WHY You Should Consider Setting Up Custom Cue Mixes When Tracking

I recently had a live off the floor session, where I was tracking Percussion / Drums and Guitar in order to get the best possible “Lock” in terms of Groove from the artists. Quite often I try to treat these types of sessions as if though the takes we capture, could potentially be the takes that end up on the record. Because In MANY cases - they are.

One interesting thing happened during that session - was both the Percussionist and Guitarist made mention of the fact that they were both really appreciative with the fact that I ‘even bothered’ to offer each of them a custom Cue Mix. In all honesty, I found it a little odd - because from my personal experience, giving a really decent Headphone Mix to an artist as he/she is tracking has got to be one of the easiest ways a tracking Engineer can improve the odds of them capturing some magic.

That being said, it’s an easy thing to say - but slightly harder to grasp without actually “hearing” exactly what I’m referring to. Also, this article / video isn’t really about HOW as much as it is about WHY! With this in mind, this will be the first of many new articles and video’s that will go further into exploring these types of concepts. 🙂 Watch this space…

But if you are interested in the HOW - A simple youtube search should kick back some video’s from multiple fellow content creators, and I myself have a video I did when I was with Studio One Expert, that covers everything you’d need to know about Setting Up a Cue Mix in PreSonus Studio One.

In this first video of a new series I'm launching, (Why vs How) we take a look at WHY, as a Tracking Engineer - You should consider creating custom Cue Mixes / Headphone Mixes for artists while tracking in PreSonus Studio One.

My Production Workflow - Cleaning Up a Tracking Session and Preparing For Overdubs

Last week I shared some tips and work-flow concepts with respect to the Pre-Production phase of working on a project in Studio One. Sidenote: This is something that (providing I have clearance from the artist) I’d like to do a lot more of in the coming months.

If you haven’t had a chance to catch that article / video yet - You can find it here.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to have received a lot of positive feedback - and thought to myself, what better way to pick up from where we left off, then to continue along the same course for this week.

But this time, pealing back an additional layer of the production process - with the basic tracking session(s) having been completed, and literally opening up up a Song and once again, working in real-time - explaining my decision’s and work-flow as I go.

In this video, I demonstrate the basic steps I take after a tracking session in PreSonus Studio One - including, session clean-up, editing, pre-mixing, optimizing phase on multi-track Drums, and more.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

3 Tips For Working With Layers In PreSonus Studio One

Amongst the many comforts afforded by working in a modern day DAW - the ability to work with multiple “Layers” with a given track is definitely one of the top features in my opinion. They may go by a different name from DAW to DAW, but in the end, the concept is pretty simple. One track can contain multiple Layers that can be utilized for anything from lightning fast comping, to archiving un-edited versions of performances.

That being said, there’s also a few other areas in terms of workflow, that can really benefit from incorporating Layers as well.

In this video I demonstrate 3 simple tips that can be used when working with Layers in PreSonus Studio One.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

Workflow Tip - Transferring Your Studio One Song To Pro Tools - In Minutes

In addition to running my Music Production business, and creating content, I also do some work on behalf of PreSonus as a freelance Studio One clinician. Whenever I do any seminars, there are always a handful of Pro Tools users in the audience. And to be honest, the response I usually get is always the same. I’m paraphrasing here, but it goes a little something like this:

“I would love to use Studio One - and I do use it for my own production, but for certain projects, I have to work in Pro Tools - or at the very least, deliver a Pro Tools session. For this reason, I don’t use Studio One as much as I would like to.”

To which my reply is - In my humble opinion, Studio One has the best AAF Export workflow (with Pro Tools) that I have personally ever seen in a DAW. Meaning that I can get my whole entire Studio One Song - Over to Pro Tools, in minutes, no matter how complex it is, and whether I’m using Virtual Instruments or need to “Freeze” or “render” FX Plug-ins (such as Software Amp Simulators). It’s a really elegant solution.

Before I go any further, let’s address a few things quickly:

1. AAF is NOT a perfect translation - there is always something that needs to be taken into account.. This could be that it splits up stereo files to dual mono, or maybe the panning doesn’t always come across, or that it changes equal power Fades to linear. One BIG area for me, is that most AAF’s do not properly translate clip/region/event based gain - So your whole entire Gain staging could be off. This is just the way it is. And it has always been like this since I first starting using AAF’s. But In some cases, certain programs may handle one thing really nicely - but then they fail in other areas. But in all my time, I have never seen another DAW that can “hand off” an AAF to Pro Tools, and when it gets put back together - it’s not a complete disaster.

