So, what do you give a DAW that already seems to do it all? That’s the challenge PreSonus seem to face with Studio One 6: how do you add meaningful features without just piling on fluff?
From recording to mixing, mastering to live performance, Studio One 6 is now aiming to cover every corner of the music and content production world—and it mostly succeeds.
Smart Templates: Get Creative Faster
One of the first things you notice is the Smart Templates system. Gone are the old “styles” like Band Recording or Piano Ballad. Studio One 6 now offers intuitive starting points for nearly any workflow: Record & Mix, Master & Release, Rehearse & Perform, Produce Beats—you name it. You can even drop in content via the Drop Zone for instant project-ready material. It’s a small thing, but it shaves off those frustrating setup minutes and lets you get straight to making music.
For newcomers, these templates are a gift. They’re welcoming, practical, and even gently guide you toward tutorials if needed. Seasoned users may scoff at the “Smart” label, but it’s genuinely helpful to have a workflow scaffold that gets you started without fumbling through a blank project.
Lyrics and Songwriting Made Smart
Studio One 6 introduces a Lyrics track and live Lyrics Display. Type your lyrics directly or drag them in from a text file, and watch them sync along the timeline—karaoke style. This isn’t just cosmetic: it’s functional. Vocalists can jump to sections with a click, highlight timing can be offset, and lyrics stay in sync across the Score editor, piano roll, and Show Page.
For per-note lyric detail, the Lyrics Lane lets you attach words or syllables to individual notes—perfect for choirs, MPE instruments, or detailed MIDI programming. Studio One even lets you generate notes from lyrics, creating musical lines directly from your words. It’s a subtle but brilliant feature that shows PreSonus is thinking about real-world song writing and performance scenarios.
Workflow Improvements
The interface hasn’t been massivly overhauled, but subtle refinements make a huge difference. Toolbars and inspectors can now be fully customized or minimized to reduce visual clutter—think “Minimal Mode” where only the essentials remain. This is surprisingly refreshing in a DAW where information overload is common.
The Channel Editor now gives an expanded, clear view of Inserts, Sends, Cue Mix, and Microview Controls—these tiny sliders are now available for third-party plugins as well. Panning modes have grown to include Dual, Balance, and Binaural, and Fader Flip lets you swap the main fader to control Sends, Buses, or Cue Mix. Track icons get a Logic-style visual touch for quick identification, and the MIDI controller page is cleaner and easier to navigate.
Video Gets Serious
Studio One’s video handling has always existed, but version 6 takes it to the next level with a dedicated Video track. Drag and drop clips, trim, duplicate, and move them around just like audio events. Extract the audio and suddenly your audio production tools—crossfades, EQ, effects—are fully at your disposal. Frame rates can sync automatically, and exporting is straightforward with options like MPEG-4 and M4V.
It’s not a full NLE replacement, and fades or crossfades aren’t in yet, but having robust video support inside a DAW with this level of audio flexibility is a dream for scoring, podcasting, and video post-production.
Track Presets: Reuse Everything
Studio One 6 takes Track Presets to the next level. Save an entire channel setup, including instruments, effects, routing, and macros, then drag it into any project. PreSonus even includes factory presets, like Beats+Vocal, for instant drum and vocal setups. These are time-savers that integrate nicely with Smart Templates, letting you build projects faster without reinventing the wheel.
Conclusion
Studio One 6 isn’t about shocking reinvention; it’s about refining what already worked and adding targeted improvements. The Video track, Lyrics features, and Smart Templates are standout additions, while interface customisation, track presets, and workflow tweaks affect everyone and make daily work smoother.
It’s not as groundbreaking as some previous updates, but Studio One 6 feels more mature, more polished, and more versatile than ever. Whether you’re producing music, writing for video, or performing live, PreSonus has delivered a DAW that truly lets you focus on creativity without getting bogged down in menus.
For full details on StudioOne v6, head on over to www.presonus.com
