Presonus Studio One v4

[Geri O]

Greetings...

The last gig I expected to land these days was a studio engineering gig. Yet here I am, a week into this studio engineering thing. Not a 9 to 5 gig, but we jumped into 2 projects right off the bat. I'll be busy with these project for the next 3-4 weeks?

This is a new studio build (and one I strongly advised against 2 years ago, but my friend has more money than sense, I guess). He's built a mobile studio into an 8X16 trailer. It's based around the Studio One DAW and a StudioLive 64. He got the studio built and invited me to finally visit and see the place. I kinda turned my nose up slightly at the Presonus DAW and console at first. However, this fellow has done everything right....except to learn the art of modern DAW recording. He and I both have experience in the 2-inch tape and Studer/Neve/Trident/what-have-you big recording desks. I never liked the idea of being stuck inside all day and night and he eventually moved on to other ventures.

And 25 years later, here we are. I've taken the last year, especially lately to become pretty well-versed in Logic. I like it just fine and have done several home-and-live recordings with it. So when the owner realized I was working with DAWs, he asked me to handle his projects....that he booked...with NO idea how he was gonna handle the recordings! I guess I came along at the right time.

So I'm 2 or so weeks into learning and working with Studio One and this Presonus console (My opinion of Presonus consoles was not at all good, but that's changing). Not very hard to move over to the DAW, all things considered. I must say, I'm quite impressed with this DAW. It has its quirks, what DAW doesn't? I was wondering if anyone else is using it and your thoughts on it. He gave me a license for Studio One on my notebook and when I finish this, I'm going to do some bass overdubs that I brought home to do. I'll import them into the project in the morning.

BTW, my new avatar is me cutting overdubs this morning at this studio. The dirt dauber nest on the music stand behind was no charge, I'm told....

Thanx, G

 

[trothwell]

A few years ago, I was having issues with Pro Tools crashing, and wasn't really thrilled with the new pricing model. I tried several other DAW demos, and ultimately moved to Studio One. I'm happy with it.

 

[Edgetone]

I've been learning Studio One over the last three years after Cakewalk Sonar finally became unviable (10 years on Sonar). I think it is one of the best DAWs out there, but like any software, you get out of it what you put into it and there is definitely a lot to learn.

I recently did the upgrade to version 5. The interface hardly changed, but the changes to integrating external synthesizers was enough to sway me. It's fantastic. (I was a synth nerd long before I was a bass nerd).

Anyway, enjoy the learning process.

 

[filmtex]

I've been working with StudioOne for about a year now, and I'm impressed. Workable interface, stable, low latency and processor overhead with good MIDI integration. Sofar, so good. I have extensive experience with Logic, Ableton Live, Traction and GarageBand, and some experience years ago with Pro Tools.
(I think in the long run your Logic experience will help flatten StudioOne's learning curve, which strikes me as no steeper than most of the other professional level media software out there-FinalCut Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, GiMP, DaVinci, et al are some examples that come to mind that I see in my Applications folder.)
I'm contemplating and upgrade to PreSonus Sphere right now myself- StudioOne 5 and online storage with an integrated user-support base, I guess. $14.95~ /month....no too bad. Probably going to wait until my studio is finished next month before deciding.

 

[Shlabotnik]

Like others, I moved to S1 after the big Cakewalk/Sonar debacle.

I'm happy to say that, as a longtime Windows user, I've been completely happy with Studio One. I've worked on many productions combining acoustic and electronic instruments, many with quite a lot of tracks and effects. I really enjoy the workflow, multi window support, and overall aesthetics. As most know, a DAW is a DAW but I'm really pleased with their design and have no desire to switch anymore.

Though I am intrigued by Logic as I plan on switching to a Mac platform over the next few years. I'm only interested in Logic out of curiosity though, not because I feel I'm missing out on anything.

 

[seamonkey]

I recently upgraded to Studio One 5. It is a great upgrade.
Many wanted and cool new features. Simple to copy track settings and VSTs from one track to a next, and from one song to a another.
Notion/Score features are nice.
Groove 3 has a whole set of up to date training videos.

Studio one and Ableton are what I mainly use now. They work great together. Ableton mainly for the performance aspects.

 

[Geri O]

I recently upgraded to Studio One 5. It is a great upgrade.
Many wanted and cool new features. Simple to copy track settings and VSTs from one track to a next, and from one song to a another.
Notion/Score features are nice.
Groove 3 has a whole set of up to date training videos.

Studio one and Ableton are what I mainly use now. They work great together. Ableton mainly for the performance aspects.

