Softube Plugin Collection Volume 5 and other VST Bundles

This post is about the value of plugin bundles of VST Effects and Instruments, specifically covering the newest bundle from Softube, makers of Console 1.  There is a video overview and reasoning for getting this bundle or not.

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Color Toolbar v2 for PreSonus Studio One

The GUI interface that PreSonus has for the Studio One product has a love-hate relationship with the user base or potential user base.  Some prefer its simplicity to the skeuomorphism of other products and others feel like it has a cartoon-like look to it that feels unprofessional and uninspiring.  Me, I like it - I thin k it is a bit minimal and functional while at the same time providing almost enough customization options to appease the part of me that wants visuals to go with the audio I'm producing.  The FREE Color Toolbar addon for Studio One doesn't really add any new visuals to the overall look of the GUI, but it definitely helps to make your tracks and channels look like you want them to quickly and easily.  Read on for more information and a video walkthrough of the plugin.

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Console 1 - American Class A (API) Channel Strip

I got a demo of the American Class A emulation for Console 1 and created a Review of it across a bunch of individual drum tracks and the drum bus. 

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Which EQ - Multiple Emulations

There are a TON of options for EQ.  This Blog continues the research into the question of "Which EQ Should I Use?" with a review of multiple emulated options

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Which EQ? PreSonus ProEQ2 Explained

An EQ is a powerful tool for sculpting audio content to sound better than it originally did and for blending multiple tracks together so that they compliment one another.

This is the first EQ in this series, the PreSonus ProEQ2 that is included in Studio One.

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Which EQ Should I Use?

EQ is a subject that can be broken down quite simply or drawn out into quite a dissertation, and in many circles, there is a lot of controversy about the answer to this Blog's question of Which EQ should I use.  Read on to find out more...

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Studio One and Faderport 8/16 Workflow with Macros and Keyboard Shortcuts

One thing I love to do is optimize my environment to work the best, fastest, and importantly, most fun way that it can.  I recently completed a series of setup changes in my workflow to get the best use of Studio One, the FaderPort 8 (in my case, though the FaderPort 16 would work the same way) by using Macros and Keyboard shortcuts.

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Studio One 5.2 - 4 Awesome New Features

PreSonus has come out with another great release to the Studio One DAW application - Version 5.2.

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Empirical Labs TrakPak for Console 1 Review and Comparison

 As you probably know by now, I'm a fan of the Softube Console 1 hardware and the associated software/VST effects.  This post is about the newest release to be added to the ecosystem.

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5 Reasons to use the PreSonus FaderPort 8 with Studio One

The FaderPort 8 by Presonus is a VERY cool hardware device that can be used to control nearly any DAW, but works extremely will with Studio One.  In my last review of this hardware, I showed it in use with Cakewalk by Bandlab, but in this go-around, I've shown how much better it is in the native Studio One mode.to the meat of these.  

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Spaceships in the Sky

This is a continuation on my (unintended) Space theme.  When I started this "series" on space themed songs, I didn't really anticipate that I'd actual do such a theme.  It just so happens that the last two songs I did both had space themes: Killing Time (Roger Taylor) and Spaceman (Believable Picnic).  So as I was listening to a bunch of songs in my catalog of songs and came across this song by "The Tories", I thought, why not make a series of them.  So I decided to record this song, "Spaceships in the Sky".

This is a song about UFOs, conspiracy theories on aliens on Earth, and the various stories related to them, including lyrics like "Little Green Men with oversized heads, are they real or make believe" and "On a Dakota farm where the woman was abducted from, she's still furious, 'cause her husband called the shrink", this song is tongue in cheek and hopefully a fun one to listen to.

From a recording perspective:

I used both the Nashville Telecaster and the Epiphone Traditional Pro II guitars with different settings on the PreSonus Ampire Guitar VST.

I also (as usual) my Pearl Mimic Pro drum module with my Roland v-Drums kit to get the drums in place.  I used the baseic "Rock" preset for the drums.  I recorded this to MIDI with minimal modifications before printing the audio - mostly to resolve velocity issues.  I added a reverb from the BReverb plugin on the snare drum to add additional space to just that drum.

