PreSonus Blog

Author Archives: Ryan Roullard


Mixing the Killers in Studio One

There’s perhaps never been a better time to focus on your mixing craft—we’re all being encouraged to stay home, and Studio One is on sale. Why not try your hand at mixing an established hit?

Good ol’ Joe Gilder has just wrapped up his incredible three-episode series on Mixing The Killers in Studio One.  Yeah, The Killers, as in “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me.” In fact, “Somebody Told Me” is the song that Joe dissects and re-builds right before your eyes and ears.

Note that this is a deeeeeeep dive. You’re going to want to check your Instagram-influenced attention span at the door and spend some quality time with this; there’s three episodes here that range from a half-hour to an hour and a half long… but come on, it’s Joe Gilder. So you know it’s gonna be All The Killers and no The Fillers.

Ready? Let’s roll onto something new. Because Mixing The Killers is way more fun than killing the mixers.

 

Also, didja know how Joe got the multi-tracks for this song? From none other than Mix The Music. Mix The Music offers a unique .multitrack audio project format that can only be opened in Studio One. You can purchase the stems to your favorite hit songs, re-mix, and play along! And right now, PreSonus fans can get 20% off any purchase at Mix The Music using promo code: KillerDeal.

Furthermore, don’t forget that Studio One and Notion are both 30% off in April, including upgrades!

 

Rediscover your ATOM with these tips—and a flash sale!

SURPRISE! For a short time, the following ATOM-enhanced loops are 50% off. This offer ends March 22!

Click here to shop all qualifying products!

You can save 50% on any of the following:

  • Tom Brechtlein Drums Vol. 1 – Stereo
  • Tom Brechtlein Drums Vol. 1 – HD Multitrack
  • Tom Brechtlein Drums Vol. 2 – Stereo
  • Tom Brechtlein Drums Vol. 2 – HD Multitrack
  • Sample Magic – Ambient House 2
  • Sample Magic – Ambient Techno
  • Sample Magic – Chill Trap
  • Sample Magic – Future Pop Sessions
  • Sample Magic – Lo-Fi Pop
  • Sample Magic – Neon Disco
  • Sample Magic – Raw Techno 2
  • Sample Magic – Retrowave 2
  • Sample Magic – Soulful Beats
  • Sample Magic – Soulful Trap

And while saving a few bucks on loops is always nice, let’s take a look at some ATOM developments for a minute. Now that the product has been out for a while, users have been discovering the instrument’s full potential. Combine the tips below with some of the loops above and add some new beats AND new techniques to your production workflow.

Want to become a finger-drumming master? If you bought your ATOM after October 20, 2019, you get free lessons from Melodics! Go to your MyPreSonus account to redeem them!


This Craig Anderton blog features a lot of tricks you can do with ATOM that have nothing to do with drums. Yeah, you read that right. Good ol’ Craig, always thinking outside the box.

Here’s our very own ATOM with Ableton Live playlist:

 

And our Studio One ATOM playlist:

Into the Esoteric: Unveiling the World of Oriental Percussion

[This guest blog post comes to us from EarthMoments.]

To journey into the realm of Middle Eastern music is to unveil a tradition that is inextricably linked to religion—a uniting factor that brought together people of several different countries, languages and cultures.

The prevalence of Islam enabled the Arabic influence to spread across areas including Morocco, Iran, Egypt, Turkey and North Africa from the 7th century onward—a cultural influence that also permeated the region’s musical framework. There are various elements that give Arabic music its distinctly otherworldly quality—the music often features quarter tones between notes, the Arabic scale is based on various maqamat or modes, and complex rhythmic patterns play an essential role in the tradition.

 

In order to connect producers to this region’s exotic spectrum of instruments and rich sonic diversity, EarthMoments has released a bundle that grants them exclusive access to an otherwise elusive musical tradition.

EarthMoments’ Hamsa Vol. 02 – Arabic Percussion showcases several percussion instruments from the Middle East, North Africa, and Arabic musical traditions.

Forming the mainstay of the percussive practice are a variety of hand drums, instruments like the dumbek—a classic goblet-shaped drum traditionally made of ceramic clay and with a deeply resonant sound; the darbuka – also ‘goblet’ shaped, and said to be a modern variation of the dumbek; and the riq—a frame drum with 5 sets of cymbals, usually skinned with goat or fish skin – all of which are included in the bundle.

These traditions are heavily steeped in rhythmic patterns that perhaps at first listen are unusual to the Western-trained ear—complex time signatures that evoke a sense of the mystical realm from which these sounds emerged. In creating the bundle, the EarthMoments team made it a point to go beyond a surface level depiction of the ‘exotic Orient’—and chose instead to showcase both traditional commonly heard rhythms, as well as less conventional, rare folk rhythms that stray far from the mainstream.

