Studio One Version 7... Should YOU Upgrade?

There are always pros and cons. These days most software updates ARE a con. Beware! 😮

For audio recording I think everything I do in Studio One V6 was present in version 2. Only reason to update is for operating system compatibility. I think Presonus built their customer base largely by bundling artist with hardware so I’m a little sad to see them ignore that market. This is no longer a daw I would recommend for beginners as I have in the past. Will also probably reduce interface sales.

I'm staying on 5.

A proper strum feature. And make splitter a fully fledged plugin with bypass and all

Actually, there will be new "Deep Flight" instrument that was announced in the video. But you might've tuned that part out based on how you use S1, and your later comments on the option paralysis you get from presence, Impact XT, and the like. But, I'm sure there'll a lot more on store for this new version that will be made public upon release.

S1 used to get a full number update every 2 year or so. and a 0.5 update in between. These 0.5 upgrade have been quite extensive. In the past, if you updated for 149 +taxes, you would get two quite large updates for your money. And with some updates, there was a very small list of added features in the full number update, but combined with the 0.5 update, you got quite a good value.

Now they are changing this.
The update is still 149+taxes, but instead of being covered with updates for about 2 years, including a major update that was only called 0.5, you just get 1 year of updates.
So the update price went up 100%

And to make things worse, they have lowered the price of entry. In the past the update was over 60% off purchasing a new license, it is now only 25 % off.


While at first, the upgrade from Artist to Pro, seems like a good deal, as it is the same deal as for version 6 Pro users. But in actual money, it isn't a good deal at all.


This new pricing scheme, is only good for people getting a new license. It is crappy in terms of update pricing.
I really dislike it.
And version 6 has had a lot of stability issues.
If the same continues, you might not actually even get a full year of updates, as if you don't keep updating every year, you might have to revert to a lower version than the last that is covered to get a stable version.


They are pricing S1 Pro new licenses at the same level of a Logic license, but those come with free updates.

Compared to Logic, they lack clip launcher, and integration with clip launcher hardware. So that is something they should add.
And even if you are not a beat-maker, clip launching is good for sketching and improvising.

Compared to reaper, cubase and pro tools, S1 does not support use of performance and efficiency cores with Apple silicon (I have no idea if the same is true for Intel and AMD cpus). Strangely logic, despite being able does not support this either.
But it is important to support, since several of Mx Pro chips have gone down in terms of performance cores, over the generations. And the macbook Air, with 4+4, gains a lot of performance if the software can utilize both cores.

Cubase and Logic has superior handling of external midi gear. It is the very reason why the Nektar CS12 comes with logic now, and cubase next. And why Softube Console 1 integration is bettter in those DAWs.

And reaper and cubase have many more options for export, meaning that it is easier to cue upp exports, to get several of options for stem, without having to go to the computer and manually start a new export session.

And yes, video integration is something where S1 is inferior to logic and cubase.

If they would fix all of that in version 7, well then perhaps an update would feel worth the money.

A bit niche, but bitwig has a couple of split options that S1 does not have.


I don't care at all about additional plugins, unless it integrates in their mixbus or what they call it, they have some of their onw and softube tape is also supported.
And possibly they could make an ableton simpler like sampler plugin, because the best 3rd party is from Waves. But I would prefer for another maker to just make a 3rd party one.

Stem separation, there is typically a 3rd party option that is better. and ARA can integrate it.

I rather see DAW developers focus on their actual DAW.
Unless they have plans to be the best in class of 3rd party plugins.
But at the pricing of S1 pro, they will not be able to be that company, if they don't make them add-ons. And then they would have to do a new subscription that adds that on top.
(steinberg bought spectralayers pro, and that is really good, among the best, but it isn't fully included n cubase, I think it comes with a light version, steinberg also has backbone tha is quite unique, FL studio has their unique additive synth harmor, and reason has a few instruments by themselves and 3rd party, that I think you can use inside other DAWs, inside reason rack or what they call it..., but outside of that, there aren't a lot of plugins by DAW makers that are class leading/unique, it is simply the case that typically DAW makers are more focused on their actual DAW, and 3rd party are better at building the plugins that people actually desire).
Plugins take time and money to develop, and for a DAW maker, that is best invested in their core business.
Most DAW buyers get 3rd party plugins anyway. Sure, it is good to have the basic FX included, and it is nice to have sounds that get close to a classic hardware workstation to get you going with sketching up songs as soon as you get the DAW. But people quickly outgrows those, and most already have 3rd party, if they are not new to music making in the computer, or plans to get 3rd party ones. Bitwig and Ableton Live, has some cool tools, but most users have 3rd party plugins as well.
No one it looking at a DAW and thinking this is all I will ever need.
Unless they think they just need a multi track recorder, but even then most will change their mind as soon as they start using the DAW more.



