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

How To Render Multiple Event FX In PreSonus Studio One

I love using Event FX in Studio One. Whether it’s a simple EQ change that needs to be applied across just one phrase - or working with tools such as Melodyne, Revoice Pro, and VocAlign - Event FX give user’s a way to quickly apply processing to specific Audio Events as needed.

That being said, I think there’s still something to be said about committing to a decision and rendering specific processing once you are happy. This of course leads me back to why I love Event FX so much, because a user is able to “restore” just as easy as Render.

But have you ever found yourself in a situation where you had multiple Audio Events - say, a vocal track for example, and you wanted to select ALL the Audio Events on the track, and Render ALL of the Event FX at the same time?

In this video I demonstrate a few different methods that can be used to Render Event FX across multiple Audio Events in PreSonus Studio One.

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

Exploring The Music Creation Macro Toolbar In Studio One 4.5 - Chord Up and Chord Down

At the time that I am writing this article, we have just seen a major update to Studio One (being Version 4.5) As I am primarily an “Audio Guy” - I tend to take a bit of time to fully explore new MIDI related features in Studio One. But one thing is for certain, is that I always find that with each update (especially the bigger one’s) I always find a handful of features that seem to resonate with the way I like to work.

One thing to point out is that we now have 2 new Macro Toolbar’s that specially have to do with working with MIDI. They are Music Editing, and Music Creation.

Needless to say, I've been exploring the both of them, and in the above video, I demonstrate the Chord Up & Chord Down Macro Button's. More specifically, what they do, and when you might consider using them.

Also worth noting that I plan to do some content on specific features in both of these Toolbar’s that I find useful, with respect to how they can be incorporated into one’s workflow. But in the meantime, Here are a few other Video’s from my good friend Lukas that showcase some of the New MIDI Macro’s in action.

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.

Working With Musicloop's In PreSonus Studio One

The Musicloop File Format In Studio One

When I first began to dip my toe’s in the ‘Studio One’ water’s - One of the first things I noticed when scrolling through the included content in the Browser was Musicloop’s. My first initial thought was - “oh, ok - these are MIDI loops” But they are actually so much deeper than that. Because the minute you drag and drop a Musicloop File to your timeline, you’ll note that a Virtual Instrument get’s loaded, the Preset used to create the Musicloop is loaded, and in addition, any plug-ins used to help create the “sound” of the loop get loaded as well.

In addition, you may also note that when selecting a Musicloop from within the Broswer, Studio One also has the ability to play an Audio Preview of the Musicloop without having to load the Instrument and FX Chain. This of course can also be auditioned at the BPM of your current Song in the case where the Tempo is different.

More Than Meets The Eye

The reason for this is because Musicloops are actually an encapsulated file format that contains multiple pieces of information under the hood so to speak. For example, if a user wanted to use the Musicloop in it’s entirety - they could simply drag it in, and everything need to re-constitute that “sound” would load. Or perhap’s, they just want the Note Data (MIDI) from that file, so that they could trigger another Virtual Instrument in their current song. Or maybe you just want to drag in a consolidated audio file of the Musicloop into your current song - again, entirely doable. Lastly, let’s say that you really like the FX Chain / plug-in’s used in a Musicloop - yep, that’s accessible too.

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Right Clicking a Musicloop in the browser and clicking “Show Package Contents”

A Slight Refresh - Musicloops and Pattern Parts

It’s also worth mentioning that something not shown in the video, is that as of the launch of Studio One Version 4 - Musicloop’s got an update. For example, not only is it possible to create Musicloops from instrument Parts, (AKA MIDI Regions/Events) but we can also do the same with Patterns! So take a moment to think about how powerful this aspect can be… As you know, Patterns, can hold Multiple variations, all contained within a single Pattern. So essentially a simple Drag & Drop has the ability to load a preset, and FX Chain, a Pattern with Variations, and in addition - in the cases where you’re working with Virtual Instruments that support Multi-Out configurations (ie: Impact XT), we can also have Custom Named channels.

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Take a look at how Musicloops can work with Patterns! It includes, it’s an incredibly powerful tool - all this information is contained in ONE FILE.

In the video I demonstrate the basic's of working with Musicloop's in PreSonus Studio One. More specifically - what they are, what's included in the Musicloop file format, and how they can be used in productions.

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

Cheers, Marcus

Working With Instrument+FX Presets In PreSonus Studio One

Working With Presets

Working with presets is a great way to speed up the creative process and enhance your workflow when working in the studio. The obvious reason being that “some” of the heavy lifting is already done, and essentially there’s no need to start from Ground Zero. A simple analogy that comes to mind would be doing some prep work before cooking. Having everything “ready to go” makes the whole process go a lot smoother.

