Fender Studio Pro 8.1 - Discussion Thread

[Lukas]

Hi everyone,

Studio Pro 8.1 is now available!

See all release notes in the official announcement:

Fender Studio Pro 8.1 is online!

Hey everyone, Studio Pro 8.1 is online! :) New Features & Improvements 1. Plug-ins & Virtual Instruments Vocal Tune: New native real-time pitch correction plug-in for vocals — from natural correction to heavily processed vocal effects, including formant shifting. CV Instrument – Modulators...

studiooneforum.com

You can also access the latest release notes using this link:

https://s1toolbox.com/releasenotes/

Happy discussion!

Lukas

 

[Vocalpoint]

Fender Studio Pro 8.1 – Release Notes Overview

New Features & Improvements

1. Plug-ins & Virtual Instruments

• Vocal Tune: New native real-time pitch correction plug-in for vocals — from natural correction to heavily processed vocal effects, including formant shifting.
• CV Instrument – Modulators: Four new modulation sources, usable as LFOs or ADSR envelopes, each with its own CV output.
• Shared Virtual Instruments: Virtual instruments can now be loaded globally and saved as Instrument Sets, so they do not need to be reloaded for every session.

2. Arrangement & Editing

• Pitch Curves on Audio Events: Pitch automation directly on Audio Events, with a ±2 octave range and semitone- or cent-accurate editing.
• Audio-to-Note Improvements: Extract Drums now supports electronic drums; Extract Notes offers improved bass detection and overall better results.
• Stem Separation Performance: Faster local processing with a smaller installation footprint.
• Chord Assistant Audio Preview: Recommended chords can now be auditioned before adding them to the Chord Track.
• Attack Compensation for Sound Variations: Millisecond offsets for articulations with slower attacks, stored directly inside Sound Variation maps.
• Score Editor – Combined Conditions: Sound Variations can now be triggered by combinations of multiple articulations or directions.
• Score Editor – Repeats & Flow Directions: Repeats, DS, Coda, and other flow symbols are now supported and reflected in the Arrangement.
• Score Editor – Additional Features: Direct editing of time signatures, key signatures, tempo, and chords; plus Measure Limit, grace notes, ghost notes, text boxes, beam tools, additional symbols, and more.
• Transport Bar Alignment: Transport controls can once again be aligned left, center, or right.

3. Browser

• Moises Integration: Stem Generation, Stem Separation, and Voice Conversion are now available directly inside the Browser.
• Customizable Tab Positions: Browser tabs can now be rearranged via drag and drop.
• Updated Home Tab: Redesigned Home tab with a more consistent look and feel.
• Improved Tab Presentation: Tabs can now appear in a collapsed view, making room for more Browser tabs.

4. Show Page

• Channel Overview: The Channel Overview from the Session Page is now also available on the Show Page.

5. General

• Studio Assistant: Integrated assistant based on documentation, knowledge base, and learning content — available directly inside Studio Pro.
• Dolby Atmos Headphone Personalization: Support for personalized HRTF profiles in the integrated Dolby Renderer.
• Update Track Presets: New “Update Track Preset…” command for quickly updating loaded Track Presets.
• Improved “Bypass master effects”: New dropdown options for pre inserts, post inserts, all inserts, or inserts plus fader.
• Audio Mixdown Default Name: Exported mixdown files now default to the Session or Mastering Project name.
• Improved Middle-Click Behavior: The middle mouse button now defaults to horizontal and vertical scrolling.
• Audio Event Replacement: Drag-and-drop replacement of Audio Events has been improved with new modifier-key options.
• Fender MOTION Controller Support: Integration for the upcoming Fender MOTION 16 and MOTION 32 pad controllers.

Important Fixes

• Fixes for Analog Delay, CLAP plug-ins, Extract Notes, Launcher, Light Theme, Linux, macOS, and Windows.
• Multiple Score Editor fixes, including lyrics, chord diagrams, dynamics, note positioning, staff names, and crash fixes.
• Improvements for Show Page, Sound Variations, Spectrum Meter, Browser, automation, Channel Overview, and various plug-ins.
• Performance and stability improvements when deleting many events, exporting Spatial Audio, and working with Tempo Map.
• Various UI fixes, translation improvements, and visual issues have been resolved.

Impressive. Congrats on the release!

However - another wave of sadness as no mention of SPv8.1 supporting the new Native Instruments S-Series MKIII V2 firmware.

Will reset my expectations and start that hourglass over.

VP

 

[marrybanilow]

Wanted to check out the Studio Assistant but says it is only available with Fender Pro+ sub. I have an upgrade license that is eligable for all updates until next year. Is this right, or is the feature really locked behind a subscription?

