Studio One 7.2

[Vocalpoint Studios]

Nice, hopefully you got your money's worth. If not, learn from this when the next paid upgrade drops.

Not saying I got my moneys worth - not by a longshot.

Just bringing this back up on the one year anniversary.

Lots of folks will have their updates expiring on Oct 10...interesting times ahead...

VP

[J Veronica]

7.3 must be imminent. Maybe as soon as this week.

If they deliver an update with feature requests people actually want, I'll be tempted to buy in.

If its more of the same, I'll be keeping an eye on Cubase 15 / Logic 11.3.

[Vocalpoint Studios]

7.3 must be imminent. Maybe as soon as this week.

I think Presonus needs to make a statement - what we need is v7.5 - with a game changer update that recharges the "update renewal" batteries of the user base in a big way.

Because if we anything that even closely resembles another of these pulse pounding updates:

2025-09-29_14-10-58.png

Users both old and new will be forgetting about their Oct 10 renewals and start looking elsewhere.

This is what happens when you make statements (like that video) that simply do not pan out - even after a year of waiting.

That won't be for me - that is for certain.

VP

[electro]

What is broken in the current build?

[Vocalpoint Studios]

What is broken in the current build?

Nothing really - but that is not really the point.

The point is that Presonus changed their whole S1 business model last Sept 29 by making a bunch of statements to the effect of "Pay $149.00 per year and we will deliver MAJOR updates to you faster than every before!"

Then we end up getting a years worth of romplers that no one asked for and a long series of bug fix releases. And - not only were these releases NOT major in any way - they arrived with the same dull cadence as any other S1 releases did historically. Not faster in any measureable way - just "released" whenever the internal dev calendar indicated it was time.

If Presonus is intent on charging me $149.00 every year now - vs every 2-2.5 years prior - and tells me to expect 2-3 "major" releases during that year - I expect something major.

VP

[Bowsy]

Yeh you can't have more than one parameter on the track in view at any one time. If you select the track and hit A you can cycle the pan or any other parameter to show on track but only one at a time. It shows a parameter twice because S1 needs to cycle from the parameter list below per track via the command. It shows twice depending whats cycled in track view but it's actually the same parameter. Pic Below is as good as it gets to my knowledge.

Sure - I get that it "can" be set up - but that is work that I simply do not need - potentially LOTS of it - if a song has 60 tracks.

So regardless of all the messing around exposing/cycling automation parameters - someone still needs to explain to me how this saves any time whatsoever.

When I am mixing - it's F3 - adjust pan - F3 - done. In a matter of about 2-3 secs. Or even better - F4 for the whole session with the Inspector right there - doing it's thing. Practically no seconds.

Each to their own I guess - and that is what is so cool about S1. Many ways to do something.

VP

Agreed. It's just the way it works from what I can tell that's why I posted it. To be honest I don't use the internal DAW pan anyway I use Fire the Pan from Acoustica Audio.

[jamcat]

If Presonus is intent on charging me $149.00 every year now - vs every 2-2.5 years prior - and tells me to expect 2-3 "major" releases during that year - I expect something major.

Despite seeming to be solid, this logic is actually flawed. The way Presonus is doing it now is actually much better for the consumer.

First of all, you need to understand that progress comes when it comes. It's not like they're suddenly holding back on development. But in the traditional release cycle, a developer builds up major new features until they reach a point where they can justify charging customers for a "new version." Some of those new features will have been held back for a good 2 years before you get them. So right off the bat you can see how this new system gets new features in your hands much sooner.

But that's not the end of it. Also, with a traditional release cycle, the earlier you adopt a new version, the more value you get for your money, because you are paying for access time. Most of us hold off until it makes sense to upgrade, which tends to be during the end-of-life blowout sales just before a new version is released. When you operate that way, you're on the tail end, not getting ANY new features after your purchase, and you're stuck always behind the curve, watching the new version from a distance. If you want the new features in the new version, you'll have to update all over again, which will be just months or even weeks after you just bought the last version. That's clearly a worse option than PreSonus's new system.

With the new system, you now have the control, opting to upgrade when a new feature set makes it worth it to you, without any concern of where Studio One is in an artificial lifecycle. Rather than always buying features retrospectively, as you do in the traditional release cycle, you are investing in a year's worth of additional future features as well.

