PreSonus Studio One Reference Manual

HTML version converted to PDF (Mike Krueger 6/15/2017)

Thank you for purchasing PreSonus™ Studio One™ software, and welcome to the Studio One Reference Manual.

Studio One 3.5 is a groundbreaking music-creation and production application for Mac® OS X and Windows® that makes audio recording, MIDI sequencing, and audio mastering (in Studio One Professional) easy and fun—the way it should be. From tracking to mixing to mastering and distribution, this is a creative environment built for intuitive use, speed, and efficiency, yet robust enough for the most complex productions. Version 3.5 adds a wide range of new features, improvements, and advanced technologies.

This manual is a great place to start learning about Studio One, and it also provides an in-depth reference for experienced and new audio-software users alike.

We encourage you to contact us with questions or comments regarding this product. Our forums are a great source of information from our staff and from other Studio One users. Users in the USA also can reach us by email at [e-mail]. Users in other countries should contact their local PreSonus distributors for technical support.

PreSonus is committed to constant product improvement, and we value your suggestions highly. We believe the best way to achieve our goal of constant improvement is by listening to the real experts: our valued customers. We appreciate the support you have shown us through the purchase of this software.

Studio One Versions

There are two versions of Studio One 3.5: Artist and Professional. Studio One uses a single installer for all versions, and the product key with which you activate Studio One determines the version that you run. The following describes the key differences between the versions.

Studio One Artist

Unlimited audio and MIDI Tracks, unlimited simultaneous record inputs

Content browser with musical search and direct access to the PreSonus Shop

Advanced editing features, including comping, transient detection and editing, pitch correction (Melodyne trial version), and much more

Full SoundCloud™ integration

30 Native effects and 5 virtual instruments

Studio One Professional

Includes all Artist features and content

Adds the Project page, an integrated mastering solution

Adds Arranger Track and Scratch Pads

Adds fully licensed Melodyne Essential 4 pitch correction

Adds Extended FX Chains and Multi Instruments

Adds support for 3rd party sampler formats (EXS, Giga, Kontakt, Bitwig)

Adds video playback and sync

Adds Note FX, Groove Delay, Multiband Dynamics, OpenAIR, Pipeline, and IR Maker Native Effects plug-ins Adds support for 3rd party VST/AU plug-ins, Rewire and MP3 encoding/decoding

Table of Contents

Introduction	v
Chapter 1: Installation and Activation	1
Chapter 2: Setup	7
System Requirements	8
Set Up Your Audio Device	9
Audio Device Input/Output Setup	13
Set Up Your MIDI Devices	15
Managing Your Content	20
Creating a New Song	22
GeneralOptions	25
Advanced Options	27
Chapter 3: Fundamentals	31
Nondestructive Editing and Undo/Redo	32
High-Precision MixEngine	33
AutomaticDelayCompensation	34
Audio Dropout Protection	35
LookMom, No MIDI!	36
Drag-and-Drop	37
Transport Controls	38
Key Commands	39
Studio One Help and Information	41
Info View	42
Flexible Parameter Control	43
ControlLink	44
Presonus Hardware Integration	45
Chapter 4: Pages	46
Start	47
Song	50
Project (Studio One Professional)	51
Quick Switch	52
Chapter 5: Recording	53
Audio Tracks	54
Instrument Tracks	59
Activating Recording	64
Metronome Control	66
Loop Recording on Audio Tracks	69
Instrument Track Recording	71
Step Recording	73
Track Layers	74
Audio Recording Format	75
Creating a Good Monitor Mix	76
Cue Mixes and Low-Latency Monitoring	77
Print Effects While Recording	80

PreSonus Studio One v3.5

Chapter 6: Editing	81
Events	82
Arrange View Mouse Tools	84
The Grid	89
Common Editing Actions	91
Audio Loopsand MusicLoops	97
Edit Groups	99
Timestretching	101
Comping	103
Transient Detection and Editing	106
TrackTransform	111
Trackand Event Inspectors	113
Edit View Event Editing	117
Pitch Correction with Melodyne Integration	125
Action Menu	127
Undo History	128
Navigating with Zoom	129
Macro Toolbar	130
Editing Suggestions	136
Exporting Audio and MIDI Files	137
Chapter 7: The Browser	138
Browser Tabsand Search	139
Instrumentsand Effects Tabs	140
LoopsTab	145
FilesTab	147
Cloud Tab	152
Pool Tab	154
Browsing Song and Project Content	157
Importing Project Files from Other Applications	158
File and Folder Commands	159
Chapter 8: Arranging	160
QuicklyDuplicating Events	161
Duplicating Tracks	162
Tempo Track	163
Time Signature	164
Arranger Track	165
Scratch Pad	168
Bouncing	170
Adding Time to the Arrangement	172
Deleting Time from the Arrangement	173
Folder Tracks	174
TrackList	176
Chapter 9: Mixing	177
The Console	178
Effects SignalRouting	187
ChannelEditor	195
Groups	200
VCA Faders	201

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Metering	204
AutomaticPlug-In DelayCompensation	206
ManualAudio TrackDelay	207
Using the Marker Track	208
Looping During Mixing	210
Mixing Down	211
Export Stemsfrom your Song	214
Mixing Suggestions	216

Chapter 10: Automation	219
What isAutomation?	220
Automation Types	221
Editing Automation Envelopes	224
Automation Modes	228
Instrument Part Automation	229
Chapter 11: Control Link	231
What isControlLink?	232
Set Up Your ExternalDevices	233
Map Your Keyboard	234
ControlLinking	236
Globaland FocusMapping	237
Automation with Hardware Controllers	239
Mackie ControlSupport	241
Chapter 12: Mastering	246
Creating a New Project	247
Adding Tracks	248
TrackSequencing	251
Editing Tracks	252
Using Insert Effects	254
Master Device Rack	255
Metering	256
Publishing Your Project	258
Song and Project Integration	261
Chapter 13: Built-In Effects	263
Built-in Effect Micro Views	264
Metering, Analysis, and SignalGeneration	265
Delay	272
Distortion	276
Dynamics	282
Mix Engine FX	286
Mastering	288
Mixing	291
Modulation	302
Reverb	307
Pipeline	311

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Chapter 14: Built-in Virtual Instruments	314
SampleOne	315
Presence XT	319
Presence XT Editor	333
Impact	342
Mai Tai	346
Mojito	360
Multi Instruments	362
Note FX	366
Chapter 15: Video Playback and Sync	371
Video Player Interface	372
Import Video	373
Sync to Video	374
Supported Video Formats	375

PreSonus Studio One v3.5

Chapter 1: Installation and Activation

This section takes you through the Studio One installation and activation process.

