Studio One 1.5 feature list- full press release

[koolkeys]

Since we are having some issues at ProRec.com, I am posting this press release here as I think it may interest some people. I'm sure it will be on KVR by tomorrow, but anyways, here it is:

Massive PreSonus Studio One™ 1.5 Update Adds A Wealth of Features


Baton Rouge, Louisiana, March 24, 2010 –PreSonus announced version 1.5 of its Studio One™ DAW software. This major free update adds so many important features and enhancements that the company decided to skip the previously planned version 1.1 and go directly to this more advanced version.


Key additions include support for video playback and sync for composing to picture, major enhancements to the Browser’s drag-and-drop capabilities, the ability to draw your own automation waveforms, automation points that are locked to events, a new key-command editor, changing tempos within a event without slicing the event into separate events, and support for song and album art. A first-of-its-kind, built-in SoundCloud client enables you to upload audio files from Studio One directly to the Web. The MIDi features have been improved, including a new MIDI file player in the Browser. We’ve enhanced the Native Effects plug-ins and added new ones. And that’s by no means all that is in this impressive update. Let’s take a closer look.


Those who create sound for picture will be delighted with the new video features. You can now import any QuickTime video into a Song for playback and sync, with adjustable video playback size and time offset. Simply drag-and-drop the video from the Browser into the arrangement to import it and, optionally, simultaneously extract the audio from the video and place it on a new audio track. A new Follow Edit Position helps sync to specific video frames by adjusting the playback-cursor position based on the current edit position.


Browser drag-and-drop functionality has improved significantly. Drag an audio event to a location in the File Browser to instantly export a new audio file to that location. Drag an Instrument Part to the File Browser to export a MIDI clip to a specific location on your drive. Drag any insert effect or virtual instrument from the Device Rack to the Effects or Instruments Browser to store a preset for the effect or instrument; alternatively, drag to the File Browser to export the preset to a specific location on your drive.


You can now draw automation waveforms, and automation points are locked to selected events, so automation moves with the related events. A transform function lets you scale, stretch, and otherwise modify automation envelopes. An Undo history enables viewing and undoing all edits done since the file was opened, even if you have saved since then. A pitch-name editor is available in the drum layout, and you can save and load names from a pitch-name list.


Version 1.5 adds a new key-command editor with Search and Learn features for creating and modifying keyboard shortcuts. The search feature finds specific key commands and shows which functions they trigger and also finds specified functions and displays the key commands to which they are assigned.


Studio One now uses dynamic timestretching to change tempos within an event, rather than having to slice the event into separate events with different tempos. Constrain position when dragging events between tracks within a defined range, use a keyboard shortcut to fast-forward and rewind by measures, and accelerate scrolling while dragging with the new Turbo mode. When you select a region on a track, you can now extend the selection using Shift and the Up/Down arrow keys. When you select and remove a range in the Edit menu, the time in between regions will be deleted and the regions will snap together.


Album and Song Art can now be added to the Project and will be included in any exported Digital Release. A new menu item enables you to upload songs, art, and metadata to the SoundCloud Web service directly from Studio One.


Support for REX files also has been added. If you right-click a REX file in the Browser and select "Send to new SampleOne," all slices are imported into SampleOne, and a new Instrument Part is created. Alternatively, you can drag the whole REX file, or individual slices, into the arrangement.


Several changes have been made to the Native Effects plug-ins. The Pipeline plug-in has gained a scope that enables you to manually alter the offset (in samples) for latency compensation. The scope displays send and return signals on top of each other and shows you the difference in real time, enabling you to manually adjust delay compensation, which is much more accurate than the automatic delay compensation found in some DAWs. In addition, latency compensation has been enabled for effects on input channels, so if you put an effect on an input channel, the software will ensure that the recorded track and processed input remain aligned.


Plug-ins can now be bypassed, and this can be automated. A new Level Meter plug-in provides an extra-large peak/RMS display. The PreSonus Presence™ virtual instrument has been redesigned, upgraded to 96 voices, and enhanced with effects, including modulation effects, pan, delay, distortion, gate, reverb, and a 7-band graphic EQ with settings for Lead (center frequencies range from 50 Hz to 10 kHz) and Bass (100 Hz to 6.4 kHz). The Impact™ virtual instrument adds Velocity layers, an envelope Hold parameter, and a multimode low-pass, bandpass, or high-pass filter with 12 dB or 24 dB slope. To load effects to a specific output channel, just drag the effect onto a pad.


The Spectrum Meter plug-in and the spectrum meter on the Project page (in Studio One Pro) have gained average and peak-hold level indicators with variable time intervals for precise level analysis across the frequency spectrum. A new Scope plug-in provides in-depth oscilloscope functions for troubleshooting and measurement within Studio One, including three independent/overlaid channels with stereo and sidechain input selection and a mathematical operation channel (A-B, A-C, and B-C).


Version 1.5 also includes several MIDI enhancements. The file Browser has gained a MIDI preview player that sends the MIDI data to a selected Instrument Track for playback. The player displays the MIDI file’s length in bars and the number of notes in the pattern. Previously, MIDI quantization only affected Note On messages; now note ends (Note Off) can be quantized, as well. The Gate plug-in now sends MIDI note messages—perfect for drum replacement. Furthermore, MIDI files can be expanded in the Browser, and individual tracks can be dragged into the arrangement.