2. This is NOT about “DAW WARS” - I use Studio One because (for me) it’s the perfect fit, and I can work faster than I ever could in Pro Tools even when my Pro Tools chops were razor sharp. This is about a relatively painless workflow that can be used to get your Studio One Song over to Pro Tools when you need to! It’s also worth mentioning that I have done this (on the spot) in the middle of a session on more than one occasion when the situation called for it. ie: I was not able to track with my own interface, or computer, and had to use the Studio’s Computer / Pro Tools setup.

3. You don’t always need to deliver an AAF! - In fact, it may not be the best option. Before I create an AAF export, My first thought would probably be to Export Stems. This is a fantastic way to work, that’s used extensively in the industry. It’s super easy in Studio One, and there are also tons of different options in terms of exporting exactly what you need to deliver. If stems weren’t a good fit, then my next immediate thought would be to Export Raw Audio Files/Regions. In some cases, this may in fact be preferable. For example, If you were hired to deliver basic files, that are going to be mixed by someone else in another DAW all together. “Raw” audio Files consolidated to Bar 1 are great. BUT - When a song is in it’s production phase, where all the options are still on the table, and edits are not yet set in stone - nothing beats the flexibility of an AAF.

If this is something that seems like a familiar scenario, or you are someone that’s dabbling in Studio One, but still needs to deliver a Pro Tools session for your productions - then I hope this article / video helps!!

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

How To Use the IR Maker In PreSonus Studio One

If you’ve ever searched through the different categories of plug-ins within Studio One, there’s a good chance you may have come across the IR Maker. The “IR Maker” is a Native FX plug-in developed by PreSonus that essentially allows Studio One users to capture their own custom Impulse Responses for both Open Air, and Ampire.

Although it sounds a bit confusing - The concept of an IR (Impulse Response) is actually quite simple. You record the sonic finger print a piece of hardware. ie- the way that hardware reacts to a sound…

Whether it’s a Reverb preset from an external effects processor, or a Guitar Cab - by passing a “sweep” (frequency based) through the hardware, and recording the resulting file, we can essentially recall that “sound” for use in future productions. Without the need for having the hardware connected.

In this video, I demonstrate how to properly set up and use the IR Maker utility plug-in that ships with PreSonus Studio One, to record an Impulse Response of a Reverb in an External Hardware Effects Processor.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

MIDI Workflow Tip - Aligning Sweeps and FX In PreSonus Studio One

I personally love working with transitional FX such as sweeps, Reverse Cymbals / Vocal FX, Risers, and Impact hits when it’s appropriate for the genre. When I have the time (and budget) I will often try to make my own, by pulling from content within the production, and layering / adding Spatial effects to taste. That being said, I’m not opposed to using samples / Virtual Instruments as well.

But one of the issues that comes up with these types of FX, is that they’re not necessarily linked to a specific BPM. If they are an Audio Sample, this is fairly easy to combat, but (for obvious reasons) it can be a little difficult to align them perfectly when working with MIDI.

In this video, I demonstrate a workflow tip that can be used to help align Sweeps & FX when working with content generated by Virtual Instruments in PreSonus Studio One.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

How To Create Groove Templates From MIDI Files In PreSonus Studio One

Groove

It’s the thing that makes you bob your head a certain way when listening to a track. The thing that can make you feel a certain emotion, and the driving force of any great song. Also referred to as the pocket, soul, feel, or vibe - A good Groove is hard to beat.

Over the last 3 or 4 weeks, I have been spending a lot of time working on my programming chops across multiple genres, and during this period, I’ve been studying some of my favourite Grooves in an effort to quantify what it is about a Groove that makes it feel so great. The short answer is that it’s tough to define.

Perfection In The Imperfections

If I had to sum it up, I’d say that the perfection of a good Groove lies within the imperfections. This may seem like a cheesy answer, but it’s true. It’s truly amazing what the subtle nuances of timing ‘in between the beats’ can add.

I mean let’s face it, we live in a world of click tracks and quantized performances, and in many ways, our ears have become accustomed to listening to this type of material, but no matter who you are, what genre you listen to, everyone knows a good Groove when they hear it.