And you can always choose to renew every 2 years rather than every year. If you do, then you'll be no worse off for it than you would have been in a traditional 2-year release cycle.

[Vocalpoint Studios]

Some of those new features will have been held back for a good 2 years before you get them. So right off the bat you can see how this new system gets new features in your hands much sooner.

While I am not disagreeing with you - and you and I might think in terms of dev cycles - Joe Average does not. He thinks in terms of "What exactly did I get "value wise" for my $149 in this last year?"

Even better - Joe used to see killer value by paying $149.00 every 2-2.5 years under the old system and then watch killer update AFTER killer update land in his Studio One lap - seemingly "free" because he cannot remember the last time Presonus asked him for money.

So if thinking in these terms - this "new model" feels money-grabby and lame - espeically when nothing "cool" (whatever cool represents to Joe Average) seems to materialize over a given year (like this last 365 days).

With the new system, you now have the control, opting to upgrade when a new feature set makes it worth it to you, without any concern of where Studio One is in an artificial lifecycle.

This is solid as always but I will challenge it with this.

None of us who were there last Oct 9, brimming with excitement AFTER v7 landed, visions of that "video" still fresh in our minds, hands outstretched practically throwing $149 at Presonus and yelling "Take my money!!! I cannot WAIT to see what you guys are going cook up with these 2-3 MAJOR updates this upcoming year!" have yet to experience what it will really feel like to hand over $149.00 and then watch what happened in the last 365 days - happen.

This is where the "development" view of the world and the "What have you done for me lately" view of the world take a sharp turn away from each other.

I can tell you that the latter is extremely volatile and fickle. Given the competition in this space and the lure of new and shiny - Presonus better not take too long deciding when to inject some fresh excitement into our little DAW here.

In terms of "control" and waiting for the "right" upgrade - the assumption here sorta feels like: "If we have 50000 S1 users today and Presonus does not deliver a sazzy update in a timely manner - 25000 will decide to wait - and I am 100% sure that all 25000 will be there "later".

The "control" that users actually have could be catastrophic. If enough users decide to "take their time" and not renew their updates or subs - there is a real risk of watching Studio One wither and eventually die on the vine.

Presonus will not be able to sustain the business if the value is even slightly "perceived" (even if it is not actually) to be spinning down the drain each "annual update" cycle and those renewal dollars fail to materialize each annual upgrade cycle - or worse yet - end up in the pockets of a Cubase or Bitwig.

Again - most people might be cool to wait it out for a bit - but many really can't be bothered. It is a ballsy move to run the ship like this and make any assumptions that users are loyal. Or waiting in the wings for the next big thing.

VP

[tonedef71]

[jamcat]

While I am not disagreeing with you - and you and I might think in terms of dev cycles - Joe Average does not. He thinks in terms of "What exactly did I get "value wise" for my $149 in this last year?"

Even better - Joe used to see killer value by paying $149.00 every 2-2.5 years under the old system and then watch killer update AFTER killer update land in his Studio One lap - seemingly "free" because he cannot remember the last time Presonus asked him for money.

So if thinking in these terms - this "new model" is not as great as it seems.

Prior to this new system, no one ever though about their software upgrade in terms of what they WILL get in the future. It was always in terms of what they get when they buy it. You were always paying for what they already did, not what they're going to do. If you got new features added in a .x update, that was a bonus.

Realistically, the new system only changes two things (and both are good for customers):

1. ) Major features get released on the development team's schedule, rather than the sales department's schedule.
2. ) It ends the artificial version cutoff point for new feature eligibility.

None of us who were there last Oct 9, brimming with excitement AFTER v7 landed, visions of that "video" still fresh in our minds and hands outstretched practically throwing $149 at Presonus and yelling "Take my money!!! I cannot WAIT to see what you guys are going cook up with these 2-3 MAJOR updates this upcoming year!" have reached our first year of what it really feels like to hand over $149.00 and then watch what happened in the last 365 days - happen.

