduced Sessions Pro, a new app that turns your Mac or iPad into a ‘control center’ for creating and performing music.
Session Pro offers a multi-threaded audio engine, Session Mix performer’s view, backing track playback and flexible file-based projects.
The developers describe Sessions Pro as “the ‘Grand Central’ hub that brings everything together for live players and DAW-less creators.”
Here’s the official intro video:
Features:
- Connect instruments and microphones and shape your sound with Audio FX plug-ins.
- Play Virtual Instruments with layers and splits from your MIDI keyboards and controllers.
- Get creative with arpeggiators, sequencers and other MIDI generator plug-ins.
- Mix everything in a “pro-grade” mixer, complete with sends, auxes and side chains.
- Control critical plug-in parameters with configurable widgets.
- Switch and blend twelve independent Scenes with seamless transitions.
- Set up single-knob, multi-parameter Macros for flexible control.
- Use external MIDI controllers and pedals to switch Scenes, adjust Macros and more.
- Play pre-recorded backing tracks, stems and loops. Route straight to the main output or through the mixer for further processing.
- Stay in time with other apps and devices using Ableton Link and MIDI Clock.
- Continuous, automatic background recording so you can playback and save whatever you’ve played in the last 15 minutes at any time.
- Traditional ‘direct-to-disk’ recording for unlimited duration recording.
- Practice with the built-in metronome.
- Find plug-ins fast by searching or favoriting. Hide unwanted plug-ins in the Plug-in Manager.
- Keep a library of your favorite Patches and plug-in combinations.
- Quickly load and save entire Projects with all Scene, Macro, Clock and Backing Track data.
- High performance, low latency, multithreaded audio engine that includes plug-in delay compensation and sample accurate MIDI timing.
Price & Availability:
Sessions Pro is available now for $19.99, which includes both the Mac and iPad apps. A free trial is also available.
Hey Guys. Im a very ol’ fart, and i still don’t understand this ‘phobia’ against the DAW. I really would appreciate if someone really literate in the subject can help me out? See from my shoes, the laptop/computer (daw) its just another tool to create or have fun with music (im assuming that around only the 90% of people here are no longer or aren’t paid professionals). And we really enjoy the ancient art of “synthesizing “ (of course depending on your logistics and budget you can prefer a keyless synth or a full size keyboard for that endeavor). So if at the end you Really (and i mean, really are happy and not just because the trend dictates that the norm is this or such). Why this need to use (or not use) something that you may need (or dont) comes from? Thanks in adavnce taking the time reading this my question and for those taking the time replacing. Sid!
cause it’s not performance, it’s programming.
Alright, here’s my reason:
After using DAW’s since 2000 (I think I started before with Reason), I went DAWless in 2023. Now I own 10 hardware synthesizers, 3 drum machines, two external sequencers and a ton of outboard effect units.
Let me first humbly add that I can afford it. Not everybody do.
But my main reason was that I work in front of a keyboard and monitor all day long, and found it uninspiring to go down to my studio and stare at a plugin on another monitor.
Including from one day to another, absolutely zero changes had been made to any template or anything, all of a sudden I got no sound from the DAW. Or launching it, having a DAW update and 50+ plugins to update.
Troubleshooting this to get it back to working and updating everything, and I often found that the spark of creativity that made me go down to the studio in the first place, was gone.
Add to that that I absolutely hate trying to create sounds using mouse or trackpad, and none of the MIDI controllers I bought and used was a good enough replacement.
Now, I go down to my studio, flick a few buttons, and I’m off to play or record within seconds.
But as always, this is what works for me. I have absolutely no problem with other people having different approaches.
I think dawless generally means, away from the computer (at least my thoughts on it) and it makes sense as we spend so much time at computers now, that a dawless setup takes us away from that. The word has become a cliche at this point, and this is point and now it’s just a marketing gimmick or a word to put in your YouTube title to attract views.
Thanks for taking the time replying it is appreciated!
Ps Can someone sees as laptop as a musical instrument and the daw as its user interface?
I use this on my ipad 10 and made it into a synth rack, connected via iRig pro duo. it works really well, easy to setup, well laid out. you don’t have to use iRig, i’ve also tested with ipad usb adapter and cheap generic amazon usb midi cable. Each synth in the rack gets a different midi channel. so far i’m running 4 synths simultaneously: minimoog, sunrizer, audio kit 909, and DeeAcid. i’m pretty happy with Sessions Pro. Looked at other ipad app options and they didn’t feel as straight forward / didn’t feel right for my needs.
So, it’s a Dawless DAW?
Wow!
Just call it a DAW.
It is not a DAW.
As it is a Mac application, the primary competitor would be Mainstage – in terms of features.
It is a DAW.
Regardless of whether it’s on MAC, PC, Linux or anythingvelse, it’s still a DAW.
Just like Audacity is a DAW.
“Dawless” is such a useless term.
The first thing anybody does with any recording is bring it into a DAW.
It’s like Lego Duplo – a DAW for toddlers.
So, it‘s a DAW w/o recording functionality, right?
That’s kinda how I see it, yep. Very much a Digital Audio Workstation but without multi-track recording.
For me, “DAW-less” more or less means “no computer”.
Not dissing this. Great set of features and looks like a really fluid workflow. For 20 bucks? Pretty amazing. Indeed, if it had per track recording I’d be all over it. 🙂
I’ve done everything EXCEPT run “DAW-less” from a tracker, so I understand why people lean towards one method more than another. Newbies are lucky now. You can learn most of what you need to know with a little effort, like visiting this place. You can also start small and not break the bank. That goes double for software.
Its not a matter of which approach is the best; its which one of ten kinds of magic works the best for you. This app is a brilliant piece of work and for mere pennies. Its one hell of a Swiss army knife.
So they invented Apple MainStage and Gig Performer. Congrats! LOL
It does look interesting (and inexpensive) for those looking to put together computer-based live rig who are looking for a change or haven’t yet explored the other similar options.
Interesting. I use Ableton as a hub and host and not as a DAW – ie I rarely use it for recording or even playing sequences, but rather a host for vst’s with a lot of live mixing via controllers. So this might work well for me. I wonder what they offer in terms of Max integration. You’d have to compile to RNBO? Does it work with Plugdata?