Studio One is a

digital audio workstation A digital audio workstation (DAW) is an electronic device or application software used for recording, editing and producing audio files. DAWs come in a wide variety of configurations from a single software program on a laptop, to an integra ...

(DAW) application, used to create,

record A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, ...

, mix and master music and other audio, with functionality also available for video. Initially developed as a successor to the

KRISTAL Audio Engine The KRISTAL Audio Engine (commonly referred to as KRISTAL or KAE) is a digital audio workstation for Microsoft Windows. It is free for personal & educational use, with licensing options for commercial use. The successor to this product became wha ...

, it was acquired by

PreSonus PreSonus Audio Electronics, Inc. (often known and styled as PreSonus) is an American manufacturer of professional audio equipment and software, used to create, record, mix, and master music and other audio. This includes their line of digital aud ...

and first released in 2009 for

macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. Within the market of ...

and Microsoft Windows. In addition to the commercial editions of the software (known as ''Studio One Artist'' and ''Studio One Professional''), PreSonus also distributes a free edition, with reduced functionality (known as ''Studio One Prime''). The Professional edition is also available as part of the ''PreSonus Sphere'' monthly subscription program.

History

Early development and release (2004–2011)

Studio One originally began development under the name ''K2'', as a follow-up to the

. Although development for this follow-up began in 2004, it transitioned in 2006 to a cooperation between

and KristalLabs Software Ltd., a start-up founded by former

Steinberg Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH (trading as Steinberg) is a German musical software and hardware company based in Hamburg. It develops music writing, recording, arranging, and editing software, most notably Cubase, Nuendo, and Dorico. It als ...

employees Wolfgang Kundrus and Matthias Juwan. Kundrus was one of the developers for initial versions of

Cubase Cubase is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Steinberg for music and MIDI recording, arranging and editing. The first version, which was originally only a MIDI sequencer and ran on the Atari ST computer, was released in 1989. Cut-d ...

, and established concepts for the first version of

Nuendo Nuendo is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Steinberg for music recording, arranging, editing and post-production. The package is aimed at audio and video post-production market segments (marketed as an 'Advanced Audio Post-Productio ...

. Juwan was the author of the original

, wrote the specification for version 3 of the VST

plug-in Plug-in, plug in or plugin may refer to: * Plug-in (computing) is a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing computer program. ** Audio plug-in, adds audio signal processing features ** Photoshop plugin, a piece of softwar ...

standard, and had also worked on multiple

products, including

, and HALion. KristalLabs then became part of

in 2009, and the former KristalLabs logo was used as the basis for the logo of Studio One. The first version of Studio One was announced on 1 April 2009 at Musikmesse, and released on 27 September 2009. The final update for Studio One version 1 (v1.6.5) was released in July 2011.

Versions 2 & 3 (2011–2018)

Version 2 of Studio One was announced on 17 October 2011, and released on 31 October 2011 (alongside the 2.0.2 update). This release of the software introduced multiple enhancements, including integration with Celemony Melodyne, transient detection & quantization, groove extraction, multi-track comping, folder tracks, multi-track

MIDI MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, an ...

editing, an updated browser, and new plug-ins. The integration of Studio One version 2 with

Melodyne Celemony Software GmbH is a German musical software company that specializes in digital audio pitch correction software. It produces Melodyne, a popular audio pitch modification tool similar to Auto-Tune, although the program itself is a man ...

was achieved via the creation of a new

extension, known as

Audio Random Access Audio Random Access (commonly abbreviated to ARA) is an extension for audio plug-in interfaces, such as AU, VST and RTAS, allowing them to exchange a greater amount of audio information with digital audio workstation (DAW) software. It was dev ...

(ARA). This extension, developed jointly by

and

Celemony Celemony Software GmbH is a German musical software company that specializes in digital audio pitch correction software. It produces Melodyne, a popular audio pitch modification tool similar to Auto-Tune, although the program itself is a manua ...

, allows an audio

to appear as an integrated part of the application. Version 3 of Studio One was released on 20 May 2015. The new features included an arranger track, scratchpads for idea experimentation, the ability to chain together different effects and instruments,

note effects, new plug-ins, and the ability to use curves in

automation Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, namely by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machines ...

