Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1014407
62 CINEMONTAGE / Q3 2018 62 CINEMONTAGE / Q3 2018 half-diminished. It would be impressive enough if it could do that with MIDI data, but it seems miraculous that it can do the same with a digital audio track, such as a rhythm guitar. This is a useful tool for songwriters, allowing them to substitute or experiment with different chords and harmonic ideas while developing a song. The new chords sound great and are usable in a final production, or the track can be re- recorded again with the new chords, if preferred. IMPACTFUL UPGRADES Besides its comprehensive editing, mixing and recording features, Studio One comes with a variety of impressive- sounding and useful tools, soundsets, effects and plug-ins, including software synths such as Mai Tai and Mojito, a sophisticated sample playback instrument called Presence XT, a guitar amp modeler called Ampire XT and a ton of other stuff. Impact XT, Studio One's native built- in drum module, has gotten an extensive upgrade in version 4, transforming it into an entire production environment for the creation of beats and loops. One can now load drum sounds, loops and samples into eight banks of 16 mappable pads with 32 outputs to the mixer (16 mono and 16 stereo). Audio can be moved from a track into Impact XT, which will automatically slice it up and insert it into different pads. Beat quantization and time stretching are also available. According to PreSonus, Impact XT is like a program within a program for those working with beat-base arrangements (see Figure 4). Studio One's built-in sampler, Sample One XT, now includes all the features expected from a sophisticated sampler, as well as synthesis options to modify samples. Libraries can be loaded into Sample One, or the user could record his or her own samples from inputs, buses, outputs, virtual instruments or tracks. Plug in a mic and sample a saxophone player, or directly input a bass, then shape the sound with three different envelopes, such as pitch, filter and amplitude. Next, add reverb, delay and EQ, and play the samples from a keyboard or share them with friends (see Figure 5). Also new in Studio One 4 is an innovative drum editor that makes the creation of drum tracks a lot easier than Piano Roll view. The stack order of the drums can be rearranged and given names like "kick" or "snare" — which is a lot easier than trying to remember whether the high hat is on F-sharp or B-flat. For those into step sequencing, there is a new pattern editor in Studio One 4 that allows for the forming of musical patterns based on a grid (a feature found on many classic hardware sequencers). One can make sequences of different lengths, with variations based on probability algorithms. One also can edit velocity, and there are 10 levels of repeats for things like stutter effects in drum patterns. A library of pattern loops also comes with the software. Note that instrument parts and patterns can be combined on the same track. Studio One 4 also supports AAF (Advanced Authoring Format), making it easier to import a project created somewhere else (such as Pro Tools, Logic, Nuendo or Premiere Pro) and vice versa. PRESONUS SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA PreSonus also offers additional content for use in Studio One, such as sample libraries, plug-ins, amp models and pre-sets. One product that caught my eye was a sample library for Studio One called PreSonus Symphonic Orchestra (or PSO). While Notion comes with its own orchestral samples, PSO is specifically designed to work within Studio One. Since PSO will appeal to those doing music for film and television, I decided to try it out — though with its affordable price tag, I didn't have huge expectations. I was mistaken. PreSonus Symphonic Orchestra for Presence XT includes a full collection of over 300 symphonic TECH TIPS Figure 4: Impact XT, Studio One's advanced built-in drum module, has been greatly enhanced in version 4.