PreSonus is now shipping Studio One 2.6, a significant upgrade to the company’s digital audio workstation software for Mac and Windows that adds integration with PreSonus StudioLive AI-series mixers, Nimbit and SoundCloud, as well as more than 50 other improvements and workflow enhancements.
Upon launching, users will notice that the Start page has been enhanced. A new Nimbit dashboard on the provides access to up-to-date Nimbit user account statistics (number of fans, number of active promotions, and sales) directly from Studio One. In addition, the user receives help messages on how to engage with fans and customers and boost sales.
A new SoundCloud dashboard displays key statistics from a user’s SoundCloud account, as well as a scrolling display of the SoundCloud activity stream.
Further, when recording to the newly updated Capture 2.1, users can now save StudioLive AI mixer scenes along with the Capture audio. In Capture, this means audio can be played back through the mixer using the original scene that was in use during recording, even if it was recorded on a different StudioLive AI mixer.
When a Capture 2.1 session is opened in Studio One 2.6 Artist, Producer, or Professional, and a mix scene is present, all the fader, pan, mute, and Fat Channel settings for each track are automatically imported into Studio One.
What enhances this is the new Fat Channel Native Effects plug-in, which is a native version of the StudioLive 32.4.2AI mixer’s Fat Channel, including the gate, compressor, limiter, and four-band fully parametric EQ. With the plug-in and the saved mixer scene, users can play tracks using the same processing and settings that were being used during recording, even without a StudioLive mixer available.
The Fat Channel presets are compatible with their StudioLive AI counterparts and can be exported from Studio One to a StudioLive AI mixer via Universal Control. The Fat Channel plug-in also is a regular Native Effects plug-in, so its powerful processing can be used on any Studio One tracks and mixes.
Studio One has long integrated with Mackie Control/HUI-compatible hardware controllers; in version 2.6 (all varieties, including Studio One Free), this support has been considerably enhanced. Mackie Control/HUI integration now includes Send slot navigation, Sends support, Control Link mapping, momentary Mute/Solo, Track Edit mode, FX Bypass mode (EQ Button), add insert/send/instrument, plug-in/instrument list and preset list navigation, and more.
The metronome features have been enhanced significantly, including accent and offbeat click, convenient click-track rendering, custom click samples with drag-and-drop and menu options, and even save all metronome settings, including click sounds, as a preset. A visual numerical count-in is provided when the user hits the Record button.
Studio One Professional users will also find enhancements to the Project page. A new CD time display shows the current CD length ofthe project, and the Transport bar shows relative song position. The update also delivers improved ISRC text input.
Version 2.6 also adds a long list of workflow and editing improvements, enhancements to the MIDI engine, and more. For more about Version 2.6, go here.
