First Song with Studio One
PreSonus Studio One gives you everything you need to take your musical ideas and turn them into a complete, shareable masterpiece. In this in-depth video tutorial series, Eli Krantzberg shows you how to go from idea to finished product and everything in between using just Studio One.
Videos
• The Song (05:49) - Hear a bare bones piano and voice outline of the basic song, and then the finished version that you will see and hear as it is developed over the course of this two hour series.
• Getting Started (03:47) - In this video we’ll create a new empty song, establish a tempo, length, and input quantize value; and lay down a guide drum track to work with as the song is built up.
• Kik Drum Delay & Guide Drum Loop (04:12) - Hear how some subtle Beat Delay with low feedback and high width values creates movement in the kik drum part, and how a factory drum loop fills out the groove and helps to reinforce the subtle swing feel.
• Reinforcing the Rhythm (02:09) - A short dry percussive Mai Tai sound is added to reinforce the rhythm and also outline the the root key of the song.
• Verse Chord Progression (04:30) - Watch as a multi instrument is set up to create a layered pad sound using two different virtual instruments, and hear the chords for the verse being recorded.
• Portamento Hook (04:52) - Another multi instrument is created, this time with two monophonic lead sounds that use portamento when transitioning between notes; and a short repeating musical hook is recorded.
• Organizing the Console View & Adding Reverb (04:50) - Good digital house keeping is important when building up a song containing may multi instruments. Learn to selectively hide and rename instruments in the Console View in order to keep it uncluttered. And see how to set up a reverb FX track that can be accessed by multiple sources simultaneously.
• Adding Bass to Second Verse (03:31) - Long open root notes are added to the second chorus on a layered bass sound, creating interest and anticipation leading up to the chorus.
• The First Chorus (04:52) - Preliminary markers are added, and the chords and bass part for the first chorus are recorded.
• Building Up the Chorus (05:46) - Hear how adding additional layered elements, including a rhythmic synth part, extra bass layer to add to the attack of each note, and a full drum groove, helps to build the intensity in the first chorus.
• The Third Verse (11:07) - In this first breakdown of the arrangement, the texture and voicing of the chords are altered subtly to maintain the listeners interest.
• The Second Chorus (03:27) - The arrangement builds by bringing everything back in; and an additional piano part is added to help this section feel subtly “bigger” than the first chorus.
• The Third Chorus (01:51) - As a dramatic contrast to what came before and what will follow, the bass, chord pads, and main drum groove drop out to create space for a long riser that will be added in later.
• The Bridge (05:08) - Watch as one of the stock factory multi instruments is added and used as the main sound in the bridge; the final section of new chords added to the song.
• Adding Sweep & Riser FX (08:46) - Watch as some sweep effects are layered together and added to the transitions into chorus 2, 3, 4 & 5; and a long riser is placed thorough out the entire chorus 3 breakdown to help build anticipation and excitement leading up to the bridge.
• Subgrouping with Busses (06:35) - See how Bus tracks are added to the session and set up as sub groups for drums, synths, bass, and FX; and hear how the FX tracks are panned and edited to sit in the mix better.
• Setting up a Cue Mix for the Vocalist (04:55) - Learn how to use the Audio I/O Setup window to configure the ins and outs on your hardware, and how to set up a custom headphone mix using Studio One 3’s Cue mix function.
• Recording the Lead Vocal (05:45) - Watch as multiple takes of the lead vocal are recorded using the Takes to Layers function in Studio One 3.
• Adding Vocal Harmonies & Backups (03:48) - Follow along as the vocal arrangement is filled out with some subtle backups and harmony parts.
• Editing the Vocals (06:00) - Watch as the takes are trimmed and the track layers are expanded so selected parts of the various takes can be comped together.
• Vocal Processing (05:50) - Listen as a new plate reverb is set up for the vocals, and the Fat Channel gate, compressor, and EQ are adjusted on the lead vocal track.
• Vocal Delay Effect (05:22) - Watch as the vocal tracks are sub grouped, and sends to a rhythmically timed delay are set up on the backup tracks. An automation track is then created to bypass the delay on/off for specific words.
• Exporting Stems (03:34) - Learn how to export either individual tracks, subgroups, or the full mix; using the built in Export Stems function.
• Melodyne & More (05:05) - Hear how Melodyne is used to subtly improve the tuning across the main lead vocal; and watch as anticipation is enhanced by having the rhythm section drop out during the bar before the bridge.
• Adding the Guitar Parts (08:15) - See how guitar parts, recorded remotely, are added to the song and processed to blend in with other elements in the mix.
• The Final Mix (08:53) - Explore some of the final track and bus processing tweaks, and listen to a final run through of the entire song.