The export features have been significantly improved, including the ability to export entire channels as stems, complete with buses, effects, and instrument returns. In addition, when you export adjacent regions (between markers), you can now create custom-length overlaps at the head and tail of each region so that you can crossfade between the exported files. This works sort of like a pre-roll and post-roll. Studio One creates a folder for each region with a name derived from the marker name.


Version 1.5 is expected in April 2010 and will be a free update to registered users.

[bobbybland]

oh my!! can't wait

[LawrenceF]

[Alfalfa]

Video playback, nice.

How does the audio editing stack up against Cubase? There's no drum grid, variaudio...but this update really closes the gap in a lot of areas.

LawrenceF, where do you still see gaps versus Cubase (being a user of both)?

[cain]

really nice update cant wait

[LawrenceF]

LawrenceF, where do you still see gaps versus Cubase (being a user of both)?

15+ years of feature development.

Seriously though, Studio One is a different beast. For all intents and purposes (imo) it's the Cubase "mulligan", "do-over". Directly comparing them tit-for-tat is really tricky (and Apples to Apple Seeds) because Cubase is one of the oldest, most powerful and deepest daws on the planet ... but ... Studio One has a strange way of making a lot of that power irrelevant more often than you might suspect.

It all kind of depends on what it is you use your host for... if there is a gap that will matter for you or another individual.

In other words, the gaps go both ways.

[Alfalfa]

15+ years of feature development.

Seriously though, Studio One is a different beast. For all intents and purposes (imo) it's the Cubase "mulligan", "do-over". Directly comparing them tit-for-tat is really tricky (and Apples to Apple Seeds) because Cubase is one of the oldest, most powerful and deepest daws on the planet ... but ... Studio One has a strange way of making a lot of that power irrelevant more often than you might suspect.

It all kind of depends on what it is you use your host for... if there is a gap that will matter for you or another individual.

In other words, the gaps go both ways.

Good points. I see a lot to like in this update. I wonder most about audio editing, since I only delve in during later stages of production. I like to have the tools there when I need them, even though I don't use them much. Probably just requires more hands-on work with the demo on my part. Regardless, it's a substantial update, heading in the right direction.

[JPark83]

I moved to Cubase Studio 5 from the nightmare that is Sonar. It was Groove Agent (which I thought was a complete drum machine with sequencer) and Beat Designer (which I learned was the sequencer) which made me choose. Having studied Cubase via the manual and the AskVideo series for around 9 months, and having been interested and excited about S1 since its first announcement, and now having the demo, my thoughts are:

Agree totally. Cubase is just a real mature, thought-out program. It's the gold standard. I didn't realize that Sonar is more or less a direct rip of Cubase. Cubase just does the stuff better. And I'm learning that although it may have less of the Hollywood prestige that Logic has, nevertheless it's right in there as a tool of top working professionals. My analogy between Cubase and Logic is Mercedes to BMW. Not sure which is which. Both great.

But very insightful point made here: S1 almost immediately makes some of the really tweaky features of Cubase seem irrelevant. I just love the way it looks, the single window design (Cubase is well-known to be lacking in window handling), and the drag anything anywhere. You can obviously tell it's a new product, even me, with more or less beginning to low-intermediate DAW expertise. But you can see where this is going. For Cubase to compete on the points that S1 is strong in would require nothing short of a complete overhaul of the GUI - moving to a single window paradigm. I think this should happen. Logic, Live, S1 and some others have it. It's great for laptop usage I would guess.

I just posted this on the S1 forum - no input quantize? What gives?

Not going to bail on Cubase just yet, but getting closer to adding a new puppy to the fold. Will S1 run as a rewire slave in Cubase?

[koolkeys]

Well, I wouldn't say that Sonar is a direct rip of Cubase. They are plenty different. And Cubase, while it does some things better, doesn't do everything better by far, IMO.

But Studio One, while very much lacking in features compared to either one, is definitely easier to use and better thought out than either one, IMO. I think this will be a great update, and definitely a good sign that they want to make it better fast.

Can't wait to try it out.

Brent

[JPark83]

Won't argue those points. Will agree - S1 is the way of the future. Analogy - It's real hard to turn a giant oil tanker or cruise ship around. Cubase, Sonar, Logic, those guys have a course set. They will improve, but to see them turn in to something like this will be a long time coming, if ever, IMO. A realistic strategy seems to be running S1 along with a mature DAW of your choice. Gradually porting over as the program adds features.

[rob_lee]

Cool features

Rob

[brok landers]

>snip< LawrenceF, where do you still see gaps versus Cubase (being a user of both)?

let me be brash and answer this with:
as it seems there is no unlimited busrouting yet, even in 1.5. you can only route a signal to a bus, but you can't send that bus to another. this is a real basic and a nogo for professional use. unlimited busrouting is a must.

however, studio one will for sure have a bright future, the workflow is simply said stunning, it beats every sequencer i know in terms of workflow.

[LawrenceF]

as it seems there is no unlimited busrouting yet, even in 1.5. you can only route a signal to a bus, but you can't send that bus to another.

You can nest busses but it only goes one level deep on the specific track class. Bus -> Bus. From there if you need a third level of nesting you can use an FX bus and that would be the current limit, 3.

But yes, bus nesting is a biggie and it needs to be extended in future versions.

[LBN]

Any one-button freeze?

[sockofgold]

I guess this is why the version 1.1 that they announced at NAMM never got released...

If I'm being brutally honest, I am pretty disappointed. The least I was hoping for was a detachable piano roll window. Oh well...