Installation

The process for registering, installing, and authorizing your copy of Studio One will differ, depending on the method you used to acquire it.

Retail Purchase If you bought Studio One in a retail box and only received a Product Key in the box, you'll register the key and then download Studio One, and then activate it online upon first launching the product.

Direct Purchase from Shop.PreSonus.com If you bought the software directly from http://shop.presonus.com, installation and activation happen entirely online and the purchased software is automatically added to your user account.

Retail or Direct Purchase of USB Flash Drive If you're installing Studio One from the USB flash drive which comes with select retail versions and is also available as an additional accessory purchase from http://shop.presonus.com, your activation will happen online using the Product Key after launching the product for the first time.

If you purchased Studio One by any of these three first methods, see Register and Download Studio Onefor further details on registration and downloading your new software.

PreSonus Audio Interface or Audio Mixer Purchase If you bought an AudioBox, FireStudio or StudioLive Ai Mixer product, these all come with a bundle version of Studio One Artist. Registering the hardware in your My.Presonus account automatically gives you access to Studio One and a corresponding Product Key. When you launch Studio One for the first time, you can authorize the software using the provided Product Key.

If you came about acquiring Studio One by purchasing a PreSonus hardware product and wish to claim your Studio One Artist license, see Register and Download Studio One Bundled with PreSonus Hardware for more information.

Creating a My.Presonus Account

You must have a PreSonus account to install and activate Studio One for use on your system. If you bought Studio One from our website, you already have a My.PreSonus user account. If you do not yet have a My.PreSonus user account, you'll want to create one.

Beyond being a requirement to download and activate the latest version of Studio One 3, there are many benefits to creating a My.PreSonus account including easy access to additional documentation and other content files, access to the user forums, latest tips and product videos, and the ability to easily create a technical support ticket.

To create a user account, go to: http://my.presonus.com . On that web page, click [Create My PreSonus Account], then fill out the provided form and then click [Create My PreSonus Account] again to create your new account.

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If your computer is not connected to the internet, you can still download and activate Studio One by using a different computer that does have internet access, as described in the Offline Activation section below.

Once you create your account, a verification email from PreSonus is automatically sent to the email address you provided. Click on the link in the email to activate your account. You are now ready to download and install Studio One.

Register and Download Studio One

To download the Studio One installer, log into your My.PreSonus user account at http://my.presonus.com. Click the [Register a Product] button, choose Software or Extensions from the Choose Product Type menu, and enter your Product Key.

If you bought a license or upgrade for Studio One from our website, the Product Key is sent to you by email. If you bought a boxed version of Studio One, the Product Key is included in the box. If you bought your copy of Studio One in a retail store, your dealer may have provided your Product Key on the sales receipt for your purchase.

Once you've entered the Product Key, click the [Register] button to register your copy of Studio One. A confirmation window appears, and you can press the [View Your Product] button to see your new software in the software section of your My.PreSonus account. This page is where you download your Studio One installer.

The installer download button for your operating system should be the first in the list. If you are downloading from a different type of computer than the computer on which you plan to install Studio One, you can click the [View Other Systems] button to access installer downloads for other operating systems.

Once you have downloaded the appropriate installer for your type of system, run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to install Studio One.

Register and Download Studio One Bundled with PreSonus Hardware

If your copy of Studio One came bundled with a PreSonus audio interface or mixer, follow this procedure to claim your Studio One Artist license and download the installer.

First, visit my.presonus.com and log into your user account. Here you can register your hardware and any software it came bundled with. If your hardware came with a Studio One Product Key, register Studio One with that key, as described in Register and Download Studio One, then register your new hardware as described below.

If no Studio One Product Key is provided with your bundled hardware, registering the hardware will automatically register its bundled software and enable the software to be downloaded and installed. In this case, click the [Register a Product] button in your My.PreSonus account page, choose Hardware from the Choose Product Type selector, and enter the purchase date and serial number of your new hardware into the form. Your hardware's serial number can be found on the bottom of the unit, as well as on the provided registration card.

Once you have entered the serial number and purchase date, click [Register] to conclude the hardware registration process. Then, click [View Your Product] to see all the newly registered hardware and software in your account. In the Studio One Artist section, click the [View More Details] button to access software downloads and further installation information.

The Studio One installer download button for your operating system should be the first in the list. If you are downloading from a different type of computer than the computer on which you plan to install Studio One, you can click the [View Other Systems] button to access installer downloads for other operating systems.

Once you have downloaded the appropriate installer for your type of system, run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts to install Studio One.

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Activation

Studio One must be activated for use on your computer. Once installation is complete, launch Studio One. The License Agreement appears.

Click [I Accept] to accept the agreement. The PreSonus Login window is then displayed.

If you already have a user account, enter your email address (or My.PreSonus username) and password, and press [Login] to log into your account.

If you need to create an account and your computer is connected to the internet, click on [Create My.PreSonus Account].

Fill in your desired user-account details, and click [Create PreSonus Account].

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Activating Studio One

In most cases, Studio One will self-activate the first time you log in with your My.PreSonus account. In the rare instance where you have multiple licenses of the same Studio One version registered to the same My.PreSonus account, you will need to select which license to activate. If you have not already done so, launch Studio One and select Studio One Activation from the Studio One menu.

