PreSonus Blog

The Top 10 Reasons to Try Studio One

When Studio One was released almost a dozen years ago, it instantly became one of the fastest-growing DAWs around. With each dot release and major update, Studio One has grown into a comprehensive powerhouse, offering features and innovative workflows not available anywhere else. We could make dozens of 10 Ten Lists of our favorite Studio One features, but here are the top 10 reasons we love Studio One today.

 

10. Multi-instruments. 

Studio One lets you build a sound as unique as you by letting you stack multiple instruments on a single Instrument Track. Multi-instruments can be built as layers, key splits, or both, and you can record, edit, and play them like a single Instrument. A fully customizable Macro Panel gives you control over any parameter on any stacked Instrument or over multiple parameters on multiple Instruments at the same time.

Each Multi Instrument has its own Mixer channel, while each individual output of the combined Instruments receive full-featured sub-channels. You can process these outputs with plug-ins and sends, and then save everything into a single Multi Preset. There’s no limit to the creative possibilities for creative production and sound design.

9. Smart Tool.

Edit fast with audio and MIDI! We’ve combined the  Arrow and Range Tools to boost your audio editing efficiency through the roof. Select, move, split, or duplicate Events; trim start- and end-points of Events; adjust fades; and change the overall Event level in one seamless action—all with the same tool! Simply mouse over the upper or lower half of an Event to edit with the Arrow or Range Tools, respectively. Studio One’s smart tools change dynamically to stay in the moment with you!

MIDI Note events can be selected, moved, and resized. Plus, you can change note velocity, mute or unmute events, split events and parts, even glue adjacent notes—all with the same useful tool.

8. One-click Busses and Groups.

Only Studio One lets you add busses and groups on the fly right from the console. Need to add an FX Bus? Just drag and drop the plug-in you want to load to the send of any channel to instantly create the bus and the return and begin adjusting the send level immediately! Creating a drum bus is as easy as selecting all your drum channels, right-clicking, and selecting “Add Bus Channel.” Channels can be grouped and ungrouped on the fly the same way, simply select, right-click and group. Easy peasy.

7. Drag and Drop… Everything.

Studio One pioneered the drag and drop workflow that quickly made it a fan favorite from version 1.0. More than the ability to drag-and-drop an object to a new location on the timeline, Studio One lets you use drag-and-drop to do just about anything: 

  • Drag in audio loops from the Browser to automatically create an Audio Track and start using them in your production. 
  • Add plug-in effects—even specific presets—simply by dragging and dropping them on the desired track or channel. 
  • Ready to add a virtual instrument? You got it. Just drag it from the Browser to the Arranger Window to create a new Instrument Track and open the plug-in.
  • Need to do a quick stem export? Just drag the audio file from your song to any location on your computer…or directly upload to your PreSonus workspaces!
  • Copy complete insert FX chains from one Mixer channel to another by drag-and-drop. 
  • Complete send chain levels and routing can be copied from one channel to another simply with drag and drop. 
  • Convert audio to MIDI using Melodyne via drag-and-drop.
  • Convert an Instrument Part to audio simply by dragging it to an Audio Track. 
  • Extract chords by dragging any audio or MIDI object directly to the Chord Track. 
  • Drag Arranger sections to create completely new arrangements on the fly or move them to and from a Scratch Pad to experiment with them before you commit them to your song.

No other DAW lets you work so quickly and efficiently. 

6. Comprehensive Plug-in Suite.

Studio One comes loaded with a Native Effects plug-in suite that provides just about any tool you need for mixing, mastering, performing, and producing. These aren’t average stock DAW plug-ins, these plug-ins are so good we sell them separately for use in other DAWs. You get State-Space modeled guitar amps and stompboxes with Ampire and Pedalboard; the complete Analog Effects Collection featuring State-Spaced modeled input stages on select plug-ins; Fat Channel XT with two State-Space modeled Compressor and EQ models; a suite of analysis tools to help you fix your mix; plus inspiring effects like Autofilter, Groove Delay, Room Reverb and more!

But we didn’t stop with channel effects. Studio One Professional features the unique Console Shaper plug-in. Console Shaper uses our proprietary Mix Engine FX processing technology that affects your music across all channels on a bus, rather than just processing the bus output, as with a traditional plug-in. This allows for vintage-inspired artifacts like console crosstalk, surface noise, and drive. Mix Engine FX apply processing at a much deeper level, across any number of channels—and even in between.