The video they put out was awful. They claimed that they had listened. But there were two major points of criticism of them recently;
1 they made it seem like the new instrument was included in the update, in all their marketing. Not making clear it was only for those with the subscription. If they had made clear it was as add-on, hardly anyone would have complained.

2, the major one, people were complaining about their pricing, that the 199 dollar price for the pro+ came with a license, and a year of th add ons, making the perpetual license and update pricing seem overly expensive.
And they did nothing to improve on that.
Like I explained above, they even made it worse.

For me that announcement was purely so they can gather pre-release feedback on the annual upgrade idea. The normal showcase comes on the 9th October. They need to get back to working on the DAW itself, improving workflow, MIDI features, and mostly stability. Existing users like you say will mostly already have stacks of better VSTs from the likes of NI, Izotope, UAD etc, or if not will naturally acquire them as they feel the need But the DAW itself could be the best one on the market if they would continue to focus on that, but that doesn't appear the game plan anymore. Hence will likely upgrade only when I see value in those areas and just bought Cubase 13 as a second DAW just in case it doesn't.

Thanx Chris...i'm a dinosaur too...😇

As a "tape machine" style DAW (as opposed to sample mangling, looping, or live performances) it might be interesting to hear your experience trying Reaper or Luna if you wanted to branch out from S1. On the video end, what about DaVinci Resolve (and its Fairlight audio editing section)? I think Reaper also does video editing.

I use Studio One much the same as a digital version of a multi track tape machine just with unlimited tracks

I use my DAW probably 80% Midi, and not so much recording instruments in a room. So, Midi editing improvements are great for me. Sort of the opposite of what Chris uses his DAW for. To each his own. I'll be upgrading to V7!

The main concerns to upgrade or not I see from others are:
1. Bug fixes.
2. Engine improvements, like faster CPU & loading etc

V7 is going to be the last numbered version there's not going to be a V8. After 7 it will just be named something like Presonus Studio One Pro.

they should really implement video playback into the show page for all in one (backing tracks + video projection) experience...that'd be something that nobody does and everybody needs

It is time to stop naming versions, we are only getting updates. A true up grade would be a rebuild, not a feature add on.

Good video, definitely sharing the sentiment about the focus on features I also don't really use most of the time, since I'm already covered by external libraries I've accumulated throughout the years. Probably waiting to upgrade, if there isn't any major reason. What's still bothering me is, that while Presonus wants to market S1 as a DAW where everything's possible, coming from Reaper and Cubase (don't talk about PT, definitely not missing that era..) I still feel very limited in some areas.

For instance, not being able to route a MIDI track to multiple audio tracks is just mind boggling to me, as it's a very basic routing feature in most other DAWs and enables me to use one MIDI tracks for triggering Trigger 2 samples on multiple tracks when I want to mix and match them, which has been an integral part of my workflow back in the day and I still miss it. Also the bug around randomly jumping automation lanes of FX tracks is still there and made me want to stop using automation tracks for FX tracks altogether, even though I sometimes need them. When applying fader movements on some automation lanes, they will sometimes just jump to the top of the track screen and even jump out of their respective bus. Reported it twice, no fix so far.

Couldn't care less about new VIs, but some basic features should work at least. 😕

For me it’s simple, if they don’t give me an actual sampler that I can chop in , similar to maschine it’s a no upgrade for me, how long before they get that. I shouldn’t have to use a third party sampler

I went back to Cubase last week. Updating Cubase Elements on sale every 12 to 18 months will cost 15 euros, Artist 40 euros and Pro 50 euros. Why on earth would I want to pay 149 dollars per year for Studio One?

They need to implement multicore/multithread CPU usage.