My guess is that many of you are already doing this, and have your favourite plug-ins set up with a handful of useful presets that can act as a great “starting point” to build upon. But this doesn’t just apply to plug-ins.. Having some basic Instrument’s that are set up and ready to go is also extremely useful. But in this case, we not only have to consider the preset within the V.I. - but also any additional FX processing that we’d like to add in our DAW.

Working With Virtual Instrument Presets

One question that I get asked a lot by colleagues and some of my viewers is “what’s the difference between Storing/Exporting a Preset vs Storing/Exporting an Instrument+FX Preset?”

Well - Here’s the simple answer. Most Virtual Instruments offer built in effects such as EQ, Reverb, and Delay. So these would obviously be recalled when storing a preset. But in certain cases, it may be preferable to utilize additional plug-ins and FX chains. An example of this would be using either 3rd Party plug-ins, or Native Studio One plug-ins for the above tasks.

Furthermore, if we take a look at Multi-Out V.I.’s then there are other aspects to take into consideration as well, such as the multi-Out routing, Channel names, etc.

In this regard, using Instrument+FX Preset’s can REALLY come in handy.

In this video I demonstrate how (and why) to work with Instrument+FX Presets in PreSonus Studio One. More specifically, how they differ from using traditional Presets.

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

Cheers, Marcus

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

Studio One Quick Tip - Removing Plug-Ins & Sends By Click + Dragging

Today’s video is a super simple tip! If you've ever wanted a quick and easy way to remove plug-ins and sends from your Studio One Song (besides Right Clicking and choosing "Remove") - then this video might be of use.

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

Cheers, Marcus

How To Quickly Export Multiple Files Using The 'Between Each Marker' Preference In Studio One

When I first made the move from Pro Tools - one of the first things I noticed was the multiple different options to define the Export Range in Studio One. One of the main options that caught my eye was having the ability the export “Between Each Marker”.

I have always used Markers to define specific areas in my arrangement - so for me, this was like a dream come true. Just imagine being able to print 6 or 7 separate arrangements all offline, without any fussing about. Or even more powerful, how about different chapters in an audio book, or different snippets of a VO. You can literally print 50, 100, 150 (however many you need) and Studio One will render them quickly & with ease - all based on the power of your computer.

I used to have to do these all one by one, and in the case of when I was working in Pro Tools, I was printing back into my session on a new Audio Track! That being said, one thing I quickly noticed was that this feature didn’t quite work as I expected it to (or wanted it to) when using the Export Mixdown option. Hence, I went back to my old process of doing things one by one.

BUT - then I was on a call with my friend Don Baarns - who does a ton of work supporting the Studio One Community in the Audiobooks / Narration / Voice-Over area. Essentially, he let me in on a little secret in that the “Between Each Maker” exporting workflow is actually quite different when using the Export Stems option.

In this video I demonstrate how to use the 'Between Each Marker' preference to quickly export multiple files when working in PreSonus Studio One.

Using this option vs the traditional "Between Loop" format is a lifesaver when needing to export various files according to pre-defined Markers in Studio One. That being said, there is a fundamental difference between the way this feature works with "Export Mixdown" vs "Export Stems".

And once again, a special thanks to my good friend Don Baarns for the pro tip.

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

Cheers, Marcus

Studio One Quick Tip - Using 'Create Ranges On Tracks' To Simplify Automation

Any time I'm doing Studio One training clinics or seminars - I always get stopped by someone whenever I use one particular shortcut in Studio One. So I figured it would be worth covering this feature in detail. In this video I demonstrate the 'Select Ranges On Tracks' function in PreSonus Studio One. More specifically what it does, and how it can be used to simplify editing automation when working.

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

Cheers, Marcus

Working With VCA's In PreSonus Studio One - Part 2 - VCA Automation Demystified

One of the biggest feature requests in Studio One (especially from former Pro Tools users) was VCA Faders. Having said that - Studio One added VCA's in Version 3.

I find that it’s kind of tough to explain to people exactly why mixing with VCA’s is such a killer way to work. The usual responses are something along the lines of “Well how is that different then creating a group?” or “Isn’t that that same as creating a BUS Channel for selected tracks?”

My answer is always the same. Once you fully understand (and start using) VCA’s - it’s hard to imagine NOT having them. So with that being said, I wanted to do a 2 part series that would (hopefully) get people accustomed to using VCA’s and explain some of the advantages in terms of incorporating them into one’s workflow.

Before I go any further - If you haven’t already seen the first video - You can watch Part 1 by clicking here.

In this 2nd video of a 2 part series, I demonstrate how to work with VCA's with respect to automation. More specifically, how to render VCA Automation into source tracks - as well as how to merge VCA Automation (static offsets) when needed.