Included are rhythms like the Malfuf—a fast pattern that originates in Egypt and Lebanon and is often played as an intro for classical orchestral compositions, specially created for a belly dancer’s entrance and exit;

the Baladi – an urban folk rhythmic style, a derivative of which is the Maqsoum rhythm (the most common rhythm in Arabic belly dance music);

the Shiftateli – a hypnotic rhythm often used for the sensuous movements of the belly dancer such as undulations of the torso, floor work, or when the dancer moves with snake like arms;

and the Karachi – a fast rhythm that originated in Pakistan but is commonly found in modern Egyptian and North African music.

In unlocking this enigmatic world of sound, new doorways open up for the curious producer looking for unusual creative leads – and herein lies great potential to create truly unique, offbeat compositions.

Hamsa Vol. 02 – Arabic Percussion Bundle

Remembering Derek Jones

Derek Jones was a Notion fan, expert user, and PreSonus advocate who formerly managed the Notion Users Facebook Group. If you ever had a run-in with Derek on-line, it was guaranteed to be positive—we can’t even begin to count the number of people in the Notion community who benefitted from his help and patience. If you count yourself among them, please feel welcome and encouraged to say something nice in the comments.

Rest easy, Derek, and thanks for your kind time and attention. You’re already missed.


The Notion team are deeply saddened by Derek’s passing. He was hugely valued here, indeed all of our users benefited from the improvements and feedback he contributed over the years on top of the direct help he gave to users within the Notion user group he created. The hundreds of members that built up over time became a really supportive and kind online community, aided of course by Derek’s patient and positive direction. I remain very grateful for his passion for music making, and for his friendship.

Chris Swaffer
Product Manager, Notion


I am deeply saddened and shocked by the sad news of the death of a very good friend of mine, Derek Jones. He was full of grace, humility, wisdom and knowledge of music. His contribution to music production, notation software development and to the PreSonus testing community was huge and invaluable.
Personally, he was a very good and loyal supporter and friend, whose wisdom and counsel I drew upon deeply. I shall miss him most deeply. But, in mourning, I rejoice in the knowledge that I shall see him again and we will, once again, enjoy lengthy talks about audio production and education.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
Johnny Lipsham
Jonny Lipsham Studios

How to Use Nektar Panorama in Studio One

This just in from Ralf over at Nektar! This tutorial series shows how Nektar DAW Integration software lets you control Studio One from Panorama T4 and T6 MIDI controllers—everything from setup to mixer mode to instrument mode is covered. Check it out!


Part 1 (Basics and Overview)


Part 2 (Mixer Mode)


Part 3 (Instrument Mode)

EarthMoments Presents: Indian Street Drummers – Indian Percussion

[This guest blog post comes to us from EarthMoments.]

Street style: ecstatic South Indian ceremonial drumming, and raw and primal beats from the gullies of South India. This is a wildly unconventional bundle now made accessible to producers worldwide.

EarthMoments’ collection – Indian Street Drummers – Indian Percussion – showcases the heart and soul of the streets of India with the original, largely undocumented sounds of Tapattam street drummers.

This tradition of Tapattam drumming was traditionally practiced at funeral processions by communities that were considered the ‘untouchables’ of Indian society. Today, the Tapattam art form is a part of many religious and sacred temple festivals, and lends itself to contemporary perspectives with its timeless tribal trance rhythms, that brings roots to the dance floor.
The mystic power of this drum is used to convey a range of emotions – from sorrow and anger, to happiness and ecstasy, connecting the material world of the player to his/her spiritual world. Recorded at different BPMs with a complex selection of tempos and rhythms to choose from, the bundle provides a starkly hypnotic library of otherworldly percussion – guaranteed to inspire.

Click here to learn more!

 

Remembering Skip Jones, 1953-2020

Skip’s Guitars

One of our dear friends, Skip Jones, passed away recently. He was 66. Skip was not only one of our biggest supporters, but he was also one of our longest-running forum mods. Skip helped countless people with their PreSonus stuff starting way back in the early days of the PreSonus forum, and most recently via the StudioLive and Studio One groups on Facebook. Skip was the guy that originally came up with the idea for PreSonuSphere and pitched it to Rick… who then pitched it to PreSonus. Skip even named it.

Skip is survived by his daughter, Lindsey Jones, and his siblings: Tammy Jones, Sandy Jones, and Larry Jones. His ashes will be spread in the Gulf, the same place his wife was laid to rest in 2015.

We’ve been able to collect a few nice words about Skip that you’ll find below. And if you’d like to share your own, feel welcome and encouraged to do so in the comments.