 

[Lukas]

Wanted to check out the Studio Assistant but says it is only available with Fender Pro+ sub.

Yes, it's a cloud feature and subscription-only. Joe explains it at the beginning of this video:

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[TimC340]

Impressive. Congrats on the release!

However - another wave of sadness as no mention of SPv8.1 supporting the new Native Instruments S-Series MKIII V2 firmware.

Will reset my expectations and start that hourglass over.

VP

Oui, moi aussi. I think I suggested way back that maybe NI and PreSonus/Fender had fallen out somewhat, and it's beginning to look as if that is genuinely the case. Nektar has managed to get enough cooperation out of Fender to release firmware to make their CS-12 compatible with the DAW, and the company has obviously opened the doors to Tonalic (yes, Melodyne has been in the DAW for yonks) and now Moises, so the v2 compatibility for NI Kontrol Mk3 is now very conspicuous by its absence. I suppose it's possible that Fender had an inkling of NI's financial issues and held back pending a resolution, but given the huge user base of this stuff that doesn't really hold a lot of water.

 

[TimC340]

Wanted to check out the Studio Assistant but says it is only available with Fender Pro+ sub. I have an upgrade license that is eligable for all updates until next year. Is this right, or is the feature really locked behind a subscription?

That's how I read it - and it's only in Beta for now.

 

[Olorin]

Hi, having been through update issues with Logic, how solid are the updates? Will it likely need a 8.1.x release soon?
Thanks.

 

[Vocalpoint]

Hi, having been through update issues with Logic, how solid are the updates? Will it likely need a 8.1.x release soon?
Thanks.

There will always be another maintenance update lurking out there - but (historically speaking) once we hit the first "*.1" release - stability has largely been dialled in and if anything is discovered - it is usually very minor in nature.

I will be installing v8.1 straight away here in just a few minutes - after some settings backups and imaging of course

VP

 

[Olorin]

thanks. I did the usual Logic M.O. and backed up the 8.03 version.

 

[Skijumptoes]

It's quite funny what they lock behind the subscription. As long as it's not core functionality i'm not really bothered, and it's good to have added value in the subscription and less elements that many would consider a necessity.

Hopefully the Studio Assistant doesn't lead to cuts in the support staff, but it probably will as it's 24/7 instant help and will only mature to offer more deeper assistance as time goes on.

 

[Lukas]

thanks. I did the usual Logic M.O. and backed up the 8.03 version.

You don't need to back up the 8.0.3 version. Just install the new version to a new folder.

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[Olorin]

They're all in my Applications folder. I don't know where else on a Mac I'd put it, lol. Downloading now.

 

[BobF]

Not sure AI requires a sub. Make sure you've provided FSP with your account credentials as the AI engine backend is on a server

I have a sub so I can't verify this myself

 

[BobF]

They're all in my Applications folder. I don't know where else on a Mac I'd put it, lol. Downloading now.

You don't have subfolders for applications? Are all applications really dumped into the same folder?

 

[brmichael]

Not sure AI requires a sub. Make sure you've provided FSP with your account credentials as the AI engine backend is on a server

I have a sub so I can't verify this myself

At least the new stem separation is available without a subscription. I don't have a subscription but after updating Studio Pro it prompted me for updating stem separation, too. The release notes also say that stem separation works completely locally, nothing is uploaded to a remote server.

 

[Olorin]

You don't have subfolders for applications? Are all applications really dumped into the same folder?

There are occasionally subfolders for apps, Kontakt being one of them.
The usual method for Logic is to duplicate, change the name slightly, then zip it. THAT can be moved. This leaves the original there to be updated. This is what I've done.
Gotta go watch the intro videos.

 

[marrybanilow]

Yes, it's a cloud feature and subscription-only. Joe explains it at the beginning of this video:

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That's disapointing.

 

[Vocalpoint]

Not sure AI requires a sub.

Studio Assistant does...

Strange (and short-sighted) to make mention of this "hot new feature" in that promo vid - to make it appear as if it's available to everyone.

This implementation - is a tad tacky to be fair. This kind of knowledge - should be available to everyone at any license level.

VP

 

[marrybanilow]

Studio Assistant does...

View attachment 3559

Strange (and short-sighted) to make mention of this "hot new feature" in that promo vid - to make it appear as if it's available to everyone.

This implementation - is a tad tacky to be fair. This kind of knowledge - should be available to everyone at any license level.

VP

Agreed fully. I would expect when my license says 'Your license includes all feature updates until x', that technically it would include this - a new feature update

 

[Jens]

Why is the channel metering still not working for an (imported mp3) audio track into a new 8.1 project?

Transport bar and main output channel metering works and responds to panning and volume changes on the channel.