Fender enters the home studio market

[Mr Joshua]

I've tried both and have no idea how they achieved market dominance.

Logic is pretty user friendly. I have people I work with remotely who are damn near computer illiterate and have been able to successfully use GB and Logic when attempts at other DAWs had failed for them as an option. So I think that has something to do with it and the fact that GarageBand is free and on every Mac so it's a natural migration to Logic.

 

[pbass2]

I've tried both and have no idea how they achieved market dominance.

They're simply the OG's. Whether there's something someone thinks is "better" is purely subjective at this point. I've been working in Pro Studios since before PT, and then PT came along and there wasn't much else that worked as well. You had to use it to be in the game, to be competitive (remember when we all had to run out and buy a rack of ADATs?). I started using Logic for electronic music/midi production (alongside PT) before it even recorded audio and once it got that capability it wasn't long before it was as capable as PT for everything else (and better for film scoring and stuff like that). They're incredibly powerful, keep adding new features (some really useful, some, eh...) and still come from a traditional studio kind of mindset as far as the workflow and interface, which is a big factor in the pro world.

 

[pbass2]

There are a lot of disgruntled and dissatisfied engineers who avoid it if they can.

This I have not encountered. The studios I end up in, it's still a Pro Tools world. I also compose for TV etc and in that world most of use Logic, but for "traditional" music production in a pro studio I haven't encountered anything other than PT, hardly ever.

 

[JazznFunk]

This I have not encountered. The studios I end up in, it's still a Pro Tools world. I also compose for TV etc and in that world most of use Logic, but for "traditional" music production in a pro studio I haven't encountered anything other than PT, hardly ever.

Thus proving my original point. PT was sold/marketed/installed and made the de-facto 'standard' decades ago - warts and all - because it was the first kid on the block, and most studios are loathe to change because of how costly ProTools is/was to begin with to integrate. It is what it is. It was the ONLY game in town for a while, and they capitalized on it big time.

I used ProTools in college and for a bit after that in the early/mid 2000s. Always problematic, always crashing, always some minor compatibility issue that would bring things to a halt... always an absolute pain if you lost the dongle that authorized the hardware and software for use. The main reason it's still the accepted standard is because with most older/established studios living in that architecture, you can easily move entire sessions (automation, plugins, etc) seamlessly from studio to studio. Cross-compatibility across platforms isn't as seamless as it should be - but it's also because ProTools doesn't like to open up their world.

A lot of newer studios have gone in different directions for various reasons - mostly because ProTools is still notorious for all of its old issues, just in new clothes. Discussions about that are plentiful in the engineering world. As long as you're recording high quality audio and exporting/importing stems or tracks in a way that allows seamless import into another system, and it isn't a necessity to port in a full-on project export, it's really just user/studio preference at this point. WAVs are WAVs. But yeah, if you started in ProTools and there's a lot invested in a session already in that environment, it's far easier to move it to another ProTools studio given its prevalence.

FWIW, the same would be true of moving from Logic to Logic/StudioOne to StudioOne, etc native sessions.

 

[JazznFunk]

I've tried both and have no idea how they achieved market dominance.

Especially true of ProTools. They achieved market dominance because they were the only game in town for a while. It doesn't mean it's still the best or most practical by any means.

 

[pbass2]

As long as you're recording high quality audio and exporting/importing stems or tracks in a way that allows seamless import into another system, and it isn't a necessity to port in a full-on project export, it's really just user/studio preference at this point. WAVs are WAVs. But yeah, if you started in ProTools and there's a lot invested in a session already in that environment, it's far easier to move it to another ProTools studio given its prevalence.

FWIW, the same would be true of moving from Logic to Logic/StudioOne to StudioOne, etc native sessions.

I agree, audio is audio. I ship tracks or stems from Logic to studios, editors, and post houses that are all in PT. No biggee.