Godspeed, Skip. We’re better for having had you around.


“I met Skip Jones about 12 years ago. He was an early supporter of Studio One and PreSonus hardware and instantly started spreading his enthusiasm across the PreSonus community. He was not only one of PreSonus’ biggest supporters, but he was also one of the longest-standing forum moderators, and has helped literally thousands of our customers. Skip was constantly coming up with ideas on how to serve our customers better. It’s a humongous loss for our user community. Our prayers are with his family and friends at this time.”

– Rick Naqvi, SVP of Global Sales


“Skip was the first person who reached out to me when I joined the PreSonus forum many years ago.  His kindness and knowledge were infectious.  He is one of the main reasons I am even here. Over the years we became very good friends through conversations about everything from Apple operating systems to the best way to house train a terrier.  I was there to talk when his wife passed and he was there when I was trying to be a single parent.  He was a great friend. I remember discussing what turned out to become PreSonusphere with him.  Can you believe it all started as a simple hangout at one guy’s farm in Southern California? The world lost a good man, and a good friend.”

– Jon M. Taylor, Technical Sales Lead – Live Sound


Skip Jones was committed to helping others. When I needed assistance a few years ago with my StudioLive 32, he was quick in providing the answers I needed. He focused on providing users in the PreSonus Forum with the resources they needed for many years. Thank you for your years of service. We will miss you!
-Trucky Krueger

 It is with great sadness that I write this but I am so glad I knew Skip. He was the first PreSonus Moderator that helped me and he was the first to teach me to become a good Moderator. He was always so kind and patient. We were also beta testers together for different software programs. Skip loved his dog he named “Dog.” Skip was a vital part of our group and many times did the work no one else volunteered to do.
I will remember his kind spirit always.
-Jim Saad
Forum Moderator and Friend

To my good friend Skip Jones:

I met Skip Jones on the PreSonus Forums back in 2009 and we were friends instantly. Sharing what we knew of Studio One and supporting hundreds of people on the PreSonus Forums. When I lost my voice in 2011, I was ready to chuck everything and stop doing music, but Skip wouldn’t let me. He was one of the major driving forces who pushed me to create Home Studio Trainer. He supported me like no other. He was also the conscience for the MOD group and hated when we talked about beta stuff… lol. We will have nothing to fill this hole but our memories. Live long and prosper where ever you are, Skip. You deserve peace.

Johnny Geib
Producer\Engineer\Instructor


Skip and I first made contact in the Studio One Facebook group. He was always friendly, engaging, helpful and full of fun. He and I persuaded Johnny Geib to start his own Facebook group for His site Home Studio Trainer, and we helped him moderate the group. One group quickly became two, and later three groups. In late 2014, as I, under encouragement from Skip and Johnny, began to make Studio One tutorial videos, I found Skip to be a wonderfully loyal supporter, and a fierce advocate for my content. He would spread the word about my videos, and then about my livestreams as I started them.

When I joined the PreSonus Forum Mod Squad, Skip again helped build a “Community University” in the Forum, where he would post my videos and links to my livestreams, as well as johnny Geib’s content and others as well. I learned a lot from Skip. He was a very fine mentor, teacher and encourager. And he was a great friend.

PreSonus, and its user community, has been very greatly enriched by Skip Jones, and the scale of the loss we now feel in his death is very great indeed. He will be very greatly missed. We all have a Skip shaped hole in our hearts. May the impact of his legacy among us forever grow deeper and wider.

Jonny Lipsham


I have known Skip for ten years, having spent most of that time as forum moderators, and shared many a conversation about our shared love of music. But it was our first interaction that most completely represents Skip to me, and what I will carry forward. It was a forum conversation that had taken a turn for worse, and I found myself with the torches and pitchforks crowd. At the time I was new to Presonus products trying to learn, and Skip was a forum moderator helping to teach and herd the cats. Well, decorum had been lost, and we were setting fire to the village. Skip messaged me, saying “Come on, you’re better than that.” Yes we are, having been lucky enough to have known you, Skip.
Rest in Peace my friend. Dog is glad to have you back. We’ll keep an eye on the monkey for you.
Matt Gorman

2019 Rep and Distributor Awards from NAMM

In preparation for the Winter NAMM show, PreSonus hosted our sales reps and international distributors for a series of very exciting kick-off meetings. In the US, our sales reps play a big part in interfacing with our dealers and customers to help them reach their creative goals.