Have you checked out the new Show Mode in S1 V5? I ask only because I’ve not had a chance to work a lot in V5 yet. We’re in the middle of mixing the tracks from the artist I mentioned in the OP. And as all the tracks are human players and instruments, I’m staying in that line of thinking and the features I need to work with such. And I won’t move the studio version to 5 until I finish this project. This same artist just notified us of a desire to cut 5 more songs (!!!!!) in a week or so. I may get 5 loaded and record those songs in 5.
I’m running version 5 on my personal MacBook Pro w/ Catalina and so far, so good. I’ve opened an ongoing demo project of my country music artist In 5 (a project I started in Logic in February and imported into Studio One when I went to work at the studio) and so far, so good. I’m hoping to get with her and her manager/father and finish that project, but the studio’s projects are taking precedence since they are paying the bills, LOL.

I’m anxious to check out the Show Mode as my country music artist has expressed a desire to have some backing tracks with utility stuff from her albums. I was looking at Ableton or even Mainstage for such a purpose, but it looks like S1 V5 in Show Mode would work very nicely.

And I’ve taken today off as I have a brand new 16” MacBook Pro arriving today and I have a whole lot of migrating to do.

I could nearly write a book on the experiences that I’ve been through since starting this studio job. Most are positive experiences, or turning negative experiences into positive ones. From a crashy Windows computer, file mis-management, badly recorded tracks, a corrupted session from a power failure (and the ensuing admonishment to the owner for NOT making a backup UPS the second dollar spent on the place!) room tuning, you name it. No big deal, just takes sone creativity to think through the issues and solve the problems. The big one was a proper boot-up sequence for the studio. They had been leaving the whole place powered up 24/7 and rushing through the power-up when...when...a crash occurred. I started shutting down at the end of the day, and first thing in the morning, booting the computer, give it 4-5 minutes after log-in, boot the console (Presonus SL64S) and the stage boxes in the playroom and let them fully start, them finally, open Studio One. Since starting this boot up sequence, I’ve had only one lockup that was easily recovered from. And even though I don’t like using Windows, the studio Windows machine works pretty well, I gotta say. Even to the point of telling the owner to hold off on a Mac Mini purchase for the time bring when he panicked at all the crashing issues before I showed up. Pretty basic stuff.

And the story continues....

 

[AlvarHanso]

I've been big on PreSonus and Studio One for almost 7 years now. I had Ableton, Cubase, ProTools, and had experience with Logic, but didn't own the MacBook we were using it with, and as a PC user that left Logic out of the equation. I got the PreSonus for the Audio Box 44VSL, since it was the first 4 input interface I found, and had heard good things, so took the plunge. Haven't looked back as the DAW has the lowest latency of any other I'd tried, the software was incredibly easy to use, even for me. If I was doing this as a job and not a hobby I would have found many of the mixing and mastering techniques a lot sooner, as I would've invested the time as you're doing. I think they make a very good product that doesn't get the reputation it deserves. If they weren't competing with other interface manufacturers, I'd bet some of those competitors would prefer their software to Ableton or Cubase.

Though, I definitely think if I was a DJ or was using loops in my live set, I could see where some would prefer Ableton for that.

 

[kevmac]

Greetings...

The last gig I expected to land these days was a studio engineering gig. Yet here I am, a week into this studio engineering thing. Not a 9 to 5 gig, but we jumped into 2 projects right off the bat. I'll be busy with these project for the next 3-4 weeks?

This is a new studio build (and one I strongly advised against 2 years ago, but my friend has more money than sense, I guess). He's built a mobile studio into an 8X16 trailer. It's based around the Studio One DAW and a StudioLive 64. He got the studio built and invited me to finally visit and see the place. I kinda turned my nose up slightly at the Presonus DAW and console at first. However, this fellow has done everything right....except to learn the art of modern DAW recording. He and I both have experience in the 2-inch tape and Studer/Neve/Trident/what-have-you big recording desks. I never liked the idea of being stuck inside all day and night and he eventually moved on to other ventures.

And 25 years later, here we are. I've taken the last year, especially lately to become pretty well-versed in Logic. I like it just fine and have done several home-and-live recordings with it. So when the owner realized I was working with DAWs, he asked me to handle his projects....that he booked...with NO idea how he was gonna handle the recordings! I guess I came along at the right time.

So I'm 2 or so weeks into learning and working with Studio One and this Presonus console (My opinion of Presonus consoles was not at all good, but that's changing). Not very hard to move over to the DAW, all things considered. I must say, I'm quite impressed with this DAW. It has its quirks, what DAW doesn't? I was wondering if anyone else is using it and your thoughts on it. He gave me a license for Studio One on my notebook and when I finish this, I'm going to do some bass overdubs that I brought home to do. I'll import them into the project in the morning.