Versions 4 & 5 (2018–2022)

Following teaser images on

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social me ...

websites in the preceding weeks, version 4 of Studio One was announced via a

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

live stream Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but ...

event on 22 May 2018, and released simultaneously. New features in version 4 included a

chord Chord may refer to: * Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously ** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning * Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve * Chord ( ...

track (with

detection, transposition and

substitution options), a dedicated drum editing interface, expanded drum machine & sampler plug-ins, AAF-format import/export functionality (to exchange data with other DAW applications), and support for version 2 of the ARA plug-in extension. Almost exactly a year later, on 21 May 2019, this functionality was expanded further with the live stream announcement and simultaneous release of version 4.5. New functionality introduced with version 4.5 included input channel

gain staging In audio engineering, a gain stage is a point during an audio signal flow that the engineer can make adjustments to the level,Thompson, Dan (2005). ''Understanding Audio''. Berklee Press. . such as a fader on a mixing console or in a DAW. Gain sta ...

and phase/polarity options, a built-in plug-in manager, M4A (

AAC AAC may refer to: Aviation * Advanced Aircraft, a company from Carlsbad, California * Alaskan Air Command, a radar network * American Aeronautical Corporation, a company from Port Washington, New York * American Aviation, a company from Cleveland, ...

ALAC ALAC may refer to: * Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand, autonomous Crown entity for promoting alcohol moderation * Aluminium acetate (AlAc), a number of different salts of aluminum with acetic acid * Apple Lossless Audio Codec, an audio cod ...

) support, video export options, new grouping options, RMS metering, pre-fader metering, CPU multi-core optimization, and expanded

macro Macro (or MACRO) may refer to: Science and technology * Macroscopic, subjects visible to the eye * Macro photography, a type of close-up photography * Image macro, a picture with text superimposed * Monopole, Astrophysics and Cosmic Ray Observat ...

features, alongside a new add-on for batch audio conversion & processing. The release of version 4.6 was preceded by a launch party event, hosted by PreSonus at the

Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide, inc ...

Studios building in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. Its release on 10 December 2019 included a re-designed and expanded version of the 'Ampire'

guitar amplifier A guitar amplifier (or amp) is an electronic device or system that strengthens the electrical signal from a pickup on an electric guitar, bass guitar, or acoustic guitar so that it can produce sound through one or more loudspeakers, which a ...

and effects plugin (including new

effects pedal An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing. Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in e ...

options), a re-designed content browser, and new templates & macros for

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...

production. Version 5 of Studio One, described as "ten years in the making", was announced via live-stream video on 7 July 2020. Features added in this new version included a full score editor (with features similar to that of PreSonus' notation software, Notion), a 'Show’ interface focused on supporting live performances, MIDI support enhancements (such as polyphonic expression, custom

ROLI ROLI is a London-based music technology company known for its innovative high tech musical instruments, particularly the ROLI Seaboard, a MIDI controller with soft, rubbery keys and continuous, rather than discrete, pitches, and pitch-bending c ...

device support, and the ability to use MTC &

MMC MMC may stand for: Business *Mail.com Media Corp., a former name of the US digital media company PMC * Marsh & McLennan Companies, an American-based global professional services firm *Master Municipal Clerk, a certification in the US for a munic ...

to synchronize Studio One with external clocks). Version 5 also added support for recording in

64-bit In computer architecture, 64-bit integers, memory addresses, or other data units are those that are 64 bits wide. Also, 64-bit CPUs and ALUs are those that are based on processor registers, address buses, or data buses of that size. A comp ...

floating-point In computing, floating-point arithmetic (FP) is arithmetic that represents real numbers approximately, using an integer with a fixed precision, called the significand, scaled by an integer exponent of a fixed base. For example, 12.345 can be ...

WAV format, bringing the maximum precision for recording & processing to 64-bit/384 kHz and thereby making Studio One one of the highest-resolution audio production and mastering applications available. Version 5.4 of the software, released in September 2021, added native support for Apple computers with

Apple silicon Apple silicon is a series of system on a chip (SoC) and system in a package (SiP) processors designed by Apple Inc., mainly using the ARM architecture. It is the basis of most new Mac computers as well as iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple ...

chips, thereby providing improved performance on such machines (which would previously have run the application via '

Rosetta 2 Rosetta is a dynamic binary translator developed by Apple Inc. for macOS, an application compatibility layer between different instruction set architectures. It enables a transition to newer hardware, by automatically translating software. Th ...

' emulation).

Version 6 (2022–present)

Version 6 of the software (the first following PreSonus' acquisition by Fender in 2021) was both announced and released on 29 September 2022. The new release included enhancements focused on making the application "simpler ndmore intuitive" (as previously alluded to by Fender CEO, Andy Mooney), such as "smart" templates, additional UI customization, song lyric support, and cloud-based collaboration (via their PreSonus Sphere subscription service). Following the launch, Evan Jones, Fender CMO, stated that the company was "fully invested in supporting the continued expansion and adoption of Studio One as the total solution for professional and committed at-home creators."

Features

Standard DAW Features

In addition to its other functionality, Studio One includes fundamental features which are common across most digital audio workstation software, such as the functionality found in multi-track recorders and audio mixing consoles, plus additional functions not possible with

analog recording Analog recording is a technique used for the recording of analog signals which, among many possibilities, allows analog audio for later playback. Analog audio recording began with mechanical systems such as the phonautograph and phonograph. ...