The Grid

Working in a Grid based DAW timeline is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it affords the benefits of flawless editing, reliable timing, and in general - a fine-tuned workflow for music production. But on the other hand, it has the ability to strip away the soul of a good Groove if you’re not careful.

So in a world of Quantizing, click tracks, and Grid based music production - how do we inject a little Soul back into our tracks? Well, there’s a number of different way’s to approach this. One of the best options (just my personal opinion of course) is actually “playing” or “performing” vs programming. But this is much easier said than done. Another one that comes to mind is going through the process of “Humanizing” our MIDI tracks - either by adding random (automated) deviations in timing and Velocity, or manual editing. But in the end, getting a Groove to “feel” right can still be difficult.

MIDI Groove Templates

Thankfully there are other ways we can approach this as well, with respect to programming or sequencing. One of which is actually quite a simple concept. “Borrowing” the timing (and potentially the variations in Velocity) of a performance - and applying it to your own productions. MIDI affords us the ability to translate musical performances into musical Data, and it just so happens that the Data extracted from a performance can be stored AND applied to other files, such as Audio and MIDI.

So with all these MIDI Files available - it’s just a matter of importing, and extracting. There are those who say that an MPC has a certain type of Swing, that’s unique to the unit. The same can be said for various pieces of hardware. Quantizing your performances to a Groove extracted from MIDI (from these devices) may be just the ticket. And having the ability to store those Grooves for instant recall at a later date, is super convenient.

In this video, I demonstrate how to create & store Groove Templates from external MIDI Files in PreSonus Studio One.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

Impact XT Layer Modes Part 2 - Stack Mode and Edit Sample Offsets

Impact XT is an extremely powerful and easy to use Virtual Instrument that ships with PreSonus Studio One. Although this “style” of PAD based instrument is most often associatewd with Hip-Hop & Pop based productions, I personally find that it’s useful for multiple Genres.

It’s worth mentioning that in addition to being used for traditional Drum and Percussion based productions, Impact XT can also trigger Loops in all sorts of different ways, and can also be used for Live Performances as well.

However the focus of today’s article is to build upon last weeks video, which was specifically to do with the different Layer Modes that can be utilized in Impact XT when mapping multiple samples to a single Pad.

In this 2nd Part of a 2 Part video series, I pick up from where we left off with our Layer Modes, and demonstrate how (and when) to use the "Stack" Layer Mode in Impact XT - in addition to the "Edit Sample Offset" function in PreSonus Studio One 4.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

Impact XT Layer Modes Part 1 - Velocity - Round Robin and Random

Impact XT is an extremely powerful and easy to use Virtual Instrument that ships with PreSonus Studio One. Although this “style” of PAD based instrument is most often associatewd with Hip-Hop & Pop based productions, I personally find that it’s useful for multiple Genres.

It’s worth mentioning that in addition to being used for traditional Drum and Percussion based productions, Impact XT can also trigger Loops in all sorts of different ways, and can also be used for Live Performances as well.

However the focus of today’s article is specifically to do with the different Layer Modes that can be utilized in Impact XT when mapping multiple samples to a single Pad.

In this 1st video of a 2 Part series, I demonstrate 3 of the 4 Layer Modes in Impact XT - more specifically what each of them do, and when to use them.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

Working With The Splitter In PreSonus Studio One

Last week I had the great pleasure of attending Summer NAMM in Nashville. Having been there a few times before, I ran into some new friends that I’ve made, and naturally a lot of the conversations steered to Studio One rather quickly.

One thing that came up was working with the Splitter - a fascinating feature that was introduced in Version 3. Although I have done some content on the Splitter in the past, I though it was time for an updated video!

In this video, I thought I'd go over the basics of how to use the Splitter in PreSonus Studio One. An incredibly powerful tool that offer's a SIMPLE alternate approach to creating complex FX Chains in Studio One.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

Using The Macro Controls In PreSonus Studio One

Have you ever clicked the Channel Editor icon in Studio One, and wondered what it’s all about? If you have, you’ll note that it opens up a floating window with a Console Fader on the left, in addition to 8 Knobs and Buttons. (X/Y Axis below).

I will be the first to admit that I slept on this feature for a while, but it really only wasn’t until somewhat recently (within the last year or 2) that I started using this feature.

In this video I demonstrate the basics on how to go about mapping out and using the Macro Controls (The Knobs and Buttons) in the Channel Editor in PreSonus Studio One.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

Workflow Tip - Building A Mix Template In PreSonus Studio One

In last week’s video, we took a look at my basic workflow I like to use when setting up a Mix in Studio One. If you haven’t had the opportunity to check it out yet, you can do so by clicking here.

