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The Studio One free update offers a wealth of features

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FRANKFURT MUSIKMESSE 2010 PRESS RELEASE: PreSonus has announced version 1.5 of its Studio One™ DAW software. This major free update adds so many important features and enhancements that the company decided to skip the previously planned version 1.1 and go directly to this more advanced version.

Key additions include support for video playback and sync for composing to picture; major enhancements to the Browser's drag-and-drop capabilities; the ability to draw your own automation waveforms; automation points that are locked to events; a new key-command editor; changing tempos within a event without slicing the event into separate events, and support for song and album art.

A first-of-its-kind, built-in SoundCloud client enables you to upload audio files from Studio One directly to the web. The MIDi features have been improved, including a new MIDI file player in the Browser. We've enhanced the Native Effects plug-ins and added new ones. And that's by no means all that is in this impressive update. Let's take a closer look.

New video features

Those who create sound for picture will be delighted with the new video features. You can now import any QuickTime video into a song for playback and sync, with adjustable video playback size and time offset. Simply drag-and-drop the video from the Browser into the arrangement to import it and, optionally, simultaneously extract the audio from the video and place it on a new audio track. A new Follow Edit Position helps sync to specific video frames, by adjusting the playback-cursor position based on the current edit position.

Browser drag-and-drop functionality has improved significantly. Drag an audio event to a location in the File Browser to instantly export a new audio file to that location. Drag an Instrument Part to the File Browser to export a MIDI clip to a specific location on your drive. Drag any insert effect or virtual instrument from the Device Rack to the Effects or Instruments Browser to store a preset for the effect or instrument; alternatively, drag to the File Browser to export the preset to a specific location on your drive.

Automation waveforms

You can now draw automation waveforms, and automation points are locked to selected events, so automation moves with the related events. A transform function lets you scale, stretch, and otherwise modify automation envelopes. An Undo history enables viewing and undoing all edits done since the file was opened, even if you have saved since then. A pitch-name editor is available in the drum layout, and you can save and load names from a pitch-name list.

Version 1.5 adds a new key-command editor with Search and Learn features for creating and modifying keyboard shortcuts. The search feature finds specific key commands and shows which functions they trigger and also finds specified functions and displays the key commands to which they are assigned.

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