Absolutely spot on.... everything , and I mean everything , you said is exactly the same as myself... I only use for audio instruments except for Superior Drummer ...
Had professional version since version 3...
Always updated to the new version even though I've never ever used any of the features... I've never even used the Chord Pad or scratch pad etc....
For the first time though I'm really not sure about Studio One 7....not one feature has been announced with 8 days to go....who on earth would purchase something without knowing of any changes 🤷🏻‍♂️🤦🏻.... no doubt some people will have already paid for it and I honestly don't understand that... as its standing at the moment I'm planning on just staying with Studio One 6 Professional... that already does so much more than I need or use...
Great video 👍

Sorry - but you're asking the question "Shoud you upgrade?" a bit early. It will only be appropriate once the details for v7 have been announced. Plus I don't know why everyone is getting their knickers in a twist about the announcement that Joe and Gregor made - it wasn't about features; it was about pricing. Lastly, if anyone is on Artist, then I think its a no-brainer to upgrade, whatever new features are announced.

its worth it to me if they are including all the extensions and virtual instruments. the harmony wizard is $40, the orechestra they have is $99. that's already $150. if they want to compete with logic they are going to need to upgrade their instruments and libraries. Logic comes with 70 GB of libraries of sounds. I personally like using all that stuff. Logic has a bunch of synths but they have an orchestra library, horns and much more. They need a really good synth for a variety of stuff. Logic also has a mellotron and a B3 organ. If they include all that in studio one its already worth it to me. But that's really a person choice. They also need to include some plugins they dont already have like a transient designer , some type of 4 band EQ, a multiband saturator among others, they also need a maximizer. i personally dont like using limiters for mastering. I also hope they include their bus comp that doesnt come with pro version 6 but is included in the subscription model.

Version 6 had nothing I needed. I don’t think version 7 will either. Stem separation is not a feature I have a use for, nor was immersive audio.
$149 to upgrade from Artist, $149 to upgrade from Pro? Thank’s for the loyalty to those who have been updating each year, Presonus.
With the new licensing, I don’t see myself upgrading. Actually, I see myself moving to another DAW. YMMV

I see a lot of people already dismissing while it's not even out yet...... I hear people complaining with price issues and then finding out it's not the right conclusion...

Presonus does not respect those who bought versions up to the sixth, upgraded each time, spent each time. When we see that for a newcomer the acquisition price is only slightly higher than that of the old customer who should soon add even more. And this mystery about the content to come! Have you ever seen such an attitude in other commercial areas? I am thinking of migrating to another company as soon as possible. Because this middle finger is absolutely not philosophically musical. This trap calls for a strong reaction from users!

I am like you - guitar, drums plus a few virtual instruments. I actually completed a CD using Version 3 Artist and only subscribed and upgraded to 6 Pro to get the Lyrcs track, the Arranger track and the Mastering capability. I am a subscriber at the moment but most of the additions lately - Atmos etc - I have no use for so unless something fairly amazing is included in version 7 I will wait until my current subscription runs out and then I can have a perpetual license at the end of my subscription (which, as an existing subscriber, I got cheaper anyway). Like you, I find the emphasis to be on EDM, Rap etc nowadays with lots of videos about making beats. Version 6 fits me needs admirably and I will probably get Version 7 as it will be mine automatically but I won´t be spending any extra money.

That is hilarious… At the most we are talking about $200 for the full version. Pro Tools pro is about $ 900. Logic Pro is $250.
Cubase pro is $550. There you go. And let’s be honest, $200 for your workhorse DAW and main tool, $200 is $0,54 a day. 1/6 of the price of your morning coffee… or 20 Starbucks 😊.
Why such a fuss over the cheapest prices ever for such a complete and reliable DAW ?

As a mix and master engineer, I use Studio One as you do and never had to upgrade since Studio One Pro 4 honestly and I think I'm staying on it. It's largely enough to host any 3rd party plugins I need

The only thing I'm interested in is clip lunch that already exit in Ableton and Bitwig

I got Studio One Artist with my new Sweetwater Creation Station and while I do like it, I don't think I'll upgrade - at least until I see the feature set. I have many plug-ins as well to do anything I want, and I also have a Reason license so that's a VST with a TON of synths if I want that. It is ODD they make (so far) no mention of the features.

Don't bother USE CUBASE instead

im on the subscription so it dont matter to me.. i weep for the poor people that cant finance their passion😂😂

Still waiting for a scrub tool. 🙁

I can't even open up studio one 6 on my mac mini m1 ..it crashes everytime i try to open it...(ugh)
....end up buying logic pro

Since there is ZERO specifics on what V 7 will include, one has to speculate, and my guess is the promised new features several times a year, will turn out to be slightly updated stuff that was previously available at the Presonus Store, or via a Sphere subscription, in other words, stuff you probably never needed or wanted, or even more likely, if already a V6 Pro user, already have better versions of by somebody else. Its seems from their complete lack of openness on the details [raises strong suspicion], they might be asking you to pay each year for what essentially could turn out to be bloatware. Also, I'd be taking a magnifying glass to the new terms and conditions when V7 is released, as if they include a lot of the stuff from Sphere, you might end up with a clause saying Presonus wants to use your creations for A.I. learning, which ends up with your creations ending up being sold by Presonus, Adobe has done this with Photos and has had a huge backlash over it.......just beware.