One of things I mentioned, was using the Import Song Data feature, to bring in different elements from other Studio One Songs, into your existing Song. So I thought it would be good to expand upon that concept a bit for those in need. More specifically - How to go about it.

In this video, I demonstrate the basic concept of creating a Mixing template which can be used to import FX Returns, Bus Channel's and Sub Groups when working in PreSonus Studio One Version 4.0 and above.

In addition, we will also cover a few extra bit’s of information with respect to session organization, Gain Staging, and Automation Preferences.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

Workflow Tip - Setting Up a Mix In PreSonus Studio One

Although I love all aspects of Music Production, I must say that Mixing is by far one of my favourite tasks. Especially when I’m given great material from talented artist’s, producer’s, or composers.

That being said, my experience over the past 10-15 years has been that it’s a really good habit to get into properly setting up you Mixing session ahead of time, in order to streamline the mixing process. I found that I’m far more productive when everything is set up and ready to go - vs trying to record, edit, produce, and mix simultaneously.

Now full disclosure - I often will do all the above at the same time if it’s something that I’m working on myself - but when I receive files from someone else for the purpose of mixing - I have a very meticulous workflow that I like to employ.

In this video, I demonstrate my basic workflow for setting up a Mix in PreSonus Studio One - Including Importing Files, Tempo Map, Markers, Time Signature, as well as Colour Coding, Grouping, and Gain Staging.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

Drum Slicing Tip - How To Simulate Beat Detectives Trigger Pad Setting In Studio One

One of the biggest questions I get from former / current Pro Tools users with respect to Drum Slicing in Studio One, would be "Is there an equivalent to the 'Trigger Pad' setting when using the Slicing mode for quantizing Multi-track Drums?"

The short answer is no, BUT - I have come up with a simple workaround that I have begun using and just thought I would share it for those who may be interested. :)

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

Processing and Converting Samples Using The PreSonus Audio Batch Converter

Working in a DAW such as Studio One gives users an enormous amount of flexibility and control over audio. But having said that, there are cases where someone may need to achieve a specific workflow that would be better off being done in a separate application. A great example of this would be when needing to convert or process a large amount of audio files.

In the case of working with multiple audio files, It’s often preferable to work with the actual files on a 1:1 basis vs having them laid out on a single track.

That being said, Studio does have various different options for converting, and processing multiple files, but its not quite the same as a stand alone application that’s specifically designed to batch process files.

If we take a few basic examples like increasing, or decreasing the gain of multiple files, or potentially normalizing to a specific loudness value, as well as processing them through a custom FX Chain - this becomes evident. In addition, there’s also the fie type to take into account. What happens if you need to export a specific format?

Studio One’s export Mixdown options do offer quite a few choices, but they don’t necessarily work well for processing the actual audio events (the files). They are designed to render an actual “Mixdown” of multiple files based on a specific duration of time.

We have some basic control over what types of files are rendered by adjusting the sample rate and bit depth of our song when using drag & drop workflows with Audio Events to the Studio One browser - but again, still not quite the same thing.

This is where an audio batch Converter comes in really handy. And it’s design factor is perfectly fit for purpose for the above tasks. :)

In this video I demonstrate how to use the PreSonus Audio Batch Converter to Process and Convert Samples in PreSonus Studio One 4.5 and above.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

Studio One 4.5 - Activate Previous and Next Layer Key Commands

No need for a drawn out written explanation on this one - Here’s a simple one that some of you may find useful. :)

I love it when new Key Commands are added, especially when it's something I use. In this video, I demonstrate the Activate Previous / Next Layer Key Commands that were added in Studio One 4.5 - more specifically what they do, and when one might consider using them.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

Hidden Gems In Studio One 4.5

New Feature’s and improvement's on existing feature's are always appreciated in an update - but sometimes it’s the little miscellaneous improvements that "squeeze through the cracks" that can really make a huge difference in one’s workflow.

In this video, I take a look at a few of the “not so obvious” features that were added in PreSonus Studio One Version 4.5.

Global Automation View vs Track Based Automation View In PreSonus Studio One

If you’ve migrated over from a different DAW such as Pro Tools or Logic Pro - there’s a good chanced you may be accustomed to working with Automation in a certain way. The great news is that Studio One is really flexible in terms of how it allows users to view (and edit) their automation.