Online Activation

If the computer on which Studio One has been installed is connected to the Internet, select the [Activate my purchased version of Studio One] option. Click the drop-down button next to the Product Key field, and choose Show my Existing Product Keys from the menu. Your registered Studio One license (or licenses) are shown. Choose the license you wish to use, and click the [Activate] button to finish the activation process.

Offline Activation

If the computer on which Studio One has been installed is not connected to the Internet, click [Activate Offline] in the Studio One Activation window, and make note of the Activation Code shown in the instructions. Offline Activation lets you activate your copy of Studio One using a separate, internet-connected computer. To activate Studio One in this way, you will need a USB flash drive (or other portable data storage device), a written copy of your Product Key, and your Activation Code.

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Head to a computer with an Internet connection, visit http://my.presonus.com, and log in to your account. Click the [Register a Product] button, choose Software or Extensions from the Choose Product Type menu, and enter your Product Key, as printed on the Studio One package or provided via email. Click on [Register], and you are taken to your Software list.

Click the [View More Details] button for the version of Studio One in your Software list, and then click [Offline Activation] on the next page. Click [Activate Software], and enter the Activation Code provided by Studio One. You may also enter a computer name to help you keep track of your five allowed activations.

Click [Offline Activation] again, and then click [Download License] to download your User License file. Save this file to some sort of external media (such as a flash drive or CD-R), and then copy the file to the computer on which Studio One is installed.

In Studio One, navigate to the Studio One/Studio One Activation dialog again, click [Activate Online], then click [Select License File] to load your user license file, activating Studio One.

Content Installation

Studio One comes with many audio loops and instruments that are organized into Sound Sets, as well as demo songs and tutorial videos. The number of Sound Sets available for installation depends on the version of Studio One you have installed (Artist or Professional). To install the Sound Sets and demo/tutorial material, launch Studio One and open the Studio One/Studio One Installation menu item.

In the Install From selector, you can choose to download all selected content from your PreSonus Account, or navigate to downloaded content in your file system (or a provided USB stick). If you wish to install any further content at a later time, you can always return to Studio One/Studio One Installation window to do so.

By default, all packages included with your version of Studio One are selected for installation. You can set the Install To location to any desired location on your computer, then click on [Install].

As your files download, a Transfers window is shown, giving information on the status of each file queued for download. If you hide the Transfers window and later wish to see it again, navigate to View/Additional Views/Transfers, or just click the animated

arrow button in the toolbar, which looks like this:

After installation, you can find all of the installed content in the Browser, which is on the Song page. Demos and tutorials can be accessed from the Start page. Instrument presets are listed under the related instrument in the Instruments tab of the Browser, as well as the preset browser in the plug-in window.

Downloading Included Content from My.PreSonus.com

If you have any difficulty downloading the content from within Studio One, you can always visit my.presonus.com to download the content directly from your user account page. To do this, first log into your user account, then click the [My Products] button to view your registered software.

Click the [View More Details] button under your current Studio One license to view available downloads. All included Sound Sets and content are available to download on this page. Once downloaded, to install the content, simply double-click each file, or drag it onto the Studio One window.

Installing Add-On Content

If you need to install additional content you've purchased from the http://shop.presonus.com alongside Studio One, or as an Add-on at a later time, simply locate and select it from the Studio One Installation window, listed as “My Purchased Items.” Alternatively, download the content from your http://my.presonus.com account. To install the content to the default user location, simply double-click or drag the content onto the Studio One window.

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If you wish to store the content in another location, place it there, and add that location to Studio One/Options/Locations (Mac OS X: Preferences/Locations). There, you can add new locations for Sound Sets, Instruments, and 3rd-party plug-ins. Once you tell Studio One where your new content is located, it becomes available for use in Studio One.

Activating Add-On Content

Once you've installed add-on content, you are prompted to activate it. If your computer is connected to the internet, simply press the [Activate] button to activate the content in the current copy of Studio One.

If your computer is not connected to the internet, go to a computer with internet service, and log into your my.presonus.com user account. Click [My Products] to see your registered products, then click [Add-ons] to see your purchased add-on content. Locate the add-on you are trying to install, and click [View More Details].

On the following screen, click [Offline Activation], and download the license file for your add-on content. Transfer this license file to your Studio One computer using a flash drive or other form of removable storage device.

Once you install the add-on content, you are prompted to activate the content. Press [Select License...] and navigate to your new license file. Once the activation is confirmed, restart Studio One to use your new content.

Melodyne

We have partnered with Celemony to bring you access to their Grammy-winning Melodyne, a useful timing and pitch correction and manipulation tool that integrates closely with Studio One. Studio One Professional comes with a full Celemony Melodyne Essential 4 license.

Installing Melodyne

In Studio One, navigate to Studio One/Studio One Installation. Check the box next to the version of Melodyne that is listed to select it. Once selected, you can click [Install] to install Melodyne.

Studio One Professional comes with a full license for Melodyne Essential 4. Click the [Claim Product Key] button next to the Melodyne listing to claim your Melodyne product key. The key is displayed, and you can click the [Copy] button to copy it to the clipboard.

Authorizing Melodyne Essential

Before you can use Melodyne Essential, you must first launch the standalone Melodyne application that is installed along with the plug-in versions. Once opened, press the [Enter Serial Number] button, then type or paste in the provided Melodyne Essential serial number, and press [Continue]. You are then prompted to register your copy of Melodyne, by clicking [Create myCelemony account]. Follow the prompts to register your copy of Melodyne Essential.

Once registration is finished, you can quit the standalone Melodyne application, and then launch Studio One to begin using Melodyne Essential.

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Chapter 2: Setup

Setup

This chapter contains information about Studio One system requirements, hardware device setup, and software setup. A thorough knowledge of this information is helpful before attempting to work in Studio One.

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System Requirements

System Requirements

The following are the system requirements to run Studio One.

