I was 16 years old when I first started recording digital audio. Cakewalk Sonar
Home Studio was my first DAW that had been recommended to me by a friend. I
loved Sonar in the beginning and started using it along with Fruity Loops, a
couple Zoom drum machines and a giant Casio keyboard. I had purchased a Lexicon
interface and I thought my setup was superior. However, it wasn't long before I
had grown highly interested in virtual instruments. I would make regular visits
to Guitar Center in Boise, Idaho with my father.
I remember when Studio One had first been introduced and it had won awards
for best new recording software. They had recommended it to me several times
at Guitar Center but I was hesitant at first. I thought Sonar was
everything. It took a little while for me to warm up to the idea but I did
feel like Sonar was lacking in MIDI features. So I took a shot with Studio
One and bought an Audio Box interface that came with the free version of
Studio One Artist. At first I thought it was just a scaled down version of
Sonar. It just looked simpler. But over time I noticed I was opening the
program more and more. Before I realized it, I wasn't even working in Sonar
anymore.
The Drag and Drop feature of Studio One was so much easier. It seemed to be
a much faster workflow. As an aspiring beat maker, I automatically loved
Impact Drums and Presense. I no longer had to link audio and midi tracks.
Just drag and drop an instrument, arm and record. Within the first year I
had decided to upgrade to the Pro version. Again I was impressed. I found
the mastering features to be extremely useful. I was hooked. I felt so
empowered by Studio One.
It has pobably been about 15 years and I still feel that
Studio One is my confort zone. I have used Cubase, Reason, Pro Tools,
Ableton, FL Studio and Mix Craft but Studio One is still the winner in my
mind. The only program that I don't have much time with is Logic. I normally
run PC instead of Mac. This may change in the near future but I doubt I will
be switching from Studio One anytime soon. I am still running version 4 Pro.
I will be looking to upgrade to 6 soon. I haven't even been introduced to
the video features yet. I'm sure that will save a lot of time. So in
conclusion, if you are looking to get serious with audio production or beat
making, Studio One is a weapon of mass destruction and should not be
overlooked. It's worth the money. Take my word for it and thank me
later.