Speaking of cross-compatibility and file sharing, how come Logic (Apple) could never get OMF/AAF export/import, etc to work reliably? Total fail. I can't remember it ever NOT being a total CF, and then we just ended up sharing audio stems out of frustration. Finally in the last couple years post house mixers and film editors have stopped asking for OMFs or AAFs from composers because it's pretty well accepted that it's broken. Big fail on that one. Maybe cause Final Cut isn't "Pro" anymore they don't bother to fix it.

 

[Discount Bassy]

I'm a bit torn. I've used Presonus since 2011 when they were just wee. I never had any crashes or issues with any of their gear that I chose to purchase for the home studio. I stayed with them because everything worked and was familiar. I wasn't thrilled with the introduction of the yearly license fee, but kept keepin' on. Last night, I found out about this while doing routine updates on my software heap and was confused and then a bit disturbed. My license expires in July, so I have some time to think about it and honestly have enough stuff from Native Instruments (and a few other sources) to make a transition to another platform without taking a hit.

I am not a fan of Fender and was happy enough with Presonus being Presonus. If the pricing follows the long standing Fender trend of maximum squeeze with minimum innovation, I'll split. Big eats small, I suppose.

 

[MonetBass]

@JazznFunk, I started using Studio One 4 Prime (free) back in 2019 and it never required the dongle you mentioned. The current versions of Studio One don't either.

But you're right: I've shared files from my Studio One sessions with a friend who uses Logic Pro and it works fine.

EDIT: I plan to stay on Studio One Pro 7 for now as I don't have a compelling reason to upgrade.

 

[JazznFunk]

I'm a bit torn. I've used Presonus since 2011 when they were just wee. I never had any crashes or issues with any of their gear that I chose to purchase for the home studio. I stayed with them because everything worked and was familiar. I wasn't thrilled with the introduction of the yearly license fee, but kept keepin' on. Last night, I found out about this while doing routine updates on my software heap and was confused and then a bit disturbed. My license expires in July, so I have some time to think about it and honestly have enough stuff from Native Instruments (and a few other sources) to make a transition to another platform without taking a hit.

I am not a fan of Fender and was happy enough with Presonus being Presonus. If the pricing follows the long standing Fender trend of maximum squeeze with minimum innovation, I'll split. Big eats small, I suppose.

I'm in a similar boat. FWIW - I upgraded my entire workstation last August and had a brand new Studio24C interface I bought earlier in the year for when that time came, just to get started with my new setup. Then, I got the FaderPort in September or October. I recently upgraded to a NOS Quantum ES 2. The FaderPort included a free standalone upgrade to Pro 7. I think there is a perpetual license offer somewhere in the mix too, but I doubt if I'll redeem that now. My point is that depending on what piece of gear you have in mind, perhaps a NOS PreSonus interface of some sort, you might be able to angle in with a current standalone version of StudioOne and not have to worry about the perpetual license for a long time... if ever. I guess we just have to be prepared to stay stuck in place in terms of functionality and updates to retain some semblance of independence from 'Fender Studio.' It stinks.

 

[JazznFunk]

@JazznFunk, I started using Studio One 4 Prime (free) back in 2019 and it never required the dongle you mentioned. The current versions of Studio One don't either.

But you're right: I've shared files from my Studio One sessions with a friend who uses Logic Pro and it works fine.

The dongle I mentioned was in reference to ProTools, not StudioOne. I saw my original typo in that paragraph and went back and fixed it. Whoops!

 

[MonetBass]

The dongle I mentioned was in reference to ProTools, not StudioOne.

Sorry, that wasn't clear since you mentioned the dongle in your paragraph about Studio One.

 

[JazznFunk]

Sorry, that wasn't clear since you mentioned the dongle in your paragraph about Studio One.

Yeah, the error was that I typed 'StudioOne' where I actually meant to type 'ProTools'. Totally threw off the point of the paragraph for sure! haha. Fixed now. Thanks for calling that out.