Mac® OS (10.8.5 or Higher) Systems

Windows® 7 (x64 or x86, SP1 + Platform Update) or Windows 8.1 (x64, x86) Systems

Additional Requirements (all Systems)

Internet connection on an available computer (for authorization and updates only)

A monitor resolution no lower than 1366 x 768 resolution (high-dpi monitor recommended)

Multi-touch enabled monitor required for touch operation (in Mac OS X systems, monitor must support TUIO) 30 GB available hard-drive space for installation, content, and recording projects

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Set Up Your Audio Device

Studio One automatically selects an audio device to use for audio input and output, pulling from a list of devices currently installed on your computer. If you have a PreSonus audio interface, it is selected automatically.

Then follow these steps to configure your audio device for use in Studio One:

1.Navigate to Studio One/Options/Audio Setup/Audio Device (Mac OS X: Preferences/Audio Setup/Audio Device) to open the Audio Device settings window.

2.Select your audio device:

Mac OS X: Select your chosen playback (output) device from the Playback Device menu. Select your chosen record (input) device from the Record Device menu.

Windows: Select your device for audio input and output from the Audio Device menu.

3.Some devices offer a selection of configuration options. If your connected device has those controls, you can click on the [Control Panel] button next to the device selection drop-down menu and make your changes within the device’s control panel. If your device does not offer these options, the Control Panel button is greyed out.

4.Set Device Block Size to fit your needs. Lower settings minimize latency, which is useful when tracking. Higher settings bring more latency, but give you additional processing power for effects and instrument plug-ins. Generally, you want to pick the lowest block size that still lets your system perform correctly. If you require higher performance but want to keep latency low, you can increase the level of Dropout Protection and employ Low-Latency Monitoring.

5.When the aforementioned settings are selected, your system’s current total input and output latency, sample rate, and bit depth is reported below the Audio Setup menus.

Audio Dropout Protection and Low-Latency Monitoring

When you are working with a large amount of audio tracks and virtual instruments, computer performance can limit your capabilities. You can increase the amount of buffer to help free up computer resources, but this traditionally comes at the cost of greater latency (or delay) when monitoring audio inputs or playing virtual instruments. Set the buffer too low, and audio dropouts and glitches can occur.

To remedy this, Studio One features Audio Dropout Protection and an advanced Native Low-Latency Monitoring system. Under this system, the tasks of audio playback and monitoring of audio inputs and virtual instruments are handled as separate processes. This, in effect, lets you use a large processing buffer to handle heavy audio playback and effects processing tasks, while keeping latency low for audio input and virtual instrument monitoring.

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Device Block Size Vs. Process Block Size

The latency that you hear when monitoring audio inputs or playing virtual instruments is based primarily on the Device Block Size that you specify in the Studio One/Options/Audio Setup/Audio Device (Mac OS X: Preferences/Audio Setup/Audio Device) window. For the lowest latency, Device Block Size should be set to the lowest setting that provides the performance you need.

The Audio Dropout Protection system uses its own buffer for playback and processing of audio tracks, distinct from the Device Block Size setting. The size of this buffer (also known as the Process Block Size) depends on the Dropout Protection level that you specify in the Studio One/Options/Audio Setup/Processing (Mac OS X: Preferences/Audio Setup/Processing) window. If you use Native or Hardware Low-Latency Monitoring, the Dropout Protection level has no effect on audible latency, though higher levels can affect the responsiveness of onscreen meters and displays.

As long as the Process Block Size is larger than the Device Block Size you've specified, you have the option to use Native LowLatency Monitoring.

Monitoring Latencies

The Monitoring Latencies display shows you the latency values for audio inputs (round-trip, from input to output) and virtual instruments, based on the current Device Block Size and Dropout Protection settings. The "Standard" column shows the latency for the current settings if you choose not to use Low-Latency Monitoring, while the "Low Latency" column shows values for the Native Low-Latency Monitoring system.

Plug-in Use with Native Low-Latency Monitoring

When monitoring an audio input or virtual instrument through the Native Low-Latency Monitoring system, any inserted FX on the corresponding Channel continue to function and can be heard in real time, provided that they add 3 ms or less of latency.. Plug-ins that meet this latency requirement show a green power button in the Console (rather than blue or grey). Any inserted plug-ins that introduce more than 3 ms of latency are not audible in the monitoring path while a Channel is armed for monitoring or recording under Native Low-Latency Monitoring. They begin functioning again when recording/monitoring mode is disengaged.

The following plug-in types and configurations are not supported on Channels that utilize Native Low-Latency monitoring:

External effects, routed into the system using the Pipeline plug-in

Analyzer plug-ins

FX Chains that incorporate Splitter devices

Configuring Audio Dropout Protection and (Native or Hardware) Low-Latency Monitoring

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To configure Audio Dropout Protection and Low-Latency Monitoring, do the following:

1.Navigate to the Studio One/Options/Audio Setup/Processing (Mac OS X: Preferences/Audio Setup/Processing) settings window.

2.Choose your desired level of protection from the Dropout Protection drop-down menu. The Process Block Size display shows you the corresponding processing buffer size. If you want to use Native Low-Latency Monitoring, choose a Dropout Protection level that sets the Process Block Size to a value that is higher than the Device Block Size you have selected.

3.For low-latency performance when playing virtual instruments, enable the "Enable low latency monitoring for instruments" option. If you run into performance issues when using a virtual instrument with particularly high CPU usage, you may want to disable this option.

4.If using a supported DSP-enabled audio interface, you have the choice to use its onboard Hardware Low Latency Monitoring (and hardware DSP-based effects when available, as with the PreSonus Studio 192) for incoming audio inputs, or to use the Native Low Latency Monitoring that Studio One provides. Enable "Use native low latency monitoring instead of onboard DSP" to use Native Low-Latency Monitoring, or disable it to use Hardware Low-Latency Monitoring.

Note that when using Hardware Low-Latency Monitoring to monitor an audio input, Insert FX do not function on the related Channel, since the audio input is being monitored before it reaches Studio One. If Insert FX are needed while tracking, use Native Low-Latency Monitoring instead. To do this, navigate to Studio One/Options/Audio Setup/Processing (Mac OS X: Preferences/Audio Setup/Processing) and enable the "Use native low-latency monitoring instead of hardware monitoring" option.