In addition to creating weekly content here on this site, and working my day job as a Producer, Mixer, Engineer - I also do some training clinics for Studio One from time to time.

In the audience is usually a mix of people who have used either Pro Tools or Logic Pro - and each “group” of people will always ask me to explain how Studio One handles Automation views in general. So I thought this might make a good video.

In this video I demonstrate the basic differences and approaches for using a Global Automation View vs a Track based Automation view when working in PreSonus Studio One.

Mixing With The CTC-1 Pro Console Shaper In PreSonus Studio One

Mixing In The Box

Mixing in a DAW can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, we have pristine digital audio, with no noise, non-linear artifacts, or colour added to our tracks. On the other hand - well… we have pristine digital audio, with no noise, non-linear artifacts, or colour added to our tracks. All kidding aside, the bottom line is that sometimes things can be so clean - that they begin to lack a certain character. I might also add that there is such thing as “too clean”.

Hands On Control

But first, let me set the record straight - I love mixing in a DAW. That being said, I think it’s worth mentioning that I mix using a Faderport 16 and a Console 1 - with a handful of my favourite plug-ins. Both Native (Studio One) and 3rd Party. In the end, I love the feeling of ‘grabbing faders’ and massaging things into place. Actually to be honest I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I fully embraced the Faderport 16 into my workflow and got off the mouse all together. Quite simply, I find that my mix comes together in a much different way then it does if I’m just moving faders with a mouse.

Injecting Some Character

Having said that, I will also add that I really love using tools that give me a certain “colour” or vibe that I can impart upon my tracks in their digital world. As mentioned, I use a Console 1 by Softube - and this is a great place to start. But it’s not the only option. In fact, I will often use the Console 1 in addition to using the CTC-1 Pro Console Shaper (made by PreSonus).

The purpose of this article is not to explain everything there is to know about Mix FX - or how they work, but more specifically, just going over how I will typically use the CTC-1 in a mix.

Essentially, PreSonus changed the way we can approach Mixing in a modern-day DAW with Mix FX Plug-ins when they were released in Version 3.2. In this video I demonstrate my basic workflow when mixing using the CTC-1 Pro Console Shaper in PreSonus Studio One.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus

How To Fix The Phase of Multi Mic Performances Using Editing In PreSonus Studio One

Using Multiple Microphones on sources is a great way to thicken up and contour the sound of a recording. That being said, it also has the potential to introduce some un-welcomed issues if not done properly.

Generally speaking, when I’m using Multi Mic setups to record a source, I’m paying careful attention to the phase relationship between both microphones and the source. Flipping (or inverting) the polarity on one of the channels is a great way to check this.

Example: When using a Top Microphone & Bottom Microphone on a snare drum - in order for the phase relationship to be correct - the bottom mic would need to have its polarity inverted . Failure to do so may result in a a thin, weird sound - that loses all it’s bottom end.

But not every case is this cut & dry. For instance in the case of using multiple microphones on an Acoustic Guitar track - it’s not really a case of using a Top & Bottom Mic, where one of them will be 180 degrees out of phase with the other. Having said that - inverting the phase of one of the channels may still very well provide telling results. But furthermore, it may be a case where the phase is “close” but not perfect.

In these cases, I usually try to aim to get things as close as possible while tracking, and if I feel there is a need for further refinements - I will turn to good old trusty manual editing in my DAW.

BUT before I go, one thing I wanted to add (that I really should have mentioned in the video), is that if you can visually see that the waveforms are completely out of phase with each other - you’d definitely want to make sure to invert the phase using a plug-in such as Mix Tool in Studio One. And it might even be worth rendering this into the file using Event FX - so that visually the Waveform updates. The way to see this visually would be that the Waveform would be going down (from the Centre) as opposed to going up from the centre.

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Note that the Waveforms (although not identical) are similar in terms of their positive and negative direction that they are both flowing.

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Note that the Waveforms are heading in exact opposite directions - and hence 180 degrees out of phase with each other.

In this video I demonstrate some basic concepts on how to fix the phase of multi mic performances using basic editing when working In PreSonus Studio One. And to be clear - this is assuming that the Audio files are both generally ‘in phase’ to begin with.

And as always, if you enjoy this content, please - Share, Subscribe, and hit that like button. :)

Cheers, Marcus