(such as

undo Undo is an interaction technique which is implemented in many computer programs. It erases the last change done to the document, reverting it to an older state. In some more advanced programs, such as graphic processing, undo will negate the las ...

ing previous actions, editing without loss of information, use of virtual instruments, etc.).

Editions

Studio One is available in 3 editions, each with a different license cost (if any) and set of features. The Professional edition is also available as part of the ''PreSonus Sphere'' monthly subscription program, which also includes other PreSonus software, such as Notion, and all of its available plug-ins.

Other Features

The other core features of Studio One include the following: * A multi-touch interface with drag-and-drop functionality and support for multiple screens, including HDPI displays. * A separate Project-level interface, which contains tools for mastering, managing the metadata of, and exporting one or more songs simultaneously, including options for creating

Red Book Standard Compact Disc Digital Audio (CDDA or CD-DA), also known as Digital Audio Compact Disc or simply as Audio CD, is the standard format for audio compact discs. The standard is defined in the ''Red Book'', one of a series of Rainbow Books (named ...

CDs or

disk image A disk image, in computing, is a computer file containing the contents and structure of a disk volume or of an entire data storage device, such as a hard disk drive, tape drive, floppy disk, optical disc, or USB flash drive. A disk image is usu ...

s (Professional Edition only). * A separate Show-level interface, designed for use in coordinating the entirety of live performances from a single location. * Real-time audio time-stretching features. * Integrated music score editor. * Multiple

patterns for tracks and plug-ins, including straight lines,

exponential Exponential may refer to any of several mathematical topics related to exponentiation, including: *Exponential function, also: **Matrix exponential, the matrix analogue to the above *Exponential decay, decrease at a rate proportional to value * Exp ...

/ parabolic curves,

square wave A square wave is a non-sinusoidal periodic waveform in which the amplitude alternates at a steady frequency between fixed minimum and maximum values, with the same duration at minimum and maximum. In an ideal square wave, the transitions b ...

triangle wave A triangular wave or triangle wave is a non-sinusoidal waveform named for its triangular shape. It is a periodic, piecewise linear, continuous real function. Like a square wave, the triangle wave contains only odd harmonics. However, the ...

sine wave A sine wave, sinusoidal wave, or just sinusoid is a mathematical curve defined in terms of the '' sine'' trigonometric function, of which it is the graph. It is a type of continuous wave and also a smooth periodic function. It occurs often in ...

s, etc. * Support for the ARA/ARA2 extension for

audio plug-in An audio plug-in, in computer software, is a plug-in that can add or enhance audio-related functionality in a computer program. Such functionality may include digital signal processing or sound synthesis. Audio plug-ins usually provide their o ...

s, allowing them to closely integrate as part of the application. * A

track, with automatic

detection from audio or

tracks, and options for

transposition and substitution (Professional Edition only). * An arranger track, for navigating song sections and re-arranging them via drag-and-drop. * A lyrics track, for attaching song lyrics to notese, either word by word or syllable by syllable (Professional Edition only). * Scratch pads, for users to experiment with different song layouts without impacting the original version (Professional Edition only). *

Undo Undo is an interaction technique which is implemented in many computer programs. It erases the last change done to the document, reverting it to an older state. In some more advanced programs, such as graphic processing, undo will negate the las ...

functionality across the mixing process, including for plug-ins, virtual instruments, routing, effects chains, and others. * The ability to create chains of virtual instruments and/or effects (Professional Edition only). * Support for MIDI Polyphonic Expression / Poly Pressure. * Support for MTC and

, to synchronize Studio One with external clocks. *

note-level effects, such as an

arpeggiator A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis ...

and a

generator. * A dedicated interface for editing programmed drums, including configurable kit piece names for each note pitch. * Mix Engine effects: plug-ins that can be used to modify/bypass/replace the standard mixing processes for a specific bus/channel (Professional Edition only). * Support for users to switch to the

keyboard shortcut computing, a keyboard shortcut also known as hotkey is a series of one or several keys to quickly invoke a software program or perform a preprogrammed action. This action may be part of the standard functionality of the operating system or ...

s from other DAW software, such as

Pro Tools Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture ( sound design, audio post-prod ...

Logic Pro Logic Pro is a digital audio workstation (DAW) and MIDI sequencer software application for the macOS platform. It was originally created in the early 1990s as Notator Logic, or Logic, by German software developer C-Lab which later went by Em ...

, and

Sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances ( ranging), communicate with or detect objects on ...