Enabling Low-Latency Monitoring in the Console

Once you've configured your system to use Native or Hardware Low-Latency Monitoring, you can toggle low-latency monitoring on and off for the Main output as well as any Cue Mix outputs you've specified, by clicking the Enable Low-Latency Monitoring button ("Z", short for Z-Mix) below the volume fader for the related output. When low-latency monitoring is disabled, the "Z" button goes dark. When Native Low-Latency Monitoring is enabled, the "Z" button turns green. When Hardware Low-Latency Monitoring is enabled, the "Z" button turns blue.

Monitoring Mode Attributes

This table describes the primary monitoring methods available in Studio One, and the conditions that must be met to use them.

	Type	Z-Mix	Necessary
			Conditions
	Standard Software	Disabled	Large Device Block
	Monitoring		Size, low Process
			Block Size (Dropout
			Protection)
	Native Low-	Enabled	Process Block Size
	Latency		(Dropout
	Monitoring		Protection) must
			exceed Device
			Block Size

Monitoring	Insert FX	Send FX
Standard latency	All function	All function
Native low-latency Plug-ins with 3ms		All function

or less of latency function normally, all others are disabled

Virtual Instrument	Enabled	Process Block Size	Native low-latency Plug-ins with 3ms		All function
Low-Latency		(Dropout		or less of latency
Monitoring		Protection) must		function normally,
		exceed Device		all others are
		Block Size		disabled
Hardware Low-	Enabled	"Use software low-	Hardware low-	No Insert FX	All function
Latency		latency monitoring	latency	function
Monitoring		instead of hardware
		monitoring" option
		must be disabled

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Process Precision

By default, Studio One’s process precision is set at Single (32-bit). If using Studio One Professional, you may choose double precision (64-bit) from the Process Precision drop-down menu.

Supported Devices

Studio One supports most audio devices, including those that run on ASIO or WASAPI (Windows) or Core Audio (Mac OS X) drivers.

When using a WASAPI audio device in Windows, note that WASAPI offers Exclusive and Shared modes of operation. In Exclusive mode, lower latency can be achieved, but other applications (such as Windows Media Player) cannot use the audio device at the same time. Refer to the Windows Control Panel/Hardware and Sound/Sound to configure the options for your WASAPI device.

Performance Monitor

When setting up your audio device (specifically when determining appropriate Internal or Device Block Size, or selecting Single or Double Process Precision), you should take into account the related performance demands on your computer.

Open the Performance Monitor by selecting it from the View menu, or by clicking on the [Performance] button in the Transport. This monitor displays the current relative overall CPU and disk performance, as well as the performance of instruments and automation.

When these meters approach or reach the top of their range, you may need to consider altering your audio device settings (or changing the Song or Project) to avoid audible clicks and pops or possible instability. For instance, it is common to lower the Device

and/or Internal Block Size while recording to keep monitoring latency low but then to increase Block Size while mixing to provide as much CPU headroom as possible for effects processing.

If any playback issues are encountered with third-party virtual instrument or effect plug-ins that have their own multiprocessor support implementation (e.g., NI Kontakt, FL Studio), it is recommended that this support be disabled in the plug-ins. In this case, Studio One manages all processor scheduling.

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Audio Device Input/Output Setup

Software I/O Channels

In most recording applications, audio Tracks directly use your hardware audio device’s channels. In Studio One, there is a layer of software I/O (input and output) channels between your hardware audio device channels and your Tracks. This setup affords many advantages over the traditional method.

For instance, let’s say you produce a Song in your studio, using a multi-channel interface, then take your Song file to your friend’s studio, where you use a different audio interface. Simply connect your friend’s hardware audio device channels to the correct software I/O channels. When you get back to your studio, the original I/O configuration for the Song is automatically loaded for you, as if you never left. You can do the same thing if you need to open the Song on your laptop using its built-in audio hardware.

This is possible because Studio One stores I/O configurations with your Song, per computer and per audio device driver, ensuring that your Song remains highly portable and is never “broken” by changing audio devices.

Audio I/O Setup Menu

Each Track in a Song receives a signal from an input source and routes to an output destination. The input sources and output destinations made available to each Track are determined by the software I/O channel configuration created in the Audio I/O Setup menu. To view this menu and set up a default I/O configuration for each Song, create a new Song by clicking on Create New Song in the Start Page and navigate to Song/Song Setup/Audio I/O Setup.

The configuration of the Audio I/O Setup is done within each Song, so that it is possible for each Song to have a separate I/O setup. As discussed in Default Device I/O Setup, a default I/O setup can be created so that each new Song defaults to a

particular I/O setup if you desire.

In the Audio I/O Setup menu, there are two tabs: one for input configuration and one for output configuration. In each tab, a Matrix Routing view shows the current configuration, with the vertical columns indicating hardware audio device channels (hardware I/O) and the horizontal rows indicating created software I/O channels. Software I/O channels function as the input sources and output destinations available to individual Tracks in Studio One

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Add or Remove Software I/O Channels

Click on the [Add (Mono)] or [Add (Stereo)] button to add an Input or Output Channel, depending on which tab you are currently viewing. When a new channel is added, the next unassigned hardware inputs or outputs are assigned to the new channel by default.

To remove any channel, click on the channel to select it and then click on the ]Remove] button. To rename any channel, doubleclick on the name of the channel, type a new name, and press Enter. In order for software I/O changes to occur, be sure to click Apply before exiting this menu.

Assigning Hardware I/O to Software I/O Channels

Hardware inputs and outputs are assigned to software I/O channels in a matrix router, which is a visual representation of the routing. Software channels (mono and stereo) are each given a horizontal row, and hardware inputs and outputs are given vertical columns. The points at which these rows and columns intersect represent potential connections, or routes, between the hardware I/O and software I/O channels.