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

Cheers, Marcus

Workflow Tip - Using Reference Tracks In PreSonus Studio One - Routing and Preferences

Using Reference Tracks

Using Reference Tracks is a great way to maintain objectivity when mixing - but it can also be a huge pain unless your routing is set up to accommodate. Furthermore, unless you’re using a Control Surface of some sort such as the Faderport 8 or 16 - attempting to solo one track whilst un-soloing another with a mouse at the same time is a dead end street..

So if we take a look at the 2 above issues, it’s safe to say that even though this concept is a rather simple one. ie: “I want to reference SONG A while I’m mixing SONG B” - It requires a bit of thought to put together a workflow that would allow references to be used. But first, a few more points.

Taking Loudness Into Account

It’s safe to say that a good benchmark to aim for is that of a commercially released track. That being said, if you’re planning on using a track that’s sitting on the current charts - it will most likely have been mastered and have that processing “printed” into the track. This leads to another issue.

Avoiding Double Processing

This is something I’ve spoken about before, but essentially - If you DO have a reference track in your mixing template, and it’s routed directly to your Main Outs, then there is the possibility of double processing your “already mastered” reference track.

What do I mean by this? Well, let’s say that you’ve got a great mix going, and perhaps you’ve got some Mix Bus Processing happening on the Main Outs. (something like iZotope Ozone). In order to get an accurate A/B comparison between your reference track, and your mix, you’d have to first bypass the plug-ins on your Main Outs, and solo your reference track (hopefully after adjusting the fader to compensate for the difference in level if there is any). Furthermore, you’d also want to be able to go back to listening to YOUR mix with the processing on the main outs. Back & Forth, as needed.

In addition, the ears can adjust to a Tonal Balance rather quickly, so in my personal opinion, being able to quickly toggle between your mix and your reference track is imperative to utilizing reference tracks properly. If it takes you 5-10 seconds to go through the A/B process - this isn’t really an efficient approach. Also, there is nothing more evident then the instantaneous epiphany of realizing you’re off the mark.

The Solution

Now that we’ve spoken about the problem, let’s talk about a possible solution that I personally use. Well, it involves some simple routing within your Studio One Song & enabling a preference within Studio One that can help make this process go a little smoother.

In this video, I demonstrate a workflow that can be used to smoothly incorporate using reference tracks when mixing in Studio One.

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

Cheers, Marcus

Studio One Quick Tip - How To Edit Adjacent MIDI Notes (Legato Phrases)

Not every tip needs a long explanation. :) This one is both extremely simple AND extremely useful. Have you ever found yourself in the situation where you needed to move the ending of one MIDI note and the beginning of another that were “butted up” against each other?

In this video I demonstrate how to edit adjacent MIDI Notes (AKA Legato phrases) in PreSonus Studio One - essentially allowing a user to move the beginning and ending position of 2 MIDI notes at the same time.

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

Cheers, Marcus

How To Export Raw Audio Files (Regions) In PreSonus Studio One

If you’re collaborating with other engineer’s, producer’s, songwriter’s, or studio’s - then there’s a good chance that you’ve been asked to deliver “RAW Audio Files” (aka regions) before. If you haven’t - then my guess is that you will be eventually. :)

First off, let’s take a moment to talk about what this term means.. Well, essentially we can think of Raw Audio Files, as the actual files that are created when recording to your hard drive. Another term for RAW files could also be “un-processed” but in my personal experience, the term RAW is used more often. In fact If I had to narrow it down even further, I’d say “Raw Audio Files / Regions Consolidated from Bar 1” is the phrase I’ve heard the most.

Regardless of whether you are recording a vocal, a kick drum, or an acoustic guitar - whatever source is being recorded through the preamp (after it has passed through the A > D Converters) INTO your DAW would be the raw audio. It’s also important to note that the actual gain that the files have been recorded at will have been determined by your preamp’s gain settings, and the level at which you recorded them. So any fader levels and panning done within the console / mixer of your DAW - would not have any bearing on the levels of the files.

There are certain cases where having access to the RAW audio files (vs exported stems) may be preferable, but without getting into too much detail, the main reason would be to have maximum flexibility/control in terms of mixing or producing. Case in point, you’ve done some vocal tracking, and someone has requested that you deliver RAW tracks so that he or she may continue to work on the song, and have full control over any processing that may be added.

“Translation - Don’t do any mixing, I’ll handle that on my end… Just record the tracks as best as you can, and send them to me..”

One last thing to point out, is that I think it’s also important to note that in most cases - even when delivering RAW Audio files, it’s pretty common practice to do some basic house keeping, such as deleting unwanted sections of audio in between phrases, and adding basic fade in’s & fade out’s. But the end goal is to usually render a new contiguous audio file that starts at “Bar 1” with no additional processing.

In this video I demonstrate how to export Raw Audio tracks (Regions) in PreSonus Studio One 4 using a Drag & Drop workflow from the Arrange Window to the Browser.

Although this video was done using Version 4, the same concepts can be applied to previous version of Studio One.