Turn your PS Vita Into a USB Music Workstation [ DS-8 0.6 Update ]

video upload by Intermynd Instruments

"One tiny handheld. A complete music setup. Download the latest DS-8 update now, completely free:

https://intermynd-instruments.itch.io...

Sync the DS-8 directly to your PC or compatible hardware like the Teenage Engineering OP-XY over USB MIDI. Or connect it to your computer and send multitrack USB audio straight into your DAW for recording and mixing.

New DS8 features:

Multitrack, class-compliant USB audio for recording individual DS-8 tracks directly into a DAW
No drivers needed
MIDI sync over USB: send or receive clock, start and stop

Mixing and workflow improvements:

Dedicated Mixer with left and right panning
Per-track MPC60-style swing
More intuitive extending and shrinking of 16, 32 and 64-step patterns
Simplified track engine selector
Instant note preview when programming melodic synth parts

In the video, we demonstrate multitrack recording into Ableton Live and use the OP-XY as the master clock for a synchronized, laptop-free techno liveset.

Download the latest DS-8 update now, completely free."

v0.6 Release notes:

Version 0.6 turns DS-8 into a deeper studio instrument, with multichannel USB audio, MIDI sync, stereo mixing, per-track swing, flexible pattern lengths, and a faster sound-selection workflow.

USB Audio + MIDI

Connect your PS Vita directly to your studio over a single USB cable:

Record ten audio channels into your computer: stereo master plus eight individual tracks.
Send stereo audio from your computer back into DS-8.
Record incoming USB audio directly into the sampler.
Send or follow MIDI clock and transport using the new INT and EXT modes.
Clear WAIT, LOCK, CONNECTED, and STREAMING feedback keeps the connection state visible.
Note: the optional Open Source USB Audio + MIDI kernel plugin is included in the download. DS-8 continues to work normally without it; the plugin is only required for USB integration and must be installed manually.

New Mixer and Stereo Panning

Every track now has its own position in the stereo field.

New dedicated MIXER page.
Per-track PAN, LEVEL, SWING, drive and send controls.
Automate Pan and other mixer movements per step.
Master effects now operate in stereo.
Build wider kits, animate sounds across the stereo field, and prepare cleaner multitrack recordings.

Per-Track Swing

Add MPC60-style swing independently to each track, from straight 50% timing up to a deeper 75% shuffle.

Keep the kick locked while pushing the hats, percussion, sampler, or synth into a different pocket.

Flexible Pattern Lengths

Patterns can now be switched between:

16 steps
32 steps
64 steps
When extending a pattern, choose whether new pages start empty or repeat the existing sequence. Shortening a pattern preserves the hidden pages, so they return when the pattern is expanded again.

Faster Sound Selection

The engine browser has been reorganized into expandable sound families:

Bass Drum
Snare Drum
Hi-Hat
Clap
Percussion
Synth
Sampler
Open a group, choose an engine, and collapse it again without scrolling through one long list. ONESHOT and BEATSLICER are available directly inside the Sampler group.

USB and Workflow Polish

Improved long-running MIDI clock stability.
Safer temporary MTP replacement and restoration.
Clear guidance when the USB plugin is missing or unavailable.
Refined engine-browser hierarchy and navigation.
Introduce a synth note preview feature for melodic tracks
Updated PS Vita presentation and LiveArea artwork.
Existing DS-8 projects remain compatible with v0.6.