 

In recognition of outstanding performance during the year awards were presented to the following reps for their achievement:

  • The Rep Firm of The Year was presented to Sonic Sales, which serves the Northern California, Northern Nevada Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Alaska Territory.
  • The Individual Rep of the Year award was presented to Tim Dykes of Bencsik associates in Florida.
  • The Demo God award went to Dave Batson of Cowser Marketing for his work in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Eastern Texas.
  • The E-Commerce Excellence award went to Chris Hutnick and Lienau AV, in Metro New York and New Jersey.
  • Cadon Technical Sales was presented with the Studio One Champions award for their hard work and inspiration in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Southern Illinois.

 

Introducing ioStation24c

ioStation24c: The collaborative partner for the solo artist.

When you’re a solo artist, you have to be more than just creative to realize your vision—you must also be a producer and an audio engineer. The ioStation 24c audio interface and production controller provides the tools needed for all of these diverse roles in a compact, ergonomic desktop design that will fit into any home studio.

Click here to learn more.

 

 

Celebrating 25 years of PreSonus

Let’s take a minute to look at all the firsts PreSonus has had in our first 25 years, from 1995-2020. It’s been quite a ride, and we’ve been glad to have you along for it. In fact, we couldn’t have done it without your support and input. Thanks for taking the trip with us. The next 25? They’re going to be even better.

For a more detailed look at what all we’ve been up to for the past 25 years, and where we hope to go in the future, check out our recently-revised PreSonus History section.

 

You may have missed some firsts in the video. Here’s the full list:

1995 – Patented MIDI control over analog devices
1996 – the first multi-channel compressor with onboard bus link
1997 – the first stereo analog compressor with presets and manual control
1998 – Invented proprietary IDSS control
2000 – the first 8-channel mic preamp with ADAT output
2002 – The first Analog/Digital recording system over FireWire
2003 – the first rackmount monitoring controller with talkback
2004 – The first FireWire audio interface with eight onboard mic preamps
2005 – the first completely software-controlled audio interface
2006 – the first audio interface with integrated monitor control
2007 – the first single-Fader DAW control surface
2008 – the first digital mixer with continuously bidirectional FireWire interface.
2008 – the first dedicated recording application for a digital mixer
2009 – the first DAW with both recording and mastering
2010 – THE First DAW with direct-to-Soundcloud export
2011 – the first DAW with Melodyne integration
2011 – The first digital mixer control app on the Apple App Store
2012 – the first iPhone monitor mix control app in the App Store
2013 – the first cross-platform integration between software and hardware
2014 – the first powered loudspeaker with Dante™ connectivity
2015 – THE First DAW with cross-platform multitouch support
2016 – the First bi-directional control between a DAW and digital mixer
2018 – the First DAW with real-time pitch control over MIDI and audio
2018 – The first fully-integrated AVB ecosystem
2019 – invented Patent-pending constant directivity loudspeaker design

AND SO MANY MORE

– Patented MIDI control over analog devices
– the first multi-channel compressor with onboard bus link
– Invented proprietary IDSS control to provide manual adjustment over the drain current of an input FET amplifier
– the first 8-channel mic preamp with limiting and A/D conversion to ADAT
– the first Analog/Digital recording system over FireWire
– Invented adjacent filter limiting
– Invented adaptive noise cancellation
– the first rackmount center console monitoring controller with talkback
– the first FireWire audio interface with eight onboard mic preamps
– the first digital sidechain in an analog compressor
– the first solid-state/vacuum tube dual-path mic preamp
– the first audio interface to be networkable over FireWire
– the first completely software-controlled audio interface
– the first audio interface with integrated monitoring remote control
– the first single-fader DAW control surface
– the first FireWire interface for Roland VS hard disk recorders
– the first digital mixer with continuously bidirectional, per-channel FireWire interface
– the first dedicated recording application for a digital mixer
– the first DAW with recording and mastering on the same platform
– the first digital mixer with cascading over FireWire
– the First DAW with direct-to-Soundcloud export
– The first digital mixer control app to be available on Apple App Store
– the first iPad controlled audio interface
– the first iPhone monitor mix control app in the App Store
– the First digital mixer with integrated SMAART system measurement
– Invented proprietary UCNET protocol for cross-platform communication and control between software and hardware
– the first powered loudspeaker with onboard processing and iPad control
– the first powered loudspeaker with Dante™ connectivity
– the First DAW with cross-platform high-DPI and multitouch support
– the First and still only DAW with Scratch Pad alternate mix and arranger tool
– the First and still only DAW with Mix Engine FX for engine-level console emulation plug-ins
– the First bidirectional control and mix settings import/export between a DAW and digital mixer
– the First DAW with pitch control over MIDI and audio simultaneously (and in real-time)
– the first fully integrated AVB ecosystem
– Invented a patent-pending constant directivity loudspeaker design
– the first the single fader DAW control surface with integrated audio interface