PreSonus Studio One - no longer my recommended DAW

TTony

One of the regular discussions here, along with which courier, is which DAW to use.

I've been a long-time user and advocate of Presonus' Studio One.  But no more.

Having updated to the latest perpetual licence full-fat version last month, it now transpires that it's no longer a full-fat version.  To either get access to all of the application functionality, or even to be able to buy some of the add-ons for the application, you have to have a subscription licence.  Even to be able to post in the community forum, you have to have a subscription licence.

I realise that many software companies are gently encouraging their customers to give them more money more regularly by making it ever more difficult to buy perpetual licences instead of annual subscriptions, but I've not come across any others who effectively hobble the perpetual version and/or support to enhance that gentle encouragement.

Yes, there's a "Hybrid+" licence version whereby you pay the subscription price and that turns into a perpetual (at a frozen version) licence after 12mths, but one month after buying a perpetual licence, that's not really an attractive option.

So, love the product and over the years I've invested many many hours in learning how to get it to do things that I want it to do, but the PreSonus corporate business model is not one that I'll be supporting in future.  

Most - pretty much all - of my music-making activity is in the Mac world now, so perhaps I have to take my chances with Apple's "that version of the application doesn't work with this version of the OS" (and vice versa) approach and switch to Logic, or perhaps I just use this version of S1 until an OS update breaks it.

Either way, whenever anyone asks the "which DAW" in future, I'll not be suggesting Studio One nor, by extension, the PreSonus interfaces.

That's progress ...

duotone

I have a Presonus interface but stopped using Studio One DAW early on, as the basic (free bundled) version would not allow me to use external (Waves) Plug-ins. 

monquixote

If you want the ultimate perpetual try FL.

You pay once and get free upgrades forever. 

It's better for hip hop and EDM than indie or blues, but there are lots of people who use it for that. 

I currently use Bitwig which has a model where once you buy it you get anything they release in the next year for forever and then you can by a reduced cost renewal where you get anything they release the next year etc.

Some people don't like that, but it works for me.

I'm also using Logic iPad which is £50/year so don't be surprised if Logic for Mac doesn't follow.

If you want a very fair model then Reaper is extremely cost effective, but it's not as slick as Studio 1.

TTony

monquixote said:

If you want the ultimate perpetual try FL.

You pay once and get free upgrades forever. 

That's a mad business model - it's going to build a lot of customer loyalty!!  Never looked at FL - is it as supportive of PlugIns (I seem to have acquired quite a few!).

monquixote said:

If you want a very fair model then Reaper is extremely cost effective, but it's not as slick as Studio 1.

I did look at Reaper before I committed to S1, but, as you say, the UI isn't really as nice so I fear that would feel like to much of a backwards step.

I'll stick with S1 for now, until it breaks, but I'm now strongly disinclined to give them any more money for future updates.

SquireJapan

Wow - Sad state of affairs. I remember when Adobe first did this there was understandable outcry. Now became the norm … I get it’s nice to have monthly recurring revenue, but still stings. 

Sporky

TTony said:

monquixote said:

If you want the ultimate perpetual try FL.

You pay once and get free upgrades forever. 

That's a mad business model - it's going to build a lot of customer loyalty!!  Never looked at FL - is it as supportive of PlugIns (I seem to have acquired quite a few!).

VSTs and some other one I can't remember the name of. I've been using it since it was called Fruity Loops, for sequenced stuff (I originally bought it to do drums) and for recording. 

monquixote

TTony said:

monquixote said:

If you want the ultimate perpetual try FL.

You pay once and get free upgrades forever. 

That's a mad business model - it's going to build a lot of customer loyalty!!  Never looked at FL - is it as supportive of PlugIns (I seem to have acquired quite a few!).

monquixote said:

If you want a very fair model then Reaper is extremely cost effective, but it's not as slick as Studio 1.

I did look at Reaper before I committed to S1, but, as you say, the UI isn't really as nice so I fear that would feel like to much of a backwards step.

I'll stick with S1 for now, until it breaks, but I'm now strongly disinclined to give them any more money for future updates.

Yeah it is a bit nuts, but they have such a massive user base that I think it works for them.

It supports VSTs you can also get more advanced additions with loads of plugins built in which are very high quality.

This guy does amazing tutorials he is one of the best music production YouTubers IMO.

TTony

Thanks Nick @monquixote ; - that doesn't look bad at all.  

I vaguely remember looking at FL many many years ago, but dismissing it on the basis of it not being very good (or possibly my brain not being tuned into it).  That version looks very different to my very vague recollections, and better than the Reaper UI.

monquixote

TTony said:

Thanks Nick @monquixote ; - that doesn't look bad at all.  