. *Compatibility with the Mackie Control Universal

communications protocol A communication protocol is a system of rules that allows two or more entities of a communications system to transmit information via any kind of variation of a physical quantity. The protocol defines the rules, syntax, semantics and synchro ...

(which combines functionality from Mackie Control, Logic Control and HUI), for interfacing with

audio control surface In the domain of digital audio, a control surface is a human interface device (HID) which allows the user to control a digital audio workstation or other digital audio application. Generally, a control surface will contain one or more controls th ...

s. *Compatibility with

Native Instruments Native Instruments is a German company that develops, manufactures, and supplies music software and hardware for music production, sound design, performance, and DJing. The company's corporate headquarters and main development facilities are lo ...

Komplete Kontrol MkII series keyboards.

Add-Ons

Introduced with version 2.6.2 in January 2014, add-ons are optional items, developed either by PreSonus, or by third-parties, which can be acquired separately from the PreSonus store to expand the capabilities of Studio One. This can include new functionality (often known as 'extensions'), plug-ins, virtual instrument presets, loops, and other assets. Example add-on functionality includes the Audio Batch Converter (released alongside version 4.5), which allows for the offline conversion and processing of multiple audio files simultaneously, including the use of both native and third-party plug-ins. Add-ons are also available to expand Studio One Artist to include other functionality from the Professional edition, including VST/ AU/

ReWire ReWire is a software protocol, jointly developed by Propellerhead and Steinberg, allowing remote control and data transfer among digital audio editing and related software. Originally appearing in the ReBirth software synthesizer in 1998, the pr ...

support,

MP3 MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Orig ...

support, and Studio One Remote support.

Studio One Remote

Introduced alongside Studio One version 3 in 2015, Studio One Remote is an

app App, Apps or APP may refer to: Computing * Application software * Mobile app, software designed to run on smartphones and other mobile devices * Web application or web app, software designed to run inside a web browser * Adjusted Peak Performan ...

for wirelessly controlling Studio One via a tablet device connected to the same network. Whilst originally released for the Apple iPad, Remote was subsequently released for Microsoft Windows &

Surface A surface, as the term is most generally used, is the outermost or uppermost layer of a physical object or space. It is the portion or region of the object that can first be perceived by an observer using the senses of sight and touch, and is t ...

tablets (February 2016), and for Android tablets (June 2017). It uses

' own ''UCNET'' protocol, which is used for network connectivity and remote control across multiple

products. Aspects of Studio One functionality which can be controlled via Remote include: * The mixing console, including inserts, sends, inputs, outputs, and cue mixes. * The transport bar and timeline ruler, including markers and arranger sections. * Track

controls. *

Plug-in Plug-in, plug in or plugin may refer to: * Plug-in (computing) is a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing computer program. ** Audio plug-in, adds audio signal processing features ** Photoshop plugin, a piece of softwar ...

parameters A parameter (), generally, is any characteristic that can help in defining or classifying a particular system (meaning an event, project, object, situation, etc.). That is, a parameter is an element of a system that is useful, or critical, when ...

Studio One Exchange

Studio One Exchange (previously known as PreSonus Exchange when it was first released in January 2012, alongside version 2.0.4) is a service which allows registered Studio One users to exchange

presets,

files and other resources from directly within the application. The Studio One Browser allows users to explore, preview, download, and review items uploaded to this service by other users, as well as upload their own. A re-designed version of Exchange, referred to as 'Exchange 2.0' was released as part of Studio One v4.6 on 10 December 2019.

Reception

Studio One has received mostly positive reviews since its initial release. Common areas of praise include rapid workflow, cost-effectiveness, and usability. Studio One won the Japanese V.G.P. (Visual Grand Prix) 'Gold' award for three consecutive years, in 2011, 2012, and 2013. In 2012, readers of Resolution Magazine named Studio One (version 2) as the Resolution Award winner in the 'DAW' category. In 2013, Studio One (version 2.5) won a M.I.P.A. ( Musikmesse International Press Awards) award in the 'Best Recording Software' category. Other awards received in 2013 included the Visual Grand Prix Audio Excellence award (in the 'DAW' category), the ProSoundWeb & Live Sound International, Readers’ Choice Award, and Audio Media's 'Gear of the Year' award, and the C.I.F. (Customers in Focus) award from the music studio website DAWfreak.se. In 2016, Studio One (version 3) won Music and Sound Retailer's award for 'Best Multitrack Recorder/Recording & Mixing Software of 2015' at

NAMM The NAMM Show is an annual event in the United States that is organized by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), who describe it as "the industry’s largest stage, uniting the global music, sound and entertainment technology commun ...

Release history

References

External links

* {{Digital audio workstations Digital audio workstation software Music production software Music software Audio editors Audio mixing software Audio software Computer music software Windows multimedia software MacOS multimedia software MacOS audio editors 2009 software