BTW, my new avatar is me cutting overdubs this morning at this studio. The dirt dauber nest on the music stand behind was no charge, I'm told....

Thanx, G

I'm 65 totally old school.I never had the slightest interest in computers until my retirement as a way to fill my time.I'm a total technoboob.I'm trying to move into the year 2021 and I'm trying to learn the world of DAWs.I've done a good bit of "hardware" recording in the past but this format is plain scary but I'm determined to learn.I have some help from an experienced friend and have purchased and downloaded Studio One v5 on his suggestion, plus looking at reviews it gets high marks.It looks like many TB forum members are familiar with the technology and I ask for any help that could possibly lead me to a logical path of learning this myself.Any suggestions of books,sites or tips will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Aloe]

not sure what's your question, but I'm also a happy S1 user since v3.3, I believe.
v5 has some bugs yet (look up Presonus forums), but 4.5 and 4.6 are very stable.

this said, last year our band finished an album in 4.5 and now moved to 5.1 and hope it will be eventually that stable and good as well.

 

[Geri O]

I'm 65 totally old school.I never had the slightest interest in computers until my retirement as a way to fill my time.I'm a total technoboob.I'm trying to move into the year 2021 and I'm trying to learn the world of DAWs.I've done a good bit of "hardware" recording in the past but this format is plain scary but I'm determined to learn.I have some help from an experienced friend and have purchased and downloaded Studio One v5 on his suggestion, plus looking at reviews it gets high marks.It looks like many TB forum members are familiar with the technology and I ask for any help that could possibly lead me to a logical path of learning this myself.Any suggestions of books,sites or tips will be greatly appreciated.

Sure!

I made use of a ton of instructional videos on the Presonus website. You can access them by signing up for a mypresonus account. Also, you find things on YouTube by searching for “Studio One (insert subject here) and page after page will pop up.

 

[seamonkey]

Groove3.com also has instructional vids on Studio One

 

[kevmac]

Sure!
P
I made use of a ton of instructional videos on the Presonus website. You can access them by signing up for a mypresonus account. Also, you find things on YouTube by searching for “Studio One (insert subject here) and page after page will pop up.

Thanks to all for the info.This is a big step for me as I have said my computer skills are less than basic.I am however determined to learn what I need though.I have heard as a previous poster mentioned about glitches in V5.As if it's not hard enough already.Everyone seems to echo the sentiment of Studio one being one of the best so that's encouraging.Ive got a friend coming by this week to sit down with me and that's really what I need,some hand holding.lol

 

[Geri O]

Thanks to all for the info.This is a big step for me as I have said my computer skills are less than basic.I am however determined to learn what I need though.I have heard as a previous poster mentioned about glitches in V5.As if it's not hard enough already.Everyone seems to echo the sentiment of Studio one being one of the best so that's encouraging.Ive got a friend coming by this week to sit down with me and that's really what I need,some hand holding.lol

I keep reading of a few folks here and there reporting glitches with V5 and no one knows their computer configuration or what 3rd-party software they are using. Also, we aren’t hearing from the thousands of S1 V5 users such as myself that have yet to experience any glitches at all.

But I must add this...using a DAW of any kind does require some slightly more-than-basic computer skills for installing plug-ins, virtual instruments, and storage of audio files to the computer. Spend time on that area, too.

Good luck!

 

[kevmac]

I keep reading of a few folks here and there reporting glitches with V5 and no one knows their computer configuration or what 3rd-party software they are using. Also, we aren’t hearing from the thousands of S1 V5 users such as myself that have yet to experience any glitches at all.

But I must add this...using a DAW of any kind does require some slightly more-than-basic computer skills for installing plug-ins, virtual instruments, and storage of audio files to the computer. Spend time on that area, too.

Good luck!

You said it.My main problem definitely is my lack of computer skills.But I'm working on I've tried video instructions but the terminology escapes me and most tutorials seem to assume one has a good basic computer starting point.I need someone to answer questions if I don't understand something.I just come form a different time and as hard as it is to admit I just don't get it.
A problem for me is at my age many of my friends have either died,moved away or are as non adept as I am.One friend that can help has unfortunately totally bought into the Covid hype and is afraid to leave his home.
This led to me hiring a DAW production tutor after a Google search that turned into a fail.The guy was a fraud and taught me nothing after saying he was very experienced in Studio One but it was obvious he had trouble navigating it.So after 2 sessions it became apparent his major skill was filling his docket.So at the moment I'm interviewing potential tutors and I won't hire anyone that isn't willing to give a free first 1/2 hr.to prove they are capable.I'm not looking for anything for free but I'll not be taken advantage of again.