5. Robust Composing Tools.

Studio One is a modern composer’s dream come true, and it all starts with Studio One’s Sound Variations—the next level in articulation support—so you get the most out of the complex virtual instruments and orchestral libraries. An extended mapping editor provides tools for managing complex articulation maps, and you can drag and drop Sound Variations into any order, or place them into custom folders for lightning-fast navigation. Sound Variations can be triggered by key switches, hardware controllers, keyboard shortcuts, custom macros, or highly customizable custom layouts for Studio One Remote. It’s never been easier to use orchestral libraries to their fullest potential.

But we didn’t stop there. Modern composers need tools that let them incorporate electronic elements with traditional scoring. The Score View brings the best features of PreSonus’ award-winning notation software, Notion, into Studio One. In addition to traditional notation, you get tablature and drum notation. View multiple staves at once to work on voicing, or view just one track at a time. Scores can be printed directly from Studio One. Staff Presets make it quick and easy to create lead sheets by automatically setting up the track name, cleff, staff type, and appropriate transposition for each instrument. And of course, scores created in Studio One can be sent to Notion and vice versa.

4. Arranger Track and Scratch Pads.

Studio One’s Arranger Track is a simple, intuitive way to reorder, duplicate, and remove Song sections like verses and choruses. Try out different arrangements, swap sections, lengthen or shorten solos, and structure a Song exactly the way you want with a simple drag-and-drop.

Try out new arrangements on the fly using the Arranger Track Inspector. Double-click any Arranger section to jump to it without missing a beat. Drag Arranger Track parts to a Scratch Pad to experiment with new mixes, parts, and more. If you like what you’ve created, you can drag the part back in to replace the old one or put it in a new section of your song. 

3. Integrated Mastering and More.

Studio One Professional is the only DAW that links songs and stems with finished, mastered Projects. Transfer mixes or mixed stems to the Project page for mastering—but if you hear anything you need to change, simply jump back into the Song and make your tweaks; the revised version updates with a single click, so you can continue mastering without losing any previous work. 

Use Studio One Native Effects and your favorite third-party plug-ins to provide the final EQ, dynamics, and imaging control you need to create a professional sound. You’ll also find analysis tools, like spectrum analysis, M/S-processing, K-System and EBU loudness metering, phase meter, expandable level meter, and oscilloscope to provide visual confirmation to what you hear, as well as help with conformance to existing broadcast and duplication standards. 

And when your masterpiece is ready, you’ll find DDP export, CD burning, and direct upload to Soundcloud and PreSonus Sphere options to share your mastered recordings with your clients and collaborators—or release your albums to the world.

2. Integrated Performing.

Studio One 5 takes you from the studio to the stage or stream with the Show Page. Create a Setlist using songs you’re already created in Studio One, incorporating a mix of live instruments, pre-recorded tracks, and virtual instruments. Each song in the Setlist can have its own unique instrumentation, and thanks to Studio One’s incredible amp modeling and virtual synth instruments, you may never need to bring a heavy amp to a show ever again. 

Songs in your Setlist can be rearranged on the fly using drag-and-drop. Use the Arranger Track to alter your performance in real-time: loop sections on the fly, jump to a different part, and automatically change patches—all without missing a beat. 

When it’s showtime, turn on the clean Performance view with Setlist navigation and use the customizable, real-time controls over the parameters you want to adjust on stage: levels, parameters, patches… even launch and loop entire Song sections. Every performer on stage can use Studio One Remote v1.6 to control their performance from their favorite mobile device. Your studio sound is larger than life—now your stage persona can be, too.

1. All in.

Studio One is designed to grow with you. To that end, PreSonus offers a complete suite of Studio One add-ons that add new features, sounds, and functions when you need them. Add three new State-Space modeled Mix Engine FX consoles with CTC-1 Pro Console Shaper. Expand Fat Channel XT with up to eight vintage compressor models and seven classic EQs. Add otherworldly synths, pads, and more to Presence XT with Deep Flight One. Or create complete orchestrations with PreSonus Symphony Orchestra and PreSonus Studio Grand. Need even more sound control? Unlock the Presence XT’s powerful Edit Page with the Presence XT Editor and turn Presence XT into the perfect host for any custom sampler sound library. 

Every Studio One Add-on is available separately, so you can buy what you want when you need it. Or, join PreSonus Sphere and get it all: Studio One Professional, Notion, every PreSonus Add-on for Studio One, exclusive Studio One features, access to curated Studio One presets and effects chains from PreSonus artists; and so much more. All in PreSonus Sphere.