I vaguely remember looking at FL many many years ago, but dismissing it on the basis of it not being very good (or possibly my brain not being tuned into it).  That version looks very different to my very vague recollections, and better than the Reaper UI.

It's very good, but a little bit weird because it started from a MIDI / Synths background so Audio is handled a bit weirdly (it's a plugin rather than a core feature), but other than that and the mixer having a slightly different paradigm to other DAWs it's very good. 

It really benefits from a multi monitor setup because everything is in it's own window.

jasonbone75

I've recently switched from Studio One to Reaper and I have been really happy I did. I much prefer the interface of Reaper which appears to put me in the minority. The customisation is brilliant and I already have a far more comfortable workflow to what I had in Studio One after just a few hours of customisation and use.

paulmapp8306

PITA.  I love {Pro One, though Im still using 4.  why? because I record half a dozen tomes a year at the absolute most - and 4 gives me all the functionality I want.    I also use a faderport as a controller, as I like that functionality - and my interface/mixer is a PS Rack32 

However,  I absolutely REFUSE to use a subscription based DAW - I simply dont use them enough to warrant that.  Next time I DO update my DAW- it wont be SO...  No idea what it will be mind.  I cant use Logic as Im not a Mac user.  Pro-tools and Cubase Ive used before, and I used Reaper but fell out of love with that, and non of the other options really appeal to me. 

Have to see where we are at that point. 

Musical_Mystery_Tour

Reaper. 50 quid for a licence and does everything all the more expensive ones do. As with all DAWs, takes a bit of getting used to, which is initially annoying when you leave the comfort zone of your familiar DAW, but it is worth it to do so.

Slartibartfarst42

I should mention at the start that I'm knocking 60 and have no clue what I'm doing with recording software.

I got Studio One some years ago but I couldn't work out how to do anything with it and eventually had to give up. A couple of months ago I decided to try again and went with Reaper instead. I haven't been ambitious at all, so all I've done so far is load a backing track and record my guitar over the top of it. That may not be much, but it was fairly straightforward and 100% more than I managed with Studio One.

swiller

Cakewalk by bandlab also worth a look. Its free and originally sonar x3 professional with 400+ price tag. So a top 5 daw originally made by roland. Used it for years and it is top DrAW. 

Paul_C

Audacity is still free, but maybe underpowered after something paid for.

I made 230 albums with it, so it's not completely useless

AlbertC

I'm a Studio One/Mac user but I refuse to pay a subscription.
I've been thinking about a change to Logic - what's the current deal with that? Is it a one time payment then updates are free, or is that not the case anymore?

monquixote

swiller said:

Cakewalk by bandlab also worth a look. Its free and originally sonar x3 professional with 400+ price tag. So a top 5 daw originally made by roland. Used it for years and it is top DrAW. 

I think that's something that's almost certainly going to die or go subscription only

Funkfingers

TTony said:

Having updated to the latest perpetual licence full-fat version last month, it now transpires that it's no longer a full-fat version.  To either get access to all of the application functionality, or even to be able to buy some of the add-ons for the application, you have to have a subscription licence.  Even to be able to post in the community forum, you have to have a subscription licence.

That sounds like the sort of stunt that Adobe pulls after it buys out other software companies.

AlbertC said: 

I've been thinking about a change to Logic - what's the current deal with that? Is it a one time payment then updates are free, or is that not the case anymore?

Been using Logic since it came in a big black box. Subsequent revisions were at a discount price to existing purchasers.

I cannot recall paying for subsequent Download Only editions. OTOH, my host computer is pretty old now and several iterations of OS behind.

Ultimately, of course, Apple drains your wallet with every computer purchase.

Grangousier

FWIW, I bought Logic Pro when it came out in 2014 (I'd been a Logic user since eMagic days, though), and I've had all the updates without paying anything extra (although sometimes I've had to wait a bit until I got a new computer that could run them). I like Logic very much, but wouldn't want to get into a DAW war over it, it's just what works for me. Only runs AU plugins, though, if that's an issue (most plugins I've seen are both AU and VST, and the Pro Tools format too, so it doesn't seem to be that much of one). 

Stuckfast

What Studio One features are now subscription-only? If it's just add-on sample packs and third-party plug-ins then that wouldn't bother me. If it's actual core features of the program that seems weird and a bad idea.

I bought Logic in about 2017 in order to mix something and I've never been charged an upgrade fee. I think Apple see it as a loss leader to sell more Macs, and now also to drive the creation of Atmos content for Apple Music. I still don't find it very logical though.

longshins

Cubase 13 is pretty mega, no more dongle to worry about and the new plugins like the vocal channel strip are excellent. It’s tough to get used to though as has lots of deep functions and weird workflow things.