By default, Studio One creates three Input Channels: one stereo and two mono. These channels are labeled Input L+R (stereo), Input L (mono), and Input R (mono). By default, the stereo Input Channel receives input from the first stereo hardware input pair of your selected audio device. The two mono Channels receive input from the same stereo hardware input pair.

The Output Channel is labeled Main Out (stereo) and is routed by default to the first stereo hardware output pair of your selected audio device.

To create a route between software I/O channels and hardware I/O, click on the empty square at the intersection of the desired hardware input or output and the software channel input or output. A colored square appears with an M, L, or R label, indicating whether the route is a mono route (M) or the left or right side of a stereo route (L or R).

While it is uncommon for Audio I/O Setup changes to be required in the middle of Song production, the audio I/O routing can be changed at any time. However, you should be aware that routing changes affect all associated Tracks, possibly switching inputs for audio Tracks, changing the hardware output for the Main Output, and so on.

When making new routes in the Audio I/O Setup menu, notice the meters to the left of the software I/O channels. By displaying signal levels on each channel, these meters help you ensure that the appropriate routings have been made.

Default Device I/O Setup

We recommend that you create a default Audio I/O Setup that can be a starting point for all new Songs. This lets you immediately begin working in your new Song, with little or no preliminary setup.

To do so, create software I/O channels for all of your audio device’s commonly used inputs and outputs and name them appropriately. Then, click on the [Make Default] button in the Audio I/O Setup menu, and a pop-up window appears to confirm that you wish to make the current I/O setup the default for new Songs. Click on Yes, and from that point forward, all new Songs are created with this audio I/O setup.

Audition Channel

The Preview Player in the Browser and in the Import File menu uses the Audition channel for audio playback. Any stereo Output Channel can be used as the Audition channel, allowing you to audition sounds from an output other than your main output.

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Setting Up Your MIDI Devices

All MIDI-capable hardware devices are collectively referred to as External Devices in Studio One. There are three types of External Devices: Keyboards, Instruments, and Control Surfaces. While each device type functions in a slightly different way, there is one menu to add and configure any External Device. The menu can be found by navigating to Studio One/Options/External Devices/Add Device (Mac OS X: Preferences/External Devices/Add Device).

Set Up MIDI Keyboards

A MIDI keyboard controller is a hardware MIDI device that is generally used for playing and controlling other MIDI devices, virtual software instruments, and software parameters. In Studio One, these devices are referred to as Keyboards. Before recording a performance with a Keyboard, the MIDI keyboard controller must first be set up in Studio One. Once a Keyboard is set up, it is available at all times for use in Studio One.

To set up your Keyboard, navigate to Studio One/Options/External Devices (Mac OS X: Preferences/External Devices) and follow these steps:

1.In the Options/External Devices menu (Mac OS X: Preferences/External Devices), click on the [Add...] button.

2.Choose your device from the predefined device list or set this to New Keyboard if you do not see your device in the list.

If set to New Keyboard, you may wish to type in a Manufacturer Name and a Device Name in the appropriate fields. This makes identifying your Keyboard easier.

3. Specify which MIDI channels to used to communicate with this Keyboard. All MIDI channels are selected by default. If you are unsure of the appropriate MIDI channels to use, just leave this at the default setting.

4.Engaged Split Channels if you would like to create a separate Instrument Track input for each MIDI channel from the Keyboard.

5.Specify the device to which the Keyboard is sending and the device from which it is receiving via Studio One. Select your device driver name from the drop-down menu for both Receive From and Send To.

6.You can choose to use this Keyboard as your Default Virtual Instrument Input by checking the appropriate box. If you are using only one Keyboard with Studio One, you should check this box.

7.Your Keyboard is now ready for use in Studio One.

Click on the "+" button in the External window of the Console to quickly set up a new Keyboard or other External Device.

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Set Up External Hardware Instruments

In Studio One, an External Instrument is an external MIDI hardware synthesizer, workstation, or other device that can generate or manipulate sound. External instruments are set up globally and then are available for use in any Song.

To set up your Instrument, navigate to Studio One/Options/External Devices (Mac OS X: Preferences/External Devices) and follow these steps:

1.In the Options/External Devices menu, click on the [Add...] button.

2.In the left-hand browser, choose your device from the predefined device list. Set this to New Instrument if you do not see your device in the list. If set to New Instrument, you may wish to type in a Manufacturer Name and a Device Name in the appropriate fields. This makes identifying your New Instrument easier.

3.Specify which MIDI channels to use to communicate with this Instrument. MIDI Channel 1 is selected by default. If you are unsure of the appropriate MIDI channels to use, just leave this at the default setting.

4.Specify the device to which Studio One is sending MIDI and the device from which the software is receiving MIDI. Select the appropriate MIDI device from the drop-down menu for Send To and (optionally) Receive From. It is likely your external instrument is not connected directly to your computer. In this case, your external instrument must be physically connected to another MIDI device (such as a MIDI interface) that does connect to your computer; you need to select the driver for that device.

5.You can choose to send MIDI Clock to this Instrument and/or use MIDI Clock Start by checking the appropriate boxes. You should send MIDI Clock to your Instrument if it has a built-in sequencer or components (such as LFOs) that need to sync to Studio One. Enabling MIDI Clock Start sends MIDI Clock Start signals to your Instrument.

6.You can choose to send MIDI Time Code to this Instrument. You can set a Display Offset under Song/Song Setup/General to correct for time-code variances with external devices.

7.You can vary the speed at which Automated MIDI CC messages are transmitted, using the CC Automation Interval slider. You can vary the value between 10-100ms, with the default value being 10ms.

Your external instrument is now available for use in any Song. To use an external instrument in a Song, be sure that an Instrument Track is routed to it and that the appropriate Audio Tracks have been added and configured. Refer to Monitoring an External Instrument for more on this topic.

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Note that if your instrument is also a controller (such as a keyboard workstation), you need to set it up twice. First, set it up as an External Instrument without a Receive From selection, and then set it up as a Keyboard, without a Send To selection. This allows the keyboard-controller section of the workstation to be used as a source for Instrument Tracks, while allowing the synthesizer section to be used as an external instrument.

