PreSonus has announced Studio One 2, a major upgrade to their DAW software for Mac OS X (Snow Leopard and Lion) and Windows XP/Vista/7 (and soon, Windows 8). Version 2 offers more than 100 new features and enhancements, including fresh takes on multitrack comping, multitrack MIDI editing, transient detection and editing with groove extraction, and Folder Tracks. And Studio One 2 offers exclusive integrated Melodyne pitch correction.

Some of the new features in Studio One 2

• Integrated Melodyne pitch correction. Studio One 2 seamlessly integrates Celemony’s Melodyne so tightly that, for practical purposes, Melodyne is simply a part of Studio One. You hear your edits in context with the rest of the arrangement, and when finished editing, render the audio in place—no track transfers or manual rendering. Furthermore, edits made in the arrangement are seamlessly synced in Melodyne. Want to go back to where you were? It takes one click. Melodyne Essentials comes with Studio One Professional 2; Studio One Artist 2 and Producer 2 come with a Melodyne trial version.
• Transient detection, editing, and groove extraction. Sure, you can do transient detection and editing in other DAWs—but it can be slow and painful. In Studio One, you simply select an audio event and press Q to quantize. Groove extraction is as simple as drag-and-drop; extract a groove from any audio and apply it to any other audio in seconds.
• Multitrack comping. Single and multitrack comping are quick and easy in Studio One. No tool-switching is needed, and crossfading between takes is automated, although you can edit the fades. Auditioning takes is as simple as holding Alt and clicking on a take.
• Find it quickly. Studio One’s Browser offers quick access to instruments, effects, sounds, files, and more. In version 2, you can search within any location in the Browser, making it even faster and easier to find the resources you want.
• Organize tracks. Organizing related tracks and working with them as a group is a breeze with Folder Tracks. Group and bus your Folder Tracks with the click of a button—an exclusive Studio One feature.
• Edit multiple MIDI tracks simultaneously. Now you can view and edit more than one instrument track at a time in the Music Editor, including editing multiple parts on different Tracks at once.
• New plug-ins. The Ampire guitar-amp modeler is now Ampire XT and features new amp models, a new convolution-based cabinet-modeling section and an effects section. And the new OpenAIR convolution reverb delivers reverberation based on real spaces and classic hardware reverbs. To top it off, with the new IR Maker, you can capture your own impulse responses.
• Enhanced mastering with Studio One Professional. No other DAW offers a truly integrated mastering suite comparable to the Project page in Studio One Professional. To its already extensive list of mastering and distribution features, Version 2 adds DDP Export, PQ editing, and higher-quality sample-rate conversion.

PreSonus now offers three versions of Studio One 2: Artist, Producer, and Professional:

• Studio One Artist delivers all of the core audio and MIDI recording and editing features, plus 26 32-bit effects plug-ins and 4 virtual instruments, and there is no limit on track count and plug-in instantiations.
• Studio One Producer includes everything in Studio One Artist and adds support for ReWire and AU/VST plug-ins, MP3 import and export, and additional third-party content.
• Studio One Professional has everything in Studio One Artist and Producer and adds the Project page, an integrated mastering solution; fully licensed Melodyne Essential pitch correction; SoundCloud support; Red Book CD burning; video playback and sync; and five more Native Effects plug-ins.

Studio One 2 is expected to ship on November 1, 2011. Anticipated street/MAP prices are: Studio One Artist $99; Studio One Producer $199; and Studio One Professional $399. Upgrade paths enable users to move up as their needs grow.