I also used the RODE NT1 mic with the standard pre-amps from the PreSonus Studio 1824 preamps.  I also used the Waves CLA Epic plugin on the lead vocal for a combination of delay and reverb and also the Waves Abby Road Plates for the verb on the background vocals.

Notably, this is the first time I've used a Slide in my guitar playing.  I used the Epiphone Les Paul for this.

For the Bass, I used the Variax 705.  I think this is the first time I've used this bass on a song even though I've had it for years.  As a "not so accomplished" bass player, I have stuck to the easier-to-play Ibanez up to now, but this one required something a bit lower throughout the song, so I used the Variax 5-string for this.  In this case it's the "Manta" setting, which emulates the Music Man Stingray.  I also added the "red Light District" plugin to this to get a little bit of grit on that lower end bass sound and thicken it up a bit.  This a Studio One included plugin.

I also spent a good bit of time making the PreSonus Mai Tai synthesizer work at the beginning of the song with the Frequency sweep - call out to "Jemusic" on the PreSonus forums for the assistance with the creation of that Sweep patch for the synth.  This was one of those situations where getting the right tone was really important in creating a version of the song that really work.  I actually got this help way back in October 2020 - hard to believe that it has taken me this long to get the rest of this one done.

I also mixed this in my new room configuration.  I didn't really have issues with this from a mix perspective, but I am still working through how to deal with the mastering and loudness things - though I think I finally got that resolved.  The new room location seems to be working fine for the mix itself, but getting the final output to sound the right level and true to what I created is still a challenge.

I didn't really do anything else new or different on this one from what is listed above.  Hope you will enjoy:


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Cakewalk ProChannel VS PreSonus Fat Channel - SSL Bus Compressor

 Many of you know that I REALLY like the Softube Console 1.  I also use the Fat Channel in Studio One from time to time for specific functions.  The SSL Bus Compressor is one of those.  Cakewalk has an emulation of this in the ProChannel as well.  So I wanted to compare the two emulations.

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Cakewalk ProChannel vs. PreSonus Fat Channel

 As I continually revisit Cakewalk vs. Studio One, in this Blog Post, I review the differences and my preferences between the Cakewalk ProChannel and PreSonus Fat Channel Strips

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1838 Hits
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Three Tips to Optimize PC for DAW use

I bought a new computer.  This is the first time ever - I've always built from scratch.  But I found a good deal on a new one locally and was really over the idea of building it from parts and just wanted a working computer.  Even a well spec'd computer needs to be optimized - Especially for DAW use. 

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2130 Hits
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Cakewalk by Bandlab vs. Studio One in 2020

This post is about the differences and preferences between Cakewalk by Bandlab and Presonus Studio One 5.  Read on for basics.

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2823 Hits
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Waves - CLA Epic Review and Demonstration

 This is a quick overview demonstration and review of the Waves CLA (Chris Lorde Alge)  new plugin called EPIC

I've never used Waves plugins in the past, but this Black Friday, I had a chance to check out the new Waves EchoSphere, which led me to the purchase of the new CLA Epic plugin.

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1961 Hits
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Studio One 5.1 - Retrospective Recording

 Back in the days of a 4-track recorder, I was happy just to be able to record multiple tracks to a cassette recorder.  When DAWs came along, just expending on that simple 4-track concept was "good enough".  The new Studio One retrospective MIDI record option brings new capabilities to the forefront.

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Studio One 5.1 - Channel and Track Filtering

​The new version of Studio One is out - version 5.1.  There are a number of new features in this release, but one of the ones that initially eluded me as useful actually turns out to be a great DAW workflow enhancer.

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1884 Hits
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Presonus Studio One - Automation Quick and Easy

Automation is a Staple in any DAW application.  But for some reason, some are less intuitive than others.  Why?!?! These programs are supposed to make it easier, not harder.  In this post, I show how to use Studio One for the purpose. 

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1848 Hits
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Presonus Sphere - The First 60 Days

​When Presonus introduced the new Sphere Subscription, I was initially a little skeptical about the value it would bring and was, at the same time, hopeful that the updates that it brought would be both useful and valuable to me.  Check out what is new with the Presonus Sphere subscription.

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