Set Up Control Surfaces

In Studio One, a Control Surface is a hardware device that includes transport controls, faders, and other specialized controls. The control surface might use MIDI directly or via a special control layer such as Mackie Control.

To set up a Control Surface, do the following:

1.In the Options/External Devices menu (Mac OS X: Preferences/External Devices, click on the [Add...] button.

2.Choose your device from the predefined device list. Set this to New Control Surface if you do not see your device in the list. If set to New Control Surface, you may wish to type in a Manufacturer Name and a Device Name in the appropriate fields. This makes identifying the Control Surface easier.

3.Specify the device to which the Control Surface is sending and the device from which it is receiving via Studio One. Select your MIDI device driver name from the drop-down menu for both Receive From and Send To.

4.You do not need to specify the MIDI channels your Control Surface should use, as control surfaces use alternative protocols, such as Mackie Control, to communicate with Studio One.

5.Your Control Surface is now ready for use in Studio One.

For more information on using Mackie Control devices with Studio One, see Mackie Control.

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Custom Placement of Control Surfaces

If you are using multiple surfaces with motorized faders, you can customize the placement of the fader banks so that Channels in the Studio One Console are spread across your surfaces in the desired order.

To customize this placement, click on Placement in the Options/External Devices menu after adding your surfaces. All ungrouped surfaces appear under the Ungrouped tab. To place a surface in a group, select a Group tab, then click-and-drag the surface from the Ungrouped area to the selected group area. To adjust the order of the grouped surfaces, click-and-drag them left or right. Channels in the Console appear in order across the surfaces from left to right.

Up to four Groups can be created, to allow for mirroring of Channels across multiple surfaces. This is helpful if you have more than one location in the studio where you wish to use control surfaces (e.g., an A room and B room or a control room and live room).

Only supported and predefined Control Surfaces appear in the Placement window. User-defined devices do not appear in this window.

Use Your Computer Keyboard as a MIDI Keyboard

You can use your regular QWERTY computer keyboard as a MIDI Keyboard to play virtual instruments and record musical data in Studio One. To do this, add a new device in the Studio One/Options/External Devices/Add Device menu (Mac OS X: Preferences/External Devices/Add Device), choosing the QWERTY Keyboard device from the PreSonus device folder.

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With the device added, to use your keyboard as a MIDI Keyboard, open the interface for the QWERTY Keyboard device by double-clicking on it in the External panel of the Console. Any record-enabled Instrument Track then receives input from the QWERTY Keyboard, as shown in the QWERTY Keyboard device interface. Your keyboard only transmits data to Instrument Tracks while the QWERTY Keyboard device interface is open.

Using the PreSonus FaderPort

If you have a PreSonus FaderPort connected to a computer running Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows, Studio One automatically recognizes it and configure it for use. Just open a Song or Project to use the FaderPort immediately.

Reconnect Devices

In most applications, when MIDI devices become disconnected while the application is running, you usually have to restart the application, and the software may crash. In contrast, if an external MIDI device becomes disconnected while Studio One is running with a Song or Project open, the device can be reconnected without restarting Studio One.

If this occurs, navigate to Studio One/Options/External Devices (Mac OS X: Preferences/External Devices) and click on Reconnect at the bottom of the menu. Then reconnect your devices and click OK. The devices should now work normally in Studio One.

If an external device is not present when Studio One is started—for instance, if you’re traveling and don’t have some of your gear with you— the application still runs normally. You should see a warning message that makes you aware of the situation. If your setup frequently changes, you may wish to turn off this warning message by disengaging the Notify Me If Devices Are Unavailable When Studio One Starts option.

Later, when you start Studio One with the device connected to your computer, Studio One recognizes the device automatically, and it can be used exactly as before, with no further setup required.

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Managing Your Content

Content management and file management can become unwieldy when working with digital audio workstation software due to the sheer volume of loops, effects, song ideas, individual tracks, and so on. In Studio One, you only need to locate your preexisting content once, after which all of the locations are remembered. Any content you create using Studio One is similarly managed. In Studio One, your content is kept in distinct categories.

The following describes the process of managing your content using the Studio One/Options/Locations (Mac OS X:

Preferences/Locations) menu.

User Data

Any content you create using Studio One is automatically stored in the location you specify. This includes Songs, Projects, Effects Presets, and all of the files these categories contain. All of your creative output can be logically organized and kept in a single place, which makes future location and backup a breeze.

When creating a new Song or Project, the User Data folder is the default save location. While we recommend using this location, you can specify any save location when creating any new Song or Project.

Engage the Auto Save Documents option to automatically save any open document at a specified interval of time.

Engage the Ask to Copy External Files when Saving Song feature to be given the option to consolidate any outside files to the central data folder when saving a Song.

File Types

All supported file extensions are listed in the Studio One/Options/Locations/File Types (Mac OS X: Preferences/Locations/File Types) menu. Only these supported file types are displayed in the Browser.

It is possible to add file extensions to this list by clicking on the [Add...] button. In the pop-up menu, you can choose an icon, enter the file extension, and provide a description for the file type. Select a user-added extension from the list and click on Remove to remove it.

Sound Sets

Preconfigured packages of loops and samples are bundled with Studio One. The Browser’s Sound Sets folder makes finding this content quick and easy. These packages also contain information about each content vendor, which is displayed in the Browser when a package is selected. Click on the Visit Website link in the Browser for more information about the vendor and the content they supply.

Instrument Library

Studio One includes a native virtual instrument called Presence XT that utilizes a cross-platform sample library format, as well as standard libraries in Giga, EXS, Kontakt (version 4 and below), and Sound Font (SF2 and SFZ) formats. Using the Instrument Library function, you can tell Studio One where your sound sets are located, giving you access to them as presets in Presence XT.

To add sound library file locations to your Instrument Library, in the Studio One/Options/Locations/Instrument Library (Mac OS X: Preferences/Locations/Instrument Library) menu, click on the [Add...] button and specify a file location, then click OK. You can specify as many locations as you need.