 

[brianrost]

Well it appears to be official…Presonus Studio One and at least some of the associated hardware are gone.

short articles from MusicRadar, Music Tech, Bass Gear

"Combining Studio One Pro's celebrated features and trusted performance with a new modernized interface and intuitive workflows, Fender Studio Pro 8 features Fender's renowned amps and effects models that make creating music faster, more inspiring and connected than ever. Available exclusively in the Fender Studio app and Fender Studio Pro, the Mustang and Rumble Native plugins offer 57 guitar and bass amp models and hundreds of effects for players to find their sound."

 

[bassicmike]

I've been a Studio One user for about 5 years now. Very happy with it, and comfortable with it.

I upgraded to V7 last year (standalone). Looks like it'll be that for a while

 

[brianrost]

Pretty slick, mixing the depth of Logic, Cubase, PT, etc. with a cell-phone like interface for newbies to get going fast this might be really successful.

Other DAWs have had this for a while (Live was the first in 2022)

For those who never heard of Splice, it's an e-store that sells samples, loops, etc. Shop right inside the DAW

You will never have to come here to TB to figure out your chord progressions any more.

 

[silky smoove]

Other DAWs have had this for a while (Live was the first in 2022)

Yep. I think audio to MIDI is essentially a prerequisite to releasing a DAW in 2026 and beyond. It's a useful tool for sure. Most DAWs do it with only marginal success. The full version of Melodyne is the best I've tried for audio to MIDI conversion and even it isn't perfect.

For those who never heard of Splice, it's an e-store that sells samples, loops, etc. Shop right inside the DAW

Yuck. I've tried to use Splice on a few productions where this type of thing (loops, samples, etc.) was appropriate and I was pretty dissatisfied with the service. The UI, the quality of the loops, the overwhelming number of loops I've heard on other releases already... It was pretty bad. The one shot samples they have could be useful, but this type of service is not where I'd start if I just wanted one shots.

You will never have to come here to TB to figure out your chord progressions any more.

No one is going to do a better job of this than Scaler, which is a truly incredible tool. Still, if embedding simple versions of these tools into DAWs gets people to think more creatively about chord progressions then I'm all for it. I still recommend Scaler to people for this kind of thing, but do like seeing it here.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Especially true of ProTools. They achieved market dominance because they were the only game in town for a while. It doesn't mean it's still the best or most practical by any means.

Indeed.

They're simply the OG's. Whether there's something someone thinks is "better" is purely subjective at this point. I've been working in Pro Studios since before PT, and then PT came along and there wasn't much else that worked as well. You had to use it to be in the game, to be competitive (remember when we all had to run out and buy a rack of ADATs?). I started using Logic for electronic music/midi production (alongside PT) before it even recorded audio and once it got that capability it wasn't long before it was as capable as PT for everything else (and better for film scoring and stuff like that). They're incredibly powerful, keep adding new features (some really useful, some, eh...) and still come from a traditional studio kind of mindset as far as the workflow and interface, which is a big factor in the pro world.

Oh, they had first mover advantage (to some extent). But people aren't still using CP/M I'm surprised that PT is dominant.

I tried to take part in a remote project using PT but was dismayed by it. I'd last tried to use it long before.

 

[JazznFunk]

"Combining Studio One Pro's celebrated features and trusted performance with a new modernized interface and intuitive workflows..."

Oh man... whenever they take an already great thing and 'modernize the interface', it usually means they changed things just for the sake of changing it. RIP StudioOne.

 

[TOOL460002]

In a kinda sorta roundabout way, they were already there. They own PreSonus.

Studio One doesn't need to exist. This Fender thing might be worth it for the plugins, but from the demo video it just looks like Cubase or Studio One, and if it's better than Cubase I'll eat my hat. It's priced like Logic, so it also has to be better than Logic. Good luck Fender!

 

[silky smoove]

It's priced like Logic

Is it though? I haven't looked, but I see lots of "subscription" comments. Logic has no subscription fees. I paid for it back around 2010 and have never paid another cent and am on the current version.