I for one was not "brimming with excitement." There was very little that I was even interested in at all. Advanced tempo detection was probably it. That, and 7.2 expanded processing support to the efficiency cores on Apple Silicon (but I had already upgraded to version 7 by then). That's about it. There were more things I actively dislike about it: Clip Launcher, Splice integration, and the new dumbed-down look (which macOS/iOS 26 is giving me déjà vu all over again.)

So why did I upgrade, you may ask. The answer is the same for Studio One 7 and macOS/iOS 26: because that's what it is now, and it's what I use (that's not changing, despite my misgivings about recent developments.) I'm going to wind up there sooner or later, so I might as well keep up.

But in PreSonus's defense, I will reiterate what others have pointed out already: they did not actually promise "2-3 major updates" this year. They promised that for the next following year.

[Vocalpoint Studios]

If you got new features added in a .x update, that was a bonus.

Exactly. Except now - we are paying twice as much (if one uses the ole 2 year window) to see that "bonus". Not a lot of that to celebrate this last 365 days.

Major features get released on the development team's schedule, rather than the sales department's schedule.

Then they probably should have had the DEV team do that video and explain it clearly - in their terms.

I for one was not "brimming with excitement." There was very little that I was even interested in at all.

Fair enough. Wasn't implying that everyone was thrilled - or would be. But a sizable amount of user were - myself included. I guess my expectations were a bit far fetched given the end game here after this year went by.

But in PreSonus's defense, I will reiterate what others have pointed out already: they did not actually promise "2-3 major updates" this year. They promised that for the next following year.

Gregor (@ 1:16) : "We are targetting 3-4 "major" releases - every year - with the first of these drops coming early next year (since this video was released on Sept 29, 2024 - "next year" means 2025) - and going forward - version naming will be time based"

Apologies but I am not sure how anyone somehow twisted this to be "2026" or whatever the "following" year is supposed to mean. Gregors "next year" from a 2024 perspective is (and was) 2025 - not to mention this was scrolling by as he stated the above:

2025-09-29_16-06-58.png

Anyway - it is what it is and it will be interesting to see just what Presonus decides to do. Or not do.

VP

[I_Am_Become_KVR]

I gotta question for you guys, since presonus no longer sells the mixfx expansions, but they are still available to purchase elsewhere: if you buy them elsewhere, does the license still work in the 7.x versions? Or did it end with v 6.x or something? i wanna make doubly sure before buying.

I'm looking at both the retro bundle (ssl, tascam portastudio and... I dunno what the "alpine" is, API?) and the CTC-1 bundle (neve etc). Not at their current prices, but in case a deal pops up this holiday sales season.

I have the Softube tape, so that shows up in MixFX already. And the default included Console Shaper.

(For some stupid reason, I was under the impression S1 came with a few console emulations... not sure where I acquired that notion .)

[Vocalpoint Studios]

I gotta question for you guys, since presonus no longer sells the mixfx expansions, but they are still available to purchase elsewhere: if you buy them elsewhere, does the license still work in the 7.x versions? Or did it end with v 6.x or something? i wanna make doubly sure before buying

Yep I think of those online spots that still sell this - show be good to go once registered to your Presonus account.


VP

[I_Am_Become_KVR]

Yep I think of those online spots that still sell this - show be good to go once registered to your Presonus account.
VP

thx!

That's good to hear, because the Mix Fx is one of the main reasons I got the S1 license.

Anyone got a favorite of these? I'm leaning towards the Retro bundle, because I've got a lot of time on analog SSL consoles, and I use the SSL 4k in Softube C1 as my channel strip.

[jamcat]

I agree that we haven't really seen anything blockbuster yet. But we have gotten "new features" twice so far in 2025, in the strict definition. So as long as we get 7.3 before New Years, PreSonus will still be on track.

Exactly. Except now - we are paying twice as much (if one uses the ole 2 year window) to see that "bonus". Not a lot of that to celebrate this last 365 days.

That would only be true if you were buying the new versions at release. But then it was always more expensive. The good deals wouldn't come along until at least a year into the lifecycle. So at that point you were only getting a year's worth of updates for the price you're paying for a year's work of updates now. But now you can buy an upgrade during Black Friday and hold onto it until something comes along worth upgrading for. And only then does the 1-year clock start ticking.