For more information on the Presence XT built-in virtual instrument, refer to the Presence XT section.

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VST Plug-ins

When Studio One starts for the first time, most of your plug-ins are located automatically and are ready to use immediately. If Studio One fails to find certain plug-ins, adding them is easy.

To add any missing VST plug-ins, navigate to the Studio One/Options/Locations/VST Plug-ins (Mac OS X: Preferences/Locations/VST Plug-ins) menu and click on the [Add...] button, then specify a location and click OK. You can also drag-and-drop any folder from the Explorer/Finder into the Locations list. Studio One then scans these locations at startup, including searching for new plug-ins you’ve added. You can always add more locations if needed.

AU, VST 3, and ReWire-enabled plug-ins and applications have their own pre-set file path in the OS and do not have to be located manually.

Failed Plug-ins

If any plug-in fails to start correctly when scanned at startup, a notice appears next to its name in the startup message list, and a warning message is shown. If the plug-in continues to fail at startup—for instance, if it is not authorized correctly or a required iLok key is not present—Studio One puts the plug-in in a blacklist and ignores it at startup from that point on.

To reset this blacklist and force Studio One to scan missing plug-ins again at startup, navigate to Studio One/Options/Locations/VST Plug-ins (Mac OS X: Preferences/Locations/VST Plug-ins) and click on [Reset Blacklist]. The next time you start Studio One, the previously blacklisted plug-ins are scanned again. If the issues that caused the plug-ins to fail the scan have been resolved, the plug-ins are made available.

VST Format Support

Studio One Producer and Professional support VST 2.4 (including VSTXML for hierarchical parameter structure) and VST 3.

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Creating a New Song

Creating a New Song

A Song is where all recording, editing, arranging, and mixing takes place. To create a New Song, do one of the following:

From the Start page, click on the Create a New Song link.

Navigate to File/New Song.

Press [Ctrl]/[Cmd]+N on the keyboard.

If no Song is currently open, click on the Song quick-access button.

The default name of each new Song is derived from today's date and the Artist name you've set in the Artist Profile on the Start page. You can set your own title by editing the text in the Song Title field.

Song Templates

On the left side of the New Song creation menu, there is a list of preconfigured Song templates, which are designed to help get you started quickly with various recording tasks.

The templates can include particular I/O and Track setups, effects plug-in and virtual instrument processing, and all other aspects of a Song. By default, the Empty Song template is selected, which creates a completely empty Song with no Tracks or preconfigured I/O setup.

Create a Song Template

If there is a particular Song setup you use again and again, it can be helpful to create a template. To do so, first create a new Empty Song. Next, configure the I/O and create and configure all Tracks, and virtual instruments, effects plug-ins, and any other aspects of the Song that you need in your template. Then, in the File menu, select Save as Template.

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Type in a title and description, choose an image for the Template icon, if you like, and select OK. You can also drag an image from Windows Explorer or Mac Finder onto the image icon to use that image. The exact current state of the Song is now available as a template in the New Song creation menu.

Song Location

New Songs and all related data are saved to your User Data location, set in Studio One/Options/Locations/User Data (Mac OS X: Preferences/Locations/User Data). If you like, you can choose a different file location by clicking on the [...] button in the New Song dialog, and browsing to your chosen location.

Sample Rate

“Sample rate” refers to the rate at which incoming analog audio is sampled per second during conversion to a digital signal. The most common setting is the standard sample rate for audio CDs: 44.1 kHz, meaning 44,100 samples per second.

The Studio One sample rate should match the sample rate of your audio interface, so by default, the sample rate is set to your current audio interface’s sample rate, and changing this setting initiates a sample rate change in that device. If the sample rates don’t match, Studio One resamples all audio files to match the sample rate of the hardware, but this can cause performance problems and should be avoided. Studio One is capable of recording at any sample rate your hardware audio device offers.

Not all devices allow a third-party software application to change the hardware sample rate. The desired sample rate should be set before creating a New Song.

File size is directly proportional to the sample rate and resolution. The higher the sample rate and resolution, the larger the resulting audio file is.

Resolution

“Resolution” refers to the bit depth of digital audio, which is related to the audio’s dynamic range. Standard CD audio has a 16-bit resolution, which results in roughly 96 dB of dynamic range. Thus, with “CD-quality” audio, the difference between the quietest and loudest sounds possible is 96 dB. The most common resolution setting in professional recording is 24-bit, which produces a dynamic range of approximately 144 dB.

Studio One can record audio with 16, 24, or 32-bit (floating point) resolution. Which resolution to use is a matter of preference. If you are unfamiliar with these concepts, try experimenting with recording at each resolution and comparing your results.

Timebase

The timebase of your New Song determines the way the timeline is represented. The timebase selection can be changed at any time. You have the option of the following:

Seconds The timeline division is an expression of hours : minutes : seconds : milliseconds.

Samples The timeline division is an expression of samples.

Bars The timeline division is an expression of musical bars and beats.

Frames The timeline division is an expression of frames.

Song Length

Here, you can specify a length for your new Song, or go with the default setting of five minutes. If you wish to change the length of a Song once in progress, you can move the Song End marker to the desired end point, as detailed in the Song Start and End Markers section.

You can also change the length of the currently open Song by opening the Song/Song Setup dialog and setting the Song End parameter to your desired end point.

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Tempo

Here, you can specify a starting tempo for your Song, or go with the default setting of 120 BPM.

Time Signature

Here, you can specify a starting time signature for your Song, or use the default setting of 4/4.

Stretch Audio Files to Song Tempo

Enable this option to automatically timestretch imported audio files (that have tempo information) to match your Song’s current tempo. This is highly recommended to avoid having to manually stretch audio or place Tracks in Timestretch mode.

However, if you do not intend to work with Timestretching in your Song and want to ensure that nothing gets timestretched automatically by mistake, make sure this option is deselected.

Only audio files with encoded tempo information are stretched automatically with this option engaged. Studio One remembers tempo information you specify within the Inspector view for any audio file.

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