For those who bought version 6 pro, you will pay 90% of the price! Only those who are crazy to update!

Really liked your video and analysis, I recently grabbed their 6 plus 7 offer (where you purchase Studio One Professional on or after August 1 and will get the 7 plus a year of upgrades) and I like the idea of owning the software even without knowing what's coming in the next upgrade, I don't like Studio One 7?, I can just stay with 6 forever. Got yourself a new sub!

They havent convinced me to uograde since 5. I use Studio One 5 as a tape machine more than a sophisticated daw. Unless they make it better as a tape machine I see no point.

I've been using Studio One V5 since 2022, it was around $107 and now I can get V7 for around $160 with taxes. The question is should I upgrade it?

Would be nice if they offer amp profiling.

I will reserve any decision until I know what v7 offers and whether the cost is right.

Nothing burger.

Love your wishlist of features! I recently upgraded to 6 (in May, sadly) and I'll wait and see what tomorrow brings in terms of features, but I'm not optimistic there'll be much of interest to me. My problem with S1 is that like yourself, it seems more and more focused on the needs of loop and beat makers, EDM music makers, etc. rather than people recording real musicians with real instruments. I don't know why they keep their focus, and target markets, narrowed like that.

I hope that Ampire get an update

They just made sure everyone has to subscribe yearly! I purchased S1 6.5 back in January, I was told then it would be updated for free until it reaches 7.6!
Now why is the update not saying 7 & why is there a price connected to my Update? Have they retracted the update promise I received?
Not sure what is happening surely if the promise was to be free updates until 7.6 yet it seems as if PreSonus are not reliable & sticking to their original promises! Surely if you change your services you should stick the contracts you have already made! Since I haven’t received the version 7!
I am not happy I wasn’t informed that this release would mean PreSonus would be going back on the Service they had already provided & promised!
Surely if the new version comes out during the life of the version before it as it is only at 6.6.4 yet the version 7 is out rather than just adding to 6!
If it was at version 6.9 or higher then would make sense release the next version but it is only at version 6.6.4 which is only 0.1.4 higher than when I purchased!
Yet the fact they sent me the update from 6.6 to 6.6.4 is a joke that ain’t funny I’m disappointed with this because when I purchased it was meant to be free updates until version 7.6 yet no update to seven is made available to me and is asking for payment to upgrade to 7 why is this the case?

Not upgrading.

It does NOT come with all of their extensions, only the virtual instruments. The mix and console plugins are part of the + version.
The features are so small in number that in the release notes they actually started listing all the new macro commands available just to make it look a bit more impressive. And not a single mention on the issues fixed, and there are quite some features that need fixing.

Upgrading only saves you $30 over a full + subscription which includes a perpetual license, so you just might as well wait a bit. And as a Pro user who also bought the batch convertor, PresenceXT editor and some of the now included sample packs and effects, I think its a disgrace that I need to pay the same upgrade fee as an Artist user and a $30 discount on new users. That is, if I do not want cloud feature, as then there is no discount. Just the same price as new users.


So, no. Not this time.

Thank you for the input. I currently use Studio One 5 Professional and I love it. I'm trying real hard to find a reason to update. I'm also not sure about the pricing of the upgrade. There are a lot of loyal users of Studio One . I paid a lot more when I upgraded to 5 than new users will be paying for 7. Eventually, I will probably follow the pack, but for now, I'll stay the course. Also, I do agree with you on the video editing. That would probably sway me. Thanks

Studio one user there for 5 years, this Studio one 7 version is so buggy.. not stable at all, a lot of crashes i had not faced before.

I agree with Chris, Studio one pro 7 does not look interesting for my way of using a DAW. Version 6 is a great update , i payed once for an upgrade and don't remember if it was 5 or 6 but it worth the value : Dolby atmos, Sound Variation for virtual instrument editing (great feature) , and the mastering section is very useful. And finally ,i rarely use Plug from DAW's same with protools , so i don't need those beacause i work with third party Instruments and effects Pluins...

Are you upgrading to version 7?? Why or why not? 🤔