PreSonus has shipped the Studio One 4.5 update, a free major release for existing Studio One 4 users. The DAW update brings more than 70 new features and improvements across recording, mixing, MIDI editing, plug-in management and session configuration.
The headline number alone does not tell producers much, but several of the changes target routine studio friction: managing gain before recording, organising large mixes, moving I/O configurations between rooms and dealing with third-party plug-ins. PreSonus also says it has improved CPU efficiency for Multi-Instruments.
Key Takeaways
- Studio One 4.5 is a free update for Studio One 4 users.
- The redesigned input section adds software gain and phase controls on every input, alongside hardware preamp control for selected PreSonus interfaces.
- Mixer and edit groups can now be configured separately, nested and globally enabled or disabled.
- New MIDI Note Actions include Fill with Notes, Randomize Notes, Apply Scale and Mirror Notes, with macro and shortcut support.
- PreSonus claims lower CPU load for virtual instruments used inside a Multi-Instrument, including reductions of up to 70% for native instruments.
Recording and gain staging get more direct control
Studio One 4.5 redesigns the Input Channel area of the mixer. Selected PreSonus audio interfaces gain updated hardware preamp controls, while every software input receives gain and phase controls. Audio, instrument, effects and bus channels also gain their own gain and phase controls.
In practical terms, this should make it easier to correct level and polarity issues without altering the gain of the underlying audio event. That is useful when recording sources at home, working quickly through multitrack sessions, or balancing a mix before processors and faders start doing more work than they need to.
The hardware control element is limited to selected PreSonus interfaces, so users should not assume every interface will expose remote preamp settings. The broader software gain and phase additions are the more widely relevant part of the update.
Studio One 4.5 also revises grouping. Users can define groups for editing or mixing, choosing whether volume, pan, mute/solo, inserts and sends are linked. Groups can be nested, suspended or activated with a click, and a dedicated command can disable or enable all groups globally.
That should be particularly useful in larger sessions. An engineer can, for example, retain an edit group for multi-miked drums while using a separate mix group for the drum bus channels, rather than treating all linked operations as one behaviour.
Better session portability and plug-in housekeeping
PreSonus has also updated I/O setup. Multiple inputs and outputs can be created in one step, named and colour-coded, then reordered by drag and drop. I/O configurations can be imported and exported.
For producers moving between a home setup, a commercial room and a collaborator's interface, this is a practical time saver. A saved I/O layout can reduce the repetitive task of recreating routing, naming and colour conventions whenever the hardware changes. It does not remove the need to check physical connections and routing before recording, but it should make template preparation more consistent.
The new Plug-In Manager provides a list of installed third-party plug-ins, including those blacklisted during the initial scan. Plug-ins can be reset individually or globally, and users can show or hide individual processors or groups of processors.
For anyone with a long plug-in folder, that is a useful organisational addition. It offers a more direct way to troubleshoot a failed scan or remove rarely used tools from day-to-day menus without uninstalling them.
MIDI tools and CPU claims
The MIDI changes centre on new Note Actions. Fill with Notes, Randomize Notes, Apply Scale and Mirror Notes can be applied manually, assigned to keyboard shortcuts or placed inside Macro commands. Those macros can then be added to a Macro Toolbar.
The tools are aimed at speeding up common editing and composition jobs rather than replacing detailed piano-roll work. Apply Scale may help keep programmed parts within a chosen harmonic framework, while randomisation and mirroring can provide quick starting points for variations, bass patterns or layered synth parts. Assigning repeat tasks to macros is likely to be the more valuable improvement for producers who already have a defined MIDI workflow.
PreSonus says CPU load when using combined virtual instruments in a Multi-Instrument has been reduced by 70% for native plug-ins and by around 50% for third-party instruments such as Kontakt. Its Mai Tai, Presence XT, SampleOne XT and Impact XT instruments also received CPU optimisation.
Those figures are vendor claims and real-world results will depend on the instrument combination, patch complexity, buffer size and computer. Still, users building layered instrument racks or dense arrangements may find more headroom after updating.
The release also adds the ability to lock individual audio events, audio parts, instrument parts and entire tracks against accidental edits. Video can be exported with the audio mixdown embedded, while AAC and ALAC import/export support and mono export options expand delivery choices.
What Studio One 4 users should check
Studio One 4.5 was released as a free update for Studio One 4 owners, not as a separate paid product. Before installing, users should back up active songs, templates and custom macros, then review PreSonus' Studio One 4 version history and release notes for the complete change list.
It is also sensible to open a copy of a representative session after updating, especially one using third-party instruments, custom I/O routing and hardware inputs. Check plug-in scanning, interface routing, group behaviour and any recording template before using the new version on a time-sensitive session.
The original announcement described the update as a response to frequently requested user features; rAVe's report provides the initial release context. For current Studio One information, PreSonus maintains its main UK website, though the supplied material does not establish present-day availability or support status for this 2019 Studio One 4.5 release.